karamatsu admits to being in love with someone, and the brothers encourage him to ask that person out. however, they didn't expect to see him bring flowers to chibita. (karamatsu/chibita, from the brothers' pov. bonus points if both know that the brothers are spying on them)
The stress of being in love was terrible, but it was also a blessing. So long as the love was returned. Karamatsu had long since given up on someone loving him for who he was, instead settling for a quick fling here and a nice, empty fuck there. It was fine for a short while, before the ache of longing and loneliness started to rear its ugly head, his chest constricting each time he let himself fall into someone's bed. It felt like he was drowning, sinking into a sea of uselessness and unloving waves. Even his own brothers didn't care enough to save him. Hell, he had been in the hospital for about five weeks, recovering from the damage they had inflicted upon him that night. Only Chibita had been there for him, trying to lighten the mood despite the dreary white walls and the overly strong scent of antiseptics stinging his sensitive nose.
He had felt a pull towards his childhood friend for years, the only one who was willing to listen to him (most of the time, anyway) and put him first. It had started out with a thought here, a whim there for something more, never giving him a full understanding of what he was feeling. It felt like the gentle thrum of butterfly wings, fluttering back and forth between his lungs and ribcage, trapped it blew into a swarm of wasps, stinging on the tender flesh of his chest and stomach, the agony of not having Chibita as his becoming unbearable. He would have confessed long ago, if it hadn't been for the flower girl. The one who stole Chibita's heart, even more so than oden had. It felt wrong to ask after that, the guilt of his loss hitting Kara hard. He just couldn't be that insensitive to the needs of his crush.
He had been there when Chibita had sobbed, his heart bleeding with him. He had whipped away his tears, had held him close and rocked him back and forth in the privacy of Chibita's apartment. That had been the closest he had ever been to confessing, to filling Chibita's heart with his words and emotions, to overloading and slipping. But it would be unfair to him, to both of them, and to the flower girl with the gleaming eyes and tender heart. So he waited, and watched as Chibita put himself back together slowly. It had been maybe two years since then, and still shied from that conversation topic, choosing to scream of his profound love of oden. It would have been funny, had Kara not seen through him.
Maybe that was why he finally chose to ask his brothers? Get it off his chest, see what they thought. Would they beat him for being pan? Maybe not, considering that Toddy came out last year with his "Sugar Daddy". But then again, this was himself he was taking into mind, of course his darling brothers would dislike him. Didn't matter, as he would always love them regardless. Even if they did call him Shitty-matsu, or threw things at him, or let him be taken for ransom over some pears. Didn't matter, it really didn't matter.
(It did matter.)
"Darling Choro, dear Ichi, sweet Jyushi, and wonderful Todo, may I ask a question that has been bothering me lately?" He could feel the stares zero in on him, most of them heated. He could do this. He was Karamatsu.
"Yeah, what is it, Shitt-matsu?" Toddy asked, not glancing up from his phone, fingers darting at an alarming speed.
"What is it, Karamatsu-san? Hopefully, we can help, " Choro, ever the formal and polite one, side-eyed his younger sibling with slight distain at his choice of words.
Ichimatsu and Jyushi had yet to come to them, too busy with their baseball practice, though Ichi took the time to hiss at his direction, while Jyushi just nodded, showing his attention. The sound of clicking, swishing, and groans filled the air as Kara shuffled awkwardly.
This was harder than he thought. Suddenly he wished he hadn't asked. Glancing about to find an escape, he noted that their eldest wasn't with them.
"Where's Osomatsu-san? Gambling again?" Kara asked tentatively, blushing when Choro and Toddy shared a look at his tone. They knew sometime serious was up.
"Right here, Karamatsu, back from another terrible game. I swear those games are rigged." Oso muttered glumly, more to himself than anything. Plopping down upon the carpet, he stretched his limbs out, kicking at Choro's legs lightly as his head shuffled near Toddy's foot.
"Ah, well, I'm sorry for your money loss, dearest brother…" Kara wasn't sure where to start, could he really just ask them? How many of them had actually had girlfriends/boyfriends? As far as he knew, only Jyushi and Toddy. He stared from behind his shades, before taking them off. He rubbed at his head, the ache starting to kick in from stress. He could do this.
"So," He gently sat himself down next to Toddy, giving him the proper space that his younger sibling deemed his, "how would one go about wooing someone? Like a childhood friend?"
Ohhhh, shit, they were really staring at him now. Oso shot up, grabbing across Toddy to grip his brother's jacket sleeve.
