Friday and Saturday nights the twins spent at their mothers. Yes, on Fridays she had to work late, so they rarely saw her then, but when school let out on Saturday and they returned to the little apartment she was usually waiting just behind the door. They'd change out of their school uniforms and, barring bad weather, go for a short walk around the nearby park. Next was a stop at Grandma's grave, where they offered prayers and incense. Koji had never met her, yet of the three he tended to be the most insistent about this part of the ritual. Even as telepathy strained his and Koichi's relationship, there was never a second when he regretted meeting him. And that encounter, bizarre as it had been, was the direct result of Grandma's dying words. Hence he never missed a chance to thank her. The boys were expected at their dad's on Sunday night dinner, but before she turned them loose into the world, Tomoko always made sure each had something sweet for later.

After ten years spent apart, Koji treasured every instant of free time he got with his biological mother. Yet that very next day he was going to forsake their routine, abandon his mother in favor of some French guy he'd hardly even met, and go hunting. Why? Because that thing that could never happen, that dark fear which had always hidden in the back of his heart, the impossible nightmare, had spilled into reality. There had only ever been one thing Koji couldn't help, one thing from which he couldn't protect his twin, and that thing was back. Duskmon was back, and he-It, whatever, wanted to posses Koichi again. But this time things would be different. This time, Koji was going to keep his brother safe. Whatever the cost, whatever it took, history wasn't going to repeat itself.

It hurt him to miss their weekend family time. It pained him to know that, sooner than either of them wanted, those moments would feel like the faded dream of kinder days. It was going to be like pulling teeth to look his mother in the face and tell her he had more important things to do. But that was the price, harsh as it was. If Duskmon really was out in the real world, and he was already gathering humans to help him, then he'd surely begun twisting more than Koichi's mind. By now, he was twisting the very fabric of their fates. Koichi wasn't the only one at risk; if things went the way they did in the Digital World, then quite literally the entire planet was in danger. Stopping Duskmon had to be their primary goal- their only concern. Whatever it takes. And if it took his sacred time with their mother, then so be it.

"You're being quiet."

Koji started at the soft sound of his brother's voice, his gaze jerking towards its origin. The dark twin was only a meter or so away, pulling out another futon from the closet in his room and laying it along side one that was already on the floor. Setting up their usual sleeping arrangement like any other Friday night as if nothing unusual had happened that day. At Satomi's insistence, and despite his protests, their dad had converted the second floor office into Koichi's bedroom. It was right next to Koji's and, those first couple years after they got back from the Digital World, the twins used to tap messages through the walls in the dead of night. Here, at their mother's, there was no space for such things. So instead Tomoko moved into the room that had been her mother's and the twins shared the room where she and Koichi had slept. Initially, they'd actually found this set up more appealing than the two beds at their dad's. Koji had liked having Koichi right next to him and Koichi had enjoyed being there, as if it stirred some distant sentiment of sharing a crib. Then the telepathic connection started getting stronger and… The walls helped Koji sleep most nights.

"I'm just thinking," he replied apathetically, shrugging his shoulders. He did, however, push the two futons closer together with his foot, causing Koichi to give him a pleasantly surprised look. Tonight, Koji wanted his brother as close as possible, even if he wasn't willing to say it.

"About," probed Koichi. He knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it. He wanted… he wasn't sure… conformation? Koji was silent for a moment, choosing his words. With a sigh through his nose, he pulled the cell phone Dorian had handed him out of his pocket and stared at it meaningfully.

"I was thinking," he tried slowly, pursing his lips. "I was thinking what a shame it was that we wouldn't get to spend time with our mother tomorrow." Even now, he tried not to call her 'Mom,' for Satomi's sake.

"Is that all?"

Again, Koji paused. It was a loaded question, a trap, and they both knew it. The light twin moved over to Koichi's desk and set the attacker's cell phone on the surface deliberately. He shot Koichi a piercing look, scrutinizing him as he made up the futons with pillows and blankets from the closet, his fingers resting on the phone's black screen. Koichi didn't meet his gaze, choosing instead to work diligently on the set up. His head still felt a little woozy and he would be very glad to rest it a little more.

