[closed, complete] - 1/5
The Disfunctional Life of the Kongou Family - Part 1 of 5 -
Characters:: Agon agon_cool_drive & Unsui k2_kongo_unsui
Date/Time:: 11 years ago [backdated like whoah]
Location:: Agon & Unsui's former home / middle school
Rating:: PG-13 K for Kyoot + W for Wangst
Summary:: The school isn't able to handle Agon's tantrums anymore, and steps are taken.
Agon = Black
Unsui = Brownish
Agon had earned himself a spot right in front of the teachers desk already from the start of the schoolyear. In comparisation to his polite and friendly twin, this boy pretty much seem to come straight from hell.
But thank god he was silent now, busy with solving some easy mathproblems. If that little brat would start to throw a tantrum now, he'd probably trash his desk completely. The teacher tensed up a bit at that idea.
"Unsui?" she finally said. "Can you feed the hamster today?". The class had a little hamster since 2 months and it was pretty much the most loved creature in the entire room right now.
"Un," Unsui nodded. He pushed away from his desk and moved to the window holding the hamster cage. He gave Agon a wary look as he passed, sensing imminent implosion. That was about the extent of the mythical "twin senses" people always asked if they had. Unsui knew right away when Agon was going to throw a fit.
Agon's left eye was already twitching as he pushed his pencil harder on the paper, causing soft squeaky sounds.
"Hnnn..." he uttered, annoyed with the fact that this was boring and too easy. Second of all, Agon wanted to play outside. Lately he'd been playing soccer with some older boys from higher classes, not that they were nice to him, but they found him a good player.
"I want to GO! NOW!" the younger twin finally announced, throwing his pencil on the table.
Ooooh God, Unsui thought to himself. He fed the hamster quickly and without joy before returning to his own desk, next to Agon's - by choice, and because the teacher had realized early on that Unsui was the best at calming Agon down.
"Agon, recess isn't for another ten minutes," he reminded his little brother.
"I don't care" Agon snarled. "I want to go out NOW! I finished these stupid sums and now I want to go out."
The rest of the class shuddered slightly. No one of the kids particulary liked Agon. Unsui was nice, but Agon...they were never sure about what was going to happen with him around. And his tantrums always ended up with people getting unnecesary punches and things that broke.
"Agon, listen to your brother" the teacher tried, smiling a bit. "Just 10 minutes."
"Did you do your social studies homework?" Unsui continued patiently, sitting on the edge of his seat so he could be ready to move if Agon started getting violent. He pretended to work on his own math, checking over the problems he had finished just before feeding the hamster.
Agon gave Unsui a deathglare.
"Yes I did, and I already gave it to the teacher. Now I want to go outside. NOW!" The younger twin moved away from his desk and got on his feet. "I did everything, now I can go."
The teacher sighed.
"Just wait on everyone else, Agon."
The other kids started to move nervously in their chairs.
"Agon, there's no reason to be rude," Unsui said in a soothing tone of voice. "It's only nine minutes to wait now and probably if you keep causing trouble you'll have to stay inside." The way Unsui glared at the teacher promised retribution if this actually happened, but the threat might get Agon to behave...maybe.
"I'm not gonna wait for THEM," Agon decided, giving his classmates a cocky look. He was definitely not gonna wait for them, they weren't his friends anyways. With a rough kick he moved his chair aside and put his hands in the pockets of his uniform.
"Pfuh...I go anyways...". The younger twin decided not to listen, heck, he never listened in the first place.
Unsui sighed and was tempted to give up and try to rub the developing headache away. He stood and moved closer to Agon, speaking in a low voice.
He didn't try persuading Agon anymore. He was stalling. "What are you going to do during recess, Agon-kun?" he asked, hoping to at least delay the flailing limbs and screaming.
"Playing soccer...now go away..." Agon answered shortly, pushing away from his brother before making his way towards the window. His left eye was all twitches right now.
"If I cannot go now, I'll throw the hamster out of the window..."
To emphasize that threat he picked up the cage while a bit of a dark look crossed his features.
The other kids began to whine softly. The teacher sighed, biting her lip.
"They should lock that damn brat up" she whispered under her breath.
"NO!" Unsui shouted. "Agon, you put him down!" Unsui rarely raised his voice - and hardly ever to his brother - but he wasn't going to let Agon kill an innocent little hamster.
"What if I won't? You're gonna hit me?" Agon drawled, grinning a bit. "You cannot hit me, you're not as good as me."
He still held the cage, tilting it above his head now.
The teacher hurried out of the classroom to get the dean. This was beyond her control right now. Someone had to throw this brat out.
"I'll never forgive you," Unsui promised in a grave voice. "Never. You won't be my little brother anymore, because Unsui's little brother doesn't do stuff like that."
Agon growled, eyes narrowing to glare at Unsui.
"Hahn..." he uttered, moving to hold the cage against his chest now, eyes going from Unsui's face to the small brown hamster that was walking in his treadmill now.
After that he plopped the cage on the ground, letting the hamster escape.
"Done...now I want to go outside."
A girl near Agon squeaked - not unlike the hamster - and managed to recapture the little rodent, cradling it in her hands to keep it safe from "the monster."
Unsui relaxed visibly. He had no real desire to follow through on his threat and he was glad he didn't have to. Seven minutes to go now.
"You're a monster...because you sure look like one, you ugly hag" Agon said to her. After that his attention turned back towards Unsui.
"You don't want to be my brother anymore?" he asked and it really had hurt him. And that mostly ment that the tantrum probably would go on for a bit longer. "...I don't care...you're stupid anyways...".
"Only when you do mean stuff like this!" Unsui frowned. "Why do you always have to hurt people and things, Agon?"
"Because I want to...it's not like...everyone will be my friend...so than I hurt them..." the younger twin answered. "Look at these idiots...they don't want to be my friend..."
He pointed at his classmates.
"They're stupid anyways..."
"That's because you get angry and violent. You frighten people, Agon. You push them away before they can try to get close to you." Unsui shook his head.
"Hmph" Agon crossed his arms. "It's because they ask for it...".
This wasn't pleasant, it hurt. Because he was aware of the fact that he hated people to get close. Except Unsui.
"And you too..."
"I ask for it?" Unsui said, incredulous.
"You too..." Agon replied, kicking against the remains of the hamstercage. His eyes were narrowed now, and a bit teary. And Agon really never cried. Only during thunderstorms.
"I'm going now" he decided, wiping his eyes, frowning deeply.
Unsui didn't like the look on his brother's face, and had the sinking feeling he'd made things worse. He grabbed at his brother's uniform. "Agon, what are you talking about?" he asked. "You think I want you to try to push me away? I'm your brother - I just want you to try to get along with people."
"Go away!" Agon yelled, tearing himself away from Unsui. "...I'm going now!"
And when the teacher opened the door to let the dean in, Agon just managed to slip past them. Actually, he didn't really felt like playing soccer right now, he just wanted to go away. Because it hurt. And he felt alone, and that was something he really hated.
Unsui ignored the teacher and the dean and followed Agon. There was a strange feeling in his chest. He had hurt Agon. He'd promised he'd protect Agon no matter what and it was Unsui who had hurt him, not some foreign threat. He had to fix this, he had to.
Agon rushed through the hallway, not picking up his jacket and he could feel tears stinging behind his eyes. There was something changing between him and his brother, and he didn't really knew how to stop it or fix it.
Recess had already begun but that was also not of any importance anymore. After pushing a couple of kids aside Agon ran from the schoolyard into the street, finally chosing a small alley to crawl away in, hiding behind a dumpster.
It was not easy to keep Agon in sight without his twin noticing, but Unsui had had a lot of practice. He no longer cared about getting in trouble and barely remembered to look both ways before crossing the street. He just wanted to fix whatever he had hurt in Agon, and he was going to do it now.
He slowed when he reached the alley. "...Agon?" he asked softly.
Agon crawled away a bit more and he noticed he had bruised his knees and that his school uniform was dirty.
"Go away...I told you to go away... I don't want you around...go away!" he hissed, moving his hand through his rather long blonde hair. And all he could think of was that he should've killed the hamster and that he should've pulled the hair of that stupid ugly girl.
"Thank you for not hurting the hamster Agon. I didn't want to lose you," Unsui admitted. "But I don't want you to kill anyone or anything, ok? I guess...I don't mind if you push them away. But no killing."
If there was a way to crawl under the dumpster Agon probably would've done it. He was crying softly now, fiercely wiping the tears away.
"Hn...go away.." he whimpered, rubbing until his eyes were red. Agon had pulled his knees up now.
"Oh, Agon," Unsui sighed. He sat next to his brother and wrapped his arms around Agon. "I'm sorry I was mean to you. Please don't be sad?" he begged.
He kept sniffling.
"You said you didn't want to be my brother anymore..." he whispered, his face pressed against Unsui's shirt. "...why?"
Because that had hurt. Really hurt.
"I didn't want you to hurt the hamster. I won't say it ever again, Agon, I promise. I still love you and you're still my brother and I want it like that, ok?" He rubbed Agon's back.
"Hnn..." Agon replied, sniffling in Unsui's shirt. "I wouldn't have hurt the hamster... But...if you...don't say that anymore..." Now he looked up, eyes red and swollen and absolutely nothing close to the overconfident brat he was most of the time.
Meanwhile the dean had followed the two brothers to the alley and he could hear the way Unsui was comforting Agon and all he could think off was that it would be a relief if they could get the younger twin to transfer to another school.
"I promise I won't," Unsui said again. "Never." He spotted the dean and glared at him. "I said I'd protect you and I always will," he said, but he was talking about something entirely different now, and the dean knew the older Kongou twin meant Agon was going to be protected from him - the dean.
For some reason, the seriousness of a small child in comforting his brother sent shivers down his back.
Agon nodded, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "You're the best brother". He smiled a bit as his shoulders still shook from all the emotion.
"I hate being alone...because...I don't get it...they cheer when I win a game...but they never play with me... That's weird, right?"
The dean waited patiently, sighing deeply and not knowing what he had to do with these two boys.
"They don't play with you because you're better than them and they're jealous," Unsui said honestly. There was no way to explain this that wouldn't give his brother a swelled head, so he decided to go with the honest answer.
"I'm never going to leave you alone, ok?"
"Sometimes it's no fun to be better...they do play with you...and you're also smarter than them..." Agon replied, frowning a bit. His fingers clutched around his brothers hand.
"And on our birthday...they only come for you...I am not that stupid..."
