Work Text:
Akane sits alone in his room with a pen in his hands. He tilts his head slightly to the side as he looks down puzzledly at his math worksheet. Math has always been his best subject, but he’s having a hard time figuring out what he’s supposed to do for some odd reason.
That’s new to him.
He’s not used to not understanding something- so he’s spent the last hour or so trying to complete his work. He’s never been a procrastinator and refuses to leave it until later, so he’ll continue to spend his life away doing something he struggles with.
“Hmm..” he mumbles to himself. He begins to click his pen repeatedly, listening carefully to the clicks that he receives- it provides an oddly comforting sound. It helps him focus a bit better. “Maybe if I..”
He scribbles a few things down onto his paper in an attempt to find a solution. It would be his fifth time attempting to solve it- he gasps when he realizes he’s finally getting close to the answer. His writing speed begins to quicken as he-
“Akane!”
He drops his pen in surprise. He fails to reach it in time and has to watch as it rolls behind his desk in horror- he will never get that pen ever again. It’s gone for good. Forever, even.. what a shame.
“Mirai..” he mutters as he pushes his swivel chair away from his desk, “I’m kinda busy here, in case you couldn’t tell.”
“I know!” his younger sister looks at him with the brightest smile ever. She sounds happy about something.. is there some sort of event Akane doesn’t know about? A new friend she made?
“Okay, well..” Akane pinches the bridge of his nose with a small huff. He’s clearly not as happy as she is- the frustration seeps into his tone without him realizing. “What could be so important that you have to interrupt? Did you break something? Are you hungry?”
“Look at the time!”
“..what about the time?”
“Don’t you know what day it is?” Mirai puffs her cheeks and huffs. (She gained that trait from being around Akane so much. The resemblance is uncanny. Like brother, like sister.) “Akane is supposed to be smart!”
“It’s October 31st, of course I know what day it is..” Akane rolls his eyes. He reaches for a new pen now that his favorite one has rolled into the depths of hell itself. His hand yearns for it back. It had a nice grip on it that he bought for a quarter. “And it’s seven PM. Your point is..?”
“It’s Halloween! Let’s go trick or treating!!”
“..oh, right. It is,” he blinks, “I thought dad was taking you?”
“He hasn’t come home. I don’t think he’s gonna..” Mirai fidgets with her hands. She looks down at the floor as she speaks; she doesn’t make eye contact. “..so Mirai wanted to ask you to take her instead,”
“That asshole,” Akane mutters under his breath. He makes sure his sister can’t hear his profanity- he doesn’t want her mimicking that behavior in the slightest. He inherited that trait himself, after all. “Mirai, I have work to do. I can’t take you, I need this in by tomorrow.”
“Awh..” he watches as her smile fades. He can’t help but feel guilty being responsible for her frown. “Okay, I’ll go ask mom..”
“..you know what? No- I’ll take you,” Akane shakes his head, getting out of his seat. There’s no way in hell he’s letting Mirai ask their mother- he doesn’t even want to imagine the outcome. If Mirai tries asking her, no one is leaving the house at all.
“Really? You’ll take Mirai?”
“Yes, really.” he reaches over for an empty backpack in his room, “Put your costume on so we can head out soon. We can’t stay out until super late, either- that’s unsafe,”
“Okay, okay! Mirai will be right back!”
“Don’t take too long,”
“I won’t!”
After a few minutes, Mirai comes back with a red cloth and a bag in her hands- accompanied by a new outfit. A dress of some sort; she looks as happy as always in it. Akane is glad she has her smile back. (She’s his responsibility, after all. It’s his job to make sure she’s happy and healthy. It’s not like anyone else is going to do it.)
“Akane, can you help Mirai put this on?”
“Mhm,” Akane reaches over for the red cloth in her hands. He crouches down before wrapping it around her carefully, grabbing the little strings and holding them in between his fingers. Thankfully his frustration has dropped and he sounds much calmer now. “Let me show you how to tie something,”
“Okay, okay!”
