Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters mentioned here, besides the maniac better known as Axel Wood. :lol: Oh, and neither do I own their names. I do however own the plot.
Warning: Here you see the outcome of Murtagh's infamous jealousy! Mwhaha!!
A/N A super huge thanks to all my readers and reviewers, because we have reached over 2900 hits and 80 reviews!! Yay :D A special thanks to my wonderful beta GhostOfShadow! You guys truly are the best :D This chapter is betaed, woot!
Chapter VIII; Meeting Again
Every time Eragon met up with his friends during the next few weeks Axel was always with them. And every time he was reminded of that he could talk to them. Arya had even apologised. Eragon had forgiven her easily as Murtagh hadn't mentioned the little comment she had come with.
Eragon had been very sceptical about continuing the plan though, especially after his thinking when he had run, but he had been outnumbered with his idea to put an end to it. Apparently the song had only egged them on. Eragon regretted ever giving them the lyrics to read through. Thankfully, Murtagh hadn't had any episodes like the ones from before Eragon had taken off. The older brunet had however been a little cold and had only spoken when spoken to. And Eragon did not like it one bit. Murtagh had shown more emotions that Saturday than he had in months. To see his brother so emotionless again hurt him.
Arya and Saphira had comforted him many times, but the dread was still there. Why was Murtagh acting the way he was? Eragon refused to believe it was jealousy. Murtagh was much too perfect to fall for his own little brother. One of the days that thought ran firmly through his mind was the Wednesday Axel showed up at Arya's house beaten up, clothes torn in certain places and dirt all over his jeans.
"Lex! What happened?!"
Arya had run up to the limping blond the minute he had walked into the house. Saphira closed the door as Eragon helped the older teen limp into the guest room. The blonde girl was soon running into the house's bathroom in search for the first-aid kit.
"I'm alright. It looks worse than it is; the torture was more mental than physical." Axel rasped.
Just then Saphira came back, a large box in her hands. The two girls were quickly onto the hurt male, cleaning away the dirt and dried blood.
"What happened, Axel?" Eragon asked.
Eragon was feeling out of place. The girls weren't letting him in on the helping, not that Eragon was very good with cleaning up wounded persons. The memory of a hurt Murtagh flashed in his mind, but he forced it down.
"I met up with an old friend." Axel said with a laugh.
The laugh morphed into a wince as Arya cleaned the cut cheek with a little more force than needed be.
"Who did this?" Saphira asked gently.
"He apologised afterwards. There's no need to mention any names." Axel said with a shrug. "He had a good reason."
"There is no good reason for beating up my cousin!" Arya said harshly. "Who is the prick that soon will be missing his?"
Eragon fiddled with a piece of bandage that was too small to be used on Axel's cuts. He had a feeling about who the attacker was.
"Now, now… if I am to tell you, no one will be missing his prick afterwards. You will find that you don't want to cut it off."
Arya sighed. Saphira took over the cleaning as the black haired girl sat back to question Axel more. Eragon looked up from his hands. His eyes met two twinkling green ones.
"Fine. I won't cut the son of a bitch's cock off. Now tell me Lex!"
Axel sighed.
"It was Murtagh."
Eragon winced when three people suddenly were staring at him in shock. He wasn't sure himself why he had voiced his suspicion. And he was beginning to wish he had been born a mute.
"Murtagh? Was it really him Axel?" Saphira wanted to know.
Axel pulled the band-aid from her fingers and put it on the cut she had been cleaning. A nod was all he answered the question with.
"Oh, my God." Arya muttered.
Eragon sighed. His hands wove themselves into his brown hair. Now he was regretting ever telling his friends what he felt towards his brother. Arya had started pacing somewhere in the middle of Saphira's continuing to clean up Axel and Eragon's dark thoughts beginning to whirl about.
"This is…" Arya stopped up for with a blank look on her face. "It's perfect."
"… What?" Eragon asked confusedly.
Arya's face morphed into a determined grimace. Saphira closed the first-aid kit and sat down beside Axel as she waited for Arya to continue.
"The result of our plan might have been more violent than we had expected, but they're going in the right direction! Murtagh's jealous!!"
Eragon let out a sound of protest. His hands shot up in a sign for Arya to slow down.
"Come again?"
"Murtagh has finally shown that he's jealous! We should have expected him to beat up Axel since they're both guys, but a slight miscalculation is acceptable." Arya grinned. "Our plan is working!"
"NO! Hold it right there!!" Eragon stood up.
The other three teens looked at him. Arya crossed her arms over her purple top. Axel crocked his head to one side, face shining with curiosity. Saphira bit her lip, blue eyes clouded with concern.
"Your plan, damnit. It was never our plan, but yours." Eragon sighed. "I can't let this go on. Murtagh clearly has something against me associating with Axel, and it has nothing to do with jealousy. He's my brother and he's just looking out for me."
"Tell him that's not true!" Arya said, eyes coming to stare at her cousin. "You said Murtagh apologised to you. Tell us what he told you."
