Inception

Chapter 51: Kettle Calling the Pot Black

It took all of Soshiro's substantial self control to not throw the younger Ichikawa against the wall by his throat. His grandmother's threat of if he reopened his side wound had a good deal to do with it too.

He'd finally had Lena calm, after she'd nearly passed out from vomiting too much to breathe, after nearly dying from one thing or another—

He managed to just shove the kid into an empty study instead, with his left arm so as to not aggravate his wounded side. The boy stumbled, but just managed to catch himself before Soshiro was up in his face.

"I told you to wait," he said, very quietly, because if he put any more breath into his voice he'd be roaring. "I told you to wait until she was ready."

"And I trusted you meant it for her good, not so you could take advantage of her!" Ichikawa hissed. "Don't give me that look, I know what you're doing!"

"You don't know shit," hissed Soshiro. "She had vomit in her hair after nearly puking herself out cold and we need to get food in her to control her hypoglycemia if she's to get stable. You do realize she nearly died last night from low blood sugar alone, do you?"

Leno went still and very pale.

"Should I list the symptoms of low blood sugar? To the body? To the brain?"

"You could have had your grandma do it," said Ichikawa.

"Oh shut up," Soshiro slapped him across the head. "You don't think she has anything to do? Believe it or not I love your sister and want to take care of her, not just jump in her pants."

"If that were true you would back the hell off!"

"And let her just sit there in her own sick?"

"I could do it!"

"You're her trigger!" yelled Soshiro, popping like a soda shook too hard. "You're an inexperienced brat who'd ask all the wrong questions with all the right intentions! Lena nearly died and was forcibly turned into a monster—"

"I was there for Kafka—"

"LENA'S NOT KAFKA!"

A ringing silence fell over them, broken by only the whistling breath sucked through their teeth. Leno's cheeks had gone splotchy with color and his eyes shone in the filtered sun through the curtains.

"The fact you don't understand that proves I was right to make you wait," Soshiro growled. "I don't have time for your hypocritical ass. Play protective brother when you've quit the force yourself."

Soshiro pivoted on his heel and left. He didn't care how Ichikawa decided to preoccupy himself after this, as long as it didn't go near Lena.

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Fight! Fight! Fight! Though in other news, I can stretch the toes on my right foot to outlandish lengths and crack them repeatedly. I do it next to my husband's ear every so often to creep him out. It's actually been a while since I did that because I love him and want him to be comfortable and because it's not really sexy to pop your toes next to someone's ears. Look at how grown up I am!