Hey! I know, I know. I'm in the middle of like five stories right now... (blush) But! On a brighter note, this one is pretty linear and so I should be able to finish it rather quickly if I just set myself on the path. :D So! I got this idea cause I was talking to GoldBryn about the games and then we started chatting about the Itsuki and how she should draw a picture (cause shes an awesome artist, see her deviant art account, seriously.) and then this idea popped into my head cause everyone loves twins! Uh, hello, have you not seen the fandom George and Fred Weasley from HP have? Anyways! Enough blabber. I hope you all enjoy this. I have to say that Mutsuki is coming out a little more... needy than I had first intended... but thats okay, Itsuki's coming out all right. :)
Disclaimers: Fatal Frame and all characters belong to Tecmo. I have no rights to them what so ever and do not claim any ownership.
Itsuki watched as Mutsuki bumbled around, his younger twin looking for some silly ball that he'd thrown under the Tachibana house porch while playing with Chitose. The others black hair shone in the mid-day sun and Itsuki smiled softly as he continued to watch the slightly clumsy boy.
"Na, Itsuki! Stop staring and help me! Chitose said she's going to tell father that I lost her ball if I don't find it by tonight. Please, Ituski!" Mutsuki trotted over and fell to his knees in front of his older twin, who was sitting on the porch edge. Both looked impeccably the same, except for the slightly more angular turn in Mutsuki's eyes and the slightly squarer jaw that Itsuki sported. The younger boy's lower lip trembled and he attempted his best pity face, the one that always had his elder brother give in eventually.
"Mutsuki... are you sure it even fell under there? I thought I saw it bounce around behind the Osaka's house." Itsuki watched as Mutsuki's head turned to look behind him, his jaw slackening as his big dark eyes flicked over the house across the path.
"Nnn... well... Itsuki... Can you-"
"No."
"Will you-"
"No!"
"Please! They scare me." He muttered, his lips pouting out once more. Itsuki sighed heavily and shook his head. "Itsuki... don't you love me!"
"Eh! Mutsuki! Really! You don't have to be so loud." Itsuki muttered, looking up and down the small path, luckily void of any villagers. A small bird chirruped over head and Itsuki looked up to see the small red feathered creature sitting on the ledge of the roof, its small beady eyes turning one way then another, watching the two boys as if trying to understand something about them.
"Look at that, we have an admirer." Mutsuki said, his cheeks flushing a pretty pink as he watched the small bird.
"I think he likes you, Mutsuki." Itsuki's voice took on a teasing tone, causing his younger brother to blush furiously and smack him on the head playfully. "Heh, just kidding, brother. I love you."
"I love you as well. Now... The Osaka's are supposed to be home today... if you could just-"
"No."
"Aah! Itsuki, please!"
"Its your ball! You go ask them if they have it!"
Mutsuki scowled darkly before getting up and brushing off his knees. "Fine, since you don't want to be a kind, loving, generous brother, I will have to go and face the demons myself. You selfish, terrible, unloving, mean, resentful-"
"Mutsuki! Really." Itsuki grunted and stood up, shaking his head as he grabbed Mutsuki's hand and drug him over to the Osaka's front door. "I'll stand here with you, but you have to ask."
Mutsuki smiled brightly, his eyes glittering in the waning sunlight as he squeezing Itsuki's hand. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Itsuki mumbled as his knuckles rapped on the hard, weather worn wood door.
"And just what were you doing to cause your ball to bounce into the Osaka's garden! Really, you boys never think! You're always causing trouble, getting into stupid situations. I swear, if you two weren't so important to this village..." Mr. Tachibana ranted, his hands in fists as they rested on the dining table. Itsuki and Mutsuki lowered their heads in shame, standing to the side as Chitose and their mother sat demurely at the table next to their father. Mr. Tachibana scowled and grunted as he picked up his bowl and began to shovel rice into his mouth, stopping every now and then to mumble about his sons being trouble makers.
"Otou-san... It wasn't really our fault." Itsuki said after a moment, his stomach growling angrily as he watched his family eat without the twins. "It was kaze-san... He swooped right down, snatched the ball in mid-air and- ugh." Itsuki stopped mid-sentence as Mutsuki's boney elbow jabbed into his side. He frowned, hunching his shoulders as he rubbed his sore side.
"Itsuki, your mind must've been taken away with that ball. Alas, the Osaka's didn't find that in their garden as well!" Mr. Tachibana growled angrily and then shook his head and sighed. "Eat one bowl of rice, then up to your room. Both of you."
"Yes, otou-san." They both muttered, moving forward simultaneously to kneel at the dining table and grab their bowls, filling them with as much rice as they could before starting to eat slowly.
