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I don't think "couldn't" is the word to use there.
[Yuuichi doesn't pull away. Sometimes he pauses, and he changes up the way he dabs the cloth depending on Kyousuke's reactions, but his opposite arm stays wrapped around him, his chest rising and falling at the same time as his brother's as their breaths naturally fall in sync. He works slowly and carefully, and the dirt falls away under his touches.]
Raimon wasn't, and wouldn't, be Teikoku. They're both strong teams but formed their strength in different ways -- one added up each other's strength for a united front, and another came from each player highlighting the other's strengths.
[He pauses a little longer this time, ruffling Kyousuke's bangs once more.]
You and Gouenji-san are both ace strikers, but your soccer come from different places. It's natural that there are different solutions.
[Kyousuke doesn't flinch away. The cloth is warm, and the embrace makes him feel safe and secure, and that's all he could ever want out of his brother. His eyes open once the cloth strays away from the eyes, never averting his gaze as Yuuichi speaks. Hanging on every word that comes out of his mouth, it's soft tone like a lullaby that soothed him down to his very soul.]
...
[He remembers that part, too. How Raimon formed their Death Zone out of chaos, while Teikoku formed theirs out of order. Using their personal strengths to form the hissatsu, instead of trying to emulate one another.
He wouldn't ever be Gouenji, no matter how many fire tornadoes he'd done as a kid, no matter how many times he tried to imitate the rotation of his hips to match that of Gouenji Shuuya.
But that was because he had to be the one person he knew how to be best. Tsurugi Kyousuke.
And Tsurugi Kyousuke would master Fire Tornado the only way he could--by listening to his own strengths.]
Niisan...
[A smile crosses his lips, as gentle as Yuuichi's words.]
They are possible. If you believe in it and make the necessary effort, the time you put into something will answer to you.
[Beneath the softness of Yuuichi's smile is a firm confidence that can't be taken away. He looks back at Kyousuke with an unwavering gaze, trust and adoration making the amber color of his eyes even warmer looking. No matter what the world may say, nobody could take away this faith he had in his brother's abilities.]
Kyousuke, I've been watching you play soccer with Raimon. With Tenma-kun. That boy put his trust in you when you arrived at the match against Teikoku, and when he has to shoot this hissatsu with you, he'll trust you again.
[Kyousuke shifts, leaning his face into Yuuichi's shoulder comfortably. When he'd arrived, he was fatigued, aching down to every bone, but Yuuichi always knew how to soothe away the pain and replace it with a soft, pillowy feeling like he was asleep in a pile of fresh sheets. Yuuichi didn't just make things sound possible, it always felt like he personally had a hand in working miracles.
No matter who said different, even Yuuichi himself, Kyouske would always think of his brother as nothing short of doing the impossible.
His question sinks in deep, eyes opening at that moment and tilting his head up to meet his gaze.]
I do.
He seems irresponsible on the outside, but there's something special underneath all that. His drive, his spirit... I wouldn't trust anyone with this more than Matsukaze Tenma.
[Amber eyes meet yellow, different in color but so similar in shape. They both inherited their mother's eyes; when they were together, nobody ever doubted that they were related. Yuuichi liked it. He was always given a warm feeling in his heart when people called them brothers. He looks into those yellow eyes, and the clearness of them, the sincerity behind them, makes him feel elated.
Matsukaze Tenma. Just like his name, he was a wind. A fresh breeze that brought change into their lives. He smiles, the expression not the usual calmness he carries, but one that is truly happy, almost more appropriate for the age he was before his injury.]
Then you'll be okay. That trust will give you strength. You bring out the best in each other -- he's your best rival on the field but also your ally.
[There's something about the way Yuuichi says things. He wasn't lying in that his brother made anything seem possible. The man could work miracles if he wanted. Not the miracle they both wanted deep down, but ones that made the crushing pressure on his heart lighter. Those darker eyes of his brother were so fitting--not as striking as his own, but possessed a warmer, calmer demeanor. One that was perfect for Yuuichi.
And only Yuuichi.
His head instinctively leans into the touch of that washcloth now, head tilting not unlike a cat.]
[There's no hesitation before that answer, and Yuuichi's voice is steady. It's not just stubborn confidence that drives him to be this way -- that's definitely a factor, but in the presence of his brother he can only feel that things will work out. He'll make sure it does for both their sakes, so that one day, he can stand besides his brother. So that one day, they'll be on the field again together.
