#would return th gesture given tha chance.......

[trainingdummyrabbit]

Same anon as before. Just wanted to add that I find you endearing. Want to do nice things for you, and stuff like cooking is a form of care.

Hope i'm not being too much. No idea if saying things like this is odd or offputting.

WHWHBHGBGBGG MODS ???? MODS!!!! MODS HEL

[odderancyart]

On a Never Resting Sea

Chapter XVIII: Making Up?

First Last Next

AO3

Summary: Razz, the heir of the Beobyrian Empire, is on his way home from a diplomatic mission as his ship gets attacked by pirates. Suddenly he finds himself taken as hostage, and it doesn’t seem like the pirates are planning to exchange him for a ransom anytime soon. How annoying.

Warnings:  violence, death, blood, hostage holding, kidnapping, prostitution

The next morning Razz woke up with the sun. Like always. Which was still not exceptionally early since the days still were short this time of year. Throwing his legs over the bed’s edge, he slipped down on the floor. It was warm. That was something he had noticed; the brothel never went under a comfortable temperature. Even with the freezing winter outside. Even as meter-high snow piled up along the streets. After slipping on his silk house robe over his nightgown he went out into the suit’s parlour. Blueberry was sleeping soundly on the couch, curled up beneath a duvet Razz had given him.

It almost seemed a shame to wake him up, but it had to be done. His assistance was needed. Shaking him gently was all Razz had to do; Blueberry immediately blinked drowsily before sitting up. The other rubbed his sockets with his arm and smiled sleepily.

“Morning, m’lord,” he yawned while stretching out his arms behind him. Razz only nodded in reply, although he couldn’t help but smile back. Only a little.

Two knocks came from the door, signalling their breakfast had been delivered. The same time as it had been every day since he ordered it. As Blueberry went to get dressed – he slept in an old night robe – Razz opened the door and carried it inside. It smelled marvellously. A cup of coffee for him and tea for Blueberry who didn’t like coffee, and a couple sandwiches as well as two muffins. It was a luxurious breakfast after Sarynthia, and generally a luxurious one for Blueberry. Especially the coffee. It had to be delivered from the Eastern continent and it was a long journey. Yet, everything seemed to be sold in this port – for the right price – so he hadn’t been too surprised over finding it here.

Probably through robberies of the official merchant ships. But that was none of Razz’s concern. Not right now. Not until he got home and on his throne.

While they ate breakfast, staff began to arrive to fill up the bathtub. He had ordered it yesterday. Directly after breakfast, he wanted a bath. A few staff members threw them gazes. Jealous, happy, suspicious, and curious gazes. Blueberry waved in reply to a few and shrank beneath others. Every time that happened Razz would glare at the onlooker until they stopped minding others’ business.

When the breakfast was finished and the tub was full, Razz gathered every beauty product he had left. It wasn’t terribly many, sadly enough. Many had been lost in the sea, or used at the ship. Nevertheless, he still had a bottle perfume left, a bar of bluebell-scented soap – his favourite – and even some makeup. Both soap and makeup were things which his maids usually would have carried, but for some reason it was here anyway. A wrong placement while packing to return home, probably.

Well in the warm water, he cleaned every part of his body, and Blueberry helped him reach places he could not. His bones would shine. As soon as he was done, he put on his robe again and they’d left for the bedroom. In there, Blueberry had the day before putting up a couple dresses on hangers. Smiling as he saw them, Razz let his hand travel over the soft fabrics. Silk, fur, linen…

So many dressed he hadn’t been able to wear before because he needed help to put them on. How lucky he had Blueberry now.

“WHICH ONE DO YOU THINK, BLUEBERRY?” he asked, turning toward the other. Blueberry looked slightly startled, but immediately walked up to him. Studied the dresses. He handled them carefully, just like Red had done. Razz swallowed at the thought.

“How about this one, m’lord?” Blueberry asked, holding out a yellow gown. Razz shook his head.

“TOO SIMPLE, AND THE COLOUR IS TOO BRIGHT. I SHALL DAZZLE HIM.”

A nod was all he received in reply before the other kept looking. A couple more dresses were held out, and all got a no. By now, Razz had begun to look through them himself too. He needed the perfect dress to get this revenge. This small, yet sweet, revenge. Just as he was wondering whether he could wear the dark blue promenade dress, Blue held up another one.

“And this?” he said. Without bothering to stop himself, Razz felt a grin grow on his face. He nodded sharply, and Blueberry looked proud.

This would certainly do.

Hours later, they’d sent message to Sarynthia that they’d expect Red at two o’clock. They sat by the dinner table, playing a round of cards. Another party of canasta. Blueberry was very good at it; he told Razz he’d taught his friends at the brothel and they’d played together. A porcelain pot with mulled, spiced wine stood on the table, three cups ready.

