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“Ryou could you hurry up already?” Shiro called, waiting impatiently outside the door to his brother’s room.
“Just a minute I can’t choose what to wear!” Ryou called back.
Shiro sighed, taking the steps two at a time up to his brother’s garrison issued room, “What's the hold u-” Shiro cut himself off with a sigh, “
Ryou!
”
Ryou was holding two outfits up to his figure in the mirror, one was a tuxedo he had received, the other was altean formal wear: a frilled outfit consisting of a high collared embroidered white vest and a matching pair of white pants.
“I can't choose okay!” Ryou whined, “I have to make a good first impression!”
“We're meeting our parents-”
“Your parents-”
“
Our parents,
not the queen of England!” Shiro said.
Admittedly part of the reason he was angry was he didn't like the reminder that he was much the same. He would've gone on his first date with Lance in a tux if Keith hadn't told him that was stupid and made him change into a t-shirt and jeans.
“But this is the first time they're going to see me!”
“We've been over this they're going to love you even if you accidentally light the house on fire.” Shiro replied. Given how clumsy Ryou could be it wasn't even necessarily out of the question.
“They love
you.
I'm a whole different bea- situation.” Ryou said.
“Ryou…”
“No Shiro listen, you're their son, I'm just your clone. I don't want them to feel obligated to like me just because I look like you!”
“Sometimes I doubt whether you actually have all my memories.” Shiro rolled his eyes as he walked over to Ryou's closet. “Trust me, they're going to love you.”
“But what if they don't?” Ryou said, sitting down on his bed and hugging himself.
“But nothing.” Shiro replied, tossing a matching set of button up shirt and canvas pants to what Shiro was sporting, only in a dark green instead of blue.
The clothes hit Ryou square in the face.
“Okay okay I get it!” Ryou grumbled. “Now get out so I can change!”
“Not like it's something I've never seen befo-”
“LEAVE!” Ryou shouted, throwing a pillow at the retreating figure of his chuckling brother.
“Keep your hair down too!” Shiro called back, “And remember to brush your hair
and
teeth!”
Ryou had decided to let his hair grow out similar to what he had after first being saved by Shiro from the galra fighter pilot.
“I'm an adult Takashi!” Ryou called back angrily.
“You've been around for all of three yeaaaars~” Shiro singsonged back.
“Stop being right!”
“Then get down here!”
“I've been getting dressed for a whole ten seconds!”
“You picked an outfit after fifteen minutes c'mon!”
“Give me two more!”
Shiro shook his head, “Okay okay.” he called up.
The two minutes passed quickly, Shiro had barely heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs before Ryou was in front of him.
“Alright I'm ready.” he said, still checking his shirt for wrinkles.
“Took long enough! I thought I was going to have to call Pidge to threaten a breakup!” Shiro joked. “She wouldn’t even pretend you know that.” He added upon seeing Ryou''s slight frown.
“Right right.” Ryou said hurriedly, walking over to the kitchen to pull a bundle out of the fridge.
Shiro wanted to bash his head into a wall. “
Ryou!
”
“I bought them a while ago!” Ryou said frantically as he held the box and flowers in his hand.
Chrysanthemums had always been his mother's favorite, and his father could never get enough of gourmet chocolate.
“I mean… didn't you get these for them when you were younger I mean maybe they'd be more comfortable with me if I was a bit more like y-”
“Ryou.” Shiro interrupted his brothers rambling, putting a hand on his shoulder. “They'll love you for
you,
you don't have to try to be me.”
“Is this the whole 'Be yourself you're your own person!’ speech again?” Ryou snorted, “I don't have the memory of a goldfish Takashi.”
“See there you go!”
“Y'know I hate you sometimes.” Ryou sighed.
“Love you too bro now let's get moving!”
*********
They were standing in front of a simple two story house. The same faded red color, the same violently green grass, the same sunflowers that Shiro used to use to measure how tall he was. The house had barely changed since he was last here almost five years ago.
“What if they think I'm weird though?” Ryou asked for the tenth time since they left.
“They. Are. Going. To. Love. You.” Shiro said slowly.
“I know but-”
“Ryou I swear to God if you ask one more time I'm going to throw you at the doorbell.” Shiro said through gritted teeth as he dragged his worried brother down the path to the front door of the house.
They stood in front of the door for a moment before Ryou started shaking his head.
“Maybe this was a bad idea maybe we should come back tomorrow? I mean the lights are off I bet they aren't even home I mean-”
Shiro cut off his rambling by ringing the doorbell.
“MOM? DAD?” Shiro shouted.
The rapid sound of feet pounding on the floor came immediately after, giving Shiro the opportunity to shove Ryou in front of the door.
“Shiro wha-”
The door was flung open and a dark haired woman lunged out and lifted Ryou up into a twirling hug.
“Oh my baby it's so good to see you again!” she said as Ryou squeaked.
“I'm over here mom!” Shiro said.
“Huh?” Shiro's mother looked between the two men before slowly lowering Ryou back to the ground. “Well I can't wait to hear the story behind this!” she said with a chuckle.
