The Same
Title: The Same
Author: saturn_necklace/stormy_words
Pairing/group: Naruse Ryou/Ariake Koichi, Maou + Ryuusei no Kizuna
Word count: 1,559
Rating: PG
Genre: Crossover
Warnings: British English.
Summary: Naruse visits the curry restaurant and meets Koichi. They talk, and Naruse declares that they're "The same."
AN: This is possibly one of my new favourite pairings, so there might well be a lot more of it coming soon ♥
When Koichi made his way downstairs, into the restaurant, there was already a customer waiting outside for the place to open. Koichi knew that he had overslept a little, but the restaurant had never been so busy as to have people waiting outside at opening - other than Togami, that is, but Koichi had decided to just count him as an exception to the rule.
He didn’t recognise the man - which was intriguing, considering the fact that Koichi could see little reason for a person who didn’t know the restaurant to want to wait outside it first thing in the morning - but he was fairly attractive, from what Koichi could see, and he had an air of importance about him.
He reached for an apron as he made his way over to the door, pulling it on before turning the sign to ‘open’ and unlocking the door for the customer. As he got closer, Koichi realised that he did recognise the man, although it was only from the newspaper and television. Although he wasn’t dressed in the usual suit - Koichi assumed that he had been jogging, considering the clothes he was wearing - the man was unmistakably the one everyone called the ‘angelic lawyer’ - Naruse Ryou.
Koichi guided Naruse to a seat at the counter, before making his way behind it, speaking his apologies about the late opening.
“I’m sorry we have no curry yet, I overslept, and it’s just me around at the moment.”
Naruse smiled pleasantly, but Koichi noticed that it didn’t quite reach his eyes - then again, from what Koichi had seen of the man before, it never did; Koichi could relate to that.
“That’s okay.” Naruse was well spoken, and his voice was soft - somehow it hadn’t been quite what Koichi was expecting. “I can wait.”
“If you want I could get you some cereal or something whilst I cook, free of charge.”
Naruse shook his head, that smile on his face again - it was almost a knowing smile, Koichi thought, like Naruse somehow knew everything he was thinking and feeling. “Just a coffee will be fine. And the chicken curry when it’s done.”
Koichi had just nodded and returned Naruse’s smile before moving to make the coffee, both of them settling into silence. Koichi could feel Naruse’s eyes on him as he made the drink, and it made the hairs on the back of Koichi’s neck stand on end. Something about Naruse was unnerving. It seemed as though his every move was being scrutinised, like Naruse was reading him - Koichi had always felt like he was a guarded person before, but now it seemed like Naruse viewed him as an open book, just waiting to be read.
Koichi set the coffee down in front of Naruse, and he was gifted with another of those small, knowing smiles in return. He could still feel Naruse’s eyes on him as he gathered the ingredients for chicken curry, but he decided to ignore it, focussing as much attention as he could on the onion he was peeling.
“Maybe I should have the Hayashi rice instead.” Naruse’s voice was still soft, but it pierced the silence of the room in a way that startled Koichi, somewhat.
“We’re out of that.” His answer was one of habit, no doubt from the endless pestering from Togami, and for some reason it drew an amused laugh from Naruse.
“I thought you might be.”
Koichi didn’t understand what that was supposed to mean, but he ignored it, instead focussing his attention on chopping the onion.
Ten minutes later, when his coffee was already gone, Naruse spoke again. “We’re the same.”
Koichi looked up, a questioning look in his eyes.
“You and I are the same.” Naruse smiled before gesturing at his cup. “Refill, please.”
Koichi obliged, looking Naruse in the eye as he set the coffee down in front of the other. “What do you mean ‘we’re the same’?”
“I know who you are.”
“That sounds kind of creepy you know.”
“Maybe.”
“I still don’t get what you mean.” Koichi went back to preparing the curry, when Naruse smiled again.
“Ariake Koichi. Parents murdered fourteen years ago. Murderer still unfound.”
“How did you know that?”
“I was looking back through old records and thought it was an interesting case.”
The room fell silent again except for the rhythmic sound of Koichi’s knife against the chopping board as he chopped more ingredients, and the sound of food cooking.
