Chapter Text
The hallways of the abandoned building were littered with curses, each slithering along the walls and ground or scattering away like ants. Choso paused at a nearby window, the moonlight streaming in and illuminating his form in a soft hue of blue. The city in the distance was alight with life, souls teeming and mingling as they went on with their mundane routines.
“You of all people should know better than to seek me out,” his voice was loud in the silence, hoarse from misuse but still poisonous in its tone. Choso turned from the window, eyes narrowing and lips pulling back in distaste as he spotted a woman at the end of the hall. The stitches across her forehead gave her away, and his guts clenched in disgust at its mere presence.
“And you should know better than to speak to your father in such a way, Choso.” The woman’s voice was lovely, soft and full of a fake warmth that had Choso clenching his fists in rage. It was because of her, him, that Choso lost his two brothers. It was not too long ago that they had woken up together, but now it was just him.
Without a second of hesitation he clapped his hands in front of him, eyes narrowed in rage as he pooled his blood into a spear at the tips of fingers. “You are no father of mine.” Just as he was about to release his technique towards the curse, who remained unguarded, he froze. Her words gripping him in confliction.
“I need you to take care of your baby brother.” Her smile was still soft, eyes narrowed into crests almost mockingly. “You’d be a good brother to him, won’t you? Or if you prefer,” the smile on her face stretched far too wide, no longer fitting her face and showing too much teeth. “I’d be delighted to raise him.”
The blood at the tips of his fingers spasmed momentarily before sloshing to the floor as his cursed energy scattered without his concentration. “Not you.”
Choso knew better than to believe anything the man said, but his father knew him just as well. His lips tightened into a line, eyes narrowing as Kenjaku’s smile broadened into glee, a macabre look upon a face with such gentle features. He watched as he extended a hand out, clothes shifting and sliding with the movement as he gestured towards a far door. Without looking away from him, Kenjaku spoke into the tense silence.
“Come on out, Yuuji. Your big brother would be delighted to meet you.”
Against Choso’s better judgement, his eyes snapped away from the curse, blood rushing through his veins and pounding in his ears as he stared at the doorway. A tuft of pink hair peeked out around the frame followed by wide, honey-gold eyes. A small hand was placed around the frame, keeping the rest of his body hidden from sight as the young boy looked from Kenjaku over to him. Choso’s breath stopped, hands trembling as he took a shaky step forward.
“Yuuji, don’t be shy. I’m sure your brother wants to meet you.” Kenjaku’s voice was grating against his ears, but he would tolerate it for now, only because his baby brother seemed to listen to what the man had to say. The tiny hand slid off the doorway and Yuuji stepped out around it hesitantly, letting Choso fully take in his newest brother. His younger brother who was no taller than his thighs. He bit his cheek, chest tightening with emotion as he continued forward stiffly. Yuuji looked up at him, face shy and fingers wrangled in front of him as he introduced himself.
“H-hi big brother. I-I’m Yuuji.” His voice was high, soft and low as he glanced away in embarrassment. In this damp and dreary room, Yuuji stood out like a beacon, and Choso couldn’t help but follow the warm innocence of his newest family member. He fell to his knees before Yuuji, idly taking in the fact that his brother only came up to his shoulders still. But it was easier for Yuuji this way rather than having to crane his neck so far back.
“Well Choso, aren’t you going to introduce yourself?” Kenjaku’s voice was mocking, and he could hear the smug satisfaction in it. “Introduce yourself to my greatest creation.”
Choso ignored him, hesitantly raising his hands up but not quite touching Yuuji’s shoulders. “I’m Choso,” he whispered, eyes blurring. “Can I hug you, Yuuji?”
The shyness melted away from Yuuji’s face and a beaming smile replaced it, shattering Choso’s resolve to hold back. He hardly waited for Yuuji to nod before he enveloped him in a hug, bending over and tucking his baby brother into him the best he could, hands gripping tightly to his back and cradling his head. Yuuji let out a soft ‘oof’, but he let himself be held, and even more, Yuuji seemed to want to bury himself into Choso just as much.
Choso clenched his eyes shut, tears spilling over as he let out a shaky breath, squeezing even tighter. “Everything is okay now, Yuuji. I got you, I got you…” His voice cracked and to his surprise, Yuuji began to cry, body shaking and voice warbled as he tried to speak.
“Choso…Choso where were you. Where we-were you when grandpa died?”
He bit his lip, unable to answer. He hadn’t known his baby brother even existed, and now he had to answer for his failures. As the eldest, he should have known, should have felt it when Yuuji was born-
He paused, concentrating. He paused his lips, brow furrowing when he realized his connection wasn’t as strong with Yuuji as it was with his other brothers. He would need to find out why later, but for now he had to make sure his brother would be safe.
“I’m sorry, Yuuji. But I’m here now, everything will be alright.” Choso let Yuuji cry on him as long as he needed, making sure his grip remained tight and letting him know he wasn’t alone. For now, he would let Kenjaku leave, sensing the curse behind him leisurely walk away with an all too pleased aurora. Now was not the time, he couldn’t let Yuuji see something like that.
After a moment of debate Choso hauled Yuuji up, gently tucking him against his side and motioning for Yuuji to hold on to him. Tiny, soft hands clasped around his neck as Yuuji buried his face into his shoulder, Choso catching a glimpse of puffy red eyes. Emotions tugged at him as he made his way down the halls of the abandoned building, each twisting in his gut and heart. His chest was warm with the love he already felt for his brother, fluttering with the way Yuuji gripped at him and overwhelmed by how cute he was. Still, his stomach turned, his mouth sour at the thought of how long Yuuji was in the grip of that monster.
Before, all of his brothers had been able to fend for themselves, but that was most certainly not the case with Yuuji. The weight of responsibility began to settle on his shoulders, but Choso merely flexed his muscles and strengthened his resolve.
“Rest, Yuuji. Everything will be fine now,” he ran his fingers through pink locks, silently marveling at how soft they were. “Big brother is here now.”