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[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?
[Nostalgic was a good word for it, Kyousuke's eyes softening as he sets the table up, pulls the chair over, but nothing hits harder than when he sits down, looking up from the box his mother had prepared for him--them--and meeting the eyes of his brother. He suddenly felt younger than he was, back in the days when they'd sit at the kitchen table and eat their snacks together. Their mom would put their plates down, dodging a rogue Kyousuke arm as it flew up in exclamation, talking about the newest hissatsu technique that Gouenji Shuuya had pulled off.
Now, the excitement had calmed down--Kyousuke's wide eyed innocence had been replaced with something much less soft. But it was enough to bring him back to those days. Funny, how the conversation was just about their idol, their mother making them a meal, and just after he'd gotten himself worn out from playing soccer...truly a trip down memory lane.]
Our favourite...
[How could he forget. It was what he'd always looked forward to when they'd get home.]
Mom's omurice. She always made it for us, said that her two soccer stars needed a warm meal to keep the fire going in our hearts.
["Soccer" was a word that was spoken by all of the family members. Their father was happy to hear about their adventure of the day, and when there was a game on television -- he always looked it up for them on the newspaper in the morning -- he would hold his mug of coffee and they would have their cups of tea or juice and watch together. For that, Yuuichi always did his homework early, and Kyousuke would help him finish his chores, too.
Soon, he thinks, their parents will go back to talking about that sport, too.]
[It's hard to imagine that they could go back to that. But with things how they are...if Kyousuke and Raimon could win Holy Road and take back soccer, that would be everything they needed to become the family they were. There was no doubt that Yuuichi would find a way to walk again. But to think of his mother and father with the same look in their eyes that they had when they were young, imagining their boys playing in the park again, passing a ball back and forth...it was enough to continue fighting for. And he wanted Yuuichi and his family to reunite again with soccer free as it's meant to be.
His mother's eyes would sparkle just like Yuuichi's. His father's eyebrows would lose the knit look they'd pretty much cemented for themselves over the years.
The Tsurugi family could be one again. They could heal together. And that alone was worth fighting with every fiber of his being.
There's a soft exhale, breath Kyousuke hadn't realized he'd been holding, as he opens the lid to show the omurice, exactly as he remembered it when they were young. His eyes soften immediately, looking at the dish as he fights back the urge to tear up once more, remembering every fond memory that this dish had, and more importantly...who he shared it with.
His hands clap together almost immediately, eyes closed as he starts to whisper--]
Itada-
...
[He waits, remembering that he isn't eating alone this time, and his eyes look back up at his brother. Soft curiosity in them...silently asking if they could say it together.]
[Yuuichi opens his at the same time that Kyousuke does too. The meal inside is more or less identical, although Kyousuke, who their mother knew would be coming in after practice, had been given a noticeably larger portion. Yuuichi's smile grows a little softer at the sight of the food, his mind drifting too to days they shared in the past.
When Kyousuke cuts off in the middle of his words and falls quiet, Yuuichi's eyes flicker up to him too. They make eye contact, and Kyousuke has no need to say anything for the older brother to understand and put his own hands together too.]
[Relief fills his heart at Yuuichi's words, lighting up the room with his eyes and smile. You'd think his brother had just granted his wish, as he readjusts himself to make sure that their first time saying it together would be perfect.
Little things like this...they meant so much to Kyousuke now. His life was starting to fall back into place, picking right up where they left off the day he fell out of the tree five years ago.
It's with more volume now that Kyousuke speaks, hands placed together at the same time as his brothers, naturally in sync.]
Itadakimasu!
[There it is, Tsurugi's bright voice. As energetic as it was that day in the park, although lower in tone now, even moreso than his brother.
Some things change with five years between them. But some things, things that run deeper, never do. And Kyousuke would always be that smiling child, at least for Yuuichi.]
[How easy it is to match their voices together. They know exactly when the other would move or speak, connected by a bond that just simply is unbreakable. Their synched voices fill the room with a new cheeriness, their respect for the mother who took her time to cook for them followed by a happy burst of laughter from Yuuichi.]
[His laughter was enough to brighten Kyousuke's whole face, immediately digging in (politely, he's always been such a formal boy) the moment Yuuichi gives the command. While omurice wasn't exactly a rare dish, his mother worked very hard from the time she left in the morning to well late into the night, only coming home to leave a note or dinner out for Kyousuke when he came home from school.
This was a special dinner, alright, and his mother had wanted to make it as nostalgic as possible. A reminder of what they had, and what they could in the future.
The goddess of victory shines upon those who never give up.
Kyousuke's face melts at the taste of the food, feeling like the 7-year-old of long ago.]
It's really good, Niisan...
[What a 12 year old answer.]
