Sho's bedtime was nine o'clock.

Big sis had said so. Well dad had said that he needed to get enough sleep so he wouldn't be tiresome in the morning and big sis decided that nine o'clock was a good bedtime for him. Sho didn't want to go to bed at nine. Nine was only an hour later than eight and eight had been his bedtime when he had been a kid and they had lived in the Castle together. He wasn't a kid anymore…well he was nine…but he wasn't a little kid. He should have been able to go to bed whenever he wanted.

It wasn't like he had to get up in the morning for school or anything.

He didn't go to school, not for real, and he only went to work with dad sometimes. There wasn't much point to it now since dad was spending all of his time with big sis. Dad used to teach him how to run Claw and stuff but now all he did was hang out with big sis. They hung out all night, she slept with dad now, and then they hung out all day and then they came home and played Minecraft together and…and Sho didn't care. He didn't care if he was left out. Dad was a jerk and big sis…well she got her boringness from dad so it made sense that they would play together….and Sho didn't care about that anyway.

He had his own Minecraft world and it was way better than theirs!

He loved the world that he and Fukuda made. There were swords and bows and arrows and zombies and also pits to the center of the Earth and other cool stuff. Dad and big sis' world was all Claw bases and stuff. Not fun at all. Why would they want to build a Claw base when they had nothing but Claw bases in real life? It didn't make any sense. Sho had a chicken pit. The chicken pit was way more fun than building a Minecraft version of the Claw HQ bases.

Also the chickens liked it in the pit so it wasn't mean or anything like that…though maybe he should have made the chicken pit a little bit bigger….

"Sorry! I didn't mean to Minecraft you…." Said Sho as he accidentally killed one of his chickens. That was bad. He felt bad. Even though the chickens weren't real he felt bad. Those chickens trusted him and he had killed one of them! This was different than eating chicken in real life. The chicken was already dead when it got to his plate. He wasn't the guy who went around personally killing the chickens. But now he had killed a chicken….

Poor chicken.

He didn't know what that chicken's name had been. They all looked the same and he had a pit full of them. Maybe he would have felt better if he remembered it's name…or worse. He didn't know. All he knew was that he had to be more careful when he mined from now on. At least Fukuda wouldn't be mad at him. Fukuda said that this was his world and he could do whatever he wanted to. Fukuda said that he was just there to help.

He was sort of bad at this game.

Maybe because Fukuda was so much older than him. He and dad were the same age even though dad looked much older. That was because he had healing powers and dad didn't. So Fukuda would look young forever and be able to play with him forever while dad got super old and died, eventually, and stuff…not that he wanted his dad dead or anything. He didn't want dad dead he just wanted him…somewhere else. Somewhere where he could be mean and boring all on his own and stuff. Somewhere where he could give big sis back. He loved big sis and he wasn't mad at her…anymore. Dad had come into their game and…and big sis couldn't have stopped him…because he was dad and he did whatever he wanted. He was going to take over the world after all. If he could take over the real world than taking over the Minecraft world was nothing for him.

It was ok. Minecraft had a lot of worlds.

"Ok, chickens. Now you have more space in your pit. So stop trying to jump out! Do you want the zombies to get you? Now stay in there all night. I have to go back into the house now, ok? I still love all of you. Now goodnight and I'll see you in the morning." Said Sho. Night was coming and when night came the zombies came out…and if the zombies came out then sometimes they mobbed him and he died. He needed someone to have his back and Fukuda was probably either working or in bed by now. He knew not to ask big sis she was too busy playing with dad and her boyfriend, too.

Well he wasn't sure if Hatori was her boyfriend yet.

Big sis liked him. Big sis liked that guy and…and he was an ok guy. Though the thought of big sis wanting to kiss and other stuff with him was still super gross and always would be. She was his sister and it was his job as her little brother to be grossed out by the thought of her kissing a guy and also to beat this guy up when he did start being her boyfriend. Not enough to hurt him but instead enough to make him know that if he ever broke big sis' heart there would be more coming.

