Kuroo knew damn well that his brother did not enjoy the water. Today wasn't really going to be about the water, they were just going to be near it. No fishing, he swore! What Kuroo really wanted was a day to relax with his brother and no one else. He felt they couldn't do that if they stayed in the bay because then anyone from the pack would be able to find them. While he felt most comfortable there, he needed a day out with just Usagi. There was so much they needed to talk about... Well actually, what he needed to talk about. Usagi could sit and listen if he really wanted to. Kuroo didn't need him to say anything.

Approaching Swallet Ring in silence, he found a shady spot on the sand where they would be protected from the ocean breeze by some brush. Plopping down in the shade with his tongue lolled out to the side, he moved his gaze over to the shallows. "We haven't really spent a lot of time with each other lately," Kuroo admitted, a sad tone to his voice as he let out a sigh. "I know we're busy with our own stuff, but I miss you," his voice grows softer as he clenches his jaw. He hadn't intended on getting this emotional...

yikes

Usagi had to admit, he was quite busy. Most of his time was spent on the move - that meant he wove himself in and out of the bsmboo’s perimeters with such a ferocity that barely a mouse could get close without being scrutinized by his observant gaze. That wasn’t even including thr hours he spent sparring - either with his packmates, or by himself. Practicing the same routine of kicks, the leaps, the various gymnastics of the combat form he’d inherited. Not only that, but little Fuji even asked him for advice when there was a moments’ reprieve, helping her learn to fight with a sword in her maw. The fiery girl was growing up quickly, and was improving in her combat skills every time they’d met. He was proud of his half-sibling, just like all of them, too. He and Kunai were in blissful times together, having moved forward from such a traumatic beginning to their reunion. Getting to know their likes and dislikes, their love rekindled from childhood. Like picking up where they’d left off, all those years ago. But how could he forget - and he never would - the brother he was tied to, blood, flesh and bone. Kuroo. The man he had traveled with, cared for, looked out for. His own brother. They were two peads in a pod, even if they didn’t look similar at all - what mattered was they knew and understood each other better than anybody. But if Kuroo was the emotional, nostalgic type, then Usagi was emotionally constipated. Emotionally backed-up, at that. It took effort and commitment to get him to even show a bit of emotion, and even that was only hinted in his steely, chartruse eyes, the eyes that rarely revealed anything to begin with. Still, following after his sibling - the swallet ring was a peaceful place, made even more peaceful when he was told no swimming was involved - he listened to his words with great thought, his full attention. ”I missed you as well, Kuroo,” He said, frowning softly as he glanced at the gently lapping waves of the scattered beaches. Turning back to face the piebald koi, he added, ”I deeply regret how busy I have been, to not get the chance to hang out with you again.” He missed him too. He truly did. ”Speech”  ’Thought’

It was enough for Kuroo that his brother had agreed to spend the afternoon with him. If only they got a few hours to catch up with each other, it would be plenty for him. Unable to really meet Usagi's gaze, Kuroo continued to stare at the rippling surface of the waters. Dispersed between narrow beaches, he could see the glimmering shadows of different fish. Oh, how it was tempting to dive in and grab a few... Today was about him and Usagi though. No. Fishing.

"Regret only hardens the heart, bunny," Kuroo replies softly as he reaches a paw out to create a groove in the sand. "I suppose I never thought that we would eventually find our own lives. Even if we only live a few dens apart, it is odd not seeing you every day," his admittance is truthful. When had they grown up into adults anyway? Was now a good time to ask for advice about the wolf he thought he had feelings for? Or should he ask him about Kunai? After that day on the beach, Kuroo hadn't made an effort to seek out their childhood friend. Feeling more than awkward, Kuroo admittedly had really been keeping to himself.

"Perhaps we should make an effort to go hunting once a season together. I promise no fishing," he smiles now as he brings his gaze up to his brother. There is a glint of hope in his pale eyes as his tail beats a few times against the soft sand.

