Hi readers! Thank you for the lovely comments you sent on the previous chapter. I was madly happy when I read them! This is my second fic for Ao Ex, so please excuse for any errors or squick I typed! I just love the idea of dark!Okumura Twins!
My fics are un-beta actually, so that's why there's probably plenty of grammar errors... sorry! And I felt like I could have done better for this chapter...
Onto the story then!
"There's something strange about the boys," Satan commented.
"My Lord?" Val asked. The Demon Lord sipped the wine in his glass as he watched his twin sons, who sat on a marble bench in the Royal Garden, stroking a rabbit with red fur.
"They keep to themselves a lot, don't they? Talking to each other, whispering in very hushed voices," he said. Val stirred in his stand beside the demon's chair. "Well, it is expected that the subjects will have a change of personalities after being resurrected, my lord," he explained.
"Yes, I know. I can see that. They woke up in their 10-year old bodies, but they have recovered their recent personalities. Quite strange, don't you think?" Satan says. "I suppose so, my lord," Val nodded.
The adult demons sat in the white gazebo, watching the twins play with the red rabbit. It has been 2 weeks since their resurrection. The boys quickly adapted to their new home, getting to know their elder half-brothers and relatives, but they remained inseparable. Rin and Yukio were always together everywhere they go.
Rin whispered something to his younger twin, and they lightly laughed. Satan was proud and happy to have his sons back with him, but he felt that something was off.
The boys are different. Something about them bothered him. The way they quietly talk to each other, how they tend to distance themselves from relatives, they way they watched guests with their dark, cold blue eyes.
It almost seemed like they had a tinge of darkness in their selves.
"I'd like you to watch and observe them more closely, Val," Satan said. "Don't hesitate to report any strange occurrences to me, too, but don't make it seem too suspicious,"
"As you wish, my lord," Val bowed.
The twins stood from the bench, carefully putting the rabbit down on the grass and quickly walked to the gazebo. "Papa," they both chirped with their hands up, motioning to be picked up. "Yes, boys, I'm here. Let's go in, shall we? It seems like it's going to rain soon," Satan stood and easily hoisted the boys into his arms. Yukio held onto his suit collar while Rin played with the demon's long hair, tied in a ponytail.
Val called for the maids to clean up their master's drink and accompanied the odd family back into the mansion. He smelled rain in the wind.
"Rin, Yukio. Come and say hello to your family," Val said, gently pushing the boys to the front. Yukio meekly stood behind Rin as his older brother bravely meets his eyes with seven adult demon princes in front of him, all excited and expecting them.
"Um.. 'ello," Rin said in a small voice. "I'm Rin, and this is my little brother, Yukio. Nice to meet'cha," he briefly introduced, and ran back behind Val with Yukio, clutching the scientist's coat, blushing.
"Ah, how adorable! I never knew our little brothers would be this cute," Asmodeus exclaimed. He gave a hearty laugh and walked towards Val who was trying to coax the boys out. "Forgive me, my lords. They have reverted to a child-like personality, so they are very shy," he explained. He tried to pull their small hands off his coat, but the boys were very stubborn.
"There, there, now, no need to hide!" Amodeus said, and easily picked Rin up into his arms. Yukio gave a squeak as Lucifer picked him up too. The princes brought the boys into the middle of the room as the others gathered around, introducing themselves, giving a light pinch on the boy's cute noses.
"Lemme go," Rin mumbled, blushing. He struggled in Asmodeus' arms; occasionally trying to reach to his little brother who was close to tears as the mischievous Mammon playfully threw him up in the air and catching him back.
Val smiled as he watched the family reunion. He wondered if the lord Satan is available in the study room.
They look like angels sleeping, Val quietly laughed to him self, watching the brothers slowly breathing in their sleep. Their faces are in peace.
As Val made his way from the door, he avoided bumping into Rin's various items on the floor- comic books, clothes, a pair of torn jeans and a Playstation controller with its wire painfully stretched out from its plug in the game console near a wide-screen TV on the wall. The room was a perfect example of a growing boy, really.
The boys refused to sleep alone in their rooms, so Val let them sleep with each other in one's room until they can sleep in their respective rooms.. It didn't seem to stop them after a month in Gehenna though.
Val pulled the curtains apart, letting in the warm sunlight flood into the room. He heard grunts coming from the bed.
"Wake up, boys. It's almost 8 in the morning," Val announced. He stood beside the bed, and saw Yukio cuddling closer into his brother's arms as the older one pulled the covers over their heads. "No, you don't," Val snapped, and pulled the covers back down.
