So... It's been a couple of years since I last published anything on this site, having completely switched to Ao3 for easier use. But I thought, 'well, I dug back in the YST/RW fandom, so why not continue with the necromancy?' lol. And here I am. Posting a couple of fics on ffnet again - though only the non-smutty ones; for anything adult-themed, please visit my account on Ao3.

And have fun reading!

What My Big Brothers Taught Me

Yamano Jun has awesome honorary big brothers.

Not because they're heroes who kick demons' asses, though it certainly is part of why he admires them so much, but because they're always making sure he's alright.

Jun is just a little kid, even if he'd like to think he has matured a lot ever since he got separated from his parents during the Invasion and found himself protected by the Troopers, but still… He's eight. There are a lot of things he doesn't know how to do on his lonesome. It's the first time he's separated from his family for so long, and he worries about his parents, even if he tries not to think about them too much.

But Ryo, Seiji, Shin, Shuu, Touma-niisan – and Nasutei-neechan and even Byakuen?

They notice, and they do what they can, whenever they can, to keep Jun's mind and hands busy and to alleviate the stress and worry.

Jun doesn't immediately pick on it, but in retrospect, it's kinda obvious.

It starts with Shin, who calls Jun over and asks him in all seriousness if Jun wants to help him make dinner. Shin-niisan is an awesome cook, though Shuu is better ("Perks of growing in a restaurant, I've learned a lot of stuff growing up," he winks when it's his turn to handle the cooking), and it's a pleasure to help him around and to feel useful, even in a small way.

Jun has sometimes helped his Mom in the kitchen, but she has never let him handle a knife before. Shin shows him how to do it patiently, his hands over Jun's smaller ones, showing him how to best cut the meat or fish in tiny dices that will melt in a stew, or how to peel fruits correctly. He shows Jun how to make simple, nourishing dishes that ask for little cooking time, and how to activate the stove – though Jun gets the mother of all lectures about how he mustn't, EVER, use the stove without supervision, or even grab a knife without one of the other Troopers or Nasutei in the room with him, because it's DANGEROUS.

"I trust you to be a responsible child, Jun-kun," Shin says as he tussles Jun's hair gently after Jun promises.

Responsible. Right. Jun can be responsible.

Next is Seiji, who finds Jun to be nervous and antsy and invites him to join in meditation.

It's hard, sitting still and clearing his mind, but Seiji sits with him, and shows him how to get comfortable, and gently corrects his posture, and teaches him breathing exercises, and how to feel his body, and how to avoid letting his mind wander too far.

Seiji makes it looks effortless, and Jun is a bit jealous.

"I wasn't very good at it either when I was your age," the blond Troopers admits with a half-smile, which surprises Jun a lot, because he cannot imagine Seiji not ever being good at something. "But I practiced and practiced until I got it right. Having a clear mind is necessary if one wants to learn the art of the sword, or any art at all. Wouldn't you want to do that, Jun-kun?"

Yes, of course Jun wants to! He wants to try to learn the sword like Ryo-niisan, or the bow like Touma-niisan, or…

"Would you teach me?" Jun blurts out and Seiji's lips twitch.

"When you're a little older and we're not dodging Youja left and right? I'll be delighted to show you the ropes," Seiji smiles, and Jun's heart soars.

Shuu, for his part, doesn't think Jun has to wait to learn how to defend himself – or at least, to learn how to dodge and fall.

"First thing you need to learn, kiddo, is how to avoid injuring yourself," the strongest of the Troopers (physically, at least) explains as he takes Jun by the hand and leads him to a set of tatami mats he has spread around. Jun hopes he has asked Nasutei-neechan before borrowing them, else they'll be Words coming later.

Shuu doesn't seem worried, though, as he crouches next to Jun to look at him in the eyes and explain to him what they're going to do.

Shuu, Jun discovers, is a great teacher – but then again, Shuu has plenty of younger siblings who are also training in martial arts and he either had to supervise them or teach them himself when his Mama was too busy otherwise. He knows what he's doing when he shows Jun basic exercises on how to fall the 'right' way as to avoid an injury and how to get back to his feet quickly.

"You never know when it'll be useful," he mutters under his breath as he makes Jun repeat the same backward roll for what feels like the tenth time in a row – Jun is starting to feel slightly dizzy.

Still, it's good to be learning something, even if Shuu is adamant that he's not going to show Jun any fighting move.

"Let's save that for when we have time and, uh, perhaps also the authorization," he coughs awkwardly, not saying he'd prefer to have Jun's parents' permission, but Jun understands it all the same.

On one hand, it's sensible. On the other, it reminds Jun that unless the Troopers manage to beat Arago, then Jun's parents will not return home.

Thinking of his parents, still missing, still somewhere in the Youjakai, makes Jun sulky and depressed for a few days – at least until Ryo-niisan steps in and takes him with him for a walk in the woods around Nasutei's house.

Jun thinks Ryo is the one Troopers he admires the most, perhaps because he's the first one he has met, or perhaps because of Byakuen, or just because Ryo is Ryo. He's nice and a bit intense at times but he cares a lot and he's always ready to defend Jun, even when he's legitimately angry with him.

Ryo doesn't talk at lot at first while they walk, but then he starts pointing out plants, trees and flowers to Jun, and teaches him the names of each one, and even which ones are actually edibles and quite good to be used as seasoning in a dish, and which ones should be avoided unless he wants to be sick.

"You know a lot about plants, nii-san!" Jun exclaims as they pick a few twigs to bring back to share with the other Troopers.