He was a good little brother like that.

He was trying his best to be a good little brother. That was why he didn't yell at big sis or hit her or anything even though she had practically kicked him out of their Minecraft world. Also he wasn't going to get mad at her or anything even though it was nine o'clock now and he could feel her aura getting closer. She was coming to put him to bed. She was going to make him go to bed even though she didn't have a bedtime and it wasn't fair and-

"God damn it all to hell." Said Sho. Cursing helped. Cursing helped him get all of his bad feelings out, well a good number of them out, without doing anything mean to her and stuff. He had to be nice to her. He had to be a good little brother. A good little brother and a good big brother. He didn't want little sis to start cursing, it wasn't a good thing to do, but he would rather her hear him curse than see him acting like a jerk.

And also cursing was fun.

He could see why adults did this all the time. Also why dad didn't do this. Dad hated fun, he even sucked the fun out of Minecraft with his boring buildings, and that was why he never cursed. Everyone else did. Even Fukuda did, sometimes, when he thought that Sho wasn't listening. Cursing was fun and it was better than hitting people…and he was not going to stop cursing just because mom didn't like that sort of thing. If she had such a problem with it then she could come back to him and tell him to his face. But that wasn't happening. Mom was gone.

It was just him and big sis.

"Ok, Sho, it's time for bed. Did you brush your teeth already?" asked big sis as she knocked on the door and opened it. He didn't know why she did that. If she was just planning on opening the door anyway than why even bother knocking? And she didn't even have to knock since this was her room too. All of her stuff was here even if she did sleep with dad every single night. He didn't want her to get her stuff out of their room, though, even if she didn't sleep there anymore and he would have had more room for his stuff. This was still her room too.

"I brushed my teeth. You don't have to ask me every single night. I know that I have to brush my teeth every night and every morning or they'll rot out and I'll have to have someone else chew my food for me when I'm old and it'll be really gross." Said Sho. That came out meaner than he wanted it to. He didn't want to be mean. He wanted to be nice…it was just sort of hard to be nice when he was being told to go to bed and stuff.

He needed to try harder.

"Ok. I just ask you because sometimes you forget and I don't want anything bad to happen to you. You're my little brother and I love you. Can I hug you?" asked big sis. Sho closed his laptop and put it to the side. She had been doing a lot of hugging lately. He liked hugs as much as the next guy but not all the time. Sisters. They were so weird sometimes.

"Fine. But don't crush my skeleton again." said Sho. Big sis smiled and climbed onto his bed. She was getting her Frozen pajamas on his Zootopia bedspread but he didn't say anything. Frozen was an ok movie…and he had to think so because he was a good little brother and that was his big sis' favorite thing in the whole world…even though he really didn't get it. Why was Elsa so scared of herself? She had powers! She had super cool ice powers and her parents didn't so she could have been all 'conceal, don't feel THIS' and frozen them into statues.

Then the title of the movie would make more sense.

Because things weren't permanently Frozen so it made no sense to call the whole movie Frozen. It was like how Brave was called Brave even though it didn't make much sense considering that the movie was more about Merida turning her mom into a bear than her being brave. Movie titles were weird sometimes. Lots of stuff was weird sometimes. Like how in Frozen Anna didn't even want to have powers even though Elsa did. Even when they were kids Anna was just playing with Elsa like it was nothing, her sister having powers while she didn't. It made no sense.

Sho would have liked Frozen better if Anna got powers too, in the end, instead of just getting a boyfriend.

"Your my little brother and you like warm hugs." Said big sis. She was hugging him super tight and stuff. Not tight enough to hurt his skeleton but still tight. He hugged her back as best as he could. She smelled weird again. Kind of like that time he and Shimazaki had found the skunk…but then it got mad at them….and also there was something in there that…he knew that smell.

He broke away from her.

