Work Text:
Jyuto sent out a response to an email from one of his superiors and slid his phone into his jacket pocket.
“I swear if one more person emails me, asking me for a ‘favor’,” Jyuto complained, miming quotation marks with his fingers, “on my day off, I’m gonna to tell them to shove it.”
“But don’t you want a bunch of those shits in your pocket?” Samatoki asked, taking a drag from his cigarette.
“Well, of course, but I don’t want to hear anything about work right now,” Jyuto replied, rubbing his temples with his index fingers.
“Does your head hurt?” Rio asked beside him, placing a comforting hand on Jyuto’s shoulder. “I can make a remedy to alleviate the pain. However, I believe I’m slightly low on horned beetles at the moment, so I’ll have to collect some more if that’s the case.”
“No!” Jyuto exclaimed a little too quickly. He coughed and adjusted his glasses. “Erm... I mean, no. No, it’s okay. I’m fine.”
Rio nodded. “Okay, but if the pain persists, inform me immediately.”
“Will do,” Jyuto said, knowing full well that he most definitely will not.
“What the-“ Samatoki grumbled under his breath, squinting his eyes as he looked at something in the distance. “Is that... Nemu?”
“Hm? Your little sister?” Jyuto asked, looking ahead of them and spying a young woman with white hair walking in their direction. She glanced forward and then smiled when she saw Samatoki.
“Onii-san!” She yelled out, waving her arm in the air at him. She ran ahead, weaving around the crowd between them and jumped at Samatoki, hugging him.
“N-Nemu!” Samatoki stuttered, hovering his arms in the air around her before wrapping them around her waist to return the hug. “I thought I told you to stay inside unless I was with you.”
“Oh, please,” Nemu scoffed, pulling away from Samatoki and frowning up at him, “I’m 20. I’m not a kid anymore. Besides, that thing with Chuuoku ended months ago.”
“I still fucking worry,” Samatoki growled, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks.
“Are these your teammates?” Nemu asked, stepping away from Samatoki to stand in front of Jyuto and Rio.
“Yes, we are,” Jyuto answered, bowing to her along with Rio. “We haven’t been formally introduced yet. My name is Iruma Jyuto.”
“Busujima Mason Rio.”
“Pleasure to meet you two,” Nemu said, curtsying to the cop and soldier.
“We are on our way to my camp for some food. If it’s okay with your brother, we’d be honored if you would accompanied us.”
“No, Nemu-“ Samatoki and Jyuto both started to object, but Nemu shook her head.
“Thank you for the invitation, but I’m actually on my way to meet up with some friends.”
“Friends?” Samatoki asked, his face scowling, “What friends? Are they boys?”
“My friends in college, stupid,” Nemu said, placing her hands on her hips, “and I’m not telling you if they’re boys or not because I know you’ll freak out.”
“So there are gonna be fucking boys there, huh?!” Samatoki yelled, balling his hands into fists.
“Don’t worry about him,” Jyuto said as Rio grabbed onto Samatoki’s arms to keep him in place. “Go have fun with your friends. We’ll keep him occupied.”
“Thank you,” Nemu replied, bowing and then walking off into the crowd.
“What the fuck, Rio?!” Samatoki growled, squirming in Rio’s unwavering grip. “Put me the fuck down!”
“She’s a grown woman,” Jyuto said, lighting a cigarette in his mouth, “She’s stronger than she was before. She can take care of herself.”
“Affirmative,” Rio agreed, “She overcame the hypnosis herself and if she’s anything like you, then you have nothing to worry about.”
Samatoki stopped struggling and Rio released him when it seemed like he wasn’t going to fuss anymore.
“She’s my little sister,” Samatoki said, rolling his shoulders to stretch them. He looked to the side as a blush crept onto his face. “The only family I have left. Of course I’m gonna fuckin’ worry.”
“No, she’s not,” Jyuto said, pausing to blow out a cloud of smoke towards the sky. “She’s not the only family you have left. You’ve got Rio and I, too.”
