i c e ;;

     Nero sighed at her reply to his useless outburst. What he said wasn’t necessary– or perhaps the way he said it wasn’t the right way. It wasn’t a chore or a burden to make sure she was alright– he wanted to. He breathed out a curse and if his hands weren’t busy, you could bet that his palm would be busy smacking his face over and over for a few good minutes.

     Watching her grief swell into the uncontrollable fury was like watching a wave roll onto a shore, and upon the realization that there was nothing they could do about their past, the anger in her face bubbled away like sea foam. Only replaced with the familiar anxiety that they suffer day by day.

     A part of Nero wished that he had been there, to see what she had seen. Help Sice bear a bit of it, if he could. The sound of her voice caused a quiet shh to escape from his lips and he freed a hand to place upon her head.

     “I’m not about to apologize for their mess again,” he said quietly, still trying to calm his sister. His arm that suffered the consequences of their parent’s anger began to throb in pain– so much that it actually made him wince as if the damage was fresh.

     “I mean, since when was our life ever easy? Never, if you ask me.” If she was strong enough to start talking mild trash about them, then he felt that it was safe enough to lay off the protectiveness bit by bit. Just until they can stand tall together again. It was always a worry to him that he was being too much and he would hate to smother her with it.

    But if he wasn’t focused on her, the only thing that was left was himself. His jaw tightened and the pain in his arm never let up yet. The anxiety he forced himself to swallow down was coming back up and he only hoped that he wouldn’t vomit from the intense emotion.

     “I’m sure they’ll never find their peace, even if they try. So, I hope that helps ya a bit.” Sweat began to from on his forehead and a brow was lifted at the other, waiting for Sice’s reply while he gently tied the cloth to her hand.

     “Y’don’ have to- shouldn’ have to.” She sighs, finding her nerves settling into a comfortable anger, not only at her parents, but at herself. For reacting so poorly in the face of a woman who hadn’t caused nearly as much harm to them as their father. In a way, she could sympathize, knowing she likely faced much the same abuse from their father.

     But that did not equate forgiveness.

     “I’m jus’... conflicted,” she mutters, gaze fixed on the cloth now wrapped firmly on her cut. Her hand was beginning to feel numb, and she was hoping that didn’t mean she might very well need stitches. It seemed shallow enough, but the bleeding had yet to stop. A few drips of it had fallen to the floor and she haphazardly ran the underside of the wrapping against the floor to clean it off. The last thing she wanted to explain to their landlord were a few bloodstains on the wood floor.

     Part of her isn’t sure if she should approach this particular topic, but she does it regardless. It’s weighed on her mind for a while now, and she felt like she deserved to, at least, express her feelings. “I don’.. forgive her for it. For leavin’ us.” She mutters, flexing her fingers idly, keeping the feeling from leaving completely. She felt utterly abandoned. Thought that her life meant nothing in comparison, and it stung. The most, when he had really laid into her... and if not for Nero, she would’ve... She takes a steadying breath, trying to force that unpleasant memory from affecting her too much. “But part of me... can understand why.”

     Her hand shifts, as she’s watching it idly curious of the cut, considering the finger exercises have done nothing to help bring it back from feeling numb. The tips of her fingers are tingling and after a moment, she glances up at her brother. Her mind immediately drops from her possibly necessary hospital trip, despite the blood now dripping through the cloth and onto the floor once more, with gravity incapable of pooling it all into her palm with it turned like it was. Instead she’s lifting her unharmed hand up, brushing the sweat from his brow with a thumb.

     Was it an accident, or was it intentional? He could have sworn that maybe– just maybe that a piece of broken glass sliced against her shaking hands when the door slammed open. It was a possibility, but by the heaves of air Sice was forcing into her lungs, Nero was entirely unsure.

     His jaw was tight when he flicked the light switch on and swallowed before taking a step into their small place. Being in control was what he wanted the most. The nerves should die down. Be strong. Even though the sight of his sibling tore him up from the inside out, the voice in his head frantically told him to keep calm.

     Snatching a kitchen towel from the counter, Nero walked over and gently took her hand. His sudden outburst earlier made him uneasy, and he had hoped that maybe she forgot about it.

     But there’s no way she should. Sice was never that dumb.

     “I’m sorry,” he said, the words thick in his mouth. It was something that he would tell her– even when it was neither of their faults. It was a foreign saying in situations like this. “I wasn’t there.” Even though his grip on Sice’s hand was confident, he was gentle as can be when he pressed the cloth against the cut.

