AN: okay so this isn't my first time writing a fanfic about brothers, *snickers* not in the frickin least! But this is, however my first time writing for the Okumura Twins, Rin and Yukio. I'm slightly nervous, that they might be OOC, yet I'm also thinking "Screw it" and going for it.

Yukio sighed silently as he continued to patch up his older brother's wounds. He just didn't understand, Rin has been getting into fights a lot recently. He'd come back to their dorm, with several cuts and bruises on his body and when Yukio questioned why he was fighting again, Rin refused to explain why. This has been going on for the pass couple of days. It started so suddenly too. And it frustrated the younger to end.

He told me he wasn't going to do that anymore. Yukio thought as he dabbed medicine on a particularly deep scrap on Rin's left arm, to keep it from getting infected. Not that it would, considering his brother could heal. It was true, Rin had promised that he would stop fighting with random jerks who pissed him off, but then again he also promised that he would not tease Yukio for having fangs, slightly pointy ears and a tail, and look how well he kept that one.

"Ow!" Rin yelped pulling his hand back as Yukio unknowingly applied too much pressure on a cut on his shoulder. In other circumstances the younger twin would apologize. But right now he wasn't very happy with Rin.

"Don't complain. You should know better then to get into fights, Rin."

Rin glared at Yukio. "Whatever." He mumbled.

Silence.

Yukio got back to work.

Ever since the whole mess with saving Assiah from Satan happened he has noticed his relationship with his brother was getting back to the way it was when they were kids. They were closer, now that Yukio had accepted that he shouldn't put the wait of the world on his shoulders and refuse Rin's -always offered- help. Yukio started laughing more, he let his composure fall, his 'serious face' as Rin called it, fall and act the way he use too before he became an exorcist.

"Why did you have to fight, Rin? You promised me you'd stop. And you've kept that promise this whole time. So why all of a sudden?"

Even if they were close again. Fighting is one thing he wouldn't tolerate his big brother going back to.

Rin gazed at his twin then turned his head and averted his eyes. "They called me names."

"And that justifies beating them up!? You know better then that, Rin. You're stronger then all the non-exorcist students here and if your not careful their gonna see you as a bully-"

Rin snapped his head toward Yukio. "I'm not a bully! I'm nothing like one of those assholes!" The younger of the two thought he saw hurt flash in his brother's blue eyes, but a second later it was gone. And anger took it's place. The son of Satan abruptly hopped up from the chair he was sitting in and made his way towards the door.

"Where ar-?"

Rin grabbed his black jacket and threw it over his shoulder. "Out." He said gruffly.

Yukio let out frustrated groan. "Why can't you listen to me for once? You think I like it when I see you hurt!? You think I like it when I see the guys you've hurt!? I don't! Is it too much to ask for you to walk away and not fight!?" His demonic tail curled in anger, emotions getting the better of him.

Rin paused at the entrance to their room by his little brothers words. His shoulders slumped. Opening the door, he walked out. Leaving Yukio alone by himself.

Three hours passed and soon the class Yukio was teaching with his young favorite bunch of Exwires was nearly half way over. His gaze shifted to his brother's from time to time. Rin hasn't said a word to Yukio all day. Giving the younger brother the cold shoulder ever since their argument in their room. Just continued to sit with his head low and his bangs in front of his face.

Taking off his glasses, the young teacher rubbed his eyes as he felt a sharp pain — caused from a stress induced headache— shoot between them. Getting up from his desk. He smiled professionally. "Please, excuse me for a moment." He said to his class and walked out of the room he went into the bathroom and splashes some warm water on his face.

Alright, think. Yukio. He told himself. There has to be a way to stop Rin from getting into unnecessary fights.

But what? His brother was beyond stubborn, even their father had problems with getting Rin to see or to listen to reason. If it had been so hard for Shiro, what choice did Yukio have?

But there has to be a way. There always was when it came to the two of them. Because he refused to lose his relationship with Rin over something that could be fixed with time. Throwing the paper towel away in the trash he made his way back to his class room.

And he was horrified at what he saw.

Rin was leaning over a new student, who was on the ground with a bloody nose. "Rin!? What are you doing!?" He said angrily as he walked towards the class. The new student took this distraction to his advantage, shooting up like a top he bolted towards the door still holding his nose. The son of Satan rushed to go after him, but Yukio blocked his way.

"Rin, stop!"

"..Yukio, I can explain."

