Painful...

Chapter 3

  Karamatsu felt foggy in his warm futon space. He knew it was morning, but it didn't feel like it. The normal footsteps of his brothers echoed into his ears through the wooden floor. He wanted to tear his eyes open, but they stayed shut. Luckily, he could still move, but there was no way he was getting out of bed.
  Hours later, a foot was being pressed against his back. At first, it was barely rocking him, but next it was slamming his body into some cushion.
  Karamatsu's eyes shot open and he let out a gasp of pain. He looked up, his gaze locking with Ichimatsu's.
  "Get up, Shittymatsu..." His brother spat, not moving his glare. "You've been in bed all day, it's noon."
  The painful brother sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. A quick study of the room told him the others were gone. None of their wallets or hoodies were in sight.
  "Do you want breakfast or not?" Ichimatsu offered, the harsh tone still in his voice.
  Karamatsu was about to shake his head, but stopped himself. If he didn't eat his brother would worry... Or maybe he wouldn't. He ended up saying yes anyway. It was worth a shot to try and eat something.
  "I'll just eat something simple, my lovely brother." He spoke, posing his hand onto is chin.
  Ichimatsu curled his lip up and let out a small growl. "Get it yourself. There's leftovers in the fridge." He buried his hands into his pockets and returned to playing with some stray cat he had allowed in.
  Karamatsu sighed, pulling his legs off the couch. Someone must have moved him there. He glanced at Ichimatsu. Maybe he did it... Nah, Jyushimatsu was probably the only one who was able to lift him that easily.
  He drew in a breath, forcing himself onto his feet. His vision faded black and his face flashed with heat. He stumbled forward, catching himself before hitting the ground. The pain in his stomach had returned and he was in panic.
  What was he going to do if he needed to vomit? Ichimatsu would hear him and he surely didn't want to worry his little brother. He knotted his eyebrows in annoyance. It wasn't as if Ichimatsu cared anyway. If anything, he probably wanted him dead anyway.
  One more breath and he dragged himself to the kitchen. There was a note taped to the fridge. Upon closer inspection it was just a new chore list. Of course, he was stuck with all the gross jobs like cleaning the bathroom.
  Opening the fridge door, he began his search for food. There was plenty to eat, but nothing looked appetizing. Nothing at all.
  Closing the cold storage he moved over to the cabinets. All they had were spices, cereal, and chips. Still, nothing looked suitable to eat.
  "Don't eat us out of house and home." Ichimatsu snapped from the doorway.
  Karamatsu nearly jumped three feet in the air. He hadn't heard the cat lover walk in.
  "Oh... No worries!" Kara cheered, shoving his cool guy act back on. "I just can't seem to find anything suiting my taste today!"
  Ichimatsu nodded, not believing in the words. "Are you just not hungry?" He asked, tilting his head. There was definitely something wrong.
  Karamatsu shook his head, reaching for an apple on the counter. "I just wanted something healthier! I can't stay looking so handsome if I'm filling myself with poisons." He chuckled, shooting a finger gun at his head.
  Silence fell upon the room for a moment. Neither brother sure what to say. Finally though, Ichimatsu broke the silence.
  "Can you just cut the act? It's more annoying than your normal self."
  Karamatsu stood in dumbfounded silence. His dear brother had just broken through his wonderful act. He swallowed back a yelp and shrugged his shoulders. "What are you talking about? I'm acting just like I always do." He spoke, hoping that it would work this time.
  "Yeah right. You've really started to worry us, ya know?" Ichimatsu growled. "Of course, it's not normal for you to be upset!" He took a step closer to his older brother. Their breath was beginning to mingle. Ichimatsu's warm and heavy, like a hunter going in for the kill. Karamatsu's soft and controlled, like a rabbit waiting for its predator to pass by.
  "I-Ichimatsu... Please don't get so close to me..!" Karamatsu begged, holding up his hands.
  This proved useless as Ichimatsu grasped his brother's shirt collar. He pulled him closer, their noses touching and eyes meeting once again.
  "You're fucking disgusting..." Ichimatsu snarled, pushing his brother back and letting go. "This is all an act, isn't it? You're acting sick just so you can suckle off their attention. I hope you burn in hell for this..."
  Karamatsu stumbled back into the fridge, the handle digging into his back. It was uncomfortable, but he couldn't move. He felt paralyzed and all he could do was watch his brother walk away.
  Ichimatsu hated him and there was nothing he could do. All he could do was sit here and wait for someone to return home. Maybe someone would care enough to comfort him. No, he couldn't do that. He needed to help Ichimatsu. He didn't want to make his brother jealous, but what could he do?
  Holding a hand up, he looked at it. It looked blurry no matter how close or how far he brought it to his face. There was sweat dripping down his forehead and onto his neck. His stomach felt like it was on fire. The heat was rising to the back of his throat.
  Then up came that acidic feeling. The sensation that screamed at him to find a trash can or a toilet. He swallowed it back, shivering at the heavy drop into his stomach.
  He slid down onto his rear. Sitting down, he laid his legs out flat and hung his head to the side. Calling out to anyone was pointless. Ichimatsu would just leave him there to rot like the piece of shit he was.