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"Samu, ya don't understand! I don't wanna be going through this! I don't like it." Atsumu almost screams at his brother who's just trying to understand why he's upset.
"Then make me understand, Tsumu!" Osamu is also on the verge of screaming, frustrated at how his brother just barged in Onigiri Miya before he completely closed the shop.
If Atsumu came just for a stupid reason, Osamu would have long closed the shop and ignored his brother but his brother came with tears down his cheeks and he hated it. Hates that someone made his precious brother cry again. Yes, again.
Atsumu crying came in various reasons. All in which Osamu wanted to commit murser. He wonders who he'll want to murder now.
Osamu sighs, "Look," he says with softness and caution in his tone, "tell me what's wrong and we'll figure out what to do, yeah? If we can't think of anything, it might help ya feel a little better."
Atsumu sniffles, his eyes never leaving the table that's separating him from his twin, "It's just," he starts and the pain in his throat once again shoots up but he swallows it down. He /needs/ to let it out. "Omi…he made a joke," Atsumu clenches his fist at the memory, "basically saying that you would have been a better lover and that being with you would be much more peaceful since ya ain't loud and stuff. It hurts. It's a dumb reason, I know. He was just joking and—"
"And jokes are meant to be funny." Osamu says, anger evident in his voice. Atsumu looks up from the table to see the murderous gaze Osamu is emitting.
"Samu—"
"Ya ain't dumb, y'know? It's not a dumb reason," while Osamu sounds calm, Atsumu knows that he's mad, "he should never compare ya to anyone. He has to know that!"
"Samu…"
"I'm gonna hafta kill 'im."
"NO!" Atsumu violently reacts, his hands slamming on the table, his body jolting up to stand. As soon as he realized what happened, he sat back down slowly, muttering a soft 'sorry'.
"I ain't letting him do that to ya! All our lives we've been compared just 'cause we're twins. Always painting ya the bad one. No matter how much ya try to hide it, I know deep down it hurts ya! I heard ya crying every night because of it. I," Osamu's fist curled into a fist, his body shaking, head down, tears streaming down his face, "It hurts me too, y'know? Knowing that people never cared enough to see the good in ya just 'cause yer loud."
"Samu, 'm sorry." Atsumu says already on another round of crying.
"Nah, is not yer fault people are nasty jerks." Osamu waves Atsumu's apology off. "Now tell me where yer Omi is and I'll teach him a lesson."
Atsumu reaches out to one of Osamu's closed fist, gently caressing it in an attempt to calm his twin enough to not put him behind bars.
"Samu…"
"See? That's what people don't see in ya! Yer gonna reason out with me 'cause y'know verbally or physically I'll hurt that precious Omi of yers. People don't see how much you sacrifice so they won't get hurt."
"Samu, please, let me talk to Omi myself, hmm?" Atsumu pleads, "I.. I don't wanna lose anything with him. He genuinely makes an effort to make me feel special."
Osamu scoffs, "And yer here balling yer eyes 'cause he said something."
"Mhmm, I know. He probably isn't aware about how his joke hurt me. So let me talk to him first before ya scare him off, 'kay?"
"Fine. If he hurts you again, I can't promise what I'll do to him."
"Y'know, I'm glad I came here tonight," Atsumu gains a raised eyebrow from Osamu, "I thought ya never cared about the comments."
"Idiot. Of course I do! They're bad mouthing ya!"
"Does that mean ya love yer lovely brother?" Atsumu squishes his palms against his cheeks, lips pouting, and his eyes wide.
"Stop tryna be cute, it's disgusting."
Atsumu's laugh fills the empty shop. Just like that the atmosphere between the brothers are light once again.
Atsumu spends the night in Osamu's apartment, halfy because he doesn't want to see Kiyoomi yet, and halfy because he just wants to spend time with Osamu after the latter practically confessed how much Atsumu actually means to him.
They spent the rest of the night watching romcoms and shitting on every decision the main characters do. Atsumu found peace for a while before he has to inevitably talk to Kiyoomi about the joke he made.
"Atsumu! Fuck. Where have you been?!!" Kiyoomi practically jumps up from the couch as soon as Atsumu enters their shared apartment. His eyes were puffy from crying due to his constant worrying for the blonde, his hands shaking, fat tears still streaming down his face.
His first instinct was to check if Atsumu was okay. Checking every part of Atsumu if there was a slightest scratch on the blonde's skin. He saw nothing. The only thing he's worried about is how tired looking Atsumu's eyes seem to be.
Atsumu felt guilty. He made Kiyoomi worry too much by putting his phone on 'do not disturb' but what can he do? Osamu threatened to burst into Atsumu and Kiyoomi's apartment to scare Kiyoomi off if Atsumu didn't do it.
"Don't ever let anyone — not even yerself — tell you that you should feel guilty because someone hurt ya." Osamu's words rang in his ears.
Right, he was hurt. He shouldn't feel bad about getting hurt.
"Omi, can we talk?"
Fear entered Kiyoomi's entire being. Thoughts getting filled with negative scenarios, the worst being Atsumu breaking up with him at this very moment.
Astumu sighs, "I'm not breaking up with you. I just… need to talk to you about something."
Kiyoomi breathes out a sigh of relief but there's still a nagging feeling at the very back of his mind.
