When Karamatsu started to organize Choromatsu's porn magazines by alphabetical order, it was the last straw. Choromatsu had snapped, going on and on about the basic right of privacy defending the integrity of the entertainment industry, and finally giving Karamatsu the boot from his office.
"Get the fuck out of here and go hang out with Todomatsu or something, Shittymatsu!" he'd shrieked.
So he did. But Todomatsu wasn't too impressed either.
The youngest was preparing briefing packets on the new intel mission, and raised an elegant eyebrow at a Karamatsu winking at him from the doorway. His manicured fingers clacked away at the keyboard. "What is it, nii-san?" Something about his tone made Karamatsu think anything other than 'nothing' was going to end badly for him.
"I'm here to keep you company, my brother~" Karamatsu said, blithely ignoring the annoyed vibes Todomatsu was sending in boatloads.
"I have work to do, Karamatsu nii-san," Todomatsu whined.
"I can help you! With all my gruelling years of experience, I have some great wisdom to impart to you," Karamatsu said, gesturing emphatically.
"Whatever." Todomatsu turned back to his computer. Not a moment later, his eyes widened.
"Oh... This is great!" he exclaimed. Karamatsu watched with interest as his brother dialled his phone, and started typing again even more furiously than before. "Osomatsu nii-san?" he said. "I finally found an opening! Ryouhei's Seishun Prefecture division will be gone tomorrow for the whole day. Some sort of assistance mission. It's the perfect chance!
"Okay, got it." Nodding as Osomatsu responded, Todomatsu shot Karamatsu a quick glance. By the way," he added lightly. "Karamatsu nii-san is going stir crazy. Can you please do something about him?" Todomatsu clicked the intercom button, and Osomatsu's warm voice filtered through.
"Karamatsu, babe," Osomatsu said. "Are you being painful at your brothers again?"
"Ah...yes, I suppose I have," Karamatsu admitted, colour flushing his cheeks.
"Do you wanna come up to my office then? Take the edge off, if you know what I mean." Osomatsu purred, and Todomatsu groaned. He tossed the phone at Karamatsu, who snatched it out of the air reflexively. "TMI, you guys. Get your gross selves out of my office."
"Sorry, hahaha!" Osomatsu's laugh was warm and crisp, and the sound made Karamatsu smile. "How about this. Totty, since this is going to be your first field mission, why don't you take both Ichimatsu and Karamatsu with you?"
"What? But isn't Karamatsu nii-san on break?" Todomatsu said with a look of concern in his eyes.
"Don't worry, from the information you sent me, it seems like a simple in and out mission. He'll be back up only. And Karamatsu can handle it, right?"
"Yeah. I would like to go," Karamatsu agreed easily. He had been feeling an itch in his bones, almost, unused muscles craving some activity. Ichimatsu could do the job perfectly well, but Todomatsu could use some extra guidance.
"...fine," Todomatsu agreed grudgingly. "But no sequins on my first mission, okay?"
Ichimatsu leant lazily against a cracked and peeling wall, watching Karamatsu and Todomatsu squabble at the cluster of computers in the corner of the room, trying to hack through the security firewalls.
Well. It wasn't really squabbling. More like Karamatsu blabbing painful bullshit and Todomatsu trying valiantly to ignore him.
It was annoying. But when Karamatsu was being painful, it meant he was happy. So Ichimatsu let him be. Todomatsu could endure it for the length of the mission.
"-And did you see the way I stealthily avoided detection to guide us here? I was like a bat onto the night," Karamatsu was saying for some unknown reason.
"Uh huh, sure. It was not at all because of the emmap/em I found for us before the mission." Todomatsu said, dry as a desert.
"Ah, yes brother. It is with our combined wit that such a feat was possible."
It emwas/em terribly easy, getting in. Perhaps too easy.
"Shut up," Ichimatsu barked at the duo. There was something off about this.
The brothers came in through the front door because they were no guards anywhere in sight. That part was expected, of course. But when they came into the room, it was lit only with the dust filtered light from a grubby window, and the soothing glow from the screens-
Wait, why had the computers been left on-?
