bakerstreet | ( picture prompt meme )

[That's a relief, so much so that he worries it'll show on his face. So he avoids her eyes, staring down at the ground and kicking the dirt slightly as they walk.]

I didn't ask.

[Okay, technically he did, but good luck getting him to acknowledge it. After a few moments of stubborn silence, he softens, lifting his gaze up from the ground and turning to stare at the trees they're passing by instead.]

...But thanks for letting me know anyways, I guess.

[It's quiet, but his tone is undeniably genuine. He'll always care about her, no matter how hard he tries to mask it.]

How much longer are we walking for? I haven't eaten since we left home, you know.

[She does him the courtesy of letting the tone and gratitude slide, figuring she's probably embarrassed him enough today. She bets just letting her hang off him like this is embarrassing. Looking up from him, she glances around, assessing their surroundings.]

Hey, you think I ate anything either? I've been saving my appetite for this all mornin'! But not that far. Actually, our turn is just right up here.

[She points to...what is definitely not an actual turn. Actually, it's a pretty huge bush. Maybe there's a path behind it? But it doesn't really look like it. And when they actually get to the bush, it's obvious that there's not. The path their on is the only one there, and it continues on straight ahead.]

Gonna have to do a little off roadin' and walking over some rough terrain, but that shouldn't be any problem for you right?

[He stares at the bush, which comes up to nearly his shoulders, with a look of complete dread. These are nice pants Natsumi, what the fuck.]

I can't believe you're making me do this.

[...He says as he detaches himself from her grip at last, secures his grip on the grocery bag, and begins to navigate himself forward anyways. She isn't making him do jack shit at this point. He's doing all of this of his own volition. He tries to shimmy himself between the bush and the tree next to it as best as he can, holding the bag up above his head to keep it from getting damaged. It's... a struggle.]

I... fuck... This is seriously... ugh, dammit... I can't believe y—

[He moves a little too roughly and the bag swings around before coming back to hit him upside the head.]

God dammit fucking hell!

[He reels forward, holding his head with one hand while still keeping the bag up with the other (albeit a bit lower than before). It definitely didn't hit him hard enough to do any lasting damage, but damn if it doesn't hurt like a bitch.]

You know if you just--okay. After you I guess.

[She was going to offer to show him an easy way through but hey, if he wants to be the man and lead she won't stop him. She can't help but chuckle as he struggles, trying to hide it as best as she can behind her hand, but that quickly comes to a stop when he manages to hit himself in the head. Not so funny anymore.]

Oniichan!

[She moves as quickly as she can, choosing just to squeeze through the bush without any finesse or care for what it may or may not do to her clothes, coming out with only a little struggle on her end before quickly move to his side.]

Are you okay? How hard did that hit you?

[She's worried, because if he seriously hurt himself it's her fault. If this were a fight, if they had knives and were going at each other with everything they had, it would be a different matter. But it's not, it's an accident, and she hates hurting her family by accident. Especially him. The leaves in her hair and small tears in her shirt and skirt don't matter as much as his well being.]

[He lets out a small grunt of discomfort, keeping his eyes squeezed tightly shut. As soon as the pain begins to dull, he takes his hand away from the offending area and waves her off. His hand is dry, thank god, so he probably isn't bleeding. He opens his eyes and blinks a few times, getting readjusted to the world around him (he is still stuck between the bush and the tree) before giving her a quick once-over.]

...You fucked up your clothes over this?

[It's hard to tell whether he's disappointed or proud? Maybe both. It's a very unusual mixture. He sighs, twisting his body at an odd angle so he can hold the grocery bag out towards her.]

Here, just take it. I need to... fix this.

["It" being his current position. Honestly, of all the fucking situations he thought he would end up in today, this one was not on the list.]

[She holds her breath as he adjusts, relieved to see no blood on his hand and letting that breath out in a sigh once he talks. Okay...okay, he's alright. She doesn't respond immediately, taking the bag from him so he can work on freeing himself.]

...of course I did. So what if I fucked up my clothes a little. S'not like I can't buy more.

[She can't just buy an older brother though. Or his trust or affection. Not that she's going to say any of that, way too mushy for her tastes thank you, but still. It's important to her that he doesn't seem too upset. Or at least not more upset than he had been before trying to squeeze through.]

I'll show you the trick for gettin' through there when we come back.

[His face pales slightly at the word "trick".]

Should've shown me the trick in the first place...

[You know, before he went and made an ass of himself. He knows he rushed forward before she had an opportunity to stop him, though, so that's as much as he says on the matter. Although he does wonder if she took the easy way out for her clothes to have gotten so torn up.

