Gosh what an original title. Anyway this is basically just a couple long drabbles delving into little snippets of Raito and Sayu's sibling relationship over the years.
I obviously don't own Death Note.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
Big Brother, Little Sister
by eighth-carousel
Pink
Barely-opened eyes and a small button nose peek out from behind a blanket. Raito stares at the little pudgy face adorned with a small tuft of black hair. He frowns as the –the thing – starts squirming in his mother's arms.
"Wha… What is it?" Raito asks hesitantly.
Sachiko chuckles as Soichiro looks to his son, surprise written on his face.
"Well she is a baby." His mother says smiling down at him, "She's your little sister, Sayu."
Raito looks sceptical (well, as sceptical as a three year old can look).
"Are you sure?"
His mother laughs again, and really what's so funny?
"Yes." She says.
Raito's still frowning as he shuffles closer and reaches out a little hand to an even littler body. Gingerly he touches the tiny face; resting his fingers on the chubby cheek.
"But… she's so pink!" Raito exclaims in confusion, "People aren't pink."
Both his parents laugh (really why is this so funny? Why do babies make mummies and daddies laugh?) and Soichiro affectionately pats his son's head.
"She won't be pink forever." He chortles.
Raito wearily eyes the little pink human.
"Girls are weird." He grumbles.
His parents just laugh. Again.
Stories
Raito hums lightly to himself as he flips through the pages of his book; wide eyes flitting back and forth across the page. He mouths the words quietly to himself as he reads, stopping every so often to sound out and trace the hard words with his finger. Sayu watches him intently, trying to copy any words he speaks. After a while she gets bored of watching and toddles off on unstable legs, like a newborn foal.
She stumbles back not too much later and tugs urgently at Raito's sleeve (she can speak some words, but she still coos and squeals more often than not) and her big brother looks down at her. Clutched in plump little hands is a picture book. She stares eagerly back at him.
Shutting his own book, Raito pulls Sayu into his lap. Taking the book from her hands he opens it in front of them and starts to read. It's a book with only one word per page, things like 'cat' or 'car' or 'happy' or 'sad', and Sayu giggles and points and tries to say the words along with him.
When Sachiko and Soichiro wonder where their children could have run off to, they search around the house for them. When they open Sayu's door they find two small bodies curled up together on the carpet, their little chests rising and falling in sleep. They smile and coo at their two precious children.
Kanji
Sayu huffs in frustration as she sits on the lounge room floor. Staring angrily she grumbles at the paper and pencil in front of her. Raito watches from afar, curious as to what has gotten his little sister into such a cranky mood.
Walking over to her he plops down beside Sayu, peering at the white sheet before her. Wobbly strokes and scribbles colour the page. Raito realises that they're wonky words – 'dog' and 'mum' and 'sky' – and not just random squiggles.
She pouts at him, looking very put out. Raito picks up the paper and pencil (to which Sayu protests loudly) before setting them down on the coffee table. She follows closely behind, watching her brother curiously. Slowly Raito begins to write – 'dog' and 'mum' and 'sky' – while Sayu watches closely.
Raito smiles and hands the pencil over to her.
"Now you try."
Sayu does, her little hand trembling as she clumsily tries to copy her brother.
When she's done, she looks down at the words written on the page. They're a little better, but not nearly as good as Raito's. She pouts.
They repeat this – Raito writing the words slowly, allowing Sayu to watch, before she tries again – and gradually her strokes look a little smoother (if only by a smidgen) and Sayu grins proudly up at her brother.
When the next day in class, her teacher compliments her on her writing Sayu beams brightly and tells her, "It's because I have the best big brother."
Puddles
The rain is a heavy grey sheet, swamping the world in an endless chatter of noisy droplets and glum skies. Raito watches from the window frowning as it pelts down. Through the distortion of the rain a mangled blob of pink and yellow can be seen bobbing up and down in circles. Raito stares, fixated on it.
Sayu is outside, with her raincoat, umbrella and matching gumboots. She giggles and grins as she twirls, hops, jumps –splash! – and dances through the puddles and rain. Despite her bad weather wear, she's still drenched; her pants drip and every time she spins or jumps water sprays out from her hair. She doesn't mind, it just makes it more fun.
The door to the house swings open and she sees her big brother waving at her so she waves back cheekily.
Raito motions frantically for her to come inside. Sayu just twirls and stomps and skips around, trying to make a bigger splash each time.
"Join me!" Sayu screams, grinning ear-from-ear as she makes a particularly big splash.
Raito shakes his head (he's too big now for playing in puddles).
"You'll get sick!" He calls back.
Sayu scrunches up her face before sticking out her tongue, and running through a different puddle.
Back at the house Raito shoves his feet in his own gumboots and grabs an umbrella before running out to meet her. Sayu squeals in delight and waves wildly at him through the rain, Raito can't see her very well, but he's sure that her grin is just as fervent.
"Come back inside!" He yells, but it's too late and Sayu is rushing towards him.
A choked off Hey! is all he manages before he's suddenly plummeting towards the ground. Sayu tumbles down with him and they land together with the biggest splash yet. Raito yelps as his backside hits the ground and he's drenched with freezing water. His arms are full of his sopping wet sister whose arms are wrapped tightly around him. Her giddy laugh meets his ears through the roar of the rain. Her dark hair is plastered to her face and her eyes are alight with an excitement, that makes him think of Christmas Eve.
Though he's freezing and wet and a little sore, he can't help grinning back. Raito jumps to his feet, pulling Sayu along with him, and they run and jump through the puddles and hold hands as they spin in circles under the rain. Their umbrellas lay abandoned on the sidewalk.
When their mother gets home from shopping they're in strife (and cold, and wet, and shivering) and they get a stern scolding before they're rushed into a warm bath. They're in trouble and end up with a cold and a cough, but that doesn't stop them from grinning or doing it again the next rainy day they're left alone.
Fight
Hushed words filter out from the kitchen – words, though whispered, are harsh and bitter. Sayu sits on the stairs clutching to the railing and listening closely. She's not really sure what's going on, but she doesn't like it. She's never heard her parents talk like this before, with angry words and bitten off curses. But she knows she doesn't like it. Sayu remembers what her best friend Yumi said; that sometimes her mum and dad got mad at each other. She suddenly understands why Yumi would always look so sad when she mentioned it.
Sayu doesn't want her parents to fight. She doesn't want them to be like Yumi's mum and dad.
She's not sure what it is they're fighting about – but she catches the odd word like 'work' and 'time' and 'family' – but all she really wants to know is when it will stop.
At a particularly loud hiss Sayu's lip quivers and her hands tighten around the railing like a lifeline. Her eyes prickle with the sensation of oncoming tears, and she rubs at them, willing them to go away. She sniffs softly, ears straining as she tries to catch more of what they're saying (if she knows, maybe she can help make it go away.)
Suddenly the stairs above her creak.
Sayu jumps, starting in shock. Looking back, she sees Raito standing at the top of the stairs. He's in his pyjamas and his lips are tugged down as he frowns towards the kitchen.
He slowly tiptoes down the stairs and reaches where Sayu sits, curled in on herself. He sits down beside her; knees and arms brushing. She scoots as close as possible, crushing their sides together as they listen to their parents argue.
When their mother shouts angrily (the first time she's really raised her voice) and their father yells back, Sayu starts crying; silent tears dribbling down her cheeks. Raito just wraps his arms around her and hides his own watery eyes in her hair.
TBC...
Well there's more to come, I've already written some of the next drabbles, but I'd love to hear some feedback – whether positive or negative. Do you have a favourite perhaps? Anyway, thanks for reading!