Chapter Text
Keigo had thought often about what it would be like to be naked around someone for the first time. Still being a virgin at the ripe age of eighteen would do that to a guy. He hadn’t imagined it would be in a room of fifteen other boys though.
Hadn’t considered men would be involved at all.
Well, maybe that last bit wasn’t strictly true. Just something he told himself over and over again as he jacked off and his eyes drifted to the flex of male muscles in whatever porn he was watching, instead of focusing on the feminine curves of the actor’s partner.
But alas, here he was. Naked for the first time in front of another person, hands cupped over his junk, standing in the middle of a dark basement full of rowdy, jeering upperclassmen. It was distinctly less sexy than what he had imagined.
It occurred to him, when all this had started, that maybe he had lived quite a sheltered life up until this point. Perhaps if Enji had been more forthcoming about what the initiation process would be like, he would have been more prepared.
Getting into Yuuei University was the easy bit. Keigo’s exceptional school record, personal recommendations and winning smile had seen to that. But the Lambda Tau fraternity had always been the end goal. The only time Keigo ever saw his mentor, Enji Todoroki, show any emotion besides vague irritation was when he spoke of his time with them.
Enji spoke of Lambda Tau with a proudly puffed chest, telling Keigo of the brotherly bonds he had formed, and how it had been an integral part of what made him a man. So, when Keigo had started applying to colleges and heard his classmates talk about initiations into various fraternities and sororities, he had dismissed them easily. Enji was a sensible man, anyone or anything he deigned to associate with probably didn’t lower themselves to such things as what his classmates were sniggering about.
All that to say, when initiation began Keigo hadn’t really understood what he was getting himself in for.
But he was nothing if not adaptable.
The past six days had been a rigorous series of trials, affectionately known as Hell Week by the fraternity. A way to weed out the weak, thin the herd of eager pledges until only a handful of them remained. Those that stuck it out ‘til the end would become members of the elite brotherhood.
That first night, when the Pledge Master, Hikaru, had announced their first trial as the ‘Baptism of Beer’ Keigo had still been in a state of relative naivety. Had even grinned at the boys shaking on either side of him, thinking they were hamming it up for the performance of it all. The boys of the fraternity had then proceeded to essentially waterboard the lot of them with stale, weeks-old beer, and Keigo had finally begun to question what he had gotten himself in for.
But he had bucked up fast, taken it on the chin and moved on. If this was what it took, Keigo could do it. He had taken on every trial since with aplomb, thrown himself head first into each task, ensuring his hard work and unwillingness to be broken was noticed by the members of Lambda Tau.
Keigo would be the first pledge to join this year, he would accept nothing less.
✶
The night of Keigo’s reluctant nudity begins with Keigo reclining in bed, feigning nonchalance as his dorm door crashes open, various members of Lambda Tau storming in.
“Gentlemen,” He greets, with a tip of an imaginary cap.
Hikaru smirks back at him, “Last night, Keigo. Make us proud.” They drag Keigo from his bed, shove a paper bag over his head and bind his wrists tightly behind his back. Subtly, Keigo tests the give of the restraints and finds he would easily be able to free himself, should he choose. He doesn’t doubt it’ll freak the other pledges out though.
They push and prod him out of the dorms until the cool night air bites at his bare arms and from the vaguely panicked mumbling coming from behind him, he assumes the other pledges are not far behind. Keigo is led roughly into the back of some vehicle, the engine rumbling to life and they set off, destination unknown.
There are five pledges left, including Keigo, and only three spots available in Lambda Tau. Whatever tonight’s trial is, it is designed to crack the last of them. Keigo smiles grimly into the darkness, they won’t break him so easily.
Still bound, and with the bag obscuring his vision, Keigo is pulled from the van and instantly met with a barrage of noise. Bass music thumping so loud that Keigo feels it like a heartbeat through his entire body, the music overlaid with what he assumes are other college students, laughing and chattering around him in every direction. He cocks his head in an attempt to get his barings but before he can really try, one of the members of Lambda Tau grips onto his arm and leads him up some steps and closer to the noise.
