(Sorry for the long wait. There have been some personal issues as of late and finally decided this needed an update, considering most of it was already written! Here you go. Once again, please forgive me!)
Giruru was growing. He did not notice it at first, but whenever he would look back on a picture or take a long look in the mirror, he would find something different or new. He still had his tadpole tail of course, but facial-wise, height-wise and definitely voice-wise, he had changed a lot. Not only him, but Dokuku was growing too. He was walking, running, discovering and much more now. The younger still could only say "Doku" and it looked like that would never change.
It was Dokuku's first day of school thanks to the help of Giruru's old homeschool teacher and grandmother. It was a lot of work getting him there, but possible. He would be attending a sort of "first grade" for "special tadpoles" much to the dislike of Giruru. He wanted him to go to a normal school, but his speech impediment forced him into this class. It was better than nothing.
His father, of course, never took any notice to this. The only changes or additions the man ever had in this were the new bandages or bruises appearing on Giruru every other week or day depending on his mood. Giruru's right eye was gone now. It had become infected and was removed to prevent anything worse from happening. But this little step down never affected him from doing his best to keep himself and Dokuku supported. He had found a poor paying job at an orphanage after Kagege, his best friend ever since they had met, suggested it to him. Kagege had always been through the rough and bumpy with him. Giruru couldn't think of a time he had not been thankful for Kagege. He gave a different kind of happiness to him than the happiness his brother would give him. It was a kind of… heart-clenching happiness or a face-flushing kind. A kind that confused Giruru to no end…
"You be careful, you hear? If anyone is mean or if a teacher does something you don't like, come STRAIGHT home and lock your door. Got it?" Giruru lectured Dokuku with a worried expression. They were standing outside with the bus parked in front of their house. It was filled already with a few tadpoles that were either staring out the window or squealing and laughing with their neighbors.
"Doku." The white tadpole nodded with a smile. He was wearing a small, red backpack on his back and he was wearing his symbol on his stomach proudly. Keronian's symbols were completely optional to wear on your body. Some wore them permanently while others did not; it was just a matter of choice.
"Good. Have fun and pay mind to your teachers. I love you." He gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead without even the slightest bit of discomfort, "Have a good day." Dokuku nodded and reached his arms out for one more hug. Giruru complied with a smile, giving it tightly and fully.
"Dokuuu DokuDok." His voice dipped to a minor note.
He's excited but scared.
"I know the first day is scary, but it's definitely worth it in the end. Now get going, your bus is waiting." Giruru retracted from the hug, giving him a gentle push toward the bus and a reassuring grin. "Remember, I'll be at work until five. I promise I'll be home as soon as five thirty." Dokuku replied with a curt nod and hopped up onto the bus giving a small, nervous wave before the bus doors closed.
He was gone now. First day of school. Giruru sighed as he watched the bus leave, "I hope he'll be alright…"
Onii-san…
Dokuku gripped the straps of his bag tightly as the bus door closed. He had NEVER gone anywhere without his Onii-san. It felt so strange to see him just standing there as he got further away. Dokuku could feel his eyes start to water, but he stopped himself. "D-Do…" He told himself no; he had to be strong. He had to listen to Onii-san. Shaking his head of uncertain thoughts, he walked down the aisle for an empty seat. Although, to his dismay, there were no empty seats other than a few with one kid in them. He bit his lip thoughtfully and just sort of stood there until a kid next to him grumbled rudely, "Are ya jus' gonna stand there 'r sit down?"
Dokuku looked over at the female tadpole sitting lonely in the seat. She was a dark red tad not yet old enough to have the ears every woman Keronian grew to show their maturity. Her hat was a bit different also. Instead of the normal, eared cap, it was like a Pekoponian winter hat with a thread of twisted yarn on each end and it was pulled down to cover most of her face, her eyes not showing at all. Dokuku blushed in embarrassment and dipped his head in gratitude before taking a seat next to her.
"What's'er name?"
"D-Dokuku."
"Why'a on da retard bus?"
He stayed silent this time, sort of slinking down at the words. Retard bus? Is that what I am?