“First, you grab both strings like how I have them now.” he instructs, “Then you cross them over each other like this.. and then you slide one of them under, and-”
“..Mirai doesn’t understand any of this,” Mirai interrupts. Well, that was to be assumed- she seemed lost the second Akane started talking. He could tell. “Sorry,” she apologizes timidly quickly after.
“Hmm..” Akane gives her a reassuring smile in response, “That’s okay,” he doesn’t snap at her. He would never want her to feel bad for not understanding something. He would never want her to feel the same way he does. “You’ll learn when you’re older, I’ll keep tying things for now,” he ties the strings into a bow with ease. “There we go, you’re all set. Do you have your shoes on already?”
“Mhm!”
“Alright, then- we should be good to go,”
“Nuhuh, we aren’t!”
“Huh?” he tilts his head to the side slightly, “What do you mean? I have my backpack ready in case anything happens, if that’s what you mean. You know I always bring it,”
“That’s not what Mirai means!” Mirai reaches over for the bag she had previously. She holds it up in front of Akane to put it in his hands instead; Akane can see a costume through the clear bag. “You need to get dressed up, too!”
“..Mirai,” Akane giggles before giving the bag back to Mirai, “I’m a little too old for trick or treating, I’m just supervising you.”
“You can’t be too old for trick or treating!”
“Unfortunately, you can..” he grabs his backpack and sets it on his bed. He double checks to make sure everything he needs is in there- several water bottles, two boxes of bandaids, and an entire first-aid kid. It’s very necessary. Who knows what’s out there. “I’m sixteen,”
“So?”
“So I just can’t,” he continues to deny it, “and that’s that.”
“But Mirai picked this costume out just for you..”
“..Mirai, I’m not-”
“I made sure it was Akane’s size and everything..”
“Mirai..”
“And I worked really, really, really hard for the money-“
“Okay, okay! I’ll put it on!” he finally blurts out, “Enough with the sad act.. go wait at the front door for me, I’ll be there in about five minutes. Double check and make sure you have everything you need,”
“Mirai will!” Mirai lights up, “Don’t take too long!”
“I won’t,” Akane presses a soft kiss onto her forehead before sending her out, “Now, shoo, so I can get ready.”
Akane stares at his mirror.
Out of all the costumes Mirai could’ve bought him.. it had to be this one.
He adjusts the headband on his head with a small scoff. He does his best to hide the accessory with his hair, but it doesn’t seem to work out too well for him. He’s left feeling embarrassed. Well, he was the one who agreed to dressing up with Mirai.. it’s his fault and now there’s no going back. That’s the end of it. The end of his reputation.
He probably won’t run into any of his friends, though- so he lets out a sigh of relief.
Aoi told him she’d be out with Sakura all day. (“Isn’t this lovely? It’s a date~ if my parents ask you where I’ve been, tell them we were together.” Akane congratulated her with a smile. He agreed to cover up for her. She’s his best friend, after all.)
Lemon told him he’d be out with his moms somewhere out of town. (“Halloween’s a huge deal to them, sorry, man. On the plus side, I’ll bring you some of my aunt’s cakes.” Akane told him it was fine and to go have fun. Cakes are pretty nice, anyway.)
Suzuto told him he’d have to go to a party with his more popular friends. (“You know how it is if I don’t go. You’ll be at home on your own anyway, won’t you? Maybe call Minamoto-senpai and- ouch!” Akane scoffed and said he hoped Suzuto did not return from the party at all.)
The only friend he didn’t hear anything from was Teru, though he assumed the exorcist would be out doing exorcist things, anyway. It’s not really like Teru had the time for something like Halloween. That was a ‘fun’ holiday, he would be far too busy for it.
Plus, Teru isn’t even really Akane’s friend. He doesn’t want to see Teru tonight. He doesn’t want to see Teru ever.
Akane lets his cheek rest on his palm. The more he thinks about it, the more he wonders- if Teru did go trick or treating, what sort of costume would he be in? Would it be a scary, bloody one? Or more of a cute one? Would it be a funny one, instead? Or maybe he’d go all out, and-
Akane catches himself blushing at his own thoughts.
