A LITTLE SHORT STORY NUMBAH TWO~

Written by: Clary (with help from Resa and Ani~ :)

Dedicated to: Lia, who isn't dying after all~

I WISH.. (Tezuka at fourteen, Syusuke at thirteen)

"It tastes fine."

Syusuke looked up from where he had been measuring the exact amount of vanilla with a spoon and regarded Keigo with a thoughtful little frown.

Normally, something that went along the same lines as 'it tastes fine' would be a gracious compliment, coming from Keigo, who had 'the most magnificent and well-refined pallet in the entire world' (and who only ate what his personal chefs had taken great care to serve him) and normally, Syusuke would have felt complimented, even pleased and flattered, but it wasn't much of a compliment now after five grueling batches of fondant chocolates, each with different variations, each looking better than the last, but all getting nothing more from Keigo but an 'it tastes fine'.

Syusuke was getting exasperated.

"You said the exact same thing to the last four batches," Syusuke informed Keigo quietly, watching him lounge on the plush armchair (that had magically appeared in the Home Ec room the day Syusuke decided to make something nice for his brother's return and coincidentally had Keigo's initials engraved on its gold carvings).

"I guess that's it for this recipe, then." Senri, all the way across the room, legs dangling from the counter he was sitting on, chuckled. Deliberately, he crumpled up the fifth fondant recipe he had been holding and tossed it up on a graceful arc towards the trash can. Keigo took one look at the paper and it promptly burst into flames.

And landed on Syusuke's previously immaculate sink.

Syusuke sighed and moved to put the fire out.

"That's because that's what it tastes like, Syusuke," Keigo replied, looking very much amused. "It tastes fine."

"Doesn't it taste like..." Syusuke turned on the faucet. "Like, I don't know, anything else?"

Keigo gave him a superior grin. "It won't taste as delicious as you would, if that's what you're asking."

Syusuke's faced reddened faster than he ever thought it possible. "Keigo... can you not?" This was the beginning of what had been a long-running conversation with Keigo that had started ever since he'd turned thirteen, because apparently, Keigo deemed that age to be the right age to knock someone up (or get knocked up, whichever works, according to Keigo). Nii-san hated it but he couldn't stop Keigo if he wanted to, no one could, not really, so just about every hour of every day of every moment Syusuke spent with Keigo, he got informal sex education classes. With Keigo as the teacher.

Enough said. (No, not really. Keigo was horribly experienced, for a boy of fourteen, and he claimed it was healthy and proper, though how being promiscuous was proper for a boy of fourteen, Syusuke didn't know. At any rate, he was experienced and he experimented a lot, and he had a very, very, very active sex life, which he made sure to share to Syusuke in horribly graphic details every single time they met. And no, Syusuke didn't enjoy it, not one bit, because if Syusuke had wanted to hear about how Keigo really enjoyed his 'sessions' with Ami or Rika or Karen or pretty much every other girl in Keigo's year, he was pretty sure he'd ask, except that he didn't because he didn't want to hear, but of course, Keigo didn't care, so he heard all about them, anyway.)

"Ah, but ore-sama has a wonderful idea."

With the way Keigo lifted his eyebrows, obviously waiting for him to ask what said wonderful idea was, Syusuke got the feeling that he didn't want to know.

Unfortunately, Senri did.

"What's the idea?"

"We could just tie Syusuke up in his birthday suit with a big bright bow and present him to Tezuka. It is but perfect," Keigo declared slyly, sharing something of a victorious look with Senri.

Not that Syusuke saw it. Or heard what he'd just said. Keigo lost Syusuke somewhere around the phrase that meant naked.

"What... what..." he managed to sputter out, and no one could blame him if that was probably the only words he was capable of at the moment because he was pretty sure that Keigo had just implied... implied something that sounded like he wanted Syusuke to have sex... have sex with his nii-san.

And that sounded pretty wrong, sex and nii-san (especially his nii-san) should never be used in the same sentence.

Ever.

Keigo turned to him and shrugged. "Ore-sama is just saying.."

"Just.. saying.. what, exactly..?" Syusuke choked out, trying to not hyperventilate in the Home Ec room and wind up in the infirmary (again) while nii-san was not around.