The match was just getting serious, and they both seemed to be about to win, as their game was interrupted by a knock on the door. It wasn’t the knock of someone at the brothel. Therefore, it must be Red. Razz’s nerves felt jittery and his soul jumped as he stood up and gestured for the other to open the door. As Blueberry went to do so, he smoothed out his skirts and corrected the placement of his necklace. He took a deep breath. Perfect. Everything was perfect, and so was he, and if this went badly then it was Red who was missing out.

Blueberry threw him a glance, silently asking for permission to open. He nodded, and the door slid open. Clenching his hands behind his back, Razz looked at Red. Then he forced himself to relax and gave the other a polite smile. Nothing more than polite, though.

From the other side of the threshold, Red looked nervous. As he should. His hands were buried deep in his pockets and his grin was strained as he stepped in. His gaze caught on Razz, and he froze in the middle of his step. Stared at him. At the evening length, wine red, layered, deeply wine-red gown and the dark blue jewels around his neck and arms. At his face, where Blueberry had used a makeup coal pen to put focus on his sockets. Razz’s smile grew just a tad.

“GOOD AFTERNOON, RED,” he greeted pleasantly, and gestured at the table. “PLEASE SIT DOWN, OR THE MULLED WINE WILL GET COLD.”

His voice seemed to wake Red up. The other twitched, and nodded quickly.

“m’lord,” he replied, voice seeming to almost waver a little, before he went to take place at the table. Razz did the same, and Blueberry too. He had already been assured that Razz wanted him to be there. Red fiddled with the cotton napkin, not quite looking at eitheeither of them. Without bothering to taking notice on it, Razz nodded to Blueberry.

“WILL YOU SERVE THE WINE, BLUEBERRY?” he commanded. The other did so with a steady hand, and soon the goblets were steaming. Taking one of them and smutting on the warm wine, he studied the newcomer. As he did, his smile turned smaller but more triumphant. Red kept staring at him, not even noticing the goblet.

Clearing his throat slightly, Razz looked pointedly at the goblet, “SHAN’T YOU DRINK, RED? I IMAGINE YOU MUST FREEZE AFTER HAVING BEEN OUTSIDE. YOU PEOSANIRA CAN’T BE USED TO THIS CHILLY WEATHER AFTER ALL.”

He held back a chuckle as the other twitched and looked down at the cup. Red fumbled slightly as he took it and drank. With how fast he did it, it must’ve burned; the wine was near scalding. Glancing to the side, he could see that Blueberry was also smiling, looking a tad smug. A bit awkward and uncomfortable, but there was indeed a certain smugness over his expression as well. Red didn’t put down the cup as he had finished drinking. Instead he held it with both his hands, as though he was warming them on it, and stared into the red beverage.

“’t is,” he agreed quietly. His tone was full of longing. “’t’s Red nothin’ like peosana. even yer summers ain’t ‘specially warm ‘ere. th' winters…. they're awful.”

The way he spoke was uncomfortably familiar to Razz. It was the same way he longed for his own homeland. The Mother knows how long Red and the crew had been away from their own. He frowned slightly at the thought, putting the goblet to his mouth again. Perhaps as a way not to have to speak quite yet.

It was their own fault for being here. They had a ship. They could return home at any time, in difference to Razz, who was held prisoner. To be fair, Aellwyn shared Beobyra’s border and much of their culture, but it wasn’t home. Especially not since he now lived in a pirate town’s brothel.

The room was uncomfortably quiet for a moment, none of them knowing what to say. Then, Red turned to Blueberry, “’n’ how are ya? i didn’ get th’ chance ta ask yesterday.”

“I’m fine, sir.” Blueberry’s voice was cheerful, but there was a new edge to it as he looked at Red. Red seemed to notice as well, with how his sockets widened slightly. One of Blueberry’s hands squeezed tightly around the goblet as he kept staring. “M’lord has been very kind to me.”

Shrinking back in his chair, just a little bit, Red nodded quickly. “good. tha’s… tha’s good.” There was another few beats of silence before he coughed awkwardly. Turning to Razz, he lingered on the first word as he hesitantly said, “ya… ya understand why we did ‘t, dontcha? ‘n’ ya… ya know tha’-“

“YES,” Razz broke him off. His voice was somewhat shaky and it was his turn to stare into the wine. The goblet was pleasantly warm in his hands. Taking in a deep breath, he looked up, straight at Red. “I DO. IT DOES NOT CONDONE WHAT YOU DID TO ME, WHAT YOU WERE PLANNING TO DO TO ME. BUT I DO UNDERSTAND WHY.” He sighed. “AND I BELIEVE YOU. THAT IT WASN’T ALL A TRICK. THAT YOU- THAT YOU ARE IN LOVE WITH ME.”

