Chapter Text
K's pov. - october 24th, 2024
The car ride felt endless, the hum of the engine barely louder than the storm inside my head. My fingers were curled into fists, gripping the fabric of the seat as I stared out the window, watching the world blur by. It was all a blur these days. The death of my mom. I hadn't even realized how much I relied on her until she was gone. The house felt so damn empty now. The silence, sickening. But worse than that was what followed, the marriage. My dad remarrying. To her. I hate her. I can't even say her name without feeling a twist of disgust in my stomach. She wasn't my mom. She would never be. And now I had to live with her and her kid. Her son. Taki. I couldn't even picture his face right now. I couldn't bring myself to care enough to. Not when everything felt like it was falling apart. "Hey, K." my dad's voice broke through my thoughts, dragging me back to the present. "We're here." I nodded without saying anything, glancing up at the house in front of us. It was small. Not that I gave a damn about the size. It wasn't my home. It was hers. Hers and Taki's.
The moment the car stopped, I shoved the door open, stepping out without waiting for my dad. I walked up to the house, my shoes tapping loudly against the pavement, and a familiar ache hit me in the chest. I hadn't even been to the wedding. I refused. I couldn't stomach seeing my dad marry her, even if he insisted it was for the "right reasons." Whatever that meant.
As I stepped through the door, the sound of high voice hit me like a slap in the face. "Hi! You must be K. Welcome to our home!" I didn't bother to look at her, didn't even want to acknowledge her existence. She was standing there, grinning like she was some kind of godsend, trying so hard to be nice. I just grunted and walked past her, my dad trailing behind me, looking too happy for my liking. "Let me introduce you to Taki." my dad said, pulling my attention toward the living room. And there he was. Taki. I didn't even have to look at him long to know what kind of person he was. The kid was dressed in a pleated jeans mini skirt, the fabric looking like it was too soft for my liking, paired with an oversized white sweater that hung off his shoulders just enough to make me uncomfortable. His legs were covered in white leg warmers, and his sneakers had little blue bows on the sides. It was the kind of outfit that made my skin crawl and I couldn't stop staring at it for all the wrong reasons. It screamed attention-seeking in the worst possible way. He looked up at me, but I didn't return the gaze. My eyes were fixed on the floor. What the hell was I supposed to do with this? I didn't even know how to talk to him, let alone be around him. Dad, oblivious to my growing irritation, clapped his hands together. "This is Taki. Your new stepbrother." Taki smiled, though I could tell there was some awkwardness to it. His lips were slightly parted, like he wasn't sure what to say to someone like me. Good. I wasn't in the mood for a damn conversation anyway. Then it hit me. "You're serious?" I barked, turning to my dad. "You're telling me I have to share a room with this...this...freak?" Taki flinched, and my words sliced through the tension in the air like a knife. My dad, his face twisting in confusion, stammered, "K, it's just temporary. The house-" "I don't care!" I cut him off. "This is bullshit. I'm not sharing a damn room with him. I don't care how small the house is." I turned to Taki, glaring at him as if it was his fault. "This is your fault. You and your mom. You...you don't even belong here." Taki shrank back, his eyes wide but not meeting mine. I didn't care. My chest was tight, my blood was boiling. This was just too much. I could feel my dad's gaze on me, disapproving. "K." he said quietly, "I'm serious. You're going to have to make this work." And that was it. I had no choice. The world felt like it was crashing down on me. I didn't even want to be here. Didn't want to deal with any of this. But now, I had to share a room with that faggot. God, I hated this. I was still fuming when my dad spoke up again, like he actually thought this was going to work out. "Come on, K. Let me show you your new room." he said, his voice trying way too hard to sound patient. My room. Right.
