Author's Notes: This drabble is set a few years before the start of the main story. The name of the story that Hikaru is tellling Wataru is called The Wild Swans. I used to read this story when I was younger.

Hikaru's Chapter

Bed time Stories and Kisses.

"Alright Waachan, are you all ready?" Hikaru asked as he tied his long ginger hair into a loose ponytail and scrubbed the last of his make-up off of his face in the bathroom.

Wataru nodded as he wiped the last of the toothpaste off from around his mouth with his face cloth. The two brothers made their way out of the 5th floor bathroom and started their rounds looking for their other brothers.

Before going to bed, Wataru had a ritual he had fulfill. After he was done getting dressed for bed and brushing his teeth, he had to give goodnight kisses to everyone in his family. At first, it just started out his mom, like with all families. But then he noticed that his brothers would look left out. He loved his brothers dearly so, in order not to have them feel left out, he started giving THEM goodnight kisses as well. He didn't have to do it, but since Wataru was such a sweet kid, he made sure no one felt left out. His brother's reactions ranged from amused to embarrassed to returning said kisses with a hug and a kiss on the forehead. Or in Fuuto's case, a playful poke on the cheek.

His eldest brothers would take turns reading to the lad every night to help him sleep through the night. Someone had to take the burden off of their tired mom. Tonight was Hikaru's turn to do so. The budding crossdressing novelist always had a flair for story telling. Not that his other brother's stories were bad. It's just when he told stories, Wataru would notice how his eyes sparkled when it got exciting. Sometimes he'd even forget that he was supposed to be going to bed afterwards because of how passionate he was.

Even though he was just starting out as a novelist, and usually worked himself into the early morning, Hikaru would always make sure that he could at least kiss his llittle brother goodnight before tucking in for an all nighter. Wataru was at that age where he insisted on dressing himself, even if he didn't put the buttons in the right place. Hikaru sat the younger boy down on his bed before he went to clear his throat and begin immersing the younger boy in a world of magic and wonder.

Tonight's story was one he hasn't heard of. In fact, it wasn't even a story that was very widely told like CInderella or Jack and the Beanstalk. It was a story about a princess whose eleven brothers were turned swans by their wicked stepmother.

"After she turned them all into swans, she sent the king's only daughter to live with a family of peasants until she turned 15. After she turned 15, her stepmom invited her back to the castle, only to have a plan to turn ther stepdaughter into an ugly hag and make her recognizable to her father by casting a spell on her bathwater.

But thanks to her kind and sweet heart, she broke the spell and foiled her plan. Furious, the stepmom resorted to rubbing dirt and mud all over her face and tying knots in her hair."

Hikaru had to stop in the middle of the story when he saw the look on his face. Wataru nearly cried when the king refused to acknowledge his daughter, even if she was covered in dirt and had knots in her hair. Hikaru had to calm him down and tell him that the story does get better.

"After being heart broken by this recent turn of events, an elderly women informed her that there had been 11 swans flying around the area with golden crowns on their heads. To her surprise, they turned out to be her missing brothers!

by day they were swans, but by sunset, they turned back into humans. The princess vowed to find a way to break the spell, anything to help them. One night, she was visited by a fairy who told her that to save them, she would have to knit sweaters made from the flax of stinging nettles without speaking or laughing until they were done. Though her hands had become calloused and covered in scars and blisters, she continued press on, being unable to communicate her needs with her brothers. She was sad that she couldn't tell her brothers what she was doing, but she did what she needed to do because she loved her brothers so much. One day, she was picked up by the king of another kingdom, who had fallen for her at first sight. After getting married, The archbishop accused her of being a witch. The king refused to believe that his wife was a witch, but one night he saw her sneaking out to the graveyard to collect nettles. He couldn't believe it! how could this be happening?

He begged her to speak and clear up the misunderstanding, but all she could do was to smile sadly. The next morning, she was sent to be burnt at the stake. Even in the face of death, she continued to knit her sweaters. Sure the crowd kept calling her a witch, but she didn't care. Nothing was going to stop her. Suddenly the skies darkened as 11 familiar swans came to rescue her. though one sweater hadn't been finished, she threw the sweaters onto the swans and watched as her brothers turn back into people, the spell finally broken.

Well, almost broken. The eldest brother had gotten the sweater that was incomplete and was left with only a wing instead of an arm. Though she felt bad about it, he assured her that he will forever carry it around proudly as a symbol of her selflessness. And they all lived happily ever after."

Hikaru looked at his little brother, who had been listening with anticipation and excitement.

"Hikaru-nii?" asked the smaller boy as he pulled his blanket up to his armpits.

"Hmm?"

"Would you get mad at me for giving you an incomplete nettle sweater?"

"What? of course not!" the older man replied

"Even if I was left with a wing instead of an arm for the rest of my life, I'll wear it proudly like the older brother in the story. I'll never blame you for it, though it may inconvnience me, it'll be proof of my eternal love for you."

Hikaru pushed the smaller boy's bangs back to give him a kiss on his temple. Wataru leaned in to give Hikaru a hug before settling back down to let him tuck him in.

"Goodnight little brother."

"Good night Hikaru-nii. I love you."