A Little Twist

Twenty-Two

'What's the point?' Laito repeats while turning to face his brother. 'Do you need a reality check? That little boy is family, and he wouldn't be here if it wasn't for one of you.'

'I will make you swallow those words if you are the father, Laito,' threatens Kanato.

'Don't forget, it could be Shu's,' intervenes Ayato because he is not in the mood for Reiji to show his face. 'It's still one out of three. Thirty-three percent chance that...'

'And it was twenty-five percent chance,' whines Kanato.

Angry for being cut off, Ayato grabs the teddy bear. 'What if you're the father? You're a child yourself. Always carrying this ridiculous teddy bear, throwing tantrums to get your way. When are you going to grow up? You're of the same age as the two of us.' He throws the bear to Laito who catches it.

'He does have a good point, Kanato.' Laito plays with the eyepatch. As soon as Kanato comes for the bear, he throws it back to Ayato. 'How do you expect to have a child when you are one? Maybe Risa is right. She is mothering you so you don't go throwing tantrums or cry.'

'Give him back to me!' Kanato doesn't stop the tears.

Ayato noticed the tears on Kanato's face. 'There you go again. Using tears to try to guilt trip us and when that doesn't work, you start crying. Loud enough in the hope that Reiji will come to your rescue.' Grinning, he throws the bear to Laito. 'Just how can you provide a stable life for that baby and Risa? Unless you are planning to get rid of both of them if you are the father...'

'Even if you are the father, Kanato,' starts Laito with his hand on the head of the bear, 'I will not let you harm them. I'm his uncle and I will protect them from you if I have to.' He rips the head off the body and throws both pieces at his brother. 'You should do well to keep that in mind.'

Although Kanato is meant to scream at his brother, he remains silent while kneeling to pick up his beloved Teddy. The look in his eyes told him that Laito is dead-serious about it. Sobbing, he holds both pieces and teleports away. 'Reiji.' He cries and shows his broken bear.

'Oh, for goodness sake.' Reiji resists a sigh and takes both pieces. 'You provoke them enough that they take it out on you this way.' One look at him is enough to know that Kanato doesn't have the patience to fix the bear himself. 'Do you have any left of that pie Risa baked for you?'

'I have one more slice left but I'm not...'

'Get it and stay there.' Reiji points at a chair in a quiet corner.

Kanato nods and, after getting the pie from his room, settles in the chair.

✽✽✽

When the baby cries, Ayato is close by. It takes him back to the conversation with his brother. That little boy has a family. Us, echoes through his mind. He snickers thinking about how Laito tore the teddy bear into two pieces. Aware that his brother made a good point, he hesitates but enters the room after a knock. 'Risa?' The baby cries even louder and, carefully, he picks him out of the crib. 'Calm down, little man. Let's see where your mother is.' He cradles him in his arm when he can tell what the problem is. Since Reiji taught him once and hearing how Risa guided Laito, he places him on the changing station. 'Right, legs away from me.' He mutters and starts taking off the pants. 'Risa!'

'I'm here, I'm here,' Risa comes rushing from the bathroom and stops when she noticed Ayato standing there looking lost.

'Help me out here with this little man.' He gestures with his head to get her closer.

'Yes, of course.' She's surprised to see him but moves closer. 'Use his bodysuit to trap his arms. He moves his arms and legs.'

As instructed, he moves to the diaper.