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Entry tags:
Perspective
Title: Perspective
Fandom: Bungou to Alchemist
Character(s): Naoya, Takiji
Pairing(s): Naoya/Takiji
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Word Count: 845
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Torture mention
Summary: Takiji’s felt enough pain for one lifetime. Naoya’s certain of this.
Notes: Perspective is the name of a magazine Shiga Naoya published.
Shiga Naoya doesn’t think of himself as an especially kindhearted person.
He knows he’s frank to the point of being too blunt at times. He likes who he likes, dislikes who he dislikes, and isn’t afraid to admit to either. Even it gets him criticized, he’s unfailingly honest.
At the same time, he just can’t abandon someone who’s placed their trust in him. Is that kindheartedness? Whatever it is, it’s ingrained too deeply in Naoya’s character for him to change it for his own safety, even if he wanted to.
Nowhere is that clearer than in the case of Kobayashi Takiji.
Naoya doesn’t ask about Takiji’s death. He knows enough already - that it was slow, that it was agonizingly painful, that it was surely even worse because Takiji had been betrayed by someone he trusted as a comrade. He doesn’t want more details, and he definitely doesn’t want to bring the memory of torture back to the forefront of Takiji’s mind... if it ever left in the first place.
Naoya knows Takiji isn’t fond of battle, and yet he fights as hard as any of the authors do. He returns from their book delves bruised and battered, and sometimes he barely manages to give Naoya a nod on the way to the infirmary. In the worst cases, someone else will be supporting him on the way there.
Takiji’s felt enough pain for one lifetime. Naoya’s certain of this. If there’s anyone who deserves to rest, to be able to write at their leisure without worrying about when he’ll have to fight for his life again, it’s Takiji.
So Naoya makes a direct appeal. As casually as ever, of course.
“Hey, Ms. Librarian, can you switch me in for Takiji? It seems like he’s getting roughed up lately, and he could use a break. I don’t mind pitching in a little extra.”
The librarian thinks it over for a few seconds before nodding, and that’s that. He joins the main delving team, and Takiji is given a chance to relax.
Naoya isn’t as strong as Takiji is. He was pulled out of his book later on, and he hasn’t had as much combat experience. Being thrown so suddenly into battle against the kinds of Taints Takiji was fighting, of course he leaves the books bloody and beaten more often than not.
That’s fine. Naoya’s no wimp - he can take it. Besides, even when it’s painful, even when it makes his teeth clench and his breath come in harsh pants, it’s nothing compared to what Takiji went through. If he won’t complain, then neither will Naoya.
It’s not that Naoya’s kindhearted. It’s just that he doesn’t think it’s fair for his cute disciple, who’s already suffered enough, to keep getting hurt. That’s all.
And as for Takiji, when he sees Naoya in the infirmary nearly every time: “Naoya, you’re an idiot… I can go back out there. There’s no reason you should do it for me.”
Naoya just shakes his head, though it hurts to do so, and laughs. Takiji would hate to hear it out loud, but there is a reason.
Once, Takiji stops on his way out of the infirmary and murmurs something that Naoya isn’t quite sure he heard right. “Seeing someone I care about like this over and over is more painful than even that time.”
Naoya’s too stunned to ask him to repeat himself more clearly, and Takiji leaves without another word.
...Ah, he’s messed up, hasn’t he? All he was aiming for was to not hurt his cute disciple, and he couldn’t even manage that. Naoya spends the rest of his recovery replaying ‘someone I care about’ in his mind, overlaid with scenes of their friendship when they were both still alive.
When he’s well enough to leave his infirmary bed, he finds Takiji alone in his room. “Hey, Takiji, mind if I join you?”
“...Go ahead,” says Takiji. “But I’m not doing anything interesting right-”
That’s permission enough to tug Takiji to his chest in a hug. Takiji lets out a gasp but doesn’t make to resist, instead returning the embrace after a few seconds.
“I’ve lived life without worrying about what I ‘should’ be doing or what the consequences of what I do will be,” Naoya says. “And it served me pretty well, but when it comes to you… It’s not even that I just don’t want you to be hurt, anymore. I want you to be happy. And I really don’t know how I’m supposed to do that. So… tell me what to do, Takiji.”
“That’s backwards,” says Takiji, softly. “You’re my mentor. I’m supposed to follow your instructions.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” Naoya replies. “But you’re the person I like, you know?”
Takiji’s grip on him tightens a fraction. “If it’s the person you like the most, then… the thing you ‘should’ do is kiss them. Everyone knows that, Naoya.”
“Huh,” Naoya says with a wide smile. “I guess I really am an idiot.”