"You had better not be trying to woo Totoko! You know we've all been pining after her for years and I swear I will kick you –" Osomatsu began, his voice slightly higher, but whether it be from his anger or the fact that Toddy was pinching the back of his neck in retaliation was debatable. Probably Toddy, if the red mark starting was anything to go by.
"Nii-san, get off my fucking lap. I can't reach my phone!" Toddy struggled to get his other arm out from beneath his livd, yet limp brother. He was in the middle of a nice conversation with his "Sugar Daddy" and it was finally getting to the good part and he would not be missing out, brothers be damned.
Osomatsu keened, rolling off his younger sibling before propping up in front of Karamatsu, grabbing his leather jacket and slinging him back and forth slowly.
"Of course not, my dearest brothers! I would never do something as cruel as that!" Karamatsu wasn't sure whether or not to stop Oso, and so let him continue, ignoring the nausea that came with the movement. "This is a different friend."
"And who, pray tell, would be willing to date you?" Ichimatsu hissed out, holding his head as Jyushi untied him, both brothers sitting to join the semi-circle.
"Uh, I don't know if they would actually date me, but I would wish to try to court them regardless. It just hurts too much to not try." This was the truth, he could barely sleep, didn't want to eat much. The anxiety was killing him. He read somewhere that animals that imprinted on a human would lose the will to live if they left, could the same apply to humans? If so, then he had it bad.
"Well, I would suggest asking them on a date, take them to their favorite food place. Then maybe a romantic walk on the beach or a perhaps a movie. Get to know them, and then ask to keep it steady if it all goes well enough." Surprisingly enough, it was Jyushi that had spoken up, face goofy as always, yet his advice seemed solid. "Never pressure them, and always wait on them! Be kind, sweet, and ever the gentleman. And don't forget…" He leaned forward, drawing a breathe in, "HUSTLE, HUSTLE, MUSCLE, MUSCLE!"
Karamatsu back-peddled, nearly falling back. Okay, follow most of that advice. Got it. He stood up, patting his pockets to ensure that his wallet was still there. Turning on his heels, he headed towards the door, the others either being unaware or uncaring as they continued the conversation with the pros and cons of being Karamatsu on a date. The cons were stacking up as he got out of hearing range. That was unsettling. Reaching the doorknob, he felt the strong grip on his elbow, freezing him.
Glancing over his shoulder he saw Toddy standing there, eyes sharp and piercing. He felt his hair stand up.
"Yes, my dear youngest brother?" He voice broke towards the end, although he coughed to cover it.
"Make sure that you treat them well, never force them into anything they don't want to. No means no. But don't let them treat you like shit either. You can say no at any time. Repeat that back to me." His voice offered no room for arguing.
"Make sure that I treat them well, never force myself onto them or into anything. No means no, and to not let them treat me like shit either. I can say no at any time. Got it." He sounded like a parrot. But the advice and protective tone made him smile.
Toddy nodded, pleased with the other's recitation, walking back towards the living room.
"Hey Toddy," Karamatsu tilted his head slightly as his brother stopped and turned slightly back towards him. "Thank you." With that he slipped out the door, glasses returning despite the time of day (or rather late dusk.)
He finally had the courage to ask his beloved on a date.
It was several months before the siblings figured out who Karamatsu had tried to woo. They had just assumed that he had failed, considering he came home with tears in his eyes. They had no way of knowing those tears were of joy, of being more than just accepted, but completely and totally loved. It had taken a while before both were comfortable with public displays of affection, but when they were, they would not stop touching. They were always with each other, holding hands, sharing small kisses, and in the dead of night, sharing an experience greater for them than life itself. Karamatsu even got a part-time job at the oden stand to spend more time with his beloved.
When the siblings found out, it had been because of Kara and Chibita ordering drinks at Toddy's workplace, sharing them in the outside tables, the smiles and brushing of arms, feet, and lips not going unnoticed. Toddy had taken pictures of them together, posting it on his social sites, and sending the pics by text to his brothers. The sheer speed upon which they arrive, like bats straight out of some kind of terrible hell, astounded Toddy. And the amount of questions that the poor couple had to go through was high as well, though Chibita could have gone without the death stare by Ichi and Jysuhi, or the shovel talk from Oso. All in all, it was the best thing to have ever happened. Karamatsu sent a prayer up to the flower girl every day, thanking her for warming Chibita's heart enough for him to thaw it out. Whether or not he happened to notice a small blue flower grow directly in the back of their shared apartment's window, well, no one had to know.