Benevolent.

Monachapsis

"Mom?" He whispered, little alien stuffed animal dragging behind his tiny feet. One hand stayed on the doorframe, peaking into the dark room. He rubbed his blurry eyes, wanting to speak louder but the wish of his mother listening out for him was too overwhelming.

He could easily speak louder. He could cry, yell for his mother begging for her attention, but he didn't. Is it the fear of bothering her when she didn't want to be bothered, or the longing of her finally seeing his sadness and reaching out to him first?

"Mom?"

"Mommy's busy, honey." She mumbled, pen aggressively tapping at her desk, an extensive paper whispering hateful words into her ear. She didn't even register her son being up so late, only the paper was on her mind.

"Mom." He repeated.

"Go back to sleep, I'll see you in the morning.

"Mom."

"Go back to bed, Apollo, can't you see I'm busy?" You snapped, exhaustion and fatigue controlling your thoughts. You swiveled on your chair to face him, glaring at him before pointing down the hall. "Go!"

He flinched back, your tired red eyes urging him to leave you be. He quickly nodded, rushing down the hall with his hands clawing at each other. He felt terrible, bothering his poor mother while she's so busy with her work. He needs to be more independent, rely on himself just as his mother does. She's a strong woman, she only relies on herself for everything.

                  Why can't he be like her?

    Why does he feel so clingy? He needs to scratch off this neediness.

Rushing to his bed, he breathed harshly to calm his rapidly beating heart. He tugged the sheets over him, closing his eyes hoping you would be happier tomorrow morning.

He sat there, laughing loudly at his two friends being berated by you for their fighting. You just needed some sleep after contemplating that paper in front of you. That's it.

You told him you loved him, you greeted him with a kiss, you went out to invite him to hang out with you, he just caught you at a bad time.

"Apollo?" He looked up to where his name was called, looking into Japan's confused eyes. He had stopped laughing a good minute ago, yet tears still ran down his face.

What the fuck was happening to him?

"Apollo, walk with me," Japan quickly escorted him out of the room, redirecting him to the room you graciously offered him. Crouching down, he cautiously spoke. "スターボーイ, you cry when you laugh, but where is that laugh now?"

Apollo's lip wobbled before bursting into tears. "Please don't leave. Please don't! Please don't go away! I can't be alone again, please!"

The elder flinched from tiny arms desperately wrapping around him, bringing the boy into a hug without hesitation. "That's a complicated demand, Apollo." He nervously chuckled, knowing one day he may have to walk through the doors without a hug goodbye.

"I don't get it, I'm acting like a baby." Apollo whispered to himself, silencing his hiccups from anyone hearing. He already broke down in front of two people, it'd be embarrassing if anyone found him bawling like a newborn.

"You're a baby yourself," Japan murmured, stroking the young boys soft hair.

"But I'm a grown kid! I keep crying because I just miss everyone!"

Japan tilted his head in confusion. "How so? Everyone is here, though?"

"But it still feels lonely." Apollo wrapped his arms around himself as a shield. No matter how tight he would hug himself, it would never protect him from his own violent feeling of monachapsis that hit him in waves like a great tsunami. "I don't see my grandma and grandpa often, you guys are always fighting, and mom is always busy!"