Chapter 71 - Sixty-Nine

By reflex I take my hand off, that second being enough for Aeglos to escape my grasp, jumping back towards my brother, massaging his neck; he will definitely have a mark later.

"Came back here you coward and fight me!"

"No! I don't want to fight you! You just have to calm down and-"

"Oh, calm down, CALM DOWN?! Not when you f.u.c.k.i.e.d my brother behind my back you sly fox!"

"Brother, stop!" My brother says, standing in front of him.

"Hunthor, get the f.u.c.k away from him, right now!"

"No! You don't tell me what to do!"

I bare my teeth at him, but on the contrary of what I expected and what he used to do my brother bares his fangs back, not cowering even though I've always won against him.

By instinct we curve our backs and spread your legs, ready to pounce at each other, feeling the adrenaline pulsate hard in my veins and a fierce fire burn in both our gazes, my shadows curving and turning as if eager to leap out and attack, at the same time that balls of fire erupted around my brother and hovered around him like little living things, the usual invisible markings shinning a bright red against his skin as if he had tattoos of his own.

I could feel myself salivate in expectation of a good fight as I did before every chase, my anger threatening to overtake my senses.

And yet… some not as animalistic part of me was still aware enough to not let me hurt my own brother, my own flesh and blood, the one I would risk my life for without hesitation, the one I cared for so much… which led us to this stalemate where none attacked neither backed off.

"Brother, back off, let me teach this sly fox some manners."

"No! You are just going to hurt him, I won't allow it!"

"Allow it? He just used you!"

"I did not." Aeglos answers for him.

"Shut up, you will have enough time to grunt in pain later, so save your breath."

"He did not use me, who do you take me for?!" Says my brother, getting annoyed and angry as well.

"Of course he did, you are too naïve for your own good."

"Pff, oh, come on, seriously? That bullshit needs to stop."

"Language."

"No, don't give me that, now you listen to me, I'm not naïve, I'm not a child anymore, can't you see?!"He opens his arms, as to make his point clear, but I could see his eyes watering, which did not help his cause.

"You are far too young to understand such things! Can't you see that he used that against you?!"

"No! Stop! J-just stop, ok?! Can't you trust me a little bit more? You have always been like this, always thought low of me, as if I could not even decide when to play with someone…!"

"That's what I'm saying, is not a pla-"

"No! Even if it was you who trained me, who taught me, doesn't it show how little trust you have in me and in your own teachings?!"

"And it is wrong to worry about you?"

"Is that you worry too much, is suffocating, and for what? You don't even trust me." At that some sneaky tears manage to roll down his cheeks, being angrily wiped out from his face.

"Is just that you don't know what the a.d.u.l.t game implies, and don't even know love-"

"Don't know love?" He cuts me short, angrier than before. "Then tell me, do you know about it? Or rather, no, never mind, I'm done, there is no point in talking with you if you don't want to listen, let's gone Aeglos." He says, pulling him by the arm.

"You are not going anywhere with him!" My brother turns as we growl at each other again.

"I am, you are not my freaking owner to tell me what to do! I hate you!"

He turns, ignoring my protests, sulking like a scowled child and disappearing from my sight, making me want to punch something at the same time that cry rivers on the side.

Leo was beside methe whole time, giving me space but close enough to let me know that he was there; probably to stop me from making a grave mistake I bet; as I mumble under my breath.

"T-that is the first we fight, that we seriously fight…"

Now that my anger was starting to subside a little I could properly discern the situation with a strange sensation growing in me, and it was not a good feeling, like I lost something that, for sure, I would not be able to get back, I just wasn't so sure of what that thing was.

"I… I need some time to think, alone."

I barely see him nod as I walk outside, my mind full as I keep shaking my head in negation, but worst then knowing that my brother had taken part in such lewd acts behind my back was the words he threw at me.

Never knew he thought of me in such a way… was I such a nuisance?

It was all… too much.

I wasn't sure what really bothered me the most, in the end, and maybe he was right, maybe I still saw him as a child, maybe I still thought that I needed to protect him for the world, that he was not ready to choose someone, to have s.e.x even.

When did he grow up I wonder…

My day was lost as I spend it entirely thinking about what just happen, a heavyweight on my chest as I walk around the house and garden.

Today was hot and promising for some rain in the afternoon, but I could not care less as my eyes kept staring at the view, unfocused as my mind seemed to buzz with too many thoughts.

I end up on top of a tall tree on the back that had the side glued to the end of the house, curved a little sideways and making it easier to hop on and have a nice view of the clearing.

The whole place looked like it was amidst in the sky with the mist surrounded it as thick as clouds, hidden even more with the tall old trees around, their tops poking out of the white fog.

At the center of it all stood our little hidden base, the lights being turned on little by little through all the house, shinning from the windows and illuminating the garden as the sky darkened, making me look up at the palette of magical colors standing on top of my head.

