Work Text:
Naoya was outside on the engawa laying on his stomach, watching Maki color. His eyes entranced by the colors that smudged on the page. The wax sticking onto the paper smoothly, a contrast to her current blob of a doodle. Naoya didn't comment on that though, didn't make fun, he just watched. His eyes were half lidded, a bit sleepy, hands perched underneath his chin.
The five year old girl had been lonely while the adults were cleaning, and Naoya was kind of useless at the moment. So, he has been tasked to keep her company. Mai usually would be here, but she was hidden in their parent's side of the house, having gotten sick with something. The adults never liked when they were sick.
Naoya was currently small, having woken up that way. He wasn't totally sure why, perhaps it was because a weird sensory day as well. He wasn't sure, and he didn't particularly care. The 'why' was too big of a thought for him to currently rationalize, he just wanted to be.
Padded cuffs were currently attached to his wrist because they were outside. No adult was here to watch them, his older brothers were supposed to, but they got bored quickly because Maki was here. Something about how she messed up their fun.. So they switched the longer chain that was originally there, with a shorter one, told the two children to be good and not tell anyone before scurrying off.
The padded leather was to keep him from hurting himself, not that he did on a regular basis. He wasn't sure why Daddy insisted, but he was a good boy and that meant he'd follow. But still, Naoya was a bit disappointed because they made coloring hard and he really did want to color.
Maki was quiet, having barely talked at all as the little girl was just happy to have some company. Even if it was Naoya. But then again, small Naoya was so much nicer than big Naoya. Whenever he was not tiny, he'd often hurt her, slapping her around, yelling at her, or calling her a stupid useless girl. Maki hated it, it hurt, and she never understood why her cousin was so mean to her.
Small Naoya though, he was so sweet. He was shy, and would even apologize for hurting her. He was like her, trying to just be good for the adults. Naoya when small was right with them when it came to 'roles' as the grown ups called it, maybe even a bit lower, like with Toji. Maki couldn't remember. She was too young to fully understand the family dynamics, so she just settled in what was easy to follow and remember. It was strange, but nice, and Maki liked it. She liked this side of her older cousin.
After a while, she had finished her blob that turned out to be a fish, and she looked up to look at Naoya. "Hey." She hummed, and he looked up at her. "Why aren't you colorin'?" She asked, shifting so she was facing him. "Don't you wanna spend time with me?" Her voice soft, but slightly accusatory all the same.
Naoya whimpered in protest a little as he lowered his head before rolled over on his side. "No, Naoya does! Just," He retorted as he lifted his wrists and showed his cuffs. Daddy had decided to use one of the shorter chains today, just five inches, and his brothers switched it out for an even shorter one. Maki looked a little unamused, but after second, she nodded, "S'kay," She decided. "I can color you somethin' d'you want that?"
The boy pondered the question for a second, before he nodded, rolling back on his stomach. "Naoya does." He hummed, "Uhm," He paused for a moment. "Fox?" He decided on, smiling a little and Maki nodded.
More silence was held between them, and Naoya watched intently as she colored a cute, red fox. The sound of wax hitting paper and the floor boards underneath was a nice calm to his ears. It helped him think about other things than his nerves. Maki made sure to be precise, trying to color inside the lines. Her tongue stuck out a little at some point, and she finished off the drawing with giving it long black lashes.
The older boy let out a happy click before he lifted his hands and pointed to the lashes. "Like me!" He said, chest feeling light and sweet. He then pointed to his own eyes. Daddy had recently really liked his eyeliner, saying it made him pretty. Naoya liked being pretty for him, it made things easier, because a happy Naobito was always good. Maki smiled at him and nodded in agreement, "Mhm!" She giggled, before she picked up the picture and held it up to him.
"D'ya like it?" She looked down, suddenly feeling shy, voice soft and sheepish.
Naoya nodded, "Naoya does, he loves it," His eyes shined as he looked at it with a childish wonder. Like it was the most exciting thing in the world at the moment. He wished he could keep it, but a year ago, Maki said that he'd just ruin her drawings she gave him. Throw it away. So they were to stay with her, but he could always see them if he asked. Naoya told her he wouldn't, and Maki and Mai said he would. They got in a big argument and Momma had to tell him to settle down and be quiet and do what was said.
Suddenly, something caught the corner of his eye, and he tilted his head to look over out into the courtyard.
It was black and gangly, moving weakly. Screws were stuffed in its neck, and it groaned in slight pain.
