#hare becile

The Jack blinked, feeling himself coming back online. His internal clock indicated that it was almost three in the morning. Which couldn't be true, he was programmed to wake up at six a.m. sharp.

Something was wrong, he could feel it in his gears. He looked up anxiously and was met with a strange picture: the door of his room was open, the light of the corridor blinding, a little shape silhouetted in the door frame.

"I threw up." stated Ignatius in an even tone.

The Jack blinked, not quite processing what was going on. Then it came back to him: Iggy. The five years old quiet boy who was living with them for the past few weeks now. Jack wasn't used to it yet...

It had been so weird... one morning it was just them, Pops' and the staff... And the next, they were tasked to keep an eye on the family's heir.

Not that they had complained! Hare had immediatly nicknamed Ignatius Iggy, becaues Ignatius wasn't a suited name for such a tiny boy. The Skull was always trying to keep the kid from falling or bumping into things, which wasn't easy because Iggy looked like he was living in another dimension half the time.

And Jack...

"Jack. I threw up." insisted Iggy.

"Right... sorry, Iggy. Alright, let's see what I can do."

Jack stood up and walked to the kid. God, he was so tiny compared to him... The bots crouched down and picked up Iggy in his arms. The poor kid looked awful: too pale, his night shirt dirty, his eyes glassy, his cheeks flushed...

"Are you sick, Iggy?" gently whispered Jack, carrying Iggy to the bathroom.

But the kid just hummed, he wasn't very chatty boy. Jack had never met someone so quiet and... still. Iggy could spend hours staring at nothing until someone finds him. He never complained either, not when he was hungry, not when he was tired, not when he was bored... Sometimes, Jack wondered if Iggy always had been like that or if his mother leaving him at the manor was the reason why he was so... well behaved.

But it wasn't important now. Right now, Iggy was sick and had went to Jack for help. For the first time ever! It was making him a bit nervous, but he would do his best!

"Alright! Let's get you clean up!" said Jack with as much cheerfullness as he could muster, propping Iggy next to the sink.

Iggy sniffled pityfully, but didn't bat an eye. He let Jack run a washcloth on his face, change his night clothes and made him drink a bit.

"There! Better?" asked the bot with a reassuring smile.

Iggy didn't answered, but he slumped foward to rest against The Jack's chest.

"You're warm..."

Jack chuckled, resting a hand on Iggy's head.

"Of course I am, I run on coal! And I bet you are warm too, but from a fever. Come on, let's get you back to bed."

Iggy whined lowly and grabbed the front of the bot's shirt in his thight grip.

"Don't leave me..." he whispered so low Jack thought he had imagined him.

"O-oh... O-of course not! I am staying as long as you want! Do you... do you want to sleep with me tonight?"

The kid didn't answer but locked his arms around Jack's neck. So, taking it as a "yes", Jack carried him back to the bot's room, settling for some soothing cuddles;

"Good night, little Iggy..."

Jack felt... good. Very good. He had been terrified of accidently hurting Inatius when they had been tasked to take care of him. But turned out, Jack was very good at it! The ultimate proof was that Iggy always came to him when he was distressed.

And Jack was vey proud of that.

The Skull was scared. No. He was terrified. And it didn't happened often. But this situation... it was geniunely distressing.

Because having the responsability to keep a tiny human alive was overwhelming.

Thankfully, Ignatius was an easy kid to keep alive. He never ran away, he never put himself into dangerous situations. All Skull had to do was to remember to tell the kid to take care of himself: sleep, eat, bath, study. Easy.

The Skull didn't except for more. He had taken very early the duty to protect the family. Especially againt Master Becile. And between all of them, Ignatius needed it the most. Hare and Jack weren't stupid, they could see the abuse. But not the kid. Not yet.

So, that was what he did: making sure Iggy was healthy and safe. For the rest, Jack and Hare could handle it. But Iggy wasn't a normal kid.

For some reason, Ignatius had decided to follow him everywhere for the last few days. His little bare feet - he refused to keep any shoes or socks on for some reasons - padding behind him relentlessly.

Skull had no idea why the five years old was doing that. Skull had given him everything he had on him which could interest a little boy: food, trinkets, pieces of paper, money...

"What do you want?" sighed Skull after another day of feeling Ignatius' presence behind him.

The child walked to him, throwing his head backward to look at The Skull right in the eyes. Then, he raised his arms in a silent demand.

Skull was stunned. He knew what this request was. Everyone who interacted with a young child knew it. But Skull didn't act on it. Because...

