Hello all! Thanks to Lemmy'sBiggestFan, I have completed two chapters instead of one! Plus an AN will be posted because I have BIG plans to finish this story.

With that, please enjoy! Credit for this chapter goes to Lemmy'sBiggestFan. Characters belong to Nintendo.


Threshold

Chapter 43: You've Always...

"What did I always do, Lemmy?"

Lemmy was at a loss for words, and his facial expressions weren't helping his case at all.

Roy wanted to punch something, but he knew better. He had thought hard and long about everything that had happened. He needed to, because nothing was making sense... at first.

After what happened with Kenta and Iggy, Roy saw what he had been trying so hard to avoid... what he knew Lemmy was finally going through, even a little. All he wanted to know now was what Lemmy thought about him, and rebuilt some trust with him once more.

Lemmy paused in his fear to notice that he didn't have to check on Roy anymore; besides a nasty cut on his arm and a few scratches here and there, he seemed alright... and stubborn, as always. He was fine and here, so that was a relief.

"I...I..."

Roy sighed heavily and pinched his snout. 'Dammit, why ya always gotta be so stubborn!'

Shaking his head, Roy decided to go with the most comfortable decision- and pulled Lemmy by the arm towards his bedroom. It would be a few more hours before everyone would finally be awake for what was going to come...

'A long- ass conversation Lem's not gonna wanna deal with. Better get this done now.'

As for Lemmy, he didn't bother trying to fight his brother off this time. He knew he had been putting this off for WAY too long. 'Not like I have a choice, do I?' Lemmy thought as he was pulled along.

Once Lemmy saw where he was being dragged off to, he was surprised. He hadn't been in Roy's room... ever, now that he thought of it.

" 'Ey. Stop here." Lemmy didn't hear him in time and bumped into him, quickly shuffling back in fear of being hit again. Roy looked at his brother with a strange expression before he opened his door. He pulled Lemmy inside and ushered him forward before closing the door.

'I thought I'd be screaming by now, but I'm just shaking... Roy scares me, but I don't know if its because I want to continue to live in fear, or if its what I'm so used to doing, I can't see me doing anything else. What does he want with me, though?'

He soon got his answer once Roy turned to face him, purposely blocking the only way out of the room. Lemmy looked around.

His brother did work out a lot, so it didn't surprise Lemmy the room had a musky odor, but mostly smelled sweaty. He had posters of famous wrestlers- mostly of Hawk Rawk from Glitzville- and a few inappropriate female ones hung up all around his room. His bed wasn't like Ludwig's or his own; it was smaller, torn and battered, and all of his pillows were thrown in one way or another someplace.

Given the fact his bed was in the far right, his marked and chipped desk was in the far left closest to his closer and bedroom window, and he didn't like having carpet in his room, Lemmy could understand why Roy hated winter a lot of the time. He shuddered. 'Jeez, his room feels cold... that's odd. I doubt its that cold outside...'

Not sure where to sit, Lemmy headed to park himself in the corner- or almost did, until Roy yanked him up and planted him on his bed. To Lemmy's utter shock, the tattered thing was surprising comfortable.

"Right, now spit it out." Roy demanded, resuming his original body guarding spot and crossing his burly arms. He looked more intimidating than normal. Lemmy shrank under his gaze.

"A-About what..." the tiny koopaling stuttered. Roy shrugged and he started getting uncomfortable himself, but for a different reason.

"...Lemmy. I get what I did now. I finally fuckin' get it, but I... damn, man!" he snapped, punching the bed. The smaller koopaling jumped in fright.

"Sorry. But... ugh, shit. I'll just spit it out. I know what I did to ya now. I talked to the old coot when he put me in here and I know what I did to ya. I mean, like the details and shit."

Lemmy nodded. Roy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I didn't... wanna believe I had done all that to ya. But Kamek showed me some pictures of what he... took of you."

Lemmy paused; he never knew Kamek had kept pictures of any of his injuries and wondered why no one had bothered to tell him about that. Roy smirked slightly at the reaction he was getting and kept going.

"I dunno if they ever told ya about that... but that old coot showed 'em to me. Lemmy, ya should've stopped me... ya should've done SOMETHING!" Roy snapped, slamming his fist into a nearby wall, and thus startling Lemmy once more.

"I've told you already, Roy... I've told you why..." Lemmy weakly answered. He buried his head in between his legs to try and stop his headache from getting any worse.

"No you didn't! NO YOU DIDN'T! I almost killed you!" Roy snapped even louder.

"It's not your fault..." Lemmy whispered weakly. Roy stomped over to him and leaned in his face. Lemmy's breathing picked up and he realized this was going to be the ultimate test of trust for his family.

"FUCK THAT SHIT! If it ain't mine, whose is it?!" his younger brother hissed. Lemmy gave in at last.

"It's MINE! Please Roy, just let it drop! I'm over it!" Lemmy cried out. Roy chuckled.

"No you're not. Ya still too scared to even look at me half the time, Lem. I know what I did was bad enough, and I almost lost you because of it." Roy said, his voice softer and a lot more calm. He let his head drop and sat next to him.

"But... knowing I almost let ya die because of my mistake... I'd never be able to live that guilt down..."

"Roy... that makes no sense. You'd never know I was dead anyways, so why would it matter..." Lemmy asked quietly. Roy shrugged.

"I don't want to think about that."

"About...what?"

Roy smiled a little. "Thinkin' I damn well killed ya."

