Disclaimer: Before anything else, I do not own Ao No Exorcist. If I did, I would have kept Rin all to myself~ :3

Thunderstorm

An Ao No Exorcist Fanfic

Written by NewMusic098

.~ … ~.

Everything was dark. It was unimaginably dark. It's as if no one was inside. The old dormitory that the Okumura brothers were living in seemed empty and desolate as if it was abandoned once more. Outside, the clouds, grey as the shade of night, filled the skies, obscuring the view and blocking the rays of the sun. Despite the fact that it was almost the afternoon, it was hard to see as the rain was pouring hard. Not a single person could be found walking the streets of True Cross town, and the fog developing added a more mysterious feel to it. Demons or no, it was already quite a scare for any normal person. The only sounds that could be heard was the loud pitter-patter of the water as it hits windows and gutters, splashing on the ground and making puddles, rippling as more raindrops poured on.

Suddenly, a flash of light broke through the evening-looking sky. A loud crash followed soon enough, roaring through the silence of the town. The people of True Cross had received news of a thunderstorm coming their way a day before, so they had been well-prepared for it and taken necessary precautions. Mephisto Pheles, the principal of True Cross Academy, cancelled classes accordingly, prioritizing the safety of the students and fellow faculty members. Earlier, the lightning had crashed down on one of the electrical posts, causing a massive blackout except for the school and hospital. Knowing full well that there was a chance that the event would occur, the buildings had prepared their generators so they wouldn't have to suffer throughout the blackout as the electrical company tries to fix the damaged post. No one has yet received any news of said company getting to work, so for now, they had to weather both the storm and the blackout.

Another clash of lightning took place, followed by the same roaring sound of thunder. The bolt of lightning illuminated the dark corners of the dorm room the Okumura brothers were staying at. And just for a split second, if anyone were to look inside, they would see a figure in the bed, sitting with his knees tucked to his chest and covered in the pink blankets of the bed.

CRASH!

The figure seemed to have jumped at the slightest sound of thunder. The pale blue light shadowed his dark blue hair, blue eyes in a melancholic trance and a frown planted on his face. Rin folded the blankets closer to him as light flashed in his eyes once again.

"Damn it," he cursed. "what the hell am I doing?" He steered his head a little ways to where the window was. The glass was blurred because of all the water, and he could hear the sounds of the rain tapping against it. That was normal, the rain was always like that, and it calmed him down at times. But why was it that this time it was different? He somehow felt afraid, and that hardly ever happens! He saw a flash of light from the distance, and he cringed at the thought that the sound could reach all the way from there. Luckily, he only heard a soft rumble, meaning that it was really far away. He sighed, exhaling heavily as if to relieve the trembling his body seemed to accommodate. He was never afraid of thunder before, so why he was so terrified of it now was just a mystery.

He took deep, silent breaths through his nostrils in an attempt to calm himself down. It was just a blackout, it was just thunder. There was no need to be afraid, he thought. All that mattered is that he's still safe inside his room.

CRASH!

Just as he was calm enough, lightning crashed near the window and hit the ground beside their dorms, making him jump again as the roar of thunder was even louder than before. The trembling in his body had returned, and he began to shake his fists, fisting the blankets powerfully just to calm down. The rain had gotten stronger and thunder became frequent. Despite the low temperatures, his body began to sweat, his eyes wide as he covered his ears in desperation, trying to block out the sounds that just wouldn't stop. He closed his eyes and started to think nice thoughts just to keep himself from wailing like a stupid child. He wasn't going to be beaten by thunder of all things. But really, he just hoped the rain would stop before anything else happened.

.~ … ~.

"The rain has gotten harder all of a sudden..." Yukio whispered as he walked along the foggy streets of True Cross. He was out buying groceries, mostly snacks, for him and his brother so they wouldn't have to sit through this storm doing nothing. Knowing his brother, he was thinking that he was bored out of his mind, and that he would be complaining about the power outage and the lack of entertainment despite having no classes. His black coat kept him from getting wet, as well as the umbrella he held on his right hand, splayed out to block the raindrops. The plastic bags he was carrying were already slightly wet, but he was glad that the insides remained dry. His boots splashed on the puddles of water forming from the heavy rain, and it would seem that if the rain didn't stop, a flood would become a possibility. Thinking this, he hurried his steps towards their dorm, finally reaching their front door and opening it with the key he had hanging from his pocket.

