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If you're reading Cliffton for the first time, here are the previous chapters so you can catch up:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
( cut because your princess is in another castle )
If you're reading Cliffton for the first time, here are the previous chapters so you can catch up:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
( cut because your princess is in another castle )
If you're reading Cliffton for the first time, here are the previous chapters so you can catch up:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
( nothing really happened today )
If you're reading Cliffton for the first time, here are the previous chapters so you can catch up:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
( In which we learn some interesting things about Wes )
Welcome Home (Cliffton book 1, chapter 5)
Feb. 1st, 2013 09:58 pmIf you're reading Cliffton for the first time, here are the previous chapters so you can catch up:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4
( wherein everyone moves into the Magical House )
If you're reading Cliffton for the first time, here are the previous chapters so you can catch up:
1 | 2 | 3
( concrit appreciated )
( Whose side are you on, anyway? )
If you're reading Cliffton for the first time, here's chapter 1 so you can catch up.
( this one's pretty much cute and has no warnings besides f-bombs )
Taking Care Of Business
Jan. 4th, 2013 11:24 am( we'll go with no warnings )
Too Good To Be True
Dec. 9th, 2012 08:30 am( cut for cuteness )
If you're reading Cliffton for the first time, here are the previous chapters so you can catch up:
1 | 2
( yay for rewrites )
I Love You, Man
Nov. 4th, 2012 07:28 pm![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
lilycobalt for the idea of a drinking night.( everyone should have a birthday party )
( it's short, but I cut it anyway )
Welcome Home
Oct. 17th, 2012 07:31 am( welcome to my world )
Title: Harder
Prompt: Breakdown
Bonus? Nope, that was the other quick fic
Word Count: 181
Rating: NC-17
Original/Fandom: Original (Cliffton) - only this is... not canon. Fanfic of my own universe. Okay then.
Pairings (if any) Wes and Devin
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con etc): Actual m/m sex
Summary: This picks up where Not Afraid Anymore left off. Might want to read that one first.
( this one is fairly graphic - I warned you )
Prompt: Breakdown
Bonus? Nope, that was the other quick fic
Word Count: 181
Rating: NC-17
Original/Fandom: Original (Cliffton) - only this is... not canon. Fanfic of my own universe. Okay then.
Pairings (if any) Wes and Devin
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con etc): Actual m/m sex
Summary: This picks up where Not Afraid Anymore left off. Might want to read that one first.
( this one is fairly graphic - I warned you )
theun4givables and alien_infinity and I gave each other writing challenges! Mine was to do a cute, fluffy, HET pairing. I was specifically told that it had to be done "with the couple actually together instead of that 'almost but not quite' thing she does". Yeah, you got me.This takes place in a future where Sam and Daisuke from my s&d stories are actually together. I really don't know whether this happens in my canon.
"Dinner's all ready." Daisuke smiles as I pull off my boots and sink into my favorite chair. "I kept it warm."
Ten years gone, and he's still my best friend. We're different, but the same - his hair tinged with gray at the temples, my body fleshier than before. He loves it all the same, savoring every curve.
"What'd you make?" I ask, not that it matters. After my travels, I'm always so hungry I'd eat my own arm.
"Do you even have to ask?" Daisuke sets a steaming plate, homemade macaroni and cheese with the crunchies on top, on the table beside me. He leans in to kiss me, pulling me to him. My arms wrap around him as I breathe him in.
"Mmmmm, my favorite." I break the embrace and turn to my food. "I'm starving!"
"Me or the food?" Daisuke asks. He picks up my shoes and puts them away.
"Both, obviously." It's hard to stop shoveling it in long enough to answer, but I manage.
So many years, and so little has changed. Daisuke's still the solid one, working steady hours and still making time to keep the house clean. He doesn't get mad when I jump out of bed at 3 am with a story idea that must be written right now. When I come home from my travels, there's always food waiting. Daisuke takes care of me, like he always has.
I'm not sure what I contribute, besides the crazy. A sense of adventure, maybe?