He'd been working steadily, and he swipes away the last of the dirt before he raises the arm to wrap around Kyousuke's shoulders too, pulling him tenderly into an embrace.]
A hissatsu with Kyousuke... I want it to be the first thing I accomplish when I'm back on my feet.
[Warm arms wrap around him, much like they did when he'd fallen out of that tree so long ago, the same arms that seemed to protect him from everything the world threw at him, no matter how old he was, or how old he got. He sinks into the contact immediately, pretense dropping as his hands now grip around Yuuichi's back.
"We will." sounded so definite. Final.
Yuuichi could make the impossible happen, and this was what convinced him every time. His face buries into that shirt unceremoniously, hiding his now-clean face from the world for just one moment to soak in his brother's. The fact that Yuuichi smelled like home even when he was in the hospital for years...it was proof.
Yuuichi was his home.]
I'm so happy, Niisan.
[Yuuichi may start feeling a small dampness near where Tsurugi's face meets his chest.]
[It's hard to say when the last time Kyousuke cried on him was. The boy was tall for his age, something that was even more obvious after meeting Taiyou and Tenma, and after years of lying in a bed or sitting in a chair, he'd gotten used to looking up at his younger brother.
But he was still his younger brother. He was, still, only twelve years old. He was still an age where he should be protected and guided, kept safe, not made to carry the weight of guilt like he had. He doesn't say anything about the tears he feels but tilts his head down to nuzzle into his mess of blue hair, rubbing circles in his back with his hand.]
Thank you for everything you've done for me. I'll be by your side soon, so for now, let me watch and see how far you can go. Go all out, I want to watch you have fun playing soccer with your new friends.
[It was hard to remember when the last time he cried, actually. Maybe when he was younger, still new to the whole situation. Before he had it set in his mind that he had to fix it. But tears welled up on the sides of his eyes, burning until they started to stream down his face and sink into the fabric of his brother's shirt. But it wasn't out of sorrow...no, he'd already gotten past grieving for his brother's loss when he was younger. This was a lot more triumphant, as if a weight were lifted from his shoulders from the moment Yuuichi confirmed that they would join the field together someday.
He wanted that more than anything in the entire world.
Yuuichi's breath ghosts against his hair, feeling his warm cheek and equally warm embrace pull him in. The boy could not have felt more protected than he did at that moment, surrounded by the love of the one man he treasured more than anyone else. Sobs turn into little choked sniffles, nuzzling further into that chest in a rare, momentary display of childishness he would not have shown were they not alone.]
[He notices the correction. The switch from a singular "I" to the plural "we." Tsurugi Kyousuke was not alone, and he knew. He knew that he had a team that would stand beside him. He had a friend in Tenma Matsukaze, a boy who would stand by his side from now on, a warm spring breeze to keep away the chill of lonely winter.
He holds him close, securely but not too tightly, mindful of his soreness from the training, but happy to wrap around him like a protective shield.]
[A recent correction, he found himself catching. It wasn't just him now, fighting to give Yuuichi back what he'd thought he'd taken away. No...now it was all of Raimon fighting for a common goal to restore soccer to what it was when he played with his brother in the park all those years ago.
And even then, Yuuichi was at the center of it all. He always would be the center of Kyousuke's world.
So it's without hesitation that he turns his head to rest his ear against his brother's heart, listening to the strong beat it gave. The strength it had to keep going on, and the sound he hopes his heart plays as well.
Saying the words clear enough for his brother to hear them, yellow eyes surprisingly clear for being clouded with tears only moments ago.]
[Some people, if they were given the opportunity to see him, might describe Tsurugi Yuuichi as seeming fragile. Ephemeral, like a fully bloomed cherry blossom in spring, its life short before the petals fall off and signify the coming of humid summer, like a single snowflake fluttering to the ground in winter, soon to melt from the heat of the earth it lands on. He seems quiet, faint, and perhaps next to his brother who radiates strength, those people couldn't be blamed for seeing him as so.
But what appears to be true is not always so. Yuuichi's heart beats strong and steady in his chest, the sound like a metronome. And as Yuuichi places his hand on Kyousuke's back he can feel his heartbeat too, just as strong.
His brother's words warm him up from the core, and he can't help the giggle that bubbles up in his chest as he nuzzles the top of his head.]
I love you too, Kyousuke. You're a brother I'd boast about to the entire world.