He stepped out of his boots and slipped on some slippers as he put the umbrella on the rack near the door to dry. As expected, the place was really dark. He couldn't see a thing even with his glasses on. Yukio placed the plastic bags on the wooden floor and proceeded to remove his jacket, revealing the white polo he had tucked neatly under his black pants. Even though class was suspended, he was still responsible for handing in the reports and record files to the faculty board. He also had to check on some files he had failed to finish yesterday and hand them over to Mephisto. He was gone for a pretty long time in the early morning, so he hoped that Rin wasn't looking for him outside.

Getting the bags of goods, he proceeded to walk and climb the stairs to the floor leading to their room. He had a flashlight with him so he wouldn't go bumping into things and losing, or worse, breaking, his glasses. The halls were a lot creepier looking than it was without the lights, so he had to be extra careful. Upon reaching their room, he opened the door to find it dark, unsurprisingly.

"Nii-san, I'm home." He called out to his brother. Yukio waited for a few seconds, and he saw some movement from the bed. Sighing, he thought that his brother must have stayed in bed the whole morning. He walked forward, bags in hand and the flashlight on the other.

"Nii-san," he called out once more. "how long are you going to stay in bed? It's already past afternoon. Don't tell me you're gonna sleep through the whole storm? I even bought us snacks so we can enjoy this little time together." He had a little playful tone to his voice, trying to incite his brother for a response. Lightning flashed again, and this time he saw his brother flinching at the sound following the light. He saw him wrapped up in the blanket and shivering a little, not looking at him or anywhere else. Just staring blankly at his feet and mumbling incoherent words.

He began to feel concerned for his brother, but remained calm still. He walked closer and knelt beside the bed, trying to get a good look at his brother. It wasn't like him to act like this, so maybe there was something wrong with him.

"Hey, Nii-san..." Yukio whispered, looking at his eyes. The dark blue-haired teen was staring at his feet, and then slowly rose to look at Yukio.

He sighed, "Oh, Yukio... You're home." A light chuckle followed his soft voice. "When did you get here?"

"Just now..." Yukio answered. "What are you doing cradling yourself like that? It's like you're afraid or something..." Having heard that, Rin blinked his eyes a couple of times, looked at his younger brother in disbelief, and began to laugh out loud.

"Me? Afraid?" He asked in forced pride. "Ha! As if! What's there to be afraid of! A-a little thunder?" He heaved a sigh before adding, "There's no way I'm afraid of any-"

Just as he was boasting, half repeating it to himself, another bolt of lightning crashed near their home, sending out a loud, trembling, noise from above. Yukio quickly glanced over their window to see if it was damaged. He sighed as the crash wasn't strong enough to break anything, but it was surely strong enough that he felt the whole building shake.

"That was a pretty loud one, huh? Nii-san?" He laughed a little and looked back to Rin. He tilted his head as he saw his brother's cowering figure, holding himself even tighter. "Nii-san...?" The aforementioned teen looked up to his younger brother and stopped shivering. He then rubbed his head sheepishly, grinning and showing off his unusually large canines.

"Y-yeah... p-pretty loud one, huh?" Forcing a laugh, he scooted a little farther from his brother. Yukio's eyes narrowed for a moment, turquoise-colored eyes scrutinizing his older brother. Then, he bowed his head with a sigh.

"I see what's going on..." Yukio said. When he faced Rin again, he wore a calm and gentle smile, but Rin was still too terrified to feel the warmth from it.

"Y-you do?" Rin asked. "W-wait! There's nothing g-going on here! What are you getting at?"

Ignoring his questions, Yukio continued, "Nii-san, do you remember when we were kids?"

"Huh?"

"When there was this huge storm and we were locked up in the chapel? I was really scared back then, remember?" He got up from the floor and sat on the side of the bed. He looked at Rin again, and he was at least successful at distracting him. He had already figured out that his big brother had developed a fear of thunder. When he was young, Yukio was the one afraid. Things change, he thought, and they seemed to have switched attitudes toward thunder.

