"Is this really ok?" he asked when they arrived to the park. "I'm sure this is close to the..." he didn't finish the sentence, he recognized the uniforms of some of the people passing through.
Not too far away he could see a school building: Maiami City's middle school.
"I'm just sightseeing" Ray said taking a deep breath and giving the place an once-over, "It's just so good to be able to breath some fresh air you know?" she motioned to street vendor and Reira felt his belly rumble at the sight of the crepes drawing on the little cart, which earned a contented chuckle from her "See? Come on it's my treat"
Maybe they could stay for a little while.
Once they already had their desserts and payed to the kind woman Reira and Ray had been happy to seat in a nearby park bench watching the people come and go with their lives, before Reira had never considered how relaxing it could, but there was something about the atmosphere that made him feel at peace.
Before long Reira found himself leaning on Ray's warmth.
"Can you sing me the song again?" he asked, and rather than answering he felt Ray shift and lean into him as well.
"Young little boy, born from scrambles and
Devourer of happiness and sorrow too,
Poor little boy, I found you in the dark,
You lived all alone, now live in my heart."
Her voice was soothing, like the wind raising the leaves into the wind, or the soft petals of the cherry blossoms, even comparing to the signing birds on the summer did not do any justice to her.
"Sweet little boy, freed by cruel sacrifice,
To thrive on the wings of hatred and war
Lost little boy, longed for glory above,
Kindness or friendship, reason or love."
Reira had not been surprised to learn about whom she was singing about, he had felt it that day, buried deep inside her urgency and determination:
"Strong little boy, whisking freedom and death,
Brought back for his pride and lost himself,
Soft little boy, no more will you roam,
Once you were lost and now… you're… back… home."
He didn't need to lift his sight to know that Ray's breaking voice was due to the tears either, that's how it was between them; a sort of awareness from one another that allowed them to be understand each other in the most intrinsically of ways.
"How was he? I mean before…" he trailed off, curious about this man who despite everything could still move his sister to tears like not even the death of their father was able to.
"…Somehow I don't think I can answer that." She said after a whole minute and she straightened next to him, she looked into the distance, heartache shining in her eyes. "I'm envious of them you know? Because it's not like we were even friends, acquaintances or even aware of the other until some …force pushed us together, and it was like …" she trailed off either to lack of words or in lost in the memory. "… An unavoidable storm from then on."
"Did you love him?" If he was honest Reira was not familiar with love at least not the type of love Ray described – intense, remorseful and sad. – For Reira love was a kind smile, soft words of gratefulness and warmth.
"…I think… I still do…" Ray said with a smile… and he understood because it was true, the idea of love that hurt you had never occurred to him…
…At least not until he saw how Reiji drained himself until surely there would be nothing left.
"Don't worry I won't let that happen." Declared Ray stretching herself off tiredness and grief grinning, for real this time. "It's a promise." She said pulling him into a tight hug, which left him breathless.
Despite this, Reira was vaguely aware of the flash and the click sound behind him and Ray flashing a bright – fake – smile to the source.
§
He tightened his hold on his teddy bear before he finally made his mind.
"Brother…" he whispered feeling a bit out of breath, as he always felt when he was about to ask something of… pretty much everyone.
"Is something the matter?" Reiji asked just before he was about to rise from the dining table and Reira found himself eyeing the plate he left behind: Once again the steak was missing less than half of it, the salad had been nothing but scrambled and picked over and the only dish he had finished was the soup.
And the coffee, that too, his brother had always been fond of coffee, but these days he seemed to always have a mug if the drink at hand's reach.
"Are… are you unoccupied tonight?" he asked but already knowing the answer by watching Reiji reaction: gripping the table a little tighter and his eyes shifted, Reira sneaked a look at the time on the clock and it was well past 8 pm.
Yet, he planned to go back to the office again.
"It's nothing I just thought that we could …maybe…" he struggled with the words, while he tried to hide the book held in his hands. "But …I don't want to interfere with your work and…" It always happened, Reira's mind would jumble over and he would trip over his own words whenever he wanted to request something …selfish from anyone.
'Screw that! It's not selfish to want good things for yourself and if it is… who cares as long as no one gets hurt?'
His train of thought along with the speaker had been interrupted when he felt warm and large hands tug at his own, he had been so caught up on his nerves that he failed to notice Reiji crouched in front of him tugging at the story book hidden below his hoodie.
