Eyyyyyyyyyy


Things were awkward, to say the least. But it wasn't his fault - they should've just minded their own business! He fidgeted in place at the thought. Then again, what was he to expect? Find out your classmate now was really your classmate from over a year ago who faked his own suicide? He hadn't had a lot of ideas as to how the situation may play out, but that hadn't really been what he expected. But now he was... uncomfortable. It had been three days since they found out, and... nobody was coming after him. The only person he'd seen since was Konekomaru, and he was giving him plenty of space. He hadn't heard from Lance either, just a text explaining that he would be gone for a few days for a meeting.

They still knew nothing. Nothing about his weapons, nothing about what exactly he let Lance do to him - hell, not even anything about Kuro. That, somehow, bothered him. Like a nauseating twinge, deep in the pit of his stomach. He turned on his back, staring listlessly at the ceiling. Classes had ended not too long ago, and unless his roomie was heading into town, Konekomaru would be coming through that door any minute now. Sure enough, the handle turned and the small boy stepped inside, the door closing behind him with a click.

"Hey," he greeted softly, as though tiptoeing across broken glass.

"Hey," the other returned, never moving from his place on the bed.

He had to admit, something had struck him as odd. He remembered, way back when, Konekomaru being absolutely terrified of him, but now... it was... more calm, almost? Passive? At first, he had brushed it aside, but the curiosity was beginning to overflow. It bothered him, perhaps more than it should have. He brought his hand up to finger idly at his eyepatch as he began to speak, quiet and soft.

"...Konekomaru-san?" He roommate jumped a little, startled by the sound of his voice.

"Hai?" Said roomie watched him intently, while Rin continued to stare up at the ceiling.

"Why..." he gulped, throat suddenly dry. "Why aren't you scared of me?" Konekomaru was quiet for a moment before he found the ability within himself to answer.

"I think..." he paused, choosing his next words carefully. "that... I never really was scared of you, yourself..." he glanced over at Rin, to see him watching quietly with an unreadable expression. He continued, looking away. "I-I think... I was afraid of the memory. That... it was never really... real, to me, the Blue Night... until I saw the flames, and..." he tried to think of what to say next, but he didn't need to. His thought process was broken off by a weak, sad chuckle. He looked over and saw Rin on his back again, forearm rested across his eyes. He waited to see what he would do; if he would speak. He did.

"Heh... if only we knew this back then, huh?" He croaked out, barely above a whisper. Konekomaru nodded in agreement.

"Yeah..." Silence ensued for a moment. Then, Konekomaru spoke again.

"Ri- uh... Kuwae... T-Tor..." he started.

"You... can call me Rin," he interrupted, speaking in a low voice. He hadn't budged from his position.

"Rin-san... I... I should've said this a long time ago, but... I'm sorry... for everything..."

"It's okay," Rin responded softly. "I.. forgave you all, a long time ago." Konekomaru shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but... I don't think you did. I think you just put it away and pretended nothing ever happened," he replied, an equally as soft tone in his voice. "Still... I'm sorry..." Rin let out a shaky sigh, and very quietly whispered:

"You have no idea how much that means to me..."


Yukio fidgeted on the bed in his dorm. His brother, whom he had believed to be dead, was somewhere in this building with him... and here he was, sitting and waiting [For what? He hadn't the slightest idea.] He had begrudgingly accepted the fact that, if he chased after him, it wouldn't produce anything good. He had to wait for him to come on his accord. There were so many things he wanted to say, to express - an angrier part of him to make sure Rin knew exactly what he had put him through and a softer, more caring part to show how happy and grateful he was that he was alive.

He gripped his hair and huffed in frustration, deciding to head into town and get himself a mineral water to get his mind off his brother for awhile. When he opened the door, though, he was met with the sight of Rin standing there, fist raised as though to knock on the door, and seeming paler than death, sweat beading along his hairline.

"O-Oh, uh... h-hey, um... Y-Y- I mean.. O-Okum..." he stopped, making a noise similar to a wheeze.

"...Rin..." Yukio mumbled breathlessly. There he was, standing before him. Here, in the guise that left him unaware that it was his brother before him all along. Speechless.

"U-Um..." he seemed to shift uncomfortably in place. "C-Can I, uh... come in?" It took Yukio a moment to register his words.

"O-Oh, um... sure." He stepped back to give him room to enter and shut the door once he did. Rin took a moment to glance around the room, mentally trying to calm down.

"Heh... You're as much of a neat freak as ever. Not much different from before, yeah?" He said quietly, not looking at Yukio.

"It is, without your side of the mess," Yukio responded, equally as quiet. Rin fiddled with his thumbs a moment.

"Right to it, huh?" He chuckled weakly but stopped upon seeing Yukio's expression. A combination of seriousness, and hurt.

"Rin... I know that it all... was hard on you, and I did very little to better the situation, but... to do this?" His arms flopped helplessly as his sides, voice frail. "Do you have any idea... how much I missed you? How hard it had been to watch you that day, how hard it was not to just walk away from the funeral... to find out it was all fake? An act?"

"I never doubted that you missed me," he started. "I was sorely tempted to, but I never did doubt it..."

"Then, knowing that I would... why?"

"I thought... it was the only way I would be good at anything. That you might not be proud of me for it all, but... you wouldn't be disappointed in me anymore, either." Yukio paused, deciding his next words.

"You were never a disappointment, Rin... there were times where I knew you could do better, and times where I knew you didn't always try your hardest... but I also knew that sometimes, that was your best, and it was the most I could've ever asked for. I was never disappointed in, Rin, and... I'm sorry if I ever made you feel that way," he said, with a certain tone in his voice Rin hadn't heard since they were children. He had his guard down. Rin watched him with big eyes, beginning to shine with unshed tears.

"Y-Yukio..."

"And... I'm sorry for everything else too... the lies, the secrets... the suspicion... I... I-I thought... kind of similarly to you, actually... I was always the weaker twin, and you always protected me, from everything. For once, I wanted to be able to protect you, and... I thought that by distancing myself, focusing all I had into it, I'd be able to do it sooner." He paused, a sad smile gracing his face. "I guess all I did was push you away and make the situation worse." He stopped, realizing he was about to go on a tangent. "I'm sorry, nii-san." He looked up to Rin, to see a silent tear begin to roll down his cheek. He tensed a bit, more following afterward.

"Th-The hell, Y-Yukio..." he started as he sniffled, trying to wipe them away. "I-I'm the big brother, remember? It's my j-job to protect you!" He exclaimed, trying to put on a fierce expression but unable to in the face of the open floodgates. Yukio smiled a bit, recognizing this side of Rin that continued to blabber, and decided to close the distance between them and bring him into a tight hug. Rin suddenly went quiet, mouth gaping. He closed it after a moment, allowing himself to cry and hang on tightly to his twin.