     The sweat that ran down the side of his face was the last thing on his mind until the other mentioned his choice to run back home. The corner of his lip twitched before he hastily replied.

     “I had to. I have to.”

     It was practically a scowl.

     “I really don’t gotta remind you about the shit we went through. You know damn well that I’ll show up– even if I was half dead, got it?” His blue eyes left the cloth that was starting to turn that familiar red color– the way it was twisted around his sister’s hand made his stomach turn as well.

     Instead he decided to look into eyes that were the same color, but the only difference was that they were filled with tears. It made him shift where he was sitting just the slightest and words got stuck in the depths within himself once more. Did he really have to pick between staring at blood or tears?

     “I’m here now, sis.”

     She winced, just slightly, as the cloth brushed the gash in her palm. Her gaze was fixated on it as it absorbed the blood, slowly spreading outward, staining the once pristine fabric because she had been clumsy and easily startled. 

     That, she didn’t want to address again.

     “You didn’.” She shot back firmly, even knowing it was futile. Part of her regretted texting him, always forgetting how easily his attention would twist to her. How easily they could fall apart at the mention of immediate family. Mom and Dad were taboo, but Mom wasn’t one expected to come up and stick in the way this did. Fifteen years without a word, and so easily she had popped up in their lives after so long a time. Hiding in plain sight.

     Existing happily without them.

     Did she even know?

     Anxiety spilled over into anger, and her unharmed hand curled into a fist as it slammed on the ground, head pressed into Nero’s chest. “How could she?” Voice raspy as she growled out, raw from the earlier excess of emotions taking control.

     She wondered if she checked up on them, being so close. If she dared to find out. If their father knew she was so near. If maybe they still say each other from time to time. Who lied to who, and whether she was aware of the abuse. Cared about the abuse. She didn’t deserve to look so content as she perused through the vegetables, picking out the freshest ones....

     She was more content assuming her dead.

     At least then, she had an excuse. If she left the country, even, she had one. But here, so close? Still not far from their old house, where they were now. They had left the immediate proximity of one parent only to drift into the other’s.

     He was seeing red. And if he could tell someone that he was seeing red, he would explain that that’s all he his mind could see, and that nothing was processing through his eyes. All at once Nero was remembering bits and pieces of his childhood that fucked him up the most. The red marks that blossomed on their skin from the parental abuse– and the red that eventually found it’s away out of their own bodies from strikes that only got more violent as they grew in age.

     It’s true that such trash had eventually left their lives, but the scars they had received from them will always stay.

     It was for the better that he was alone and that Kyrie wasn’t bothered enough to follow him. Trying hard to think past the anger that was boiling within, he could’ve sworn that she was screaming from the door that ‘this is the last time!’, but it didn’t matter anymore. I don’t give a fuck.

     The next wave of text messages allowed his anxiety to sink on the same level as his rage. Sice had always been headstrong despite the hardships, but this never did sit with her well. Nero was convinced that it never will, either. Shaking hands held his phone while he texted back with unsteady fingers

Nero: on my way

Nero: dont do anything stupid

     Nero stared at his phone, his lips a hard line. Whenever this particular was subject was brought up or if they ever did see either of their parents, things would almost get ugly. But someone had to be in control, whether it pained him or not. Practically jogging now as if the memories were chasing him, he sent another message before going off in a full sprint.

     Once the familiar apartment came into sight, the male allowed himself to slow down and catch up with his breaths, sweat beading down his face. Unfortunately, his hands were still shaking and now his lips were chapped from the mental and physical overhaul. Walking up the steps that lead to their door, the sudden sound of glass breaking only made things worse as he scrambled for his keys and failed each time to get it into the keyhole. “Sice–” he called out and finally the door flew open.

     “What the hell are you doing?!”

                   Body jolting at the sound of his voice mixed with the door hitting the wall, Sice slipped and cut her palm on a piece of glass. Air sucked in between her teeth as the pain throbbed and the blood pooled in her cupped, pale hand. Her gaze shifted between the bits of glass on the floor and the blood in her hand, trying frantically to assess the situation and how much worse it might get. “It was an accident, I was just tryin’ a clean it up, I didn’-” ... mean it. Her composure faltered slightly, realizing how distraught the words had left her lips. What she had meant by them. How the noises had triggered a reflex in her she hadn’t realized existed.

                   Oh.

                   She gasped and heaved, trying to take in air while her body felt like her lungs weren’t filling and her vision blurred. She was supposed to fine, this wasn’t something that ever affected her, it wasn’t something that should have had a hold on her.

