heavenlydecree | (no subject)

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[If there was one thing Takatora was sure he should have learned by now, it would be how to keep his life in perfect running order. He had been the head of Yggdrasill's Research and Development branch from the moment he'd left high school and even before that, his father had kept him on a tight and strict schedule, never a second unaccounted for or left out of place. Unfortunately, with all of Takatora's scheduling and trying to squeeze an extra hour into every day, he still felt as though he never had time for anything, let alone everything. Even his weekends left little time for himself, though Takatora was also painfully aware of his obsession with triple-checking everything under his command and bringing such weight onto himself. He couldn't allow for errors.

His morning routine started a bit later on the weekends, if only because Takatora knew he had to catch up on sleep at some point to make up for running himself ragged. Getting sick was something he couldn't risk. The usual morning routine went by quickly: dragging himself out of bed (he'd never become a morning person, as much as he wanted to), showering, getting dressed, checking for any news or alerts while he had been sleeping. Thankfully, nothing important had happened during the night. Takatora always lived with the fear of something awful happening while he was asleep that he would be unprepared for, but every morning brought the same temporary relief. For now.

Takatora headed out of his room after an hour or so, still checking his phone as he made his way down the hall and towards the stairs. Ryouma already wanted to talk to him about something, which was mildly surprising as Ryouma rarely (never) got out of bed so early, which meant he'd been up all night again. Stepping past one of the maids, Takatora spoke a return greeting to her as he continued on, paying more attention to typing out messages than his surroundings.]

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[After finding out about what his younger brother had been doing with his free time, everything had started to make sense. Even now, Takatora could tell exactly what was going on by how Mitsuzane was manipulating the conversation, cutting Takatora off before he would have a chance to question anything. It made him set his lips in a line and brought a sinking feeling to his stomach.

The fact that Mitsuzane could lie so easily to him, that Takatora had fallen for it so easily in the past... There were traits Mitsuzane had picked up on from both their father and from Takatora himself to act like this. To see that the brother Takatora continued to think of as the smiling child who never wanted to leave his side had started acting like this.... It was difficult.

It was a card Takatora had held close to him for a long time, knowing about the Beat Riders, their teams, and his brother's role as an Armored Warrior. He had never seen fit to use it. He had saved it and continued to even now, not wanting to waste it in such simple times. Normally, Takatora would have simply accepted the other's brushing him off, but today there was another item of concern.]

How are you feeling?

[Takatora turned and moved towards his brother, stepping in close without touching him. It always hurt too much when Mitsuzane flinched away from him, so physical contact was another action Takatora had tried to control.]

[He stiffened slightly, nearly stepping back but not wanting to seem too distant. It was another dance, a dangerous game. Something he had to keep control of. The illusion of looking effortless, while planning every step... that was dance, in both life and on the stage.]

Fine. Perhaps a little bit tired, but I was up late studying. I wanted to make sure I had everything memorized so I could go over it today, and I lost track of the time.

[If he was touched, the game was over, at least for now. Every muscle had to be controlled. Every breath had to appear normal.]

[Stepping away wasn't necessary for Takatora to notice how tense Mitsuzane was when he moved closer. Takatora opted to take a step back instead, careful to give Mitsuzane space and not risk the other running away from him. It had become an art form, how Takatora could keep his brother cornered long enough to speak to him. He couldn't remember the last time they'd had a conversation.]

Hm...

[Usually, he wouldn't fight Mitsuzane on something like this. Was it just a chance to assert some brotherly authority? Takatora wasn't sure why this was the day he was trying to coax the other back.]

It's the weekend. You should go sleep in a little longer.

[Really, this felt like the first time Takatora had ever suggested 'be a little irresponsible' but health always had to come first, or everything else would fail around it.]

[He swallowed a little, trying to remember his brother's schedule. Could he get away with pretending to sleep and then sneaking out? Probably not. It seemed like the kind of day where Takatora would ask a maid if he'd left. Damn it. They needed him today. Kouta wouldn't be able to pick up the slack - he'd been out of the team for a while and he still wasn't in sync with the others.]

[There were no options. He tried to keep his expression neutral, but with the way his body was aching he didn't have much time before he couldn't keep it up. He took a deep breath, preparing to debate his brother - he needed to go study, or he would get an unsatisfactory grade on the test - but something in the air caught in his throat and he felt a cough coming on.]

[He took a step back and covered his mouth with his sleeve as he coughed, a dry sound with a little bending over from the pain.]