"Agon, someday you'll have to decide if it's more important that you be better than everyone and push them away before they hurt you or if you'd rather have friends and be nice to people and be a skilled player who leads his team to victory. Do you understand?" He sighed. "Either way, I'll always be there for you. And the kids that come to the parties aren't as much fun to be around as you are anyway. We should have birthday parties just for ourselves and everyone else can stay home."
Agon listened closely, fingers clawing in the skin of his brothers hand.
"I am really a lot more better... Maybe if I focus on that...and have you...I don't have to be bothered by people who hurt me...”
It made sense.
"Because if they get in my head...I feel bad...so if they don't...I feel better..." The younger twin started smiling. "...And than we have together...and I be nice to you..."
This Agon-logic was making some kind of sense (for once), but it sounded like a very lonely life to Unsui. He smiled. "You don't have to decide now. But whatever makes you happy, Agon-chan."
"Haaaa....it would better...". Agon seemed to be thinking deeply. "...they should know who they're rejecting..." There was a bit of a frown on his face. "It pisses me off...when they do... But you...you are always there..."
The sudden wave of happiness going through his body made him hug Unsui tightly and he chuckled softly.
Unsui grinned at the hug. "Exactly." Agon was making a bit less sense than usual now, but he liked his brother to be happy.
Now everyone seemed to have cooled down the dean finally dared to step into the alley.
"Unsui...Agon...?" he spoke, voice friendly, a smile around his lips. "You're ready to go back to school? We've called your parents and they will come to pick you up so you two can have a nice free day before returning tomorrow."
The real deal was that there was a fierce discussion going on right now between the head of the school, the teacher and Mr. and Mrs. Kongou.
"Everything will be alright."
"Go. Away," Unsui glared at him. He knew "free day" meant suspension, and he was positive Agon's actions would not go without reprisal. But he wanted to hold on to his little brother and see him smile for a little while longer.
Agon's smile faded when the man started talking about their parents and free days. What was he doing here anyways? Did he followed them?
"Just leave us alone, you...asshole" the younger twin snarled, fingers fisting in the fabric of Unsui's uniform.
"It's okay...I won't hurt you...or your brother. You can stay together."
Unsui sighed as he looked over his twin. "Oh, Agon, you're filthy," he chided, totally ignoring the dean.
"I torn my pants" Agon pointed out to Unsui. "And my knees are bruised."
He showed his knees to his brother, they were all red and a bit bloody.
The dean leaned a bit towards Unsui, putting his hand on his shoulder, whispering. The older twin always seemed to be the more rational one.
"You understand we have to send your brother to another school, right?" he asked, hoping Agon wouldn't hear this. "...You're a promising young man, but your brother is only bringing you down."
"I can see that, Agon-chan," Unsui said, slightly amused. "We should stop at the nurse's office and get you some band-aids, ne?"
Unsui grabbed the dean's shirt in a fist. "You are not separating us. You send Agon away and I'm going with him and that's final," he snapped. "Or I will cause you so much trouble you will pray to have him back," he hissed in the man's ear.
Agon frowned, looking at his brother who was hanging in the dean's shirt now, hissing dangerously. "He wants me to go to another school?"
The dean was a bit shocked by the older twin's sudden aggressiveness.
"Unsui...let me go now, we can just discuss this when we're back at school". He removed the older twin's hands from his collar. "Now get up and let's get going."
Damn, both brothers were a pain in the ass!
Unsui watched the dean with narrowed eyes and tugged on Agon's hands. "Come on. I want to get you those band-aids."
It was strange to see the youngest twin cling to his brother the way he was doing when Mr. Kongou finally came face to face with the two. There was a tired expression on his face. Especially when he saw how Agon ruined a school uniform that was costing at least 10.000 yen, red knees covered with bandages. Mrs. Kongou was close to tears at this point.
The head of the school was sitting behind his desk, looking at them as well.
"Ah, Unsui. You can go with the dean for a little glass of lemonade, Agon you can sit here. We have to talk to you a bit."
"Aaaa? Why? I don't want to" he replied, taking a step backwards, holding on to Unsui. "I want lemonade too."
"I'm not going anywhere without Agon," Unsui said obstinately.
Mr. Kongou rolled his eyes.
"I'll go with Unsui..." he sighed because no way he wanted to take Agon with him. Slowly he got from his chair and simply lifted Unsui from the ground and walked out of the office.
There was a long silence after the door slammed shut behind him, a tensed up one. And it didn't took long until Agon started whining, storming at the door to find it blocked by the dean.
"Go sit next to your mother now, Agon. You'll see Unsui soon enough."
But Agon refused and started screaming harder, kicking the dean’s shins. "Nnnsui!!"
Unsui did not like being picked up. He did not particularly like their often-absent, rarely-happy father. And he definitely did not like being separated from Agon at all.
He did not fight or protest or do anything rash. He just waited. Agon would throw a fit. Unsui would be required to calm him down. He could wait. He ignored the lemonade and the prattle his father half-heartedly attempted to engage him in. He was waiting for Agon to need him.
Agon never expected the dean to be so persistant. He was screaming his lungs out now, making the kids outside turn their heads to the second floor of the schoolbuilding.
"Agon, stop kicking the dean...go sit on this chair...Unsui will return soon" Mrs Kongou tried, trembling lightly when faced with these kind of hysterical behaviour from Agon.
But the younger twin was crying now, kicking and hitting the door and the dean.
Why wasn't Unsui coming back?
Mr. Kongou put Unsui on the ground, annoyed by Agon's screaming.
"We'll wait here...". He petted Unsui's cheek softly, not smiling. "You'll go to school again tomorrow.."
Unsui stiffened the moment he heard Agon start yelling. "I want to stay with Agon," he said gruffly. "Don't take us apart, please?" he asked, imploring now. He grew more and more uneasy as the tantrum audibly continued.
"Honestly, I think Agon's...damaged somewhere" the head of the school said, watching the boy with great worry. "We cannot handle him, as smart and athletic he is, this kind of thing happens almost every week."
To be honest, this was the worst one he'd ever witnessed though.
"But we raised them well...they're just very attached to eachother... Agon always behaves like this when he gets seperated from his brother... Why don't you just give him one chance?" Mrs Kongou pleaded, knowing she wasn't in a position to afford any special schools or treatments for her youngest son.
The dean was gritting his teeth now, tempted to knock the boy unconcious or sometehing. Agon kept screaming Unsui's name. "Don't want to be alone now...!". Finally the boy gave up and sunk on his knees to cry. It wasn't a nice sight, even after this same boy just bruised his shins to the point that this was gonna hurt for at least a week.
Their father leaned against the wall, stirring his coffee.
"I don't think that's gonna happen, Unsui..."
Unsui was visibly upset, knuckles turning white as he clenched them into fists. He glanced constantly at the door and winced when Agon started to cry. He turned back to his father.
"I want to see him. Please." It was difficult to ask instead of demand when all he wanted was to throw the door open and sweep his twin up in a hug.
"When their done talking you can see him...." Mr. Kongou answered. "For once...let Agon fight his own little battle...okay?"
He knew so well that this would cause whatever permanent damage somewhere.
Agon could hear the others talking, something about him being crazy, or a possible braindamage. They were talking about another school and fee's and things he didn't want to hear.
He was afraid of thunderstorms, that was a fact, but he was more afraid to be lonely. And now Unsui wasn't coming back, even not when he screamed and kicked or cried.
"Unsui's a fine student, but...this is affecting him..." the head decided. "...and Agon...he's brilliant...but...I'm sorry, Mrs. Kongou...we need to transfer him out of our school. And we're glad to help, also with the finances... It will be better for you, for your sons, for us." The dean finally managed to move out of the office, relieved Agon wasn't following him. The boy had been sitting on the floor crying, muttering about why his brother wasn't coming and being alone.
"The conversation's almost through, you can go home in five minutes" the dean said, approaching Mr. Kongou and the oldest twin.
"He's not fighting anything! They're just talking over him!" Unsui exclaimed, finally snapping. "It's not like they're having a conversation with him so why does he even have to be in there if they're just going to ignore him?!"
He glanced at the dean and ignored him completely, shoving past the now-open door and storming back into the office with Agon in it.
The head of the school was rummaging through his drawers for some forms and folders to give to Mrs. Kongou. Somehow the long cries of the boy next to her were heartbreaking.
"Agon, calm down...when we're home I'll make you a nice pizza...and you get your own can of cola...and you can watch all your favourite tvshows tonight." She reached out to him, hand running through his hair. "And you're not alone, you have us."
Mr. Kongou was shocked when Unsui managed to get past the dean to storm inside the office. And just when the older twin wanted to throw himself at his brother he managed to grab the collar of his shirt.
"Unsui, not now. You know what I told you."
Unsui carefully did not glare, as that would be counterproductive. "Agon is sad. There's nothing to interrupt, he's not 'fighting his own battle,' he. Needs. Me," he said firmly. "And I'm going."
Mr. Kongou turned his son around, crouching down and rolling his eyes. He grabbed Unsui's shoulders.
"Agon will be allright. Please don't worry, okay? I know you do worry but...he'll be fine...". To emphasize those words he gave his son a small kiss on the forehead, quite a rare sight of affection. "Now be a big boy."
Meanwhile Agon had his knees pulled up, his face buried between them, shoulders shaking and actually he had stopped hoping that Unsui would come, because he didn't. He could hear his voice on the other side of the door, and that of his father. But that didn't matter now anymore.
For a second he looked up at the door.
"You're a damn...damn...dirty liar, Unsui!!" he yelled, not thinking about the possibility that his brother probably would've been blocked by his father. Logic never been his best thing.
Unsui calmed down enough to accept the kiss. But he tensed again at hearing Agon's voice. "He's my brother and I made a promise and I'm not going to break it. This is no important personal growth moment or anything. It's just you keeping me from him and I don't like it!" he scowled. He pulled away again and burst through the door like he'd always planned to, grabbing Agon up in his arms again and glaring at anyone who even looked like they might try to take his little brother away from him.
Mrs. Kongou was about to get up, holding a big envelope in her hand, when Unsui barged into the room. That protective look was on her younger son's face again, and she knew this was going to take a lot of time and explanations to both of them.
"You're a liar...you're a liar..." Agon uttered, squirming between Unsui's arms and trying to push him away. "...you promised me...but you lied...and now I have to go to another school..." His hands lashed out towards Unsui's face, his face one big scowl.
