Brothers

Summary; Asch reflected about the earlier events of the evening while Guy and Luke met with a doctor concerning Luke's condition. To Guy' shock Luke's failure to supplement his diet saved his life from a poison some one slipped him. Guy caught Luke listening in on the conversation and found out a little more than he bargained on hearing. The next morning Asch woke up with Luke laid out next to him in bed wondering what the hell happened last night.

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Last Night

(The night previous)

Luke laid awake in his room, it hadn't been long since Guy had carried him back, but Luke was already missing his dear friend's company. There wasn't that much he could do about that though. Everyone has to go to sleep at some point in the evening, he just wished that Guy hadn't left so soon, or at least hadn't left Luke alone at this time of night.

A floor board creaked outside the room and Luke dived for the covers, disappearing under them as quickly as he could. However the speed of his endeavor was found to be unnecessary when he poked his shaking head up out from under the sheets to find nothing stirring in his room.

Sighing Luke wiggled back up to the top of the guest bed. Guy had offered Luke to come to his room for the night till he found a place where Luke felt comfortable enough to stay but Luke had declined, he didn't want to trouble Guy.

But dammit I hate being alone at night!!!

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Asch slept soundly in his bed after Guy had dragged him back through the corridors in a state that would have caused his parents concern. As soon as he entered the room his legs gave way under him and he fell to his knees.

"Asch," Guy crouched down beside him and tilted his face up as if it were made of thin glass. He brushed away his tears gently as though he was afraid to rip Asch's delicate skin. And brought him into arms as a father would a scared child.

Asch closed his eyes and savoured the feeling, it had been one of the first fragments of human affection he had received in years and he didn't know how to respond. Fresh tears formed onhiseyelashes, seeding out anew across his face. All those years of discipline, of training... if Van saw him now, breaking those structured barriers in an instant, would he laugh? Or yell? Asch didn't know nor did he want to find out.

Asch couldn't find the moral strength in him to stop his hands clutching tightly to the worn fabric of Guy's tailcoat. What was more embarrassing was he was now shaking, he prayed silently in his mind that no one would walk in and see him like this, sobbing into another's shoulder. Guy noticed his discomfort and rubbed his hands in circles on his lower back.

When Asch had regained himself sightly he mumbled a question which he couldn't find the words to describe, "Guy... can you...the last...when...I-I..that is..."

Guy seemed to understand, as he took the younger up into his arms and laid him out on the bed. He undid the buckles on Asch's boots and dropped them neatly together on the floor. Next, gesturing Asch to sit up, he hooked his fingers under the hem of his top pulling it up over his head before helping the red head sort his hair. Then, Asch shimmied under the covers which Guy pulled up over him.

The blond began humming a familar tune, one Asch never thought he'd hear again. The one that alway made his eyelids so very, very, heavy...

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It must not have been but an hour later that he was dragged from his peaceful slumber by a desperate rapping the door. Jerking up, by instinct he grabbed his sword from under his bed.

"Asch-Asch! It's me, open the door, please!" The words should have been an order though they sounded more like a plea. Asch's sword clattered to the floor as he rushed across the room to let Luke in.

Luke nearly knocked him over by the force in which he grabbed him. Clinging tightly to Asch, the younger seemed too disorientated to realise just what he was doing or who's shoulders he was digging his nails into.

"Asch!" Luke cried out onto his bare chest.

Asch reached for the door to close it, bending Luke as he did so. Much to the seven year old's relief, he turned the key in the lock and felt the painful grip on his shoulders lessen slightly when it clicked.

"Do I get an explanation or are you just going to hang off me all night?" Asch looked down sternly with a strong leveled gaze. Green eyes stared back before retreating to the safety in the crook of Asch's neck.

Luke froze. After a moment he managed to get his thoughts together. His head was resting on something soft and warm, which was unmistakabily Asch's bare chest. His hands clamped tightly around Asch's bare back. His hips pressed against...

