It was silent for a long time. Lukas had rushed out of the room, but he froze as soon as Emil was in sight. And Emil didn't move, only stared from where we'd left him on the couch. Even Mathias kept his mouth closed as the brothers looked each other up and down, eyes trained only on each other, as if they were oblivious to all those around them.
I couldn't blame them, of course. This was a lot for both of them to take in, to say the very least. For Lukas, this was the peak of the excitement that had been building up over the past couple of days. For Emil, this was a surprise that I thrust him into only that day. Either way, it was a lot for them to deal with.
Finally, Lukas went forward, and he fell to his knees in front of Emil, looking up at him for a long time. Just as I thought he might lean in for a hug, we were all startled by a sudden crack, loud enough that Berwald, Mathias, and I all jumped. Lukas, on the other hand, fell over, cradling his face.
I looked to Emil with horror, watching him shake the hand he'd just punched his brother with, face set in a heavy scowl. I was about to question his actions when Lukas got back up, a few pearls falling to the floor as he checked to make sure his nose wasn't broken. And they hugged.
I was perturbed, but chose not to comment. I guess he needed to get it out of the way before they could really start making up for lost time. It was at least comforting that he'd accepted the hug, and now it seemed doubtful that we'd be separating them any time soon. Both was trying, and utterly failing, to hide the pile of pearls they were crying, and I sighed, going for a broom.
Berwald followed me into the kitchen, and before I even had a chance to reach for the needed utensil, he had me pressed against a wall, lips pressed against mine in a sort of desperate kiss. I was surprised, but let him hold me there, lifting my arms up to rest on his shoulders for better balance.
I was out of breath by the time he pulled away, and I couldn't help but smile.
"I'm sorry, Berwald." I breathed, nuzzling into the side of his neck. "I didn't mean to worry you." I promised, letting my voice taper off into soft singing, which seemed to calm him down. Once he was himself again, and we were slowly swaying from side to side, I let the melody fall away.
"I'm not going anywhere." I swore, giving him a kiss before returning to my task of getting the broom. He got out the dustpan and followed me into the living room again.
Sure enough, the brothers were still tightly wrapped around each other, Mathias looking more than a little awkward, clearly unsure of what he should be doing in that situation. He seemed relieved when Berwald and I returned. I sighed, putting the broom aside and joining the brothers on the couch, clearing my throat to get their attention.
They both looked at me, eyes red rimmed, and I smiled softly. At least pearls weren't falling anymore.
"I'm glad the two of you are together again, but we have some things we need to discuss now." I pointed out. It felt strange that I had to be the one to say it, but so be it. I was in their situation recently, being a Mer in the human world. I felt like I needed to play big brother for the both of them now.
"We need to figure out where you'll be staying." I began, glancing over at Berwald and Mathias. "Up until now, Lukas has been staying with Mathias, but I don't know how he feels about that now."
Everyone turned to look at Mathias now, and he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"I-I uh… I don't really mind. As long as you aren't planning on murdering anyone or something, you aren't a terrible housemate or anything." He shrugged, flashing Lukas a grin. The blonde in question rolled his eyes, and hugged his brother closer to him.
"I come with Emil, now." He announced, and Emil's eyes widened, looking at me. Years of communicating with him, mute or not, had taught me that he was unsure about this proclamation.
"Um…" I hesitated, giving Emil a sympathetic glance. "Maybe he should stay with Berwald and I for a few days?" I suggested softly.
Lukas narrowed his eyes and threw me a withering glare before I could even blink, and I couldn't help but flinch.
"It's just that, uh, you know, he's more used to me, and it would be a good idea for him to be around someone familiar while he adjusts to the human world, and, you know, he's mute and has a hard time communicating, but I've gotten pretty good at figuring out what he means, and… Um…" I stuttered, looking for help from any of the others in the room. Lukas was still glaring.
Emil tapped his shoulder, earning his attention, and they shared something of a silent conversation, then Lukas sighed.
"Fine." He agreed, albeit begrudgingly. "If I can visit every day." He added. My smile was forced, but I agreed. At least he wasn't asking to live with us.
