Try for Change (Coffee-Tastic and grizzly) [18+]

[grizzly]

Hiroto placed the worn pencil down before cracking his knuckles. Looking over the answers to the paper gave him a sense of accomplishment as he was confident that most of them were correct. He almost flinched when he felt Kou pat his head, thinking he had somehow made a mistake. The praise was better than he could have imagined and it made his chest swell with confidence. It was only the introductory he had covered, but it wasn't hard at all, so maybe the next few chapters would just go by like a breeze. He was ready to get a jump start on beginning on the next chapter so he denied taking a break.

 

"I'll go ahead and finish the next chapter. I'll probably take a break after that," he stated while flipping through the pages. He figured he would remain silent to allow Kou time to tend to his own business. He probably wanted to read a book and listen to his classical dribble. It didn't take too long before Hiroto felt uncomfortable with the silence though. He looked up to Kou to see what he was doing and coughed.

 

"So I was thinking, I might clean my room tonight. It's sorta getting overbearing how dirty it is..." He looked down to his work, pretending he wasn't too concerned with Kou's reaction. He figured if he kissed enough ass from Kou he would get more praise. But he wasn't lying about wanting his room clean. He just didn't want to clean it himself, but beggars can't be choosers.

[Coffee-Tastic]

Kou nodded respectfully at his little brother's decision, smiling again as he had gone back to laying in bed to pick up and try to focus again on his book. Hiroto going on and reading the next chapter without a break? That was amazing for him! Gosh. He was getting a little too excited in his head. Kou was just happy that he could tell the counselor that his brother was not going to be kicked out of school for sure. It felt so good to be the cause of this. He was saving himself, his brother and gaining good bubbles in his stomach.

 

For the brunet, silence was silence. Hiroto was feeling awkward from this, Kou imagined it was because they never ever were in each other's presences without bickering at each other or going at each other's throats. This was peaceful silence, not awkward silence. Despite what he felt, it didn't stop his brother from wanting to end the silence. And what a way to do it.

 

Just when he thought that he'd be able to get fully immersed in his book again, he heard Hiroto cough and then tell him that he wanted to split the red sea just like Jesus did. Kou stared at the other brother and slowly lost his hold on the book, dropping it onto his stomach. "What was that?" He sat up and moved his book to the side, "You want to clean it? Wow... But..." he swallowed, trying not to sound so excited and overly interested in cleaning it too.

 

Kou didn't want to do it before, but he cold do it with Hiroto. That's exactly what he had wanted to get done. "But you'll need someone's help. Someone who knows what there doing. Me. I'll help you do it. I want that room clean. It's going to get cleaned today and you can't back out of what you said either!" Kou bit his lip and reached out his hand. "Shake if you agree. Just to it... I've wanted your room clean for such a long time. Too long of a time." Of course his desires weren't normal like the rest of people either. Nothing was more 'sexy' than seeing a spotless, clean floor.

[grizzly]

Hiroto had sealed his fate the moment the words escaped his lips. Before he knew it , Kou focused all his attention on what Hiroto had just stated. He knew Kou would get excited, but this was rather excessive. He just went along with his brother, knowing it was too late to back out. Backing out would only mean all the work he did was for nothing in terms of fixing their already messed up relationship.

 

"You're too excited about this... But I accept." Hiroto grasped Kou's hand, giving it a firm shake, feeling as though he had just shaken the hand of his undertaker. Somehow he felt like he was going to regret this, but it did mean the end result would be a clean room. "Just be warned, even I don't know what's all in that mess in there." Such a warning should not be taken lightly, but Kou already knew that. Hiroto just secretly hoped that Kou would back out. Maybe if he scared him enou-no, Kou's already set on the idea. He could see it in the sparkle in his eyes. He prayed to whatever god could possibly be listening that nothing super embarrassing would be laid out for his brother to see.

 

"When are we going to do it then? I feel like a mess that ridiculous would take too long to take care of in one day."

[Coffee-Tastic]

"I already know that there is going to be weird stuff in there. Thats why if any of us come across it, you're the one who's going to deal with it as punishment for having it around in the first place." He was just a little snappy at the warning he was given. As if he was going to be the one to handle anything dangerous or disgusting. He felt like while he was cleaning up, he'd find condoms on the ground. It would be great to know that his brother actually was using protection when he was screwing girls, but no. He wasn't going to touch any of that with his innocent, book-only touching hands.

