Summary: A small slice of life where Oga gets ditched.
He was late. Or maybe he had just forgotten. Either way, Oga found himself once again regretting that he had invited Tojou over to hang out. Except that he didn’t. Tojou was the one who insisted on coming over. Tojou was the one who wanted Beel to try on all the little outfits he had made after getting enthralled with the world of knitting. And it was Tojou who had left Oga sitting and waiting and waiting and w a i t i n g –!
“Screw this…” Oga muttered darkly. If Tojou wasn’t going to show, then he had more important things he could be doing right now. Like beating the boss level on his new video game (courtesy of Furuichi’s game shelf) for instance.
A small part of him, the part that had prepared snacks and tidied up his room, was perhaps just a little bit disappointed that Tojou never showed up. For the longest time, Furuichi was the only friend he had who would come over and play. Unless you counted Miki, but Oga tried not to think about that whole awkwardness anymore.
And then he met Beel. And Hilda. And Kanzaki, Himekawa, Kunieda… Just when exactly did his social circle grow so large? His child self would never believe how drastically his life would change in the future. Oga glanced over to Beel who was chewing on demon crackers (like animal crackers, but with demon shapes) in his high chair.
“This is all your fault,” he said.
“Adah?” Not entirely sure what he was being blamed for, Beel offered up a soggy cracker.
“No thanks. You eat it.”
Without hesitation, Beel stuffed the remains of what Oga guessed to be an ak-baba in his mouth and resumed chewing.
Beel’s physical development was certainly a lot slower than any human’s was. As far as Oga knew, human two-year-olds no longer relied on milk as their main source of food. Beel, on the other hand, was only starting to fully transition into solids. And it didn’t help that Hilda was so particular about what Beel could and could not eat.
Crackers, yes. Cookies, no. Apples, yes. Oranges, no. Croquettes, yes. Corndogs, no. Her reasoning varied from, “too much sugar is bad for his teeth”, to, “it is a sacred demon world ritual to take the first bite of whatever under the light of the blah, blah, blah”.
Basically, Beel’s feeding schedule was Hilda’s responsibility.
Or rather, it was supposed to be. Today Hilda had been far too entranced by her favourite television series to helicopter over Beel during his snack time. It was the perfect moment for Oga to feed Beel whatever the hell he wanted, but he opted for Hilda-approved crackers instead.
It had absolutely nothing to do with wanting to avoid a scene with Hilda when Tojou arrived and everything to do with wanting to finish up the box of crackers as soon as possible so his family would stop asking him what the shapes were supposed to be.
They were about a quarter of the way through the box and at this point Oga was strongly considering eating the crackers himself to be rid of them faster. Hilda was still glued to the television, so Oga grabbed a handful and crammed them all into his mouth at once.
His mouth was dry. Absolutely, 100% completely dry. It had to be because of the demon crackers. Chewing was nearly impossible, but he was far too committed to just spit them out now. A glass of water –make that milk— and these crackers were history.
He stood up at exactly the same time the doorbell rang.
Looks like Tojou decided to make an appearance after all.
Goddamn him.
His parents weren’t home, Hilda was too engrossed with her shows to move, but maybe Misaki…?
“Tatsumi! Get the door!” his sister yelled from the top of the house.
Goddamn her.
The kitchen faucet. He could dip his head under for just enough water to swallow before answering the door. Yes, good plan.
Unfortunately, with his mouth already full of cracker, there was very little room for any water to get in. Most of it ended up dribbling down his face while taking a small trail of crumbs with it. But eventually, the crackers started to soften enough for him to –
“Hey, Oga! The door was unlocked so I let myself in!”
Upon the sudden appearance of Tojou, Oga spat out the entire conglomerate of cracker and water onto his face and into the sink. Then, because the tap was still running into his mouth, he choked into a coughing fit and smacked his forehead on the faucet while attempting to stand upright again.
“Whoa, you alright there?” Tojou asked. He set down four large plastic bags beside Beel’s high chair and started to walk over. Oga held up a hand.
“F-fine!” he coughed. “I’m fine! Just, just take Beel with you over to Hilda in the living room. I’ll join in a sec.”
“Oh, good call!” With a wide grin, Tojou swept Beel up in one hand and clutched all four plastics bags with the other. “Don’t want to leave Hilda out of the fashion show, do we Beel?”
Beel let out a delighted squeal, far too excited to even notice his father wasn’t following behind. It was the perfect opportunity for Oga to clean up both himself and the pile of goop mocking him from the sink. And all without Hilda –
“Those crackers are not for you.”
For the second time that day, Oga was startled into smacking his head on the faucet. He whirled around, rubbing at the bruise forming on his forehead, and came face to face with a cup of popcorn kernels.
Hilda thrust the cup into his hands.
“Bring the bowl out when it’s ready,” she said, and then left to reclaim her spot on the couch.
Oga hated playing errand boy –that was Furuichi’s job— but if it meant Hilda wouldn’t bring up his cracker debacle again, then a bowl of popcorn was a small price to pay.
“Here,” Oga said a few minutes later. “I got your—”
“Shhhhhhhhhh!!!” scolded Hilda and, to Oga’s astonishment, Tojou.
“Lord Syntax is about to propose to the governess!”
“I’ve been waiting for this moment all season!”
Wordlessly, Tojou snatched the popcorn bowl out of Oga’s hands, ate a quick mouthful, and then placed it in the middle of the couch where Hilda could reach.
“But what about…?” Oga tried again. He was once again silenced, however, since, much like the bags of hand-knitted outfits on the floor, Tojou had long since forgotten about him. Now, there was only the soap opera.
“Come on, Beel,” Oga muttered. He left Tojou, and the friend-snatcher, to finish their show in peace. There would be time for knitted onesies later. And there was… after one full week and once the soap opera marathon had finished.
All of the clothing fit Beel perfectly, even though only some of it actually looked good. But it was the only batch that Tojou ever brought over. He had dropped knitting as soon as he found out that he and Hilda obsessed over the same shows.
Which was just as well, since Beel still refused to wear clothing anyway.
The call came in late afternoon. Furuichi pushed his goggles up and stretched his neck out to glance at the caller ID. Unknown number. Probably a house call then; the phone could identify business numbers. Oga was busy lounging in front of the television, so Furuichi pulled off his gloves and answered the phone.
“Finally!” A harsh voice shrieked in Furuichi’s ear before he could say anything. “I’ve been waiting for ages! I thought you guys were supposed to be professionals?”
The phone had rung exactly three times before Furuichi picked up. Swallowing back what he really wanted to say, Furuichi replied in a tone inspired by retail workers.
“Thank you for calling Ghost Office, where we deliver ghost justice to you. How may I be of service today?” Out of the corner of his eye, Furuichi could see Oga pushing himself into a standing position. He quickly grabbed one of his gloves and chucked it at Oga’s head.
“Oh, gee, I don’t know. What possible reason could I have for calling a ghost busting agency?” Furuichi was only half listening to the client. He mouthed the word ‘Stay!’ at Oga who reluctantly slouched back into the couch.
