"Aniki, let's make a garden!"
A little Fuji Yuuta ran up to his big brother with a mud streaked face and a grin stretching from ear to ear.
"When did you get interested in gardening?"
Fuji Syusuke took his handkerchief out of his pocket and began cleaning up his little brother. Honestly, Yuuta seemed to be interested in something new every week. Last week it had been goldfish, the week before it was painting, and the week before that was baking. That kid watched too much anime for his own good. It was starting to affect his brain. He did not have solar hands no matter what he read in Yakitate!!! Japan.
"Miura-sensei had us plant beans in school today. She said the better we take care of it, the bigger it'll grow and the bigger it gets the more pretty flowers will bloom! Nee-chan's birthday is coming up soon and I want to give her flowers that I grew myself."
"Alright then. Let's go shopping, Yuuta."
The elder Fuji took his little brother's hand and the duo walked to the nearest flower shop to pick up some wisteria vines. Yuuta knew that the kanji was different, but he still liked how wisteria flowers had the same name as him.
"Aniki!!! What's wrong the flowers?!"
Two weeks had passed since the purchase of the wisteria vines and the once verdant plant had turned a mushy black color.
"Did you water it properly?"
"Yeah! I watered it three times everyday!"
"Three times? Yuuta, isn't that a bit excessive?"
"No! We eat three meals a day, so the plant should eat three times a day too!"
Syusuke took his little brother's shoulders into his hands and stared him straight in the eyes. While Yuuta's logic would seem perfectly sound to other children his age, he needed to learn a thing or two about gardening. The logic of people wouldn't work with a plant.
"Yuuta, plants need love and care to grow properly. You can't water them too much, but you can't leave them out to dry either. It's like you and me. If you eat too much food, you'll become overweight and your health will suffer. If you water a plant too much it will become rotten."
"If that's true, then when should I water my plants?"
"Well… before that let's try growing a different plant. A nice sturdy plant would probably be a good idea since you're still a new gardener."
"Wow! This is so pretty. Thank you Yuuta!"
Fuji Yumiko placed a wreath of flowers upon her head. The pink blossoms created her flower crown that her little brother had made for her birthday. He was such a sweet kid. He grew the flowers and made the crown himself. It would be an understatement to say that Yumiko felt like a princess.Usually her brothers would stick together like glue, so it was nice to be remembered.
"Aniki! Can I talk to you for a second?"
... Or not.
Yuuta tugged at his brother's shirt, nearly dragging him into another room.
"I know it's a few days early, but… Happy birthday Aniki!"
Yuuta shoved a small, prickly cactus plant into the arms of his brother. It was the same cactus that the flowers for Yumiko's crown had come from, the cactus that Yuuta had picked out with Syusuke. It held fond memories for him and he wanted to share his happiness with his big brother.
"Thank you Yuuta. I'll treasure it."
"Happy birthday Aniki."
Yuuta, now much older, gave his big brother the customary birthday cactus. It had become a tradition of sorts; ever since the year he had given Yumiko a flower crown. Every year Yuuta would visit the garden store and pick up a cactus for his brother. It was his little way of saying that even though Syusuke could be annoying and overprotective, Yuuta still loved him and remembered the times his brother came to his rescue.
Syusuke accepted it with a smile on his face. "Thank you Yuuta. I'll treasure it."
"Yeah…"
Yuuta left Syusuke's room feeling slightly awkward and embarrassed. Every time he got a cactus, Syusuke would say same thing over and over again. He didn't need to repeat himself; Yuuta knew that he would treasure the prickly plant for as long as it would live and probably beyond that time as well.
When Yuuta left the room, Syusuke turned to his windowsill. It had the best lighting in his room, perfect for keeping a cactus. He had to rearrange things a bit to make room for his new addition, but eventually, there was just enough room to squeeze in the small potted plant. Syusuke placed it where it was nestled safely, right next the cactus Yuuta had given him all those years ago, when the cactus tradition first began.
Author's Note: Well, this one kind of sucked. Happy birthday Fuji Syusuke! I was in a hurry to finish it in time for Fuji's birthday. (Which I made it for… if you go by the same time zone as Hawaii) It's not as edited as I would like, but constructive comments would be loved! I don't own anything by the way.