Judgment

Sae rubbed her eyes as she blinked and sat up, looking at the clock. It was only four, so she couldn’t fathom why she’d awake especially considering she’d gone to bed just a few hours ago. Normally, she’d sleep hard until six on her morning routine but… Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on felt… off . There was something wrong with the house’s atmosphere. Yes, Akechi was staying with them, but that shouldn’t have been enough to cause the strange undercurrent prickling her skin.  She rose and started through the house, quiet as she could be. She saw no sign of intruders or anything, so what…? Sae’s brows furrowed when she saw faint light beneath Akechi’s door that obviously wasn’t from a streetlight. The lack of sound forced her to conclude he’d buried himself in one of the games she’d gotten him. But why was he still awake? Her heart clenched as she realised she’d likely scare him if she knocked on the door. Given everything, it was the last thing he needed right then. Maybe whatever had happened earlier had finally caught up with him again. She couldn’t just leave him to suffer if that was the case, but she didn’t want to scare him… Maybe she could use his hypervigilance to her advantage. She went to the kitchen and got a few small snacks together, scrawling a quick note on a piece of paper, then slipped it under his door. Much to her relief, it cracked a moment later. Akechi peered through the tiny gap and opened it a moment later. She winced when she saw the bruises on his face again, but offered a soft smile. “Mind if I come in?” He shook his head and she slipped in, setting the tray on the night stand and settling into the chair next to the door. A glance at the bed revealed the covers crumbled but not drawn back. He sat on the bed, pulling his knees to his chest and looked away a bit, though he kept just enough of an eye on her, no doubt to see when she started signing. Akechi-kun, I won’t force you to talk about things that you don’t want to . He glanced over at her and relaxed a little, but he seemed a bit skeptical of her claim. She wanted to help him and he trusted her by and large but… She still had a long way to go before he did fully.  The light dusting of snow on the ground gave her pause. …Would you like to come over for Christmas?  He stared at her for a moment with wide eyes. She knew the topic was entirely random and it wasn’t something she’d thought about until the snow reminded her. He’d likely be extremely lonely that day since hbody to celebrated with. Sure, it was more of a couple’s thing than anything else but… She hoped he’d at least consider it. She just hoped Makoto wouldn’t mind if he accepted. A tentative nod came after a moment and he hesitated before responding. If I’m not imposing at all… I wouldn’t want to come between special times for you and your sister… Considering Makoto’s earlier comment about being hurt, Sae had a feeling she was playing a dangerous game. Even after just two years, they’d already grown used to everything being just them. Things were tense because Sae hated having to raise her, but they did their best to remain close. Her damnable job got in the way with the long hours she worked, but she did her best. But then to just invite this random kid into their family functions… They would have to have a very frank, open, honest talk when they got the chance. It wouldn’t be an easy one since they’d both grown used to dealing with things on their own.  I’ll talk to her about it later. She smiled then sat on the bed next to him. He rested against her and picked the 3DS back up, resuming his play session. She absently ran her fingers through his hair as she ran down the preparation list. Between work, Makoto, and Akechi, she’d honestly forgotten until now. Thankfully, she knew how to make Christmas cake as well as fried chicken due to her mother teaching her, so reserving them wouldn’t be any problem… ♦ The sound of pots and pans in the kitchen woke Sae from her doze and she looked at the clock. Of course Makoto still stuck to her usual schedule even on Sunday mornings. A glance at Akechi revealed him sleeping like the dead. She pressed a gentle kiss to his head and placed him on the bed. With how deeply he slept, he likely wouldn’t rouse for several more hours, so maybe she could talk with Makoto while it was still fresh in her mind. “Good morning, Sis.” Makoto smile and looked at her as she sat in the breakfast nook and saw Sae’s serious expression. “What’s wrong?” “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about. Honestly. I don’t want either of us to hide anything in this discussion.” Makoto put the the cooking utensils to the side and nodded, sitting across from her. Sae only took this tone when she was deathly serious about something. Asking for honesty was another rarity; they’d both just accepted they kept things from each other. Makoto was entering the period of her life where she would be stretching her wings to find her own path and identity. Sae had to accept that, hard as it was, considering they’d been nigh inseparable when they’d been younger.  “What is it?” She sighed and cast a glance in the direction of the guest room. Makoto’s hands had disappeared under the table and it wasn’t hard for Sae to imagine her twisting the hem of her nightshirt. “…I don’t want to hurt you by inviting a stranger into our life, but it’s hard for me to ignore him, Makoto. Usually he’s good at hiding it, but around me, he’s a open book. “I’m not suggesting he move in or anything that drastic; I just want to bring him around the house at times I can guess he’ll be hurting the worst. What are your honest thoughts about it?” Sae kept her tone gentle and even, trying to invite Makoto to share her thoughts. They rarely communicated like this anymore and it was something they needed to work toward again but… That was neither here nor there at the moment.  Makoto brought her hands up to grip her arms, dead silent. There was a lot more Sae could and wanted to say, but she didn’t want to seem like a prosecutor trying to twist a confession. She’d used some damn dirty tactics to get convictions, but she didn’t want her sister to feel like she was on the stand. This was about both of them, not just what Sae wanted.  The minutes stretched until Makoto let out a breath, wiping away a few tears. “I can’t say I’m not hesitant about the idea. After losing Mom and Dad, bringing a random stranger into the family—even as loose as you’re proposing—is a hard prospect. I’m scared we might both end up hurt again if something happens.” She bit her lip and took a breath before continuing. “At the same time, I see why you want to. Akechi-san is obviously lonely, afraid, and hurting. I wasn’t blind to the makeup and you did tell me a bit about his situation earlier. Plus…I know Mom and Dad would’ve wanted us to help him.” Sae’s eyelid twitched imperceptibly at the mention of their father, but she knew Makoto was right. Their parents had taught them to be caring and understanding to people whenever possible which was why Sae couldn’t ignore Akechi’s suffering. “Maybe if I got to know him, it would help settle me a bit… Do you think he’d be willing to spend some time with me, Sis?” “I’m…not sure. He tends to be quite resistant to me getting too close. But who knows; maybe you can break through to him.” Sae shrugged since she simply didn’t know. She knew a lot of Akechi’s moods, triggers, and rhythms, but when it came to the boy himself, she knew next to nothing. Then again, their unspoken rule had been in play until Sae had completely shattered it yesterday.  Everything about their relationship had changed now.  “I can’t say I’m terribly fond of Featherman or bouldering, but I know enough about the former to hold a conversation with even the most hardcore fans.” Despite everything, Makoto’s eyes glinted and tone teased a little. Sae felt a little heat in her cheeks, but she smiled at her little sister regardless. “I know he’ll appreciate it. Plus, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind seeing more Disney movies either, if last night was anything to go off.” Sae smiled, but it faltered a bit. “Just…be careful what you show him.” “I’ll stick to the more whimsical ones. Promise.” Makoto smiled and held her pinkie out. Sae blinked. It’d been years since their last pinkie promise but… She smiled and hooked her pinkie around Makoto’s. They were in this together and would have each other’s backs no matter what.