Red String of Fate [One-shot collection]

6. Brother knows best [Ren Kouen x Reader]

Koumei yawned loudly. He rubbed his eyes, letters on a scroll before him were blurred for staring for too long. He should've get some sleep in the night, bus as usual, he didn't. Another yawn resounded through the quiet library. He closed his eyes and let the sleep come to him. He was quite good at sleeping whenever and wherever. His doze off didn't get unnoticed by his older brother.

"Don't sleep!" Kouen barked and smacked Koumei's head with some papers.

"Yes, yes..." younger prince replied. "You're horrible, brother."

Older male shot him a glare in reply. He watched as Kouen walked towards a bookshelf and took another scroll out of it. Sitting by the window, he looked through the papers. Koumei, deciding it was safe to daze off again, as his brother was focused on reading, laid his head on his arms and closed his eyes.

His sleep was interrupted again.

"It's so stuffy in here!" came a woman's voice. With one eye open he watched as young woman barged into the library. She was carrying a few books and scrolls in her hands. Koumei recalled, that he was reading them earlier.

With a smile on her face the woman peeked at him and sighed amused. She didn't notice he was awake.

______ was a guest at Kou Imperial Palace, as they found her after she conquered the dungeon on her own. For an almost a year she trained on their grounds as she pledged her loyalty to Kou Empire and Kouen.

Though she was treated officially as guest, she got acquainted with all of Ren siblings, knowing Kougyoku from her stay in Sindaria, then meeting Kouen and him on the muddy road near the dungeon, in the end making friends with Kouha.

"Koumei needs to learn not to leave books all over the palace," she said as she put his books back on the shelf.

"He's asleep again," Kouen grumbled. Koumei mentally smirked. Through his fringe he could see both figures.

"Ah, let him," the woman spoke with lively voice. "I'm sure he didn't sleep at night as usual."

"He should learn that too."

Koumei could feel his brother's gaze on him.

"He's taking after his older brother," she said. Kouen snorted. She cocked her head to her side." What are you reading?"

His brother sighed and showed her the scroll.

"History book, though the most of it is incomplete," he said. "Probably lost during wars."

"Oh, I can feel your pissed off aura," she said after awhile with a slight laugh. "Do not pout, there is always chance that the text is copied somewhere else, right?"

Yep, Koumei thought, if there was any person, that could say to his brother face-to-face, that he should not 'pout' it would be _____. And survive no less.

Once she even said that he was 'grumpy pants' when he grumbled when the tea was cold. She said it was their own fault, that the tea she prepared gone cold during their work. Koumei and Kouha had the day of their life when they saw Kouen's expression. Though they learned that he would not appreciate anyone but _____ calling him like this.