Is this the Simple Life?

By Angelis Raye

It was unsettling how quiet it was, under the bright moon that night. I couldn't quite get over the fact that this man trapped on the table before me was welcoming his death. Honestly, how could anyone do that? What was wrong with this man's survival instincts?

"Just kill me already," he begged, his voice cracked from... emotion?

"Why should I?" I asked, my voice void of any and all emotion.

And now he kept completely still. Frustrated by this turn of events, I took the blade in my hand and cut across his cheek, hoping to elicit some sort of squeal in response. All that I got was a loud hissing of breath being sucked through the clenched front teeth.

"Now, now, that won't do," I said, wagging my finger at him, scolding him.

The door opened rather suddenly, with a quick swish, the plastic sheets hanging from the top of the door sliding against the ones laid down so carefully on the floor.

"What's all the racket in here?" Deborah asked, peering around the room I'd made myself rather comfortable in at the moment, ready to have some fun with my playmate in the Dark Dance with something sharp. "Sorry. I thought you might be doing a remodel or something."

"Oh, just the usual – this one isn't much of a chatter," I whined to Deb, hoping that she might, somehow, make things better.

"Well, good luck with that," she said, coming close to me, lifting my mask to kiss me on the lips. "You going to be done soon?"

"I should be, Deb," I replied, replacing my mask, grinning wickedly at her, winking. "All I have to do is clean up in here real quick and I'll be done in time for dinner, as always."

"As always," Deborah repeated, grinning back at me, nodding. "See ya in a bit, then, Rudy... you too, Dex."

And the door swung shut, isolating me, my brother and my playmate from the outside world, letting the three of us get to work.

–

"You did well, tonight, Brian," Dexter told me, smiling faintly.

The smile was only somewhat fake, at least – and that was some consolation to me, who was fractionally more emotional than my younger brother.

"Thanks," I said, shoving the last part of our victim into the neat, black trash bags that Dexter had introduced me to for disposing the miscellaneous sections of the once-living human we'd just cut up into tidy little pieces. "It's only with your guidance, of course."

Following an awkward pause filled with the sounds of the ocean echoing around us, I smiled back, real and genuine.

"You saved me, little brother," I confessed, once again. I began to wonder if Darling Brother Dexter was tired of hearing that over and over. It must get rather redundant. "...From the irrational monster inside of me, that day."

"I couldn't just let my brother get caught, could I? You and Deb are all that I have, now."

–

"Dinner was wonderful, Deb," I breathed, relaxing against her on the couch. Dexter sat on the couch next to us, a few feet all that was separating us, physically. Mentally, we were almost never apart since we began confiding in each other, learning how to be brothers to each other, for real.

"Aw, Rudy," Deborah blushed, a bit giddy from the attention that I was pouring on her. "You can make dinner tomorrow for Dex and I."

She was family, in a certain way. Deborah was Dexter's foster brother, and I was Dexter's older brother. So, in a manner, the two of us were nearly as good as family. And once the wedding went through, Dexter and Deborah would be real family, too. The thought of that... made me feel strange, to tell the truth.

Dexter told me that he envied me for the sole reason that I was able to feel some emotion, unlike him. I didn't know how to react to that. Perhaps it was because I knew how to care and love for my little brother that I could still feel things, while Dexter hadn't known that he had a brother until recently.

It'd been almost a year now since Dexter saved me from myself. My insanity. Amazing how time just flies by.

"I don't know if Rudy knows how to cook anything but meat, Deb," Dexter said, his usual charming self.

"You're a fucking riot, Dex – Rudy cooks just fine!" Deborah countered, making a face at Dexter.

"See? Deb doesn't mind. And I'm sure that you don't, brother," I added onto the lady's defensive comment.

And the evening carried on much the same, ending with Dexter going back to his apartment for the night, leaving Deborah and I to our whims, bidding us good night.

To be Continued...?

–

Please review, tell me what you think about it. This is my first Dexter fanfiction, and I'll be very grateful to everyone who comments and answer any questions asked as swiftly as possible.

It's rather short, but it's a nice place to end it, according to a friend of mine. Thank you, Katy and Siri for the input on this.