A Cursed Spirit..it looked scary but it was just one of the black gooey wandering ones they kept around. Naoya wasn't sure why, he didn't, but they were scary. He whimpered and ducked his head, the light bubbly feeling he had felt just moments before washed away.
Maki looked at him, before her eyes trailed to what he was looking at. She saw nothing, though.
"Naoya?" She asked, and put the paper down. "What's wrong?"
He pointed tentatively to the Cursed Spirit still grumbling in pain, and the other just gave a huff. "There's nothin' there." She retorted, and the boy nodded his head, but in disagreement. "There is! It's there, an' watchin us," He shut his eyes and the younger girl frowned.
Naoya pulled his hands close to his chest, and sat up before he looked around. There was no adult around, and it made him panic a little. He couldn't- what if Maki and him got hurt? He sniffled, eyes feeling heavy at the thought of having to fight or run or do anything ever that wasn't just doing whatever someone told him to do.
"Just ignore them." Maki told him, looking at the other flatly, before she picked up another piece of paper. But Naoya's expression didn't change, he was still worried about something, something she couldn't see.
Naoya whimpered and he looked around again, trying to see. Maybe his brothers were still here? No. Right. They weren't, they left him, they left him and Maki and and -
"Naoya," Maki huffed, and she got on her knees before crawling close to him. "Just ignore them." She told him again, and Naoya tried, he tried to listen but his eyes constantly flicked to the side, eyeing the creature. Maki sighed, and she grabbed his face in her hands, and shook her head, "They can't hurt us," She reassured, because it was true. From what she heard from the adults, they were too weak and fragile. They wouldn't try, because even if she couldn't see it, she knew that Naoya was powerful. He had a lot of Cursed Energy, it was all the adults talk about when the possibility of the heir came up. When they talked about how genius of a boy he was. How powerful.
They wouldn't hurt them, because he was Naoya Zen'in.
He just needed to remember that fact.
The boy whimpered, leaning into the touch before he instinctively lifted his arms and hugged her really tight, face going into her stomach. He was trying to find comfort in any way possible, even if it wasn't allowed. His mind wasn't really on the rules at the moment, all he wanted was to feel safe and Maki was right here and he liked to snuggle her.
Maki didn't pull away either, she just gasped before she smiled a little and pat his head. Naoya looked up at her at the touch, eyes watery and tearful, before he gave her a smile back.
It'll be okay.
Maki was here.
He wasn't alone.
He hid his face back in her tummy, and Maki let out a small huff. "Naoyaaa," She shifted on her knees, uncomfortable from the wood. She wanted to move to get in a better position, but the older was blocking her.
When the boy looked up at her once more, she hummed, "Not su'ppsed to.." Maki whispered, remembering the rules. Naoya frowned, and he tried to lift his arms from around her instantly, panic rising in his chest at the thought of getting in trouble. At the thought of Maki telling on him. She rarely did that, but the possibility was still there and that made him panic.
But all she did was frown and grab his arms to stop him from pulling back. In all honesty, she didn't want it to stop either. She was five and bored with no one else around. When they were alone she didn't mind breaking the rules a little. She liked the attention, the feeling, and besides Naoya was a good hugger.
"S'kay," She shifted, getting more comfortable. She sat down, criss-crossing her little legs. It was a bit of an awkward angle, the cuffs trapped Maki inside his hold.
Naoya just watched with an apprehensive, fearful expression, the Cursed Spirit currently forgotten. He was stiff and frozen, like if he did something a certain way the floor underneath them would shatter.
She moved one last time before she smiled wide. "There!" She giggled, and let go of his arms so she could hug him close by his neck. Naoya let out a small gasp, chest tight. Confused, mind racing, what was she doing? They weren't supposed to be doing this.
However, after another second, it was clear Maki wasn't going to let go, nor was she mad, so he relaxed and reciprocated.
He slumped on her, burying his face in her shoulder as he let out a small relieved chuff. Everything else was forgotten, when he was with Maki he could just be. "Naoya loves you.." He mumbled, because he did. He loved her with all his little heart.
Mai, Maki and Toji were his favorite cousins!
They were so much gentler with him than the adults or big kids. Momma was good but she was so so quiet. It seemed like she didn't even know he was there sometimes, and Daddy was..Daddy was Daddy. And he loved him but he..it was hard sometimes. Maki and Mai however..They rarely made fun of him, or yelled at him, or expected him to perform and be perfect even in this state. Even if there were still rules they had to follow when they were allowed to play, all they wanted from him was to just play and color. They never expected him to serve.
