#patchworkbirds

[askpatchworkbirdfamily]

Mod: I have been busy lately and can't really update the blog properly but have a small ficlet I wrote in my spare time.

"Hey..." Hayato started lamely as he approached the other boy, he wished he had a better opener but really, he had no idea what would be appropriate with their...situation.

Minah- Kazuto didn't look up from the box he was packing, but he hummed in awknowlegment. "Look, I get that you are upset but-" Hayato tried again.

"I'm not upset." Kazuto said as he reached for a framed picture on the wall.

Hayato sighed, "Right, you just decided to do some spring cleaning, starting with taking everything your father owned and putting it in boxes." He said, gesturing at the boxes full of bocks and old pictures piled up in the living room.

"That's just for transportation. I will take all of this up to the attic." Kazuto said matter of factly. "We are suppose to live up there. As in both of us, like hell will there be enough room." He pointed out, "Don't worry, I won't invade your side." Kazuto said as he carried another full box over to the pile he made, "You know that's not the issue, Kazuto." Hayato replied as Kazuto paused, "Well too bad, because I won't change my mind. Mom wanted a new begining so she can't complain."

"You know you are being irrational."

"Either grab a box and help me or save the speach for the therapy session my mom will drag us to." Kazuto threw back. "I'm not helping you, we both know you will have to unbox this stuff again."

Kazuto ignored him.

Hayato sighed, he grabed a box and looked around, "I have no clue what of this stuff beloged to your dad." He stated matter of factly. "If it looks like somebody bought it from a flea market it's most likely his." Was the only reply he got. Hayato looked around and found a weird looking cat shaped clock, "Like this?" He asked, showing the ill fitting room decore off, Kazuto stared, "No actually, Manabe gave me this....just hide it behind the TV."

"Well I guess Freud was on to something." Hayato said as he held up a penguine figurine which was wearing leder hosen, "I don't know what you are talking about." Kazuto claimed as he took the figurine from him and dropped it in his own box. "Also Freud was a bitch and you know that."

Hayato shruged his shoulders, he wasn't gonna argue with that. "If you really have to take these things to our room you better keep them in the boxes because I'm not waking up to a ugly garden gnome staring at me." He said as he examined the creepy looking thing he picked up from the top shelve.

"Sir Gnomy is part of the family so watch it." Kazuto said, "He's been here longer then I have." Hayato stared at the gnome, "Yeah, no, Sir Gnomy is staying in the box or you can move into your tree house."

There was a moment of silence.

"Do not move into your tree house, I was joking."

Kazuto sighed, "Don't worry." He said, "I'm not taking Sir Gnomy. Dad got him for mom...he would be sad if I took him." He said before placing the Gnome back. Hayato looked at him as Kazuto's eyes became glossy. "...He would be sad about all of this." He said before sighing, "Probably would be disappointed with me right now."

"I don't think so." Hayato said, "I think he would be concerned though....I am." He continued. Kazuto chuckeled, "You are concerned about me. Wow. The others won't believe that. I thought you admiting you have feelings is a priviledge only Tenma would get." He said, Hayato jabed his side with his ellbow, "Oh hush. You know I care about you guys. And it's my job to be concerned for you now. We are..." He trailed off, letting the sentence hang in the air.

What exactly were they now anyways?

"Birds of a feather?" The other boy offered. Hayato nodded, "Yeah let's go with that." He said. "So...you're going to be okay?" He asked, Kazuto let his head hang low.

"I guess....Aren't you bothered by this at all?" He asked, looking at him in wonder. "Well I guess I just saw it comming for a while now. These two weren't really subtel you know." He said.

Kazuto chuckeled, "Yeah, looking back on it I feel really stupid." He said, "Guess I was in denial over it." He said, before walking to the couch and flopping down on it. Hayato smilled, he sat down on the arm rest next to Kazuto's head and rubbed through his hair, "There, there." He said.

Kazuto groaned, "You really aren't bothered by it? Not even a bit?" He asked, "Well...I guess, but that's because I have issues. I like your mom, she is really cool and Mama is happy, doctor Ibuki said this might even be good for her health." Hayato admited, he really does like Mitsuyo, she was a fun woman who wasn't bothered by his true personality, she was a total badass too and she adored Yuuta and Shun...and him, probably, he didn't want to think about it too hard at the moment.

Ibuki's mother, who has been treating his mother since she moved back to japan, also said a stabel relationship with somebody who understands her could really help her recovering.

Hayato knew trusting her and supporting this was the best for his family.

He wants to be able to trust her. He wants her to be his step mother.

"But you know...I was kind of scared when I first realized where this was going." He offered Kazuto. "I mean...my mom's last marriage didn't work out too well as you know and even before he..left, he just wasn't the most pleasant person to be around." He said, causing the other to perk up in interest. Kazuto likes to pry into others personal matters but so far he always discretly avoided asking about his father, he, just like the rest of his friends, only knew that the man walked out on them when his mom got sick after Shun was born. Hayato was thankfull he respected him to such a degree.

"I mean...my father wasn't always bad, you see? I remember a time where he was really kind and sweet to us...but then when mom got pregnant again and he lost his job...he just became a diffrent person all together. And that scares me, a lot. I don't want to get attached to somebody only to have to deal with being hurt yet again...I guess that explains even more why I'm like that." He admited.

Kazuto stayed silent.

"I mean I don't think things will turn out this way with Mitsuyo. I know I'm being paranoid. But I can't shake this small fear in the back of my mind that she will hurt us...and honestly, I don't know if you being one of my best friends makes things better or worse." He continued, Hayato felt his eyes sting as he said that, he blinked the tears in the corner of his eyes away and smilled bitterly, "But that's my problem and-"

He broke off as he felt two arms wrap around his neck, Kazuto's hair tickeled his cheek as he pressed his head into his shoulder. "I'm sorry." He said, tightening his hug. Hayato smiled, wrapping one arm losely around his soon to be step brother. "It's not your fault." Kazuto shaked his head, "I'm sorry I was acting stupid. I promise. I promise we won't hurt you." Hayato smiled.

"So you are good now?"

"Not really...but I will be."