Even the God of Novels can follow directions when he wants to.
Fandom: Bungou to Alchemist
Character(s): Naoya, Takiji
Pairing(s): Naoya/Takiji
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Word Count: 845
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Torture mention
Summary: Takiji’s felt enough pain for one lifetime. Naoya’s certain of this.
Notes: Perspective is the name of a magazine Shiga Naoya published.
Shiga Naoya doesn’t think of himself as an especially kindhearted person.
He knows he’s frank to the point of being too blunt at times. He likes who he likes, dislikes who he dislikes, and isn’t afraid to admit to either. Even it gets him criticized, he’s unfailingly honest.
At the same time, he just can’t abandon someone who’s placed their trust in him. Is that kindheartedness? Whatever it is, it’s ingrained too deeply in Naoya’s character for him to change it for his own safety, even if he wanted to.
Nowhere is that clearer than in the case of Kobayashi Takiji.
Naoya doesn’t ask about Takiji’s death. He knows enough already - that it was slow, that it was agonizingly painful, that it was surely even worse because Takiji had been betrayed by someone he trusted as a comrade. He doesn’t want more details, and he definitely doesn’t want to bring the memory of torture back to the forefront of Takiji’s mind... if it ever left in the first place.
Naoya knows Takiji isn’t fond of battle, and yet he fights as hard as any of the authors do. He returns from their book delves bruised and battered, and sometimes he barely manages to give Naoya a nod on the way to the infirmary. In the worst cases, someone else will be supporting him on the way there.
Takiji’s felt enough pain for one lifetime. Naoya’s certain of this. If there’s anyone who deserves to rest, to be able to write at their leisure without worrying about when he’ll have to fight for his life again, it’s Takiji.
So Naoya makes a direct appeal. As casually as ever, of course.
“Hey, Ms. Librarian, can you switch me in for Takiji? It seems like he’s getting roughed up lately, and he could use a break. I don’t mind pitching in a little extra.”
The librarian thinks it over for a few seconds before nodding, and that’s that. He joins the main delving team, and Takiji is given a chance to relax.
Naoya isn’t as strong as Takiji is. He was pulled out of his book later on, and he hasn’t had as much combat experience. Being thrown so suddenly into battle against the kinds of Taints Takiji was fighting, of course he leaves the books bloody and beaten more often than not.
That’s fine. Naoya’s no wimp - he can take it. Besides, even when it’s painful, even when it makes his teeth clench and his breath come in harsh pants, it’s nothing compared to what Takiji went through. If he won’t complain, then neither will Naoya.
It’s not that Naoya’s kindhearted. It’s just that he doesn’t think it’s fair for his cute disciple, who’s already suffered enough, to keep getting hurt. That’s all.
And as for Takiji, when he sees Naoya in the infirmary nearly every time: “Naoya, you’re an idiot… I can go back out there. There’s no reason you should do it for me.”
Naoya just shakes his head, though it hurts to do so, and laughs. Takiji would hate to hear it out loud, but there is a reason.
Once, Takiji stops on his way out of the infirmary and murmurs something that Naoya isn’t quite sure he heard right. “Seeing someone I care about like this over and over is more painful than even that time.”
Naoya’s too stunned to ask him to repeat himself more clearly, and Takiji leaves without another word.
...Ah, he’s messed up, hasn’t he? All he was aiming for was to not hurt his cute disciple, and he couldn’t even manage that. Naoya spends the rest of his recovery replaying ‘someone I care about’ in his mind, overlaid with scenes of their friendship when they were both still alive.
When he’s well enough to leave his infirmary bed, he finds Takiji alone in his room. “Hey, Takiji, mind if I join you?”
“...Go ahead,” says Takiji. “But I’m not doing anything interesting right-”
That’s permission enough to tug Takiji to his chest in a hug. Takiji lets out a gasp but doesn’t make to resist, instead returning the embrace after a few seconds.
“I’ve lived life without worrying about what I ‘should’ be doing or what the consequences of what I do will be,” Naoya says. “And it served me pretty well, but when it comes to you… It’s not even that I just don’t want you to be hurt, anymore. I want you to be happy. And I really don’t know how I’m supposed to do that. So… tell me what to do, Takiji.”
“That’s backwards,” says Takiji, softly. “You’re my mentor. I’m supposed to follow your instructions.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” Naoya replies. “But you’re the person I like, you know?”
Takiji’s grip on him tightens a fraction. “If it’s the person you like the most, then… the thing you ‘should’ do is kiss them. Everyone knows that, Naoya.”
“Huh,” Naoya says with a wide smile. “I guess I really am an idiot.”
Even the God of Novels can follow directions when he wants to.