Chapter Text
1.
Not for the first time that week, Hikari wakes to the sound of the front door slamming shut. Seconds after, her father's voice, drunkenly sweet, warbles through the small apartment. She opens her eyes and turns herself on her side, listening to the footsteps in their living room. She almost rolls over again, but the plodding grows closer.
She rolls again, crawling to the ladder (she won't let her little brother sleep on the top bunk, he was four and tripped getting off the bed already!) and climbing down. She looks to see the mass of hair that her little brother just magically has and sees his face relaxed in sleep. Then she plods over to the doorknob and holds it shut before it can turn.
It hurts to stand on her tiptoes, but when her father's voice grows louder and louder as he calls the names of his children, Hikari knows she is doing the right thing.
It still hurts, hearing the little sad notes in his voice as he tugs fruitlessly over and over again. She tightens her grip on the knob anyway.
"Sorry Dad," she says, knowing he can't hear it, knowing he's just trying to be a good father and love them.
But it's three in the morning, and they can be loved when he wakes up later not smelling like the adult juice and work sweat.
That is what Mom tells her, not expecting her to understand but Taichi understands and if he does then she does. She makes herself
It's just a little longer, until they have the nicer apartment and the better job and Papa's friends stop making him so angry with what they have.
Hikari can't help but wish 'a little longer' was 'right now'.