[Yuuichi's laugh, his soft nuzzle into his hair, the way his breath seems to warm up every part of him and the way he smells like the Tsurugi household even after all this time. The way he feels truly like home.
His smile, his promises. That was his reason to fight now.
Kyousuke's eye close as he hears those words, chest swelling with pride that he was related to this man. Yuuichi would boast about him, he says...that's nothing compared to the praises he'd sing in return.
It's hard not to smile into his chest, lips giving him away as they press into that fabric.]
...Not if I boast first.
[A small, playful tease. The first one he's had in such a long time. It feels right now, to be able to do this with his brother. The guilt of the entire situation starting to finally soften around the edges of his soul.
But with his face now completely cleaned and his fatigue really starting to sink in, his eyes lower.]
Niisan.
Do you think--
[The words halt there. It should have been such an easy question to ask, but even now...he hesitates.
[Almost as soon as Kyousuke cut himself off, Yuuichi speaks up, his voice light, his smile, unseen by his brother, knowing.]
Kyousuke, do you want to sleep over tonight?
[It's not that he can read minds. But he knew Kyousuke well, and perhaps a lot of this was his own hopes. He knew Kyousuke had a lot on his shoulders. The future of this country's soccer, the hopes of his teammates, his fallen captain, and Yuuichi himself. But perhaps because it was a time like this that... he wanted to be close. He wanted, for one night, to be able to watch his brother sleep and protect him. As his brother.]
[If you'd asked Kyousuke, he would have been thorougly convinced that Yuuichi could read minds. He always did know exactly what he needed and when he needed it. So when he suggests that, it's like he'd taken the words right out of his mouth.]
Please.
[It didn't mean to sound so pleading, but he had been so starved of this kind of affection from his brother, not because Yuuichi was unwilling to give it...but he'd distanced himself so much, and was just now seeing if he could be let back in.
His brother was warm and safe. And for once, he didn't want to fall asleep alone at the house. He wanted his brother there as he'd been five years ago.]
That's great. [He can't help the way his voice lifts. He knew that Kyousuke had been distancing himself in the past. He also knew the reason behind it, and that had made it difficult for him to push it. He didn't want the boy to feel more cornered than he made himself. For that reason, he accepted it every time Kyousuke escaped from the room with the same excuse every time. For that reason, when Kyousuke said it was nothing, he didn't try to get him to answer.
But things had changed. Tenma had changed them both, and now, it felt so safe to close this distance. It felt safe, that it wouldn't crush Kyousuke's strained heart, to be brothers again. Truly brothers, letting each other heal these old but still open wounds. Together.
He can't help but let his heart flutter with joy as he places his chin at the top of Kyousuke's head and confesses,] Because I asked mom to drop off some stuff for you, a while ago. I was waiting for the opportunity.
[Yuuichi's confession sends a pulse through his body, eyes wide and staring into the buttons of his brother's hospital clothing as if they were suddenly the focus of the entire conversation. Yuuichi had asked their mom to drop his things off...
Knowing that Kyousuke would want to stay, knowing that he'd be too tired to make the hike home and collapse into a bed in a house alone, waiting for morning so he could repeat the pattern.
It's hard to hide the way his voice cracks a little, overjoyed in ways that his voice isn't used to making. It's soft, but happy, the way his eyes look up to his brother. And if Yuuichi gazed back, took a look closer, he'd see that same shine that his brother had five years ago, kicking a ball around in the park.
A small hint that his brother as he remembered was still in there.]
She did...you did?
[Fingers clench onto his shirt tightly, as if the opportunity would slip through his fingers if he didn't.]
I don't want to go back to the house tonight. Home's right now is here.
[He sees it, that glimmer. A familiar light. He had never doubted that the little boy he used to play with was still in there. He never thought for even a second that he was gone. Kyousuke grew, and over time, under the pressure of guilt and the hard training he put himself through, his heart hardened. His expressions grew smaller. He grew more stoic. But Kyousuke did not change as much as he might believe he did.
No matter what happened, his younger brother was still his younger brother. And he smiles back at him as he knocks their foreheads together.]
I did. I was hoping you'd want to stay.
[Kyousuke holds on tightly, but he's not the only one keeping a grip on the other. Yuuichi's hands are gentle but they don't leave his brother for even a second, whether it's ruffling his hair, stroking his cheek, or simply keeping his arms around him. Eventually, they will be able to touch without the worry of slipping apart, but that's still in their future.]