“MAYBE BECAUSE MY FIGGEN HOUSE IS HAUNTED?!?”
Furuichi jumped and yanked the phone away from his ear. From the couch, Oga scoffed and rolled his eyes. Shaking his head, Furuichi returned his full attention back to the call.
“Could you describe the manner of haunting you are experiencing?”
“How should I fucking know? It’s a ghost, so can’t you just get rid of it?”
“Yes, but we need to know what we are dealing with first so we can determine the best method of approach…”
It took fifteen minutes of rewording questions and repeating explanations before Furuichi finally gave up and decided to work with the little information he managed to get out of the client. Dropping the phone, he leaned back in his chair and pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes. A heavy sigh escaped his lips.
Summary: When Baby Beel goes away for the weekend, Oga and Furuichi find themselves alone together, for the first time in ages.
Furuichi Takayuki was catching up on his pre-university reading when he heard a great crash. Ahead of him was Hilda, looking as beautiful and dangerous as ever, crouching on top of his desk.
In the moment he scrambled to close his text book and get up, she had already reached his sofa, where he was sitting.
“Hilda san, I have a door--”
“Shut up. Time is of the essence. Are you doing anything this weekend?”
Furuichi’s eyes widened. Was she asking him out? His imagination began to run wild.
The blonde rolled her eyes. “Don’t get cocky. If you have plans, cancel them. You’re going to be on ogre duty.” As soon as she spoke, she grabbed the boy’s hand began pulling him towards the window.
“Wait, waaait, what do you mean? Did something happen to Oga!?” Furuichi tried pulling his hand back in panic. Hilda muttered “I wish” under her breath, too low for him to hear.
~~~~~
“I’m taking the master and mistress back to the demon world for the weekend,” Hilda announced upon entering Oga’s room.
Furuichi had been unceremoniously dumped on the bed, startling the brunet from his video game. Beel and Nico, who had been playing near Oga’s bookshelf, looked up to Hilda at the mention of their names.
“The hell?! Don’t come in unannounced!” Oga said, pausing his game.
“Madam Iris...ah...she misses her children and wants to spend time with them,” the wet nurse admitted, a light blush creeping up on her face. “And since she’s entrusted them to you, then the least we can do is allow her to spend time with them if she wants.”
“Why? She just met them,” Oga grumbled. “That sounds sneaky.”
“Wait.” Furuichi found his bearing and sat up in bed. “Wouldn’t Oga have to go as well?” Furuichi asked, the realization dawned on him.
Oga and Hilda had only returned a week ago, after crashing their graduation ceremony. They had been gone for a total of six months, two weeks and three days, something Furuichi had tried not to keep track of but inevitably did.
The idea that Oga would have to return so soon made the other boy’s heart ache, without reason. The last time the contractor went to the Demon World he had been told it was only going to be for a month. A weekend trip was no guarantee it would simply stay that way.
“I’m not going,” Oga spoke, breaking up Furuichi’s thoughts. “If she misses Beel and Nico she can come here to see them.”
Hilda shook her head. “Did any of you pay attention to what I just said? I’m taking the master and mistress back with me, you can just stay here and rot in front of the TV for the next three days.”
There was a silence.
“But Hilda-san,” Furuichi asked politely, “How can that work when the contract--”
“The Overload just mailed me this,” the blonde interrupted. From her pocket she pulled out a pair of bright green bracelets, the glow-in-the-dark kind you’d find at a kids’ party. “These are power inhibitors.”
“Dah!” Baby Beel’s exclaimed as Hilda reached down to pick him up. She fit the bracelet on his wrist. It instantly resized itself to fit the baby. As she got up, she tossed the remaining one to Oga.
“Once on, the bracelets temporarily severe the contract between human and demon,” she said.
Oga frowned as he put on the bracelet on his right hand. The moment it resized itself the zebub emblem faded from his arm.
“But doesn’t that mean Oga won’t be able to use his powers? What if something happens…” Furuichi said. He felt a surge of memories flood his conscious, the memories he had of Fuji’s initial arrival to Japan two years ago, and how powerless his friend was.
“Idiotichi, who do you think I am!” Oga interrupted, a small smile breaking out on his face. “Think of all the things I’d be able to do without kids!”
I’m trying not to, Furuichi thought to himself. The idea of the two of them being alone after two years of on and off babysitting was too rich with opportunity, but he knew his friend was not at all hardwired that way. Oga is probably going to sleep most of the weekend away any, he decided.
“How about it, Baby Beel? Ready to give your pop a little break?” he said, staring intently at the baby.
The child raised his chubby arm and saluted his foster father. “Dabuh!”
“Then it's decided. Come, little mistress, let’s get you packed for travelling!” Hilda picked Nico up from where she was playing. Nico, unlike Beel, was still too young to retain lasting relationship with people, and so she readily accepted Hilda’s embrace.
The wet nurse was at the doorway when she turned around and spoke. “Furuichi, you remember what I told you right?”
“Ogre du--Oh!” He stopped himself before Oga could pick up on it. So that’s why she dragged him over here. He wouldn’t have had it any other way really.
He knew, deep down inside, he’d always find a way to stay by Oga’s side, whatever the capacity.
~~~~~
“Holy shit! I can’t fucking believe it!” Oga exclaimed.
They were at the riverbend, having just witnessed Hilda disappear into Alaindelon. Alaindelon too, disappeared into the air. The two human boys were alone. Actually alone.
“Look, its nothing! I don’t feel a thing!” The contractor waved his arms in the air, as if to test the durability of the bracelet.
The silver haired boy grabbed his right arm to take a closer look. “That’s pretty incredible…” he murmured. Every trace of the zebub emblem had on his forearm was gone.
“Hell yeah! Think of all the things I could do this weekend!!” Oga said excitedly, leaning in to Furuichi.
“Yeah! Like…”
“Like…”
The childhood friends stared at each other, their grinning faces fading into confusion.
Furuichi couldn’t think of a single thing. His brain had gone completely blank. The chance of a lifetime, and he couldn’t even think of a single thing that sounded remotely interesting.
“Oi, my arm.”
He hadn’t realized he was still holding Oga’s hand near his heart. He hastily let go in embarrassment.
“I can’t think of anything,” he said sheepishly.
“Fuck!” The brunet cursed.
“Why don’t we get something to eat?” Furuichi suggested, realizing the time. “At least you won’t have to pay extra for Beel.”
“Ohh, good idea! I left my wallet at home anyway.”
You idiot! Why do I end up paying every time?! Furuichi thought. Nonetheless, they walked away from the riverbed and back into the city.
As they approached their usual croquette shop, Oga stopped, frowning to himself. After all, it was the middle of rush hour and a huge line had formed outside the little take-out. There was no excuse really, normally the boys get their croquettes way past lunchtime, usually when Beel had already had his fill of milk.
“Whatever. I was in the mood for pancakes anyway.” Oga promptly turned around and began walking away from there. “Or maybe a parfait? I’ve always wanted those.”
Furuichi shook his head. “You? Going to a patisserie? That doesn’t sound like you…”
“Hey, I eat from that place all the time! But a pateess…or whatever it isn’t baby friendly, definitely! I’d never take Beel there.”
