Ryounosuke was surprised when he found his eldest son sitting on the back porch, his knees pulled to his chest and face buried in his knees. Sitting beside him, he wondered what had happened to upset him so much.
"What's the matter?" He asked, wrapping an arm around the small shoulders.
"Haruichi hates me," The child muttered after a while, a soft sniffle following.
Frowning, Ryounosuke pulled his son closer. "What makes you say that?"
"'Cause it's true."
Pulling his eldest onto his lap, something Ryousuke hadn't let either of his parents do since he was four, he planted a kiss on top of his head. "Haruichi's too young to know what it means to hate someone."
"He hates me." Uncurling and clutching onto his father's shirt, he let out a little sob. "He hates me!"
Rocking the seven year old slightly, Ryounosuke wondered what had happened. He hadn't seen the boy this upset in a long time, and he'd thought his two sons were getting along. He wasn't sure what to say, since Ryousuke seemed positive that his little brother hated him. "Come here," Picking the child up, he carried him back inside and sat on the couch, stroking the pink hair and humming the lullaby he and Haruna would sing to them when they couldn't sleep.
Only when the sniffles had stopped and Ryousuke seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep did he ask, "Why do you think Haruichi hates you?"
Ryousuke stared at his lap and answered quietly. "He doesn't wanna play with me anymore, a-and he won't talk to me, a-and-a-and when I a-asked if he wanted me to help him, he said he didn't n-need my help."
"Ryousuke, Haruichi's finding what he enjoys doing. He's starting to become his own person. Maybe he doesn't enjoy doing the same things you're doing now, but that doesn't mean he hates you. And I'm sure he's not ignoring you to be mean. As for not needing your help, he's growing up Ryousuke, he's learning to do thing by himself. I know it's hard, but he doesn't need help with every little thing he does anymore. Just like you don't need mommy and I's help with everything you do anymore."
Hearing the front door open, and his wife and youngest son call in saying they were back, he looked down at his other son. "Haruna, Haruichi, will you come here please?"
The second his wife saw Ryousuke, she rushed over and checked for a fever, asking if he was alright. "Oh my poor baby. What's wrong? Are you hurt? Do you not feel good?"
"Haruna," He said softly, gesturing the worried mother to take a seat next to him. He watched at Ryousuke glanced at Haruichi before curling closer to him, eyes back to the ground. Haruichi didn't say anything and sat next to his mother, his eyes staring out the window.
Sighing, Ryounosuke wondered how he'd missed this. "Haruichi," He started gently but firmly, staring at his youngest son, "Ryousuke thinks you hate him." The youngest didn't say anything, simply swinging his legs slightly.
"Haru-chan, do you hate your brother?" Haruna and Ryounosuke frowned when he nodded and Ryousuke started crying again.
"Why do you hate him?"
"'Cause."
"Because why?" Ryounosuke quietly rocked his eldest son as he waited for an answer. "Haruichi?"
"'Cause he's mean."
"What do you mean?" Haruna asked, pulling her baby onto her lap. "How is he mean?"
"He said I was a crybaby, and annoying, and wished I wasn't his brother."
Feeling rather tired, Ryounosuke looked down at the child in his lap. "Did you say that Ryousuke?"
"No!"
"Did so! He a-and the big kids w-were saying mean things!"
"Were not!"
"Were to!"
"Not!"
"To!"
"Quiet!" The two stopped and Ryounosuke sighed, feeling a headache come on. "Haruichi, when did you hear your brother say those things?"
"When mommy made me tell him to come home."
"Ryousuke?"
Sniffling, the elder Kominato rubbed his eyes. "Didn't mean it."
Haruna looked disappointed. "Ryousuke, even if you didn't mean it what you said was very hurtful and mean."
Tears coming harder, Ryousuke nodded a little. "Do you have anything you want to say to your little brother?" Ryounosuke asked.
Looking over at his little brother, who was crying with his face buried in their mother's shoulder, he sniffed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it." Reaching forward, more tears welled up when Haruichi smacked his hand away.
Haruna shared a look with her husband who nodded and took Ryousuke upstairs, the child still sobbing that he was sorry and didn't mean it.
Rubbing the toddlers back as he cried, she wondered is everything was going to be alright after this. What Ryousuke had said was horrible, but he truly regretted having said it and did want to make things right. Looking down at her baby, she sighed.
Bouncing the child slightly, she stood up and headed for the kitchen. "Come on, do you want to help mommy make dinner?" Feeling the nod, she smiled a little. She didn't want to force the two to get along, but she didn't want this to continue for too long either. She'd give them a week or two to work it out themselves before stepping in.
/
Ryounosuke sat on his bed, rocking the crying child. "You know what you said was wrong, don't you?" His son nodded. "Do you know why it was wrong?" Another nod. "I don't just want a nod Ryousuke, tell me why it was wrong."
"'C-Cause it w-was me-mean."
"And?"
"A-and c-cause it…it wasn't t-true."
"And if you know that, then why did you say it?"
"'C-Cause I w-was m-mad. A-And c-cause the o-others were s-saying it."
"Ryousuke, just because everyone else does something doesn't mean it's right. How would you feel if Mommy or I said those things about you?"
"I-I wouldn't l-like it."
"That's right. You really hurt Haruichi's feelings by saying those things."
"I-I said I-I was s-sorry."
"Yes, but you're going to have to do more than apologize. It's probably going to take some time for Haruichi to forgive you for that. You're going to have to be really nice to him, alright?" Ryousuke nodded. "Go wash up for dinner now. Mommy and I will talk about your punishment for saying those things later."
Wiping his eyes again, Ryousuke nodded and sniffed before climbing down and going to wash his hands. Leaning back with a sigh, Ryounosuke wondered if everything was going to work out.
/
Needless to say, dinner was a very quiet affair that night. Ryousuke kept poking at his food, sniffling every now and then, while Haruichi ate in silence, his eyes never leaving his plate.
As Haruna and Ryounosuke were finishing the dishes, the two boys went and sat on opposite ends of the couch. Haruichi was ignoring his big brother and Ryousuke kept glancing at him before looking back down at his lap. He didn't know what to do. Haruichi had never been mad at him before, and either moved when he got too close or covered his ears when Ryousuke tried to talk to him.
Haruichi, on the other hand, was confused. He wanted to be mad at his brother, but he'd never seen Ryousuke cry before, let alone look so upset. He didn't understand, if his brother hadn't meant it, why did he say it?
It was quiet as the two took their baths, Haruichi with Haruna and Ryousuke with Ryounosuke. By the time they crawled into bed, Haruna and Ryounosuke were exhausted. "They'll get through this," He said, kissing his wife. "They're siblings, they're going to fight every now and then."
"I know." Snuggling next to her husband, Haruna sighed. 'We'll see how they are tomorrow.'
/
Creeping up the ladder until he could peer onto the top bunk, Ryousuke could just make out his little brothers form under the covers. "Haruichi," He whispered. There was no reaction. "Haruichi, I really am sorry."
Stepping up higher, he tugged the blanket down slightly until he could see his little brother's head. Leaning over and planting a kiss on his cheek, he tucked the blanket more securely around him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm glad you're my little brother."
Crawling back down, he curled under his own blankets, feeling horrible. He was a lousy older brother.
Haruichi opened his eyes and clutched his stuffed bunny tighter.
/
So they're progressively getting longer. I still have no idea where this story is going.