“Really Taiga how did you confuse someone else for Takashi I mean he's been all over the news who did he bring? Is it that nice boy he's told us about-” Shiro's father said walking just behind his wife before stopping and staring at Shiro and Ryou.
His mouth hung open before he closed it and adjusted his glasses. “Well dear I suppose that wish for twins you had has finally come true albeit about… twenty six years late or so.” he said with a chuckle.
“Oh Tokiomi give the boys a chance to get their shoes off before you start making jokes!” Taiga replied. “Dinner is cooking so let me go check on that and you boys make yourself at home.”
“Alright mom!” Shiro replied, stepping inside and taking off his shoes as Ryou did the same.
They all made their way to the kitchen where they sat down at the dinner table, an awkward silence taking hold.
“So then… Not-Shiro uhhh what’s your name?” Tokiomi asked, “Oh and do you like tea?”
“Oh- My n-name’s Ryou and um... yes?” Ryou said, picking absently at a knot in the wood table.
“YES!” Tokomi shouted.
“Oh no,” Shiro groaned simultaneously.
“Sorry Takashi sweetie I only have one son now and his name is Ryou.” Tokiomi smiled.
“But it’s so bitter!” Shiro argued.
“Your palate is underdeveloped!” Tokiomi shot back.
“It’s been a whole five minutes since we finally get to see our son again and you two are already starting this all over again?” Taiga said, rolling her eyes.
Onto the table she placed a steaming pot filled to the brim with-
“Mapo tofu…” Shiro sighed out upon seeing the spicy dish.
The pot had been filled to the brim with tofu bathed in a deep red sauce, the scent coming off of it was spicy enough to burn a person’s nose yet no one could back away.
“When you told me you were coming over I thought i might as well make your favorite.” Taiga said.
Not another word was said before Shiro had leapt for the spoon and began loading up his plate, Ryou tentatively doing the same afterwards. Between the two of them there was only a fourth left in the pot.
“Good to see some things never change,” Taiga said with a laugh.
Taiga Shirogane herself was something that never seemed to change. Her jet black hair hadn’t lightened a bit since Shiro was a kid, and her bright brown eyes were as vibrant as ever. Even her signature black jacket hadn’t suffered any wear or tear.
“Well there’s about as much left for the two of us as we’re willing to eat.” Tokiomi snorted, helping himself to dinner as well.
Tokiomi Shirogane was as similar to his wife as Keith was to Lance. Mild mannered where she was energetic, and sarcastic where she was as subtle as a neon sign. His thin rimmed spectacles always sat at the very top of his nose and his face was clean shaven as always, devoid of any of the pale brown hair that covered the top of his head.
Ryou kept retelling these factoids to himself as he ate, it still felt weird to know so much about people when meeting them for the first time. He could call up from memory the time Taiga had first taken him for a ride on her motorcycle at the age of four, Tokiomi nearly had a heart attack over it... and the day Tokiomi started reading him to sleep, Taiga had always complained about how the books he chose were so boring, he had never agreed with mom-
“
Taiga.”
he corrected himself,
“She isn’t your mom she’s Shiro’s.”
Shiro meanwhile kept eyeing his twin, Ryou kept getting tense whenever his parents directed a question at him, about his life or what he was doing.
“So what are our boys doing at the garrison these days?” Taiga asked, steepling her hands.
“I’m still flying Black,” Shiro said through a mouthful of tofu.
“Ryou? What do you do?” Tokiomi asked after a short silence.
“O-Oh I uhhh well I’m mostly a backup for Shiro if he can’t fly, but i also fly in a ship myself sometimes.” Ryou said quietly.
“Oh that’s wonderful! “ Taiga clapped her hands, “Both of our kids are such heroic individuals!”
Ryou flinched at that and Shiro snorted.
“I’m not actually Shiro’s twin, you know that right?” Ryou said.
“Oh that reminds me who are you then?” Taiga said.
Shiro looked at him expectantly, now or never it seemed.
“I’m… Shiro’s clone.” Ryou said with a deep breath, “When i was created… I had his memories implanted in me, and later I was able to be my own person.”
An awkward silence took hold of the room for several minutes after that confession.
“So in other words…” Tokiomi said slowly, “You look identical… even have the same prosthetic arm… and experienced most of the same things...“
“Sounds like twins to me,” Taiga finished, “Anyways do you both still like shortcake?“
“Yep!” Shiro replied.
“Good because I have some leftover in the fridge.” Taiga said, pushing back from the table and walking to the kitchen.
“You’re taking this v-very well…” Ryou stuttered.
“If you really have Takashi’s memories then i don’t know why you’re surprised. There really isn’t much that can phase us at this point.” Tokiomi said with a chuckle.
“Told you so~” Shiro singsonged.
Ryou just hmphed in reply.
“Alright here you go! Cake is here!” Taiga said, placing a few slices of cake in front of everyone.
Shiro smiled at Ryou’s next words.
“Thank you Mrs-... Thank you mom…”