The air becomes close and thick, the way only a heaving crowd of bodies can make it, and Keigo begins to feel stifled with his head still encased in the paper bag.
“Make way, make way! Our little pledge-lings are coming through!” Hikaru’s voice is somehow loud enough to be heard over the raucous party.
Bodies brush against Keigo despite Hikaru’s request, the feeling of strangers touching him without him being able to see who they were makes his skin crawl but he makes sure to keep his head held high as he is led further into the house and then down a flight of stairs. The sounds of the party dampen with the thud of a door closing behind them.
“Now then,” Hikaru says, “We’ve brought you all here for the final trial. Tonight, three of you will become esteemed members of the Lambda Tau brotherhood.” Keigo can hear him pacing before them.
“And what better way to end Hell Week, than with a trip to the fiery depths themselves.”
Keigo allows himself an eyeroll, if only because they can’t see his face.
“What the fuck,” Someone whispers roughly from beside him, Keigo doesn’t bother with a reply, refocusing on Hikaru’s movements.
“I wonder which of you will be worthy,” Hikaru trails off and the bag is finally ripped from Keigo’s head. He blinks into the room, squinting slightly to regain focus and sucking in a breath of clean air.
Keigo’s eyebrows inch up his forehead as he takes in his surroundings, candles are perched on every surface, wax dripping steadily down to pool at their bases. Hikaru’s leering face cast in flickering relief as he stares the pledges down.
If Keigo has to guess, he would say they are in the Lambda Tau basement. The dark room they’re in is cramped, the ceiling low and practically vibrating with the party carrying on overhead.
On the ground before him is a large, crudely painted pentacle. The red paint still wet in places, making it look uncannily like blood. Keigo isn’t a religious man, but there is something about that sight that makes even the hairs on his arm raise.
Keigo flicks his gaze to Hikaru’s. “All this for little old me?” He asks with a grin.
One of the brothers, Ren, shoves forcefully at Keigo’s head from behind before leaning in to hiss, “Shut the fuck up, pledge.”
Ren doesn’t like him very much, but it’s worth it to see the amusement in Hikaru’s eyes as he regards Keigo. Hikaru isn’t Keigo’s favourite person, far from it in fact. But he is Pledge Master, and so he holds Keigo’s future firmly in his hands. If Keigo can garner his favour, all the better.
Hikaru moves on, continuing his leisurely stroll before them, “By the end of tonight, three of you will become members. Let’s see which of you is brave enough to make the cut.” With that, Hikaru reaches behind himself and pulls a wicked looking knife from the waistband of his jeans and flourishes it at them.
The pledge next to him is already shaking, but with the appearance of the blade, he begins a low, continuous moan of oh my god oh my god that Keigo tries to drown out. Keigo’s cocky smile is still in place, though it feels a bit more fixed than it did a moment ago.
Hikaru hands the blade off to Ren and Keigo feels him slice through his bindings with ease before moving down the line of pledges.
When he’s done, he hands the knife back to Hikaru who gestures it at them and says, in a commanding voice, “Strip.”
It’s not the first time this has been asked of them; all of the trials have been completed in various states of undress.
“All of it this time.” That’s new. All around Keigo, the brothers erupt into jeers and catcalls.
“Oh, Hikaru. You don’t need to threaten me with a blade to get me naked, you could’ve just asked nicely.” Keigo grins wolfishly at the Pledge Master and gets another laugh for his troubles.
“You’re funny, Takami.” He gets in Keigo’s face and his laugh vanishes, the blade resting gently against Keigo’s throat. “Now do as I fucking say.”
Keigo regards him a moment, no fucking around tonight then. “Yes, sir.” He pulls his tee over his head, then starts to make work on his trainers.
“Uhhhh…” The pledge to the right of Keigo speaks up, voice tremulous. “What the fuck is going on? You’re not going to actually use that on us, right?”