emo bois <3

Usagi knew his brother felt a bitter aftertaste, in some sense, when their brotherly bond was organically weakened by the introduction of Kunai. It wasn't a bad event; it was simply a natural occurrence. When two siblings like themselves had been by each others' sides for so long, having never split apart for very long, having a new individual in their midst - and close to Usagi in a romantic manner, at that - made their own balances shift. Less time was spent with his brother, and it made him feel all the more hurt inside. A tugging in his chest, a longing for everyone to simply get along. It was this desire he kept so tightly under wraps, never showing anything beyond a cool, stoic exterior. No doubt it was his seemingly distant demeanor that not only frustrated Kunai at times, but Kuroo as well, especially in times where displaying emotion would be all the more impactful. But Usagi simply wasn't like that, even though he truly loved his brother to the ends of the earth and beyond. Regret only hardens the heart, bunny, His brother said, drawing grooves in the swallet's placid sands. Usagi felt the words in reply rise in his throat, but they remained unsaid, never reaching his mouth. It's a bit late for that. My heart has been hardened to stone. So many things, especially in regards to their father, and all the turmoil leading up to it - it had only sought to further solidify whatever openness he'd possessed. He was shut-in, closed off. Memories of great horrors tucked away aside all that, further weighing down his shoulders. But he had Kuroo by his side, even if it wasn't as often as they used to be. He nodded in agreement to Roo's mentioning of them not seeing each other, knowing it was odd. It wasn't right. But what was he to do? Balancing giving his partner attention and care while also giving his brother time to spend together proved to be more of a challenge than he had ever realized. He watched the grooves form in the sand, glancing up at his brother to say, "Having never been in a relationship before, I suppose I have not perfected the balance between spending time with Kunai as well as spending time with you, along with my daily duties. But it's not an excuse. I understand it has been difficult for you as well." He really was new to this whole having-your-childhood-buddy-become-your-boyfriend thing, but unlike Kuroo's way of adapting to an awkward situation, Usagi didn't really concern himself with the idea of feeling awkward about it. He'd never really brought it up to Kunai since the trio had met - ending in somewhat of a mess - but he also couldn't control how others thought or perceived situations. He just..dealt with it somehow. But when his brother mentioned hunting together - emphasizing the no fishing part - Usagi's steely gaze brightened. "That is a good idea, Roo," He said, and though his tone was still flat as always, his brother would surely be able to tell he was genuinely hopeful about the idea. "I'll..I'll even go fishing with you, if you'd like. Not every season, though." Typical Usagi - blunt yet somehow getting across that he did care for Kuroo's happiness. He loved his brother. So, so much. ”Speech”  ’Thought’

The silence that drifts between them is companionable and tense at the same time. There is so much both of them want to say, but also so little to be said. Unlike many siblings, these two have a connection that is incomparable. Kuroo can tell by the hardened expression on his brother's face just how he is feeling. He doesn't need to ask, confirm, to do anything but nod his head slowly. Of course, both of their hearts are struggling. Kuroo isn't even sure the man he had dreamed of was worth it anymore. Not when he was so connected to the bamboo and the pack. He could never envision himself leaving.

"We enjoy difficult, don't we?" Kuroo muses as he continues to draw in the sand with his paw. From traveling away from home, to coming here in search of their father, to finding their father and his new family, and now to Usagi falling in love, and him? Well, love was far far far away from his mind at that point. Ever since arriving, life had been more than difficult. It had been a lot to bear, but he wouldn't change it for the world.

Kuroo's smile brightens with Usagi's expression as his tail thumps a little heavier in the sand. "Oh, not every season?" There is a mischievous look about his face as he shoots his brother a look. "We can scout more of the oaks since we will be expanding there soon," he adds in with an affirmative nod. "Maybe some of us can start staying out there instead of the bamboo," the boy muses as he raises a brow at his brother. Maybe some added privacy for his brother would help this new relationship of his.

Kuroo Shima

We enjoy difficult, don't we? Usagi watched his brother continue to draw lines in the sand, almost like a methodical trance. The words flipped in his brain like one would toss a stone back and forth in their hands, contemplating. It couldn't be more true. He furrowed his brow as the memories of the past few years played out in his head, like some strange movie reel; their rather soaked landing on the beaches of the large continent, alone and overwhelmed. Completely unaware of the packs that resided here, unaware of their fathers' whereabouts, retracing their steps in the most roundabout way possible. Coincidentally finding Hattori, and the rest being history as they settled into the familiarity of a bamboo-laden solace. Him working his way back to peak shape after getting his ankle snapped by that damn Pirate; meeting Kunai and saving him from near-death; falling in love as if their hearts weren't separated by the wide, endless ocean to begin with. But it took effort, physically and mentally to maintain the resolve the brothers had to stick together and endure it all. If he wasn't so stiff in his display of emotions he would've smirked a bit at the sentence. Yeah. They sure enjoyed difficult, alright. Difficulty found them wherever their paws led them, it seemed. Usagi sighed as Kuroo teased him about his reluctant offer to fish with him, but not every season. His crabbiness returned to him as he narrowed his eyes at his sibling in response to that mischievous expression he knew all too well. "It's the best I can do," He replied, words light but still laced with his typical flat undertone. Take it or leave it, in some sense. When further mentions of scouting the Oaks not far from their packlands came up, he was about to agree with a nod before quirking his brow at mention of the fact that there were wolves of their pack that didn't want to stay in the bamboo. He knew what Kuroo was hinting at, but stubborn as he was, he simply responded, "Depends on where Kunai feels comfortable as well - but for what it's worth, I much prefer the privacy the bamboo has to offer already." They made do all this time, anyways, and Usagi was already used to the twists and turns of the bamboo's everlasting labyrinth. It was home. Besides, what wolf of Tojo didn't wish to stay in the secrecy the maze offered? ”Speech”  ’Thought’