This may be the one time in life that he's grateful for his small size, because it only takes a few moments of determined squirming for him to get himself out of his leafy prison. Once he does, he dusts himself off as best as he can and holds his hand out for the grocery bag.]

Alright, now that we're done with all of that shit...

Hey, I was trying to offer to.

[But that's right, like a big dummy you rushed forward! You deserved to make an ass of yourself. Just not hit yourself in the head. Which she's still a little worried about, but she won't fuss over it. Maybe after they're sitting down, but he's not passing out or anything so he's probably okay.

She hands the bag back to him, brushing herself off a little as well and reaching up to pick a couple leaves out of her hair. Dammit, now it's all messed up...with a sigh, she works on fixing that and turns in their new direction. It's a heavily dense area of forest here, so she really wasn't kidding about rough terrain.]

It's just straight through here. You follow the trees with the biggest roots sticking out. Be careful, I've tripped a lot going through here tryin' to be quick about it. Pretty easy to scrape your knees and scuff up nice pants and shoes that way.

[There...her hair is a little better. Better enough that she can start leading the way. She doesn't try and take his hand or his arm this time at all, the reason obvious once she starts placing it against trunks to help her navigate. It's something she's pretty skilled at now, having visited this place so many times before. But she's slow, so he can keep up in case he has troubles with it.]

At least this part is short! You'll probably see the clearin' pretty quick from here.

[Sorry Fuyuhiko. This is definitely one of those times where "the journey is just as great as the destination" is supposed to apply. Surely...surely it'll be worth it.]

[He rubs the heel of his hand against his head, hissing a bit at the pain but ultimately willing to tough it out. Like he always is.]

I really hope this is worth it after all I've been through.

[He holds the grocery bag a little closer to his chest as he starts stepping over tree roots and ducking under branches. As he catches his foot on a rock and stumbles forward a bit (but ultimately catching himself, thank god) he tells himself that Natsumi is only having an easier time because her legs are slightly longer than his, which is totally unfair. It's definitely not because she's more experienced or anything.]

And look, now you're making me scuff up my shoes. You could have at least told me to dress for this...

[And he doesn't wanna hear any bullshit about how that would have "ruined the surprise," even if he's pretty clearly bitching just for the sake of it at this point.]

You know Mom and Dad are gonna throw a fit when they see that I ruined my nice shoes.

[You know. One of the ten or so pairs of nice shoes that sit in his closet at their house. Because their family is loaded, over-prepared, and needs the future leader of their clan to look his very best.]

[Definitely just because she has longer legs. No other reason at all.

Natsumi rolls her eyes a little as they go, waiting as she gets a little ahead of him for him to catch up. It's not too much further, she can see where they'll break free of the woods up ahead, but she's not going to tell him that if he's going to be a brat like this!]

Jeez, like the tears in my clothes aren't going to make them mad? And if you noticed it's not like I dressed for this either.

[Once he's caught up with her again she continues.]

Don't worry, I'll talk to them about it. You know I'm Dad's favorite, I'll get him to let you off the hook.

[She's a daddy's girl through and through and practically has the old man wrapped around her finger at this point. Much like she does most of the clan with those little sister charms of hers. For as annoying and irritating as she is, there's just something undeniably sweet about her that gets to everyone and she definitely knows how to use it when she needs to. Even if most of the time it's a natural thing.

But hopefully it's worth it as they finally break into the clearing she's been talking about. It's not huge, just a little cozy clearing in the woods with the tall trees over head letting only some of the sun filter through their leaves. There are flowers here and there, lush grass, it's pretty nice really! A few rocks have been positioned in such a way that they'd make a good seating area, and as Natsumi steps out onto the grass she turns back to asses his reaction.]

[...Dad's favorite, huh? He won't deny it—he's always known it to be true—but it still stings to hear it said aloud so plainly. So matter-of-fact. Like the simple truth it is.

It just reminds him that he doesn't have much time left. Everyone already loves Natsumi, so it's only a matter of time before they just go ahead and make her the heir, isn't it? He's been on thin ice with the clan members for years, and it would be so easy for their dad to start siding with them... Hell, it'd probably be a lot easier for everyone involved.

So he has to hurry. If he doesn't prove himself soon... If he doesn't show everybody he can handle the pressure, then...

Then...

His train of thought slowly fizzles and dies as the clearing comes into view. He had his doubts, but it really is all she built it up to be. He takes a few more slow, ambling steps until they're standing side by side again, his eyes slowly passing over all the area has to offer.]