Jyuto reached out to squeeze Samatoki’s hand while Rio placed a hand on the small of their leader’s back. The corner of Samatoki’s mouth curled up a bit before he turned away from them in embarrassment.
“Alright, enough with this sappy shit. Let’s just get to Rio’s goddamn camp already,” Samatoki complained as he began walking back down the road with his hands in his pockets.
Jyuto looked up at Rio and shrugged with a small smile before the two of them caught up with their boyfriend, the three of them walking to the camp together.
***
“Oops, I’m so sorry!” Rio heard a small girl apologize after she accidentally bumped into him. The familiar looking young lady looked up at him and her face lit up in recognition.
“Oh, hello again! You’re on my brother’s team. It’s Mr. Busujima, right?” Nemu asked, adjusting the various shopping bags she was carrying. Rio looked down at her and smiled to her and her female companion.
“Affirmative, but you can refer to me as Rio,” Rio answered, holding out a hand, “Would you like some help carrying those bags?”
“Oh no, it’s okay. We’ve been able to handle it this far.”
“Nemu,” her female companion said, her face seeming slightly pained, “If you know him and he’s offering to help, we should let him.”
Rio smiled softly at the two women and continued holding his hand out in offering. Nemu looked from Rio to her friend and then sighed.
“Yeah, okay,” she conceded, handing some of her bags to Rio. He reached down to take the majority of the bags her and her friend had, making sure to remember which bags belonged to who.
“Are they too heavy?” Nemu asked, ready to take back any bags if needed.
“Not at all,” Rio said, testing the weight of the bags by raising them up to his shoulders. He was able to do it easily.
“Thank you, Rio,” Nemu said, bowing to him with her friend.
“It’s no issue,” Rio said, following the two girls to the train station. He stayed a step behind them while the two of them talked about school and various items they saw at the mall, among other things.
Rio couldn’t help but study Nemu and was amused to find some similarities between her and her brother. Nemu’s friend said something that made her laugh and Rio smiled at the fact that her laugh was similar to Samatoki’s.
The three of them made it to the train station after walking for a bit and they waited for the train to slowly pull in. They boarded when it arrived, but there weren’t any open seats available, so the girls held on to the handles hanging from the ceiling as Rio stood by them.
After a few minutes, the train began moving and Rio adjusted his stance so he wouldn’t lose his balance. Feeling something off, Rio turned his head and noticed two young-looking men glancing in their direction and whispering to each other. He didn’t like the smiles on their faces.
Rio squinted his eyes at them and maneuvered himself to stand between the boys and the girls. He looked over his shoulder to give a warning glare at the two boys, causing them to grimace at him and turn away.
“What’s wrong, Rio?” Nemu asked, leaned up on her tiptoes to try to see over Rio’s shoulder. He turned back to her and gave her a small smile.
“Nothing you need concern yourself with,” Rio answered.
Nemu pouted. “Oh, are you gonna baby me like my brother does?”
“Of course not,” Rio chuckled softly, thinking again how similar the siblings are. “You seem like a very strong and capable person. You did grow up with Samatoki after all.”
“That is very true. He can be a handful at times,” Nemu laughed, but it quickly became dry and her smile drooped. She stared off out a window across the train for a moment before she blinked a few times and smiled at her friend. While the two talked some more, Rio stared down at Nemu for a moment in slight concern.
He knew about Samatoki’s family history. How Samatoki’s father would abuse Nemu and their mom until their mom finally had enough. He realized he must’ve brought up some memories during that time and he made a mental note to apologize to Nemu when her and her friend parted ways.
They stayed on the train for two more stops before they finally reached theirs. They exited the train and Nemu asked Rio if he wanted to take a break or lessen his load of the bags.
“I’m fine. What kind of soldier would I be if I couldn’t fulfill this task?” Rio answered, gesturing for the girls to continue. They walked a few blocks together before Nemu’s friend said her goodbyes, retrieved her bags from Rio, and parted ways with them.