 

"As for time... We can start when you want. I'd say to get it done as soon as you're done here, but you didn't take a break before, so its kind of fair." He looked at his poor book and picked it up, flipping through to try and find the page he was at before he dropped the baby. "If two of us are working to the best ability, it won't take to long. I imagine that most of the things in there are going into the laundry basket or into a trash bag. The rest just has to be put in it's own place, which I personally think would the easiest part when you subtract all the junk and clothes on the floor." Kou didn't have a problem with being the manager of this cleaning session, he'd be more than glad to be able to boss Hiroto around his room to clean up.

 

He wasn't looking forward to smelling through his nose though. Kou would have to get himself a sick mask as an attempt to protect his airways and lungs from the toxic smell of cigarettes. He wondered if cleaning his room will usher Hiroto into smoking outside instead of the place they worked hard to revive.

[grizzly]

"Fair enough," Hiroto said in response to cleaning up anything out of the norm. He doubted anything like a used condom would be found since he was good at throwing that in the trash, but he remembered the condition of his trash can. It was overflowing and a strong odor was surely emanating from it. Though, that can just be because of all the food he threw in there at one point. He wouldn't be too surprised to see it filled with mold. He really was a slob, and just thinking about it made his skin slightly crawl.

 

Hiroto watch Kou pick his book up, noticing how tender he was with it. His brow raised quizzically and looked back down to the books on the shelf. All of them were in great condition, as though they were untouched. But he was sure Kou went through them many times. His own room was void of any books, mostly filled with video games and manga. He had a shelf in his room, but it was covered with junk and not one book was placed on it.

 

"Ok, well I think I'm done with reading for now. Let's get started on the room and if there is time, I can continue the studying in my new clean room. Works out for everyone."

 

(Hello, how was your day?)

[Coffee-Tastic]

(Hello! Tired day x'3 Don't know why I'm so bla... must be the weather! How are you though, Grizzly?)

 

"I still don't think I'm going to be visiting your room too much when everything stinks like cigarettes... But yeah, you get it clean, you can..." He didn't think there would be a problem with letting Hiroto take his books and use them in there to study, but then he got a bad feeling that one day, his book would die. As in it would get torn or some kind of liquid would get dropped on it by accident. He was happy his brother was stepping up and deciding to learn now... that relief was different from being able to trust his brother with any of his books. His precious books... Even when he put it back in the shelf, it was delicately.

 

"We'll see what happens," he left it at this for now. "You can close the book and leave it there. Go to your room and start gathering up your clothes to put in the laundry. I need to get a few things." At that, he left the room, trusting him to leave after him. Kou needed to get his protection. He'd be damned if he caught some kind of disease from touching something. He also had to mentally prepare himself to be in a room that didn't have healthy air inside. Hiroto can enjoy his cancer. Kou was going to stay healthy and perfect forever.

[grizzly]

(Icky weather over there? I'm doing alright, I'm happy it's finally friday!)

 

Hiroto closed the book and moved over to the door. He opened it and looked over his shoulder to take one final look at his brother."My door will be open. Also, mind bringing a trash bag before coming over? I'm guessing there's a lot of trash we're going to have to get rid of." He then moved down to the laundry room to grab a laundry hamper before heading to his room at the end of the hallway. When he opened the door, the strong stench of cigarettes and trash hit him like a punch to the face. He placed the hamper in the center of his room and bent over to grab heaps of clothes ranging from hoodies, shirts, and used underpants. Underneath the clothes were magazines and empty packs of cigarettes.

 

It would take up to maybe two loads to clean the amount of clothes he had picked up. The basket was beginning to get heavy, but he had picked up most of the clothes that were strewn about the floor. The majority of the mess was from school papers, trash, and a lot of dust. The shelf adjacent to his bed was in the same condition with papers stacked all over it. A lot of the papers could date back from as early as junior high. He had a decent attendance record and grades back then, but everything changed when he entered high school.

