𝘽𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩.

"Touya!"

I remember those cries.

Usually it makes me proud to see people cry.

But not him.

Only him.

"Whaddaya want brat? It's late."

My groggy morning voice, reminding me I had a new scar forming under my chin. Another burn.

I got those daily... Along with the color of my hair changing.

"Oh Touya, you and Sho-chan look like!"

Fuyumi... You were always trying to make the best out of me. I still wonder to this day why you are the way you are.

Oh yeah.

You had mother's positivity.

You stayed unscathed.

Shoto and I were the ones to be hurt.

For some reason though... I hated him.

I still hate him.

Shoto... He's like a bad memory.

Every time I looked at him - which wasn't very often - I saw pain.

Pain.

Trauma.

Suffering.

And what else?

Me.

I think that's a good enough reason to hate someone.

Ah yes, where we we...?

"Touya, please!"

That little rodent begged, and I finally sat up. Why did I sit up? Why didn't I pretend to be asleep?

"What happened?" I asked, rubbing the night crusties and dry skin out of my eyelashes. Reminds of someone I know today...

"I-I had a nightmare..." He stammered.

Wow.

And to think that every kid in this godforsaken house was emotionless after the tortures we've been put through.

No, I'm not leaving Natsuo and Fuyumi out of this... They got neglect.

I got that a little later down the road.

I wonder how they aren't dying inside, abandoned their whole lives when I only had a small part of abandonment before I left.

Yes, I admit and express my empathy.

╳╳╳╳╳╳╳╳╳╳╳╳╳╳╳╳

"Shoto, it's just a stupid nightmare, go get Fuyumi."

He was silent. How could he not thinking of getting Fuyumi.

Idiot.

Even I was smarter than that at five.

Maybe that burn gave him head trauma.

That's no excuse though.

"Well... I came to you first... Your room is first..."

Me and my twelve year old self wanted to laugh. What a great excuse.

"Fine, get over here."

I scooter over and pat the space next to me. Luckily he wasn't stupid enough to not take the hint.