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Guren is 5 years old when he falls in love. He falls in love with a girl with a killer smile and big doe eyes and ashen hair that falls in soft waves down her back. She is beautiful and perfect, and even at the tender age of 5 he is madly in love with her. He doesn’t know it yet, but Hiiragi Mahiru will become the bane of his existence.
This is the first time he hears about the Hiiragi family, and all the terrible whispers that follow that name. At first, he doesn't think much of it; he’s five years old, the world is big, and people are good until proven bad. It isn’t much later, after adults in full military uniform with harsh words and harsher fists have a conversation with him that he begins to think that maybe this should be the other way around.
At 5 years old, Guren learns that people are bad inherently, and they need to prove their goodness before he’ll believe it.
Mahiru is torn from him, screaming and crying, and he learns a hard lesson about his place in the world. At age 5, Guren resolves that never again will he fail someone he cares about, and begins plotting.
*
A lot happens where he gets to be 16, including the Hiiragi’s reappearance in his life.
Guren is 16 when he meets Hiiragi Shinya, with his unnatural white hair, bright blue eyes, and perpetual smile. He has no interest whatsoever in anyone associated with the Hiiragi’s, but Shinya sure has an interest in him. The adopted boy is cunning and smart and Guren, despite himself, starts to be intrigued by him. Shinya, he learns, has no love for the Hiiragi’s either, and dreams just as big as Guren’s own. Slowly, the two of them learn to trust each other, and Guren realizes at some point that he has his first real friend.
Guren is 16 when he kills the girl he fell in love with, who he can no longer recognize. Not when she’s choking the life out of Shinya. In that split second, he has to make a decision. Hiiragi Mahiru dies by his hand, and becomes the weapon he wears at his waist. It’s shortly after this where Guren realizes that he will never escape her or the curse of the Hiiragi family.
Maybe that’s why he lets Shinya stay close to him after her death. He’s learned to accept his fate.
Guren is 16 when the world goes to shit. It collapses all around him in fire and smoke and screams and somewhere his brain supplies him with a poem about the end of the world.
“‘ Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice’.’ Guess we know who was right now, don’t we?” For a moment, Guren’s sure he’s lost his mind and is hearing things. Then he registers someone standing next to him, someone with piercing blue eyes and snowy hair with a tight smile on his face.
“Didn’t figure that you were into that romantic shit.” He mumbles.
“Ahahah, I would hardly call Robert Frost romantic.” Shinya gives him a sideways glance, blue eyes appraising. “So where do we go from here Guren?”
Guren snorts, shoving his hands in his pockets. “How the hell should I know?” He snaps, then reconsiders briefly. “We survive. We cling to life, and we survive, and we end up on top at the end of this clusterfuck.” He allows himself a small smirk. “I’m sure your family will be thrilled.”
Shinya laughs, a light clear sound that contrasts so greatly with their surroundings. “Sounds good to me.” He says, smiling at Guren genuinely, and the two of them survey the disaster around them and steel themselves for the future.
*
Guren is 20 when he becomes a father.
He wants to let it be known that he never asked for this, but he also can’t let the kid run around on his own. Yuu is so angry, so lost, with so much potential-he doesn’t deserve the shit hand that the universe dealt him, but, then again, most people don’t.
And maybe Yuu reminds him of another small boy, who loved a girl way beyond his reach, who simply wanted to have power to protect what he loved. Guren will die before he admits this out loud, however, so he takes Yuu in and pretends indifference to him.
Only, this doesn’t quite work because the kid is just like Guren was as a teenager, all rough and snarky and damn does he have an attitude problem. He’s also smarter than he looks (not that this is saying much) and is not afraid in the slightest to call Guren out on his bullshit. He both loves and hates the kid, though that doesn’t stop him from wanting to strangle Yuu 90% of the time.
Shinya has no sympathy for him.
“Like father like son. Honestly Guren, it’s like you're surprised as to where he got it from.” Shinya is giving him that sly smile that he learned ages ago to associate with trouble, and he shakes his head. The white haired man is perched on the edge of Guren’s desk, legs crossed neatly over one another
“No, no, no, don’t you blame this on me-this kid was a brat before I took his sorry ass in.” Guren lets out a heavy sigh and presses his fingers into his temple. “If the vampires don’t kill him, I will.”