[Coffee-Tastic]

(Heavy rain in California isn't normal, and I didn't have an umbrella when I was out at the store LOL But yeeess! Friday! Gotta get down today x'D )

 

Kou went "Ha!" When he was asked to get the garbage bags. He was going to bring three of the large, black adhesive bags to the party in that room. Not before he was geared up with the mask covering his nose and mouth, and the cleaning gloves from under the sink. Besides the bags, in his hand was a disinfectant and a wash rag. Something he was positive he'd need in the room.

 

"Oh good, you're already starting," he came in and dropped his tools on his bed for later use, "Um... Hey." Now it was his turn to be embarrassed for being grateful. Kou was picking up those loose, old papers and pieces of trash away from Hiroto with his back turned as he spoke, "I think that its great that you've decided to let me help you. With the work and this. I hope it means that you're going to start changing for the better..." He simply couldn't leave it like that so he mumbled afterwards, looking his way for a second, dropping a cluster of empty bags of chips in the hungry trash bag, "And also that you're going to be less annoying to me too."

[grizzly]

(Ooo California, always wanted to go there. And holy smokes! You're up real early, or maybe you're being a rebel by staying up real late? lol)

 

Hiroto felt a smile cross his face when Kou was being genuinely nice to him, but it slowly turned into a pout. He continued to pick up heaps of the trash on the floor before dumping them into the trash cans. "I thought I was always annoying to you though. What does cleaning my room and fixing my grades do to help that?" Hiroto tried to sound as calm as possible, but his nostrils were slightly flaring. "Anyways, let's get this room clean and maybe we can make something for dinner. I haven't eaten anything all day."

 

There wasn't anything incredibly essential to keep in the pile on the floor, so he never bothered to look over what exactly he was tossing out. Eventually the floor he wasn't able to see for the past couple years was becoming more visible with every trash bag they filled. They had already filled out two, and were now on their third bag. The trash can was emptied and the shelf was cleaned out and stocked with his crappy torn magazines and manga.

[Coffee-Tastic]

(My sleep pattern is messed up, so I went to sleep and woke up a few hours ago (which was like... 2 am I think). Thats how I've been able to stay up and rp with people that live in different time zones

 

"Yeah..." ~ Kou really started to get into the cleaning after an entire bag was filled up. For some reason, it was hard to ever think this room would ever be cleaned, so that full bag meant things were getting done for real. As he thought, there was disgusting things he saw under the trash like forgotten food and some yellow stuff he didn't even know what it was. Though in his cleaning mode, he picked up all of that just fine to his surprise. If he constantly fussed over everything, things wouldn't have gotten clean as fast as it had and Hiroto would probably kick him out and either finish the room himself or go to sleep.

 

Seeing the room cleaner, not as clean as his room though of course, Kou pulled down the mask on his face, taking a deep breath. This time not coughing afterwards. With most of the garbage gone, it was easier for him to breathe. Take it that it still was musty with cigarette smoke... it was better than before and Kou greatly took that to heart. "Even when we get done... I recommend you leave the door open to air out. I'll spray stuff in the air to try and get rid of that certain smell. I'll also take your sheets. I think that's what smells the most of your bad habit... Why did you ever feel the need to start smoking for gods sake? There's nothing good about those things. You should really stop, unless you want yellow teeth when you grow up."

 

"And forget about AIDS, you'd have lung cancer."

[grizzly]

(That explains a lot lol. I thought you lived closer to my side of the globe. It's a little past 10 at night right now, but I tend to stay up real late too. And if I ever do go to California, I'd definitely pay you a visit lol.)

 

"My teeth aren't starting to yellow!" Hiroto yelled out, though it sounded more like a question. He moved over to his mirror and checked his teeth. They were pearly white, which seemed out of character seeing how his room was a wreck. But he took good care of his own personal hygiene, so his teeth were clean, but obviously smelled of smoke. Having yellow teeth like some of his teachers would be something to dread about in the future, but it was a hard habit to kick.

 

"I don't know, but it's a habit I can't really break over night. Trust me, I've tried." Hiroto scratched his arm, suddenly being reminded of his agitation for being away from one of those cancer sticks for too long. All of his friends indulged themselves in the habit and Hiroto was just another weak victim to peer pressure. But the instant comfort alcohol and cigarettes gave him was better than any simple book or test. So he couldn't really relate to Kou and his obsession with all things clean and his extreme need to know everything there is to know in the universe. The only thing they had in common was their blood.