Once again, he had to force out the words. That he knew it didn’t mean he liked to admit it. Yet, as Red sank back into the wooden chair, his shoulders visibly sinking and face relaxing, Razz felt happy that he had told the truth. It was just a tiny, tiny pang of joy. It was enough. Then, as Red gazed at him with hope in his eyelights, his soul hurt. Red had betrayed him. Badly so. Nonetheless, he didn’t want to crush that hope.

Not when it made him feel a little lighter himself.

“’n’…” Red began, and his dark voice was insecure. He had finally put down the cup, and his hand was clenching on the table. “’n’ ya?”

Freezing at the question, Razz swallowed. And him? He wasn’t sure. A hand was placed on his femur under the table. Glancing to the side, he found that Blueberry was smiling encouragingly at him. His hand found the napkin, and he squeezed it between his fingers. Razz exhaled. “I DON’T KNOW.”

The hurt on Red’s face was obvious, but he took little notice of it as he continued, “I DON’T KNOW. I LOVED YOU. I DO MISS YOU, AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGEMENT. PERHAPS I DO STILL LOVE YOU. BUT I DON’T. KNOW. NOT FOR SURE.”

Red nodded quietly, not asking anything else. They all sat in silence as they finished their goblets. It wasn’t quite a comfortable one, but it wasn’t crushing either. Razz considered it an improvement. The wine truly was incredible, just like Muffet had promised when he asked about what hot beverages they could get. Much could be said about her, much, but she did know her food and drinks. At least the one he could get up here. Razz could still taste that disgusting wine from the bar on his tongue. Sour and rotten. Nothing at all like the sweetness of the mulled and spiced wine they drank now.

Eventually, their goblets were empty, and so was the pot. Red and Razz stared at each other, before Red averted his gaze. A scratching made Razz wince as the other stood up. Red nodded, and opened his mouth as to say something before he closed it again. He stepped backwards.

“i should go,” he said. “they’ll want me back a’ th’ ship. bye, blueberry. bye, r- m’lord.”

Nodding mutely, Razz stood up as well. His skirts rustled between his legs as he moved. A sound he normally loved, but now didn’t care for at all. Blueberry looked questioningly at him, but he shook his head slightly. The other didn’t move. Following Red to the door, as any good host would, Razz searched for words. He found none.

Red nodded again, stepping over the threshold. The door began to close for his hand. Staring after him, Razz exclaimed, “WAIT.”

The door froze in its tracks, and Red’s head immediately stuck out from behind it. Then he seemed to realize what he was doing and opened it entirely again instead.

“yeah?” he asked, sounding hopeful. Razz wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing as he clasped his hands behind his back tightly.

“PERHAPS YOU CAN TAKE ME ON A TOUR AROUND THIS TOWN?” he replied without thinking too much about it. “I HAVE BEEN LOCKED UP FOR SO LONG, IT WOULD BE NICE TO GET TO LOOK AROUND. I MISS THE SNOW,” he added for good measure.

The way Red’s face lit up was adorable, and the other smiled widely. As he was nodding eagerly, his eyelights burned brighter than before. “’m sure tha’ can be arranged. tho' ‘ow ya can miss th’ infernal snow, i can’t understan’. tomorrow a’ noon?”

Razz couldn’t help but smile back, hesitantly, as he nodded. They glanced at each other again, and then the door shut with a final thump. He stood unmoving for a couple seconds, just staring at the door, before turning around to face Blueberry. He was still smiling.

The next morning was hectic. Razz couldn’t help but being excited; both because he would be allowed outside again and because he’d see Red. There was still a big part of him that told him he shouldn’t be excited about it, but it was hard to help. A part of him, bigger than yesterday, held hopes that perhaps things could be cleared up. Go back to how they were. Perhaps not even that; he knew they couldn’t. He knew the truth now. Perhaps things could be good anyway.

Together with Blueberry he did his best to decide what to wear. The temperature was low outside, far below freezing, and the snow was even thicker than before. It had snowed during the night. He wanted to look beautiful, as always. Even more beautiful than usual since he was meeting with Red. Yet, he could not dress however he wanted. Pirate’s Port was a dangerous place and walking around in thick furs and bright colours would not be the smartest idea.

Eventually, they’d agreed on leather boots, black foddered trousers with a couple layers of warm shirts under and a hooded, light grey wool coat which only had fur lining at the sleeve ends, as well as a pair of foddered gloves. Warmth was essential, after all. Razz had no wish to catch frostbite or hypothermia while outside.

Admittedly, he wasn’t only excited. His soul was pounding hard in his chest and he couldn’t sit still. It felt like if he didn’t move he’d go insane. Blueberry watched him as he walked back and forth through the room. A smile was evident on the other’s face.

