Warning: This chapter is lowkey depressing as fuck. Please don't #hate me, I am soft™.
"Claus, geez, the recipe says chop the carrot, not mince the poor thing. What's going on with you?"
Claus glanced up from his trance and turned to face his newly found culinary friend, Nana. She carefully took the knife from his hands and set it down on the table so he wouldn't have an incident. Claus sighed and glanced down at the carrot he was supposed to be cutting into semi thick slices, but had instead furiously minced practically into carrot powder.
"Nothing, I'll try again-"
"Claus, come on. You've been in this weird trance or something all day, are you just nervous about school?" Nana asked, concerned. Claus tried to avoid the subject by pretending to look over the recipe they were given, but figured it would be better just to spill the beans.
"Well, you know my brother?" He asked hesitantly. Nana's face immediately lit up, a smile crossing her face.
"Yeeeaah, that Lucas." She gushed with a small giggle. Claus mentally rolled his eyes. It was already obvious that Nana had a serious thing for his twin.
"God, I'm gonna throw up. Don't even try, girls turn his light right off." He groaned playfully, "Well, we kinda had a falling out over the weekend, y'know?" He admitted. He decided to leave out the more intense part. Nana shrugged a bit, deciding to take over the cutting of the carrots, in fear that Claus might break the cutting board in half.
"You've argued before, haven't you? I'm sure it'll pass." She suggested.
"Well, no, I don't think so," Claus continued, "I mean, we're brothers. Of course, we'll always argue, but we're fighting this time. Like...fighting. Like, we didn't even talk to each other at all this morning."
"Yeesh..." Nana cringed, "What's all the beef about?"
"Well, it started when I got all pissed off at my boyfriend. He was very obviously flirting with some girl right in front of me." Claus began.
"What, Ninten? Isn't that kind of...his entire personality, though? Being a gigantic flirt?" Nana asked, somewhat amused.
"Uh, yeah, but...like...? Right in front of me? Anyways, back on track. This led to Lucas calling me 'overly controlling', and get this, he said I'm too jealous! As if it's the absolute worst thing!" Claus spat.
"Well...being jealous is kinda...not good, I guess. I can see where Lucas is coming from." Nana told him.
"Just because you have a giant crush on him doesn't mean you can't take my side." Claus half teased, half accused. He didn't understand why this was such a bad thing. Wasn't it basically his responsibility to worry about people important to him? He was only trying to be a good boyfriend, and a good brother. He pulled open the oven with his foot, allowing Nana to set their now finished creation into it. Claus ran his hands through his hair and sighed.
"Thank god that's over, I've gotta sit." He muttered, wiping sweat off his forehead and sat down in the nearest chair. Nana took a knee down next to him and patted his back, pressing her lips into a thin line. Unsure of what to say, she shrugged a bit.
"Y'know...I'm sure it'll blow over. It's not like he's gonna move out or anything, right?" She asked, trying to lighten the mood. Claus laughed a bit.
"Heh...yah. I could stab Lucas, and he wouldn't move out."
"Hey, Ninten?"
Ninten turned in response to a finger tapping him on the shoulder. He spotted Lucas, and smiled.
"What's up, Cupcake?" He asked, closing his locker and leaning back against it. Lucas fidgeted and bit his lip.
"Do you, uh...do you still have those applications?" He asked. Ninten's brow furrowed, and he shrugged off his backpack to dig around in it.
"Sssssure...? They're right here." He handed the slightly crinkled papers to Lucas hesitantly.
Lucas instantly snatched them out of his hand and flattened them against a locker, grabbed his pencil from his pocket, and began to furiously scribble down his information. His hand was moving so fast, Ninten couldn't keep up.
"Whoa, dude! You sure you wanna go through with this? Don't you wanna think this through or something? I mean, you're gonna be leaving Claus all alone, and-"
"I'd rather live under a bench than with him. Here." Lucas directly handed over the now completed forms. Ninten took them with unsure hands, and looked at his friend, shocked by his slightly bitter voice.
"Uh..." He paused, "Okay? I guess I'll meet you after school?" He suggested. Lucas nodded and gave a small smile.
"Thanks. Sorry for snapping." He murmured, before turning and walking away. Ninten watched him go, eyes wide. There was barely any hesitation, he observed. He swatted himself upside the head, realizing that Claus was not going to be happy at all.
"I think I just made the biggest mistake of my life..." He thought, "Better go tell him before he finds out himself."
"What the FUUUUUUUUCK?!"
"Claus-"
"Stupid piece of...! What?!"
"Please calm down-"
"You calm down!"
"I'm not even yelling-"
"Stupid, stupid, stupid, dumb, stupid...!"
Ninten rolled his eyes and rested his chin on his hand, waiting for Claus to finish. The redhead paced around the area the two were sitting at in the school courtyard, muttering angrily to himself. Claus grabbed at his hair, took a deep breath, and plopped down next to Ninten, falling over and resting his head on his lap. He gazed up at the blue sky, which was beginning to clutter up with clouds. Ninten decided he was going to skip first period, as there was no way he could let Claus be on his own when he was like this. To try and calm Claus down, he began to play with his hair.
"Hun, you have go to calm down, yeah?" He murmured, starting a braid. Claus sighed stubbornly, trying to avoid eye contact.
"I can't! Can you believe him? Lucas is such a...a...mrrhrrmm...!" He searched for some type of obscenity to call him, but came up with nothing.
"Whoa, language, hun. That word is a little strong." Ninten teased. Claus pouted and reached up to lightly slap him.
"I just...dang it! Why would Lucas do that? That's so unlike him, you know? Why would he just move out like that?" He wondered, his voice softening to a murmur. Ninten bit his lip.
"I...don't know. But you know what? I predict that two days from now, Lucas will move out of my place, and back into yours, and this whole ordeal with be solved." He promised, flashing a lazy half smile.
"Back at it again with those superpowers." Claus softly laughed, "What are you, a psychic?"
"Why does everyone ask that?" Ninten replied, "And to answer your question, yes. Yes I am."
They both laughed a bit, and a bit of time went by that was only spent with Ninten making a few more braids in Claus' hair and Claus staring at the clouds slowly beginning to roll over the sky. Ninten sighed, and decided Claus was finally calm enough to ask the question.
"Why are you guys fighting in the first place?" He asked. He saw Claus' eyes flash with fire for a split second, but he quickly composed himself.
"I've already explained it to enough people today. But to put it straightforward, he's mad because I'm too protective, and I'm mad because he's too forgiving. Something else happened, but...I don't wanna talking about it. To put even more straightforward, we've never fought this bad before." He explained. Ninten's brow furrowed.
"Well, that explains it. You know Lucas, hun. He hates it when he gets upset. He probably can't take it, and chose to move out rather than to face you. I think you should just go ahead and apologize." Ninten suggested.
"Um, no. He started it." Claus pouted. Ninten decided not to further the subject. There was obviously something Claus wasn't telling him. There was no way that Lucas would leave his brother just because of one little fight. Something else had definitely happened.
