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It was a quiet night. Aichi was alone in he and Kamui’s shared room. He was out at friend’s house at a sleep over, so he wouldn’t be back till the next morning. Normally, Aichi was invited too, but he politely declined this time. He had actually just wanted the bedroom to himself for tonight. He and Kamui were joined to the hip for sure, but even they needed some alone time to recharge their batteries. So tonight, after he had finished his homework, he decided to just hang out in the apartment. He, and the rest of his family just watched a scary movie together, and then they played some “Dead by Daylight” on their PlayStation for a bit.
Aichi was still trying to get the hang as playing as the killer, he still didn’t know how to divide up all the responsibility of taking out all four survivors whilst simultaneously making sure to keep their progress on the generators low. It was fun, and he had found the killer he was best with. Legion moved faster than he was used to, but they got around the map easily because of that. After many rounds Shin eventually retired off to sleep, as did Misaki.
“Well kid now it’s just us. What do you want to do?” Kai asked to which Aichi shrugged.
“I dunno.” He said, snuggling into his side. Kai’s arm was draped around his shoulder. He was content with this. “Did you have a good day?”
“Yeah. It was nice, just sitting and doing nothing.” It was. Shin let them have the day off as business was very slow and hardly anyone came into the cardshop, other than Leon, who didn’t stay for very long.
“What do you want to do tomorrow?” Kai asked, in which Aichi only shrugged.
“Whatever you want to do.”
A chuckle rumbled out of the older boy.
“Hey Kai?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you… nevermind.”
“What? Tell me.”
“No, it’s stupid.”
“No come on, let’s hear it.”
Aichi fidgeted, playing with the hem of his brother’s shirt. “Do you ever wonder what’s out there?” Kai glanced down at Aichi, puzzled.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean- do you ever think about- like- life outside of earth?”
“… Is that code for aliens?” Kai replied.
Aichi laughed, “Duh yes, what else am I talking about?”
Kai sighed, patting his brother’s shoulder. “Well, I don’t know, I thought that was a long-winded way of saying “I’m having an existential crisis please help.”
Aichi lifted a brow. “What’s an existential crisis?”
“It’s complicated. I’ll tell you when you get older.” Aichi looked up at him.
“Tell me now.”
“No. I won’t.”
“How come?”
“Because you’re too young to have one. You’re only concern should just be enjoying your childhood right now.” Ah yes, the long explanation for “this conversation is not being had right now.”
“So do you believe?” He asked.
“Believe in what?”
“Aliens?”
Kai sighed. “Jeez Aichi I don’t know, where’s this coming from?”
“Well, I’m just curious!” The boy exclaimed, “Sometimes I wonder about stuff like if we’re the only living things in the universe! A-and how that can’t be true we can’t be the only ones here and if they were then, what do they look like, what do they sound like, could they understand us and if there is a god and-!!”
He was suddenly smothered with a pillow, being completely weighed down by his older brother.
“Ahhhh!! Kai!! I- augh! What are you doing!?” Aichi flailed, fruitlessly trying to push off Kai.
“Listen it’s been a long day you’re just tired! You need to get out of this weird headspace you’re in!” Kai raised his voice.
“I talked to you because you’re my brother you idiot!!” Came Aichi’s muffled yell, “At least Misaki will humor me!! I thought you’d have something- WISE to say or something!”
“I’m not Gandalf Aichi, what the hell am I supposed to say!?”
“I don’t know, something! ANYTHING!! Just- you’re suffocating me get off!!”
Kai rolled his eyes, and threw the pillow to the side, instead choosing to just lie on top of him.
“Auggh-! Now you-!! You’re crushing me!” Aichi struggling beneath Kai’s weight. He wriggled and struggled for a long moment before he eventually gave up and lay limp beneath his brother. Kai burrowed his face in his shoulder, not saying anything.
“You smell like coconut.” Aichi quietly said.
Kai snorted. “Is that the only thing you have on your mind now?”
“At the moment, yes. It smells good.” It did. Kai always picked for the best shampoos at Walmart. His hair always smelled of coconut or honey, while Misaki’s smelled of the ocean, or of roses.
“In answer to all your questions, I have no idea. But that’s nothing any of us have control over.”
“… So, you don’t know?” Aichi added.
“No. I don’t. Nobody does.” Kai answered. “But I can tell you the best place to be is here. Even if the world is far from perfect.”
Hm. Straight forward and to the point. But raw, and free at the same time. This sounded very like Kai. It put Aichi at ease. He smiled and wrapped his arms around his neck.
“Hey Kai?” Aichi asked.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
Kai’s face reddened, and he sighed, burying his face into Aichi’s shoulder again. “Love you too.”
Flash!!
Both boys immediately sat up, startled by the sudden white flash, looking at the source of the light. Misaki stood in the living room clad in only her long night shirt, neither of them ever hearing her creep in. In her hands she held her rose gold phone up. It took a moment for the boys to put two and two together, but when they finally did, a look of horror and embarrassment crossed over their faces.
“Wait-wait Misaki it’s not what it looks like!” Kai tried to claim.
“He started it!! He tried to kill me!” Aichi pointed.
“Oh, I now see it’s “I love you Kai” to “He tried to kill me!!” Kai air quoted, less than impressed.
Misaki smirked. “Well, I heard some noise and wondered what was going on. But now…” The boys watched her as she scrolled on her phone, holding up the screen, in which they could see from afar the tender moment they shared blaring on her screen.
“Thanks boys. Now I have the perfect Christmas gift for everyone.