Why?

The Skull was scary. He was a tall, strong, intimidating bot without a face. Hare didn't find the name "Skull" for nothing. People didn't go near him. Kids didn't go near him. And they certaintly didn't request...

"Up." said Ignatius, making grabby hands.

"... up?"

Ignatius nodded once, firm and stubborn, pushing on his tiptoes like he could reach Skull's neck with just a little effort. This made Skull caved: he bent down and picked up the boy.

His grip was stable despite his nervousness. This was a dangerous height for such a young kid. If he dropped him... But no, Ignatius snuggled against him, pressing his face against The Skull's neck with a tiny sigh of contentment.

"Is this enough? Can I put you down now?"

Ignatius didn't answer verbally but shook his head like it was an absurd thing to say. The Skull sighed and went on with his day, still carrying the kid in his arms.

They spent hours like this. The Skull sometimes shifting the kid in his hold when he needed one of his hands or both. Ignatius holding on like the bot was a lifeline.

At some point, The Skull forget that he was holding him. Sure, he was conscious of the weight... But Ignaitus was a very quiet and still kid. Easy to get used to his presence.

At the end of the day, Skull sat down to practice his knitting. But when he looked down, he was greeted by two big round inexpressive eyes. Ignatius raised a hand and pressed it on one of The Skull's optic.

"No, I don't feel that. But be careful to not be pinched by my eyelid."

Ignatius' eyes widened his eyes. Skull didn't know it was possible. But Ignatius was truely fascinated. He started patting and tracing the bot's face.

"I know. It isn't..."

"It's pretty." stated Iggy.

It was Skull's turn to widen his eyes, but in surprise. Then, he looked away to grab his knitting project. Which made Iggy chuckled in a low vibrating tone.

The night was spent like this. The Skull knitting, Iggy laying on his lap so he could play with the soft yarn or trace every details of Skull's face.

Hare sprung from behind the couch and grabbed the passing kid to hold him high and spin him in the air to hear him screech in delight. But of course, the kid being Iggy, he didn't screech in delight. He just blinked at Hare with his big round owlish eyes.

"You're no fun, kiddo." grumbled Hare, puffing some smoke while positionning Iggy in a better hold.

Iggy coughed when passing through the cloud of smoke but didn't comment, just resting his head on Hare's shoulder. Which was unnaceptable!

Not that Hare was against cuddles, the kid seemed to need it, but it was just downright unfair! Contrary to populary belief, Hare was great with kids! The rare ones attending the Smokin' Blokes' performances always wanted to see and interact with him over the other two. But not Iggy. Never Iggy.

Iggy would run to The Jack whenever he was upset - which was often, Hare knew it even if the kids had the same facial expressions than a marble statue - and he could spend hours perched on The Skull out of curiosity.

But Iggy rarely seeked Hare, despite his best efforts. Heck! The only time Hare would carry the kid is when one of the other two would hand him the kid or if he grabbed the kid himself. At least didn't cringed when Hare touched him like when Pops' did, but still! It wasn't fair.

What was he doing wrong?

Hare looked down at Iggy, who was busy at staring his little shoelaces like they hold the secret of the universe. Hare sighed in defeat and sat down on the carpet, putting the kid in his lap.

"What am I goin' to do with you, mh?" he asked rethorically.

It wasn't because Iggy didn't like him much that Hare would push him away. The kid is so young, and tiny, and all alone... There was no way Hare would give up on his kiddo!

So, he took out a poker chip from his pocket and rolled it on his knuckles out of boredom. Click click click click... Back and forth. It was soothing, a way to focus on something else. But Iggy suddenly froze against him, like he was shocked.

"Kid? You're alright?" worried Hare.

Iggy slowly looked up to Hare, his head leaning back. And there... in the deep of his iris: fascination.

"What? What is it?"

Without looking away, Iggy put his little hand on Hare's. The one with the poker chip.

"Mh? You like that?" asked Hare, making the chip rolled on his knuckles again.

Iggy's eyes brighten and a very very very small smile appeared on his lips.

"Well well well! Looks like your good ol' Hare can still show you some new stuff. Want to try it?"

Iggy nodded eagerly, still silent but clearly excited. Hare grinned and flipped the kid's position so they face each other. The next twenty minutes were dedicated to Hare teaching Iggy the poker chip trick. And when Iggy grew bored of it, Hare switched for card tricks.

Turned out the kid had a real passion for Hare's tricks. And Hare... loved seeing this little boy looking up at him like Hare was the greatest person he had ever met!