Work Text:
“Romiromi, how goes it?” Rui waved cheeringly from behind the tavern bar. “You want your usual?”
Romeo sighed as he seated himself at the bar, “Yes, hurry up. I don’t have all evening before he shows up.”
“Ah, yes, I understand,” Rui nodded with a knowing smile as he served the mug of wine to his regular. “He was boasting about going on a big hunt, so you should have until dusk at least.”
He sighed, taking a sip of the wine, “Nevermind him, I don’t even know what to do about the greenhorn. Everything’s just a mess… I just want to get out of this town.”
Rui chuckled, “Despite your words, you really want to make sure Ritsu is set, huh?”
He scoffed, “I can’t just pack up and leave! You see how he is! Everyone in town talks about how odd he is. How can I live my life if he can’t even function in society?!”
“Now, now…” Rui soothed. “It’s not like he isn’t a smart person. I think if you weren’t always hovering over him, he’d grow into his own! You need to step back and let Ritsu live.”
“Have you talked to him?! Really talked to him? He’s spouting about traveling to the capital and becoming a court judge! How preposterous!”
“Don’t you also want to go to the capital?” Rui asked innocently.
“Yes, but… I don’t have illogical ideas in my head!”
“Romiromi… I think you need to lighten up a bit. I know your hovering is just your way of caring, but things will all work out one way or another.”
Romeo dipped his head back and downed the mug of wine as if it would solve all his issues. As his mug hit the wooden bartop, the tavern doors swung open with that teasing voice that made Romeo’s teeth grit and skin crawl.
“Lulu~!”
Romeo flashed a scathing glare at Rui who raised his hands up in defense, “I meant things would work out with Ritsu! Not… him.”
—
Ritsu sneezed, clutching the heavy tome to his chest as he did so. It was his prized possession, a massive tome filled with the history of human law, listing the laws within their region. It was a forgotten and unused book by everyone so the bookshop owner had given it to him at a steep discount, and Ritsu had spent many a late night by candlelight poring over its contents. Because Ritsu carried the tome everywhere with him, he was already known as odd, even before anyone spoke to him.
Yet Ritsu carried on oblivious to the townspeople’s cries. He had dreams of moving to the capital and serving the crown by becoming a court judge to help enforce the laws of their region. And yet, everyone laughed at him, except for his guardian who just scowled and scolded him to be more realistic in his aspirations.
“It’s the town blockhead!”
The sound of familiar laughter caused Ritsu to turn behind him, “Mr. Hoshibami, as I’ve said to you before, I’m not a blockhead!”
“Once a blockhead, always a blockhead!” Taiga laughed again.
He was dressed in his tunic and furs, hunting rifle slung over his shoulder casually as he smirked down at Ritsu.
“Mr. Hoshibami, if you’re here teasing me, I’m surmising you haven’t been able to locate my guardian.”
Taiga sobered, his smirk erased in favor of a solemn expression.
Ritsu continued, this time smugly, “You probably came back from your hunt early to pin him down at the tavern, and he managed to escape, correct?”
The huntsman snorted, “Guess the blockhead has some smarts in him after all.” He leaned in close, that sneering back with a vengeance, green eyes bright and glittering in the dusk, “Tell me where he is.”
Ritsu tilted his head up expectantly, “And what can I get in return for my knowledge?”
Taiga clicked his tongue, “Furs, meat, coin… what do you want?”
“Three silvers.”
“Expensive brat,” Taiga growled as he forked over the coins.
“Romeo went to the woods for some hunting of his own. He figured you were done when he went in that direction,” Ritsu reported faithfully.
“Good boy,” Taiga purred, patting Ritsu on the head as he turned to prowl towards the woods.
—
Romeo stalked deeper into the woods, his own hunting rifle in hand. He had another mug of wine when the bane of his existence showed up, pulling a bar stool up close - too close - to his and slinging an arm over his shoulder locking him in place. One mug had turned into a couple more. His mind was hazy with the alcohol in his system when Rui distracted Taiga enough to slip out and rush home to grab his rifle and ammunition and book it into the woods.
