A Bond Beyond Blood

A blanket was put on me while I slept on the couch. The chirping of cicadas kept me company, breaking the deafening silence of being alone at the dead of night. I got up to make myself some tea. Only a bit of pain in the back remained, a small persistent throbbing around the center annoying me every now and again. Without my sister's help it would've remained a lot worse though. I rubbed it with one hand while filling a kettle with water with the other.

As I turned it on, and the blue light illuminated the surroundings ever so slightly, I thought about what had happened earlier.

It's not the first time I've woken up at this kind of hour. Whenever I visit my mother's grave I usually see ominous visions like those. I never quite can make her out. However, the thing that really bothered me was... well, the other part. It wasn't completely fabricated, there was at some point a time wherein the two of us played house. From what I can remember, her small hands did grab mine behind the chapel as she recited what she probably thought was marriage vows. In hindsight it was hilariously childish how that vow ended up sounding more like a promise to eternal friendship.

To be together always, to play together always, to pick one up if they fall down, the details aren't important but simple things like that. Despite that, my dream managed to turn it much more perverse. The stress or the gloom must have been getting to my head.

I took a teabag, adding it to a cup I quietly took out of the cupboard, trying not to blast myself with the sound of an orchestra of 1000 trumpets if it happened to fall onto the floor. After that I equally neatly added the teabag to the cup, and when my hands were safely out of reach, the now boiling water, then dumped a bunch of sugar into it. I got back to the couch, cup in hand, and pondered what I could do while lazily stirring the teabag inside of the cup.

Usually at times like these I'd go back to my room to revise homework or tests or the like. However I've already done all of it, and the finals are still much too far away to consider studying in advance for.

While I was thinking, a sudden sound coming from upstairs broke my thinking process. As I looked up, I saw Chiori sheepishly smile at me. Usually by my rules she shouldn't be awake at this hour. However, since I'm awake anyways, and could use the company, I gestured for her to come sit beside me while taking a sip of the abnormally sweet tea.

"Sorry if I woke you up." I said, scratching my head.

"Mm hmm," She shook her head side to side, "It's not your fault onii-chan, I just couldn't sleep."

On the few occasions we talk like this during the night, her otherwise energetic front disappears. It's easier to talk to her like this for me.

"Your eyes look a little red. Here, have some." I handed her the cup, she usually prefers it sweet like this. I don't care either way personally, sugar or not.

"Ah, thanks." She said while turning to face me. "You're always looking out for me." She pouted while turning the cup in her hand, before taking a sip out of it.

"I do it with pleasure, always will."

"Sometimes I wonder how I could ever repay you if you keep doing stuff like this."

"Repay, huh..." I trailed off, imagining her in the wedding dress for some reason. "It's okay, you won't have to do that."

I leaned back into the couch, still distracted by thoughts of the dream. Can't wrap my head around what it all meant, if it meant anything to begin with.

"You seem troubled, onii." She said, looking at me with concern. "Is there something on your mind?

I stood up, unsure whether I wanted to discuss that question.

"Wanna go out for a walk? I'd like to get some fresh air."

She nodded at the suggestion, and followed suit, happily skipping behind me as I headed to the front door.