[Coffee-Tastic]

(Yeah! Lets say you need to bounce out the country for any kind of crime, I got your back... but for now I'll enjoy what we have here LOL)

 

"Its not supposed to be something you break over night. People addicted to it like you need more than that. If you ever thought you can break it at the snap of a finger, you're not going to get results and just get disappointed." Just seeing his brother scratch him arm in discomfort was sad. He really had issues with this, but this wasn't something he could just do. "You can gradually smoke less... Maybe have a lollipop instead just to make it feel the same in a way. There are those patches too, but I don't know if you can get those because you're not even 18 yet... Or you can even get one of those water vapor smoking things. Anything you can try now would help you in the long run. Not doing anything will cause you the worst regret. I mean. Have you even seen the before and after pictures of people who've been smoking for several years? You'll never get laid again when that happens to you."

 

Kou put a can of soda in the bag, rubbing his wrist onto his forehead, "I say that instead of using 'cancer' now because thinking about it, that's probably the only thing you care about." He didn't know his brother inside and out more than what he observed from their short conversations and taunting. Hiroto to him lived in the moment too much. If he only understood what he was doing... with cigarettes and being a no good punk... he would have gotten his act together a long time ago. But alas. His younger brother was a kid. Thinking he was a king that was untouchable. It was that mentality that made Kou dislike him and stay away from him so much.

[grizzly]

(Say, do you play any vidya games?)

 

"That's not entirely true. I care about things other than screwing anything with a heartbeat." Hiroto tied a knot on the top of the bag and placed it outside into the hall for them to throw out in the morning. He was happy to have an inhabitable room once again, so hopefully it would stay that way. It was always easier to make messes than to actually clean them up. He was happy to be a good child now, but he wasn't sure if it was on his own accord or if it was just to please Kou. Monday could roll around and his friends would pull him out of class for a smoke like usual. He was too easily swayed by his friends, so he didn't really have the backbone to say no to them. Besides, he didn't know who else to hang out with during lunch breaks or on the weekends. He sure as hell wasn't going to read a book like Kou when it was much more fun to run about in the city.

 

"Do you have any friends?" He dared to ask. It wasn't snarky with any hidden meanings; he was genuinely curious. He never bothered to observe Kou's personal life. Hiroto was never at school either, so he never had the chance to see the people Kou associated himself with. He had a feeling that he surrounded himself with nerds though, after all Kou was the biggest nerd he knew.

 

"You're never out of the house when you're not at school. Then again, I'm never home, so I wouldn't really know..." He caught himself rambling on and stopped himself before he said something dumb again. Saying what was on his mind never did anybody any favors, it was the exact opposite actually. He used to hurt a lot of girls' feelings by being too brutally honest with them.

[Coffee-Tastic]

(I'd love to have a playstation like I used to or an xBox, but... I don't have any of that anymore... I do play on my 3DS though! My favorite games are Pokemon (nearly every version thats out) and Monster Hunter. You? )

 

Hiroto was right. He'd probably screw things that didn't have a heartbeat too like a snail shell or a plastic bottle perhaps, anywhere he could fit his small dick in. What an animal.

 

"Oh so now you're going onto me I see." He said with displeasure, because he knew how he sounded when he spoke about these things. Antisocial, awkward and 'lonely on the inside' as someone from school put it. "No, I don't have anyone to call a friend. They're bothersome and get you to do stupid things. Like you being peer pressured to be a dick... And you know, books can't betray you like people can. Books tell the truth and keep things interesting. Books are everything one needs to be happy and sane." And people sometimes spoke too much, which annoyed him.

 

If their dad were to know that he was such a loner, he'd be disappointed in him for that thing at least, but he wasn't around during the day to know he never left the house once getting back from school. The same counselor that told him to help Hiroto also tried to address his problem. Kou told her that he always had the ability to talk to people and he wasn't shy speaking out loud either. There was no problem... He'd make friends when he was around other people who were going to be majorly successful like himself, unlike the students in this normal high school.