He had learned for his sanity and his peace, the easiest thing to do was to avoid Taiga. He was touchy, way too casual, and he learned from one lapse in judgement that a late night at the bar ended up with them waking up together naked in the same bed with no memory of the night before. He had made that same mistake a few times, and ever since, he realized the best thing for his wellbeing was to stay as far away from the hunter as much as possible. So when he heard of Taiga going on a big hunt, he had thought the tavern a safe place, but soon realized it was a ploy to catch him at his favorite watering hole, hunted like both of them hunted game in the local woods.
Why he was out at the woods at dusk was both an out for the smoldering rage at his own foolishness and a place he thought Taiga wouldn’t look for him. Surely, he’d look at his home first or in town? Even if he came into the woods, Romeo would have a lead. But when he caught the sound of another behind him moving through the bushes, he knew Taiga caught on sooner than planned. Romeo picked up the pace, his steps hurried as he dashed deeper into the woods than he was familiar as the daylight grew fainter.
When daylight edged away and his only light was moonlight, nothing looked familiar, and he kept pushing what he thought was forward until a tall, looming castle stretched into the sky before him. He had never seen such a structure in daylight, and the way the moss grew over its exterior or the stone crumbled away in places made Romeo think the castle was abandoned. But when Romeo tried the door and pushed the large ornate door, it opened easily.
The interior was a far cry from the exterior, with plush, expensive rugs and glittering candlelit chandeliers hanging in the foyer. The furniture looked fit for royalty with expertly carved armrests and table legs. A roaring fire crackled in the fireplace. Everything looked like it was lived in, like a royal family still actively lived there.
The wheels in Romeo’s head started spinning. If royalty lived here, surely they had valuables? But why had none of the townspeople knew of royalty living a mere hike away? Was it a secret, and all the valuables gone?
“Hello? Is anyone there?” He called in the empty foyer.
Silence.
Then again, unless there was a large group of people inhabiting such a large castle, Romeo could imagine his voice wouldn’t be heard everywhere within the structure. Perhaps someone lived here by themselves, and that’s why the interior looked so cared for. As Romeo walked deeper into the castle, he continued to call out, trying to find whoever lived within the fancy interior.
He looked around constantly for movement, the eeriness getting to him even as he tried to shake it off. He couldn’t help the feeling he was being watched the more he stalked through the halls. But even when he turned around to watch his back constantly, he couldn’t catch even the glimpse of movement. And yet, a shiver traveled up his spine. He was being stalked, and it wasn’t the familiar feeling of Taiga chasing after him. This was something else.
In one last attempt to appease the owner or inhabitant of the castle, Romeo made one last request, “I just need a place to spend the night. I was out hunting and was trapped deep in the woods at night. I’ll leave in the morning!”
When Romeo turned, he could hear the breath of another living being in his vicinity. He saw the massive black shape and fired his rifle before his eyes could make sense of the being behind him. It wasn’t human - that much he knew. A large fist - with claws - pushed the rifle downward so the bullet hit and lodged in the stone floor behind the mass.
Romeo jumped backward to put some space between him and the massive creature - that was the only word that came to mind in the heat of the moment, only catching the deep claw marks into his hunting rifle as he allowed himself a moment to breathe.
The creature in front of him was clothed in princely clothing, a chemise and gold-trimmed tunic and hose with a cloak over its shoulders. The hood fell off in the scuffle, and Romeo caught a look at the creature stalking him. With a mass of dark fur, the creature was hunched over. Its muzzle and mane were leonine with golden eyes that looked angry but also melancholic. Its ears were curved and covered in fur like the rest of its face with arched black horns.
Romeo had never seen such an animal before, raising his rifle to aim at the beast once more. He aimed, and pulled the trigger, but the damage done to his rifle diverted the blast outside of the barrel and blew Romeo backwards and to the nearest wall, knocking the breath out of him. And everything went black.
—
The next day Ritsu marched through town with a purpose and to the tavern.
“Mr. Hoshibami!” Ritsu called. “What did you do with my guardian?!”
“Ah?” Taiga looked up from his meal, biting a chunk of meat off the bone. “I didn’t do nothing.”
“You paid me for information to do nothing with it? I find that highly implausible.” Ritsu stood his ground.