                     She was supposed to be fine.

                   Her gaze drifted to her brother, hazy, but still there. It was him. He was here, and she would be okay, but those thoughts alone weren’t enough to calm her down. Ripping her gaze back to her hand, she motioned at it through shaky breathes, barely able to croak out, “Towel,” at him as the blood settled around the shallow cut. her fingers tingled, circulation faltering as she took silent gasps for breath, battling with herself to slow them down and calm herself.

                   I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine. Her thoughts kept spiraling into unwanted memories, making her feel like she was that little girl instead of just remembering how it used to be. She was so sure she had righted herself despite breaking the glass until something so simple as a few loud noises had stirred her back up again.

                   Thankfully her breathing was beginning to regulate, enough for her to realized she had been crying through the ordeal, and quickly trying to wipe away and hide it, though it was futile.

                   “I’m okay,” She breathed, steadier this time, gaze never leaving her wound. “Really... you didn’ have ta’... run over.”

     How can you complain about never spending time together when all you want to do is lay around and go about your own damn business?

     The male made sure to lay still while Kyrie made herself comfortable, laying her head on his stomach while she texted away on her phone. Clearly she had no consideration for his comfort and time. This is definitely running it’s course. One thing was for sure though… he would rather do this instead of forcing a smile and acting like he was having a good time. Damp hands played at the edges of the long sleeved shirt he was wearing, trying to find a way to let air circulate, because damn was it hot this summer.

     Though, even that wasn’t a concern for her either. Nero knew how much she hated the scars that were never going to fade from his right arm. Blue eyes were slowly closing due to the never ending boredom, but the sudden buzzing noise form his own phone caused him to wake up. “’scuse me,” he said with slight annoyance, finally being able to wiggle his arm from the female who complained about how he was moving too much.

     Nero coudn’t tell if his heart skipped a beat or stopped at the sight of the text messages. An even bigger question was: did it falter that second out of anger or panic?

     He sat up now, not caring if the other rolled off his torso. The main concern was his sister– the one he fought so damn hard to protect from those things his whole life. The ringing in his ears drowned out the whining in the background as he texted his sibling through gritted teeth.

Nero: You have to leave NOW

Nero: Where are you

Nero: I’m leaving right now

     The texts were sporadic. Not another second was spared. His feet were already on the floor and hands were gathering whatever belonging’s he had bought with him even though the plan was for him to stay the night. Not waiting for Kyrie to ask him questions, he immediately spoke through a rugged and shaking voice that he couldn’t contain.

      “I have to go,”

                   She was still laying against the wall when her phone buzzed in her open palm, free hand frantically wiping at her eyes to restore any vision she could muster through the frenzied fit of tears. Never had anything worked her up like this, and there had never come a time in her life where she thought this was the reaction she would have if her mother ever popped up in their lives again. They were quite a ways from home, but not so far that it was unreasonable to stop in { assuming they would ever want to }. To think she had been so close this whole time, and never once did she try to speak to them, or visit, or take them away. 

                  Digit tapped haphazardly at the screen, trying her best to put on that she was okay, though it was clear through her writing that she was anything but.

Sice: i jumped right outt a the store the monent i saw he Sice: r Sice: im fine and im h ome you don t have ti come Sice: its oksy

                  Deep breaths. Her grip on the device tightened as she took a few minutes to try to relax. She was never one to be prone to panic attacks, though the few that had struck her as a child all had to do with family. Why can’t I handle this? Out of everything, something like this should have been where she was most grounded. She could stand up for herself, she could fight, she could incite fear in anyone with something as simple as a look.

                  Yet her family always had her running.

                  The cloth on her elbow was used to wipe her eyes again as she continued to breath steadily, like she had learned to all those years ago. After a few more minutes, she was able to lift herself off of the floor, albeit shakily, and walk herself over to the kitchen to grab a glass of water in hopes of helping the shaking.

                  She took a few sips, leaning into the counter as her other hand kept lighting up her screen, waiting for another message. She wanted to think that woman never saw her. Even if she did, how would she know? She was... almost twenty, now, so it had to have been... fourteen years, about, since they last saw her. The only advantage she had in possibly recognizing her was how similar they looked to one another.

                  Why couldn’t she change that.

                  Letting out a shaky sigh, she grabbed the glass of water and headed toward the couch, only to slip, glass breaking on the hardwood floor and water spilling out every which way. 

royalcerulean:

     The sudden yank of his ear caught Nero off guard. Arms tightened around the boxes that he carried because he almost dropped them at his sibling’s words. Teeth was grit, eyes were wide, and his face flushed a very noticable red.