"God, I wish I really was a psychic right now." Ninten thought, frowning a bit. He hoped that this would blow over.
"Demi, Point, Demi, Flat, Tendu, Tendu, Pique, Flat...Lucas, raise those arms!"
Lucas snapped to attention, and scrambled to position his arms correctly.
"Yes ma'am...!" He replied, getting a nod from the dance teacher. He tried to focus on keeping his form balanced and correct during the warm up the class was doing. In the mirror in front of him, he noticed his leg was slightly bent. He tried to straighten it, but it refused to. Thankfully, the instructor finally began the lesson. Her words were muffled, however, as Lucas once again went into a trance. This trance, of course, was the overwhelming guilt and self loathing he felt. The events of the past weekend were still poking at him, and he still couldn't get over the shock of knowing that he actually willingly moved out of him and his brother's apartment.
He felt a slight nudge from Paula, who stood beside him. She waited until the teacher wasn't looking, and passed a small clip of paper to him. Lucas slightly glanced down at the note:
What's the matter with you today?
Lucas sighed; that was the question he was afraid of. Well, he couldn't avoid it forever. And he didn't know anyone else who was better at giving advice and listening to your problems, so why the hell not?
Once the teacher sent the students off to work on some project, Lucas and Paula sat down across from each other in their usual corner, pretending to be discussing the project.
"Alright, what's wrong, Cupcake? Something's really eating you. Now, I've already heard that you and your brother were fighting, but you always make up! What happened? And don't just tell me what everyone else has already explained to me, okay? Ninten texted me, saying that Claus mentioned something he didn't wanna talk about. Spill the tea." Paula finally allowed Lucas to speak. He sighed.
"I...don't really wanna talk about it either, Princess." He muttered.
"Lucas, normally I would say that you don't have to if you don't want to, but I want to help you, alright? I need to know what's going on so that we can fix it!" Paula urged, taking his hand and squeezing it.
"No, really. I really don't wanna." Lucas insisted, growing increasingly nervous.
"Please? Pretty please?" Paula asked, looking at him through her eyelashes. Lucas groaned.
"Don't do that..." He begged.
"Do what?"
"That thing you do, when you want something, so you make a cute little Paula face and then you get it. It's not working this time." Lucas turned away.
"Please, Lucas?" Paula repeated in a sugary sweet voice.
"Okay, fine." Lucas took a deep breath, "When I say we fought, I really mean...you know, fought. He admitted quietly. Paula's jaw dropped slightly and she raised a hand to her mouth.
"You don't mean, like...fought fought, right?" Paula asked, "Oh, Lucas! You actually hurt each other?"
Lucas averted eye contact, bit his lip, and nodded shamefully.
"He stared it, though!" He insisted, "We were in a really heated argument, then he jabbed my shoulder, then I jabbed his shoulder, then he shoved me, then I shoved him, and I don't remember much, but I remember that I hit him! In the face! With my hand!" Lucas explained at almost the speed of light, becoming more and more hysterical. He was now a tear stained mess, collapsed on the floor.
Paula used every ounce of her strength to not burst into laughter; Lucas' breakdown was almost comical in a way. She put a hand on his shoulder and patiently waited for him to finish. Once he had calmed down, he sat up, his face red, eyes tired, and his hair in a tangle. This time, Paula couldn't contain her laughter.
"Pfft...! That looks better than your usual hairstyle." She chirped, hand over her mouth. Lucas found amusement in her small burst of giggles.
"God, how do you do that?" He laughed a bit.
"Do what?"
"That other Paula thing! Where you laugh and it makes people feel, like, 4000% better." Lucas began to smooth his hair out again. He sniffed, "It's like your my own prescription of Prozac." He froze, immediately regretting his words. "That...sounded a lot less weird in my head."
"No, no, it's cute. Watching you try and flirt." Paula teased, poking his cheek.
"Uh, Paula, I'm kind of gay." Lucas reminded playfully, drawing his legs into his chest. Paula laughed again.
"I know, I'm just teasing." Paula said, "Feel better?"
"Hmm...yeah." Lucas grinned. The look of guilt still lingered on his face, however. Paula smiled sympathetically, and cupped the side of his face.
"Sweetie, come on. You two are brothers, you can't keep avoiding the eventual fistfight." She said. "Me and my older sister? Jesus, she almost put me in the emergency room, once. All because some boy she was obsessed with asked me out."
"Let me guess..."
"Ness."
"Thought so." Lucas confirmed. He wasn't too educated on the relationship between Ness and his friends back then, but he was aware that he and Paula had dated for a while. He got up, finally finding the strength to land a proper form. "Yesss, there we go. You wanna work on our routine?" He asked, holding out a hand. Paula took it, and hoisted herself up.
"There we go, there's my Lucas." She said.
The next 24 hours was a complete mess. Lucas hadn't even bothered to move his things to his new home, so he ended up sleeping on the floor of Ninten's apartment for the time being. Not that he would get any sleep anyways; he was too mad. Claus wasn't doing any better, now that he was living on his own now. He actually looked forward to school, because at least he'd be somewhere other than his home.
Before he knew it, the first period bell had rung.
Claus closed his locker, and looked up to come face to face with Lucas, who had just shut his own locker. He narrowed his eyes. Lucas responded by crossing his arms and leaning to the side.
"I'm not saying sorry." Claus finally stated, breaking the silence.
"Back at you." Added Lucas.
"I can't believe you!" Spat Claus, "First, you didn't come home last night, then I find out you moved in with my boyfriend? Isn't that a little...oh, I don't know, a little sketchy?!"
Lucas' eyes darted nervously to the side, and he leaned in close, "Maybe lower your voice a bit, genius? People are staring!" He hissed. "And just so you know? I'll move out of his place once you admit you were wrong."
"You started the whole thing!"
"You know what I didn't start? This." Lucas lifted his sleeve and gestured to the very visible bruise on his arm. Claus slightly cringed; he didn't know he had caused that much damage.
"W-well, why'd you hit back?! Aren't you the one who promotes settling things with words? Isn't that what you're known for in this school?" Claus asked. Lucas' eyes shifted to the floor; he wasn't so sure how to answer that.
"Um..." He murmured, before shaking his head, "Don't even try to blame me for this. I have to get to my class."
"Wait, so you're saying all of this is my fault?!" Claus grabbed him by the shoulder to stop him from leaving.
"I didn't say that, now let go of me!" Lucas yanked his arm away. A small crowd of students had taken interest, and had begun to clump around them. Lucas desperately looked around, "No, no, nononono..." He thought, "Please don't look at me..."
"Show him what you're made of, Luc!" Shouted a voice from the crowd.
"No! Listen, this is not how you settle things!" Lucas protested. "He's my brother. I'm not gonna hurt him!"
"Typical Lucas." Claus muttered through clenched teeth, "Always afraid to get your hands dirty, aren't you?"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Lucas asked, eyes narrowed.