All I know is I never stop thinking about him while I'm gone. On every trip, I bring him back a souvenir. He keeps them on a special shelf, a tiny altar to our lives together. There's the rock I found in Cliffton and the strange glowing orb from a place that had no name. And of course, there's the very first thing I ever brought him back, a mangled green matchbook with the words "Sammy's - Est. 1911" printed on its cover.
Does a shelf of tiny knickknacks make up for all the things he does for me? Does it balance the equation?
Dinner finished, I stretch out and put my feet up. It's been a long day - or week, or however long it's been. Jumping from world to world tends to make you lose track of time. My eyes slip closed.
"Oh no you don't," Daisuke murmurs.
"Mmmmph, sleepy," I mumble, scooting over to make room for him.
Daisuke climbs onto the chair and gathers me in his arms.
"Now you can go to sleep," he says, planting a soft kiss on my forehead. "Sweet dreams, Sam."
"I love you, Daisuke."
Then I drift off, knowing it doesn't matter if the equation is balanced or not. It just works.
Whatever Makes You Happy
Sep. 30th, 2012 07:56 amWes starts babbling about the fucking Reaping Festival before I've even had my SynthBrew. Not that I'm listening. I just grunt at the appropriate places and again when he hands me a steaming mug. Doesn't stop him from fucking talking, though. Nothing ever does.
It's not until after I'm showered and semi-awake that his words start to register.
"And there's a carnival with rocket racing and rides! We can get FunCakes, too. I love FunCakes!" Wes is chattering away like a warrior bat on StimTabs. In our four years living here, he's never once mentioned the Festival. This year, though, he's on a fucking mission. He's so excited, I wish I didn't have to burst his happy little bubble.
"Um, Wes?" I remind him when he finally pauses to breathe. "We're helping Kalen with those explosives today."
"Oh." His face falls, and I can't stand how deflated he looks. "I forgot."
"Maybe we'll finish up early?" I offer. "We could go after. Why the fuck not?"
"They have MegaSlushes, too," Wes says, his grin so huge I can't help but smile back.
Well, that settles it. Blue MegaSlushes are my fucking favorite.
( cut because it's all about what makes you happy )
I'm Not Sorry
Sep. 19th, 2012 08:36 pm( I'm still not sorry )
The moment I open my eyes, I have a good feeling. Today is gonna be exciting!
I bound out of bed, trying to remember why. Morning people are misunderstood. Our brains take a few minutes to come online when we wake up, too. You just don't notice because our mouths pick up the slack. I throw my boxers on and wash my face, full of the feeling that something important is about to happen. It puts some extra bounce in my walk as I step out into the hall to make some SynthBrew.
...Where I nearly crash into Devin. Who shouldn't be up this early at all.
That's it! I remember now. Today is Devin's first day at work. He's been talking about it for a week. It's gonna be fucking epic. We can fight the system from the inside! The possibilities are endless! I haven't seen him spaz out like this about something in ages - usually that's me.
How can I not be excited for him?
Of course, right now, he's shooting me his standard why-am-I-awake death glare. He thinks I don't notice, probably. I know he hates me for being cheerful this early - I just can't help it. Devin's like this for the first two hours of every day, but I know he's been awake less than 10 minutes because his hair is all over the place.
You'd think this would make me not want to talk to him, but it never works that way.
"Are you all ready for work today? Did you pack your lunch last night? I could pack you a lunch if you want - I'm up anyway. I hope everything goes okay. Are you nervous?" The words pour out and I'm powerless to stop them.
Devin grunts in response. I'm pretty sure he's trying to make me spontaneously combust with his eyes.
"Okay, I'm gonna make some SynthBrew now! I'll make extra for you. Bye!" I make my way to the kitchen, whistling as Devin grumbles something unintelligible at my back. It probably includes the word "fuck" and I'm sure if there's anything important in there, he'll tell me later. Meanwhile, I might as well focus on what to put in his lunch bag.
* * * * *
For at least 20 minutes after Devin leaves for work, I'm focused on the limitless options before me. I'm looking forward to some me time. Just me and my pot of SynthBrew and whatever I want to do with my day. This is new and different!
