Eh...Russell and Fletcher don't get enough love?
Yeah...that must be why I wrote this...Mostly not even proof-read or nuffin. Sorry in advance for all those annoying lines. They were necessary for my sanity, I'm afraid. Don't like it, suck wind.
Russell Tringham came off to most people as cold and uncaring.
Sad past, most people whispered behind his back as he walked briskly ahead through the streets of Xenotime with his little brother at his heels like a puppy. Sad past...what with old Nash leaving them for so long, and then the news of his death received so suddenly...
Sad pasts were what hardened people's hearts, after all. Figured young Russell would be just the same as any other pathetic soul washed up in a dying town.
But no one really saw Russell when the ice melted and his old nature came back into him.
Only, on occasion, would Elisa or her uncle Belsio witness these amazing flashes of warmth that filled the boy's eyes and made him genuinely smile.
Elisa, being so young, didn't really understand the change in mood, but it made her happy to see that the others were happy. That was all that mattered to her.
Belsio however easily determined what caused this change in the older of his two wards.
His younger brother Fletcher.
The smaller boy always seemed to draw some kind of calm and joy out of his brother.
It wasn't entirely unnatural. After all, the real Elric brothers seemed even closer then Russell and Fletcher. Alphonse was definitely the bringer of peace to Edward's raving rants and fits of anger.
But, Belsio wondered why Russell seemed so reluctant to let his good moods show? Happiness was natural, as was affection.
Why did he stiffen and force down his smiles when Fletcher hugged him?
Belsio decided finally that he would never understand people in general, let alone the Tringham brothers. So he let it be and tried his best to ignore the situations around him without offering any of his usual sage advice.
Still, he wondered...
Russell knew that people talked about him. He knew they were asking questions and quite honestly he thought they had the right.
He was a fairly mysterious person, wasn't he?
But seeing as he had no desire to share the details of his life before Xenotime and had expressly forbid Fletcher from saying too much, no one was going to be receiving answers anytime soon.
Not that he really had anything to hide. He just enjoyed having his privacy, was all.
He could tell what Belsio was thinking though; what the man was wondering.
Why did Russell have to act like such a complete and utter bastard?
Maybe not in that many words but all the same, he could tell that was what Belsio, and others, often wondered.
The truth was. Russell didn't mean to act like such a jerk. In fact he hated being so cold, especially to his younger brother.
He loved Fletcher dearly and he hated to make the younger boy think that he was unhappy or angry with him.
But some sacrifices had to be made. Not that anyone else would understand. If Russell had explained to them exactly what went through his mind when Fletcher hugged him, then maybe they'd sympathize with him. But he wasn't going to give his thoughts away as free as air, so it seemed that no one would ever sympathize with him again.
( However, you are all just people who might be reading this. Russell doesn't know that you can see inside his head. If he did, he'd have none of it. Let's just keep it our little secret, okay? )
The problem, you see, was his great-aunt.
The woman was rather old and so naturally had a rather old view of the world. She was incredibly strict and sour and Russell had never liked her. The old shrew did come to their home on occasion though and unfortunately they all had to pretend to not hate her.
His poor mother usually fared the worst from the visits, stressing herself until she was drawn out to string and pieces just to make sure that the old witch-woman was kept content.
On one particular visit, years before his father abandoned them, Russell and Fletcher had been playing together right outside the butcher shop while their mother was conversing with the butcher about pork chops and chicken.
Their great aunt had come along on the trip and was watching the two of them like a hawk, even though she didn't really have to.
Russell, being nine at the time, felt he was quite old enough to look after his little brother without any scary old ladies glaring at them.
And definitely not if they were going to glare like that!
"What?" Russell had asked her innocently.
They weren't doing anything wrong. Little Fletcher was just clinging to his big brother's waist as if it were his lifeline.
Of course he was, he'd just seen a spider.
Fletcher used to be afraid of spiders and Russell was always there to move the spider away, just as he had done now. Then he'd give Fletcher a reassuring hug and tell him that everything was okay and the spider was more scared of him then he was of the spider anyway.
But their great-aunt didn't seem very happy, not that she ever was...
She seemed even less happy when she saw Fletcher land a messy kiss on Russell's cheek.
The glaring didn't really bother him too much though. Maybe, Russell thought, she was afraid of spiders too.
The old witch waited until their mother came out of the shop with her grocery bag fuller then it had been then began speaking to Mrs.Tringham in a frenzied whisper.
Russell ignored most of it, only just able to catch a few words here and there. Most of them seemed to be about him...
He concentrated more on keeping Fletcher from wandering into the street after a little blue-bird, keeping a tight hold on the smaller boy's hand.
When they got home his mother put Fletcher down for a nap and took Russell into her and his father's bedroom to talk.
Usually he had to go to that big bedroom to be scolded and made to stand in the corner after he'd misbehaved.
Not that he did that much anymore...
This time however, the talk was different.
His mother seemed embarrassed which was strange. Usually she was very cheerful and she laughed lightly at almost anything.
But today she didn't seem to be in such a happy mood...
She asked Russell what he had been doing with Fletcher earlier that day, when they were outside the butcher shop.
He was puzzled by the question but didn't hesitate to explain to her that Fletcher had seen a spider and gotten scared.
She nodded in understanding as he told his tale and relief was fast to wash over her features.
He asked her if he had done something wrong and she told him not at all and then she had hugged him tightly.
Then she explained that he was getting older now and that he had to be careful not to be too...huggy with Fletcher when they went out.
Of course he had demanded to know why.