"You're thirteen and you're a virgin."

It amazed Syusuke how Keigo managed to make the word sound so... degrading and as a response, Syusuke flinched away from him. "That's bad?"

Keigo looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "Of course it's bad!" he exploded. "You're thirteen, you're pretty, people are falling over each other just to get a kiss from you. Ore-sama would have expected you to sleep with someone by now, staying the way you currently are is a gross insult of your beauty, not to mention ore-sama's tutelage."

"Your tutelage?" Senri repeated, looking from him to Keigo incredulously.

Keigo sniffed. "Ore-sama graciously offered his magnificent services the moment Syusuke turned thirteen. And for free, too. It is a rare opportunity that ore-sama offers such privileges. And to see it go to waste..."

"Fuck, Keigo."

"But nii-san's fourteen and he hasn't..." Syusuke's voice died in his throat. He swallowed once and tried again. "Seiichi, too..."

Keigo gave him a sharp look. "Of course, he hasn't. Who would want to sleep with that bitch?"

"A lot of people," Senri replied for him. "I'll have you know that there are many students in this academy that equal Yukimura's beauty with yours and-"

"Chitose Senri," Keigo growled through clenched teeth, whirling around to face Senri. "If you value your life, ore-sama advises you to tread very, very carefully, ore-sama shall not be placed under the same category as that bitch."

"But you are, aren't you?" Senri asked, grinning cheekily. "You're both Dangerous Types. Isn't that 'the same category'?"

Keigo gave a sound he normally wouldn't have given, were he not annoyed, but he was annoyed and he would probably regret it later. Right now, though, he was concentrating on burning Senri to a crisp.

He didn't do a good job about it, mostly because Senri was always one step ahead of him, laughing and teasing and being his usual self. It was a flurry of fire and laughter and Syusuke didn't pay attention to most of it, except at the very end, because Keigo had almost burned Kuranosuke's face when Kuranosuke had tried to enter the room. He'd raised an eyebrow at the damage but Senri only sailed effortlessly past him to the corridor, and furious Keigo followed swiftly behind.

"Should I ask?"

Syusuke shook his head mutely, his face still flaming.

He felt a hand ruffle his hair and looked up to see Kuranosuke standing in front of him, giving him something of an encouraging smile. "Don't mind it, whatever they said to you," he told Syusuke in his usual low tone. "You know better than to."

Of course he did. Syusuke nodded and smiled at Kuranosuke. "Thank you," he said softly, taking a deep, calming breath.

They stayed quiet for a moment as Kuranosuke took in the appearance of the Home Ec room. "What were you-"

"Baking," Senri replied, leaning easily on the doorframe, grinning at Keigo, acting all chummy with him, as if Keigo hadn't just tried to burn him to the ground a few minutes ago. It was always how it went, so Syusuke wasn't even surprised.

"Baking?" Kuranosuke parroted.

"For Tezuka," Senri said, sharing a look with Keigo. "Isn't he absolutely precious? Syusuke, the little brother who thought big brother Tezuka hung the sun and the moon-"

"Senri," Kuranosuke interrupted sharply, giving Senri the look. Senri deflated obediently.

But Syusuke only laughed, smiling softly at his friends and their attempt to cheer him up. "You forgot the stars."

./.

Persona made them do things they normally wouldn't do at such young ages.

Yukimura had been seven the first time he'd made death threats, rearranged crime scenes, lied to police officers. He was ten when he'd first started to torture information out of people. At twelve, he was a master of pretend, lying his way out of situations, seeing the most private of moments before his eyes.

At fourteen, Persona decided to make them do something very essential if he ever wanted to make them a useful tool.

At fourteen, Yukimura killed a man for the first time in his life.

And he was desperately trying to black it out. And nothing was working.

He found himself blindly stumbling to a place only his body knew where, and he didn't care right now, because he'd just killed somebody, he was a murderer now, he was fourteen and a murderer and Persona had been damn well pleased but he wasn't and all he wanted to do was throw up and-

"Seiichi?"

Yukimura stumbled back a few steps. Oh, god, had he been walking to Syusuke's room? Why the hell would he want to let Syusuke see him like this? Why the hell would he... would he want to let Syusuke see the murderer that he had become?