Taiga growled as he bit off another chunk of meat, “I went into the woods after we spoke. I found him, but it was getting dark, and he was gone all of a sudden, so I turned back and came home.”
“You’re telling the truth? If you have him unlawfully imprisoned at home…”
“I don’t. Would I be here if I had Lulu at home?” Taiga countered.
“That’s true,” Ritsu agreed. “Can you show me where you last saw him?”
“After I’m done.” Taiga continued to eat his way through the platter of meat, “What do I get in return for showing you?”
“I’ll tell you where he is for free next time.”
“Make it next three times.”
“Very well, you drive a hard bargain, Mr. Hoshibami.”
—
After Taiga had finished his mug of beer and his platter of meat, he had his hunting rifle at the ready as he prowled through the woods that were his usual stomping ground. Ritsu followed closely behind, his massive tome in tow.
“Do you need to bring that massive book with you everywhere?” Taiga griped.
“Of course, it has all the information I need.” Ritsu chuffed, his chest out in pride. “Now, where did you lose him?”
“Around here, this is the edge of my territory.”
In the daylight, Ritsu made his observations and found traces of flattened brush and grass that marked further travel through the woods, “I think I’ve picked up the trail. Thank you for your information.”
Taiga eyed the direction Ritsu was heading, making a mental note for later as he turned back from whence they came, “I need to go process my kills from yesterday. You know where to find me if you need me. Let me know when you bring him back.”
“Of course.”
Ritsu continued onward through the woods until he also found the same castle his guardian had found the night earlier. Surely, Romeo must have stayed the night in comfort. He wasn’t the type to sleep in the brush and was quite high-maintenance. Settled and this surely being where his guardian was, Ritsu knocked at the ornate door.
“Excuse me! I am looking for my guardian! He was in the woods near here last night!”
The door cracked open as if welcoming him in. Satisfied that if the door was left open, he couldn’t be accused of breaking and entering, Ritsu entered the castle, admiring the decorated and furnished interior.
“This really looks like the place my guardian would enjoy. It’s nicer than our home!” Ritsu spoke out loud, either hoping someone would welcome him or notice him wandering the interior.
Ritsu combed through the ground floor methodically, looking for any sign of his guardian. He found both stairs upward and downward, so once he was done with his search, he went downward to what Ritsu found to be a dungeon of sorts.
“Hello?” Ritsu called out, hoping someone would hear him.
“Cocky little neophyte! What are you doing here?!”
“Romeo!” Ritsu called happily, racing towards the familiar voice.
He stopped outside the cell which housed his guardian. Romeo looked a bit dirty from gunpowder on both his face and clothing, but otherwise looked no worse for wear.
“Why are you all locked up? What crime have you committed? Do I have to defend you?” Ritsu rattled off.
“I did nothing wrong! There’s a monster here in the castle. I tried to shoot it, but it damaged my rifle, and the blowback knocked me out. When I woke up, I was here.”
“A monster?” Ritsu questioned incredulously. “You can’t label anyone not as attractive as you a monster.”
“I’m actually talking about a creature! Something not human. A beast!” Romeo shot back angrily.
A snarl from around the corner denoted the presence of the aforementioned beast.
“Leave this place!” The creature padded towards Ritsu, snarling.
Ritsu examined the approaching creature, standing straight with his tome in hand, “Are you the lord of this castle?”
“Lord?!” Romeo exclaimed in disgust.
“You’ve imprisoned my guardian here, and I came here to bring him home.”
“You’ve both trespassed into my castle. Neither of you should be allowed to leave,” The beast growled.
“When I knocked on your castle door, the door opened, so I have not committed any trespassing,” Ritsu reasoned.
“Even if that may be,” The beast rumbled, “That doesn’t absolve your companion of his trespassing.”
“Hey!” Romeo screeched, “I called out, saying I ended up too far in the woods and asking to spend the night! You’re the one that wasn’t a gracious host!”
The beast wordlessly roared.
Ritsu cleared his throat, “I believe we can resolve this matter civilly. Clearly, my guardian stayed the night without the lord of the castle’s permission. Yet, my guardian is clearly unhappy to remain here against his will and only entered due to unfortunate circumstances with no intent to trespass. May I remain to serve the sentence in his place? While here, I believe I can successfully defend my guardian’s transgressions.”
