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Knocking sounded through the apartment – knocking that Mari had been waiting for all day, impatience growing by the hour. She didn’t hesitate for even a moment, leaping up from her seat and yanking the door open, the grin on her face widening as she saw who was on the other side.
With that cute, slightly messy hair she loved running her hands through, a cliff-faced expression with excitement shining in his eyes nonetheless, handsome and adorable in equal measure; her little brother, the light of her life, had finally arrived.
“Sunny!” she called, flinging herself at him and wrapping him into an extremely tight hug before he could even step through the doorway. Closing his eyes contentedly, his lips curling up slightly, Sunny returned the hug just as eagerly, setting his chin on her shoulder.
Ghh, he’s so warm and soft, I missed this so much, Mari thought, melting into the embrace and starting to stroke one hand through his hair, feeling its soft, silky texture. She felt a hand come to her own hair in turn, and practically nuzzled into it.
“I missed you,” Mari said softly, an echo of her longing slipping into her voice. “A lot.”
“…Me too.” Sunny rubbed his cheek against hers, which she gladly mimicked, wanting as much contact with her sunshine as possible.
“It’s been too long,” Mari spoke, a sentiment Sunny clearly shared – it may have only been three weeks since they saw each other, but that didn’t discount her statement in the least.
But he was here now, in front of her. She wasn’t confined to just hearing his voice over the phone anymore – she could touch him again; she could hug him all she wanted.
So she did – both of them refusing to let go, they stood in the doorway embracing and nuzzling against each other, uncaring of anything except one another.
It was maybe half a minute before a lethargic voice came from the apartment. “So… are you two going to come inside, or…?”
Mari sighed at her roommate’s comment, reluctantly pulling back from Sunny somewhat and admitting, “I guess we should…”
Though Sunny looked slightly disappointed, he quickly readjusted and compromised by taking her hand as they walked into the apartment, Sunny rolling his suitcase behind him. She smiled at the gesture – it was rather unbecoming of her, being so needy that she couldn’t even let go of him for a few seconds… but, well, Sunny didn’t exactly mind. He was no better off than her, after all.
“So, Sunny, this is my roommate, Claire,” Mari introduced, said roommate giving a lazy wave. “…and Claire, this is my little brother, Sunny.” He gave a small, silent nod in return.
“Sunny. I’ve heard a lot about you,” Claire spoke. “Like… a lot. I mean, Mari never shuts up about you. She seems… kind of obsessed with you.”
Though Claire likely meant to tease Mari, neither of the siblings reacted as expected, Sunny just leaning in towards her shoulder with a very slight curve to his lips, while Mari ruffled his hair.
“…I know,” Sunny replied.
Mari’s roommate just stared at them for a moment, bags under the eyes of her completely jaded expression, before returning to looking at her phone with a simple, “Huh.”
Meanwhile, Mari and Sunny sat down on the main couch in the common area – or, rather, Mari sat down first, and Sunny unhesitatingly sat on her lap. Warmth bloomed in her chest at the action – at how naturally they slid back into their usual affectionate ways despite all the time apart, just like they always did.
Sunny had grown to just about the same height as her these days, so as he often did, he slid down along her body, positioning his head just below hers to give her easier access to it. With a gleeful smile, she immediately began running one hand through his hair, the other coming around his waist to hold her unbelievably cute little brother closer to her. She let out a contented sigh, finally having his warmth back in her arms… how did she ever go without it?
For his part, Sunny rubbed his head up against her hand in an especially catlike manner, closing his eyes and relaxing into Mari’s embrace, the subtle smile on his face growing wider.
Mari’s heart fluttered, and she buried her face in his hair – as unkempt and frizzy as it was soft and fuzzy – delivering a kiss to the top of his forehead. “Ahh, you’re way too cute, Sunny!”
What once would have turned his face pink to the tips of his ears now only elicited a crinkle at the corner of his eyes and a curling of his lips. She couldn’t help feeling disappointed, in some ways, that it was so much harder to make him blush nowadays – he really was especially adorable when he was embarrassed, after all. But she was proud of him for being less nervous… and it just made it all the more rewarding when she was able to make his cheeks burn nonetheless.
