It's Your Fault It's Complicated (File 75)
I apologize for the long gap in updates. I’m reaching the end of the stories, as far as plotting goes, and I need to figure out how I’m going to do the rest before I can write too much more. Hopefully once I get that all straightened out, the updates will resume at normal frequency.
Title: It’s Your Fault It’s Complicated
Author: anigirl15
Rating: PG-13 for the f-word, up to NC-17 in other chapters
Warnings: Joshua/Neku. Spoilers for EVERYTHING! (Well, you don't actually have to have read the Secret Reports, but I'll spoil them for you if you haven't.) My theories and ideas about various things in the TWEWY universe. Swearing. Boysex (but not now). M/M kiss that might not be what you're expecting.
Summary: Neku knows he shouldn't agree to anything Joshua proposes any more. He knows, yet he willingly starts a chain of events that will eventually shatter the boundaries of his world and shake Shibuya to its core. Stupid Joshua.
Notes: This is the companion fic to Because Life Can Never Be Simple, which is posted at subarashiki_ds. These are the exact same story told in two different parallel worlds: one world where Joshua falls for Neku, and one world where he does not. Now the stories begin to diverge. If you wish to read the other story, you can find the link below, or click the cut to read this one.
It’s Your Fault It’s Complicated (File 75)
[first] [back one] [forwards]
[jump to the other side]
[File75]
Neku tentatively sat down in the seat and glanced at the paper in front of the man next to him. There was a soft sigh of frustration, then Hanekoma glanced up from his work and caught Neku’s gaze. “Hey, Phones. Fancy meeting you here.”
It was a reasonably out-of-the-way coffee shop in one of the less busy corners of Shibuya; it wasn’t even an area for the Game. Hanekoma sat on a stool pulled up to the counter along one of the walls, a coffee cup in his left hand, a pencil in his right, a paper with some rough sketches in front of him. Neku had followed him here, hemmed and hawed for several minutes before finally working up the courage to just walk in, and it took him another few moments of psyching himself up before he managed to sit down next to the man. At this point he was still terribly afraid of saying anything, so he hesitantly shrugged a response to the greeting.
“Ya know, I feel like I’ve seen so much that I just have all these ideas, but they all get jammed together when I start drawing them. You ever get like that, Phones?”
Another shrug, and upon closer inspection of the paper that one particular sketch was eerily close to a Noise Neku remembered fighting. He just wasn’t going to think about it.
Mr. H sighed, and with what seemed like an effortless wave of the pencil, in the blink of an eye another sketch appeared on the paper, every bit as careful and beautiful as the others. Neku forgot his worry for a moment, watching the artist work, when even the most cursory of designs seemed like a well-crafted gem.
The door to the shop swung open, the bell gave a soft ring, and Neku heard something he’d recognize instantly. He turned, but Joshua, in his adult form, was already practically looming over them.
“Joshua!” he yelped in surprise, feeling the weight of the Composer’s Music pressing down heavily. Hanekoma scratched the back of his neck, probably feeling the effect as well, before turning to follow Neku’s gaze and noticing the other.
“Is this the friend you mentioned, Phones?” He looked Joshua up and down, hand never leaving the back of his neck. Joshua was glaring murder at him, and Neku seriously feared for Mr. H’s life at the moment.
The man certainly didn’t seem to realize just how much trouble he might be in, as he gave a small wave. “Sanae Hanekoma. Nice to meet you… er, again, I suppose. Sorry, it’s not often I forget faces, but I guess Phones must’ve introduced us a while ago.” When Joshua made no response, Hanekoma gave an awkward laugh and whispered to Neku, “I don’t think he likes me much.”
“Cut the act, Sanae.” The command was frigid and powerful, said with as much venom as Neku had ever heard Joshua muster. It sent a chill down Neku’s spine, and even Mr. H seemed to stiffen at it.
“‘Scuse me? I’m not sure what you’re-”
“Don’t lie to Me, Sanae. Stop it. Now.”
Neku suddenly realized that the admittedly sparsely populated shop had suddenly become entirely empty aside from the three of them. Even the employee had disappeared somewhere.
“Um, I dunno what to say.” He rubbed the back of his neck again. “I mean, I wish I knew what you meant, but…” he trailed off, and Joshua grit his teeth, the anger in his eyes growing tenfold.
