SHUPOPSICLES

"Hmm, so, hmm, have you heard from Emmet lately?" "No, why?" "Well, he...I haven't seen much of him..." "..........Ingo, what happened."

He stands there fumbling with the receiver, trying to find an excuse.

"Oh, um.  N-nothing." "Ingo please, stop stammering and tell us."

He facepalms himself out of frustration and, with head in hands, responds slowly.

"He's, um, sort of missing.  Maybe." "WHAT DO YOU MEAN MAYBE"

In the background he can hear his father trying to reassure his mother.

"Bethany calm do--" "MY BABY'S MISSING AND YOU'RE TELLING ME TO CALM DOWN" "He's a grown-up he can mana--" "INGO WHY IS EMMET MISSING"

Ingo know they're both listening on the same receiver now.

"He... left the house a few days ago. We had a... small fight. He hasn't been at work since. He hasn't been home..." "Small fight? He ran out!! Ingo, I've told you a million times, you're the eldest and you must be res--" "Dear, we can talk to him about that later. Ingo, can you at least think of a place he'd be at?" He bites his lips; here comes the guilt train.

"I've looked for him everywhere. There's been no sign of him at the subway. No one has seen him at his usual haunts throughout Nimbasa. His phone's off and he won't answer. He... did mention going to Johto... I think he was kidding, though. I think." "Oh lord, Johto? Emmet wouldn't go there, he loves Unova too much." "He might come here. We'll give you a call if he does manage his way all the way over here, Ingo. In the meanwhile, don't stop looking for him, understand? You know him best; I'll trust you to find him." "But Emmet--" "Beth, trust Ingo. He can do it." "...Alright."  

Submom grabs the phone from Dadmas and speaks.

"Ingo! Call us if--no, when you find him alright! Don't make your mother worry too much!" "I won't stop looking. I haven't yet. I just... yes, I'll call you when I find him. Mother, please don't worry."

When, not if.

Both Emmet and Ingo hear a lot about the other on their daily rounds, and they pick up on what patrons think and occasionally share it with each other, like "Oh, these girls say your hair is really funny, Ingo!" to which Ingo rolls his eyes because that means your hair too.  Meanwhile, Ingo would say "I didn't even have to check the boards today Emmet, but people say you've been doing well today. Is that true?" and Emmet beams; it is.

But a lot of times more bad is said than good, and where most people know to shut their mouths when one Subway Master's there (I mean they're twins, c'mon), there are the occasional people who talk freely about them until they see their focus of gossip.  So there are times when Ingo will be patrolling the platforms, and he hears someone say something bad about Emmet, like "What a freak, do you think he always acts like that or is it a setup?" etc, etc, and Ingo is really loyal to his code of courtesy so he doesn't say anything to them, but he does the next best thing, such as suddenly seeing a rowdy patron over there and blowing his whistle right in the ear of whoever said something about his brother, swishes his coat and *oops* accidentally gives them a faceful of coat because he's gotta go.  He usually takes off into the tunnels because he'd look ridiculous pointing out a non-existent fight, and it gives him some time to cool off and not be so impulsive.

On the flip side, if Emmet were to ever hear something bad said about Ingo, like "He never smiles, I hear he doesn't have the capacity for love, he's a robot" etc.  Emmet would get so mad, really mad because they don't know anything about Ingo or how hard he works or what all he does to look after Emmet. So Emmet, more sentimental than logical, would actually confront them on it.  Usually it's a simple statement, said sweetly but veiling his anger, like "Excuse me, but I couldn't help but overhear you think Mr. Ingo's an insensitive soul. I'd just like to say he's not, and because he cares so much and works so hard you have this lovely system of transportation! Anyway, have a nice day!" And he'd walk off quickly because he's as angry as Ingo would be, but there are times when a patron Emmet confronts doesn't like his pointing-out of the truth. Mostly it's tough middle-aged guys, the typical biker. They don't like being told off by this relatively young brat, because it's a free region and they can say whatever they want, right? So they do that dumb thing men do and start pushing all the wrong buttons: insulting Emmet, getting uncomfortably close.  Emmet just faces them down with a hard line on his lips because he's too stubborn for Ingo's sake to back down, and a lot of times there comes the point where they'll roughly push his shoulder, shove him, do something that turns starting a fight from harassment to self defense, and Emmet gladly takes it as a way to vent. 