“It’s going to go fine, m’lord,” he assured Razz. Razz stopped, staring at him in suspicion. Was that laughter he had heard in the other’s voice? A patient smile was all he got in answer to his gaze. “Mr. Red will be so careful about messing this up, and you’ll get to see more of the town. Despite all the criminals, this is a nice town. Full of exotic and exciting things from all parts of Natéa.”

Only able to nod in reply, Razz continued his nervous promenade. His now only centimetre-high heels clicked against the floor – not even he found it ideal to walk in a meter’s worth of snow wearing high heels. Neither of them spoke again as they waited for Red to arrive.

Suddenly it knocked on the door, and both jumped in alarm. Swallowing, Razz went to sit down in an armchair. He crossed his legs and leaned backwards in a relaxed position before telling Blueberry to open the door. The other obeyed with an amused smile. When the door opened and Red stepped in, he made no hurry in standing up. Once he finally had, though, he walked up to Red with a nonchalant smile. Those eternal hours spent when he was a babybones trying to learn to control his expressions had truly payed off. He had hated it, but today he was quite grateful.

After greeting him, Red offered him his arm. Just like before Carai Zalû, Razz remembered. And just like back then, he thought that it ought to be him offering up his arm, as the one of higher status, but ignored the voice in his head and took it. Red beamed at him.

They turned toward the door, and Razz turned his head toward Blueberry who still was holding it open. “WE’LL BE BACK BEFORE DUSK. I’LL SEE YOU THEN.”

“Have fun, m’lord. Sir,” he nodded, smiling. He seemed a little kinder disposed to Red again. Still, Red’s title wasn’t said with the same fondness as Razz’s, and Razz couldn’t help but feel both happy and smug over that. He was quite sure Blueberry and Red had known each other for a couple years. Yet Blueberry seemed to prefer him, and not because of his title. Blueberry didn’t even know more about his title than that it was a noble one.

He nodded, and they left the suit. When they walked through the brothel, they got some curious gazes. Razz wasn’t sure why. A few even seemed sad, strangely enough. In the bar, Muffet was polishing a few glasses, and she gave them an oddly gleeful gaze when they passed by.

“Enjoy your sightseeing, dearies,” she called out after them. In the corner of his eye, Razz could see Red frowning in confusion. He only scowled. He didn’t like her at all. There was something very off about her, and it reminded him of certain nobles at the Court. The ones who’d do anything for power and money. When Red opened the front door, however, he forced those thought to the back of his mind.

The cold wind hit his face hard. Immediately biting his face and making him loose his breath for a short moment. Red ushered him outside before quickly closing the door again. Razz couldn’t help but smile as the chill pushed at him. The snow laid deep on the sides of the street, high as his waist. The few people outside were dressed in their warmest clothing, which admittedly wasn’t very warm for many. There were a few who looked blue from cold. Stepping to the side, he scooped up a handful of snow in his hand. Gods. Being outside again was wonderful. In the cold, the air was fresh. Therefore, although there still were disgusting smells floating in the air, they were not very prominent.

“where do ya wanna go?” Red asked him, and he shrugged. He was still staring at the newly fallen, white snow. The sun shone brightly at the clear-blue sky and cast light-dots into the air after reflecting in the snow.

“I DON’T KNOW,” Razz replied honestly. He had no idea what there was to do and see in a town like this. “YOU CAN CHOOSE.”

With a smile, Red offered him his arm again and nodded. As soon as he took it, he was led away from the brothel. The streets were relatively empty. Red said it was because market-day had been yesterday so most had done their business the other day. Yet there were quite a few out, and Razz could feel their eyes on his coat. It was the least fancy he had with him, and it was still nowhere near the low quality of most of the people on the streets. Luckily, no one seemed like they were going to rob them.

Red was smiling widely as they went through the streets, and they chatted quietly about neutral subjects. Red complained a bit about the cold and Razz rebuked that it was his own fault for not dressing warmly enough. If the poor folks of Beobyra and Aellwyn could survive from childhood then he was sure Red could do it as an adult, he said. Red only grumbled in reply and Razz held in a laugh.

He was shivering slightly, not dressed quite enough to entirely keep out the cold. It was many degrees below freezing, even if it wasn’t the coldest part of winter anymore. That was Midwinter. Which he had missed the celebration of. Due to not knowing which time of year it was he hadn’t even sent away a prayer to the Mother. Razz hoped She found it forgivable.

They reached a small, red-painted house with white corners and red tile roof. Outside, a sign depicting a cinnamon roll. Razz raised an eyebrow. A bakery? The house didn’t have a lot of windows, but the chimney was spitting smoke. A sign like the one outside Muffet’s, with the letters OPEN and a symbol of someone stepping in, hung on the door. Red opened it and gestured for him to step in. Warmth and the smell of fresh bread and melted sugar immediately filled his senses.