"Not gonna let it happen," Unsui shook his head fiercely. He glared especially hard at their mother. "You're not sending him to any stupid school for problem kids and you're not separating us ever, got it?"
Mrs. Kongou just stared at her sons and tucked the envelope in her purse.
"I hope to see Unsui again tomorrow" the head of the school said, trying to smile before he bowed shortly.
Agon wasn't buying it. Finally he managed to free himself from his brothers arms, stumbling lightly when he tried to reach the door and opening it. The first person he saw was his father.
"Ah, Agon" he said, looking at his sons face. "...You're done with your tantrum...?"
It was strange to see Agon acting calm again. And this kind of calm was an entire different calm than he was used to. His son looked somekind of apathic.
This was infuriating. Unsui was tempted to throw a tantrum himself. He'd finally calmed Agon down only for the dean to separate them and talk their mother into sending them to different schools. Then their father wouldn't let him talk to Agon until it was too late. If he was unable to get back Agon's trust there would be hell to pay.
Unsui did not like causing trouble because it always meant more trouble for him later. But he was not going to let anyone take his brother away. He pulled on Agon's sleeve. He was going to work on the most difficult problem first; regaining Agon's fragile trust.
"Lemme go...I won't talk to you..." Agon hissed, pulling away. If he had to cling to his father to make his brother stop coming closer. Fingers clutched in the fabric of the tall man’s pants, holding on. Gods, it hurts. He hated that empty feeling.
Mrs. Kongou got from the office, looking surprisingly pale.
"Let's go to the car..." she said, her voice unusually high. She prayed her sons would keep it quiet for the rest of the day.
What was even weirder was the fact that Agon allowed himself to be picked up, and that he even wrapped his arms around his fathers neck.
"There, there...it's gonna be allright, Agon..." he said a bit clumsy, patting his sons back. Than he looked to Unsui.
"Come...we're going home..."
The empty feeling in his chest came back. He followed dumbly for most of the way to the car, watching their father carry Agon as his eyes started to grow teary.
But when they reached the car, he hesitated. He didn't want to get in if Agon wasn't going to talk to him. He didn't want to go home if Agon wasn't going to sit with him at dinner while they had pizza and made fun of the dean.
That settled it. He wasn't getting in the car and he wasn't going home. He turned around and ran down the sidewalk, ignoring his mother yelling at him to come back.
An annoyed sigh escaped Mr. Kongou's mouth when Unsui started running. Slowly he moved down to get Agon in the car, who actually obeyed and silently crawled onto the backseat. Watching Unsui ran away and his father following he asked his mother.
"I'm not gonna go to this school anymore...?"
Mrs. Kongou looked at him and shook her head.
"..We'll make sure you're going to a nice school where you make a lot of friends, honey..."
"I don't need friends..." Agon simply answered. "...I can make it with the things I can...I don't need friends..."
"Everyone needs friends, Agon. You can't make it when you're alone..."
Mr. Kongou had never known Unsui could ran that fast and shit, he had to run like mad to actually keep track of him.
"Unsui! Return to the car!" he yelled between harsh breaths. And when that didn't do the trick he started to ask people to stop his son.
…Unsui dodged away from all the grabbing hands and slipped into crowded stores and empty alleys in turn. He didn't want to go back. Not without Agon. And even if Agon was there, it wouldn't be the same if Agon didn't talk to him. He was having trouble seeing. Was the world blurring - was he that fast?
No...he was crying. People weren't trying to grab him for his father any more; they were asking what was wrong. Everything. Everything is wrong, he thought bitterly, but he kept running until he was in the back of a room somewhere, utterly lost and beyond caring. He curled up behind a dusty, rickety desk and started wailing in earnest, face buried in his arms.
Mr. Kongou had lost his son somewhere between the shoe store and the little antique shop across it. His hand moved through his hair and he sighed. Worried. Upset. Gods, he wished this stupid day never had begun. He wished he had other sons, or maybe daughters.
Even his only SANE son was being ridiculous.
The owner of the store had to blink twice before he noticed a small boy behind the desk of his shop, crying like the world was about to end.
For a second he looked around, wondering if this boy might've been with anyone inside his small shop. But the only person in his shop was an old woman. Definitely not hers. Slowly he crouched down. "Hey kid...why the tears...?" He tried to sound as friendly as he could, he wasn't a star with children to begin with.
Unsui just cried harder. He wanted his brother not some creepy stranger. But with a few hiccupping sobs, he calmed down enough to answer. "M-my brother hates me," he said simply.
"Hates you...?" the man echoed, cocking his head to the right. "Those are big words, kid". He dared to pat the boys head shortly
"Where are your parents?"
Mrs. Kongou kept waiting in the car only to see her husband returning without Unsui.
"Where is he? Tell me that you found him!" She was worried.
"Let's go home first..." he answered, finally sliding into the passengerseat. "...I'll go look for him and take the car afterwards."
"Aa...Unsui ran away?" Agon asked, scooting forward. "...Why?"
Mrs. Kongou started the car and bit her lip, trying not to cry out of exhaustion, worry and whatever.
"This is all your fault, Agon. Now go sit back and shut UP!" After those harsh words she stepped fully on the gas.
"My..fault?" the younger twin repeated, frowning.
"It's true," Unsui said petulantly. "He thinks I broke a promise and he won't listen to me explain." The tears started welling up again. "And I don't know where my parents are and I don't care because Dad's the reason that I couldn't be there for Agon-chan."
The man got on his feet again only to go to the back of the shop to get a glass of water for the kid.
"Why don't you take some water and calm down a bit. Because you have to go back home sooner or later and I'm sure your brother understands when you talk to him. Don't worry, tomorrow you'll be playing with each other just like you always did."
Unsui snorted. Obviously this man did not know Agon. But he took the water because the running and crying was tiring and dehydrating. He was miserably contemplating his options. He could keep running and be lonely the rest of his life, which probably wouldn't be long as he had no money and only half an education. Or he could go home and be painfully reminded that Agon didn't trust him - reminded every day for the rest of his life.
But he would also have the chance to get Agon back. He would just have to make sure they were still sent to the same school, first.
"Shall I call your parents? You have their phone number right?" The shopowner was taken aback by the sudden snort from the boys mouth but on the other hand he was happy the kid accepted the glass of water.
Their mother parked the car right in front of their door. She had been silent the entire ride home, ignoring Agon's small questions about if it was really his fault. Though, she did put a pizza in the oven for him and kissed her husbands cheek when he announced that he was gonna go look for Unsui.
He didn't want to talk to his parents. He wanted to talk to Agon. He sniffled hard, trying to hold back the tears again. "Can I stay here for a little while? I'll be quiet I promise," he begged. "Not long, either."
Agon stared at his pizza, he didn't felt like eating it. His mother was behaving like a frigid, scary woman, she was really blaming him for everything.
"Will Unsui come home...?" he asked.
"Sure" Mrs. Kongou answered. "Now eat your pizza, it's getting cold."
"I can't keep you in this shop the entire day" he said. "You have to go home sooner or later...and I don't want to upset your parents either. What if I call your parents and try to get your brother to talk to you...?" The poor kid, he really looked upset.
Unsui nodded. That sounded like a better plan. He rattled off his phone number and repeated it, more slowly, when the shop keeper had something to write it down on.
Slowly he wrote it down and dialed the number on the old phone he kept under the desk.
"Here..." He handed the horn to Unsui. "Just let them know you're safe here, okay?"
Agon was still not touching his pizza when the phone rang, right after Mr. Kongou had left for a more intensive search around the shopping area.
"Yes?" Mrs. Kongou said through the phone.
"...Mom?" he asked softly, reluctantly. He wanted Agon.
"Unsui!" she exclaimed. "Where are you, honey?"
"'m fine. Wanna talk to Agon," he grumbled.
At the sound of his mother saying Unsui's name Agon looked up, frowning. "Liar..." he muttered, fiercely poking his pizza with his fork.
"Agon's eating a pizza and than I'll tuck him into bed..." she said. "Just tell me where you are, then I can call your father and he can pick you up."
She almost started to cry.
"N-no!" Unsui sniffled. "Wanna talk to Agon or I'm not coming home and I'm not telling you where I am." The shop man started to look a little alarmed, but figured the kid would give in eventually. One of the kids would, anyway.
Mrs. Kongou looked at the table where Agon was trying to pierce his plate in two by using his fork. She finally had him quiet, but the signs of a future tantrum were pretty evident.
"He finally calmed down...Unsui..." she said, sighing and sniffing softly in the process. "Just tell me where you are. Please..."
"No," Unsui said, more weakly. The tears were coming again and he didn't even try to stop them. "Wan' my brother. Dad wouldn't let me talk to him and now he's mad at me and I WANNA TALK TO AGON!" he yelled.
"…Hold on...". She sighed again, trying not to cry. Slowly she put the horn aside.
"Agon...your brother wants to talk to you...".
Slowly Agon slid from his chair, leaving a mashed up pizza on the table.
After that he took the horn from his mothers hand and held it with both of his hands, pressing it against his ear, not saying anything.
...A-Agon?" Unsui asked in a small voice. He cleared his throat. "You there?"
Agon's fingers clenched around the horn harder and still didn't speak. Unsui sounded sad. And that was all his fault, at least that's what his mother told him. Twice. Maybe there was somekind of difference between them, and maybe he could live a life separated from the other.
But he missed him, and hearing his voice made his chest hurt in a strange way.
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry I didn't come get you. I wanted to but Dad wouldn't let me, he kept stopping me and I'm sorry," Unsui said, the words jumbling together in his haste. Agon was talking...it was a start.
"Haa..?" Agon replied, biting his lip. "S'okay...mom said...it's my fault anyways... Everything. Because I'm weird sometimes...and better than everyone...so I'm weird."
There was a strange tone in his voice.
"No, Agon, it's not your fault...it's Dad's fault, ok? You're not weird, either. You're my little brother."
"No, it is my fault..." Agon answered. "...but I have to go now, I have to eat my pizza."
The younger twin handed the horn over to his mother before he returned to the table.
"Unsui? Now tell me where you are, I'll call your dad to pick you up..."
Clearly whatever new damage his parents had done to Agon's self-worth could not be corrected over the phone. Unsui sighed. He asked the shop man the address and repeated it to his mother before hanging up the phone and curling up again to wait.
Mr. Kongou arrived 40 minutes later, his face red, breathing fast because goddamn, this little shop was impossible to find! After a short conversation with the shopkeeper he found his oldest son curled up behind the desk.
