I shot up in bed, gripping my chest and panting. My heart was hammering so hard in my ribcage that I feared it would break bones. I palmed at my shirt, gripping the fabric and pulling it away from my clammy skin. I tried to calm my frantic breathing, feeling the waves of my nightmare still washing over me. I couldn't even remember what it was about. I never did.

There was movement out of the corner of my eye and my body coiled. My head snapped in it's direction and I hissed. "Sorry!" Bon whispered, and as soon as I knew it was him, my body relaxed. That didn't last long however, as my eyes darted over to the alarm clock. 4:57am. I glanced around the room, my breath hitching when I didn't see my twin anywhere.

My tail flickered behind me, thudding against the mattress. My gaze snapped back to Suguro, my breath shaking and hoarse from inactivity. "Where's Yukio?"

Even in the dim light of the room, I was able to discern that he was anxious over that, as well. "I don't know, okay?" No, no, it was not okay. Yukio was never this late. I lifted a trembling hand to my hair, pulling at the strands. "Rin, hey, it's okay. He should be coming home soon." Should be. "He told me it would be awhile in the first place. They probably got set back, or a plan backfired. I'm sure he's fine, alright?" I felt weight on the mattress next to me and soon after, He placed a hand on my shoulder. I knew the gesture was meant to be comforting. However, I couldn't help but believe that he was fooling me. My twin was never this late. With his longer missions, he was home around midnight, and the absolute latest he'd been out was two in the morning. My body shook and I pulled my knees to my chest, resting my forehead on them. There was a sigh from beside me. "Do you just wanna go back to bed?"

No, I didn't. Not that I was capable of sleeping at the moment, anyway. I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Could you... maybe play music or something?" He pushed himself off the bed and I heard his footsteps as he retrieved his phone. The mattress shifted once more and the room was silent except for the quiet taps of his fingers on the screen. After a few minutes, a melody played from the speakers and he placed the phone down on the bed. Several songs passed and I realized the playlist must have been the tops hits from about five years ago.

I chewed on my lip, waiting impatiently for some sort of sign that my brother was home. But the bedroom door stayed closed, there were no footsteps, no creaks of the steps, the air was still around us. Minutes passed by, and as one song shifted into the next, I felt my tremors heighten in intensity. I drew in a unsteady breath, my lip trembling. Another song ended and I felt like my bones would collapse under the pressure of my rigid muscles. "Oh my god... where is he?" My voice wavered and I felt my eyes grow misty. "He's never this late, Bon." My fingers fidgeted with the bandage around my wrist, only succeeding in unraveling a few inches of thread. "What if he's hurt?" I swallowed hard. "What if he's...." I bit down on my tongue, not even daring to say the words out loud. The air quaked as I exhaled and I turned to my classmate, feeling myself on the brink of hysterics. "Can you text him, or call him?" I shook my head, "no, wait. If he's on a mission, don't call, just message him, please? He's never been this late." I felt like a broken record, saying the same phrase incessantly.

He nodded and grabbed his cell. The bedroom lit up slightly as he unlocked his phone. I tried to take a deep breath, placing all my hope on this one message. When Bon set the electronic back down, I did my best to focus on the lyrics. However, as another song passed, I couldn't help but let my mind wander toward the negatives.

This was an emergency mission, meaning that the preparation phase wasn't as lengthy. And depending on the demons they were exorcising, a plan was necessary. I knew they wouldn't go into a fight without something organized, but a poorly thought out plan could be just as dangerous as no plan. What if this exorcism was just like the one we attended? Were they outnumbered? Did they underestimate their opponents? With such a extensive mission, there were bound to be injuries. How many casualties were there...? Tears spilled from my eyes and I clamped my hand over my mouth. My shoulders shook with my silent sobs, and it wasn't until I gasped for air that Bon caught onto my meltdown.

The music was swiftly turned down. "Rin, talk to me." I shook my head, unable to speak at the moment. "Come on, you're breaking down on me. Let me help you." Bitterness shot through me, and my eyes snapped up to his. He flinched from my sudden movement and I held back a growl.

"Help me how?! There's nothing you can do. What could you possibly do to help me, huh?!" I gripped my knees tighter, feeling my emotions welling up behind my eyes and pouring down my cheeks. I used my sorrow to fuel my anger. "You have no idea what it's like to lose a family member; both of your parents are alive. You don't know what it's like to watch your dad die because you were too weak to save him! You don't know what it's like to grow up without a mother!" My words were laced with venom, but as soon as they escaped me, I felt my anger ebb away. Despondency replaced it, and I choked back another sob. "I can't afford to lose anyone else, or else I'll fucking snap." I shook my head, turning forward and dropping my forehead to my knees, again. "Not Yukio, never him. He's my only reason to live. Without him..." My voice trailed off, and I found myself unable to finish my sentence.