What was he thinking?

"Seiichi, is something wrong?" Syusuke's face came into view, innocent and sweet, and so pure and so clean, it made Yukimura feel so dirty.

"I... I need a moment," he managed to gasp, backing away, wanting to be anywhere but here.

Syusuke's eyebrows knitted together with worry. He walked towards Yukimura, reaching out a hand, and Yukimura just backed away, feeling every bit of guilt heavy in his heart. "No, Syusuke, just-" Leave. Please just leave.

"Seiichi, I want to help." Syusuke moved forward again, reaching, always reaching. "Please?"

Yukimura gave in, of course he would give in, he always did, he never had much strength as far as Syusuke was concerned, Syusuke didn't know it, but Yukimura was wrapped completely around his little finger.

He didn't even hesitate.

"I killed someone today," he informed Syusuke, looking away, not wanting to see the fear or the judgment in his eyes.

It was quiet for a very long time and Seiichi let that silence oppress him, as it should, because he was a killer now and he deserved it.

He felt so cold.

"Oh," he heard Syusuke's belated reply. It was his only warning before quick steps echoed harshly down the silent corridor and Syusuke suddenly stood before him, body trembling with an emotion Yukimura couldn't place. Syusuke raised his hand and drew it back, and he closed his eyes, waiting for the strike to come.

"You want me to do this, don't you, Seiichi?"

Yukimura opened his eyes again. Syusuke was looking up to him, eyes closed, a small bitter smile in his face.

"Seiichi wants me to slap him, to judge him, to condemn him for something he had no control over," Syusuke paused, taking Yukimura's hand and giving it a soft slap. "And I would have done it, if it was what Seiichi needed.

"But it's not."

Syusuke squeezed his hand once and tugged at it lightly. "Come to my room?" he offered, with his usual pleading tone.

Yukimura felt the weight in his heart ease, even by just a little. He managed a small smile for Syusuke and let himself be pulled by the one person in the world he would die to protect.

./.

Syusuke's room was exactly the way he'd left it. Immaculately neat, once he overlooked the strips of paper littering the floor.

Kisaragi-san had given them to him, had given him lots of them, in one of her I'll-get-you-to-fall-in-love-with-me-someday schemes. She'd had many, in varied approaches, but this was the one that he had liked best.

Origami.

She taught him everything he knew, and they'd spent many afternoons folding paper after paper together, making turtles and fishes and bunnies and flowers. He liked lotuses the best and he had an entire section of his bedroom dedicated especially for those flowers. He'd thanked her for the lessons and she'd beamed brightly whenever he did.

She didn't realize he only liked origami because they distracted him enough so he wouldn't have to worry about his nii-san, who had gone almost as long as Seiichi had.

And still hadn't come back.

Seiichi followed him into his room, absently avoiding the pieces of folded papers, though not commenting on anything before he slumped down on the low coffe table, sighing softly. Syusuke sat beside him and waited.

"I don't know what to think anymore, Syusuke," Seiichi said silently, curling tighter into himself. "I don't... know."

Syusuke leaned his head against Seiichi's shoulder. "Ne, Seiichi?" he called, just as quietly. "Can I ask you something?"

He paused, waiting for a reply that Seiichi did not give. He exhaled softly and asked, anyway. "Did you... Did Persona just point at someone walking down the street and ask you to kill him?"

Seiichi stiffened, before bursting into hysterical giggles. "Are you trying to be funny?" Seiichi lifted his head and glared at him a little. "Of course not. I... He asked me to... The guy was an enemy of the Academy."

Syusuke smiled at him. "Then that's okay, isn't it? You're not killing innocent bystanders. You're killing enemies of the Academy. That's okay." Syusuke paused for while, humming to himself, arranging his thoughts. "That... even sort of makes you a good person."

Seiichi looked at him incredulously. "A good person? How does killing people make me a good person?" he demanded bitterly.

"You killed him because you were protecting us, didn't you? You killed him so we wouldn't have to worry about him attacking the Academy anymore. That's good."

Seiichi blinked up at him many times before he relaxed and started laughing. Laughing. "You and your logic," Seiichi said between fits of laughter. "I swear, Syusuke."

"My.. logic?"

