Don't Cry Alone
Part Two: A Brother's Lullaby
Song Lyrics are Bella Morte's "Remains"
"Karl...." Thomas's voice softly beckoned him to the world of the awake like a siren alluring a ship of sailors. "Wake up, dear brother." A playful nibble on the earlobe and an enticing kiss is all it took to awaken Karl from his slumber. Karl's sparkling green eyes opened lightly, a playful smile found itself on Karl's pouty lips. "Just a little while longer, Tommy." "General Milford will have your hide." Thomas chuckled and nudged Karl's cheek for another kiss. The kiss was playful and teasing, their tongues touched and slipped deepering into each other's mouth. Thomas smirked and sat up from his brother's arms, his hands caressing Karl's nicely chiseled pectoral muscles. Deep within the younger man's eyes, sorrow was replaced with love and happiness, his gaze went from sorrowful and torment to warm and sparkling with life. Karl's hand slid on Thomas's cheek, neither of them wanted to get out of bed. "I better get up." Karl chuckled light-heartedly, slowly arising from the comforts of the bed. "I'm sure you got other things that need to be done." "I do." Thomas let out almost a poignant growl, his eyes became almost serpentine in their daunting glare. "Van and Fiona's wedding plan... I have to be there." "Don't go." Karl put his hands on Thomas's shoulders, his own gaze steadfast and hard. "Van is only going to make you feel less of a man and more like an idiot." "I have to go. I may hate the asshole, but I at least should show some gentlemanly courtesy to the bride." "After what Fiona said to you about how she feels about you, you still want to show her respect? If I were you..." "You're not me, Karl. You have the dignity and decensy to know when enough is enough." Thomas put his pants on, avoiding Karl's gaze. ------------------------
Sweeping winds of greyest passion
Find the four who wander fated
Within halls their velvet laughter
Is heard unknown from places shaded
Eyes are lined with black of midnight
Lips all touched in scarlet bliss
Tattered velvet, lace and chains
What dead have known such grace as this
------------------------ "You're going to get hurt again, Thomas. I can't allow that." "It has to hurt for it to heal." Thomas smiled down at his older brother, trying to reassure him that everything will be okay. Karl, however was not buying it at all, his expression was as concerned and angry. Concerned and worried that his brother's heart will be torn again, angry at the insanity that Van Fleiheight and his Zoidian bride are putting him through. Thomas saw that look on Karl's face before, he didn't need a reminder from him. "This... this time is different, Karl. You got to believe me." "I can't. I refuse." Karl's voice was low and almost hissing. "I know what kind of mind tricks Fiona likes to play with you, I am not dumb, Thomas." "Karl." A moan of defeat escaped his lips, Thomas got out of bed. He couldn't reason with Karl, there was no point to it. If Karl made a decision or put his mind to something, he was absolute about it, no ifs, ands or buts. That is what makes Karl and pain-in-the-ass sometimes, but Thomas couldn't help but admire Karl's concern and caring nature. It did prove to him, other than the night before, that Karl did love his brother with no questions asked. "I have to go, Karl. I'm sorry. Forgive me." "See me in my room after you return, Thomas. I think you're going to need to." Karl's voice was shaky, almost tearful. ----------------------
Here let us lay for this age
Has sung its last days
Under the full moons' watch
Black is the coffin in which our dreams lie
Silver remains of the time of our glory
Stand where our temple fell
Black are the mirrors to which our fears fly
---------------------- "Yes..." Thomas walked to the bed in full uniform, he leaned down and gave his older brother a kiss on the lips. It was reassuring to say the least, but Karl could not help but to worry greatly. As soon as Thomas was out of the room, the bishounen-god colonel got out of bed and got dressed in his uniform. He followed Thomas to the DiBison and managed to sneak aboard through the radar panel where Beek's main drive was. The DiBison began to mobilize as Thomas took off for the Wind Colony. There was the occasional thunk and thud, rattling Karl's bones and nerves all at once. But he was used to the jarring with the Iron Kong Mk-II, it was not the smoothest ride in the world as well. They got to the Wind Colony before nightfall, Karl exitted the radar panel and jumped down. The church was alive with business, Thomas walked over to it and spotted Van getting the plans ready. "Hello, Van." Thomas began, his voice almost dripping with acid and venom. "Oh, you made it. Help Irvine with those over there." "..." Thomas picked up a few boxes, but his weight worsened when Fiona put a few more on top. "Thank-you, Thomas." Fiona smiled and walked off, humming a tune. Thomas didn't look too happy, he carried the six heavy boxes to where they needed to be. Afterward, he helped with the decorations, but Van was being piggish about them. Karl watched with fire in his emerald hues, his fingers white-knuckled against the wooden panel of the door. -----------------------
Pale hands flicker beneath the white lights
In rhythm with the living darkness