"What's wrong, Ichimatsu nii-san?" Todomatsu asked with a tinge of irritation in his voice, task interrupted.
"Perhaps the combined roar of our mutual intelligence was too much a bother for our dear brother-" Unable to think with such painful words within his hearing vicinity, Ichimatsu stalked quickly up to Karamatsu and slapped a hand over his mouth. "Mmnf-?" Karamatsu blinked blankly.
emBut Todomatsu's intel is never wrong. There was no way.../em Ichimatsu snapped the fingers of his free hand, trying to emthink. There must be something he's missing-/em
"Todomatsu," Ichimatsu barked, making the sibling in question jerk upright in his chair. "You said Ryouhei's men were out today for some mission?"
"Y-yes. It was an assistance mission."
"And what does 'assistance' mean?"
"Well," Todomatsu bit his lip in thought. "That was all the system had said. The schedule I found only labelled 'assistance mission'." He glanced at Karamatsu, who had gone still beside him, face unreadable. "There was no location listed, but I had assumed they were maybe helping another division with something? That's why they aren't at base." He turned his palms up in a shrug, looking a bit cowed by whatever expression must've been on Ichimatsu's face.
He wracked his brains for ideas. What could crime syndicate need to assist with? Assassinations, typically, but…
emAssistance. Assistance of whom? /em
Or maybe the better question was…at where?
Ichimatsu's eyes widened as a clang sounded in the far away depths of the hall they came from.
emMaybe it was a cat or something?/em Ichimatsu rushed to the door and pressed himself up against the cold metal. Karamatsu and Todomatsu were both staring at him, varying degrees of confusion on their faces. Their hearing wasn't nearly so keen as his. And were oblivious to what he suspected was about to happen.
Ichimatsu gritted his teeth as he heard more rumbling noises. Soft, pattering, not a cat. And definitely more than one person. Damn it.
He couldn't really blame Todomatsu for the mistake. As it was obviously a trap meant to mislead. But.
They were outnumbered.
Ichimatsu gritted his teeth. He looked at Karamatsu from the corner of his eye, still standing by the decoy computers but was now looming a little bit closer to Todomatsu, something sharpening in his gaze.
And this mission was supposed to be a vacation too, for Karamatsu.
The man had been a mess ever since- no, that wasn't true. The man had always been a mess. A mess of a brother and a mess of a family member. But he was the most damnably loyal guy around, even Ichimatsu had to admit.
And grudging dislike or not, Ichimatsu respected him.
So he cheered, internally of course. When Osomatsu finally managed to convince the great idiot to take a vacation. He had been a cheerful sparring partner. (A good break from Jyushimatsu's admittedly efficient, but brutal training sessions.) He had also been a lively presence, when the other brothers were all home from a draining day, and it was almost nice to hear Osomatsu and Karamatsu bickering like a married couple.
Today was supposed to be a good time- for Todomatsu to test the waters. (Training mission really.) And for Karamatsu to do something easy and fun, to relieve his cabin fever.
But now…
Ichimatsu made a decision. One he would probably never have made, a few years ago. But he emknew/em Karamatsu now. (Even though they've known each other their whole lives.) And Ichimatsu doesn't want to see the haunted look behind his eyes again. At least, not if he could help it.
"Karamatsu, Todomatsu. I think something's not right," Ichimatsu said quickly, redundantly. The pair were already tense and at the ready.
"W-what's going on?" Todomatsu said.
"I'm not too sure," Ichimatsu lied. "I'm going to check it out." He jerks a finger at the direction of the door. "How far along are you at cracking the security, Todomatsu?"
"I've already cracked it." Todomatsu gave him a small, proud smile, but it was shaky at the edges.
"Good." Ichimatsu breathed out. His brother really was no slouch, even if he didn't always act like it. "I want you to grab whatever useful info you can off their systems there. And if I don't come back in ten minutes, I want emyou/em." He pointed at Karamatsu, who was still sporting that unreadable look, his thick brows lowered over intense eyes. "To get him out of here." It was a stretch, Ichimatsu had to admit, going after an unknown number of enemies without backup. But, he'd done worse.
