Chapter 2, short I realise, the next one should have more plot.

This is the second version of this chapter as it was the weakest I have written, mistakes have all been corrected, God willing.

Unbridled gratitude to everyone who reviewed.

Chapter 2

"Jien. What did my mom look like?"

Jien raised the axe above his head, the thick bands of muscle in his arms straining tight as he brought it swiftly down to crack the log before him neatly in half. He paused and looked down at his younger sibling, lay in the shade against the wall of the house, lazily twiddling a piece of grass between his fingers.

"What do you mean? Just take a look for yourself, she's only in the kitchen." He resumed his work. "I'd be careful though. She's in a pissy mood." He added as another log was halved and tossed aside. He tightened his grip on the axe handle and felt his shoulders crack together painfully.

"No, I mean my real mom, did you ever meet her?" Goyjo counted the years on his fingers with some difficulty, "You were 12 then right?"

"10, Goyjo, 7 years ago I was 10." Jien corrected, grinning, "What? You are 7 and can't even count."

"I'm not stupid, Jien." Goyjo sulked, "So are you gonna tell me or what?"

Jien paused, lowering the axe and cocking an eyebrow.

"What the hell is bringing this on huh? You've never asked before."

Goyjo stood hands on hips.

"Well I am asking now, so are you gonna tell me or just be an ass about it."

Jien lit a cigarette and slung the axe over his shoulder, turning his back on his younger sibling as he one by one kicked the remainder of the logs into the store. He bent the match between his thumb and forefinger and with a turn and a quick flick of his wrist, skilfully flicked it at his half-brother, laughing in triumph as it hit him directly between the eyes. Not amused, Goyjo replied with a scowl, cocking his finger up at him and turning away.

Jien burst into laugher once more.

"Well, if you put it that way, you're not getting a thing outta me. That what you get for being a rude little shit."

He wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his gloved hand and caught his breath leaning against the wall of the house. He had avoided the question well.

It was the hottest part of the day only the smallest patches of shade remained, in direct sunlight the heat was becoming unbearable. He pealed his t-shirt from his sweat soaked body; it was dripping wet and becoming nothing more than holes, he tossed it away gladly into the long grass.

It was another 5 minutes before he heard the small voice of Goyjo and felt his gaze burning into the back of his skull.

"Please, Jien."

Goyjo ran a hand through the length of his hair, shaggy and unkempt, brushing against his shoulders. His face went bright red to match his scarlet mane.

"I just wanna know okay?…." He mumbled before trailing off, clearly embarrassed.

Jien inhaled deeply on his cigarette and blew a flawed smoke ring, considering the dilemma before he finally spoke.

"She was a real nice lady, real nice."

Pause.

"And?"

"And what?"

"Come on, you have to have more details than that."

"Oh, well…. I only met her a few times, you know, but she was pretty. Beautiful even, tall and kinda exotic looking." Goyjo's eyes brightened and knelt back down on the damp grass, clearly enthralled.

"She had this beautiful long, dark hair down to her ass, poker straight and the eyes to match. She wasn't from around here, she came from somewhere down south, near the coast.

Goyjo opened his mouth to speak but was quickly cut off.

"And no, before you ask me, I don't know where, so pipe down and let me finish."

He took another deep drag on his cigarette and continued on the exhale. "She was classy too, had a real good up-bringing, big house, education and all that shit."

Goyjo ate up his half-brothers words and, now sat up, he hugged his knees tightly; his scarlet eyes peeking from over the rips in his jeans, goading him to continue. Jien scratched his chin absentmindedly, before slowly lowering himself onto the grass by his brothers side.

" She had a good heart, kind, but wasn't about to take any shit from anyone, even when she met dad. She was real tough as well, could pack a pretty mean punch if she had to. She was proud to be seen with him, dad, I mean, even though she was human and he was youkai. That didn't matter to her." He grinned ruefully. "I guess she didn't know that dad was already married, she was an honest lady and wouldn't have been with him otherwise."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Don't you know anymore?"

"Hey, come on, your lucky I know this much anyway, I only knew her for a couple of weeks remember. Before, well, you know." He trailed off, not wanting to make the obvious statement.

"She died."

It wasn't a question.

They sat it silence, the harsh midday sun burning their noses and shoulders. Goyjo shaded his eyes and leant back onto the grass, the smoke from his half-brothers cigarette blowing into his eyes and making them water.

"Jien?" He began,

"Yeah?"

"If my real mom was still alive, do you think she would like me?"

"Oh yeah, of course."

Goyjo frowned, still perplexed.

"Even when I'm a total pain in the ass?"

"Yeah, Why not. Your real mom has to look out for you, its in their chemistry."

Jien took a deep inhale as he approached the filter of his cigarette, filling the silence after the awkward question and his unsatisfactory answer. What kind of thing was that to say to his brother? The question had been unexpected and he wished he could have said something more comforting. He wasn't good in these kind of moments.

He smiled weakly banging on his chest to stop the burning in the back of his throat as the red hot end of the cigarette closed in on his lips.

"You mom, well, she was a decent lady, you know. She did want to have you."

Jien pulled his brother into a one armed hug, ruffling his hair roughly trying to lighten the mood. Goyjo smiled broadly up at his half-brother, drawing his hair behind his ears.

"I'm glad you told me Jien. Even though I don't look it, I'm glad I know about her."

"Yeah. No problem."

Jien stubbed his cigarette out in the damp grass and hated himself intensely for being such an incorrigible liar.

But at least the lie had done his younger sibling some good, five minutes later Goyjo was already dozing off in the afternoon sun, tranquil and silent.

A nasty cut above his eye had spilt through the ugly scab and a long crimson streak ran over his eyebrow and along his temple, droplets staining the grass blood red. A deep purple bruise lay along his sharp cheekbones, it looked painful and tender and still not fully developed; about the size of a fist, it dominated his features. It was recently inflicted, but Goyjo had not spoke a word concerning it.

The unsavoury purples and yellows were becoming a constant feature, behind a crimson curtain, fresh cuts and scrapes appeared daily. It seemed the worst thing about Goyjos injuries was that Jien was starting to get used to them.

Jien patted his half brothers hair down flat and leant back against the wall himself.

He hadn't known Goyjo's birth mother anymore than Goyjo did himself.

He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his sweat drenched hair.

Good intentions didn't count for shit.