Naoya doesn't know why he's so so mean to Maki and Mai, when he's big but he hopes that he'll stop soon. He will.
Toji was good too, he was a bit more commanding, but he had firm expectations from him that were easy to follow. He never raised his voice either. He did sometimes growl and that scared him, but Toji never shouted at him.
”M'love you too." Maki hummed, breaking him out of his little thoughts.
Another beat of silence.
”Let's keep this a secret, Kay?" She whispered so quietly, it was hard for him to hear.
He nodded. "Mhm.."
The little girl giggled at his compliance, "You're a good boy, Naoya." She rubbed her cheek along on his head. Naoya made a small content noise at being called that, and he nuzzled his nose on her neck. Reciprocating the affection.
They weren't supposed to cuddle without the adults watching, because Naoya was big even when he was so small, so much bigger than she. They'd got in trouble for it before..He shivered at the memory.
It was a rule that Maki and Naoya and Mai didn't fully understand, but they didn't like getting in trouble, or breaking rules..But they were alone when they weren't supposed to be, the rules had already been broken. Naotaka and Naoharu left them, and while it wasn't the first time, usually they'd at least tell a servant to watch them. But this time was different. It was very confusing.
Naoya hugged his little cousin tighter, his eyes feeling heavy due to the newfound warmth. He was sleepy, and he barely had realized just how much he wanted to sleep until now.
He yawned from his spot on the engawa, slumping more of his weight on her. Not registering how much bigger he was compared to her, he was just sleepy and tired and wanted to rest now. Was it nap time soon? He hoped so, he was feeling so heavy.
It was a few minutes of that, just holding eachother before the slumping became more and he ended up knocking them both on the hard wood. Maki grunted and gasped when the weight from the bigger boy pushed her down. He was now laying on her, and while Maki wasn't scared, he was heavy! "Naoyaaa," She huffed, "Off!" The five year old squirmed, voice rising from the new position. "Naoya! you're big!"
It was then that Naoya pulled his face from her neck and backed off the best he could due to the cuffs and frowned. "Big?" He blinked, mind hazy and sleepy and fuzzy. He felt the word on his tongue before he shook his head. "Nuh uh, Naoya's tiny." He told her, did she forget? "Maki's just small too. A small good girl," Naoya then leaned forward and rubbed their noses together.
She looked at him, like she barely registered what Naoya was saying before she huffed again, pouting. At the nose boop however, she couldn't help but smile kindly. Maki giggled, before she hummed, "Naoya is tiny," She nodded in agreement, "But tallll," She tried to explain better.
He was like a puppy who didn't know his own weight.
”Sorry.." He just smiled back, humming to himself. But he still didn't relax, and his eyes travelled to the side of her. Trying to see if the Cursed Spirit was still there.
Even if Naoya was the same age as her mentally, the boy was definitely less cognitive than she was. Not that Maki knew that, no, for all she saw was Naoya being kinda of like..well a bunny!
Maki accepted the apology with patting his head before she offered two fingers for him. She wasn't supposed to, but a nervous Naoya was never fun. And it seemed like Naoya was really really anxious and sleepy. She didn't like that, so she offered what she could. Though..she wasn't supposed to. But then again, they weren't supposed to be cuddling without an adult around.. Maki shook her head a little, it's fine! "Here." She hummed.
Naoya blinked at her, and then again before he took the fingers in his mouth without anymore prompting. A heavy sigh of relief escaped him and his body relaxed. Tension that had built up from the day slowly melted away and Naoya hummed happily to himself. He suckled on them, they were small and not as big as Daddy's but it was okay, they'd do. He relaxed back onto her, resting his chin on her chest, not catching the slight groan Maki gave from the pressure.
”You are..a good boy," Maki told him, and his eyes lit up as he looked at her. The little girl leaned her head back afterwards, and stared up from where she lay. She was trapped underneath her cousin and all she could do was look at him, or the roof. "Just no sleeping, okay? Just in case the grown ups come back.." Maki sounded a little nervous, but quickly just smiled wide.
Naoya nodded before he continued to suckle on her fingers as he cuddled her, breath calm as he just focused on that. Nothing else, everything else became muted, and dull and more bearable...
Their breathing synchronized, and he could feel her heartbeat, it was all so warm. Maki looked calm too, one of her little hands was on his head, while the other drummed on the hard wood..Which didn't help Naoya's sleepiness, but he willed himself to stay awake.
Naoya was really happy he got to spend time with Maki.