The inside was dark. Razz had to blink a couple times before his eyes got used enough for him to be able to see. When he did, however, his sockets grew wide. There was a desk, and behind it pastries and loafs of bread lied on display on shelves. Sugary and delicate. On the corner a few wooden tables stood, only one of them occupied. A human stood behind the desk, and she smiled at them when they came in.

“Welcome ter Sweets an’ Such,” she said. “Where’s yis brah’der, Red?”

“back a’ th’ ship, ‘m afraid. only me ‘n’ razz ‘ere this time,” Red replied, chuckling. He turned to Razz, grinning at him. “’ave ya ever been ta a bakery, razz?”

This time, he avoided twitching at the use of his name. It wasn’t like he could be called by a title out here anyway. He shook his head, “NO, I HAVEN’T.”

His pastries were delivered straight to him, after all, or to the dinner or tea room. There was no need for him to ever visit one. The human’s smile grew and she gestured toward the bread and pastries. “Well, you’re in luk den. Dis is the master bakery in town.”

“choose somethin’,” Red told him and looked at the human. “we eat ‘ere thi’ time.”

A short while later they were sitting by one of the small tables in the corner. They’d taken off their coats due to the warmth from the fire and two cups of warm ale stood at the table, as well as two semlas. It wasn’t something Red had eaten before. Yet Razz had insisted that it was delicious, so here they were. It did look tasty, he had to admit. White bread – which was expensive, whipped scream, marzipan, and icing sugar on top – which also was expensive. But most things could be found in Pirate’s Port. Usually for either a much higher or slightly lower price than normal.

Since Alva, the owner of the bakery, liked order and cleanliness, there were napkins on every table. With a smile, he watched Razz putting it in his lap. Then he looked slightly confused. “WHERE IS THE CUTLERY?”

“there’s none,” Red replied, forcing himself not to grin. He didn’t want to make Razz angry with him again. Not now when he’d gotten a second chance. The other frowned, but sighed.

“Barbaric,” Red thought he heard him mumble but he took the little bread top of his semla and dipped it into the cream before putting in his mouth. Curious, Red followed suit. His sockets widened. Woah. This was truly delicious and he regretted never having eaten it before.

Eating a semla was a bit messy, but worth it. Red wiped some cream off his cheek with his sleeve before looking at Razz again. His soul fluttered nervously as he smiled. “so how’s livin’ wi’ blueberry?”

Razz smiled, and licked some marzipan from his teeth. Red froze momentarily at the action. “IT’S GOOD. GOOD FOOD AND PLEASANT LIVING ARRANGEMENTS AND BLUEBERRY IS A VERY NICE PERSON TO LIVE WITH.”

“good. tha’s good.” He realized himself that his voice was strained. Awkward. Taking a deep breath, he tried to force himself to relax. It was just so nice to see Razz smiling at him again and he didn’t want to mess up. There was still a certain edge even in smiles that were sincere and he knew he did only have so many chances to win Razz’s trust again.

“SAY, RED,” Razz began, and Red breathed a sigh of relief. That the other started a conversation ought to be a good sign, wasn’t it? “YOUR TATTOOS. WHY DID YOU GET THEM?”

Chuckling, Red folded up a shirt sleeve to show off his tattooed radius and ulna. A sea snake stretched out over the ulna and the radius was covered with stars. When he looked up, he saw that Razz was studying them. He looked curious.

“well, ‘t’s said t’ mean luck on sea,” he explained. “t’ tattoo places where ya’ve been ‘n’ maps o’ th’ world. but since i don’t really ‘ave a lot o’ place to create full maps ‘n’ all, i have stars. ‘n’ then, o’ course, most o’ us likes ta brag a lil’ ‘bout all th’ places we’ve been ta by tattooin’ symbols fer them. like a tree fer waeldé ‘n’ a sword fer beobyra.”

“WHAT’S PEOSANA?” Razz seemed genuinely intrigued.

He smiled. “a diamond.”

While he realized it came from their mines, what formerly had been one of their biggest industries, Red had always thought it was the perfect symbol. Peosana was a diamond. Lovely and precious and impossible to break. Because they weren’t broken. Just weak, and only for now. They’d come back one day. Somehow.

They finished their pastries and stood up. His soul skipped a beat in excitement when Razz allowed him to help him on with his coat. As they left the bakery, Alva yelled after them, “Come back soon!”