"You made me worried sick!" he hissed, roughly pulling Unsui back on his feet. "I don't know what's wrong with you lately, but we have enough troubles with Agon alone already!"
When Mrs. Kongou entered the kitchen again after a long phonecall with her mother she found Agon with the side of his face in the pizza. He fell asleep.
She shook her head while she approached him, grabbing a small towel along the way to wipe the pizza from his face as she was tilting him from the ground.
"...What am I going to do with you...." Her hand moved to pluck a piece of paprika from Agon's hair. "...Impossible boy..."
Unsui winced at the yelling and the pulling and said nothing. The shop man's eyes narrowed as he saw Mr. Kongou half-drag the kid out of there, but there was nothing he could really do.
He had kind of expected a lot more relief and a lot less pissiness, though.
He put Unsui in the passengerseat of his car and slid in front of the chair himself.
The man sighed deeply, putting on his seatbelt and motioning Unsui to do the same. After everyone was settled he drove the car away from the parkingdeck.
"...Why are you causing so much trouble all of a sudden, Unsui?" he asked while driving towards their home.
Their mother moved to put Agon in his bed. It was better if he would sleep it all out.
A hand moved through his hair before he moved the blankets over him, tucking him in tightly.
"I don't want to lose him," was all Unsui felt like saying. He wouldn't have given that much if his father wasn't so sad-sounding.
"Lose him? Agon's not going anywhere."
"Yes, he is! If he goes to a new school I won't see him as much and I'll lose him," Unsui snapped. "I promised I'd always be there for him. YOU MADE ME BREAK A PROMISE TO MY LITTLE BROTHER!" he yelled, the stress of a long, horrible day getting to him.
"Unsui, stop doing so dramatic. This is ridiculous" Mr Kongou snarled, rolling his eyes while focussing on the road. "Agon and you are brothers, nothing will part you in the end. Stop making such a drama out of this."
He shook his head.
"You're the only sane one for godsake"
Mrs. Kongou cleaned up the pizza Agon had hashed to little pieces and started to do the dishes. She was sniffing softly.
Unsui closed his mouth tight and stared out the window. Fine. Then he just wouldn't talk. He started at the last statement, though - Sane? Does he think Agon is crazy? - but shook it off. Agon was his brother and his brother wasn't crazy.
Right?
The evening was already setting in when they arrived at their home. Mr. Kongou had been quiet as soon Unsui had stopped talking and they stayed like that all to the moment they entered the house and Mrs. Kongou hugged her son.
"Unsui! You're safe! I was so worried" she muttered, hands moving over the boys cheeks. "I've made you some dinner..."
Mr. Kongou took off his shoes and yawned.
"I can use some food as well" he announced, sighing and a bit upset about all of this. "Where's Agon?"
"He fell asleep, I tucked him in bed...he was deadly tired from all the....stuff that happened today."
Her arm was still wrapped around Unsui's shoulders.
Unsui didn't want her touching him. He didn't want the room-temperature pizza. He didn't want to be talked over and he didn't want to talk.
The only thing he wanted to do was curl up next to Agon and cry. He slipped off his shoes as an excuse to slip out of his mother's hold. He nibbled listlessly on the pizza. He mumbled something about homework, though he'd finished all of it and at this point he wasn't entirely sure where he was going to school tomorrow. And he snuck into Agon's room to sit on the foot of the bed and watch his little brother sleep.
She knew the homework was just an excuse, and honestly she didn't knew how to keep Unsui away from Agon at this point. All she could do was hoping that he wouldn't wake him so all the misery this day represented would start all over again.
Agon was having an uneasy sleep, head tucked away under the blankets, murmuring from time to time and swatting at invisible things.
It took a great deal of effort not to start crying again - once he had begun he always found himself more prone to tears for the rest of the day. It hurt to watch Agon toss restlessly in the bed and he gave up on just watching. Unsui scooted closer to grab one of Agon's hands and use his other to rub his twin's forehead. It was always a delicate balance, soothing sleeping Agon - he had to be gentle enough not to wake him but firm enough that his presence was felt.
A long "Hmmmllmmm..." escaped Agon's mouth, an eye twitching briefly when Unsui started rubbing his forehead. The younger twins toes started curling happily for a second and after that he indeed started to calm down a bit, fingers clenching lightly around Unsui's hand.
"Hmnaa..."
Downstairs both parents were looking through the folders the head of the school gave them. It wasn't just a normal school, it was an intern one, where children would be trained, educated and taken care of 24 hours a day.
"We cannot afford any of this...not even if we'd accept the schools help."
Mr. Kongou frowned. "You can always call your father..."
With a happy sigh, Unsui continued stroking Agon's forehead. At least his brother could accept him when he was asleep. There was still hope. He wondered how far his parents would go with this plan to send Agon away. Their father clearly didn't understand - Unsui wasn't afraid of not being able to find Agon or see him, he was afraid Agon would stop being close emotionally - or closer than Agon was with anyone else, anyway.
And if he wasn't around, would his twin find anyone who could calm him down, accept him, love him like Unsui did?
"I can't ask him for everything..." she said, a difficult look on her face.
"Haa...we also can't let this continue..." Mr. Kongou replied. "It's only getting worse from this point on. What if Agon hits puberty. He'll be out of control... Even I can't handle him sometimes, seriously, he's one strong kid."
Agon was still muttering and murmuring, but these sounds were far from the troubled ones he let out earlier. He had pulled his knees up now. It was nice that the sad emptyness wasn't there when he slept.
The day had been long and trying and Unsui had a headache the size of Honshuu. He could no longer quite concentrate on rubbing Agon's forehead, but he kept their fingers locked together as he slowly nodded off.
As soon Unsui stopped rubbing his forehead Agon frowned a bit, letting out a 'haahn' before turning around to lay on his stomach.
"Nssuiii..." he murmured, fingers of one clawing in his pillow. "Nssui...?"
"We keep Agon at home for a week or so, so we can decide..." Mr. Kongou stated. "I still hope it's a phase and that everything will end up nicely. I mean, Agon...he's ridiculously intelligent but...so defective and destructive sometimes..."
"Maybe that's a good idea...also for Unsui...definitely for Unsui..."
Unsui sleepily pulled Agon closer. "'M’ here," he mumbled. "Not going anywhere," he hoped he could promise. "Not goin'..." he yawned. "Anny...where."
Now Agon blinked at the new warmth that was surrounding him, and arms picking him up.
"...Hnn..?" he uttered, stirring a bit to finally notice it was his twin. His voice was sounding strange, a bit croaked from all the screaming and crying.
"...But...I know you go again..." he huffed softly.
"We can use our savings for the first year...". He opened their savingsbook, scanning the numbers, adding and retracting quickly. "Agon would probably return...acting normal..."
Mrs. Kongou sighed.
"Let's not decide anyting yet..."
They were both at least half awake now. Unsui sighed. "I'm here now. I don't know what our parents are going to do. But I'm going to do everything I can to make sure they don't take you away from me. Understand? I always want to be there for you, Agon-chan, but I'm still only a kid, and they're still our parents." He sniffled.
Agon could feel his eyes tear up again. First the sniffs were soft, sometimes accompanied with a soft shook of the shoulders but they grew louder every minute.
"...I don't want...to be alone..." he cried. "I don't like it...it hurts...inside..."
Mrs. Kongou looked up.
"Agon's crying..." she mentioned with a worried look on her face. "I have to check up on him soon..."
Bringing Agon's head to his shoulder was almost instinctive after so many thunder storms and so many tantrums. Unsui resolved to have a bite scar there for the rest of his life, but found he didn't care if it meant Agon was happy. He rubbed the same soothing circles in Agon's back that he always did. "I don't want to leave you alone, either, Agon-chan...it hurts me too. Like I can't breathe deep enough and I'm missing part of me."
Agon started chewing on Unsui's shirt again, his mother’s words still going through his head and the envelope in her bag.
"The place...it's like...I'm gonna live there..." he murmured, sniffling harder. "...and you can't come...and I'll be alone..."
And even though he was in his brother’s arms, all that was in his head were the fact it was all his fault and that he had to pay for it to go to that horrible place. He bit down on his brother’s shoulder, harder than he usually did.
Unsui barely winced at the sharp pain, too startled by the sudden revelation that this wasn't just a different school, Agon would be living there and not with him. What if there was a storm? What if Agon got so angry at someone he tried to really kill, and Unsui wasn't there to make him feel better? He noticed he was squeezing Agon a little tightly and loosened his hold a bit.
"Don't want you to go," he said helplessly.
Agon crawled to sit up, ignoring the slight stung of his bruised knees. His hands moved to Unsui's cheeks and he chewed his lip. Tears kept coming and he tried to blink them away or stop them from rolling down his cheek but it was no use.
"..Mom...she said...I have to go there...because I'm not behaving well..." he told his brother. "...And the head-master...he said I was...damaged... Maybe that's why...". Snot dribbled from his nose.
"You're not damaged," Unsui said fiercely. "There is nothing wrong with your head. You just don't think, Agon." He sat up and pulled his brother close again, rocking slightly and crying some himself. "You're not damaged, you're not. And - and if you behave, maybe you can stay," he said desperately. "Please, Agon, I know people are stupid and you don't want to be patient or follow orders from idiots, but you have to. I can't follow you to this new school. Please be good."
Mrs. Kongou was about to open the door when she heard the two brothers talking to eachother. Agon sounded upset, he was sobbing and it was obvious that he had heard everything and understood the things she said.
Slowly she covered her face with her hand and decided to not enter that room.
"Yeah..." Agon huffed, his eyes stinging from all the crying now. "...I will...and then I can stay with you... I...I...love you...because...you're the best brother..." His arms clutched around Unsui's shoulders.
"I don't wanna lose you ever, Agon. I love you, ok? Don't forget that, not ever. Because you're my little brother and I'm going to take care of you." He was babbling and repeating himself and he didn't care. Agon was far from free with the word "love" and Unsui's horrible day had at least one bright spot in it now. This little moment he could cherish forever.
When Mr. Kongou came in he found his two sons together in one bed and for once he decided to leave it that way. In his head the deciscion about all of this already had been made anyways. He noticed the smile on Agon's face and he knew that breaking the two up eventually would be hell.
"They're sleeping," he whispered to his wife, pointing out the two.
Agon had his arms wrapped around his brother’s waist now and was sleeping silently, smiling happily.