Itsuki glanced up at Chitose as he heard her shift a bit and felt a small foot touch his knee under the table. Smiling as she looked up at him and mouthed a sorry, he finished his bowl of rice. He'd just come down later and grab something for them anyways, mother always left something out whenever they were denied dinner.
Itsuki raced up the stairs and through the house, the sound of thumping footsteps coming up behind him. He panted heavily as he looked over his shoulder, a grin stretching his lips as he saw Mutsuki barrel up the stairs and rush straight into a wall, bouncing off and then chasing down the older twin once more. "Can't catch me, little brother!"
Mutsuki wheezed and careened around a corner, just barely catching site of Itsuki's light blue yukata disappearing into the tatami room. Grinning widely, he slowed and pressed against the wall, slinking slowly along it till he got to the door, where he leaned slowly towards the room. He could hear Itsuki curse as the older twin tried to get the warped sliding door to open.
"Iiiiitsssuuukiiii." He moaned, in his scariest voice. A giggle and then a triumphant whoop from the other boy in the room as the sliding door opened had Mutsuki racing into the room, only to once more have lost his elder sibling. Frowning, he stood with his hands on his hips, eyes narrowed, as he walked through the wide open warped door. "Itsuki? Iiiitsuuukiii!" He called, his voice ringing with false innocence. He could hear his mother in the small northern part of the tatami rooms and he smiled at her as he closed the thin wooden door at her bidding.
"You two boys. You really should act your age." She scolded as the door slowly slid shut, a large smile nullifying her reprimanding tone. Mutsuki grinned guiltily and then closed the door till it clicked shut and turned, heading for the storage area. He didn't say anything or go in, instead pressing his cheek against the wooden door to see if he could hear anything inside.
Itsuki pressed his cheek against the door into the storage room, his eyes flicking around in the dark room as he tried to listen for his brothers whereabouts on the opposite side of the door. He paused as he heard breathing, finally convincing himself it was just his own. A slight movement at his feet caught his eye and Itsuki looked down to see a shadow moving in the light along the bottom of the door, then stilling, the moving around a little just outside the door. Itsuki grinned and bit back a giggle as he moved away from the door, shuffling as quietly as he could over to hide behind a dresser that was conveniently in the closet.
The door slowly opened as Mutsuki pressed against it gently, his fingers splayed on the wood, his nose poking into the room before his head pushed through the crack. "Itsuki?" He hissed softly, not really knowing why he was being quiet, but doing so anyways. There was a soft creak from a floor board and Mutsuki grinned as he heard a soft gasp. Slowly, he moved into the room, sliding through the crack between the door and wall when it was wide enough, and then closed it behind him.
His slipper clad feet almost didn't make a sound when he shuffled around in the darkness of the room, his hand out in front of him as he moved around the familiar hiding area. He could hear Itsuki breathing as he got closer and closer. Finally his fingers touched something warm and soft, silky strands of hair slipping between his fingers. "Ah ha! I found you!" He announced, delighted as his brother burst into a fit of laughter. He was pulled down into a warm embrace, hugged so tightly he couldn't breathe. "Ah... Itsuki, can't... breathe!" He gasped out, pushing gently against the others shoulders till he was allowed to go. He perched himself in between Itsuki's outstretched legs, grinning goofily as the others fingers touched his cheek and nose and forehead.
"So... you've found me. I guess that means I lost." Mutsuki could hear the pout in Itsuki's voice and he grinned as he wiggled forward and wrapped his arms and legs around Itsuki's form.
"Yeah! So that means that you have to pack the picnic. And do my chores for, um, the next week."
"Uh! Mutsuki! That wasn't part of the deal!" The grin was evident in Itsuki's voice and Mutsuki chortled happily as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Itsuki's face. In the dark it was hard to tell where, but he guessed somewhere between his lips and eyes. Itsuki grunted and pulled away, his hand leaving Mutsuki's arm to, presumably, wipe at his face.
"Itsuki..." Mutsuki whispered, leaning forward, trying to see his brothers face in the dark. "Itsuki... do you love me?"
"Mm... That's a silly question Mutsuki. Of course I love you. You're my brother. And why are we whispering?"
"I dunno... cause it fits the moment. And... will you love me forever?"
"Forever and ever. Never will a moment go by I won't love you. You're my brother after all."
Mutsuki smiled at this answer, mumbling that it was a good one. Itsuki chortled again and then pushed Mutsuki to the ground, tickling the younger boy mercilessly till he was screaming and shouting, their father and mother finally rushing in, thinking something was the matter.