The beast’s golden eyes fixed on Ritsu in his calm reasoning and moving to the livid prisoner. Its snarling had fallen silent, as if at a loss for words. Romeo glared fiercely at the so-called lord of the castle, his gaze shifting to his charge.
“Are you sure about this? You’re leaving yourself at this beast’s mercy.” Romeo asked, his gaze hardened as he searched Ritsu’s expression.
Ritsu had his faithful tome tucked to his chest, his other hand over his heart, “I am sure, yes. My ambitions won’t end here. You too want to move to the capital, out of this place. It makes sense since you’ve watched over me, but we are alike. I’ll take your place here.”
The beast opened the cage door, and Ritsu waited for Romeo to step out before stepping into the same dungeon cell. The prison door was shut, and with one final glance, Romeo turned and hurried out of the dungeon and castle and made his way back to town.
—
The beast visibly deflated before Ritsu.
“What is wrong? You agreed to this as did my guardian and myself. It is too late to change your mind now,” Ritsu calmly stated.
“...why are you not afraid of me?”
The sudden question caught Ritsu by surprise, his turquoise eyes widened. Unlike his appearance while negotiating earlier, he looked younger, more innocent.
“You are the lord of the castle, are you not? One would reason that someone of your standing should be capable of reason regardless of your appearance.”
“Hardly anyone thinks with reason when before such a hideous creature,” The beast spat out scornfully. It closed its golden eyes momentarily, sighing when it opened the cell door once more.
Ritsu blinked in surprise, “I don’t understand. We made an agreement.”
“Because of that agreement, I’m opening the door. You’d be more comfortable in a bed.” It stopped, lifting its furry head as it thought, “You aren’t the type to go back on your word.”
“Of course, the first step to a partnership is mutual trust,” Ritsu insisted.
“P-partnership?!”
“Of course,” Ritsu repeated with the same persistence. “If I am going to be staying here, then we’ll be partners.”
—
Ritsu followed his new partner, a cursed prince, he learned, by the name of Ren Shiranami. Ren was cursed by a witch, transformed into his current beast form by his bad attitude and sloth-like behavior and tied to a magical castle that functioned without any other living being. The castle provided Ren with everything he needed, but he was bound to it, imprisoned within its walls. Cursed to be alone in a monstrous form had warped the prince’s attitude into darker depths. Yet his snarls and growls were softer without the anger and rage that had been Ritsu’s first impression.
Ritsu had remarked, “Without my guardian’s yelling, your own snarls and growls are softer without a louder voice to compete with.”
Ren had looked away seemingly sheepishly at the reminder of his own animalistic tendencies. He didn’t know how much of his behavior was from the curse itself or simply because his physical form allowed him to make such sounds.
Regardless of Ren’s predicament, Ritsu treated him as a partner, making his case for his freedom and defending his guardian’s actions even if Ren no longer seemed concerned with trespassing. Sometimes Ren asked Ritsu of the outside world, of his life in the small town, of his dreams, his family, his friends, his lovers.
Ritsu had declined having a romantic partner, even remarking how he was seen as an anomaly in his village, “They don’t believe in my wish to go to the capital and serve as the court judge.”
Ren’s voice was more human without the snorts, snarls, and growls, practiced from his conversations with Ritsu, “They don’t understand your intelligence and are only used to their ways that they know.”
—
Romeo returned to town and with his dirty appearance from his night in the dungeon cell, the other townspeople cast suspicious glances towards him. After all, for the person who spent the most time and effort on his appearance to turn up in town dusty and covered in gunpowder residue, people feared what sent him into such a state. He glared at the others who dared look at him in such a way, marching into his home as he struggled over the idea of Ritsu and the beast in the castle.
—
“Is there a way to break your curse?” Ritsu asked. “It would reason that if the curse ties you to the castle, breaking it should free you.”
Ren was silent at first, unable to meet Ritsu’s gaze. After a moment, he finally spoke, “It can’t be broken.” ‘...Not by me.’
