[Team Four] don't look back, don't let go
Soooo this is another continuation of the Sniper!AU? It's a bit of a backstory + continuation of the present time. Continued from this, where you can also conveniently find the other links to the parts of the Sniper!AU. It's taken over our lives for a bit so let's all spare a moment to thank our enabler defiancebyfire ! All the hearts! (and bullets)
“Love the grungy kid from the Showa period look you’re rocking there,” Yamada said with a smirk. Yuto sat down with a huff, shaking his rubble-speckled head at Yamada’s direction so that little dust clouds drifted down his hair to Yamada’s face.
Yamada laughed and pushed away Yuto’s cheek with the crook of his index finger. Yuto retrieved half of the tissues on the dispenser on the table and began rubbing furiously at the grime on his face.
“This isn’t funny,” he muttered, scowling at Yamada. “I had to excavate myself from a building that collapsed over me. I know how artifacts and mummies feel now.”
“Well, okay, that situation isn’t funny,” Yamada amended before beaming at Yuto. “But you still look ridiculous.”
Yuto picked up the spoon that Yamada wasn’t using and looked at his reflection, a reluctant smile spreading on his lips.
“I do look like hell,” Yuto conceded.
Yamada narrowed his eyes at Yuto. “And I don’t know if that was a thinly veiled attempt at making me agree that you look hot,” he said, shoving another strawberry into his mouth. Yuto flinged the spoon he was holding at Yamada’s direction, which Yamada easily caught in his free hand.
“I didn’t mean it that way,” Yuto said.
Yamada smiled. “Sure you didn’t,” he agreed. “I would have agreed anyway.”
Yuto’s reply (if he had one) was cut short by a loud bang, as a hand holding a piece of paper slammed down their table.
“What the hell is the meaning of this?” an angry voice asked. Yuto and Yamada looked up to see Takaki, shaking as he stabbed a finger to the paper.
“It means exactly what it says, Takaki-kun,” Yuto said, stealing a strawberry from the shortcake Yamada was eating. Yamada had looked down at the paper Takaki was holding, fingers curling tightly over his fork.
“Why are you two applying for early graduation? What, you’re just throwing everything away?” Takaki said.
“Takaki-kun, we mustn’t shout,” Yuto said. “You’re causing a disturbance.”
Takaki grabbed him by the collar and lifted him to a standing position, his face inches away from Yuto. “Don’t mess with me, you little punk,” he said. “You’re not in a position to do that, ever.”
Yuto calmly patted on Takaki’s arm, not looking the least bit scared that he was being publicly threatened. “Sempai, frankly, you don’t need to care,” he said with a serene smile. “And please, let’s stop with the theatrics. Everyone’s starting to stare.”
With a frustrated sigh, Takaki dropped his hold and crossed his arms over his chest. Yuto fixed his collar and sat down, pulling out the chair beside him. “Let’s have a civilized conversation, Takaki-kun,” he said, spreading his arm and patting the seat of the chair.
Takaki glared at Yuto for a long moment before finally sitting down. “It’s not fair,” he said, fuming. “Why are you throwing away this chance? Finish the program and you won’t have to worry about your future for the rest of your lives.”
“Saying it like that makes it seem like we won’t be running away from the law for the rest of our lives,” Yuto said mildly.
“You know what I mean, you jerk,” Takaki said, his hand curling into a fist on the table.
“I know you understand, please don’t insult my intelligence,” Yuto said, leaning back on his chair and giving Takaki a lazy smile. “I’m fine either way though, but I’m doing this for Yama-chan.”
“What?” Takaki said. “What are you talking about?”
“I want out,” Yamada said, the first words he had spoken ever since Takaki arrived. “I can’t do this anymore.”
“You’re the best student in the Assassination Classroom program,” Takaki said. “Why are you saying that?”
“Because I don’t want to do this anymore,” Yamada said, putting down his fork and meeting Takaki’s gaze. “I don’t want to kill people.”
“And we’re doing this fair and square,” Yuto said. “We don’t want this anymore.”
Takaki snorted, smirking at Yuto. “Right, like I’ll ever believe you,” he said. “You’re the perfect killing machine.”
“Do you want to be an example of my prowess then?” Yuto said. His smile has disappeared and his voice had dropped, his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand as he stared at Takaki. “I can always use you for target practice if you’re so eager for a fucking death wish.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Takaki said in a whisper.