"No!" Yukio said in a firm voice, he was beyond angry with his brother. Maybe it was his demonic powers that was regretfully helping fuel his anger but right now he didn't care. "No, I don't want to hear it, Rin. Whatever you say isn't going to justify what you did to that poor student. You're always so quick tempered, so rash and violent. Every time you do this I can easily see you going back to how you were when we were kids. Always getting into trouble, do you think dad would want to see you like this!? He always hated when you got into fights. Why can't you stop for his sake if not for mine!?"

The classroom was dead silent. No one moved or spoke, stunned by their teachers outburst. Rin stared at Yukio, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and hurt clear a crossed his face as though he'd been slapped.

"Woah, Mr. Okumura. It's not Rin's fault. He didn't just attack the guy for no reason. That 'poor' new student started picking on Konekomaru." Bon announced finally breaking the silence.

"Yeah!" Shima stated also coming to Rin's defense. "Konekomaru refused to do the guys home work and the guy suddenly picked Konekomaru up and threw him against the wall."

Izumo stood up as she nodded. "It's true, then Rin got up and tossed the guy back and told him to leave Konekomaru alone, and when he wouldn't. Rin shoved him, hard enough to make him fall, but the nose bleed was the jerks own fault because he slipped and landed on it ."

"Yuki... It really wasn't Rin's fault. He was protecting Konekomaru." Shiemi told him, as she gazed at the two brothers, not knowing how to deal with a situation such as this.

The bell rang then, signaling that class was finally over. But still no one moved. Yukio stood stock still. Feeling incredibly guilty for hashing at his brother like that. "Nii-san, I'm sorry. I didn't—"

"No, Yukio. I don't want to hear it."

Said twin closed his mouth.

"You always do this to me. You always assume that just because I throw punches and start fights that I'm gonna become some horrible person who doesn't care about other people. You nor the old man never once even bother to think why I fought those kids all that time growing up. Did it ever occur to you guys that all those fights I was in weren't because they were bullying me!? Half of the time they were insulting you, I kicked their asses because no one insults my twin brother, or my friends and gets away with it."

Yukio's eyes widened. His throat felt dry and he couldn't speak.

"But I never told you the truth because I didn't want you to feel any worse about yourself, Yukio. You already thought you were a nerdy weakling and I didn't want to make you feel any worse. Because I hate to see you sad. But you never asked why, never truly asked me. You just assumed, like everyone else did."

Rin —for the second time that day— walked to the direction of the door to the class room.

"Where are you going?" Yukio asked his voice hoarse and the corner of his eyes stung.

"As if you care." The older twin grabbed his Kurikara sword and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm going to eat my lunch I spent three hours making, not that you noticed..." Rin hesitated for a moment as he gripped the door knob.

"Even after all we've been through together, it doesn't matter because all you are going to see in me is a huge disappointment. According to you I'm better off dead."

With that last spoken sentence, he was gone.

Stupid Yukio! Rin growled in his head. Why couldn't he understand!? The least his young brother could do was make an effort to listen to what he had to say, to take his side and believe him. But no, he didn't. Yukio hardly ever did. And I can't blame him. Neither of them have ever been the most understanding when it came to their emotions.

Rin sighed and munched down the rest of his lunch, and threw the container in the trash, absentmindedly.

I need to clear my head. Rin thought walking down the sidewalks of True Cross. I know! I'll go up on the roof. That always helps me think! He tried to smile at his good idea, but it didn't fully reach his eyes.

"Okumura!" A voice called out. He turned and saw that bastard from class that was picking on Konekomaru. Joy. Was the first thing that came it his mind. Just what I needed.

"You think your so smart, huh?"

I'm smarter then you, that's for sure.

"But you're not, you're nothin' but a nobody."

Rin clinched his fists and kept on walking. Trying to let that snarky comment go through one ear and out the other. The kid started laughing. "Yeah, you're nothing but a demon." That word caused Rin to stop in his tracks, it always did.

"Oh yes. I know that you're the son of Satan. I mean, it's not that hard to figure out."

True. The fangs, pointy ears and black tail were a dead give away. "What ticks me off is not that you're trying to be an exorcist. Oh no, it's because your walking around all smug, thinking your better then everyone else, more so now that you saved Assiah."

"I've never-"

"-And your brother's no better then you! He thinks just cause he's a teacher that he knows what's best for everyone!? He thinks that just because he helped save Assiah that it doesn't mean he's not at fault for it happening at all!? That he's not any less of a monster like you?"

Rin hated all the insults that were directed towards Yukio. But the one he couldn't stand to hear was when they called his twin a monster. Yukio wasn't a monster. Sure, he was a demon now. But that didn't make him a monster. No, not at all. Yukio was good, and kind and smart. He was hardworking and stubborn. And definitely not a monster.

