Of A Fire Extinguished Comes A New Flame.
Plot: Atreus is being babysat by Brok and Sindri while Kratos is out on private business. Little did Atreus and Sindri know though that Brok had caught a cold earlier and-being stubborn as he was-didn't say anything. Atreus is left to take care of the grumpy dwarf as Sindri hastily runs out to retrieve medicine. Bonding and angst ensues.
Tags: Slight angst, awkward bonding, mentions of Faye, nightmare and mentions of nighterrors, may be slightly ooc, still trying to get back into writing.
Characters: Brok, Sindri and Atreus.
"Would you quite bothering me, already?!"
"Well if you would just stop being so stubborn-"
Atreus watched the two dwarf brothers argue as Sindri hovered over his brother in a concerned manner, eyebrows furrowed.
"Ugh! You always do this! You have to start telling me when you don't feel well."
Brok grumbled and waved him off, avoiding eye contact and coughing slightly. "M'fine..."
Sindri eyed him for a moment longer before sighing softly and turning, walking to Atreus. He gave the kid an apologetic smile and nervously glanced to the entrance of their store.
"Can...uh, well. Can you watch over Brok as I go get some medicine?"
Atreus looked up at him, tilting his head. "Uh, sure I guess." Sindri sighed relieved. "Thanks. I just- it's not, I don't think he should be alone while sick-"
Atreus quickly waved him off smiling at the other's sheepish stammering. "I understand, I'll watch him." Atreus glanced at Brok who looked away just as quick.
"I don't mind at all."
Sindri nodded again and threw a soft glare over his shoulder to his brother. No heat in it.
Just concern.
"Rest you brute. You'd better be asleep by the time I get back!"
Sindri headed out ignoring the certain finger being thrown at him. The door closed and it was quiet for a minute-too long-before Atreus turned to Brok.
"Uh, Brok?" The dwarf kept working grunting in response. Atreus scuffed his shoes on the floor. "You should sleep like Sindri says."
Brok gave him an unimpressed look not pausing in his work. "Now why the hel would I do that?" The dwarf rolled his eyes at the kid's sudden determined look.
"Cause you need to rest! It's not safe to keep working even if it is just a cold. Mother used to tell me-"
"I'm fine!"
Atreus jumped going quiet.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...fuckin' hel- FINE!" Brok dropped his tools onto the table in front of him and walked around it heading to a dirty mattress leaning against the wall. "I'll rest so stop yer damn pouting..."
Atreus felt himself cringe at the sight of the mattress.
Was that even a matress?
Atreus cringed even harder once Brok laid on it.
The young God sighed. 'At least he's resting...'
Atreus watched as Brok laid down with a "Don't bother me." And went to sleep. He shrugged. 'Guess I'll read for a while...'
It wasn't long before Atreus heard the whimpers and whines making him glance up from the book he was reading on the floor.
Atreus raised an eyebrow and slowly sat up-placing the book on the floor before doing so-heading over to the dormant dwarf.
The kid carefully examined the usually grumpy face noticing it now tinged with fear and unease.
He frowned and sat next to him.
"Brok...?" He sighed in relief as Brok slowly opened his eyes.
But sadly it seemed as though the older wasn't fully awake and aware as he drearily snapped his attention to the kid in an almost desperate manner.
"A-Are you oka-" Atreus tentivly reached out only to be grabbed by the wrist in the same desperate manner.
"Faye..!"
"..."
Brok took a moment-eye's adjusting to his surroundings-before realizing his mistake.
The dwarf awkwardly dropped the boy's wrist, ignoring the way it quite literally-though most likely out of shock-dropped to his side.
"..."
Fuck.
He didn't just do that, did he?
Looking up it was clear he had. Atreus seemed to be startled quiet-for once-and held a mostly neutral expression, frowning slightly as if in deep thought.
This made Brok nervous as usually he couldn't get the kid to keep quiet for one damn minute. Well, now he had.
Surprisingly, he hated it.
It was equally surprising to find that he didnt have anything to say for once, either.
He hated that, too.
Luckily-or not so much so-he didn't have to be the one to start talking.
"You...miss her too, huh?" Brok looked away, didn't realize he had been staring since he'd woken up. He blamed the cold for the heat on his face.
"...Yeah, yeah make fun of me why don't ya? It was a fever dream, kid."
He glanced back as discreetly as someone-sitting so close to someone else-could, hoping to high heavens he hadn't already upset the still-grieving kid.
What had Faye seen in a worthless dick like him?