“You want out, little boy?” Hikaru sneers, leaning into the pledges face, pressing the knife against him the same as he had with Keigo. The pledge squeaks, and Keigo spares him a glance as he undoes the tie on his sweatpants. The pledge is white in the face, his eyes screwed shut and his whole body trembling. Keigo starts a mental countdown. 3… 2…
“Nah, fuck this!” The pledge jerks back from Hikaru, landing himself firmly into the throng of fraternity brothers at his back. He scrambles against them for a moment before bolting for the stairs and out of the door.
Hikaru throws his head back and cackles loudly, “Another one bites the dust, boys!”
One less person in the way of Keigo’s goal. He drops his pants and boxers in one go, shaking them off his feet until his clothes sit in a pile before him. Ren scoops them up and takes them away.
“My, aren’t you all so obedient.” Hikaru says, surveying them as he taps the knife against his chin. “So pretty too. I wonder…” He trails off with a nasty grin and for the first time that night, Keigo’s stomach turns uncomfortably.
“Are any of you little boys still virgins?” Keigo has enough control over himself to refrain a flinch, but it’s a near thing.
“You see,” Hikaru continues, “We’re going to do some real rituals tonight. For each one of you who successfully completes a ritual, you get an invitation to Lambda Tau. Doesn’t that sound simple?”
The pledges, including Keigo, remain silent in the face of that proclamation.
“I said, doesn’t that sound simple, pledge-lings?” Hikaru raises his voice.
“Yes, sir.” They all chorus back, the indulgent smile Hikaru gives them makes Keigo feel a bit ill.
“For our first ritual, we need a virgin sacrifice.”
Keigo closes his eyes briefly. Fuck.
“My money was on that kid who bolted. Shame.” Though he didn’t sound as though it was a shame at all.
The way Hikaru looks over the remaining pledges eagerly, his gaze not lingering on Keigo means that the Pledge Master probably doesn’t think Keigo is a likely candidate.
For fucks sake. Keigo really wasn’t keen on the idea of giving this part of himself up.
One of the pledges at the other end of the room scoffs, “You really think any of us are still virgins?”
“I sure fucking hope so, otherwise this evening will be off to a very bad start.”
Keigo doesn’t know what kind of ridicule this might open him up to, but if what Hikaru said was right, it would be exactly the ticket he needed.
“How about you?” Hikaru jabs his knife in the direction of the pledge on Keigo’s left, “I doubt you’ve found a girl willing to fuck you.”
The pledge shakes his head weakly, his chin tucked deeply into his chest, “No, I—I slept with a girl over Spring Break.”
“Tch,” Hikaru resumes his pacing.
Steeling himself, Keigo steps forward, putting himself just in front of the rest of the pledges. “Difficult as this may be to believe, I am.” He affects an indifferent tone, trying desperately not to show what this costs him.
Hikaru strolls leisurely toward him, “Now that is a surprise, Takami. I would’ve thought the ladies would be climbing over themselves to get a piece of you.”
It wasn’t untrue. Keigo could have had any girl he wanted in high school, but he wasn’t about to tell a room full of upperclassmen that none of them had ever made him feel so much as a tingle between his legs.
“Just have high standards, I suppose.” Keigo replies, smirking.
Hikaru narrows his eyes at him, and Keigo forcibly stops himself from swallowing under the scrutiny.
The moment drags on too long, and Keigo begins to think Hikaru can see every hidden thought behind Keigo’s eyes. He keeps his expression placid as he awaits Hikaru’s verdict.
“Well, my little pledge-ling, tonight’s your lucky night!” Hikaru calls, finally breaking his stare. Keigo releases a small, controlled sigh.
“We’re going to rectify this sorry state of affairs for you.” The brotherhood erupts into a cacophony of hoots and wolf whistles, and Keigo’s relief is instantly squashed.
What the fuck does that mean?
He desperately hopes Hikaru isn’t implying he get fucked in this room, he’s willing to go to lengths for this fraternity, but a man has to have some limits.