“Yeah but I’m the one paying, remember!”
For once, Oga heeded Furuichi’s cries to go easy on his wallet. They found an appropriate patisserie half an hour later and got themselves a table.
“See,” he insisted as they sat down, “no children!” Furuichi’s cheeks turned pink the more he thought about. It almost felt like they left the kids at home and went out on a dat--
“Look! There’s discount if you order a parfait and waffles together!”
Furuichi nodded, not wanting to look up and give his embarrassment away. But Oga being overly excited was definitely endearing. Although, he wasn’t the one paying, Furuichi was. Damnit!
Oga reached over and shook his friend by the shoulders. “What’s up?”
“You know the discount special includes the most expensive parfait, right?”
“Didn’t you always talk about wanting to come to one of these places with a friend--”
“With a girlfriend--”
“Same difference, whatever.”
“If it’s the same difference does that make you my--”
“Excuse me,” a feminine voice said, “Are you ready to order?” She gave Furuichi a polite smile.
As the silver haired boy gave his order, from the corner of his eye he noticed Oga staring at him with his eyebrows furrowed.
Luckily, the food came relatively quickly and was delicious. It seemed some of the boys’ restlessness came from being hungry, and as they ate the conversation became lighter, more casual.
~~~~~
After they ate, Oga and Furuichi ended up passing the rest of the afternoon wandering around before heading away from the main city hub. Ironically they ended up near to where Hilda had left them: next to the river.
“Y’know you keep saying you want to do stuff you can’t do around Beel, but, all we’ve done are things you do with him anyway.”
“Not really.”
“Oh yeah?”
“If I had Beel and Nico with me, your hand wouldn’t be so damn sweaty right now!” Oga grinned. To his best friend’s dismay, they had been holding hands for a while now, and had only just noticed.
“Who’s telling you to hold it then?!” Furuichi attempted to slip his hand away from Oga’s. He wrangled his arm from his friend’s to no avail, Oga’s laughter filling his ears.
“Oi, I didn’t say I had a problem with it!”
“You don’t?” Furuichi stopped struggling.
The brunet shrugged. “As long as I get to tease you about it.”
“Hey! Not fair!” The other boy protested.
“Idiotichi, it’s just the natural order of things.”
Furuichi scowled at him. “Still,” he said, noticing their hands were still interlocked with each others, “I thought you didn’t like this sort of thing.”
“You’re….different, I guess.”
Furuichi glanced at Oga, but he had turned his head away so he couldn’t read his expression.
“Is that meant to be an insult or a compliment? Really…” The boy felt really curious. “Oga,” he said in a low voice. He squeezed his friend’s hand.
With his free hand he reached out and grabbed the other boy’s chin, turning him around and bringing him face to face to one another. In one motion, Furuichi leaned in and kissed him. He felt Oga press his lips back against his own.
Furuichi thought he’d struggle to speak when he pulled back from kissing, but instead the words came tumbling out of his mouth.
“I...didn’t think you’d be into that sort of thing either,” he admitted.
“With you, it’s--” Furuichi didn’t let him finish what he was saying, and pulled him in for a second kiss. This time, he felt the other boy’s arms wrap around his waist.
~~~~~
When they reached Oga’s house, Furuichi felt the burning need to bolt and run. They can always talk on their phones right? Or maybe even tomorrow?
“Wait a second.” Something had just dawned over the brunet’s face. “There’s nothing here.”
“This is where you live, Oga.”
“There’s nothing to do here anyway,” he broke into a grin. “And its the weekend right?”
“So?”
“So take me out again, you moron.”
Furuichi stared at him. He thought about his thinning wallet, before making his decision.
“How about my place?” he asked.
“...Ok? Sure.”
Furuichi felt his heartbeat race as they left the neighborhood. “You know, going back to my place after a date kind of suggests something, doesn’t it?” Oga rolled his eyes. “What?!” he asked defensively. “I didn’t mean it like that!”
Oga shook his head in disappointment. “This is why you never got a girlfriend.”
“Oh yeah, so what does that make you?”
“A best friend.”
Furuichi burst into laughter. The day was almost over, but the weekend had just begun. He was determined to make the most of it, whether it be with his best friend or boyfriend.
It’s the first time they fight demons together, truly as partners, and Oga almost doesn’t notice how much they’ve changed.
Furuichi pulls his tissues out in an instant, and before Oga can spare a moment to see what happened, a third of the enemies have crumpled to the ground. In the corner of his eye, he sees the faint outline of Jabberwock trailing behind the other boy.
In a couple of minutes the fight is over. Between Oga and Beel’s Zebub blasts and Furuichi’s temporary contracts, they make short work of over twenty assailants.
The contractor stands at the center of a large scorch mark, admiring how the rogue demons, who wanted him dead, now lay around him unconscious. He hears Furuichi calling his name, approaching him from behind.
“That was awesome!” he says.
“That, was fodder,” Oga corrects. Baby Beel lets out a loud chortle and waves his arms. Even though the baby is out of his field of view, he can tell the demon wants Furuichi to pick him up.
“Beel disagrees with you.” He walks behind him, holding out his arms as Beel dives into his arms.
No sooner than Furuichi catches up with him, the baby uses the tears in his shirt to climb atop him. Using the boy’s nose and lips as grips, Beel swings his chubby body around, straddling Furuichi’s head from behind. The little demon then grips the human’s hair, like reins on a pony. Furuichi’s face scrunches up in pain.
“Dah!” he shouts, commanding the boy to do his bidding, in total seriousness.
“Ugh, stop!! You’re holding on too tight–!” he exclaims, successfully managing to pull him away from his death grip.
Behind the baby boy and struggling Furuichi, Oga sees the sun beginning to set, casting a warm, orange hue on everything. And in that light, he sees –
His best friend, carrying Baby Beel around his waist.
The collar of Furuichi’s shirt is ripped open, revealing his collarbone. Dirt and grease cling all over his clothes, up to his face. He slicks his hair back with his free hand, attempting to get the sweat away from his face. He looks up at the contractor and gives a weak smile. The brunet feels a shiver going through his back, like he’d been struck by a demonic spell.
Oga feels a surge of pride just by looking at him. Despite all that happened between them, without a doubt, the brunet believes there is no one else he wants to spend the rest of his life with.
“Oh no...” A flood of mental images invade Oga’s mind. Fuck. Did he really just think that? He really did start to think about their future, after high school, maybe moving out and getting a flat together, spending their time without constraints, holy shit the possibilities were endless–
“Did you say something?” Furuichi asks.
“You look like crap,” the contractor remarks. It’s a knee-jerk reaction.
“So do you,” Furuichi replies. “What’s your problem?”
“Nothing.” Oga feels a warmth creep up his face as he looks away. Maybe he’s just tired. How the hell did Furuichi manage to creep into his life to the point of being his best friend, his companion, and ultimately, his partner in crime? The sly bastard.
It isn’t so long ago that Oga did most of the fighting – supernatural or otherwise, while the other boy laid low until it was all over. And at those times, hanging out together afterwards felt like the best way to cap off every fight.