Then the newness wears off, and I'm a little bored. I've already lost at SimFighting at least 5 times - there are people on the Splinternet who're even better at it than Devin! And by the way, I kinda miss him. It's too quiet here without him around. If he were home he'd still be sleeping anyway, but somehow it feels different from the usual silence.
I wonder if I should call Devin, just see how he's doing. I bet he's nervous even though he'd never admit it. Yeah, I should definitely call him. He needs the moral support.
"Wes, I'm about to walk into the building. Is this important?" Devin's voice sounds weird, kinda subdued. Either something at the WeaponsDev building's messing with the connection between our neurovision implants or he really is nervous.
"I was bored! And I wanted to tell you you're gonna do great so there's no reason to worry."
Devin makes a noise that either means "thank you" or "fuck you".
"Did you remember the lunch I packed you? We were out of orange LaserAde so I gave you red. That okay with you? Wanna play SimFighting when you come home tonight?" I know he has to go into work in a minute, so it's important I say everything right now before I forget.
"Wes, I've gotta go." Devin's laughing, though. It's good I called.
* * * * *
It's a little shocking how much I can accomplish in 2 hours when Devin isn't here. I've cleaned out the FrigiBox, which turns out to have really needed it. There were some very old leftovers and this green ooze that might have been one of Devin's projects. I'm pretty sure it was just an old muscle tonic that Brendan forgot about, though.
Then I was gonna spend the rest of the morning playing SimFighting with Kalen, but after a couple games he suddenly got all worried about Brendan's rage issues. I didn't even know Brendan had an anger problem, but Kalen says it's really scary sometimes. He said since I'm so great at researching things on the Splinternet, maybe I should look into it. Isn't that sweet how Kalen's so concerned for his brother's well-being?
My research isn't turning up so much so far, but I'm gonna keep trying. It's amazing what you can find on the Splinternet. If you search long enough, you'll come across all kinds of things. How great is that?
You know, I bet Devin would be really proud of how productive I'm being! I should call him and tell him all about it. When I talked to him an hour ago, he was downloading procedural vids. If he's watching them now, I bet he's really bored.
"Hey, Wes." Devin's whispering, but it sounds like he's happy to talk to me.
"Hi! Do you miss me yet? Are you watching the procedural vids? When do you get lunch?"
"My lunch is in an hour." He lowers his voice even further. "These vids are fucking boring. And you'd have to be pretty stupid not to know this stuff already. I mean, it's common sense not to leave toxic chemicals in the break room FrigiBox, right?"
That answers the question about the green goo I threw out earlier. I breathe a sigh of relief.
"You still there, Wes?" Devin must be even more bored than I thought. He normally hates talking on our implants.
"Yeah. Dude, guess what?" I remember why I called. "I cleaned up the kitchen, and now I'm doing some weapons research just like you! Aren't you proud of me?"
"You don't say." I'm not sure why he sounds so surprised. "Huh. Well, yeah. I guess I am."
* * * * *
I know I shouldn't call Devin again. It's his second day, and when I talked to him 2 hours ago, he said he might have real work to do soon. He's probably gonna be mad if I interrupt him, but I really need someone to talk to.
The thing is, my research into Brendan's temper finally turned up some results. I think his problem might be the result of an abandoned mind control experiment. Problem is, if that's the case the odds of helping him aren't exactly great. I don't want to scare him and Kalen if I'm jumping to the wrong conclusion somehow.
When I need advice, I always go to Devin.
"Wes, this is a really bad time."
"Okay, but - " I consider whether I should just wait. "Hey, did you get any projects yet?"
"Wes." This is the tone of voice Devin uses when he's trying really hard not to yell.
"But I just really wanted to tell you - " I know I should just shut up because I'm only gonna make things worse. Of course, that doesn't happen. "Um, I just... are you okay? Why do you sound so stressed out? Did someone give you crap about your pretty hair?"
Oops. Too far.