After they had contented themselves with the embrace for a minute or two, Sunny began the conversation, speaking softly, but with confidence. “…How have you been?”
She could hear the sincerity in his voice – could tell that he asked not just to make idle small talk, but out of genuine concern. A few years ago, she would have instinctively pushed down her sincere thoughts and given some blithe reassurance that everything was great… but she and Sunny had had enough of hiding their feelings from each other.
“Well… you know,” she started, resting her chin on Sunny’s head. “College is still stressful, and classwork has been picking up lately… and it’s always hard without you. But it’s not too bad… I’ve gotten used to it. And it’s better now that you’re here.” Sunny happily pressed his back against her at that, and she squeezed him tighter for a moment in return.
“How about you?” Mari turned the question around, with no less sincerity than Sunny.
Sunny shrugged. “Same as always… wish you were there, but… ‘s okay, with everyone else.”
Mari let out a sigh. “I wish I was there too.”
Both of them knew just how inadequate those words were to describe how they felt – just how much yearning for each other’s presence laid below the surface. But, well, there was nothing to be done about it… not for a long while yet, anyway.
“…We’re together now,” Sunny pointed out, worming his way up in his seat to give Mari a kiss on the cheek.
Warmth and love flooded through her once more from the point of contact, drowning out any unpleasant thoughts of their separation. “We are,” she affirmed, kissing his cheek right back.
That, at least, made things more bearable – the time they could spend together… the knowledge that no matter how long passed, Sunny would still be waiting for her just as eagerly, with just as much love.
Claire, whose eyes had occasionally been flicking up from her phone to the siblings’ display of affection, finally spoke up, tone as impassive as ever. “So… I’ve been getting this sense from Mari for a while now, but… you two are fucking, right?”
Mari couldn’t help it – caught by complete surprise, all she could do was burst into laughter. Even Sunny, who normally reacted to humor with a silent expression of mirth, maybe a soundless rise and fall of his chest, began to let out audible chuckles.
After twenty seconds straight of laughing, Sunny was the first to speak, in the complete deadpan that came so naturally to him. “Incest? Disgusting. Who would do such a thing.”
Gathering herself as much as she could, Mari did her best to follow suit, though her neutral tone was considerably more tainted by giggling. “How rude to say. I can’t believe you would accuse us of such a thing. Is that really what you think of us.”
“We would never,” Sunny tacked on.
Claire just stared at them, looking thoroughly unconvinced, until she finally got up from her chair. “Okay. Sure. Whatever. Look, I’ll leave you to it. Just don’t make enough noise to keep me up.”
Without missing a beat, Sunny deadpanned, “Don’t worry. We’ll use a gag.”
A long, high-pitched whine escaped Mari, followed by a scandalized, “Sunny!” God, Sunny could catch her off guard so easily with that straight-faced delivery of his – it didn’t help how much more smoothly he spoke when he was making jokes.
“I didn’t need to know that,” Claire responded, stepping into her bedroom. “Anyway. See you tomorrow.”
With that, she shut the door, and the Suzukis shared a silent look for a moment before breaking out into another bout of laughter.
“I told you she wouldn’t care,” Mari said in a hushed voice, such that only Sunny would hear.
Her little brother nodded, then with mischief in his eyes, asked, “…Think she took me seriously?”
Mari smiled at him with fond exasperation. “I’m sure she did. Thanks for that, by the way.”
In an entirely serious voice, he replied, “Anything for you.”
Mari smirked smugly, bringing their foreheads together, lips hovering inches apart. “Anything? Well, in that ca-”
But Sunny didn’t wait for her to finish – she was cut off by her little brother’s lips pressing against hers, his body turning to face her more properly. Her eyes widened for a moment, but she soon loosened up and leaned into the kiss, pulling Sunny closer towards her as he wrapped his arms around her neck. Her eyes half-lidded, she indulged in the softness of his lips… Sunny had really been taking the initiative often lately. It always caught her off guard, but she loved it all the same.
When they finally broke the kiss, Mari just smiled at Sunny, showing as much love and warmth on her expression as she could manage. “I really love you, Sunny.”