“Let’s get out of here,” he says as he begins to walk away from the carnage. He doesn’t want Furuichi to see the expression he’s making.
“You know... you looked cool back there,” Oga admits, picking up the pace.
Behind him, he hears the other boy stifle a laugh.
“I mean it.”
“Didn’t you just say–”
“Doesn’t matter how good you are, after a fight you’re gonna look like crap. But.” Oga takes a deep breath, “It was fun, you know, fighting together.”
Furuichi doesn’t say anything after that. In a minute he has caught up with the other boy, and the two of them are briskly walking side by side. Oga steals a glance at his friend. The younger teen is smiling to himself. Despite the grime and sweat, the silver haired boy looks enthusiastic, glowing even.
“What?” Oga grunts.
“Nothing... you don’t give out compliments often, that’s all. Thanks.”
Oga nods. He feels lucky; and he wonders if one day Furuichi will feel just as lucky for being with him as well.
My submission to silverbluebaka! Due to life circumstances your secret santa has been replaced by me! Work and other stuff got in my way, however, so I apologize for the delay; but thank you for waiting so patiently and I hope you enjoy this nonetheless!
Summary: After the end of a long battle, it's only natural to sit back and relax for a while, right? Furuichi and Pillar Squad shenanigans.
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Very mild Ogafuru
Genre: Slice of Life/Humor
Word count: 1.5k
Furuichi takes a deep breath and tries to concentrate on the blue pulse reverberating through his palms, focusing on the field in front of him. The enemies will get close enough any second now, and if all goes according to plan, the battle would be over in less than two minutes…
The enemy hits the mark and it's time to act. So he gets in one knee, his hands resting on the ground, and finally lets go of all the energy he had been accumulating during the last twenty minutes.
"Iluminated Sanctum!"
The blue energy dances away from his hands, spreading rapidly in all directions and creating fissures through the earth; and by the time the enemy realizes what is happening, they're already stuck on the ground, struggling to get free.
Jabberwock calls for the final attack and it's over. Despite their numbers, the rebel group is quickly overwhelmed by the Pillar Squad's forces literally crashing down on them. Less than five minutes later, the Barons are rounding everyone up to be transported to headquarters by Sodom; and when Laymia asks everyone else to follow suit, Furuichi has already collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
This doesn't go unnoticed by anyone.
"Ah, Laymia-chan, would it be okay to rest here instead~? I think Furuichi-kun burnt himself out."
"Did not," Furuichi grumbles stubbornly from the ground, but makes no effort to sit up to prove his point.
"Hm, very well. But don't stay too long. We don't know if any more enemies could be hiding and waiting for the right time to strike."
"Alriiiight~!"
The rest of the Barons leave immediately afterwards, with only Naga and Basilisk staying behind for 'crowd control'. Furuichi is just about to ask why Jabberwock remained behind as well when he plops down next to him and asks, "So who brought food?"
"I brought chips," says Basilisk somewhere to Furuichi's right. He finally sits up, bemused, staring as Jabberwock catches the bag of chips in the air and proceeds to open it with blood-stained hands.
"…What. Basilisk, you didn't bring a bag with you today. Where were you keeping that?"
As soon as he says it, a bottle of vitamin water comes flying toward him and Furuichi hastily catches it midair. The sound of chatter among the demons fills the air soon enough, and everywhere he looks the pillars are passing food and drinks and even a picnic basket to one another.
"No, seriously, where were you keeping that!?"
Elim stops rummaging inside the picnic basket to look at Furuichi. "Oh, I'm sorry, did you want a croissant too, Furu-sama?"
Furuichi gapes at the offered pastry in Elim's hand, his eye twitching as he catches the sight of a mini fridge flying through the air somewhere to his left, and finally sighs.
"Yes, please."
"Don't fret so much, Furuichi," Agiel says as she drops down next to him, her arms filled with a variety of little cakes, "Just sit back and enjoy the food. You must be really tired, right? So be sure to eat lots before we head back~"
"Ah, thanks, but really, I'm fine—"
"Nonsense," Jabberwock mumbles as he chews on what seems to be a piece of ostrich-sized chicken leg, the chips longs since discarded. "The numbers were greater than we had expected this time; and you used a lot of demonic power too. Even if you don't feel it, it's only natural to be completely void of energy after that attack. So eat."
"Okay," Furuichi says a little self-consciously, trying to fight down the blush that he's sure is creeping over his face. If the pillars notice it, they don't say anything.
"Yeah! That finisher was amazing! Odonel was really happy to see you handled his contract without problem on the first day, you know~?"
Furuichi turns to where Agiel is pointing just in time to see Odonel hastily looking away. It's not like he can see his face, but if Agiel says so then it must be true.
"Ten down, twenty-four to go," Furuichi says with a wry smile. Even after two years he hasn't even managed to master half the contracts he has. But at least he has been able to increase the learning curve lately, especially with this particular contract.
"How did you like using magic-based attacks this time, Furuichi?" Hecadoth, who had joined their little group at some point, promptly asks him.
Furuichi takes his time to chew one of the cakes Agiel offered him before he answers.
"It was… easier," he says frowning, trying to recall the attacks he used in the battle not too long ago, as well as the subsequent finishing move. "Even though I had to concentrate more on the attacks, they also came forth a lot easier? I'm not really sure how to explain it." He laughes apologetically, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "Although it was more draining than usual, too."
"Ah!! I definitely know what you mean!" Elim exclaims, jumping up and down from her spot excitedly. "Magic is like that for me too! When it's my turn, I'll show you some really cool tricks, okay??"
"Ah, y-yeah," Furuichi says sheepishly. Sometimes the Pillar Squad's enthusiasm for him still catches him off-guard, "Thank you, though I guess I'll still need to train a lot more before I get to use your contract."
Despite her size, Furuichi is well aware of Elim's impressive power. And if this one battle was enough for him to get this tired…
"Don't sell yourself short, Furuichi," Basilisk says gruffly, as though reading his thoughts, "This was your first time trying out magic spells and you did excellently. Newbies tend to pass out after their first spell, you know? And yet you managed to do a lot damage in one day. You've improved a lot in the last few years."
This time, Furuichi is certain that his cheeks are burning, and the enthusiastic murmurs of agreement around him are definitely not helping.
"Yes, I'd say it's past the time to increase our training sessions." Jabberwock adds nonchalantly, the pile of food around having long since disappeared, "What do you say, Furuichi?"
"Yeah!! Furuichi-kun, are you free next Saturday?"
"Oh, yeah!" Furuichi says with a huge grin, the air of excitement around him contagious, "I think I–"
Furuichi had been friends with Oga for a long time. Almost ten years, actually, if his calculations are right. There are many things in his life that, to the average person, they would have been straight out weird and ridiculous, if not completely terrifying. But Furuichi has long since gotten used to them; no point getting mad about those sorts of things anymore. So when he feels a sudden pressure on his back and finds his face planted firmly on the ground, there is nothing but a groan of exasperation coming out from him as Oga dusts himself and gets off of him, greeting him as per usual.
