Absence

(inspired by MLP:FIM episode "Look Before You Sleep")

    One morning, Ansem told Ienzo he was going with his friend Mickey to visit his world and that Braig and Aeleus were accompanying him. "We'll return long after you've gone to sleep. Behave yourself for Even and Dilan."
    "Yes, Master."
    "I know you will."
    After finding out that he would be responsible for the boy for an entire day, Even took precaution to the extreme. "Even, what are you doing?" Dilan asked as he walked into the lab and found Even covering Ienzo in bubble wrap.
    "I just don't want him getting hurt," Even explained.
    Dilan shook his head. "That isn't how one takes care of a child." He unwrapped the bubble wrap and put it in Ienzo's hands. "Here. Play with it." He popped one of the bubbles to demonstrate.
    "Are you trying to annoy me?" Even asked accusingly.
    "Maybe...I mean, no."
    Ienzo looked from one to the other, anticipating an argument. There wasn't one, but he decided against popping the bubbles to avoid making trouble. "Will the two of you play with me?" he asked uncertainly. He didn't usually play much like a normal child, and he thought this was his chance to bond with Dilan and Even.
    "I don't have anything for you to do in here. I'm just writing a research paper today," Even admitted. "Unless...do you want to find these books for me?" He handed Ienzo a list of several books he needed for reference.
    "Sure." Ienzo went to the library to search first.
    "This isn't playing. You're just using him to get work done," Dilan pointed out.
    "But it made him happy," Even protested, seeing nothing wrong with it.
    "Can he even reach the shelves those books are on?"
    "He shouldn't have any trouble. Why don't you go check on him?"
    "If he falls off a ladder or something..."
    "Then my bubble wrap idea wasn't crazy, now was it?"
    Dilan caught up with Ienzo in the library. "What did you want to do today?"
    "I don't know. I just wanted to spend time with you," Ienzo replied.
    "Well, after we're done getting these books to Even, you can help me in the kitchen. Just don't touch any of the knives, all right?"
    "Okay."
    Dilan picked up the stack of books they'd collected. "He can put these back himself when he's done."
    "Let me carry some," Ienzo insisted.
    "Are you sure? They're kind of heavy." Ienzo nodded, so Dilan handed him the thinner volumes. "You know, you're not as little as you seem. I keep forgetting that."
    Ienzo smiled. "I won't be small forever. Someday I'll be able to carry that many books by myself."
    "So you will, so you will. But until that time, I'm happy to help."
    Later on, Even took a break and checked on the two of them in the kitchen. "You've gone and made a huge mess," he exclaimed, exaggerating. "Who is going to clean all of it up?"
    "We are, of course," Dilan replied, not seeing why Even was making a big fuss about it.
    "You had better be teaching him to take responsibility for himself."
    "He's responsible enough to clean up after himself. Stop worrying and eat already."
    The three ate their meal in silence. Afterward, Ienzo cleaned the counter-top and table while Dilan and Even washed, dried, and put away the dishes. "Now will you play with me?" he asked when they were done.
    "No rough-housing after supper," Even responded. "Or at all, for that matter."
    "I'd go easy on you if you really wanted to," Dilan conceded when Ienzo looked disappointed.
    "Dilan! He's just a child," Even objected sharply.
    "You think I don't know that? I wouldn't go all out on someone like him."
    Ienzo was beginning to give up on the three of them having fun together like normal people. He was about to suggest they play I Spy or Jenga when Even unexpectedly gave in on the rough-housing idea.
    He brought out some spare pillows from the linen closet for them to use as padding. "Fine. But His Lordship left me in charge and I'm going to make sure no one gets hurt, even if you decide to play at being savages."
    Dilan couldn't take it anymore. He picked up a pillow and threw it at the back of Even's head when he wasn't looking. "Ow! Why, you-!"
    "That was satisfying...Oh no!" He hadn't expected Even to pick up the pillow and retaliate, using it as a club instead of a projectile. Dilan picked up another pillow to defend himself.
    All the while, Ienzo was watching them, not daring to join in as he didn't know whose side he should be on. Ansem should have been more worried about their behavior than his, it seemed. He quietly got up and walked away to go read by himself and wait for the two of them to notice. They soon did and found him in his room. "Ienzo, don't disappear like that," Even scolded. "How many times have I told you?"
    "I just wanted us to have a fun day like a normal family," Ienzo muttered. "But we're not normal, are we?"
    "No, we're not," Dilan admitted. "But normal family members do on occasion fight and argue like we've been doing."
    "And they worry when one of their own goes missing," Even added. "The reason we were arguing had a lot to do with how much we care about you in our own ways."
    "We're sorry that we let it get in the way of actually taking care of you."
    "So what would you like to do now? Do you want us to tuck you in?"
    "Or do you want to actually play hide-and-seek?"
    Ienzo grinned and picked up his pillow. "Pillow fight!"
    "Every man for himself!" Dilan shouted, dodging.
    "Not in the face!" Even warned.
    When the other three returned home, they found a pillow fort in the living room with Dilan, Even, and Ienzo asleep on the floor. "I'd say that worked out nicely," Ansem remarked.