[He would always be Yuuichi's younger brother. He'd never want to be anything else, and even now he feels like one of the luckiest people in the world, to be related to someone so good, someone who looked at him with the same look he'd given him before the accident: full of adoration. As stoic as he was, as angular as his stance became, and as far as he strayed, he always gravitated back to Yuuichi.
His head instinctively nuzzles just underneath Yuuichi's chin, dropping all the pretense he showed the outside world, settling himself happily against his brother. Just for tonight...he could be happy about this just for tonight.]
I was hoping you'd say yes.
[And while still being gentle, making sure his movements don't jostle his brother too much, he pulls away for just a second, trying to find the bags his mother had dropped off.]
I know I still visit you every day...and I don't have to. [Yuuichi had told him he didn't, after all.] But it's what I look forward to. It's what keeps me going on Holy Road.
[He had to free soccer from Fifth Sector, not just because of the sport. But because in a way, Yuuichi was forever linked to soccer in his mind, and maybe...just maybe if he won Holy Road, Yuuichi would walk again.
It was a foolish, childish thing to think about--medical diagnoses didn't look at the scoreboards for their treatment. But it was what he believed in the core of his heart.]
[Yuuichi doesn't completely let him go, but he pulls back so he can point out the bag, a dark blue duffle placed on a chair in a corner of the room. A tag attached to its strap reads in their mother's quick but neat writing: Tsurugi. Just their last name, the name that identifies Yuuichi and Kyousuke as members of the same family. Inside it, Kyousuke will be able to find his towel, a couple changes of clothes, his toothbrush set. Inside of a second, smaller bag beside it is a pair of lunch boxes -- dinner, also from their mother, who'd squeezed in some time to cook it for them at her son's request.
Yuuichi reaches over to pull a blade of grass out of his brother's hair that he hadn't noticed earlier.]
I've watched every match you show up in. I follow you on the field as much as I can.
[With the same hand, he runs his fingers through Kyousuke's hair again. Comes through that long strand, gently untangling a few knots.]
[Hands wrap around the bag, finger flicking the little tag that had their family name inscribed in neat handwriting by their mother. She was always so hardworking, and had never asked for anything other than for her boys to be happy...for her to do all this just so he could stay with his brother for the night. He'd have to thank her. He'd do all his chores and some of her own when he'd get back.
But for now, he'd take advantage of this break, unzipping the bag and pulling out the items one by one to inspect. The lunches are a surprise--he'd been practicing so hard and immediately booked it to the hospital that he hadn't even thought of dinner. Worst case scenario--he would have just gotten something from the hospital cafeteria.
This was much nicer, and his fingers gingerly trace the corners of the boxes, smiling down as he leans his weight against his brother.]
I'll carry it for the both of us, Niisan.
[He smiles, and if Yuuichi looked at just the right moment, it was as if they went back in time five years ago, when his brother's eyes were full of light, face nuzzling against his shoulder, and a smile that could part the clouds.]
Gouenji-san said his sister was what kept him going, too.
[ He can see the way Kyousuke's eyes sparkle, the way his smile brightens up the entire room.
He knew his brother as he was five years ago was always there, but he can't describe how much it relieves him to see that boy be able to come out again. When he presses himself close to Kyousuke's again, it's to drop a kiss at the top of his head, closing his eyes in hopes of stopping them from watering. Okaeri, Kyousuke...]
Until I catch up and can carry it with you again, I'll leave it in your hands.
[That kiss was enough to nuzzle into him again, choosing the touch over the food for the moment. He was starved, but more for the affection than for the lunch. His fingers hesitate on lifting the lid to see the contents of the box, ear pressed to his brother's chest to hear that heartbeat one more time, listening to it pound confidently against his ears.
It was beautiful.
But it's only after that he pulls away, handing Yuuichi his box and sliding the hospital table over between them, standing up to grab the chair and sit across from him. How long had it been since they actually sat across from a table? Too long. At the Tsurugi household, he often ate standing up, or sitting at the coffee table while he checked his phone, the TV on in the background to provide some company. Here...his company was all he ever longed for since he was young.
Which for the first time in a long time, he actually felt. His mom made his dinner, he was eating it with Yuuichi.
For this night, he had a family that felt connected as one.
[It feels a little chilly, the space where Kyousuke used to be pressed up to him but now vacates so they could both eat. But despite the lack of physical warmth, he feels a fire that's kindled in his heart, alight like a stove in winter and making him feel warm in ways he hasn't felt in years. For the first time in a long time, he gets to sit across a table from family and eat food that isn't on a tray from the hospital's café. His mother's cooking, which he's been able to have from time to time but never with Kyousuke.