He returned the smile, wearing an expression befitting of his name – ah, and there was the slight reddening of his cheeks she was looking for earlier, brought out by such direct, tender affection. “…Love you too… Mari.”
Mari squealed internally, and squeezed him as tightly as she could. He’s so cute! He’s so sweet! How was I ever supposed to not fall for him?
Sunny resting his cheek on her shoulder, the two of them cuddled in blissful silence for a while, before Sunny noted, “…Y’know… we weren’t technically lying, earlier.”
“True… not that we tried very hard to ‘lie’, anyway,” Mari agreed, chuckling at the memory. Indeed, with Sunny being asexual, they were not, in fact, “fucking”, as Claire had so elegantly put it.
…They were just deeply in love with each other, that was all.
“…Thank you,” Sunny said, muffled by Mari’s shoulder. “For… staying.”
“Of course I would,” Mari replied, nuzzling her cheek against the top of his head. “I love you way too much for that to stop me.” Sunny had been so worried in the past, about not being able to meet her needs…. but sex honestly wasn’t all that important to her. And she couldn’t imagine living life without her Sunny by her side.
At her reassurance, Sunny brought his lips back up to hers, kissing her again. She enjoyed the feeling for a few moments… but before long, she reluctantly pushed him away by the shoulders.
“We should… probably move this to my room,” she suggested.
Seeing the wisdom in this, Sunny nodded in agreement, and they finally entered Mari’s bedroom, shutting the door behind.
Practically as soon as it clicked behind them, Sunny was already eagerly pulling her into another kiss, the two of them clumsily maneuvering to the bed, where they hugged and made out for the next few minutes, Mari’s heart filled with bliss. Finally, once they’d had their fill, Mari laid her head down on Sunny’s lap, staring up at that beautiful, adorable face she loved so much.
Sunny stroked one hand over her head, the other holding her hand, their fingers interlocked. The feeling of it all was so soothing that she couldn’t help but close her eyes… it always used to be her who took care of Sunny like this, but after things had gradually changed over the past few years, she learned just how much she had been missing out. Just being able to completely relax, let go of any responsibilities as the big sister and give in to Sunny’s touch… it was absolute bliss.
It wasn’t long before she let out an involuntary yawn, feeling like she could fall asleep any moment.
“Sorry… it was… hard to fall asleep, last night,” Mari explained, opening her eyes again. It was a bit embarrassing, but she had felt like a kid on Christmas eve, knowing Sunny would be coming tomorrow.
Sunny smiled slightly. “Same,” he sympathized with a nod. “…Early night?”
Skipping right to cuddling in bed? She could hardly complain. “That sounds good to me.”
With a monumental effort, she pulled herself up from the bed long enough for the two of them to brush their teeth and get changed into pajamas. When they were ready, Mari asked, “I’m assuming you want to share the bed?”
“Obviously,” Sunny nodded, without hesitation. She hadn’t even really needed to ask, but it still warmed her heart to hear his response – to know how completely normal this had become. There had once been a time when sleeping together had been reserved only for comfort after nightmares, no matter how desperately they both longed for it – requesting it otherwise was too childish, too clingy. Sunny had admitted once, after they started dating, that he wasn’t always being truthful about having nightmares… as adorable as that was, Mari much preferred being able to just ask.
The siblings slid into bed, throwing an arm over each other and pulling their bodies as close together as they could manage, Mari nestling her head against Sunny’s chest, leaving her wide grin only just visible. She felt so cozy, savoring her brother’s warmth, his gentle embrace around her, and listening to his steady heartbeat…
“I needed this,” she spoke quietly into Sunny’s shirt. “Cuddling with you, stroking your hair – it’s… hard, not being able to touch you. I don’t know how I’ve managed it for this long…”
“…Me too,” he replied. “Your affection… your touch… was always, everything, to me.”
Mari’s chest warmed. “It’s weird to think… a few years ago, we could never have talked this openly with each other. We’ve really come a long way… thanks to you.”
