Story 07 - Separation Anxiety (7)
Title: Separation Anxiety, 7 - Together We Stand
Entry Number: 07
Author: seiyonashi
Fandom: original
Rating: PG
Genre: urban fantasy
Word Count: 1041
Notes: Ah, I'm really falling behind because schoolwork swamped me! I'm not sure I'll make all 10 entries, but I'm definitely going to try if I can! That said, here's chapter 7! All the checking was done by me, so if there are massive errors, all that can be said is it's me being a fool xDDD
They ran back to Duko’s house as fast as they could manage, too worried about Achtzehn catching up to them to slow down. Even Duko, who was lagging somewhat behind, managed to force himself to keep pace with the others as best as he could. Lam was the one who slammed the door and Duko locked it, before his tired legs eventually gave out and he fell on his knees, exhausted.
“I shouldn’t have done that, should I?” he asked no-one in particular, before letting out a heavy sigh. “Still, thank you, Lam. You didn’t have to come and rescue me, especially after how I reacted...”
Lam shook his head, a bright smile on his face. “It’s okay.”
Duko stared at his knees. It felt wrong to have acted that way, especially since he knew what Lam was like, but at the same time he knew he was still struggling to get over Kotetsu’s untimely death...
Beside him, Ashley snorted and elbowed Toni roughly in the side. “So what does that make us, chopped liver?” he whispered, and the black-haired boy chuckled softly.
“I’m sure he appreciates our help too!”
“Uh-huh.” Ashley said in a flat tone. Then, to Duko, he said, “So, what the hell was that guy’s problem?”
“Achtzehn?” Duko replied, looking up at him. When Ashley nodded, the blond shrugged. “We were friends for a long time, then he joined this gang that was always going around tormenting others. I joined him for a while. This was around the time when we were meant to be looking for our doppelgangers, see. Then the two of us started fighting all the time, whether it was with each other or with other people.”
He paused and stared up at the ceiling instead of looking at any of the others. A few moments passed by in silence while they waited for him to start speaking again. Eventually, he returned his gaze to Lam. “He threatened to hurt my little brother, and even as empty as I was back then, I was not going to let him do any such thing. So we fought, but he and his stupid friends still ended up cornering Kotetsu and...”
Lam’s eyes widened in understanding. “So that was when I met Kotetsu! That scary guy was Achtzehn!”
“He was probably trying to get to me through him.” Duko chuckled, a small, rueful smile on his lips. “I know, it sounds very conceited, but I think he wanted to show me up for all the times we fought and I won. Sort of a ‘there’s nothing you can do to win this’ thing.”
“So I guess beating you up was just taking it directly, huh?” Ashley said. Duko blinked in surprise, his smile gone, and Ashley felt guilty that he’d said something stupid. That is, until the blond started laughing quietly.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that. I wish he hadn’t gone after Kotetsu though... I won’t forgive him for that.”
“He’s your brother, it’s only natural that you want to protect him.” Toni said, giving him a sympathetic smile. Duko nodded weakly but said nothing. “You tried your best.”
“Do you guys want to go looking for your doppelgangers?” Lam asked. “I’ll stay here and keep Duko company. That way you didn’t go out for nothing. I’m sorry, I’ll join you next time, but...”
Ashley held up one hand. “It’s fine. Toni and I’ll go looking, you just keep an eye on Duko. You couldn’t have predicted this, don’t worry about it. You ready to go, Toni?”
“Yeah, let’s roll!”
The door opened and closed, and then Lam and Duko were alone in the house. The silence quickly grew awkward, as neither of them knew what they should say to the other. There were plenty of things that they could say, but nothing quite sounded like it would fit the situation they were in.
Eventually, Duko stood up, his legs still shaking a bit. Lam immediately hurried over and did his best to help support the older teenager. “Hey, it’s fine, you don’t have to - ”
“I’m just trying to help, that’s all. It’s not because I have to, it’s because I want to.”
“Can we go sit in the kitchen?”
Lam nodded, and the two of them headed down the hallway. All along the walls were pictures of the family - several of Duko and his parents, one with the whole family together, and a few that were more recent of only Duko and Kotetsu. It was like seeing a timeline laid out there, and with the current silence of the house the hallway gave off an aura like that of a museum.
Duko headed into the kitchen and sat down, as did Lam. “Do you want me to get you something?” he asked, starting to stand up again, but the brown-haired boy shook his head and gave him a small smile.
“It’s fine, don’t worry about me.”
“You didn’t have to keep me company, you know.” Duko began, seemingly out of nowhere, looking down at his hands. “I mean, you could’ve always gone with those two... Isn’t it boring for you having to take care of some idiot who doesn’t know his own limits?”
A few moments of silence passed before the answer came. “That doesn’t matter. Kotetsu was always getting into fights just like you, and besides, I just want to do what I can to help you - and the others - out. If that means keeping you company, then I’m perfectly willing to do that.”
“You don’t need to babysit me, I’m old enough to be left on my own.” the blond smiled, amusement in his dark blue eyes, and Lam smiled back at him. “And now that you’re complete you don’t need me to babysit you either. Speaking of which...” Duko’s expression turned thoughtful and he looked at Lam. “... is that why you were with those two earlier, to help them?”
“Yeah, I was going to try and help track down their doppelgangers, why?”
Duko’s smile widened and he turned his head to gaze out of the window. “No reason, I’m just curious. That’s all.”
