krystalkatzficz | The Wall part 5

“Sho was so nice! He asked me so politely if I would let him court me…I agreed, but several people asked me if they might court me…” Masaki told him shyly his cheeks burning while his voice sounded disbelieving. On anyone else Nino was almost sure that it would have been fake but on Masaki it was genuine as though he really couldn’t understand why anybody would want to date him.

“Really? I’m shocked…” Nino muttered dryly rolling his eyes just a little while smiling at his brother somehow knowing which of the ones that his brother was probably going to accept and being concerned for him. There was a very real risk that Masaki would fall in love with the nice insider and then when it ended at the end of the contract his brother was going to be heartbroken.

“…You…But…I’m going to refuse them…” Masaki’s words threw him completely and Nino blinked stopping still and staring at his brother as he spluttered;

“What? Why?”

“…Because I can’t go inside without you, Nino…” Masaki said softly. It was the same thing that his brother had been saying since he had made his suggestion about going through with the sponsorship and Nino knew that he meant it. It was nice that his brother cared so much about him but at the same time it irritated him that Masaki didn’t care more about himself.

“…What do you mean without me?”

“You glared at anyone that even tried to talk to you…” Nino rolled his eyes at the whine in his brother’s voice looking around the dank street that led to their home. The gas lighters had been at work while they had been at the selection but that didn’t do much to cheer up the godawful streets. It was a miserable hole surrounded by towering buildings that had been cut into the rock. The homes that were within were all two roomed apartments with large families all crammed inside. The womenfolk all did their best to cheer up their houses, rather like his own mother who had loved painting pictures straight onto the walls and have the rare flowers his father could bring in various vases and pots around the rooms.

It was a desperate kind of cheerfulness and Nino had always tried to find flowers for her to decorate. Most of the building were owned by the inside lords and rich folk that owned the mines. Only the workers could live within the holes that were no better than prisons offering little to no warmth or comfort. Most families lived in the holes’ year after year generation after generation. As they were not mine workers anymore they should have been kicked out of the apartment but the foreman had been kind to them, or at least Masaki, and had allowed them two months to find somewhere else to live. That had been three weeks ago, if they were lucky their grace period should end about the same time as the sponsorship would start.

“I talked to Ohno…”

“…Yeah…But…But only because Sho said that he wasn’t interested in getting a sponsored…”

“Funny that…Since he asked if he could court me and all…” Nino said sarcastically his eyes rolling at the look of surprise that came to his brother’s face “I agreed by the way…Because he promised that there would be no sex in our contract…”

“What?! But!! But that’s huge! You must have really liked him!” Masaki screeched loudly drawing the attention of others that had been walking in similar directions to them. A few Nino recognised from the selection and he was daunted by the fact that a lot of them seemed to be glaring in their directions, obvious in their jealousy at his brother success. Nino sighed clenching his fist as a warning to the other brats and they all paid attention quickly looking away. Having always been small and thin for his age his father had made him toughen up, forcing him into a strict training regime since the moment he could work.

At first Nino, had hated it but as he learnt more about the world the more he had known that only the strong survived. He had worked hard building up his muscles and training in all kinds of martial arts until he could make his money by entering the many competitions that the mine owners and foremen set up. He always looked too weak to fight but he had passion and skill that the other fighters didn’t have and he could win the top prizes. Of course, it had given him a well-earned reputation and meant that people rarely messed with him or his brother.

“…I don’t even know him…But…He seems to be an insider that cares about the outsiders…He has two farms on the outside…He promised that he would tell me the names and locations of them so I could go see them!” Nino announced to Masaki remembering the look that had been in Satoshi’s eyes. The lord had been to honest with him and he had seemed to genuinely care though it was clear that some of his passion had faded somewhat and Nino hoped that he could be the one to give it him back.

“…I see…But…But Nino, you should have gotten several people and seen who would offer you the best contract…”

“Perhaps, but I’m not like you…I didn’t have hordes of insiders wanting me…” Nino grumbled wondering why Masaki couldn’t just be glad that he had accepted one offer. Masaki let out a laugh and then hit him hard on the centre of his back saying brightly;

“You had more than you thought…You just kept glaring at them…”

“Whatever, just be thankful that I accepted one and move on, okay? I couldn’t handle being courted by several men…” He muttered as they reached the door to their building. It was made from wrought iron and wood. Thick and heavy it easily made Nino think of a prison cell. He hated the very sight of it and the sand walls which had been sculpted by hand over many years to resemble buildings. He pushed open the door and they made their way up the long winding staircase that was at the very top. It had been the place that they had taken their first breaths and the place that their parents had breathed their last. Even though he hated it, the place held a lot of emotions and memories for them and it was going to be hard on them both when it was finally time to say goodbye.

Their door was painted in patchy, pealing sky blue paint, their mother had done it when Masaki had been around four and he was around two and Nino could still see the lines that she had made to mark their changing heights on their birthdays. He allowed his fingers to brush over it for a moment and then pushed away the feeling that came with the sensation forcing himself to think of other things

TBC
A/N: I hope that this is okay ^_^