Evenings:

Fireflies

Summary: "In Shimane, he could admit to and allow himself to be happy; just in those times because nothing else mattered."

A/N: So the new can badge release made me want to write about Kinu. Woo.

Warnings/Pairings: Yamakeru, if you squint, possible implied abuse, tons of fluff between Yamato, Takeru, and Kinu~

Let's see... it's been eight months and two days since Vamdemon. Since I saw her. I don't even know where it came from, telling her that we were saving the world for her. I was sure I made it clear I didn't give a damn about any of that to everyone else... I just wanted Takeru safe. So, I guess I said those things because Takeru wanted to say them and couldn't. I wanted him away from her. Then, we return home and I hand him over again and again...

"I don't need you to protect me."

But you're still a child. I'm still and always will be your big brother, so that will never change. Yamato glanced over to Takeru. He had long ditched that green hat and it was nice to see the bushy golden locks of hair tossing in the wind again. Takeru was smiling as he stuck his head out the window of the train. The city was slowly disappearing into farmland and backroads.

Yamato liked the country. They always visited grandma Kinu for the Summer and the fresh air brought back so many good memories that the older sibling felt slip and fade the other ten months of the year, only to come welling back up at that sign reading Shimane. He could admit to himself and allow himself to be happy just in those times because nothing else mattered.

He didn't have to deal with his father's absence, his mother's neglect, or Takeru in general. As much as Yamato loved spending time with his younger brother, he loved spending time with Kinu more and the two often fought for her attention. That was a good memory, too. It was so rare the two got to even interact like brothers.

So, does that make the Digital World good memories? I guess so.

"Oniichan."

"Hmm?" Yamato questioned sleepily, having been lost in his thoughts.

"The train stopped."

"Oh, we're here already..." the older boy mused. "Let's go, Takeru." Yamato stood and smiled, letting Takeru into the aisle. "Race you."

The two boys dashed through the boxcar, annoying a small chunk of folk that had merely gone into town for some shopping and shoved one another through the door and equally annoying the attendant. Yamato sighed- Takeru was smaller. That wasn't fair. He watched his younger sibling scamper away down the platform.

Eh, wait! He thought. Don't... run so fast. Watch your step. He bit his lip, trying not to be a pain. Those words from those damned woods would ring in his ears forever. He strolled forward, finally joining Takeru near the station door where he was catching tiny breaths. Yamato scooped the boy onto his shoulders and glanced up, "See Grandma anywhere?"

"Maybe she forgot like last time."

"She does tend to get a little senile nowadays, huh?"

"Oh! Oh, there she is, Oniichan!" Takeru cried, pointing desperately. Yamato struggled to see across the station as the train had let out and Grandma Ishida was short. Takeru started waving, throwing Yamato's balance.

"Hey, cut it out. I see her," Yamato urged. As he dashed across the lobby, he realized Takeru was weighing on his shoulders. The boy had grown at least an entire inch over the last few months. Soon... we won't be able to do this anymore.

"Yamato~ Takeru~" Kinu called with a meek wave. The two boys approached her and Yamato let Takeru down from his shoulders. Takeru nearly knocked the old woman over as he hugged her. Yamato set his hands in his pockets and smiled weakly.

"Hey, Grandma," he said.

"You boys seem different. You must be growing up," she noted, squinting at them as the sunset started to give it's final glow. "Come now, you must be hungry. Especially you, Yamato. That son of mine just let's you starve, doesn't he?"

Yamato tried not to blush but he rarely heard good of his father and it made him proud to be the man's son for a change. Not that he wasn't normally proud of that fact- despite his father's continued absences, Yamato respected his father. Everything he did was only for his son's well-being. Even the joke Kinu had made, Yamato knew, was just that.

The boys followed their grandmother outside the station. It was a mile walk to her house, but no one drove out here unless weather permitted. Yamato enjoyed this, too. He was never one to love running, but he did enjoy walking and seeing all those faces again. There was the farmer right down the road from Kinu and he always made sure to bring the boys hand-made trinkets from his leather shop. Yamato made sure to flash the wallet from last Summer- still holding strong.

The house itself wasn't anything fancy, but it may as well be a mansion to Yamato. Two stories with a wine cellar made up the building, surrounded by a backyard with a huge willow tree and a koi pond. The house was also very traditional- screen doors and the like. As they walked up the stairs to the wrap-around porch, Yamato held back more instinctive worry as Takeru made his usual round of the house. Kinu opened the door and Yamato waited there for Takeru to join him before they headed inside.

The familiar scent of the old wood the house was made of filled Yamato's nose. He eyed the chess table and eagerness grew in him to kick Takeru's ass again. Sadly, he wondered if the boy would throw a fit for losing. Probably not anymore...

"I made ohagi snacks," Kinu said, scuddling off to the kitchen. Takeru clapped and followed, but Yamato felt a sickness in his stomach.

"Blek," he muttered.

"Oniichan has no taste buds!" Takeru called from the kitchen.

"Whatever," Yamato returned.

"Don't mind your brother, Takeru," Kinu nodded, handing Takeru two ohagi. "More for you."