"This is exactly what I was talking about! You're so loyal to always trying to settle things with words, but you never known when you need to break!" With his last word, Claus shoved his hand into Lucas' shoulder, causing him to stagger back a little. Lucas felt provoked enough to strike back, but he felt two pairs of hands grab his arms; he turned to see that it was Kumatora and Ness behind him. Both looked bewildered and shocked. He saw that Claus was being restrained by Ninten and Paula.
"You guys, chill out!" Kumatora said. Lucas tried to wrangle his way out of their grasp.
"Lucas, cut it out...!" Ness pleaded, "I've never seen you like this, what's going on?"
"I know when I need to defend myself, Claus! I just try not to use violence!" Lucas ignored his friends and focused on trying to break free.
"Oh, please. If you really knew when to use violence, then you would've never been put in the hospital by that!" Claus jerked his head towards Ness. Lucas felt Ness' grip on him loosen for a split second, and he took that opportunity to break loose and launch himself at his brother.
That was it.
It took the force of almost ten students to keep the twins apart; both were focused on practically slaughtering the other. It was a mess of yelling, crowds, and teachers trying to handle the situation. Finally, they managed to keep both brothers contained, and separated them.
Within minutes, Lucas was sitting beside Claus in the principal's office, both facing away from each other, arms crossed.
"Lucas, I just don't know what to say," Mrs. Wyman murmured, her eyebrows furrowed, "This is so unlike you, and I must say, I'm quite disappointed that you of all people would resort to such tactics to settle an argument. Especially with your brother." She added, gesturing to Claus.
Lucas squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, hands clasped together and eyes staring guiltily down at the floor. He couldn't bring himself to look his Principal in the eye. She turned to look at Claus.
"And Claus, I put you in this school for a reason, alright? I saw your academic potential, and this is how you show your worth?" She demanded, glaring at him through her silver rimmed glasses. Claus, while not as reserved as Lucas, avoided eye contact. Mrs. Wyman sighed and shook her head. "I understand you two are brothers. I understand that brothers have arguments, and sometimes resort to fistfights. But school grounds are not the place to do it, understand?"
"Yes'm." Muttered both boys.
"Good. Now, Lucas, since you have shown exceptional behavior all year, I will not put as much of a heavy punishment. You are one of my most well behaved students, after all, so we can try to overlook this black mark. Same with you, Claus, since you are brand new, and I can't imagine the stress you are under. Actions such as this would normally be dealt with three weeks of detention, but you two will be settled with one, alright?"
Lucas perked up, eyes wide, "No!" He begged, "Ma'am, please, I-I've never been to detention before, I can't! I'll do anything else, just please don't give me detention!" He stood up, panicking.
"Oh no, detention. What a nightmare." Claus muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Lucas began to say something back, but didn't want to add on to his sentence. He sat back down and looked at the floor.
"Yes'm, one week sounds fine." He replied. The Principal nodded and stood up, casting a sympathetic look at Lucas.
"I'm sorry, honey. You've helped me so much with Tracy lately, but I'm afraid I can't turn away from my responsibilities, okay?" She explained. Lucas only nodded solemnly. She held the door open for the twins as they stepped out of her office. Claus turned to say something, but Lucas glared at him with a type of ferocity and hatred that Claus didn't think his brother even had the capability of having. It startled him, seeing how much fire was burning in his eyes.
"Fuck you." Lucas spat, in a voice so dark that Claus could've sworn it was someone else talking.
"What?!" Claus cried, feeling slightly intimidated. This was a side of Lucas he and nobody else had ever seen, he was sure.
"How could you say that about him, Claus? About Ness? He's not even a human anymore to you, huh? He's a 'that'?" Lucas asked, "Right when I thought you two had finally gotten along..." He threw up his hands in frustration.
"You really think that was on purpose, Lucas? Really? Didn't even stop to wonder if it was maybe just a slip of the tongue?!"
"Maybe it was, but he was standing right there! He doesn't need to be reminded about it!"
"I can't believe this," Claus ran his hands through his hair, "You know what? Maybe he does. Maybe he does need to be reminded, because I just don't want it to happen again, alright?"
"Oh, so you don't trust him, is that it?" Lucas began to walk away. Claus followed him.
"You know that's not what I meant, Lucas, come on." He said, "Why do you think we still learn about slavery? World War II? All that depressing shit, huh? To make sure it doesn't happen again!"
"Bye, Claus." Lucas called without turning around, desperate to just end the whole thing.
"Whatever." Claus muttered, heading the opposite way.
Lucas, though he had never skipped a class before, decided he would take the chance. There was no way he'd be able to focus in math today. So, he decided to go outside to his favorite courtyard tree and take a breather. He leaned against the tree, not caring about the bark scraping against him. All the events of the day were too much.
"Who does Claus think he is?" He thought. He bit his lip and hid his face in his hands, "What would mom and dad think...?"
He grabbed his sweater vest and buried his face in it, before letting out a muffled scream. He was just too frustrated. Frustrated with school, with Claus, and definitely at himself. He'd never been this disappointed in himself before.
"That bad, huh?"
Lucas looked up; it was Ness. He stood there, backpack lazily shrugged on and a cigarette between his fingers. Lucas, too tired to say anything, only nodded. Ness bowed his head back in response. He sat down next to him and leaned against the tree as well.
"Skipping third period?" Lucas finally managed to asked, his voice quiet.
"Yeah, it's been...kind of a crazy day." Ness murmured, taking a drag and slowly breathing out. He held out the cigarette, "You wanna finish this off? There's not much left, but-" Before he could finish his sentence, Lucas snatched it out of his hands and brought it to his lips, inhaling deeply. Ness nodded. "Yep, I get it." He replied with a bit of a laugh.
"Listen, about what Claus said...Christ, I just wanna give him a piece of my mind sometimes." Lucas muttered, "Sorry."
"Nah, it's all good. I'm sure he didn't mean it."
"I just wish he wasn't so negative about you, you know? I know that you guys made amends and all, but he's still..." Lucas searched for a word.
"Suspicious." Ness offered.
"Yah, that's the word. Suspicious." Lucas repeated.
"He just wants to protect you. But he's trying to like me, I think. When he and I went out on your balcony that one night, I think he got high so that he would be all chill and stuff." Ness guessed, drawing his knees into his chest. Lucas sat up straight and looked at him with wide, surprised eyes.
"That was weed, wasn't it?!" He cried, "I knew it! Dang it, Claus..."
"Don't try and act like you don't smoke it, come on. Don't think I haven't seen your grinder." Ness teased, poking at the side pocket on Lucas' backpack. Lucas, shocked that he had been found out, threw his bag to the side.
"W-whatever!" He stammered, laughing. He was thankful that Ness was trying to keep a positive light.
"So, I heard that you moved in with Ninten, huh?" Ness asked.
"Yeah, I just don't think I can handle living with Claus for now, you know?" Lucas admitted.
"You gonna transfer your stuff after school, or...?"
"I don't think I'm going to either apartment tonight, heh. I don't think Ninten would appreciate it if I came to his home after I tried to kill his boyfriend. I'll see if I can room with Kumatora for the time being." Lucas decided.
