They called us stoics, we couldn't have gotten a bigger complement. Of course they didn't mean it as such. They said the word with as much distaste as they could, spitting it out. But what did they know about us? They judge before the get to know us. Nii-san is my counterpart, and I'll never leave him, they don't understand, they think it wrong but 'they' don't matter. Nii-san is the only one who truly knows me. 'Mother' and 'Father' try but they are too perfect.
They adopted us knowing we were damaged goods but they took us in anyway. Honestly I am not sure if Nii-san fully understands me either, but at least he has some idea what it is like. He is similar. Nii-san has had it difficult, like I had before we got adopted.
He had it rough before I was there to comfort him, before I was there to protect him. He was bullied because of his blood, because his mother abandoned him, because his father only drank. Before I was there to hold him back he got into a lot fights.
When he was fighting six bullies on the streets he pushed one of them from him, just beside the road …
The others screamed at him, called him murderer but my brother is innocent. That guy shouldn't have been such a coward, if had he been in a fair fight with Nii-san he had been safe and unconscious long before that truck lost control. He has never seen his biological father since that night. He should be alive somewhere ...
My story isn't anywhere nearly as dramatic.
My dad was never there, the woman who was technically my mother was always bringing some guy home. There were always empty bottles lying around. One night a guy who came with my mom talked to me. They never talked to me, mom told me I shouldn't be noticed so I always hid. But this man was different he talked to me, comforted me when girls pulled my hair and other kids called me names I didn't understand. This guy always smelled salty but he taught me a few trick to use when I felt threatened. But eventually this guy was replaced. When I asked I was told his ship had set off and he wouldn't return. The next guy also paid attention to me, he petted my hair often, but he didn't seem as nice as the sailor. The guys which came along after him also took notice of me. They would pet me and say things I didn't understand. My 'mother' told me to be cute, do as those guys said and never protest. She also started to give me cute clothes, before I wore the cheapest convenience store clothes she could find but now she would take me shopping and on days she'd bring guys over she told me to dress cutely. Not only my mother's attitude changed, the boys from higher classes would ask me if I was like my mother. They'd ask if they could come home with me. I always refused, knowing 'mother' would not want another guy in the house beside the one she brought.
Then, on the day I turned ten years old 'mother' brought yet another guy, as the new ritual seemed to be the guy went to me, asked me how old I was. I answered proudly and like the boys in my school he got that strange look in his eyes and he asked if I was like my mother. I looked over his shoulder and saw my 'mother' indicate I should say yes. I did.
I didn't sleep well that night. I was used to noise, but this time it seemed different, the noise stopped unusually quick. The guy came into my room, smiling a dirty smile. Never before had a guy come into my room, but this guy did and he grabbed me. He told me to do my 'thing' whatever he meant with that. I looked at him, not understanding what he meant, not understanding why his pants hung loose around his waist.
I cried for my 'mother' but he told me she wouldn't wake up until morning and I didn't question it. Instead I fled to the kitchen, recalling the few things the salt guy had taught me. I heard the current guy swear and curse me as he followed. He backed me into a corner and grabbed my hair, pulling it hard. I cried but he didn't let go. I panicked. I slashed out, heard his cry, and saw him fall down, blood slowly staining his jeans.
I ran, I ran and never looked back.
I lived on the streets for a while, I saw the bad side of mankind, and learned to be fast and witty to survive.
One day a female cop asked me where I lived and I told her, nowhere. She asked if I had parents, but I had learned not to mention my 'mother'.
The cop took me with her to some big building, that's where I first met Nii-san. There were a lot of children in that building, they asked me questions, but I didn't know how to respond, so I kept silent. When the other kids grew tired of asking questions they started to taunt me, hoping to get a reaction. At first I reacted indeed but I soon noticed that when I did they grew more curious or something and started push me around when I wouldn't comment. That's how I learned not to show anything on my face. I stopped talking to people, except Nii-san.
I called him Cain-san then, he hid and didn't want to be bothered. When I concluded for myself that I didn't want to either, I just went to hide with him whenever I could. We didn't talk, we just sat or read together.
The adults who looked over us, children, warned me when they noticed I was near Cain often. They said he was dangerous, that I should leave him alone. They said he was violent but I never saw him like that.
