"It" Can't Be Helped (Revised) | ✔️ | Blue Exorcist

18

I shot up in bed, gripping my chest and panting. My heart was hammering so hard in my ribcage that I feared it would break bones. I palmed at my shirt, gripping the fabric and pulling it away from my clammy skin. I tried to calm my frantic breathing, feeling the waves of my nightmare still washing over me. I couldn't even remember what it was about. I never did.

There was movement out of the corner of my eye and my body coiled. My head snapped in it's direction and I hissed. "Sorry!" Bon whispered, and as soon as I knew it was him, my body relaxed. That didn't last long however, as my eyes darted over to the alarm clock. 4:57am. I glanced around the room, my breath hitching when I didn't see my twin anywhere.

My tail flickered behind me, thudding against the mattress. My gaze snapped back to Suguro, my breath shaking and hoarse from inactivity. "Where's Yukio?"

Even in the dim light of the room, I was able to discern that he was anxious over that, as well. "I don't know, okay?" No, no, it was not okay. Yukio was never this late. I lifted a trembling hand to my hair, pulling at the strands. "Rin, hey, it's okay. He should be coming home soon." Should be. "He told me it would be awhile in the first place. They probably got set back, or a plan backfired. I'm sure he's fine, alright?" I felt weight on the mattress next to me and soon after, He placed a hand on my shoulder. I knew the gesture was meant to be comforting. However, I couldn't help but believe that he was fooling me. My twin was never this late. With his longer missions, he was home around midnight, and the absolute latest he'd been out was two in the morning. My body shook and I pulled my knees to my chest, resting my forehead on them. There was a sigh from beside me. "Do you just wanna go back to bed?"

No, I didn't. Not that I was capable of sleeping at the moment, anyway. I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Could you... maybe play music or something?" He pushed himself off the bed and I heard his footsteps as he retrieved his phone. The mattress shifted once more and the room was silent except for the quiet taps of his fingers on the screen. After a few minutes, a melody played from the speakers and he placed the phone down on the bed. Several songs passed and I realized the playlist must have been the tops hits from about five years ago.

I chewed on my lip, waiting impatiently for some sort of sign that my brother was home. But the bedroom door stayed closed, there were no footsteps, no creaks of the steps, the air was still around us. Minutes passed by, and as one song shifted into the next, I felt my tremors heighten in intensity. I drew in a unsteady breath, my lip trembling. Another song ended and I felt like my bones would collapse under the pressure of my rigid muscles. "Oh my god... where is he?" My voice wavered and I felt my eyes grow misty. "He's never this late, Bon." My fingers fidgeted with the bandage around my wrist, only succeeding in unraveling a few inches of thread. "What if he's hurt?" I swallowed hard. "What if he's...." I bit down on my tongue, not even daring to say the words out loud. The air quaked as I exhaled and I turned to my classmate, feeling myself on the brink of hysterics. "Can you text him, or call him?" I shook my head, "no, wait. If he's on a mission, don't call, just message him, please? He's never been this late." I felt like a broken record, saying the same phrase incessantly.

He nodded and grabbed his cell. The bedroom lit up slightly as he unlocked his phone. I tried to take a deep breath, placing all my hope on this one message. When Bon set the electronic back down, I did my best to focus on the lyrics. However, as another song passed, I couldn't help but let my mind wander toward the negatives.

This was an emergency mission, meaning that the preparation phase wasn't as lengthy. And depending on the demons they were exorcising, a plan was necessary. I knew they wouldn't go into a fight without something organized, but a poorly thought out plan could be just as dangerous as no plan. What if this exorcism was just like the one we attended? Were they outnumbered? Did they underestimate their opponents? With such a extensive mission, there were bound to be injuries. How many casualties were there...? Tears spilled from my eyes and I clamped my hand over my mouth. My shoulders shook with my silent sobs, and it wasn't until I gasped for air that Bon caught onto my meltdown.