"You could room with me, if you wanted." Ness offered casually.
"Wait, really?"
"Yah, it's no problem, my family doesn't care."
"What about your dad?"
"He's not home this month. He's coming back...geez, in about two weeks? It'll be like you were never there."
Lucas smiled at him gratefully. "That'd be nice. I'll sort everything out tomorrow." He smushed the last of the cigarette into the ground, putting it out.
"Ness, are you sure? I don't want to be a bother, or..."
"Hey! Luc! Chillax. I've told you time and time again, it's fine."
Ness' house came into view as the two of them rounded a corner. Ness suddenly stopped in his tracks, nervously gazing ahead. Lucas stopped too, glancing back at him, concerned.
"What's wrong?" He asked, looking back at the house. Nothing seemed to be wrong with it. Ness sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"There's...there's another car..." He muttered, breaking into a jog. Lucas followed, and noticed that rather than two, there were indeed three vehicles parked in front of the house. He crossed his fingers as the two of them neared the front door. Ness took a moment to take a breather, then he reached to open the door. However, it swung open before he could even touch the knob.
"Nesley." The tall, intimidating form of Dale Wyman stood there, and he didn't look happy. Lucas' heart nearly stopped.
"Ah! Hey! Hey, dad!" Ness stammered, "I...didn't know you were home this early!"
"There was an unfortunate accident at the hall today, so we've been sent home for the night." Dale narrowed his eyes, "Why is it that you've returned home in the middle of the evening, son? And who is this?" He asked, shifting his gaze towards Lucas, who was almost ready to pass out in the presence of such an important political figure.
"Oh, uh...you see, my friend, uh...you've met him, right?" Ness asked. Lucas shook his head, terrified.
"No-ay, we 'aven't-hay." He muttered quietly from the side of his mouth.
"What?" Ness whispered back.
"No we haven't!" Lucas shot back, also whispering. He jumped upon seeing that Dale had offered his hand. He shook it, and put on the most confident face he could muster.
"Why is he here?" Dale asked, seeming slightly irritated.
"He, uh...was gonna help me study, that's all." Ness replied.
"Ah, yes, you have been struggling with English, I've noticed." Dale nodded, allowing the two of them inside. Ness mentally celebrated; he bought it.
"Yeah, so Lucas is helping me. He and his brother, they're really good at English." Ness said. Dale's face suddenly changed from neutral to slightly offset. He furrowed his brow ever so slightly.
"Lucas?" He murmured.
"Uh...yeah?" Ness replied, confused. Dale opened his mouth to say something, but instead guided Ness by the shoulder to the other side of the room, motioning for Lucas to stay where he was. Ness looked at him, a bit concerned. "Dad, what's the problem?"
"Well, Nesley, you see..." Dale paused, glancing back over at Lucas, "I'm not saying that I believe this, or that it's true, but..." He trailed off. Ness raised an eyebrow.
"But what? What's wrong with him?" Ness asked, glancing back at his friend, who awkwardly stood where he was told.
"Nothing, nothing. But...well, Nesley, you understand that some of your schoolmates have parents that work with me, yes?" Dale asked.
"Yeah, a few of 'em."
"Well, through their children, my coworkers have passed on...interesting information to me.
"Information?" Ness asked, a bit nervous. Had his father found out about his old habits? "Like what?"
"An acquaintance of mine informed me that you two have a very strong friendship. Am I correct about this?" Asked Dale.
"Yeah, we're really close." Replied Ness.
"I've been notified of something that happened about a week and a half ago. A peer of yours reported seeing the two of you outside the school after classes had ended." Dale explained. Ness remembered what he was talking about, but he wished he could remember what had happened. Hopefully his father hadn't found out that he'd been drinking that day.
"Y-yah, we were just hanging out! With water! Lots and lots of water." Ness made sure to add in that last part.
"Yes, that's what I heard, at first. Nesley, they mentioned that they spotted you and your friend partaking in...concerning activity."
"What?" Ness was a little frightened. Had they gotten into trouble, possibly? He shifted on his feet a little, "What do you mean?"
"He claims he spotted you, quite willingly, might I add, kissing him." Dale finished, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Ness' heart dropped, and his breath caught in his throat.
"Fuck, I remember, now..." He thought, glancing back at Lucas, who had the same wide eyed expression. He had obviously remembered as well. Ness turned back, his mouth dry, "Someone saw us?! I thought we were alone...!" He bit his lip, "Uhhh..." Ness wasn't sure what to say at first, but his father spoke before he did.
"Not to worry, I know my son. You wouldn't be getting yourself involved in such things. But..." Dale seemed to hesitate.
"But...what?" Ness asked.
"Son, understand that we can't have rumors simply going about like this. People will start to believe that this is true, and that's dangerous for our family, alright?" Dale clasped his hands together and exhaled, "I suggest that you limit your time around Lucas." He murmured.
Ness' eyes widened, and his jaw dropped slightly. "You're kidding." He replied.
"I'm not. The more time you two spend around each other, the more people will get the wrong idea about you, and the more our family is thrown into controversy."
"You're not gonna let a small rumor bother you, are you? Hundreds of rumors go around about us every day, you can't let one mess you up!" Ness cried, raising his voice slightly.
"Don't talk to me in that tone, do you hear? You know that people only believe what they want to hear. So for now, I insist that you find company in someone else."
Ness looked back at his friend solemnly, shaking his head slowly. It was over.
But then, he noticed a look in his eyes. The same look he'd seen on that rainy, mess of a day when the two of them practically poured their hearts out to each other, and had finally made amends. That look he saw when Lucas told him words that changed his life. The look that said "Everything will be okay." How could he be so stupid? What was it that this person had taught him in the first place?
Ness' brow furrowed and he turned back around.
"No." He said.
"Excuse me?" His father nearly staggered back. Ness felt a rebellious chill go up his spine. He'd never flat out denied his father; he found it somewhat exciting.
"I said no. I've done a whole lot of shit for you, but I think I'm done. I think I'm done trying to be your perfect kid." He decided, "Every single day, ever since I was a little kid, I've nearly worked myself to death trying to get just a little bit of satisfaction from you!" He cried, now unable to contain himself.
"Listen-"
"No, you listen! Listen for once! I've already given up friends for you, and I'm not about to do it again!" Ness turned around and grabbed Lucas by the shoulders, leading him back to his father.
"Ness, what are you-" Lucas was cut off.
"You see this boy? This kid right here?" Ness gestured to him, "This one person has given me more care in the past few months than you have given me for years! So I think I'll keep him, thank you very much."
"I am only looking out for your reputation, you need to understand that! We can't have people under the impression that you're one of those people!" Dale insisted. Ness froze. He had reached his breaking point.
"One of those people?" He repeated, "You know, the word 'gay' isn't that hard to say, alright? Why would it matter if I was or not?!"
"Because I'm not going to have one under my roof, and that's final!"
"Wow. Just...wow. Okay, fine! Here's a plot twist for you. What would you do if you found out that you've had one of those people living under your roof for the past eighteen years?!" Ness immediately covered his mouth, regretting his words. "Shit...!" He thought.
