Title: Hellspawn
Chapter: 12/?
Characters: Rin, Yukio,
Genre: some-fluff, angst, hurt/comfort (insert genre here)
Summary: "Time stopped in Rin's mind but he'd bet he still heard a ticking of a clock. His brain however seemed to go into override as the words finally clicked."
Disclaimer: I own nothing, it's purely fan made for fun... or tears.
Warnings: No beta'd, etc. cursing, anime!ver, brocon, start RinYukio. prolly ooc?

A/N: I just felt like sharing. No time-jumps this time, yay! I've prepared more for the chapter but realised it'd be too long then, so yeah. Thank you for reading, following and reviewing, it makes me want to write more, so don't be shy. See ya in the next chapter, jaa nee!

"The hardest thing in life to learn is which bridge to cross and which to burn."

- David Russell

With a heavy step Rin walked into his and Yukio's room, with the twin following closely behind him and actually closing their doors. Neither of them really spoke about anything important in their short trip back, Yukio only mentioned something about 'the candles' but that was it.

Oh, there was also pointing out a tiny detail of their battered, dirty and bruised states at which Rin could only roll his eyes and grump out that it didn't bother him that much.

But now both of them were back in their room, Rin flipped on his bed -face down- but Yukio unlike him glanced around as if thinking about something. After awhile, few sighs and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, Yukio stepped up to Rin's wardrobe – which in the meantime was his own just as well and started to rummage through the clothes.

Rin's sensitive ears picked up on the sound, perking up (with his tail few second later). Grumpily so he started to rise his head, to latch his eyes onto silhouette of his twin. Or rather the nice curve with a bronze tail, swinging back and forth that he actually seen. Not that it was a bad view...

He grumped more thinking about what just went through his head again. "Whatcha doing, Yukio?" he asked, trying to steady his eyesight on a point above his twins tail – not under. When he did not got any answer in first twenty seconds, he slowly pushed himself upright and leaned his back on the wall – closing his eyes and inhaling.

"Just looking for something to wear" came answer form Yukio, just as he half-stepped back with a plain long-sleeved shirt, boxers and pyjama bottoms. Before he however closed the wardrobe he boldly smelled the clothes at which Rin's eyes snapped open and he stared wide-eyed at his twin.

"Did ye just smelled my clothes, four-eyes?!"

Yukio unperturbed at all, shoot him a very cold look with his glasses shining ominously. "Last time I took a change of clothes they were worn out" he spoke with an strange glow to his eyes. "Who puts sweaty clothes back into the wardrobe? It was disgusting, so from that day I always check the clothes before I take them to the bathrooms."

Rin's face agape, he nearly crumbled on his spot on bed. "I did not put old clothes into wardrobe, spotty!" he snarled viciously – but being on all fours with his tail snapping skywards he looked more like a hissing kitten than anything else.

"Well" cut in Yukio, pushing his glasses back again. "you did and I almost choked to death from the stench of your..." he paused suddenly and blinked few times, eyes directing at doors. "I'm going to take a shower, you should too. After we're finished I'll look us over, maybe put some lotion on that bruise you're probably sporting on your chest."

Those words reminded Rin of the reason why they came into their room in the first place and he groaned, scratching at his head. "Oh, yeah, that. Go ahead then, I'll join you after I'll find some change of clothes."

Yukio nodded silently and stepped out.

Inhaling through his nose Rin suddenly flared bright red at his own words. He didn't meant them that way but... He shook his head and clapped himself on the face few times – only reminding himself of one of the bruises he had and howled out in pain.

Hissing, he pressed his hands harder and then breathed out. While he sat on his sheets, he wondered about his twisted perception of his love to Yukio. In a few days everything seemed to go upside down, literally. Of course he always knew he loved Yukio, he always respected him (only on few occasions though) but... the way he started to look at him now – the picture was like in distorted mirror.

When that really started though? Was it on the day when he and Yukio kissed? Well, yes – one might say it but he wasn't so sure any more. What if he was in love with Yukio long way before all that? What if the feeling was always there but only now it came up to the light?