Yamato chuckled and rolled his eyes, heading into the living room to watch television. After flipping through the three channels his grandmother could get, he settled on news. He flopped back onto his palms and listened to his family in the other room.

"Let's see... what have I planned for my grandsons?" Kinu was musing, glancing to each of the kids. "Yamato, don't go watching those high speed chases like your Grandma Kinu~!" she called.

Takeru watched her walk over to the hall. He stuffed his face as he heard her dig around in the closet. When she returned she was carrying a small, white, bucket-hat. Takeru watched her curiously until his eyes were forced closed as she plunked it on his head. "Grandma~"

"What happened to your old hat?" Kinu insisted.

"It got too small," Takeru admitted.

"I won't see your head be cold."

"It's Summer, Grandma Kinu..." Takeru reminded, straightening out the hat so it fit more comfortably.

"Oh, I forgot... Yamato!"

The blonde jumped at the sudden calling for him and he hurried to the kitchen. "Yeah?"

"It's getting dark out, so why don't you go fetch the bottles from the shed?"

Yamato's eyes lit up. He wasn't sure how he could have forgotten.

Takeru was equally as overjoyed, sending ohagi across the table. "Fireflies!"

Yamato nodded, raising an eyebrow at Takeru. "Nice hat." He placed a hand on Takeru's head, swishing the hat around as he headed towards the back. He walked down the long hall and through a mud room and to the backyard.

The sun had set quickly and the heat of the day was gone, replaced with a stagnant, mild air. The grass was holding dew and it was seeping through his slippers and socks as he walked. He tried to stick to the stone pathway, but the lawn had overgrown a bit. Yamato figured Kinu had forgotten to call her gardner again. He could already see the fireflies fluttering in the distance across the fields. Beyond that, though, lied the fabled Mirror Pond, and he treated it like the plague, erasing it immediately from his mind as he entered the shed and found the old mason jars to catch the little bugs in.

Yamato found a reason to smile, remembering Takeru's initial fear of the bugs. It had been such an absurd thing at the time- the poor boy was only four, then, and was pretty much scared of everything. Yamato cringed a little as he recalled teasing Takeru- but then, he had too many reasons to be angry at the time.

He growled, taking the jars with him and back to the kitchen. "Here we are."

"Alright, Oniichan!" Takeru cheered. "Grandma already has the lids done."

Yamato handed her the jars and she applied the lids and handed them back with a smile. She ushered the boys to the backyard again. Soon the air was filled with Takeru's laughter as he ran across the yard catching bugs.

Kinu raised an eyebrow, glancing to her eldest grandson. "What's troubling you, Yamato-kun?"

Yamato sat in the chair next to Kinu, crossing one leg over the other. "How do you always know?"

"...your just like your father," she cackled. "Also, I've never seen you pass up catching fireflies. If Takeru wasn't so enthralled, he would be calling for you."

"Ah, I doubt that. He wants nothing to do with me. Just as well, I guess," Yamato tried to laugh away his statements, but he couldn't get anything past Kinu.

Suddenly, Kinu's eyes narrowed, "...is this something your mother told you?"

"Ah, no..." Yamato said. Then he blushed, "You know I would rather die than speak to her."

"That makes two of us," she replied. "So, Takeru is getting too old for his brother. He still loves you, though. He always will."

"...I know."

"Your father said you had some great adventure," Kinu smiled. "I think he may be getting a little senile, talking of monsters and all that."

Yamato snorted.

"Oniichan! I'm going to definetly beat you this year if you don't come on!" Takeru grinned, already on his 5th bug.

"See? He's calling for you. Listen to your Grandma Kinu for once. Go spend time with him while you can."

Yamato blushed and turned away. He couldn't admit to Kinu that he was afraid, as afraid as he had been in the Digital World, of what he may do to Takeru. "I think we've had enough time together. This is how things were meant to be."

Kinu frowned, "...just like your father."

"...w-what?" Yamato chuckled. "Grandma, are you just saying that to cheer me up?"

"No, in fact, your father was the same way about his divorce. Before he finally fessed the reason, I encouraged him to reconcile, but he said that was the way things were meant to be. I think even if your mother wasn't the spawn of the devil, he would have said that." Kinu waited, studying Yamato for a moment. Unlike his father, who couldn't look at Natsuko again, Yamato was watching Takeru with a longing smile. When he turned he caught her staring and blushed profusely.

"Alright, I'm going," Yamato chuckled. He stood and went across the yard, carrying his own jar. Like the visit itself, he found himself forgetting his troubles and realized as he glanced back at a snoring Kinu that it hadn't been this place that made him feel better about himself, but that blessed woman. She had been the only one he felt understood his resentment and outright hate for his own flesh and blood and as he missed catching a firefly, he paused to wonder why. Takeru then crashed into him and he stumbled forward. Takeru's glass fell from his hands and shattered, sending a parade of the little light bugs into the sky.

Yamato had expected Takeru to cry, but instead the boy just watched with awe. At least, Takeru reached over and held his hand, squeezing.

"You can have my jar, Takeru."

"...really?" he pondered, watching the bugs fly away.

"Sure."