A/N: More from the Haruno household.
A commotion downstairs distracted Arata for the briefest of moments, and as he glanced away from his book he frowned, hearing his father's voice pleading over the yelling of an unfamiliar man.
Shutting the book, he set it down and slipped off of his bed, creeping out of his room and towards the stairs. The yelling was more pronounced now, and from his vantage point he could see his father standing in front of his mother, shielding her from the angry red face of a soldier, who was pointing his finger at them.
"How rude," he thought. "Didn't his mother teach him it's rude to point?"
"We have anecdotal evidence that they were seen shopping here," the guard continued to shout.
"If they have, I apologize greatly, sir," his father's voice was trembling slightly, but he still stood firm. "I cannot keep track of everyone who comes and goes."
"Are you taking me for a fool?!" He shouted.
"No, sir," his mother spoke up, gently pushing his father aside. "Things have been so turbulent within the capital lately that we have hardly gotten a moment to rest. We have been so weary that time has come and gone. If you would like to review our sales logs, we can provide compensation for every known protester listed there."
Still huffing and puffing, the guard turned away. "No," he hissed. "That will not be necessary."
"Fair enough, sir." She continued. "Will that be all?"
"Yes." He nodded gruffly and stalked away from the door.
After a moment, his parents shut the door and gave each other weary looks.
"That was close," his mother sighed, sagging against his father.
The man hummed in agreement and led her away from the door. They shambled out of the hall and into the living room out of sight. A soft thumb a few seconds later made the child creep down the stairs and over to the doorway.
Arata peeked in to see his parents on the couch, curled up together.
Without a word, he turned and headed back upstairs to his room. He grabbed the teddy bear on his bed, his latest gift, and when he went back downstairs, he stopped by the hall closet to grab a blanket before heading back to the living room.
Arata looked over his parents, their eyes closed and faces pinched with exhaustion, and gently draped the blanket over them. He glanced at the stuffed bear for a moment before tucking it into his mother's arms and kissing her forehead.
His eyes were soft as he leaned in to kiss his father's forehead next.
As he watched his parents sleep, he was overcome with a sudden wave of fear and worry, and he sank to his knees on the floor, bowing his head.
"Hey, gods?" He thought to himself, clenching his eyes shut. "It's… it's me again. Haruno Arata. You're listening, aren't you? I hope you are, 'cause things are getting really scary."
He paused for a moment, overcome, and took a shuddery breath before continuing silently. "I'm… I'm really scared right now. I don't want Mama and Papa to get hurt or worse. Please keep us safe from the bad people. Please…"
Slowly, he managed to calm himself, taking deep breaths until he opened his eyes again. He raised from the floor and tugged the blanket back just enough so that he could slip in between his parents.
Settling into their arms, he covered them with the blanket again, closed his eyes, and drifted off.
A/N: Please tell me what you thought.
