The Good Son

1.

"So," Shura said as she watched Yukio practice on targets. "Are you aware your brother keeps slipping his watch and disappearing for a few hours each week?"

"I am aware."

"And you do realise that for someone on death row that is not a good thing to doing?"

"I am aware."

"So do you care to share with the class why you are so calm?"

"I know where he's going every Sunday. And he has permission."

"So what's he up to?"

"He didn't tell you and now you're trying to get it out of me, right?"

"He grew bright red and wouldn't say a word. So it's got to be good. So what is it? He got a girlfriend?"

"No."

"… boyfriend?"

"No," he replied in the same bland tone, ignoring the fact that Shura had timed the question so that Yukio missed the target in surprise.

"Both?"

"You're not going to get anything out of me. Besides, it isn't even that big a deal. 'nii-san just gets embarrassed about it."

Yukio realised that was the wrong thing to say when a grin slowly spread across the redhead's face.

2.

"Good morning. I've made pancakes if you want some," Rin said, presenting a bento box full of pancakes to the other Exwires before their Tuesday morning cram class. Behind him Yukio was sighing in exasperation.

"Just agree and save yourself the energy," he said blandly, making his way to his desk and sorting out the lecture notes as his brother force fed his friends.

"Hey," Rin greeted his friends once he found them during the lunch break. "I've made some pancakes. They're savoury. Try them."

"O-Okay," Shiemi said nervously, glancing at a defeated Yukio, trailing behind his brother and clutching his bloated stomach.

"Hey guys," Rin beamed, practically skipping into the cram school class. This time Yukio had apparently escaped him, whether of his own free will or by being hospitalised due to overfeeding they were unsure of. "I've made pancakes for everyone."

"Seriously! What the hell?" Bon exclaimed, pushed to breaking point.

"Huh?"

"I think what Bon means," Konekomaru said diplomatically, "is that he is wondering why you have been making all these pancakes."

"Because it's pancake day?" Rin half asked.

"You totally made that up," Bon shouted.

"I did not."

"You so did."

"It's a real thing,"

"There is no way 'pancake day' is a real thing."

"It is too. And just for that you aren't having any. More for the rest of us." At this point Rin actually stuck his tongue out at Bon.

"Is there still time to deny pancake day exists?" asked Shima weakly.

3.

"Hey guys. I've made hot cross buns for everyone!"

4.

"… and so, as a reward for all your hard work this week, the Exwire class is being treated out to a meal at the new restaurant that opened up at the bottom of the main high street this week."

"You mean the one with the sukiyaki?" asked Konekomaru.

"That's right."

"Hey, Rin. Isn't this wonderful. I've heard they do the best sukiyaki. And … Rin, why are you crying?" Shiemi asked in alarm.

Rin was indeed crying. Streams of tears ran down his face as he buried it in the table. He moaned something that was either 'Why did it have to be sukiyaki' or 'I didn't want to sue Tamaki'.

"Sensei, what's wrong with Rin? I thought he loved sukiyaki?"

"He does," agreed Yukio but didn't further elaborate.

Rin did turn up at the restaurant that evening. He blubbered mournfully at his food until his younger brother sent him away for disturbing the other customers.

5.

It was Sunday and one the cram school lectures (they were starting on passages from the New Testament) had been rescheduled to that morning since one of the lecturers hadn't been able to make it that week. Rin wasn't paying attention to classes again. Not that that was anything new. However Bon did notice that this time how Rin was acting was very different. Normally he just slept, phased out, or drew random doodles over his work books. Today he was fidgety, always glancing at the clock, and argumentative whenever Sensei called on him.

Bon wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or concerned.

When Rin was called upon for the fifth time because he was too busy staring at the clock to pay attention, Bon decided on annoyed.

"She's asking you a question, dumbass," he growled across the room.

"This is stupid. Why do we even have to be here?"

"None of us want to be here on a Sunday either but you don't see any of us complaining."