No, it's fine. I should... go study...

[Damn it. This story was falling apart at the seams. If he had to skip today... he had to be there, they needed him! They couldn't do it without him!]

[Mitsuzane's cough sealed Takatora's resolve that he would not allow his little brother out of the house in that condition. Despite his attempts at self-control, Takatora closed the space between them again and carefully put a hand on Mitsuzane's shoulder, trying his best to be comforting.]

Mitsuzane, don't push yourself. If your friend wants to come over later, perhaps they can do so when you're feeling better.

[It was easy to look calm and in control of the situation until Takatora's phone started ringing, at which point he set his jaw and gained a very displeased look. Ryouma, as usual. He really could never get a break from work, but for now, the phone call was being pushed aside in favor of his younger brother's health.]

Let's get you back into bed.

... All right, nii-san.

[That was it, then. No escaping it today. His shoulders slumped slightly under his brother's touch, and he nodded. Bed. But maybe he could still escape later. He'd have to text someone to let them know. Hopefully Kouta wouldn't screw something up while he was gone.]

[He turned a bit, heading back towards his room with Takatora. Once again he had the feeling of being in his older brother's shadow, quite literally right now. His posture dipped a bit as he tried not to push his joints too much. He felt like a toy he'd seen in a store window - a tin robot, whose every joint moved stiffly and awkwardly. Why anyone would want something like that was unknown to him.]

[It was an awful feeling, to live with the sinking suspicion that Mitsuzane hated him. Takatora had given false smiles enough to know when someone was showing him one and had hidden the truth enough times to realize when it was being hidden from him. Every time Mitsuzane looked at him or spoke to him, Takatora could feel the wall separating them. It felt hopeless to think he might get past it.

Takatora removed his hand from Mitsuzane's shoulder as soon as they started walking, trailing behind the other. His phone had stopped ringing, but there was no beep of indication Ryouma had left him a message (he never did.) When they reached the door to Mitsuzane's room, Takatora kept back, wondering if heading inside was another mark on a long list of things he would upset his brother by doing.]

I understand you want to go out today. ... I'm sorry. Perhaps later.

[He could feel his body resisting with every step, but he pushed through. He didn't have to know. He couldn't know. And he definitely couldn't know about his affiliation with Gaim. How could he understand? They'd both lived a life apart from others, but he'd been the only one of them to try and live a life other than that. He hid things, yes, but it was better that way. They'd pester him about things otherwise, or they'd feel uncomfortable.]

[... There wasn't really anything in his room. All of his Gaim things were hidden away. Instead he painted the picture of a studious teenager - books everywhere, school notes carefully lined up in folders, and notebooks that held nothing of interaction with other people, only chemical formulas and algebraic equations. He leaned on his door slightly.]

We'll see, won't we -

[He moved to turn the doorknob when he coughed again, barely catching himself against the wall as his body shook. He let out a quiet hiss of pain at the awkward angle and the sudden pressure on his wrist, but bit his tongue to cut it off.]

[As soon as Mitsuzane had started coughing again and showed so much visible pain, Takatora had moved forward and put one hand on his younger brother's chest, the other against his back in an attempt to steady him. It was rare that Takatora would allow himself to touch the other, but he had moved before thinking about what he was doing. Now that he was so close, he was worried to move very far, or to move Mitsuzane at all if he was this sick.]

How long have you been feeling this way?

[It didn't seem like the sort of thing that came on suddenly overnight. It was possible Mitsuzane had been sick for longer and Takatora hadn't noticed with his busy schedule. Takatora visibly frowned, reaching out to open the door and carefully nudging his brother inside. Usually, he wouldn't enter his brother's room without permission (or a good reason), but this time he would make an exception.]

[He slumped slightly, forcing himself to relax his muscles in his older brother's grip. He wouldn't be able to do anything like this. He couldn't force himself to transform like this either - he'd already taken damage from some Inves and he would only take more if he wasn't healthy while he was fighting.]

[His bed had been made neatly, of course, and he'd swept the floor himself in order to make sure that there was no trace of dirt or anything that could give himself away.]

Only a few days. It's just a cold, I think. Please don't worry about it, nii-san. You have important work to do, right? I know there are a lot of things you have on your schedule, and I'd hate to make you fall behind.

[He reached up and covered his brother's hand on his chest with his own, fingers curling in the fabric of his sleeve like he had done when they were younger.]