"Yes, I got a fucking project." I have to turn down the volume on my neurovision implant because Devin's all but screaming in my brain. "I've been in fucking meetings all day and I've had to fucking pee for an hour and a half. This is my only 10 minutes to eat lunch before my next fucking meeting. And now I only have 8 minutes left because you keep calling me all day long while I'm at fucking work."
I don't know what to say to that. That lunch he's not eating right now is the one I made him. Also, I had something really important to talk to him about, but now I can't remember what it was. I'm too busy thinking about how I always say the wrong thing.
"Wes? You still there?" Devin's already sorry for jumping on me. I can tell.
"Yeah, dude." I hate how small my voice sounds. "You should go eat. I bought you orange LaserAde."
"You... what?" I can almost hear Devin shaking his head. "When the fuck did you - I'm sorry."
"I know. Sorry for bothering you at work. Go eat, okay?" I should probably clean the bathroom anyway.
"You know what, Wes?" This is the tone of voice Devin uses when he doesn't want to admit something. He's probably blushing, even though he says he doesn't do that.
"What? Oh, and you probably only have six minutes left now."
"Um, it was kinda nice that you kept checking on me yesterday. It's weird here. Sterile."
"Yeah?" I knew he was nervous!
"Yeah," Devin continues. "And I'm sorry for snapping like that, okay? It's just I have work to do already and I'm really stressed out and - "
"I know." I check the time. "Dude, you've only got 5 minutes. You should go."
"Okay, yeah." Devin pauses and I think maybe he's hung up. "You can still call me if you want, you know. Just maybe only once or twice a day from now on?"
This story takes place around the beginning of Tumbler. For people who haven't been following my Cliffton stuff, here's a little back story for Wes and Devin. It was weird writing from Wes's POV. Kind of tiring.
(also using for "unrequited pining" square on my h/c bingo card because, well)
I bound out of bed, trying to remember why. Morning people are misunderstood. Our brains take a few minutes to come online when we wake up, too. You just don't notice because our mouths pick up the slack. I throw my boxers on and wash my face, full of the feeling that something important is about to happen. It puts some extra bounce in my walk as I step out into the hall to make some SynthBrew.
...Where I nearly crash into Devin. Who shouldn't be up this early at all.
That's it! I remember now. Today is Devin's first day at work. He's been talking about it for a week. It's gonna be fucking epic. We can fight the system from the inside! The possibilities are endless! I haven't seen him spaz out like this about something in ages - usually that's me.
How can I not be excited for him?
Of course, right now, he's shooting me his standard why-am-I-awake death glare. He thinks I don't notice, probably. I know he hates me for being cheerful this early - I just can't help it. Devin's like this for the first two hours of every day, but I know he's been awake less than 10 minutes because his hair is all over the place.
You'd think this would make me not want to talk to him, but it never works that way.
"Are you all ready for work today? Did you pack your lunch last night? I could pack you a lunch if you want - I'm up anyway. I hope everything goes okay. Are you nervous?" The words pour out and I'm powerless to stop them.
Devin grunts in response. I'm pretty sure he's trying to make me spontaneously combust with his eyes.
"Okay, I'm gonna make some SynthBrew now! I'll make extra for you. Bye!" I make my way to the kitchen, whistling as Devin grumbles something unintelligible at my back. It probably includes the word "fuck" and I'm sure if there's anything important in there, he'll tell me later. Meanwhile, I might as well focus on what to put in his lunch bag.
For at least 20 minutes after Devin leaves for work, I'm focused on the limitless options before me. I'm looking forward to some me time. Just me and my pot of SynthBrew and whatever I want to do with my day. This is new and different!
Then the newness wears off, and I'm a little bored. I've already lost at SimFighting at least 5 times - there are people on the Splinternet who're even better at it than Devin! And by the way, I kinda miss him. It's too quiet here without him around. If he were home he'd still be sleeping anyway, but somehow it feels different from the usual silence.
I wonder if I should call Devin, just see how he's doing. I bet he's nervous even though he'd never admit it. Yeah, I should definitely call him. He needs the moral support.
"Wes, I'm about to walk into the building. Is this important?" Devin's voice sounds weird, kinda subdued. Either something at the WeaponsDev building's messing with the connection between our neurovision implants or he really is nervous.