"Yo, Furuichi."
"Ai!! Furuchin!"
The Pillar Squad does show a little surprise, though.
"Ah! It's Ogacchi!"
"Oi, Oga Tatsumi, the hell are you doing here?"
Although they're not angry, they complain loudly and make a point in telling Oga that they had been enjoying a nice time before he arrived the moment he announces he's taking Furuichi back with him. He's called a variety of childish names and petty things, but only when Agiel tells him that he's such a clingy boyfriend does Oga start losing his patience and grabs Furuichi by the neck of his shirt, literally dragging him away.
Furuichi, who does concede the fact that he had promised Oga they would play Dragon Age that night together, doesn't put up much of a fight.
The Pillar Squad keeps waving good-bye until they're no longer in sight.
"Bye, Furuichi-kun!! We'll see you next weekend~~!"
Ah, so their new training schedule was officially in session then. Well, that was fine with him too, even if Oga thought otherwise.
"Pfft. What a bunch of annoying guys."
"Dah!" Beel burbles in agreement.
Furuichi knows from experience that there's no point in telling the kettle he's just calling the pot black, so he sighs in resignation and untangles himself from his grip.
"Stop that, I can walk on my own."
Furuichi sees Alaindelon waiting for them just ahead, and not for the first time he wonders why Oga is so roundabout and always beats around the bush when it comes to saying certain things. It's always Furuichi who has to make an effort to get an answer.
"I don't know why you came to fetch me, Oga. I would've gotten home in just an hour like always, you know?"
But Oga just wrinkles his nose and avoids the question altogether.
"Those guys are lame, Furuichi. If you're around them too much they're gonna rub off you."
"Ai!"
Furuichi just huffs in mock indignation, smirking. They're a weird bunch for sure, but despite Oga's words he's definitely looking forward to their training session next time. Maybe he should give up being a fighter completely and focus on magic attacks instead…
"Also, calling your attacks? Really? What are you, a shōnen manga protagonist?"
"Shut up! It's not like you don't do it either! And how do you even know about that anyway, I thought you had just gotten here!? Oga!!!"
I'm reposting my submission on my blog so it can be found in my fic tag as well! I also took the opportunity to fix a few typos I missed when I first submitted this. Happy Holidays!
[ From sweetgums to mai-sailor-sakura for the 2014 Beelzebub Christmas Exchange. ]
Summary: Oga and Furuichi at university + The Pillar Squad. Some things never change.
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Ogafuru
Genre: Slice of Life with some very slight drama
Word count: 5.5k
To be perfectly honest, Oga didn’t really like University. At all. He could see why the kind of people like Furuichi would feel happy in this sort of place, and in his heart of hearts he knew his best friend belonged in this environment, but as far as Oga was concerned this was not the case for him.
Never mind the fact that there were hardly any delinquents in campus, since if Oga really wanted to blow some steam he could just wander on the streets for a few minutes and a fight would invariably find him, but the teachers in this place even had the nerve to expect him to quiet down during class, of all things! Wasn't the fact that he was attending enough?
Sure, it was not like he was actually a registered student, but—
"Hey, Oga, come on. Class is over."
"Huh? Already?"
And sure enough, nearly everyone around him had already filed out the door, eager to get home and enjoy their well-deserved weekend. Furuichi was the only one standing still, tapping his foot impatiently and waiting for Oga to get moving.
"Yeah, even the teacher has left already. Can we go now?"
It's not like they were in a hurry to get home or anything, but Oga knew it was the principle of it. As far as Furuichi was concerned, Oga was probably just stalling to tick him off.
"What? You running late for a date, Furuchin?"
Beel giggled in delight when Furuichi slapped Oga's shoulder in response.
"You were quiet today" Furuichi said a bit later as they walked towards the main gate. "You stayed up all night playing that game, didn't you?"
"Not my fault Beel got obsessed with Pokémon." Oga said as Beel yawned on cue on top of his head. "And besides, I didn't fall asleep. I was just thinking, idiot."
"You? Thinking? Well, that's a surprise."
Oga huffed in mock indignation but didn't say anything. It's not like that wasn't true anyway.
"Well, whatever you were doing you should probably try it again. The teacher seemed glad you weren't making any ruckus for once."
"Don't know what he's talking about, I'm always a delight."
It had been over six months since Oga had started 'attending' classes –and it took only one week to shut down any complaints– but Furuichi suspected his teachers would never get used to Oga completely. It could've been worse; he could've gotten in trouble for being associated with a delinquent who was adamant about entering a building where he wasn't even a student, and worst of all, even had the nerve to show up at some of the classes! But after Oga had gone with every single one of his teachers to 'explain himself properly', none of them complained again, even if they would send Oga's nervous looks every now and then in the subsequent weeks.
The official explanation seemed to be that Oga just wanted to 'spend time with his friend', as per the words of one of his classmates who was also curious about Oga's presence; but whenever Furuichi questioned Oga about it, he always said he was there because he had nothing better to do anyway.
Some things never changed.
"So what are we doing today?" Oga asked as Furuichi's house came into view a while later. "You bought the new smash game ages ago, are we finally playing it??"
"Well, actually, I have an exam coming up on Monday so I'll be busy for most of the weekend – except for today, obviously!" Furuichi added as he caught sight of Beel's grimace. "Today we can play as much as you want, Baby Beel."
The mood shift was instantaneous, and Furuichi couldn't help sighing in relief as Beel celebrated in top of Oga's head. Having to be electrocuted aside, Furuichi did feel a little bad about not being able to hang out with Oga as much during the past two weeks, not to mention that he had been surprisingly patient while he had been studying for his exams. So now that there was only one left (and the easiest subject, best of all), Furuichi felt it was due time to celebrate by playing video games.
So when they opened the door to Furuichi's room and found the members of the Pillar Squad inside, he was understandably taken aback.
"Ah, the General has finally arrived."
"Furuichi-kun~! How good to see you again!"
"Oi, tactician, we ran out of cake. Don't you have something else to offer?"
Furuichi had to blink twice before being reassured that the surreal scene in front of him –demons messing about in his room, talking amongst each other and playing with his Wii V– was in fact real. As Agiel enthusiastically jumped towards him to greet him with a hug, Furuichi remembered that the last time he had talked to Hecadoth when he ran into him at a restaurant, he had mentioned they wanted to drop by for a visit. And while Furuichi told him it'd have to be after at least two weeks, he didn't think Hecadoth was actually serious…
But now seeing Laymia and Naga debating about the battlefield value of learning the healing arts while they perused over Furuichi's books, he could tell Hecadoth was definitely not joking.
"What's up, Furuichi? We've been waiting all day so we could play together!" Agiel said as she let go but kept her arms around his neck. Oga appeared to have deemed the conversation uninteresting and took off to where Jabberwock and two of his underlings where currently playing Mario Kart.
"Er, hi." Furuichi tried to ignore the tingling sensation of Agiel's fingers brushing against his nape. "How did you guys even get in?"
"Your sister let us in! We told her we were your friends and she said we could wait in your room~!"