“That’s strange,” Ritsu pondered. “The whole point of curses is that there’s a way to break them. Maybe you just haven’t figured out how yet.”
“It’s pointless. I’ve been stuck here for so long, I might as well be stuck here forever.”
Ritsu began running his hand over Ren’s bulky, clothed back gently from where they sat on a plush couch side by side.
“...what are you doing?”
“It’s supposed to comfort you.”
“You’re really not repulsed by me…?”
“I told you, we’re partners. Besides, there’s more to you beyond your animal form. You’ve conducted yourself as a lawful member of society, so I cannot help but treat you as such.”
—
“There’s a monster within a castle in the woods!” Romeo called out. “It has Ritsu!”
“You threw your own charge to the monster, didn’t you?” One townsman accused.
“I bet he just wanted to save himself!” A woman cried.
“Just like his charge, Romeo’s always been odd,” Another woman remarked.
Rui noticed the commotion and watched from the edge of the crowd, “Hey! Romeo’s cared more for Ritsu than any of you!”
The crowd was a murmur of dissent and denial. Others within the crowd continued to cast doubt on Romeo’s claim. Others still degraded his character.
Romeo’s amethyst eyes were fierce, blazing, his lips parting to shout scathing remarks at the useless crowd, but before a sound could break through, Taiga groaned loudly, strolling through the crowd with his hunting rifle over his shoulder.
“Ah… you useless lot know nothing but how to cry like newborn kittens! I’ll hunt the monster and bring back its corpse!” Taiga proclaimed cockily. He winked at Romeo, purring, “Just be sure to tie the knot with me when I do, Lulu.”
“Hah?! What makes you think I want to marry you?!” Romeo roared.
Taiga’s grin grew wider, “The last time we woke up in my house-”
“Enough! Bring back the beast and bring back Ritsu alive and unharmed, and then we’ll talk!” Romeo barked.
“Give me a good luck kiss!” Taiga practically bounced on his feet like a giddy child.
With a click of his tongue, Romeo leaned in to peck Taiga on the lips, but Taiga pushed deeper into the kiss. He even swiped his tongue across Romeo’s tightly closed lips for access, but when it wasn’t granted, he pulled back with an air of disappointment. But with the potential promise of something greater, Taiga stalked with confidence and a spring in his step into the woods.
—
It didn’t make sense, Ren thought. By all accounts, Ritsu should have feared him, ran away screaming, never to look back as he raced out of the castle with his blood pumping. And yet, he would seat himself on the couch and pat the cushion next to him as if calling for an old friend… or a lost loved one. Ren wanted to give into his baser instincts, roar, growl, and snarl to scare Ritsu away.
For his own good.
There was no benefit to staying with him, Ren knew. He had been stripped of his humanity, chained within the confines of the castle that once his home had become his prison. In what remained of his human conscience, he couldn’t subject Ritsu to the same imprisonment.
But Ritsu spoke to him as if he was still human, of the same flesh and blood as he, and that caused his chest to ache. As if stirring emotions and feelings that had long remained buried and dormant deep within him, buried within this shell of fur, fangs, and claws that was anything but human. It was as if Ritsu’s bright, ambitious turquoise eyes saw him for who he once was before cursed.
When he slept, he dreamed he was human again, his hands covered in the peach furless flesh with short-cut nails - no claws. His hair was back to its short, wavy dark locks. His posture was no longer hunched forward, standing tall as the prince he was meant to be. And then he’d see Ritsu and he’d be back to form of the beast again. And he couldn’t help the ache, the feeling of tears pricking at the corner of his eyes when Ritsu’s scornful gaze saw him and turned and walked away.
He’d wake in a shuddering gasp after those dreams, covered in sweat if he had still been human, but instead tears at the corner of his eyes and his chest tight as if he couldn’t breathe.
‘Please… please don’t walk away.’
He’d be afraid that he’d wake to Ritsu being gone, his scent slowly disappearing within the walls of his prison. And yet Ritsu would be somewhere. Either in the kitchens preparing breakfast with the help of the magically replenishing pantry or in the depths of the library, engrossed in books he had never seen.
“It’s amazing, Ren!” Ritsu would light up, “The books here tell of far gone histories!”
