❛ company . silently sit with my muse to comfort them. / shouto for fuyumi!
‘ — oh, i’m just thinking! ’
she claps her hand together, nothing too loud or profound, and it’s almost like a curse, fuyumi couldn’t help but overview: how she refuses to stay too dormant or quiet around her family members. for so long, it feels unacceptable : she must always be doing something, fixing something, making something.
but in the light of the war, it’s - not as simple. and the light of the truth, whatever life she’d known; whatever habit she’d created seemed so difficult to keep up with. still, she tries when shōtō has found her alone, looking outside the window.
he’s such a sweet brother, she thinks, bravely reaching out as she does natsuo sometimes, brushing her little brother’s hair. although natsuo hadn’t liked it that much, only now accepting it a few times whenever she teased or they joked. that seemed like a long time ago, and - oh! she doesn’t even know if shōto would appreciate the gesture.
so fuyumi retracts her hand, and places it around the mug of tea she’s made for herself. silly fuyumi with her star-like fantasy of a perfect family. a wave of shame courses through here in that moment of mistake — had she really contributed? or will she always fall short? shōto looked so adult sometimes, so much like a proper hero, for a second it felt wrong for her to want to coddle him, to comfort him instead.
but isn’t he still a child, too?
hurt and abused and now all he’s left to do is to appear as if he’s got everything together, but - how could he? how could he, when the brother they all thought they’ve lost has returned specifically to come after members of their family? how could he, when endeavour’s ruined reputation will always overshadow his every step? how could he, when he’s lost mentors and friends and mother said he’s their family’s saviour but he’s still a child, mother, he’s my little brother—
yet, it’s shōto who came to comfort her.
has she really failed as a sister, a daughter? it felt as if she had. all she wanted to do was support, but it seemed as if everyone else just kept growing, kept leaving —
‘ here, let me make you some tea too. have you taken your medications for your injuries, shōto? come, i’ll crush them for you if you haven’t, okay ? makes it easier to swallow. ’