(And besides, Karamatsu's smiles were just starting to loose that pained quality recently-)
"Got it?" Ichimatsu snapped.
"Yes," Todomatsu affirmed, still confused but trusting.
"Yes." Karamatsu sounded resigned, which didn't make any sense. But Ichimatsu could find out later, when he was done sweeping the place.
"I'll see you two in ten," he promised, really hoping he would be able to keep it, and rushed out the door.
There had been more, much more enemies than he'd thought.
The compound was infested. emAssistance mission/em, really very cleverly named.
Ichimatsu struck down another man charging at him with his sword. Warm blood sprayed from where he was cut, staining another layer on Ichimatsu's silk pants.
He paused to wipe a smudge from his cheek, watching coldly as the man's body crumbled to the ground.
Nine, that had been.
Taking in a slow breath, Ichimatsu tried to slow the pounding thump in his chest. Stamina had always been his greatest weakness.
He tucked his sword in his hilt, and set off in the opposite direction, where the growing commotion was stirring.
Ichimatsu was not usually so...reckless.
Sure, out of the field agents in their family, (all of them except for Choromatsu and Todomatsu, really, and the latter not for much longer.) Ichimatsu was the one to come back most often battered and injured. Second most often was Karamatsu, because the idiot had the self preservation skills of a drunken puppy.
Ichimatsu didn't want to die, not really, even if he had a tendency to come off as such.
The honest thing was - he just didn't think he was worth a damn. Which - he admitted was probably problematic. He and Jyushimatsu were working on that.
But the point was, Ichimatsu didn't mind getting a little banged up, if it meant Karamatsu could have another good night's sleep. The man really did look awfully pitiful with those huge bruises beneath his darkened eyes.
So - Ichimatsu was the one here, fighting and bleeding, while Shittymatsu get their baby brother out of this clusterfuck of a mission. And that was fine.
He rounded another corner and five more goons were charging his way. Ichimatsu drew out his sword, hand only shaking a little as he did so.
The three in front decided to be clever and charge him all at once. Ichimatsu tsked, and parried the first with a discordant clang of metal as sword met sword. He kneed the man in the gut in the process and used the momentum to step around him, neatly dodging the second gonn's attempt at slashing his side.
But there had been one more... there-
-Ichimatsu spun around with his sword in a large arc, cutting the man that snuck up behind cleanly on the forearm. He yelped and recoiled; Ichimatsu dove in and slammed the sword blade first into his gut. The choked noises of pain from the man above him made him smirk with satisfaction.
The remaining goon stood on shaking feet as Ichimatsu turned to face him. A fresh layer of blood coated Ichimatsu's clothes, and his sword dripped with it. He probably made a frightening image, going by the look on the goon's face.
It was always a good idea to win his battles without actually twitching a finger, Ichimatsu found, watching as the man's nerve broke and he turned tail to run.
Well, that wasn't too bad. Ichimatsu let his forced casualness drop, shoulders slumping forward as he caught his breath. Damn, he really needed to work on his aerobics, didn't he? Usually his jobs were quick, one off things - Ichimatsu was more suitable for assassinations and stealth work. Jyushimatsu was more suited to mass destruction of this scale.
He stood back up, straightening his sleeves and suddenly-
- a lurching sensation
His gut - did he have something foul for lunch -
Then, pain. Hot, sharp, spreading…
Ichimatsu looked down.
Ah, he'd missed one.
emThere had been five,/em he thought, and collapsed to his knees.
"Urgk," Ichimatsu choked out, hand reflexively darting up to press at his abdomen as the intrusion was pulled out without ceremony. He flinched his hand away when he felt the wetness spread rapidly.
And it emhurt/em, god em damn it./em
Not the good, heated pain that Ichimatsu enjoyed a little bit on the side during escapades with Jyushimatsu. But it was the nauseating, waves of agony that left him breaking into a cold sweat. Left him shaking.
"Caught you, little Matsuno," a voice drawled, footsteps (how did he miss them?) circling around Ichimatsu's prone form and stopping before him. Shiny thick boots were all that Ichimatsu could see from his angle. He spat at them. Every little bit counted, right?