     Which deity should he thank because Seven couldn’t see his dilemma or hear what his sister had said to him?

     Sice knew.

     A sharp sigh escaped his lips when he was released from the borderline death grip at his ear, but even that didn’t grant him any relief– even when it should. This just changes the whole game. The younger one and Seven knew damn well that he wasn’t available for that kind of relationship– he was already in one.

     Which leads to a bigger question: Is he happy to be in it?

     “Tch.” Nero huffed when the other began to practically sing about pizza like nothing just happened a second ago. “Yeah, I got it.” he gave a proper reply with his eyes glued to the box of his things and stayed like that for a few minutes. Once Sice left to get the plates set up, Nero turned his body to face the silver-haired female. “What d’ya want?”

     He placed the box down and reached into his pockets for his phone. It was best to keep it as casual with Seven– not like he really had a choice. The amount of mental strength it took to somewhat avoid her after the incident that occurred a long time ago was exhausting. A small grin was on his lips and he waved the cellular device. “It’s my treat.” For now, he’ll let himself relax.

     Be like how they were a long time ago. For their sake, and for Sice’s.

     How terrible would it be if the sibling were to discover the strain between Nero’s relationship with Seven, if she hadn’t already? There was more to this situation that meets the eye.

                    In attempt to avoid her embarrassment and to leave the bickering siblings be, Seven headed towards the kitchen with a box to make herself look busy. Better to ignore and pretend like nothing was happening, right? That’d erase whatever the hell just happened.

                   Hearing Sice’s comments about the pizza, she began to ponder what mood her taste buds were in today. Logically, it was probably best to pick something cheap, considering they all had to pay the fees for the apartment. Any money they could save was well worth it. College life.

                   When Nero looked at her, she held eye contact for a moment before turning her attention back to the open cardboard. Why was he grinning at her like that? The strange feelings began to bubble up again, and she was glad her gaze was downwards into a box. Usually she was much more in control of her emotions, able to shove them down and move on. Why was he so different?

                                                 Why am I like this.

                   “I’m okay with pepperoni, too.”

                   “Do we want to walk over and pick it up to save the cost of delivery?” she asked the siblings, one eyebrow raised in question. It wasn’t too far away, and it wouldn’t be awful to explore their new neighbourhood. The boxes could wait if it meant getting to know their surroundings. 

                   “I wouldn’t mind getting to know the area a bit better, if you guys are down for talking a walk,” she continued, leaning on the counter as she spoke. 

                   “It’ll be like old times. Remember when we used to sneak out and bring a box back to my place?” The trio had to be extra careful not to alarm Seven’s parents and her siblings. If there was one thing a kid’s nose could pick up on in the dead of sleep, it was the smell of fresh pizza out of the oven. 

                   It seemed like a life time ago that the three were just kids without responsibilities. Smiling at the fond memory, she almost wished they were able to go back to simpler times. But she also knew how important and vital these steps were to the siblings. They were absolutely free from the awful conditions they had to endure until now, and Seven was extremely grateful for it. They had a bright future ahead of them. 

                   As long as this weird thing that was happening didn’t get in the way, everything was golden! And even on the off chance something ever happened between her and Nero, she would never let that come between the dynamic.

                                           Stop thinking about that! 

                    "We could.”

                    Her voice carried over from the kitchen. As much as she just wanted to rest and pay the guy a few dollars to take the short drive over, her stinginess took over. It was hard to reason splurging money on silly things, and getting take out was already pushing it. Walking after hauling all these boxes and furniture up the stairs would easily ensure even someone as active as she was to be sore after a good night’s rest.

                    “I don’t think ‘yer parents woulda’ been too upset if they had caught us,” she remarked, remembered all those nights. They’d even been scolded by the employee once for being out so late at night. She had a feeling Seven’s parents always knew... they weren’t oblivious in the least, and she just assumed they always let them get away with it. She cared for her family like her own... but sometimes she felt they always tried too hard for them. They were too caring, too loving, and if the opportunity had arisen, Sice thought they would have called CPS and took them in themselves.

                    As grateful as she was for having them in their lives, she wouldn’t want that.

                    Brushing the negative thoughts from her mind, Sice finished digging out their dishes and headed into the living room. “Well, if we leave now, it’ll be ready by th’time we ge’ there.

                    Boy, this was a heated conversation.