“Tell Me why you did it!”
After the command, an eerie quiet echoed around the room. Neku had never heard Josh have an outburst like that. All he could do was stare dumbly at him. Within a few more seconds, Joshua spoke again, his voice once more under control, chilling and level.
“I will erase you right here, and you know no one will fault Me for it, if you do not explain yourself. Now.”
Neku was about to interject when soft laughter suddenly broke the quiet of the room. “Okay, I’ll bite. What gave me away?”
Neku’s heart froze in his chest.
“Why should I bother telling you? Hm?” A stool gently glided across the floor and stopped behind Joshua, who sat down on top of it. The anger was gone from his face, save for his eyes, which still sparkled violently. “I owe nothing to a traitor such as you.”
“You owe a lot to me, Josh, traitor or not.” He dropped his pencil to the counter behind him. “Have you forgotten already?”
“Of course not.” Joshua scowled at him. “But you’re still a Fallen. You’re lucky you’re even alive.”
“I know, and never let me forget it, right?” Hanekoma leaned back. “Guess I still have my usefulness, even only as a human.”
Joshua shifted in his seat, his expression hardening once more. “Why?”
“To save Shibuya.” The response was immediate.
“You nearly tore her apart with what you did. What would have happened if the damage had spread and-?”
“Don’t ‘what if’ me, Joshua. You were the one who was going to clear erase it.” He glared, defiant in the face of the being who he knew could almost effortlessly end his very existence. “I couldn’t let you take down the Shibuya that had so much promise and hope simply because you were getting disheartened with its people. I’d… I’d already let that happen once. It took me millennia to get over it. I was willing to gamble everything to not let it happen again.”
“A gamble you lost.” A small smirk played across Joshua’s face.
“Yeah. But in the end, Shibuya stayed. It’s a gamble I’m glad I took.”
Joshua’s glare was back. “You tried to kill Me.”
There was a pause, and Hanekoma stared unblinkingly at Joshua despite the subtle efforts of the Composer to intimidate him. “If it would save Shibuya.”
“You broke a taboo.”
“If it would save Shibuya.”
“You were My Producer.”
“If it would-”
“Don’t give me that,” Joshua hissed. “I am Shibuya. It is the Composer’s right to decide what happens to Their city, and the Producer has no permission-you’re explicitly forbidden-to interfere in the Composer’s decision in any way, shape, or form. No matter how much you disagree with it.”
The two glared at each other in silence. After a few moments, Joshua sat up straight, a haughty expression on his face.
“Tell Neku what you did.”
For the first time, Hanekoma’s tough exterior cracked. His eyes widened and he turned, almost as if he’d forgotten Neku was there in the first place. Neku stared back, eyes just as wide, clinging to the stool beneath him as if his life depended on it. He quickly looked back to Joshua. “Come on, Josh, he’s not even-”
“Do it.”
“Don’t get the kid involved in this…”
“Tell him, Sanae.”
Mr. H let out a defeated sigh, his shoulders slumping, his gaze falling to the floor. “I tipped off Sho Minamimoto about the Composer’s power-limited form and encouraged the assassination attempt. I revealed the secret of Taboo Noise to someone who was not privileged to learn it. I fixed the flawed refinery sigil that allowed Minamimoto to come back after erasing himself using methods forbidden by the Higher Plane. I saved him after his final attempt at taking the seat rather than allowing the power to dissipate. I knowingly and willingly interfered in a Reaper’s Game. I made attempts to erase the Composer I was charged with aiding. I disrespected His wishes and tried to subvert His decisions.”
The whole speech was given in a monotonous voice, as if he’d become used to reciting the long list repeatedly. The whole time, Hanekoma’s gaze never left the floor. He never turned to see Neku’s expression as it became more and more horrified with each charge.
“And your punishment?”
Hanekoma cringed. “Banishment, revoking of my powers, sentenced to live out the rest of my human lifespan without…” he paused for a moment and gave a heavy sigh. “Without the memories of my time as Producer.”
“All of your time as an Angel, actually,” Joshua corrected. He crossed his arms. “And what have you done now?”
He cringed again. “… Subverted my punishment.” He sighed. “Unlocked my memories against regulations. If I’m found out, it doesn’t matter how influential of an artist I am. I’ll be erased for good.”