After Nemu’s friend left, Rio and Nemu walked in silence for a moment before Rio decided to speak up.
“I’m sorry for what I said earlier.”
Nemu looked up at him, confused. “Sorry for what?”
“I believe I made you remember some painful memories,” Rio explained. “Samatoki informed us a while back what happened in his past. About your mother and father.”
Nemu stopped suddenly and only stared down at the ground in front of her. Rio stopped a few steps ahead when he couldn’t hear Nemu’s footsteps anymore and turned to look at her. She looked up at him and smiled.
“He must really trust you, huh?”
“What do you mean?” Rio asked.
“He doesn’t tell anyone about... about that. Doesn’t want anyone to use that against him or to use it to hurt me.”
Rio nodded. “He informed us as much.”
“Us?” Nemu asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion.
“You met him the other day,” Rio explained, “The other member of our team: Iruma Jyuto.”
Nemu smiled softly and began walking again. “Oh yes, I remember him. The one with the glasses and gloves, right?”
“Affirmative.”
Nemu hummed and looked forward, the two of them continuing to walk together silently back to Nemu’s place. After arriving, Rio handed her shopping bags back.
“Thank you again for your help, Rio.”
“It was my pleasure,” Rio said, smiling and bowing to her. Nemu bowed back and entered the house. After staying and confirming that she was safe inside, Rio turned back and walked back to the train station.
***
“Get away from me.”
“Aw, don’t be like that, baby.”
“Yeah, we’ll treat ya real nice.”
Jyuto groaned to himself and looked up into the night sky, hating how often he had to deal with shit like this. He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and dropped it to the ground, stomping it out and turning to the group of thugs. There were three of them huddled over what he guessed would be some poor girl who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Sighing, he sauntered up to the three men, but before he could do anything more, one of them suddenly shouted out in pain and hunched over. Jyuto froze for a moment, catching sight of a familiar plume of white hair as he witnessed the young woman begin to attack her harassers. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity for the men as she agilely whipped around them.
Jyuto smirked to himself and pulled out his phone, taking his time to dial the number for one of his superiors. After carefully explaining the situation and confirming backup was on the way, Jyuto hung up.
He nonchalantly slid his phone back into his pocket and decided to wait a few moments to just watch the spectacle unfold in front of him, letting her do her thing. After a few minutes, he decided to finally step in and take control of the situation.
“Oi, oi! That’s enough!” Jyuto exclaimed, albeit half-heartedly, grabbing one of the men and throwing him back on his ass. He pushed apart the girl and the man she was about to choke out and stood in front of her, blocking any further contact.
“I don’t need you to protect me,” the young woman said, “I’m strong enough to take care of myself.”
“Oh, I’m well aware that, Nemu,” Jyuto said, tilting his head back to look at her with an amused smirk, “I saw what was going on and it’s them I’m worried about. Plus, Samatoki would have my head if I let his little sister get arrested.”
“You know my brother?” Nemu asked. Her eyes suddenly widened in recognition, “Oh you’re one of my brother’s teammates!”
“W-Wait? Did you say Samatoki?” One of the thugs asked, his voice wavering slightly at the leader’s name.
“Aohitsuji Samatoki?” Another asked, getting up from where he was huddled on the ground.
Jyuto pulled out a cigarette and held it between his lips, lighting it. “The very same and you just attempted to assault his little sister. You all experienced first hand what she could do. Think you’ll be able to take him on?”
The three thugs looked at Nemu, who smiled politely at them and gave a small wave. One of them gulped audibly.
“So, if I were you, I’d wait ‘till my backup arrives because it’s either them or him.”
The three of them looked at each other and hung their heads in defeat, silently surrendering. Confident they wouldn’t try anything, Jyuto turned to Nemu and looked her up and down, checking for injuries.
“Did they hurt you or touch you anywhere?” Jyuto asked.
Nemu shook her head, “No, I’m fine. You’re Mr. Iruma, right?”
