1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Five locks. Each one color coded accordingly: red, blue, green, yellow, pink.
Five colored locks lined down Ichimatsu's apartment door. Each colored lock took a different key to undo, and each key was a different shade of purple from lavender to violet.
Karamatsu watched this reveal with the keys with a lifted eyebrow, wondering if this had all been intentional or not. Was this just some weird psychological thing Ichimatsu had to do every time he left and entered his apartment, or was it just one of those oddly strange and specific coincidence?
Either way, it was creepy.
Once the door did open though, Karamatsu wasn't sure if he'd rather still be staring at the locks, as Ichimatsu's apartment, loft, made the knots in his stomach even tighter.
They had gone to the 'upper side' of town, which should have been the hint in itself if it weren't for the already common knowledge that Ichimatsu winning every case he ever took was akin to winning every lottery ticket ever bought.
The loft was immense; massive for what was the usual typical Japanese sized apartment. It was, of course, on the top floor of the complex, windows that were nearly the expand of the walls themselves, and within the center was a spiral staircase that led up to an opened second level balcony with a balcony where a western style bed was.
At first glance the place did appear to be spotless and absolutely pristine, but it only took one step in to see that cat hair wa e.
It only took another step in for 8 cats to all come out from around the corners and under the furniture to trot over and greet their human.
"Yes, yes," Ichimatsu smiled. An actual, legitimate smile that was without any spice of sin for once. "Thank you for watching the place," he took some fish treats out from his pocket, immediately kneeling and giving one to each of the cats.
"Are you sure you want my death the most in your life, or just a big apartment for a million cats?" Karamatsu mumbled under his breath.
Either Ichimatsu didn't hear it, or he chose not to react to it. "Take off your shoes," he muttered without looking at 'his guest' while slipping out of his own shoes and setting his bag down.
"I know . . ." Karamatsu murmured and did as he was told. He moved himself within the apartment more before he had to stop and process just how much of the city could be seen from the surrounding windows.
"Whatever your shitty brain is thinking, stop it. I didn't tell any of you about my place, because I'm sure I would end up losing it if you all found out," Ichimatsu slid his jacket off, his tie following. "And I would say you're not going to tell anyone either, but it's not like you can without a phone," the sin found his smile again.
"O-of course!" Karamatsu coughed once to clear his throat, attempting to strike a positive pose. "Whatever you want, brother! Even if I had a phone, you'd know I'd respect you!"
"Would you?" The grin all too soon vanished from him.
"I would!"
"All right . . ."
The leather of the couch lightly sounded as Ichimatsu sat himself down on the center cushion, some cat fur flying up in response. Karamatsu's eyes stayed over him, following the motion as he stared down. That wouldn't do, as it was not the second brother's place to look down at the fourth.
Promptly Ichimatsu gave a single snap of his fingers and then pointed down towards the floor. "Then what did I just tell you before we left the station?" he added within his usual dry tone, his own stare staying stuck on his older twin.
"Um . . ."
"Um-?" Of course, it wasn't long before that dry tone shifted to his usual diabolic one when it reared itself. "Come on, dear brother, you can do it-answer."
"You . . . wanted me to beg you."
"For?"
"For you to . . . accept my case."
"Yes~ And just like the case and this whole situation you are in, the fact that you're about to get on your knees and beg me is your own fault. It was your idea, after all."
A wide, thin frown crossed over Karamatsu as he felt the knots in his stomach start all over again. The tips of his ears also now became heated with those knots as well. Was it fear? He wasn't scared of his little brother, was he?
"Well?"
Tightly Kara clenched his teeth and slowly proceeded to kneel.
The second his knees touched the floor, Ichimatsu rapidly shook his head, "No, no, no. Right here-" he pointed once more at the floor, at his feet. "In front of me. Not over there."
The nod Karamatsu gave was just a stiff as his jaw was. How he hated that each step he took was shaky. But, as instructed, he moved himself where his brother had so apparently wanted him.
Swallowing a breath down, Kara fought his own body's weight as he lowered himself on his knees.
"Go on," Ichi said all so casually as he leaned back against the sofa.
"Dear . . . dear brother . . . please . . . Would you please consider . . . accepting my case. To . . . be my lawyer?" Karamatsu could only manage to make himself look at the other for so long before his eyes fell to the side.
