Chapter 9: Star-Spangled
Author's Note: Enjoy XD And thanks to all that have reviewed!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon
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"You won't even take a step off your high horse to even get to know him because of your own f—king biases! Hayato is the best thing to happen to both Carrie and I! I only want f—king drugs when I think about this!"
Joe sat on the bench outside of Woody's house, staring at his lap, confused. Kurt used to be such a crybaby when they were little. Like, insanely so. He could cry for his shoelace being untied if he wanted. Somewhere along, though, he toughened up. Joe didn't think he'd ever have to see his little brother cry again.
Too bad he was wrong.
It had sincerely upset his brother to hear their mother's rather acidic words lashed out at him. Part of Joe was glad he'd never actually used them directly with Kurt because if he saw him look like that, he'd be more crushed than he was now.
He sighed miserably, draping his hands between his legs as he shook his bowed head. He wanted his brother to realize that he was just lovesick, that once that died down, he might have found himself in the same hole as before.
But…he…was happy. Kurt was happy, there was no doubting that. So…was this real? Was his brother really happy with his little tiny family?
"Snap out of it, boy."
He jumped a bit as Woody came, standing next to him sagely, "Kurt is more intelligent than you or your mother like to think. I don't understand you two, trying to push him away more than you already have. He called in today specifically asking for work that didn't involve you."
Joe grimaced, a bit hurt by that, "I didn't say anything though."
"It was implied."
"It-!" he started to exclaim before stopping, depressed, "I love my brother, ojii-san…"
"Of course you do. Don't mean you need to be on his back every second and protect him from life. How'd you like it if someone tried to do that, hmm?"
Joe didn't know how to respond to that but the older man slapped him on his back, "No matter. C'mon, we have to go fix that bridge."
Standing, Joe sighed. He just…he couldn't understand Kurt's fixation with them, a family he'd never known.
Was he missing something?
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Kurt stood back, watching in disbelief as his son, scared of snakes and large insects, skipped and jumped and danced across one of the most rickety bridges he'd seen in all his life. He reached out, a bit hectic.
"Haya, s-stop, that's insane dangerous…"
Hayato didn't seem bothered, "Me and mama use it all the time!"
Carrie walked up, actually looked a tad concerned, "I dunno, Haya, it looks worse than usual."
Hayato stopped, pouting before sighing and starting to walk back to them but stopping, frowning, "But how are we going to get across? There's no other way."
"We'll find a way" Carrie assured, waving to him, "Honestly, who uses rope bridges anymore?"
Kurt opened his mouth before becoming paralyzed, the sound of rope snapping freezing all his current thoughts. Turning, he watched in absolute horror as the planks crumbled under his son.
"HAYATO!"
Kurt tried to dart at him but came near falling into the chasm himself. Gaping as Hayato screamed, falling into the brush below them, he felt absolutely ill. Carrie quickly ran to the side, screaming, "Haya?! Haya, can you hear me?!"
It was silent and Kurt almost threw up. No. No. Something so-so simple—
Alas, after a minute, Carrie smiled with relief when Hayato called back. "I'm fine, mama! I landed on some leaves!"
"Okay, sweetie! We'll come around to get you, okay?!"
Kurt almost collapsed, his impending heart attack stopping to pity him. Carrie tugged his arm, dragging him, "C'mon! We have to get down there, I know a way!"
He nodded, breaking into a jog alongside her. He…he hoped his son was okay. He…he was all alone down there.
Right?
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"Damn it all…"
Joe groaned, having trouble believing he'd fallen off of a bridge. Reminded him of one of those old American Looney Tune cartoons where the Coyote fell trying to capture the rather stealthy Roadrunner. Oh, how he'd wished he was the Roadrunner instead, wincing at the pain in his hand.
Sitting up, he grimaced again, noticing his middle and pointer finger on his right hand were dislocated. Son of a bitch.
Wobbling to his feet, he cursed himself for getting so distracted seeing his little brother with his new family. Next thing he knew, he was nose diving into a forest.
Looking around, he realized he had no idea where he was. Looking up, he found that really, the fall hadn't been that deep. Thing was, there was no way to make it up that slick mountain.
Scowling, looking around, he decided to head to the left. It could lead him back, he figured. He jumped though, when out of nowhere, the kid appeared, looking dazed.
"Owie…"
Joe swallowed, staring at the child that really did look too much like his brother, wondering what he should do. He had fallen too, apparently. He'd heard yelling back and forth so he guessed that was his mom. Just, it wasn't like he could actually leave the boy but he was loathe to help…
Hayato glanced at him though before sighing, walking to the right. Joe's eyes widened and he blinked after him.