He hates that- he doesn’t know where that even came from. This is weird and unnatural. He’s supposed to hate Teru. The guy’s a jerk and Akane definitely doesn’t want to see him this Halloween; not at all, not one bit, no. Akane doesn’t want to see him during any Halloween. They both have different things to focus on and shouldn’t cross paths at all.
Why should he even care if Teru chooses to trick or treat or not, anyway? Teru is seventeen and has an important job to do. Even though Akane wishes he’d just take a break sometimes, it’s not like he cares about him. He’s not worried. For all he cares, Teru could trip over a rock and faceplant onto the floor or something stupid along those lines.
Though Akane would definitely consider helping. He’d feel bad right after, calling him stupid and telling him to be more careful. It’s what he’s always done when it comes to Teru.
“God..”
Akane lets out a small groan. Great, now Teru in a stupid costume is stuck in his head. His face is all flushed and it sucks. There’s so many costumes Teru could be wearing, so many to choose from.
He covers his face momentarily as he rethinks his entire life. Teru is not what he wants to think about right now.
“Akane!” the boy turns to his door to listen to the voice behind it. Thankfully Mirai has come to snap him out of his trance. “You’re taking foreverrr!”
“I’m almost done!” he calls out as he moves away from his mirror, “I’m still fixing something!”
“Fix it faster!”
“I’ll be out in a minute!”
He huffs and makes his final touches before slinging his backpack over his shoulder. Mirai beams once he’s finally out of the room- she grabs onto her older brother’s hand and begins to drag him away.
“Took you long enough!”
“Oh, please, I was trying to figure out how this stupid headband goes..” Akane rolls his eyes as he’s brought to their living room, “Do you need to use the bathroom before we go? We won’t be back for another hour or two at least,” he reaches over for the keys on their dining table and shoves them in his pocket.
“Nope!”
“Alright,” he also grabs a pumpkin shaped basket. Mirai is already holding hers, swinging it back and forth as she waits for Akane. “I’m not holding your basket if it gets too heavy, by the way.”
“That’s okay! Mirai is strong, she can do it!”
“If you say so, come on. Stay by my side and don’t get lost, Mirai. Don’t eat any candy before I check it, either- I don’t want you getting sick.”
“Okay, okay!”
And with that, the two leave the house- hand in hand to go trick or treating.
(Somehow, Mirai forgets something, and they go right back inside. Akane does it have it in him to scold her, as it was an honest mistake, but they make it out eventually.)
Of course, Akane loves Mirai dearly. There’s no doubt about it. He’s done his best to keep her safe.
But sometimes it’s tiring to be her caretaker. Akane is a teenager and has to focus on so much at once. His education, the housework, his friends, his responsibilities- the list goes on. His parents are only able to provide basic living conditions, such as food or a roof over their family’s heads. Akane is the one who has to watch over everything else.
He doesn’t hate taking care of his sister. It pays off in the end- he doesn’t want her to have the same childhood as he did. He doesn’t want her to think she has no one that she can rely on. So he’ll continue without complaining to her directly.
Mirai isn’t a burden. Akane would never want her to think that- not one bit.
“What house are we going to next?”
He glances down at Mirai. She’s skipping and asking him all sorts of things as they go around their neighborhood. She’s as bright as ever, he always does his best to keep her that way.
“Hmm,” Akane looks around, “It’s getting darker, but we should have enough time for the other side of the neighborhood. Unless you’re getting tired already? Do you think that’s enough candy for the night?”
“Nope! Let’s go, let’s go!”
“Alright, alright.. we’re going,” he smiles, “Thankfully the streetlights are already on, it’s-”
“Is that Aoi-kun?”
“It can’t be,”
“Akane,” Mirai tugs at Akane’s hand when they stop walking, “Are they talking about you?”
“Ignore it,” Akane responds quickly. He doesn’t even bother glancing behind him- he recognizes those voices. He begins to pull Mirai along, unintentionally making her stumble slightly. “Let’s just keep going, don’t-”
“No way, it is!”
