Chapter 5: Light in the Winter
Kei never thought about the days before he was reunited with the knights. He had almost no memories of his life before, unlike Hayate and Gou. He was younger than the others, barely two when the older knights found him. He faintly remembered a warm shadow holding him and rocking him to sleep, humming a familiar lullaby. A ball of light flashed in front of him almost blinding him and then he was standing in the dark, alone. Mannen, Shin, and Hajime were beside him almost instantly.
"Don't look, baby." Mannen called, scooping him up and fleeing the scene with his eyes covered. He heard Hajime spraying water behind him, but it was years before he realized what had happened. The burning flames had licked at his pajama covered feet, burning them so badly he couldn't walk for weeks.
Shin and Hajime catered to his every whim, making him laugh, feeding him ice cream and cake, carrying him everywhere on their shoulders until Mannen declared him healed and ready to walk.
But whenever Shin and Hajime weren't around, Mannen would lift him on his shoulders and run like the wind until Kei laughed until he peed his pants, making Mannen grimace as the warm, strong smelling liquid ran down his collar. Mannen would set him down in the sink, strip him naked, and turn the sink hose on his legs to rinse away the pee, before removing his shirt and turning the nozzle on his own neck and back.
Their favorite thing to do together was for Mannen to spray a small pond- size puddle from the garden hose in the back yard and then he's blow on it, freezing it. He and Mannen would slide around on the ice, slipping and falling until they were drenched from the thawing ice. Mannen would make hot chocolate with huge bouncy marshmallows for snack with graham crackers. Kei loved the days Mannen had "baby duty" as the older knights called it.
The older knights quickly discovered Kei's ability to figure things out when he began dismantling electrical items whenever someone wasn't watching him carefully enough. He took apart several telephones, a TV set, and the toaster before they started tethering him out of reach of electrical items when they needed to leave him alone for a few minutes. It was better to listen to him cry for a few minutes instead of seeing the stereo system in parts when you returned from the kitchen.
Hajime learned to bring home "recycled" toys from the Thrift Store to keep the "baby" happy long enough for them to get some work done. One day he brought home an ancient TI Texas Instrument computer that had seen happier days a long time ago, and the boys finally discovered a little peace for the first time since Kei had joined the household. Kei disassembled the tiny machine several times before he got a blinking green curser on the monitor. After that, they brought home old computer parts until Kei's bedroom looked like a graveyard for electronics components. Kei built his first working computer before his fourth birthday.
The strange red and green lights glowing from miscellaneous electronic parts were an odd night light for a young child, but one Kei found comforting. He no longer cried when they put him to bed and turned out the light. It was worth it to the exhausted older boys to no longer fight with Kei when they put him to bed at night.
Mannen had been adamant from the beginning that Kei sleep in his own bed after waking up to sopping sheets and a soggy child curled against his back once or twice. Shin or Hajime agreed whole-heartedly after having the same experience.
When Hayate finally joined them a few years later, Kei's computer parts had completely taken over the bedroom. Mannen moved out of his room and in with Shin and Hajime to make room for Hayate in Kei's room. Kei's computer junkyard was moved to Mannen's room and Kei called it his "office" much to the older boys' amusement.
Kei learned to sleep without the glow of his computer lights and Hayate worked on not punching Kei when he rolled on him in the middle of the night.
After separating the boys from a midnight fight, Mannen looked down at the fierce newcomer. "No fighting at night, Hayate. Hear me?" Hajime held the tiny fighter back as Hayate took another swipe at Kei.
Hayate looked at Mannen aggressively, his fists still swinging. "Kei kick Hayate," he proclaimed.
Shin, holding the sobbing Kei, wiped his nose quickly before the little one used Shin's shirt as a tissue. A habit the three older ones tried to discourage as much as possible, but swift action was required to avoid it.
Mannen knelt in front of Hayate's small body, and took his tiny, balled up fists in his big hands. He gently opened them and held them tightly between his. "No hitting, Hayate," he said sternly.
"Kei no kick Hayate." Kei said between sniffles. "Kei bite Hayate, right on his back!" He said proudly.