Who knows, Kotetsu? Maybe you were meant to bring us all together from the beginning.
Entry Number: 07
Author: seiyonashi
Fandom: original
Rating: PG
Genre: urban fantasy
Word Count: 1041
Notes: Ah, I'm really falling behind because schoolwork swamped me! I'm not sure I'll make all 10 entries, but I'm definitely going to try if I can! That said, here's chapter 7! All the checking was done by me, so if there are massive errors, all that can be said is it's me being a fool xDDD
They ran back to Duko’s house as fast as they could manage, too worried about Achtzehn catching up to them to slow down. Even Duko, who was lagging somewhat behind, managed to force himself to keep pace with the others as best as he could. Lam was the one who slammed the door and Duko locked it, before his tired legs eventually gave out and he fell on his knees, exhausted.
“I shouldn’t have done that, should I?” he asked no-one in particular, before letting out a heavy sigh. “Still, thank you, Lam. You didn’t have to come and rescue me, especially after how I reacted...”
Lam shook his head, a bright smile on his face. “It’s okay.”
Duko stared at his knees. It felt wrong to have acted that way, especially since he knew what Lam was like, but at the same time he knew he was still struggling to get over Kotetsu’s untimely death...
Beside him, Ashley snorted and elbowed Toni roughly in the side. “So what does that make us, chopped liver?” he whispered, and the black-haired boy chuckled softly.
“I’m sure he appreciates our help too!”
“Uh-huh.” Ashley said in a flat tone. Then, to Duko, he said, “So, what the hell was that guy’s problem?”
“Achtzehn?” Duko replied, looking up at him. When Ashley nodded, the blond shrugged. “We were friends for a long time, then he joined this gang that was always going around tormenting others. I joined him for a while. This was around the time when we were meant to be looking for our doppelgangers, see. Then the two of us started fighting all the time, whether it was with each other or with other people.”
He paused and stared up at the ceiling instead of looking at any of the others. A few moments passed by in silence while they waited for him to start speaking again. Eventually, he returned his gaze to Lam. “He threatened to hurt my little brother, and even as empty as I was back then, I was not going to let him do any such thing. So we fought, but he and his stupid friends still ended up cornering Kotetsu and...”
Lam’s eyes widened in understanding. “So that was when I met Kotetsu! That scary guy was Achtzehn!”
“He was probably trying to get to me through him.” Duko chuckled, a small, rueful smile on his lips. “I know, it sounds very conceited, but I think he wanted to show me up for all the times we fought and I won. Sort of a ‘there’s nothing you can do to win this’ thing.”
“So I guess beating you up was just taking it directly, huh?” Ashley said. Duko blinked in surprise, his smile gone, and Ashley felt guilty that he’d said something stupid. That is, until the blond started laughing quietly.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that. I wish he hadn’t gone after Kotetsu though... I won’t forgive him for that.”
“He’s your brother, it’s only natural that you want to protect him.” Toni said, giving him a sympathetic smile. Duko nodded weakly but said nothing. “You tried your best.”
“Do you guys want to go looking for your doppelgangers?” Lam asked. “I’ll stay here and keep Duko company. That way you didn’t go out for nothing. I’m sorry, I’ll join you next time, but...”
Ashley held up one hand. “It’s fine. Toni and I’ll go looking, you just keep an eye on Duko. You couldn’t have predicted this, don’t worry about it. You ready to go, Toni?”
“Yeah, let’s roll!”
The door opened and closed, and then Lam and Duko were alone in the house. The silence quickly grew awkward, as neither of them knew what they should say to the other. There were plenty of things that they could say, but nothing quite sounded like it would fit the situation they were in.
Eventually, Duko stood up, his legs still shaking a bit. Lam immediately hurried over and did his best to help support the older teenager. “Hey, it’s fine, you don’t have to - ”
“I’m just trying to help, that’s all. It’s not because I have to, it’s because I want to.”
“Can we go sit in the kitchen?”
Lam nodded, and the two of them headed down the hallway. All along the walls were pictures of the family - several of Duko and his parents, one with the whole family together, and a few that were more recent of only Duko and Kotetsu. It was like seeing a timeline laid out there, and with the current silence of the house the hallway gave off an aura like that of a museum.
Duko headed into the kitchen and sat down, as did Lam. “Do you want me to get you something?” he asked, starting to stand up again, but the brown-haired boy shook his head and gave him a small smile.
“It’s fine, don’t worry about me.”
“You didn’t have to keep me company, you know.” Duko began, seemingly out of nowhere, looking down at his hands. “I mean, you could’ve always gone with those two... Isn’t it boring for you having to take care of some idiot who doesn’t know his own limits?”
A few moments of silence passed before the answer came. “That doesn’t matter. Kotetsu was always getting into fights just like you, and besides, I just want to do what I can to help you - and the others - out. If that means keeping you company, then I’m perfectly willing to do that.”
“You don’t need to babysit me, I’m old enough to be left on my own.” the blond smiled, amusement in his dark blue eyes, and Lam smiled back at him. “And now that you’re complete you don’t need me to babysit you either. Speaking of which...” Duko’s expression turned thoughtful and he looked at Lam. “... is that why you were with those two earlier, to help them?”
“Yeah, I was going to try and help track down their doppelgangers, why?”
Duko’s smile widened and he turned his head to gaze out of the window. “No reason, I’m just curious. That’s all.”
Who knows, Kotetsu? Maybe you were meant to bring us all together from the beginning.