As winter came it grew cold. Cain had a blanket at his hiding place which he wrapped around him as he got cold. One day when he noticed me shivering, he held the blanket open for me and looked me in the eye. I saw nothing of violence or danger in his eyes, just a kindred soul.
At the end of the winter I caught a bad cold and couldn't climb to our hiding place. Other kids had somehow heard that I had been found on the streets and they crowded my bed. They had found out that I didn't know my parents', my family name. The other kids all knew where they came from and, though there were all in that house for more or less the same reason, they knew who they were.
My head hurt from my cold and the noise, and the crowd became too much for me.
I started sobbing. I knew I was done for as the first tear slid down my cheek. But instead of an increase in hurtful words it became quiet. I heard a soft growl and I was left alone immediately. Nii-san had come to my rescue. He softly pushed my hair back from my face, and stroked my head. He sat with me the next day, and every day that I was sick he'd sit with me. He'd sometimes pad my head, and unlike when those men my mom brought home patted me, his pat calmed me. I told him my story the first day that I could climb to our hideout again.
He didn't judge me, he didn't judge my mother, but I never heard so much foreign curses from his lips as when I told him about why I ran away. After that we were inseparable, he'd sit beside me when we ate and he glared at any male near me. Somewhere in those early spring days I decided that he is my brother, my important man and I would never leave or betray him.
When summer came so did the 'parents', men and women would visit and talk to us, and eventually adopt one of us. We couldn't hide from them, since they always ate with us. One day a woman sat beside me at lunch, she was beautiful and seemed rich. Nii-san glared at her as per usual and I ignored her as much as I could. I had no need for another so called mother. But our coldness towards her seemed to interest her, unlike others who came before her. I felt her watch us all day. I felt her gaze on us as sat beside Nii-san, reading a book. I felt her gaze on us, as one of the adults in charge of us walked up to her, undoubtedly to warn her about Nii-san's anger and excessive violence. I expected her to turn away from us as she heard what they accused Nii-san of, every other human had.
Nii-san had told me his story, his fights but also the accusations and distrust. His father blamed him for everything that went wrong. I had cried about the unfairness of it all. Nii-san blamed himself for the accident while they cowardly had attacked him. He was disgusted with himself as they went to get 'revenge' on him. He left all ten of them bleeding and unconscious. Everyone blamed and scorned him, while Nii-san had done nothing wrong.
The next day I was called to talk with the head. In the office I saw a man together with the woman from yesterday, and I knew I was there because they wanted to adopt me. They wanted to take me away from Nii-san! I began to cry, the woman immediately rushed to me, of course. But I flinched away from her, I didn't want her to comfort me, I wanted Nii-san. Of course they asked me why I cried, if I was hurt, they ensured me nobody was going to hurt me, but I only cried. The head finally summoned Nii-san, not knowing what else to do. As he came in I saw his scowl. I realized he assumed he had been called to get scolded, but his dark look didn't scare me. I ran towards him and clung to him. He immediately wrapped his strong arms around me, shielding me from the rest of the room while he glared around to see who hurt me. I vaguely heard the head tell Nii-san to take me and wait outside the office, but I didn't care, I was with Nii-san.
I don't know what the head told Mother and Father but I know they intended to adopt only one girl, me. After my display they changed their minds apparently because they also adopted Nii-san.
They always cared for us. Father taught Cain how to be a gentleman, he taught him to take care of me. Mom told me mostly how to take care of myself, she taught me about make-up, but also some other things. Father doted on me and Nii-san followed his example. I respect my Father and Mother but Nii-san still was my number one. Father and Mother never tried to change that, and I love them for it.
As we grew older Nii-san used his strength to become a stunt-man and actor, I studied to help him in everything. Well, that's how we ended up here in Japan, and once again people blame Nii-san while he isn't in the wrong.
AN: No, I haven't forgotten the playlist, but as you may have noticed I was in a pretty dark mood. Besides that I haven't had much time to find a song, my study is keeping me crazy busy.
Anyway, this is how I'd imagine the background of the Heel-siblings, I think they needed to have seen and experienced a lot to become like they are. I feel like they highly depend on each other but are also insecure and need each other around to know they are still loved and accepted.
A big thank you to my beta KetriaTM.