Chapter Text
Thursday
Just like always there was barely any light shinning through the overcast. It looked like more snow was on the ways. But even the gloominess of the weather couldn't bring Syo down. His blue eyes stared out the window with delight. Although his parents refused to let him go to school on the last day before winter break set in, he was filled with energy.
He tapped is fingers lightly on his brother's desk and he leaned on his elbow. His eyes glued on the window, wishing he could be outside. It had been a long time since he had really felt sick and the house was so boring. It was almost as if he were trapped within the confines of his prison like room.
Syo's thin, blonde, eyebrows furrowed. "This is so boring!" He shouted at nobody in particular. It would be another hour till Kaoru came home. And another few hours of talking his parents into letting him spend the night over Otoya's with Kaoru. He couldn't wait until them. He had lacked his duffle bag with his things several times, but after awhile it only made him more anxious.
"Damn." He muttered. "I just want to go out."
Otoya Ittoki was often referred to as unlucky, cheerful, hyper, and many other things. Though he was the most unlucky person in the village. He, unlike his elder brother Cecil, was born into the village shortly after his mother and father married. Cecil had been the son of his mother's previous marriage that had fail when he was only a year of age. Otoya's father had also brought a son of his own into the family, Reiji, whose mother died of disease long before they had come. Though it was quiet a shock to the small community when Otoya's mother left the world the same way Reiji's had. Cecil had the hardest time with their mother's death, locking himself away in his room for almost a year. Even now he rarely came out. Reiji, however, was the opposite. He stepped up and started doing household choirs even with his part-time job at the small shop across the street from the park.
As for Otoya, he remained the same. He didn't cry at his mother's funeral. Instead he smiled lightly, drawing somewhat adverse attention to himself. After he had returned home that night, with Cecil locked in his room and Reiji busy around the house, his father punched and kicked him. Eventually the punches weakened as the older man broke down in sobs drawing his son into a tight embrace. His apologies were tearful and hard to understand, but still the feeling carried. The redhead couldn't help but to feel bad. His mother would not have wanted to see them this way, she would have wanted them happy.
"Always look for the bright side."
But as his father sobbed, pinning the teen in a tight hug, Otoya had a hard time seeing the good in anything that had happened. It was all very sudden. One moment she had been fine, the next she was gone.
"Ne Ne, Kaoru-kun! Did you hear?" Otoya twisted around in his seat as the teacher left the room. Chatter filled the room, making it hard to hear the redhead's excited voice. "They already started to set up the temple for new years. Do you think you and Syo-chan can come with us this year?"
"Hmm." Kaoru though bringing his blue eyes up from his notebook. "Syo and I are already having a hard time just getting him to come over tonight. We mentioned it last week and mom almost flipped out."
"To you want me to as Mrs. Kurusu?" Otoya smiled. "I know how much she likes me."
"No. She's still pretty upset about last time you asked."
"But I swear the rumors are true!" Otoya exclaimed. "I know I saw somebody walking around that place at night. I just know it!"
"And who told you this again?" Kaoru smirked.
"Well..." The redhead though. "I heard it from Nagi, who over heard his big brother Kira talking to Tomo about it, who hear it from Camus, who says he saw a pale person waling around the tree line near that place."
"And Camus is sooo reliable. He made up a story to get Cecil to go to the park with him on a date."
"But I saw the person too!" Otoya said. "He's kinda pale and has blonde somewhat curly hair!"
Kaoru laughed. "And that doesn't sound like Camus at all.
Otoya puffed out his cheeks as the flushed a bright red. "Fine don't believe me. I know what I saw though."
"Syo? I'm home." Kaoru called opening the door to their shared room. All that greeted him was an empty room and a soft, cold breeze rushing passed him. It took him a second to realize that the window next to his desk was opened. "You know it's not good to sneak out Syo."
The blonde popped up right outside the window. His blue eyes looked at his brother apologetically. "But it's so boring in there."
"What would have happened if it were mom coming to check on you and not me?" Kaoru set his bag down and extended a hand to Syo to help him back in the window.
The older twin looked the other way as he grabbed his brother's slender hand. He hoisted half of himself up onto the ledge with one foot still firmly planted in the snow.
"You would have blown your chance to go over Ittoki's."
Syo smirked as he lifted his other foot out of the snow, making sure he had his balance before grabbing the windowsill with his free hand and placing his foot inside on the nice clean carpet. "You actually think she'll let me go? I haven't even been aloud to go to school since last month."
"I know it." Kaoru said firmly, his hold on Syo's hand tight as his older brother finally got off the window. "You just have to stop dong stupid stuff."
"Easy for you to say. You've always been perfect."
Kaoru's blues eyes gazed passed his brother at the trees outside. He knew that comment went far beyond just asking good. And for a moment he hated that he was born. If he didn't exist would his brother be healthy? Would Syo be happy?