A/N: I'm a person who laughs a lot, but I lack humour. On a side note, I visited the Kateikyo Hitman fandom before writing this. That place has more potential for humour than any other fandom. It's practically a gaggle of kindergarten drawings with numerous gems hidden all over. KnB fandom isn't as dead as I expected either. Thank you all for the incredible support. Hope you enjoy this.

Forever in Oblivion: I'm glad you remember ReBirth. It's always nice to have repeat readers from elsewhere

Anon: My goal was to get through the early years of life as fast as possible. It might have seemed a tad unrealistic due to that, but I hope you can forgive that.

iciclefangAJ: Hm…I like fast-paced stories but I'm a slow-paced writer. I will probably race through early years and slow the pace around the actual story arcs. And thanks for the compliment : )

Natsume Yuki: I'm glad you liked C1, here's C2

I-HATE-HAPPY-PEOPLE: Nice account name…Really, I mean it.

Alexandra Alcatraz Morgan: Darn. Your account name is hard to spell. On my part, I'm just really glad you guys enjoyed it.

SophieNewman: …Game? Well, IDK, but here's your new chapie!

Chapter 2

"We don't remember days, we remember moments."

~ Cesare Pavese ~

The growth of infants is truly amazing.

Way before he was born to this world, back when he was still hidden beneath a thick layer of flesh and blood and fluid, he had already somewhat realized what kind of family he would have.

The continuous tune of 'ABCs' and other nursery rhymes, for instance, was already a hint towards the perfection seeking trait of the Akashi clan. Then, there was that irritating song about wine bottles – something about taking one down and leaving whatever number of bottles was left – which left a trauma in his mature, but not yet fully developed brain.

Back then, it took all he had to not kick vigorously at the walls bounding him. In retrospect, however, he should probably be relieved for that.

"Sei~ I want five chocolate bars."

His two year old brother paused and gave him a blank wide-eyed look, one that told him he was quickly processing the number five, and he nodded.

"Okay." And off his older brother went, accompanying Masaomi to the convenience store.

Satoru laid on a pillow, closing his eyes as he dozed off, feeling very much like a boss.

Thanks to the horrid torture from those days, it had only taken a few repeats of those accursed songs for Seijuro to learn the letters and numbers. It helped, since Satoru is the type that never had much patience with teaching simple stuff (knowledge he thinks everyone should be born with unless they are mentally stunted or, worse, normal).

Basic education aside, the difficulty in the things they were doing didn't change much after they returned from the main house.

There were lettered and numbered cubes and 20 pieces puzzles, of course, and more questions posed to them and more questions encouraged to be asked by them. Shiori also taught them to count money, sketch still life drawings, and played the piano more than often for them, urging them to try them out. All at the age of two.

Satoru thought it was normal. Afterall, if he had experienced such things in his past life, this should be considered a normal upbringing, right?

He neglected to consider that he, the product of said upbringing, wasn't exactly what one considered normal either.

"You're strange."

Mamoru blinked and tossed his head back, bursting into rambunctious laughter.

"Strange, I say." The new vice-captain of the Seiho Basketball Team, Aida Takano, stared at him blankly, unfazed by his strangeness.

Constantly blank faced but with a politeness that would soften even the gruffest of brutes, excellent grades, and even a perfectly calm, focused gaze that had many students bowing to him in admiration, Aida Takano was what everyone would consider the model student, someone who would go on to achieve much success in his later life regardless of the industry.

And that same Aida Takano was now admitting he is strange. It was an achievement, in his books.

"Y-You're – Pfft! – a pretty blunt guy, aren't you, Takano-kun?" He smiled.

Takano did not even bat an eyelash.

"Only to people who don't deserve politeness." Ouch. But then again, he probably deserved that one. "Once again, you are a strange guy, Mamoru-san. By the way, are you possibly wearing make up? I see flowers blooming behind you."

"Eh? I'm not. Where are those flowers?" Mamoru looked around.

"Ah, they disappeared." Takano deadpanned.

"Hm?" Mamoru gave him a weird look. And they called him weird.

Takano shrugged. An awkward silence resounded once again before Takano broke it.