You couldn't wipe the smile from his face if you tried. It's permanent. He's so happy. He wants to hold Kyousuke close and never let go (but he will, because he wants Kyousuke to eat his food and take a shower and rest and be able to enjoy soccer). He helps set the table and shifts around on the bed as much as he can, but he doesn't take his eyes off his brother for a second.]
She was really excited when I gave her the idea, so I bet she went all out. Do you remember our favorite from when we were smaller?
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[Yuuichi doesn't pull away. Sometimes he pauses, and he changes up the way he dabs the cloth depending on Kyousuke's reactions, but his opposite arm stays wrapped around him, his chest rising and falling at the same time as his brother's as their breaths naturally fall in sync. He works slowly and carefully, and the dirt falls away under his touches.]
Raimon wasn't, and wouldn't, be Teikoku. They're both strong teams but formed their strength in different ways -- one added up each other's strength for a united front, and another came from each player highlighting the other's strengths.
[He pauses a little longer this time, ruffling Kyousuke's bangs once more.]
You and Gouenji-san are both ace strikers, but your soccer come from different places. It's natural that there are different solutions.
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...
[He remembers that part, too. How Raimon formed their Death Zone out of chaos, while Teikoku formed theirs out of order. Using their personal strengths to form the hissatsu, instead of trying to emulate one another.
He wouldn't ever be Gouenji, no matter how many fire tornadoes he'd done as a kid, no matter how many times he tried to imitate the rotation of his hips to match that of Gouenji Shuuya.
But that was because he had to be the one person he knew how to be best. Tsurugi Kyousuke.
And Tsurugi Kyousuke would master Fire Tornado the only way he could--by listening to his own strengths.]
Niisan...
[A smile crosses his lips, as gentle as Yuuichi's words.]
You make anything seem possible.
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[Beneath the softness of Yuuichi's smile is a firm confidence that can't be taken away. He looks back at Kyousuke with an unwavering gaze, trust and adoration making the amber color of his eyes even warmer looking. No matter what the world may say, nobody could take away this faith he had in his brother's abilities.]
Kyousuke, I've been watching you play soccer with Raimon. With Tenma-kun. That boy put his trust in you when you arrived at the match against Teikoku, and when he has to shoot this hissatsu with you, he'll trust you again.
Do you trust Matsukaze Tenma?
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No matter who said different, even Yuuichi himself, Kyouske would always think of his brother as nothing short of doing the impossible.
His question sinks in deep, eyes opening at that moment and tilting his head up to meet his gaze.]
I do.
He seems irresponsible on the outside, but there's something special underneath all that. His drive, his spirit... I wouldn't trust anyone with this more than Matsukaze Tenma.
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Matsukaze Tenma. Just like his name, he was a wind. A fresh breeze that brought change into their lives. He smiles, the expression not the usual calmness he carries, but one that is truly happy, almost more appropriate for the age he was before his injury.]
Then you'll be okay. That trust will give you strength. You bring out the best in each other -- he's your best rival on the field but also your ally.
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And only Yuuichi.
His head instinctively leans into the touch of that washcloth now, head tilting not unlike a cat.]
Niisan.
One day...one day we'll do it together.
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[There's no hesitation before that answer, and Yuuichi's voice is steady. It's not just stubborn confidence that drives him to be this way -- that's definitely a factor, but in the presence of his brother he can only feel that things will work out. He'll make sure it does for both their sakes, so that one day, he can stand besides his brother. So that one day, they'll be on the field again together.
He'd been working steadily, and he swipes away the last of the dirt before he raises the arm to wrap around Kyousuke's shoulders too, pulling him tenderly into an embrace.]
A hissatsu with Kyousuke... I want it to be the first thing I accomplish when I'm back on my feet.
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"We will." sounded so definite. Final.
Yuuichi could make the impossible happen, and this was what convinced him every time. His face buries into that shirt unceremoniously, hiding his now-clean face from the world for just one moment to soak in his brother's. The fact that Yuuichi smelled like home even when he was in the hospital for years...it was proof.
Yuuichi was his home.]
I'm so happy, Niisan.
[Yuuichi may start feeling a small dampness near where Tsurugi's face meets his chest.]
That's the best thing I've ever heard.