“Oh, try me,” Yuto said, leaning in close so that his nose was almost touching Takaki’s. “But you can’t do anything about our decision.”
“You’ll really give up everything that ever makes you a person for this kids?” Takaki said, pointing his thumb at Yamada. Yuto’s lips thinned as he curled his fingers on the bottom of the tie Takaki was wearing, wrapping it around his wrist and slowly pulling Takaki forward.
“Don’t you dare talk about Yama-chan like that,” he said, his lips curling into a smile that could only be described as cold-blooded. “You don’t take a good thing and let it rot in this ruin of a place. I may deserve that, but Yama-chan is infinitely better than that. And if he wants out, I’ll do everything in my power to make that happen for him. Whatever it takes.”
“Time to wake up, Yuto-kun,” a voice said. “Your prince charming isn't coming to kiss you awake.”
Yuto blinked, slowly stirring into consciousness. The first thing he was aware of was that his wrists and ankles were bound with ropes, and that he was strapped to a metal chair. He raised his head from where it was resting with his chin on his chest, blinking once, twice, to get a clue of his surroundings. Somewhere high above him hung a naked lightbulb, casting him in a weak pool of light and nothing else. With the way the voice had echoed, he was hazarding a guess that he was being contained in an abandoned warehouse. The damp smell of the sea wafted through unseen windows, and with a jolt he realized where he was.
Always the drama queen, he thought wryly to himself.
“Nice try, Takaki-kun,” he called out. He heard a short bark of laughter before the man himself was stepping into the half-assed spotlight.
“How’d you know?” he asked, crossing his arms and looking fondly at Yuto like he didn’t just kidnap him and bound him to a chair.
“All that effort, who else?” Yuto said, then held up the ropes that were used to bind his now free wrists together and flung them to the other man’s chest. “Also seriously, Boy Scouts can tie better knots than you do.”
“I didn’t have much time to prepare,” Takaki said. “Also, you’re heavy. How much have you been working out.”
“Probably more than you. Those guns give me a lot of muscle,” he said, casually leaning down to untie the rope binding his ankles. “So? What do you want from me? I’m sure you didn’t kidnap me with that much flair just because you wanted to say hello.”
“I knew what you did to the Prime Minister’s son,” Takaki said. Yuto’s hands stilled on the knots for a moment before completely removing them, straightening up in his seat and throwing the ropes back to Takaki.
“Well apparently I have to step up my game, because apparently everyone knows I did it,” Yuto said.
Takaki shook his head. “It was a trap, and you fell for it,” he said.
Yuto raised an eyebrow. “What, so you’re saying the Prime Minister let his son die on purpose?” he said.
Takaki shrugged. “I don’t know how power-crazy people’s minds work, why are you asking me?” he said.
Yuto crossed his arms. “Because I have no freaking clue what is going on and since you kidnapped me from the people I could ask, looks like I have no choice.”
Takaki turned his back to Yuto, busy in coiling up the used rope into a neat loop. “Yamada-kun called me. Said you might be in trouble.”
“What?” Yuto said. He has been careful to not let what had passed reach Yamada’s knowledge.
Takaki turned and faced Yuto, letting the coil of rope fall to his feet. “I’m doing these for you guys,” he said.
Yuto smirked. “Wow, I almost believed that,” he said. “No really, what’s with your dramatic set-up? You even fake-tied me to this chair, and you’re better than that, Takaki-kun.”
“I’m telling the truth,” Takaki insisted. He paused and bit his lip, shivering as he remembered something. “I’ve heard their plans. They sent that Okamoto kid to recruit me to this circus of a plan for taking over the government. What they’re thinking about if they get their hands on you two will send you back to the hell you’ve escaped from.”
Yuto was silent, and Takaki sighed.
“Look, I’m trying to fix this, okay?” he said. “I know we’re all messed up, and the things we did should put us behind bars for an infinite number of lifetimes. But I’m trying to do a little good in my life before they inevitably hunt me down, blame all the dirty work I’ve done for them on me, and set me up for a very public execution. I want to get at least this one right.”
“We’re not your penance,” Yuto said, his voice wavering.
Because he understands.
“But Yamada-kun is yours,” Takaki countered. “That’s why you agreed to get away from the Assassination Classroom program, right? For him? So let me do this, and you’ll be doing this for him.”