Great, another reason for Honoka to think Furuichi was a freak. She had only recently forgiven him from the Lamia incident and now this happened. That was probably why there was no one in the house when Oga and he arrived.
"Ah, I'm sorry I kept you waiting then." Agiel finally withdrew and Furuichi sighed in relief. It was easier to smile naturally when she wasn't draping over him like a human shawl. "I was actually planning to play videogames with Oga and Beel today, though, but if you don't mind joining us–"
The little group in front of the TV chose that exact moment to roar in excitement as a car crashed to its death and Oga laughed maniacally at the screen.
"We don't mind." Hecadoth said somewhere to his right and Furuichi involuntarily jumped; he had materialized next to Furuichi without him noticing at some point. "If that's what you want to do, then we can play."
At this point the other demons had gathered around the TV to see what the fuss was all about, and Agiel was already skipping to where Jabberwock was playing, loudly demanding that she was next as soon as he died. They seemed like they were having fun. Even Oga, who was usually indifferent towards the squad, was gleefully cackling at the defeat of his opponent, clearly enjoying himself.
Hecadoth raised an eyebrow in a silent question, Well, aren't you coming? And Furuichi sighed in what he pretended to be exasperation, but it was fond more than anything. He sat next to Oga thinking that he would have to wake up earlier tomorrow to make up for the lost time tonight. But as Naga passed him a control after Oga booted up Smash, with the squad congregated behind him and cheering for his victory, he decided it wouldn't be so
It had been a chilly night so far. It didn't seem like the sun had been up in the sky just two hours ago, what with the speed the temperature had decreased in just that time. Anyone who might have been hiding behind some bushes and spying the house just across the street would not be having a nice time; but the demon Zera didn't particularly mind. They had been entrusted with a top secret mission and they wouldn't let the weather get in the way of it.
"Brother," Zera addressed his partner beside him. "Have you seen anything yet?"
Zera's brother, Hanzo, adjusted the binoculars around his neck before answering "No. There seems to be some kind of party happening inside, but the curtains are still drawn shut."
Zera looked through his own binoculars and made a humming noise in response, thinking.
"Perhaps there is something we could do to call their attention?" he ventured. "Such as tapping on their window and hiding under it before they can see us, or ring their doorbell and run before they open it?"
Hanzo finally let his binoculars rest against his chest and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "There is certainly value to be considered in your first idea, brother. We've been stationed here for nearly five hours now, I believe it's time to change our strategy."
"Agreed. Let us move forward then."
So they slithered through the completely empty street to reach the house that, according to their intel, was the place where Beelzebub IV and his Royal Contractor would spend the night the most often. As they crouched behind the window on the second floor, they could clearly hear the sounds of a gathering taking place, with laughter, enthusiastic yelling and the occasional blood-curling scream coming from inside. Hanzo and Zera positioned themselves strategically under the windowsill where they could make a hasty retreat to the bushes a few feet away from them, made a quick check to be sure no one was watching them, and when they confirmed the coast was clear, Hanzo took a small pebble and threw it against the window.
"Hey, Furuichi! What is this?"
Furuichi had just put his control down to go get more snacks when Agiel motioned him to come over to her little group, holding a book in her hand.
"Ah, that's one of my anatomy books," Furuichi said as he arrived and took a closer look to the page she was reading. "For college," he added as Agiel shot him a confused expression before lighting in recognition.
"Oh! Laymia-chan was right, then! You really are studying the healing arts! As expected of the general!"
"Yeah, I'm studying medicine," Furuichi said sheepishly as Hecadoth and Laymia beside them nodded in approval. "I thought it was interesting and I'm already used to dealing with injuries, so–"
Other demons who had gotten tired of being defeated by Oga had started to approach them as well, asking if it was true that Furuichi had plans to become a healer, but Furuichi got distracted by a tap on… his window? Surely not, they were on the second floor. But he was sure he had heard something; maybe more members from the squad had arrived and landed on the roof?
"Furuichi?" Hecadoth asked as he turned to the direction he was facing. "Is something wrong?"
"No, but – did you hear something just now?"
Hecadoth arched an eyebrow in response and marched towards the window, drawing the curtains back.
"There's nothing out here," he declared to his reflection in the glass. "But if there are intruders, it's possible that they're hiding. Should I inspect the perimeter around the house as well?"
"Ah, no, it's fine. I probably just imagined it–"
"Furuichi-kun!! Come here, this is one of your books too, right?? What's this one about?"
Outside of the house, the pair of demon agents had successfully managed to go back to their original hiding spot undetected. And as they put on their binoculars to analyze the situation, they gleefully noted the curtains left open.
"Look, brother! The fools have lowered their guard and left an ample view of their headquarters!"
"Indeed! Let us make haste before they realize their own incompetence! What do you see, brother?"
Hanzo carefully raised his head from the bushes and, double checking the coast was clear as Zera ceremoniously adjusted his binoculars.
He gasped in surprise. "Amazing! At least half of Behemoth's 34 Pillar Division must be inside! Our information was most certainly correct!"
"But what of the young prince and his human?"
"I can see them! They seem to be enjoying an entertainment center of sorts, the fools. It's no small wonder our presence has gone undetected!"
"Yes, I see them as well!" Hanzo said as he put on his own binoculars. "And the description fits perfectly. We must retreat now to report back to–"
"Brother, wait!" Zera exclaimed as he raised his hand and pointed towards a corner of the room. "There is another human, do you see him? And nearly all of the squad is crowded around him and listening to him as he speaks! Surely this is the Royal Contractor we're looking for, if he's surrounded by demons?"
"Very true! That brute playing on his own with the prince must be nothing but a babysitter."
"So how shall we proceed? Should we report back to the base?"
"Not yet, brother. If the Royal Contractor is around this amount of demons, not even we will be able to hold them off on our own. "
"I'm sad to say I agree. Let us retreat and formulate a plan then, brother."
They put their binoculars away and triple checked that the coast was clear one last time –unnecessary as everyone inside the Royal Contractor's house was solely concentrated on him and nothing else– before rolling a small sphere in the ground. A small huff of smoke surrounded their figures, and they disappeared.
Four hours, a hole on his wall, and many heartfelt goodbyes and promises to see him later, Furuichi collapsed on top of his bed, exhausted.
"About fucking time."
Unsurprisingly Oga had been doing nothing but play the entire time, regardless of whether he had a playing partner or not.
"I thought they would never leave."
"Dah!"
"Not thanks to you," Furuichi grumbled against his pillow. "Did you have to be playing the whole damn time? You just kept on riling them up, Oga. They could've left two hours ago if not for that."
"Well, so much for being professional."
Furuichi sighed against his pillow again, too tired to try to argue any further.
"Are you staying the night?"
"Yeah, it's getting pretty late anyway. And I had already told Hilda I wouldn't come home; she said she didn't mind looking after Nico on her own."
"Don't just invite yourself to other people's houses, bastard."
"I'm spending the weekend here too, by the way."
"You what?!"
A few miles away, in a super-secret base that was most certainly not an abandoned warehouse, a pair of demon brothers went over their strategy one last time.