“Why are we the same?”
“We both want revenge for the death of our loved ones.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because we’re the same; you won’t tell my secrets if I don’t tell yours.”
Their conversation was interrupted by the shrill ring of Koichi’s phone, and he answered it hurriedly, using his free hand to stir the curry.
“What is it, Taisuke?” Koichi knew Naruse was still watching him, listening carefully - no doubt knew everything about the person he was talking to as well - but he willed himself not to care. “You called me just for that? No. I’m hanging up now.”
They stayed in silence again until Koichi served Naruse’s curry rice, placing it in front of the other before making his way out from behind the counter to change the sign on the store’s door back to ‘closed’ and to sit down next to Naruse.
“What’s your story then? You know all about me, but I want to know about you.”
“Naruse Ryou.” Something in Naruse’s eyes showed a dark sign of amusement as he said that, - Koichi decided to ignore it for the moment. “Brother murdered. Mother died from the stress of it. Murderer found but never sent to jail.”
Koichi cast his gaze over Naruse as the other ate a mouthful of curry, trying to sum the other up; whilst Naruse had seemed like it was so easy to read Koichi, Koichi couldn’t say the same about Naruse - Naruse was complicated, it seemed like at some point he had lost himself. In a way, they were the same; Koichi had lost a part of himself with the death of his parents, but Naruse had lost so much more - it seemed as though he had lost his entire identity. Koichi thought that had he not had Taisuke and Shizuna relying on him, he probably would’ve ended up exactly the same way.
Something inside Koichi made him want to know more about the other, to know what the other was hiding - because he could tell that there was something, even if he couldn’t figure out what. Even more than that, he felt like he wanted to help Naruse, he wanted to save Naruse like Taisuke and Shizuna had saved him.
Koichi had no idea why.
“You’re hiding something.”
“Am I?”
“When you said your name, you looked amused, like there was something ironic about it.”
“You’re sharp.”
“You’re sharper. You knew I’d noticed; you wanted me to notice.”
Naruse smiled. “Perhaps I did.”
“So what are you hiding? I won’t tell your secrets if you don’t tell mine, remember.”
“Manaka Tomoo.”
Koichi shot Naruse a confused look; Naruse smiled.
“That’s what I’m hiding. Manaka Tomoo.”
“I don’t understand.”
“That’s me. Manaka Tomoo is me.”
“No. You’re Naruse Ryou.”
Naruse smiled in that amused way and raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Yes. You were Manaka Tomoo. But he died, didn’t he? Along with his brother and his mother.”
“You’re perceptive.”
“I thought it should be obvious for me to know - we’re the same aren’t we?”
“We are.”
“So I’m still hoping something.”
“Enlighten me.”
“Part of me died along with my parents, but the rest of me is still alive. I’m still Ariake Koichi. And I’m hoping that there’s still some of Manaka Tomoo in you - even just a tiny shred.”
For once Naruse looked surprised. “Why would you hope that? You barely know me.”
“Because we’re the same - or rather, we’re nearly the same. If I hadn’t had anyone to stop Ariake Koichi from dying, we would be the same. And I’m glad that I was saved. And I want to save you.” Koichi offered Naruse a smile of his own, it was small, but it real. “Show me that there’s some of Manaka Tomoo left in you. Show me that I can save you.”
“I don’t know how.”
Koichi smiled again. “Naruse always knows how. That’s why he’s a successful lawyer, that’s why he could read me so well.”
“I don’t know about this.”
“Then I guess that’s Manaka Tomoo showing through.”
Naruse laughed quietly and finished off his curry. “Is that right?”
“Yes.”
“What if I don’t want Manaka Tomoo to come through? What if I want to be Naruse Ryou?”
“You don’t. We’re the same, apparently, so I must know.”
The two of them fell into silence for a few more moments, before Koichi reached out for Naruse’s wallet and opened it. It didn’t surprise him to find an old, battered picture of the other with his brother in there. “That’s Manaka Tomoo.” He said, glancing over at Naruse. “And that’s who I see in front of me. And that’s who should be getting revenge; not a stranger - not Naruse.”
Naruse smiled at Koichi. This time the smile reached his eyes.
