Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Twin brother, worse rival ❯ He's everything I'm not ( Chapter 2 )

I do not own RK or any of its characters. That's Nobuhiro Watsuki's creation. But, hey! I DO own this fanfic.

I hope you enjoy it!

 

 

Twin brother, worse rival

 

Chapter 2: He's everything I'm not.

 

`What the hell…?', said everyone as they saw the visitor's face: some beautiful ice-blue eyes, just as Aoshi's, handsome gestures all over his face, just as Aoshi's. Tall, as Aoshi, with dark hair, just as Aoshi, and apparently strong, just as Aoshi. There were only a couple of things on him that were different: this visitor was smiling, and Aoshi NEVER smiles and he had a long hair that reached after his waist.

`What's wrong with you, Ao-chan? Aren't you happy to see your brother? Come and give me a hug!' and this visitor drop himself into Aoshi's arms and kissed him in his cheek.

`Huh? You never told us you have a brother.', said Kenshin getting close to Aoshi, somehow embarrassed for the picture of two men hugging.

`Don't blame me. I didn't remember I have a brother.', Aoshi said trying to get out of the hug.

`How mean, Ao-chan! Even when years passed by, I tried to keep track on you and now you say you forgot me?', the visitor said with an anger-face, but then he smiled again and continued: `Well, never mind. But I'm impressed! You grew up this much and you seem to be healthy. That's great, but you cut your hair: you shouldn't have done that. I really wanted to play who's who with you!'

`Weren't you dead!?' asked Aoshi with a tone of despair in his voice.

`Nope. There are few who can defeat and kill a master Oniwabanshu as myself. Ara ara, look what we have here! Are these your wife and your child? She seems to be young for you, Ao-chan!', said the man getting close to Kaoru and taking her free hand into his. `But she's beautiful, indeed. You have such a great taste, Ao-chan!'

`She's not my wife.' Aoshi said really pissed off, `I'm not married.'

`Well, too bad for him to miss the chance, ne, pretty girl?' and he blinked at Kaoru, with a smile, after kissing her hand with enchantment. Kaoru couldn't help herself but blush.

`Luckily I didn't. She's my wife.' said Kenshin with jealousy.

`And I wonder if this other beauty is married. I hope not, `cause that would be a lost for the entire world, but a joy if she gives birth a girl as lovely as she is.' Aoshi's brother said after bowed for Megumi, who blushed as well. The girls seemed to be very pleasant with the visitor's presence, but not the guys. Kenshin and Sanosuke were jealous of the way Kaoru and Megumi smiled around the visitor, Yahiko was amused `Ao-chan? What's that?', he thought of how embarrassed the usually cold-man Aoshi was feeling, but Aoshi felt like he was about to experience the worse migraine ever.

`You seem to be such a gentleman, sir', said Megumi still blushed.

`I have to be so I can deserve such a joy as being in your presence, hime-sama.' The man bowed again, and, changing subject, he said to his brother. `Well, aren't you going to ask why am I here? Seriously, Ao-chan, you're lucky to have my pretty face, otherwise, you can swear you will never be able to get married.' Aoshi sighed.

`I don't really wanna know why you're here.' His brother sighed as well.

`You're not nice, dear brother.'

`Um, sir, what was your name again?' said Sanosuke hoping to let Megumi know that Aoshi's brother wasn't that gentleman after all.

`Oh, yes! How rough of me! I was so blind due your friends' beauty that I forgot to introduce myself! Please forgive me. My name is Shinomori Koichi, master Oniwabanshu and Shinomori Aoshi's twin brother, but sure, you already know that!' Koichi laughed.

`Shinomori-san, how could you forget such a charming character, specially your brother?' asked Megumi.

`Yes, Aoshi, how can someone forget about his own brother?' said Kenshin almost feeling sorry for Koichi.

`It's easy, especially if it's about forgetting him' Aoshi whispered.

`I heard you, little brat! You're lucky I'm feeling tired for the trip-' Shinomori Koichi coughed and forced himself to kneel so he wouldn't faint after feeling dizzy.

`Oh, my God! Are you Ok, Shinomori-san?' asked Megumi while she put her right hand on Koichi's front. `You have fever.'

`Yeah, well, I got a cold on my way here. That's why I was using a scarf.' He laughed again, but then he coughed as well. `It isn't nice to infect someone just because you forgot to cover your mouth!'

`You're such a nice person!' Megumi and Kaoru said at the same time.

`Well, Shinomori-san, forget about helping Sano: you're going to help your brother getting inside the Aoiya! After that, I shall treat you, Shinomori-san!', Megumi said first to Aoshi and then to Koichi. `I'm a doctor, you know?'