“You can call me Jyuto,” he replied, moving to get his phone, “I should probably call your brother and tell him what-“
“No!” Nemu suddenly exclaimed, cutting Jyuto off. “I just- He’s already super overprotective and he checks up on me several times a day.”
Jyuto nodded understandingly, placing a hand on Nemu’s shoulder. “Alright, I won’t tell him. I, however, will tell him that he doesn’t need to worry so much about you. This little brawl proved that much to me.”
Nemu blushed and turned her head away. “Back in Chuuoku, they had me learn how to protect myself and I’ve been keeping up with it ever since all... that happened.”
“I see,” Jyuto responded, taking out a cigarette and lighting it. “Unfortunately, I know how cruel this world can be, the men in it especially. It’s good for you to know how to handle yourself.”
Nemu beamed at him and jumped to his side, grabbing his arm. Jyuto huffed in amusement as he held his cigarette between his lips. Not too long after, Jyuto’s backup arrived and took the three men away.
“Stay here, I’m going to explain what happened and then I’ll walk you home... if that’s okay with you?” Jyuto asked, pulling away from Nemu.
She stopped for a moment, as if debating if she should agree or not. After a few seconds, she looked up and smiled weakly. “Yes, of course.”
She stepped back while Jyuto moved to talk to the other policemen. He made sure to leave out Nemu’s assault against the men. Sure, it was in self-defense, but he didn’t want her to be taken in for questioning. Samatoki would kill him if he allowed that to happen.
When everything was said and done, the policemen left, leaving Jyuto and Nemu alone.
“Alright, let’s go,” Jyuto said, nodding toward the fairly empty street. Nemu nodded and bounded up to Jyuto’s side, holding onto his arm.
After a few minutes of them walking in silence, Jyuto asked Nemu a question.
“Why are you out here in the middle of the night anyway?”
Nemu bit her lip and looked to the side, looking sad and ashamed. “When I was younger, I made a charm for my brother and me. I lost it while I was out with a friend earlier. I didn’t notice until I got home, so I came back to find it.”
Jyuto nodded in understanding, knowing what charms she spoke of and how important they were to the siblings. It was made by Nemu shortly after their mother died, so they’d always have something to remember her by. The first time they saw Nemu after she was hypnotized by Chuuoku, Samatoki almost broke Nemu out of it by just mentioning it.
“Did you find it?” Jyuto asked.
“Not yet...” Nemu said forlornly. “I’ve been looking for hours and I have no idea where it could be.”
Jyuto stopped suddenly, causing Nemu to stumble a bit. “Then why are we not searching right now?”
Nemu only looked at him in shock before she found her voice, “B-but it’s really late, we don’t have to. I was going to try again in the morning.”
Jyuto took his cigarette out of his mouth and dropped it on the asphalt, stubbing it out with his foot. “It could be long gone by then.”
“I can’t ask you to help me find it.”
“Good thing I’m offering. I know how much that charm means to you two and we’re not leaving until we find it.”
Nemu stared glassy eyed at him for a moment before smiling and nodding. “Okay!’
“Okay, you look around this area and I’ll head back and check down where those men cornered you.”
Nemu nodded and began her search, allowing Jyuto to turn and walk back in the direction they came from. He carefully looked around every corner and crevice, hoping to catch even a glimpse of the bracelet.
Just as he was about to give up on this area and look elsewhere, something caught the light from a nearby shop sign. Jyuto noticed the shine from it in the corner of his eye. He quickly turned and knelt down to look under the bench a few steps away.
Sure enough, there it was. Unfortunately, it was broken and the beads were strewn along the pavement. Someone must’ve stepped on it and not noticed. Jyuto sat on his knees and picked up all he saw and placed them in his pocket. Double checking around the area to make sure he got all that were there, he made his way back to where he left Nemu.
Nemu looked up when she noticed Jyuto’s return and her face turned hopeful.
“Did you find it?”
Jyuto sighed and reached into his pocket. “I found it, but...”
