A breath he hadn’t known he had been holding was released, slowly, on a shaky exhale as his brother climbed through the window. After the concerns he had just admitted, after everything (and nothing) that he now knew, the fact that Nigredo would close the distance between them was encouraging. Maybe the gesture had been small, something meant more to pacify him than something sincerely felt, but Jr. would take what he could get.
Biting back yet again on the impulse to reach out (his usual hands-on approach was going to be a difficult habit to break now), he moved forward toward the window, turning around to lean his hip against the intact sill. With Albedo in his peripheral vision and Nigredo before him, he listened to the youngest brother’s logic with an amused, fond smile. At least that hadn’t changed.
But Nigredo’s next words wiped the smile clean from his face. Something else that hadn’t changed, then. He couldn’t allow this, though, couldn’t even pretend he was relieved to hear such words. He tried to keep his expression light, tried not to let his misplaced anger show, and yet his mouth curved downward regardless, a sharp dip to his brows. Almost incredulously, he echoed, “I don’t have to do anything for you.”
This was a sentiment he wouldn’t tolerate.
“No, you listen.” The parlay was broken and Jr., unthinkingly, reached forward to place his hand on Nigredo’s shoulder. “You have no idea what you’ve done for me, what you’ve always done for me. I may not have had most of those experiences with you yet, and you may have had pretty damn awful experiences from the other ones, but you’re my brother. You’re my best friend.” Gently, he squeezed Nigredo’s shoulder, eyes bright. “I want make this better, easier. For both of you. I just need your help in getting there. Okay?”
The fact that Nigredo chose not to blame him, or them, wasn’t something he could even start on right now. With time, however, that was something else he knew he had to address.
no subject
Biting back yet again on the impulse to reach out (his usual hands-on approach was going to be a difficult habit to break now), he moved forward toward the window, turning around to lean his hip against the intact sill. With Albedo in his peripheral vision and Nigredo before him, he listened to the youngest brother’s logic with an amused, fond smile. At least that hadn’t changed.
But Nigredo’s next words wiped the smile clean from his face. Something else that hadn’t changed, then. He couldn’t allow this, though, couldn’t even pretend he was relieved to hear such words. He tried to keep his expression light, tried not to let his misplaced anger show, and yet his mouth curved downward regardless, a sharp dip to his brows. Almost incredulously, he echoed, “I don’t have to do anything for you.”
This was a sentiment he wouldn’t tolerate.
“No, you listen.” The parlay was broken and Jr., unthinkingly, reached forward to place his hand on Nigredo’s shoulder. “You have no idea what you’ve done for me, what you’ve always done for me. I may not have had most of those experiences with you yet, and you may have had pretty damn awful experiences from the other ones, but you’re my brother. You’re my best friend.” Gently, he squeezed Nigredo’s shoulder, eyes bright. “I want make this better, easier. For both of you. I just need your help in getting there. Okay?”
The fact that Nigredo chose not to blame him, or them, wasn’t something he could even start on right now. With time, however, that was something else he knew he had to address.