"Would you…like some tea? Or is plain water okay for you?"

"PWAHAHA!" The new captain of the basketball team laughed again, bringing his hand down on the couch repeatedly in his humour. "You're hilarious, Takano-kun!"

"You're weird." He repeated blankly.

"B-But…That's your reaction to waking up with someone in your bed?!" Another snicker. Shoulders shaking with barely withheld, but still very loud laughter. Then, a contemplative look. "I should have stripped us down to our boxers before you woke. I wonder what your reaction would be then…"

"Please, don't." Takano deadpanned. He sat down the cups with more force than needed. "I want neither your fanboys coming after me nor your fangirls taking my pictures, so please spare me from that."

"Another good reaction!"

Takano sighed at the constant snickers, dragging fingers through his hair.

"What did you come here for, Mamoru-san? And of so many other second-years, why choose a first-year?" His questions placed a calmer sheen over the situation. The snickers dwindled, and Mamoru gazed at him with tears in his eyes, a helpless smile on his face.

"You're not going to ask me about how I got the previous captain to quit?"

"I'd rather not." Takano shuddered. "I heard about the story from sempais. You wrote that requirement into the contract, didn't you? Something about small font words, white tape, and passive aggressive behavior…"

"I thought you didn't want to know?" Mamoru smirked.

In that moment, Takano felt something in the air stir. The dark eyes which stared at him gleamed mysteriously, a hint of sleeping darkness stirring in their depths. His smile didn't change at all, but with the tone in his words, the simple curve of lips somehow seemed colder, harder, tighter all at once. All the while, Mamoru remained relaxed on his couch, legs thrown about in a manner that suggested casualness, arising from the simple yet definite knowledge that he was stronger.

This was the person that he had heard about, Takano then realized. The person who had scored the highest at the nationals, who led the many sport teams in his Middle School to victory in various tournaments, the one who somehow manipulated and tricked the authorities, pushing Seiho's previously wimpy captain off the throne. It was all him.

A bead of cold sweat trailed down his cheek.

Takano frowned.

"Please don't use that gaze on me, Mamoru-san. You have yet to answer my question – Why me?"

The dark eyes blinked and the tension lifted. Takano mentally breathed a sigh of relief. Mamoru beamed.

"Of course, it's because the first-years are becoming rowdy about a fellow first-year becoming captain. You're well respected by them, so obviously-"

"Why not a second year?" Takano pushed. "Even if Seiho's not a strong team nationally, they are at least-"

"…It wouldn't mean anything then." There it was again, that gaze. But it was emptier than before, and Takano was struck by the void in them.

"…What do you mean?"

"Seiho has been ruined since their defeat by last year's champions. Soon, the sempais will quit." Coming from his lips, it didn't sound like a prediction, but a foretelling. Mamoru grinned, startling him. "And I chose this team precisely of that."

Takano stared. He didn't know what else to say or do.

Then, he parted his lips to ask – how does he know? Why is he so sure of it? When will such things happen? – and was interrupted by a single sound.

*GUUUU~*

He fell silent. Mamoru fell silent. Their eyes fell to Mamoru's tummy, the origin of the sound.

Takano felt an eye twitched. He checked the time. It was two in the morning, and his new captain was sheepishly smiling at him as he extended his hand, palm facing upwards.

"What's the meaning of that hand?" He deadpanned.

"I want instant noodles, please. Chicken flavored."

"This isn't a hotel."

"Captain's orders~" Mamoru sang.

Takano suddenly got a sense of dread. If this was what his life would be like for the next three years, he should have rejected the position as soon as his bastard captain announced it – or better yet, threw the guy out the moment he woke up to his face staring back at him, in the cold of the night or not.

The lights of the hallways flickered on. Sounds of footsteps were heard. His mom barged in, face sleepy and dazed when she saw Mamoru.

"Ara, Taka-kun, why didn't you tell me your friend was over?" His sweet, innocent, too friendly mom didn't even realize that she was facing the devil himself.

"That's right, you should have told your Kaa-san, like I suggested, Taka-kun~" Mamoru sang.

