I just thought Tatsu should be less stressed all the time. I own nothing and I hope you enjoy!
Tatsu did not understand the joy of Halloween and he did not think he ever would.
The appeal most found in holidays was that they were times of peace and celebration where children and adults alike would enjoy candies and lavish foods for one reason or another.
Halloween certainly had the candy and lavish foods down but the whole holiday was based off of supernatural evils and fear. How could he ever enjoy candy in the dead of night under the threat of murder by malicious forces he could never even dream to oppose?
Worst of all, how could the man ever find joy on halloween when it was his own little brother, Tetsu, who was participating in the creepy, exhausting and overall dangerous practice that is trick or treating?
Tatsu sat at the round coffee table in the center of his apartment. In one hand, he held his third cup of coffee in hopes that he would be aware enough to take care of any emergencies that may or may not occur and in the other, he held his forehead in stress. He stayed home because of his awful headache but staying home only seemed to make it ache all the more.
The man did not trust that Okita Souji person. He was suspicious, always smiling and always sticking his nose into Tatsu's business for no real reason. What kind of adult in the twenty first century owns a pig as a pet, anyway?
The only problem was that it was only because of that man and his connections that Tatsu could even afford this apartment where he lived comfortably with his little brother so it would be rude to reject Okita wholeheartedly when he offered to take Tetsu trick or treating in his place.
Tetsu was a bit over the age that wasn't frowned upon but the boy never really went trick or treating and after their parents passed away, he never really had a chance to be a real kid.
Tetsu seemed happy enough about dressing up and receiving candy and he already passed as an eleven year old boy, despite being fifteen, so it seemed fine but Tatsu could not help but worry, especially after he had the pleasure of seeing Okita's collection of authentic katana. He even named the swords things like 'River child'. It was really quite weird.
But there was no taking back his decision, be it a good or a bad one, as he had said yes under pressure and he had let that man take his brother a few hours ago.
All that Tatsu could do was drink his coffee and wait, hoping that Okita was a trustworthy man and would protect his brother from any dangers that may try to hurt him.
It was only a few hours but Tatsu, after gazing at the hands of the clock in slow motion like it would make them move any faster, soon found that the hours felt like agonizing eternities when he was alone in his apartment.
Sometimes he would start hyperventilating, his frantic and caffeinated mind creating all the worst and abstract situations that could have befallen his brother and caused him to be gone for so long but a quick glance at the clock reminded him that it had only been a half an hour.
And so he sat impatiently, the sound of him seething out of stress the only sound filling the room, his green coat hanging off his shoulder just in case he should need to rush out the door.
He had left his porch light on, simply because he wanted to be able to see Okita once he brought his brother him. Once, his doorbell was rang and he rushed to open it, thinking they had returned after a mere twenty minutes. He was disappointed when he saw that, rather than Okita, it was just two kids dressed like ghosts. He slammed the door in their face before they could finish saying "Trick or Treat".
Upon returning to his seat at the coffee table, Tatsu was soon surprised by something.
The warm caffeinated drink he had in a little white mug across from him was supposed to keep him awake but the warmth it filled him with and his quickened heartbeat made him feel quite sleepy.
His awful headache certainly wasn't making him want to stay conscious but he felt it was his duty, a heavy duty bestowed upon him by his parents when they passed, to stay awake and worry, to always think of his brothers safety above all else.
Obviously that thought didn't imbue him with much strength to stay conscious.
The last thought he had before falling asleep was this;
"It's okay… Okita will protect him…"
Tatsu dreamt that night of a time when he was much younger, seven or eight, when he truly believed bad things stayed far from the good people of this world.
It was a time of faith and peace of mind, before his parents were killed in that car accident all those years ago.
He was innocent then, just a normal stupid kid but he never believed the horror stories that were always told of forces beyond our control taking the lives of the innocent.
He never believed them because of the pure and unadulterated love he felt for his family and the world around him. A love like that chased out all the fear in his heart. It was strong like a brave warrior of legends.
It was when his parents died that he stopped believing in that great and powerful love. It was then that he became consumed in fear, day in and day out.
