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Tsukasa had been in the hospital for a while. Maybe a few weeks, then he got discharged. But Amane didn't even get to see him before he was sent.. somewhere. He had no idea. They wouldn't let him see his little brother.
He himself went to therapy every week, sometimes twice a week, and he was taught healthier ways to take his anger out, like keep a journal and stuff like that. He was taught breathing techniques, and all in all was just taught how to be a better person, a better student, a better son... a better big brother..
Tsukasa absolutely idolized him when they were younger, always clinging to him, always introducing himself with "I'm Tsukasa and my big brother is Amane! He's amazing isn't he?!"
But over the years, it grew annoying... and by time they were eight, Amane grew sick of it, and would shove Tsukasa away whenever he would come too close. He'd degrade him..and soon enough he'd get violent.
By time they were ten, Amane would litter Tsukasa in bruises. Tsukasa would be sitting on the couch, Amane would come close, Tsukasa would compliment him, greet him... smile at him. But whenever he did he'd bash Tsukasa's head against the wall and tell him to kill himself, or smash his knee into his face and tell him he'd gut and skin him alive if he showed his stupid face-
He got even more violent by twelve, permanently injuring Tsukasa. Scars and... worse. Much much worse. Weeks of hospital trips... he had no idea why anyone let it get so bad before actually sending him to therapy and sending Tsukasa to a safer place-
Today he was excited, though. Tsukasa was finally coming home!! They had to go to court a little while ago, and they "won the rights to have Tsukasa" or something like that.. but he finally has his little brother back!!
He waited by the window for hours, squealing at each car that drove by and frowning whenever it drove past.. his dad sat next to him and explained how it'd go.
"Dont touch him, don't yell... no sudden movements either... okay? The lady that's with him will look around the house first, and then he'll be able to stay if we pass the test.. so please behave.." He explained, patting his sons back and Amane eagerly nodded.
"Y-Yes of course!" He agreed quickly, gripping the windowsill tightly as the car pulled up, his heart stopping-
The lady came in, looked around yadda yadda.... he was told to stay inside while his parents went outside to great Tsukasa. They were out there for a while and he couldn't even see them-
But soon, they came back with Tsukasa in tow and... he looked.... different.
He didn't have that grin, or the shine in his eyes- well.. his eyes were shiny but with tears. His eyes didn't have that spark in them... he was missing his right pinky finger, he was blind in his left eye, he had a scar on his cheek and his tongue was nearly split in two from that time he stabbed Tsukasa's cheek and knocked a tooth out. And he had deep scars here and there.
He was wearing baggy-ish clothes. It looked like a uniform. He had a collared shirt, a jacket, a sweater and a tie, and oversized pants.
When they made eye contact Tsukasa froze and immediately looked away, and he himself grinned widely and nearly flew into him, but remembered hus fathers rules. "H-Hi Tsuki...!" He smiled helplessly, and Tsukasa, of course, glanced at his shoes and nodded. "Hello..."
They hadn't seen eachother for years, so obviously it was tense, awkward... sad fo see Tsukasa like this... he didn't deserve to be so messed up..
His mother smiled and pat Amane's back. "Show him your room!" She encouraged and Amane nodded. Tsukasa followed hesitantly to their shared room.
"It's changed alot since I was last here." Tsukasa hummed, "did they switch our the beds?" He questioned, trying to make small talk, watching Amane shudder as he looked into his blind eye, almost completely white. They were supposed to take it out, but they obviously didn't.
"Yeah.. there's curtains too. It's purple..." Tsukasa's favorite color.. "your bedsheets are brand new too.." He mumbled and Tsukasa smiled a bit, making Amane tear up even more as Tsu set down his bags.
"Ca...can I hug you..?" Amane trembled, sniffling and wiping his face. "I've missed you so... so so much..." He sobbed and Tsukasa smiled a bit, hugging Amane close. "I..." He didn't miss him... hes been dreading this day, and it wasn't as bad as he thought. "I love you.." He mumbled instead.
Amane let out another sob and hugged Tsukasa tight. "I love you more.."
——
A year or so later, Amane finally gained the trust of Tsukasa. They were cuddling every night, eating together, laughing together, walking to school together... everything they did when they were still happy.
They were finally happy.. because Amane learned how to control his anger, and healthier ways to take it out. And Tsukasa was finally happy, his scars healed, mental and physical. It was all perfect..until...
"Tsuki, can you hand me the salt?" Amane smiled at his younger brother, who had been rambling as he sat on the counter, grinning and nodding, searching through the cabinets and handing Amane the container. It wasn't the right one but Amane didn't care, he didn't wanna make Tsukasa feel dumb, or feel bad, so he dealt with it and stirred it into the pot.
"Dinners almost ready, Tsu. Can you set the table? Mama and papa should be home soon." He smiled at him, lovingly. "And then we can snuggle and watch TV!" Tsukasa cheered, before nodding
But as Tsukasa set the table, Amane paused his movements, staring into the boiling pot.
"Tsuki. You love me, right?"
Tsukasa paused and glanced at him, "what do you mean?" He questioned, folding the napkins into triangles and setting them under the silverware.
Amane gripped his spoon tighter, "you love me." He repeated, before staring at him, and Tsukasa felt a chill run down his spine at the look in his eyes. He recognized it.