He pulled out a handful of the beads and held them out to show Nemu. Nemu looked down at them and her smile faded a bit. She picked up one of the beads and looked at it sadly before perking herself back up.
“It’s no big deal. I can just get a new string and remake it. It looks like most, if not all of the pieces are here.”
“I tried to find as many as I could. I think someone stepped on it and broke it. I’m sorry.”
Nemu waved him off, “Oh, don’t be. Like I said, I can make it again. Would it be okay if you held onto them until I get home? I don’t have pockets.”
“Of course.” Jyuto said, putting the beads back in his jacket and holding an arm out for Nemu. She took it happily and they continued their walk back to Nemu’s apartment.
“So, I’m assuming my brother told you about our mother?” Nemu asked after a few moments of silence.
Jyuto nodded. “Yes, he did. He told Rio and I about it one night.”
“I’m surprised he did.” Nemu said, keeping her gaze ahead. “I don’t think he even told Sasara when they were on a team together.”
She looked up at him and smiled softly. “I’m happy he has friends he can be open with like you two.”
“Y-Yes, of course.” Jyuto said, slightly flustered. The rest of the walk consisted of Nemu asking Jyuto about his job until they reached her apartment.
“Thank you for your help today,” Nemu said, stepping up to her door and unlocking it. “I don’t think I would’ve been able to find it without your help.”
“It’s no problem. I‘m glad im could be of help,” Jyuto responded, taking out the beads and handing them to Nemu.
He placed all he had in her waiting hands. She needed to use both hands to hold them all. He held Nemu’s door open for her and waved as she walked back inside.
“Make sure you lock your door.”
Nemu laughed softly, “Always do. Thank you again for your help.”
Jyuto nodded and closed the door for her when she was safely inside. He stayed until he heard Nemu lock the door and then he turned, walking back down the street.
***
Hearing his apartment door open took Samatoki’s attention away from watching Rio cook.
“Must be Jyuto,” Samatoki said, leaning up to kiss Rio’s cheek before going to greet the cop. Jyuto was taking his coat off and hanging it up when Samatoki approached him, giving his boyfriend a quick kiss.
“Nemu messaged me not too long ago saying she’s on her way,” Samatoki said, leaning against the wall as he watched Jyuto take off his shoes.
“Sounds like I got here just in time, then.”
“Yeah, I was worried you were gonna clock in some more overtime again,” Samatoki jabbed, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I made sure I got off in time tonight,” Jyuto explained, moving past Samatoki and kissing his cheek as he passed by to saunter into the kitchen. “You said Nemu wanted to have dinner with all of us tonight. No way in hell I was gonna cancel.”
“Good evening, Jyuto,” Rio said as Jyuto came up to lean his head against Rio’s shoulder. “I assume work went okay?”
Jyuto shrugged, “Yeah, thankfully it wasn’t too strenuous today.”
“Good,” Rio said, kissing the top of his boyfriend’s head. “The food should be ready in a few minutes.”
“Smell delicious,” Jyuto said, glancing down to quickly check for any bugs or vermin just in case.
“Oi, Jyuto. Help me set the table,” Samatoki called out, coming into the kitchen to get plates and silverware.
“Alright,” Jyuto complied, peeling himself off Rio to help set out cups and condiments.
As the two of them set the table, Jyuto heard Samatoki clear his throat. Jyuto paused his movements and looked up at their leader. “Samatoki?”
Samatoki stood up and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “I think I’m gonna tell Nemu about us tonight.”
“Oh?” Jyuto responded, moving to stand by his boyfriend. “What brought this on?”
“Well, after all that Chuuoku shit, I finally have my little sister back,” Samatoki’s face started to turn a slight pink, “Yeah, she’s my family, but you two are my family, too. And I... I dunno...”
Jyuto smiled and patted Samatoki’s back, refraining from making fun of him... for now. “Well, I’m sure she’ll take it well.”
“I think the same, but we’re here for you no matter what,” Rio added, stepping out of the kitchen as he wiped his hands with a dish towel.