"Hm . . . Continue."
"Huh . . ." Karamatsu's hands started to feel clammy, and idly he pressed them against his thighs. "I don't . . . I don't know what else to say, I-"
"First of all-" Ichi harshly sat right back forward again where he placed his finger under Kara's chin. It was almost in the same way he had done so back at the station, but this time with much more pressure as he tipped his head up towards him. "You will look at me as you beg. I want to see the pathetic, sad look in your eyes as you cry at me. For me-" Each word was said with a deeper growl than the last as Ichi's own eyes were nothing but poisonous.
Karamatsu almost felt like he'd rather be looking at that noxious smile again rather than this.
"Second of all-" Ichimatsu continued as he arched himself down closer to the other man, "When I say I want you to beg, it means exactly that. Beg."
Before Kara felt like his ears were burning, but now his whole head felt like it was set ablaze and he was suffocating on the smoke while the fire ate away at his flesh. It was just something about his brother's tone, the toxicity in his eyes, that made each heart beat hurt; that made each heart beat scream at him to do what he was told right now. "Yes, brother Ichimatsu! Please! Please defend me! I'm begging you! You! You! Only you! I only want you! I only need you now! I need you to make sure that I'm-"
"Ehh~? That you're what? Say it."
The space between their same faces drew less and less by the second.
"That . . . I need you to make sure that I'm okay!"
"Heh-"
The touch Ichimatsu had on Karamatsu ended, and so did the air between them grow again. And, just as Ichimatsu had predicted too, the tears started to leak from the older brother's eyes.
Silent sobs.
Karamatsu's thick eyebrows touched as he tried so hard to remain in his current posture. As he tried so hard to continue looking at his brother as he knew the other wanted. First the trembling started within his hands, then his shoulders, and then all over as he had to bite his own tongue to remain 'strong' within this moment.
Saying that he needed his brother to make sure he was okay had so much more to do with just this
on-coming trial. It only hit him after he heard his own voice speak those words that Ichimatsu had succeeded in manipulating it out of him so easily, so quickly. Forget the locks being creepy. The fact that he was able to do that to him was creepy.
And Karamatsu knew for sure then, this was why he was so good at being a lawyer.
It hadn't been the first time they had this conversation, that was why.
It happened before. Their senior year of high school.
"Are you scared~?" Ichimatsu interrupted the memory from playing with those words. Or it was even more so like he had actually read his brother's mind with asking that question.
"I'm-" Karamatsu's voice cracked. He didn't want to say it, but he knew the other wanted to hear it. He didn't want it to be the truth, but he knew they both knew it was the truth. "Yes . . . I'm scared, brother Ichimatsu . . . I'm . . . horrified . . . I-"
"There there~" Ichimatsu smiled again. It was something almost like the smile he gave his cats, but much less pure as he leaned over to place his hands on Kara's shoulders. "I'll protect you . . . just like before . . . just like when we . . . were in school."
The tears burned Karamatsu's eyes more as he could no longer fight a further frown. Hearing those words from Ichi caused that previous hot-feeling biting at him to turn into a freeze. How happy he had been on that day. That day where he had cried to his younger brother to protect him-to make him feel safe and unafraid at the world.
And . . . how happy Ichimatsu had been all the same to be his guard.
Only . . .
That's when it started.
There had always been the slight signs of the fourth sextuplet not quite fitting in with the crowd he used to so desire to. There had always been slight signs of his lack of desire to be like the others. However, there had also always been stronger signs of his ability to conform and be normal as well.
Those 'strong signs' became less and less, formed to something slight, until nothing at all, and it had started to slip when his 'protection' had started.
Ichimatsu . . .
He was like this.
He was miserable and depressed like this.
He was harboring sadism and something else much more nightmarish than that . . .
All because of . . .
Karamatsu.
It was one of those thoughts Karamatsu tried not to think about-even going as far as to forget. But how could he? Especially now . . .
His younger twin had, at some point, become way too obsessed at making sure he was 'okay'.
Being protective became being possessive.
And then . . .
Roughly Kara blinked a couple times to try and rid himself of both his thoughts and tears. "So . . .," he sniffed, forcing another fake smile. "That means you'll . . . take on my case?"
"It means I've accepted the task of it, but I'm still not doing it for free," Ichimatsu took his hands away and relaxed himself once more on the couch.
