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

49

He took a step forward, grabbing me by the elbow and pulling me a few feet away from the doorway. A surprised squeak escaped me but he didn't relent his grip until we were still. "I need you to listen to me." He said it in a hurry and I nodded in response. "There was a lab explosion in Fukushima." He grimaced and my eyes widened, my mouth falling open. He cut me off before I could ask any questions, however. "Several civilian casualties have already been reported. There are exorcists on scene but they need a lot more than those who are stationed there."

I finally found my voice, "Our teacher just got summoned, too. How bad is it?" I was vaguely aware that there were a few presences behind me, but I didn't care to find out who they were.

He just shook his head, "I don't have the time to explain. But it was a massive lab and demons are overtaking with the amount of bio-organic material." He sighed, closing his eyes briefly. When they reopened, he met my gaze with a levelling look. "Are you going to be okay?" Immediately I started waving him off, but his voice cut it, stern and slightly miffed. "No, listen to me, Nii-san. After everything that has happened today, my concern is more than valid. I won't be here to support you." His last phrase sounded rueful and I drew in a deep breath.

"I'll figure it out, Yukio. If anything comes up, I'll text you, or someone, I don't know." He didn't seem relieved by my statement, in fact, he seemed like he expected that sort of answer. His eyes flickered over my shoulder and I saw a multitude of words flurry behind his teal irises before he settled his gaze back on mine.

"Okay," he relented. Reaching up, he grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me into a fierce hug. "I'll be back soon, I just don't know when. Stay safe, okay?" I nodded and he relinquished his hold on me, pushing forward down the hallway at a brisk pace.

I sighed, moving my hands to palm my face. However, I nearly yelped when a hand fell on my upper back. I jolted to look behind me, and I shouldn't have been surprised when Izumo's crimson eyes danced across my features. She said nothing, continuing to assess me before giving a small nod and taking her leave, as well. She must've been who Yukio was staring at. And I'd like to think I wasn't stupid, I knew the two of them had to have some sort of telepathy with how often they shared wordless conversations. I also knew they were thinking about my self harm, and how to look out for me in case the situation arose.

I groaned, still despising the idea of being babysat like a toddler, but it's not like I didn't dig this grave myself. I had nothing to blame but my own actions. I started my trek toward the practice room Shura and I had commandeered. Despite knowing that my twin was a well trained exorcist, I couldn't stop the ball of anxiety that was slowly sinking in my stomach. It grew in mass, weighing down each footstep and making it far more difficult to ignore. By the time I reached the practice room, I felt winded, my bones seemingly vibrating under my skin. I chewed on my lip, repressing my nerves to the best of my ability. Hell, the last time I freaked out over one of Yukio's missions, I'd been proved wrong. I didn't need to pester my twin, he was more than capable of handling himself: something no one could really say about me.

I shoved open the practice room door, a bit surprised to see that the lights were off. I stook in the eerily quiet space for a few moments before clapping a palm to my face. Of fucking course Shura would be summoned to the mission, too. Where the hell was my head at today? The knowledge that my twin would have her as back-up did calm my nerves, though. I grunted as I flopped down onto the bench, the very seat Shura usually took when I was here. I glanced around the room, memories of the last several months flickering inside my mind. Over in the far corner, the flooring was slightly darkened from one of our earlier experiments. The smell of burning lacquer would forever be engrained into my nostrils. However, I smiled at the memory. While I may have ruined the floor, I'd also gained valuable knowledge from that session, so I couldn't be too mad.