“Thank you for the explanation.” Mr. H lifted his head and stared at Joshua, the defiant expression gone. All that remained in its place was the defeated look of a broken man.
After a moment he turned to Neku. “I was really hoping to keep this from you, Phones. I know I set you up to look up to me. I didn’t want you to think…” He scratched the back of his neck again and made a sound of frustration. “Ignorance is bliss, ain’t it?”
“I suppose I should reward you for being so cooperative. To answer your earlier question, you remembered Neku.”
“Hm? Phones? Why wouldn’t I…” Suddenly his jaw dropped. He covered his eyes with his hand and let out a groan. “You forced his ascension, Josh.”
“Maybe he did it all on his own. Hee hee. He is quite extraordinary.”
“He also didn’t become a Reaper.”
Neku looked back and forth between the two of them, confused. Joshua cast him a smirk. “Along with a modification of Sanae’s memories to make him think he’s only lived a human’s lifespan, They do a hard wipe of all memories of those who are Angels.” Joshua turned back to Hanekoma, his expression just as smug. “He isn’t supposed to have a clue who you are, is he?”
“Joshua, why did you force him?”
“I needed to replace you, of course.” Joshua’s grin was somehow devoid of any actual amusement. “I wasn’t just going to wait around until it happened naturally. Neku’s always been a bit slow; who knows how long it would take?”
“Phones can’t-”
“-be my Producer?” Joshua chuckled. “That, my dear Sanae, has already been taken care of.”
Neku shot him a glare, this close to pointing out that Joshua hadn’t wanted him to go to the Higher Plane in the first place.
Hanekoma gave another sigh. “I know you probably don’t want to listen to me, but don’t let what I did ruin what you’ve got with Phones. You’re going to need him, Josh. Even more than you needed me.”
“How I treat Neku is my own business.” There was a threat in the statement, but Neku couldn’t quite put his finger on why.
“You gonna report me?”
Joshua considered for a while, and after a bit, Hanekoma lifted his head to stare at the Composer, worried. Finally Joshua seemed to decide. “No. Not yet. I refuse to make you any guarantees about in the future.”
That seemed to take a giant weight off of Mr. H’s shoulders. “… Thanks.”
Joshua shrugged. “What can I say? I do owe you a lot.”
Hanekoma cracked a smile for the first time in a while, only to lose it again soon after. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but what happened to…?” He trailed off.
A dark smirk spread across Joshua’s face and he leaned in, moving uncomfortably close to Hanekoma. “Well, wouldn’t you like to know?” He chuckled. “Worried about him?”
“It’s my fault, Josh. I’d at least like to find out.” He didn’t back away from the Composer.
Joshua smirked and leaned even closer, bringing his lips right next to Hanekoma’s ear. He whispered something low, too soft for Neku to hear, and Mr. H’s eyes went wide. The Composer pulled back and rested his head on his hand with a chuckle.
After a moment, Hanekoma rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Dammit, Josh…”
“Curiosity, cats, I’m sure you know the phrase.”
“That’s arguably even worse than just erasing him.”
“Of course. That’s why I did it. It wouldn’t have been fun otherwise.”
Neku was getting the feeling that he was no longer welcome in this conversation. He stood up to leave, and both Hanekoma and Joshua glanced towards him. “Phones.”
He turned to Hanekoma, saying nothing, confusion on his face.
“Sorry to be returning a gift, but here.” He held out something, and dropped into Neku’s hand when it was offered. Neku looked down to find the Player Pin he’d given Mr. H in front of the mural. “It’s probably better if you keep it. For a lot of reasons.”
Before he could react, Joshua reached forward and swiped the pin from him. He held it up with a smile. “Starting to fill my next order already? My, Neku, you’re quite on top of things.”
Neku scowled but said nothing. After a moment he turned and headed towards the door. He was about to exit when he finally, finally remembered what he had come here to ask Mr. H about in the first place. He turned back, and froze.
Neku caught sight of the two figures just in time to see their lips together for a moment before Joshua pulled back from the kiss. Both wore blank expressions, and after a moment, Hanekoma gave Joshua a skeptical look.
“What was that for?” he murmured, just loud enough for Neku to hear.
Joshua paused for a moment. “Consider it the final farewell of the ignorant child who fell in love with you.” With that, he turned and strode right past Neku and out the door, vanishing the moment his foot hit the street.
