Me: pls…..let me write…..

My brain, banging pots and pans together while playing the Barney theme song at top volume: buddy, my guy, my dude, shut the fuck up

(Don't) Kiss Me At Midnight

Ame and Ema walked home together, arms linked and their sides pressed together to keep warm in the cold night air. They turned the corner to the building and spotted Azusa sitting pensively on the stone stairs leading up to the little park. "Oh, Azusa!"

He startled, having not noticed them approach, and quickly got to his feet, schooling his features into a practiced smile. "Oh, welcome back."

"What are you doing out here?" Ame asked as he turned gaze away and stared through the glass entrance at the door. "Aren't you freezing?"

Azusa shrugged and shoved his hands in the pockets of his slacks. He was only wearing a t-shire and a blue cardigan, hardly enough protection against the chill. "Just felt like it. I couldn't relax in my room."

Ema frowned worriedly. "If you get sick it will affect your work. You should go inside."

Azusa huffed and looked away. "I don't have any work that would have a problem with that."

Ame arched a single eyebrow at him, vaguely annoyed by the sulking and whining, especially after the conversation she and Ema had just had with Natsume, and she was unwilling to soften her words. "Aren't you in that new anime?"

There was a panicked squeak from Ema as she tried to shush her older sister while apologizing. Azusa started, and his eyes snapped around to stare them. "How did you-? Natsume told you, didn't he?" He sighed and went back to staring wearily at the ground. "Whatever, it doesn't matter anymore. I'm planning to turn down that role anyway."

The two sisters stared at him, one in surprise, and the other in annoyed disbelief. "…what?"

"You heard, didn't you?" He paced slowly in a short line, their eyes following him. "I can't do it. I can't do the role."

"And you're fine with that?" Azusa stared at Ema, whose eyes were narrowed and her lips pursed in a pout. "Even if it's for Tsubaki's sake, turning down a role for someone else-"

Azusa's brows furrowed, and he took a step forward. "Keep mouthing off and I'm going to get mad. That role belongs to Tsubaki."

In response, Ame stepped in front of her sister and glared back at him with enough animosity to frighten a bull. Azusa's eyes flickered uncertainly, surprised. Ema leaned out from behind her older sister. "But…you were the one who chosen, Azusa. You must understand the significance of being chosen. Besides, I like your voice Azusa, so-"

"That's enough!" Azusa yelled. His voice was loud in the hush of the night. "No matter what anyone says, that's the one role I just can't do! I absolutely can't do it, so I'm turning it down. I won't do it! Besides, once I turn it down, the role will…"

"Will what?" Ame snapped, marching forward until she was almost nose to nose with Azusa. "Go to Tsubaki? Do you think he would be happy with getting a role that was given to him only because you turned it down?"

His face twisted into a snarl. "You don't know anything about-!"

"I wouldn't be happy." The three of them turned to see Tsubaki standing outside the glass door, his hands in his pockets, and a smile on his face. It wasn't his usual, jovial expression, but it was a smile nonetheless. "I wouldn't have said it quite as firmly as Ame-chan, but I wouldn't be happy." Ame stepped back and relaxed, folding her arms across her chest as Azusa walked over to them, "Ah, and here I spent the whole night lying awake thinking about how to talk you into it. I was going to come out at the end and set you straight. It was going to be my moment in the spotlight, but you kind of stole that from me."

"Tsubaki, I…"

Tsubaki walked over to his brother until their faces were very close. "Azusa, do it for me," he said firmly. "I don't want it to be anyone else. I'm your number one fan in the whole world, so I want to hear you perform that role. Will you let me hear that role in your voice?"

Azusa stared at his brother for what felt like a long while, and then his eyes dropped. He nodded. "Alright, I'll do it."

Ame and Ema watched the sweet reconciliation. "They're pinky-swearing!" Ema hissed happily at her sister.

"Then go call your manager and set it up right away," Tsubaki smiled as their fingers disconnected. Azusa nodded and walked into the house.

Ame turned to her sister. "You should go inside Ema. You're going to catch a cold if you stay out any longer."

"What about you?"

"I want to talk to Tsubaki for a moment," Ame replied. Ema nodded and, pausing only to remove the beige scarf from around her neck and loop it around Ame's, followed Azusa into the house.