The couple opted to sit on the couch, taking a few breathers before continuing on with the conversation.
"It's about the joke…"
"What joke?" Kiyoomi asks, absolutely oblivious. It pains Atsumu to know that Kiyoomi is unaware of how the words of comparison — although in a joking manner — pierced through his heart like a freshly made knife.
"The one where you said that Osamu would've been a better lover…" Atsumu trails off, his eyes looking anywhere but Kiyoomi's direction, feeling the uncomfortable itch in his throat. He's on the verge of crying. Again.
"Oh." It came to Kiyoomi's realization like a stack of bricks falling over his head. "Shit. Baby, did those words hurt you?"
Atsumu sobbed. Kiyoomi was quick to engulf his lover in his arms, worrying about how much it could've hurt to hear those words from your partner. Kiyoomi knew how much Atsumu hated comparisons, especially when he's getting compared to his twin. Kiyoomi now knows that he should've thought out the jokes he spills.
Atsumu sobbed because he was actually expecting Kiyoomi to reason out that it was /just a joke/ like how other people did when he pointed out how much their words hurt him.
When Atsumu's sobs died down he muttered a small 'thank ya' to Kiyoomi. Seeing Kiyoomi's confused face Atsumu laughed a little and continued on about what made him grateful, "Thank ya fer asking if it hurt me, yeah, it did. Thank fer being concerned about my feelings when other people just seemed to brush it off with their excuses."
"Oh Atsu," Kiyoomi holds Atsumu tighter, "I love you so much. I don't ever mean to hurt you. I /don't/ want to hurt you." He kissed Atsumu's forehead, gave him a nose kiss, and rested his forehead against Atsumu's.
The next few minutes were spent just staring at each other's eyes, getting lost in their own little world.
This moment serves as a reminder to both of them that they should be aware of what pains each other, what they should avoid, and how they will compromise for the betterment of their relationship.
'Cause one thing about the two is that their relationship is serious and they know someday it will lead to both of them wearing rings on their ring finger that symbolizes their promise to love each other through thick and thin.
"Omi, stop walking in circles and come inside already! Samu's waiting!"
Kiyoomi stops his track, takes a deep breath and faces Atsumu with a hesitant smile. After that talk about the joke, Atsumu filled him out about his visit to Osamu. Needless to say, Kiyoomi's scared shitless.
Atsumu rolled his eyes and grabbed Kiyoomi's hands, pulling him inside the closed onigiri shop. Atsumu trusts that his brother won't kill his Omi. Osamu would probably threaten but he wouldn't murder Kiyoomi — unless Kiyoomi does something to hurt Atsumu on purpose.
"Samu said he wanted to talk to you," Atsumu stops at one of the tables that's situated in front of the counter, "he's in the kitchen." Atsumu pushes Kiyoomi towards the direction of the kitchen, completely ignoring Kiyoomi's fear.
Kiyoomi takes one last look at Atsumu before sucking in a deep breath and releasing it as a shaky sigh.
If he dies by the hands of Osamu, at least he still got one last look at Atsumu.
He walks towards the kitchen, the sound of chopping slowly getting louder. Every step he takes feels like he's stepping on thumbtacks. He's scared. Really scared.
Who wouldn't be? He promised Osamu he'd do anything to avoid staining Atsumu's cheeks with tears and yet here they are.
Kiyoomi enters the kitchen, immediately taking in how fast Osamu cuts vegetables with a knife that seems to have been freshly sharpened.
"Do ya know why yer here?" Osamu asks, his eyes not leaving the vegetables he's been cutting.
Kiyoomi swallows his saliva in nervousness, "Y-yes." he squeaks out.
Osamu sighs, "Relax, I'm not gonna kill ya. I promised Tsumu." Osamu reassures, quickly hiding the knife in one of the kitchen drawer, albeit with much aggression.
"I'm sorry," Kiyoomi gains the courage to speak, Osamu raises an eyebrow at him, "for hurting Atsu. I know I promised you I won't make him cry but it really wasn't intentional."
"Ya better be sure it wasn't intentional." Osamu hissed. Kiyoomi gulps. "Or else you'd find out one of the reasons why I sharpen my knife everyday."
"Y-yes, sir." Kiyoomi says in fear.
Osamu places his right hand on Kiyoomi's left shoulder, Kiyoomi didn't even realize Osamu was already in front of him. Osamu leans towards Kiyoomi's left ear, "Ya got one more chance, don't. fuck. it. up."
With that Osamu leaves the kitchen to greet his brother. Kiyoomi hears the twins start to banter with each other as if he wasn't just threatened inside the kitchen.
He gives himself a few minutes to recollect himself and stabilize his legs that feel like jell-o before coming out of the kitchen, faking a smile so Atsumu wouldn't worry.
The three of them ate food prepared by Osamu. They talked like no threats were ever made. Kiyoomi allows himself to relax since Atsumu is by his side. He silently swore to himself that he'd be more sensitive about his lover's feelings and trauma. Atsumu was always sensitive with his anyway.
The rest of the night was spent by Kiyoomi watching Atsumu as he banter and laugh with his twin. The meeting was a reminder of his commitment to Atsumu and how lucky he is to have the blonde by his side.