The man tsked, and kicked him in the face.
"Little bastard."
Ichimatsu grunted from the impact, then strained to lift his head enough to see the man above the feet. He was thickly muscled, as they often were. Clothed in a tight uniform with several gleaming metals strapped to his belt, and wearing a vile smirk on a pudgy face. This one had been loitering in the back while his comrades died fighting nobly.
A coward, but a crafty one.
"Now then, isn't this a surprise," he continued in that exaggeratedly flaunting tone of his. "A Matsuno," he spat the word like it was scum. "On our territory. Right when no one's home. What a coincidence!" God, this guy was almost as bad as Shittymatsu. Drama queens. "Too bad it was a trap," he sneered, like it was surprise. Ichimatsu wanted to roll his eyes, but the pain was making his vision swim, so he rolled them mentally.
Deciding to preserve a little of his dignity - if this was going to be his last few moments – Ichimatsu stooped up to a crouch.
God, they better kill him quick, he thought half-dazedly. Interrogation would be the worst, and Ichimatsu would much rather check out early.
"Don't look so sad, little Matsuno," the man kept on talking, Ichimatsu didn't know why. He didn't give a shit, and didn't pretend otherwise. "I'm calling the others here. I know your reputation, and a little wound like that won't stop you." Not true, Ichimatsu would gladly run away and not face the fight if he was gravely injured. The man probably had him confused for another one of his brothers. Most likely Karamatsu. "There's no way you can win. Against all of us." The coward sounded like he was convincing himself.
Well, Ichimatsu glanced blearily at the clock behind the man.
It had already been fifteen minutes.
He hoped those two had gotten out on time. This disaster Ichimatsu pulled had been tedious and stupid and foolishly noble and em goddamnit it he didn't want to die, not yet/em.
Ichimatsu swallowed a groan as he stood up fully, arm steadying his sword as best as he could so it pointed shakily at the goon. His left hand pressing into the wound, hoping it would buy him some time. But- if he was going down, he would fight until his last breath.
Damn. What a painful thing to think. In both senses of the word - Ichimatsu almost wanted to chuckle if it didn't hurt so badly - Karamatsu had been rubbing off on him.
Somehow, Ichimatsu didn't find he minded it very much.
He made sure to stab the coward in a place that won't kill him right away. He'll die, yes. But it will be a slow, painful death.
Ichimatsu had long stopped trying to slow the blood flow of the wound. He needed both of his hands to hold up the sword. It was growing heavier in his weakening arms by the second.
More men had flooded in from both directions leading into the hall he was in, and Ichimatsu had fought like the dying man he was, which was to say, very aggressively and unskilfully.
There was too many of them, and it seemed like there was no end, Ichimatsu thought as he clashed swords with another goon that replaced the one he just disarmed, both hands on the hilt shaking as he started to buckle under the force of the man's swing.
It was no good. Ichimatsu could see two more coming up from behind the one he was fighting. He used the last of his strength to push the man's sword to the side with his own, muscles screaming, and elbowed him in the face.
Hopefully he'll stay down, Ichimatsu thought as his knees finally buckled, and he fell down on them heavily, sword falling out of his hand and making a noise that made the pounding in his head worse.
He closed his eyes, not wanting his last moments to be filled with images of bloodthirsty strangers cutting him down.
And-
It never came.
He waited…
Still nothing.
em please don't bring me in please don't bring me in /em, he started praying in his head.
"Maybe we should bring him in."
em Drat./em
They were towing Ichimatsu by his arms, held between two goons and feet dragging behind him, Ichimatsu was being directed towards the exit of the compound.
Ichimatsu was close to delirious. Blood loss making his head swim but not enough, not enough to make him pass out.
They were approaching the heavy metal door of the exit when Ichimatsu felt what was left of his blood freeze at the sight of - of Todomatsu.
His eyes were red around the rims, but his cheeks were dry. The black jumpsuit he wore had dust rubbed across its front, and a black eye, but he seemed otherwise unharmed. He had his arms bound behind him, a stocky man held onto his shoulder with a hand that seemed huge against Todomatsu's small shoulders.