“Yeah, yeah,” Samatoki said, waving Jyuto away and finishing setting the table. Rio joined him in setting out the now finished food when they heard a knock at the door.
“Want me to get it?” Jyuto asked.
“Nah, I got it,” Samatoki said, pushing away from the table and going to the door. He opened it to see Nemu smiling up at him.
“Onii-san!” She called out happily, wrapping her arms around her brother’s neck. Samatoki easily picked up her and hugged her tightly. She giggled and raised her feet, holding onto him just as tightly. After a moment, Samatoki put her down and stepped away so she could take off her shoes.
“Glad to see you made it here okay,” Samatoki said, looking down fondly at his sister.
“It wasn’t too bad,” she replied, standing up and going with Samatoki to the dining table. She took a deep breath and then clapped her hands together happily. “This smells amazing!”
“Thank you,” Rio said, bowing to her, “I hope everything is to your liking.”
Nemu looked at him with her mouth open. “You made all this?”
“He’s a fine chef,” Jyuto complimented, taking a seat at the table, “when he’s using more... conventional ingredients.”
“Okay,” Samatoki interrupted as Nemu cocked her head to the side in slight confusion, “Let’s hold off on that shit until after we’ve eaten.”
“Right,” Jyuto agreed as the other three joined him at the table.
The conversations at the table started off very civil. They each talked about their occupations, exchanged old stories, the shows they liked. By the time Rio left to get the desserts, Nemu was regaling them with old stories from when her and Samatoki were younger.
“... and then he jumped and launched this giant forkful of spaghetti back, getting it everywhere,” Nemu laughed, miming Samatoki as a kid. Jyuto snorted into his drink and leaned back into his chair, laughing at how he imagined his leader must’ve looked back then.
“The bastard scared the shit outta me!” Samatoki yelled, angrily punching the table. His face was tinged pink with anger and embarrassment.
“Oh, I wish I could’ve seen that!” Jyuto replied, quelling his laughter so he could take a drink.
Rio returned with some dessert dishes and set them out for everyone before taking his seat.
“Thank you again for suggesting we have dinner together,” Jyuto said, putting some of the sweets on his plate.
“Of course!” Nemu replied, doing the same. “I love meeting new people and I wanted to get to know the teammates who’ve been helping my brother out all these years.”
Nemu noticed Rio wasn’t taking anything and looked over at him, “Are you not wanting any dessert?”
Rio politely raised his hand to decline, “I’m not particularly fond of sweets.”
“That just means more for us,” Samatoki said, filling his plate up.
“Glad to see your appetite hasn’t changed much,” Nemu giggled, looking at his mini mountain of desserts.
They continued small conversations, Samatoki steering them away when it would try to wind back to embarrassing childhood stories about himself. They talked until Jyuto noticed it was starting to get darker outside.
He looked at Rio and tapped Rio’s foot with his own the Morse code for ‘We should leave’. Rio looked at him and nodded.
“Well, I’ve got some stuff to do back home before it gets too late,” Jyuto interjected during a lull in the conversation, getting up from his seat.
“As do I,” Rio said, helping Jyuto gather their plates.
“Oh, it does seem to be getting late,” Nemu said, looking at her phone to check the time, “I didn’t even notice.”
“Nemu,” Samatoki said, lighting a cigarette, “wanna help me with the dishes before you leave?”
“Sure,” Nemu nodded, getting up and began to help collect the rest of the plates. Rio and Jyuto exited the kitchen and made their way to the door.
“I’m gonna go see them out,” Samatoki said, ruffling Nemu’s hair as he walked past her to say bye to his boyfriends.
Jyuto and Rio loitered by the door as they waited for Samatoki. They looked up at his approach and each placed a hand on Samatoki’s shoulder, giving him a comforting smile.
“Call us after and let us know how she takes it,” Jyuto whispered, squeezing Samatoki’s shoulder. Samatoki nodded and smiled back at his boyfriends before ushering them out, closing the door behind him.
