Archive of Our Own ^beta

“What’s the matter?”

Keith stiffened, looking right at Ryo, his twin, hands on the uniform for the high school division of the garrison, before saying, rather weakly, “Nothing.”

Ryo stared, his mouth twisted into a frown, eyes narrowed. “Sure. Nothing is bothering you.”

Keith turned back, looking at the uniform, then said, “Nothing.”

“Akira,” Ryo sighed.

—silence—

“Akira,” Ryo said more firmly.

“I already was in high school,” Keith said, frowning at the uniform, which wasn’t much different from the middle school one.

Ryo stared for a moment, and then. “Ah. I forgot high school starts a year earlier over there.”

“And school year starts earlier over here,” Keith said, another thing he wasn’t used to, pulling the uniform in close. “And there’s a bloody entrance ceremony. That…” He frowned, eyes closing, his arms drawing in closer. “They’ll be attending.”

Ryo frowned, then, “Grandfather and grandmother?”

“And after that…” Keith kept his eyes closed, swallowing.

Ryo—

Keith cracked an eye open, looking at Ryo. “You think I’m insane.”

“For freaking out over having a family meal with our grandparents?” And then, “I mean, you’ve had…” Then Ryo’s eyes blinked. “We’ve had meals with them before, but…” Ryo then stared. “Ah.”

“Ah, what?”

“That makes far more sense.”

“Ryo!”

“I mean, I didn’t remember you being super shy when we were younger, so…” Ryo frowned. “I just thought it was a way you’d changed.”

Keith deadpanned.

“I mean, you’ve always been squirming, as if you’d done something wrong and they were going to call you out.”

“But I have,” Keith said.

“You have?” Ryo said. “When? Like, when?” He then took a deep breath. “Okay. So maybe they don’t react well to you insisting Takashi is alive, but can you blame them?”

“It’s not just that,” Keith said. “My school record…”

“Doesn’t reflect on your school record here,” Ryo said. “There haven’t been any fights, right?”

“Only because…” Keith looked at the ground.

Ryo remained silent for a bit, then. “Of course not. I’m not going to let anyone push you into acting out.”

“Shiro…” Keith started, frowning.

“Takashi,” Ryo corrected, letting out a hiss, but then, he shook his head. “Sorry. Just, Takashi wasn’t in class with you like I am. There was a limit to what he could do, particularly since…”

“Since what?”

“Takashi wasn’t exactly forthcoming about us being related,” Ryo murmured. “So don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“But.”

“No buts,” Ryo said. “Our grandparents are super excited about our entrance ceremony, because you’ve missed out on all the other ones.”

“But…” Keith frowned, then whispered. “We don’t have entrance ceremonies in America.”

Ryo stared, then, “Oh. This really is outside of what you understand and know, isn’t it?”

Keith nodded his head.

“Well, I’ll be there with you,” Ryo said. “Just like everything else so far, and if I can’t, one of our cousins in the same year will be.”

Keith’s eyes widened.

Ryo sighed. “Still getting used to how big the family is?”

“It used to be just me and…” Keith said, not mentioning their father, knowing it was a sore spot. “Then me and Shiro, kind of, but not really. Now?”

“Then, focus on me,” Ryo said quickly. “Let me be the one other family member. I am your twin after all.”

“Right,” Keith said, but still was unsure about that, everything. He couldn’t argue with Ryo, though.