Luke's face flushed and he jumped back in horror of his actions. Then in another fit of embarrassment, he turned to face the door knowing he probably couldn't live it down if Asch caught him blushing now. He fidgeted nervously to himself as a heavy, uncomfortable silence hung in the air above them. Asch was first to break it.

"It would seem you didn't hear me. It's near enough mid-night, if you don't give me a good excuse for waking me up I'm going to throw you out." A nasty concoction of mild annoyance and exhaustion radiated from Asch's voice. Luke winched and returned to Asch's chest clutching to it with a new focus energy, as if it offered him some sort of sanitary. He was visibly shaking.

"Please don't Asch! I'll be dead by morning!"

"What?" Asch cocked an eyebrow at the desperate plea but his voice remained reasonably aggravated. His hands raised Luke's head so it was level with his own.

"Asch, someone tried to kill me!"

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Mieu wandered aimlessly around the corridors looking for his master at (what he could only guess was) maybe eleven in the evening? He didn't know, chegals had a terrible perception of time. Of course he had a gathered knowledge about it: when the sun rises you get up, when it sets you go to sleep, and in between (at some point) there's breakfast, lunch and dinner. That's how a chegal's spends his days.

And then there was his feet. They were tiny hardly capable of running at any speed. Mieu tried to look down at them over the sorcerours' ring, but he just fell over landing softly on his tail given that the ring was heavy and often over compromised his weight which wasn't a lot to begin with.

While he was sitting he heard the sound of heavy boots going clak'd-clakon the polished floor ahead of him. A strange yet familiar figure appeared at the end of the hallway, his short though slim silhouette praised his figure shaped through years of training. As he turned his head the torch light was spread over the wall, reflecting off a metal object strapped to his face. Certainly not who Mieu wanted to see.

He waddled as fast as his little legs could carry him, hiding in a alcove where stood a suit of polished armour. Obviously the maids had been at it. It was odd that Mieu found himself thinking about cleaning at a time like this, but he really didn't want to get paw-prints on something so shiny. Voices from the other end of the hall got his attention.

"What is it Sync?" The voice was slightly husky, but never the less it was feminine.

"I thought I heard something..." Mieu was sure his cover was blown when he heard the tell-tale sound of someone spining on their heals. Then the clak'd-clak started again and he knew he was done for.

"Leave it Sync! We been lucky not to have been found out thus far. I can't have you running round chasing ghosts when we have a mission to complete." Mieu feared that although this conversation would stall the man barely a few meters away, it would not deter him in the lest, and that meant Mieu had to hide and fast. Glancing to the empty shining knight, Mieu found his answer.

"And if someone's there, forget the mission, we're screwed." The shadows danced on the floor Sync made a gesture of some sort.

The female was silent for a moment, she was contemplating something. Then cheekily she spoke. "Fine, one condition though."

"Name it."

"You do one thing of my choosing if you're wrong."

Then Sync came face-to-face with Mieu, but didn't look him in the eye. Taking a look around the statue he flicked his wrist and a knife appeared in his hand. Barely a second later it was jammed into the chain mail and resting inches away from one of Mieu's ear. He yanked it back out with a curse. Mieu heard the female behind him giggle.

"Serve's you right for stalling. Now come on."

The sound of their shoes echoed down the halls but faded quickly, still Mieu counted as high as he could before slipping out the suit of armour.

With a new found desperation he hurried off to find Guy in the opposite direction.

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An; In the next chapter I will include this 'task' as a bonus. I do not normally do this, but I felt I needed to. Special thanks to all who have reviewed, and do fret you have no reason to worry, I will continue to up-date until I finish this.

Preview: "The sigh a relief after the passing of a storm is always short lived as soon the smoke clears and the damage is revealed. And then there is the dread: when will the next storm come?"

Next release date:Sunday the 29th November. (or sooner, depends on my schedule.)