Ran and Rindou take some time to relax and recount their experiences after the fight of September 9th. Alternatively: Rindou is emotional because he thought they wouldn’t make it out of it. (also: Ran wears a sanrio plaster on his nose)
tags: mentions of violence, twin intuition
The night is buzzing, the streets of Roppongi are lit with neon signs, cheap and corny and somewhat comforting. Red and purple bounces off Ran’s cheekbones, almost pretty enough to make Rindou forget about the large plaster on his nose.
Whatever, it’s summer, the big fights are over, and they got to keep Roppongi. Plus, the plaster is a sanrio one, because Ran can be insufferable, and if he can match a piece of bandage to a nice pair of earrings, he will.
Rindou is stuck wearing eye-contacts, for his nose-bridge hurts a bit too much to hold his glasses. He takes a sip from his soda, relishes the feeling of the chilled drink down his throat.
He holds the can up, jingles it in front of his brother’s face. Ran makes a surprised noise and takes a hold of it with his left hand, ice cream cone balanced on the other one. He takes a sip and passes it back to Rindou. Mixing soda and vanilla ice cream tastes kind of good, Ran notes.
Rindou watches Ran’s heavy chest from the corner of his eye as they go uphill. They’re stirring clear of the busy area and heading towards a familiar rooftop that they both like to watch the city from.
The wind is stronger up there, it kind of blows Rindou’s fringe back, but it’s not unpleasant, not in the humid, late September heat.
Ran sits down first, cross legged, their grocery store bag resting by his side.
Rindou is kind of happy to see Ran eating again, wolfing down a pre-packed sandwich. He had lost quite some weight in the past couple of months, with all the gang wars and everything that came along.
“How’s your head?” Rindou hums, standing on the edge of the building, watching the people go by beneath him.
Ran blinks, a bit slow, even, a thing that had been frequent since that Mitsuya guy gave him a banging concussion. “Well, if I were to rate it in terms of technique—“
Rindou wants to be annoyed, he really does, but for once, he genuinely laughs. No, Ran isn’t funny on the best of days, he’s terrible, actually, but right then, Rindou feels himself well up with joy. “Fuck,”
Ran stares at him like he has grown a second head, but eventually, his shoulders loosen up and he throws his head back. He breathes in, soaks in the city air, breathes out.
There is an unspoken tension between them, one that neither of them are ready to address.
Rindou walks back to Ran, pulls their shared pack out, and sits down. He places a heavy hand on Ran’s long neck and pulls him in, presses his forehead against the side of his head. Ran’s breath falters, his eyes widen a bit, before he lets out a sigh and pulls his knees close to himself.
Ran leans his weight against Rindou, and his brother does the same. They sort of balance like that, equal force of cooperation, like always.
Rindou thinks of what their mother used to tell them, that twins sought comfort in each other’s arms, and them, kids as they had been, had cringed at her words. But she had been right, as always, because now, he could feel the tension work its way out of his body.
“Mmh?” Ran whispers, his breathing slow, calmer than it had been a few minutes ago.
“I’m glad you’re fine.” Rindou struggles to enunciate, to be emotional, but Ran’s little laugh is comforting.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Ran asks, pries their cigarettes out of Rindou’s hands.
“What are you thinking of?” Rindou hums, pulls out his lighter for Ran.
“Mum,” Ran leans into the flickering flame until smoke starts to fill his lungs.
“Do you want to quit?” Ran hums, passes the cigarette, waits for Rindou to take a hit and think over his response.
“No.” Rindou shakes his head. “But… when Hakkai… when he pulled me away—“ he takes a deep breath. “You know how neither of us remember that time, right?” Ran nods faintly by his side. His hair is still wet from the shower he took earlier. “I never felt like we were one.” He shrugs. “But when we got separated in that fight— it felt like I was being torn apart.” At some point he realises how ridiculous he sounds and he laughs. “I know we have been apart before, but something in me told me that we really shouldn’t be apart in that moment. Like something bad would happen. When I saw you were alive…”
“Rin,” Ran cups his brother’s face with both of his hands, makes sure to squeeze his cheeks an obscene amount, and kisses his head. “We’re fine.”
Rindou deflates, laughs a bit, realises his eyes are watery and that his contact lenses are killing him. “Learn how to fight on your own, fuckhead.”
Ran snorts, lays back, head to the concrete and gaze to the sky. He intertwines their fingers. “Will you train me, then, Rindou?” He teases, and Rindou rolls his eyes, steals his cigarette.
“It will be a miracle if you gain any muscle on that lanky body.” Rindou knows smoking isn’t good for agility, but it’s fine. Ran is the pathological smoker of the two, anyways. “No baton,” he cocks his brow. “Bricks, bottles—“
“Boring.” Ran rolls his eyes, taps Rindou’s knees with his fingers. “Do I have to do push ups?”
“And much more.” Rindou goes through their groceries, grabs another soda. “Less smoking, too.”
“You’re like mum. You nag.” Ran turns to his side, the gravel kind of digs into his arm, but he doesn’t care that much.
“You’re like dad, lazy and sitting on your ass all day.” Rindou throws the empty plastic bag on his brother’s face. Ran grunts and pushes it away.
“Same long, stupid, neck.” Rindou snorts, and Ran kind of kicks him.
Late summer is nice, Rindou thinks. Watching the stars under the light breeze, bruised and tired, is even better. Mentally, he toasts to something better.
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