Seiichi was shaking his head, trying to smother his laughter. "You make it sound so simple."

"Isn't it, though?" It was, to Syusuke.

Seiichi slumped once again, and this time, he was calm. "I suppose."

Syusuke shrugged before he was crushed into a tight hug. "Thank you, Syusuke."

./.

Seiichi got better over the next few days, and a week later, he was back to arguing with Keigo. Syusuke was happy that he was back, even though that meant he had to slave through Seiichi's usual morning banter with Keigo. It was... nice to not have the breakfast table half-empty, though Syusuke never forgot about the empty space.

Nii-san hasn't returned yet.

And standing outside of his brother's room for what was the twentieth time during the course of the week, it was getting harder to convince himself that he wasn't disappointed.

./.

Seiichi had taken up origami, too, so they sat together in Syusuke's room, folding papers, Seiichi calmly, and Syusuke furiously.

During the hour that they had been working, Syusuke had managed to botch a grand total of seven lotuses, five turtles and one fish. And the pile was still getting bigger.

Syusuke's hands were trembling as he took another square piece of origami paper, his eyes, blurring with tears he refused to let go of. He made a sound at the back of his throat, annoyed with himself for all the papers he'd ruined, wondering just why the hell he felt like crying.

Seiichi watched his face silently, before getting up and sitting back down beside him. Syusuke shook his head. He wasn't going to cry. He didn't have to, nii-san was going to come back. He was going to come back, like he promised he would, nii-san never broke his promises. It was no use crying. No use at all.

But Seiichi only reached out and gripped his hands, guiding them, folding the paper, tucking corners here, opening a few there, and before long, there was a single pristine white crane gripped between his trembling hands.

It was so beautiful, but Syusuke only wanted to cry.

"You know what they say about paper cranes, Syusuke?" Seiichi was saying solemnly, not commenting on Syusuke's held-back tears or his trembling hands or his nii-san's absence. "You give paper cranes to people who are important to you. They're a symbol of friendship, did you know?"

Syusuke shook his head no.

"You know what else they say about paper cranes?" Seiichi nudged the one in his hand. "Make a thousand and you'd get a wish."

"A... wish?"

"Mn, just one for a thousand, so it has to be something you truly want," Seiichi replied. "If we made a thousand, what would you wish for?"

Oh, that was easy. That was so, so very easy. "I'd wish that nii-san would be happy, that he'd be safe and happy. Nothing else."

Seiichi's arm wrapped around him, engulfing him with warmth, squeezing his shoulder. "In that case," he said and Syusuke could hear the smile in his voice. "One is enough."

Seiichi's other hand pushed another small square origami paper into Syusuke's view. And it should have been just another paper, just another pretty sheet. Except that it was the exact same color as his brother's eyes, sparkling with soft glitter.

Seiichi took his hands and guided him again helping him fold the crane that was meant for the most important person in his life.

And if he noticed that Syusuke was crying, if he noticed Syusuke's tears at all, he didn't say a word.

./.

There was blood everywhere.

And it was all Tezuka could see. Moments ago, he didn't know if it was minutes or hours or days, Persona had walked up to him and whispered how proud he was of Tezuka, and that Tezuka was free to go to the Academy and see his brother now.

But Tezuka had not moved. He stood rooted at the spot he had been many hours before. He remained standing the entire time, staring stupidly at the blood, realizing over and over again what he'd just done.

His mind was screaming 'killer!' and it had every right to.

Because that was what he was.

And he remembered everything, all in exquisite detail. The screaming, the cursing, the thrashing, and, the part that haunted him the most, the moment when it all just... stopped, leaving an eeriely quiet room, and the yells of Tezuka's conscience.

Tezuka closed his eyes and opened them again, seeing the exact same scene he had been staring at before. And he suddenly couldn't bear it anymore. He whirled around and ran, just ran, thinking of nothing, thinking of nothing but getting back to the Academy, and nothing else.

He wasn't allowed to think of the brother waiting for him in the Academy, the brother he loved, the brother he now had absolutely no right to. Not after what he'd just done.

He crashed into his room, and proceeded to empty his stomach into his bathroom sink. Over and over. And even as he rinsed his mouth clean, all he could see was red.