"Wh-! But! How am I supposed to pay!?"
Canting his head up, Ichi waved a hand in mocking-dismissal. "You begged me to have the interest in your case. Now do you want to seal it by begging me to do it without payment?"
"Brother! Why!" Karamatsu whined and swiped a sleeve across his face to try and wipe the wetness away.
"Well?"
"Okay, okay! I-" Taking a breath in, Karamatsu slapped his hands together in a praying posture, "I'll work it off! I can't pay you in money, but I'll do physical labor for as long as you need! For the rest of my life if I have to! I'll . . . I'll clean your apartment! I'll do the dishes! I'll cook the food! I'll scoop your cat's shit with my bare hands! Please! Just-"
"You'll do it all," Ichimatsu replied sternly, seriously without amusement.
"Yes! Of course! Anything!"
"Hmm . . . don't move," Getting up, Ichi stepped over to a nearby side table with a drawer, pulling something out from it. "That thing around your ankle . . ." he brought himself to stand behind Kara. "That is a symbol that the system owns you. You are subservient to them. You are not allowed to leave a designated area. You must obey those rules."
Confused, Karamatsu glanced up to see his brother just grinning all over again. He was such a fucking light switch . . .
From behind his back, Ichimatsu exposed a violet-colored collar and snapped it around Karamatsu's neck. There was no bell, but instead there was a mini lock that required one of those purple keys. "But this? This is a symbol that I own you now. You are subservient to me. You are not allowed to leave my sight. You must obey my rules."
"What is-" Kara instinctively reached up to pull at his new found accessory.
"Your life is literally in my hands, Karamatsu-" Ichimatsu spat his name purposely without any prefix. "So you will show me your gratitude. You will do exactly what I say, when I say it. Without question. Disobey my orders, even take a breath that I don't like, and I drop the case. I drop you."
The heartbeats started to hurt again. "O-of course . . ." his smile drew ever so wobbly as he lifted himself to one knee.
He was instantly pushed back down by Ichimatsu.
"No. You ask. Ask me if it is okay for you to get up now."
Any color in Karamatsu's face was lost at that second. With those three sentences, he knew. This was
going to be about much more than just doing chores.
How? Karamatsu felt himself draw into a cold sweat. How did he get in this situation? How was he sitting here right now with a dog collar, a panther collar, around his neck and looking up at his younger twin while the headlines tomorrow would paint him as a serial killer?
"Brother . . . Ichimatsu . . . Is it . . . okay if . . . I get up now?"
"Is it?" Ichimatsu moved around to the side of Karamatsu, instantly reaching down and grabbing a fist full of hair with a yank that caused a whine from the other. "Maybe I should make you earn that privilege too."
"Ah- what are you-" Kara shut one eye in a wince.
"Open your mouth."
"What?"
Tighter Ichi latched his fingers within Kara's hair as he gave a further tug. "Do I already need to reinforce what I just explained to your dumb ass-?"
"N-No!" Kara hurried in parting his lips, opening his mouth wide to meet his brother's command.
"Yes~ good-" Ichi smirked all over again as he never let go of Kara's hair. His other hand moved forward then too where he touched the tips of his index and third finger to the other's tongue.
In response, Karamatsu shifted back, but this caused the strain on his hair to be wrenched further. Which in turn, caused another grunt of pain to emit from him.
"You don't want to pull away, or else it hurts, dear brother." Ichi slid his fingers over Kara's tongue more until he was feeling, caressing the damp surface. "Whether that is within the detail of this disgusting canvas we're painting right now, or the big picture-Can your idiotic brain comprehend that?"
The water started to build up at the corner of Karamatsu's eyes again as the air stung them with how wide his look got at Ichimatsu. So gravely he tried everything to keep further tears from showing though. How could he respond? The fingers in his mouth wouldn't allow speaking so easily. All he could do was nod.
A tense, slow-rough nod that made the collar clang against his neck, causing him to feel that leathery ring all over again in rubbing against his flesh.
"Good . . . good . . ." With those words, Ichi released his hold. "You may get up now."
Karamatsu could barely feel his legs as he brought himself to a stand, his cheeks flushed and the taste of his brother's fingers lingered over his tongue. Just what was that last bit? It was so weird, but so . . . Ichimatsu.