And that's how he woke up next morning, trouble with opening his eyes but knowing Unsui was right next to him.
Characters:: Agon agon_cool_drive & Unsui k2_kongo_unsui
Date/Time:: 11 years ago [backdated like whoah]
Location:: Agon & Unsui's former home / middle school
Rating:: PG-13 K for Kyoot + W for Wangst
Summary:: The school isn't able to handle Agon's tantrums anymore, and steps are taken.
Agon = Black
Unsui = Brownish
Agon had earned himself a spot right in front of the teachers desk already from the start of the schoolyear. In comparisation to his polite and friendly twin, this boy pretty much seem to come straight from hell.
But thank god he was silent now, busy with solving some easy mathproblems. If that little brat would start to throw a tantrum now, he'd probably trash his desk completely. The teacher tensed up a bit at that idea.
"Unsui?" she finally said. "Can you feed the hamster today?". The class had a little hamster since 2 months and it was pretty much the most loved creature in the entire room right now.
"Un," Unsui nodded. He pushed away from his desk and moved to the window holding the hamster cage. He gave Agon a wary look as he passed, sensing imminent implosion. That was about the extent of the mythical "twin senses" people always asked if they had. Unsui knew right away when Agon was going to throw a fit.
Agon's left eye was already twitching as he pushed his pencil harder on the paper, causing soft squeaky sounds.
"Hnnn..." he uttered, annoyed with the fact that this was boring and too easy. Second of all, Agon wanted to play outside. Lately he'd been playing soccer with some older boys from higher classes, not that they were nice to him, but they found him a good player.
"I want to GO! NOW!" the younger twin finally announced, throwing his pencil on the table.
Ooooh God, Unsui thought to himself. He fed the hamster quickly and without joy before returning to his own desk, next to Agon's - by choice, and because the teacher had realized early on that Unsui was the best at calming Agon down.
"Agon, recess isn't for another ten minutes," he reminded his little brother.
"I don't care" Agon snarled. "I want to go out NOW! I finished these stupid sums and now I want to go out."
The rest of the class shuddered slightly. No one of the kids particulary liked Agon. Unsui was nice, but Agon...they were never sure about what was going to happen with him around. And his tantrums always ended up with people getting unnecesary punches and things that broke.
"Agon, listen to your brother" the teacher tried, smiling a bit. "Just 10 minutes."
"Did you do your social studies homework?" Unsui continued patiently, sitting on the edge of his seat so he could be ready to move if Agon started getting violent. He pretended to work on his own math, checking over the problems he had finished just before feeding the hamster.
Agon gave Unsui a deathglare.
"Yes I did, and I already gave it to the teacher. Now I want to go outside. NOW!" The younger twin moved away from his desk and got on his feet. "I did everything, now I can go."
The teacher sighed.
"Just wait on everyone else, Agon."
The other kids started to move nervously in their chairs.
"Agon, there's no reason to be rude," Unsui said in a soothing tone of voice. "It's only nine minutes to wait now and probably if you keep causing trouble you'll have to stay inside." The way Unsui glared at the teacher promised retribution if this actually happened, but the threat might get Agon to behave...maybe.
"I'm not gonna wait for THEM," Agon decided, giving his classmates a cocky look. He was definitely not gonna wait for them, they weren't his friends anyways. With a rough kick he moved his chair aside and put his hands in the pockets of his uniform.
"Pfuh...I go anyways...". The younger twin decided not to listen, heck, he never listened in the first place.
Unsui sighed and was tempted to give up and try to rub the developing headache away. He stood and moved closer to Agon, speaking in a low voice.
He didn't try persuading Agon anymore. He was stalling. "What are you going to do during recess, Agon-kun?" he asked, hoping to at least delay the flailing limbs and screaming.
"Playing soccer...now go away..." Agon answered shortly, pushing away from his brother before making his way towards the window. His left eye was all twitches right now.
"If I cannot go now, I'll throw the hamster out of the window..."
To emphasize that threat he picked up the cage while a bit of a dark look crossed his features.
The other kids began to whine softly. The teacher sighed, biting her lip.
"They should lock that damn brat up" she whispered under her breath.
"NO!" Unsui shouted. "Agon, you put him down!" Unsui rarely raised his voice - and hardly ever to his brother - but he wasn't going to let Agon kill an innocent little hamster.
"What if I won't? You're gonna hit me?" Agon drawled, grinning a bit. "You cannot hit me, you're not as good as me."
He still held the cage, tilting it above his head now.
The teacher hurried out of the classroom to get the dean. This was beyond her control right now. Someone had to throw this brat out.
"I'll never forgive you," Unsui promised in a grave voice. "Never. You won't be my little brother anymore, because Unsui's little brother doesn't do stuff like that."
Agon growled, eyes narrowing to glare at Unsui.
"Hahn..." he uttered, moving to hold the cage against his chest now, eyes going from Unsui's face to the small brown hamster that was walking in his treadmill now.
After that he plopped the cage on the ground, letting the hamster escape.
"Done...now I want to go outside."
A girl near Agon squeaked - not unlike the hamster - and managed to recapture the little rodent, cradling it in her hands to keep it safe from "the monster."
Unsui relaxed visibly. He had no real desire to follow through on his threat and he was glad he didn't have to. Seven minutes to go now.
"You're a monster...because you sure look like one, you ugly hag" Agon said to her. After that his attention turned back towards Unsui.
"You don't want to be my brother anymore?" he asked and it really had hurt him. And that mostly ment that the tantrum probably would go on for a bit longer. "...I don't care...you're stupid anyways...".
"Only when you do mean stuff like this!" Unsui frowned. "Why do you always have to hurt people and things, Agon?"
"Because I want to...it's not like...everyone will be my friend...so than I hurt them..." the younger twin answered. "Look at these idiots...they don't want to be my friend..."
He pointed at his classmates.
"They're stupid anyways..."
"That's because you get angry and violent. You frighten people, Agon. You push them away before they can try to get close to you." Unsui shook his head.
"Hmph" Agon crossed his arms. "It's because they ask for it...".
This wasn't pleasant, it hurt. Because he was aware of the fact that he hated people to get close. Except Unsui.
"And you too..."
"I ask for it?" Unsui said, incredulous.
"You too..." Agon replied, kicking against the remains of the hamstercage. His eyes were narrowed now, and a bit teary. And Agon really never cried. Only during thunderstorms.
"I'm going now" he decided, wiping his eyes, frowning deeply.
Unsui didn't like the look on his brother's face, and had the sinking feeling he'd made things worse. He grabbed at his brother's uniform. "Agon, what are you talking about?" he asked. "You think I want you to try to push me away? I'm your brother - I just want you to try to get along with people."
"Go away!" Agon yelled, tearing himself away from Unsui. "...I'm going now!"
And when the teacher opened the door to let the dean in, Agon just managed to slip past them. Actually, he didn't really felt like playing soccer right now, he just wanted to go away. Because it hurt. And he felt alone, and that was something he really hated.
Unsui ignored the teacher and the dean and followed Agon. There was a strange feeling in his chest. He had hurt Agon. He'd promised he'd protect Agon no matter what and it was Unsui who had hurt him, not some foreign threat. He had to fix this, he had to.
Agon rushed through the hallway, not picking up his jacket and he could feel tears stinging behind his eyes. There was something changing between him and his brother, and he didn't really knew how to stop it or fix it.
Recess had already begun but that was also not of any importance anymore. After pushing a couple of kids aside Agon ran from the schoolyard into the street, finally chosing a small alley to crawl away in, hiding behind a dumpster.
It was not easy to keep Agon in sight without his twin noticing, but Unsui had had a lot of practice. He no longer cared about getting in trouble and barely remembered to look both ways before crossing the street. He just wanted to fix whatever he had hurt in Agon, and he was going to do it now.
He slowed when he reached the alley. "...Agon?" he asked softly.
Agon crawled away a bit more and he noticed he had bruised his knees and that his school uniform was dirty.
"Go away...I told you to go away... I don't want you around...go away!" he hissed, moving his hand through his rather long blonde hair. And all he could think of was that he should've killed the hamster and that he should've pulled the hair of that stupid ugly girl.
"Thank you for not hurting the hamster Agon. I didn't want to lose you," Unsui admitted. "But I don't want you to kill anyone or anything, ok? I guess...I don't mind if you push them away. But no killing."
If there was a way to crawl under the dumpster Agon probably would've done it. He was crying softly now, fiercely wiping the tears away.
"Hn...go away.." he whimpered, rubbing until his eyes were red. Agon had pulled his knees up now.
"Oh, Agon," Unsui sighed. He sat next to his brother and wrapped his arms around Agon. "I'm sorry I was mean to you. Please don't be sad?" he begged.
He kept sniffling.
"You said you didn't want to be my brother anymore..." he whispered, his face pressed against Unsui's shirt. "...why?"
Because that had hurt. Really hurt.
"I didn't want you to hurt the hamster. I won't say it ever again, Agon, I promise. I still love you and you're still my brother and I want it like that, ok?" He rubbed Agon's back.
"Hnn..." Agon replied, sniffling in Unsui's shirt. "I wouldn't have hurt the hamster... But...if you...don't say that anymore..." Now he looked up, eyes red and swollen and absolutely nothing close to the overconfident brat he was most of the time.
Meanwhile the dean had followed the two brothers to the alley and he could hear the way Unsui was comforting Agon and all he could think off was that it would be a relief if they could get the younger twin to transfer to another school.
"I promise I won't," Unsui said again. "Never." He spotted the dean and glared at him. "I said I'd protect you and I always will," he said, but he was talking about something entirely different now, and the dean knew the older Kongou twin meant Agon was going to be protected from him - the dean.
For some reason, the seriousness of a small child in comforting his brother sent shivers down his back.
Agon nodded, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "You're the best brother". He smiled a bit as his shoulders still shook from all the emotion.
"I hate being alone...because...I don't get it...they cheer when I win a game...but they never play with me... That's weird, right?"
The dean waited patiently, sighing deeply and not knowing what he had to do with these two boys.
"They don't play with you because you're better than them and they're jealous," Unsui said honestly. There was no way to explain this that wouldn't give his brother a swelled head, so he decided to go with the honest answer.
"I'm never going to leave you alone, ok?"
"Sometimes it's no fun to be better...they do play with you...and you're also smarter than them..." Agon replied, frowning a bit. His fingers clutched around his brothers hand.
"And on our birthday...they only come for you...I am not that stupid..."