It wasn't until Takano was pouring the hot water into the cup that he realized his captain had narrowly escaped his barrage of questions.

Damn it.

For Akashi Shiori, it was no surprise when her younger son easily took to forming words with the lettered cubes, both asking and answering the strangest and most adult questions, even taking to the arts with ease.

Of course, it was quite strange in the beginning. Based on her study of the normal growth of normal human beings – meaning, those who were not Akashi – they are usually not so well versed in so many things, even when they are in their middle-aged years. Especially the middle-aged years, one might even say, because they become more accustomed to just their occupations and living and enjoying and drinking. However, she attributed it to Satoru being a talented individual in his past life.

Do note that Shiori is an Akashi through and through. 'Talented' in human terms equate to 'generally acceptable in all areas' in the Akashi's language.

However, one cannot blame Akashi Satoru for being deemed as such. He was only trying to downgrade his skills and seem 'normal', afterall.

For Akashi Masaomi, a man distantly related to the Akashi and raised amongst the normal people, however, things were just a tad different.

"Father, why is the sky blue?" "Father, why must we read?" "Father, what is that?"

Questions like these were things he could handle, especially when they come from his older son.

To him, Akashi Seijuro is a blessing. He is a very talented infant from young, though that's only natural, given the education they have started giving before he was even out of the womb. Seijuro is talented and sane, a thing he was appreciative of, given his wife's occasional tendency to stare at knitting needles in a way that both boogled and terrified him.

Seijuro even wanted to be like him. Who could possibly dislike that?

On the other side of the spectrum, Akashi Satoru is a devil.

"Papa, why was Mama screaming last night?" "Papa, can I have an ice cream?" "Papa, can I have a dozen ice-creams?" "Papa, how did I come about?"

Um…Erm…Mama was squealing because she was happy about something. Yes, you can have an ice cream. No, that many ice-creams will infuriate your mother, so just no. And children come about because of…science science science blank-face science face-palm…You don't understand? Just…Ask your Mother.

And also, please don't call Masaomi your Papa anymore. Use 'Father', you are old and mature enough to stop using that childish term.

And one wonders why Seijuro is always formal and uptight. In Satoru's opinion, it was because of his even more uptight and stick-up-the-arse father.

That aside, there is a tendency, Masaomi realized some time ago, that runs in the Akashi Family:

The amount of talent any one Akashi holds is also a gauge of how much insanity that lies dormant in them. Of course, that by itself is self-explanatory. When one considers that Akashi Takamura was the past head of the clan and the head of insanity, it makes even more sense.

Suddenly…Masaomi wondered why he himself was not yet insane.

The sempais left. The trauma was too much for them, apparently.

The ones left behind were forced to pick up the pieces and restart the basketball team.

Takano watched, unfazed, as their new captain of one month simply beamed in face with everything and handed them their new training menu. He did not bat an eyelash, not even in face with the sudden surge of complaints amongst the few first years they have left.

"You guys want to win, don't you?" He cocked his head, Cheshire smile planted across his face. "Or do you want to become like the sempais and leave? And perhaps, have these pictures distributed to the rest of the school cohort?"

There and then, he took out certain pictures.

Takano's eyes bulged. Well, everyone's eyes bulged at the pictures that were shown to them.

Yamamoto Shigure is donning a middle school uniform in that one. Except, it was a girl's uniform. Suzumiya Kishi is waving a large flag over the school roof – one with a heart shape on it – but with a heartbroken face. Ken is running away from a chihuahua, Natsume was drying a sheet with a very embarrassing wet stain, someone's height is put on displayed – apparently, the poor guy has grown shorter in the past year – and there were more.

"Y…You…That's blackmail, Captain!" Kishi shouted, pointing an accusing finger at his captain.

"It's friendly coercing, Kishi-kun." Mamoru beamed, looking more refreshed than should be possible with those things in his hands.

Chaos erupted.

Many accusations with some questioning and much laughing on the part of Mamoru took place.

Takano paled. He didn't manage to see it, but…

"My picture isn't there as well, is it, Captain?" He questioned.