“Oh? Before or after you snuggle with him after a nightmare?” When Guren stares at him, Shinya’s grin widens. “Don’t even try to deny it, I saw you two all cozy on your bed-what a saint you are!” Guren can feel himself blushing.
“Shinya.” He growls in warning, body tense. Shinya’s smile never falters.
“Oh, I just thought of something. If you’re going to act so nurturing, aren’t you more of Yuu-chan’s mom?” Shinya giggles. “Mother Guren, who would’ve thought?”
He flings the pen he’s holding at his friend, letting his head fall onto his desk with a solid ‘thunk!’
Shinya only laughs.
*
Guren is 24 when he thinks he’s going to die.
To be entirely truthful, he’s been certain of his death for a long time before this. He’s cheated death several times over in the past and his luck has never been great. Kureto is probably thrilled.
Really, he’s not even that concerned with his own well being right now. All he can think about is the hundreds of soldiers under his control that are still in danger, among them Yuu and his own squad, and they need to get out. So when he Shinya makes a move towards him, he shouts at him to stop, to run and leave him, to be safe.
Shinya, for once in the 8 years of their friendship, finally listens to him. The look in his eyes is strange, but Guren doesn’t exactly have time to ponder on it. The noble in front of him smiles, and then a sword is sticking through his chest and he passes out.
When he comes to, he’s in the medical ward back in Shibuya. The lights are obnoxiously bright, the room smells like chemicals, and his entire body aches, but he’s alive and that has to count for something.
Guren is 24 when he first kisses Shinya.
The sniper has tears streaming down his face and he’s shaking slightly, but his lips are soft and urgent against Guren’s own chapped ones. He’s so stunned by the abrupt gesture that he doesn’t
react, and Shinya pulls away and gives him a sad smile. “Ahaha, sorry about that, I-”
Guren doesn’t let him finish because he’s tired and sore and damnit maybe he enjoyed that kiss way more than he should have. then the both of them freeze because this is way beyond their field of expertise, not to mention that there’s a literal war going on and relationships aren’t a good idea in general.
A relationship with a Hiiragi is almost suicidal.
But Shinya has always been his exception to every rule, the asshole. For the second time in their lives, the sniper looks at him and asks, “Where do we go from here Guren?” Only this time, his voice is much quieter, and he looks almost nervous but Guren’s never seen Shinya nervous in his life.
He hesitates for a moment, looking Shinya up and down and then shrugs. “We survive, right?” He offers with a small smile, and takes the others hand. Shinya squeezes his hand, and returns his smile.
“Sounds good to me.”
*
Guren is too old for all this shit.
He’s never been one for politics, which is what the Hiiragi’s thrive off of. Huzzah, the world is saved, Yuu has been reunited with his brother (lover? Guren isn’t 100% clear on this one) and life is good. As good as it gets for a perpetually grouchy martyr like himself. Shinya’s words, not his.
They’ve survived, just like they swore to all those years ago. They’re still surviving, as a matter of fact, but they’re together and Guren’s starting to think that the two of them could take on the world if they wanted too. He and Shinya have survived a war with neither of them the worse for the wear, and he can still remember the kiss the two of them had shared after Sanguinem had fallen. They are alive, they are together, and things could be way worse really.
And still, the Hiiragi’s are hell bent to ruin the peace. Guren’s not even surprised; the Hiiragi’s have been the only constant in his life, and it would be a shame for them to fail him now. If Shinya has his way, there’ll be a Hiiragi with him until the day he dies, albeit the one he can tolerate the most.
Thier bid for power and control of the newly freed nation of Japan is the only one that exists. Most people are too caught up in rebuilding their lives to notice the dictatorship working in the shadows. The most prominent threat has been dealt with, but Hiiragi Kureto is still in control and he’s the only one capable of fixing that particular issue.
“I’ll take the vampires over your family any day; at least the vampires are honest when they want to kill me.”
Shinya laughs, all smiles and joy, and Guren can’t find it in himself to stay mad. “We’ll manage, right Guren? We survive, after all, has always been the plan.” Shinya bumps his shoulder gently, letting his head fall onto it. He snorts but lets his own head rest against Shinya’s.
“We always do.”