It wasn't like he hurt Fletcher...quite the opposite. And the passing women, not to mention their mother, always ooed and awwed when they saw the two brothers being so adorable and cuddly with one another. Where was the problem?
His mother was blushing, actually blushing. Goodness...
She told Russell that she appreciated that he wanted to spend time with Fletcher and help to protect him from things, like big bad bugs, but now that he was older some people may not...appreciate how helpful he was being.
Like that mean old witch of a great-aunt?
Yes, just like her.
It was sort of because he was getting so tall. He'd gotten a growth spurt recently, just as his grandfather had once predicted, and seemed to be getting taller every day. A regular bean-sprout, Russell was.
But it also made him look older then he was. And for some reason people didn't think it was cute anymore when he hugged Fletcher and let the younger boy kiss him on the cheek.
But he only did that because he loved Fletcher!
Yes...but...
And why didn't anyone care when she hugged Fletcher and got kissed on the cheek? She was even older then him- no offence- and no one minded at all!
That was different. She was his mother.
That wasn't fair.
No, no it wasn't. But things were unfair sometimes. Just because you didn't like them didn't change anything.
But...
His mother had obviously seen the disappointed and shame on his face because she sighed and smiled at him.
It's okay to hug your little brother...just...keep it at home.
And that was that.
Russell took another offered hug of condolence and walked away.
He realized just what his mother had meant the next time they went out shopping.
Was it his imagination or were people staring at him?
Or were they staring at Fletcher?
He pulled the smaller boy closer to him on the park bench they were sitting on, giving the people around warning glances.
Another boy, a little older then him snickered at that as he walked by.
He probably just didn't have a little brother to protect...
And when the boy whispered something to a little girl by the swings, both looking in their direction and they both burst out laughing, Russell decided that it was time for a change.
He wouldn't understand what the people had been looking at them and laughing about until he was older and by then it would make him blush.
No one should be thinking things like that about him...
Even if he did look too old to be cuddling his little brother.
He took his mother's advice after that, refusing to hug Fletcher in the presence of other's. He turned away at the other's attempts to cuddle or kiss him.
Even when Fletcher found a spider in his lemonade and was crying hysterically, Russell made no attempt to comfort him. He just dumped out the lemonade and got him a new glass.
As much as it pulled at his heart to not give Fletcher a big hug they were in a public place...
He just couldn't do that sort of thing anymore.
By the time Fletcher was seven he seemed to have completely resigned himself to his fate.
Russell would never be the sweet, warm big brother he used to be...
It had gotten easier as they both matured. Fletcher was no longer quite so clingy and needy as he used to be. He had even conquered his fear of spiders to the extent that the eight-legged things were now as good as cute little tabby kittens to his gentle, petting fingers.
On occasion Fletcher would grab hold of Russell and lock his arms around the older boy's legs in a hopeful embrace.
Of course Russell never returned the hug unless of course they were at home where he felt safe from strangers and watchful eyes.
But he almost never felt safe...
While they were at Mugear's mansion it seemed that there was never time to talk to Fletcher, not even give him an affectionate pat on the shoulder.
Russell was absorbed in his work then and Fletcher seemed to fall into second place.
How had that happened?
And how had he let it happen?
When Fletcher's overalls were dripping with the chokingly thick wetness of the red water Russell should have hugged him, held him. Told him he would be okay.
But he didn't.
He was too shocked by his own stupidity and too used to his unaffectionate nature while in view of others to manage anything more then a horrified, open-mouthed stare.
Fletcher was alright in the end, thank god.
Russell would have never been able to forgive himself if Fletcher had gotten sick.
And if the younger boy had...died...
Russell didn't even want to think about that.
As terrifying as that situation had been, Russell decided once again to change. Not much, but a little.
Fletcher had taken the backseat in his life for too long...
The shared a room in Belsio's house with two beds, one alongside the right wall and one on the left.
They had been researching a bit and stayed up too late. Russell was tired as hell but he did like to try and stay up long enough to make sure Fletcher was asleep.
Which he wasn't yet.
As much as Fletcher hated to admit it, the complete and total darkness of the room at night scared him just a little. And the growing storm outside wasn't helping.
Russell could see Fletcher sitting wrapped in a thick blanket on his bed, flinching at the sound of the wind that was rattling the windowpanes.
He glanced toward the door to make sure it was closed, which it was.
Locked too? Yup. Fletcher was always so paranoid...
Then he got up and walked over to Fletcher's bed. He scooped Fletcher up into his arms, blanket and all, and carried the surprised boy back to his bed where he dropped him gently down in a spot nearer the wall, then climbed into the bed himself. He threw his own blanket over both of them and smiled at Fletcher.
The smaller boy stared at him with wide eyes.
Who was this guy and what had he done with his big brother?
"Russell..."
The older Tringham yawned and wrapped an arm around his brother.
"It's okay to hug you at home..."
Fletcher practically squealed in his joy at being accepted and burrowed into the mess of blankets to cuddle up against Russell.
It was these rare times that Russell warmed up to him that Fletcher really enjoyed.
Even if he could hear Belsio's light chuckling from outside the bedroom door.
Eh...
Was it just me or was that strange as heck? No matter...I liked it well enoughanyway. Hope someone else did to...meh. I'm not entirely sure I haven't completely screwed over the little bit of the Tringham's past that is discussed in the show but...well, I couldn't honestly figure out the time-line for their lives. Oh well.
And just because you don't care...
I have taken to calling the Tringhamcest pairing Flussel...I'm not quite sure why, but my sister came up with it and I took to it like a stick on beard and moustache to someone's face.
Hooray for Flussell!
Nyah.