[There were times when Takatora doubted his brother's honesty, especially knowing what he did about Mitsuzane's extra activities. He always wanted to believe Mitsuzane wasn't really lying to him, just that Takatora had never been open or understanding about the other's life or needs in the last few years and Mitsuzane had found it difficult to be himself anymore. It was a guilt Takatora carried with him regularly, feeling as though he'd failed in various ways without any idea of how to make things better. Their father had been far from an emotional or loving man, so Takatora had been forced to stumble blindly through life when it came to how to deal with his brother and the relationship he wanted them to have.]

I only want to get you settled in.

[When Mitsuzane touched his sleeve, Takatora had instantly recoiled, but quickly recovered, silently cursing himself. It had been so unexpected that he had reacted in a negative way, which he only hoped Mitsuzane hadn't noticed or would take offense to.

After nudging the door open, Takatora guided Mitsuzane into the room and steered him towards the bed.]

[He made a mental note of his brother's reaction, but there was nothing to be done about it now. He could use it later, if he had to. He let his bag slide off of his shoulder and onto the floor gently before turning to sit on his bed. He peeked up at Takatora through his bangs, smiling a little sheepishly.]

I'll be fine, really. But thank you, nii-san.

[He really should have changed before getting on the bed, but he couldn't do that with his brother in the room for multiple reasons. Still, as he tried to shift to get under the covers, some of his bruises stung sharply. He froze for a moment, before gently moving his arm again.]

Please let me know if there's anything I can help with while I'm at home today. I don't want to make you sick, but I do want to be useful.

[The smile made Takatora smile in return, even though he couldn't be sure how genuine the one he'd received was. As soon as Mitsuzane had sat down, Takatora had removed his hands from the other. He turned away, wrapping the strap of the bag around his left hand and picking it up, placing it on the seat of one of Mitsuzane's chairs instead. It wasn't as though he was trying to make a show of cleaning up after the other, just that he wanted to keep the floor clear if he was going to continue stumbling around. Thankfully, this meant his back was turned long enough not to notice Mitsuzane's flinching.]

The best thing you can do for me is to take care of yourself.

[With that, Takatora turned back towards Mitsuzane and ran his hand over the other's hair.]

I'll send a maid up with some breakfast and medicine. Don't try to push yourself. You can't force your body to get better.

[Damn. The weight of the bag wouldn't seem right - but he had to hope that Takatora was distracted. He slipped under the covers and adjusted his position so he was more or less comfortable. He'd change later, maybe, but there was no way he was going to make it out today.]

... Yes, I know. You need to take care of yourself, too. The company needs to know that even its leadership can be strong, and you can't be strong if you don't rest.

[This... was nice. When was the last time they had spoken where Takatora had felt so comfortable? It almost seemed as though things were normal between them now, instead of the awkward tension that usually filled the air.]

What kind of brother am I that my younger brother is the one trying to take care of me?

[Takatora returned his hand to his side, tilting his head at the other and watching him carefully.]

I'll be fine. [He sighed, looking the other over once more.] Is there anything else you need now? You know you can always call me if you need anything.

It's just the two of us here, aside from the staff. We need to look out for each other, right?

[As much as the statement made him want to gag, it was true. They couldn't really rely on anyone else, and he didn't trust any of his brother's staff. He couldn't. He didn't know what they knew about the Armored Riders, and he didn't trust them aside from that. Almost all of them seemed extremely suspicious.]

I'll be all right. Go to work. I'll leave you a message after I rest.

[It would have been difficult to describe the look on Takatora's face when he heard Mitsuzane speak. At first, he didn't react at all, but after a few moments he had pressed his lips together and turned his head away, trying to hide any sign of emotion on his face. Unfortunately, he failed miserably, looking caught between utter embarrassment and dealing with overwhelming emotions. To have Mitsuzane say something so caring towards him was entirely unexpected, though certainly not unwelcome. Takatora simply did not know how to react.]

Right. ... You're right.

[It was difficult for Takatora to say more than that. He walked to the side of the bed and reached down to brush Mitsuzane's hair away from his face, managing a small smile.]

Please be careful, Mitsuzane.

[He nodded a little stiffly, and turned over. He needed to rest, or at least pretend to do so. Further conversation with Takatora was pointless right now. He'd done what he needed to do, both to maintain relations and to open up further opportunities to find out more information.]

I will.

[Later in the day, he did feel somewhat better, though not enough to sneak out to the stage. He waved off one of the maids, explaining where he was going, and soon enough he arrived at Takatora's office and knocked on the door. He'd hidden away his dance uniform and put in another textbook to his bag. He did actually have to study - there was a test next week, after all.]