Fuck. Karamatsu. What the fuck did you emdo?/em
"He went back to look for you, Ichimatsu nii-san!" Todomatsu cried at the sight of him, eyes growing liquid. Ichimatsu must've said that out loud.
"Ha, they really do look identical," the slimy voice of the goon that was manhandling Ichimatsu said.
"Todomatsu. Are you hurt?"
"Ichimatsu nii-san!" Todomatsu shouted hoarsely, desperate and berating. "em Speak for yourself! /em You're embleeding!/em"
Todomatsu was okay, then.
Ichimatsu closed his eyes, too tired to keep them open. He thought hard about solutions, a way to make it out of this alive – if not him, then at least Todomatsu.
Ichimatsu could probably get free, if he wrenched hard enough. The goons holding onto him hadn't bothered to restrain him, so he could probably take them down with their own sword, if he was fast enough.
He emhad/em be fast enough. This was the last time he had to be em enough./em
The last time to a big brother.
Someone was screaming. Blood curdling, will-shattering screams.
It wasn't Ichimatsu, and a quick glance told him it also wasn't Todomatsu.
Something splashed onto his arm. Ichimatsu looked over, and it bloomed red against his bare arm. A body beside him collapsed. The screams halted.
"W-who? Gah-!" to remaining goon holding onto Ichimatsu gasped.
Turning his head quickly, Ichimatsu's eyes widened at the sight of Karamatsu's sword hilt, buried deep inside the back of the man that was holding Ichimatsu's left arm, now groaning and falling limp.
The older was glaring with a detached look in his eye, something almost vacant and dispassionate behind his irises. His lips were settled into a mildly disapproving frown, as if he thought the current situation mildly distasteful. The hand that held his sword was steady, not at all shaking like it had been two weeks ago, when Karamatsu sat down at the breakfast table, worn and slumped from nightmare.
The second son had always been good at his job, even if it killed him a little on the inside, in the aftermath.
Karamatsu didn't say a word as his eyes flicked to Ichimatsu, nothing flickered, not even recognition, and for a terrifying second Ichimatsu thought his brother was going to cut him down too. Karamatsu...he was barely Karamatsu then.
"How badly are you hurt?" Karamatsu asked, voice low and flat, a rasp catching deep in his register.
"I-" Ichimatsu considered lying. He had always had too much pride; mother had always told him. It would be the death of him one day. "It's, pretty bad, yeah," Ichimatsu ground out. Maybe it was time he listened to his mother.
Karamatsu nodded curtly, and side stepped a swing from a man crashing into his side, bashing the metal hilt of the sword against the back of the man's head. He went down with a groan. "Give me a couple of minutes. Don't die." Karamatsu's tone was shot with authority that Ichimatsu felt compelled to obey.
Then, Karamatsu turned to his back and let the demons come out.
Todomatsu had managed to free himself as the goons all left to join the fray of massacre that was their older brother. The younger had hurried over and was fumbling one of the fallen goons' pockets for a phone.
While Todomatsu made the distress call to headquarters, Ichimatsu watched with growing apprehension and awe as his idiotic, guiless brother slay men left and right as if it didn't even cost him an ounce of energy. It was akin to watching Jyushimatsu in the sparring room, but with Karamatsu, it was almost heedlessly...efficient.
His teeth were barred in a snarl, and occasional grunts of exertion were all the noises he made. His movements were sharp, lethal, and punctuated with perfect stance. Ichimatsu hadn't worked often with him, mostly out of incompatible personalities, so he hadn't witnessed Karamatsu's true abilities before, only knowing about it in a theoretical way.
This. This was almost overindulgence. As another man fell, mute, having died before he even hit the ground, torso coloured with sliced skin.
Ichimatsu was starting to see why Karamatsu's dreams keep him up at night.
It was quiet, after a fashion.
Karamatsu was the only one still standing, or, kneeling, as he had his hand closed around a man with several slashes on his arms and body's throat, growling something too low and guttural for Ichimatsu to hear.