[grizzly]

(I have a 3ds, though I hardly use it lmao. I have pokemon X and Animal Crossing on it. Other than that, I'm a huge pc gamer. I should add you on the 3ds just to have an actual reason to use it.)

 

Hiroto changed the blankets on his bed and replaced the pillow cases with fresh ones. So Kou didn't have any friends. That was to be expected I guess. Hiroto could hardly stand him ,so that must have been the case when it came to other people. He didn't know if it was because Kou never bothered to try talking to others, or if he was just afraid of rejection. Probably the latter since his personality was really shitty.

 

"Hey," Hiroto began to get to defensive. "At least I have a life-sure it's not the most honest, but it consists more than getting turned on by books. I could see it in the future, you living like a hermit in all your books. I think that's more embarrassing than a drop out, someone who can't even function around other people. You can't expect brains alone to get you anywhere. I bet you don't even have the balls to approach a girl, or are you just as gay as everyone makes you out to be." Hiroto bit his tongue to keep more words from spilling out. He crossed the line when he asked about Kou's private life, so he braced himself for any physical assaults.

[Coffee-Tastic]

(hell yeah baby~ I'll send you my game code when I have the chance today! I havent played with another person in a while, but be warned, I'm bad at battling I think x'D I've always wanted a PC, but it probably won't happen... I'll never be able to experience's Gaben's generosity on Steam lol)

 

"What does that have to do with anything?!" Kou moved down his mask so his voice wouldn't be as muffled, "I choose not to talk to people for my own reasons, why do I need to talk to anybody to prove anything to you? I'm not gay, I'm not a sex deviant like you who can't commit to anything, not even something as simple as a girl! How dare you say I'm embarrassing for choosing this. Friends don't get you anything, knowledge does. Only someone like you would think otherwise. A weakling who isn't confident enough in himself to do do good in school just like every other person in the world, to the point where he's almost going to get kicked out of school for being so useless and troublesome, to the point where he tries to make an intellectual feel bad for being so smart!"

 

How could he have not expected this to happen? Of course Hiroto wanted to push his buttons to the point where he raises his voice and blows up in fight, defensive over himself just like him. Kou hated being made fun of. Books don't turn him on, he was going to make a lot of money with his brain, he knew girls would flock him when he was older and was making more money and he wasn't gay. Everything coming out of Hiroto's mouth was just as much garbage was what was in those trash bags. "Now shut up and keep cleaning up already."

[grizzly]

(I'm not so great either. Haven't played pokemon too long and all I have are fire type pokemons lmao.)

 

Hiroto shook his head and said," What the fuck ever." Kou had the booksmarts, and he was bound to get in a great university for it. But that wouldn't mean anything to the girls who are looking for good qualities in a guy. Smarts is just one trait they're looking for. Kou was far from funny, far from interesting, and most definitely far from sociable. It was only smarts and his looks that he had going on for him. Hiroto tried to convince himself that Kou would end up as one of those forty-year-old virgins he would see on the television, wondering why he couldn't impress a girl with his knowledge on quantum physics.

 

"Make an intellectual feel bad for being so smart? You're more of an asshole than an intellect any day of the week. No wonder you're bound to be forever alone." Hiroto continued to clean his room with more fervor now that he was riled up. His room was clean for the most part, now all they had to do was sweep and mop the floor. He was glad he didn't have a carpet since that would mean even more cleaning. He was losing his patience being around his brother for this long. Everything was going so well too, but their fight was fated from the start.

[Coffee-Tastic]

( Fire types x'D In every game, I just try my best to get all my favorite pokemon lmao~ and in one of the games, I have every starter ever made but I don't use them... I just use them to trade but everyone is obsessed with shinys.... Like get out. I don't have any shinys lolol)

 

Hiroto didn't have to keep talking, but he just kept running his mouth, saying things that was ruining Kou's patience down to a very thin wire. "Why don't you get it? I don't care about girls! It's like you're the only one who cares about my romantic life and sex life, so shut up about it already and worry about yourself. I'd rather be alone and successful than a failure like you and mom." So much spite was in his voice. He never regretted the things he said, lacking boundaries of his words when it came to arguing with his brother. And most people for that matter. He never held back from telling people who were being friendly towards him to leave him alone because he was busy or because he wasn't interested in listening to them anymore.