Tsubaki smirked at her and gestured with his thumb in the direction of a more secluded area. "Wanna keep me company for my consolation party?"

The two walked in silence, Tsubaki wrapped up in his thoughts. Once they reached the stretch of low fence, and the solitary park bench set underneath a single streetlamp, Tsubaki wandered over to the lamp and leaned against it while Ame perched on the relatively clean bench and stared up at him. "Are you alright?"

Tsubaki exhaled softly, staring up at the night sky. "Honestly? Not really. I'm still disappointed. I was the one who first wanted to be a voice actor, and I mostly dragged Azusa into it. I guess somewhere along the way he surpassed me." Ame eyes followed him as he kicked away from the lamp and swayed forwards. "It's always been that way, since we were kids. Azusa's always come out on top no matter what we did, even though we were supposed to have been born from the same egg. I know Azusa's the better actor, so they were probably right to decide the way they did. It's because of that…that I'm disappointed…"

His shoulders were shaking, maybe with repressed anger, or sadness, Ame wasn't sure. "Tsubaki, I don't…"

"That reminds me, I wanted to ask you something," he walked back to Ame until he was standing right in front of her. Ame stared up at him curiously. "Earlier Ema told Azusa she liked his voice. What about you? Whose voice do you like?"

"I like both of your voices," Ame replied, getting to her feet so that she was in a less vulnerable position. "I don't know much about voice acting, but I've always thought that you were both wonderfully talented. Things like this, acting, music, art, it's not about who's better than who, but who resonates with what. I believe that if something is meant for you, then it's yours. There are definitely roles that only you can play, because only you can make that character come alive. At least," Ame shrugged and folded her arms across her chest, looking off to the side, "that's just my opinion anyway-!"

In the next second, Tsubaki marched over to her, gripped her shoulders in both hands, and kissed the corner of her mouth. Ame squeaked in surprise, and leaned back to stare up at him. Tsubaki smirked down at her. "Sorry. But you know the best remedy for a depressed boy is a kiss from a pretty girl."

"I'm sure there's something about that girl not being your step-sister," Ame tried to take a step back, but his fingers tightened on her shoulders.

Tsubaki leaned in again, but he bypassed her lips this time for her ear. "By the way, and this has been bothering me for a while now, but isn't this scarf menswear? And the gloves," he pulled back and grabbed one of her hands, lifting them up. His eyes narrowed, "the designs are pretty in line with my tastes too…it kinda ticks me off…"

"Yes, well…" Ame trailed off, wondering if she should tell him that Natsume had given it to her and her sister. Natsume was one of the few brothers who hadn't made any real passes at her sister, and was therefore mostly spared from her innate wrath.

After scowling at her hands for a few more seconds, Tsubaki let her go. "Tomorrow, you should come out with me. You still owe me a date, remember?" He winked at her flirtatiously, and walked off.

Ame watched Tsubaki march off in the direction of the house, and then she wiped at the corner of her mouth. Ask for my consent first, dammit. This whole situation was getting out of hand if Tsubaki felt he could kiss her without asking. Maybe she was laying the sweet and innocent act on a bit thick.

"Oh my," a familiar voice startled her, causing her to nearly drop her lipbalm. "Does he not kiss like a prince, little sister?"

"Hikaru-san," Ame stared at the fashionably dressed man in surprise, and then arched an eyebrow. "Why were you lurking in the bushes like a well-dressed serial killer?"

Hikaru preened at the half-compliment. "I was just taking a walk around the area and what do I see by my little brother and new step-sister kissing under the lamplight. What a romantic scene, even if you are now siblings."

"Tsubaki-san kissed me, I didn't kiss him," Ame replied curtly, sliding her balm back into her bag and placing her hands on her hips. "How much do you know about this?"

"This event in particular?" Hikaru waved a manicured hand in the air, "or the general realisation that most of my brothers are crushing on you and their sister?"

"The second one."

"Enough, I suppose," he smirked and shrugged lazily. "It's quite interesting to watch all of them scramble after you, although from what I hear, Subaru's been a no-show lately. Anything to say about that?"

Ame stared at him silently, and then smiled her old, sweet, innocent smile. "No Hikaru-san, I have no idea why that might be."