"Were you eating citrus!? You could have killed me!" said Sho. How could she have forgotten about his one weakness? How? Citrus was the only thing in the whole world that could kill him. She had been there on the day that he had eaten the grapefruit. She had seen his skin get all red and itchy and how his throat had been closing up….but then she just went off and ate citrus like it was nothing?! He didn't go around eating her weaknesses like…um…well she didn't have any allergies but she really hated it when people were mad at her and stuff. So he didn't just go around getting mad at her for no reason…anymore…

This was a very good reason.

"No. No, I haven't been eating any citrus. I know that I can't eat citrus around you because if I did that then you would die and I don't want you to die. I love you and I don't know what I would do if you died. I love you so much Sho…" said big sis…and now she was crying. There were tears running down her cheeks and Sho felt like the biggest jerk on the planet. He hated it when she cried and he hated it when he made her cry.

It made him feel like the worst brother who'd ever had a sister.

"Sorry I yelled at you, ok? Just…you don't have to cry. It's not that sad. I can think of much sadder stuff right off the top of my head. Just…come on." Said Sho. She was still crying. He pulled his sleeve down over his hand to catch her tears. They still came and not his sleeve was soaked. He didn't know what to do, though, so he tried the other sleeve now.

"I-I'm sorry that you thought that I-I was trying to kill you. I would never, ever, do that! I love you so much….you're the best…" said big sis. She was still crying. Not the kind with snot and stuff, there were just tears coming from her eyes, and he had to make them stop before dad saw. Dad hated crying. Dad hated weakness of any kind but he especially hated crying. Sho may not have liked how she was the favorite and all but he didn't want her to be the un-favorite either. No, he didn't want that at all. Having dad's love was better than not having dad's love. He hadn't had a lot of dad's love so he was used to it but she was used to getting all the love. She wouldn't be able to handle it, living like he did.

"Big sis…you've got to stop. Come on…I'm not mad at you. If…uh…if I was going to have an allergic reaction to you then I would have had it already. Since I haven't had an allergic reaction yet that means that I won't and…and that means that I'm not going to die. Ok?" said Sho. Both of his sleeves were soaked, now, so he used his shirt. He picked up the bottom of his shirt and wiped her eyes with it even though it meant that she could see more of his scars. They hadn't had a bath together in a while. She just cried harder when she saw them.

"You've been my little brother for almost my whole life and I don't know what I would do without you." said big sis

"I'm sorry I freaked out…but I won't anymore, ok? Just stop crying. I just…I freaked out. I'm sure that I won't have an allergic reaction just because you ate citrus before. I don't think that's how it works…I mean I don't know how it works but I don't think that it works like that." said Sho

"I didn't eat any citrus I just smell like it but it's not real citrus so it won't kill you and I don't want to kill you and I don't want you to die in your sleep because I don't know what I would do without you." Said big sis

"That doesn't make any sense. I'm not going to die in my sleep. I'm going to die doing something awesome when I'm like a hundred or something." Said Sho

"I don't want you to die when you're a hundred either! I want you to be with me forever and I never get to see you anymore and you-you're the best little brother that I ever could have asked for and I wish that we could be together for always but we can't because I have to hang out with dad and also you're going to die someday and I'm going to die someday and I don't want to die in my sleep and I don't want you to die in your sleep and-" said big sis. Sho had all he could take and he couldn't take anymore. She was all sad and crying and stuff and he just…he could not have that. He had made her cry and now she was talking crazy talk, she did that sometimes, and he needed to make this stop so he ended it in the best way that he knew how.

She liked warm hugs.

She was always saying that he liked warm hugs but she liked them too. Also there was Olaf on her nightshirt and of course he had to hug her in that case. Also he may have still liked giving warm hugs to his sister and getting them, too. He hugged her and she hugged him back. She hugged him back and told him over and over again that she was sorry.