"Hey, where are you going?"
Hayato didn't really turn back, "I'm going back to my parents."
"But…shouldn't you go this way?" Joe frowned, pointing behind him.
Hayato blinked at him, confused, "But that way's a dead end."
Joe was absolutely confused… "You…know your way out of here?"
"Uh huh! My mama and I wandered around here all the time."
It was one of those times Joe had to surrender and just…not worry that he'd be following a six-year-old. If all else failed then they could just head back this way. So Joe slowly trekked behind the child who was confidently heading forward in the fray of trees and bushes.
The silence was a tad uncomfortable, Joe had to admit, and even Hayato must have noticed because he started humming…
"…Aerosmith?" Joe said, a little surprised.
"Uh huh!"
"…That's…odd for a kid."
"My Aunt Kaede has an old version of the American version of Rock Band" he explained.
"I see…"
He continued with his humming and Joe tilted his head thoughtfully, staring at his…nephew? It was strange how much he looked like Kurt when he was younger. Like the exact duplicate, save for Hayato's hair was a tad longer. Even his mannerisms were similar, as odd as that was. He frowned more when he noticed a large lump on the boy's wrist…
"Hey, did you get hurt?"
Hayato paused and glanced at his wrist, shaking his head, "It's okay."
Joe blinked before sighing, kneeling, and ripping his bandana in half, wrapping the wound, "Well, that's one thing that's different: Kurt would be crying endlessly."
Hayato appeared confused but Joe waved it off, wrapping his fingers, "Lead the way."
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"Your brother is missing!"
"My brother is a grown man. My son is a little boy!"
Carrie just rubbed her temple, wondering why fate despised her so…
Old man Woody told Kurt's mother what happened. Apparently Joe had fallen because of the bridge too. Yoshiko just had to run into them looking for Hayato. That just spawned this fight over 'who was more important?'. Of course Kurt maintained that Hayato was a defenseless child but Yoshiko was yelling at him for not worrying about his brother. Carrie wanted to interject that there could be equal concern on both of their parts, they were both blood.
She looked up and scowled. Hayato knew these parts so she knew they'd meet up in no time but if night fell…
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"Oh my God…" whined Joe, clutching his stomach.
Hayato glanced at him, blinking, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, just a little hungry…"
Hayato pondered over that and looked about before his eyes brightened, "Very berries!"
"…?"
Hayato picked this colossal plump berry of varying colors, going to the small fresh water spring that had been running beside them for a while and cleaning them before handing Joe a good portion of them.
"They're not poisonous" Hayato explained simply, "They're really good in pies."
Joe couldn't help but laugh at that little random bit but murmured, "Thanks. But you should take some more. You gave most of them to me."
"You're bigger" Hayato replied, "And you'd use more energy so you need it more."
That startled Joe a lot. He didn't really think any little kids thought like that. But then, the hour and a half they'd been together, he'd learned he wasn't really like most kids.
He was rather articulate for his age, something Joe had commented on which he'd responded that he'd probably picked it up from his eldest cousin, Skye. Hayato told him that Skye was who he turned to when he needed advice he didn't think his mother could give him. Skye and Iori, the other cousin, were about five months older and he really looked up to them.
Joe questioned how different they were from Hayato for him to look up to them, being five months really wasn't that much more time. Hayato told him that Skye was calm and collected but courageous, never letting anything really hit him too hard but ready to jump into action. Iori was the voice of reason, the rather mature one who could always find the sun on a rainy day. Hayato said, if anything, he wasn't like either of them. He freaked out over the littlest of things. Snakes, rodents, bugs…he got irritated rather easily as well, when things didn't go the way he wanted. And he wasn't mature at all and when something hit him, it left him in a gloom.
Joe tilted his head, pondering over this before telling the kid that really, everyone was different. And, if he didn't know any better, Hayato was the one acting his age while the other two just seemed prematurely older. And he advised Hayato that there was nothing wrong with that. Forcing that kind of progression would lead Hayato into missing a step in his development. Skye and Iori would have their moments, sooner or later. Hayato thought this through and nodded. "I guess you're right. But they're so much cooler."
Joe had laughed, shaking his head, telling him that at six that really wasn't anything to get overly concerned about either. Plenty of time to be cool.
"Can I ask you something though?" he'd asked sheepishly.
