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baalzebufo · 8 months

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the road ahead

a little fic I wrote immediately after finishing Infinite Wealth... spoilers for y8 including the finale, tread with caution. heavily implied kazumaji. enjoy my treat

‘You- ah. You have a visitor, Kiryu-san…’

How long had it been since people had called him his name- his real name? Too long. It almost felt strange responding to it after all this time. Kiryu began propping himself up in his bed, grunting- he caught the nurses eye. She looked anxious, her fingers drumming on the door frame. He couldn’t tell if that was a bad sign or not. Before he could open his mouth to ask, the sound of heels clicking in a light jog grew louder and louder down the corridor behind her, until-

‘Kiryu-chan, ya’ in there?’

A familiar face popped up behind her shoulder, and she shot straight up with a startled yelp. Majima couldn’t help himself, letting loose a cackle at the reaction. Kiryu sighed with relief. Much as he hated to admit it, he had missed that laugh. He gave the nurse a sympathetic smile.

‘You can leave him with me, it’s okay.’

‘Are you sure?’ She asked, lips drawing into a thin line even as Majima rocked on his heels behind her, eager to squeeze past. She kept herself firmly in the door between them. She turned to face him then, glaring at Majima.

‘Aw, don’t worry, I won’t stress him out or nothin’. Best behaviour. I promise!’ Majima raised his hands in deference. After a moment of staredown, the nurse shook her head. Best not to argue. She moved aside to let him through, casting a glance back at Kiryu over her shoulder- call me if you need help, she mouthed. Not fully convinced of the man's intentions.

Kiryu wasn’t surprised. He may not have been a yakuza anymore, but it didn��t stop Majima from dressing like one. Even to someone with no knowledge of his reputation as the Mad Dog, to a complete stranger who didn’t hear the bloody rumour mill around his life, he came off as someone with a couple screws loose. Of course, that was his intention from the start. And Kiryu hoped by now he knew Majima well enough to tell that.

He slid the door shut behind him and looked down at Kiryu. He sauntered over slowly, hands shoved in his pockets before slumping on the guest chair next to his bed. He leaned over, tilted his head, looked right into Kiryu’s eyes.

‘Ya still look like shit.’

Kiryu couldn’t help it- he laughed. The sound made Majima perk up instantly.

‘It’s nice to see you again too, nii-san.’ He smiled weakly. He knew he must have looked an awful state. He’d let it get so bad for so long… He reached for a glass of water on the stand beside him and took a sip. He’d thought about it the other day when he caught himself in the mirror- saw his sunken cheeks and tired eyes. He had a flicker of regret then, the yakuza desire to die young rearing its ugly head until he snuffed it out. No, none of that. He may have looked like shit, as Majima eloquently put it, but at least he was alive. Frankly, he appreciated Majima’s honesty. In the time after he had put the glass down and focused back on the present, he realised the uncomfortable silence between them had begun dragging.

‘How are you?’ He hesitated.

‘Pffa- me?’ Majima scoffed. ‘You’re the one in the damn hospital, and you’re asking how I am!’ He shook his head.

‘Forgive me for being concerned for your wellbeing, nii-san. I won’t do it again.’

‘Aw, knock it off…’

Majima sighed, crossing his arms. His foot was tapping. Kiryu could tell he was putting on a brave face by showing up here. He may have written off Majima a long time ago as impossible to read but he had learnt to pick up on things here and there. He was about to attempt more small talk, when Majima interjected.

‘I didn’t think I’d see you again.’

Kiryu blinked, uncertain.

‘When ya’ left that first time.’ Majima clarified, fiddling with one edge of his glove. Kiryu remembered all too well. Remembered the way Majima had called for him as he left them behind in the snow, and it sent a heavy feeling into his stomach. It had been warranted at the time, certainly- more lives than his own were on the line- but he couldn’t deny how cold it was of him.

‘You really were going to get yourself killed, weren’t you?’

His accent was faltering, Kiryu noted to himself. But he couldn’t deny what he said. At the time- he truly wanted to die. He nodded.

‘I was.’ He spoke quietly. ‘I thought it was the only way. I’m… thankful that I realised it wasn’t.’ He swallowed hard.

‘Yeah?’ Majima’s voice was barely above a whisper. His hands were still itching to do something. Kiryu noticed. He reached his own hand out and took Majimas, to stop it from picking at himself. He felt the way he startled under his touch. Kiryu stopped. Let him pull away, if he wanted.

Majima didn’t.

His hand went loose in Kiryu’s, who squeezed it gently.

‘I’m sorry, Majima-san.’ Kiryu blinked hard. His emotions had been a lot harder to keep in check, lately. ‘I shouldn’t have put you through that. I shouldn’t have hurt you like that.’

‘Kiryu…’

Majima sniffed, grinning lopsidedly. ‘Ya’ idiot. Don’t apologise, I oughta be doing that. We were so caught up in our own shit we didn’t wanna see a light outta the darkness, ‘cause it would’ve hurt our eyes.’ He squeezed Kiryu’s hand back. ‘Thanks for kickin’ my ass into gear. I needed it.’