"I just want to make sure you're not worrying about me," he said casually, tucking the pillows artfully under the blankets and paying extra attention to the way the corners matched up. "Because I'm fine. Really."

"Nii-san," Koji whispered, almost pointedly. Koichi froze where he kneeled, as if Koji had said something cruel to him. His hands hovered over the blankets, then balled in to little fists which he quickly tried to conceal in his lap.

"I know I'm not supposed to," he started, his tone low and broken. "And I didn't mean to or even want to, but I sensed the doubt back there. When I said I was strong enough to fight off Duskmon I felt everyone's disbelief like a cold fog. They don't think I can do this, Lespion especially. I know they don't mean to, but still, my own friend's think I'm going to just fall back into that evil first chance I get and I-"

He broke off, shaking his head. Koji gave his brother a hard stare, his face an unreadable mask. Yet when he spoke, his voice was soft and warm and simple.

"What do you think," he asked softly. Koichi's jaw visibly tightened and he shot his brother a defensive look.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it," he said with a little more venom than he'd intended. The expression on Koji's face diffused him and he relaxed his shoulders, tilting his head. "I can't afford to not to mean it. I just…" He swallowed, his eyes falling to the cell phone before he looked away. "Don't enjoy feeling like everyone's just waiting for me to fail."

Koji frowned sadly, wanting to comfort his brother but unsure how. Tentatively, he reached out with his feelings, trying to project them onto Koichi's mind the way he sometimes couldn't help but do. There was a tickle of responsiveness, then with a twinge of annoyance he was thrown out. It was slightly unexpected, causing Koji's frown to deepen. Koichi pretended not to notice, so, with a nod of acceptance, Koji tried another tactic.

"When we were going into our final battle with Cherubimon," he started. "I was terrified. I didn't want anyone to know, but I was so afraid I wouldn't be strong enough to beat him. That I was going to fail and my only friends, you, the entire Digital World would have to pay for my weakness. I tried to hide that fear behind a cocky grin and a brave front, but even back then you always seemed to know. You looked at me like I was the only living soul in the world and you said "I believe in you, brother." No good luck or smart comment, just that."

"I remember," Koichi said, smiling slightly. "It was a silly, corny thing to say. In retrospect you probably would have preferred a wittier send off."

"I believed you." Koji's voice held a strained, almost pleading note. He took two long steps and kneeled by his brother's side, placing a hand on his shoulder. It wasn't much, but Koichi jumped nonetheless, staring at his twin in confusion. "When you said you believed in me, then I started to believe in me too. If you thought I was brave, then it must've been true. If you said I was strong enough to defeat Cherubimon, then I was. Simple as that."

"I'm sure it wasn't that simple," whispered Koichi with a weak smile.

"Yes it was," said Koji firmly, giving Koichi's shoulder a squeeze. "Even when things looked really bad, even when it felt like they were going to legitimately kill me, I knew you believed in me and I kept fighting. Nii-san, I won that fight because you believed I would."

There was something Koji couldn't quite read on his twin's face, some pain he couldn't quite understand.

"I won't let him take me," Koichi breathed in a low voice, staring intently at his brother. "I won't become that. Not again. Never again."

"I know," Koji responded without a trace of doubt. "If you say Duskmon's not coming back, then I believe you. Doesn't matter what anybody else thinks."

The two sat there for a single, magical moment. One of those rare instances of pure understanding. Pure harmony. Then the absolute cheesiness of it all began to set in and an embarrassed grin twisted Koji's lips. His gaze fell to the floor and he nodded as if in resignation. Koichi, never quite as socially conscious as his twin, turned his head and blinked in mild confusion. Such dramatics didn't bother him and he could never understand what all the fuss was about.

"Sorry," Koji apologized sheepishly, removing his hand from his brother's shoulder. Neither of them knew if he was apologizing to Koichi or himself.

"No," said the dark twin softly, giving his first truly genuine smile of the night. "No, I- Thank you." Then, before the silence got awkward, he added: "I'm sorry you got pushed around by a Frenchman."

Koji looked up indignantly and was about to protest, but stopped when he saw the teasing look in his brother's eyes. Grinning, he instead elected to throw a pillow at his older brother, nailing him in the chest.

"Just go to sleep already."