`How lucky of me being treated for such a warm person as yourself. I bet men pretend to be sick and actually get sick just to see your eyes!' Megumi blushed again. Who would have thought that the same Shinomori Aoshi, who was so cold and emotionless, have such a brother, so nice, so talkative, and so wonderful? Aoshi, in the other hand, was so serious he almost inspired fear to be near to him.

Aoshi was about to say `Do I really have to help him?', just as it was when they were kids, but noticing it was such a childish thing for him to say he took his brother and helped him to stand up and walk to the Aoiya. `He really has a fever. He's even shaking'¸ Aoshi thought, but didn't say a thing. They were about to enter, but someone hit them to almost lose balance due the semi-unconscious Koichi, who laid most of his weight on his brother.

`I'm sorry. I should pay more attention while I walk-' Misao's voice stopped when she saw two Aoshis Shinomori right in front of her. `I must be dreaming.', she thought, `I had enough with one and now two? Thank you, Kami-sama, this must be the best dream I've ever had!' Aoshi, in the other hand, thought: `Misao-chan! Oh God, she looks so cute when she apologizes…Wait! Cut it out, Aoshi: it's not up to you think that way, you pedophile!' His brother grumbled since Aoshi almost allowed him to fall:

`What happens, Ao-chan? Why did we suddenly stop?' He cut himself as he saw his brother's face filled of admiration, and then he decided to see who he was staring at.

`Misao-chan, it's being so long!' said Kaoru.

`Minna-san, I'm so glad you all came here' Misao said after trying to wake up from her sweet dream. `I was wondering what happened to you.'

`We got late since someone let our luggage fall', Megumi said.

`Well, I wouldn't have if some certain ladies could carry their own luggage or at least not to equip so many things!'

`We have a child to take care of, you know?', Kaoru answered. `It would be a nightmare if Megumi-sensei weren't here to help me out!

`Oh, yes! You brought little Kenji. Hi, little one, how have you been?' Kenji laughed at her greeting.

`He seems to like you, Misao-chan.' Kaoru said with a smile on her face.

`Misao…chan? Is that you?' Koichi asked.

`Um…yeah' she said, realizing she wasn't dreaming at all: there were TWO Aoshi-samas (yeah, well, I don't really know if I can write down the plural like this in the honorifics, but anyway…) `And you are…?' her question was so stupid, it's obvious who he is, you fool!

`Well, no wonder why you don't remember me. You were two when I left. Not like someone else, who forgot me even when we were old enough to remember everything: I think 12 is old enough to remember your twin brother forever, Ao-chan!' Koichi said as he was trying to stand up on his own, but seeing he wasn't able to do it, Aoshi grabbed him just in time before his brother lost his balance again. `I'm Koichi, Aoshi's brother.' he said with a small smile in his face.

`Well, you shouldn't being talking there with someone feeling bad. Hurry up and let him lie down in your room, Shinomori-san!', Megumi ordered. After putting his brother on the futon, and the sweet doctor taking care of him, Aoshi thought to himself: `Well, it's not like he's going to stay forever…'

 

A couple of hours later…

 

`Let's have another toast for Koichi, who's staying with us for the rest of his life!!!' Okina said even when they've already made like a million of toasts for that same reason and everyone were starting to get really drunk.

`What the heck…?' Aoshi whispered, seeing the scene of the party: Okon and Omasu were so drunk they even allowed the other two big boys of the Oniwabanshu being so close to them (not in a sexual form, you weirdoes, they're almost like brothers and sisters!), and Sanosuke and Okina were surrounding Koichi's neck in a friendly hug.

`I have to be honest, funny-guy: I didn't like you at the beginning, but you're such a nice person!!!' Sanosuke laughed.

`You're not the first one who said so, but yeah, I'm a pretty nice guy, just as yourself, my dear friend!' Koichi answered, `Ara ara, Ao-chan! Wanna be with us? This is getting really good'

`Ao-chan? You still called him like that, Koichi-kun?' Okon asked softly.

`Of course, since he's my ototo-chan!'

`Ototo-chan? You're really having a hard time, aren't you, Shinomori-san?'¸ Yahiko asked kind of drunk as well.

`Ototo…? So, that means…?' Kenshin said looking first at the emotionless Aoshi and the to the All-smiles face Koichi.

`Yeah! Aoshi is my little brother!' Koichi said. `That's why I always call him -chan! As his older brother I must treasure him and protect him. That's, as well, why I'm here: to take care of you, little bro!'

`I don't need anyone to take care of me. And stop calling me `little', you were born only a few minutes before I was.'

`Of course I'm going to take care of you since I'm your BIG brother, and of course I'm going to keep calling you little since you're my LITTLE brother. Besides, that's what mom said to me since I was a kid: I must keep an eye on you always, because you were her favorite.'

`Her favorite? Did she really make such a clear difference between you two?' Kaoru asked.

`Well, she was really concerned about him not only for his incredible skills as a ninja, but also because he was the one who cried the most when we were children. That and the fact he was born dead.'