She really meant it – all this progress that brought her so much joy… it was always driven forward by her little brother, gathering the courage to express himself in spite of his usual shyness. From the days before their first recital, when he had spoken up about his unhappiness with Mari becoming more distant; to all the times he called her out on fake smiles and bottled up emotions; to that night in the treehouse the summer after her first year at college, when all his true feelings finally came spilling out. His fear of them growing apart further and further in college and beyond, his desire to live with her forever… and the full depth of his love for her.
He hadn’t been expecting anything to come of it – only wanting to finally get this secret off his chest, unable to carry the burden of it any longer. But to his equal parts surprise and glee, Mari had returned his feelings in full – and now, almost a year later, they were more utterly comfortable around each other than she could ever have imagined, and Mari was certain she would never be able to love anyone else the way she loved her sunshine.
“…And thanks to you,” Sunny returned. “If I was… an only child, in this family… could never have gotten this confident.”
Mari grimaced at the reminder of what Sunny was having to deal with when she was gone. “How has it been, with Mom and Dad?” she asked sympathetically, pulling back from his chest to meet his eyes.
“…Getting better,” he replied. “Think they’ve mostly given up… learned the pressure won’t get anywhere with me, the way it did with you.”
“That’s good,” Mari said, running a hand through Sunny’s hair soothingly. “I wish you didn’t have to deal with all that… I always wanted to shield you from their expectations, but…”
“’s okay,” Sunny shook his head. “I can handle it… you protected me long enough.”
It still hurt to know Sunny was having to suffer through that, but… she was reminded of just how proud she was of him. Her little brother had really grown up to be such a strong, amazing person; even more so than he always was.
“It won’t be much longer now,” Mari reassured. “A couple more years, and then we’ll be able to move in together… it still feels like a dream, that we never have to leave each other.”
Sunny just smiled warmly at her – she knew he felt the same way. After so many years of dreading what they believed to be an inevitable future, where the two of them moved apart and only saw each other a few times a year, those worries were blown away with Sunny’s confession. Now, however hard the next few years might be, the future they had to look forward to was nothing but bright.
…Well. That wasn’t exactly true. There were, of course, certain snags inherent to the taboo nature of their relationship… not everyone would be so uncaring as Claire.
Mari sighed, thinking about one of those issues in particular, and buried her face back in Sunny’s chest. “I still can’t help feeling guilty… it’s really going to hurt Mom and Dad when they find out about this.”
It wasn’t as though they were planning to tell their parents the truth anytime soon – certainly not while they still had power over them. But… Mari wasn’t so naïve as to think they could keep it a secret forever. As years passed and the siblings continued to live together, never moving apart, never getting significant others… they were bound to get suspicious eventually.
Sunny stroked her hair in comfort. “…Can’t say they really… feel like my parents,” he admitted after a few moments of silence. “…Always felt like you were raising me.”
Despite her previous mood, Mari smirked, looking back up at Sunny. “Oh? How naughty of you… falling for your sister and your mother.”
Without missing a beat, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes, Sunny replied, “Sorry, Mommy.”
Mari cracked, beginning to giggle uncontrollably. “Don’t – don’t call me that, Sunny,” she squeezed out between laughs.
Sunny wasn’t ready to let up yet. “Okay then, Daddy.”
Her laughter doubled, a whining sound escaping her lungs, until her chuckling finally left her gasping for air; Sunny’s neutral face breaking into a smile as he watched her.
When she had finally recovered enough to speak, with exhaustion slipping into her voice, she closed her eyes and said, “I’m really glad… that you’re my brother, Sunny.”
It was a statement she used to think would always be obvious – but for a long while after she first realized her feelings for Sunny, she had desperately wished that he wasn’t. If only they weren’t related, then he might actually feel the same way about her… then it wouldn’t be wrong for them to be together.
But now, she couldn’t disagree more. It was only because they were siblings that they could always be so close – that she could have her Sunny by her side through her whole life. It was only because they were siblings that they had become so perfectly relaxed with each other. How could she ever have believed this was “wrong”? How cruel had she been, to think of the love they shared as anything less than beautiful?
No, Sunny being her brother wasn’t anything to lament – it was the greatest blessing she had ever received. She wouldn’t have had it any other way.
As she gradually drifted closer to sleep, secure in the arms of her one true love, Sunny laid his chin atop her head, and spoke one last time.
“I am, too.”