Yuto stared at Takaki for a long time before giving him a tiny nod, his hand tightening into a fist. “Okay,” he said, thinking of Yamada and how peaceful his eyes had become since they left the Assassination Classroom program. “I’ll listen.”
taps ltgmars
“Love the grungy kid from the Showa period look you’re rocking there,” Yamada said with a smirk. Yuto sat down with a huff, shaking his rubble-speckled head at Yamada’s direction so that little dust clouds drifted down his hair to Yamada’s face.
Yamada laughed and pushed away Yuto’s cheek with the crook of his index finger. Yuto retrieved half of the tissues on the dispenser on the table and began rubbing furiously at the grime on his face.
“This isn’t funny,” he muttered, scowling at Yamada. “I had to excavate myself from a building that collapsed over me. I know how artifacts and mummies feel now.”
“Well, okay, that situation isn’t funny,” Yamada amended before beaming at Yuto. “But you still look ridiculous.”
Yuto picked up the spoon that Yamada wasn’t using and looked at his reflection, a reluctant smile spreading on his lips.
“I do look like hell,” Yuto conceded.
Yamada narrowed his eyes at Yuto. “And I don’t know if that was a thinly veiled attempt at making me agree that you look hot,” he said, shoving another strawberry into his mouth. Yuto flinged the spoon he was holding at Yamada’s direction, which Yamada easily caught in his free hand.
“I didn’t mean it that way,” Yuto said.
Yamada smiled. “Sure you didn’t,” he agreed. “I would have agreed anyway.”
Yuto’s reply (if he had one) was cut short by a loud bang, as a hand holding a piece of paper slammed down their table.
“What the hell is the meaning of this?” an angry voice asked. Yuto and Yamada looked up to see Takaki, shaking as he stabbed a finger to the paper.
“It means exactly what it says, Takaki-kun,” Yuto said, stealing a strawberry from the shortcake Yamada was eating. Yamada had looked down at the paper Takaki was holding, fingers curling tightly over his fork.
“Why are you two applying for early graduation? What, you’re just throwing everything away?” Takaki said.
“Takaki-kun, we mustn’t shout,” Yuto said. “You’re causing a disturbance.”
Takaki grabbed him by the collar and lifted him to a standing position, his face inches away from Yuto. “Don’t mess with me, you little punk,” he said. “You’re not in a position to do that, ever.”
Yuto calmly patted on Takaki’s arm, not looking the least bit scared that he was being publicly threatened. “Sempai, frankly, you don’t need to care,” he said with a serene smile. “And please, let’s stop with the theatrics. Everyone’s starting to stare.”
With a frustrated sigh, Takaki dropped his hold and crossed his arms over his chest. Yuto fixed his collar and sat down, pulling out the chair beside him. “Let’s have a civilized conversation, Takaki-kun,” he said, spreading his arm and patting the seat of the chair.
Takaki glared at Yuto for a long moment before finally sitting down. “It’s not fair,” he said, fuming. “Why are you throwing away this chance? Finish the program and you won’t have to worry about your future for the rest of your lives.”
“Saying it like that makes it seem like we won’t be running away from the law for the rest of our lives,” Yuto said mildly.
“You know what I mean, you jerk,” Takaki said, his hand curling into a fist on the table.
“I know you understand, please don’t insult my intelligence,” Yuto said, leaning back on his chair and giving Takaki a lazy smile. “I’m fine either way though, but I’m doing this for Yama-chan.”
“What?” Takaki said. “What are you talking about?”
“I want out,” Yamada said, the first words he had spoken ever since Takaki arrived. “I can’t do this anymore.”
“You’re the best student in the Assassination Classroom program,” Takaki said. “Why are you saying that?”
“Because I don’t want to do this anymore,” Yamada said, putting down his fork and meeting Takaki’s gaze. “I don’t want to kill people.”
“And we’re doing this fair and square,” Yuto said. “We don’t want this anymore.”
Takaki snorted, smirking at Yuto. “Right, like I’ll ever believe you,” he said. “You’re the perfect killing machine.”
“Do you want to be an example of my prowess then?” Yuto said. His smile has disappeared and his voice had dropped, his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand as he stared at Takaki. “I can always use you for target practice if you’re so eager for a fucking death wish.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Takaki said in a whisper.
“Oh, try me,” Yuto said, leaning in close so that his nose was almost touching Takaki’s. “But you can’t do anything about our decision.”
