4: Rabbit Man

Misaki snuggled deeper into his brother's pillow when he heard the door open. He stayed put and kept a hold of the pillow. Hiroki didn't get annoyed at him taking naps in his bed. Ever since he was little he remembered napping with his brother at some point during the day. Sometimes, their father joined in on his exhausting days at work.

At some point, his mother took a picture of them and hung on the wall. All three of them tried to get her to take it down, but one look from Fuyumi Kamijou and they relented. No one dared to go against her when it came to her family pictures.

He patted Shiro on the head, the plush dog laid on a different the pillow with its own blanket covering it.

The person walked inside, but stayed put at the door. "Hiroki?"

Misaki opened his eyes, pouting in a huff. Oh not him again.

He closed his eyes and pulled Shiro to his chest. Anytime Akihiko visited them, his brother acted different. Whenever Takahiro, another one of his brother's friends, an acquaintance his brother corrected him, visited, there was a weird tension between the three of them. On some days, Hiroki looked sad from looking at Akihiko.

Anyone that made his brother sad wasn't a good person in his opinion.

Akihiko stared down at the lump under the blankets and sighed. He saw Hiroki twitch when he called out his name, but made no move to look up at him. Maybe, Hiroki faked going back to sleep to avoid him. Why he tried avoiding him? He didn't have a clue.

"Hiroki, I came over to leave the book you loaned me sometime ago. Tonight, I'm leaving for England over summer break so I'm saving you a trip of finding out at my house."

Misaki peeked over the blanket. "Hiro nii-san isn't here rabbit man."

Akihiko turned on the light and saw Misaki staring back at him with his stuffed dog in his arms. He mentally sighed. Having no idea how to handle children, he didn't know the right way to speak to them. He tended to stare or ignore them until the child grew bored of him. Hiroki's little brother, Misaki, tended to follow them around the house or even crawl into Hiroki's lap.

Hiroki let Misaki do as he wished, with some limits, but showered his brother in affection. A ruffle of the hair, a kiss on the forehead or cheek. Little things that seemed odd for Hiroki to do. Misaki reciprocated the actions through snuggles and his own kisses.

A small part of Akihiko felt jealous over the relationship of the Kamijou brothers. For as long as he knew Hiroki, he never witnessed a fight or felt any indication of these two losing any love for the other. A clear difference between him and his father's other son.

He assumed that the healthy family environment caused such a feat.

Akihiko inquired. "Rabbit man?"

"Your other friend calls you that…nii-chan told me."

"Yes, that's right." Akihiko placed the book on Hiroki's desk for a moment. "Where is Hiroki?"

Misaki stuck his tongue out. "I'll never tell you, rabbit man."

Akihiko furrowed his eyebrows. Hiroki always spoke about how nice and respectful Misaki acted. How Misaki Kamijou didn't cause any trouble or mischief. Whenever Hiroki left the room, Misaki turned bratty and mouthed off at him. The moment Hiroki walked back into the room, Misaki turned into an angel.

From watching Misaki's interactions with other people, it seemed he was the only one Misaki turned his nose up to.

What did he ever do to him?

"Listen kid, I'm just here to personally hand Hiroki his book before he thinks I'm keeping it forever." Akihiko motioned to the book that he left on the dresser table.

"Then leave it there, I'll tell nii-chan you left it."

"No."

Misaki glared at him and held Shiro tighter in his arms. "Go away. I'm supposed to be with Hiro nii-chan all afternoon after my nap, not you. You can just go away and never return."

Akihiko rolled his eyes. "First of all, I'm not leaving until I see him and second, you still take naps at 8 years old? Aren't you too old for that?"

Misaki threw a pillow at his direction which hit Akihiko square in the face. The Kamijou aim grew stronger in Misaki's little frame. "No! I feel better after I sleep. Besides, Hiro nii-chan says it's good that I take naps so I'm not so tired later in the day. He takes naps with me too sometimes."

Akihiko narrowed his eyes at Misaki, scowling at the impudent child.

Misaki stared at him back with equal displeasure.

A deep voice broke through their stare down. "You should get going Usami, Misaki just told you that Hiroki is not home."

Akihiko turned around and saw Soshi holding a tray of food in his hands. "He's visiting Fuyumi's family on the other side of town and he returns late this afternoon. Waiting for him at the moment wouldn't be advised."

Akihiko froze when he met Soshi's cold brown stare which bore into his stunned purple ones. He hated to admit that Soshi Kamijou intimidated him, way more than his own father.

Rumors spread throughout his manor's servants of Soshi Kamijou's callous mannerisms. A cold, emotionless statue of a man. Yet, he caught Soshi laughing and smiling in the presence of his family. A different man from the recollections of staff or ex employees.

Akihiko didn't understand the scrutiny the came from Misaki and Soshi. Fuyumi treated him with warmth and kindness. She rarely judged anyone unless the situation called foe it. At some point, he thought the pair grew jealous that he took a chunk of Hiroki's free time away from them. Though, he figured out about their overprotective tendencies.

Every single Kamijou tended to overshadow one another when it came to outsiders.

In his opinion, Hiroki could protect himself. He didn't need an 8 year old kid and a 40 year old man chaperoning him.

Soshi walked inside of the room and went toward the bedside dresser drawer. "I found those cookies you hid in the pantry Misaki," Setting the tray on the dresser, he pulled out a small plastic bag full of chocolate chip cookies from his yukata sleeve. Misaki's eyes widened in shock as Soshi tossed them into his hands. "Find a better hiding spot, son."

Misaki nodded his head before hiding the cookies under the covers. "Yes, papa."

"You know Hiroki could've mistaken those as his own, so put your name on them as well." He turned to Akihiko. "If your business is settled, I suggest you leave and come back at a later time."

Akihiko nodded his head and walked out.

When Akihiko was far enough away, Soshi commented. "I heard you heckling him, Misaki."

Misaki ducked his head as he said. "I'm sorry, but he just gets on my nerves sometimes. I know I'm not supposed to be mean…"

"Don't worry, he gets on my nerves too." Misaki lifted his head up in surprise. "Just don't let Fuyumi or Hiroki see you doing it."

Misaki said. "I know papa, mama and nii-san haven't caught me yet."

"Though, it is nice to see you fighting back, just don't turn to insults to win." Misaki hung to his every word as he nodded his head. "You should eat your snacks, Hiroki is about to arrive."

"He's coming early?!" Misaki exclaimed in glee. "Yay!"

Soshi chuckled. "I'll send him here when he gets here."

Soshi left the room while Misaki ate his snacks. In the early morning before he left, Hiroki told him about new board game and he was excited to play it.