Ryuichi, I love you.

»Invitation«

"Ryuuichi, I love you."
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»Kamitani's POV

I unlocked the front door and opened it with one of my hands, keeping the other behind my back to support my little brother up to make sure he doesn't fall.
I stepped inside. And before taking further steps I removed my shoes. I told my guest beside me to do the same.

"Make sure to remove your shoes right here. We'd be dead if the old hag got home and caught any shoe tracks further down the floor."I said to him. Ryuuichi nodded to me and tried to remove his shoes without disturbing his little brother who also rested on his backside.
As I watched him I began to speak."We should probably wake these two up."

"I don't think we should..."Ryuuichi responded to me after removing his last shoe.

"We can just let them rest and lay them down in a room. That way you and I can hangout without having any disturbances."

I wish he had said that sooner. Because before I heard him, I had already taken Taka off my back and dangled him up by his foot."To late."I said.

My brother cried and shouted at me. Either upset that I woke him up or upset that I had him dangling upside down. He wouldn't stop shouting my name and calling me stupid. It was very irritating,"Oi pipe down!"

"Put me down Nii-chan!"

"Eh?! K-Kamitani!..."Ryuuichi said to me. Kota started to shift around on his back. It wasn't long before he was woken up too by my brother's noise.

"Sorry Ryuuichi, He was getting heavy."

I put my brother down so she could shut up. And to my delight he did. He had ran up to Ryuuichi to go up to Kota, who Ryuuichi still held close to him and tried to rock back to sleep.

Taka grumbled,"Kota! Wake up! Let's play!"Taka shouted.

"Shut up."I groaned as I removed my jacket.

"You have so much energy even though you just woke up."Ryuuichi said,"Kota, do you feel like playing?"He asked Kota.

My eyes glanced over at Ryuuichi. The way he handled kids so well was something that I always found fascinating about him. I'm not that well with kids. I always seem to frighten them, and I definitely don't know how to take care of them. Even with Taka here, I've never been able to be a good big brother like Ryuuichi. To tell you the truth, I envy the relationship he has with his brother. How can two brothers be that close? I always thought that kind of chemistry could only happen between sisters. But I guess it doesn't matter whether your brothers or sisters. Ryuuichi and Kota have shown me that. I wonder if me and Taka will ever be like Ryuuichi and Kota.

Taka takes Kota's hand and pulls him off Ryuuichi's back.

"Come on Kota! I want to show you all the cool toys I've got!"

"T-Taka please be careful!.. Kota just woke up!..." I heard Ryuuichi say with a nervous chuckle.

Taka nodded to Ryuuichi and then looked at me."Now that Kota's here I don't have to beg you to play with me! I'm gonna share all my toys with him and not you!"

"Go ahead. I don't care."I said as I turnt my body to face my brother. He started to make that stupid face again. Where he has his cheeks filled with air and his expression was angry looking. Then he stuck his tongue out at me.

"Stupid Nii-Chan!"

"Grow up already." I said, annoyed a little. Then I saw from the corner of my eye Ryuuichi standing up from the floor.

"...Kamitani...."He started,"....Taka-kun is only a toddler...."

I lift my head up a bit before scratched the back of my neck,"Yeah, but there's no rule stating when a child has to grow up."

"Eh?...There doesn't have to be.. it just happens with the help of their guardians raising them...And kids shouldn't grow up to quickly..they should enjoy their time being kids...since being a kid only happens once in your life..." Ryuuichi sighed,"You really don't know much about kids do you?" He said to me. I could see past that smile of his. He probably thought it was weird I don't know much about kids even with having a younger brother.

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?"I said back to him. I sigh and with my right hand out of my pocket I start to rustle up my hair."Anyways I should probably shower. I did get pretty sweaty from practice."I turn my head to Ryuuichi,"Do you want to shower too?..."

I tilt my head to the side a little. He had gotten quiet. And his face, he looked red again. Maybe it's hot in here? I'm starting to think that maybe it isn't the temperature, and that it's just him."Ryuuichi," I said,"Are you still hot? Your face has gotten—" I pointed to my face but was cut off.

"K-KAMITANI!... W-We couldn't!...W-We shouldn't!!...."Ryuuichi shouted with his hands waving in the air and his head shaking at the same time. My eyebrows lifted just a bit. His reaction to showering was odd.

"We can't what? Shower?" I asked.

"Y-Yes!!....I-I mean...Who would be watching the little ones!!..."Ryuuichi said. That's when I caught on, he misunderstood me. I wonder... Should I go along with it and play with him a little?..Maybe not. I don't want to make him uncomfortable.

I smiled. His reaction was cute, it was enough to get a small chuckle out of me. His frantic movements came to a pause when he heard me chuckling.

"...I....K-Kamitani?..."I heard Ryuuichi call for me, sounding confused.

"....Ryuuichi..."I began,"You misunderstood me- I meant we take turns showering. I go first then you go after."

I laughed a little more, but I covered my mouth with the palm of my hand so my laughter sounded a little muffled. I didn't like my laugh to much, but I couldn't help it. I was shocked Ryuuichi's mind even took my words and thought of them in that way. Does that mean he wants to shower with me? Hm...

Ryuuichi's face looked so red, even more red than before. He kept apologizing to me, and took my hand  that I had left over my mouth and squeezed it between his.

"I'm so so so sorry Kamitani!.... I don't know why I even—...thought you were suggesting such a thing!...That's not like you!....I don't know what's wrong with me! Please forgive me!"Ryuuchi said to me.

I wiped the smile off my face and placed my other hand on his shoulder,"It's okay Ryuuichi." I said,"We can shower some other time together if that's what you want. But it'll have to be when our brothers aren't here."

I removed my hand from his shoulder and gently pulled my other hand away from his grip on it."I'm gonna go shower now."

I started to walk off. I didn't hear him respond to me. He had frozen up after I made that comment about showering together. I said it as a joke but, maybe that made him uncomfortable. I'll have to apologize after I finish showering.

I look down at my hand,"...He held it..." I muttered to myself. My cheeks were getting warm. I wonder if that's the closest to holding hands I'm gonna get.