"It is, Takano-kun." Mamoru laughed so happily one would have thought he was skipping out in a garden. "That is, the picture of your most beloved rag bunn-"

"Don't say it!" He buried his face in his hands.

Why did he have a captain like that?

Heck. Why is there a person like that in existence?!

Takano only realized, months later, that his Captain had done that to cheer them up.

In place of nightmares about losing in a tournament, their dreams were replaced with fears of others' reactions to their most important secrets.

In place of the previous politeness and awkwardness, there was now a sense of camaraderie amongst the team members. To Protect the already stolen secrets. To Protect themselves. And Protect future secrets from being captured by Captain.

They call themselves the '3P' group, to Protect their everything from the Captain.

Well done, Captain, well done.

The first signs begun in the baseball team, then the volleyball team, then hockey, and Karuta, and Shogi. Before he knew it, the whole school was talking about the Captain, something about sharing his abilities and being so very kind.

The person in question was totally oblivious to it through it all. Lazing about in class, he had been snoring softly away when Takano found his way to his usually all knowing captain. The girls who had been staring at the sleeping Mamoru turned their attention on him. With a grunt of unease, he strode forward with large steps, slamming one hand down on the desk.

"Mamoru, wake up!"

"Kya! He called Mamoru-kun without honorifics!"

"As expected, they're…"

It's the usual thing. The usual misunderstandings, he meant. Takano tried to calm himself and ignore the not so subtle squeals when the previous sleeping captain woke up, staring blankly at him.

"Taka-kun, good night."

And he slumped back, fully ready to sleep until Takano pinched his cheek.

"Do you know what the whole school has been saying about you? Wake up already, you arrogant captain!" He ordered. His words sparked life in the tired teen.

"What? More rumours again?" Mamoru yawned.

"Again?" Takano lifted a brow.

"It's the usual thing. Don't be so agitated." Never mind that Takano had on his usual expressionless face. Mamoru smiled, patting his shoulder reassuringly. Needlessly, in Takano's opinion. "No use considering inconsiderate people. Only when they get physical, then is it time to be concerned."

Physical…? Takano stared, eyes widened by a fraction.

A pool of dread was steadily increasing. Now that he thought about it, his captain is technically someone who is able to offend people just by existing. When threats and arrogant attitude are tossed into it, who knows how many people he could offende, or how many people he has already made jealous, hurt, or heartbroken etcetera.

How many…Takano thought for the first time. How many times did his Captain get threatened or subtly bullied like that before?

"Good night."

"Wait-"

Too late. Mamoru had already slunk back, drifting off to dreamland.

As Takano walked back to his class numbly, he thought about what they should do to combat such negative rumours. It wasn't negative, per say. Just that it was deluding the entire school into believing that their Captain was something to be shared, and that was definitely damaging for the basketball team's reputation (since they would be 'hoarding' a public good). If the Captain leaves, discipline would vanish into nothing and the tournament they were participating in would be lost, too.

He definitely didn't want that.

With determination set firmly in his eyes, the blank faced vice captain decided to do something about it.

The 3P group within Seiho Basketball Team was changed to 4M.

4M, meaning 'FOR MAMORU'. For Protecting their present secrets from Mamoru, for Protecting future secrets from Mamoru, for Protecting themselves from Mamoru, for Protecting Mamoru.

Takano thought it was perfect.

Mamoru wondered if insanity is contagious.

For four year old Akashi Seijuro, he has always thought his twin was…abnormal. (Is he using that word correctly?)

When they were two, Akashi Satoru liked to eat chocolates and run around, spreading his 'love and crazy', as the person himself likes to put it. To Seijuro, that had been normal, because he himself gets high (Mother once mentioned that) when he takes a bite of sugar.

Akashi Satoru also liked ice-creams for unknown reasons (Seijuro personally thinks it gives him a…what's that word…brain freeze) and that makes him weird.

And Satoru also liked annoying Father.

That last one is the weirdest.

When they were three, Seijuro grew up a little and admired his brother.

When they were playing with cubes, Satoru taught him new words all the time. Simple words like 'is' or 'what' has long since been pinned down, leaving harder words like 'elephants' or 'cigarettes'. Satoru was good at playing piano, far better than he was, and Satoru gave good tips to improve. Satoru also asked very good questions, answering many of his.