He felt Lucas' grip on his arm loosen. The silence that filled the room was unbearable, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. Ness glanced to the side, catching the eye of his friend, who looked just as shocked as his father did. He was tempted to sprint as fast as he could and just leave everything behind him, but he found himself unable to move.
"D-dad, I-"
"How long have you felt like this?" His father muttered darkly, slowly advancing.
"...About a month, I guess-"
"And you never told us? We could've gotten you help at this point!" His father grabbed him by the shoulders assertively, desperately trying to look his son in the eye. "Look at me when I talk to you." He insisted. Ness hesitantly lifted his head. "Listen here. First thing tomorrow, you are going to an appointment to try and get you fixed, alright? Now, I suggest you see your friend out."
"Yes sir." Ness muttered, defeated. He sent an apologetic glance at Lucas, and motioned for him to follow. Lucas obliged at first, but stopped before they reached the door.
"Ness." He murmured, squeezing his arm. Ness turned to him, confused. They locked eyes, and Ness instantly realized what he had to do. Lucas had already faced his obstacle head on and showed it was he was made of. Now, it was his turn. He took a deep breath, and turned to face his father once again.
"I don't need fixing." He said.
"Nesley," His father warned.
"I don't. Need. Fixing!" Ness repeated, raising his voice once more, once again feeling adrenaline course through his body. "And I'm not gonna let you force it on me. Not this time." He finished. There was another period of silence. His father sighed.
"Well, if you are unable to live by the rules of this house, I suspect you'll have no trouble seeing yourself out." He stated.
Ness heard his own heart race. It would be tough, but he knew he was doing what was best for him. He didn't say anything.
"Five minutes." Said Dale.
Ness didn't waste any time; he grabbed Lucas by the arm and led him down to the basement, where his room was. Lucas stood in the corner, unsure of what to say, as Ness grabbed a suitcase from his closet and began to fill it up with whatever he could find, all the while reciting pi to himself. There was a hint of nervousness and hesitating in his movements. Lucas slowly approached him, hand outstretched.
"Ness, um..."
"I know you're gonna try and change my mind, Luc."
"You have to give this a second thought, you can't just move out without thinking about the consequences!" Lucas insisted as he jogged to follow Ness out of the room.
"Sound familiar?" Ness muttered over his shoulder.
Lucas stopped for just a moment, before shaking his head and following him again.
"Don't pull that crap with me!" Lucas shot back, continuing down the hallway, "You know that this is different! What about your sister?"
"You are in absolutely no room to talk, alright? What about your brother?" Asked Ness, turning and advancing on Lucas, who raised his hands in defense.
"I-I..." Lucas trailed off. For just a split second, he caught glance of an old side of Ness he hadn't seen in ages.
"Lucas, listen..." Ness made sure to soften the tone of his voice, "Tracy will find a way to make it without me home. But if I stay here, I will get hurt. I know it's risky, but there's a difference between leaving your family because of pride, and leaving it because you're saving yourself." He turned around again and made his way up the basement stairs and into the main hallway, where he came face to face with Tracy, clad in her nightclothes.
"Nesley?" She murmured, rubbing her tired eyes. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of Lucas, and widened even more when she saw the suitcase. "Why's Lucas here? Where are you going?" She asked with perked interest.
"Aw, Trace, what're you doing up?" Ness asked, kneeling down to meet her eye level. He took her by the hands and gave her a bittersweet smile, "Tracy, listen...I'm leaving home for a while."
"What? Why? Where are you going? Can I come?" Tracy asked, her face falling. Ness shook his head slowly.
"I'm sorry, no. You have to stay here and be there for mom when dad's not around, okay?" He murmured.
"But...!"
"I need you to be strong for me, okay? If I stay home, bad things are gonna happen to me. I really need to leave. Understand?" Ness asked. Tracy pouted a bit, but nodded her head sadly and glared down at her feet. She grabbed her brother's arm and squeezed in an awkward attempt at a side hug, before pushing past him and latching herself onto Lucas. He looked at her, shocked, before putting a hand on her back. He glanced at Ness, as if to say, "What now?" Ness shrugged in response.
A sound of Ness' father clearing his throat alerted the two of them. He stood patiently at the front door, which was already open. Ness stared him down, trying to intimidate him, and it seemed that he succeeded, as his father broke eye contact several times.
He hugged his sister one last time, grabbed Lucas by the hand, and quickly left the house without another word.
"Ness, wait!" Lucas called after him, jogging to keep up with his friend's speed walking. Ness didn't answer, or even acknowledge that he was there. "Listen, you need to-Oh my god," He gasped as Ness collapsed onto his hands and knees, onto the grass beside them. He rushed to his friend's side and put his hands on his shoulders, attempting to guide him up. He shook him a bit. Ness was awake, but not attempting to get up any time soon. Lucas soon realized that Ness had completely broken down, and was now in tears.
This surprised Lucas; Ness usually tried to show little emotion, in an attempt to 'keep his masculinity', as he called it.
"I don't think I've ever seen him cry..." Lucas thought. He usually always knew what to do to comfort someone, but right now, sitting at the edge of a sidewalk with Ness clinging onto him as if it was to save his life, he was completely unsure. For once, he found that he had absolutely no answers. So, he simply put a supportive hand on Ness' arm. He realized that his friend was convulsing violently, and was beginning to hyperventilate. He was obviously having a pretty serious panic attack. Lucas knew what to do now; he'd had plenty of experience in calming Claus back when he'd wake up screaming in the middle of the night.
"Hey..." He murmured, "Ness, can you look at me?" He asked. Ness hesitantly lifted his head to make eye contact with Lucas. His eyes were red and tear stained. Lucas made sure to look him straight in the face, "You know what? Everything's okay. Yah? Can you say that?" He prompted.
Ness simply muttered back the phrase almost incoherently, but it seemed to reassure him slightly. The two of them sat there for what seemed to be about fifteen minutes, and Ness slowly began to regain his composure. He was still too weak to lift himself off the ground, however, so he had no choice but to stay on the wet grass. He rammed both of his palms into his face in frustration.
"God dammit!" He cried, voice still trembling, "God dammit, I'm sorry..."
"Ness, come on, it's fine! You were just trying to defend yourself-"
"No, no, no, no, it's...it's not...it's gonna happen again, isn't it? It's all gonna happen again..." Ness whispered.
"What's going to happen again?"
"This! Me! I'm gonna...I'm gonna go back to the way I was," Ness began to get hysterical again, "I don't want that to happen again, okay? I don't want to lose my friends again...not again..."
"Hey, what are you even saying? You're not gonna go back to the way you were, what gave you that idea?" Asked Lucas, confused. Ness only shook his head, his face in his hands.
"You don't get it..." He looked up, remembering why he was out here in the first place. Suddenly finding the strength to carry his own weight, he got to his feet and grabbed his suitcase again. "I have to go. Now. I have to leave."
"And where will you go?" Inquired Lucas, getting up to follow him.
