Chapter Text
Ragna tires himself out from errands and comes home exhausted as crazy. He lumbers upstairs and lands on their bed in a mess, groaning from how stiff his bones were from the day's work. His only job for today was for a paperboy, but he had to trudge up a hilltop and help an old man with finding his escaped pet, which was unfortunately a cat. He was running all over the field like an idiot for about half an hour before he finally caught it and returned it to his owner, but he still had to walk all the way home.
Jin runs up to him frantically, his face contorted with worry. "Nii-san, are you okay?"
Ragna's response is simply a crude, "Yeah. No shit."
Jin doesn't take that answer as a yes, though. He rushes downstairs to Sister and asks if she could help him cook some udon because he knows that's Ragna's favorite food. She happily obliges, and does the preparations while Jin does his best to slice the carrots without getting cut. They're done within fifteen minutes, and Jin puts the bowl on a tray and thanks Sister, giving her an appreciative smile. She pats her head, returning the smile with her own, and gestures him to go.
He carefully tiptoes upstairs to their shared room, and shoulders the door gently. Wan light creaks across the floor as he whispers, "Nii-san?"
Ragna looks up, his eyes barely open, a vexed scowl on his face. "What is it, Jin?"
Jin slightly cringes at his brother's harsh tone, but says, "I cooked dinner for you. Nii-san's tired, so I wanted you to rest some more."
Ragna's expression softens when he notices what's on top of the tray that Jin's carrying - a bowl of freshly-cooked udon, its scent redolent in the musty air of their cramped room. He tries to sit up so Jin wouldn't have to babysit him so much, but his muscles don't allow him.
"Nii-san shouldn't push himself!" Jin stammers as he places the tray by the bedside table.
Ragna mutters a tch, but collapses into the mattress anyway. "Don't... tell me what to do..."
Jin frowns worriedly, and reaches for the pair of chopsticks. He traps a piece of noodle between the sticks and holds it out for Ragna. "Here."
Ragna reluctantly takes a mouthful. He slurps as he wolfs the noodles down, with Jin constantly telling him to be careful so he wouldn't scald his tongue, but Ragna didn't seem to mind. The bowl is empty before they know it.
Jin smiles at him bashfully and fidgets with his hands. "I-I hope Sister and I's cooking isn't bad..."
Ragna returns the smile, and messes his little brother's hair affectionately. "It was badass. Thank you, Jin."