Of course it was Atreus who thought he'd did the offending, not the other way around. The kid finally emoted-thank christ, it was somehow starting to get even more awkward-and stuttered getting flustered himself.
"N-No, it's okay to dream of h-her! It's normal-at least that's what father says, but-!"
"Quiet! I heard you already. Getting a migraine here..."
Brok sighed, sitting up fully and placing a hand to his head. 'I actually am, huh.' He took his hand away and sighed at the dejected face of the kid before him.
He was just a kid.
"...Sorry. Just- it's a sore spot okay seed-sop?"
The dwarf almost groaned at the way the kid lit up. The kid was too easy to please.
It scared him a little.
Those easily pleased are easily manipulated.
Not that it mattered to him, it wasn't any of his-
"Brok? Are you okay?" Atreus tilted his head, concern written all over him. Just like how Faye used to look and-
He really needed that damn medicine. Being sick always made his mind run, nothing to distract from it. He rubbed his face, annoyed.
"M'fine, kid. Where's my foot-licker of a brother gone?"
Atreus glanced at the door closest to them, hands folded in his lap. "Getting you medicine, I assume from the nearest town. Why don't you have any? That's dangerous you know-"
Brok waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. Save the scolding for my brother who undoubtedly will do it once he fukin' returns." Brok smirked a bit at the boy's laugh.
Atreus rubbed his eye, giggling. "Sorry, I don't know why I do that."
Brok raised an eyebrow. "What, nag? Ya do it all the damn time, just like him." He teased, nearly making the lad go for a second round.
The young demi-giant cleared his throat, smiling softly. They sat in comfortable silence.
"...She used too, as well."
Brok stared at him quietly.
"Nag, that is. She was never annoying, though. Guess I loved her too much to feel anything other than gratitude that she was actually there."
The kid laughed and it was quieter and somehow more sadder than usual and Brok really wanted to know why 'actually being there' with your child was something to be grateful for and not expected.
Instead he gave a quick nod and half a shrug. "Seems like her. Women would always be worrying about something or another, never stopped talkin' too."
Kind of like you, kid.
Damn. It was far to early to be sentimental and sober. He coughed.
And sick.
Atreus got up as if suddenly realizing something and walked to the counter closest. He returned a moment later with a cup of water. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Probably should've brought that sooner."
Brok nodded to him, grateful but not nearly open enough to say so-though he somehow knew the kid understood and didn't mind. Probably a result of that titan he called a father-, and took the cup.
Brok finished drinking and stood up, half-heartedly shooing Atreus way when he stood to help.
"Welp, my break from a break is over. 'Bout time I get to work. Feel free to stay out of my fukin' way and do whatever."
Brok ignored the boring eyes of the child-who clearly wanted to say something-and set to do what he said.
"You...can talk to me you know." It wasn't said in a questionable manner.
A statement.
"I know what it's like. To be pulled under and to not know how to get out enough to breath. To feel trapped."
Brok slowly looked up from his tinkering and noticed the way Atreus shifted, not meeting his eyes.
"I get them too, y'know..? A-And I know I'm not her-"
Brok narrowed his eyes at that. "No one said you had to be." He watched as the kid tensed. "But it'd be better if I were. I can feel it, the way people miss her,"
Atreus sadly met his eyes. "The way I remind them."
Brok tried to swallow but felt as though his throat was too dry, he turned to get more water.
Where the fuck was Sindri when he needed him. He was the sentimental fuck. Not him.
After a moment of getting water and awkward shuffling, Brok turned towards Atreus and placed his hands on the table in front of him with a frustrated bang.
He ignored the kids jolt and tried to keep a straight face. It was fuckin sentimental advice time.
"I'm not good with words, kid. Never was. But you," he paused to motion to the kid, who in turn looked down at himself. "Don't need to change. Don't damn well need to be someone else the fuck either."
Atreus-as if still disbelieving-glanced up at him, making him sigh and face palm. "Don't need to change. You're a good kid. Don't have enough of them these days. Now go away will ya?"
Atreus was quick on the uptake and smiled happily giggling. Brok peeked from behind the hand still covering his face. "What? Getting joy from stealing my pride kid?" The said kid laughed harder.
That's more like it. Way too young to be starting this damn angst crap.
And way to young to have such low self esteem, too.
Brok removed the hand from his face completely and Atreus calmed down. Both were grateful to hear the audible click of a door.
Both were just as grateful to hear the germophobic dwarf's nagging at his brother not resting, too.