"I grew up away from the big cities and in the middle of woods quite like those ones," Ryo smiles. "I had the time and opportunities to learn all about nature, be it plants or animals. Ah, see there?" he crouches low and makes a gesture for Jun to imitate him. There are faint traces in the dirt Ryo is smiling at. "Those are deer' tracts. Probably a mother with a fawn – see the smaller, fainter traces? They mustn't be too far. Perhaps we'll see them for real if we're lucky," he points at them as Jun's mouth opens a little. He hadn't even noticed the bigger ones.

"Is that why you asked Byakuen to stay home?" he asks curiously. It had seemed weird that Ryo hadn't wanted the tiger to come, but now…

Ryo smiles ruefully. "He tends to scare all the wildlife away even when he doesn't mean to. It makes things like bird-watching awkward."

"You like bird-watching, niisan?" Jun asks curiously, and Ryo's smile widen.

"I learned with my father. Want me to show you a few things?"

Of course Jun does!

Walking in the nature with Ryo is soothing in a way that Jun hadn't thought possible, more than Seiji's meditation exercises or Shuu's falling practice or Shin's careful instructions in the kitchen.

What Jun doesn't find soothing at all is Touma's insistence about Jun keeping up with homework of all things!

There is a demon invasion going on, Jun's parents are missing, Nasutei-neechan has lost a grandfather she clearly loved dearly, Masho are trying to kill them or use them as hostages or in plots against the Troopers (Jun still breaks in a cold sweat when he remembers the volcano, and the least say about the time Rajura appeared in the Temple and snatched him the better), and the world has gone mad!

Who has time for school and homework?!

"YOU have," Touma insists plainly as he pushes a math manual in front of Jun, as well as a notebook, "because you are lucky enough to have someone concerned about your future."

Jun looks at him owlishly as Touma leans back in his chair with a sigh.

"Look, Jun-kun," he says as he ruffles Jun's hair. "The whole invasion won't be forever; we're going to beat those Youja, get your parents back and then… things will go back to normal," he says after a beat, as if he doesn't quite believe it. "You'll have to go back to school, which you'll have missed for weeks" at this stage, it's more like months, but neither of them wants to acknowledge the fact "and then you'll fall behind. You do not want to disappoint your parents by having poor grades, right?"

THAT, Jun thinks as he mournfully stares at the math exercises Touma insists he should do, is a very low blow. Of course Jun doesn't want to have his parents disappointed in him!

When he gets them back (because he WILL get them back), he wants to show them he was good and responsible and that they won't have to worry for him anymore.

But homework!

Touma is cruel. Still, Jun grabs a pen and painstakingly works his way through the maths, then the Japanese kanji, then the sciences and the English.

Touma checks everything, and he points out when and where Jun has made a mistake, and then he takes the time to explain why the answer is incorrect and how Jun should have reasoned or what he has missed – and he gives Jun another exercise to do with the same method, just to be sure Jun has understood this time.

For all he groans in despair at each worksheet placed in front of him, Jun has to admit it's not THAT bad. Touma is attentive and patient and a lot nicer than Jun's Elementary school Teacher, and though he doesn't give many praises, not like the other when Jun does something right, his are always heartfelt.

Also, he gives rewards in the form of Taiyaki if Jun can complete a worksheet without mistakes.

"Nothing wrong with a little extra motivation, eh?" he winks at Jun as he munches on one himself (custard filled, Jun's favorites! Unfair!) and lightly slaps Shuu's wandering hand away when the other Trooper try to 'sneakily' pick one. "Nuh uh, that's homework reward, Shuu; you want one, you better get your own school material out and about!"

"Aww man, don't be so cruel, Touma!" Shuu whines as he retracts his hand with a hurt look, and Jun laughs despite himself because it's just funny, seeing Shuu cower at the idea he has to do homework, too.

Which he does, too, much to Jun's surprise.

In fact, all of the Troopers ends up joining in at some point, getting books and notebooks and pencils and spreading them all over the table, chatting easily and groaning and sharing snacks and checking each other's work – with Touma being the highest authority of them all, because Touma is ALWAYS right, except Nasutei keeps sneaking looks into HIS work too, because she claims it wouldn't be fair otherwise.

Never mind the fact that Touma's work is always done well in advance and just perfect; Nasutei never finds faults, asides perhaps of Touma's hand script being a bit rough to decipher.

The way Touma pouts when she says that makes everyone laugh.

Jun watches them all, his own work forgotten, and it's… nice.

Relaxed.

It feels just right, the way Ryo taps a pen against his lower lip and asks Seiji quietly for the correct way to write a kanji while the blond Trooper leans over his shoulder, or seeing Shuu grins smugly at his perfect translation from English as he grabs for a snack, while Shin quietly fills in a paper for Social Economics class and Touma is reading a book that looks incredibly thick and complicated.

Maybe it's a bit weird to see them like that too, but…

Jun's Big Brothers are also teenagers, middle schoolers (and in Shin's case, high schooler) who suddenly went from every day, normal life to fighting for their lives and the lives of all humanity.

Homework is normal, and a piece of cake next to facing waves after waves of Youja and cackling, smug Masho trying their best to kill them all.

It's bonding experience for them all, and it only makes Jun loves his honorary Big Brothers even more than before, because there's always someone hanging nearby, ready to help in small ways that makes Jun worry less and feel more useful.

Jun is young, and small, and of no use in a fight. He can't even help with research or with providing a roof over their head in lull times or give everyone first aid after a fight, like Nasutei-neechan. He's a walking target if he ever stays too far from the Troopers or the watchful eyes of Byakuen, and he knows it.

But that's okay, Jun thinks as he makes breakfast for everyone with Shin, perfect his back-roll with Shuu, learn to identify dangers in the wild with Ryo, learns to still and center himself with Seiji and even make unexpected progress with school thanks to Touma.

Jun is learning, bit by bit, with his Big Brothers at his back.

And one day, he won't be helpless anymore.

End