Also another disturbing thought came back at him, or rather words he heard spoken by Mephisto around seven months ago. At time he didn't think much of them but looking at his own prediction he started to wonder if he meant them as a warning.

Demon's don't have boundaries. Human, demon, brother or mother, for us everybody is the same.

Of course he raved back at him then that it was the most disgusting thing to say – especially to him, a half-demon, a person that was going to soon enough learn the painful truth behind those words. But that stupid fluff-clown had a good reasons to say so, as he explained later the strange occurrence of the supermoons.

We of the demon kind are easily swayed between our desires – we're meant to be that way. That leaves us with our little chit-chat, Rin-kun. Now that Kurikara spell is broken, we will need to close you up – nice and snugly – in your room when the soonest supermoon comes. We wouldn't want you to run rampaging through the streets in the heat, literally.

Rin's face sombered, reminiscing that conversation, because apparently he still needed to inform Yukio about it. Shrugging off those topics from his mind, he felt that he finally gathered enough strength to get up and start to look for some fresh clothes.

Not specially he wanted to think about the night of demons lust. Well more like, not ever really. His chat with Mephisto never stopped at getting the definition but fullblown, sadistic and sarcastic monologue with the details. So what if back then he kept on getting whiter than sheet of paper and trembled with fear of what was to come and actually happen.

Groaning, his hand came into contact with kinda-fresh smelling t-shirt and he pulled it out. Upon closer inspection however he gagged little. Yukio might've been on to something after all but unfortunately he was too worn out at the moment to care and so he took out first bottoms and boxers he could find.

Well, the day didn't finish just yet and when he stepped out their room, Rin was more than sure that it wasn't the end of his silent torture.

He hissed when Yukio's cold hand smeared an odours lotion over his bruised cheek. "Tche! Are you ironing my face or something?!"

Yukio's glasses flashed but he kept his passive-aggressive expression. "It's your fault that I got you beaten up."

Now it was Rin's time to glare at his twin. "Excuse me? You didn't beaten me up. You merely scratched me."

"Oh, yes, sorry, my mistake, nii-san." Yukio spoke, now eyeing Rin's bare torso and a very visible purplish mark around his chest. "However it seems our healing abilities don't work too well on simple cuts and bruises..." he paused, his eyes narrowing a bit but still staring at bare chest of Rin's. "It's interesting how our bodies work, isn't it? I remember what life-threatening wounds you endured. But now, while you sit here you still feel pain of sore muscles and bruises. Hmm, even tiny cuts..."

Rin sat stupefied upon Yukio's monologue, unmoving but listening and observing. The pain around his chest felt like nothing in comparison to the burning in his soul. Of course there was also a fact that he was sitting before his twin bare chested and Yukio's eyes were staring at him. All in all, he started to feel self-concious about their closeness (that was normal when patient was treated by a doctor) and even that Yukio was his twin, he couldn't stop seeing him as somebody completely else.

Plus he couldn't help a tiny fidgeting at his twins intent eyes and every delicate touch of his fingers over his body – be it arm, shoulder, chest, or a face. Maybe that was a main reason why he kept on holding a breath.

When Yukio snapped back to reality and realised he was staring at Rin's chest, he closed his eyes and then pushed his glasses up. With a deliberately slow movements his hand reached towards a jar with lotion for cuts&scratches and took some of it on his fingers. Thank god he didn't glance at Rin once as he'd see a very hard-trying to be calm and composed older twin. Not that Rin's tail was lying behind him, only it's tip fidgeting from pent up frustration.

Thankfully Yukio worked fast with his palm over Rin's chest and sooner than later, Rin's torture was over and he could put his t-shirt back on. However as oblivious as both of them sometimes were neither could omiss the tense atmosphere that was in the room.

"Okay, done. Now your turn Yukio" said Rin, cutting the thick tension with his words. However all he got in reply was Yukio closing up the lotion in his desk drawer. That got Rin somehow confused and he cocked his head to the side, arms crossed. "Ne, four-eyes, did you hear what I said? It's your turn."