It was always something new for Ritsu to recount of the magical prison that had become his normal. Not once did Ritsu speak badly of his appearance. It may have been practical comments such as his claws making it difficult for him not to damage the books, but never was there dislike, disgust, or any form of rejection directed towards him simply for him being a beast.
That didn’t mean Ritsu accepted everything wholeheartedly about him. Ritsu was prone to admonish his hopelessness about his curse, stating that there must be some cure. Ren was tired of hearing it, after years of living with his curse stuck within the same walls.
“Just give it a rest!” Ren snapped, flashing fangs towards Ritsu.
Now he’s done it, he realized, freezing in place, just waiting for Ritsu to run, to look at him with fearful eyes.
“Ren Shiranami. It is because of your indolence that you haven’t found a cure for your curse. Are you afraid of returning to being human again?” Ritsu scolded him with a fierce look of determination.
“What?! No! Of course I want to be human again! Who wants to be stuck like this?”
“I don’t think you do.” Ritsu announced in a loud clear voice. “Even as you are, you are stuck in this castle, yes, but you are given everything you wanted without having to leave. You don’t have to live in society with other people. I don’t think this is your prison. I think it’s your sanctuary.”
Ren was at a loss for words, unable to refute Ritsu’s claims. As they sunk in, he realized Ritsu was right. Within the castle’s walls, he hadn’t needed anything, hadn’t needed to function as a member of society. He may be stuck in a monstrous form, but he was safe here.
“Blockhead, I know you’re in here somewhere!” The teasing shout was faint but audible from the drawing room they occupied.
“Mr. Hoshibami!” Ritsu’s eyes widened. “He’s one of the hunters in our town. Let me meet him. Stay here!”
—
Taiga waited in the foyer, his green eyes darting this way and that for any signs of movement. His rifle was drawn and ready to fire at the first sign of the so-called beast Romeo had spoken of.
But it was Ritsu who casually walked down the steps with that cocky attitude, “Mr. Hoshibami, what brings you here?”
“Where is it?” Taiga growled.
“Might I remind you it is against the law to trespass into another’s home?” Ritsu announced.
“Whose home? No one lives here but a beast!” Taiga mocked with a flash of teeth.
“The beast is simply a cursed human. Brandishing a weapon against another human without cause is still against the law!”
Taiga scoffed, “As a hunter, if it looks like a beast, it’s prey and able to hunted. We don’t go by laws in our trade. Lulu should have taught you as much!”
“Without laws, there’d be no order!” Ritsu protested.
“Hunters have their own laws, and one of those laws is to use whatever means possible to lure out our prey,” Taiga purred, grabbing Ritsu by the wrist and dragging him towards the door. “So if the beasty doesn’t want to come out and play, then I just have to take its prey away.”
“Mr. Hoshibami, unhand me this instant!” Ritsu stood his ground, his voice clear as his volume raised to a shout. “You don’t know what you’re doing!”
Taiga’s gritted teeth broke into a satisfied smirk when he heard the animalistic roar from within the castle, “There it is!”
“Ren! No!” Ritsu called as the roar grew closer. “Stay back!”
Taiga’s eyes widened with a smirk when he saw the aforementioned beast appear. He whistled, “Huge bastard, aren’t you? I’d love to keep you as a trophy.”
With one grip on Ritsu’s wrist, Taiga stepped backwards, walking them towards the outside, holding his rifle by the trigger one-handed, trying to get a good shot without damaging the head for his so-called trophy. Ritsu pulled back abruptly, causing Taiga’s grip to break, and Ritsu stepped in front of the beast, blocking Taiga’s good shot.
“I won’t let you commit a crime, Mr. Hoshibami!”
“You dumbass, get out of the way.” Taiga snarled.
“Is this about my guardian? Did he promise you something?” Ritsu questioned. “We can negotiate.”
Taiga lifted his rifle in both hands, aiming it at Ritsu with a growl, “Move, or I’ll shoot.”
As if finally finding his resolve, Ren roared, leaping over Ritsu to tackle Taiga into the ground. The momentum sent them forward into the ornate entrance. The magical door that opened so freely sent both Taiga and Ren onto the castle steps as the shimmer of magic surrounded Ren’s body.