I followed him, my fists clenched at my sides as he led me down the hallway. The place was small, way smaller than what I was used to. And even though I hadn't been here long, I could already tell whose house this really was. There were little touches everywhere, shit that didn't belong to me or my dad. His wife's stuff. Atsuko. That was her name. I hated even thinking it. Atsuko, the woman who came out of nowhere and decided she could just replace my mom like it was nothing. She smiled too much. She talked too much. And she tried way too damn hard to act like she cared about me. Like hell I'd ever accept her. My dad stopped in front of a door and pushed it open. "Here it is." he said, stepping inside. I took one step in and froze. What the- This wasn't my room. This was Taki's room. And now, apparently, mine too. The place looked like some pastel fever dream. Taki's side of the room was covered in decorations, little lights strung along the wall, tiny trinkets neatly placed on shelves, and bedding that looked so soft it was almost ridiculous. White with ruffles. Ruffles. And plushies. So many plushies. They were lined up along his bed like a damn army, some big, some small, all looking like they belonged to a little kid. I turned to my dad, barely able to keep my voice steady. "You've got to be kidding me." My dad sighed like he'd been expecting this reaction. "K, we don't have a lot of space in this house. This is the best arrangement we could make." I stared at him. "No." I shook my head. "No way in hell am I sleeping in here." My dad's face hardened. "You don't have a choice." I laughed, but it wasn't amused. "Like hell I don't. I can sleep on the couch. I'd rather sleep outside than in here." "You're staying in this room." His voice had that warning tone, the one that usually meant arguing was pointless. "You're not a kid, K. You can handle sharing a space." I scoffed, turning my glare to the other side of the room, his side. I still couldn't believe it. How the hell was I supposed to live with someone like that? I heard movement behind me. Taki had walked in. I turned just in time to see him hesitating in the doorway, his hands fiddling with the sleeve of his sweater like he didn't know what to do with himself. He wasn't looking at me. But I still couldn't stop myself from glaring at him anyway. This was going to be hell. Taki lingered in the doorway, eyes flicking between me and my dad like he wasn't sure if he should even step inside. His fingers curled into the sleeve of that sweater, and for a second, I thought he was going to say something. But he didn't. Good. I didn't want to hear his voice. I turned back to my dad, my anger burning a hole through my chest. "This isn't happening." "K, I'm done arguing with you." he said, pinching the bridge of his nose like he was exhausted already. "This is your home now. And this is your room. I expect you to act like an adult about it." I scoffed. "You're joking, right? You expect me to just, what? Pretend I'm okay with this? With him?" I gestured sharply at Taki without looking at him. A small silence stretched between us before my dad let out a long sigh. "Look." he said, his voice tired. "I know this isn't easy for you. I know things have been hard. But this is the way things are now. You don't have to like it, but you will respect it." Respect. Right. Like he respected me enough to not shove me into this situation without a second thought. Like he respected my mom's memory enough to not replace her so damn fast. I felt my fists clench at my sides, my whole body tense with frustration. I wanted to yell. I wanted to break something. But instead, I just exhaled sharply through my nose and turned away. "Whatever." I muttered. My dad didn't say anything for a moment, but then he nodded. "Good," he said. "I'll leave you to unpack." And just like that, he was gone. Leaving me here. With him. I finally looked at Taki, my expression twisting into something cold and unwelcoming. He was still standing near the door, shifting awkwardly, his gaze fixed somewhere near the floor. I let my eyes drag over him again, from the pleated denim skirt to the stupid little bows on his sneakers. Every single thing about him pissed me off. His presence. His outfit. The way he fidgeted, like he knew he didn't belong here. At least we agreed on that. "Don't touch my stuff." I snapped. "And stay on your side of the room." Taki flinched slightly but nodded. He still wouldn't look at me. Whatever. I turned my back to him, shoving my duffel bag onto the empty bed that was supposed to be mine. The bedding was plain, at least. No ruffles, no ridiculous decorations. Just something simple. Something that didn't belong in his world. I heard him move behind me, the faint rustling of fabric as he stepped toward his side of the room. I didn't look at him again. I didn't need to. This was already unbearable.
The room was quiet except for the occasional rustle of fabric as Taki moved around on his side. I sat on the edge of my bed, arms crossed, staring at the wall like it was more interesting than whatever the hell he was doing. I could hear the faint shuffle of clothes being folded. He was being careful, too careful. Like he was trying not to bother me. Annoying. I exhaled sharply through my nose. "You don't have to be so damn quiet, you know." Taki froze for half a second before hesitantly speaking. "Oh... sorry." His voice was softer than I expected. Light. Almost careful. I ignored the way it made something itch under my skin. Not my problem. I leaned back on my hands, glancing toward his side of the room. It was even worse up close. His bed looked like something out of a princess fantasy, all ruffles and soft white pillows. There were plushies everywhere, some neatly lined up, others piled onto the mattress like he actually slept with them. I rolled my eyes. "You're not a kid, you know. What's with all the stuffed animals?" Taki stiffened slightly, his hands pausing mid-fold over a sweater. "I like them." he muttered, still not looking at me. I scoffed. "Figured." Another silence stretched between us. I hated it. I hated this. The whole situation felt like some kind of sick joke. I was supposed to be in college, doing whatever the hell I wanted, not stuck in some cramped-ass room with a femboy stepbrother I didn't even know. Or want to know. I reached for my duffel bag, yanking the zipper open and rummaging through it. "Where am I supposed to put my stuff?" Taki hesitated before pointing toward the empty dresser on my side of the room. "You can use that." Great. I grabbed a handful of clothes and shoved them inside, not bothering to fold them. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Taki glance at my mess before quickly looking away, like he wanted to say something but thought better of it. Smart choice.