Something must show on his face this time, despite his best efforts, because Hikaru laughs, slapping a sweaty hand onto Keigo’s bare shoulder, “Oh, stop with that. None of us are going to take your precious flower.” Keigo relaxes minutely.
“You’re going to summon yourself a sex demon.”
What?
One of the pledges behind him coughs out a laugh and Hikaru turns on him, “Don’t believe me?”
“No.” The pledge answers shortly.
“Well, just you wait and see, then. Pledge Takami! Take your place.” Hikaru gestures grandly to the pentacle on the floor.
That earlier hesitation returns as Keigo looks down at the symbol. It’s not real, he tells himself, forcing himself to take the steps forward until he stands at the centre of the thing, his feet sticking slightly to the paint.
The brotherhood crowd around him, the other pledges forced closer until all Keigo can see is the crowd of bodies, the gleaming paint at his feet, and the flickering candlelight against the ceiling.
“Quiet down everyone. It’s Takami’s time to shine.” Hikaru grins sadistically at him, then he swipes forward so quickly that Keigo doesn’t even really understand what happened until he hears one of the pledges shout from the side.
“Hey, what the fuck do you think you’re doing?” The pledge’s voice is panicked.
Keigo jerks in surprise at the shout, the movement causing a slight sting at his chest and he looks down to see that Hikaru has cut him, a long, thin line of red blossoming across his pectoral. Shock ripples through him at the sight.
“This wouldn’t work without virgin blood, you understand.” Hikaru says, and Keigo can hear that awful smile still on his face as he waits for Keigo’s reaction.
Keigo had been so sure the knife was for show, just something that Hikaru was using to show the control and power he has over them. Apparently he was wrong. It is sharp enough to cut through Keigo’s skin like butter, sharp enough to make blood well and steadily drip down Keigo’s chest.
He wonders idly if it will scar, and he’ll forever have a reminder of what it feels like to stand in this room, surrounded by pathetic excuses for men.
Every trial thus far has been a test of what the pledges are willing to do to become part of Lambda Tau, and Keigo knows this is no different. He is expected to stand here and take it, and what else can he do?
He can’t imagine these boys will help him to become a man, not in the same way that Enji had described his own glory days, but he wants it anyway. If not to have his own brotherhood, then to be able to finally see pride on Enji’s face when he tells him he’s made it.
He also doesn’t want to give them the satisfaction of thinking they have broken him.
Keigo is vaguely aware of Ren holding one of the pledges still, the one who had shouted in protest, but he keeps his face calm and indifferent as he raises his gaze back to Hikaru’s.
“Is that it?”
Hikaru looks back at him, approval clear in his gaze. “Not quite. Mark the centre,” He says, gesturing at the ground, “and bind the devil to you in blood.”
Keigo’s earlier internal chant of it’s not real makes a reappearance as he runs his thumb along the cut, coating the pad of it in his blood and crouches down to smear it into the centre of the pentacle. The action causes a ripple of goosebumps up his arm that he hopes isn’t visible in the low light.
“Fucking let me go!” The struggling pledge has apparently reached his limit, thrashing against Ren’s hold, “I’m not sticking around for any satanic shit, this is messed up. Where the fuck are my clothes?”
Ren sneers at him, “No clothes for you, you little wimp. You can get back to your dorms naked if you want to leave, and don’t think you’ll ever step foot in this house again.”
The pledge stares back at him in apparent disbelief, “I don’t want to fucking come back, you’re all— you’re all fucking psychos!” He breaks free of Ren’s hold, stumbling toward the stairs, his hands desperately trying to cover the last dregs of his modesty.
“Well, well.” Hikaru grins, “There’s only three of you left. But we’re not going to let you off easy. Sora, bring me the tome!”
From a shadowy corner of the basement, Sora brings forward an overly large, leatherbound book. Keigo squints at it, taking in the worn cover and overly large satanic cross etched onto the front.
It looks straight from the set of a bad horror movie, Keigo finds himself thoroughly unimpressed. If his earlier affirmations that this whole thing was a sham hadn’t helped, this ridiculous addition was all the confirmation he needed.
