When they encountered sadness and unfairness as children, Tenka would always throw a fit over it. He'd wipe away his tears as if they were shameful in front of his father and he would be told that to cry is to be human. Then, even if he was sniffling and sobbing afterward, Tenka would cry. There was never any scolding over it, because his parents were kind people who were expressive and affectionate and loud and lived every moment of their lives with everything they had.
Tenka misses them. Tenka never stopped missing them from the day he walked into the room and found them both dead. But instead of crying and mourning, letting the process happen, he got caught up in duty. He had to shove the Yamainu out of his life to get them to grow without him. He had to take care of his brothers. He had to become the Head of the Kumou at 14 years old and watch over Shiga.
He had to cry too, but he never let himself have time for that until now.
Now that his partner's forgiven him again and the Orochi is officially dead and Soramaru is grown and Kiiko talks to him and their small family is growing yet again, he's letting himself cry.
Mom and Dad's murderer was Tenka's best friend. Shirasu was only a bit older than him as well and Tenka should hate him. Tenka should want him to be confined and in the Condemned Prison Gate, thinking about his sins and how many lives he's ruined. But after getting one good punch in, Tenka let him go.
Because ten years was more than enough time for Tenka to care about Shirasu and even now it's hard for him to reconcile that the only other person he's confided in besides Sousei was also the one to ruin his life. Tenka knows that he should hate him, that he should never want to see him again, but... he still doesn't know how to hate. That was never something that his parents taught him. Even for the Orochi, to kill the vessel was never an act of heroics for Taiko. It was not out of hate for the poor soul that was chosen - but rather to save them.
Even as Tenka's eyes run out of tears and he's left taking shaky breaths against his partner's shoulder, he still wonders if he's doing the right thing, trying to save Shirasu instead of seeking revenge.
But even if it's not, he has a sinking feeling he won't be able to bring himself to do anything else but this.
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When they encountered sadness and unfairness as children, Tenka would always throw a fit over it. He'd wipe away his tears as if they were shameful in front of his father and he would be told that to cry is to be human. Then, even if he was sniffling and sobbing afterward, Tenka would cry. There was never any scolding over it, because his parents were kind people who were expressive and affectionate and loud and lived every moment of their lives with everything they had.
Tenka misses them. Tenka never stopped missing them from the day he walked into the room and found them both dead. But instead of crying and mourning, letting the process happen, he got caught up in duty. He had to shove the Yamainu out of his life to get them to grow without him. He had to take care of his brothers. He had to become the Head of the Kumou at 14 years old and watch over Shiga.
He had to cry too, but he never let himself have time for that until now.
Now that his partner's forgiven him again and the Orochi is officially dead and Soramaru is grown and Kiiko talks to him and their small family is growing yet again, he's letting himself cry.
Mom and Dad's murderer was Tenka's best friend. Shirasu was only a bit older than him as well and Tenka should hate him. Tenka should want him to be confined and in the Condemned Prison Gate, thinking about his sins and how many lives he's ruined. But after getting one good punch in, Tenka let him go.
Because ten years was more than enough time for Tenka to care about Shirasu and even now it's hard for him to reconcile that the only other person he's confided in besides Sousei was also the one to ruin his life. Tenka knows that he should hate him, that he should never want to see him again, but... he still doesn't know how to hate. That was never something that his parents taught him. Even for the Orochi, to kill the vessel was never an act of heroics for Taiko. It was not out of hate for the poor soul that was chosen - but rather to save them.
Even as Tenka's eyes run out of tears and he's left taking shaky breaths against his partner's shoulder, he still wonders if he's doing the right thing, trying to save Shirasu instead of seeking revenge.
But even if it's not, he has a sinking feeling he won't be able to bring himself to do anything else but this.
It's just how he's always been.]