"Y-yeah," Rin answered. "what about it?"

"Well, remember when you used to make me lie on your lap and helped me to sleep during those times?" He asked, patting his lap. "I think it's about time I return the favor." Rin's eyes widened as he realized what he meant.

"W-w-what are you saying? Y-you think I'm afraid, d-don't you?!" He growled despite his already shivering body.

"That's the only explanation as to why you're acting like this." Yukio answered calmly. "Now, don't be so shy and lie on my lap. We're twins, aren't we?" Yukio smiled in an attempt to persuade his usually thick-headed brother. He looked like he was still going to resist, since showing weakness is something he doesn't really want to do, but another clash of thunder and lightning outside made him scurry over his younger brother's lap and lie on his side, facing away from him. The blanket forgotten, Rin was still wearing his pajamas, unsurprisingly enough.

"T-this is embarrassing..." Rin muttered. "You're gonna make fun of me now, aren't you?" The two remained silent for a moment. Then, Yukio chuckled lightly.

'I knew it...' Rin thought to himself. Just as he rolled his eyes, he felt Yukio's hand sweep his bangs and brush over his hair. The comforting gesture reduced Rin's fear a bit, so he sighed inwardly and let him continue.

"...I wouldn't make fun of you, Nii-san." Yukio said, gazing down at his brother. The sound of water tapping against the glass became softer as the rain started to subside outside, but the two were caught up in their own little world to notice. "So what if you're afraid of a little thunder? That doesn't bother me. And besides, all these years, I've been the weak one... I've never really shown how to be brave except now that I'm an Exorcist. The little things like these are really important to me. Because even though we're all grown up, I still feel like you need me to protect you..."

As Rin listened to his brother's voice, the roaring thunders from outside seemed to have died out, making Yukio's voice the only focus. He hadn't known what to feel at that time, but he was certainly appreciative that his little brother was honest enough to share this to him. All they had was each other, their only family. The warmth of his brother's body was radiating outwards, and it was making his body slack, feeling exhaustion despite the lack of activity earlier. After all, he was in a state of wreck and denial before his brother came in. It was amazing how the words of someone important to you can make you feel this feeling of easiness, warmth, safety and security. With that very thought, Rin gently fluttered his eyes closed, slowly falling into peaceful slumber.

.~ … ~.

The brown-haired teen held his brother comfortably, making light, soothing touches to his arm and shoulder as he rested. He was sure that no one would notice, but he could feel his heart pounding at a very alarming rate. He didn't know when it all started, but as his brother laid on his lap, almost seemingly asleep, he couldn't help but think back to the days he started to act differently towards his twins. He remembered the times when they would change clothes right in front of each other, which was normal since they were brothers and they see each other all the time. But Yukio started to feel strange sensations as they went through this daily routine. He started to notice strange things about his brother. Like how his chest and abs seem to flex every time he breathes, or how Rin's cheeks get dusted by shades of pink every time he gets praised for something he did. Not only did he notice that, he started to exhibit strange behavior as well, forcing him to kick his brother out of the room when he changes and make him come back when it was time for him to leave. Rin didn't mind the way Yukio acted, but the latter had absolutely no idea what was happening to him.

He decided to ask an expert on feelings since he was in a poor position at that, so he went to Sheimi's house one day. He told her about the problem in the form of a casual question, not revealing to the girl that he was the one trying to find out about it. The blonde immediately explained that those kinds of behavior may lead to only one thing. A thing that Yukio will probably never get used to. Sheimi describes the situation as attraction between to people, so in other words...

'I think... I think I like Nii-san...' Yukio continued the thought. He resumed staring at his brother, eyes wide and cheeks flushed. Is that really what he was feeling? Was he really attracted to his older, half-demon brother? He looked back at the window, the sun already shining through the grayness of the clouds, nearly setting and making room for the stars above The orange rays peeked through slightly as it was shaded by the violet grace of the night, the stars accompanying it's beauty shining after the hard storm. Confusion and doubt circled through his thoughts, not really sure on what to do in situations like this. Usually he would just shy away at times like this, and would avoid it generally. But they were alone now, which they rarely got to experience. Kuroh was always with Rin, and Rin was always outside, so when Yukio returns home, he would usually find the two cuddled in bed and sleeping like babies.