"I was bored! And I wanted to tell you you're gonna do great so there's no reason to worry."
Devin makes a noise that either means "thank you" or "fuck you".
"Did you remember the lunch I packed you? We were out of orange LaserAde so I gave you red. That okay with you? Wanna play SimFighting when you come home tonight?" I know he has to go into work in a minute, so it's important I say everything right now before I forget.
"Wes, I've gotta go." Devin's laughing, though. It's good I called.
It's a little shocking how much I can accomplish in 2 hours when Devin isn't here. I've cleaned out the FrigiBox, which turns out to have really needed it. There were some very old leftovers and this green ooze that might have been one of Devin's projects. I'm pretty sure it was just an old muscle tonic that Brendan forgot about, though.
Then I was gonna spend the rest of the morning playing SimFighting with Kalen, but after a couple games he suddenly got all worried about Brendan's rage issues. I didn't even know Brendan had an anger problem, but Kalen says it's really scary sometimes. He said since I'm so great at researching things on the Splinternet, maybe I should look into it. Isn't that sweet how Kalen's so concerned for his brother's well-being?
My research isn't turning up so much so far, but I'm gonna keep trying. It's amazing what you can find on the Splinternet. If you search long enough, you'll come across all kinds of things. How great is that?
You know, I bet Devin would be really proud of how productive I'm being! I should call him and tell him all about it. When I talked to him an hour ago, he was downloading procedural vids. If he's watching them now, I bet he's really bored.
"Hey, Wes." Devin's whispering, but it sounds like he's happy to talk to me.
"Hi! Do you miss me yet? Are you watching the procedural vids? When do you get lunch?"
"My lunch is in an hour." He lowers his voice even further. "These vids are fucking boring. And you'd have to be pretty stupid not to know this stuff already. I mean, it's common sense not to leave toxic chemicals in the break room FrigiBox, right?"
That answers the question about the green goo I threw out earlier. I breathe a sigh of relief.
"You still there, Wes?" Devin must be even more bored than I thought. He normally hates talking on our implants.
"Yeah. Dude, guess what?" I remember why I called. "I cleaned up the kitchen, and now I'm doing some weapons research just like you! Aren't you proud of me?"
"You don't say." I'm not sure why he sounds so surprised. "Huh. Well, yeah. I guess I am."
I know I shouldn't call Devin again. It's his second day, and when I talked to him 2 hours ago, he said he might have real work to do soon. He's probably gonna be mad if I interrupt him, but I really need someone to talk to.
The thing is, my research into Brendan's temper finally turned up some results. I think his problem might be the result of an abandoned mind control experiment. Problem is, if that's the case the odds of helping him aren't exactly great. I don't want to scare him and Kalen if I'm jumping to the wrong conclusion somehow.
When I need advice, I always go to Devin.
"Wes, this is a really bad time."
"Okay, but - " I consider whether I should just wait. "Hey, did you get any projects yet?"
"Wes." This is the tone of voice Devin uses when he's trying really hard not to yell.
"But I just really wanted to tell you - " I know I should just shut up because I'm only gonna make things worse. Of course, that doesn't happen. "Um, I just... are you okay? Why do you sound so stressed out? Did someone give you crap about your pretty hair?"
Oops. Too far.
"Yes, I got a fucking project." I have to turn down the volume on my neurovision implant because Devin's all but screaming in my brain. "I've been in fucking meetings all day and I've had to fucking pee for an hour and a half. This is my only 10 minutes to eat lunch before my next fucking meeting. And now I only have 8 minutes left because you keep calling me all day long while I'm at fucking work."
I don't know what to say to that. That lunch he's not eating right now is the one I made him. Also, I had something really important to talk to him about, but now I can't remember what it was. I'm too busy thinking about how I always say the wrong thing.
"Wes? You still there?" Devin's already sorry for jumping on me. I can tell.
"Yeah, dude." I hate how small my voice sounds. "You should go eat. I bought you orange LaserAde."
"You... what?" I can almost hear Devin shaking his head. "When the fuck did you - I'm sorry."