Outside was freezing cold. Especially after the warmth nearby the baking oven. He closed his coat yet a little bit, but could still feel his teeth chattering. Why, oh why, did this part of the world have to be so fucking cold? He missed Peosana. Before he left his continent, he had never felt temperatures below freezing before. Next to him, Razz chatted politely about different subjects. Such as that Blueberry wanted to be a tailor – news to Red, since he was careful not to get too attached to non-crewmembers, especially not whores. It was a bad idea. And if you learnt about them, you would get attached. Razz spoke about his favourite cake – the Hundla. That he sometimes was jealous at people with ears because he couldn’t wear earrings.

Red smiled as he listened to Razz’s talking. It was nice. Good. His soul had finally stopped acting so weird and gone back to a calm beating. They walked the streets, and he felt happy. Even as he kept a constant lookout for troublemakers. One should never fully relax here.

“There!”

The voice came from nowhere. Running steps were heard. The familiar sound of steel being dragged from their sheathes was loud. Too loud for one or two people. Red grabbed Razz’s arm, twisting around to see where it came from. The street was mostly empty, and the other few residents didn’t seem to have called out. They looked just as worried. Perhaps it was nothing. And perhaps it was something. Razz gave him a worried expression, asking what was going on, but he just shook his head. Shhhh.

Then the footsteps slowed down as a dozen soldiers stepped around a house corner and stopped there. They all had their swords in their hands, and a few carried guns. Red’s sockets widened, and he squeezed tighter around Razz’s wrist as he recognized their uniforms. Red and black and the insignia with the mountains and sword. Razz let out a quiet, surprised whimper at how hard he held.

“Halt!” One of them yelled. “For the kidnapping of His Majesty Queen Razz of Beobyra, you are arrested, pirate. Unhand His Majesty immediately.”

Imperial Guards. And as they a couple more came from the other corner, the one behind them, Red realized they were surrounded. Quick as lightening, he let go off Razz’s wrist. As the other rubbed his wrist, he stared at the gun nuzzles in pointing directly at him.

“Are you alright, Your Majesty?” The same guard called out, and Razz’s eyes were wide and shocked as he nodded. Yes. He was alright. Red swallowed.

They were dead.

[kaesera-written]

[CP] DDaHT Pt.2

At lunch, Niles sat alone under a tree near the edge of the yard, picking at the crust of his sandwich and tossing it out into the grass for the birds. He sighed as he fell back against the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes with a light frown. He thought back to class, his frown deepening at the words of his classmates repeating in his ears. He hadn't finished his reading, even when Mrs.Cormik returned and invited him to try again. He’d refused, unable to bring himself to even look at anyone at that point.

He thought about his poem, about how horribly it had been misinterpreted, and, with his frown increasing, he opened his eyes and glared a bit up at the leaves of the tree, brows knitting together in a frustrated anger. Shifting, he sat back up and moved to grab his school bag, pulling out his notebook and turning to put it on his lap as he flipped through the pages. When he got to the poem, he stopped, and scowled, setting a hand over the writing. His fingers brushed lightly over the words, hovering just above the page so as not to smudge the graphite, but then, with a sneer, he slapped his hand down and curled his fingers, successfully tearing the page out and crumpling it up in the same action. Passing the crumpled paper from one hand to the other, he crumpled it further, rendering it no more than a small, smudged ball, which he promptly threw out into the grass. Tossing his notebook aside, he pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs to hug them close as he buried his face. He wasn't left for long though, as something hitting his shoulder and bouncing off caused him to jump, and he raised his head to be met with a group of other students in front of him. He froze, a cold chill running through him as he locked eyes with the leader of the group. “I-I-I don’t...I...I-I don’t want any t-trouble, Barney,” he stammered. “Little late for that, D-duh-d-dorky,” the boy grouched, crossing his arms, “I got in a lot of trouble because of you. Principal Beck called my mom, and you know what she said?” he scowled, “I’m grounded,” he spat, not even waiting for Niles to attempt an answer, “No TV, no games, and no going out with friends. It’s fucking shit. It’s not my fault you’re such a blubbering freak!” Niles shrunk in on himself as the boy went off on him, “I-I-I-I’m-m-I-I-I’m-I’m-I-um-I’m-m-m-I’m s-s-s-sorry?” he responded quietly, “I-I-I-I don’t- I-I don’t- I don’t- d-don’t r-really kn-know what- wh-what you wa-w-w-want me to do…” “I want to get my punishment’s worth,” Barney scoffed, “If I’m going to be grounded, I at least want the satisfaction of smashing your face in. It’s what you deserve after writing that dirty little poem and setting me up.” “But I didn't-” Niles started, words blurting out of him before he cut himself off, “Th-th-the p-p-p-poem wasn't...i-it wasn't...i-it’s n-not dirty,” he spoke with weak defensiveness, “I-it was...i-it’s about m-my brother and myself…” Barney stared at him, then gave a disgusted look, “Dear gods, that is absolutely repulsive,” he choked, “You have fantasies about your brother? For fuck’s sake, Niles, I-” “I-it’s not an e-erotic p-poem!” Niles burst, “I-i-it’s about the games...th-the games we used to play together,” he shrunk down and lowered his head again, “Th-there’s nothing d-dirty about it…” The boy snorted at Niles’ reaction, smirking a bit, “Look at you, you can’t even defend your poem. How would you ever defend yourself? You’d better fucking put up a fight, else this is just going to be pathetic.” With that, he nodded to his friends, gesturing to the boy on the ground, “Get him to his feet,” he told them, “Make sure he doesn't run.” Niles’ eyes widened widen as his head shot up to see the two others with Barney moving toward him, and he started to scramble to his feet to get away. In a moment though, the others had grabbed an arm each and lifted him up to his feet, pulling him over toward the other boy. They held him in place as he wriggled and kicked, fighting to get away. Barney watched him a moment, scowling, “For bloody fuck’s sake, Niles,” he huffed after a moment, “Plant your prissy little feet and fight like a man, would you?”