[CloseFiles]
Comments/critique are much appreciated.
Title: It’s Your Fault It’s Complicated
Author: anigirl15
Rating: PG-13 for the f-word, up to NC-17 in other chapters
Warnings: Joshua/Neku. Spoilers for EVERYTHING! (Well, you don't actually have to have read the Secret Reports, but I'll spoil them for you if you haven't.) My theories and ideas about various things in the TWEWY universe. Swearing. Boysex (but not now). M/M kiss that might not be what you're expecting.
Summary: Neku knows he shouldn't agree to anything Joshua proposes any more. He knows, yet he willingly starts a chain of events that will eventually shatter the boundaries of his world and shake Shibuya to its core. Stupid Joshua.
Notes: This is the companion fic to Because Life Can Never Be Simple, which is posted at subarashiki_ds. These are the exact same story told in two different parallel worlds: one world where Joshua falls for Neku, and one world where he does not. Now the stories begin to diverge. If you wish to read the other story, you can find the link below, or click the cut to read this one.
It’s Your Fault It’s Complicated (File 75)
[first] [back one] [forwards]
[jump to the other side]
[File75]
Neku tentatively sat down in the seat and glanced at the paper in front of the man next to him. There was a soft sigh of frustration, then Hanekoma glanced up from his work and caught Neku’s gaze. “Hey, Phones. Fancy meeting you here.”
It was a reasonably out-of-the-way coffee shop in one of the less busy corners of Shibuya; it wasn’t even an area for the Game. Hanekoma sat on a stool pulled up to the counter along one of the walls, a coffee cup in his left hand, a pencil in his right, a paper with some rough sketches in front of him. Neku had followed him here, hemmed and hawed for several minutes before finally working up the courage to just walk in, and it took him another few moments of psyching himself up before he managed to sit down next to the man. At this point he was still terribly afraid of saying anything, so he hesitantly shrugged a response to the greeting.
“Ya know, I feel like I’ve seen so much that I just have all these ideas, but they all get jammed together when I start drawing them. You ever get like that, Phones?”
Another shrug, and upon closer inspection of the paper that one particular sketch was eerily close to a Noise Neku remembered fighting. He just wasn’t going to think about it.
Mr. H sighed, and with what seemed like an effortless wave of the pencil, in the blink of an eye another sketch appeared on the paper, every bit as careful and beautiful as the others. Neku forgot his worry for a moment, watching the artist work, when even the most cursory of designs seemed like a well-crafted gem.
The door to the shop swung open, the bell gave a soft ring, and Neku heard something he’d recognize instantly. He turned, but Joshua, in his adult form, was already practically looming over them.
“Joshua!” he yelped in surprise, feeling the weight of the Composer’s Music pressing down heavily. Hanekoma scratched the back of his neck, probably feeling the effect as well, before turning to follow Neku’s gaze and noticing the other.
“Is this the friend you mentioned, Phones?” He looked Joshua up and down, hand never leaving the back of his neck. Joshua was glaring murder at him, and Neku seriously feared for Mr. H’s life at the moment.
The man certainly didn’t seem to realize just how much trouble he might be in, as he gave a small wave. “Sanae Hanekoma. Nice to meet you… er, again, I suppose. Sorry, it’s not often I forget faces, but I guess Phones must’ve introduced us a while ago.” When Joshua made no response, Hanekoma gave an awkward laugh and whispered to Neku, “I don’t think he likes me much.”
“Cut the act, Sanae.” The command was frigid and powerful, said with as much venom as Neku had ever heard Joshua muster. It sent a chill down Neku’s spine, and even Mr. H seemed to stiffen at it.
“‘Scuse me? I’m not sure what you’re-”
“Don’t lie to Me, Sanae. Stop it. Now.”
Neku suddenly realized that the admittedly sparsely populated shop had suddenly become entirely empty aside from the three of them. Even the employee had disappeared somewhere.
“Um, I dunno what to say.” He rubbed the back of his neck again. “I mean, I wish I knew what you meant, but…” he trailed off, and Joshua grit his teeth, the anger in his eyes growing tenfold.
“Tell Me why you did it!”