Blood. Blood in the bathroom, blood in the couch, blood in the closet. He turned abrubtly towards his bed and stopped.

Because the person he least wanted to see right now, was sitting there, looking at him worriedly, as if someone like him needed to be fussed over.

There was a crane in his hand, beautifully folded, and he set it down carefully on Tezuka's nightstand, before standing up and walking towards him.

Tezuka froze.

And Syusuke kept on moving, slowly but surely closing the distance between the two of them, reaching out and clutching his hands, smiling, relief in his voice when he said, "You're back."

Tezuka forgot everything. There was only Syusuke and Syusuke's smile, Syusuke's sparkling, loving eyes, Syusuke's soft hands clutching his own, telling him how glad Syusuke was to have him back.

He pulled Syusuke closer into a hug, allowing the comfort he usually denied to himself, just once, just this once. Syusuke exhaled happily as he moved to sift his brother's hair through his fingers, familiarizing himself with how silky they were, and how right Syusuke felt in his arms.

He watched the honey-brown strands tangled in his fingers... and was reminded of how the hair of the woman he'd killed was dyed a deep red after he'd... after he'd...

He wondered if Syusuke knew, if Syusuke felt the soul of that woman enter Death. And then that voice inside of him, was whispering softly, telling him he'd just defiled Syusuke, defiled Syusuke and his purity by touching him with hands that had seen blood. With hands that had caused death.

He pushed Syusuke away.

"Nii-san..?"

"Syusuke, I.."

"I know."

He glanced sharply up at Syusuke, who was looking at him with compassionate eyes, smiling sadly. "I know." Syusuke stepped up to him again and put his arms around Tezuka's waist, burying his head in Tezuka's chest. "And I don't care."

Tezuka remained as he was, standing shell-shocked and frozen, and Syusuke continued to hug him, never letting go. "You could kill hundreds and thousands of people, and I wouldn't care. It wouldn't matter to me.

"You'd still be nii-san and I'd still love you."

Syusuke looked up at him, watching him out of pleading, trembling blue eyes. "You'd let me, won't you?"

Tezuka's eyes softened, his heart filling with all the love he felt for Syusuke. Of course he would. He would never deny Syusuke anything, not if it made Syusuke happy, Syusuke had everything Tezuka could offer, right from the first moment Syusuke had looked up to him and smiled.

Because Tezuka loved Syusuke. And he loved him very much. "Of course," he replied and meant it.

"Then hug me, please."

Tezuka willingly complied. And because he had allowed himself many things today, he decided to allow himself one more. Just one more happiness, before everything would have to go back to normal tomorrow. Just this once, he convinced himself. It was safe, it was okay, just this once.

He ducked his head and pressed a kiss to the crown of his brother's head, then to his forehead, then to his cheek.

Syusuke let him, gave a soft sigh at each of the kisses, and they stayed that way for a very long time, lost in each other's arms.

Clary: Yey~ Another wittle side story in honor of Lia's recovery~ You're a medical miracle, Lia.

Lia: Are we going to have this discussion again? (glares)

Clary: Okay~ Okay~~~ Geez... Anyway, I wrote this one with Resa and Ani, who were also both worried sick for Lia~~

Lia: She's lying, I think. Resa and Ani could have never wrote this sidestory with her. It's impossible.

Clary: No, it's not~~ I did too write this with Resa and Ani~~~ At SCHOOL while you were busy being sick!

Lia: We ARE talking about the same persons, aren't we? Theresa and Anita? My two best friends other than you who hate each other's guts?

Clary: See, that's how worried they were about you, they actually stopped quarreling~~ It should go into the book of world records~~~ They didn't have bitch fights AT ALL this week, everyone was all like: Are those REALLY Resa and Ani? It was funny~~~~

Lia: Really... (still not believing)

Clary: YES, REALLY! But since you're not sick now, I guess they'd be all over each other again... (Oh well~ The peace was fun while it lasted~)

Lia: (still not believing) ... Anyway, for what it's worth, I liked this one.

Clary: Awwweeeeeee~~~~ I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, LIA~~~~ WELCOME BACK~~~~~~~ (smothers Lia in hugs) I'll be a good writer from now on, I promise~~~~~~~