Rin twitched suddenly in his sleep, murmuring something out of earshot, before sighing back to calm bliss. The brunette honestly looked that his childish behavior made him look cute. It was a trait that everyone around him got to enjoy. Rin was that radiant kind of person that would befriend anyone he meets, and it was almost always true. His words were from the heart and always straight-forward, and his chivalry makes him all the more charming. He was never too bold or proud to make him lash out uncontrollably, he only did that when he was upset with a friend or trying to help them and get rejected for doing so. Too bad the girls in their school never notice that, and only come to him because he was more intellectually-gifted than his brother. Yukio almost felt sad to see his brother getting rejected one girl after another, and there he was doing all the rejecting. But he would never reject his brother, and that he was always someone he can count on.

The darkness of the room vanished as the lights suddenly flickered back on. Yukio glanced sideways to see the fan starting up again, so he can very well confirm that the electrical company finally managed to fix the broken post near the store earlier. He sighed in relief, bringing the back of his hand up his forehead to wipe some sweat that he got a little while ago. He didn't even notice that he started sweating, and his polo had gotten all sticky. It looked like Rin was really deep in sleep, so he guessed it was okay to put him in bed now. Carefully, he slipped his hands on his brother's head and neck and moved out of the way, placing him on the bed. His face made a slight twitch as he made contact with the bed, but snuggled comfortably afterwards.

He figured that it would be alright to go and change since his brother was asleep, but it was still awkward for him. He removed his socks and pants, unbuttoning his polo and putting them all in the laundry basket he'll wash later in the week. He rummaged through the cabinets and pulled out a green t-shirt and a pair of beige-colored shorts. Since his brother is still asleep, he decided to do some of the household chores he forgot to do earlier in the morning. He also decided to prepare for tomorrow's lecture and eat some of the snacks he bought. It would be a shame if it wasn't eaten. He sat down on his chair near the desk and started skimming through notes and books, writing diligently and keeping in mind to stay quiet as someone was in the room with him.

As the hours progressed, he clapped the notebook shut and sat flatly on the chair's back. He couldn't really focus much as he kept staring at Rin's sleeping figure, chest slowly rising and falling and his face towards him. His mouth was slightly apart and he was drooling slightly. The more he thought of his brother, the more he couldn't seem to control himself. It was like thinking about his brother became a source of desire for him, but he knew far too well that Rin wouldn't allow it. They were raised in a chapel, after all. Plus he has his duties as a professor, so he shouldn't be worrying about all those kinds of stuff.

But why, he asked himself, is he walking closer to the bed where the source of his fantasies lie? In almost no time at all, he found himself kneeling in front of the bed, leaning closely to Rin's face. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes half-lidde, almost hazy. He gripped the bedsheets tightly, trying to hold himself back from doing something he'll regret. There was a force inside of him that was making him do this, and no matter how hard he fought himself, he was too overwhelmed by this strange new feeling. He never felt this way about anyone before, so seeing Rin like this, so adorably lying there with his lips basically asking for it, he just couldn't resist.

'Just once...' He thought to himself. 'Just this once, and I won't ever do it again... Forgive me, Nii-san...' With that thought, he leaned in a little more, feeling the soft puffs of air that his brother breathes out, mixing in with his own as he nervously gets closer. He rose up a bit and angled himself a little, and drew nearer. The tension was almost unbearable for him, a mere centimeter apart was keeping him away from those lips, and he was literally panting from it. And finally, he pressed his lips against Rin's, feeling the roughness of his lips. He went a little bolder and stuck his tongue out, feeling those same cracks and slathering them with his saliva as he explored the cave of Rin's mouth. He was really feeling the moment, each graze along Rin's sharp fangs and every time he brushed against his brother's tongue made him feel more desire for his brother. A few moments passed, and he became satisfied, pulling back and leaving a thin line of saliva connecting them. He smiled as he knelt back down, but his eyes immediately widened at what he saw.

"Yu...kio?" Rin was flushed, panting, and staring wide-eyed at his younger brother. Yukio was just as shocked to see his brother awake, let alone experiencing what he was doing to him.