 

Kou couldn't process how fast they could fight. He didn't think that there was ever going to be a time in their life when they could talk in a calm, friendly matter. Hiroto could be the one to make that impossible and Kou can willingly admit he could be the one to make it impossible as well. Fire and water don't mix well to begin with, but everyone knows that water is the stronger one that can beat it's rival every time. Yet it was water who was helping fire with a reading book and cleaning his room now. Even now, he took a broom and was sweeping dust balls and other things from the floor.

[grizzly]

(How the heck do you even get a shiny? I must do some research.)

 

Hiroto seized all movement before rushing over to Kou. "Don't you talk about mom," he warned with a poke to his brother's chest for emphasis. "I want you out of my room. Get. Out. Now." Hiroto was visibly angry with wild eyes and bared teeth, like an animal. It took every fiber of his body to prevent himself by throwing a well deserved punch to Kou's face. But he felt like he owed it to his brother for helping him so far. There were many occasions where he should have been at the end of Kou's fist, but Kou had patience. Something Hiroto had oh so little of.

 

"I can take of the rest from here, I just need some time to cool off. So go." Hiroto grabbed the broom from Kou's hand to continue to sweep the rest of his room. Just a few more sweeps and his room would be close to spotless. Then he could resume his studying as though nothing their little fight never happened. He just wanted to get the day over with since it was dragging out so long. His headache and his temper were getting worst the more agitated he was getting. Smoking seemed tempting, but he had taken so much time just to clean out his damn room.

[Coffee-Tastic]

(Its complicated any way you try... I've cheated the game before and used some kind of hack on my computer, but I couldn't use it online for trade or battling... Still, it was cool to have! (A raspberry colored Stunky

 

Kou stared back challengingly at his brother, wanting to say something back, but Hiroto could have said worse things in response besides telling him to go away. He kept forgetting that talking about mom like that always affected him because unlike Kou, Hiro didn't see her like a useless, failure woman. Kou never connected with their mother or their father and he didn't have boundaries in speaking about either of them. Why would he? Mom was gone with another man, their dad wasn't ever around. They weren't real parents to him, just the people that took care of him for a certain point in his life and the people who were legally responsible for them. No big deal to Kou. Hiroto not so much.

 

Not saying a word, he looked away and went to the door, closing it behind him with some force. "You brought that on yourself." He mumbled, words for Hiroto that wouldn't be heard by him, as he went to the bathroom to scrub his hands, even though they had been under gloves the whole time. When he was angry, sometimes he'd just feel the need to scrub down his hands bare, washing them over and over again hard from the frustration he had in him. Its not that he felt dirty at the time, it was just that anger being used to do something that makes it get let out. At least he was out of there. The room was getting filled with negative energy that messed with both of their heads and their word choices.

 

When he was done, he washed his face and soon went to the kitchen. It was starting to get late and he needed to cook dinner... With headphones in both of his ears, he listened to violins, pianos, cellos and many other instruments in orchestra. It would calm him down, distracting his mind by cooking was good as well, deciding on a chicken and noodle casserole with rice and ham. He'd be cooking for three. He didn't know when their father was going to come back, but he'd be back eventually, right?

[grizzly]

(My friend code is 1177-8257-9617, feel free to add me!)

 

The last time he saw his mother was years ago, back when he always had snot running down his face. He was always following her like a lost puppy, but she never returned any attention to him. All of her attention was focused on her father or the other men she would see. If there was a person he always wanted to impress, to get approval from, it was the mother that was long gone from his life. He was glad his father didn't go out of his way to remarry, knowing he would never willingly accept another women to replace the role of his mother. It just wasn't right, it wasn't fair that his mother didn't love him as much as he loved her. He always felt bitter towards the parents that showed up to meetings or assemblies at the school, because he knew if he looked into the crowd, he wouldn't see the face of either of his parents.