"I don't know."
Lucas opened his mouth to say something, but quickly stopped himself. Ness was already dealing with enough all at once.
The two of them walked in complete silence for what seemed like hours. The sky had been dark at this point, the only light being that of the streetlights and the rare passing car. Ness didn't seem to have a certain direction he wanted to go, he was just walking wherever he felt like walking. Lucas had a million things running through his mind. He attempted several times to say something, anything that would break the uncomfortable silence. He finally decided to take a chance and bring up the obvious.
"Ness..." He said softly, "I-I had no idea. About...well, you know..."
Ness stopped in his tracks in front of him. He didn't bother asking what Lucas meant.
"No one does." He replied, "I don't even think I do. Am I...Am I gay, or...?"
"That depends, there are a whole bunch of terms and shit that even I can't keep track of. But the only person who can answer that is you." Lucas told him, relieved that the previous tension between them seemed to be gone. Ness only nodded his head, stuffing his free hand into his pocket. He thought for a moment, before turning to his friend.
"How'd you figure it out?" He asked hesitantly.
"Figure what out?" Lucas replied, "What, that I was gay?"
"Mmhmm."
"Well, uh..." Lucas shifted awkwardly; no one had ever asked him that, "When you're younger, girls are super gross, right? While all the other guys around me grew out of that, I never did, heh...I was ten when I realized that there was a reason for that. It didn't take long for me to realize what was going on." He smirked.
"Heh, wow. It sounds so easy for you."
"I was one of the lucky ones. For me, I just knew, right away." Lucas said, snapping his fingers, "Then you have people like Claus. Poor guy, he didn't even consider boys until he met Ninten."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah. He thought he was totally straight until, like, this year. He went seventeen years without realizing."
"Like me?"
Lucas paused, "Well, what do you think? Are you straight?"
It took Ness a moment to think about it. "Um...I don't think so. I mean, I thought I was, but...I think I'm that thing where you like both. Boys and girls, I mean."
"Bisexual."
"Yah, that."
"Well, there you go. "
Ness nodded, understanding. He exhaled stressfully and ran both hands through his hair, which was now damp because of the small sprinkle of rain that had begun to patter down. He glanced at his shadow on the warm glow of the wet street, and the shadow of the suitcase beside him. His heart began to pound, but he kept himself in control this time.
"Shit..." He spat, "Where am I gonna go?" He realized that he practically had no plan. He began chewing on her fingernails and looked around, as if he could find the answer somewhere around him. For a split second, he glanced back at his own house which was barely visible now, but quickly turned away from the idea.
Lucas was pondering on several ideas as well. He was already confused enough with where he was going to live himself, this was just adding on to the pressure.
"I got it." Ness decided, beginning to walk again, "I'll go to a hotel for a few days, get a job, save up...I'll figure it out." His voice was low and unsure, but he was convinced that it was the only option he had, despite how hard it would be.
Lucas didn't deny it at first. He figured that it was the best option at the moment. He began to think of any of their friends who'd possibly be willing to lend a room for Ness to stay in for a while, but his mind suddenly shifted to another idea. He debated mentally on the idea he had, thinking about the consequences for both of them alike. But the angel on his shoulder eventually won over.
He bit his lip hesitantly, then spoke, "I think have an option."
The two friends stood outside of an apartment door.
They looked out of place in the warm coloured hallway, their clothing soaking wet and their hair matted to their faces. Ness took a deep breath, and turned to Lucas, nervous.
"Are you sure?" Ness asked.
"Positive." Lucas replied, giving a reassuring smirk.
"Whatever you say, I guess..." Ness shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, "Listen, about tonight, I...geez, I'm sorry. You really didn't need to see that. Good old dad, heh...he's quite the character."
"If anyone should be sorry, it's me. You deciding to leave...that was a good idea. I've never really needed to get away from my family to keep myself safe, you know?Sorry for not trusting you." Lucas said.
Ness smiled a bit and stared at the ground awkwardly. "You performer kids, always so melodramatic."
"You athletes, so full of...testosterone." Lucas said, snickering.
"How does that even relate to what we were talking about?" Ness asked with a genuine sounding laugh.
"I don't know, I wanted to make a comeback!"
"Just quit, you're really bad at them." Ness was met with an attack of soft but direct shoulder hits from Lucas, "Ow! Ow, sorry! Heh...I just have plenty to apologize about today, don't I?"
"Got anything else on your list?" Lucas asked.
"Actually, yes. I'm sorry about...y'know." Ness hinted, leaning against the wall, "About that."
"'That'?"
"You know what I mean."
"Yeah. That." Lucas nodded and looked at the floor, "That really happened, huh? Are you always that forward when you're wasted?"
"Not gonna deny it; yeah. I once made out with some guy for a solid five minutes last year at a party I went to. I still don't know who he was." Ness explained. Lucas, surprised by this rather out of nowhere answer, jumped a bit.
"Oh." He murmured, "Thank you for telling me that...?"
"Sorry, I'm just...so frazzled." Ness sighed and turned to the apartment door. "Okay."
"Wait!" Lucas stopped him and dug around in his pockets, pulling out a crinkled envelope. He handed it to Ness, who looked at it, confused.
"What's this?"
"Just take it. You need it more than I do." Lucas explained with a bittersweet smile. He backed away and shrugged his backpack on, indicating that he was leaving.
"Where're you going?" Ness asked, slightly panicked now. Lucas hesitated.
"Home." He told him. And with that, Lucas gave a small wave and turned, "You take care of yourself."
Ness wanted to say something, keep his friend there for just a little longer, but by the time he figured out what he would say, Lucas was gone. He stuffed the envelope in his pocket.
He had to do this on his own.
With a deep breath, reassuring himself that it was okay, he faced the door and took a second, before hesitantly knocking three times. He waited, and he waited, and he waited, and no answer. Just as he began to loose hope, the slight sound of the door latch being undone caught his attention. The door creaked open, and he came face to face with the tired, puzzled person who had answered.
"...Ness?"
"Uh...hi, Ninten..."
Ninten looked him up and down, his squinted eyes widening a bit. He was wearing a large loose shirt and PJ pants; he had obviously been sleeping recently. Ness instantly felt guilty for waking him up.
"What're you doing here at..." Ninten glanced at a nearby wall clock, "...two in the morning?"
"It's two o'clock...?" Ness marveled. He'd been up for that long? "Jesus...sorry, Ninten, I lost track of time."
"Don't worry about it," Ninten slurred. He rubbed his eyes and got a clearer vision of Ness, "Dude, you're soaking wet! How long have you been out in the rain?" He asked, his voice slightly louder now as he drifted out of his half-awake state.
"I, uh...kinda had a fucking panic attack on a sidewalk." Ness said. Ninten only got more confused, but he shook his head and sighed.
"Here, uh," He opened the door wider, "Come on in, leave your stuff wherever. You can borrow a pair of my clothes, yeah? Then you can tell me why you're at my apartment in the middle of the night."