"Let's go to the play room." He said looking over at the cover: a tree that gave toys instead of fruit with two non-descriptive figures holding hands in front of it.
He just nodded feeling elated.
"…Faced with two choices, they stared across each other than to the state of the World Tree, when the twin siblings split the fruit in half together, all the sins of humanity were scattered across the world along with the Fake Mother that gave birth to them, the life of the Tree was restored…"
Reira tried to imagine the way the red fruit would exude some type of black smoke in the form of a black shadow – maybe resembling the Fake Mother? – As the siblings held hands and even if he knew the book cover was decorative he wanted to imagine that the World Tree looked just like that: Giving out toys and smiles for the worlds to balance out the sins of the people.
"…With the curse broken the siblings were returned their most precious gift on earth: The older sister got back her spirits for without them her strength was an unfocused and destructive force, while the younger brother recovered his understanding because while lacking of it, his intelligence could make him become cunning, manipulative and even cruel…"
Reiji had a nice voice, Reira had always thought so for it was deep but still soft, even but still rich, and it led a cadence and … what was the word? He had heard it before, recently so because it was right at the tip of his tongue…
"…But all of that was inconsequential now for they both wondered if the one wish both of their hearts held remained unanswered: the life of their little brother…"
Musicality, that was the word Reira thought almost jolting in place as he remembered the meaning – lest he forget it again –: the talent or knowledge of music; or the quality of having a pleasant sound, harmonious or melodious.
"Reira…"
He wasn't so sure of the first meaning, but the second definitely fit his brother for he always felt at peace when he listened to him.
"Reira…" he felt himself being propped up and his drowsiness was shaken off. "It's getting late, let's get you to bed." And then the floor disappeared from below his feet as he felt like he was floating now.
He thinks he may have dozed off repeatedly during those moments because by the time he remembered where he was he was place on top of soft – if slightly cold –sheets on an even softer surface.
"Good night…" He said without opening his eyes – right, he had closed them off already – but he opened them when he felt his hair being brushed off, Reiji was now hovering above him, and even through his glasses he could see the bags under his eyes. "…Brother, you're tired too you should-" he started
"-I'm fine." Reiji stated and tore himself away from him, and Reira felt any sleepiness fly away from his body, how could he even consider to sleep? When his brother would stumble day after day without proper sustainment, sleep and working himself to… no, he didn't want to finish that thought.
"…Is this because of Ray?" He asked, knowing that maybe he would shrug off his words or definitely any physical hold with ease but if anything would stop him in his tracks was her name, and it did, Reira felt heavy with guilt when he saw his body tense and hunch over.
"She has nothing to do with this, we were away for quite a while so the work load piled up." He said – lied – still not moving not even to face him.
"Then why won't you talk to her?" he asked, he felt like trembling but he squashed it down looking again at Reiji's thin frame. "…She had to fight for a talk with you and when she was back-"
"Go to sleep Reira." Reiji interrupted and before Reira could retort he was out of the room, the door closed with more force than necessary, not slammed but almost.
It seemed his brother wouldn't be the only one not sleeping tonight.
§
Ray was idle, which was nothing new, she never liked staying in one pace for too long, and she thrived on freedom, action and accomplishments, instead she was roasting into what in Reiji's book apparently accounted as proper living quarters: An unused laundry slash kitchenette and slash break room. She supposed she ought to feel more than just annoyance at him for this or for the things he said about her last time, but she had already slapped him and broke his glasses in the process, meaning that in her book they were even now.
Let bygones be bygones.
Or so was he intention, until she found herself so bored that she was stuck reading some sci-fi book series about a family of space wizards whose actions – as far a she would tell – kept on screwing everyone else in the universe in order to pass time, really how long until a certain someone reacted to-
*SLAM*
'Oh, never mind'
"I thought I told you to keep a low profile" Reiji said as he stormed into the room to stand right in front of her. "What is the meaning of this?" he said dropping a tabloid magazine on her lap in which she and Reira appeared hugging.
With Ray smiling and making a victory sign to the photographer.
"It looks like a park photograph, although from a certain perspective…" Ray started barely sneaking a look to the picture, not deigning herself to face him or to remove her goggles. "… You could say is beautiful shot of the sunset scenery" Now if only she could have been chewing on some gum and make a bubble blow on his face it would have been perfect.