"Aw, don' take'i' so harshly. Wer all retards here boy. A' leas' dats whut my sis calls us. I have a speech prol'em an' AD- sometin'. You?"
He gulped a little and stuttered his Doku's, receiving a strange look from the girl.
"…Ohh, I see. Tha'z all ya can say, eh?" She snickered rather grossly before sticking a gloved hand out. "I'm Himeme. Nice ta' meecha." He stared at the hand in confusion before hesitantly reaching a hand out to meet it, "D-Doku." She grabbed his hand rather roughly and shook it vigorously, making him squeak a little in pain.
She released him to look out the window of the moving bus, "Well, I cun tell we r' gon'a be goo' freends!" Dokuku held his still hurting hand close to him, trying to relieve the pain in it. "D-Dok…" He was uncomfortable around this girl. The way she dressed was scary and the way she acted was even scarier. I'll tell her I'm not interested then. I just want to go home to Onii-san…
"D-…Doku Dok-Doku. Do-…Doku."
"I don' know what yer sayin'. Sorry, but I'll jus' 'sume ya sayin' yer happy er somethin'."
What? That's not what I said at all!
"D-Doku Dok DO-ku!"
"Yeah, yeah me too. Ya shud come to my house af'er school!"
N-No! I don't want to! I don't want to at all!
He was about to open his mouth to object again, but a rough arm was thrown around him and he was pulled close to the now snickering girl, "Is gon'a be so fun!" Dokuku bit back a groan and forced himself not to move. Oh…I want to go home…
"Hey Giruru!"
A familiar voice rang in Giruru's ears as he wiped the orphanage kitchen floor. He looked up to see no one there. So his next instinct was to look down at the extra shadow on the ground, "Kagege, what are you doing here?" Giruru laughed a little. The shadow rose into the now normal three dimensional plane that his partner would merge out of so naturally.
"I just wanted to see what you were up to and see if you were alright. Dokuku's first day of school was today wasn't it?" Kagege knelt down next to him. He had changed a lot to. His scarf was starting to fit him better and his voice was deepening.
"Yeah. It was tough at first, but a little work around here kept my mind off it. But thanks to YOU…" he grinned teasingly and received a gentle shove to the shoulder.
"Oh hush, I came here to help!" Kagege laughed a little, leaving his hand there on his shoulder, "…I see you've got more bandages…" Giruru looked down and shrugged Kagege's hand away, sighing softly.
"I'm used to it. He was just angry about Dokuku going to school."
"What do you tell Dokuku when you get these new bandages?"
"He hasn't asked yet. I hope it stays that way for a little longer…"
Kagege sighed loudly and pulled Giruru in tightly for one of his close, comforting hugs. "He's going to ask eventually and you'll have to tell him the truth…" Giruru answered with a weak nod as he held onto his friend for that comfort he had grown attached to over the past few years. "It'll be okay, Giruru. I'm here for you…" Giruru's chest fluttered at his words and he allowed his grip to tighten around him, burying his bruised and bandaged face into his purple, soft scarf.
"Th-Thank you, Kagege. I don't know what I'd do without you…"
"I don't do much, you know… I wish I could protect you from that bastard who's supposedly your FATHER." Kagege squeezed him tighter, almost taking all the air from Giruru. Who knew he had gotten so strong!
"D-Don't worry about it, Kagege. It'll end one day. I'm sure of it." Giruru struggled out in an attempt to get him to loosen the crushing hug.
"But I will, Giruru. I care too much for you to see you like this every time I see you…"
"K-Kagege…"
"You know what? After you get out of work, we're hanging out.
"Kagege…"
"We're gonna go to this party some kid at my school is having and-"
"Kagege! You're hugging me too tightly!"
"O-OH!" The strong tadpole let go quickly, allowing Giruru to take in a huge breath of air finally. "E-Err, I-I'm sorry! I didn't even know!" Giruru finally caught his breath and looked up at him with a scolding eye but a teasing smile, "Keron, Kagege. You've gotten strong…"
"A-Ah, well I have to be if I want to be an assassin." He smiled sheepishly with a heavy, embarrassed blush.
