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“Ingo! It is morning! Time to get up!” Emmet bursts in, striding straight as an arrow to his twin’s window to pull aside the revered black out curtains to allow the morning light in. “Up, up, up, brother!”
The only response to Emmet’s wake up call was a low groan, the lump of a figure underneath layers of black comforters curling inwards on itself, glimpses of silver hair burrowing into the pillows and disappearing into the safe cover of blankets.
“I am Emmet. It is nine in the morning. The sun is up. Get out of bed, Ingo. Even if we have the day off, we should still adhere to a schedule!”
“Nooooo… still sleepy,” Ingo complained groggily.
Emmet huffed, hands on his hips, “And whose fault is that? The late night movie marathon was your idea. Reap what you sow. Come on. I made coffee. You love coffee. I’ll pour you a cup and dump a shit ton of creamer in it, the way you like it.”
“I love sleep more. Also, language,” Ingo grumbled.
Emmet dropped his hands and stared with a blank smile at his older twin, who verrrrrry much wasn’t a morning person.
“Seriously?” Emmet sighed. After a moment, lifted his head up again, crossing his arms and looking verrrrry determined, before speed walking to the foot of Ingo’s bed. He grabbed two fistfuls of comforters, and yanked .
Nothing happened.
“Knew you’d try that,” Ingo muttered, and though he sounded half asleep still, his iron grip on his heavenly comforters was what apparently dashed Emmet’s best efforts.
Emmet’s resting smile threatened to turn into a scowl, but the younger held strong, taking in a deep breath. He just needs to think outside the box. Obviously, physically forcing his oversleeping prone brother out of his bed won’t work, so motivation is the way to go. The coffee didn’t work. What will?
As Ingo continued to doze off, breathing evening off and gradually fading into whistle-like snores, Emmet hummed to himself, wracking his brain for anything a sleep addled Ingo would accept as worth dragging his ass out of bed for. Really, if Ingo hadn’t insisted on watching movies together so late into the night, this wouldn’t be nearly as much of a problem.
… Movies, huh. Emmet thought back to the movies they watched the night before. A couple train documentaries, a comedy action movie on a train, a murder mystery, and also…
Emmet grinned to himself and snorted. Best idea ever. If Ingo is sleep delirious enough, it’ll work.
“Ingo. Hey, Ingo.”
His brother’s voice once more lightly broke him away from his peaceful snoozing. And it was such a pleasant snooze. Please excuse him for being a little miffed.
“What do you want, Emmet?”
Ah, his voice feels so gravelly. He’s far too tired for his brother’s shenanigans. No, it’s too early indeed. What a cretin he is, his dear brother.
“I was trying not to alarm you, but… your room is haunted.”
Huh-wha?
“I am Emmet. Something’s been staring at us the entire time. From the corner, in the shadow. I think it’s a ghost. It doesn’t look nice.”
Oh. A ghost. Really?
“Let Chandelure take care of it. She eats souls for breakfast.”
“Oh, no, I can’t. She’s still asleep. Like trainer, like pokemon, she’s a verrrrry heavy sleeper.”
Sigh.
“Well, if you can’t be bothered to wake her up, then I’m sure it’s fine. So, if you would be so kind as to let me sleep in peace as well, I would be forever thankful.”
Blessed silence. Beautiful, time to doze off again.
“… Uh, Ingo. I think it’s moving now.”
“Ngh. Stop being a pest.”
“Ingo, it’s moving toward us.”
Ignore him. Yes, just ignore him, he’ll give up eventually.
“Ingo.”
Go away.
“I-Ingo.”
Nope.
“ Ingo .”
Snoring. Snoozing. Can’t you see how very asleep he is right now? Do not disturb.
So groggy and blissfully oblivious he was, he quite was not expecting the sudden loud stomping by the foot of his bed, rushing up the side, and Emmet, his little twin brother, shrieking like he was about to be murdered-
In a flurry of movement, Ingo’s eyes burst wide open, his limbs throwing his comforters absolutely everywhere, they need to get off because Emmet is distressed, his brother is right there next to him, his body flings itself right off of the comfy, cozy bed to tackle Emmet into a protective embrace, kneeling them low to the floor, his eyes and head swivel in every which direction to find the threat, where is it, where is it, is it about to attack-
… There’s nothing here. Did it leave?
His brother’s shivering torso wrapped in his arms brings back Ingo’s attention, and he can’t help blinking owlishly down at Emmet, whose face is shoved into his shoulder. That particular spot on his nightshirt is starting to feel damp.
“Emmet? Emmet, are you okay? Oh no, please let me know if you are harmed, I couldn’t bear it if-“
Emmet’s left hand lifts up to gently shove him away, but then he heaves to the opposite side, other hand slapping down onto the floor hysterically in repetition, and that’s when Ingo has a realization.
His brother isn’t sobbing.
He’s laughing. Hard. Hard enough to cry.
It takes a few moments of processing this information before he’s awake enough to figure out what just happened.
“I-I am Emme-heheh-et! I c-can’t believe you fell for tha-ha-at !”
Ingo couldn’t help the red hue overtaking his face, provoked both by his Emmet’s howling laughter and his embarrassment.
“EMMET! You can’t pull something like that, you nearly gave me a heart attack!”
“I know! It’s hilarious!” Emmet cackled, bringing his arm around his midsection for support from the body wracking laughter bubbling from his diaphragm. Ingo could only scowl - harder than usual - in response.
“I was actually worried! Seriously!”
Ingo’s protesting eventually made Emmet sober up some. He started taking deep breaths, until eventually he was calm enough to not burst into another round of chuckles every time he glanced his brother’s disapproving stare. Emmet rounded a bright grin at his twin, who had to soften at the genuine happiness beaming at his from his closest friend and family.
“Your worrying was heartwarming! Yup! But I appreciate that you are finally up even more! Let’s have coffee! And breakfast! We should not break routine, brother.”
Ingo looked briefly annoyed at his younger twin’s nagging, but Emmet’s jovial mood brought him instead to a great feeling of fondness. Emmet could see it. Though most might not be able to tell the difference, Emmet could always see the smallest tells. Ingo forgives him. He does every time.
“Okay, I’m awake. We may as well,” Ingo concedes with a sigh. He lifts himself up from his kneel on the floor, offering his hand to Emmet after and helping him stand as well. “Have you already prepared breakfast, Emmet?”
“Yup! Mhm!” Emmet affirms with a nod. “You better hope it’s still warm! It took a verrrry long while to get you out of bed.”
Ingo has the decency to look sheepish for his bad habit.
“I apologize for the trouble.”
“Mm, you’re forgiven. You gave me a good laugh. That is repayment enough.”
Ingo scoffed, looking away with blush tinged cheeks as he gives Emmet a small bodily shove. Emmet giggles and bonks their heads together in response, taking great joy in giving Ingo a hard time.
Taking advantage of their joined hands, having never separated, Emmet drags his only slightly sluggish brother out of the room so they can finally, finally , get the day started right.
Yup, Emmet thinks to himself, it’s moments like these when he’s verrrrry glad that they will always have each other. It’s far too fun to have it any other way. He may as well actually become a ghost, otherwise.