Author: saturn_necklace/stormy_words
Pairing/group: Naruse Ryou/Ariake Koichi, Maou + Ryuusei no Kizuna
Word count: 1,559
Rating: PG
Genre: Crossover
Warnings: British English.
Summary: Naruse visits the curry restaurant and meets Koichi. They talk, and Naruse declares that they're "The same."
AN: This is possibly one of my new favourite pairings, so there might well be a lot more of it coming soon ♥
When Koichi made his way downstairs, into the restaurant, there was already a customer waiting outside for the place to open. Koichi knew that he had overslept a little, but the restaurant had never been so busy as to have people waiting outside at opening - other than Togami, that is, but Koichi had decided to just count him as an exception to the rule.
He didn’t recognise the man - which was intriguing, considering the fact that Koichi could see little reason for a person who didn’t know the restaurant to want to wait outside it first thing in the morning - but he was fairly attractive, from what Koichi could see, and he had an air of importance about him.
He reached for an apron as he made his way over to the door, pulling it on before turning the sign to ‘open’ and unlocking the door for the customer. As he got closer, Koichi realised that he did recognise the man, although it was only from the newspaper and television. Although he wasn’t dressed in the usual suit - Koichi assumed that he had been jogging, considering the clothes he was wearing - the man was unmistakably the one everyone called the ‘angelic lawyer’ - Naruse Ryou.
Koichi guided Naruse to a seat at the counter, before making his way behind it, speaking his apologies about the late opening.
“I’m sorry we have no curry yet, I overslept, and it’s just me around at the moment.”
Naruse smiled pleasantly, but Koichi noticed that it didn’t quite reach his eyes - then again, from what Koichi had seen of the man before, it never did; Koichi could relate to that.
“That’s okay.” Naruse was well spoken, and his voice was soft - somehow it hadn’t been quite what Koichi was expecting. “I can wait.”
“If you want I could get you some cereal or something whilst I cook, free of charge.”
Naruse shook his head, that smile on his face again - it was almost a knowing smile, Koichi thought, like Naruse somehow knew everything he was thinking and feeling. “Just a coffee will be fine. And the chicken curry when it’s done.”
Koichi had just nodded and returned Naruse’s smile before moving to make the coffee, both of them settling into silence. Koichi could feel Naruse’s eyes on him as he made the drink, and it made the hairs on the back of Koichi’s neck stand on end. Something about Naruse was unnerving. It seemed as though his every move was being scrutinised, like Naruse was reading him - Koichi had always felt like he was a guarded person before, but now it seemed like Naruse viewed him as an open book, just waiting to be read.
Koichi set the coffee down in front of Naruse, and he was gifted with another of those small, knowing smiles in return. He could still feel Naruse’s eyes on him as he gathered the ingredients for chicken curry, but he decided to ignore it, focussing as much attention as he could on the onion he was peeling.
“Maybe I should have the Hayashi rice instead.” Naruse’s voice was still soft, but it pierced the silence of the room in a way that startled Koichi, somewhat.
“We’re out of that.” His answer was one of habit, no doubt from the endless pestering from Togami, and for some reason it drew an amused laugh from Naruse.
“I thought you might be.”
Koichi didn’t understand what that was supposed to mean, but he ignored it, instead focussing his attention on chopping the onion.
Ten minutes later, when his coffee was already gone, Naruse spoke again. “We’re the same.”
Koichi looked up, a questioning look in his eyes.
“You and I are the same.” Naruse smiled before gesturing at his cup. “Refill, please.”
Koichi obliged, looking Naruse in the eye as he set the coffee down in front of the other. “What do you mean ‘we’re the same’?”
“I know who you are.”
“That sounds kind of creepy you know.”
“Maybe.”
“I still don’t get what you mean.” Koichi went back to preparing the curry, when Naruse smiled again.
“Ariake Koichi. Parents murdered fourteen years ago. Murderer still unfound.”
“How did you know that?”
“I was looking back through old records and thought it was an interesting case.”
The room fell silent again except for the rhythmic sound of Koichi’s knife against the chopping board as he chopped more ingredients, and the sound of food cooking.
