Hitomi and Kuronue (Children)

Hitomi swings upside down from a tree branch, his feet barely holding the cat youkai on.
The small figure of Kuronue is perched a few branches above the cat youkai, gathering small fruit in a wicker basket. His wings are pulled close to his back and he wobbles a bit with each movement, obviously unbalanced due to the weight of his ample wings.
Hitomi is unaware of the other youkai as he begins to swing back and forth a bit, swaying the tree with his momentum.
Kuronue yelps as the tree begins swaying. He clings to the branch, accidentally knocking the basket to the ground. Along with the fruit.
Hitomi blinks, looking up at the sound...and is nailed squarely in the face by one of the falling fruits. He yelps, falling to the ground, causing the branch he was on to snap up a bit and shake the tree further.
Kuronue still clings to the branch tightly, scared of falling from the high branch. He peaks over his arms, seeing Hitomi on the ground. He bites his lip.
Hitomi moans, rubbing the back of his head. "...itai!!!" he yells out in a rather high voice.
Kuronue frowns, slowly moving off of the branch as the tree stills. He leaps down, his wings fluttering rather comically to aid him in his glide down. He kneels by Hitomi, "...You okay?"
Hitomi rubs the back of his head, looking at Kuronue. "...mmm..I...guess..." He picks up one of the fruits, holding it out to Kuronue. "...I'm guessin this is yours?"
Kuronue smiles sheepishly, "Eh...Hai, hai. Okaa-san sent me out to get them..."
Hitomi smiles back, though it's rather lopsided. "Want me ta help you pick em up?"
Kuronue laughs, "You don't have to...after all. One already attacked you." He picks up the basket, starting to gather up the fallen fruit.
Hitomi stands, swaying slightly. He looks at the fruit in his hand, stating, "Fruit is evil." He begins to assist the other boy in picking up the scattered fruits.
Kuronue notices him and smiles, "Arigato!" Within a few moments all the fruit are back in the basket and he stands up, a broad grin upon his face.
Hitomi grins, happily holding out his hand to shake Kuronue's. "I'm Hitomi! And it's no problem!"
Kuronue balances the basket carefully in one hand, shaking Hitomi's with the other. "Nice to meet you! I'm Kuronue. Thanks for helping me."
Hitomi nods, shaking the other boy's hand, though not hard enough to cause the basket to become unbalanced. "I don't mind! I have nothin to do, anyways."
Kuronue puts both hands back on the basket. "Do you want to come back home with me? We can get some lunch. I'm starved."
Hitomi beams. "Ee! Food! Yeah, sure!"
Kuronue laughs, "Ok. Follow me!"
Hitomi nods, "Okay!"
Kuronue starts walking towards his home, the tips of his wings dragging in the dirt despite the way they're folded.
Hitomi bounces along behind him, noticing his wings. He laughs a bit.
Kuronue blinks, "Nani? What's so funny?" He looks around, jerking his head from side to side to try and see what is amusing Hitomi.
Hitomi just laughs more. "Your wings!"
Kuronue's shoulders slump a bit, causing his wings to fall closer to the ground. "...Oh.."
Hitomi smiles, bouncing up behind him and gently taking a hold of his wings. He holds them up, trying to get them out of the dirt.
Kuronue's wings flutter a bit in Hitomi's hand as he pulls them away. "Quit! That tickles!"
Hitomi laughs. "But you don't want em dirty, do ya?"
Kuronue laughs, still trying to free his wings, "Dirt can wash off!"
Hitomi releases them. "Hai, it can! But baths are horrible! Mama always practically scrubs the fur off my ears!"
Kuronue shakes his head, "Iie! I love baths! We have a hot spring near our house and it feels so good!"
Hitomi blinks. "Ya do?? Lucky!"
Kuronue nods, "Hai!"
Hitomi sticks out his tongue. "I wish we did.."
Kuronue bobs his head, "You can use ours if you wanna."
Hitomi practically jumps on Kuronue, hugging him. "Neat! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"
Kuronue yelps, stumbling and almost dropping the basket, "Hitomi-kun!!"
Hitomi giggles. "Gomen!"
Kuronue smiles, "Iie, iie...forget it. Baka."
Hitomi releases him, bouncing a bit. "Don't call me a baka, baka!"
Kuronue sticks out his tongue, "But you -are- a baka!"
Hitomi shakes his head. "Iie! I'm not! You are!"
Kuronue shakes his head, "Iie, iie, iie! It's you!" He walks up to a small house, opening the heavy wooden door.
Hitomi smiles, following along behind Kuronue. "Iiiiiiiie!"