Both fell quiet for a while, Lemmy briefly lost in thought once again.

'Tobi... Roy... he isn't what I remembered anymore. Should I... give it another chance? Like I did with Ludwig?'

'I think you should. Roy's not as bad as you remember. Keep going, Lem.'

"Hey, Lemmy..." Lemmy looked sideways at him...

... and almost had a heart attack when Roy suddenly attempted to pin him down. He thought about screaming for help, thinking he was about to get pummeled again, but stopped when he felt something on his sides. That soon gave way to... laughter.

Lemmy realized he was being tickled senseless and he couldn't help himself. He laughed and laughed as Roy tickled his ribs, neck, and feet, knowing all his brother's tickle spots. Roy grinned mischievously as he did.

"O-Okay! Roy, I-I give! I give!" Lemmy laughed genuinely, forgetting all about the fears of his younger brother. Roy paused before he grinned even wider and got closer to Lemmy's face.

"Nahhhh... I think YOU still need some convincin'! Come here!" Roy lunged playfully, quickly capturing the tinier koopaling in a laughing fit with more tickles.

"Roy, okay! Stop! STOP!" Lemmy laughed so hard he almost couldn't breathe. Roy soon joined in the laughter.

'To think... I almost lost this kid's laughter for nothin'... no, for somethin' I almost took away. I miss Lemmy's laugh, much as I hate to admit it. But... he's gonna be alright. I know he's gonna be alright.'

It was a few minutes later Lemmy lay on Roy's tattered bed, panting from the sudden ambush of tickling. Roy lay nearby, head propped up on his hand, the other for some reason playing with strands of his older brother's hair. His ponytail had came undone, and the hair lay partially splayed behind his head.

"Lemmy?" Roy got no answer, and he reached to tap his brother, when he paused.

Lemmy appeared to have dozed off, his breathing having gone back to normal some time ago. Roy chuckled. "Good grief kid... how much sleep can you get in a day...?" he questioned to no one in particular.

Lemmy mumbled and shook his head. Roy assumed he could hear him but he was drowsy as well. He checked the clock. It was close to 9:30 in the morning. Kamek did say they were going to be asleep for a long bit, and Iggy... Roy shook his head.

"That nut ain't gonna be up no time soon. But the others will be soon."

Roy sighed and decided the best thing to do is catch up on a few more minutes sleep. Besides, someone would come check on them when it was time to talk.

Roy laid down and laid his hand over his brother's chest, carefully pulling him closer. Lemmy didn't mind this time, and to Roy's surprise, he snuggled closer.

"I'm sorry, Lem. I'm really sorry for everything I've done... but I'll protect you for real this time. I promise... you'll never have to feel hurt like that again." Roy whispered.

"... always..."

Roy paused. Had he heard something just now? Or was he seriously losing his marbles?

"Lemmy?"

Smiling slightly, Lemmy mumbled sleepily, "...you... always... promise that..."

Roy chuckled, looking at his brother with a hopeless expression before closing his eyes and drifting into his nap.

'Lemmy, you're hopeless. But that's why I always promised to keep you safe. I have to! If I don't...'

For a moment, Roy's eyes narrowed and he felt a strange sensation in his chest. He shook it off.

'No... no. Forget that. Whatever that was, I can... fight it off. But I WILL make it up to him. Man I fucked up, huh... but I won't let that happen again.'


'Lemmy, now I'm curious. What did Roy promise you?'

'He always promised to protect me from harm, but he promised Ludwig and all our younger siblings that too. But...'

'You think he's lying like he did before?'

'I don't know. But that's something he's always promised me. To keep me safe... I just don't know if I should believe him anymore.'

'Well, it can't hurt to try. If you could forgive Ludwig and he is your older brother, I think you can forgive the strongest. I mean, you're in his room, you and him managed to have a simple conversation, and he even got you to laugh!'

'True. Roy's really nice when he wants to be. That, I know.'

'So what do you think?'

'I think I've finally learned to forgive him. I know I'll never get it all in one fell swoop, but I've leaned to forgive him. He really wants to help me and I don't want him to live with that guilt. Although I never knew Kamek kept pictures of those injuries... I think I'd like to see them.'

'Are you sure?'

'Yeah. I want to remember those days because I've finally realized... it's making me stronger. That's what Ludwig was trying to tell me, Tobi. I'm slowly getting better because I'm letting pain go and letting my family in.'

'And Roy? What do you see him as now?'Tobi recalled that question being asked a while back, and knew that his friend had no real truth for him at that time; the child was still too scared to admit he was scared of his brother, after all.

'I still see him as a bit scary, but that's because of his anger. I know how the littlest things can make him snap. But I see him as someone I've grown up with for years. Roy will always pick on us, try and prove brawn are better than brain, but deep down, I know he cares and that's just his way of showing it. Over time, I'll get used to that feeling again. At least... I think I will. But Roy's always my brother first, and I have to keep him away from Kenta.'

'It's about time you saw that. Welcome back yet again, Lemmy.' Tobi laughed. Lemmy laughed as well.

'I guess... but we all still have a ways to go.'


And complete! I think I rushed it a bit much, but I didn't like how I had wanted to end it originally, so this is how it shall end.

And what is Roy dealing with, I wonder...? Hmm...

The next chapter is actually an Author's Note, for those who have stayed with me thus far. It's going to explain what I have planned next for this story.

Until next time!