“Why are we the same?”
“We both want revenge for the death of our loved ones.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because we’re the same; you won’t tell my secrets if I don’t tell yours.”
Their conversation was interrupted by the shrill ring of Koichi’s phone, and he answered it hurriedly, using his free hand to stir the curry.
“What is it, Taisuke?” Koichi knew Naruse was still watching him, listening carefully - no doubt knew everything about the person he was talking to as well - but he willed himself not to care. “You called me just for that? No. I’m hanging up now.”
They stayed in silence again until Koichi served Naruse’s curry rice, placing it in front of the other before making his way out from behind the counter to change the sign on the store’s door back to ‘closed’ and to sit down next to Naruse.
“What’s your story then? You know all about me, but I want to know about you.”
“Naruse Ryou.” Something in Naruse’s eyes showed a dark sign of amusement as he said that, - Koichi decided to ignore it for the moment. “Brother murdered. Mother died from the stress of it. Murderer found but never sent to jail.”
Koichi cast his gaze over Naruse as the other ate a mouthful of curry, trying to sum the other up; whilst Naruse had seemed like it was so easy to read Koichi, Koichi couldn’t say the same about Naruse - Naruse was complicated, it seemed like at some point he had lost himself. In a way, they were the same; Koichi had lost a part of himself with the death of his parents, but Naruse had lost so much more - it seemed as though he had lost his entire identity. Koichi thought that had he not had Taisuke and Shizuna relying on him, he probably would’ve ended up exactly the same way.
Something inside Koichi made him want to know more about the other, to know what the other was hiding - because he could tell that there was something, even if he couldn’t figure out what. Even more than that, he felt like he wanted to help Naruse, he wanted to save Naruse like Taisuke and Shizuna had saved him.
Koichi had no idea why.
“You’re hiding something.”
“Am I?”
“When you said your name, you looked amused, like there was something ironic about it.”
“You’re sharp.”
“You’re sharper. You knew I’d noticed; you wanted me to notice.”
Naruse smiled. “Perhaps I did.”
“So what are you hiding? I won’t tell your secrets if you don’t tell mine, remember.”
“Manaka Tomoo.”
Koichi shot Naruse a confused look; Naruse smiled.
“That’s what I’m hiding. Manaka Tomoo.”
“I don’t understand.”
“That’s me. Manaka Tomoo is me.”
“No. You’re Naruse Ryou.”
Naruse smiled in that amused way and raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Yes. You were Manaka Tomoo. But he died, didn’t he? Along with his brother and his mother.”
“You’re perceptive.”
“I thought it should be obvious for me to know - we’re the same aren’t we?”
“We are.”
“So I’m still hoping something.”
“Enlighten me.”
“Part of me died along with my parents, but the rest of me is still alive. I’m still Ariake Koichi. And I’m hoping that there’s still some of Manaka Tomoo in you - even just a tiny shred.”
For once Naruse looked surprised. “Why would you hope that? You barely know me.”
“Because we’re the same - or rather, we’re nearly the same. If I hadn’t had anyone to stop Ariake Koichi from dying, we would be the same. And I’m glad that I was saved. And I want to save you.” Koichi offered Naruse a smile of his own, it was small, but it real. “Show me that there’s some of Manaka Tomoo left in you. Show me that I can save you.”
“I don’t know how.”
Koichi smiled again. “Naruse always knows how. That’s why he’s a successful lawyer, that’s why he could read me so well.”
“I don’t know about this.”
“Then I guess that’s Manaka Tomoo showing through.”
Naruse laughed quietly and finished off his curry. “Is that right?”
“Yes.”
“What if I don’t want Manaka Tomoo to come through? What if I want to be Naruse Ryou?”
“You don’t. We’re the same, apparently, so I must know.”
The two of them fell into silence for a few more moments, before Koichi reached out for Naruse’s wallet and opened it. It didn’t surprise him to find an old, battered picture of the other with his brother in there. “That’s Manaka Tomoo.” He said, glancing over at Naruse. “And that’s who I see in front of me. And that’s who should be getting revenge; not a stranger - not Naruse.”
Naruse smiled at Koichi. This time the smile reached his eyes.