Disclaimer: These fabulous characters are not mine. I just mold them to my liking in an attempt to further better my writing. It's somewhat laughable.

A/N: Yes, I know, it's not a new chapter for HTLAS or IC, but come on. At least I'm posting something, right? And it's been a while since I updated this. Anyway, I fail where this story is concerned, too. I think I'm getting better at writing them as children, though. I still need to work on it, unfortunately. Anyway, I changed the title of the story once again. I think this one works, though, the best, and I like it the most. I'm even thinking of rearranging the chapters, as well, to put them in chronological order. I'm not too sure about that last one, though. Anyway, the next oneshot in this series.

Welcome to the Family

The red-headed boy had just turned eight when his mother sat him down at their kitchen table and told him about the great news.

Personally, Reno didn't think it was great news.

Why would he want a little sibling?

Didn't babies cry and only cry? Why would anyone want to have a baby?

Seven months later his father was picking him up and placing him next to his mother on the white bed and they were smiling and showing him this little bundle and Reno felt like going 'ew'. He would have, too, if it hadn't been for the fact that doing so was such a girl thing to do, and he certainly wasn't a girl.

It was just- this was supposed to be his baby brother?

He didn't even want the thing in the first place and now it turned out to be this ugly thing? It was all… wrinkly and small.

Its folds of skin were just hanging off of the small shape and Reno wrinkled his nose.

"Reno," his mother smilingly asked, "would you like to hold Axel?"

"Axel," Reno muttered, rolling it around in his mouth. "What kind of name is Axel?" he asked, raising his bright blue eyes to his mother, seeming to have forgotten about the question she'd asked him.

"Well- we decided that it was a strong name," his mother said, her smile faltering a little bit, raising her head towards her husband, a question in her eyes. "Would you like to hold him, Reno? I promise he won't bite."

Reno shrugged. "I guess," he answered.

His mother beamed and gently laid the baby in Reno's arms. "Here- you have to hold his head and neck up- he's not strong enough to do that alone yet. Cradle him in his arms," she said, demonstrating the position she wanted.

This was too hard. He didn't even want to hold the baby. He frowned- though it came out as more of a pout- but complied. His brother was quietly still in his arms, eyes closed and the only movement his body made was the rise and fall of his tiny chest.

"Why is it so small?" Reno asked.

His mother gently smiled, a tear almost coming to her eyes from seeing her first-born son holding his brother so gently. "Well, all babies are that small in the beginning. You were that small, too. Don't worry: he'll grow up to be big and strong just like you."

Reno frowned. "Why is it so wrinkly?"

She almost frowned at Reno's continued use of 'it' but decided not to say anything. "Well, Axel's too small for all of his skin. He'll grow into it, but until then, he's like a little elephant."

Reno nodded, frown appearing between his eyebrows. "Can you take him… he's kinda heavy."

She nodded, quickly regaining Axel, who was still sleeping silently.

"Well, Reno," his father coughed from the side of the bed, "do you like him?"

Reno shrugged, not really wanting to say no. His parents probably wouldn't like that. "I guess…" he trailed off.

His mother frowned. She would have gone on to say more if Axel hadn't started crying slightly, piteously mewling. As though cued, Reno's father picked him up and carried the boy out of the room. Reno would have scowled if he hadn't been so relieved to get away from the baby.

Three days later, Reno found himself back at the hospital to pick his mother and his new brother up.

He sat in the car, kicking his legs back and forth in boredom. On the other side of the backseat was the new baby car seat that his father had installed earlier. Reno stared at it, bored to death with waiting.

His father turned around and smiled at him. "You ready, Reno?" he asked, twisting the keys to the car around his hand nervously.

Reno shrugged. "When are we gonna go home?" he asked, completely uninterested with picking up Axel.

His father sighed. "Soon, Reno," he replied, turning back around to the front and getting out of the car.

Soon the two were walking up to the maternity wing.

"Things are gonna be really different, you know," Reno's father started conversationally, still twirling the keys around in his hand.

Reno shrugged. "I guess," he muttered, ducking his head.

Reno's father stopped, turning to face Reno and stooping down to his level. "Reno, I know it's a lot to handle, and that you're not the least bit interested in this, but this is a big deal. I know you might not like the little guy right now, but you will someday," he said, placing his hands on Reno's shoulders.

"Why should I like him?" Reno asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Because he's your brother; he's your flesh and blood. And you're going to be his big bro, Reno." He smiled. "He's going to look up to you a lot. Being a big brother is a huge responsibility and shouldn't be trusted to just anybody. But your mother and I think you can handle it. You'll like him, I promise."

Reno shrugged and the two were back to walking to Mrs. Edan.

Reno brightened up when he saw his mother and he quickly dashed to her side.

"Mom," he said, "I missed you."

She smiled. "I missed you, too. But at least I'm coming back home now."

Reno nodded. He scrambled up onto her bed, hands scrabbling for purchase in her thin hospital blankets.

She chuckled, and took a hand, hoisting him up onto the bed.

He snuggled into her side, the two of them silently waiting for the okay to go.

"I get that you're not interested in Axel, Reno," his mother began, hand smoothing his hair back. "I don't blame you, to be honest. I'm sure this is the last thing you want to deal with."

She sat up, looking at Reno. "You'll be okay, though. We're not going to pressure you into liking him right now. But you wait and see. You'll like him soon enough, I promise."

Reno just nodded.

The baby was crying again. Pitiful little wails echoed throughout the upstairs floor, and Reno growled, jamming a pillow over his head.

He was tired and, for once in his young life, he wanted to sleep. But the baby wouldn't stop.

Reno was not enjoying the newcomer to his family at all.

Nope, not at all.

When the baby's cries just escalated further, Reno got up and pattered out of his room.

He entered the little nursery that was adjacent and connected to his parents' bedroom, and sleepily walked over to the crib in the corner.

Reno looked down, and peering up at him with eerily lit green eyes was his little brother.

"Axel," he murmured, reaching a hand down, Axel grabbing onto it almost immediately, "can you go to sleep? I'm tired and I wanna sleep."

Axel just blinked, eyelashes resting against his cheeks as though he was going to do as Reno asked.

Reno hummed, before bending down and picking up his brother, hands grappling for purchase on Axel's bed clothes.

"Where's Mommy and Daddy?" he asked, looking around, clutching his little brother tightly to him.

Reno let out a yelp as Axel grabbed a lock of red hair and proceeded to chew on it. Reno wrinkled his nose.

He ambled over to the rocking chair and scooted onto it, holding Axel like he'd been taught by his mother.

"You're not so bad, I guess," Reno murmured.

Axel smiled, like a huge maw had opened in his mouth. His eyes sparkled and his head weaved side to side, and it really was endearing, for some odd reason.

"Well, maybe I like you a little bit," Reno murmured, sleepily blinking his eyes. With each passing moment, Axel felt heavier and heavier.

And then, Reno fell asleep, a little baby in his arms.

Some minutes later, Reno's mother walked into the room, a bottle of formula in her hands.

Upon seeing her youngest in the arms of Reno, she smiled, and set the bottle down, gently taking a sleeping Axel and placing him back in his crib.

Then, she picked up Reno, grunting a little at the weight, and took him back to his own room, tucking him in, Reno snoozing all the while.

"See now," she murmured. "I told you you'd get to liking him."