Kuronue hushes the boy, stopping in the doorway and looking around carefully....it was empty. At this he sighed softly. "Ok, come on in..."
Hitomi blinks. "...ok..'s something wrong?"
Kuronue shakes his head, “Iie, iie..."
Hitomi frowns a bit. "..ya sure?"
Kuronue nods, "Yeah!" he smiles weakly, "Everything's fine!"
Hitomi frowns a bit more, remaining silent.
Kuronue sets the basket down on the counter, bouncing down onto the couch.
Hitomi follows, plopping down beside him. "I like your house."
Kuronue smiles, "Arigato...it isn't much, but I like it. And as I said. Nice spring."
Hitomi's head bobs up and down...it's a wonder when he nods his head doesn't roll off. "Mm hm!"
Kuronue nods, "Anyway, Okaa-san and my brother aren't home right now."
Hitomi cocks his head. "You got a brother?"
Kuronue nods, "Three of 'em.'
Hitomi wows. "That's kinda neat! I only have a baby brother...he's really tiny!"
Kuronue smiles, "Well, I'm the baby here. No one younger than me."
Hitomi smiles. "Really? Is it fun?"
Kuronue shrugs uneasily, "....I guess..."
Hitomi pats him happily on the shoulder. "I don't like being the oldest, but I can live with it! Mama's gonna have twins soon..."
Kuronue smiles, "My eldest brother are twins."
"Really? I dunno what our twins are gonna be..I hope they're girls, though...we've already got three boys in our family, and I want some little sisters!"
Kuronue laughs, "I'd like some sisters too. Cause I have to do the cooking when mom's gone!"
Hitomi grins. "I dunno how to cook..I don't think mom wants me to, cuz she thinks I'll burn our house down..."
Kuronue grins, "I see."
Hitomi gives his bobbing nod once again. "Mm hm...mama says even if I were cutting something up I'd manage to set the house on fire some how!"
Kuronue climbs up from his seat, grinning, "I don't doubt it. Bakas can't cook."
Hitomi sticks out his tongue. "Then you can't, either."
Kuronue beams, "Iie! Not true! I can cook!!"
Hitomi bounces from his seat. "...I bet you can't!"
Kuronue puts his hands on his hips, "I'll prove it! Tell me what to cook!!"
Hitomi grins, hmming quietly. "Uh...uh...." He puts his head back a bit, staring to the ceiling. "...what -can- you cook? If I'm gonna make you cook, I wanna be sure it turns out good!"
Kuronue smiles, "Try me."
Hitomi uhs, thinking. "...can you maaaaake.....cookies? Cookies are yummy!"
Kuronue laughs, "Some lunch..but hai! I can!"
Hitomi yays happily. "Ok!! Then make those! And do whatever you want for lunch!"
Kuronue nods, beginning to pull ingredients from the cupboards.
Hitomi watches him, bouncing a bit.
Kuronue smiles, glad to be pleasing Hitomi. After measure and mixing in a bowl the required ingredients for a while, he begins to get out an iron slate.
Hitomi blinks, watching him. "I've never watched someone make cookies before..."
Kuronue laughs, "Really?"
Hitomi nods. "Mm hm, Mama always sends me off to play when she starts making them..."
Kuronue smiles, "She doesn't want you to know how."
Hitomi laughs. "Probably..'cause if I did know how to make them, I'd try to..and then, of course, I'd burn down our house. Then we wouldn't have a house because it'd be burnt down because Mama let me watch her make cookies..so I knew how to make cookies, so I tried to make them and I burnt down the house because I can't cook..and..."
Kuronue laughs, nodding along with Hitomi's repetitive story.
After a few more minutes of saying the exact same thing about five times over, Hitomi blinks. "....what did I just say...?"
"That your mom doesn't want you to watch her make cookies cause you'd burn the house down trying."
Hitomi nods a bit. "Oh yeah! Ok..I'm glad you were listening..I wasn't really...even though I was saying it..."
Kuronue grins, but says nothing
Hitomi peaks over Kuronue's shoulder to inspect the boy's progress.
Kuronue jabs Hitomi gently with his elbow, "Iie. You can't look."
Hitomi laughs. "Why not?"
"Cause you'll burn the house down trying to repeat it."
Hitomi pokes Kuronue's sides. "Iie, I will not!"
Kuronue smiles, "Will too! Clumsy-baka!"
Hitomi shakes his head. "Iieiieiieiie!!"
Kuronue nods, "Haihaihaihaihai!!"
Hitomi shakes his head once more. "Iie! 'Cause I'm not clumsy and I'm not a baka!"
Kuronue beams, "Are so!"
Hitomi pokes Kuronue. "Nuh uh!"
Kuronue pouts, "Yuh huh!"
Hitomi shakes his head once again. "Nope!!"
Kuronue finishes pouring the batter onto the pan, "Be nice or no cookies for you!"
Hitomi immediately silences himself.
Kuronue smiles, "Better."

~Owari~

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