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But he was still his younger brother. He was, still, only twelve years old. He was still an age where he should be protected and guided, kept safe, not made to carry the weight of guilt like he had. He doesn't say anything about the tears he feels but tilts his head down to nuzzle into his mess of blue hair, rubbing circles in his back with his hand.]
Thank you for everything you've done for me. I'll be by your side soon, so for now, let me watch and see how far you can go. Go all out, I want to watch you have fun playing soccer with your new friends.
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He wanted that more than anything in the entire world.
Yuuichi's breath ghosts against his hair, feeling his warm cheek and equally warm embrace pull him in. The boy could not have felt more protected than he did at that moment, surrounded by the love of the one man he treasured more than anyone else. Sobs turn into little choked sniffles, nuzzling further into that chest in a rare, momentary display of childishness he would not have shown were they not alone.]
I will. I--We'll get soccer back for you.
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[He notices the correction. The switch from a singular "I" to the plural "we." Tsurugi Kyousuke was not alone, and he knew. He knew that he had a team that would stand beside him. He had a friend in Tenma Matsukaze, a boy who would stand by his side from now on, a warm spring breeze to keep away the chill of lonely winter.
He holds him close, securely but not too tightly, mindful of his soreness from the training, but happy to wrap around him like a protective shield.]
I believe it. I believe you.
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And even then, Yuuichi was at the center of it all. He always would be the center of Kyousuke's world.
So it's without hesitation that he turns his head to rest his ear against his brother's heart, listening to the strong beat it gave. The strength it had to keep going on, and the sound he hopes his heart plays as well.
Saying the words clear enough for his brother to hear them, yellow eyes surprisingly clear for being clouded with tears only moments ago.]
I love you.
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But what appears to be true is not always so. Yuuichi's heart beats strong and steady in his chest, the sound like a metronome. And as Yuuichi places his hand on Kyousuke's back he can feel his heartbeat too, just as strong.
His brother's words warm him up from the core, and he can't help the giggle that bubbles up in his chest as he nuzzles the top of his head.]
I love you too, Kyousuke. You're a brother I'd boast about to the entire world.
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His smile, his promises. That was his reason to fight now.
Kyousuke's eye close as he hears those words, chest swelling with pride that he was related to this man. Yuuichi would boast about him, he says...that's nothing compared to the praises he'd sing in return.
It's hard not to smile into his chest, lips giving him away as they press into that fabric.]
...Not if I boast first.
[A small, playful tease. The first one he's had in such a long time. It feels right now, to be able to do this with his brother. The guilt of the entire situation starting to finally soften around the edges of his soul.
But with his face now completely cleaned and his fatigue really starting to sink in, his eyes lower.]
Niisan.
Do you think--
[The words halt there. It should have been such an easy question to ask, but even now...he hesitates.
Do you think I could stay here for the night?]
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Kyousuke, do you want to sleep over tonight?
[It's not that he can read minds. But he knew Kyousuke well, and perhaps a lot of this was his own hopes. He knew Kyousuke had a lot on his shoulders. The future of this country's soccer, the hopes of his teammates, his fallen captain, and Yuuichi himself. But perhaps because it was a time like this that... he wanted to be close. He wanted, for one night, to be able to watch his brother sleep and protect him. As his brother.]
What do you think?
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Please.
[It didn't mean to sound so pleading, but he had been so starved of this kind of affection from his brother, not because Yuuichi was unwilling to give it...but he'd distanced himself so much, and was just now seeing if he could be let back in.
His brother was warm and safe. And for once, he didn't want to fall asleep alone at the house. He wanted his brother there as he'd been five years ago.]
I'd like that.
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But things had changed. Tenma had changed them both, and now, it felt so safe to close this distance. It felt safe, that it wouldn't crush Kyousuke's strained heart, to be brothers again. Truly brothers, letting each other heal these old but still open wounds. Together.
He can't help but let his heart flutter with joy as he places his chin at the top of Kyousuke's head and confesses,] Because I asked mom to drop off some stuff for you, a while ago. I was waiting for the opportunity.
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Knowing that Kyousuke would want to stay, knowing that he'd be too tired to make the hike home and collapse into a bed in a house alone, waiting for morning so he could repeat the pattern.
It's hard to hide the way his voice cracks a little, overjoyed in ways that his voice isn't used to making. It's soft, but happy, the way his eyes look up to his brother. And if Yuuichi gazed back, took a look closer, he'd see that same shine that his brother had five years ago, kicking a ball around in the park.