"Don't you dare bad mouth my brother!" The son of Satan growled out then as he jerked around saw that he was surrounded by several buff looking teenagers.

Shit...

It was a trap. All of the talk and insults. It was to distract him long enough to be ambushed. Rin immediately got into a defensive stance. His hand went to grip Kurikara, impulsively.

"Do you think dad would like seeing you like this!? He always hated when you got into fights. Why can't you stop for his sake if not for mine!?" Yukio's words rang in his ears. His twin was right, he was quick tempered to start a fight. But he had a damn good reason for it! But it also wasn't right that he was putting Yukio through so much stress, it was his job as the big brother to keep Yukio from getting hurt.

Even if his words stung Rin's heart, they were true.

"Is it too much to ask for you to walk away and not fight!?"

He'd be damned if he allowed himself to continue. No, I won't risk what I have with Yukio. Not when we've started to be like we use to as kids. I won't.

Taking a deep breathe Rin calmed himself and relaxed his arms. "Do and say what you want about me, but leave Yukio out of this. He's better then all of us delinquents combine."

The teenagers smirked at his display of affection towards his twin.

For once, Yukio.

"I'm really going to enjoy kicking your ass."

I'll listen to you.

For the first time in his life, Yukio found he couldn't focus on his work like he has always been able too. He took several breaks and but still forced himself to sit in his chair. But his thoughts kept drifting back to Rin and what happened between the pair of them in class.

"Why did I jump to conclusions?" He whispered to himself. "I didn't even bother to ask him what happened in his own words. I immediately thought it was his fault." Why was he like that? Why has he always been like that? He'd never do that to me. The first thing Rin would do, would be to have me explain. Not do what I did.

"Yukio?" Kuro's voice suddenly popped into Yukio's head. Turning his head the younger son of Satan saw the small demon cat hop up on his desk and gaze at him worryingly. Raising his hand, he began petting the small cat behind the ears. "Kuro, what am I going to do? I really upset Rin today and I don't know how to make it up to him."

Kuro nuzzled against Yukio's hand in attempt to comfort his master's brother. "Hmm.." Kuro hummed. "Well, have you tried with 'I'm sorry?' yet?"

Yukio let out a breathe through his nose at the cat's innocently simple suggestion. "It's a little more complicated then that. I think it's going to take a lot more then a simple 'I'm sorry' to fix this, Kuro."

His father's former familiar smiled at up at him. "No, it won't! Rin's easily forgiving. He's told me so, especially when it comes to you and his friends!"

Yukio stared at the black demon cat, his eyes widened. "Rin told you that?"

Kuro nodded. "Yup!"

The younger of the two twins leaned against his chair and sighed. "Well, if that's all it takes then—" Yukio jerked forward as he felt a sharp pain in his chest, it was though someone had stabbed him in his heart. The pain went through his chest and washed over his entire body. He's only had this feeling a couple of times in his life. And it only happened when it involved-

Rin...

But why? He hasn't had this feeling since their father died. He had been here when it happened, and cause of that small pain he rushed home to find his father dead and his brother crying. And right now he was having the same pain, the same jolting agony that something horrible just happened, something was wrong and that something involved Rin, like it always did. Yukio was so wrapped up in this feeling that the sound of his cell phone ringing made him jump rather high. Fishing the device out of his pocket, he made his way towards the dormitory door.

"Okumura here." He answered as he always did.

"Teach!" Shima's voice sounded frantic on the other end.

"Shima? What's wrong?"

"Your brother's in the hospital."

The news was so unexpected, it was something that not even Yukio thought of, that it caused him to skid to a stop. "What?"

"Yeah, these random guys jumped him and beat him to near hell." A pause. "I've never seen him look like this before."

"Are the wounds that bad?"

"They are so bad that not even his demonic healing is making any effort in helpin him." Yukio gulped and blinked several times not noticing when his turquoise eyes began to sting and his heart started to race.

"I'll be right there." Not bothering to wait for Shima to reply as he shut his cell phone off and bolted down the steps of the dorm he and Rin shared, through the entrance and outside.

"You always do this to me."

Yukio clinched his hands as he ran towards the hospital.

"As if you care."

He bit his lower lip as it started to tremble. It wasn't true, it wasn't. He did care about Rin. Even if he didn't show it all that much, he truly did love Rin. He was his big brother after all. Rin was the one who would constantly saved him when he was being bullied growing up, Rin was the one who would comfort him when he was feeling weak and down on himself, he was the one who was the first person to believe that Yukio could become a doctor. And he believe in Yukio wholeheartedly. Going so far as to pretend to be sick just so the younger could learn how to treat patients.