Hajime unbuttoned Hayate's pajama top and pulled down the back. Kei hadn't lied. The older boys gasped. Teeth marks formed perfect rings on Hayate's shoulders and back. Kei had bitten Hayate hard several times. A few were bleeding. Shin handed Kei to Hajime and looked carefully at Hayate's wounds.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Mannen scolded, but Hayate shrugged.
Hajime grinned at his fellow knights. "Two young knights home, two to go," he announced cheerfully. Mannen and Shin sighed. Two were hard enough.
"At this rate, these two will kill each other before Gou and Sasame come back," Mannen muttered.
Kei shook off his memories and looked at Hayate curled in a ball in the fetal position on the floor. He sat next to Hayate's body on the floor, putting his hand on Hayate's forehead. "Remember the night you bit me, Hayate? We were five years old, I think, and you had just come home."
Hayate didn't respond. Kei lifted Hayate's head onto his own lap. "We've been fighting a long time, Hayate, but I've always forgiven you and Mannen too." He brushed Hayate's hair away from his face. He felt Hayate's hot tears on his pants leg. He brushed them away with his hand, feeling their moistness on his aching fingers. "Acting like this hurts us all, Hayate. You need to forgive yourself. We've already forgiven you."
Hayate muttered something, but Kei didn't catch it. "What?" he asked.
"It's not over, I said," Hayate repeated, slightly resentfully.
Kei smiled and created a small ball of golden light. Hayate sat up next to him and watched as Kei made the ball dance and swim around the dark room. Hayate stretched out his hand and Kei landed the warm ball in the center of Hayate's palm. A smile flitted across Hayate's face.
"You used to do this at night after the older ones put us to bed," Hayate remembered. "You haven't done this for years."
Kei streaked the ball across the room so fast that it left a trail of light behind it. It went so fast, the light trail stayed in place forming a perfect circle. When he was finished, a golden happy face hung in the air between them. Hayate blew gently until the smiley turned into first a frown and then a glare. They laughed at old childish habits, leaning against each other comfortably.
Kei never thought about the days before he was reunited with the knights. He had almost no memories of his life before, unlike Hayate and Gou. He was younger than the others, barely two when the older knights found him. He faintly remembered a warm shadow holding him and rocking him to sleep, humming a familiar lullaby. A ball of light flashed in front of him almost blinding him and then he was standing in the dark, alone. Mannen, Shin, and Hajime were beside him almost instantly.
"Don't look, baby." Mannen called, scooping him up and fleeing the scene with his eyes covered. He heard Hajime spraying water behind him, but it was years before he realized what had happened. The burning flames had licked at his pajama covered feet, burning them so badly he couldn't walk for weeks.
Shin and Hajime catered to his every whim, making him laugh, feeding him ice cream and cake, carrying him everywhere on their shoulders until Mannen declared him healed and ready to walk.
But whenever Shin and Hajime weren't around, Mannen would lift him on his shoulders and run like the wind until Kei laughed until he peed his pants, making Mannen grimace as the warm, strong smelling liquid ran down his collar. Mannen would set him down in the sink, strip him naked, and turn the sink hose on his legs to rinse away the pee, before removing his shirt and turning the nozzle on his own neck and back.
Their favorite thing to do together was for Mannen to spray a small pond- size puddle from the garden hose in the back yard and then he's blow on it, freezing it. He and Mannen would slide around on the ice, slipping and falling until they were drenched from the thawing ice. Mannen would make hot chocolate with huge bouncy marshmallows for snack with graham crackers. Kei loved the days Mannen had "baby duty" as the older knights called it.
The older knights quickly discovered Kei's ability to figure things out when he began dismantling electrical items whenever someone wasn't watching him carefully enough. He took apart several telephones, a TV set, and the toaster before they started tethering him out of reach of electrical items when they needed to leave him alone for a few minutes. It was better to listen to him cry for a few minutes instead of seeing the stereo system in parts when you returned from the kitchen.