"Agon, someday you'll have to decide if it's more important that you be better than everyone and push them away before they hurt you or if you'd rather have friends and be nice to people and be a skilled player who leads his team to victory. Do you understand?" He sighed. "Either way, I'll always be there for you. And the kids that come to the parties aren't as much fun to be around as you are anyway. We should have birthday parties just for ourselves and everyone else can stay home."
Agon listened closely, fingers clawing in the skin of his brothers hand.
"I am really a lot more better... Maybe if I focus on that...and have you...I don't have to be bothered by people who hurt me...”
It made sense.
"Because if they get in my head...I feel bad...so if they don't...I feel better..." The younger twin started smiling. "...And than we have together...and I be nice to you..."
This Agon-logic was making some kind of sense (for once), but it sounded like a very lonely life to Unsui. He smiled. "You don't have to decide now. But whatever makes you happy, Agon-chan."
"Haaaa....it would better...". Agon seemed to be thinking deeply. "...they should know who they're rejecting..." There was a bit of a frown on his face. "It pisses me off...when they do... But you...you are always there..."
The sudden wave of happiness going through his body made him hug Unsui tightly and he chuckled softly.
Unsui grinned at the hug. "Exactly." Agon was making a bit less sense than usual now, but he liked his brother to be happy.
Now everyone seemed to have cooled down the dean finally dared to step into the alley.
"Unsui...Agon...?" he spoke, voice friendly, a smile around his lips. "You're ready to go back to school? We've called your parents and they will come to pick you up so you two can have a nice free day before returning tomorrow."
The real deal was that there was a fierce discussion going on right now between the head of the school, the teacher and Mr. and Mrs. Kongou.
"Everything will be alright."
"Go. Away," Unsui glared at him. He knew "free day" meant suspension, and he was positive Agon's actions would not go without reprisal. But he wanted to hold on to his little brother and see him smile for a little while longer.
Agon's smile faded when the man started talking about their parents and free days. What was he doing here anyways? Did he followed them?
"Just leave us alone, you...asshole" the younger twin snarled, fingers fisting in the fabric of Unsui's uniform.
"It's okay...I won't hurt you...or your brother. You can stay together."
Unsui sighed as he looked over his twin. "Oh, Agon, you're filthy," he chided, totally ignoring the dean.
"I torn my pants" Agon pointed out to Unsui. "And my knees are bruised."
He showed his knees to his brother, they were all red and a bit bloody.
The dean leaned a bit towards Unsui, putting his hand on his shoulder, whispering. The older twin always seemed to be the more rational one.
"You understand we have to send your brother to another school, right?" he asked, hoping Agon wouldn't hear this. "...You're a promising young man, but your brother is only bringing you down."
"I can see that, Agon-chan," Unsui said, slightly amused. "We should stop at the nurse's office and get you some band-aids, ne?"
Unsui grabbed the dean's shirt in a fist. "You are not separating us. You send Agon away and I'm going with him and that's final," he snapped. "Or I will cause you so much trouble you will pray to have him back," he hissed in the man's ear.
Agon frowned, looking at his brother who was hanging in the dean's shirt now, hissing dangerously. "He wants me to go to another school?"
The dean was a bit shocked by the older twin's sudden aggressiveness.
"Unsui...let me go now, we can just discuss this when we're back at school". He removed the older twin's hands from his collar. "Now get up and let's get going."
Damn, both brothers were a pain in the ass!
Unsui watched the dean with narrowed eyes and tugged on Agon's hands. "Come on. I want to get you those band-aids."
It was strange to see the youngest twin cling to his brother the way he was doing when Mr. Kongou finally came face to face with the two. There was a tired expression on his face. Especially when he saw how Agon ruined a school uniform that was costing at least 10.000 yen, red knees covered with bandages. Mrs. Kongou was close to tears at this point.
The head of the school was sitting behind his desk, looking at them as well.
"Ah, Unsui. You can go with the dean for a little glass of lemonade, Agon you can sit here. We have to talk to you a bit."
"Aaaa? Why? I don't want to" he replied, taking a step backwards, holding on to Unsui. "I want lemonade too."
"I'm not going anywhere without Agon," Unsui said obstinately.
Mr. Kongou rolled his eyes.
"I'll go with Unsui..." he sighed because no way he wanted to take Agon with him. Slowly he got from his chair and simply lifted Unsui from the ground and walked out of the office.
There was a long silence after the door slammed shut behind him, a tensed up one. And it didn't took long until Agon started whining, storming at the door to find it blocked by the dean.
"Go sit next to your mother now, Agon. You'll see Unsui soon enough."
But Agon refused and started screaming harder, kicking the dean’s shins. "Nnnsui!!"
Unsui did not like being picked up. He did not particularly like their often-absent, rarely-happy father. And he definitely did not like being separated from Agon at all.
He did not fight or protest or do anything rash. He just waited. Agon would throw a fit. Unsui would be required to calm him down. He could wait. He ignored the lemonade and the prattle his father half-heartedly attempted to engage him in. He was waiting for Agon to need him.
Agon never expected the dean to be so persistant. He was screaming his lungs out now, making the kids outside turn their heads to the second floor of the schoolbuilding.
"Agon, stop kicking the dean...go sit on this chair...Unsui will return soon" Mrs Kongou tried, trembling lightly when faced with these kind of hysterical behaviour from Agon.
But the younger twin was crying now, kicking and hitting the door and the dean.
Why wasn't Unsui coming back?
Mr. Kongou put Unsui on the ground, annoyed by Agon's screaming.
"We'll wait here...". He petted Unsui's cheek softly, not smiling. "You'll go to school again tomorrow.."
Unsui stiffened the moment he heard Agon start yelling. "I want to stay with Agon," he said gruffly. "Don't take us apart, please?" he asked, imploring now. He grew more and more uneasy as the tantrum audibly continued.
"Honestly, I think Agon's...damaged somewhere" the head of the school said, watching the boy with great worry. "We cannot handle him, as smart and athletic he is, this kind of thing happens almost every week."
To be honest, this was the worst one he'd ever witnessed though.
"But we raised them well...they're just very attached to eachother... Agon always behaves like this when he gets seperated from his brother... Why don't you just give him one chance?" Mrs Kongou pleaded, knowing she wasn't in a position to afford any special schools or treatments for her youngest son.
The dean was gritting his teeth now, tempted to knock the boy unconcious or sometehing. Agon kept screaming Unsui's name. "Don't want to be alone now...!". Finally the boy gave up and sunk on his knees to cry. It wasn't a nice sight, even after this same boy just bruised his shins to the point that this was gonna hurt for at least a week.
Their father leaned against the wall, stirring his coffee.
"I don't think that's gonna happen, Unsui..."
Unsui was visibly upset, knuckles turning white as he clenched them into fists. He glanced constantly at the door and winced when Agon started to cry. He turned back to his father.
"I want to see him. Please." It was difficult to ask instead of demand when all he wanted was to throw the door open and sweep his twin up in a hug.
"When their done talking you can see him...." Mr. Kongou answered. "For once...let Agon fight his own little battle...okay?"
He knew so well that this would cause whatever permanent damage somewhere.
Agon could hear the others talking, something about him being crazy, or a possible braindamage. They were talking about another school and fee's and things he didn't want to hear.
He was afraid of thunderstorms, that was a fact, but he was more afraid to be lonely. And now Unsui wasn't coming back, even not when he screamed and kicked or cried.
"Unsui's a fine student, but...this is affecting him..." the head decided. "...and Agon...he's brilliant...but...I'm sorry, Mrs. Kongou...we need to transfer him out of our school. And we're glad to help, also with the finances... It will be better for you, for your sons, for us." The dean finally managed to move out of the office, relieved Agon wasn't following him. The boy had been sitting on the floor crying, muttering about why his brother wasn't coming and being alone.
"The conversation's almost through, you can go home in five minutes" the dean said, approaching Mr. Kongou and the oldest twin.
"He's not fighting anything! They're just talking over him!" Unsui exclaimed, finally snapping. "It's not like they're having a conversation with him so why does he even have to be in there if they're just going to ignore him?!"
He glanced at the dean and ignored him completely, shoving past the now-open door and storming back into the office with Agon in it.
The head of the school was rummaging through his drawers for some forms and folders to give to Mrs. Kongou. Somehow the long cries of the boy next to her were heartbreaking.
"Agon, calm down...when we're home I'll make you a nice pizza...and you get your own can of cola...and you can watch all your favourite tvshows tonight." She reached out to him, hand running through his hair. "And you're not alone, you have us."
Mr. Kongou was shocked when Unsui managed to get past the dean to storm inside the office. And just when the older twin wanted to throw himself at his brother he managed to grab the collar of his shirt.
"Unsui, not now. You know what I told you."
Unsui carefully did not glare, as that would be counterproductive. "Agon is sad. There's nothing to interrupt, he's not 'fighting his own battle,' he. Needs. Me," he said firmly. "And I'm going."
Mr. Kongou turned his son around, crouching down and rolling his eyes. He grabbed Unsui's shoulders.
"Agon will be allright. Please don't worry, okay? I know you do worry but...he'll be fine...". To emphasize those words he gave his son a small kiss on the forehead, quite a rare sight of affection. "Now be a big boy."
Meanwhile Agon had his knees pulled up, his face buried between them, shoulders shaking and actually he had stopped hoping that Unsui would come, because he didn't. He could hear his voice on the other side of the door, and that of his father. But that didn't matter now anymore.
For a second he looked up at the door.
"You're a damn...damn...dirty liar, Unsui!!" he yelled, not thinking about the possibility that his brother probably would've been blocked by his father. Logic never been his best thing.
Unsui calmed down enough to accept the kiss. But he tensed again at hearing Agon's voice. "He's my brother and I made a promise and I'm not going to break it. This is no important personal growth moment or anything. It's just you keeping me from him and I don't like it!" he scowled. He pulled away again and burst through the door like he'd always planned to, grabbing Agon up in his arms again and glaring at anyone who even looked like they might try to take his little brother away from him.
Mrs. Kongou was about to get up, holding a big envelope in her hand, when Unsui barged into the room. That protective look was on her younger son's face again, and she knew this was going to take a lot of time and explanations to both of them.
"You're a liar...you're a liar..." Agon uttered, squirming between Unsui's arms and trying to push him away. "...you promised me...but you lied...and now I have to go to another school..." His hands lashed out towards Unsui's face, his face one big scowl.