“You’ll really give up everything that ever makes you a person for this kids?” Takaki said, pointing his thumb at Yamada. Yuto’s lips thinned as he curled his fingers on the bottom of the tie Takaki was wearing, wrapping it around his wrist and slowly pulling Takaki forward.
“Don’t you dare talk about Yama-chan like that,” he said, his lips curling into a smile that could only be described as cold-blooded. “You don’t take a good thing and let it rot in this ruin of a place. I may deserve that, but Yama-chan is infinitely better than that. And if he wants out, I’ll do everything in my power to make that happen for him. Whatever it takes.”
“Time to wake up, Yuto-kun,” a voice said. “Your prince charming isn't coming to kiss you awake.”
Yuto blinked, slowly stirring into consciousness. The first thing he was aware of was that his wrists and ankles were bound with ropes, and that he was strapped to a metal chair. He raised his head from where it was resting with his chin on his chest, blinking once, twice, to get a clue of his surroundings. Somewhere high above him hung a naked lightbulb, casting him in a weak pool of light and nothing else. With the way the voice had echoed, he was hazarding a guess that he was being contained in an abandoned warehouse. The damp smell of the sea wafted through unseen windows, and with a jolt he realized where he was.
Always the drama queen, he thought wryly to himself.
“Nice try, Takaki-kun,” he called out. He heard a short bark of laughter before the man himself was stepping into the half-assed spotlight.
“How’d you know?” he asked, crossing his arms and looking fondly at Yuto like he didn’t just kidnap him and bound him to a chair.
“All that effort, who else?” Yuto said, then held up the ropes that were used to bind his now free wrists together and flung them to the other man’s chest. “Also seriously, Boy Scouts can tie better knots than you do.”
“I didn’t have much time to prepare,” Takaki said. “Also, you’re heavy. How much have you been working out.”
“Probably more than you. Those guns give me a lot of muscle,” he said, casually leaning down to untie the rope binding his ankles. “So? What do you want from me? I’m sure you didn’t kidnap me with that much flair just because you wanted to say hello.”
“I knew what you did to the Prime Minister’s son,” Takaki said. Yuto’s hands stilled on the knots for a moment before completely removing them, straightening up in his seat and throwing the ropes back to Takaki.
“Well apparently I have to step up my game, because apparently everyone knows I did it,” Yuto said.
Takaki shook his head. “It was a trap, and you fell for it,” he said.
Yuto raised an eyebrow. “What, so you’re saying the Prime Minister let his son die on purpose?” he said.
Takaki shrugged. “I don’t know how power-crazy people’s minds work, why are you asking me?” he said.
Yuto crossed his arms. “Because I have no freaking clue what is going on and since you kidnapped me from the people I could ask, looks like I have no choice.”
Takaki turned his back to Yuto, busy in coiling up the used rope into a neat loop. “Yamada-kun called me. Said you might be in trouble.”
“What?” Yuto said. He has been careful to not let what had passed reach Yamada’s knowledge.
Takaki turned and faced Yuto, letting the coil of rope fall to his feet. “I’m doing these for you guys,” he said.
Yuto smirked. “Wow, I almost believed that,” he said. “No really, what’s with your dramatic set-up? You even fake-tied me to this chair, and you’re better than that, Takaki-kun.”
“I’m telling the truth,” Takaki insisted. He paused and bit his lip, shivering as he remembered something. “I’ve heard their plans. They sent that Okamoto kid to recruit me to this circus of a plan for taking over the government. What they’re thinking about if they get their hands on you two will send you back to the hell you’ve escaped from.”
Yuto was silent, and Takaki sighed.
“Look, I’m trying to fix this, okay?” he said. “I know we’re all messed up, and the things we did should put us behind bars for an infinite number of lifetimes. But I’m trying to do a little good in my life before they inevitably hunt me down, blame all the dirty work I’ve done for them on me, and set me up for a very public execution. I want to get at least this one right.”
“We’re not your penance,” Yuto said, his voice wavering.
Because he understands.
“But Yamada-kun is yours,” Takaki countered. “That’s why you agreed to get away from the Assassination Classroom program, right? For him? So let me do this, and you’ll be doing this for him.”
Yuto stared at Takaki for a long time before giving him a tiny nod, his hand tightening into a fist. “Okay,” he said, thinking of Yamada and how peaceful his eyes had become since they left the Assassination Classroom program. “I’ll listen.”
taps ltgmars