Ever Present Feelings

It is 11:00 at night.

Tomoki Matou is currently pacing inside the room usually reserved for his older brother at the Emiya household, awaiting the room's owner.

He is very, very anxious.

Akito Tohsaka, the previously mentioned older brother, had approached him earlier that day during their school's lunch break to ask if he was free later in the night.

All Akito had told his brother was that he wanted to talk.

The meeting being late enough at night for just the two of them to be the only people awake in the house means that Akito wants to confront Tomoki about something, and that it's serious.

To Tomoki, none of this is a good sign.

The mere five minutes that Tomoki has been waiting is far more than enough time for him to begin rapidly spiraling into his head. Anything that Akito will possibly be confronting him about won't be good.

Is It about school?

Something related to his magecraft?

Is he leaving him again?

Is there something wrong with him?

Did Shinji do something?

Did Shinji say something?

Is it about Rider?

Is it about Saber?

Is it about Shirou?

Did he somehow learn of his feelings for that boy?

Is he here to scold him for it?

To tell him he's ashamed?

Is he here to call him disgusting?

A freak?

A faggot?

To call him pathetic or any other word that Shinji had already called him?

Is it about how he dresses or stands or his posture or how he talks or does his hair or HIS-

A knock.

"Tomoki, can I come in...?"

"Y-Yes..."

The door to the bedroom opens and Akito Tohsaka slips through into the room barely illuminated by a single table lamp, making sure to close it behind him as quietly as he can.

Even through the dim lighting, Tomoki can easily make out that his brother is wearing his typical casual outfit of a red turtleneck and black skinny jeans, instead of the uniform he donned earlier at school. That sharp attire unintentionally works as a perfect contrast to Tomoki's simple androgynous outfit, a pastel pink pullover on top of a white collared button up along with a simple pair of khaki pants.

"Sorry if you were waiting long." Akito lets out a sigh.

"N-No... um- I've only been here for a few minutes..."

"Alright, that's good..."

There is an uncharacteristic shakiness to Akito's voice. Not something extremely noticeable, but being his sibling, and from knowing him long enough, Tomoki can catch a slight hint of something he didn't entirely expect, and especially something he didn't see often.

Akito is...anxious...?

Tomoki swallows.

He really wishes that Akito could just change his mind and leave. There is a very, very, very high chance that whatever his older sibling called him here for is not something he will want to hear.