"Hey! It's too bright, Val!" Rin shouted. His eyes fixed a squinting glare at their caretaker- Huh, more like babysitter, Val bitterly thought. Val nonchalantly flipped his black ponytail hair onto his back. "It's about time for breakfast, your brothers will start without you, young master," he said.
"Like we care if they start without us. I can easily fix us a breakfast and eat in the kitchen where it's comfortable instead of that huge fancy dining room," Rin spat back, and leaned down when he felt Yukio lightly tugging on his shirt.
"Nii-san," Yukio quietly called. "Yes, I'm here, Yukio. Your nii-san is here," he brought a hand up to Yukio's head, and frowned. "Was he having nightmares again, Rin?" Val asked.
"Yeah. He came into my room around midnight. Said he couldn't sleep. Kept on seeing things when he closed his eyes," Rin recalled. "Val, he's having a fever," Rin said, and Val could hear the worry in his voice.
"I'll get the doctor and the maids to help him then. You on the other hand, should get up and do your role as a part of the Royal Family," Val ended sternly. He opened Rin's wardrobe, picking through his clothes. "It's about time you wore something of your family tradition, Rin. Wearing humanly clothes does not fit a prince," he said.
"What do I care? Like there's anyone who's checking me out in this mansion anyways. Besides, wearing a suit in the house is stuffy," Rin yawned, and gently moved off the bed as to not wake his younger sibling up. Val made his way to the bedroom door as Rin proceeded to remove his shirt for a bath, "I'm expecting you in the dining room in 15 minutes," he noted, and closed the door.
Exactly 15 minutes later, Rin came into the dining room in a pair of black fitting jeans and a shirt. He silently prayed his thanks to the Gods when he saw the oldest brother, Lucifer at the long dining table. Lucifer gave him a 'you're late' look but Rin just gave a sheepish smile and started eating, not bothered to have a conversation with his ever-silent and prideful half-brother.
After breakfast, Rin quickly made his way down the halls and up the stairs and slowed his pace as he saw a familiar maid carrying a big tray towards his room- probably food and medicine for Yukio.
"Hey, nee-chan, I'll take that," he flashed a smile and took the tray out of the surprised maid's hands.
He firmly closed the door and made his way to the small bundle on the bed. Carefully placing the tray of food on his side, he reached over to his younger twin who was slightly shivering under the thick covers.
"Yukio? Hey, wake up. There's some soup and meds for you," he gently called. He rubbed Yukio's shoulder, and his brother turned onto his back. He rubs his eyes and yawned, "Nii-san… What time is it?"
"Almost 10 a.m. Come on, you need to eat and take your medicine," Rin helped his twin to sit up and pulled the tray into his lap.
The soup was warm, Yukio could taste some chicken and various herbs in it. He ate slowly, occasionally dipping the bread in and chew.
"It's like old times, isn't it?" Rin said. "Back then when we were kids. When you fell sick, I'd make some soup for you,"
"Yes, I remember that. I miss your cooking, nii-san," Yukio smiled. Rin rubbed the back of his head timidly.
Yukio continued eating the soup with Rin quietly talking to him, unaware of their caretaker who stood outside Rin's room, straining to listen to any conversation they were having.
"I'm still hungry, nii-san," Val heard. "As in, hungry like that?" The voices are a bit muffled.
"Yeah. I can't sleep properly in my room at night. When I close my eyes, I keep on seeing flesh and blood,"
"Hey, I get that too sometimes,"
"Do you remember that man we ate, when we woke up?"
"His blood was delicious,"
"The flesh was a bit tough, though,"
"I feel sick thinking of eating cooked meat…"
"Me too, that's why I refused to eat the beef stew Brother Beelze offered a few nights ago,"
"You haven't been eating well too, huh?"
"Nii-san, I want it. I want to eat raw meat,"
"Don't worry, Yukio. I'll try to sneak in if I can…"
Val's mind racked with thoughts. They crave for meat? Not so strange, sometimes demons have the tendency to crave for certain foods, but raw meat? Oh no, don't tell me the brothers developed the interest to raw meat because they ate a demon first thing they woke up-
Wait.
Val's brows furrowed. He turned, and quickly made his way to Satan's study.
He didn't notice a pair of eyes watching him turn in the corner from a small crack of open in the door.
I was sad when Ao Ex anime ended, but I think it was great, but it seemed pretty rushed for episode 25. Did you guys enjoy the anime series? Now it's time to re-read the manga huh?
Thank you for reading!