"Not gonna let it happen," Unsui shook his head fiercely. He glared especially hard at their mother. "You're not sending him to any stupid school for problem kids and you're not separating us ever, got it?"
Mrs. Kongou just stared at her sons and tucked the envelope in her purse.
"I hope to see Unsui again tomorrow" the head of the school said, trying to smile before he bowed shortly.
Agon wasn't buying it. Finally he managed to free himself from his brothers arms, stumbling lightly when he tried to reach the door and opening it. The first person he saw was his father.
"Ah, Agon" he said, looking at his sons face. "...You're done with your tantrum...?"
It was strange to see Agon acting calm again. And this kind of calm was an entire different calm than he was used to. His son looked somekind of apathic.
This was infuriating. Unsui was tempted to throw a tantrum himself. He'd finally calmed Agon down only for the dean to separate them and talk their mother into sending them to different schools. Then their father wouldn't let him talk to Agon until it was too late. If he was unable to get back Agon's trust there would be hell to pay.
Unsui did not like causing trouble because it always meant more trouble for him later. But he was not going to let anyone take his brother away. He pulled on Agon's sleeve. He was going to work on the most difficult problem first; regaining Agon's fragile trust.
"Lemme go...I won't talk to you..." Agon hissed, pulling away. If he had to cling to his father to make his brother stop coming closer. Fingers clutched in the fabric of the tall man’s pants, holding on. Gods, it hurts. He hated that empty feeling.
Mrs. Kongou got from the office, looking surprisingly pale.
"Let's go to the car..." she said, her voice unusually high. She prayed her sons would keep it quiet for the rest of the day.
What was even weirder was the fact that Agon allowed himself to be picked up, and that he even wrapped his arms around his fathers neck.
"There, there...it's gonna be allright, Agon..." he said a bit clumsy, patting his sons back. Than he looked to Unsui.
"Come...we're going home..."
The empty feeling in his chest came back. He followed dumbly for most of the way to the car, watching their father carry Agon as his eyes started to grow teary.
But when they reached the car, he hesitated. He didn't want to get in if Agon wasn't going to talk to him. He didn't want to go home if Agon wasn't going to sit with him at dinner while they had pizza and made fun of the dean.
That settled it. He wasn't getting in the car and he wasn't going home. He turned around and ran down the sidewalk, ignoring his mother yelling at him to come back.
An annoyed sigh escaped Mr. Kongou's mouth when Unsui started running. Slowly he moved down to get Agon in the car, who actually obeyed and silently crawled onto the backseat. Watching Unsui ran away and his father following he asked his mother.
"I'm not gonna go to this school anymore...?"
Mrs. Kongou looked at him and shook her head.
"..We'll make sure you're going to a nice school where you make a lot of friends, honey..."
"I don't need friends..." Agon simply answered. "...I can make it with the things I can...I don't need friends..."
"Everyone needs friends, Agon. You can't make it when you're alone..."
Mr. Kongou had never known Unsui could ran that fast and shit, he had to run like mad to actually keep track of him.
"Unsui! Return to the car!" he yelled between harsh breaths. And when that didn't do the trick he started to ask people to stop his son.
…Unsui dodged away from all the grabbing hands and slipped into crowded stores and empty alleys in turn. He didn't want to go back. Not without Agon. And even if Agon was there, it wouldn't be the same if Agon didn't talk to him. He was having trouble seeing. Was the world blurring - was he that fast?
No...he was crying. People weren't trying to grab him for his father any more; they were asking what was wrong. Everything. Everything is wrong, he thought bitterly, but he kept running until he was in the back of a room somewhere, utterly lost and beyond caring. He curled up behind a dusty, rickety desk and started wailing in earnest, face buried in his arms.
Mr. Kongou had lost his son somewhere between the shoe store and the little antique shop across it. His hand moved through his hair and he sighed. Worried. Upset. Gods, he wished this stupid day never had begun. He wished he had other sons, or maybe daughters.
Even his only SANE son was being ridiculous.
The owner of the store had to blink twice before he noticed a small boy behind the desk of his shop, crying like the world was about to end.
For a second he looked around, wondering if this boy might've been with anyone inside his small shop. But the only person in his shop was an old woman. Definitely not hers. Slowly he crouched down. "Hey kid...why the tears...?" He tried to sound as friendly as he could, he wasn't a star with children to begin with.
Unsui just cried harder. He wanted his brother not some creepy stranger. But with a few hiccupping sobs, he calmed down enough to answer. "M-my brother hates me," he said simply.
"Hates you...?" the man echoed, cocking his head to the right. "Those are big words, kid". He dared to pat the boys head shortly
"Where are your parents?"
Mrs. Kongou kept waiting in the car only to see her husband returning without Unsui.
"Where is he? Tell me that you found him!" She was worried.
"Let's go home first..." he answered, finally sliding into the passengerseat. "...I'll go look for him and take the car afterwards."
"Aa...Unsui ran away?" Agon asked, scooting forward. "...Why?"
Mrs. Kongou started the car and bit her lip, trying not to cry out of exhaustion, worry and whatever.
"This is all your fault, Agon. Now go sit back and shut UP!" After those harsh words she stepped fully on the gas.
"My..fault?" the younger twin repeated, frowning.
"It's true," Unsui said petulantly. "He thinks I broke a promise and he won't listen to me explain." The tears started welling up again. "And I don't know where my parents are and I don't care because Dad's the reason that I couldn't be there for Agon-chan."
The man got on his feet again only to go to the back of the shop to get a glass of water for the kid.
"Why don't you take some water and calm down a bit. Because you have to go back home sooner or later and I'm sure your brother understands when you talk to him. Don't worry, tomorrow you'll be playing with each other just like you always did."
Unsui snorted. Obviously this man did not know Agon. But he took the water because the running and crying was tiring and dehydrating. He was miserably contemplating his options. He could keep running and be lonely the rest of his life, which probably wouldn't be long as he had no money and only half an education. Or he could go home and be painfully reminded that Agon didn't trust him - reminded every day for the rest of his life.
But he would also have the chance to get Agon back. He would just have to make sure they were still sent to the same school, first.
"Shall I call your parents? You have their phone number right?" The shopowner was taken aback by the sudden snort from the boys mouth but on the other hand he was happy the kid accepted the glass of water.
Their mother parked the car right in front of their door. She had been silent the entire ride home, ignoring Agon's small questions about if it was really his fault. Though, she did put a pizza in the oven for him and kissed her husbands cheek when he announced that he was gonna go look for Unsui.
He didn't want to talk to his parents. He wanted to talk to Agon. He sniffled hard, trying to hold back the tears again. "Can I stay here for a little while? I'll be quiet I promise," he begged. "Not long, either."
Agon stared at his pizza, he didn't felt like eating it. His mother was behaving like a frigid, scary woman, she was really blaming him for everything.
"Will Unsui come home...?" he asked.
"Sure" Mrs. Kongou answered. "Now eat your pizza, it's getting cold."
"I can't keep you in this shop the entire day" he said. "You have to go home sooner or later...and I don't want to upset your parents either. What if I call your parents and try to get your brother to talk to you...?" The poor kid, he really looked upset.
Unsui nodded. That sounded like a better plan. He rattled off his phone number and repeated it, more slowly, when the shop keeper had something to write it down on.
Slowly he wrote it down and dialed the number on the old phone he kept under the desk.
"Here..." He handed the horn to Unsui. "Just let them know you're safe here, okay?"
Agon was still not touching his pizza when the phone rang, right after Mr. Kongou had left for a more intensive search around the shopping area.
"Yes?" Mrs. Kongou said through the phone.
"...Mom?" he asked softly, reluctantly. He wanted Agon.
"Unsui!" she exclaimed. "Where are you, honey?"
"'m fine. Wanna talk to Agon," he grumbled.
At the sound of his mother saying Unsui's name Agon looked up, frowning. "Liar..." he muttered, fiercely poking his pizza with his fork.
"Agon's eating a pizza and than I'll tuck him into bed..." she said. "Just tell me where you are, then I can call your father and he can pick you up."
She almost started to cry.
"N-no!" Unsui sniffled. "Wanna talk to Agon or I'm not coming home and I'm not telling you where I am." The shop man started to look a little alarmed, but figured the kid would give in eventually. One of the kids would, anyway.
Mrs. Kongou looked at the table where Agon was trying to pierce his plate in two by using his fork. She finally had him quiet, but the signs of a future tantrum were pretty evident.
"He finally calmed down...Unsui..." she said, sighing and sniffing softly in the process. "Just tell me where you are. Please..."
"No," Unsui said, more weakly. The tears were coming again and he didn't even try to stop them. "Wan' my brother. Dad wouldn't let me talk to him and now he's mad at me and I WANNA TALK TO AGON!" he yelled.
"…Hold on...". She sighed again, trying not to cry. Slowly she put the horn aside.
"Agon...your brother wants to talk to you...".
Slowly Agon slid from his chair, leaving a mashed up pizza on the table.
After that he took the horn from his mothers hand and held it with both of his hands, pressing it against his ear, not saying anything.
...A-Agon?" Unsui asked in a small voice. He cleared his throat. "You there?"
Agon's fingers clenched around the horn harder and still didn't speak. Unsui sounded sad. And that was all his fault, at least that's what his mother told him. Twice. Maybe there was somekind of difference between them, and maybe he could live a life separated from the other.
But he missed him, and hearing his voice made his chest hurt in a strange way.
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry I didn't come get you. I wanted to but Dad wouldn't let me, he kept stopping me and I'm sorry," Unsui said, the words jumbling together in his haste. Agon was talking...it was a start.
"Haa..?" Agon replied, biting his lip. "S'okay...mom said...it's my fault anyways... Everything. Because I'm weird sometimes...and better than everyone...so I'm weird."
There was a strange tone in his voice.
"No, Agon, it's not your fault...it's Dad's fault, ok? You're not weird, either. You're my little brother."
"No, it is my fault..." Agon answered. "...but I have to go now, I have to eat my pizza."
The younger twin handed the horn over to his mother before he returned to the table.
"Unsui? Now tell me where you are, I'll call your dad to pick you up..."
Clearly whatever new damage his parents had done to Agon's self-worth could not be corrected over the phone. Unsui sighed. He asked the shop man the address and repeated it to his mother before hanging up the phone and curling up again to wait.
Mr. Kongou arrived 40 minutes later, his face red, breathing fast because goddamn, this little shop was impossible to find! After a short conversation with the shopkeeper he found his oldest son curled up behind the desk.