`Oh, my God! Dead?' Megumi asked taking her hands to her mouth, just as Misao did.

`I wasn't born dead…'

`Of course you were, Aoshi. You didn't cry when you first saw the world, in fact, your eyes were closed and your skin was pale. You have no idea all we did to bring you back to life. Maybe you don't remember, but you used to be very weak the first three years of your life.' Okina said to him.

`Sometimes, when women give birth twins, triplets or whatever, one of the babies is born stronger and bigger, `cause this baby took most of the mother's strength. I guess Aoshi-san was the weak baby after he was born and that's why he spent sick the first years of his life.' Megumi said

`That's what the doctor who took care of him said. Dakara, I'm here to take care of you!'

`Don't be a fool. I'm old enough to take care of myself. You, in the other hand, are sick and even so you're drinking? What's wrong with you? If I'm intolerant to alcohol, you might be as well.'

`Yeap, tomorrow I won't be able to open my eyes but hey! Life is what it is because you're supposed to enjoy it and live it, am I right?'

`Yeah.' Sanosuke said, `I really like this guy!'

`But he's right, Shinomori-san. You're ill, you should rest and definitely you shouldn't being drinking.' Megumi said almost sorry to say no to Koichi's presence.

`Uh? Are you for real, hime-sama? But I was having such a great time!'

`I think, as well, you should lie down, Shinomori-dono' Kenshin said.

`I'll go with you to make sure you're Ok!', Megumi said blushing again, but then everybody heard Kenji crying.

`Oh, no! What should I do? I'm still so useless to my own child!' Kaoru said.

`Don't be rough on yourself, pretty girl. It's common for a mother not to know how to take care of her own child at the beginning, especially if she loves him so much and is frightened to hurt him. With time, you'll get better, you'll see.' Koichi smiled and Kaoru was about to cry for hearing such beautiful words.

`You sure are the nicest man I've ever met!'

`Not really, I know of better men. But yes, I still think I'm an enchantment, am I right?' everybody laughed.

`You surely are nothing like your brother' Sanosuke said, forgetting Aoshi was right there. `You're everything he's not.' Sanosuke laughed again, hugging Koichi's neck friendly.

`I know he's everything I'm not', Aoshi thought, `He has always been the charming boy who everybody loves, so strong, so cheerful, so warm…everywhere he went every man or woman liked him. Me, in the other hand, not. I've always been the shy boy who couldn't help it but get strong so I can earn a little bit of respect.' Aoshi was kind of sad by seeing the scene: all the Oniwabanshu members were laughing with his brother, and seemed to really care about him: they were, to him, his brothers and sisters since childhood. It didn't matter how many years passed by, or how many sadness he kept to himself due the horrible circumstances of Hannya's and the other's deaths, he did not forget the Oniwabanshu of Kyoto as he forgot his own blood brother. Even Himura and his friends like him that much and it didn't take them 3 hours to feel that way about Koichi. `I remember Hannya and the others loved him and care more about him that they did about me. Even Misao seems to love him a lot already. She looks so beautiful when she smiles and laughs… I wish I could make her smile and not cry, as I know I have…'

`Well, Shinomori-san? Do you mind take your brother to your room since I'm going to help Kaoru with Kenji's issue? I'll be there in a while!', Megumi said.

`Yeah! We're going to sleep together, little bro!'

`Oh, that's right!', Okina laughed, `You used to sleep together when you were children.'

`No. He used to get into my futon while I was asleep.'

`Well, yes, since you never allow me to sleep with you, little bro!'

`Haven't you thought why?' Aoshi asked softly.

`Well, not really. I've always known you're the crunchiest of us!' Koichi laughed again, `Demo, ano ne…He wasn't like this always…' he began to tell Kenshin and his friends, `Of course he didn't use to smile a lot during our childhood, but he used to show a little bit more of emotions in his face. I remember he always looked somehow sad and tired, and he used to cry like three times per week.' Koichi laughed at the picture of his brother crying like a baby. `But then our mother got killed right in front of our eyes, and Aoshi never was the same again: he became the icily man you see right now.'

`You, in the other hand, became so much cheerful…' Aoshi whispered.

`Well, yeah! In life, you have to move forward, to overcome whatever appears in your way, to keep living and fighting. Run away from it does not help, but confront the situation does.'

`Damn it! He is so right!', Aoshi thought. They were really different: Koichi was so talkative, so mature even when he seemed like a child whenever he spoke or laughed, and he was so brave, he seems to overcome everything with a smile and a strong heart. On the contrary, Aoshi have run away from his mother's death by blocking all emotions, and he ran away from the sadness he felt after his comrades' deaths. Even now, he was running away from his feelings for Misao. In that aspect, he was so weak. From the beginning, his brother was so much better in every sense: from the birth time to this time, Koichi was always the strongest of both, there was no doubt about it. `He really is everything I'm not', he thought.