I guess you were right, then. This place would be a pain to find.

[He would say more, but he's still kind of caught between stunned awe and intense pressure to succeed at all costs. This is all that's coming to mind at the moment. Still, he feels like he should force something else out of his mouth. Something nice.]

...It's good.

[Nailed it. Brother of the year.]

[Even if they did convince him, Fuyuhiko would still be the heir. Natsumi would refuse the position, and being the second born it's not like she's obligated to take it. She'd insist that her brother was better suited for it, and that they just needed to have more faith in him. She has absolutely no doubt that he'll be the best for the clan, so if they really respect her as potential heir, they'll respect her faith, right?

Either way, that's neither here nor there right now. Right now, what's important, is that he likes it. Probably. That's usually what "it's good" means, and honestly that's good enough for her. She smiles, taking his hand and tugging him further in.]

Come on, come on! Let's eat! I'm starving, and if we just stand around our sodas are only gettin' warmer. Plus I wanna dig into the cake!

[Once they've reached those sitting rocks, she plops herself down in the grass and crosses her legs, unpacking the chocolates and cake and waiting for him to join her. One bag of chocolates is set in front of where he'll be sitting and the cake is in the middle, where they can both enjoy it as they eat. And then all that's left is him and the groceries.]

[He lets out a little sigh as he follows her over to the rocks and sits across from her, but it doesn't mask his smile. He smiles so rarely that even the tiniest grin shines as bright as a thousand watt light bulb on his face. Hiding it would be a fool's errand.]

Alright, alright, I hear ya.

[He sets the groceries beside him and takes a few moments to unpack everything, until it seems that they have a fairly organized variety of food set up. ...Even if over half of it is sweets. He has to bite back an instinctive complaint. There's no one here to pretend for. He's okay.

That being said... maybe a little more honesty wouldn't hurt. He kind of gets the feeling Natsumi might appreciate it.]

Um, so. Today has been pretty nice. I guess. I mean... I don't totally regret this, you know?

[Other than the fight in the grocery store, but that was kind of his fault, wasn't it? Oh well. He apologized, or at least he tried to. He's been trying not to think about it, honestly.]

[Over half. The only thing they're eating that isn't sweet is their lunch. Even their drinks are sweet!

But she definitely appreciates it, Natsumi looking mildly surprised at first to hear that but that expression quickly melts into a little, gentle smile. One of those happy and bubbly and victorious kinds of smiles, completely with a little color in her cheeks and everything.]

Good, you better not. You go around regrettin' shit like this and you'll have nothing but regrets to look back on when it comes to me. I'm tryin' to avoid that you know. May not seem like it but jeez, can't have my old man big brother sittin' around thinkin', "Why did I ever do anything with her?" Come on, let's eat.

[She sets about opening her lunch, grabbing a pair of disposable chopsticks that I totally mentioned she'd gotten on their way out so she can eat. All of the bickering on the way here, as well as the trip itself, has made her a little more hungry than she'd been when they left, and lord knows Fuyuhiko would bitch if she skipped her lunch and ate sweets first.]

[Well, what did she expect, letting Fuyuhiko choose the food? Of course most of it would be sweet.

But even with the promise of sweets, he still makes a face at her words. God, she just goes off on the weirdest tangents sometimes.]

Ugh, Natsumi... Don't make me start thinkin' about what I'm gonna be like when I'm old, geez...

[He grabs the other pair of chopsticks that have definitely been there the whole time for himself, tearing open the paper and breaking the chopsticks cleanly apart. It's almost muscle memory at this point, although he does remember when he couldn't do it properly and always broke them unevenly. Peko ended up doing it for him half of the time. The memory brings another smile to his face, and he ducks his head to hide it.

He should really say something to distract her from it, but the longer he lingers on the thought the more flustered he feels, and the more flustered he feels the harder it is to swing back. It's a vicious cycle.]

[Like she isn't at least half to blame for the sweets. They may as well be twins, they're just as bad as one another in that regard. One of their parents clearly has very strong genes, with all of the things the two of them inherited from them.

She totally noticed that smile, and can't help but chuckle a little.]

You know you can't hide smiles doing that, right? You're a boy, your hair isn't long enough.

[Can't help but tease him. But she's not done there. She lets out a sigh, sitting back a little and cracking open her soda.]

You'll probably be just like dad. Loud and annoyin'...I mean you already have a stick up your ass like him, I doubt that's gonna get dislodged any time soon. And you aren't violent enough to take after mom. Plus I don't think I want my brother to be as crazy about coconuts as she is. Who knows if that's something you get in your old age or not.

