Icarus and the Bird with Clipped Wings

by reminiscent-afterthought

[AU] Takuya makes it his mission to break the new kid's shell and make him spill his secrets. But shells have different purposes and he learns this one after a trip to the hospital where he meets the brother. And secrets have reasons too. This one's a case of them hiding in plain sight... which is hard to do with other tell-tale signs and trigger actions and failing to move on.

14. 14

Icarus and the Bird with Clipped Wings
14.

By the time Kousei arrived, the show was over. Kind of.

It was more like act one was over. But Kouji was always more effective in act one. He was pretty effective in act two too, but if they tipped over into act three, it became a problem.

Kousei made sure to keep a sharp ear out as they talked, stilted and quiet, under the scrutinizing stares of the nurses. They were baffled. Nothing new, really, because the nurses always changed and none of them could quite get used to how quickly Kouji could draw his brother out of his shell.

At least the so-far known triggers were written on a very clear sticky note (taped in, so it didn't fall out again) in the patient notes.

Though this time, it sounded like someone had recognised him. Which was impossible. Should have been impossible. Until Kousei saw act three on the horizon and coaxed Kouji away and, speaking to one of the nurses afterwards, they realised it was all Kanbara and a somewhat mistaken identity.

Which left Kouji cursing and Kousei too weary to think of scolding him, because to avoid things like that was why they'd moved here in the first place.