"Everything is ready for the plan tomorrow, brother."
"Excellent. Let us take our designated stations and proceed. Tomorrow, we take the Royal Contractor down."
It was during the early hours of Sunday morning that Oga felt it again. The sensation that someone was watching him.
He craned his neck towards the clock in the wall: 4 am. Furuichi had fallen asleep at some point during the night, his head resting over the book he had been reading when Oga went to sleep nearly six hours ago. Apart from him and Beel, who was still sleeping beside him, there was no one else in the room.
So what the fuck was going on.
"Ugh, Oga, keep it down. It's too early for you to get into Mad Dog mode already."
Ah, did he say that out loud?
"Whatever. Go back to sleep, Furuichi. I need to go outside to check something."
"Huh?"
He wouldn't go far, so it was okay to leave Beel in the room. He just wanted to make sure there was nothing weird going on. The outside of the house seemed bare, at least, and Oga didn't detect any sort of demonic energy from the vicinity.
Maybe Furuichi had a stalker?
Still, Oga couldn't shake off the weird feeling in his gut. He had felt vaguely uneasy on Friday; but he had thought that was a premonition of sorts to the Pillar Squad that greeted them later that day. Come Saturday morning, however, the feeling had only intensified instead of leaving. Today wasn't any better.
Maybe he should wake up Beel for a better scouting of the area.
"Hey, Oga, what the hell are you doing?? It's freezing outside! Get your ass back in here!"
Oga turned to the window from where Furuichi was yelling, looking a little more awake but wearing an exasperated expression. He had bags under his eyes, but he didn't seem concerned in the least. He was good at sensing demonic power too, wasn't he? Or something about being able to channel demonic power easily. Same thing, really. So he should be able to notice if there was something wrong, right?
"Furuichi," Oga started once he was laying on his futon again. "You haven't felt anything weird these days?"
Furuichi, who was busy drying off the drool that had gotten to the books he used as a pillow and was still struggling with staying awake, took a few seconds before answering.
"Weird? Like what?" Furuichi instantly recalled the time he thought someone was tapping on his window, but he doubted that was what Oga was talking about. He was pretty sure he had hallucinated that, anyway. "I haven't felt anything."
Well, it's not like he had expected him to, since he didn't seem worried, but Oga frowned at his answer anyway. He turned to his side to make himself comfortable, feeling slightly irritated. Maybe it was him, maybe playing Pokémon all day had messed with his head.
"Never mind. Just don't stay up all night again, dumbass."
The exam on Monday morning was a breeze and Furuichi was confident he had done well. Upon relaying the news to Oga, who had been waiting outside of the classroom the whole time, he gave his signature grunt of approval before promptly asking if they could go get some croquettes already.
"The pillars are coming today again, aren't they? I wanna eat something before they get to your place."
Upon learning that Furuichi had been doing nothing but studying the last few weeks, Hecadoth had declared that the completion of Furuichi's tests should be celebrated by throwing a party on Monday afternoon; and even though Furuichi sincerely appreciated their efforts, he worried about the edibility of the 'roasted tavuk' they were planning on bringing today.
"Yeah, me too, I just have to go meet my professor real quick and then we'll go."
And even though Oga said he didn't mind waiting, Furuichi wasn't sure how long it'd take for him to finish with his meeting, so he assured Oga it would be fine if he went ahead.
"They always run out of croquettes less than an hour after they open, so you might as well go buy them on your own. I'll see you later at my place."
Oga paid no mind to the feeling of unease that had refused to budge from his gut since Friday night and left, with Beel singing a nonsensical tune at the top of his head, excited at the prospect of food and the party tonight.
Neither of them had foreseen the fight that would happen just in a couple of hours. And even if they had known, they wouldn't have celebrated it.
"Brother, behold! The Royal Contractor has finally been left to his own devices!"
"Yes! This is our chance, brother! Let us strike now as he unwisely wanders on his own!"
Furuichi sneezed. It had been cold the last couple of days, but he didn't think he was getting sick, even with the whole lack of sleep thing he was experiencing. Maybe a nice pair of girls were gossiping about him, wondering if they should ask Furuichi on a date for Christmas next week. Yes, that was probably it.
His teacher's office was on one of the most secluded areas on campus, so even though classes weren't over yet he wasn't surprised to see he was the only one coming out of the building. And Furuichi's exhaustion was finally catching up to him, making his step lower and his head just a little light-headed. So as he was daydreaming about the croquettes that were waiting for him at home, he couldn't anticipate the blow to his head that got him from behind; and when he fell to the ground, unconscious, no one was around to help him.
Oga had been waiting for a measly half hour when the Pillar Squad came crashing down Furuichi's room, bodies falling on top of each other because of the proximity of the demon portal to the floor. Oga watched, bemused, as the demons yelled profanities and threats at each other until they were finally disentangled from one another. The 'party supplies' and even presents they had brought, Oga noticed, were miraculously unscathed.
"Oga Tatsumi," Laymia addressed him politely as she deliberately blocked his view from the TV. "We have arrived. Where is the General?"
"Too early," Oga said as he craned his neck to get a better view at the screen. "He said he had something to do before coming home. He hasn't arrived yet."
"Whaaat?" Agiel wailed as she jumped down next to Laymia, effectively blocking Oga's attempt to watch the newest Rice-kun episode. "That can't be right!! He wasn't at his college campus either! So he must be here!!"
Oga was just about to physically move the two demons from their spot when Agiel's words caught his attention. "Wait, what do you mean he wasn't at campus?"
"Exactly what she said. We were meaning to surprise him, so we had the squad patrolling from the sky, and there was no sign that Furuichi was there." Laymia explained, arching an eyebrow as she took on Oga's bemused expression. "So he must be here."
"Well, he's not," Oga said now frowning "You must have missed him on your way here."
Agiel's face suddenly reflected Oga's inner turmoil.
"Ai?" Beel questioned from Oga's lap, perhaps sensing it as well.
"Very well. If he's on his way, then he should be arriving in a few minutes."
Five minutes after their conversation, the various pillars that had arrived spread themselves around the house to start getting everything ready.
Twenty minutes after their conversation, Oga could not focus on what was on the TV anymore, staring at a blank spot on the wall just a few inches above it.
Thirty minutes after their conversation, everyone started to grow restless, pacing around the house without much to do but comparing gift sizes –and subsequently picking fights– and wondering why Furuichi was taking so long. Oga tried calling his cellphone twice, but Furuichi never picked it up.
One hour after their conversation, Oga and the Pillar Squad left the house and split up in different groups to look for the missing tactician.
When Furuichi woke up the first thing he noticed was that he had a splitting headache. He felt as though he had been hit from behind with a metal pole, which judging by the throbbing on the back on his head, was probably the case.
The second thing he noticed as he tried to assess the damage was that he couldn't move his hands, or his feet for that matter. Further inspection led him to conclude that they were, in fact, bound by some kind of metallic cord, if his sight was to be believed, but the room he was in was not particularly well lit. He looked up to see his surroundings, which was nothing but a gray, bare and wide space, hoping that some kind of answer would present itself regarding his current predicament.