Come in.

[Takatora had been at his desk most of the day after leaving home, after meeting up with Ryouma that morning and discussing the next steps in their projects. Since then, he'd gone through a small mountain of paperwork, reading documents, signing them, neglecting himself and his health as usual, if the full yet cold cup of coffee on the corner of his desk was any indication. He'd barely looked up from his work in the last few hours.

In fact, Takatora had been so distracted that he had nearly forgotten Ryouma had come into the room an hour beforehand. Now, the professor sat in his chair across from Takatora, playing with the phone in his hands every once in awhile, but mostly spending his time watching his superior. When he heard the knock at the door, Ryouma laid one arm across the back of the chair and turned curiously towards the new visitor.]

[Micchy opened the door, a slight smile on his face, which dropped the instant he saw Ryouma. He felt his body tense, but he forced a smile again, inclining his head slightly towards the scientist.]

Sengoku-san.

[Carefully, he looked over at Takatora, and closed the door behind him.]

Nii-san. I thought maybe I would keep you company and study here. And one of the maids said you didn't bring lunch, so I brought it for you in my bag. I wrapped it an extra time to make sure it didn't get any sort of germs on it.

Mitsuzane-kun~

[In the times the two had seen each other over the years Ryouma had been friends with Takatora, they rarely managed to be in the same room together for very long or to exchange words other than basic pleasantries. Ryouma smiled at Mitsuzane when he came in the room, draping himself over the back of the chair. He could tell Mitsuzane's smile was faked, clearly the boy had not taken the time to sharpen his skills as much as Ryouma had in that department.]

Your nii-san told me you weren't feeling well. Are you sure you should be out of bed?

[From behind him, Takatora gave Ryouma a look (which the professor couldn't see, obviously), before he turned his attention to Mitsuzane and motioned for the other to sit down at the small lounge area to the left of his desk. While he wanted to scold Mitsuzane, he didn't want to do so in front of Ryouma. Family matters were not to be shared, no matter how close Ryouma liked to think he was to them.]

Thank you, Mitsuzane.

[He sat down where he was directed, doing his best not to look at Ryouma. He drew the box out of his bag and placed it carefully on the edge of the desk.]

I thought that I could at least spend a little time with you, even if you're busy. And nii-san is the smartest person I know, so if there's something too difficult perhaps you could help me.

[None of it should have been too hard, but he could pretend on the rougher parts.]

Besides, all of the kinds of things you do I'll need to learn how to do at some point, right? And it's getting to near when we have to start studying for entrance exams, too. Learning business practices is important if I'm to get into a good university.

[Mitsuzane's blatant ignoring of Ryouma didn't go unnoticed by either man. Takatora didn't say anything in response and neither did Ryouma, though the professor stared intently at Mitsuzane as though trying to put pressure on the other to respond. The box being set on the table followed by the words Mitsuzane spoke brought the same reaction his kind words had earlier that morning, the embarrassed, unsure emotion on Takatora's face. He tried his best to hide it.

That did not go unnoticed by Ryouma.]

Feel free to start studying on your own. If you have any questions, you're welcome to ask. I should be done soon.

[Short and straight the point. Takatora's words were always considerably different at work than when he was at home, though it was rare Mitsuzane saw him in an environment where he forced himself to be so professional. Even if it was only in front of Ryouma, Takatora couldn't allow himself to relax as long as he was working.]

[He nodded, and pulled his science textbook out of his bag next, taking note of how his words had affected his brother. Perhaps this day wouldn't be a waste after all. He flicked through the book until he arrived at the appropriate chapter, glancing up at Ryouma before turning his attention to the book.]

[He fell silent, absorbed in his textbook. Really, most of this was stuff he knew, but biology was tricky. He always wanted to dispute things his teacher told him, but doing so would be useless. Memorizing the information, even if it was incorrect, took priority. He could always reteach himself the correct information later. Textbooks on science were always outdated by the time they were printed, after all.]

[The room fell silent once the brothers had busied themselves with their work. It was all too obvious to Ryouma how similar the pair could be. At times like these with their heads down and their attention buried in their work, they nearly looked like the same person. Mitsuzane certainly resembled how his brother had looked at that age.

Carefully, Ryouma had slid one hand onto the back of Mitsuzane's chair and leaned over, practically with his head on the other's shoulder as he glanced at the book and attempted to see what the other was working on. Obviously, personal space had never been a concern of his.]