"Stop saying sorry so much. I'm fine. I'm not freaking out so you shouldn't be freaking out. Ok?" asked Sho. This felt sort of weird. Usually he was the one who freaked out over stuff and then she made him feel better. But now she was the one freaking out. Well he could make her feel better too. He held her close even though she smelled weird and was crying on him. He held her close until he felt the crying stop.

She stopped crying.

She stopped crying and gave him one last squeeze before she let go of him. Her eyes were red, that was normal for her these days he didn't know why, and she just looked so…sad. But that was normal for her these days too. He didn't know what she had to be so sad about. Dad loved her and stuff. Everyone loved her. They had always liked her a lot better and…and he was not going to have jerk thoughts. Mom wouldn't have wanted…he didn't want that. He never wanted to be that person again.

He never wanted to make her cry.

"I'm sorry, Sho, I just…got scared that I would lose you. I don't want to lose you, I never want to lose you, and I'm just…sorry. I'm so sorry." said big sis. She wiped the last tears from her eyes and just sort of…sat there. Sho had no idea what to make of what had just happened. Big sis had been so sad…and he had barely done anything. Even back when he had been hitting her and pushing her and stuff she hadn't ever cried that badly.

This was confusing.

"Why do you keep on saying that? I'm not going to die because you ate an orange or whatever and I'm not going to die in my sleep either. I don't even know why you thought that I was. That's for, like, old people or whatever." Said Sho

"Dad says that people die in their sleep all the time. One time we were up late playing Minecraft and I feel asleep and he shook me awake because he thought that I was dead…and he said that most people, when they die, that they die in their sleep. He says that millions and millions of people die like that each day. I don't ever want that to happen to you and I don't ever want to lose you." Said big sis

"Maybe if you don't want to lose me then….never mind. Just forget I said anything. It just slipped out." Said Sho. Jerk thoughts. Some jerk thoughts had slipped into his mind and then out of his mouth, again.

"Forget about what? What do you mean?" asked big sis

"Nothing just…you and dad kicked me out of the Minecraft world and it bothered me but then me and Fukuda made a Minecraft world so it's all ok now. We made a world to hang out in and…and it's ok if you and dad want to hang out in your world and stuff…and also if you want to hang out with him all the time and move into his room and…and stuff." Said Sho. He didn't want her to move into dad's room and stop being his sister and…and all of that stuff…but he had no idea what he could do…and how to keep jerk thoughts away from his head and stuff…

He just didn't know.

"But Sho…I don't want that. Any of that. I just…I miss how we used to hang out." Said big sis

"Then why are you with dad all the time? You sleep with him and then you work with him and then you stay up all night with him and-" said Sho

"He won't leave me alone. He keeps on telling me that my place is by his side and that he cares about me and he loves me and he makes me sleep next to him. I don't mind sleeping next to him sometimes but no matter where I fall asleep I always wake up next to him. I don't know why he's been so weird lately but…but it's ok because I'm there for him…but I want to be there for you, too. I don't want to ever lose you. Not because of this or…or because of citrus…and I really am sorry about the citrus." Said big sis. Sho hugged her again. She was sad and…and she didn't need to be. Dad was being nice to her. Dad loved her and he was being nice to her. It was one thing to not want to be around dad when he was being mean but he was being nice…

Dad was hardly ever nice to Sho.

Sometimes he stole his drawings and put them up on his office walls. Sometimes he told him that his powers were impressive and stuff. Sometimes he even told him that…that he did something good…but that was rare. Those were rare times. Most of the time dad was mean to him. Sometimes he was even so mean to Sho that he hit him and…and stuff. Big is used to get her hair pulled sometimes and dad would even, sometimes, shove her with his powers but that was nothing compared to what he had been doing to Sho for as long as he could remember. Dad had pushed him around and pulled his hair when he had been little but it had gotten worse as he got older…

She didn't know how good she had it.