"NII-SAN!" His voice didn't sound like his own as he called out the name of his twin. Bursting through the hospital with all his might, rushing past the desk clerk and making a sharp left turn. Yukio didn't need direction, it was like he was being pulled, guided, he already knew where to go. He didn't know how he knew, nor did he care at the moment. Right now Yukio pinned it on their twin psychic senses.

Making several left and right turns he finally found where his destination. Immediately he saw Bon and the rest of his Exwire students sitting in one of the many waiting rooms this hospital had.

"Mr. Okumura!"

"Please, someone tell me that my brother's alright." He asked his teal eyes moving to each person in front of him. They all looked down.

"He's still in surgery-"

Yukio thought he was going to vomit. "Surgery!?"

"The guys that beat Rin up kicked him so hard that they ruptured something inside him that caused his healing ability to stop working." Yukio turned and looked at Shima. "Didn't you say you saw how Rin looked?"

Shima visibly flinched at the question. "Yeah..." He said his voice trailing off for a second. "I was walking down the sidewalks to—" He cleared his throat. "—Meet up with a girl I had recently met and I turned down one of the alleyways and I saw him laying on the cement."

"And?"

"And I freaked out. I tried to say calm but when I saw his injuries I knew I needed to call the paramedics." Shima sighed as he ran a hand through his pink hair. "They...really did a number on your brother."

Yukio let that bit of info sink in as his back met the wall. He felt deflated and exhausted. This is something he didn't know how to handle. His brother always had wounds growing up from past brawls with people bigger then him, but he never ended up in the hospital going through surgery.

"Why does he have to be so reckless!? Why couldn't he just walk away-?"

"He didn't fight back."

Yukio looked back up at Shima who looked annoyed with him for the first time ever. "What?"

"You heard me. I said: Rin didn't fight back."

The younger son of Satan gapped at his student. "How do you know that?"

"Because Rin told us himself." A voice spoke out abruptly causing everyone to jump and turned their heads towards a man wearing a baby blue coat and a name tag that said Tatsamuri.

"Your brother told Shima twice in the ambulance what he did- or in this case didn't do, then while on the way to surgery he regained consciousness and me before we put him under." Paramedic Tatsamuri stated as the man leaned sideways against the wall.

Shima crossed his arms over his chest. "Of anyone. He said to let you know that he listened to you."

Listen to me? When did I—?

Yukio inhaled a sharp breathe.

"Walk away and not fight!?"

Was it that? Did his words of regretful frustration cause all Rin to be in the hospital?

Oh god. I did this. The mere realization made Yukio slid down the wall and onto the white tile floor. He hung his head low as tears of guilt form in his eyes. Raising a hand to his face, he pushed his glasses upward and pressed his fingers tips to his eyes to tried to hide the fact that he was breaking down. "This is my fault... Because of me and judging Nii-san, I—" His voice cut off then, saying it aloud made it worse but he couldn't take them back now that they were out in the open.

What if Rin dies? Can his twin die? Yes, of course Rin could die, he maybe a demon but even demons could die. But because he's a demon if Rin were to die, would he move on or go to Gehenna?

"Better yet you should just die."

"According to you I'm better off dead."

Bile rose to his throat. No! I didn't mean that! I was angry! I don't want my brother to die!

"You can go see him if you like." A new voice announced breaking through Yukio's self-guilt thoughts. A man in a white coat with the name tag Vosùke. The man gave Yukio the same smile he gave his students when wanting to reassure them. Vosùke walked over and held out his hand to the younger son of Satan.

"I'm Rin's doctor. And you I'm assuming are Yukio, his brother right?"

Once Yukio was back on his feet the doctor lead him and only him to the room where his twin was. As they walked Rin's doctor began explaining. "We were able to get him stable. It took quite some time to do the surgery seeing as every time we made an incision the wound would heal closed." Doctor Vosùke paused.

"Regretfully, the only way we could keep it open was to put double blessed Holy Water on it. But it was a success, regardless. Most of his minor wounds have already begun to heal, so long story short, he's going to be fine. Just make sure he doesn't over do it. That he get's plenty of rest." Yukio nodded, showing that he understood the directions given to him, he glanced at the doctor, the poor man looked like he aged 20 years when really Vosùke looked only to be in his mid thirties. Thirty six in the least.

"I don't know whether to say 'I'm sorry for the trouble' or 'thank you for the help'." Yukio stated pushing his glasses up on his face.

Doctor Vosùke smiled and waved off Yukio's words. "No need to thank me, it's my job to help people. It's what I do for the peopl of Assiah. And you and your brother are no exception."

