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He wakes up just as the knife hits him.
"Osomatsu-niisan! Let go, it h-hurts..."
Todomatsu flinches, when Osomatsu snaps his head up when he speaks. The sharp almost terrified look in his eyes softening immediately when he sees his face, and he quickly lets go of the death grip he had on his brother's wrist.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." He says almost automatically, staring as Todomatsu rubs at the spot he'd grabbed. He internally berated himself for letting himself hurt someone again. First thing in the morning too, ugh.
"Sorry. I guess I had a bad dream or something." Osomatsu says smiling guiltily, holding his hand out, wordlessly asking to see Todomatsu's arm. "Is your wrist okay?" He asks, giving it a once over and only letting out a sigh of relief when his brother nods.
There's a moment of awkward silence between the two, and it occurs to the eldest that there must have been a reason he was here in the first place.
"Ah. Breakfast right? I'll be right down"
He starts to stand up to get changed, but Todomatsu grabs the hem of his pajamas looking almost... concerned? Osomatsu can't really place a finger on why, until his brother quietly goes, "Osomatsu-niisan... It's 3:00 in the afternoon..."
The eldest turns to the digital clock on their bedroom shelf, "Ah so it is..." he glances back at the youngest, his grin forming almost instinctively when he sees the worried expression he had on his face. "Ahh~ I guess I overslept again huh?"
He tries to laugh the concern away from Todomatsu's furrowed eyebrows, but the faux smile he dons quickly dies off when he sees tears building in his little brother's eyes.
"Osomatsu-niisan!"
'Oh boy here we go' Osomatsu thinks, and braces himself for the rest of the lecture.
"This isn't even the first time you've slept through breakfast and lunch this week! You've hardly even gone out of the house, not even to pachinko or the horse races! You've REFUSED going to dinner at Chibita's, and I can't even remember the last time we went to the bathhouse together!" he finishes with an huff, making sure he said it all in one breath.
Because contrary to popular belief, Todomatsu actually does pay attention to his older brothers, and he knows that this older brother in particular, will try to worm his way out of any sort of "serious" conversation if he gives him even the littlest of pauses. They're all seriously too stubborn for their own good. He thinks exasperatedly.
He takes another deep breath and asks, "Are you okay? And please, for Akatsuka-sensei's sake, tell me the truth this time Osomatsu-niisan"
"I... Okay first off," he starts, finally making eye contact with Todomatsu despite his better judgement. He really couldn't stand that concerned look being directed at him. He sighs, "Stop looking at me like that will you? It's not like I'm dying or anything."
"But you're acting like you are!" Todomatsu yells, tears falling down his face despite his best efforts to keep himself together. "And you don't tell us anything! You could be long dead before we even find out what was wrong with your stubborn ass!"
"Wait don't--" he groans, kneeling down and taking both of his brother's hands in his. "Todomatsu please don't cry, I promise I'm not sick or anything. I swear it on all my pachinko money"
"L-like that has any weight to it idiot..." he says in-between sobs.
"Okay fine, you're right." Osomatsu laughs, "Then I swear on Akatsuka-sensei's name I'm not sick or anything."
"Then what is going on with you?"
He pauses, debating whether to tell him about it or not. It's not that big enough of a deal yet that he needs to tell him right? Maybe it would be better to tell him he was okay so they wouldn't get that sad look on his face anymore.
But then again... Osomatsu glances back at his little brother and sighs. How can he lie to a face like that? Besides maybe it was time to stop letting his pride as the eldest worry his baby brothers.
He wipes away Todomatsu's tears with his thumb and starts talking with a small sigh, "I just-- It's really nothing you should be worrying about Todomatsu. I'm just having a bit of trouble sleeping is all, that's it really." he grins, "Like I said I'm fine. So stop looking like the world's gonna end will ya?"
Todomatsu pouts, "I don't have that look!" he huffs, wiping away the rest of his tears with his sleeves and says, "Osomatsu-niisan, this isn't good for you... If you need us to help you, we will. I know you want us to rely on you, but you have to let us help you when you need it too okay?"
"No promises" he says, and laughs when Todomatsu punches his shoulder.
"Promise me stupid!"
The eldest looks to the side and Todomatsu pulls (read: yanks) him into a hug by his pajama collar, "Stop being so stubborn already! We care about you too, Bakamatsu-niisan..."
It takes Osomatsu a moment to reciprocate the hug, but he eventually does, patting his little brother's back. "Okay, okay, I promise." he finally says.
"Thanks Totty" for caring about me. He adds in his head.
"Anytime niisan"