"I know. Sorry for bothering you at work. Go eat, okay?" I should probably clean the bathroom anyway.
"You know what, Wes?" This is the tone of voice Devin uses when he doesn't want to admit something. He's probably blushing, even though he says he doesn't do that.
"What? Oh, and you probably only have six minutes left now."
"Um, it was kinda nice that you kept checking on me yesterday. It's weird here. Sterile."
"Yeah?" I knew he was nervous!
"Yeah," Devin continues. "And I'm sorry for snapping like that, okay? It's just I have work to do already and I'm really stressed out and - "
"I know." I check the time. "Dude, you've only got 5 minutes. You should go."
"Okay, yeah." Devin pauses and I think maybe he's hung up. "You can still call me if you want, you know. Just maybe only once or twice a day from now on?"
(also using for "unrequited pining" square on my h/c bingo card because, well)
Writerverse Challenge #05: Wisdom
Sep. 13th, 2012 09:26 amTitle: Wisdom
Prompt: Memories and Brother/Sister
Bonus? No
Word Count: 664
Rating: PG-13 for a couple f-bombs.
Original/Fandom: Original (Cliffton)
Pairings (if any) None
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con etc): None
Summary: Brendan and Kalen used to be closer than twins. Now, things are different.
"Ashlynn Farrell likes you," Brendan says.
I shrug without looking up from my half-assembled robot. People always like me now. Inside, I'm still the weird kid they beat up in Second Year. Outside, I'm one of them. I fit in - it's what I do. It's like breathing.
"No, I mean she likes you," Brendan insists.
"So?" I'm much more concerned with making these lasers work than with some silly girl.
"Half the kids in tenth year want to date you. The rest want to be you. And all you care about are your stupid robots and those weird insurgents you keep sneaking out to meet. What a fucking waste." Rage bakes off him in waves.
"How did you - " Taken aback, I put down my tools. "You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" The thought alone makes my mouth go dry. Even speaking against the War is treason. If anyone finds out I've been meeting people from the Splinternet, people who harbor the same doubts I do...
"Don't worry, little brother," Brendan sneers. "I won't tell anyone you're not who they think you are."
A wave of relief washes over me.
"Why the fuck would you do that, though, bro? You have everything a kid could want - perfect grades, popularity, a guaranteed spot on a fighting squad. Why would you risk it all?" Brendan turns on his heel and stomps toward the door.
"It's not what I want," I call after him. "Haven't you ever wondered what we're fighting for?"
"No, and if you had any sense, you wouldn't either." His mouth is set in a thin line, lips white.
"It's just... the Other Side - they're people too," I tell him. "They're people just like us."
Brendan snorts and says nothing.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I demand.
"Who the hell are you to talk about people, Kalen?"
I just stare at him. Brendan can go from calm to angry and back a hundred times in an hour. Sometimes it scares me. He says he won't tell, but you never know. You never know what he'll do.
"It's all just a fucking game to you," he continues.
"What else is it supposed to be?" I ask. "Why do girls and dances matter when there's a War out there? A War I'm forced to fight, whether I believe in it or not."
"People matter, Kalen." Brendan throws up his hands. "For a genius, you can be so fucking stupid. I see the way you are - keeping everyone at arms' length, even me. Stop acting like you're better than me just because I want friends. You can't just go through life alone and have it be okay. No one can."
"Brendan, those people at school aren't my friends. They'd turn on me in a second, given the chance."
"I used to be your friend. Now you don't need me anymore," he says in a small voice.
"You're still my friend," I tell him. "You're my brother. Nothing can ever change that."
"Then why don't you talk to me?"
"It's better for everyone if you're not involved in what I'm doing. The last thing I want is to take you down with me if I'm caught." I sigh and rub my temples. Brendan wears me out with his anger and emotion, his constant need for reassurance.
"I'm involved now anyway," Brendan says softly. "Knowing what I know could get me blacklisted. Everyone would hate me and I'd never be allowed on a fighting team. And unlike you, I want to fight. More than anything."
