"Those flames can kill people, you jerk. Why don't you get that? Get lost!"
Yukio glances up from where he's placed Konekomaru's head in his lap, gauging his older brother's reaction to Suguro's harsh words. He sighs inwardly when he sees the hurt flash in Rin's eyes as Rin slowly sheathes his sword and begins to walk away, his head slightly bowed.
Even though he's unsure as to why Rin had just suddenly attacked Konekomaru, Yukio knows that Rin doesn't mean to hurt anyone. He'd always been such a sweet kid, and so driven by justice. And even after everything, Rin is still his brother and Yukio still loves him, and it hurts to see his twin in so much pain.
"Suguro, come take care of Konekomaru, okay?" he says, gently sliding the unconscious boy's head from his lap.
Suguro nods, and Yukio stands to go after his older brother. It doesn't take long until he's out of sight of the others, just a few feet behind Rin, who still hasn't noticed him there, and he's about to call out when Rin suddenly stops.
"Dammit," the elder Okumura says, "why do I always have to do this?"
Yukio is alarmed, but not by the words themselves. Rin's tone, usually so angry and sharp in situations like these, is shaky and despondent. He takes a half-step toward his brother but stops again when Rin laughs bitterly and his shoulders slump.
"Demon child," he mutters. "They were right all along, Old Man. Sorry to be such a disappointment."
Rin is fingering his still-sheathed sword now, and Yukio's heart is starting to hammer in his throat and he isn't quite sure why yet, but as his brother pulls the sword from its case he's getting a pretty terrifyingly good idea of the reason.
Rin doesn't see Yukio as he turns to the side because his eyes are closed. Yukio's heartbeat is so loud in his ears that he almost doesn't hear Rin whisper, "It has to be better this way," but the image is painfully clear as Rin presses the tip of his sword into his own stomach and takes a deep breath.
"Rin, stop." Rin starts at his younger brother's voice, even though it's weak and not alarming. His eyes snap open to Yukio's face, but the hands holding the sword don't move.
"Think about what you're doing, Rin," Yukio pleads, breathless because he's terrified that if he doesn't do this exactly right, he's going to lose him. God, how had not seen just how close to the edge Rin had really been? "Is this really going to help anything?"
"Does it matter?" Rin asks, the hopelessness in his voice so absolute that Yukio nearly goes weak at the knees with the fear that he's too late. But Rin's eyes are searching his, pleading for something, and anything Rin wants, Yukio will give it. "Even you want me to die."
The younger brother winces "Rin, you know that I don't—"
"You said it yourself!" Rin snaps, cutting Yukio off. The sudden fire in his eyes is extinguished by the well of tears.
Yukio carefully steps closer, raising his hands non-threateningly. "You know that I could never want you dead," he says softly, and it's true. God, it's so true that it hurts him, and if this is what it feels like now Yukio is terrified to imagine what it would feel like if his brother actually killed himself. "Rin, please."
Tears are beginning to drip slowly down Rin's cheeks as he stumbles back a few steps until he hits the wall of the corridor. He slides down until he's sitting on the floor, and the sword clatters out of his hands.
"Yukio," he says, "everybody hates me."
Yukio is kneeling in front of Rin in less than a second, pulling his older brother to his chest in that way that Rin has done for him so many times. "Thank you, God," he breathes into his brother's dark hair, cradling the back of Rin's head with one hand while the other arm winds tightly around his shoulders.
Rin wraps both arms around Yukio's waist and clenches his younger brother's shirt in his fists, shaking with the force of the choked sobs that are tearing themselves from his chest.
"Shh, Nii-san. You'll be okay," Yukio murmurs, shifting so that he's no longer kneeling but sitting and threading his fingers through Rin's dark locks.
"I just don't understand," Rin cries, his voice muffled by Yukio's shirt. "I'm not any different than I was before."
Yukio sighs. "Nii-san..." His heart is breaking for his twin brother, who's lonely, who's never had a true friend, who just wants to be loved and cared for and human.
"I'm so sorry."
And that concludes my very first anime fanfic! Excitement! And...um...depressingness... Anyway, sorry about the bad writing and the sucky title. It's late. Review if you will, critique if you must, and I hope you enjoyed!
Okay, so I've been thinking about making this into a five-times fic: Five times Yukio had to talk Rin down and one time he didn't get there soon enough. Tell me if that's something you'd be interested in. Thanks!