 

Hiroto could hear faint sounds coming from the kitchen, meaning Kou was working on their dinner. He left his room after a while to check on Kou to see him distracted with ear buds in his ears. He knew better than to invade Kou's room since he loathed the idea of Kou doing the same to him. But he needed the books in Kou's room, so he tip toed over to Kou's room to grab the materials he needed. It was only a book he was borrowing from Kou, but he knew how stingy he was with books, so he was careful not to mess it up as he brought it over to his own room. He placed the book on his empty desk and pulled out the notebook and pen he was using earlier, continuing where he left off from the second chapter.

[Coffee-Tastic]

(Yay! I'll put it in as soon as I can! ... Lol. "Put it in"... HaHA!)

 

Kou saw his brother go towards his room in his peripherals, seeing only his back. He pursed his lips, hesitant to let Hiroshi go over to his room and, he guessed, take his book... He might get ash in there. It might catch on fire if he tried smoking while working on it. There was so much that could end up making him angry, but he had to think past that. Kou was surprised that he went on his own to get it and work on it more, even if he wasn't there to advise and help. Hiroshi was really trying and he could have used calming down as an excuse to let it slide off until tomorrow, Kou would have accepted that. He was really trying... Biting his cheek, he continued cooking in the kitchen.

 

The casserole was just about finished at this time. He brunet put on oven mitts and took it out of the oven, setting it beside the rest of the cooked food on he stove top. His ears were still playing in his ears, but when he was taking off those mitts, he heard a tune out of line. A doorbell. Kou took off his headphones and left his phone on the counter to go to the door, which gave another ring. "I'm coming!"

 

He hasn't seen dad in two days, only hearing him that morning moving around and going to work. Walking faster, he unlocked the door and opened it up to see... Not dad. It was a coworker he remembered stopping by once a month ago. "Can I help you? My father is not here... If there's a message you'd like me to repeat back to him, you can tell me what that is." Kou had widened the door when he originally opened it, but since it wasn't father, he came closer towards the doorframe, closing the door halfway with him there.

 

The man took his hat off and smiled sadly, "No I don't have a message for your father. I came to tell you that he's gone on... A business trip." Kou stared at the man blankly. "Visiting some place."

 

"Neither of his jobs require trips." He stated quickly.

 

The man at the door lowered his head and nodded, "Uh. Yes. You're right... He-"

 

Kou gripped the door tightly and persisted, "When is he coming back?"

 

"... Okay..." He sighed, guessing he couldn't sugarcoat what this kid's father told him, "He's staying at a friends house. He took a leave from work... He said he's taking a break, but when I asked about you, he said you'll be fine on your own. It didn't look like he any intention of letting you know this and I came by to let you know so you wouldn't worry about him. And if you need anything," he went into his pocket and took out a folded piece of paper and held it out for Kou to take, "You can contact me on my phone or email. I just feel bad. He... Uh..."

 

Kou didn't take the paper and closed the door casually, locking it again without a polite refusal and goodbye. Dad took a break? He never took breaks. Why couldn't he take his leave at home? Was it his fault? What did he do? What did he do to make him want to stay away from home? He didn't tell him. He never said anything. Why is he not coming home? Why isn't he here? What did I do wrong? Kou stood there, processing things in his head... Or rather, he was asking too many questions in his noggin, staring at the door and listening to the man take footsteps away from the door after a few moments.

[grizzly]

Hiroto continued through chapter three with hardly any challenges. It was much easier to work on his own, but at the same time he had to teach himself how to read out some words he didn't know. He still wasn't sure if he was pronouncing the words correctly, so he jotted the words down in his journal to ask Kou later. He could hear Kou tinkering with the oven in the kitchen and anticipated dinner fairly soon. He was wondering when he would hear his father come home since it was sort of a big deal whenever he arrived. He always pretended to despise his father, but he made sure to welcome him every time he came home from work. This time he was gone for a couple days, which made him worry.

 

He was startled by the abrupt sound of the doorbell. He ignored it until he heard Kou open it and heard an unfamiliar voice. Curiosity stuck him like a cat and he made his way to the door. He went to the end of the hall, hiding around the corner where he could eavesdrop on the conversation. It wasn't father, so it made him anxious when he told Kou he was there on his father's behalf. Was he injured, or did he collapse from overworking himself? The reason for his father's absence was much more worse than the two. He was shacking it up at some person's house. "Friend" was obviously a ploy. His father must have found someone to occupy his time away from his sons. The thought made him extremely bitter.