"Thanks." Was all Ness could think of to say. He hastily took off his wet shoes and put down his suitcase, releasing the pressure in his arm. He waited patiently for Ninten to return from a different room. He soon did, holding a folded up set of clothing and a towel. Within ten minutes, Ness had cleaned himself up and was all changed. Ninten silently walked into the living area and sat down with a grunt across from Ness, who had his hands politely clasped.
"Okay..." Ninten sighed, wiping away the rest of the sand from his eyes. He had originally planned to ask a long, detailed question, but in his confusion, all that came out was, "...What?"
"I know, this is weird. Just...let me explain everything? To put it all simply, I, uh..." He debated on whether or not be should tell him, "...got kicked out of my house."
"Christ, Ness!" Ninten exclaimed, pulling his knees to his chest, "What for? I-if you don't mind my asking, of course!" He clarified.
"Funny story, um...I maaaaay have told my father that..." Ness swallowed nervously and continued, "...I maaaaaay not be as...straight as he thought I was."
Ninten's eyes widened, and any sign of his tiredness instantly disappeared and he perked up, "Whoa, wait, what?" A barely noticable smile formed on his face, "Ness, you're...?"
Ness nodded. "Yyyyyep, I think so."
"Dude, that's rad!" Ninten cried, instantly shrinking down afterwards, "I mean, not that you were kicked out, I mean, that sucks. But good for you! And you just straight up outed yourself to me! Good on you, man." He congratulated, reaching forward for a fist bump. Ness obliged, feeling his spirits lift.
"Thanks, man..." He said, feeling better, "But that's why I came to you. Well, actually, that's why Lucas made me come to you."
Ninten's face darkened for only a split second. "Lucas?" He asked, obviously still a little bitter with him for what had happened earlier, "Why'd he take you here and not...?" He trailed off.
"I have no idea." Ness said, shaking his head. He suddenly remembered the envelope which sat in his pocket. He grabbed it and flipped it towards Ninten, "He did give me this, though. Maybe it's for you."
Ninten took the envelope and inspected it. No name, no address, nothing. He used his fingernail to rip open the letter and take out the contents. Ness watched his eyes scan the paper, and became confused when Ninten peered up at him with a smug grin. He slid the paper across the coffee table between them with a single pointed finger. Ness leaned over to see was it was, curiosity overtaking him.
In big, bold letters at the top of the page, it read 'Confirmation of Residence'.
Underneath it were multiple obvious patches of white-out.
Ness' heart skipped a beat, "Jesus Christ, Lucas..." He muttered. He looked up to see Ninten holding a ballpoint pen towards him, the smirk still on his face. Ness frantically shook his head.
"I-I can't!" He said.
"Why not?" Ninten asked, "Come on!"
"Because...! Well, look! You and me? In the same room? For extended periods of time? Let alone living together? You see the same problem as me, right?" Ness asked.
"Listen, Ultra-Vi. Guy to guy? Heart to heart? I know we never really got along," Ninten considered.
"Yah, not at all."
"But honestly...I'm just not feeling that anymore. I like you! I think you're a radical dude! Think about it; we haven't had a single fight ever since the one we had before you changed. Isn't that like...a record for us?"
"I guess..."
"And if Lucas has taught you anything time and time again, it's...?" Ninten trailed off, waiting for Ness to finish the sentence. Ness rolled his eyes and smirked.
"Anyone can change if they work for it." He recited with a drawl.
"Yaaaay!" Cheered Ninten. He once again held up the pen, "So?" He said, "Wanna take the chance?"
Ness raised his hand, but hesitated. "Maybe Ninten isn't so bad." He thought. He grinned and shook his head, taking the pen, "If you sing one showtune, so help me..." He murmured as he began to write over the white-out.
"I'm gonna drive you fucking crazyyyy!" Ninten enthusiastically cried in a sing-song voice and an exaggerated vibrato.
Once Ness had finished, Ninten gave him an awkward side-hug from across the table.
"Weee! Best friends! The power team! Name a more iconic duo!" He stated.
"Whatever happened to 'It's two in the morning'?" Ness asked with a laugh, returning the weirdly positioned hug. Before he knew it, Ninten had grabbed his hand and was leading him down the main hallway to the very last door. He opened it to reveal a barren room which only contained a closet and single bed.
"So, uh..." Ninten said, "This is the guest room, but let's face it, no one comes to visit me. I know it's a little plain, but uh..." He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged, "Will it work?"
Though the room was empty, Ness felt a sense of safety and warmth coming from it. He walked inside and scanned the area, and instantly felt like he belonged there. It was as if this room had been specifically made for him. Ness felt his eyes begin to water for the second time that night, but this time, it was in a good, happy way. He turned around and rushed towards Ninten, hugging him again. Ninten staggered back, not expecting the sudden action. But he smiled and returned it, patting his friend on the back.
"It's perfect." Ness said softly.
It was quiet for a moment, until Ninten pulled away and dramatically gagged.
"Geez, since when are you Mr. Sentimental?" He said playfully.
"Even I have emotions, asshat." Ness said back.
"Dickwad."
"Loser."
The two of them laughed for a moment, before Ninten stretched his arms above his head and groaned in exhaustion. "Welp," He yawned, "I'm going to go to sleep. It has been one crazy night for the both of us, so I think we both deserve at least some peace of mind."
"Yeah. Sorry again for coming into your house and moving in spontaneously." Ness said.
"Naaah, it's okay. Anyone is better than Lucas."
"Is he not a pleasant roomie?"
"If by 'not pleasant' you mean 'cleans the whole flat two times in a row', then yes. Honestly, I love the kid, but god damn."
"That explains the serious scent of Windex."
"Good old Cupcake."
"Heh, yah. Well, uh...I guess I'll see you in the morning?" Ness asked.
"Yessiree." Ninten nodded. Before he left, he put a hand on Ness' shoulder, "And, hey, Ultra?" He said in a more heartfelt voice, "Good for you. Understanding yourself is not easy, and I've been where you are. Like, literally the same thing happened to me." He admitted.
"Wait, what? I thought you said your parents were cool with it?" Ness asked, as that was what Ninten had previously told him. Ninten shook his head, a hint of sadness in his otherwise content smile.
"Nope. Why do you think I live alone?" He said.
"You told us that your parents went to go work overseas."
"Nope again." Ninten shook his head again, "I made that up."
"Really?" Ness marveled, his eyes widening, "Why?"
"I didn't want anyone to freak out and worry about me. About four years ago, I came out, and my parents flipped their shit. Within 24 hours, I'm living in my friend's basement, and the minute I turned eighteen, I moved into this place. Here I am now, happy as can be." Ninten explained.
"Oh." Was all Ness could say. Ninten seemed like the most happy and carefree person in the world; Ness hadn't even considered the fact that maybe he'd been through some troubles as well. "I won't tell anyone." He promised.
"Thanks. So now you know that you have someone to talk to, yeah? Just remember, Ness. You choose your family, okay? I'm guessing it was your dad who kicked you out, I've met the guy. You know what you can do? Kick him the fuck outta your life. Or, maybe in the future, you'll make amends with him. Who knows? But it's your decision." Ninten said. Ness smiled gratefully and nodded.