"N-Nii-san! I-I..." Yukio, flustered about finding this out, stuttered through his words, but didn't even have time to complete any of it as Rin rose up from bed, went to the cabinets and changed his shirt and put on some pants.

"I'm going out for a bit..." He said in a monotone voice. He went by the door and took his jacket, opened the door, and stepped out without another word. Yukio was just kneeling there, his mind still reeling back from the fact that his brother had found out about his secret. The information slowly processed through his brain, and he only had the volition to move when he heard the door on the roof slam loudly shut. Realization finally hit him, and reality was really cruel. He had kissed his own brother, and his brother hated it. Tears began to well up in his eyes as he removed his glasses and brought his arm to his eyes. He was sure that his brother was never going to speak with him again, and with that thought in mind, he climbed up his bed and began crying himself to sleep. It hurt the last few moments of his consciousness, and it was nothing compared to rejecting others. Being rejected yourself was a real pain, and he was the one who took the choice of doing it.

.~ … ~.

Outside, within the forest near their dorms, Rin stared blankly at the city's lights. He was glad that the electricity was back on, but he had other pressing matters at hand. He remembered waking up to the sensation that someone was invading his mouth. He woke up to find Yukio's face shoved against him, and that he was being kissed so passionately by his younger brother. He had never been so confused his whole life right until that moment. He couldn't even look at his brother in the eye without remembering what he did. The feel of those soft lips against his dry ones made him shiver with a weird feeling.

'W-well... It's not like I didn't like what he was doing, but...' Rin thought to himself. But just as that thought was in progress, he shook his head violently, growled and put a fist up in the air. He was blushing fiercly at the mere thought of liking what his brother just did. Yukio just stole his first kiss, ever! He was never going to get that back.

"Ah, damn it, Yukio!" He glowered. "You idiot! What the hell did you think you were doing to me?!" He growled some more, glaring at the infinite stars up above the night sky. Why was his heart beating so fast just thinking about his little brother, anyway? He needed to talk to Yukio right this instant. Huffing and making up his mind, the dark blue-haired teen marched back down the stairs to confront the other of what had just transpired in their bedroom. He walked down the stairs as slow as he could so he would have enough time to calm down. If he went into their room fuming at his brother right now, he might do something he'll regret. As Rin got closer to their bedroom, he heard, thanks to his enhanced demon ears, sniffling and soft gasps eminating from there. He immediately recognized him as Yukio and stopped dead on his tracks. He stopped exactly in front of the door and was about to reach the handle, but decided against it instead. He listened painfully as he heard his brother cry silently in their room. Being his brother, it hurt seeing or hearing him cry, but there was another thing he was feeling. A strange instinct that drove him to try and comfort his little brother. Yukio never cried like that, and he never, ever, did those kinds of things while he was asleep. He didn't know what to do at that point, so he just let the crying die out a few minutes later.

When he was sure that he was asleep, Rin pried the door a little and got greeted by darkness. He opened it about halfway and crept closer to Yukio. Without even going near him, he saw the tears in the brunette's closed eyes. His cheeks were soaking with the salty liquid, and his nose was shining red. His face was wrapped in pain and hurt, and here Rin was thinking Yukio was just joking around.

He had never been so wrong in his entire life.

He stood there in silent contemplation...

Will he confront him...? Or will he avoid him...?

Lose his brother...? Or lose a friend in him...?

The gentle tapping of the rain returned once again as another storm made its way in both True Cross and in their hearts...

/

And, cut scene! :D Um, so yeah. How'd you like my first Ao No Exorcist fan fic? Was it good? Or did I not capture the characters' personalities well? For those who read my FT fan fics, hey! Long time, no read! Sorry, I had to take a little break from FT since College is destroying all my ideals, but I think I can get back to it. Still, I hope you're not mad at me, a simple sorry is not gonna cut it, right? :/

Anyway, back to the story. It's a bit of a cliffhanger, isn't it? XD I wanna hear your opinions first before deciding on writing another chapter for it. And answer this question:

What do you wanna see on the next chapter? More angst (I think that's what it's called...), or a steamy rated M bed scene? :) Your pick! :3 Well, that's all from me! See you guys next chapter!

Ja Ne~