Natsume Wanna Play!
Author: shy_mizuno
Pairing: Ryutaro/Shintaro
Genre: Fluff
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I do NOT own ANY of the MORIMOTO children. [not yet anyway. Now...I just need a plane ticket to Japan...]
Summary: Ryutaro and Shintaro want some time alone. But family-oriented Mama wants her boys to take their little sister with them.
Ryutaro and Shintaro leaned against the cool winter glass of the car as their mother drove them to the mall. Both their hands twitched, wanting to hold the other.
But they couldn’t, because Natsume was jumping up and down in between them.
Their mom dropped them off in front of the mall and pointed a finger at her eldest. “Now Ryutaro, don’t let Natsume out of your sight, understood?”
“Yes, Mama.” Shintaro grabbed the 6-year-old girl’s hand as Ryutaro trudged into the entrance.
Walking throughout the mall, the boys were dragged this way and that by Natsume’s super 6-year-old strength. Shintaro was drained from trying to calm her crying when Ryutaro said ‘No.’
They collapsed in the play area and Natsume ran away to climb the jungle-gym. “You need to stop saying no. I’ve got 2000 yen left and I want to use it on the new game.” Shintaro leaned his head against his brother’s.
“She has to understand she can’t get everything she wants.” Ryutaro reached for Shintaro’s hand and discreetly intertwined their fingers.
“I’m sorry, Nii-chan. I really wanted it to be just us.” Shintaro pouted. Ryutaro ruffled his hair with a free hand.
They left the playroom for the game store. Shintaro snatched a kiss on Ryutaro’s kiss cheek and took Natsume into the store and told her the wonders of Pokémon.
Paying for the games, Shintaro froze in the middle of the store. Ryutaro was flirting with a girl. Right in front of the stupid store.
“Shin-ni, what’s wrong?” Natsume tugged on his T-shirt. He stormed out, Natsume stumbling to follow.
Ryutaro turned around and Shintaro slapped him across his face. “I see now. Just because you can’t be with me, you go and get some floozy.”
“Shintaro, what are you talking about?! I -”
“Here!” He shoved the bag at his brother. “I don’t want any part of you!” Shintaro stormed away.
“Shintaro!” Ryutaro grabbed his wrist. Shintaro pushed his hold off and ran. “Shintaro!”
He followed after his little brother into the hallway of the bathrooms, where he was crying against the wall. “You’re not supposed to be causing trouble for me. Do you know how mad Mama’ll be if I lost you?”
“You’re also not supposed to cheat on your boyfriend.” He snapped behind his hands. Shintaro turned around so his nose was against the wall. “I don’t want to see you. Go away.”
“Shin, do you even know what cheating is?” Shintaro tried to kick him, but his foot slipped. Ryutaro caught him before he hit the ground. Shintaro struggled against him and Ryutaro held his face put. “Now tell me what you think I did.”
“You were flirting with another girl.” Shintaro pouted, shifting his eyes down.
“You mean the Photography Lady?” Shintaro gave no response and Ryutaro laughed. “Shin, I was asking if she could take care of Natsume-chan for a bit.” Shintaro looked up in surprise. “Yeah; she’s a fan of Hey!Say and I said I’d give her an autograph in exchange for Natsume so we could have some time alone.”
Ryutaro let go of Shintaro’s face and slowly stood them up. “So…you weren’t cheating?”
“Would I ever cheat on you?”
Shintaro pouted and looked coy. “Well…there’s Chinen-kun.”
Ryutaro pinched his cheeks. “That’s different and you know it. I’m sure Yuma-kun would kill me if it got serious.” Shintaro giggled and looked up with a smirk. “So…am I forgiven?”
“Well…we’re alone, right?” Ryutaro smiled back and kissed Shintaro. Shintaro kissed back and wrapped his arms around the elder’s shoulders. Ryutaro grabbed hold of his hips and pushed him deeper into the wall. Their tongues played a little game of dominance that was tied when they parted for breath.