He took a deep breath and joined Nemu in the kitchen, seeing that she had already started on the dishes. He pressed his cigarette out in the nearby ashtray and moved to stand next to his sister to dry off what she had already cleaned.
“This reminds me of when we were kids,” Nemu said after a moment, “It wasn’t always bad, you know. We had some good times.”
“Yeah, when the bastard wasn’t taking it out on you and mom,” Samatoki grumbled, getting angry at the memory of their father.
Nemu only hummed in response. They stayed silent and continued cleaning the dishes until Nemu spoke up again.
“Your friends are really nice. I had a really good time tonight.”
“Yeah, about that... I actually wanted to talk to you about something,” Samatoki said, cursing inwardly at himself for the slight shake in his hands and tremor in his voice.
Nemu turned her head to her brother. “What’d you wanna talk about?”
Samatoki scratched the back of his head and took a deep breath through his nose. He really didn’t want to do this, but he felt like he needed to.
When he didn’t answer after a minute, Nemu turned off the water and looked at him in concern.
“Onii-chan?”
“God, just- just gimme a sec,” Samatoki mumbled, turning his head away from her. “Listen, I’m not good at this sort of... thing, but...”
He took another breath and looked over at his sister. She had her full attention on him, eyes wide and brows furrowed in concern. Samatoki scratched his forehead and decided, like a bandaid, he just need to get it out there.
“Jyuto, Rio, and I are together.”
The two siblings only stared at each other for a few moments. Nemu’s lips slowly pressed together into a line. When she still made no indication of responding, Samatoki worried that maybe she didn’t understand his meaning.
“Like, I guess... dating and shit.”
Nemu pressed a hand against her mouth as her eyes watered. Samatoki felt his heart drop into his stomach and he opened his mouth to say something when Nemu suddenly burst out laughing.
“Onii-chan, your- your face!” Nemu said amid her laughs, “You’re blu-blushing so much y-you’re so red!”
Samatoki didn’t know how to react. This definitely what he wasn’t expecting. He quickly placed his hands over Nemu’s eyes and turned his head away.
“Shut up!” He yelled, “I’m not good at shit like this!”
“I know about you guys already!” Nemu said, her laughing subsiding into small, amused hiccuping.
Samatoki looked at her and took his hand off her eyes. “What the fuck do ya mean you knew?!”
“I saw how the three of you were looking at each other over dinner. You guys aren’t subtle,” Nemu said with a smile, “and I already had my suspicions.”
“The fuck does that mean?” Samatoki growled.
“They each helped me out a while ago and I could tell how much you guys cared about each other.”
Samatoki sat there dumbfounded for a moment before angrily huffing out his nose and turning back to dry the dishes. Nemu chuckled and turned the water back on to get back to washing the dishes.
“I’m glad,” Nemu said softly.
“Hm?” Samatoki hummed, turning to look at his sister. He saw she had a small smile on her face.
“I just want you to be happy and I can see how happy you are with them,” Nemu explained, washing the last of the dishes, “I’m glad you have them.”
Samatoki chuckled softly, “Yeah, me too.”
He took a second to lean down and kiss the top of his sister’s head. He dried the last of dishes and Nemu helped him put them away. When they finished, Samatoki walked his sister to the door.
“Thank you again for having me over,” Nemu said, sitting down on the floor to put on her shoes, “I had a fun time. And thank you for telling me about you guys.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Samatoki said, feeling his face warm up.
He stepped up to her when she stood up and pulled her into a hug. She buried her head into his shoulder and he placed his chin on top of her head.
“I’ll love you no matter what, Onii-chan.”
“I love you, too, Nemu.”
They stayed like that for a moment before Samatoki cleared his throat and pulled away, opening the door to let her out. She waved back at him and walked down the hall. He stayed there and watched her until she turned the corner and disappeared.
He closed the door and leaned his back against it, pulling out his phone. Samatoki hovered his finger over his boyfriend’s name in his contacts, smiling before pressing it and holding his phone against his ear.