"Why is the sky red?"

"Because dust particles in the air reflect light."

"Why are we red?"

"Because we got stained with blood when we were in Mama's stomach."

"Why are our eyes red?"

"Because we are half vampires."

"You're lying."

"You're lying about me lying."

"You're lying about me lying about you lying-"

But beyond abilities, three year old Seijuro had admired his weird twin because of his weird, weird personality. It was ironic, but he loved it.

At the second family gathering they had, Akashi Seijuro had watched as a bunch of redheads with fierce looks flooded the main mansion. It being his first experience in such a huge gathering, he had been frightened into stillness (though his exterior experience was far less expressive than his thoughts), standing stiffly with his back to the wall.

"Sei-chan~!" Satoru sang, just as ease as always with himself as he took his rightful spot beside his tense brother. "Don't look so scary. This is a party, let's have fun!"

"Satoru." He called out stiffly, shoulders drooping, released from the tension he didn't know he had there before. As his twin linked their hands together, his shoulders dropped further. He found it easier to breathe. "Where were you?"

"Ah~ Just here and there~" Satoru smiled – a smile which had Seijuro jolting, because he recognized the hint of mischief in those eyes. "Just working and getting people to have fun. Let's join the adults, shall we?"

"What did you-?" He was just about to ask when a loud thud resounded.

Seijuro looked up, eyes wide.

There, at the very centre of the party, their grandfather had suddenly stood up and slammed his foot into the table, holding up a bottle and looking flushed and very, very happy.

"Let's waltz, Shiori!"

"What?!" Mother yelped as she was tugged onto the large wooden table.

Masaomi watched his wife get stolen by his father-in-law and sighed, burying his face in his palm.

"Satoru…Definitely Satoru…" More of such depressed murmurs followed.

More drunken Akashi joined their previous head on the table, utilizing the table as their dance floor while others wisely took their plates off the wood and cheered for them. Some sighed, following their present head's example. The more parental ones took the opportunity to lecture their children on what kind of adults they ought not become in the future.

And Satoru laughed. Obnoxiously. Loudly.

"SATORU-!" The shout came from their father's direction.

The Akashi Clan head stood up, face dark as he ground his teeth.

The moment he took a step towards them, he tripped on thin air and activated something. From afar, Seijuro watched in a mixture of horror and amusement when a cake near their direction flew towards Father, splattering his face with cream and strawberries.

"PWAHAHA~!" Satoru laughed, accompanied by many other Akashi's.

"Satoru-"

Click! A picture came out of his Polaroid, one displaying that same constipated expression which reminded Satoru of their birth – only with a mixture of strawberries and creamy goodness. One of the strawberries was still stuck in his open mouth.

Seijuro took a glimpse at it.

He tried, really. Except, it was hard when he was still three and did not have as much self-control as his sixteen year self did. It was an impossible feat, in fact.

Covering his lips with a fist, the more obedient twin tried to muffle a steady giggle that escaped regardless, exploding into full blown childish laughter.

Satoru beamed.

That was one item off his bucket list; Making The Akashi Seijuro laugh.

"SATORU~!"

It was an exaggerated cry of his name which said person was quickly growing used to.

He tossed his head back, laughed, and linked fingers with his twin again, dragging him towards the large table.

"E-Eh?" Seijuro was barely able to finish uttering that when he was pushed up onto the low table. Satoru followed suit, climbing onto the wood with the aid of a nearby Akashi. By the glare Masaomi was giving him though, that same nearby Akashi was probably not going to last by the end of the day. The poor guy gulped and tried to gain misdirection to fade into the sea of red.

The laughter was like music.

Seijuro found himself being twirled around by an evil, laughing twin and dancing a very simplified version of waltz beside many other Akashi's. They looked like they were skipping compared to the graceful waltz Takamura and Shiori were doing, but strangely enough, Seijuro found that he didn't mind.

Ah…He giggled. Dancing is fun.

Satoru smiled indulgently, waiting for the next trap to start.