Hajime learned to bring home "recycled" toys from the Thrift Store to keep the "baby" happy long enough for them to get some work done. One day he brought home an ancient TI Texas Instrument computer that had seen happier days a long time ago, and the boys finally discovered a little peace for the first time since Kei had joined the household. Kei disassembled the tiny machine several times before he got a blinking green curser on the monitor. After that, they brought home old computer parts until Kei's bedroom looked like a graveyard for electronics components. Kei built his first working computer before his fourth birthday.
The strange red and green lights glowing from miscellaneous electronic parts were an odd night light for a young child, but one Kei found comforting. He no longer cried when they put him to bed and turned out the light. It was worth it to the exhausted older boys to no longer fight with Kei when they put him to bed at night.
Mannen had been adamant from the beginning that Kei sleep in his own bed after waking up to sopping sheets and a soggy child curled against his back once or twice. Shin or Hajime agreed whole-heartedly after having the same experience.
When Hayate finally joined them a few years later, Kei's computer parts had completely taken over the bedroom. Mannen moved out of his room and in with Shin and Hajime to make room for Hayate in Kei's room. Kei's computer junkyard was moved to Mannen's room and Kei called it his "office" much to the older boys' amusement.
Kei learned to sleep without the glow of his computer lights and Hayate worked on not punching Kei when he rolled on him in the middle of the night.
After separating the boys from a midnight fight, Mannen looked down at the fierce newcomer. "No fighting at night, Hayate. Hear me?" Hajime held the tiny fighter back as Hayate took another swipe at Kei.
Hayate looked at Mannen aggressively, his fists still swinging. "Kei kick Hayate," he proclaimed.
Shin, holding the sobbing Kei, wiped his nose quickly before the little one used Shin's shirt as a tissue. A habit the three older ones tried to discourage as much as possible, but swift action was required to avoid it.
Mannen knelt in front of Hayate's small body, and took his tiny, balled up fists in his big hands. He gently opened them and held them tightly between his. "No hitting, Hayate," he said sternly.
"Kei no kick Hayate." Kei said between sniffles. "Kei bite Hayate, right on his back!" He said proudly.
Hajime unbuttoned Hayate's pajama top and pulled down the back. Kei hadn't lied. The older boys gasped. Teeth marks formed perfect rings on Hayate's shoulders and back. Kei had bitten Hayate hard several times. A few were bleeding. Shin handed Kei to Hajime and looked carefully at Hayate's wounds.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Mannen scolded, but Hayate shrugged.
Hajime grinned at his fellow knights. "Two young knights home, two to go," he announced cheerfully. Mannen and Shin sighed. Two were hard enough.
"At this rate, these two will kill each other before Gou and Sasame come back," Mannen muttered.
Kei shook off his memories and looked at Hayate curled in a ball in the fetal position on the floor. He sat next to Hayate's body on the floor, putting his hand on Hayate's forehead. "Remember the night you bit me, Hayate? We were five years old, I think, and you had just come home."
Hayate didn't respond. Kei lifted Hayate's head onto his own lap. "We've been fighting a long time, Hayate, but I've always forgiven you and Mannen too." He brushed Hayate's hair away from his face. He felt Hayate's hot tears on his pants leg. He brushed them away with his hand, feeling their moistness on his aching fingers. "Acting like this hurts us all, Hayate. You need to forgive yourself. We've already forgiven you."
Hayate muttered something, but Kei didn't catch it. "What?" he asked.
"It's not over, I said," Hayate repeated, slightly resentfully.
Kei smiled and created a small ball of golden light. Hayate sat up next to him and watched as Kei made the ball dance and swim around the dark room. Hayate stretched out his hand and Kei landed the warm ball in the center of Hayate's palm. A smile flitted across Hayate's face.
"You used to do this at night after the older ones put us to bed," Hayate remembered. "You haven't done this for years."
Kei streaked the ball across the room so fast that it left a trail of light behind it. It went so fast, the light trail stayed in place forming a perfect circle. When he was finished, a golden happy face hung in the air between them. Hayate blew gently until the smiley turned into first a frown and then a glare. They laughed at old childish habits, leaning against each other comfortably.