“What a lame costume.. is he matching with his sister?”
“They don’t even look anything alike, she-”
“Can you two shut up?” he stops walking again to turn towards them. “You could at least attempt to whisper.” he’s usually pretty caught up with his polite act, only cracking every now and then to those who annoy him- but mentioning Mirai was a bit of a breaking point.
The two snickering about him are Masako Aoyagi and Aiki Koizumi. They’re classmates of his, but he’s never bothered to talk to them all that much- Masako is a smart girl who likes to gossip and Aiki is a baseball player who tends to be a follower. They’ve never had the time for him, and he hasn’t had the time for them, either. They’re rude, anyway. Akane is rude enough himself, he doesn’t want to be associated with his true personality.
He just doesn’t really know why they choose to annoy him today, out of all times.
“We sort of meant for you to hear us, sorry we didn’t make it obvious enough.” Masako tells him with a snicker, “What are you even supposed to be? Like, a dog, or something? What’s with the ears, huh?”
“Akane is a wolf,” Mirai speaks up for him, “And Mirai is little red riding hood. We’re matching!”
“Jeez, man,” Aiki puts a hand over his mouth, “Are you that lonely that you had to match with your little sister? What, your friend Akane-san ditched you for someone else? Yamabuki-kun, Fuji-kun, too.. damn.”
“Uhm..” Mirai slowly hides herself behind Akane’s legs. She’s never been good with contact with strangers- especially not ones older and meaner than her. “Akane isn’t.. lonely, they’re all.. busy.”
“Excuses,” Aiki shrugs, “It’s funny, honestly.”
“Shut it, Koizumi-kun. I did it willingly. I didn’t want to go with anyone,” Akane hisses back, “Don’t you two have anyone else to bother? Neither of you are dressed up yourselves, go back inside and whine to your parents. Leave me and my sister alone,”
“We’re going to a Halloween party. I’m guessing you weren’t invited?” the former pauses, “Well, actually, that’s kind of a given.. you aren’t friends with anyone there. I don’t think they let animals in, anyway.”
“Isn’t that a bit rude to say, Aoyagi-san?”
“Huh?” both Masako and Aiki turn at the voice. Masako stares in shock. “Minamoto-senpai?”
“He’s gonna tell my sister I’m making fun of people again!” Aiki whispers to her, “Masako, make an excuse so we can leave..”
“Hmm~” Akane would be able to recognize Teru’s voice a mile away. His heart skips a beat at the exorcist’s chuckle. “Go on, run along to whatever party you had to go to. You don’t want to be late, now, do you?”
“We’re going,” Masako mutters, “Come on, Aiki-kun. Don’t be so slow.”
“I’m not slow! I’m going!”
Akane watches as the two walk away. He’s not surprised- Teru can come off as pretty intimidating, especially to the first years. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t intimidated by Teru when he was in junior high, but it was more of him thinking Teru was oddly pretty rather than being frightened.
“Soooo, Aoi~ trick or treating with your sister, are you? How fun!”
“Yeah,” he looks down at the sidewalk with a flustered expression, “She chose the costumes, in case you couldn’t tell- I just wanted her to have a nice Halloween, so..”
“Ahaha~” Teru chuckles softly. Akane can hear him walking closer- his heart begins to race. Is Teru dressed up as something? Was he caught up in the middle of his exorcizing job? Akane is too flustered to look up; he doesn’t know what he might see. “Don’t worry about it one bit~ I’m matching with my siblings, too.”
“Wait, you are?”
“I am!”
When Akane looks up, the blush instantly fades from his face. He can’t help but stiffen.
“You look confused,” Teru clasps his hands together, “I’m supposed to be-”
“I know,” Akane interrupts, “I know what you’re supposed to be.”
“Well~” the exorcist smiles warmly, “What do you think, Aoi? You seemed starstruck by my appearance today. You must really love my costume, hm?”
“..that’s not really it,” Akane blinks, “You know, out of all the costumes.. I didn’t expect you to be..” he pauses, “..a loaf of bread.”
