In the Darkness We Walk Alone

Chapter Fifteen

Honestly, I forgot where I was going with this story. Sorry y'all. I'll try to update the best I can.

Back to school, Yukio knew that everyone treated Rin differently. He knew that they tried helping Rin or they would steer away from his older brother. He felt bad that Rin had to see the way they spoke to their friends about him, their attention on him. They overwhelmed him, and he could see that his brother hated it. He watched his two friends telling him to ignore the gazes, glaring at them for even looking at him in such a pitying stare. Yukio knew that the other students didn't care about him, they just felt pity for the boy in the wheelchair who they barely knew.

  Through all that, Yukio helped the best he could, but it was difficult since they had separate classes. The young Exorcist hated that his brother still hung around them. Every time he saw them, warning bells would go off. His instincts yelling at him to get his brother away from them, it was starting to piss him off. His brother never seemed to listen to him. He shook his head in disappointment as he read his book, eating the lunch his brother had made. He needed to have a way to get his brother away from those delinquents. Sure, they had high grades and helped his brother with his schoolwork, but he could've done that! Hell, Yukio was his younger, smarter brother who could've helped, but his brother never liked going to him for help. Why are you okay with helping others, but never okay with getting help? Was it because of us? Is that it? Because of me? Father Fujimoto? The priests? Just what exactly?

  "Yuki?" Shiemi's soft and innocent voice broke through his thoughts. Her green eyes on him, wide and inquiring. "What's wrong? Is it Rin?"

  Yukio took off his glasses, cleaning them as he hung his head. He didn't know what to say to her, but then again she might have advice for the predicament the two brothers were in. "There's these two people that Ni-san hangs out with, and I'm not sure why but when I see them, my instincts are telling me that they're bad people and that I need to get my brother away from them." He sighed and rubbed his forehead as he slid his glasses on. "I told my brother that I didn't want him to hang around them until I got to the bottom of things. They may have high grades and all but they're still delinquents and—ugh!—I don't know what to do anymore. I want to keep my brother safe, but it doesn't seem that way to him. He continues to hang out with them and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. Shiemi, can you please try to convince him not to hang around them anymore? It's starting to worry me because it's getting worse by the day, like something bad is going to happen."

  Shiemi hummed, thinking as she stared at the ground. She didn't know how to help in such a situation. "Have you tried explaining to him?"

  "Yes, but he just won't listen to me! It's frustrating that he won't take his own safety into account!" He placed his head in his hands as he contemplated. "Why does he always do this? Does he have such little trust in me?"

  "I'm sure that is not it! Rin trusts you, he really does! Just give him time, maybe he'll realize it." Shiemi gave him a small reassuring smile, reaching over and squeezing his hand. "You have to trust him as well. He knows what he is doing. Okay, Yuki?"

  Yukio didn't answer and just sighed, standing up and shaking his head. He didn't want to speak about this anymore, needing to get somewhere and work on his lessons. Shura was trying to figure out what to do about the Vatican finding out about Rin's paralyzation. He didn't know what Mephisto was doing since he seemed to be too busy with something else. That in itself was what threw the younger human off. What exactly is that Demon King doing? Just what is he planning to do with my brother?

* * *

"Rin?" Yukio asked as he entered the dorm. He was feeling guilty for having forced his brother to answer those questions. The scene he arrived to was not one he ever thought he'd ever see. "Uh, Shiratori?" Why was he around his brother? Not to mention, why did Shura even let him be around his brother? Didn't she know what happens when they're around each other? Didn't the two hate each other so much that they would be at each other's throats right now? Yukio watched the transaction occur when they noticed his presence, Shiratori ruffled Rin's hair and told him he was leaving. "Ni-san?"

  "It's nothing to worry about, Yukio." That was all he said as he moved the wheelchair to get to him, stopping not too far from his brother. "Shura is in the kitchen with Ukoboch so if anything were to have happened, she would've come out and put a stop to it." He laughed, his older brother laughed as if nothing was serious. How could his brother even laugh when he's always at risk for danger? "You worry way too much, Yukio. You need to lighten up some times."

Shura came in at that moment and looked at Yukio. "Um, I'll be on my way. I have a mission to get to." She left them to themselves but not before exchanging looks with Rin then with Yukio himself. The said Exorcist could tell that something was said and that Shura wasn't going to even speak about it, not even Rin himself, so this left him with even more question. It irritated the brunet that the two understood each other more than the twins would ever do so. He almost laughed at the hypocrisy. He would always get mad when Rin would ever try to help him to open up, and then he would get mad when Rin wouldn't open up. No wonder Rin got mad with such a thing and now, he was going to find out the answer to his question. "Why are you so closed off with people, Ni-san?" There he asked, but he didn't received the answer he wanted. He never did. Rin put it off as he was tired and wanted to sleep, that he would answer it later. He never did. Ni-san, please talk to me. I'm wanting to help, but it's not easy if you won't let me.

"Yukio, I'm sorry." For what? Why are you sorry? Sorry that you can't open up to me about your secrets? Sorry that you don't try as hard as you can? Why are you sorry, Rin? Please! Just tell me! Explain to me! Yukio wanted to scream, but he never did. He couldn't scream. He just turned onto his other side, facing the wall instead. He listened to his brother move around, he figured that it was hard with his numb legs. His tail laid limp on his lap since it was affected as well and it was saddening to see it limp. He had gotten used to seeing the appendage wagging around when the other got so happy or showed any other emotion. It had gotten to the point where he would always look at the appendage to see how his brother was really feeling, but now, now he couldn't. He could barely read his readable brother. What changed in that? How did he change in that?

Did I fail you in someway? Why? What happened to us? We used to be so close. Rin?

* * *

"Yukio?" He looked up to see his brother pushing himself over to him, his hands grinding on the wheels of the chair. "Yukio, aren't you going inside?" He looked at him closely, blinking. "Are you feeling okay?" He moves to reach up and press his hand on his brother's forehead but his arm didn't reach farther than his chest.

  Albeit that, Yukio grabbed his hand placed it onto his lap. "I'm fine, Rin. Let's just get this lesson over with and then we'll go to your doctor's appointment." Yukio was relieved that the appointment was that day, they could finally see if Rin healed correctly and could get the surgery without any complications.