His other arm was poised above the prone man's body, glint of the blade unwavering in the air, waiting.
Ichimatsu didn't know why his brother wouldn't just put the goon out of his misery.
"- hurt him. I will emtear you apart/em." Ichimatsu was able to catch the tailwind of what Karamatsu was growling. And, that was enough, he opened his mouth to say so.
"Karamatsu nii-san!" Todomatsu shouted before Ichimatsu could. "Stop, please, that's enough already. Please." His voce broke on the last word, and then dissolved into sobs. Ichimatsu turned his head around, startled by the sound.
The youngest was crying, curling in onto himself, arms hugging themselves. The phone he procured was thrown aside, beside the body of the man it had belonged to.
"Todomatsu..." Ichimatsu realized belatedly this was emnot/em how first missions were supposed to go. His brother was going into shock.
Struggling to push himself upright from where he was lying, Ichimatsu shouted as loudly as he could, voice tight with pain. "Shittymatsu, stop your crazy murder spree already. You're scaring Todomatsu."
Karamatsu was still, his back ramrod straight and tense as a piano string. "Karamatsu. The guy's already pissed himself," Ichimatsu continued more calmly, reasonably. "Let him be. We can bring him back for interrogation." When he still didn't move, Ichimatsu's temper flared. "I'll come over there and stop you up myself if you don't listen, you stupid bastard!"
Karamatsu head turned slowly around, eyes still vacant as he stared at Ichimatsu in silence. The younger swallowed. Goddamn. It was like the lights were on but no one was home.
A jolt of pain suddenly shot up from Ichimatsu's wound, and he squeezed his eyes shut. "Mnk-" he whimpered, unable to stop the sound from escaping.
"Brother!" The spell was broken, and Karamatsu's stupid face finally twisted into shock, confusion, then horror, as his eyes started to fill with tears. "Stupid crybaby," Ichimatsu sighed, not letting on how relieved he was at the sight of some emotion, em any/em emotion on his brother's face.
For a second there, he thought he'd lost him.
"Ichimatsu, I-I-" Karamatsu babbled. Lips quivering and puppy eyes in full force, Ichimatsu didn't know how his shitty brother ever transforms into that monster of a man. He wasn't being harsh, either. Karamatsu was genuinely terrifying a moment ago.
"Back up is coming,' Ichimatsu waved him off. "I think the bleeding is staunched. Go." He gestured at Todomatsu's general direction. "Do some damage control."
Karamatsu nodded at him vigorously, as if Ichimatsu said something profound, and scrambled over to Todomatsu, who was still sobbing uncontrollably. The younger flinched when Karamatsu's arm brushed his gently.
Karamatsu jerked back like he'd been slapped.
"Todomatsu…"
The younger hiccupped, face still buried in his sleeves.
"Todomatsu," Karamatsu said brokenly, and knelt down next to him, whispering gentle murmurs into his ears, and slowly wrapped his arms around Todomatsu's shoulders.
The scent of blood made Ichimatsu's head woozy. He didn't want to pass out yet, he had something…something -
- Ichimatsu had something to tell him.
Flashes of blue, then, distorted voices, shouting.
Ichimatsu had to tell him-
His lids won't blink open anymore, heavy like lead, and he could feel himself slipping away
em Ichimatsu had to tell him not to be afraid- /em
Ichimatsu leant against the wooden poll of the entrance to the garden, crossing his arms to appear casual, when in reality he needed to take the strain off the tightly wrapped wound on his side.
Beside him was Todomatsu, bowed and hunched in on himself from discomfort and nerves. He had a bucket in one hand, various assortments of poles sticking out of it.
Their idiot brother was sitting at the bench underneath the sprawling vine with his back to them, wind carding through his hair in whisps, dark against the white collar of his shirt. It was growing too long, Ichimatsu noted absently.
"Well?" Ichimatsu said, after a moment of silence. The nervous vibrations from Todomatsu next to him were starting to make him grouchy.