Axel nodded gravely.
"He clearly doesn't want me around alright. He's been dodgy around me since Arya introduced me to him a few years back. No idea why though." Axel stopped for a moment to gather his thoughts. "He said; I don't like that you're around Eragon so much. I'm sorry for having to do this to get my point across. But I can't see him get hurt again. Or something similar to that."
Arya bit her lip in thought. Eragon could practically hear the wheels turn in her mind.
"See… he's merely looking out for me."
Arya shushed him. Saphira looked shocked at the gesture, but not more than Eragon himself.
"That's what he wants Axel to believe. He's clearly in denial. Coping with the fact that you're in love with someone of your own flesh and blood is a tough thing to digest. Eragon is lucky to have gotten through it so well." The green eyed girl explained. "I think we've been attacking this from the wrong point of view."
"We aren't attacking it from any point anymore. I quit." Eragon said with a hoarse voice.
"You can't quit yet Eragon!" Saphira said in shock. "At least listen to what Arya wants to say."
Eragon scowled. He nodded nonetheless.
"Even Murtagh isn't strong enough to go through something like this alone." Arya said, hands folding themselves behind her back. "He would need to tell someone along the way. And who is better than someone you trust enough to tell what your own father did to you?"
Axel merely looked confused. Eragon narrowed his eyes. He knew where Arya was going. And he really didn't like it.
"Of course… Thorn!" Saphira exclaimed. "Murtagh tells Thorn everything!"
Arya nodded. Axel laughed in understanding.
"All we need to do is to get Thorn to spill. The tricky part is actually to get him to do it. Thorn doesn't open up easily." Arya explained softly.
"No worries." Saphira said as she stood with a small smirk on her lips. "I've got this one covered."
Eragon rolled his eyes in exasperation. Nothing good would come out of what he was about to get dragged into, he just knew it.
------
The new step was set into action the very next day. It had been decided that Saphira would talk to Thorn alone, as it then would be more likely for the redhead to open up. Eragon and Arya would wait around for her however, Axel opting to stay away from this one.
Saphira caught up with her boyfriend in the same park as the whole friend-gang had met up in earlier that month. Eragon and Arya made sure to stay out of sight. But they had agreed on if Thorn did spot them, then the duo would act as if they had come to talk somewhere private.
Saphira left her friends and began to walk towards the benches where Thorn had agreed to meet up. Her boyfriend was already there, smiling at her as she approached. Thorn was dressed in his usual attire; a blood-red tee and dark blue jeans.
"Hey Saph."
"Hi to you too Thorn." Saphira said as she sat down beside him.
Thorn pulled her closer against him, arm slung around her waist. Today she was dressed in light pants that were a mix between jeans and cotton pants. Her top was sky blue. Saphira leant into the protective embrace, thankful to be back where she felt safe.
"What did you want to talk about?" Thorn asked in a quiet murmur.
"Eragon and Murtagh." Saphira said bluntly.
She could feel Thorn tensing up slightly. The blonde girl peeked up and into his golden eyes.
"Why would you want to talk about them? What's going on?"
Saphira bit her lip.
"I'm worried about them." She answered finally. "Something's going on and I don't like how it's affecting both of them."
Thorn sighed.
"What do you suppose is going on?" He asked.
"Well, something obviously! I know why Eragon is miserable, because that brother actually speaks about his problems and feeling. And that's the problem!" Saphira paused in her speech and sighed. "Murtagh's the reason Eragon's sad. Did you know that Murtagh's shutting out his brother again, no matter how hard Eragon tries to prevent it?"
Thorn hid his face in her wavy blonde hair. Saphira lifted a hand and began to gently massage the stiff neck of her boyfriend. Thorn made a sound of approval.
"I knew." He admitted. "Murtagh usually talks to me."
"He's a real ass sometimes. Eragon's worried sick about him!" Saphira exclaimed.
Thorn lifted his head and gazed sadly into her sapphire blue eyes.
"Murtagh can be a real ass sometimes yes, but deep down he's a really nice guy. He just has a trust issue."
"I know that!" Saphira said, shaking her head to the side to remove hair from her eyes. "But Eragon is his brother."
"That is the reason Murtagh can't talk to him!" Murtagh said loudly, jumping in shock himself at the volume of his speech.
Saphira looked up suspiciously.
"What aren't you telling me Thorn? If it's so top secret, then I promise I won't tell Eragon or anyone else about it."
Thorn scowled and turned to look out at the rest of the park. Saphira followed his gaze and shook her head mentally. It seemed that Eragon had tried to walk away, but Arya had stopped him. The brunet was now yelling at his friend. Arya it seemed, was trying to reason with him, but to no avail. It ended with the black haired girl yelling something so loudly that Saphira herself could hear it.
"Why aren't you talking to me damnit?! Don't you trust me anymore??"
