Chapter Text
Rin had always been a weird kid.
Even when he was born, he didn’t cry. Didn’t throw tantrums. Only stared at anyone who talked– who even looked at him. The doctors, neighbours, their parents. Even at Sae.
Still, he was a baby, and Sae knew he wouldn’t be able to take care of himself. Their mom, she used to call him her little helper. He never really got why. Rin couldn’t even lift up his head and he wasn’t supposed to take care of him?
And if he was being honest, Rin was the child all parents dreamed of having. Quiet, happy– never putting up a fuss. He might have broken a few toys or drooled all over everyone but that would never stop Sae from letting his baby brother gnaw his hair with all the strength a toddler could muster.
It was strange, just how soft and sweet Rin could be. It was like all of it skipped Sae, and went straight to his brother. He didn’t mind though. Being kind and quiet never got him any of his trophies or medals. Never let him beat other boys into the ground for making fun of Rin. Sae didn’t mind being a protector. Rin was just the kind of kid where the moment you looked at his chubby feet, or soft black tufts of hair or even his half sleepy turquoise eyes– you knew you would have to take care of him.
And from the moment Sae saw his baby brother, he knew he would have to take care of Rin. Simply because Rin couldn’t take care of himself. He might have been a weird kid, but he was Sae’s weird kid.
He remembers that one day at the zoo. He was about 6 and Rin couldn’t have been more than 4, when they got separated from their parents. He was wiping the side of Rin’s face when there were strangers where their parents had just been standing just a moment ago. Sae remembers he had frozen for just a second. He wanted to yell, to cry, to do something. But he also knew he couldn’t afford to panic.
Because if he panicked, then Rin would cry and then all hell would actually break loose. So he quickly put his brother on his shoulders, and carried him to a souvenir shop to ask an actual adult for help. They ended up letting Rin play with one of the stuffed owls, all while they called for their mom and dad on the intercom. The girl at the desk had called Sae a ‘responsible young man’. At that point, Sae also understood that no one really had any hopes for kids. He did the only normal thing to do and he’s better than most people now?
Whatever, he didn’t care much. As long as Rin wasn’t scared, he couldn’t have given less of a shit.
Soon enough, their parents came rushing in. Their mom was on the verge of tears, hugging Rin while he looked at her with those wide, blank eyes. He never even knew there was anything wrong, apparently. Their dad had praised Sae, even letting him get ice cream on the way back– along with the owl toy for Rin. They had no choice but to buy it at that point, it was completely ruined by Rin’s nibbling. Half the tag had been bitten right off.
On the way back, with Rin happily humming next to him, Sae turned to him with him quickly making sure the drool-covered owl was still in his hands before turning back to his game. Then it was there, a small but firm tug on his sleeve. He turned and stared at Rin staring right back at him.
“Have fun today, Rin?” He asked, gently placing the owl back in Rin’s grip when it had slipped a bit. Rin just grinned up at him, legs kicking. “Fun!’ He chirped, making those soft wooshing noises that proved it. Their parents might have been scared, but Rin never was. And that’s all that ever mattered to Sae.
That’s all that would ever matter to him.