[Like...seriously. Please do not get a weird obsession like that.]

Then again, maybe that'll be better for your kids. He spoils me, so maybe your kids'll be lucky if you take after him. Then again, even if you don't, I'll spoil the shit outta 'em, so they'll be fine either way.

[And the smile is gone in an instant, though there still is an insistent tugging on his lips at the simple statement of fact.]

Shut up. You're not supposed to acknowledge it.

[He appreciates being compared to their father, in an odd way. There are a lot of ways in which he and the old man don't agree, but when it comes down to it, he'd rather have comparisons drawn between the two of them than between him and his mom. Not because she's as violent and wild as Natsumi says, but simply because he's been compared to her plenty enough already. The both of them take after her more in looks, after all.

Although... the kids thing brings up an interesting topic; one that's been on his mind quite a bit recently.]

Hey. Natsumi.

[He claims one of the strawberry sodas as his own and wastes little time in getting it open, only fumbling slightly out of embarrassment. This isn't exactly a conversation he's looking forward to having, but he needs someone else's opinion on the matter, and Natsumi's really his only option.]

About kids... how the fuck do you think that's gonna work?

[Because if he's really going to end up being the heir like Natsumi says, they'll want the kids to be his, right? But that introduces several issues. Like not wanting to deal with the vindicated stares of his family's less-supportive clan members for a grueling nine months as they quietly whisper among themselves about how they were right about him all along, for one. Like... fuck that. It's not happening.]

[She just grins, because why wouldn't she acknowledge it? Especially if she's not supposed to. But then the conversation takes a bit more of a serious tone, and that smile falls a little. It's a good question, and she tilts her head some in thought. She takes a sip of her soda and a bite of her food. And then she answers.]

Well, the way I figure it, you've got a number of options. You can tell the clan to go fuck themselves and adopt anyway. I mean shit, how many kids are out there that need homes? Yeah, the yakuza ain't exactly the place to be bringin' a kid who wasn't born into it, but it's not like you'd be an abusive fuck or anythin'. You'd raise that kid better than our parents raised us I bet.

[And she means it.]

I've kind of been lookin' into it some, and science can do a lot of weird shit with genetic samples and stuff now. You'd need a surrogate, but there are lots of women who'd be willin' to do that if they got paid the right amount. Not like we couldn't afford it either. And...

[Now she pauses a little, because this suggestion she figures might not be super popular with him. Or anyone else in the family, which would make it another reason it wouldn't be popular with him.]

And I mean, you've got me, y'know? I'd be your surrogate, if you needed it. Fuck, I'd give you a kid too. Like...we both've got mom and dad's genes in us. Who cares if they're comin' from you or me. S'long as there's someone for you to raise to take your place, right?

[She follows this up with an almost imploring look, though it's more stern and serious. But there's a hint of it there.]

I know you can't rely on me for a lot, and you don't want to, but...that's somethin' that I really could do for you. And this is comin' out of my mouth, so I mean it.

[After letting that sit for a few seconds, she goes back to her food.]

Either way, no matter what you choose, tell the family to fuck off if they want it any other way. Don't give in and be the person they think you are, all right? No matter what, no matter how, be who you want to be. I'll support you one hundred percent, okay? And if I'm supportin' you, they'll have to too.

[...She's thought about this? In depth? And even done research? This time, it's impossible for him to hide his smile. Damn, does he try, but it's a fool's errand.]

I... You're right, I don't want to rely on you, but in this case... I'm going to need somebody's help no matter what, right? Raising a kid's kind of a two-person job. So... thanks. I appreciate it.

[Or, if she really wants to help, maybe it's a three-person job? Which brings him to his next point, the point that makes blood start to rush to his cheeks. He picks at his food incessantly as he tries to speak.]

Uh, but... okay, is it... like, it doesn't have to be a surrogate, right? I-I mean, I guess they'd kinda be one either way technically but... I mean...!

[He feels like he's about to combust. Why is this so hard to say? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he avoids romance and affection like the plague. It's hard to admit that the idea doesn't disgust him entirely, so long as it involves the right person.]

...If I did decide to get hitched to somebody...

[He can't bring himself to spit out anything else. Just that was hard enough. But he's sure she'll be happy to fill in the blank for him, gushing all about Fuyuhiko, this potential future partner, and the kid's "Auntie Natsumi".]