Yukio brushed him off with a half-glance. "I'm okay, cuts will heal in time. Besides it wasn't me who's lungs got bruised but you, nii-san."

Rin huffed, almost glaring at his twin. "Doesn't mean you don't need to be checked as well."

"Actually" Yukio sighed, his tail whipping behind him. "I've checked myself in the bathrooms before I came to the room. Seeing as I didn't have much bruises, I figured I don't need to tend to them. They will heal in no-time."

That wasn't the answer Rin expected and he felt his eye twitch with irritation. However before he could say anything else, Yukio stood up and stretched little before he went out of their room and left him to himself. Now alone, Rin snarled underneath his breath. He was getting to the point of taking his hair out at Yukio's obliviousness to the tension. The worst thing was that he not only felt like an idiot upon catching those strange vibes that were between them but also that it frustrated him, to the point where he needed to look at his twin and/or say anything to keep him aware of it.

Take an example, right now. After Yukio walked out their room it took Rin entire sixty seconds to be on the feet and march down to their unofficial 'living room' where his twin probably strode off to. Of course knowing good enough as he did Yukio, he was there – sitting by kotatsu and staring at the candles with look of pure concentration upon his face.

At first Rin wanted to laugh out at the view but then something stopped him from doing so, so he ended up standing in the middle of the room – staring at the brown head of his twin, completely silent.

That is until Yukio faced him, impassive as always. "Yes, nii-san?" he asked, waiting for any kind of explanation on his appearing. "Do you need something?"

Rin opened his mouth but closed it almost instantly. Why did he came down there? He should leave Yukio alone to figure out his exercise but then it hit him, he never said what was the trigger to unlock his powers. So with sudden flare of self-confidence his face broke into a cheshire-alike grin.

"I came to help you" he said, crossing his arms and walking towards a sofa that was not far from the table. He plopped himself unceremoniously on it, eyeing his twin still smiling.

Yukio's eyebrow twitched. "I'm listening" he stated after a few too long moments of silent staring from Rin's, plus his grin somehow unnerved him.

Rin as to him, nodded. "So, the trigger!" he mentioned, jumping to his feet, his tail now curling in excitement. "Yukio, all you have to do is look at the candles but feel as if you were about to shoot them."

By now his twin exhaled, sweatdropping. "That's going to help me? (by now I don't think even god is going to... oh wait)"

Rin only nodded vigorously and leaned down towards his brother. "Of course! I told you that being half-demon is based on emotions didn't I? So, use the knowledge, I know you can."

Yukio glanced back at the candles, narrowing his eyes. "I don't expect it to work."

But Rin didn't really care about it (he knew he was right! damnit), as he shrugged and made a way towards the shelf where their mangas stood silently, waiting for one of brothers to reach for them. Upon coming closer he puffed his cheeks, let his finger slide through various titles and then he inwardly cheered when he found his all-time favourite volume (even though Yukio as impassive as he is, didn't even spare a glance at that title). Like a little kid that just got his Christmas present ahead of time, he strode back to the sofa and plopped on it – manga in hands, grin plastered on face.

It took around an hour before the quiet sound of flipping pages stopped. However it took only thirty seconds more for Rin to flip on his stomach to observe Yukio. Somehow his eyes couldn't stop from plastering on him, mainly because he was the only soul alive around. Besides, Rin didn't expect their learning sessions to look like this, boredom that he felt in moments like this was gnawing at him to do something or worse... say.

Rin groaned silently to himself but at the same moment he felt something spike up – or he should say his flames. He couldn't explain what happened but suddenly his flames roared within his soul and damn – they were strong. Burning sensation bubbled in him and he was almost sure he saw a strange impulse that slid on their bond. That was the exact moment when he realised that the tug on his pinky was back – but it didn't hurt this time.

Slowly he sat up on the sofa and his eyes widened at the view of Yukio's burning candles. The sudden bubble of joy with the mix of burn of his fire made him light-headed and before he contemplated what was he doing – he plunged at Yukio, effectively knocking his breath out and almost crushed him in bear hug.

"You made it! You made it!" he cheered, holding his twin even closer – the heat from both of their bodies brushing against each other. "I knew it! I knew you can do it!"

