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“I’m back.” Satoko’s words echo through the hallway, bending around the corner near the entrance until they eventually dissipate. She shrugs off her coat, hanging it neatly in the closet before taking off her shoes, blinking when she sees that it isn’t the only pair after all. Not that it’s much of a surprise to see Miyano’s smaller shoes right next to her brother’s these days. Even though they are both busy, they still make time to meet up as often as they can, even if it’s just to study.
The thought makes the corners of her mouth twist into a soft smile. Just a few years ago, it was hard to imagine that her brother would ever find the motivation or desire to really be with someone. Even when it came to being with his friends, his nightly outings or meeting with Ogasawara were more treated like a chore than something he really wanted to do. But now, more times than she can count, she glimpses a small smile on the days he gets ready to meet or when she knows Miyano will come over.
“Maybe I’ll bring them some snacks.”
She quickly starts moving towards the kitchen, already preparing the small snack tray in her mind. There should still be some of yesterday’s pudding in the fridge, maybe even something a bit less sugary for Miyano since Satoko distinctly remembers being told that he doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth. A detail she still finds a little amusing considering how her own brother devours sweets. Well, at least they won’t ever fight over snacks for sure.
For drinks, she could just make some fresh coffee for both of them. It’s easy enough to pep up her brother’s cup with some milk, sugar, and some of the whipped cream that might still be in the fridge. She isn’t much of a barista, so there won’t be any cute drawings made with milk foam, but so far, he has never rejected the coffees she made for him in the mornings whenever he was late for school.
It only takes her a few moments to assemble the tray and get the water to boil while she puts the appropriate amounts of instant coffee in the cups. Fortunately, they still have some of the lemon jelly, after all, so she doesn’t end up scrambling to find something she can offer Miyano. By now, they would have been studying for at least a couple of hours, so Satoko is fairly sure that they’ll appreciate a bit of a break.
With everything prepared, including an ungodly amount of sugar and cream in one of the coffees, Satoko takes the few steps out of the kitchen towards her brother’s room.
“Does that feel good?”
Satoko stops in her tracks, free hand hovering right in front of where she was about to knock on the door. In the past, she would have just pushed it open, seeing that it isn’t even closed fully, but experience has taught her that this usually ends up in rather embarrassing situations and she would prefer to not walk in on them again.
“Y-yes…ah, right there.”
She takes a step back, the tray shaking a little on her arm. It’s one thing to walk in on her brother and Miyano being about to kiss, but this is more than she signed up for. This is decidedly worse, especially with the soft creaks from the bed accompanying their voices.
She scoots backwards as fast as possible while making sure that neither the dishes nor her footsteps make too much noise. She’d have to talk to her brother about some kind of warning signal. Anything that prevents her from getting in this kind of situation again.
*****
By the time she hears the sound of the door over the drama she put on, the coffee on the forgotten tray in the kitchen is already cold. Which doesn’t necessarily mean it has been exceedingly long, considering that it’s November and the only way to really stay warm is to curl up under the kotatsu in the living room.
“You’re home, aneki?”
There is a small thump when her brother sits down before sliding into the comfortable warmth, making sure not to bump her with his legs.
“I came home a bit ago.” She says, still not sure how to bring up the subject of what she heard, despite it being all she has been thinking about since abandoning the tray.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I did.”
“I didn’t hear you.”
“Maybe that’s because you and Miyano-kun were…busy.” The words leave her face feeling hotter than it should, given that she didn’t even see anything.
“Myaa-chan’s entrance exams are in less than two months, after all.” He says, bending his head to look at the TV. “Oh, it’s a new episode.”
“That’s not the kind of busy I mean, Shuu.” It’s just like him to pretend nothing happened without even looking embarrassed.
“What are you talking about?”
“I…” Satoko takes a deep breath. “I heard you…”
“Heard what exactly?”
“When…you and Miyano-kun…on the bed…” She hides her face behind her hands, unable to keep looking at her brother as the memories of what she heard fill her ears. “You should really be more careful! You didn’t even close the door!”
“Why would we close the door to study? You always barge in anyway.”
“I guess the subject was biology then!”
“What the fuck are you-“ Her brother never finishes the sentence, seeming to finally know just what Satoko has been referring to. “Oh…”
To her surprise, an amused smile is on her brother’s face when she peeks through her fingers. Not a trace of embarrassment.
“You don’t have anything else to say?!”
He shrugs, lifting his hand to hide the smile. “Not really? I mean, I was just-“
“I don’t need any details, Shuu!”
“It’s not what you think, aneki. We were taking a break and-“
“Stop! Just…just put some warning outside next time!”
*****
“You didn’t tell her?!” Miyano hides his face behind his arms, voice a soft, muffled whine. “I can never look at her again.
“She didn’t exactly let me finish,” Sasaki says while gently running his hand over Miyano’s back in a soothing motion. He hadn’t intended to keep the fact that what his sister heard was nothing but a massage after Miyano complained that his shoulders were stiff after a particularly difficult math problem. But when she kept interrupting him, leaving her in the dark felt kind of satisfying if he is honest.
“But you didn’t have to make it worse by saying you’d hang my necktie to the door handle!”
Sasaki chuckles, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Miyano’s hair, his chest tightening at the soft sigh he hears coming from his boyfriend at the by-now-familiar gesture. “I’m sure she’ll have forgotten all about it next time you’re over.”
Miyano turns his head, peeks at Sasaki from below messy bangs. “You think so?”
“Mhm.” He gently pats his lap, giving Miyano time to slip comfortably between his legs before leaning his back against Sasaki’s chest. Once he is comfortable, he leans a little closer to his ear. “And if she doesn’t, we can always confirm her suspicion.”
“Shuumei-san!!!”