"You made me worried sick!" he hissed, roughly pulling Unsui back on his feet. "I don't know what's wrong with you lately, but we have enough troubles with Agon alone already!"
When Mrs. Kongou entered the kitchen again after a long phonecall with her mother she found Agon with the side of his face in the pizza. He fell asleep.
She shook her head while she approached him, grabbing a small towel along the way to wipe the pizza from his face as she was tilting him from the ground.
"...What am I going to do with you...." Her hand moved to pluck a piece of paprika from Agon's hair. "...Impossible boy..."
Unsui winced at the yelling and the pulling and said nothing. The shop man's eyes narrowed as he saw Mr. Kongou half-drag the kid out of there, but there was nothing he could really do.
He had kind of expected a lot more relief and a lot less pissiness, though.
He put Unsui in the passengerseat of his car and slid in front of the chair himself.
The man sighed deeply, putting on his seatbelt and motioning Unsui to do the same. After everyone was settled he drove the car away from the parkingdeck.
"...Why are you causing so much trouble all of a sudden, Unsui?" he asked while driving towards their home.
Their mother moved to put Agon in his bed. It was better if he would sleep it all out.
A hand moved through his hair before he moved the blankets over him, tucking him in tightly.
"I don't want to lose him," was all Unsui felt like saying. He wouldn't have given that much if his father wasn't so sad-sounding.
"Lose him? Agon's not going anywhere."
"Yes, he is! If he goes to a new school I won't see him as much and I'll lose him," Unsui snapped. "I promised I'd always be there for him. YOU MADE ME BREAK A PROMISE TO MY LITTLE BROTHER!" he yelled, the stress of a long, horrible day getting to him.
"Unsui, stop doing so dramatic. This is ridiculous" Mr Kongou snarled, rolling his eyes while focussing on the road. "Agon and you are brothers, nothing will part you in the end. Stop making such a drama out of this."
He shook his head.
"You're the only sane one for godsake"
Mrs. Kongou cleaned up the pizza Agon had hashed to little pieces and started to do the dishes. She was sniffing softly.
Unsui closed his mouth tight and stared out the window. Fine. Then he just wouldn't talk. He started at the last statement, though - Sane? Does he think Agon is crazy? - but shook it off. Agon was his brother and his brother wasn't crazy.
Right?
The evening was already setting in when they arrived at their home. Mr. Kongou had been quiet as soon Unsui had stopped talking and they stayed like that all to the moment they entered the house and Mrs. Kongou hugged her son.
"Unsui! You're safe! I was so worried" she muttered, hands moving over the boys cheeks. "I've made you some dinner..."
Mr. Kongou took off his shoes and yawned.
"I can use some food as well" he announced, sighing and a bit upset about all of this. "Where's Agon?"
"He fell asleep, I tucked him in bed...he was deadly tired from all the....stuff that happened today."
Her arm was still wrapped around Unsui's shoulders.
Unsui didn't want her touching him. He didn't want the room-temperature pizza. He didn't want to be talked over and he didn't want to talk.
The only thing he wanted to do was curl up next to Agon and cry. He slipped off his shoes as an excuse to slip out of his mother's hold. He nibbled listlessly on the pizza. He mumbled something about homework, though he'd finished all of it and at this point he wasn't entirely sure where he was going to school tomorrow. And he snuck into Agon's room to sit on the foot of the bed and watch his little brother sleep.
She knew the homework was just an excuse, and honestly she didn't knew how to keep Unsui away from Agon at this point. All she could do was hoping that he wouldn't wake him so all the misery this day represented would start all over again.
Agon was having an uneasy sleep, head tucked away under the blankets, murmuring from time to time and swatting at invisible things.
It took a great deal of effort not to start crying again - once he had begun he always found himself more prone to tears for the rest of the day. It hurt to watch Agon toss restlessly in the bed and he gave up on just watching. Unsui scooted closer to grab one of Agon's hands and use his other to rub his twin's forehead. It was always a delicate balance, soothing sleeping Agon - he had to be gentle enough not to wake him but firm enough that his presence was felt.
A long "Hmmmllmmm..." escaped Agon's mouth, an eye twitching briefly when Unsui started rubbing his forehead. The younger twins toes started curling happily for a second and after that he indeed started to calm down a bit, fingers clenching lightly around Unsui's hand.
"Hmnaa..."
Downstairs both parents were looking through the folders the head of the school gave them. It wasn't just a normal school, it was an intern one, where children would be trained, educated and taken care of 24 hours a day.
"We cannot afford any of this...not even if we'd accept the schools help."
Mr. Kongou frowned. "You can always call your father..."
With a happy sigh, Unsui continued stroking Agon's forehead. At least his brother could accept him when he was asleep. There was still hope. He wondered how far his parents would go with this plan to send Agon away. Their father clearly didn't understand - Unsui wasn't afraid of not being able to find Agon or see him, he was afraid Agon would stop being close emotionally - or closer than Agon was with anyone else, anyway.
And if he wasn't around, would his twin find anyone who could calm him down, accept him, love him like Unsui did?
"I can't ask him for everything..." she said, a difficult look on her face.
"Haa...we also can't let this continue..." Mr. Kongou replied. "It's only getting worse from this point on. What if Agon hits puberty. He'll be out of control... Even I can't handle him sometimes, seriously, he's one strong kid."
Agon was still muttering and murmuring, but these sounds were far from the troubled ones he let out earlier. He had pulled his knees up now. It was nice that the sad emptyness wasn't there when he slept.
The day had been long and trying and Unsui had a headache the size of Honshuu. He could no longer quite concentrate on rubbing Agon's forehead, but he kept their fingers locked together as he slowly nodded off.
As soon Unsui stopped rubbing his forehead Agon frowned a bit, letting out a 'haahn' before turning around to lay on his stomach.
"Nssuiii..." he murmured, fingers of one clawing in his pillow. "Nssui...?"
"We keep Agon at home for a week or so, so we can decide..." Mr. Kongou stated. "I still hope it's a phase and that everything will end up nicely. I mean, Agon...he's ridiculously intelligent but...so defective and destructive sometimes..."
"Maybe that's a good idea...also for Unsui...definitely for Unsui..."
Unsui sleepily pulled Agon closer. "'M’ here," he mumbled. "Not going anywhere," he hoped he could promise. "Not goin'..." he yawned. "Anny...where."
Now Agon blinked at the new warmth that was surrounding him, and arms picking him up.
"...Hnn..?" he uttered, stirring a bit to finally notice it was his twin. His voice was sounding strange, a bit croaked from all the screaming and crying.
"...But...I know you go again..." he huffed softly.
"We can use our savings for the first year...". He opened their savingsbook, scanning the numbers, adding and retracting quickly. "Agon would probably return...acting normal..."
Mrs. Kongou sighed.
"Let's not decide anyting yet..."
They were both at least half awake now. Unsui sighed. "I'm here now. I don't know what our parents are going to do. But I'm going to do everything I can to make sure they don't take you away from me. Understand? I always want to be there for you, Agon-chan, but I'm still only a kid, and they're still our parents." He sniffled.
Agon could feel his eyes tear up again. First the sniffs were soft, sometimes accompanied with a soft shook of the shoulders but they grew louder every minute.
"...I don't want...to be alone..." he cried. "I don't like it...it hurts...inside..."
Mrs. Kongou looked up.
"Agon's crying..." she mentioned with a worried look on her face. "I have to check up on him soon..."
Bringing Agon's head to his shoulder was almost instinctive after so many thunder storms and so many tantrums. Unsui resolved to have a bite scar there for the rest of his life, but found he didn't care if it meant Agon was happy. He rubbed the same soothing circles in Agon's back that he always did. "I don't want to leave you alone, either, Agon-chan...it hurts me too. Like I can't breathe deep enough and I'm missing part of me."
Agon started chewing on Unsui's shirt again, his mother’s words still going through his head and the envelope in her bag.
"The place...it's like...I'm gonna live there..." he murmured, sniffling harder. "...and you can't come...and I'll be alone..."
And even though he was in his brother’s arms, all that was in his head were the fact it was all his fault and that he had to pay for it to go to that horrible place. He bit down on his brother’s shoulder, harder than he usually did.
Unsui barely winced at the sharp pain, too startled by the sudden revelation that this wasn't just a different school, Agon would be living there and not with him. What if there was a storm? What if Agon got so angry at someone he tried to really kill, and Unsui wasn't there to make him feel better? He noticed he was squeezing Agon a little tightly and loosened his hold a bit.
"Don't want you to go," he said helplessly.
Agon crawled to sit up, ignoring the slight stung of his bruised knees. His hands moved to Unsui's cheeks and he chewed his lip. Tears kept coming and he tried to blink them away or stop them from rolling down his cheek but it was no use.
"..Mom...she said...I have to go there...because I'm not behaving well..." he told his brother. "...And the head-master...he said I was...damaged... Maybe that's why...". Snot dribbled from his nose.
"You're not damaged," Unsui said fiercely. "There is nothing wrong with your head. You just don't think, Agon." He sat up and pulled his brother close again, rocking slightly and crying some himself. "You're not damaged, you're not. And - and if you behave, maybe you can stay," he said desperately. "Please, Agon, I know people are stupid and you don't want to be patient or follow orders from idiots, but you have to. I can't follow you to this new school. Please be good."
Mrs. Kongou was about to open the door when she heard the two brothers talking to eachother. Agon sounded upset, he was sobbing and it was obvious that he had heard everything and understood the things she said.
Slowly she covered her face with her hand and decided to not enter that room.
"Yeah..." Agon huffed, his eyes stinging from all the crying now. "...I will...and then I can stay with you... I...I...love you...because...you're the best brother..." His arms clutched around Unsui's shoulders.
"I don't wanna lose you ever, Agon. I love you, ok? Don't forget that, not ever. Because you're my little brother and I'm going to take care of you." He was babbling and repeating himself and he didn't care. Agon was far from free with the word "love" and Unsui's horrible day had at least one bright spot in it now. This little moment he could cherish forever.
When Mr. Kongou came in he found his two sons together in one bed and for once he decided to leave it that way. In his head the deciscion about all of this already had been made anyways. He noticed the smile on Agon's face and he knew that breaking the two up eventually would be hell.
"They're sleeping," he whispered to his wife, pointing out the two.
Agon had his arms wrapped around his brother’s waist now and was sleeping silently, smiling happily.
And that's how he woke up next morning, trouble with opening his eyes but knowing Unsui was right next to him.