“It’s quite charming, isn’t it? I like the way it frames my face,” Teru beams, “I picked the costumes myself~ my little sister over there, Tiara- you’ve met her a few times, she’s a jar of jelly. And Kou.. hm? Where-”
“Teru-nii, you don’t have to show him..”
“What are you hiding for?” he peeks behind himself. Akane can see a glimpse of blonde hair behind Teru, presumably Kou’s since Tiara is already standing beside him. “Show Aoi your costume,”
“This is embarrassing..”
“Embarrassing?”
“Yes, embarrassing!” Kou whines, “Aoi-senpai, don’t look at me!”
“Ehh?” Akane watches as the two brothers go back and forth. Mirai stares in amusement with him. “I thought you liked your peanut butter costume.. you said you were happy to match with all of us when our little princess suggested it.”
“It’s not that I don’t like it! I told you I wanted us to match as vampires- the high school first years are gonna make fun of me!”
“No one’s going to make fun of you, I won’t let that happen,”
“Yeah, Minamoto-kouhai. I’m not going to make fun of you, either,” Akane speaks up, “If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t have a say in my costume, either. I’m sure you look.. very nice in your peanut butter costume.”
“..he’s being sarcastic!”
“I’m not,” he can’t help but smile a little. “It can't be that bad, can it? I know your brother is pretty bad with fashion, but this is just a silly costume.. I mean, I’m a wolf- I really wouldn’t mind,”
“Mmhhh..” Kou finally peeks his head out from behind Teru. Hesitantly, he takes a few steps to the right- finally revealing himself and his costume. “Okay, well-”
Mirai bursts into laughter, staring at Kou’s costume as she does. Akane’s eyes widen at the sudden sound- the color drains from his face. “Mirai!” he would’ve laughed, too- but he didn’t want to make Kou feel even more embarrassed. He watches the young exorcist hide his face with his hands. “Quit laughing!”
“But it’s funny!”
“Teru-niiiii..” Kou whines again, “I told you! Now it’s a four year old laughing at me!”
“Mirai is five!” Mirai holds her hand up to show the five fingers on there. She beams with confidence stating her age. “Not four!”
“Not the pooooint..”
“Ah..” Teru can’t help but stifle a laugh himself. “Kou, you look just fine.. Mirai-chan is a child, don’t take it to heart. I’m sure she means no harm,”
“She really doesn’t,” Akane blurts out, “I’m sorry, Minamoto-kouhai..” he then picks Mirai up, carrying her as if she were a baby. “Mirai, you have to apologize, too.”
“But Mirai doesn’t wannnnna..”
“We’ll have to go back home if you don’t,” he shakes his head, “there’s a difference between being honest, and being mean.” he tells her. (Oh, how hypocritical..) “And that was very mean of you.”
“Mirai is sorrrry..”
“She has nothing to apologize for~” Teru hums, “I’m sure Kou doesn’t mind all that much.”
“You shouldn’t be speaking over your brother like that. Just look how red he is..” Akane huffs, “We’re both very sorry, Minamoto-kouhai. I think your peanut butter costume is nice.” he’s lying, but he says that anyway. He, too, wanted to laugh- but he has to be polite.
“Thanks, Aoi-senpai..” Kou mutters, “It’s appreciated..”
“Of course,” the former hums, “Well, it was nice running into all of you.. but we still have to go trick or treating around the rest of the neighborhood. I told Mirai we would,”
“Ah, how fun~” Teru coos, “can we come with?”
“Huh?” Akane tilts his head to the side, “Come with?”
“We can trick or treat together!” the exorcist sounds so excited about the idea. Akane can feel the blush creep back onto his cheeks. “It’s been years since I last went, so it’d be fun to do this with you, too~ Mirai-chan and Tiara can talk as we walk. I don’t think they’ve ever met before,”
“What about Minamoto-kouhai?”
“Oh, that’s right..”
“I don’t mind,” Kou smiles, “Teru-nii really hasn’t gone trick or treating with us in forever.. it’d be fun for you to join us, Aoi-senpai!”