And then, it dawned on him.
Oh.
Oh no.
Oh, for fuck's sake.
Furuichi started thrashing against his binds, cursing and grunting profanities under his breath because there was no fucking way this was happening. It had to be a terrible joke, there was no other explanation; because surely not, after so many years, surely he hadn't been kidnapped again, had he?
The silence in the abandoned room seemed to be mocking him in response. But Furuichi was having none of this shit.
"Hello!?" Furuichi yelled at the room at large, not quite managing to hide the frustrated tone in his voice. "Mr. Kidnapper!? Listen, I don't know what exactly you're trying to do here, but I already had plans for today. So if you would please let me go and save me the trouble of–"
"Be silent, captive!"
Out of nowhere, what had to be the strangest pair of demons Furuichi had ever seen had descended from the roof in a swift, almost choreographed motion, landing next to each other with perfect synchronization and striking what seemed to be an intimidating motion at the same time.
"What the– How long had you been waiting up there!? Did you actually practice that!?
"I said silence! You are now at the mercy of Zera and Hanzo, the magnificent! Demon soldiers under the leadership of the glorious Solomon 56th faction of–"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!! I DIDN'T ASK FOR YOUR LIFE STORY!! I WANT TO KNOW WHY THE HELL I AM HERE AND IF IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH OGA I SWEAR TO GOD–"
Furuichi gasped in pain as something like an electric current suddenly made its way up his leg and paralyzed it, rendering him speechless. He realized with a start that the binds at his ankles and wrists were not just placed to limit his movement, but to neutralize it completely if needed.
This might just be the most dangerous pair of idiots he had encountered in a long time.
"Are you willing to listen now, captive? There's no need to be so hasty, as we assure you you're not going anywhere."
"If you truly must know, we're currently waiting for our transportation to arrive, as we had to take several precautions to transport the Royal Contractor to the Demon World, you see. So if you would be so kind as to remain quiet, Contractor, we can guarantee your comfort for the rest of the evening. Good day."
And then they disappeared in a puff of smoke, presumably to station themselves somewhere above the roof again.
Ten whole seconds after their departure, Furuichi was still gaping.
No way. No fucking way. This had to be the stupidest misunderstanding of all time, but there was no other logical explanation. He knew that, but Furuichi still couldn't wrap his mind around it.
These pair of demons actually thought that HE was Beel's contractor? Had they seriously mistaken him for Oga!?
And Furuichi was so mad, so angry at the stupidity of it all, that he couldn't help but just blame him for the whole thing.
"OGA, YOU FUCKING MORON!!"
"THE FUCK DID YOU CALL A MORON YOU DUMBASS FURUICHI!!"
Furuichi hadn't been expecting a reply, but he would be lying if he said he didn't figuratively welcome it with open arms – because, you know, his hands were still tied.
That had to be the shortest, underwhelming, and most importantly, idiotic kidnapping in Furuichi's entire life. And the fact that he could actually say that sentence without a hint of a joke was just sad, to be honest.
Hanzo and Zera, the magnificent, did not stand a chance against Oga. The second he had blasted through a wall and made his entrance, the pair of demons had swiftly landed on the ground again, warning the newcomer that if he treasured his life it would be best for him to leave now; only to have their heads buried five feet in concrete 0.5 seconds later. And when they tried to make a strategic retreat as Oga untied Furuichi, barely a second later the Pillar Squad came crashing down the roof, reburying them twenty feet under the ground.
Before long Furuichi was on his feet and surrounded by all the pillars that weren't busy arresting the pair of idiotic brothers, fussing over his well-being and asking him over and over if he was okay.
And as Furuichi assured them many times, he was completely fine. His leg didn't hurt anymore and he could move it again, although he needed help getting back to the house, at which point several of the pillars fought amongst themselves for the honor of carrying Furuichi back, before Oga finally lost his patience and announced he would do it.
"We will have to postpone our celebration, unfortunately," Hecadoth said in front of the portal that was waiting for his departure. After many heartfelt well-wishes the Pillar Squad had left, and he was the only one left. "It seems that these demons in question, while most definitely pathetic, belong to the Solomon group which we had thought had been completely restrained. It is possible that they were lying, but this will require an investigation anyway." And then, as an afterthought, "Sorry."
"Ah, don't worry about it. If you guys need me to give a declaration or something just call me."
"Yes, but not today. That injury should not be serious, but it's best that you rest right now."
Hecadoth shot Oga a pointed glance, as though daring him to make Furuichi run around or something as soon as they got home. He then nodded towards Furuichi, dismissing himself, and left through the portal.
"Finally. I thought they would never leave."
Oga was not amused by the number of times he had to say that just in the last three days.
The walk back home was uneventful, with Oga remaining silent the whole time and even Beel being uncharacteristically quiet, save for some weird sounds he'd do occasionally that almost sounded like exasperated huffs. Furuichi for his part preferred to stay quiet as well. It had been a long day and recent events only served to exhaust him further. By the time they reached his house, he had almost fallen asleep.
"Furuichi." Oga finally said once they were back inside his room. "I'm spending the night again."
It was not a statement open for suggestions, but this time Furuichi didn't mind. It was not like he was scared by the whole ordeal, but he definitely preferred company at the moment. Getting kidnapped was not exactly something you could get used to, even after so many years.
"Hey," Oga called him again after they had settled into their respective beds, Beel's soft snore filling the air. "Sorry about today."
The apology came so suddenly it caught Furuichi by surprise, almost dispelling the state of sleep he was falling into and making his head amazingly clear for a few moments; because even if at the time he was more than willing to blame things on Oga, it's not like he actually meant it. So he said,
"It's not your fault, Oga." A heavy silence fell between them, like it always did when something like this happened. But this time Oga had more to say.
"I know." He seemed to be struggling with something. "But I'm sorry too, about last time."
Furuichi correctly guessed that 'last time' meant none other than the time Takamiya used him as bait, when he almost died, when he got to see his own living, beating heart pulsing in front of him–
"I never blamed you, Oga." Furuichi forced himself to say before his brain went to places he definitely didn't want to revisit that night. "But… Thank you."
He could see Oga nodding to himself in the darkness, as though accepting his response, before rolling on his side and quickly falling asleep; and Furuichi followed him not too long after that, falling into a peaceful, dreamless sleep himself.
The next day Furuichi's family finally came back from their impromptu vacation, greeting their son and congratulating him for completing his last round of exams. They were confused about the amount of presents under their Christmas tree, courtesy from the Pillar Squad of course, not that they were supposed to know; but Oga stepped in to say that he decided Furuichi could use some nice presents this year, no need to thank him, and wasn't he lucky he had such a good friend?
Typical from the Mad Dog; to take credit when it didn't belong to him at all. But as Furuichi laughed with ease at Oga's ridiculous remarks of how amazing his presents were, he was surprised to realize that the events of last night, however anxious, are certainly not a bad memory either. Oga caught his gaze and smirked at him in return, as though he could tell exactly what Furuichi was thinking of. And this time he was glad to say some things never changed.