The younger twin nodded. "You know, even after I started to become an exorcist, I still thought that I could somehow find a way to be a doctor, that I could make it work."

"Really? And how did that work for you?"

A sigh left his lips. "I had to choose between the two."

"Hmm."

"I noticed how worn out you look, does it ever get any easier for any of you here?"

Rin's doctor laughed a little wryly. "That all depends on how badly a person is injured or sick. But... with cases like your brother's. I have to say that those don't get any easier to deal with, most especially on the mind. I know fully well that it was your dream to be a doctor from your father Shiro. Though in my opinion, Mr. Okumura." Vosùke stopped at room 310 and opened the door. "You dodged a bullet."

Yukio walked inside the room without another word. His teal eyes immediately found his brother. "Oh Rin..." He breathed out as he gazed Rin's unconscious form laying on the hospital bed. Slowly Yukio sat beside his twin, the chair was of course, not very comfortable but the young exorcist wasn't paying attention to that.

He hasn't even been here a minute and Yukio already feels like he's suffocating. "Rin, I—" The fifteen year old cleared his throat. "I—"

In his brother's deep sleep, Rin visibly winced in pain. And Yukio's heart snapped. "I didn't want this! I don't really want you to die, nii-san! I didn't mean any of it!" Tears fell from his eyes as he hung his head, they made puddles on his rectangular glasses.

He yanked them off absentmindedly. "I-I'm sorry, Rin! I'm s-sorry, nii-san!" Yukio cried. He felt slightly ashamed of himself for showing such emotions, one of the rules of being an exorcist was to not show tears. But then Yukio also didn't care, he was just so tired of keeping his emotions bottled up, what happened with Satan months ago was the first time he had cried in the last 15 years. He didn't want to keep his emotions locked away, not anymore. Especially when it came to Rin.

His chest began aching the longer he was left alone with his guilt. Raising his right hand, Yukio squeezed where it radiated, right over his heart, silently wishing that movement would make it stop. But it just kept hurting. It ached for all the times he was emotionless, it ached for the times he just should've enjoyed his life with Rin and their friends, it ached for all the times he was a asshole to his twin, always judging him and blaming Rin deep inside the dark parts of his mind and heart.

A hand gentle, as a feather suddenly carded through Yukio's brown hair. Not expecting something like this, the younger twin impulsively jerked his head upward, his eyes laying on his now fully conscious —if not groggy looking— big brother.

Rin said nothing, he only gave Yukio his signature smile.

"Rin!" The surprise and relief in his voice was clear and warming. Tears fell down his cheeks, the gentle hand moved from his hair and wiped them away.

Like a old marble statue, he breaks. And just like that Yukio all but flung himself at his twin's side. Gripping the coat wrapped around Rin, he clung on like a monkey would do it's mother. "Nii-san! What were you thinking!? Do you have any idea how badly you were injured!? How badly you scared me!? I thought you were going to die!" His words came out crystal clear despite how much he was crying.

Arms wrapped around Yukio's back and held him close with out any hesitation or regard for his injuries. "But you were right-"

The younger shook his head against the person he was holding onto. "No, I was wrong! When I said for you to not fight, I never meant to say you shouldn't defend yourself! Never that!" He felt Rin flinched underneath him. Then the arms tighten around him ever so slightly, a faint feeling of nostalgia washed over the youngest twin as he remembered Rin doing something similar to this when they were children.

"I'm sorry, Yukio."

Yukio's lower lip tremble as he continued to embrace his older brother. Trying to reassure himself that Rin was going to be okay. "I'm sorry too, nii-san. And I promise I'll try and do better with all the things I've done wrong." Yukio swore he'd do just that, he'd be a even better person then he was after the mess with their demon father.

Rin snorted then. "About damn time." His emotions getting the better of the older brother when Rin gave the other a viper like hug.

Yukio grunted as he tried to fathom how fast Rin's strength was returning even if he was severely injured. Times like these it was good to be a demon. He joined with a chuckle of his own. "Better late then never, huh?" Yukio paused for a moment or two.

"Hey, nii-san?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for not dying on me. For... not leaving me."

Rin's chest vibrated as he laughed. "C'mon Yukio, I'm not gonna leave my pain in the ass little brother behind. Not a chance in hell."

Yukio closed his eyes and sighed contently as he relaxed and melted into Rin's embrace.

"Ditto."

AN: Jeez this literally took me three days to write! It was longer then I had anticipated it would be. Apologies if Yukio is OOC, I tried my best to write him not OCC, damn it, BUT I'm happy how my first Okumura brothers fanfic turned out!

A penny for your guys thoughts? Please, leave them in a review and I'll see you all in the next one!