‘Let’s… both agree to apologise to each other, then.’ Kiryu nodded. He brought his other hand over to clasp Majima’s. He nodded back, and the two sat there for a moment in silence.

Kiryu had a habit of noticing things at the strangest times. Like right now, all he could think about suddenly was the texture of the glove under his fingers. The leather was softer than he remembered it being, every time Majima’s fist had collided with his own. Then again, he’d never gotten to touch them like this before. Majima must have noticed him drifting.

‘Hey, ya’ in there, Kiryu-chan?’

‘Hm? Oh. Yes. I was thinking about your gloves.’

Majima choked out a laugh, incredulous. ‘My gloves?’

Kiryu’s brow furrowed as he nodded. ‘Yes. I’ve never gotten to hold your hand before, so I’ve never felt them like this. It’s a new texture for me, and- stop laughing, nii-san.’

‘Sorry, sorry!’ Majima bowed his head between giggles. ‘It’s just- God, that’s so you, Kiryu-chan.’

‘What do you mean.’

‘You’re so goddamn weird.’

Kiryu frowned. ‘That’s awfully rich coming from you, nii-san.’

‘I know!’ He cackled, grin spreading across his face. ‘It’s perfect! We’re both so fuckin’ weird!’

Kiryu couldn’t help it. Despite his confusion, his desire to be grouchy with Majima, his laugh- he had missed that laugh so much. For years, he felt like he wouldn’t hear that laugh again. He smiled, and he laughed with him. He laughed until he felt as if he were about to cry again, taking deep breaths to avoid setting off his heart monitor. He would die of embarrassment if that happened.

‘Ahh…’ Majima sighed. ‘I missed ya, Kiryu-chan.’ He smiled. ‘But I got one thing I gotta ask ya’, okay?’

‘Yes?’

‘No, no. You gotta promise me.’

‘This isn’t going to be something weird, is it.’ Kiryu frowned.

‘No, it ain’t- I swear. Hear me out, Kiryu-chan.’

Kiryu hesitated, but…

‘Okay.’

‘Don’t leave again.’

The lump entered his throat instantly. Majima’s dark eye was looking at him, pleading with him. He couldn’t keep doing this to him- he knew that. He had spent so much time running away from him, his family, his old life- running away from everything. He was so tired of running. Kiryu nodded, swallowing heavily.

‘I promise.’

‘Cause I’m not leavin’ you, now.’ Majima continued. ‘I mean it! It’s back to 24-7 fuckin’ surveillance for you, Kiryu-chan!’

‘Oh, god.’ Kiryu groaned- he thought those days were behind them. The days of chasing each other through the streets of Kamurocho, beating each other half to a pulp. He hoped they wouldn’t be doing that again. Well… not to say he didn’t enjoy it. But his poor bones likely couldn’t handle it for a while.

‘I mean it. Yer never getting rid of me, Kiryu-chan.’ He tittered, squeezing his hand a little tighter. Kiryu wasn’t sure if he should interpret that as a threat or not, but…

‘Thanks, nii-san. I mean it.’

‘Good. Remember-’ Majima leaned forward conspiratorially. ‘You ain’t allowed to die until I say so! I staked that claim years ago, ya remember? I’m-’

‘You’re the only one allowed to kill me.’ Kiryu finished for him. A threat that Majima had made so many years ago, and one that he kept renewing. A threat, an attempt to scare him- it had evolved into something more. It wasn’t a threat anymore. It was a promise. A promise that he wasn’t going to let Kiryu throw his life away. Was it odd that Kiryu found the thought comforting? Perhaps. But they were always odd people.

‘Yeah.’ Majima nodded, his own eye glistening slightly. ‘So- no goin’ out before me. Okay? Gonna see you through this shit. Gonna hassle ya’ every chance I get. I’ll fuckin’ help you out.’ He sniffled, doing a poor job at hiding his own welling emotions. ‘However long ya’ got, I’m gonna be there for ya.’

‘Thank you… Goro.’

Majima stirred. Looked up in shock. His lips quivered, as if he was uncertain how to respond. Eventually, he smiled.

‘No prob, Kazuma.’

Kiryu shut his eyes. It wasn’t going to be an easy road ahead. Recovery was going to be rough. He wasn’t even sure how long he had- if he even could recover. It may be too late for him. But in that moment with his hands gripping onto those leather gloved hands, Majimas fingers entwined with his, he felt like it was going to be okay.

Whatever lay ahead for him, he knew Majima would be there with him. And they would face it together.

#like a dragon infinite wealth spoilers #yakuza spoilers #yakuza 8 spoilers #kazumaji #i dont know what spoiler tags people are using SORRY #its so hard to describe a fic that is so. requires finale knowledge. without spoiling anything in the description #anyway very rambly and quick fic i just needed to get it out of my system #yakuza #fanfiction

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