“If it’s a man you want to fight, kid, then why don’t you fight me?” a new voice suddenly sounded from the fence and everyone looked over with wide eyes to see an older male leaning on the top rail with one arm folded lazily over the other, making him look casual and even natural, as though he were meant to be there. “F-frasier,” Niles squeaked, falling somewhat limp in the arms of the kids still holding him as he shrunk back, “Wh-wh-what are y-y-you-y-you- wh-what are- sh-s-shouldn't you be at sc-school?” “Let’s just say it was early release,” the young man replied, dark eyes boring into the two students holding the boy. They released him in a moment and started to back off. Barney’s scowl deepened as he watched Niles take off running back to the tree and gather up his things, and his gaze shifted to Frasier as he said, “So what, that’s it? You’re just going to stare at us and expect us to run off?” Frasier raised his brows in interested amusement and focused on the boy, “You do know who I am, don’t you?” he questioned. “Frasier Tanner, his older brother, yeah, everyone knows you,” Barney replied, “But just because you have a reputation doesn't mean I’m afraid of you.” “Oh really?” Frasier mused, smiling, “Well, that’s good to know,” he chuckled, “I’m glad there’s someone still willing to fight me.” “I’m not looking to fight you,” Barney scowled, “My problem isn't with you, now, it’s with him,” he thrust his hand toward Niles with a huff, “He’s the one I want to fight, and I’d like to do it before the end of lunch if you don’t mind. I won’t have time after school to-” “If I don’t mind?” Frasier scoffed, “Buddy. You’re asking to beat the shit out of my brother, not take him out on a date. I think you might be a little dim in the head if you actually believe I’ll be ‘suaded into allowing that. Now you might not have a problem with me, but I sure as hell have a problem with you. But I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll give you another chance to turn tail now and leave my brother alone. Consider yourself fucking blessed, you bloody bastard.” Barney rolled his eyes at the man and looked to his friends, “Come on guys, this guy is obviously just talk. Just grab Dorky and let’s go. He wouldn't dare come after us.” Frasier laughed then, standing up, “Oh, little boy, you really are daft, aren't you?” he sighed, “Though I suppose you’re right on some level,” he paused, setting a hand on the fence, “I wouldn't dare,” he grinned, “I just would.”

With that, he launched himself over the fence and rushed at the group. The boy’s friends both screeched as the man came at them, and stumbled as they quickly turned and ran. Barney stood his ground, however, staring down the larger male, and ducked to avoid the guy’s first hit. However, he misjudged his steps, and ended up tripping over one of Frasier’s feet. Frasier snickered as he grabbed the smaller male, yanking him back away from Niles and throwing him to the ground, “Come on now,” he encouraged excitedly, “Get up and fight like a man!” Barney pushed up to his feet, slowly, and wavered a bit where he stood as he looked up at Frasier. He sneered, then adjusted his stance and threw a punch at the man, closing his eyes as he did. Frasier smirked, and quickly grabbed the boy’s wrist, causing the boy’s eyes to flash open with a startled shock. The older male laughed at Barney’s reaction, giving a sharp tug to the boy’s arm to pull him in, “Oh come on now, kid, don’t tell me that tough little punk was just routine! Fight me!” “Frasier, please,” Niles spoke up from behind the man, “J-just let him go. I-...I-I think he learned his lesson…” “Don’t you dare fucking stand up for me, Dorky!” Barney snapped at the other boy, “I don’t need you to save me. I can handle this just fine on my own.” “Yeah, Croconile,” Frasier put in, “He’s got this. Let the punk fight. I've been itching to kick someone’s ass lately.” “Good luck,” Barney huffed, before twisting out of Frasier’s hold and jumping back. Frasier moved after him, cackling, and the two soon broke into a full fledged fight.