Rin scowled at him. "Maybe. But at least you have the option of skipping if you have shit to do." He turned to their teacher. "Hey, lady. Can we go yet? I have stuff to do today. And it's not like I'm learning to be an Aria. Why do I even need to know this stuff?"

Bon bristled at the disrespectfulness.

The lady snorted. "This 'stuff' could save yours and other peoples' lives someday. But since you're so familiar with passages, I guess you can leave if you can recite to me the Parable of the Lost Sheep."

There were sniggers across the classroom.

Rin's scowl increased but he met the woman's eyes with a calm fury.

"Now the tax collectorsand sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

There was pure silence.

" Then Jesus told them this parable:"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shouldersand goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

Still there was disbelieving silence. "Guess that means I can go," Rin said, grabbed his bag, and then left the room before anyone could recover.

Shima summed the situation up rather nicely.

"What the hell was that?"

Though Bon kind of agreed with Shiemi's concerned reaction.

"Has he been possessed?"

+1

By the time the Exwires got their heads around the fact that Rin had not only known what the Parable of the Lost Sheep was but had managed to perfectly recite it, the boy was long gone. And it was another twenty minutes after that they were let loose from lectures and were free to investigate.

"Just for the record," Shima commented, "I'm voting aliens."

"It was rather weird," agreed Konekomaru.

"If by weird you mean completely out of character," said Izumo.

"Where do you think he went?" asked Shiemi.

"Probably back to his dorm to sleep," guessed Bon. There was a doubtful silence. "We can at least check. And if he's not there we can always ask Okumura-Sensei where he might have gone."

Rin wasn't in the dorm but Yukio was working at his desk.

"… and then he managed to perfectly recite it. It was really weird," Shima explained.

"It's not that weird," Yukio disagreed.

"It really is. He's never been good at any of the Aria classes," Izumo said curtly.

"But as you said, you started the New Testament today. I'd be surprised if nii-san didn't it." At the unanimous confused looked Yukio elaborated. "You do know that we grew up in a monastery, don't you?" They didn't. Or if they did they hadn't really thought of what it meant. "We weren't rich, so we didn't really have money for new books. All our bed time stories came from the bible. Not to mention hearing them in mass each week."

"As interesting as it is, it doesn't explain what the hell is up with Rin."

"Well," Yukio looked a bit conflicted, like he wasn't sure whether to share or not. "Usually nii-san spends Sunday morning at church but it doesn't normally bother him if he has to miss it. I don't see why he'd get upset about to…day."

Yukio's eyes widened and he let out a mild swear before running to his wardrobe and pulling out a suit, shirt, and tie. "I can't believe I forgot. I'm going to be so late."

"Late for what?" Izumo snapped.

"Church! It's Easter Sunday. I can't believe I forgot. All of you out. I need to change." The Exwires found themselves half ushered, half bodily evicted from the room and the door slammed in their face. A few minutes later they unanimously followed Yukio across down to a little church where people were beginning to stream out, several lingering to talk.

Among a group of old women, Rin stood and happily chatting away and helping to carry bags. He spotted Yukio and smiled with a wave, only to flush in embarrassment when he saw his friends.

"Hey. Sorry about earlier. I was in a bad mood because I was late but shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"I don't believe Rin would have a bad word to say about anyone. He's the sweetest young man I know," one of the women said. The other old ladies tittered in agreement. "I'll see you next Sunday."

The elderly group waved their goodbyes (one even pressing a sweet into Rin's hands and telling him he was a 'fine young lad' while glaring at Yukio and telling him he could learn from his brother's example 'and you better turn up next week).

There was a moment of silence before Bon snorted. "You act so tough but you're just a choir boy."

Rin flushed in embarrassment, shooting Yukio a dark look. "I can't believe you told them."

"They were worried about you."

"But Yuuuukiiiiiioooo."

The brothers got into a petty argument while the Exwires watched in baffled amusement, wondering how Satan's son ended up a good little Christian.

The world really was a strange place. And the people in it even weirder.