It used to be the other way around, this chasing.

"Tyki," Cyril mutters, amused, spider-fingers attempting to pry off the not-so-spider-like ones off his jacket. "Tyki, I have a meeting in an hour."

"Can't you spare the time?" Tyki buries his face in the crook of his brother's neck and breathes in the sweat and cinnamon and flowers. "You used to be able to."

He can tell that his brother is smiling still, but still his spider-fingers grip at Tyki's. "Times are harder now, maninho. We don't have that luxury anymore."

"Well, I want it." Tyki stops. It couldn't hurt, could it? To be selfish. "Now, irmão."

It didn't, as Cyril chuckles. Tyki relaxes. "You always want what you can't have, don't you?"

And then Cyril turns his head until his nose is buried in Tyki's hair, his smile curling over the shell of Tyki's ear. "I thought that was my job," he breathes, sending shivers down the younger's spine.

Tyki lets himself smile; he knows that a small victory now belongs to him. He brings his head back until he can look his brother in the eye, gold to gold. "Then don't you want me?"

His brother pauses. Tyki continues to smile.

He will win.

He always wins these games of theirs.

And when his brother speaks again, it is a whisper filled with broken cracks and desire. "I always have, maninho."

When their lips meet, Tyki pressing down so hard that Cyril has to surface back for air, Cyril himself biting down so hard on Tyki's bottom lip that it draws blood, Tyki closes his eyes and breathes, just breathes. Lets his fingers reach up and entwine in his brother's hair as he presses him back against the wall, guttural noises in the back of their throats.

They can break the absence this way, the emptiness of her missing shadow.

Maninho: Portuguese for 'little brother'. Irmão: Portuguese for 'brother'. Used Google Tranlator for both of these, so I'm not quite sure if it's right. Please feel free to correct me if they aren't. :D

I didn't beta this very well, so if there's something weird about this chapter that you want to address to me, go for it!

Review Responses to:

Zenophobic: Thank you! Hope I updated it fast enough? :D

Kibahshi: It's not bad at all~ :3 And pfft that's my opinion too, don't worry. Thank you!