What was weirder though, was how Karamatsu felt like his head was now spinning. Perhaps he had just gotten up too quickly, yet he knew he didn't move fast in the action at all.
There was barely more than three inches between them as they were so close to one another as Karamatsu no longer remained on his knees, nor did Ichimatsu step back either.
"Gross-" Ichi snorted, "I can smell myself on you."
Karamatsu felt his lips part once again, but as before-words were stuck.
"Go take a shower."
"Right . . ." Karamatsu turned around, instantly feeling like he was lost for some reason. Was it because he simply didn't know where the washroom was here? Was it because it was just odd to be able to bathe without going outside to a bathhouse? Or . . .?
"That door," Ichimatsu pointed up to the loft balcony at a closed door.
"Okay . . ."
Karamatsu had only managed to take one step before he felt his brother's words cease him again.
"Stop."
"Huh?"
"That door up there. Is the bathroom."
"Okay?"
"That door right there though . . ." he drifted his finger towards another shut door closer by them. It also had an added padlock on it. "You do not go in there. If I even find you near that door. I'm cutting your hands off."
"Ahah . . . hah . . . of course, brother!" Karamatsu cleared his throat, still trying to feign some kind of confidence. "Is that where you keep your cat-girl porn?" He chuckled, which didn't last long as the other did not find it funny and gave him a new found glare.
"Food-"
"Er-"
Turning, Ichimatsu kept his narrow look at his brother as much as his path would allow him as he moved closer to that 'off limits' closed door.
The ring of various purple-shaded keys were taken out again, and one unlocked the door. "Food." Ichimatsu pulled the door open to reveal a rather small, narrow closet filled with both wet and dry cat food. All grain-free of course.
"Um . . . S-sure then . . ." Kara rubbed the back of his head in trying to fight feeling even more uncomfortable. How was that possible? "I'll uhm . . . not go near that door."
"Good," Ichi closed and locked the closet right back up then. "Now . . . go to take a shower. Or bath. I don't care which."
"As you wish!" Karamatsu gave an assured nod this time and hurried himself up that spiral staircase, tripping once in the process, but it was okay. He got right back up and hurried himself inside the bathroom.
Just as the rest of the apartment, the washroom was beyond impressive as well with its western-type tub and large mirror on the left wall.
The mirror . . .
The reflection of Karamatsu looking back at himself was not one that could make him happy. His brows knitted up, his eyes looked tinted red from their previous tears, and that collar . . .
Lethargically he lifted his hand, staring at himself in the mirror as he just barely touched the curved side of the collar and then the lock.
Ichimatsu had given this to him . . . he had put this on him. Ichimatsu had-
Ichimatsu's reflection joined him in the mirror as he stood behind him.
"JESUS!" Karamatsu jumped, grabbing at his chest as he turned around.
"What?" Ichi stared with his normal half-lidded eyes.
"Ahah . . . nothing. I guess that will never change."
"Hm?"
"The way you-ah-never mind," Kara cleared his throat and gave his brother another smile. "What's up?"
"What do you mean?"
"Uhm . . ." it got difficult to keep the smiling up again, "I'm going to . . . shower? So?"
"And?"
Any ability Kara had left then to keep that difficult smile was now gone with that last, single word. "You're . . .?"
Maybe that failed smile from the second Matsuno had been transferred over to the fourth, as Ichi was now beaming with a wide, toothy, shark-like grin. "You know, just because I'm capable of getting my clients an innocent verdict, that doesn't mean I actually believe their innocence myself."
". . ." Karamatsu swallowed hard. It felt as if someone had shoved a rock down his throat.
"From the information I've been presented with, all the evidence really does point to you being that cold-blooded, deranged, serial killer. And so . . . for my own safety, why should I actually let you out of my sight for even a second~?"
"Br-brother . . . please . . . you can't mean you really . . . believe that . . ."
"Take off your clothes."
"But-"
"What's wrong? You're not about to question an order from me, are you? Eh? It should really be no big deal, right? How many times were we in a bathhouse together . . ."
"I know, but this-"
"Do it."
The tile of the bathroom floor suddenly felt so cold from under Karamatsu's feet. His eyes skimmed back towards the mirror, looking again at his own reflection and the image of his brother standing there too. He wished they could all be different people right now; that the ones in the mirror were actually standing there as alternate versions of themselves. And instead, they would be the ones playing this game.