"That's what you want to do?" Giruru humored with a smile. "I guess you could pull it off with that weird talent of yours…" He leaned against him once again with a mocking smirk.
"It's not weird from where I come from! My mum was a very brave Keronian for being with a scary alien like my dad!" Giruru already knew his story. Kagege's mother had apparently mated with an alien from the Dark Planet. The aliens there were able to manipulate the direction of light or shadow with their minds, thus Kagege's powers were born.
"A-AH, anyways… Yes, we should go to that party… It'll be fun and Keron knows you need something to do other than work and take care of your little brother." Kagege rested his hands gently on Giruru's back, being careful with him now.
"You know I can't do that. Dokuku will be back from school at four. he'll already be home alone for an hour."
"And what's another hour or two gonna do? He'll be fine! I promise! You've always trusted me, right?" Kagege used a finger to tilt his head up to look him in the crossed eye. Giruru stared with a flushed expression before finally murmuring out, "F-Fine. I'll go."
Kagege's basically faceless face seemed to brighten. "Good. I'll see you after work then. They said I couldn't stay here long." Kagege stood up much to Giruru's displeasure.
"Alright. See you at five then." Giruru smiled warmly as he melted into his own shadow and disappeared.
"Can'cha catch an'thang?!"
An irritated, cracking voice sounded from Dokuku's new 'friend'. Currently, the girl was trying to play catch with him, but he kept on missing. They were outside on the playground after being introduced to the letter A. It was absolutely Awful. He had been forced to go up to the front of the class to pronounce the letter like the teacher had made all the other kids do, but he was unable to because of his little "Doku" problem. They all laughed at him. But, he supposed it could have been worse. He definitely was not the only one that had difficulties with it. Himeme had added a humorous twist to the pronunciation. Sometimes, he just couldn't tell if she was trying to be funny or was seriously having a hard time.
"Ugh. Nev'mind. Wan'a go play in da sand box?" she asked as she tossed the ball aside, hitting another kid in the head in the process. Dokuku was about to call out to him to ask if he was alright, but was interrupted by the rude, slightly gross girl's hand grabbing his arm to drag along, "C'mon, I build aw'zum sand casls!"
The chubby girl plopped down in the sand with a giggle, "Kay, kay, you make da tranch; I'll make da base den we c'n do da rest 'v it and den we c'n add da oder cas'l fertress ober thar and den we can fight to da DEATH." Dokuku only stared. Stared and rubbed his sore arm from being dragged all the way over here. He didn't even know what she had said, because really who even CAN understand her?
She was concentrated on the sand castle so intently for a few moments before looking up and around the playground. "Hm… I change my mind. Dis is bering." What a short attention span. Dokuku groaned and decided to try and talk to her again, "D-… Doku- Dok Doku…?"
"Uh-huh… okay…"
She still doesn't understand him. He had asked if she wanted to go play with someone else other than him, but she still sat there with a wandering look to several different things. Dear Keron, he would never get a break would he? He just wanted to go home and hug and be with his Onii-san already.
And just at that thought, the school's bell rang. Recess was over and they finally could go in and start packing up to leave. "Dokuu!" he smiled for the first time at this wretched place.
Giruru wiped his brow with the back of his hand. He had done so many chores today- maybe he would get paid extra? With quick glance to the clock, he realized that he still had about an hour and a half left of work and Dokuku was probably already home waiting.
"Mm, I feel awful for leaving him, but Kagege's right sort of... I don't really get any chances to go out. Dad should be locked up in his room anyway. And even if he did come out of his room, Dokuku knows what to do..." As he spoke to himself, the owner of the orphanage came in.
"Giruru- you've finished most of your work correct?" the old lady cooed meekly.
"Yes ma'am I have."
"Well, get going. Anything that's left I'll take care of. I hear you've got a party you're wanting to go to. About time someone your age have a little fun."
"You mean it, boss? I mean- ah, thank you. It's much appreciated." He bowed politely and hurriedly put away his things for the day. He was going to get to a party with Kagege. The thought was already making him flush and make his heart flutter. With a bit of a giggle to himself he left the building.