Hikaru opens it with a flourish and Keigo barely refrains from rolling his eyes.
“Now, Pledge Takami. Tell me, are you willing to do this?” Keigo stares back at him, the weight of the question more than just reading words from a page. Hikaru looks back, that eager, cruel smile still in place.
“I am.” Keigo says, and the look in Hikaru’s eyes tell Keigo he’s done it. Knows that once this is over, he will be accepted into Lambda Tau.
“Then speak these words, and summon the demon to you.”
Keigo clears his throat, examining the page in front of him. In large ornate letters, the page is titled Hyacintho Ignis Succubus, a detailed drawing depicting a curvaceous body encapsulated in flames takes up half the page, a Latin inscription the other.
Jesus, it’s so tacky Keigo can practically visualise the google page they pulled it from.
What a truly ridiculous show they had put together, all for Keigo to prove to them that they have his full trust and cooperation.
Which they don’t, and will probably never have, but Keigo isn’t going to let them see that.
“Te invoco a profundus inferni,” Keigo begins, grimacing at his rusty Latin.
He roughly clears his throat again, in an attempt to get the words out more smoothly. “Daemon Hyacintho Ignis mihi adstringo.”
The air in the basement seems to heat by several degrees. Keigo powers on, just a few more words to go. “Donec contractus ille impleatur.”
At once, the candles snuff out, plummeting the basement into pitch darkness. There’s a split second of complete silence, save for the continued sounds of the party upstairs, then a garbled scream comes from behind Keigo. One of the other pledges, he thinks.
“What the fuck?” Ren calls out, “Hikaru?”
Something hot wraps around Keigo’s leg and he jerks away from it, stumbling into another body. He doesn’t know who, but they let out a grunt at the impact and shove him away. The movement causes a domino effect, until Keigo is being knocked blindly into person after person, that hot something still wrapped around him.
“Calm down, you fuckers!” Hikaru shouts over them.
They wait in relative silence, only the sounds of their laboured breathing made between them and gradually, one by one, the candles reignite.
Keigo takes stock of the situation. The heat around his leg vanishing with the return of the light, but he looks down all the same, finding nothing there.
The tome is on the floor, the pages splayed out and crumpled where it landed. Most of the brotherhood look bewildered but it’s Hikaru’s expression that really catches Keigo’s attention. His face is a shade too white as he glances around at them, his smile a little too forced.
Somehow, Keigo gets the feeling that wasn’t planned.
One of the pledges has fainted, presumably after his fit of screaming. He lies in a naked, pale heap on the ground. Keigo forces his gaze away.
“I did it, right?” He asks, keeping his voice neutral as he focuses back on the task at hand.
Hikaru regards him, that unnatural smile still twisting his face. “Hah, yeah dude! We were just fucking with you, y’know. Testing your loyalty to the cause.” Hikaru glances quickly toward the tome on the ground, then away just as fast. “There’s only two of you left standing now anyway.”
He casts a disdainful look at the passed out pledge then raises his voice, “Give a big congratulations to our two new brothers!”
The rest of the brotherhood recover quickly, exploding into cheers and stamping their feet. The moment of weirdness passes, but Keigo can’t seem to shake that phantom feeling of warmth wrapping around his leg.
Keigo’s clothes are passed back to him, and Hikaru comes over, ruffling his hair a bit too hard. “You’ll fit right in, Takami.” Then he’s off, grabbing the face of the other new initiate and shaking him vigorously in congratulations.
“Hey, weren’t we gonna do a ritual each?” Ren asks.
“Nah,” Hikaru says, and Keigo thinks he sees a flash of real fear in his face for a second, “We scared them enough, don’t you think? Let’s go join the party!”
They leave the basement, the passed out pledge slowly getting up from the floor and looking around in confusion. Keigo spares him a final glance before going upstairs, and just for a moment his gaze catches on that dark corner where the crumpled tome still lies.
From the shadows, Keigo swears he sees fiery blue eyes gazing steadily back at him.