Ten seconds after Masaomi had stood up, wiping remains of cake from his face, he placed his hand on the wall and another cake was launched towards him.

"Why-?" His groan was drowned by cake.

"FOODFIGHT!" Someone shouted.

The twins were eventually taken down by a cake someone had shoved in their direction.

Still, from that day onwards, his fellow Akashi no longer looked fierce or frightening to him. And though the still young Seijuro was unable to fully grasp that Satoru had intentionally manipulated him and the rest, he was forever grateful to his brother.

At age four, Seijuro became jealous of Satoru.

It was a simple toy, one which he normally wouldn't have been interested in, but the meaning was there when Aunt Meilin had given it only to Satoru, leaving Seijuro with nothing.

He thought it was unfair, but he didn't voice it.

Overtime, the tiny bad feeling grew.

He became more aware of the differences between himself and his twin, minding the great difference that was between their abilities in piano, spelling, writing, everything. It irritated him when Satoru offered to help and he would refuse harshly, always regretting much later, when he would sneak up to Satoru's bed and quietly show his apology. Satoru would always still help him.

The feeling felt horrible. It was like everything he does can never compare to Satoru. It was painful and endless, impossible game of catch-up he was playing.

Seijuro felt horrible for disliking Satoru in that sense, but then again, he found it strange that he still adored Satoru in a more subtle sense.

He was the older one. Satoru is younger but doing better. Amazing, yet frustrating. He is the Akashi heir. Why couldn't he catch up?

The harder he tried, the better he got, but Satoru always remained ahead.

The end came one day with a single math test.

It was his best subject, math – the single subject where he only occasionally scored better than Satoru. On his script was written "30", but Satoru's had a large nice sticker with "40".

"Both of you are amazing, Akashi-sama." The teacher meant both of them, of course, but it felt like she was saying that only to Satoru.

"You are amazing too, Sensei~" Satoru beamed, making the teacher blush.

"My, what a flatterer."

The first bead of tears that fell remained unnoticed. Then, the second came. And the third.

The teacher and the other student fell silent, staring at him in shock.

"S-Sei-" Before Satoru finished, Seijuro had stood roughly, running away from the room despite his short, short legs.

"Seijuro-kun?" The teacher yelled.

He only ran, frustrated at his lack of abilities…Helpless and fearful, in face with the insurmountable wall that was his twin.

Satoru cursed internally as he ran out of the manor.

The layer of snow was thick, covering most of the ground, but a tiny set of footprints had been there. Even the scrunch of snow and the difficulty of navigating through it, however, were hardly able to deter him from his thoughts.

It was precisely because of this. It was precisely because of the endless hatred, the endless jealousy, the endless curses and verbal rocks tossed at him that it became hard to live in his previous life. Mamoru had taken all the hits head on, accepting them as a side effect of his abilities – abilities he had no choice but to show, given the expectations of his parents. Eventually, the weight had grown and it became too heavy to carry. When he died, he had escaped that weight.

However, Satoru was different.

Satoru was someone who can forever live without the high expectations. And in Mamoru's place was Seijuro.

How could he have forgotten it? The pressure of having to overachieve…He unknowingly placed that pressure on Seijuro, mounting it with every bit of effort he was so used to putting into his work. And he had unknowingly hurt Seijuro.

It was at times like this that Satoru wishes he had not died – so Takano can be there to knock some sense back into Mamoru and reproach him for making someone sad again.

"SEI-CHAN!" He yelled.

The tracks had faded. A new layer of snow was gradually falling from the skies.

The extra coat and the umbrella in his hands felt heavy. He wished the other redhead would appear soon, so he would at least not get a cold.

"Sei-chan…" He sniffled, vision blurring. "I'm sorry…So sorry…"

Hm? It was…uncharacteristic of him to be so negative. But when it comes to his own emotions…he was simply so weak. Maybe that's a characteristic of the Akashi Clan? He wanted to laugh and cry.

It was strange.

He was the older brother. Like Mother said, older brothers are supposed to protect young ones, no matter how little the difference in age is.

Why is he just standing still?

Seijuro took the first step forward and then a second. Then, before he knew it, he had begun running, surging towards his twin until he became unable to stop and slid across the snow, falling onto Satoru.