"Sure…"
"I…I don't feel comfortable around girls like my cousins do either…"
It was in that moment that Joe thought the child was too adorable. He almost saw why his brother liked being with him so much. Joe chuckled and gave him a grin.
"Kid, you have plenty of time to be cool and older…and you definitely have plenty of time to get used to women."
"Skye and Iori are always attracting girls" he pouted, "So they're always around. And they try to talk to me…"
Joe laughed again, shaking his head, "Just remember that girls aren't totally different from you, y'know? They don't have 'cooties' or anything."
Hayato considered this and nodded, "I guess you're right."
Joe ate the rather juicy berries, warily having to ask his own questions. "How is Kurt as a dad, if I may ask? He doesn't seem like fatherly material."
"Dad's a great dad" Hayato insisted, "He's a lot of fun and he makes mama happy too."
"I guess that's good…" he murmured.
"You're mad at dad because he doesn't hang out with you anymore, right?" the child observed sagely.
Joe glanced at him, surprised, before murmuring, "Yea, that's…the basis of it."
"You should come over sometimes then!" Hayato exclaimed happily before adding seriously, "But not with your mom. She made my mommy cry."
Joe blinked and was a little weirded out when he felt a tad touched, "Really? I mean, I don't think your dad's happy with me right now either…"
"You're not as mean as I expected" Hayato admitted, "So you can come as my guest."
Joe stared at the child, feeling…well, kind of…fond, maybe? Odd as they'd only been together for about an hour. Even odder since he'd pretty much been looking down on the little guy since they'd arrived. Murmuring sheepishly, he nodded, "I think that'd be cool…"
Hayato looked up suddenly and appeared a bit frightful, "It's getting dark…"
"Are we close?"
"Pretty close but we should hurry. Bears and stuff come out at night."
Joe stopped in his tracks and stared at the child in disbelief, "…Bears?"
"Uh huh!"
And, without a second thought, Joe snatched up the boy and darted forward as if his life depended on it. Yea, they were bonding, but he sure as hell didn't want to have a bear interrupting this moment.
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"This is the woman you've decided to devote yourself too?!"
Carrie rolled her eyes as she sat on a log, wondering if Kurt could forgive her if she decided to, oh, punch his mom out.
Kurt glared at his mother but glanced at Carrie, probably questioning her current action too. "Why…are we sitting again?"
"This is where the path splits and we may walk past each other. It'll just be better if we wait at the mouth to see which way he comes out."
"This is stupid" glared Yoshiko, walking forward.
Kurt did seem a bit wary but must have decided to trust her judgment. She had taught her son what to do in cases like this. But, maybe to help him along…
She started to whistle. Kurt looked at her, confused, but she stopped to see, hoping…
She smiled when whistling echoed back.
Turning, stunned, Kurt cocked a brow, "Echo…?"
Oh, she hoped not. Carrie whistled again, a little bit longer this time before stopping…and the whistling again returned. Relieved, she stood, continuing the tune but this time, the 'echo' joined in. She let out a long sigh when Hayato skipped onto the scene.
"Mama."
Kurt turned his head quickly, shocked. Hayato pranced over, humming, "Hi, mama! Hi, dad!"
"Hey, sweetie" she cooed, sweeping him up before gasping, taking his wrist, "What happened?"
"Nothing, I just fell on it."
She kissed it, pouting, "My poor baby…I'm going to take you to Auntie Jilliana to get it checked."
Kurt stared, seeming surprised that Carrie made sure to teach her son how to find his way back should worst come to worst. She smirked a little at him before jumping when someone else appeared…
"Joe, you're all right!" gasped their mother, rushing to him.
He smiled some and nodded, "Yea, uh, it wasn't really that bad a fall. I dislocated some fingers though…"
Carrie was startled. Hayato was wearing part of the scarf that Joe always wore around his wound. Kurt looked up at his brother, puzzled.
"Bro…?" he questioned.
Joe blinked at him and laughed sheepishly, "Uh, hey…"
"…?"
"I, uh, probably wouldn't have been able to find my way back without him, ha. I almost went in the opposite direction…" he continued.
Kurt smiled almost sheepishly, "You always did suck at directions…"
Hayato glanced between them as Joe's mother 'hmphed', "Come on, let's get your hand looked at."
"Okay…"
Kurt frowned after the two and looked back to Hayato seriously, "Was he mean to you at all?"
"Nope!"
Carrie smiled, hooking her hand in his and sighing, "I think your brother's not as bad as I thought, Kurt."
Looking at the star banner around his son's wrist, he smiled, "Maybe not."