Still, that memory still whispered in his ear like his mother singing to him a sweet lullaby.
Still, his father's words echoed in his ears, the words so vivid Tatsu might think he was a little kid again.
Those words were these.
"Remember, Tatsu. The brave may not live forever but the cautious never truly live…"
"Fathe-"
The dream ended there.
The sound of a doorbell broke the silence in the air and Tatsu almost broke his back when he jolted awake in his chair.
He may have screamed a little bit. No, scratch that, he screamed a lot.
The coffee may have made Tatsu jumpy but that was far scarier than any jumpscare he had ever seen in even the scariest horror movies.
A quick glance at the clock told him that two hours had passed since they left.
He wanted to get up from his chair to open the door for whoever was ringing it over and over and over and over again but the scare he had received turned his legs to jelly and darn near killed him so he needed a second to catch his breath.
Once he did that, he needed another second to scream for several seconds into his hand.
Once that was achieved, he dared to rise to his feet and approach the door very very very slowly.
Once the cold metal of the doorknob was in his hand, he twisted it carefully and once he heard the click, he pulled the door open.
Immediately, Tatsu was met with a cold breeze and two bright blue eyes that seemed to stare into his very soul.
"M-M-Mr. Okita…." He stuttered under his breath, his heartbeat still hammering in his chest.
Yes, Okita stood on his porch, looking very content and pleased with himself.
It bothered Tatsu how the man chose as a halloween costume nothing more than the dried remnants of what would have been a realistic stream of blood running from his lips and down his chin.
Okita had said that the simplicity of it would make it all the more creepy but Tatsu was not sure.
It was so realistic, Tatsu was inclined to believe that it wasn't a costume at all or, worse yet, that he had used real blood. Honestly, the man wouldn't put it passed him anymore.
But that wasn't important.
What was important was the sleeping Tetsu, dressed up in a chintzy Godzilla outfit, who Okita held in his arms like a small child or an infant; Keeping his head rested against his shoulder with one hand, which he also used to hold Tetsu's bag of candy, and using the other to hold him under his legs.
Tetsu had chocolate smeared all over his face and hands. He looked just like a little kid.
The boy looked unharmed, much to Tatsu's utter relief. Once the weight of worry was lifted from his shoulders, he felt a smile tug on his lips.
"Hello Tatsunosuke! Is your headache gone?" Okita grinned, "Tetsu got tired on the way home so I carried him here. I hope you don't mind-!"
Tatsu furrowed his brow. It was a reflex so the words left his mouth before he could stop them.
"Is he okay?!" He blurted suddenly and forcefully. He had not intended to say it with such venom in his tone.
The smile on Okita's face vanished. His expression turned serious as he looked at Tatsu with almost pitying eyes. It made Tatsu feel uncomfortable like he was being scolded.
"Of course he is." Souji said calmly, "Have a little faith, won't you."
A brief silence followed as Tatsu let his eyes wonder to his little brothers face.
The child looked so happy, so content. His cheeks were colored healthily and Tatsu could honestly say seeing him this way made him happy as well. Tetsu looked much happier after this risk he dared to take than all the times Tatsu denied him things that might potentially be dangerous.
If he truly loved his brother, would he not want him to be happy?
His father's words echoed in his mind. As much as Tatsu hated to admit it, they rang true in this moment.
"Well, here." Okita said as he leaned forward to hand the sleeping child to Tatsu.
Tatsu took him and held him with ease, like he had a hundred times before.
"Goodnight Tatsu, Tetsu!" Okita said as he waved them both goodbye, proceeding to skip away in the direction of his own apartment cheerfully.
But before he could leave-
"Mr. Okita!" Tatsu suddenly shouted out.
Okita stopped in his tracks to turn and face him.
"... Thank you…"
Okita looked surprised for a moment before he smiled brilliantly like he had moments ago.
"Your welcome."
Okita skipped away as Tatsu stepped back into his apartment and loses the door, preparing to sleep very deeply all night.
He may not have liked halloween all that much or really even understood the appeal but if it made Tetsu this happy, it made him happy, to.
Perhaps his father was right. Perhaps it was time he had a little bit more faith.