Silence passed between us and I stifled my tears. Another song played quietly and I sniffled, containing my emotions. After a minute or so passed, Bon cleared his throat. "Listen, I'm sorry if I offended you, that wasn't my intention. I just don't want you to cry anymore."

I sighed, wiping my eyes and raising my head. "It's alright, I overreacted."

A few more awkward moments passed between us before he spoke. "Your brother; I'm sure he's okay."

I shifted on the bed, feeling my irritation starting to spike again. "Don't make promises you can't k-"

Just then, the bedroom door creaked. My ears twitched and my gaze shot over in it's direction. My heart skipped a beat as a tired looking teenager appeared. He had his jacket folded over his free arm and he looked ragged. Yukio heard the music playing and his eyes lifted to where we were sitting. Confusion quickly melting into sheepishness and he hurried to explain himself. "I'm so sorry, I never knew I'd be this late." His voice soothed me, and I slowly felt my chains releasing. He rose his hand, gesturing as he spoke. "It took four separate plans, executed at different intervals to-" I broke away from my shock, flying off the bed and tackling him to the floor. "Oomph!" I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face into his chest. Instinctively, his arms moved to cradle me.

Another sob broke the air, but this time, it was relief that flooded my system. "Don't ever scare me like that again!" I almost choked on the air and I tried to calm myself, hiccupping a few times. "I was about to have a goddamn heart attack..." A thought occurred to me. "Why didn't you answer your phone?"

My twin hummed and I felt my body relax into the vibrations. "It got destroyed during the mission. I figured that I wouldn't need it since it's so late. Speaking of which, why are the two of you up at six in the morning?" His tone switched, becoming more stern. "You guys are lucky it's Saturday, otherwise you'd be slacking at school." I couldn't contain my giggles. My brother was home, and he was safe and unharmed. I'd listen to him lecture me for hours if it meant I got to hear his voice. Yukio stroked my hair, but he remained expectant, waiting for an answer.

Bon was the one to speak first, "I woke up about three hours ago. Probably because you two seem to be sleeping on sacks of potatoes. I swear my spine has a permanent dent in it now." The music we'd been listening to stopped mid-way through a song and I heard Bon's footsteps. Shortly after, I heard the creak of Yukio's bed as he laid down. My twin took the opportunity to pull me to my feet. I wiped my eyes as he led me over to my own bed. I sat down on the mattress and yawned, my exhaustion poking up now that I had a chance to relax.

"What about you, Nii-san? Why are you awake so early, did you even sleep?" I watched as my brother turned on his heels and retrieved his discarded jacket. I chewed on my lip as he hung it in the closet, grabbing some pajamas in it's place.

"I couldn't sleep."

Bon chimed in, "he was having a nightmare. I wouldn't doubt he has them a lot, either. It would explain why he gets so tired at school." My nose scrunched up at his response. Just because he was right didn't mean he had to tell Yukio about it.

Said twin gave me a concerned glance. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Oh, Nii-san, you've been hiding so much. Tomorrow, I want you to tell me everything." I blushed and nodded. He gave me a small smile and took a few steps forward, ruffling my hair. "Why is your arm bandaged?" Guilt flared up and my eyes met his, pleading with him to not be angry with me. He faltered, ruffling my hair once more. "Alright, tomorrow. I'm going to shower, I'll be right out."

I nodded and watched as he entered the bathroom and closed the door. My gaze fluttered over to where Suguro-san laid on Yukio's bed. Even in my tired state, I could still count. There were three of us and two beds. I sighed, a small smile pulling at my lips as I decided on a course of action. After a few minutes, a few snores filled the silence. I watched Bon absent-mindedly, my eyes growing heavy. Just as I felt like I'd lose the fight against my exhaustion, the bathroom door opened. Yukio appeared and his feet tapped on the floor. The moonlight basked the room and I watched as he became a silhouette in front of the window. He pulled the shade down and turned around. His eyes met mine and I waved lazily at him.

I pushed myself to my feet, stumbling forward and wrapping my arms around him. The smell of his freshly cleansed skin washed over me and I hummed in content. "I don't think you're getting your bed back tonight."

He breathed out a short laugh, "Yeah, I'll just crash in another room or something."

I huffed, my brows furrowing at his words. Grabbing his hand, I pulled him toward my bed. "That's nonsense, you've been gone long enough. You sleep in the same room as me, got it?" My twin laughed once more, relenting to his fate and crawling under the covers with me. I turned on my side and laid my head on his chest. The sound of his heartbeat was slow and methodical. That, coupled with the warmth that soaked through his shirt, pushed me deeper into the lull of sleep. I reminisced on the times we'd shared a bed as children, realizing just how long ago it was. The last thing I remembered was Yukio's fingers in my hair, lovingly toying with the strands.