"Mutsuki?" Itsuki walked into their room, his lips turned down into a frown. He'd just gotten home from Yae and Sae's only to be told by Chitose that Mutsuki wouldn't come out of their room. He sighed as he heard a soft sniffle from behind a displayed kimono in the corner. "Mutsuki..." He reprimanded softly, walking over to sit next to the kimono, his brothers feet visible underneath the hung clothing. One hand reached under and he grinned as he tugged on the sock clad foot playfully.
"Stop..." Mutsuki sniffed, his foot being pulled back further, out of Itsuki's direct line of sight.
"Stop what? What's wrong, Mutsuki? Why are you all tucked away like that?" Itsuki playfully chided, his hand pulling back the heavy kimono so he could see his brother curled up against the wall in the corner. The younger brother usually ended up doing this whenever he was in trouble from his father, or when there was lightening storms outside. Bitting his lower lip, Itsuki maneuvered himself so that he was able to reach in and grab Mitsuki's yukata, pulling roughly on the other, much to the younger boys displeasure. "C'mere! I want to hold you! Mutsuki!"
Mutsuki turned violently, slapping his brother away and then curling with his face against the wall, his breath coming in raged gasps. Itsuki stared wide eyed at his brother, his hand touching his cheek where he'd been slapped. "M-Mutsuki?" Itsuki blushed at the whine in his voice, but he was confused. Why was his brother suddenly acting so violently? So angry?
A soft sniffle and Mutsuki's voice sounded weak and Itsuki had to crawl closer so he could hear. "You couldn't even wake me up or take me with. You like Yae more than me." He sniffed again and then shook his head. Itsuki scoffed and backed away, his mouth hanging open.
"Oi! You sound like a little girl!" He said, completely thrown off by his brothers behavior. "What on earth? I hadn't gone to see Yae, Mutsuki. Stop jumping to conclusions! I was going to see the Ceremony Master..." Itsuki's voice trailed off and he looked away from the other boys back, his fingers twisting in the cotton of his own yukata. "We were... we were speaking of... well... Mutsuki, come out here."
A loud sniff and then Mutsuki turned, his head hung low, hair obscuring his face, as he crawled out and over to Itsuki. Itsuki smiled and tapped under his brothers chin, earning a wet sniffle and the others head resting on his shoulder. "I... I'm sorry Itsuki."
"Its alright, you big baby." Itsuki chuckled and wrapped his arms firmly around the other. He could feel Mutsuki smile against his throat, the other boy sighing softly and relaxing in his arms. "You know... I was talking to the Ceremony Master about... about you." Itsuki's voice was soft and timid when he spoke, and the hands that tightened on his thighs as he spoke also confirmed Mutsuki's fear. "He told me... he told me that you will become a butterfly, and we will become one. We will be with each other for always, Mutsuki."
Mutsuki sniffled again and snuggled closer, his smile growing slowly.
"And know what else? He told me that the more we love each other, the better the ritual goes." He whispered, his voice cracking a bit at 'love'. He frowned as he felt Mutsuki smile even brighter and get closer, the younger boy setting in his lap.
"Itsuki?" Mutsuki mumbled after a moment of silence, his head raising a bit so he could whisper into Itsuki's ear.
"Mm?" Itsuki's eyes opened to slivers, having closed them in the peaceful silence.
"Wh... Why don't you kiss me anymore?"
"Huh? Mutsuki?" Itsuki pulled away, blinking as his brother blushed and looked away. "What do you mean? Aren't we a little old for goodnight kisses?" A small smirk crossed Itsuki's lips as he watched his younger twin blush a brighter pink.
"Nn... Yeah... I guess..." He muttered, looking at Itsuki out of the corner of his eye. "But... Brother... we... we don't have much longer... The ritual... I was just... Well..." Mutsuki pursed his lips together and sighed as he looked away from Itsuki and at the hanging kimono.
Itsuki watched his brother carefully and then tapped his cheek. "Hey... Hey, hey." He smiled as the other finally drug his gaze back to Itsuki. "Alright... just one." He said, leaning forward and pressing his lips against Mutsuki's own briefly, before the other could say anything.
Mutsuki's eyes widened and then slid shut as he returned the kiss, which ended quicker than he wanted. "Thank you." He said, a small smile on his face as he rose from Itsuki's lap. "I promised Chitose that we'd play with her when you got back."
Itsuki stared up at his brother and huffed. "Making promises for me again?" He smiled as Mutsuki giggled. "Alright, alright. Lets play demon tag." He grinned as the other boy nodded and then followed him out of their bedroom and down to the clock room where Chitose was playing with a friend and her ball.
Yay! So thats the first bit. I'm working on the second as we speak and hopefully will have it out soon. If there are any complaints about the two and their personalities, please tell me. I really enjoy these two, but like I said, Mutsuki is coming off a bit more needy than I had originally intended. (blush) So er... yeah, please don't hesitate to say something. :)