“If it’s not a bother..”
“Of course it’s not a bother! We’d be happy to have you join us~” if Akane didn’t know any better, he’d think Teru would start jumping up and down with excitement. “So, what do you say?”
“Alright, then. It’s fine with me, but are you okay with that, Mirai?” Akane slowly places the girl in his hands down, “I have to make sure..”
“Mirai’s okay with that,” she replies before pointing at Teru, “this is my first time ever meeting Akane’s boyfriend.. he’s tall.”
“..eh?” Teru blinks. There’s a small, slightly noticeable blush on his cheeks. “Ah..”
“Mirai, don’t- don’t say that,” Akane flusters up in comparison. His pale complexion makes it so obvious- he wishes he’d explode. “Sorry, Minamoto-kaichou. Uhm.. as you know, this is my little sister, Mirai.”
“Aha~ it’s no problem, really.” Teru reassures, “It’s very nice to meet you, Mirai-chan. Your costume suits you,”
“He acts funny,”
“Mirai!”
“She doesn’t seem to have much of a filter..” he chuckles, “Reminds me of someone I know..”
“Tch.. whatever,” Akane scoffs. “How about you try talking to Minamoto-chan, Mirai?”
“Hi, Mirai-chan!! I’m Tiara!” Tiara beams. She holds out a bunny shaped plush in her hands- or at least Akane thinks it resembles a bunny. He’s not sure what that thing is, but it’s cute. “This is Fairy! Fairy says hi, too!!”
“Hi,” Mirai waves slightly, “Mirai says hi to Fairy, too,”
“Here, you can hold Fairy!!” Tiara pushes the plush into Mirai’s hands, “Fairy is very friendly, you won’t get bit!! Don’t worry! We’re gonna be best friends!! Come on!!” she then grabs onto her other hand cheerfully.
“Sorry, Tiara may be a bit much..” Teru whispers to Akane, “She’s very happy when it comes to meeting new people, I hope she doesn’t overwhelm Mirai-chan.”
“Oh, no, it’s not a problem,” Akane responds with a smile, “Mirai doesn’t have many friends, so she can be a little shy at first.. she’s actually bounces around the walls at home,”
“Aha~ I know, you’ve told me a handful of stories..”
“Mhm, she’s just not good with strangers.”
“Quite understandable, I don’t blame her~” he can feel Teru’s hand brush against his own. He doesn’t realize it’s intentional until Teru suddenly grabs onto his hand completely. “Well, let’s get on with our trick or treating~ we don’t want to wait until it gets too late,”
“R.. Right,” Akane mumbles, looking forward with his blush covered face. “Let’s go,”
The little group goes on, trick or treating at every house they come across. No one approaches them to annoy them this time- and Akane is glad Mirai is having a good time.
Eventually, it gets too dark. Obviously, that’s how it goes.. as Halloween’s night progresses, the sky will get darker and darker. Sure, the street lights provide some sort of comfort, but Akane isn’t one to walk in the dark, not even with others by his side.
“Mirai-chan is all tired, hm?”
“Usually she isn’t up past ten,” Akane giggles. He still walks by Teru’s side, though now he carries his little sister in his arms. “It being almost eleven, she’s bound to be exhausted.. I didn’t expect for us to be out this long.”
“That makes sense,” Teru gives him a warm smile, “Tiara and Kou aren't usually up at this time on school nights, either.”
“I’m sure you are, though,” Akane playfully rolls his eyes, “Your sleep schedule is the most messed up thing I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying a lot, because I’ve seen.. a handful of things.”
“Eh? It’s not that bad~”
“It’s pretty bad.”
“Isn’t that a little hypocritical coming from you?”
“Tch..” he huffs, “Well, yeah, but I didn’t say it wasn’t. Usually I sleep before two in the morning, for your information..”
“But you wake up super early in comparison to me, I’m not the one waking up at five just to get everything ready~”
“What does that matter? I’m still sleeping a little more,” he stops in his steps, “We’re at your place, now- so why don’t you go to bed? While you have the chance, at least.”
