Lost Brother
by drakonlily
"Remember when we were kids and the older children told you there was a ghost in the cellar?"
"Shut it, woman."
A small laugh followed. "You were so scared. For a whole month every time you wanted to sneak a snack you made me come with you."
"I said be quiet Rosa." Kain's voice had grown weary and gravelly from a lack of sleep, his helm was banged and it looked almost like a second head, glaring at them from the dresser.
"That's really what you were always afraid of, isn't it? Being alone."
He stood, the armor wasn't all in place and clanged. "I said SHUT UP."
"Why is it you begged me to come with you? Because you know you are always stronger than I am. Even now, you're yelling at me, if you really wanted me to shut up, you're capable of shutting me up." She didn't move from the chair. Instead Rosa crossed her arms over her chest and glared from where she sat and the half armored Dragoon.
"Woman, don't make me wa-"
Then she stood, the chair slid back and banged against the wall. "You know my name you coward! It's Rosa. We grew up together! You couldn't be more important to me if you were really my brother and you're doing this for what?!"
His fist clenched at his side.
"You abandoned us. We're your family, Kain!" She stalked up to him then and left a breath between their bodies. "For what? Because you were afraid of us leaving you alone."
"You did leave me!" He thundered down at her. They were close enough for Kain's hair to brush against Rosa's shoulder. "You left! I always knew that you would!"
Rosa paused, her mouth parted a bit before she swallowed. Her hand lifted up and pushed Kain's hair behind his ear. "Kain… just because things change doesn't mean that-"
The Dragoon's face softened for a breath but then the air darkened. His eyes flashed and his hand shot up to close around Rosa's wrist. "Enough, Rosa."
She sucked in a sharp breath and tugged at her hand. "Kain…that hurts, stop it."
His grip tightened instead of loosening. He could feel her bones inside his palm. "Do not touch me." The thing behind his eyes was not Kain any longer.
Rosa whipped her arm around in a half circle, breaking Kain's grip. Her hand flew then, swiftly across his face. "Leave him alone, you asshole! He's my brother and I want him back!"
Kain's hand snaked behind Rosa's head and grabbed a thick fistful of hair. In a rough motion he yanked back on her hair with his other hand pinning her waist against his. "You can't have them both, little mage. You'll have to pick."
Her face contorted in pain. "I don't have to do anything."
"You're not strong enough."
Rosa pushed against Kain's chest, but his grip only became more firm. "Kain! This hurts! Stop it."
"You really can be pretty when you're angry. Did I ever tell you that?" Kain sounded amused.
"Golbez, I'm not talking to you. I want Kain back!"
Kain's eyes pressed shut and he snarled. He released Rosa's waist and spun her roughly away from him. Rosa collided bodily against the wall, her shoulder and head banging before she turned. They glared at each other.
Her chin lifted. "Now what?"
Kain's fist clenched at his side again. Rosa focused on it. "Kain…"
In the moments that passed, blood dripped from the Dragoon's palm and dripped on the wooden floor. Without a word, Kain spun and stalked from the room. He left his armor, ignored his hand and locked the door behind him.
Rosa bit her lip. She picked up Kain's battered helm and hugged it to her chest while she slid down the wall to sit on the floor. The metal was cool against her aching forehead. "Hang in there, Kain…"