Niles watched as punch after punch and kick after kick were thrown, biting his lip and clutching his items close. At one point, Frasier threw Barney to the ground again, and Niles watch in horror as the man ruthlessly rammed his foot into the boy’s chest over and over. Barney had given up, curling into a tight ball on the ground to try and escape as much damage as he could. Between bursts of kicks, Frasier stooped to strike his fist into the boy’s face, laughing all the while. Finally, Niles inched forward and reached out to set a hand on his brother’s shoulder, “F-Frasier,” he started, slowly reaching out, “I-I th-think that’s e-eno-no-nough. J-ju-just-” He was violently cut off though as his hand fell on the older male’s shoulder and the man suddenly spun around and threw a sharp fist right at the smaller boy’s jaw. Niles cried out in pain and stumbled back a few steps before falling to the ground. Tears burned in his eyes and he choked back a sob as a violent tremor ran through his body. Frasier immediately snapped out of his blind state and let out a curse, “Oh shit, Niles! Fucking… What have I told you about staying out of my way!” he seethed lightly and hurried to his brother’s side, “Fuck…” he hissed, “You know I can’t control myself when I get into a rage.” “I-I-I- y-y-yes,” Niles stammered, nodding fiercely, “I-I-I know...I-I know. I’m...I-I’m sorry. I’m sorry Frasier. I’m-I-I-I-I’m-I’m s-sorry. I-I won’t- I-I w- I-I-I w-wont d-do it again. P-p-promise.” For a few moments, Frasier watched his brother, frowning, then he sighed and shook his head, “Alright, alright, that’s enough of that,” he said, setting a hand on Niles’ back, “Come on now, no need for any Croconile tears. You’re tougher than that, right?” he smiled. Niles sniffled and lifted a hand to wipe at his eyes, “Y-yeah...yeah…” he mumbled sniffling again, “Yeah...I-I’m tough...I’m… I’m okay,” he sighed, “I’m okay. You...y-you didn't hurt me, Frasier, I’m fine.” “Good,” the man smiled, then shifted to stand up and held out a hand to offer his brother help in getting up, “Come on,” he said, “Why don’t we ditch this place and go get some ice cream. You deserve some after having to go through all this shit.” “But what about the rest of school?” Niles asked with a frown as he looked up at his brother, “I still have two classes left…” he mumbled as he reached to take the man’s hand.

Frasier dismissed his words with a wave of his free hand, “So you’ll miss them,” he scoffed, “You’re present every other day. One day of absence won’t kill you, and I’ll do your make up work if it bothers you so much. This is ice cream we’re talking about, Niles. Ice cream over listening to your teachers drone on about things you’ll never actually use. Come on, you’re supposed to be the smart one between us, and this is really a no brainer.” Niles frowned, but just nodded a bit and said, “Yeah...I guess you’re right…” “That’s the spirit, Croconile,” the man grinned, “Now grab your things and let’s go.” “What about Barney?” Niles asked, nodding to the boy curled in the grass. “Who?” Frasier blinked, before looking down at the kid. A sharp laugh escaped him and he slapped his hands on his thighs as he bent forward a bit from the intensity of his laughter, “His name is Barney!?” he burst, “Your name is Barney?!” tears of laughter clung to the corner of his eyes and he wheezed as he straightened back up, “Oh fuck...oh man,” he breathed, “I...I can’t fucking breathe!” “Frasier…” Niles frowned, “Be nice. Please? You already beat him up…” Frasier wheezed, fighting to contain himself, and nodded a bit as he focused on just breathing, “Yeah, alright, fine,” he snickered, “You’re right. His pride’s been hurt enough. I doubt he’ll be giving you anymore trouble,” he hummed and then turned his attention down to the boy in question, “You won’t be giving him trouble now, will you, Barney?” Barney shook his head weakly, “N-no sir,” he replied, voice quiet and shaky, “I p-promise…” “Good,” Frasier said with a nod, “If you break that promise, I’ll probably kill you, so just keep that in mind, hm? Now then,” he looked at Niles, “I’m sure Barney will be fine. Tough as he makes himself out to be, he should be able to drag himself to the nurse, and if not,” he shrugged, “well, someone is sure to come looking for him,” he smirked and shot a glance down to the boy before returning his gaze to Niles, “Now come on, Croconile, get your shit and let’s go!”

In a rush, Niles gathered up all the items he’d dropped when Frasier hit him, and stuffed everything in his bag before running over to meet his brother at the fence. Frasier gently took his bag and helped him over the fence, then hopped back over himself and ruffled the smaller male’s hair, laughing as they turned to head down the street.

[ ← Part 1 ]     ─  •  ─     [ Beginning ]     ─  •  ─     [ Part 3 → (coming soon) ]