A small hint that his brother as he remembered was still in there.]
She did...you did?
[Fingers clench onto his shirt tightly, as if the opportunity would slip through his fingers if he didn't.]
I don't want to go back to the house tonight. Home's right now is here.
With you.
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No matter what happened, his younger brother was still his younger brother. And he smiles back at him as he knocks their foreheads together.]
I did. I was hoping you'd want to stay.
[Kyousuke holds on tightly, but he's not the only one keeping a grip on the other. Yuuichi's hands are gentle but they don't leave his brother for even a second, whether it's ruffling his hair, stroking his cheek, or simply keeping his arms around him. Eventually, they will be able to touch without the worry of slipping apart, but that's still in their future.]
Just like the old days.
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His head instinctively nuzzles just underneath Yuuichi's chin, dropping all the pretense he showed the outside world, settling himself happily against his brother. Just for tonight...he could be happy about this just for tonight.]
I was hoping you'd say yes.
[And while still being gentle, making sure his movements don't jostle his brother too much, he pulls away for just a second, trying to find the bags his mother had dropped off.]
I know I still visit you every day...and I don't have to. [Yuuichi had told him he didn't, after all.] But it's what I look forward to. It's what keeps me going on Holy Road.
[He had to free soccer from Fifth Sector, not just because of the sport. But because in a way, Yuuichi was forever linked to soccer in his mind, and maybe...just maybe if he won Holy Road, Yuuichi would walk again.
It was a foolish, childish thing to think about--medical diagnoses didn't look at the scoreboards for their treatment. But it was what he believed in the core of his heart.]
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Yuuichi reaches over to pull a blade of grass out of his brother's hair that he hadn't noticed earlier.]
I've watched every match you show up in. I follow you on the field as much as I can.
[With the same hand, he runs his fingers through Kyousuke's hair again. Comes through that long strand, gently untangling a few knots.]
You keep me going, too. I'm cheering you on.
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But for now, he'd take advantage of this break, unzipping the bag and pulling out the items one by one to inspect. The lunches are a surprise--he'd been practicing so hard and immediately booked it to the hospital that he hadn't even thought of dinner. Worst case scenario--he would have just gotten something from the hospital cafeteria.
This was much nicer, and his fingers gingerly trace the corners of the boxes, smiling down as he leans his weight against his brother.]
I'll carry it for the both of us, Niisan.
[He smiles, and if Yuuichi looked at just the right moment, it was as if they went back in time five years ago, when his brother's eyes were full of light, face nuzzling against his shoulder, and a smile that could part the clouds.]
Gouenji-san said his sister was what kept him going, too.
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[ He can see the way Kyousuke's eyes sparkle, the way his smile brightens up the entire room.
He knew his brother as he was five years ago was always there, but he can't describe how much it relieves him to see that boy be able to come out again. When he presses himself close to Kyousuke's again, it's to drop a kiss at the top of his head, closing his eyes in hopes of stopping them from watering. Okaeri, Kyousuke...]
Until I catch up and can carry it with you again, I'll leave it in your hands.
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[That kiss was enough to nuzzle into him again, choosing the touch over the food for the moment. He was starved, but more for the affection than for the lunch. His fingers hesitate on lifting the lid to see the contents of the box, ear pressed to his brother's chest to hear that heartbeat one more time, listening to it pound confidently against his ears.
It was beautiful.
But it's only after that he pulls away, handing Yuuichi his box and sliding the hospital table over between them, standing up to grab the chair and sit across from him. How long had it been since they actually sat across from a table? Too long. At the Tsurugi household, he often ate standing up, or sitting at the coffee table while he checked his phone, the TV on in the background to provide some company. Here...his company was all he ever longed for since he was young.
Which for the first time in a long time, he actually felt. His mom made his dinner, he was eating it with Yuuichi.
For this night, he had a family that felt connected as one.
Okaeri, Niisan.]
What do you think mom made?
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You couldn't wipe the smile from his face if you tried. It's permanent. He's so happy. He wants to hold Kyousuke close and never let go (but he will, because he wants Kyousuke to eat his food and take a shower and rest and be able to enjoy soccer). He helps set the table and shifts around on the bed as much as he can, but he doesn't take his eyes off his brother for a second.]
She was really excited when I gave her the idea, so I bet she went all out. Do you remember our favorite from when we were smaller?
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