[She has. She cares about him deeply, and these kinds of things are on her mind often. Because she knows he'll catch shit from their family...until they accept him for who he is, that's impossible to avoid. And just being there isn't enough, in her opinion. She should always look for more that she can do. So looking into these kinds of things - or, hell, anything related to these kinds of subjects in general - is one thing she can do.

But the subject about getting hitched...it does bring a smile to her face. A little telling one that says yes, she'd love to gush about this kind of thing.]

Hey, if you can find someone willin' to marry a guy like you.

[She punches his shoulder lightly.]

In seriousness, nah, it doesn't have to be a surrogate. Get yourself a wife and as long as she's willin', you two could totally have a kid together. Just, y'know. Try not to marry someone who's shy of shit like needles if you're goin' that route.

[After another bite of her food she can't help but laugh, but it's a happy sound, not a derisive one.]

Jeez...the idea of you gettin' married. You'll probably be so damn embarrassing the whole time, you know? Not even just bein' a husband or on the weddin' or anything. Gettin' a girlfriend. Datin'. God I'm going to have to apologize to whoever the poor girl is so much on your behalf I bet. And then we'll get to be great friends and gang up on you together.

[She seems just as pleased with the idea as he expected. It's a bit of a relief, honestly. He had been hoping to find a time to breach the subject while they were out today, far away from the ears of their parents or any other clan members. And, giving their surrounding a brief once-over, he realizes this might just be the perfect place to do it.

But still, he's going to have a much easier time telling her about this if he's a little indirect. Natsumi's a smart girl, he's sure she can put together the pieces on her own.]

Heh. Needles shouldn't be a problem. Trust me.

[This girl's never been squeamish around a blade, so why should needles be any different?]

And I don't think you'll have any issues making friends with her at all.

[Ganging up on him might be less likely, but honestly, he's hoping it'll happen someday. Even if they're dating, he doesn't want her to just blindly agree with him. That hardly makes for a comfortable relationship. And even if he's been telling her that this whole time... he sure would appreciate Natsumi's help, because it's not easy to convince her alone.]

[Natsumi stops mid bite, looking up at her brother.

Wait.

Okay, so...no no. Wait. Hold on. Is he implying what she's thinking he's implying? Maybe she can't put two and two together on the who part of it, but he's definitely saying that he's...got his eye on someone, right? She swallows quickly, coughing as she chokes somewhat on a too big of bite that wasn't chewed properly before quickly getting her question out.]

Oh my god, are you really lookin' at someone?

[She's honestly shocked. Here she thought some poor girl would have to approach her clueless brother first, but he's actually looking at someone?]

[His lips curl up into a smirk at her reaction. She's impressed, isn't she? It couldn't possible be that she's stunned that he actually managed to talk to a girl in the first place.]

I would say less looking and more actually doing something about it, but yeah.

[He bites down on his food and averts his eyes for a moment, his face falling ever so slightly. But only just slightly, because he knows her reaction to this is going to be absolutely golden.]

There might be a couple of problems, though. Big ones.

[Maybe Natsumi deserves a bigger hint than that. Something more on-the-nose.]

You remember that kidnapping scare a couple months back.

[It's said as a simple statement of fact. Of course she remembers it. The day he came home with a torn suit and his nicest watch stolen. The absolute panic that caused their parents to station Peko to sleep in his room instead of guarding outside of it. The dirty little secret that he completely falsified the entire incident as a means to get that to happen. Like you do.]

[...no. No she's not. Sorry Fuyuhiko, she's surprised that someone as emotionally stunted as you are would even try to look for a girl, much less do anything about it. She has honestly been expecting him to never even get married, except "to the job" with how little he does outside of it! But her brows furrow a little.]

...yeah. I remember it. Of course I do.

[She was one of those people panicking? Less in the way of fear and asking him if he was alright, and more asking him for the deets so she could go fuck up whoever attacked him real good.]

[Well, if he was planning on telling her that he faked it before (he wasn't), then that look on her face settles it. He's definitely not telling her now. Or at least, he'll wait until she's distracted to bring it up. He's a little worried she'll snap at him otherwise, and he's already ruined this day enough times as is.]

Then I think you have all the knowledge you need to solve this mystery.

[That is, if she remembers anything besides the panicking. Honestly, just the fact that Peko wasn't fussing over him as she usually would should have been a huge giveaway, but fortunately no one ever took the time to consider it.]

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(gonna be gone most of the day today, just as a heads up!)

sorry this took forever, i hate school

don't worry about it! i don't mind backtags or anything at all! though school is the worst it's true

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