Rin continued to hug his brother but after awhile he realised what he was doing and what Yukio wasn't – because he never hugged back, his entire body stiff and rigid. As if the thought finally settled in Rin's mind, he jumped back to his feet laughing and scratching at his head. He apparently got a bit carried on, didn't he?

Trying to ease the tension, he clapped Yukio on his shoulder. "Gratz, four-eyes! So now that you managed to light them it's gonna be walk in the park to concentrate for middle one! Keep up with the good job then, I'm off."

When Rin turned on his heel, he felt that he was sweating a bit too much over the simple hug, and he even babbled like some lovesick teenage-girl. It was all Yukio's fault though, he should tell him that he managed to light the candles but no, he choose not to tell. Stomping somehow robotically towards exit his back stiffened upon hearing his twin's voice.

"Nii-san..?"

He turned around, acting as cool as he could but it was difficult to do so when his entire being seemed in a whirlwind of emotions. However when his eyes locked onto his twins, he pondered for a second why did his face was so flustered. He couldn't look into his stupid impulsive hug as something more, could he? Smiling automatically, he gulped and waited.

And then he saw it, as Yukio's beet-red face turned whiter than winter's snow. Then as if in motion-captured film, his twin stood up facing him – staring more intently than he ever did at him. A shaky finger tediously pointed at him and Rin managed to blink off the strange situation. After looking around himself, he scratched his head in confusion at what was Yukio pointing at.

"Y-you..." whimpered Yukio, his eye twitching and pink colour slowly adoring his white face. "Th-th-the- THE THREAD?!" he finally burst out, his calm façade completely gone.

Rin flinched back at sudden voice attack but quickly overcame it, sighing and scratching at his chin this time. "U-ugh..." he smiled a broken smile that looked more like grimace. "Yeah, the thread. I know about it... Wait... what?! You see it too?!"

Yukio gulped, looking very worried all of a sudden. "Yes, the thread! As in a tiny, barely visible red thread that goes around yours hand and... and... and mine!" he threw out, clutching at his hair with both hands. He started to pace around and then snapped his face toward Rin again. "Wait? H-how long-?"

By now Yukio's outburst got Rin reeling a bit, he couldn't understand what was so strange that they were bond literally by a red thread? His brother was clearly overreacting but he answered his question anyway.

"I know... About few months, why?"

This time Yukio's eyes widened so much his irises almost disappeared. "You mean you knew about it for months and never told me?"

He exhaled, still confused about all the fuss. "Well, I wanted to but it always slipped my mind" he shrugged his shoulder in bliss ignorance and finally turned to the exit. "What's all the fuss about it? It doesn't hurt anybody, nor makes any difference to us, does it? Besides..." he stared at the plain doors, thinking about that day back. "It told me that you're alive, it lead me to you. So I guess I owe something that little red bugger (even though it was a pain in the ass sometimes)."

He reached for doorknob and pressed it but before he managed to step out, he was showed into the doors and sharply turned around by a very-angry looking Yukio, who seemed to be seething silently. Goddamnit, his brother could be scary when he wanted to.

"Four-eyes?!" he snapped at Yukio, who had him pinned and apparently wasn't going to let go any time soon. Even worse, he moved closer, his eyes glowing with destruction. "Wh-what?!"

When Yukio finally spoke he looked very disturbed. "Do you even know what that thread means?" he asked, his hands curling on Rin's shoulders.

Rin of course tried to remember but it was a futile thing to do so he gulped and then smiled, masking his building fright. "W-well..." his tail swayed behind him. "Not really. Did we even had it in classes?"

At that Yukio's hands pressed harder and his face hid behind his fringe. "So..." he spoke, calmly, deadly almost. "You want to tell me you don't remember anything about bonds of any kind?"

Laughing a little he tried to sway away his twin off himself to no use, but he got an glare that almost send him to the Gehenna on the spot though. "Ne, ne... Yukio" he tried once again, this time waving his hands in air. "You know how it is with me and school. Can't you just tell me what made you so freak out about it?"

