The sound of sheer metal clashing with metal emanated from the roof. Neighbours often cursed the Striders for their sparring; particularly when they decided to duel during the late, sleeping hours. Now was such an occasion. A big, pale moon hung in the sky all alone; in the city where Dave and Bro lived, the glow of civilization blotted out most stars. If one stared long enough, maybe the stars would come into view…
Dave parried the thrust aimed at him, hopping back while swiping away Bro's blade. Alas, Bro was still faster and he was behind Dave in an instant. Dave spun and blocked an incoming strike, naturally. Each time their katanas connected, a shrill twang woke up the tenants below them.
They often carried on like this for an hour, maybe two, three, before Bro called the end of their match. When Dave blocked another swing, Bro's palm shot forward, ready to hit Dave hard in the jaw. In defense, Dave's own hand bounded up and another wound was averted, or so he intended. A crack resounded, drawing a hiss out of Dave. He jumped back twice, distancing himself from his brother by a good ten feet.
"You okay…?" Bro strived to keep himself under tight control, exacting strength, using precise aim – it wasn't often that he would get caught up in the moment. And for good reason too, as, just now, he let himself push the limits. Dave suffered because of that.
"Better than you'll be in sec," Dave kept calm, doing away with the pained grimace. Lunging forward, they continued their dance, but…Dave was off, and Bro knew it.
"Whoa, stop. You're not all right," Bro put his hand up to show he wanted to pause, his weapon lowered. Dave stood up straight, still wary of what Bro might be pulling.
"I can handle it," Dave sniffed, ignoring the now hot, hot sensation in his left wrist. Bro stepped forward, slapping aside the raised blade Dave had pointed at him. "Bro, I can fucking handle it!"
"Shut the fuck up, will you? I'm just taking a look," Bro knelt down, looking up at Dave. Even though it was easily three in the morning, both had their sunglasses on. Neither could, after all, do with losing their rep by being seen without their shades.
Dave sneered, looking away and holding his wounded arm before Bro. Surprisingly gentle, he lifted his little brother's hand, pulling back the sleeve. Dave winced at this… His wrist was bruising on the site of impact and it was starting to swell.
Though looking away, Dave couldn't help but notice how…tender Bro was. It was kind of…nice, considering how chilly Bro was towards Dave when they weren't training. Or maybe that was Dave's fault, trying to be independent…?
Either way, Bro's firm, warm hands pressed softly on Dave's wrist here, felt how puffy it was there. Taking Dave's hand in his own, Bro slowly bent it up, down, moved it in a circle. Dave tried to remain cool even if he wanted, deep down, to pity himself and baby his wrist. But he was comforted by the touch of his brother, fingertips rubbing along Dave's hand.
"Well, back inside. You need some ice," Bro slapped Dave's hand before curtly turning and walking back to the stairwell. The tender moment was over.
"Augh, you fucker!" Dave gritted his teeth and held back tears. Just as he was enjoying the connection between him and his guardian, Bro had to go and ruin it. He didn't have much of a choice, though, of whether or not to follow his bro to their apartment.
Inside, Bro crushed chunks of ice in a bag, the bag pulled from their freezer. Dave sat on a stool at the counter, staring at the bag as Bro struck it with the butt of his katana. "How bad is it…?" Dave asked blankly.
"Sprained," Bro replied in tone just as flat. When the ice was sufficiently crushed, he wrapped some in a damp cloth. "Good reflexes, though. If you were so scrawny, you could have easily taken that."
"Thanks…" Resting his head on the palm of the hand not hurt, he wasn't sure whether he was complimented or insulted just now. Of course, either one would ironically be the other, unless Bro was trying to ironically do something else and… He quelled these thoughts and just gave a generic response.
Lifting Dave's wrist, Bro placed the bulk of the ice where the bruising was. He tied the cloth around the other side. "Let it sit for a while, maybe sleep with it if you can." Behind the pointy shades, Bro's orange eyes studied Dave. He noted how morose his little brother seemed, not just at the condition of his joint, but saddened because of something more.
"Sure thing – can I go to my room now?" Dave didn't look up to his tall, bulky, older sibling. This had an effect on said older sibling…
"Dave," Bro averted his gaze, looking off the side of who he was addressing.
"What," He was just in the process of hopping off of the stool.
"I'm uh, sorry." Bro sniffed, itching his nose. He still did not look back at Dave.
"Oh…" Dave didn't know how to respond to this. It was…very rare, actually, that Bro would apologize. This was the first time in a long time. "It's…okay."
"All right," Bro ran his fingers through Dave's hair, messing it up, before heading off to his own bedroom. Dave pulled away, frowning.
When Bro was at his bedroom door, Dave spoke out, "Hey Bro!" before catching himself and reverting to his cool tone, "Would you mind if I spent the night with you?" Bro stopped with the door half-way open. He turned, raising a brow. "It would be just for tonight. You know, I might injure myself further and not know what to do. I don't want to make it worse in my sleep and all that."
"Sure, get in here." Bro cut him off, gesturing for Dave to follow into the deep, dark sleeping quarters. Dave slipped to his own bedroom to undress and don sleepwear – boxers and a plain white t-shirt – before entering his brother's room. It was nothing new; he'd been there before. And yet, he always enjoyed the time spent in it.
Bro was already face-down in bed, wearing pajama bottoms and nothing else. His glasses weren't off yet, though, and Dave took it as a signal to be tentative. He climbed onto the wide, soft mattress. It was messily made, the bed, with sheets and blankets generally aligned, thrown on in any old manner. Lying straight and stiff, Dave stared up at the ceiling. He was on the left hand side of his brother, keeping his wrist a safe distant from the one who injured it.
"How's the wrist?" Bro grunted after some time, lifting his head to take off those ever so cool sunglasses. He just threw them seemingly anywhere (though really, they landed skillfully on a desk).
"Fine," Dave pulled a blanket over himself, not yet removing his aviators.
"No, really, how is it doing?" This time around, Bro asked with a bit more assertiveness.
"Not as sore, still stiff…throbbing…" Dave responded, forced into detail by his brother. Then the shades came off. He looked around the room, at shelves and to posters, at the messy dresser and closet. To the desk and computer and to the window his red-iris eyes glided. Bro was snoring by this point. "Bro…?" Dave turned his head to face him. There was no response.
It took a while for Dave to get comfy, but he eventually hugged a pillow and drifted off as well. Hours passed, one at a time, obviously unnoticed by the sleeping pair. By the time it was half past six, Dave woke with a jolt. He had turned in his sleep and bent his aching wrist.
Plastic blue morning light poked through the shutters. Dave sighed and tried to get comfy again. But, to no avail. He resorted to staring at the ceiling once more.
"D…ave…no," In his slumber, Bro shifted his brow furrowing. At the mention of his name, Dave glanced at his older brother. After that, nothing more was said in sleep. Dave turned back over, facing the untidy closet.
Many more agonizing, sleepless minutes passed before Dave rolled over again, looking once more to his bro. He looked at his bro's gruff features and the few scars here and there, all faint and barely visible. One was particularly noticeable, however, on Bro's collarbone. Hesitantly, Dave reached out and, with his left index finger, traced along the smooth, hardened tissue.
Bro didn't stir. He was always a deep sleeper, after all. Rather than take his hand back, the younger simply, slowly hugged Bro's broad chest and let his head rest on Bro's muscular arm. Bro did stir at this, though. Dave froze in place, unsure and scared of how his bro will react, until that very arm came around Dave and pulled him in closer. With the fright over, Dave pulled a blanket over them both and snuggled against his bro, trying to sleep once more – this time with contented success.