“I still.. ah, hold on.” the exorcist pauses to turn and talk to his brother momentarily. Kou looks like he’s about to fall asleep- Akane can tell. His eyes are insanely tired. “Can you go take Tiara inside? You and her both need to get some rest.”
“Mmmhmmm..”
“Thank you,”
Kou picks up Tiara with ease and enters the house in front of them. Akane is left alone with Teru- he doesn’t know why. Well, he’s also with Mirai.. but she’s sleeping peacefully in his arms. So technically it’s just them.
“Is there a reason you sent them inside?” Akane asks, “Or..”
“Sort of~” Teru hums before letting out a small sigh, “I still have to go out for work today. I told them I had the day off, though I just pushed back my job until midnight so I could spend some time with them first. I haven’t gone trick or treating with them since I was young, and even then.. Tiara doesn’t remember a single thing about it.”
“Oh,” the former blinks, “That.. really sucks,”
“It does,” Teru pauses, “but it means a lot to me that you came along with us today.”
“Hm?” Akane can’t help but smile a bit. “It’s no problem, I really only went trick or treating for Mirai. I don’t really like Halloween myself, our parents couldn’t take her and I didn’t want her unhappy or anything like that..”
“That’s still quite sweet of you, isn’t it?” Teru chuckles, “I know you don’t, Aoi. I know you only went out for her, I find it quite admirable..”
“I’m sure you’d do the same if it was for your siblings.. I mean, you pushed back your schedule to hang out with them- I pushed back some of my school work,”
“And I know how much your work means to you~”
“And it means a lot to you, too.”
“Mhm, I suppose that’s true~” Teru sighed, “Well, I was hoping I’d run into you sometime today. I was wondering what sort of costume you’d wear.. I wasn’t sure if you were the type to dress cutesy, or dress scary.. though I also wondered if you’d even dress up at all.”
“Really?” Akane giggles, “I was wondering the same thing, but I pushed the thought back because I was.. embarrassed.”
“Awh, embarrassed thinking about me? How painful..”
“Don’t put words in my mouth,” he puffs his cheeks with a huff, “..well, actually, that’s exactly what I was embarrassed about.”
“Ahaha~” Teru puts a hand over his mouth as he laughs along. Akane can feel his heart pounding in his chest- Teru’s laughter is the sweetest sound he’s ever heard. “Well, I’m not embarrassed at all when I think about you. I know it’s to be expected,”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Akane mumbles with a flustered face, “President, what are you even getting at here?”
“That’s up for your interpretation~”
“Jerk,”
“Oh, how you wound me~” Teru whines before taking a step forward. “All in all, I just want to thank you for coming with us. Tiara was very happy to meet Mirai-chan and Kou always loves when you come along. We were all very happy,”
“I already told you, it’s really no problem.. thank you for inviting me. I haven’t gone trick or treating with anyone in years, either, you know.” Akane looks up at him, “Mirai was very happy to meet all of you,”
“I know, I could tell~” he feels something pressing against his head- his face flushes red completely. “Well..” Teru says once he pulls away, “Let’s go trick or treating next year, Aoi~ just me and you, I’ll get Kou to watch Tiara and Mirai so it won’t be a problem.”
“A-Ah..” Akane stutters. It almost sounds like Teru is asking him on a date a year in advance. “Yeah, let’s..”
Never once did he expect a kiss from Teru that night. He didn’t expect to see Teru at all, so both his heart and mind are losing it. He can barely speak.
“I think your costume is very cute, by the way,” Teru turns on his heels and begins to walk towards his front door. He waves with a bright, warm smile; Akane can see his fangs just barely peeking out of his mouth. “I know you wanted to giggle at mine the entire time, though I’ll excuse it considering your giggle is just as cute~”
“Don’t say stuff like that..” Akane fails to make proper eye contact- his eyes dart around and avoid Teru’s. “It’s not my fault your costume looks so dumb, your face looks so squished in that thing..”