"Nnk," Todomatsu said. "I…I don't know…"
"What is it now?" Ichimatsu snapped. They already talked about this, for hours on length. Ichimatsu hated talking feelings and emotions, especially not in the counselling role. What a pain in the ass, that Shittymatsu, brooding everywhere with his sensitive little feelings; refusing to eat with them, and falling asleep in random places because he avoided the bedroom to give Todomatsu space.
Closing his eyes and blinking them open again forcefully, Ichimatsu scattered the uncharitable thoughts. It wasn't Karamatsu's fault this happened. In fact – Ichimatsu's hand slipped down to brush against his side – he had Karamatsu to thank for even being alive enough to be angry with him.
"I'm scared he won't forgive me," Todomatsu finally said. Getting the truth out of him was like pulling teeth, sometimes. "What if he hates me?"
Ichimatsu wanted to laugh, so he did. Loudly and mockingly.
"Karamatsu hating you?" Ichimatsu clutched his side; maybe he shouldn't have done that, even if it was to make a point. Karamatsu was looking their way now, his eyes wide. "He couldn't hate you even if you betrayed and stabbed his ass," Ichimatsu said lightly.
"Ichimatsu nii-san!" Todomatsu was glaring at him for making Karamatsu notice their presence, but he had a small smile tugging at his lips. "You're the worst." He harrumphed and trotted over to Karamatsu. Finally.
Watching with half lidded eyes, Ichimatsu saw Todomatsu make a fool of himself apologizing, when of course, Karamatsu wouldn't even have thought there was anything to apologize emfor/em.
That was the problem with that idiot, honestly. He was so stupid, stupid and oblivious and eager to please. Which made him the best weapon the family's got, even if the toll it takes on him is a heavy price to pay.
But Karamatsu wasn't dangerous, not really.
He was lethal, sure. But cruelty doesn't even touch him. And he never could hold a grudge. Not even when Ichimatsu had been unfairly cruel to him in their younger days.
There was mild crying now, and hugging, which made Ichimatsu want to gag. But he was glad it was this than any other worse possibilities.
em
Todomatsu had been inconsolable. "That wasn't Karamatsu nii-san! There was no way he could do something like-"
"Like what?" Ichimatsu had spat. "Like saving our lives?"
"But, but he didn't even /emcare em when he cut those people down," Todomatsu had cried. "And-did you see the look in his eyes?"
"Totty," the nickname had come out as a warning, low and dark. "Did you know Karamatsu is the best out of all of us, at what he does?"
"How- Really?" Todomatsu's jaw went slack with shock.
Ichimatsu hadn't wanted to tell him. Karamatsu's business was his own. But Todomatsu had to /em understand. em"Osomatsu wouldn't say a word if Karamatsu wanted to quit and just live as his personal sex toy." Todomatsu made a face at that. "But he wouldn't stop Karamatsu from going on missions either. Because they both know the family needs him."
Todomatsu was silent after that. /em
"Hey, Ichimatsu," Karamatsu said to him as they came over, dumb and cheerful smile on his face again. Ichimatsu felt himself smiling in response. "Want to come fishing with me and Todomatsu?" He waved the fishing pole in his hand in front of Ichimatsu's face, as if that was supposed to tempt him into doing such a mind numbing activity with him.
"No," Ichimatsu said.
"Awe, maybe next time then," he said genuinely. Behind him, Todomatsu was smiling at Ichimatsu with gratitude. It could do them good spending some time alone.
"Maybe."
Karamatsu patted him on the shoulder as he walked past, winking (knowingly or not, Ichimatsu didn't know. It was always hard to tell with him. Ichimatsu suspected he had more depths than he came off as. No one could be that good at killing people without a few skeletons in the closet.)
Now alone, Ichimatsu closed his eyes and breathed in the crisp, warm air of early summer. It wasn't hot enough to be uncomfortable, yet. Cicadas were a gentle chorus in the background, and the sun had drifted across the sky enough for the rays to hit Ichimatsu's cheeks, even beneath the eaves.
A soft presence wrapped itself around Ichimatsu's legs, and he bent down carefully to pet Ringo, looking up whimsically.
It was always so beautifully comforting, to stand under that unforgiving blue, eclectic sky, Ichimatsu thought.