The blue and purple were mixing together with the dark orange-red as the ball of flame turned white and disappeared on the horizon behind the trees, only to increase the shadow on the clouds, making it all worthy of a photograph; no, only a painting would be able to engrave such great mixture of colors.

Now I'm just avoiding the subject, aren't I?

I sigh, looking down, wiggling my legs on the air and feeling my head and shoulders heavy.

With my arms close in front of me and supporting my chin I fell depressed all of sudden. I mean, since I have been reborn in this strange world I have always stayed with my brother, almost every second of the day. Not having him around, beside me, was weird, like losing a limb; even if you knew it was not there, you could still feel it, enough to be reminded every time that you looked beside you that he was not there.

I guess I never thought that way… every time so worried about my brother, about how to keep him safe, that I never thought, I never imagined…

How depended of him I was, if, in the end, I was not the one who needed him all this time, that clung to him…

Was I that scared? Of being alone?

No… It was not that either, but… Sigh, I don't know, and I'm tired of thinking about it right now, is only feeding the anguish in my heart that's wants to spread.

At that I hear a rustle of leaves under me, making me look down only to see the one I expected to; Leonel.

"…"

"…"

We only look at each other for some time until he says:

"Can I come up?" I look for a little longer then nod, sitting more to the side as he goes and climbs the tree too from the back.

He sits beside me as we stay in a comfortable silence for a while, the cold night breeze brushing the hair out of our faces, the moon illuminating the garden in front of us as our gaze wandered.

I, however, notice that he had his hands tight together at the front, and he looked a little uncomfortable.

I sigh, and ask: "Aren't you cold?"

"…Yes."

Of course, up here, in the middle of the night, with his night garments, he would end up with a cold. Sighing again I grab his arm, surprising him, and intertwine our fingers in a strong grip, our arms touching until the shoulder, warming his already cold skin quickly with my hot body.

"Thanks." He says, and I just hum back.

"Want to tell me why did you run all the way up here?" I move in place, getting closer as his company helped out to easy out the sadness that wanted to grow on me, feeling embarrassed as I answer:

"My brother is terrible at climbing…"

He gives a soft chuckle "Hum… I see…"

"Do you… do you want to talk about it?" He asks after a while.

I look down, thinking: "I don't even know what to say."

"Hm… Then I will talk." That makes me look at him, only to see his unfocused gaze, an empty expression covering his face, making the anguish that I felt before take a chunk of my core.

I waited for him to speak, a frown on my face and afraid of what I would hear.

He took a deep breath, then looked straight into my eyes, a strange dull glint at his usually vivid golden gaze:

"I won't tell you what to do or how to act but…I… I was scared."

That makes me blink quickly a few times, doubting my ears for a second as I turn towards him and take his hands on mine.

"Scared? You? Of what?" Never thought I would hear such words coming from Leonel's mouth.

"Of finding myself in the past. Of having lost you again… to your anger."

Only when he speaks the last part I understand which past he was referring too; about his other life, before he was reborn, with the other me.

"I have seen that expression too many times to count, but not in this life, and that got my worried and… well, I have decided that I will help you manage our anger."

"Oi, don't you think I should have a saying on that? What if I don' want nor think I needed such a thing uhm? I can control my anger just fine."

He raises an eyebrow, looking straight at me, making me fidget, uncomfortable under his intense gaze. He smiles, teasing:

"Is that so…?

"What? Don't you think I can't?"

He doesn't make a very trusting expression, making my puff some smoke out of my nose.

"If I didn't I would have shredded my brother to pieces."

"And how far were you from that?"

That shuts my mouth.

"Is very simple my little hound…" He says, passing the tip of his fingers on the side of my face. "If you think you don't need it, then my help will pass quickly as you will pass everything with high scores. You got nothing to lose."

"Still I don't like it." Is like admitting I have a problem with it; which I don't; and worst that I cannot deal with it on my own.

Plus is giving him some control over my life, over my actions, and I don't know if I was ready for that.

"Please Thilgon." He says then, almost pleading, joining our foreheads together and closing his eyes. "Even if you think you don't need it please let me do it, it would make me more at easy."

Now now, throwing the "if not for you do it for me" at me Leonel? Do you think that will work at your favor now do you?

Because damn…

You are totally right.

"Humf, do what you need too, I don't care." At that he chuckles.

*****

Last week to get your badass T-shirt!! (and now with a store!)

bonfire.com/store/writers-store/

And many of you asked for the, *cough cough*, details about Hunthor and Aeglos relationship, and let me tell ya… it was supposed to be an exclusive extra for the payable version…. BUT! Since I have a kind soul…

MC:*cough* Were? *cough*

Shut up, I mean- as I was saying, I will put those extras chapters exclusively on Tapas and some more! Can we reach 300 subscribers?! (and is all for FREE) ۹(ÒہÓ)۶

(though the extras are not completed yet :P )

Sooo see ya Friday!!

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Oh, and the Halloween special is turning out to be uhm uhm of nhami hehe! Will post it as soon as it is done on TAPAS too!

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