The jerk thoughts were coming and he had to stop them. Not because of what mom would have wanted or what Fukuda told him that mom would have wanted. Sho had to be better because he was not going to be like dad. He was not going to be some scary jerk that just went around hurting the people that he was supposed to love. That wasn't who Sho was going to be when he grew up and that wasn't who he was going to be now. He was Sho and…and he was not dad…

He had to be better than that.

"You're not going to lose me…ok? I'm not going to die just because you had citrus and even I did turn red and stop breathing Fukuda lives right over there. Even if you were too freaked out to get him I know that dad would. He may like you best but I'm his only son and he needs me to make more Suzuki's and inherit the world and stuff." Said Sho. He knew that dad only cared about him because he needed a son. He knew that if he had been born a girl and big sis had been born a boy that dad would have just left him someplace and gone off with big sis to rule the world and stuff. So at least his feelings weren't hurt with the way that dad treated him and…stuff.

They weren't.

"Dad love you too…." Said big sis. Sho took a deep breath. He hated it when she did that, when she just told him things that she thought that he wanted to hear and stuff like that. Sure, dad loved him…in the way that he loved having a son and not having to do gross stuff with a girl so he could make another son. Dad loved her best and there was no point at all in denying it. That was like going outside during a blizzard and saying that it was hot out. Just pointless lies that could never come true.

"Dad loves you more. Dad's always loved you more and you don't have to hide it. I'm not dumb. I know that he loves you more and he's always loved you more." Said Sho. He wondered if she was going to deny it. He wondered if she was going to lie to him and tell him that dad loved him just as much as he loved her or something like that.

"Dad…Sho…too much of his love can be…scary. It can be scary and it can make it feel like you can't breath and…and it can be hard to be the person that dad loves…but…but he does love you…but you're right…he loves me more…and I wish that he could just take all the love that he gives me and then they break it in half so we could get equal parts of it. Like splitting a churro. I just wish that…that love could be more like churros." Said big sis. Sho…he thought that her admitting it would be better than her lying…but it was worse. It was a lot worse hearing from her own mouth that…that dad liked her better….

He was starting to get mad.

"I'm tired. I want to lay the hell down and go to sleep." Said Sho. Cursing made it better. He hadn't cured where dad could hear, he wasn't a moron or anything, he just…needed to curse. He needed to curse because otherwise he would have ended up saying something that he regretted…

He was not going to be jerk to her ever again. He wasn't dad.

"Ok Sho….I'll tuck you in…but please don't say bad words. Dad might hear you." Said big sis as she got off of his bed. He used his powers to raise himself up so he could untuck his blankets and lay under them. He put his laptop on the floor, where he liked it, but then she put it up on his nightstand…and he cursed in his head but he didn't say anything mean at all to her.

"I'll say whatever the hell I want to. He can't hear me in here." Said Sho as she tucked him on. He was nine, he could tuck himself in all on his own…but it was nice to have someone else do it for him. Sort of like mom did but she didn't read to him or kiss his head so he would have nice dreams…but that was ok. He was nine now, ten very soon, and he was too old for that stuff now.

But not too old for the hug she gave him.

"Ok just…be careful. I just want…you to be ok. Ok?" said big sis. Sho rolled his eyes. He was fine. She should have been more worried about herself and stuff. She was the one who had started crying just because he said that she smelled like citrus. She needed to…to take care of herself….and also he needed to take care of her. She said that too much of dad's love could be scary…but Sho didn't get it? What could be scarier than dad's anger? He didn't know and he wasn't going to be mean to her so he said nothing. He was a good brother.

"Fine. I'll be careful. Goodnight." Said Sho. She tucked him in and turned off the light. Now it was time for bed…and he didn't want to go to bed. He wanted to know what that had been about. Her saying that it was scary when dad loved her. Maybe it was just because he had always been her favorite and she had never seen the worst of his anger. Or maybe she was just being all weird and stuff. He didn't know. He just knew that he was happy with himself because at least he had been nice to her even with all the jerk thoughts he'd been having.

He was a good little brother.