“Being painfully honest when we’re all alone, hm? Well, that’s the Aoi I know~
“Oh, please.. just go inside so you can get some rest before you get back to work.”
“Ah, alright. Only since you insist~” Teru winks, (Akane’s heart rate will not ever see the end of this.) “See you at school tomorrow, Aoi! Let Mirai know her brother’s.. ‘boyfriend’ is doing well~”
“Tch.. get your head out of the clouds, pres..” Akane can’t help but melt, though. Teru’s words are soft, and for some reason, Akane finds it loving. “Have a nice night,” he turns on his heels to start walking once again.
“You too!~” Teru smiles, “Ah, wait.. would you like me to walk you home? I wouldn’t want you feeling unsafe, after all,”
“No, it’s fine,” Akane responds, “I know my way from here, don’t worry.”
“If you say so~” the former blows a kiss before waving. “Goodnight, Aoi! Have a happy Halloween~”
“Halloween is about to be over,” Akane playfully rolls his eyes. His face can’t get any redder, but he smiles sheepishly at the blown kiss. “Have a happy Halloween, too, Minamoto-kaichou. Goodnight,”
And with that, he begins to walk off- Teru continues to wave and heads back inside once Akane is fully out of sight. Akane knows, and it makes his chest feel twice as fuzzy.
“Mmhmmh.. Mirai doesn’t wanna sleep yet..”
“You were sleeping in my arms just a few minutes ago, that is a complete lie.”
“Buuuut Akane..”
“No buts, you have school tomorrow. You need proper rest or you won’t be able to focus,”
Akane tucks Mirai in as gently as he can. He’s already helped her change into her pajamas, and put her hair into a braid so it wouldn’t be too tangled in the morning. It’s their daily routine; except it’s significantly later time-wise.
By now, it’s half past eleven. Akane feels himself getting awfully tired, but he still goes through with everything his little sister needs.
“It’s gonna be cold tonight, do you want an extra blanket?” he asks her as he adjusts the blankets she already has on, “The heater is already on, and I made sure the windows were closed.”
“Nooo.. Mirai is good,”
“If you say so,” he hums softly, “I hope you had fun tonight. Minamoto-kaichou wanted me to let you know Minamoto-chan was very happy to meet you, and that it was nice to meet you himself, too.”
“Mirai had loots of fun with them.. very happy, that.. Akane came with, ‘cause Akane made it more funner..” Mirai yawns in between her words. They’re all soft and mumbled- she’ll fall asleep any moment now. “Thank you,”
“Of course,” Akane softens, “I had lots of fun, too. Sleep well,” he leans down to kiss her forehead, “the nightlight is on and I’ll be in my room if you need anything. Goodnight, Mirai,”
“G’niiight..”
He quietly steps out of the room and goes into his own. He’s content.
Once Akane is out of his costume and in bed, he stares up at the ceiling.
Maybe Halloween isn’t so bad. He got a kiss from the Minamoto Teru for some reason and was able to make his sister have a fun day. He also got to see silly costumes and will never forget the Minamotos’ matching ones.
He giggles a little. Teru was right, he was holding that in for so long- the fact that Teru, a seventeen year old exorcist who has seen the horrors of the world, wanted peanut butter, jelly, and bread as matching costumes will never not astonish him. Though he can’t help but find it a little cute.
He pulls the covers over his mouth and hides his dumb smile. He still feels all giddy from getting a kiss- he’s stupid for not asking about it; as he doesn’t know why he was kissed or if it’ll ever happen again, but he definitely hopes so.
He closes his eyes as he plans his costume for the next year. Maybe Teru will give him another kiss if he deems his costume is cute like the one he wore today.
He’ll just have to wait until next Halloween.
He closes his eyes and lets the fuzzy feelings overcome him.
Two minutes later he jumps up and rushes to finish his homework. He still has yet to finish the rest of the sheet and remember how to solve that one question he never completed.
On second thought, Halloween still isn’t too good. A silly kiss doesn’t change a thing.
(Though Akane’s face gets red every time he thinks about a bread costume..)