"You want me to tell you?" asked Yukio finally showing his face – scared, wide-eyed as he let go of his shoulders. "Very well then, if you ask for it..." he added and back-stepped only to start to pace around once more.

Rin's heartbeat that was sky-rocketing slowly came back to normal and he breathed out in relief.

"There are two kinds of bonds, nii-san" spoke Yukio, who stopped before kotatsu, his eyes on the still burning candles. "First kind of bond is the bond between master and slave or more known as the bond between tamer and familiar, two strangers who never had a connection. It's made by simple obedience and goes only one way, unless the second party agrees to fully bind themselves together. The second kind of bonds is..." he breathed out, his hand reaching eyeglasses and pinching his nose bridge. "The second kind is made at the birth, no one has any mean in changing it until one of the party dies beforehand full-binding themselves."

"So..?" Rin piped in, completely baffled. "You can't mean that one of us is like a slave to the other?!" he suddenly burst out, but then he wondered if it was so bad if Yukio was his slave? Hm...

"No. It's different. The first kind is that of co-workers. The second is that of lovers."

Time stopped in Rin's mind but he'd bet he still heard a ticking of a clock. His brain however seemed to go into override as the words finally clicked.

"LOVERS?!" he screamed, his jaw hanging, his eyes wide. "You gotta tell me you're kidding, right? Four-eyes? RIGHT?!"

It wasn't happening or so he wanted to believe in. It was almost illogical that this tiny net that went between him and Yukio was that of lovers? Their bond meant an fucking incestuous relationship! Impossible! He couldn't get his mind around it but now he understood his twins outburst.

But didn't it mean that Yukio was more than disgusted with an even thought of... Rin snapped his eyes shut and growled under breath. Fucking perfect!

Yukio apparently in mean time calmed himself enough to be a voice of the reason as he spoke. "Well..." he cleared his throat. "That explains a lot actually" he added as if in afterthought. "But it is not as if any of us actually was going to bind us further than we already are."

Rin saw a tiny fidget of his twins hands and grumped. "Of course we don't!" he said furiously though his flames were asking for something completely different. "Don't be absurd."

Now was Yukio's clue to snap his face up, beet-red again and a bit spluttering. "I am absurd! The thought never crossed my mind!"

Rin gritted his teeth but somehow in his blind anger he felt first pricks of tears around his eyes. "Good" he snapped, clenching fists and trying to calm his breathing. "At least we got it off our chests" he added, his voice rugged. "Well..." he straightened and smiled lopsidedly. "Neither of us will ever act on it. What about the consequences?"

Yukio's head cocked and then he lost himself in thought. "Not that I read of any. It's like you say, we don't have to act on it, it's just that... a string of fate. I never knew we were connected in that way."

Now that the main tension went away, Rin let himself calm down bit more. Still there were thoughts gnawing at his mind. "I didn't either nor I did know that it's the bond of... lovers" he saw as Yukio flinched over the word and clenched his teeth. "Anyways... we're brothers, we can't... nor want to fullfill the binding. We're going to leave it as it is, ignore it. Damn it, this is disturbing."

Yukio nodded. "Yes, it is. But like you said we won't act on it, we'll ignore it. I guess, if we lived with it for the past seventeen years without knowledge then it doesn't affect anybody. We should be fine."

"Yeah, fine" grumbled Rin more to himself than to Yukio but the other heard anyway. One way or another, he somehow didn't want to be in the same room as his twin so he turned on his heel. "I'll go take a nap, wake me for supper..."

With those words Rin practically stormed out from living-room, knowing that the thin relationship he had with Yukio just crushed like an ice. On his way to their dormitory he only hoped that his brother won't leave him, once they will be out in the open.

As if his twisted love wasn't enough already, there must've came that stupid bond.

Before he knew, his back hit soft bed and his eyes closed. He was really exhausted and now when new facts came up to the light he didn't want nothing more than sink back into darkness. While his thoughts fought between themselves, he let himself slowly drift off into dreamland. At least there he was obliviously happy.

Demon's don't have boundaries. Human, demon, brother or mother, for us everybody is the same.