At the first instance of a fight, Emmet will draw his fist back and just punch the ever-loving shit out of whoever decided to start this, and Emmet's usually really pacifistic, too.  So the guy would fight back. Emmet's got an advantage because of his height but he'd probably be pretty battered by the time depot agents/security pulled him out of it.  He's holding up a rag to his nose because it's bleeding; the other guy's being dragged away by security; Emmet's got witnesses on his side because most people really like the Subway Masters anyway, yeah!

Both Emmet and Ingo have their fair shares of nightmares. Where Ingo toughs it out, though, Emmet can't help but want to crawl in his brother's bed for comfort. It doesn't help that a lot of his nightmares are about Ingo dying, either; Ingo has no choice, really, but to let Emmet crawl under the covers because he refuses to say what his nightmare was about. So Ingo stays stock still until Emmet's breathing evens out, and, when he seems asleep, Ingo rolls over and wraps an arm around him to keep him snug, totally spooning this kitten of a brother.

Emmet wakes up first, barely registering the fact where he is. The most he knows is Ingo is asleep, and since Ingo's his alarm clock he sees no reason to be awake and goes back to sleep, shifting back further against his older brother. Ingo wakes up a while later, and it takes him a while to fully wake up because he can’t just can't spring out of bed. His eyes are closed but he's taking in his surroundings: the soft pillow against his head, the blankets around his torso, the warmth of Emmet's back and his soft breathing... wait, Emmet?

Oh, that’s right…last night he came in, huh...

When he's more awake, he opens his eyes and blinks a couple of times to adjust to the morning light, Ingo lays in bed for a minute, totally loathe to get up because this is one of those rare times both of them are sleeping soundly, warm against each other, super safe and really content; no subway or bickering or anything extraneous is getting in this nest of blankets.

And Ingo, forever the good workaholic, rolls over and picks up his phone off the nightstand, dialing the office. "Emmet and I are unable to come in today..." --he wearily thinks of an excuse-- "...we're both very tired." Ingo doesn't wait for a response; just hangs up and readjusts his hold on Emmet, and goes back to sleep. 

(Meanwhile the depot agents vow to work hard for their bosses on their rare day off.)

Later yet, Emmet wakes up again, for real this time, getting one look at the alarm clock and almost shooting up because so help us Arceus we're both late. The minute he tenses and tries to get up, however, Ingo tightens his hold on Emmet and murmurs, "I told them we're not going to work, it's fine." (He's an extraordinarily light sleeper, after all.) So they go back to sleep until maybe noon, sometime waaaay later.

This being a day of total relaxation, Emmet goes outside to play with his Pokémon and Ingo starts making cookies from scratch because why not? Of course this makes Emmet indescribably elated when he comes back in to this because Ingo hasn't made homemade cookies in years. While they're baking Ingo and Emmet settle in on the couch (in pajamas, why get dressed?) and watch really bad movies that make Emmet burst out laughing and Ingo hide his mirthful chuckle in his sleeve.

When the cookies are done, Emmet eats about 3/4ths of them before Ingo even touches his few. They're really good, after all. Since Emmet's already warmed up his Pokémon he challenges Ingo to a mock battle, and they go outside. The neighbors, getting the mail, glance over to see Nimbasa's famous subway twins laughing and battling in their PJs in the backyard. They blink and just waaaaalk back inside.

Aaaand bonus picture:

Some times, when Emmet's asleep on the couch after a hard day, this impulse rises.  Ingo simply extends his hands forward and places them gently around Emmet's neck.  As he does, thoughts such as  "what if I was an only child" would drift across his mind.

He could actually make himself an only child. He could do it. His hands are already there. He has the power; it could happen. It would be over in moments. Ingo has all the power in the world to change his whole future.  And there would be no Emmet.

How strange.  And he promised with this very man they'd be together, always, until the end. 

And yet...

And yet he could absolve the whole issue of never being his own self, always part of a pair of twins.  It balances out the "one person becoming two thing"; it's back to the beginning, just one of us.

During this whole train of thought, Ingo's face is as stoic as ever.  There's no emotion, no trembling of hands.

And briefly, he wonders if this feeling is what all murderers feel before they take a life.

Of course, Emmet is in blissful unawareness. He doesn't and will never know that Ingo, with his total composure, has had his hands around his throat, with all the power in the world to end his life.  He won't know; surely, ignorance is bliss.  Emmet lives his life never believing his brother would do anything of the sort to him. Ingo has the dark secret eating away at him; he could've done it, he was going to do it.