After the command, an eerie quiet echoed around the room. Neku had never heard Josh have an outburst like that. All he could do was stare dumbly at him. Within a few more seconds, Joshua spoke again, his voice once more under control, chilling and level.
“I will erase you right here, and you know no one will fault Me for it, if you do not explain yourself. Now.”
Neku was about to interject when soft laughter suddenly broke the quiet of the room. “Okay, I’ll bite. What gave me away?”
Neku’s heart froze in his chest.
“Why should I bother telling you? Hm?” A stool gently glided across the floor and stopped behind Joshua, who sat down on top of it. The anger was gone from his face, save for his eyes, which still sparkled violently. “I owe nothing to a traitor such as you.”
“You owe a lot to me, Josh, traitor or not.” He dropped his pencil to the counter behind him. “Have you forgotten already?”
“Of course not.” Joshua scowled at him. “But you’re still a Fallen. You’re lucky you’re even alive.”
“I know, and never let me forget it, right?” Hanekoma leaned back. “Guess I still have my usefulness, even only as a human.”
Joshua shifted in his seat, his expression hardening once more. “Why?”
“To save Shibuya.” The response was immediate.
“You nearly tore her apart with what you did. What would have happened if the damage had spread and-?”
“Don’t ‘what if’ me, Joshua. You were the one who was going to clear erase it.” He glared, defiant in the face of the being who he knew could almost effortlessly end his very existence. “I couldn’t let you take down the Shibuya that had so much promise and hope simply because you were getting disheartened with its people. I’d… I’d already let that happen once. It took me millennia to get over it. I was willing to gamble everything to not let it happen again.”
“A gamble you lost.” A small smirk played across Joshua’s face.
“Yeah. But in the end, Shibuya stayed. It’s a gamble I’m glad I took.”
Joshua’s glare was back. “You tried to kill Me.”
There was a pause, and Hanekoma stared unblinkingly at Joshua despite the subtle efforts of the Composer to intimidate him. “If it would save Shibuya.”
“You broke a taboo.”
“If it would save Shibuya.”
“You were My Producer.”
“If it would-”
“Don’t give me that,” Joshua hissed. “I am Shibuya. It is the Composer’s right to decide what happens to Their city, and the Producer has no permission-you’re explicitly forbidden-to interfere in the Composer’s decision in any way, shape, or form. No matter how much you disagree with it.”
The two glared at each other in silence. After a few moments, Joshua sat up straight, a haughty expression on his face.
“Tell Neku what you did.”
For the first time, Hanekoma’s tough exterior cracked. His eyes widened and he turned, almost as if he’d forgotten Neku was there in the first place. Neku stared back, eyes just as wide, clinging to the stool beneath him as if his life depended on it. He quickly looked back to Joshua. “Come on, Josh, he’s not even-”
“Do it.”
“Don’t get the kid involved in this…”
“Tell him, Sanae.”
Mr. H let out a defeated sigh, his shoulders slumping, his gaze falling to the floor. “I tipped off Sho Minamimoto about the Composer’s power-limited form and encouraged the assassination attempt. I revealed the secret of Taboo Noise to someone who was not privileged to learn it. I fixed the flawed refinery sigil that allowed Minamimoto to come back after erasing himself using methods forbidden by the Higher Plane. I saved him after his final attempt at taking the seat rather than allowing the power to dissipate. I knowingly and willingly interfered in a Reaper’s Game. I made attempts to erase the Composer I was charged with aiding. I disrespected His wishes and tried to subvert His decisions.”
The whole speech was given in a monotonous voice, as if he’d become used to reciting the long list repeatedly. The whole time, Hanekoma’s gaze never left the floor. He never turned to see Neku’s expression as it became more and more horrified with each charge.
“And your punishment?”
Hanekoma cringed. “Banishment, revoking of my powers, sentenced to live out the rest of my human lifespan without…” he paused for a moment and gave a heavy sigh. “Without the memories of my time as Producer.”
“All of your time as an Angel, actually,” Joshua corrected. He crossed his arms. “And what have you done now?”
He cringed again. “… Subverted my punishment.” He sighed. “Unlocked my memories against regulations. If I’m found out, it doesn’t matter how influential of an artist I am. I’ll be erased for good.”
“Thank you for the explanation.” Mr. H lifted his head and stared at Joshua, the defiant expression gone. All that remained in its place was the defeated look of a broken man.