`But I don't get it. Why, if you were stronger than him, he became Okashira and you didn't?' Yahiko asked

`Well, he might have been weak the first three years of his life, but when he turned three, he became really strong. He was able to keep a fight with me longer that he used to (since before the three years of age, I kicked his butt every time we fought), and by the time we were 8 he was able to defeat the biggest men of the Oniwabanshu…you might remember that, ne Okina-san? But when we turned twelve we were separated. Since he was so good at fighting, he would teach those new members of the Oniwabanshu, like Hannya, and I would go to Hokkaido, to train the youngest members of the ninja clan. Misao-chan didn't come with me since she cried a lot when she heard she was no longer going to see her Aoshi-sama. When the previous Okashira died, I was not even close to Kyoto, where Aoshi was chosen as the new Okashira. ' Misao blushed.

`Did I really cry? I don't remember…'

`You were two, and it's not normal someone who might remember at such a short age'

`But you still remember how you spent your life with Aoshi-san…You said you remembered how you used to defeat him before you turned three years old…' Kaoru said softly.

`Well, yeah! The first time he knocked me out really took me by surprise. I couldn't believe that my little brother actually defeated me in battle!' Koichi laughed again, but then he coughed really badly.

`I think it's enough chat for today. Go to get some sleep, Shinomori-san.' Megumi ordered in her doctor voice. `I'll go check up on your temperature later.' Kaoru and Megumi stood up and went to see Kenji. Aoshi went then to his brother's side to help him stand up, but Koichi's legs didn't have enough strength to support him, so Aoshi took him and carried him in his back. On his way out the living room, Okina said:

`This brings back such memories…but of course, Koichi was the one who carried you that way. Life sometimes turns around with unexpected twists.'

`I do not remember such things.' Aoshi answered.

`Of course you don't, you freak! You forgot your own blood brother, you moron!' Koichi said to him.

`Aren't you going to let it go? You're such a child!' Aoshi said and he walked away.

 

--------------------♪--------------------

 

`I never suspected Aoshi had a brother' Kenshin said.

`Yeah…and they are so different' Sanosuke continued.

`Who would have thought Aoshi was born dead and he was weak?' replied Yahiko without believing it.

`And yet, he became the Oniwabanshu's Okashira. I suspect Koichi-dono is really strong at battle as well.'

`Indeed, he is' Okina said. `But Aoshi has something Koichi does not. And `that' something is the reason why I preferred to recommend him as Okashira and not his brother.'

--------------------♪--------------------

 

`Ne…Ao-chan? Are you mad at me?' Koichi asked trying to keep his voice as cheerful as always, although Aoshi could tell his brother was having a hard time. `You know? I didn't lie when I said I kept track on you after we separated. I'm really sorry about Hannya and the others…' Aoshi did not answer. `I was expecting you to come to me in your time of need, why you didn't?'

`I already said I didn't remember I had a brother.' Koichi sighed.

`You weren't joking? You really are mean! But at least, would you make me a favor? Would you accept to sleep with me tonight?'

`NANI!? We're not children anymore, besides, we are guys!'

`So what? We're brothers, there's nothing weird about it' Aoshi didn't seem to answer, so Koichi added `Please. I'm not feeling OK…Please.' Aoshi could tell his brother was, indeed, really ill: his voice break as if he was going to cry, he was sweating because of his fever, he was shaking and had breathing problems.

`I'm not having this conversation with you. Megumi-sensei will be with you in some minutes, so wait for her.' Aoshi answered icily, as he only knows how. Soon, they got to his room, and he placed his brother on his futon. Once he did so, he was about to leave the room but he felt his brother's eyes on him. He turned around to see what Koichi wanted.

`You've changed, Aoshi. You always were cold, but never cruel.' Koichi saw him with sad eyes and then he tried to sleep.

`There are people in this world who change after facing hard times and dead itself. Not all of us are like you, whom even smiles at fear and sadness.' Aoshi slid the door, and left, he went to the house's quietest room to sleep on his own.

 

 

Author's Notes: Hi, minna-san!!! This was chapter 2. Liked it? Hated it? Please tell me something!!! I think it was pretty nice, not perfect because I'm just starting and everything, but I like it. I just fell in love with Koichi…and you might wonder where did the idea come from, right? I can't tell myself, but Aoshi's brother's name came from…ta-ta-ta: that's right! Koichi, from digimon 04! I just love that character as well…Well, have you thought why this fanfic's title is Twin brother, worse rival? How can Koichi be Aoshi's worse rival? Why did Aoshi forget about him, in the first place? Well, I haven't thought about myself, but don't worry, I'm starting to figure it out! I hope you enjoyed chapter 2, as well as I hope you read next chapter!

Thank you, all! I wait for your reviews at any time.