Paired With Fate

Chapter Ten

Swirling steam filled the tiny bathroom, emanating from the hot and flowing running shower.  The small white tiles were covered in a damp layer of condensation, as was the walls and painted sealing.  Although the extractor fan was on, it was really just making noise and not really doing anything about the thick moisture in the air.  Ichiro stood beneath the running water, his expression seeming slightly fixed, like that of a person who has just realised something shocking. 

There was a knock on the bathroom door.  "If you stay in the shower longer, not only will you be late, your skin will look unpleasantly wrinkled."  The voice was not loud, there was no ridicule nor condescension, as if Jiro was merely stating a fact.  Still his words startled Ichiro out of his revelry and he poured a bit of shower gel into his hand before quickly coating his body in the forming lather.  He remained only long enough in the shower to wash off the remnant soap, before getting out and heading to his bedroom.

As he roughly dried his hair and body, he suddenly said aloud his thoughts; "What am I doing?"

Saburo hummed as he popped the dry noodles in boiling water and removed the roasted chicken breast from the oven, popping it to one side.  Jiro was once more on the computer in the corner of the living area, clicking through a few websites and answering emails.  Just as the scent of frying ginger and garlic filled the room, Ichiro entered, half-dressed and looking flustered.

"Still not ready, Ichiro?" Asked the dark-haired teenaged youth as he glanced behind from where he sat at his older brother. 

"I can't do this!" Ichiro complained with a slight wail in his tone.  His brothers glanced at each other, exchanging thoughts like only close brothers could.  For the past few days, Ichiro had been calm, nonchalant about the date with the Alpha who claimed he was Ichiro's fated pair.  But it seemed that it had been all an act, he had just forced any thoughts of the date to the back of his mind and pretended it wasn't happening.  Only, in five minutes, he was supposed to meet said Alpha in the parking lot, downstairs.  "I should cancel the date.  I mean, I shouldn't leave you guys home alone anyway."  He reached to ruffle his second brother's hair as if all was settled.

The younger man leaned out of reach, Ichiro failing to meet his objective.  "You know," he began, "We are capable of looking after ourselves, we did so when you went out on other dates."

"That was different!" Ichiro pouted.

"How so?" Saburo asked as he added the chicken stock to the ginger and garlic aromatics, the pan hissing and bubbling as the liquid touched the bottom of the pan.  He added thin strips of green cabbage into the soup, before slicing the cooked chicken.

"They were women," Ichiro muttered, crossing his arms about his naked chest.  He breathed in the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen and swallowed a mouthful of saliva.  "Say, What are you cooking?"

"Chicken Ramen," Saburo replied, breezily, taking out two bowls and placing them on the side next to the hob.

"I like ramen," Ichiro mentioned with a bright grin.

"None for you," Saburo chided him.

"Why not?" Ichiro whined and crouched down before slender, breakfast bar that they used as a table, peering over the edge in an attempt to look pitiful.

"Your date!" Saburo reminded him.

"Not going."

Saburo sighed and glanced up at Jiro for a bit of assistance, but his stoic brother just turned back to the computer screen as if it had nothing to do with him.  Jiro was not someone who could relate to the emotions of others.  Unlike Ichiro, he'd never had their father's love and although their mother tried to compensate, she also had to see to her husband and eldest son's needs.  His formative years were filled mostly with indifference.  It was also due to this that their mother and Ichiro and to some degree, himself as he was encouraged to by them both, overprotected Saburo and filled his childhood with love and joy, ignoring the growing dissatisfaction from the boys' father.