Animals
Hao lazily rested his body against the futon as he watched the moving action figures flying over the television screen. Hana had been playing the visually stunning video game for a few hours in total silence, and he knew the boy would need to be fed soon. He scratched his neck and sighed. There was only one thing he hated more than being bored, and that was babysitting. Hana was five years old, an age where he could probably use the bathroom on his own but couldn't be left alone in the house. Hao didn't want to be blamed for him wandering off to a neighboring town again. That fiasco was difficult to smooth over with his mother.
"Hana, are you hungry?" he asked.
He nodded without speaking.
"I'll find you something to eat."
He opened the refrigerator after entering the kitchen and released a deep sigh. Anna would surely be livid if he opted to feed the boy junk, but he really didn't want to cook anything. They were such terrible parents. Why would they leave him there alone with the boy in the first place? He never understood it. Tamao would be much better suited for such a job.
"Um...Uncle?"
Hana was standing directly behind him, and his frail voice was startling. He jumped, causing the boy to take a few steps back, then clutched the thick fabric of his white t-shirt with his hand.
"Don't...sneak up on me like that," he sighed.
"Sorry."
Hao's expression quickly softened when he noticed the distress in his eyes. In his mind, a child his age being stressed about anything was abnormal. Hana slowly blinked his eyes and walked away. Hao followed him into the dining room where they sat in chairs directly facing each other. He rested his hands limply against the surface. Hana sat on his knees in the chair and attempted to mimic the man's position, but he ended up leaning his entire upper body over the wood.
Hao smirked. The boy was so small.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I...don't wanna get in trouble."
"It's fine. You can talk to me." He was confused by the statement. It was a proven fact that Hana was able to get away with almost anything as long as Hao was watching him. He allowed him to eat as much candy as his stomach could tolerate, despite the many times Yoh pleaded with him not to. Hana stayed up until the early morning hours when his parents were out of town and consequently had trouble falling asleep when they were home. With Uncle Hao there he had no curfew. There were no rules. As long as Hana didn't end up in the hospital like the roof disaster of the previous summer he was fine.
Hao knew he was a bad influence, but it was his brother's fault. Yoh should have known that from the beginning. He didn't have to be the strict authoritarian with a kid who didn't belong to him. That was his parent's job.
"Something's wrong with them," Hana said finally and stared at the table.
"Your parents?"
"Yeah."
"What makes you say that?"
"Well..." he paused and bit his bottom lip. "They fight a lot. I don't know."
"Fight?"
"Yeah..." Hana tapped the table with his finger. He was trying to figure out how to explain what he was thinking, and the thick blond strands of his hair fell into his face as he lowered his head. "In the middle of the night...Dad comes into my room to check on me. Then he goes back to their room, and they fight."
Hao's confused frown faded as he continued speaking.
"They roll around in the bed," he whispered like he was being watched. "And then Mama makes noises like she's in pain. I think he's hurting her."
He covered his mouth to hide a widening smile. Hana's worried expression was adorable; he tried desperately not to laugh.
"Hana..." He cleared his throat. "Do they fight like this a lot?"
"All the time. Three or four times a week, I think."
Hao rested his elbow against the table and cupped his hand partially over his face with his mouth open. There was a long pause as Hana began drawing imaginary circles over the wood with his finger.
"Tell me more about this." He tried to keep his tone even, but a small giggle partially escaped.
"They don't wear their pajamas, but they move around too much to get cold," he sighed. "Sometimes they pretend to be animals."
"Animals?"
"Yeah. Dad growls like a tiger." He began rambling. "Mama always sounds like a bird. He covered her mouth once; she was too loud. I was scared so I ran away."
Hao's smile permanently painted his lips. He couldn't change his expression no matter how hard he tried.
"But she looks okay the next day. I know he hurt her, but she never says anything."
"I don't think there's anything to worry about, Hana," Hao said. "Yoh wouldn't hurt Anna because he loves her."
"If they love each other, why do they fight so much?" he asked with a quizzical frown. "She slaps him sometimes and scratches his back. I know it hurts because he moans."
"What does this...moan sound like?"
"Well..." The boy tilted his head as the drawing slowed. "I guess...it kinda sounds like a kitten with a broken—"
The front door opened suddenly, and Hao stared at the table as rustling noises grew in the distance. Hana sat upright with his hands planted firmly onto the table and glanced at his uncle with fear.
"Hey, we're back," he heard Yoh say.
"Please, don't tell them," Hana whispered. "I don't wanna get in trouble!"
"I promise I won't. But if they fight again let me know, okay?"
"Okay."
"Hana, help me with these," Anna said as she entered the room carrying several bags in her hands.
He jumped out of the chair and promptly assisted her to the kitchen. Yoh came into the dining room after placing his bags on the counter there, and he sat in the seat Hana abandoned.
"Go wash up for dinner when you're finished, Hana," he called. "I know your uncle didn't feed you."
"Okay!"
Hao stared at his brother with an amused smirk and clasped his hands together against the table. Yoh leaned his weight against the back of the chair and yawned.
"You look tired, little brother," he said. "I wonder why?"
"He doesn't have any broken bones, does he?"
"No." Hao rolled his eyes.
"And you didn't poison him?"
"That happened one time, Yoh. Good grief."
"I have to be sure." He wearily rubbed the side of his face with his hand. "I don't want you traumatizing the boy every time we leave the house."
"I don't think you have to worry about me traumatizing him."
There was a long pause. Yoh glared at him with a frown.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"What's for dinner?" Hao tapped the table with his fingers. "I know you won't pay me. Feeding me is the least you could do."
He mumbled something under his breath and stood from the table. Hao followed him into the kitchen where Anna was washing her hands. She began talking to Yoh about vegetables, a conversation Hao tuned out of automatically.
"I'll go check on Hana," she said. "You can get started."
"Sure."
He kissed her on the cheek, and Hao tilted his head as he watched her walk away. Her hips swayed seductively as the soft footsteps carried her toward the staircase. The long dress she wore hugged her curves in all the right places, and he blinked his eyes very slowly until she disappeared around the corner.
"What are you...looking at?"
Hao turned around abruptly without responding. Yoh was staring at him with a frown but he didn't address it. Perhaps there were things about Yoh and his wife he didn't need to know. Hana's information made him too curious for his own good, he determined. So many questions flooded his mind while he watched his brother wrestling with a few potatoes. The thought of him being aggressive anywhere was interesting; Anna's violence would never surprise him. He decided in that moment he was completely wrong. Babysitting wasn't so bad after all. Hana probably knew more things than he could ever imagine, and he would definitely need someone to confide in.
"I think I have a new nickname for you, Brother," he said with a giggle.
"What is it?"
"Tiger."
Yoh shrugged his shoulders. "I don't understand."
"I know."
And that was so amusing.