Others follow void of meaning
To stand in shadows as if thoughtless
Boots are laced through shining eyelets
Cobwebs line the greying hall
The dance goes on but pales without you
As winter turns to see the fall
------------------------ //He must be free to make his own mistakes....// Karl reminded himself coldly, but painfully. He wasn't numb by reason, he was beaten down by his own emotions. He wanted to reach other to Thomas in loving embrace, but Karl restrained. "Thomas, I need for you to take Fiona to the flower market tomorrow and get her the most expensive flowers the Empire can buy." "Why can't you?" "Please, I'm on a tight budget and so is the Republic... the Empire is the ones with the money." "...." "Don't look at me that way." Van snapped at Thomas, anger in his face. "Just do what I say." "I refuse." Thomas stood up, throwing the box down. Whatever was inside, shattered to pieces. "For the love of God, Thomas... those were my parents' expensive plates! You'll pay for those!!" "How about you take them and sit and swivel on them!!!??? I had it up to here with being your bitch!!!" Van snarled and punched Thomas superhard, causing the lieutenant to fall on his ass. He got on top of the young man and begin beating him with his fists. From out of nowhere, Karl dove into the fray and started dispensing his own brand of whup-ass. After knocking Van around with fists of iron, Karl slammed Van against the wall, causing the pictures to fall and shatter, then grabbed his collar and pulled him close. "Touch my brother again, you good-for-nothing shit-eating punk, and Fiona and Zeke will have to mop you up with a squeagy...." "K-karl....?" Thomas sat up, his hand on his bruised cheek, tears in his eyes. "You followed me?" "...." Karl threw Van against the pew and walked for the door, snatching his hat off the ground as well. He placed his hat on his head and let out a sigh of exasperation. "I swear, Thomas, you're a masochist." "...I'm sorry, Karl." Thomas tagged along behind, seeing Karl pull out a pack of cigarettes. The colonel put them to his lips and pulled one out, he lit it with a matchstick and took a nice, long drag. "Let me see your face." Thomas shamefully looked over at Karl as he examined his battered face. Karl carefully tended to the bruises with delicate, velvet-like hands, the same hands that knocked Van's teeth down his throat. Karl took a small drag of his cigarette and breathed the smoke away from Thomas's nose and mouth. Softly and tenderly, the 27-year-old kissed Thomas's swollen eye, then his bruised cheeks... and finally, his bloody, cracked lips. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, Karl. You were right." "Told you I was." Karl put the cigarette to his lips and took another long drag before turning around to exhale. "I tried to reason with myself that you needed room to make mistakes.... but even so, it still hurts from afar." ----------------------- Through warmest nights of starlit skies
My eyes must find another life
Where once we hoped to ever be
The only ones who understood
We now must face the coldest truth
That precious little matters now
For what we felt forever breathes
Within the silver by the sea
------------------------ "Karl...." His voice shamefully called out from the confines of his throat. He took one final drag of his smoke before throwing it to the ground and extinguishing it with the steel toe of his boot. "You're all I really have, Thomas.... I'm either a warlord, an idol of fangirls or a zoid pilot in the eyes of millions. I didn't want to look for any other because there isn't much in the market. I mean.... there is not one person on this mudflap planet that doesn't know me as Colonel Schubaltz. And all along, I didn't even have to look in the personal ads, I'm looking at him right now. I'm not Colonel Schubaltz to you... I'm Karl, a human being, a man who can bleed." "You're my brother, Karl. That's good enough for me." "To be honest with you, Thomas. The limelight sucks." Karl smirked light-heartedly, getting Thomas to chuckle along. They hugged each other tightly, Karl kissing his brother's cheek. Thomas smiled very brightly, his face buried in the metal shoulderpad on Karl's uniform. "Let's go home." "Yes."
Sweeping winds of greyest passion
Find the four who wander fated
Within halls their velvet laughter
Is heard unknown from places shaded
Eyes are lined with black of midnight
Lips all touched in scarlet bliss
Tattered velvet, lace and chains
What dead have known such grace as this
Here let us lay for this age
Has sung its last days
Under the full moons' watch
Black is the coffin in which our dreams lie
Silver remains of the time of our glory
Stand where our temple fell
Black are the mirrors to which our fears fly
Pale hands flicker beneath the white lights
In rhythm with the living darkness
Others follow void of meaning
To stand in shadows as if thoughtless
Boots are laced through shining eyelets
Cobwebs line the greying hall
The dance goes on but pales without you
As winter turns to see the fall
Through warmest nights of starlit skies
My eyes must find another life
Where once we hoped to ever be
The only ones who understood
We now must face the coldest truth
That precious little matters now
For what we felt forever breathes
Within the silver by the sea
-Continued-