Unable to support the sudden weight, Satoru opened his eyes in shock and dug his heels in – to no avail. They fell, the umbrella flying out of his grasp, and they formed imprints in the snow they were lying on.

"Urgh…" Seijuro groaned, sitting up.

In the orange painted eyes of the evening, Satoru looked up and found a familiar, picturesque scene. The orange and pink and faint hues of purples which painted the skies placed his older twin in a gentle light. Scarlet locks never seem as colourful. Eyes of that similar colour never seemed brighter. …Or was it because of the tears?

He smiled despite the heat in his eyes, delighted to have at least found his brother.

And then proceeded to sob his poor heart out.

"It's all your fault, you stupid Sei-chan! I didn't want to cry this year, but you still made me cry~! It's your fault! Stupid! Idiot!" The tears streamed freely.

Seijuro opened his eyes to see a similar sight Satoru saw, but with rivers pouring down the pale cheeks and cheeks puffed up in a pout.

He paused, wondering why his younger twin seem so out of place, before he realized that he could not seem to recall Satoru crying before. Ever. Then, his distracted, still not quite mature mind recalled that rainbows could be formed with water and thought that the beauty of his twin could be further enhanced if the sunlight formed rainbows with the tears on his cheeks.

Nevermind the fact that technically, he would appear the exact same way as his twin, or that it was possible narcissism in the making.

The next moment, his thoughts leapt back to reality and four year old Akashi Seijuro decided that jealousy or not, his twin was still far more important than those petty feelings.

"Sorry."

It was one word, but Satoru understood, like he always did.

He beamed.

"Don't make me cry again, idiot Sei." He warned, handing the coat to his twin.

"I won't." At the slightly dubious look, Seijuro smiled, chuckling into his scarf. "I promise, Saru (Meaning Monkey, in Japanese)."

Call it revenge, but Seijuro took pride in seeing the flash of shock that came over his twin's face for the first time, followed by indignity. Then, there was amusement which erupted into soft laughter. And Seijuro smiled, watching Satoru lean back into the melting snow, chest heaving with chuckles.

When the laughter faded out, they remained for who knows how long. Seijuro's internal clock reminded him of dinner, and he stood, watching his younger brother's face colour with disappointment.

"It should be dinner time soon. We need to go."

"But I want to stay longer~" Satoru widened his eyes and his lower lip trembled. It was a look Seijuro had seen often, mostly directed at the one gullible entity known as Masaomi.

The older twin paused, faltered, lasted for an admirable total of ten seconds, before he gave in.

"You play dirty, Saru."

"Don't call me Saru, Idiot Sei. Or I'll tell Mama you were the one who ate the pie last year."

"You knew." Seijuro narrowed his eyes.

"I did." Satoru tossed his head back once more and laughed. Peering at the still orange skies, his eyes glinted with an emotion. Seijuro wasn't sure what it was, but then again, his younger brother has always been mysterious in that way. "Ne, since we're already down, let's make snow angels, shall we?"

"Snow angels?" Seijuro cocked his head.

It was understandable, since neither of their parents found a need to teach them. In fact, Satoru doubted their parents even knew.

Instead of saying that, Satoru only did the same as he always did and laughed.

"Mh! To imprint this day in our minds!"

"Mamoru…Are you afraid of dying?" A pause. A falter. A smile.

"…Never. I'm never afraid, Takano-kun. As if I'm a person that weak." He snorted.

"…I see." Takano did not laugh.

He could tell as much that he's fearful.

That was a thought that resounded in both their minds whenever they looked at each other. And Mamoru pretended to not be afraid, because he knew that at least one of them have to be strong.

"Take care of the team when I'm gone."

"As if." A swing from the swing. Takano hopped out, folding his arms. He glared. "You're the one who made all of us so reliant on you. Take care of the matter yourself!"

Mamoru stared for a moment, and smiled.

He did not do that irritating laugh Takano so hated. He did not even cry or whine. In fact, he just accepted it all silently, just like he did with the bullying, the hatred, the burden, the emotions, the perfection – everything, until he became as tired as he always looked nowadays.