For minute or two there was nothing but silence, the type of deafening silence that their father was famous for whenever he was trying to squash down some anger or frustration.
Ray was sure that if she looked at him now she would see his whole body impossibly still with tension, sucking in his bitter breaths, jaw tightened to the point it would look slightly out of place, and eyes closed so tightly that his brow would be furrowing.
'Just like Father…' And her chest tightened at the thought, he would probably get early creases on his eyes and forehead due to such habit wouldn't he? Ray tightened her hold on the book, she would most definitely not remove goggles now.
She was however forced to stare at him when he leaned over her seat and removed the book off her hands, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the cover for some reason, and throwing it to the side.
"You…" Reiji started after sucking on a deep breath and "…are you just that determined to undermine my position or just love the attention that much?" he asked for once not averting his eyes from hers.
And maybe it was because the bags under his eyes looked even more pronounced this time around, or because his voice came in such a low murmur devoid of any spite that Ray found herself squirming on her seat.
Out of surprise and a bit of guilt.
Ray raised from her seat, maybe they could finally have a civil talk. "You misunderstand-"
"I understand enough, if anything I'm surprised you resorted to such childish methods to draw out my attention." He looked too serious and the way he said the word childish, as if he was somehow outside the classification was so amusing that Ray released a low chuckle.
"Oopsie, excuse my childish behavior Mr. CEO…" she started, not wanting to give him the opportunity to interrupt her again. "…but fighting fire with fire it's what I do best, and the other choice was to hide all the coffee and build a makeshift trap with some coffee beans outside your pillow fort- sorry I meant your office." Ray finished shrugging and watched carefully for his reaction.
She was not disappointed, the way he looked the slightest bit alarmed was priceless however short it was as he made a show of behaving all proper and 'mature' again.
"The only reason I tolerate you around him is because it's what he wants, it makes him happy." Ray had to admire that he didn't choke on those words. "Whatever problem we both have it concerns only to us…All I ask is that you do not drag Reira into your ridiculous mind games." He finished adjusting his glasses.
'Way to hit where it hurts' she thought narrowing her eyes at him,
But now that she finally had him here, she had another idea now: nagging and pushing over and over did not work on people like Reiji, she had to focus on compromises and short term goals.
"…Aren't you tired of pretending this doesn't bother you?" she asked noticing how his blue sweater hung around his frame a bit looser than last time she saw him up close. "I'm tired too you know? Tired of hiding in this room, tired of pretending I don't notice your mother sending men over to 'observe' me, of not doing anything all day long, So very tired of… this" she said rubbing her temple and taking a step closer to him, he didn't move this time, good. "And Reira gets tired too you know? Right now, he is no different than a teddy bear ripping apart at the seams from all the pulls." hating herself for playing this particular card.
But he seemed to understand now, and she dared to take yet another step.
"You imply that we simply put things behind, as if nothing happened." he said lifting his eyebrow. "What is your angle?"
"My angle is not having to watch Reira suffer over your lack of regard for yourself." She stated crossing her arms. "You could go and crash under the weight of your own stubbornness and stupidity for all I care, but as you said: It is not what Reira wants"
It worked, when those words slipped from her mouth he looked less uncomfortable in his own skin and seemed to be weighting down his options now, Ray almost wanted to slap herself for not thinking about this before.
Now that she played into his expectations he was actually listening, sometimes a not so little lie could really do the trick.
"So… deal?" she asked taking another step, masking it by picking up the book she was reading before, admittedly it was quite entertaining if one could get past the massive plot holes.
"What would you have us doing?" He asked averting his eyes away from her.
Good question, she thought eyeing the book cover again and noticed how his fingers where drumming on the counter, and she realized it then that he was not just avoiding looking at her, he was eyeing the book again.
"We could start by saying which characters are our favorites." She said finally removing her goggles.
You may be starting to realize there is a theme going on with these chapter's titles.
Then you may realize the sudden change of tune on this one is actually on chord (sorry I'll stop now) with the rest even if it doesn't look like it ATM, basically this is Ray showing proof of the keikaku genes on the Akaba family :'D also raise your hand if you recognize the tune of the song she sings.
Worry not this story will be finished before the actual series contradicts this little story too badly (I mean I admit the base concept it's still pretty crackish :P).