"Sure. And when he gets settled in better, he can move in with you, if he wants." I suggested, this time earning a look from Mathias. "Uh, and if Mathias says it's okei."
Lukas shot Mathias a look, and the man quickly turned sheepish, nodding.
With that decided, we got Lukas settled on the physical couch, next to Emil, and Berwald and I cleaned up the pearls, heading for the kitchen to put the utensils away and start on dinner. Berwald wouldn't admit it, but he was pleased to have so many people to cook for. Truth be told, he liked cooking, no matter how much he denied it.
He asked me to help though, since there was a lot of food to made. Five people! That was more than double what we usually cooked for! I wondered what we should make, since it would be Emil's first time eating something cooked. It dawned on me that he was likely starving, and that he was going to have to get used to an abundance of food just like I had.
Berwald seemed to have taken Emil into account, as he made salmon for the main dish. I smiled, having learned that it was one of his best dishes, and I was getting more excited for dinner than any of our guests, I'm sure.
But when he shooed me out of the kitchen following me spilling half of the pasta on the floor, I found Emil looking pretty interested in the smell coming from the adjacent room. I smiled, ruffling his hair as I sat on the arm of the couch. His tail was finally starting to take the shape of legs, which seemed to be providing endless fascination and uncertainty for him.
"We're going to eat soon." I informed him, raking his hair back a few times while I spoke. He batted my hands away moodily, but I could see the excitement welling up in his eyes at the mention of food. It warmed me up from the inside out. I hadn't even realized how much I missed Emil until I saw him again.
"I know it's exciting, but make sure you take it slow at first, or you'll make yourself sick. Have you been eating well since I left?" I wondered, pursing my lips. It took a while, and all he gave me was a shrug. That made me frown. "I figured as much. I'm sorry I left you alone for so long." I murmured, hanging my head. I should have come for him sooner. I should have come for him as soon as I was sure Berwald was safe. I should have come for him without prompting. I should have thought of him every day.
He grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze, and I looked up to see a reassuring gaze. I sighed, nodding.
"At least you're here now." I decided, leaning over to hug him, ignoring his weak protests. The obviously jealous glare that Lukas gave me got me to back off though, and I headed back towards the bedroom instead, looking through my clothes until I found something that might fit Emil.
It took a lot of arguing and some force to get the t-shirt over his head, and he looked none-too-pleased with me, but I explained to him that all humans wore clothes. I didn't mention that I still tried to break that rule myself, laying the shorts and underwear on the arm next to him, for when he finished changing. The bottom of his fins had just started splitting, so he still had a while yet.
With that in order, I headed over to Hanatamago's tank, saying hello and dropping a few flakes of food in for her. She ate them quickly, and I giggled when she nipped at my finger, as if I might provide her more that way. I guess she's smart, because I did just that, dropping a few extra flakes in just for the affection.
After that, I returned to the aquarium holding the egg, looking down at it expectantly, as if the occupant might come out faster if only I willed it to be so. Granted, I had a lot on my plate already, seeing as Emil was staying with us now, but still, I was anxious to meet my child.
Berwald called us to dinner, so I left the egg with a look of contempt, almost daring it not to hatch soon. Still, I knew, and it probably knew, that I would wait forever for it to hatch.
Lukas and I made a team effort of hauling Emil into the kitchen, sitting him down at the table. I gave him a little blanket to cover his lap, then we all joined him, Berwald bringing all the food to the table and serving it plate by plate. I heard him grumbling as he finished with Mathias' plate.
"Never though' Ah'd have ya at mah table…"
I smiled at him as he took a seat next to me, kissing his cheek before beginning my meal. Emil watched me with confusion, looking at the food longingly, but unable to grasp the fork correctly. Thankfully for him, Lukas hadn't quite mastered it either, so at least he wasn't alone.
I took a moment to show him, and to help him position it correctly. Even so, he was having a hard time of it, only one bite having made it to his lips out of his five or so attempts.
"It's alright if you need to use your hands." I assured him, helping him clean his lap up. "I had to at first too." I added.
