*killua's lungs hitch as kalluto's breathe him in, his throat choking with a sudden swell of emotion at his brother's needy nuzzling. he's reminded, suddenly, of a long-buried memory of young kalluto escaping the nursery just to stand at the foot of his bed and tug, teary-eyed, at the edge of his blanket until he woke and coddled him back to sleep after a nightmare. nights like these were always a bittersweet affair for killua, armed with the knowledge that the torture kalluto would soon endure when he started his training would be worse than anything he could dream up.
humbled by the realization that he still plays this same, soothing role in his little brother's mind, he drops slowly to his knees on the blanket, providing him a more stable place to rest as he tentatively wraps his arms around his shoulders and pats his silky head.*
didn't have to. i'm right here.
*he doesn't tell him how close he came to dying recently, how in fact it was their other sibling who had been the one to save him. he doesn't have to, not when his beating heart is already telling him all he needs to know. glancing down at him, he wonders aloud,*
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Date: 2023-09-06 06:12 am (UTC)humbled by the realization that he still plays this same, soothing role in his little brother's mind, he drops slowly to his knees on the blanket, providing him a more stable place to rest as he tentatively wraps his arms around his shoulders and pats his silky head.*
didn't have to. i'm right here.
*he doesn't tell him how close he came to dying recently, how in fact it was their other sibling who had been the one to save him. he doesn't have to, not when his beating heart is already telling him all he needs to know. glancing down at him, he wonders aloud,*
where have you been?