"Thanks, Ninten." He said quietly. Ninten only winked in response, before turning and leaving the room. Ness closed the door to his new bedroom and looked around again. He walked over to the twin-sized bed and threw himself on it, enjoying the feeling of being able to lie down.
Before he fell asleep, the last thing he thought to himself was, "And thank you, Lucas."
Claus was sitting at the kitchen table when Lucas entered the home.
He looked up, slightly frightened, in response to someone unlocking the door. He stood up, ready to defend himself, when he suddenly came face to face with his brother. The twins stared at each other for a solid few seconds, each not knowing what to say. It was Claus who found the courage to talk.
"Lucas." He acknowledged with a slight nod of the head, "You, uh...came to get your stuff?"
Lucas glanced down at his feet, the back at Claus. He shook his head, "No."
"Well then why're you-"
"If I say sorry, will you?" Lucas interrupted, closing the door behind him and walking forward a few steps. Claus furrowed his brow.
"Why're you saying it first?" He asked.
"Because I started it." He admitted, "I'm the one who..." He trailed off, looking at Claus with shameful but determined eyes. They were a few steps away from each other now. Claus wasn't so sure of how to feel. He wanted to be mad, but he couldn't find the motivation to do so. He wanted to turn his brother away and never speak to him again, but he knew that he was going to swallow his pride any second now.
Lucas took a deep breath, "Claus, I'm so-"
He was cut off by Claus practically tackling him to the ground in a tight, desperate hug.
"Please come home." Claus choked. Lucas blinked, surprised. He could tell from the break in Claus' voice that he had burst into tears. "Shit, please come back home, Lucas...I'm not ready to be by myself...! I woke up the other night, and you weren't there, and I couldn't sleep..." He took a moment to catch his breath, "...And I'm so afraid that the nightmares will come back...I don't want them to come back, Lucas! I don't even know what I'm gonna do when you go to college and I'm here by myself, and..." Claus gave up on trying to speak, as he was practically sobbing at this point.
Lucas snapped out of his stunned trance and and sympathetically looked at his brother, who was shaking uncontrollably. He wrapped an arm around him and buried his face in his shoulder, missing the feeling.
"I'm here, Claus." He murmured, "And I'm never leaving again. When I graduate, I'm not going anywhere until I know you're ready. Us brothers have gotta look out for each other." He pulled away and gently tilted Claus' face upwards to look at him, "And Claus?"
"Y-yeah?" Claus sniffed.
"I'm sorry. You were right, I am a little too passive. If I wasn't such a pacifist, I probably wouldn't have been as injured as I was back then. I guess that sometimes, you really do have to resort to violence. I'll work on that...on one condition."
"That I work on being more laid back." Claus guessed. Lucas nodded, and smiled.
"I get that you're my brother, and you wanna protect me. But I'm gonna be considered a legal adult in a few months. You know I'm capable of handling myself. And the thing with being protective is that if you get too obsessive, it could turn ugly. You understand that, yeah?"
"Mmhmm."
"The same thing with jealousy. You trust Ninten, right?"
"Of course."
"Talk to him about what happened. Tell him you're not comfortable with him flirting with others, and I'm sure he'll stop. Just avoid jealousy. That's a major red flag, okay?"
"Okay."
"Jesus...Claus, come here." Lucas pulled his brother close again and clung to him as if it were to save his life, "Just...sorry. Sorry that I hurt you."
"Me too." Claus replied. He had become teary eyed again. "You'll stay? Promise?"
"Cross my heart, hope to die." Lucas confirmed. Nearby, he spotted his phone on the ground light up with a notification. He reached over and picked it up, checking the text he had received. He smiled.
Recieved, 2:46 AM.
Ness: 'thanks lucas.'
"Alright, alright, prepare for initiation!"
Ninten waved his arms to silence the group at the lunch table. It had been a week since the whole fiasco between the twins, and the tension, while still there, was settling. Right now, it was a spare period, meaning they had the cafeteria to themselves. Ninten gestured to both Claus and Travis, who sat next to each other.
"Our friend group continues to grow! First Lucas, then Ness, and now these two. And you all know what that means!"
"Nicknames!" Everyone cheered, expect for Claus and Travis.
"Here's how it works, you two." Ninten began, "We all work together to make an alternative name for you. You get a say in it, but we make the foundation, alright?"
"Sounds good." Said Claus.
"Great! Travis first, since he joined first." Ninten said, sitting down. The group of friends all observed him, making him squirm shyly a bit.
"I'm thinking...something having to do with his hair. Brownish." Paula remarked.
"Hot chocolate! I like hot chocolate. It's warm and sweet; just like Travis!" Ana said, making Travis blush.
"Aw, gee..." He gushed.
"Pancake? Those are brown, yeah?" Suggested Jeff.
"Hershey." Lucas added.
"Dirt!" Kumatora cried, receiving the typical glare from the others, "What? It's brown, isn't it?"
Tony raised his hand, "Chestnut." He stated. The others shrugged, turning to Ninten.
"I like it." He considered, "How 'bout it, Travis?"
"I like chestnuts!" Travis agreed.
"It's settled! Welcome to the team! I dub thee, 'Chestnut'." Ninten said. He gestured to Claus, "And now, for Claus. I've already got a good one: 'Cutie Pie.'" He smirked. Claus sent back a suggestive glance, eyebrows raised.
"Eeeeewww!" Kumatora yelled, "You guys are gross!"
"You're gross! Anyways, what do you guys have?" Ninten asked.
"I want something cool. Like Chainsaw." Claus said. "Or Bloodstain."
"Oh, that's...creative." Travis said.
"How about 'Gingersnap'?" Ness suddenly said. He and Claus stared at each other for a good few seconds, before Ness scrambled to his feet and sprinted out of the cafeteria. Claus nodded in satisfaction and leaned back in his chair.
"Better run." He muttered, "Actually, you guys, I kinda like it." He considered.
"Really? Isn't that your set-off word?" Asked Lucas.
"It sounds better when you think of the 'snap' part being like snapping someone's neck." Claus explained.
"Well, if Claus likes it, I guess that's his title. I dub thee, 'Gingersnap'." Ninten announced. He leaned in close and whispered loud enough for the others to hear, "Still calling you 'Cutie Pie', though."
This was met with multiple yells of mock disgust. Claus got up suddenly.
"Wait, where're you going?" Asked Paula.
"Gonna go beat up Ness." He said, jogging out of the cafeteria. Paula nodded, not bothering to stop him.
Lucas rolled his eyes and rested his chin in his hand. He was glad things were back to normal, whatever this 'normal' was. From outside the hallway, he heard an obvious male falsetto shriek of terror.
"Welp, Claus found Ness." He thought, amused. Typical Claus.
He really did love his brother to bits.
Hey, guys! Thanks for reading this (kinda depressing) chapter! Stay tuned for Chapter 11!
-Felix