He got goosebumps, his eyes widening as his ears ringed, his fingers tightening around the glass in his hand. "Amane?" Was all he could whimper, "You're scaring me.."
Amane grit his teeth and slammed the spoon down, watching Tsukasa flinch and cower. "Answer me!" He shrieked and Tsukasa stumbled back as he stomped closer. "Amane pl-please calm down-" He whispered. He trusted Amane not to do anything, he trusted him.. so he wouldn't hurt him.. right?
But before he could way anything, Amane jerked forward, grabbing Tsukasa's collar and throwing him to the floor, watching him bump his head into the cabinets, trembling and curling up, but soon enough he started shrieking as Amane gripped onto the counter and began kicking him, his stomach, his face, chest, everything.
Tsukasa did his best to crawl away, gasping and sucking in pitiful gasps of breath as he tried to escape, but Amane slammed his head into the floor. "You're so pathetic." He growled, grabbing the pot of boiling water, "worthless- You're worthless!! Why should I do anything for you? You don't deserve anything!" He screamed and poured the boiling water on Tsukasa, keeping his foot pressed firm on his shoulder blades so he couldn't escape.
Tsukasa was screaming bloody murder, thrashing and sobbing and begging, God the begging-
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Amane screamed, hitting the pot into the side of his head, his ear and cheek red as he burned his skin with the hot metal.
Tsukasa held his face and sobbed, trembling and trying to crawl away, his back burning, it felt like his skin was splitting. "N-Ni-ii cha-chan! Ple-ea-ease!" He sobbed, begging Amane, but Amane wouldn't listen, grabbing the back of his shirt and ripping him up, peeling some of the skin off as he screamed.
Tsukasa did his best to fight back, but he was still weak, he couldn't-
He didn't last for long, because Amane pushed his face into the stovetop, burning his ear and cheek and temple as he screamed and sobbed, his tears sizzling as they hit the stove. But by sheer luck, he managed to shove Amane away and lurch away from the stove, falling to the ground as he held his burning face, he couldn't breathe- he couldnt take anymore of this-
He shakily grabbed something off of the table and scooted away from Amane, pointing a fork at him. He couldn't even speak, his words were all broken up as he hiccuped and gasped for breath.
But Amabe still didn't care, because soon he grabbed the chefs knife off the table and smacked the fork out of Tsukasa's hands, lurching forward and before Tsukasa could even respond, let alone move, Amane stabbed the knife into his stomach, twisting the blade inside of him. At first it felt like he had been punched, but he knew that wasn't the case, he could feel blood drip down his skin.
Amane pulled it out and did it again, right under his ribs, aiming down, and that's when Tsukasa began screaming, pushing Amane away and cupping his hand to his stomach.
"My tu-tumm-y.." He gasped, "I- I want my-my ma-ama..!" He cried, his legs wobbling as he fell and coughed up blood. "Ma-Mama! Pa-Papa-! So-Someone-!" He pleaded, curling in on himself, choking and hacking and suffocating. "Mo-Mommy..! Ama- i...I wa-want my Amane..."
And then, Amane bent down and ripped his hair up, looking at him with a sneer of disgust. "Pathetic..." He growled, watching blood leak between Tsukasa's little fingers... watching blood pool...
Tsukasa went limp and fell against Amane, holding his stomach as Amane's eyes widened, as he realized what he had done-
"Tsu-Tsukasa...?" He whispered in disbelief, lifting Tsukasa up and screaming as he saw his condition.
"No no... nononoNONONO..! TSUKASA!" He screamed, cupping his cheeks in his hands. "Oh my god..m-my poor baby.." He sobbed, making Tsukasa sob harder as Amane held him. "I-Its okay.. it'll be okay.. y-youre going to be okay..!" He rambled, wiping away Tsukasa's tears as the younger jerked and cried.
Amane whook his head and sobbed. "I was getting better..! We were..I.. I was... we were getting better!" He sobbed, gasping and standing up to grab the phone on the wall, dialing the best he could- he needed help-
He didn't even know if he was calling for emergency services or if he was calling his parents, he was on auto pilot-
But before he could finish, Tsukasa puked up even more blood, slumping to the floor. He couldn't move anymore, he couldn't grip his tummy anymore, his torn up shirt stained in red, and Amane immediately dropped the phone and held Tsukasa close. "My baby..." He whispered, sobbing softly. "My poor baby-"
"Amane..?"
He froze.
The voice came from behind him- he slowly turned and saw his parents, staring in shock, horror and disbelief. He didn't even have time to explain, or be afraid, because he picked Tsukasa up and showed him to them. "W-We gotta go to the hospital! We gotta get Tsuki help!" He cried, and his parents were frozen-
"NOW!!" He screamed and his parents jumped and immediately dropped all the groceries, grabbing Amane's forearm and dragging him out to the car, in too much of a rush to lock the door, let alone close it all the way.
Amane was shoved into the back and he was screamed at to keep Tsukasa breathing, to keep him alive while they sped to the hospital, way over the speed limit.
Tsukasa's breathing sputtered as he went tense and taut, more blood spilling out of him.
Were they even going to make it in time... would he be able to be saved...?