Was it the value of human life that stopped him, or the punishment, or Emmet himself? He doesn't know.

The secret eats away at him; those times when Emmet slips into his bed at night especially.  He can see his brother sleeping soundly, peacefully; and he just wonders again, "I could have done it."

Emmet harbors the exact same thought: Ingo may very well kill him one day.

He can see this happening clearly, when he's snooping around the kitchen for a late snack, quickly before Ingo gets home.  He would decide on small sandwich, and as he slices the bread, he would glance at the knife he was holding.  Emmet would take the knife, and gently nick his palm with it, deep enough to draw out blood.

Then he would look in a reflection of the window or such, and frown.  Just like Ingo does.  And he can clearly see Ingo holding a knife, and as he looks down he can clearly see blood on his hand (and it was his hand; the arm led to his body).  Emmet would look between Ingo holding a knife, and his own cut hand, and believe for two seconds that Ingo had done it.

This eats at him just as it eats at Ingo, and he subconsciously becomes just the slightest bit distrustful.  He's not sure about his older brother sometimes; it's just a ghost of a feeling, but sometimes he doesn't feel right.

There could conceivably be a point of really prolonged sadness for Emmet, his constant cheeriness eventually deteriorating into a hollow smile. His sadness would most likely stem from stress at work, feeling inadequate as a subway master, his general insecurities, etc, all exacerbated by being distanced from his brother and a whole slew of troubles at the Battle Subway. When unchecked for a long time, all eventually culminates in thoughts of suicide.

The morning after the deed is decided, Ingo wakes up early as usual to find his brother has already left for work. He finds it odd but takes it with a grain of salt, that is, until he finds a certain note left for him on the kitchen table. Ingo reads said note, reads it again, reads it thrice until he comprehends it, drops everything and runs. Emmet has left this note for him saying goodbye. All of his uniforms but the one he's wearing have been cleaned and hung in his closet, his paperwork for the week has been done, and all of his keys and passwords are there for him on his nightstand. Try to convince mom and dad it was an accident. See you sometime.

Ingo cannot breathe. He calls the depot agents at the Battle Subway only to find yes, Emmet checked into work as usual. But Ingo can't comprehend the existence of this terrible note he has found and his brother being okay, so he's beyond normal function by the time he actually makes it to work.

Where is Emmet? The depot agents aren't sure. He checked in that morning and wasn't seen leaving the Battle Subway, as far as they know. Then, Ingo realizes the connection between trains and suicides and the fact they have nothing separating patrons or employees from the tracks. He checks the security cameras and yes, Emmet is here and alive, only he's dangerously close to the edge of the platform. To anybody but Ingo, Emmet looks like he's just observing the tracks or waiting on the next train to pass by. Nobody but Ingo realizes Emmet takes the phrase "check safety!" to heart and never even toes the yellow line. Everything is a warning sign, and the note makes it worse. Ingo runs faster than he's ever ran before. Emmet's definitely waiting on the next passing train, but for the wrong reasons.

The subway is close by the time Ingo makes it to the platform. Patrons think nothing of Emmet standing on the edge there, believing him on regular duty. Ingo feels the train before he hears it. The headlights are near; Emmet bends his legs like he's going to begin a race, ready as anything. He's ready. Ingo feels pain like he's never felt before.

The train is just shooting out of the tunnel and Emmet is just beginning to spring from the platform when Ingo  tackles Emmet to the ground, not waiting for another movement. The train passes, the patrons freak out, and Emmet is barely aware of anything underneath him. Neither can think by this point; Ingo pulls his brother up, gets his arm around him, and gets him to their office, where he shuts the door and locks it. The depot agents are terrified, but nobody can call anybody because Ingo hasn't issued anything. He doesn't pick up his phone and no one is allowed in the office, or so goes the unsaid rule.

Silence ensues for the longest time, maybe an hour, until finally a noise comes from the office. It's not Ingo. Emmet has come to full consciousness again, realizing what has just happened and what he tried to do and the consequences and being stopped, and, paired with the thoughts that drove him to such a thing, has started crying as loudly as possible. He has no way to quell the pain. The only thing Ingo can do is hold him and smooth back his hair, reassuring him until he can muster up the courage to call a doctor. Such a thing would reaffirm the fact that his little brother had, in fact, just tried to kill himself.

Really messy bonus art (*ﾉ▽ﾉ) :

And the office scene