Ritsu was running after the tumbling pair, catching the shimmering magic curtain to pull back to Ren as a human. Struck still for a moment, Ritsu ran up to the former beast.
“Ren, you broke the curse!”
“But how?” Ren asked.
“It’s as I surmised. The castle wasn’t your prison. It was your sanctuary all along. You had to break away from your comfort to lift the curse,” Ritsu explained.
Taiga clicked his tongue as he stood, picking up his rifle where it had been launched in their scuffle. He started back towards town.
“Wait, Mr. Hoshibami, I thought you were after Ren!” Ritsu demanded.
“I was after a beast, and there’s no beast anymore.” Taiga scoffed, strolling in the direction of town. “You better come too, dumbass. Lulu wants you to come back.”
“One moment,” Ritsu answered, before turning back to Ren with a bright smile, grasping both of Ren’s now human hands in his own. “Come with us… You can live in society again.”
Ren looked back to the castle, its exterior mossy and overgrown, the stone worn and crumbling. When he peered inside the open door, the interior now matched the exterior, worn and tattered as if it had been abandoned for decades, all traces of the magic gone. His prison - what had been his home - was gone now that the curse was broken. Even if he had wanted to be human again, leaving his safe haven was nerve-wracking.
“There’s nothing left for me here anymore,” Ren murmured, standing up with Ritsu’s help.
Ritsu released one of his hands to pull him forward, leading the way.
“You know…” Taiga turned back with a knowing smirk, “The dumbass here was only half-right.”
“I’m not a dumbass!” Ritsu retorted, “And what do you mean? The curse was broken once Ren exited the castle! So I was right!”
“Eh… don’t you think he would have tried exiting once the curse was cast? That wasn’t the only condition needing to be met.” Taiga scoffed. “The other condition was love.”
Ren’s and Ritsu’s cheeks grew red as they looked at each other, teal eyes meeting turquoise before they looked away in unison.
“Gyahaha!” Taiga cackled as he strolled back towards town, “You two may haven’t admitted it to each other, but the curse tells all!”
—
Once the three of them returned to town, Taiga did as asked and waltzed into Romeo’s home with a smirk and a bounce in his step, “Lulu, I brought not only the blockhead, but the beast back.”
“Hah?! I don’t see a beast!” Romeo’s lip curled in a snarl.
Ritsu was the one to step forward and recount his experiences with the beast and explained about the curse and how it was broken. Now that their beast was no longer a beast and simply a human, Ritsu brought Ren back to live with them.
“What about everything in the castle?” Romeo asked.
Ren looked away, “With the curse broken, it’s all gone, ruined.”
Romeo visibly looked distraught, “But… I’m sure there was so much of value in the castle...”
Ritsu sighed, “Even if you removed it from the castle, it would likely reduce to the same state as the castle is now.”
“Lulu, I did what you asked,” Taiga purred, his impatience reaching a peak, “Now, where’s my reward?”
“I asked you to bring me back Ritsu and the beast, and you only brought back Ritsu,” Romeo scoffed, arms crossed. “Not good enough.”
“But Ren was the beast. That should count,” Ritsu reasoned. “So Mr. Hoshibami met the aforementioned conditions.”
“Whose side are you even on, you brat?” Romeo barked.
“I’m on the side of the truth, of course.” Ritsu beamed. “So I’m going to go show Ren around town, so you can keep your half of the deal.”
Ritsu entwined his hands with Ren’s and pulled him out of the house, “It’s not much, but here’s the town I live in. Until the time is right to make my ambitions come true…I’d like you to stay with me.”
Ritsu’s gaze met Ren’s, clear and determined.
“....how could I deny the person who freed me from my curse? You were the only one who saw beyond my horrible exterior.” Ren paused, “What happened to that book you were carrying?”
“Oh, I seem to have left it in the castle. I guess I’ll need to get an updated version once I move to the capital. I hope you’ll come with me when it’s time.”
Ren found himself touching his cheeks, still not used to the smooth skin and lack of fur. He found himself smiling, even if he was doing so unconsciously, “...I’d like that.”