Shintaro’s eyes went wide and he tried to reach for Ryutaro’s pocket. Ryutaro stepped back and held his brother at arms’ length. “What are you doing, Shin?”
“You’re not supposed to see that!” Shintaro continued to reach. He lost his balance and fell to the ground, still trying to pull the contents of Ryutaro’s pocket out. Ryutaro stepped away and pulled out what Shintaro wanted. It was the bag from the game store. “Why do you want this?”
Shintaro slumped against the wall. “It’s your Christmas present.” He looked up with puppy dog eyes. “You didn’t look at it, did you?”
Ryutaro kneeled in front of him. “I was too busy with catching you.” He gave the bag to Shintaro, who snatched it and held it close. “Hey, I didn’t look.”
They walked to the photography store hand in hand, window-shopping as they went. “Hanazawa-san!” He called.
The photographer gave a smile and excused herself from the cash-stand. “Morimoto-kun, here to drop off your sister?”
Both Boys froze. “Eh? She’s not here?” Ryutaro asked.
“Why, no. After you left, I came in here to wait.” Shintaro and Ryutaro shared a look. They excused themselves and proceeded to freak out in the corridor.
“Ok, Ok, we’ve lost Natsume - oh God, Mom’s gonna kill me.”
“It’s okay, Nii-chan. There’s no need to panic.”
“I’m not panicking!” Shintaro shrank away and Ryutaro took in a breath to calm down. “I’m sorry, Shin. What were you going to say?”
“The game store people might’ve seen which way she went and then we’ll know where to start.”
Ryutaro smiled and kissed his forehead. “Thank God you’re the smart one.”
The game people didn’t know.
They walked down the mall, spirits low. “Shin…when Mama comes to pick us up, you hug her and start crying and tell her I lost Natsume.”
Shintaro froze and grabbed the still walking Ryutaro. “But…Nii-chan will get into so much trouble!” He hugged his brother around the waist. “No. We’ll find Natsume-chan and Mama won’t have to know.”
Shintaro was pushed away and Ryutaro looked him in the eyes. “Thanks Shin, but we don’t even know where to start looking. This place is huge and it would take us hours to find her. And Mama’s coming in only 1.”
“Nii-chan!” Both felt their blood run cold as Ryutaro turned around. Natsume ran up to them and tried to pull them to a shop.
Ryutaro kneeled down and held her still. “Natsume, where have you been?”
“With Nii-chan!”
“Nii-chan?!”
She grabbed their hands and lead them inside the ramen shop.
The cook placed two bowls of noodles before them. “She was just walking around lost when I came in for my shift. I thought I’d watch her till her parents came. But brothers are just as good.” He joked.
Ryutaro bowed his head. “Thank you, sir.”
The cook waved his hand. “Come on; I’m only 22. Your Yabu-san is, what, two years younger than me? Call me Nii-san.”
“Nii-chan was telling Natsume-chan about the Noodle Fairies!” The little girl piped up.
“Noodle Fairies?” Shintaro looked at Ryutaro.
“They’re the magical people that teach you how to make noodles.” Ryutaro said, recalling the story from his grand-parents. The time was passed, spinning the tale of the Noodle Fairies.
The three left the shop close to an hour later, waving to Nii-chan as they walked. “Well, Mama should be coming soon. What should we do?”
Ryutaro’s light bulb went off. “I know!” He grabbed both their hands and hurried down the corridor.
“So, did you three have a good time?” Natsume sat in the front, so Shintaro leaned into Ryutaro’s arms and slowly dozed off.
“Uhn! Nii-chan told Nii-chan all about the Noodle Fairies!” And Natsume rambled on and on, keeping her mother busy as her brothers held hands and slept together.
That Christmas, when Mama opened her present, she almost cried. A framed photo of her boys, kissing the cheeks of Princess Natsume stared back at her. And later that night, under the mistletoe, Ryutaro kissed his Prince for the Dragon Quest he found under the tree.