Someone to Protect
How many people had called Yukio a genius when it came to being an exorcist? The number had become much too large for him to remember at this point. Honestly, anybody who had been studying exorcism for as long as he had been should be decent – sort of like Rin and cooking. It didn't have anything to do with genius or special talent of any kind. It was hard work, pure and simple – well, hard work and the best teacher anybody could imagine.
From the dorm room he shared with his twin, he narrowed his eyes and squared his jaw, glaring at his nearly transparent reflection in the sun-bathed window. He hadn't always been this tough, independent, or strong. In fact, he had been fighting his gentle nature for almost as long as he could remember. As he watched his features soften in front of him, he found that he could no longer hold his own gaze and turned away from the window.
Long gone were the days that he could cry and simply wait for Rin or Fujimoto to come running to comfort him. As time passed, Yukio became increasingly aware that he wasn't the one that needed protecting; it was his twin. With Fujimoto no longer able to help him, Yukio was prepared to shoulder the burden alone.
Many speculated that the bond between twins was stronger than any other familial tie, and Yukio knew in his heart that it was true. He would give anything to keep his twin safe; he had spent much of his childhood training just so he would be capable of doing so. Yukio had been preparing all of those years for this point, when others would know of Rin and the truth behind his existence. Rin, who was so new to world of demons and exorcists, didn't fully understand the trials he would face in the future to prove his loyalty to humanity; nor did he understand the sacrifices that Yukio had undergone for his sake. However, none of that really mattered to Yukio, as long as Rin could continue being who he had always been - his troublesome brother, his impulsive brother …his precious brother.
But it was more than Rin's physical being that Yukio was trying to defend. It was Rin's humanity. Although his twin recklessly turned to anger far too often, a sign of his demonic nature, Yukio also saw proof of his twin's humanity regularly. It was clear in the meals Rin would make for the two of them and in the way that Rin was able to empathize with his classmates. Seeing those indications of Rin's humanity every day brought relief to Yukio's heart. However, he knew that many of his exorcist peers didn't believe Rin's humanity existed, and it was something Yukio was convinced that he'd spend the rest of his life defending. And so, he knew for Rin's sake that he couldn't be soft or gentle like he had been in the past, or like the core of his being was still telling him to be. He had something more important to preserve than his own kind and passive nature. He had someone to protect, and he'd do anything to accomplish his goal.
Author's Notes: I've recently become enamored with Ao no Exorcist, and so I'm experimenting to see how the characters fit with my writing. I would love to do a long fic, but all I seem to able to do lately are these inner monologues. XD;; I hope you all enjoyed. As always, any feedback is much appreciated.