The minutes crawled by. I could hear him breathing, could feel his presence just a few feet away, and it pissed me off how aware I was of it. I slammed the dresser drawer shut and flopped back onto my bed, throwing an arm over my face. Taki shifted again. "Um... do you want me to turn off the light?" I exhaled through my nose, irritated. "Do whatever you want." There was a brief pause before the room dimmed, the only glow coming from some fairy lights on his side. I could still see the shape of him sitting on his bed, legs folded beneath him, the shirt he had changed in slipping off one shoulder. I ignored it. I ignored everything. I told myself I'd get used to this. I told myself it wouldn't matter. I was dead wrong.
The room was quiet. Too quiet. I wasn't asleep yet. I'd been lying on my back for what felt like hours, staring at the ceiling, my mind refusing to shut off. The blankets were too warm, the air felt too thick, and the soft glow from Taki's stupid fairy lights were still pissing me off. Everything about this situation was pissing me off. But then- I heard it. At first, I thought I was imagining things. Just the creak of the bed, maybe the sound of him shifting in his sleep. But then I heard it again. A soft, shaky breath. Then another. And then- fuck. A muffled whimper. My entire body went rigid. My pulse spiked. No way. Was he seriously...? I turned my head toward his bed, my breath caught in my throat. In the dim light, I could barely make out his shape beneath the covers, but I could hear it. The faint rustling of fabric. The barely-there hitch in his breath. I felt something crawl up my spine. Disgust. Anger. Whatever the fuck this feeling was, it burned through my veins. I sat up abruptly, voice sharp and low. "Are you fucking serious?" The sound stopped immediately. Dead silence. Then, panic. I heard him shift, a sharp inhale, the sound of blankets rustling way too fast. Like he'd been caught. I clenched my jaw, disgust curling in my stomach. "You're actually jerking off? Right now? While I'm in the fucking room?" Taki didn't say anything. I could barely see him, but I knew he was frozen, probably debating whether to say something or pretend to be asleep. Like that was gonna work. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, running a hand down my face. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." A shaky breath. Then, barely above a whisper. "S-Sorry..." His voice was small. Embarrassed. I should've stopped there. Should've just ignored it and gone back to sleep. But I was pissed. "This is disgusting," I spat. "You couldn't wait till the bathroom or something? You had to do it here?" Another long pause. Then, even softer. "I thought you were asleep..." I scoffed, shaking my head. "Jesus Christ." This was my fucking life now. Sharing a room with a freak who couldn't even keep it in his pants. I exhaled sharply and flopped back onto my bed, throwing the blanket over me like it could block out the entire situation. Taki didn't say anything else. The room was silent again. But sleep sure as hell wasn't coming anytime soon. The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. Taki hadn't moved in minutes, probably too embarrassed to do anything now. I rolled onto my side, facing away from him, forcing my eyes shut. I wasn't dealing with this shit anymore. Then I heard it. The soft rustle of blankets. The creak of his bed as he shifted.
I cracked one eye open just in time to see him sliding out of bed. In the dim light, his movements were quick, almost nervous. His shirt hung loose on his frame, barely covering anything. I gritted my teeth and turned my gaze toward his hands. He grabbed something from under his pillow. I squinted in the dark, trying to make out what it was, but he was already turning away, heading for the bathroom. The door clicked shut behind him. I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down my face. What the hell was he doing now? I thought about the way he moved, how quickly he grabbed whatever it was. Probably some lube or something. Gross. Like he was really about to finish what he started in there now that he thought I was asleep. Pathetic. I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling again, trying to ignore it. Trying to push the whole situation out of my mind. But then- I heard it. Louder this time. A muffled moan. I tensed. My fingers curled into the sheets. Another sound followed, a choked whimper, breathy and strained. The kind of sound that sent a spike of heat up my neck, making my pulse hammer in irritation. Was he fucking serious? Did he really think I couldn't hear him in there? I forced my breathing to stay even, my jaw clenching so tight it hurt. It was bad enough that he tried to do this shit while I was sleeping. But this? This was even worse. Because now, I couldn't block it out. Couldn't ignore the way his voice sounded through the door, soft and desperate, the way the noises kept coming in shaky, uneven bursts. I shut my eyes, exhaling through my nose. This was hell. This was my fucking life now. And I had no idea how I was supposed to survive it.