Wisteria Eyed

55

If anyone ever asked them how they felt about being twins, their answer would be simple — it was like being never alone.
And while that answer would be acceptable to many, there were rarely any who would even come close to understanding it.

Having a twin could only be defined by the feeling of being uncomfortable when away from your twin; almost like an unsettling feeling arising in your chest when you suddenly can't feel a part of your body, like a limb.

Being a twin, on the other hand, was like sharing two bodies with a connected mind — understanding each other on a level that made them feel like they were in their own little bubble, a world different from the rest.

That was exactly how Hitoshi and Hiroshi felt until Miyasha came along.

She was the first one to validate how they felt and never push them to act differently. Or even similarly, for that matter.
It was as if she didn't care and yet she still bothered to observe them on a level so intimate that both twins felt uncomfortable.

However, they didn't notice when their feeling of discomfort and exposure turned into wanting to have her attention all on them. Or wanting to protect and care for her.

And by the time they realised that, it was too late.
She was already there in their little bubble, standing against the rest of the world with them.

And when the time came to finally part ways, albeit not completely, it made them feel as if they were losing a part of them — one that was much different from having a twin and yet so similar that it ached.

That's why they worked their asses off to climb onto the ranks of the Demon Slayer Corps, to make it to a position where they could freely interact with and protect Miyasha; a position that could prevent anyone from questioning their decisions, even the Hashiras.

Their desire only amplified when they got to know Miyasha left Kamikochi barely two years after them — making them work even harder before they were summoned by the leader of the Corps. That is when things started changing for them and around them.

And if anyone was to ask them about it, then both of them would reply that they wish it hadn't.

Since it was this exact change that made them occupied enough to drift apart from Miyasha and Shigeno, as they currently were.

Then again, it wasn't like they hadn't added to that with their own stupid acts.

"Maybe," Hitoshi started softly as he tried to observe his brother's reaction, the light from the room behind them giving him some visibility as they sat on the porch at night, "Just maybe, we should have given her some time before approaching her."

"You as well as I know that she wouldn't have disclosed anything if we hadn't pushed her."

Well, Hitoshi kinda agreed to that; it had been more than four years now and yet, Miyasha refused to tell them about anything she did after she left Shigeno. Even after months of constant contact with her now, it was like she lived in a completely different world as she shared almost nothing about herself.

Even the updates on her injuries were being relayed to them by Shinobu, which made them feel more and more scared.
Scared that they will lose her as the third link to their little world.

It almost made them hate themselves too — doing everything for her and yet not even able to relay about it to her due to their own incapacity.

"Hito..." Hiroshi chuckled humourlessly as he looked up at the starless night sky while leaning back on their porch, "I... What are we doing wrong?"

The question sounded awkward on his tongue; his voice thick enough to let Hitoshi know that his younger twin was hurting. And he could feel the hurt too, deep within his chest.