Saphira winced. Thorn looked down at her, eyes clouded with thoughts. Saphira looked back up just in time to see Eragon fall to the ground in frustration. Arya sat down beside him, hands coming around to hug him. Eragon shrugged her off.
"That's it!! I'm sick of this shit. I'm going to talk to Murtagh myself, and you can't stop me!"
Saphira blinked. Arya looked genuine with her shouting and furious glares. Saphira held her gaze at them long enough to see Arya stalk off and Eragon hitting the ground with his fist before storming after her.
"What was that about?" Thorn asked after a minute of silence.
"I don't know exactly. But I have a feeling." Saphira said as she released her bottom lip from her teeth.
"Well, I understood enough that it has something to do with Murtagh, but the whole not trusting thing and the ground hitting confuses me."
Saphira sighed.
"It's really not my place to tell." She murmured.
"That goes both ways Saph." Thorn said quietly. "So I offer a trade."
The blonde looked up from the ground. She locked eyes with the red haired male. A sports-callused hand softly stroked her cheek. Saphira smiled.
"You tell me what I just witnessed, with background info, and I'll tell you what's up with Murtagh. Both will be telling something that's not theirs to tell, but I'd say it's fairly evened out." Thorn said with a small amused twinkle in his eyes.
"Deal."
Thorn grinned slightly.
"You first. My thing is sort of hard to digest." He said with a small snort.
Saphira lifted an eyebrow, but complied nonetheless.
"Like mine isn't." She said with a secretive smile. "Anyway, what you just witnessed I have seen a few times already. I've even been a participant. Lately, as Murtagh may have mentioned, Eragon hasn't been quite the same."
Thorn nodded.
"Murtagh has mentioned it yes."
"Figured as much. Well Eragon has a reason, a good or bad one depending on the situation, to be as he is now." Here Saphira paused, thinking her words through carefully before uttering them. "You see, he has gotten the disease we all catch at one time. He's in love."
Thorn became silent. His arms were crossed over his chest as he leant back on the wooden bench. Saphira leaned her head to the side, curious to how he would react on the news.
"In love with whom?" Thorn asked finally.
"Someone he never suspected to feel that towards." Saphira answered mystically. "First he finds out he's gay and then the shock of his feelings hits him. Eragon has been through a lot to get where he is now."
"Eragon's gay?"
Saphira nodded.
"Your turn. I won't say another word until I hear something from you." She said.
"Reasonable that." Thorn murmured as he looked up at the cloudless sky. "Murtagh's problem is a lot like Eragon's, though my guy has always known he was bisexual. Murtagh's problem is worse however. He's in love alright, but he's in denial, or at least unwilling to acknowledge his feelings."
Saphira bit her thumb-nail. Her thoughts circled around whether Arya could be right about who Murtagh was having feelings for.
"How come he's not talking to Eragon anymore?"
Thorn chuckled to himself.
"Murtagh isn't known for how well he handles situations. I'm sorry to say that Axel became a victim of his anger." Thorn said with a cough. "Murtagh has a serious jealousy and possessiveness issue."
"Can you explain to me why he's so jealous around Eragon then? Surely…" Saphira gasped. "Does Murtagh like Axel?"
"Hell no." Thorn said with a small laugh. "Murtagh genuinely doesn't like that guy. But I won't tell you who either. I can however say that there's a good reason why he's acting like that around Eragon."
"The only reason why I can come up with would be if Murtagh were in love with Eragon. But -"
Saphira cut herself off. She had stood up in the middle of her talking, and now uncrossed her arms. She turned to face the silent Thorn.
"Murtagh's in love with Eragon isn't he?" She asked.
Thorn stood up himself. His face was devoid of emotions, but his eyes spoke volumes.
"Don't tell him I told you, but yes, Murtagh is." He answered calmly.
Saphira fell silent. Her mouth opened in quiet shock. The shocked expression soon turned into understanding, and her mouth turned into a smile.
"What do you know?" Saphira laughed gently. "What a coincidence. You see Thorn, Eragon just so happens to be in love with Murtagh as well."
Thorn stared at her for a minute before he reacted. His deep laughter echoed throughout the park. Saphira's bubbling laughter soon sounded with. And there the two teens stayed for quite a while.
A/N So, what did you think? ;) I'm sorry to be leaving you with this slight cliffie, but I have no other choice! I'm leaving for :guh: a family gathering next week and won't be able to update. I will the second I get back!!
Anyway, I'm shocked by the sheer amount of people who read and review this story. You truly are the best :D As I've managed to plot out a clever ending to an old fic of mine that has haunted be for ages, I'm free to write more Eragon fanfics! Yay ;D Better get done with them yes :sweatdrop:
But back to this fic! Glad you finally know where Murtagh stand yeah? Heh, I finally decided to let you out of the dark. He feels the same, hooray! But then again… we have the whole Murtagh in denial issue. Hmm… how will this be solved eh? ;)
Don't forget to leave me a little review! Push that pretty lil' button down there, you know you want to!