"I know, Brendan. Everyone here wants to fight."
"Yeah, but I'm not 'everyone'. I'm your brother." Brendan's eyes are clear. The storm seems to have passed for now. "And I wish you'd spend more time with me, even if we are different. I'm not gonna be around forever, you know."
I nod, but my attention is already back on my workbench. Where's Brendan going to go, anyway?
This story takes place in the "Cliffton" universe I've used in a few of my other stories. If you haven't read them already and want to, they are in the Cliffton section of this post. This scene takes place before any of the others, when Kalen and Brendan are 14 and 15 years old. In the weeks he spends alone during The Vacuum Of Time, he thinks back on it and sees Brendan's words in a different light.
Prompt: Memories and Brother/Sister
Bonus? No
Word Count: 664
Rating: PG-13 for a couple f-bombs.
Original/Fandom: Original (Cliffton)
Pairings (if any) None
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con etc): None
Summary: Brendan and Kalen used to be closer than twins. Now, things are different.
"Ashlynn Farrell likes you," Brendan says.
I shrug without looking up from my half-assembled robot. People always like me now. Inside, I'm still the weird kid they beat up in Second Year. Outside, I'm one of them. I fit in - it's what I do. It's like breathing.
"No, I mean she likes you," Brendan insists.
"So?" I'm much more concerned with making these lasers work than with some silly girl.
"Half the kids in tenth year want to date you. The rest want to be you. And all you care about are your stupid robots and those weird insurgents you keep sneaking out to meet. What a fucking waste." Rage bakes off him in waves.
"How did you - " Taken aback, I put down my tools. "You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" The thought alone makes my mouth go dry. Even speaking against the War is treason. If anyone finds out I've been meeting people from the Splinternet, people who harbor the same doubts I do...
"Don't worry, little brother," Brendan sneers. "I won't tell anyone you're not who they think you are."
A wave of relief washes over me.
"Why the fuck would you do that, though, bro? You have everything a kid could want - perfect grades, popularity, a guaranteed spot on a fighting squad. Why would you risk it all?" Brendan turns on his heel and stomps toward the door.
"It's not what I want," I call after him. "Haven't you ever wondered what we're fighting for?"
"No, and if you had any sense, you wouldn't either." His mouth is set in a thin line, lips white.
"It's just... the Other Side - they're people too," I tell him. "They're people just like us."
Brendan snorts and says nothing.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I demand.
"Who the hell are you to talk about people, Kalen?"
I just stare at him. Brendan can go from calm to angry and back a hundred times in an hour. Sometimes it scares me. He says he won't tell, but you never know. You never know what he'll do.
"It's all just a fucking game to you," he continues.
"What else is it supposed to be?" I ask. "Why do girls and dances matter when there's a War out there? A War I'm forced to fight, whether I believe in it or not."
"People matter, Kalen." Brendan throws up his hands. "For a genius, you can be so fucking stupid. I see the way you are - keeping everyone at arms' length, even me. Stop acting like you're better than me just because I want friends. You can't just go through life alone and have it be okay. No one can."
"Brendan, those people at school aren't my friends. They'd turn on me in a second, given the chance."
"I used to be your friend. Now you don't need me anymore," he says in a small voice.
"You're still my friend," I tell him. "You're my brother. Nothing can ever change that."
"Then why don't you talk to me?"
"It's better for everyone if you're not involved in what I'm doing. The last thing I want is to take you down with me if I'm caught." I sigh and rub my temples. Brendan wears me out with his anger and emotion, his constant need for reassurance.
"I'm involved now anyway," Brendan says softly. "Knowing what I know could get me blacklisted. Everyone would hate me and I'd never be allowed on a fighting team. And unlike you, I want to fight. More than anything."
"I know, Brendan. Everyone here wants to fight."
"Yeah, but I'm not 'everyone'. I'm your brother." Brendan's eyes are clear. The storm seems to have passed for now. "And I wish you'd spend more time with me, even if we are different. I'm not gonna be around forever, you know."
I nod, but my attention is already back on my workbench. Where's Brendan going to go, anyway?