 

Before Kou could make it back to the kitchen, Hiroto stormed over to his room. His anger forcing him to slam the door shut harder than he had meant to. It felt like he was going through his parent's separation again and his heart was aching. He didn't want to see his father again. He could stay at that "friend's" of his for however long he wanted. Hiroto jumped into his bed and buried his face into his pillow. He wanted to scream, but pillows could only muffle sounds so much. Eventually Kou would come over to his room to announce dinner was ready, and he'll just pretend he never listened in on the conversation.

[Coffee-Tastic]

From his blank out the door closing firmly in the distance broke him out, but instead of thinking that the sound was a door, he assumed it was his heart ripping in half... Why should he care. Dad was already gone so much, it wouldn't matter if he was... The main question he had inside of him interupted his thoughts, cutting in his body like a knife. Was it my fault? Hiroto wasn't around much at home when dad was there, not that he knew of. The only one to see him the most and talk with him the most was himself. Maybe the older man was annoyed by him too for... he didn't know. He didn't like the food he made yesterday? God he was thinking too much, no stone of a memory was left flipped to try and recall what was wrong. What if he was tired of the both of them... A combination of a punk and a smart ass son might have made it too much.

 

Kou blinked and raised his head from the door, turning around and going to the kitchen immediately. He took out three plates, three cups, three napkins, three forks and set the table up as if a happy family was going to be there. The food was placed in the center, the water container out for the taking as well as a 2 liter bottle of coke. Looking at it made him feel pitiful, that feeling getting ten times worse when he put the servings on the plates. "He'll be back." He muttered to himself with a dart stabbing his lungs directly. Kou said that phrase often when Hiroto asked when he'd be returning home from time to time. Too bad he won't be coming back for who knows how long.

 

Knock knock. The brunet knocked on the door and opened it up, "Dinner's on the table, come on." Without waiting to see if his brother was coming, he turned around and went to go sit himself at the table, sitting next to the empty chair that their dad normally sat in. It felt really cold sitting there, his skin feeling stale with the man's words repeating in his head.

 

He's gone on... A business trip.

 

It didn't look like he any intention of letting you know...

 

I just feel bad.. for you kids.

 

Kou didn't think he was going to disappear, yet because of his unspoken absence, he felt like he was abandoned. And abandoned by who? What was his dad to him again? Kou claimed in is head that he was the man who was responsible for them and were the people who took care of them for a certain amount of time. But it hurt too much for it just to be that. He took his fork and started eating, the flavor of his cooking being so nice and warm, it was like swallowing fake love. He shivered, chewing slower.

[grizzly]

Hiroto groaned and turned in his bed when Kou knocked. That only meant dinner was ready, so that was the only thing he could say he was looking forward to that night. Kou was always in charge of making their meals, because if Hiroto had it his way, they'd all be eating microwavable food. He supposed the only reason why Kou enjoyed cooking and cleaning as much as he did was because he was forced into that scenario. He took on the role of their mother, only he was able to do it a hundred times better. He always did enjoy Kou's cooking that he never realized he had taken it for granted.

 

His posture was slouched, but he straightened up when he arrived at the dinner table. He pretended to ignore the third plate at the table, knowing it would get cold. He didn't even bother bringing up dad as he usually would around dinner. By then he would always know the answer. "He'll be here," was what Kou always responded, but that wasn't going to happen for a while. He'll be here in weeks no doubt. That wasn't any way to treat his children Hiroto thought bitterly. He had some lackey coworker deliver the news out of nowhere rather than growing a pair to tell them himself. What a father.

 

"Smells good, Kou. Casserole?" Hiroto sat himself across from his brother, but avoided eye contact with him. He grabbed a pair of chopsticks and a spoon to scoop the food onto his plate. If he thought it was awkward in Kou's room, it was much worst at the dinner table now. They had just fought, but Hiroto wanted to forget about it all. He decided small talk would keep them distracted, because he needed it way more than Kou did. He needed to keep his mind off his father if he wanted to make it through the week. "I finished the third chapter, and I'm already halfway through the fourth. Soon enough I'll be caught up if I keep at it this rate. Guess I won't be a drop out."