He seemed relieved, and set the fork aside, eating becoming instantly easier for him with the aid of his fingers. I was actually surprised by how quickly he scarfed it down, but I had to remind myself that I'd done the same, and that he had been starving this whole time that I'd been so well fed. I got him seconds myself.
After dinner, it was starting to get dark, but we could all tell that Lukas was loath to leave. After a bit of awkwardly shuffling our feet, we decided to let him stay over, and built a bed on the floor with a huge pile of blankets. Mathias said his goodbye, promising to come for Lukas in the morning. With that sorted out, we got the two of them settled in, after I forced Emil into some pants. He fought me on that more than the shirt, but lost thanks to his inexperience with his new limbs.
We situated Emil up on the couch, with Lukas on the floor right next to him. I wished them both good night, kissing Emil's forehead before I headed back to the bedroom, heaving a sigh as I sat on the edge of the bed. Berwald was already lying down, flipping through a book, which he put down as I joined him in the room.
He sat up, pulling me closer so he could give me a little massage, working out the tension building in my shoulders. I sighed, this time with relief, leaning forward so he had better access.
"Wha's the matter?" He wondered softly, kissing my shoulder. I couldn't help a small smile, leaning back until I was resting against his chest. He took a moment to tug me up and pull me under the covers, then he wrapped his limbs around mine, squeezing me to him for a moment.
"Nothing, I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed." I admitted. "A lot is happening all at once."
He kissed my neck, then my cheek, and I giggled.
"Oh, stop that, I'm trying to be serious!" I wailed, laughing despite my words as he ran fingers up my sides.
"It'll be alrigh'." He promised, kissing my cheek again. "Jus' take it one day at a time." He suggested, laying down and taking me with him. I blew out a huff of air, my bangs flying up for a moment, looking orangey in the lamplight.
"What should we do about Emil? Is it really okei if he stays here?" I asked, turning to look at him fearfully. He rolled his eyes, flicking my nose. It wasn't much of a surprise though, because he didn't have his glasses on, and missed the first time he tried.
"It's fine, Tino. Babysitter." He replied, pulling me closer. I laughed, snuggling into his side as he reached over to turn the light off.
"But what if he eats a lot?" I wondered. This time he scoffed, pulling the cord and plunging us into darkness.
"Jus' have to cook Hanatamago." He suggested.
"She is getting a little chubby." I agreed, giggling. He kissed my nose, then my lips, rolling over to his side so he could hold me better.
"Love ya, Tino." He murmured, kissing my cheek one last time. I hummed.
"I love you too." I cooed back, getting cozy. He rubbed my arm for a long time, finger not stilling till he'd fallen asleep. I was still awake though, albeit barely. Just enough that I could hear whispering coming from the living room, and I smiled. At least Emil was with me again, and he'd even gotten to reunite with his brother. That was something. And that egg had to hatch sooner or later. Oh, right, I needed to think of names. I'd have to remember to talk about that with Berwald in the morning.
A/N: Another chapter up! There aren't many chapters left. Maybe… Two? And an Epilogue. We're just winding it down now. Anyway, thanks for sticking with it, and I hope you'll all see this story through to the end! It would make me happy!
ASTL was fun! I made a bunch of new friends, which is rare for me. I'm painfully shy, so I rarely talk much at conventions. But I was working the D20 Girl table, so talking to people is kind of a requirement. Wearing Aoba got me a lot of attention, actually! I was the only DMMD cosplayer, or so everyone told me. Quite a few people hung out to talk for a few minutes, or to take pictures. I even got a few people to draw for me!
But now I'm home, and must get back to work! I've decided to start posting one of the JeanMarco fics that I'm working on. I've got about three that are roughly 4 chapters each, but I forced myself to make a decision, and the modernishAU won out in the end. So if you like JeanMarco, I suggest you keep an eye out! I'll be posting it soon!
Other than that, I haven't much to say! I must get back to work on the aforementioned JeanMarco story! Ooooh, right! Frozen Heart update! Sorry it took so long, but Tora got super busy! My chapter will be up in about a week or so, I'd say. But make sure to go read hers! She worked hard!
Alright, thanks for reading, and feedback is always appreciated!
KuroRiya
九六りや