Mine never comes out as good as hers...
[Oh yeah, he's been trying that whole cooking thing other than just cup noodles.]
[It comes out as a question, but not one of disbelief or mockery. Yuuichi's darker eyes are alight with curiosity, just like they were the first time Kyousuke kicked a soccer ball successfully, or the first time he jumped high enough for his imitation of Bakunetsu Screw to have even a little bit of a spin to it. They're delighted. Excited. Eager to hear about the new details of his little brother's life.
He looks down at their dinner, perfectly wrapped egg torn where he'd stuck his spoon into it.]
I remember trying to make it when I was in fifth grade, too. You said you liked it so I was determined to do it, but I ended up burning the egg.
[He looks back up at Kyousuke now, looking sheepish, but happy.]
When you have time again, I want to try eating your omurice, too.
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no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
[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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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?]
no subject
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?
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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.]
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
[ 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.
no subject
[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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Now, the excitement had calmed down--Kyousuke's wide eyed innocence had been replaced with something much less soft. But it was enough to bring him back to those days. Funny, how the conversation was just about their idol, their mother making them a meal, and just after he'd gotten himself worn out from playing soccer...truly a trip down memory lane.]
Our favourite...
[How could he forget. It was what he'd always looked forward to when they'd get home.]
Mom's omurice. She always made it for us, said that her two soccer stars needed a warm meal to keep the fire going in our hearts.
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["Soccer" was a word that was spoken by all of the family members. Their father was happy to hear about their adventure of the day, and when there was a game on television -- he always looked it up for them on the newspaper in the morning -- he would hold his mug of coffee and they would have their cups of tea or juice and watch together. For that, Yuuichi always did his homework early, and Kyousuke would help him finish his chores, too.
Soon, he thinks, their parents will go back to talking about that sport, too.]
Shall we dig in?
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His mother's eyes would sparkle just like Yuuichi's. His father's eyebrows would lose the knit look they'd pretty much cemented for themselves over the years.
The Tsurugi family could be one again. They could heal together. And that alone was worth fighting with every fiber of his being.
There's a soft exhale, breath Kyousuke hadn't realized he'd been holding, as he opens the lid to show the omurice, exactly as he remembered it when they were young. His eyes soften immediately, looking at the dish as he fights back the urge to tear up once more, remembering every fond memory that this dish had, and more importantly...who he shared it with.
His hands clap together almost immediately, eyes closed as he starts to whisper--]
Itada-
...
[He waits, remembering that he isn't eating alone this time, and his eyes look back up at his brother. Soft curiosity in them...silently asking if they could say it together.]
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When Kyousuke cuts off in the middle of his words and falls quiet, Yuuichi's eyes flicker up to him too. They make eye contact, and Kyousuke has no need to say anything for the older brother to understand and put his own hands together too.]
Let's say it together.
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Little things like this...they meant so much to Kyousuke now. His life was starting to fall back into place, picking right up where they left off the day he fell out of the tree five years ago.
It's with more volume now that Kyousuke speaks, hands placed together at the same time as his brothers, naturally in sync.]
Itadakimasu!
[There it is, Tsurugi's bright voice. As energetic as it was that day in the park, although lower in tone now, even moreso than his brother.
Some things change with five years between them. But some things, things that run deeper, never do. And Kyousuke would always be that smiling child, at least for Yuuichi.]
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[How easy it is to match their voices together. They know exactly when the other would move or speak, connected by a bond that just simply is unbreakable. Their synched voices fill the room with a new cheeriness, their respect for the mother who took her time to cook for them followed by a happy burst of laughter from Yuuichi.]
Let's dig in!
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This was a special dinner, alright, and his mother had wanted to make it as nostalgic as possible. A reminder of what they had, and what they could in the future.
The goddess of victory shines upon those who never give up.
Kyousuke's face melts at the taste of the food, feeling like the 7-year-old of long ago.]
It's really good, Niisan...
[What a 12 year old answer.]
Mine never comes out as good as hers...
[Oh yeah, he's been trying that whole cooking thing other than just cup noodles.]
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[It comes out as a question, but not one of disbelief or mockery. Yuuichi's darker eyes are alight with curiosity, just like they were the first time Kyousuke kicked a soccer ball successfully, or the first time he jumped high enough for his imitation of Bakunetsu Screw to have even a little bit of a spin to it. They're delighted. Excited. Eager to hear about the new details of his little brother's life.
He looks down at their dinner, perfectly wrapped egg torn where he'd stuck his spoon into it.]
I remember trying to make it when I was in fifth grade, too. You said you liked it so I was determined to do it, but I ended up burning the egg.
[He looks back up at Kyousuke now, looking sheepish, but happy.]
When you have time again, I want to try eating your omurice, too.
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