After a moment he turned to Neku. “I was really hoping to keep this from you, Phones. I know I set you up to look up to me. I didn’t want you to think…” He scratched the back of his neck again and made a sound of frustration. “Ignorance is bliss, ain’t it?”
“I suppose I should reward you for being so cooperative. To answer your earlier question, you remembered Neku.”
“Hm? Phones? Why wouldn’t I…” Suddenly his jaw dropped. He covered his eyes with his hand and let out a groan. “You forced his ascension, Josh.”
“Maybe he did it all on his own. Hee hee. He is quite extraordinary.”
“He also didn’t become a Reaper.”
Neku looked back and forth between the two of them, confused. Joshua cast him a smirk. “Along with a modification of Sanae’s memories to make him think he’s only lived a human’s lifespan, They do a hard wipe of all memories of those who are Angels.” Joshua turned back to Hanekoma, his expression just as smug. “He isn’t supposed to have a clue who you are, is he?”
“Joshua, why did you force him?”
“I needed to replace you, of course.” Joshua’s grin was somehow devoid of any actual amusement. “I wasn’t just going to wait around until it happened naturally. Neku’s always been a bit slow; who knows how long it would take?”
“Phones can’t-”
“-be my Producer?” Joshua chuckled. “That, my dear Sanae, has already been taken care of.”
Neku shot him a glare, this close to pointing out that Joshua hadn’t wanted him to go to the Higher Plane in the first place.
Hanekoma gave another sigh. “I know you probably don’t want to listen to me, but don’t let what I did ruin what you’ve got with Phones. You’re going to need him, Josh. Even more than you needed me.”
“How I treat Neku is my own business.” There was a threat in the statement, but Neku couldn’t quite put his finger on why.
“You gonna report me?”
Joshua considered for a while, and after a bit, Hanekoma lifted his head to stare at the Composer, worried. Finally Joshua seemed to decide. “No. Not yet. I refuse to make you any guarantees about in the future.”
That seemed to take a giant weight off of Mr. H’s shoulders. “… Thanks.”
Joshua shrugged. “What can I say? I do owe you a lot.”
Hanekoma cracked a smile for the first time in a while, only to lose it again soon after. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but what happened to…?” He trailed off.
A dark smirk spread across Joshua’s face and he leaned in, moving uncomfortably close to Hanekoma. “Well, wouldn’t you like to know?” He chuckled. “Worried about him?”
“It’s my fault, Josh. I’d at least like to find out.” He didn’t back away from the Composer.
Joshua smirked and leaned even closer, bringing his lips right next to Hanekoma’s ear. He whispered something low, too soft for Neku to hear, and Mr. H’s eyes went wide. The Composer pulled back and rested his head on his hand with a chuckle.
After a moment, Hanekoma rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Dammit, Josh…”
“Curiosity, cats, I’m sure you know the phrase.”
“That’s arguably even worse than just erasing him.”
“Of course. That’s why I did it. It wouldn’t have been fun otherwise.”
Neku was getting the feeling that he was no longer welcome in this conversation. He stood up to leave, and both Hanekoma and Joshua glanced towards him. “Phones.”
He turned to Hanekoma, saying nothing, confusion on his face.
“Sorry to be returning a gift, but here.” He held out something, and dropped into Neku’s hand when it was offered. Neku looked down to find the Player Pin he’d given Mr. H in front of the mural. “It’s probably better if you keep it. For a lot of reasons.”
Before he could react, Joshua reached forward and swiped the pin from him. He held it up with a smile. “Starting to fill my next order already? My, Neku, you’re quite on top of things.”
Neku scowled but said nothing. After a moment he turned and headed towards the door. He was about to exit when he finally, finally remembered what he had come here to ask Mr. H about in the first place. He turned back, and froze.
Neku caught sight of the two figures just in time to see their lips together for a moment before Joshua pulled back from the kiss. Both wore blank expressions, and after a moment, Hanekoma gave Joshua a skeptical look.
“What was that for?” he murmured, just loud enough for Neku to hear.
Joshua paused for a moment. “Consider it the final farewell of the ignorant child who fell in love with you.” With that, he turned and strode right past Neku and out the door, vanishing the moment his foot hit the street.
[CloseFiles]
Comments/critique are much appreciated.