And without saying anything, they both know it irked Takano.

"Takano." He looked up. A breathtaking smile. "Thank you."

"Forget that." The blank faced teen rolled his eyes. "You're depressing."

And Mamoru gasped as an arm grabbed him by the neck, throwing him onto the snow covered ground.

"What are you-?!"

"Swing your arms and legs, you idiot. You can at least make a snow angel, can't you?"

"…What's that?" It is a truly curious question.

"Idi- You don't know what it is?! You truly don't have a childhood, do you?!"

"….I don't."

"I know that now." Takano rolled his eyes grumpily again. It was going to give him wrinkles, Mamoru noted with an inward smile. "Look at me as I do it, and follow me."

Three minutes later found the both of them standing up, peering down at two angels in the snow covered ground of the playground. Mamoru smiled, still hunched over, while Takano scratched his cheek awkwardly, peering at his Captain…or ex-captain, it is now.

"Erm…I…"

"Hm?" Mamoru looked up curiously.

"I-I…Sigh…What am I saying?" Takano dragged a palm down his face. Then, Mamoru found dark eyes staring into his own, determined and fierce, unlike the calm and focused ones everyone always saw. "Even if you die, Mamoru, none of us will ever forget you."

Eh? Dark eyes widened. His breath hitched.

"…What?" He laughed nervously.

"You're special to us. You're strange, weird, funny, impulsive, whimsical, noisy, troublesome, and annoying-"

"Are you making complaints about me?" Mamoru deadpanned.

"Listen to the end, damn it!" Takano shouted, irked, and Mamoru nodded. "A-Anyways…What I want to say is…Like this snow angel, you're considered special to us. Frankly, you're a stain in our minds. Unremovable…special…But still, a stain we're fond of – I'm fond of – and because you're you, you're also part of us." His tone fell to a whisper, eyes travelling aside in embarrassment. "We-…I'll always remember you, for as long as I live, s-so…Don't die, Idiot Mamo."

He understood.

Mamoru really did understood, despite everything. Just those words alone made him want to live.

He smiled, and smiled, and kept smiling until the first bead of tears fell.

"Mamoru-"

"What should I do?" He still smiled even as he cried. How pathetic, he thought. In front of his vice-captain, too. "I want to live now. I'm going to fear death now. You're cruel, Takano."

Takano understood and smiled.

"It's normal to fear death, isn't it?" With his head down, Mamoru saw Takano's legs taking long strides towards him. "It's only human to show weaknesses. So…It's okay to cry, Captain."

And he did, relieved to finally have a shoulder to lean on.

The more the dam broke, the more the smile disappeared. The more human he became.

Takano smiled, breaking his blank visage, and cried as well. Because for the first time, it felt like the Captain and he were truly equals. There was no longer need for fear or walls, because they were both humans. Mamoru and Takano. That's all they really were.

As the evening painted them in colours of orange, pink and hues of purple, two snow angels overlooked them from the ground.

It was overly dramatic, now that Takano thinks back to it.

A year has passed since then.

He still wonders every now and then if Mamoru had succeeded in lying to himself about desiring death. He seemed fairly triumphant that last day when he gazed at him and was wheeled into the surgery room. As always, so obsessed with winning and losing. Ironically, it was proof that Mamoru was still human, that he had still remembered that day when his lies momentarily broke.

Broken by him, that is, Takano thought almost triumphantly.

Then again, he was one of those obsessed with winning and losing, too.

Aida Takano walked through the gates of his alma mater, unsurprised to find his old team there, throwing snowballs at each other, competing in the sizes of their snowmen…And making snow angels.

His mind flashed back to that day.

He wondered again if Mamoru will remember him and the rest as well…Because there was absolutely no way in hell that Takano would ever forget Mamoru.

He snorted when one of the wimpier kids tried to argue that his snow angel is the best.

The snow scrunched as he stepped forward, making his presence known.

"Hey, children. Let me show you how a real master makes a snow angel."

A/N: Please let me know your opinions! Anything is fine, like the sudden emotional moment near end, ReBirth, the new OC, or even…my lame ass humour.