Gentle Old Eyes

15

Most of the time, Zeuxis doesn't understand his dear Anija.

Anija is the most amazing, anija is the most brightest, anija is the most gentle person (besides Haha-ue of course!)and anija is the most bestest best anija in the world!

But sometimes, just sometimes, anija gets this look on his face. And it scares Zeuxis so, so so much. What could it mean? Mist of all Zeuxis hates when anija makes the face. Anija always makes the face when he thinks no one is looking, and the face makes Zeuxis want to make sure anija never makes it again.

And so Zeuxis tries. His goal to make sure anija never makes that face again.

Zeuxis smiles more, because it makes anija smile. Zeuxis hugs and trotts around with Hinoe more, because it makes anija smile. Zeuxis trains more and more, because anija smiles when Zeuxis asks for praise.

But time and time again, Zeuxis catches anija making the face. Hinoe too sometimes, but she understands even less than Zeuxis what kind of face it is. Zeuxis is sure even Haha-ue and Chichi-ue have caught anija making the face, but they never say anything about it while Zeuxis and Hinoe are there.

And it frustrates him so much. But that doesn't mean Zeuxis will give up on trying to make the face disappear completely.

And just rarely, really rarely, Zeuxis sees the golden scales.

Anija tries really hard to make sure they never see them. Anija doesn't talk about them, not even to Haha-ue and Chichi-ue. Sometimes Zeuxis entertains the thought that he is half sure anija doesn't even know about the scales. But every time Zeuxis sees them, anija reacts to them so anija definitely knows.

The very first time Zeuxis saw the scales isn't really clear in his mind. Hinoe couldn't even crawl back then. The golden was really only a flash in his memory, something to do with Chichi-ue's pretty blade, hung high on the wall, falling down.

The first clear memory of the golden scales was when he was still four. Anija was helping Haha-ue cook and Zeuxis had sneaked in to watch. Looking back on it, Zeuxis is aware both anija and Haha-ue knew he was watching.

The boiling pot had tipped over when anija was adding something in and that's when he saw them. It was only a glimpse, a few seconds really. But Zeuxis saw them, remembers them.

The scales were a more pretty yellow than Chichi-ue's sword or anija's hair. They were sparkling, brighter than anija's eyes and more vibrant than Zeuxis had ever seen. The only thing even close in the sparkling color was the gold he had seen decorating a carriage going through the town. Or Chichi-ue's sword, both are really pretty Zeuxis thinks.

Zeuxis had stared, mesmerized for the few seconds they were in sight before they disappeared. And when they were gone, Zeuxis hoped to see them again.

(He only later realized how cruel and wrong and stupid it was to wish that, since they only appeared when anija was hurt.)

Anija had lied, that the spilled water hadn't touched him. It had, Zeuxis saw, and he was sure Haha-ue had seen them too, but she said nothing and only smiled. They didn't mention it, and instead anija went to get more water.

The next and third time Zeuxis saw the scales, he was spying again. This time while Chichi-ue and anija were doing training. Zeuxis had been watching, fascinated by the constant clashing between bokken, when it happened.

Anija slipped and Chichi-ue hit him straight on his forehead. Anija fell down, and Zeuxis was already feeling tears welling up about to run over to his anija's side when-

Zeuxis froze.

The scales appeared, littering anija's forehead where Chichi-ue had struck him. The gold shimmered under the sunlight where anija laid on the ground. And Zeuxis savored the sight of the golden scales.

And once again the scales disappeared in under three seconds. Training proceeded on normally and Zeuxis was stuck alone, thinking about the pretty golden scales.

Zeuxis didn't see the scales for a long time after that. So Zeuxis hadn't expected to see them again while getting food from town.

The drunk man holding a bottle was haggling the price down, Zeuxis could hear it even from far away. They were making such a rukus, and they were just passing by. Zeuxis should have expected something to happen.

The man swung the arm holding the bottle, which slipped from the drunkards hand and started heading straight for sleeping Hinoe in anija's arms.

Zeuxis saw how fast anija moved, saw how anija angled himself just perfectly for Hinoe and him to be completely out of harms way. The bottle hit anija straight on his cheek and Zeuxis started yelling, both at the drunkard and out of worry for anija.

Zeuxis didn't see them as perfectly this time because he was yelling at the drunkard. But Zeuxis still saw the bloody teeth swiftly covered by pretty golden scales. This time Zeuxis didn't even have the chance to marvel at the scales, they disappeared so quick. The only proof his anija had been injured was the blood dripping from his cheek down his jaw.

And even the following events were completely normal. Even though the walk home and dinner was normal, Zeuxis was haunted for the rest of the day by the sight of bloody teeth through his anija's cheek.

That night Zeuxis swore, he would protect his anija. Nobody would hurt his anija. And neither that face nor the scales were going to appear on his anija ever again.

AN: Zeuxis poor baby is on the brink of developing a brother complex...