Unwelcome
..
.
He would apologize later, maybe. One of them had to do it, and obviously his brother wouldn't.
He'd always had unshaken respect for his older brother, even in those times when he yelled at him for being a nii-san no baka, even while he was sulking by the river after their fights, even now as he stared at the red slap mark on that very person's cheek.
"It's getting cold," he said in a tiny voice.
"I'm not going home," came the growling response. "Go back by yourself."
"No way. Mom will ask me where you are, and I don't want to lie."
His brother didn't reply.
"Mom will be worried, you know." He'd seen her pained eyes before he ran after his brother. She'd never hit any of them before.
"That person is there, he can take care of it."
"He wasn't even angry at us. Forgive him already."
"Of course he wasn't. It was his fault."
He sighed. Since when was one at fault for falling into a suddenly morphed hole on the floor?
"You hate that Father left us for so long. You should be happy that he comes back." He added in a smaller voice, "Mom is happy."
Silence.
"Nee, do you think he will come to pick us up--"
His brother stood up abruptly. "Let's go, Al."
"Aa," he scrambled to his feet in relief.
He would apologize later, when they got home. After all, he is the one who drew the transmutation circle.
.
..