"…A what?" Rin's stunned voice is the first to break the silence. Len couldn't seem to find any words, and their mom gave a forced smile, "I thought you two would be excited. Your dad and I are planning to set up a schedule so you two can see each other more."
"I mean, I'm excited, it's just… out of nowhere, Mom." Len nodded at this. "I've only ever known Dad's side of the family, and I'm sure Len only remembers your side. It'll be…weird. Super weird, at that. …I sound very ungrateful…"
"I see where you're coming from, but we've put a lot into this. At least try to enjoy yourselves during it, and get to know the rest of your family."
"Of course," Len found his voice and sat in a chair beside the table. "But we should at least know what to expect. Teach me about Dad's side of the family, and we can teach Rin about your side of the family." A smile broke out on Rin's face, and she grabbed the chair next to him.
"Where should we start?"
"Aunt Gary."
"Ooh…" Rin sighed and looked to their mom, who grinned and excused herself out of the room. "Great. Okay, um… She's an older lady, with graying blonde hair. She's a little on the chubby side, and she's tall. Now for that part I'm sure you wanted to hear; she's a total bitch. Like, no matter what I tell you, you won't be prepared for her. When was I here last, a year ago? I told you then that I think she has some mental issues, so maybe she can't entirely help it. Regardless, she's the prime example of a crabby old lady. She's—hey, quit laughing!" Rin playfully hit Len's arm when she heard his laughter. "I'm serious!"
"Sorry! Can't help it. Crabby old lady, pfft…"
"Fine then. You tell me about Mom's side of the family."
"Not yet! Tell me about Dad."
"That's easier to do," she smiled. "Let's see… He tries way too hard to make you happy. Dad joke galore. He's super stubborn, even when he's wrong, so that can get very annoying. Oh, and he plays the ukulele. I can't even begin to tell you how many times he's woken me up in the morning by playing the damn thing as loud as he can. …Go ahead and laugh." She paused for him to get out his laughter. "He loves to make up stories. If we eat while we're at the reunion, I bet you ten bucks that he'll have the whole table engaged in a tall tale."
"I'll take your word for that one. …Really, I want to meet him. He's like a stranger to me right now, but I want to change that. He's my dad, for God's sake. Just like I want to get to know you more." They both fell quiet for a few minutes, registering what he had just said. Rin smiled after an awkward laugh from Len, and said, "The feeling's mutual. Like we said earlier, neither of us have had a sibling for a long time. I'll figure you out eventually." She poked his side with a grin.
"You already know me a lot better than most people, surprisingly. It's my turn to tell you about Mom's family, isn't it? Hmm, where to start…
Around one AM, Len was woken up by a quiet knocking on his door. He mumbled an approval for entry and Rin slipped inside, shutting the door behind her. He sat up when the light coming from the window revealed tears on her cheeks and shaky hands. "Rin, are you okay?"
"Bad dream… Can I stay in here for a bit?" She motioned to his desk chair, but he shook his head and pulled the blankets back for her. She hesitantly sat beside him and leaned her head against his shoulder, and Len gently played with her hair. "…We used to do this when we were little, didn't we?"
"It feels awfully familiar, so maybe so," he chuckled. She picked her head back up and turned to face him. "I need a distraction. What do you remember from our childhood?"
"Not much, honestly… I remember that you had a debilitating fear of earthquakes, for some unknown reason. We've never even been through an earthquake, Rinny," he teased, and he could faintly see her start blushing.
"Shut up! I was tiny! The idea of the earth moving so much that we can feel it is terrifying, you have to admit that!"
"Oh? Sounds like someone is still scared of earthquakes."
"…No! …Maybe! Fuck off! Alright, Mister Brother, what's one of your fears?"
"You're really doing this? Uh… I don't know."
"Yes, you do. I know you do." Rin's eyes narrowed and she poked his nose. He fumbled with his words for a minute before sighing and letting it spill out. "Losing my family. I barely know you guys as it is, and losing you would be even worse. I can't imagine it. …On a more embarrassing note, I have a paralyzing fear of crows. They freak me out so much."
"…Crows? With their beady little eyes? And—"
"Stop, Rin!" Len covered his ears, and Rin started laughing sheepishly. "I'm sorry. That was mean. I shouldn't have done that."
"Damn right you shouldn't have. It came from an old friend making me watch The Birds. Stupid, I know, but…" He groaned and flopped back on his bed, Rin following suit with a laugh. She laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes.
"It's not stupid. It was a kind of scary movie. Unsettling, at the least. …Is it alright if I lay like this? Sorry, I should've asked before I did it."
"I guess so. You're a very cuddly person, from what I've been able to tell. Lay away."
Rin smiled contentedly and pulled the covers closer to her. "Wake me up if I fall asleep, please."
"With how comfortable you look, I'll pass." Len ruffled her hair and made himself comfy, careful to not disturb the new weight on his chest. Within minutes, the two were slipping away into a light sleep, comforted by the renewed presence of each other.
What slipped their minds was the reunion that was promised for the following day.
a/n hello again! yes, this was a bit of a filler chapter. sorry, I didn't want to simply skip over a day, and I wanted to build on the twins' relationship some. thank you for reading, and I will try my hardest to have the next chapter out very soon!