She stood there, before the weak and hurt boy, pity her only expression as he sobbed. She fell to her beaten; her bruised knees, and stroked his hair. "Brother…" She whispered, pulling the boy's head onto her lap.
The boy, no older than seven, looked up at her, eyes, one black, filled with tears. He tried to gasp out a word, but nothing came. She cradled him.
"You have to act around others, Jamie," She whispered, hugging him close as she brought the boy onto her lap. "Never let them know the truth."
Jamie rested his head on her shoulder, she felt him nod. "Yes Lexica."
The fourteen year old girl massaged the boy's fresh bruises, surprised at the silence that greeted her instead the cries of pain. "You're already a good actor. You're hiding your pain."
"… I'm not feeling pain?"
She concealed a gasp as she pressed into his wounds, eyes widening as he complained not.
Was… Was Jamie already numbing?
(Line break)
Twenty one years of age already, she mused. We're growing up too fast.
The door opened and slammed, alerting her to her younger brother's presence. Standing up and smiling at him, she offered a hug.
Which went ignored as he threw down his bag and left to his room without a word.
Lexica frowned, and turned, letting her arms drop to her sides. It'd had been three years since she had moved out, taking Jamie with her, and it'd been a year since he became quieter, sensitive (well, more than he had been) and reserved.
Now he isolated himself? Something was wrong with her baby brother, and she couldn't help wanting to know what. Considering following, she fell back down into her chair. She decided to not; Jamie was fourteen, and she knew that disturbing his loneliness may just worsen things. She had experience with that from their parents – well, father really.
At least I knew a life before the abuse.
It was true. After Jamie was born, her parents seemed to hate her and him, and the girl was left to care for him alone. When their mother died, when Jamie was four, the abuse became more than verbal; turning into physical, and Jamie never knew a life prior it. He seemed to think it natural, that all parents hated their children and that they showed it by inflicting pain, emotional, mental and physical.
When he did not come for dinner, Lexica grew worried before going up the stairs. She laid a hand on the handle, about to push it down and push the door open, before she heard Jamie talking.
"It isn't normal?" She heard him say.
"No, it isn't." The familiar voice of Steven, bless the seven year old, reply in return. "Why?"
"… Shut up."
"What?"
"I SAID SHUT UP DAMMIT! DON'T YOU EVER LISTEN?!" Lexica's blood ran cold. She remembered her father screaming that at the five year old Jamie as he struggled against his grasp.
"J-Jamie?" Steven spoke with fear. "Pearl? Pearl, Jamie's yelling at me to shut up!"
"YOU BETTER NOT SNITCH ON ME YOU IDIOT!" Jamie's words were angry… but then switched into fear. "I'm sorry…" Anger. "TOO LATE!" Fear. "DADDY!"
She burst into the room as Pearl, one of Steven's adoptive mothers, took the laptop from her 'baby'; as Jamie fell to the floor in a state of panic. She mouthed to Pearl, asking for her assistance.
"Steven, get Amethyst and Garnet."
"Why?"
"We're going to save someone."
The video call ended briskly and Lexica was left with a brother.
A hyperventilating, scared, panicking brother, to be exact.
"Jamie? Jamie, can you hear me? Jamie, breathe…"
Jamie shook violently, as if to begin convulsing, and his breathing seemed to quicken.
"Jamie!"
The door slammed open downstairs, and presumably the Crystal Gems entered. The taller one, Garnet, ran to them and skid over, dropping to her knees. "What is his name?"
"Jamie."
"Jamie, concentrate on my voice. Breathe in," The tall gem laid her hands on his knees, taking off her glasses (revealing three eyes – one currant red, another indigo blue and the one on top a jam purple) and looking in his eyes. His breathing seemed to slow as he struggled to breathe in. "Breathe out." He breathed out. "Breathe in…" He followed her commands with much struggle. "Breathe out…" She continued with those four words until he was breathing at a normal pace. "There."
Lexica looked up at Garnet, a soft smile on her face. "Thank you."
Garnet just nodded in reply. "Come on Gems – it's been sorted out." And with a quick farewell, they were gone.
Jamie threw himself into her, crying. "I…"
Lexica hugged him, soothing him. "Don't worry…" She whispered. "I'll always be here."
Wrong.
(Line break)
Twenty six… And dying…
"LEXICA, NO!" Jamie fell to his knees and cradled her bleeding body, soaking his clothes.
"J-J-Jamie… Let me go…"
"NO! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DIE!"
"Jamie… You can't stop death…"
"Yes! I WILL!"
Lexica gave a soft smile. "Jamie?"
"Y-Y-Yeah?"
"You're an amazing actor…"
(Line break)
Tili-tili-bom
Close your eyes rather
Someone goes outside the window,
And knock at the door.
Tili-tili-bom.
Screams night bird.
He had already made his way into the house.
For those who cannot sleep.
He goes ... He already close...
Tili-tili-bom.
You hear someone nearby?
Lurking around the corner,
And pierces the eye.
Tili-tili-bom.
All hide silent night.
For you it is stolen,
And is about to catch.
He ... He is already close...
Tili-tili-bom.
You hear someone nearby?
Lurking around the corner,
And pierces the eye.
(Line break)
A/N: And thank you! This is a new fanfiction, my first Steven Universe one. This came to me from listening to Come Little Children. So yeah.
Hope it doesn't suck.
See ya in the next chapter!