Nobody But You - 11. Chapter 11

Twins

Tatsuya took hold of Etienne’s hand, forcing a steady calmness to his emotions that he did not feel. At all.

‘He’s here.’

‘I told you it was really him. We had a moment today.’

‘I know.’

Tatsuya didn’t bother to hide the salty envy that he harbored for his brother over his lunch time experience, though he’d felt much of his twins' side of the encounter through their bond.

“Tatsuo is in the shower, he’ll be right out. Let’s go ahead to the room.”

“Sure. After you.”

Etienne was staring down at where his hand was clasped in Tatsuya’s like he just couldn’t quite believe that he was really there, and he could practically see the tension overtaking him.

“Sorry about my mom, I hope my parents didn’t do anything too terrible. They’re weird, but they’re great. They only just made it home this afternoon from Kyoto, where they’re originally from.”

The color that bloomed in his cheeks belied Etienne’s feelings.

“I was caught a little off guard when your dad answered the door. He’s a little imposing...It’s not everyday that I meet someone taller than me.”

Tatsuya opened the door into their room, holding it for him to precede him in.

Etienne couldn’t help the small self deprecating laugh that escaped him.

“I took my hat off before I even thought about it cause...well she’s a lady, and next thing I know she was grabbing my ears…”

Tatsuya froze mid-step, turning to face him.

“She didn’t… Really?”

Etienne nodded sheepishly, a small blush creeping in his cheeks.

“She said they were cute.” Those very ears folded back against his hair in the most adorable manner.

He had to force his gaze from staring at Etienne’s bare wolf ears, instead locking on his gorgeous heterochromia eyes, one a soft velvety chocolate flecked with honey, the other blue like frozen ice and kiss of silver.

“I’m sorry she took you by surprise like that, still.”

“She has ears too…”

The words were said with such soft wonder, like an epiphany, that Tatsuya almost didn’t catch them.

“Here, why don’t you sit here and you can ask whatever you like. I’m sure you have a few questions.” Gesturing at his bed, he sat down before pulling Etienne down to sit beside him. Tatsuya let himself have the luxury of keeping his hand held warmly in his grasp.

“She has ears.”

This time he said it in a reaffirming tone, as though imprinting the information into his head.

“She does.”

He couldn’t help smiling around him, reveling in the wolf’s self awakening with himself. He could hear it in his words that it was finally sinking in that he wasn’t alone and it was okay to be himself.

For long minutes Etienne just sat there, turning the words over in his head before he decided on what to say. Tatsuya just waited patiently for him to find the right words, squeezing his hand and stroking small circles against his palm with his thumb.

“Since I doubt I ever went into much detail about it...I want to tell you, both of you, about myself. All there is to know...if it’s okay.”

He couldn’t hold back, his hand reaching up to stroke a stray strand of hair away from Etienne’s cheek.

“Of course.”

It was then the the bedroom door opened in what was almost a rush, and Tatsuo joined them, his long black and violet streaked hair hanging in damp tendrils down his back.

“Hey....”

There was an almost breathless quality to the singular utterance.

‘How eloquent.’

‘Shut up.’

‘Just sit down, he wants to tell us something.’

This finally spurred Tatsuo into motion, closing the door behind him he sat down on the bed, hemming in on Etienne’s free side.

“You can tell us anything.” Tatsuo rested a reassuring palm atop the wolf’s thigh.

Once again Etienne gathered his words carefully before continuing.

“The parish where I’m from is something of a ‘concentrated cluster’ of loup garous, or werewolves. Cause the bebe’s, they rarely make it to full term, down there they arrange marriages. ‘Dey call ‘em Covenants, but all it really is is joining one Bloodline with another because it’s in the genes, not the bite like you think. Sometimes the change comes and sometimes it doesn't, but no matter what it stays in the know as ‘dey say.”

His accent grew thicker as the words poured forth. It was obviously not something that he was used to speaking openly about.

“I was something of a special case, and apparently the change was strong in me. My Pa was mostly absent and my Mama was either overbearing of my every move with threat of violence or doing her best to forget I existed at all. She shipped me off here and I heard her say she could 'finally have her life back'.”

Taking a deep breath Etienne slowly reached back behind him, delving into the waistband of his pants he pulled forth his tail. A plume of black shining fur and tipped in cerulean blue, he curled it around his hip, wagging gently against him.

Many things finally fell into place for The Twins, and they were touched that he’d trusted them enough to come and tell them of his own surprising volition. It was time they returned some information and hopefully put him at ease once and for all.

Tatsuya led off.

“You’ve only been here once before, and I’m sure you were nervous already and don’t remember the family portrait...looks a bit like an overdone cosplay”

He watched the open books that were Etienne’s eyes as his memories flashed over them and Tatsuya could tell exactly when he recalled it.

“The horns..”

Tatsuya gently shushed him, one long finger touching his lips.

“Both of our parents are I’ll just say 700 plus, no need to go into specific numbers, but WE are eighteen.” He was fighting to not let his fingers drift across his lips and cheeks...and everywhere. He was letting himself grow distracted. “For one I’m sorry that you weren’t loved like you should have been, but it brought you here.”

Tatsuo broke in.

“What he’s trying to say is,” his curving twisting horns of shining black swept out back from his temples as he spoke, “Mom’s ears are every bit as real as yours and the horns too. She’s half dragon. Like steal your princess, burn your castle dragon. But the other half, our grandmother, was a kitsune priestess for the Inari Shrine. Ninetails, like the pokemon.”

Tatsuya shut him up with a little swat..

‘You’re the one doing a terrible job of this.’

He drew Etienne’s attention back to him.

“Our Dad is well...the God of Mount Hiei, he also happens to be a dragon, but more like the one that grants your wish with the dragon balls.”

Tatsuya’s eyes dropped to stare at his lips, his voice dropping a notch as his own horns, mirroring those of his twin sprang back from his crown..

“He spent over 700 years searching the world over because no other would do, she is the other half of him. I found you in eighteen…”

Helpless to stop himself, Tatsuya’s lips lowered to claim Etienne’s. Pausing for the barest of moments, the wolf’s lips pushed back against his own with wanting.