                    Gently picking up a bright green apple, Seven attempted to keep her vision low as to not interrupt or distract the couple. Sure, she was there to pick up Nero– but it was no place for her to step in. They were adults. They could handle it. And if they couldn’t– well. At least she was there to kick her ass.

                    After a few long seconds of pretending to care about an apple, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. It was Sice, and of course she had no idea what was going on. Grabbing the device from the pocket of her shorts, she continued to hold various apples as she plotted a reply.

                    She should have come with me.

Seven: i just got to the store, we’ll pick up something on the way back.

Seven: do you have anything in mind? i’m starving ( and i miss you too, loser )

                    Contemplating whether or not to tell her best friend about the encounter she was witnessing, she decided it would at least be best to mention his significant other was present. Surely, Nero would want her to keep her mouth shut about the argument portion.

Seven: our favourite person is here, btw :\

                    The phone buzzed next to her on the couch as she failed to focus on some washed-up sitcom lighting up the otherwise dark room. She fumbled for it, successfully grabbing it, and staring at the responses from her friend.

                    Our favorite personis here, btw :\

                    Oh, well this had to be good. Considering her brother’s beautiful range of emotions lately, she was causing him anything but happiness. The thought that she was missing this bothered her almost as much as her ability to make her brother look more sad and distressed than he had in their childhood. Eyes narrowed at the screen as she grew increasingly upset thinking about his situation while she failed to do anything for him. As much as she worried, she hadn’t given Nero so much as a look that surmised the fall of his relationship. She knew he would shut him out of it if she did as much, and hadn’t thought her bitching was quite bad enough yet to intervene and stir up their own relationship.

                    She tapped at the screen quickly, sending the response to Seven without hesitation.

whirlwhip:

                    What Sice said was true, she didn’t come and help. At all. Not with the packing, or unpacking. Not with the transporting when they were looking for a cheaper way to haul all of their things over to their new place. Nothing. One thing the trio’s friendship was based on was being there for each other in at all times. She just didn’t fit.

                    “We didn’t need her anyway,” Seven replied sharply as she lifted a box to bring up the stairs. It didn’t sit right that someone who supposedly cared about Nero wasn’t even helping him with something so exciting.

                    The student began to make a mental note to try her best to look out for Nero. It was about time that the three of them began to reconnect and come back to what they valued from before. Surely, within the next few months it would begin to mend itself. The three were going to be together 24/7 and have no escape. They would need to lean on each other as they navigated this new college thing. Or so she hoped.

                    Following Sice up the staircase to their apartment, Seven noticed the writing on the box she was carrying. It was clearly labeled “shoes”, and that only meant one thing. Silently hoping the two wouldn’t question why in the world she had an entire box full of pointe shoes, she had plans to shove it directly to the back of her closet. It was hard to get rid of the memories, blood, sweat and tears.

                    “Did you seriously fall asleep?” she stated, raising a brow at the sleeping figure on the couch. He looked so peaceful. With one arm covering his eyes from the sunlight and the other resting on his stomach, the male was sprawled out on the entire length of the couch. It made her heart start to race, feeling her cheeks begin to flush at the thought of her conversation with Sice. 

                                                         Stop it. 

                    Throwing the box on the ground, the woman quickly reached in it to grab a pink satin shoe. “Wake up, lazy.” 

                     Seven tossed a shoe in his direction on the couch, in attempt to wake him up. It wasn’t fair they were doing all the dirty work while he got to nap in the central air. Boxes were still strewn all around the room and looked as if they were hardly touched. 

                      “We’ve got work to do.”

    This is what the heat of day can do to a person. Being out all day, packing and unpacking made the warmth of the sun almost seep into his bones. And now he’s here on the couch, daring to have the luxury of sleep while his roommates continued to work. The sound of the voices that filled the small place were mixed between reality and the dream he tried to wake himself out of.

    Eventually though, Nero would have to wake up– and quick. Otherwise his underwear will have fun parachuting from the balcony. Eyes forced themselves to crack open just barely and his hand was away from his hand just enough to catch Seven’s own.

    Oh?

    Was she blushing or was she just hot from the weather?

    The male cleared his throat and now his hand was away from his face completely while he sat up from the couch. “Ah shit. Sorry about that,” Nero yawned and practically had to pry his sight away from the rosy cheeks that Seven had. It was better not to think too much of it… right? Every little thought he had of the other made him want to slap himself. Why is everything so damn complicated?

    A valid thought, but one would not dare complain about it out loud. Suspicion would rise if Nero decided to confide to his sister who was best friends with Seven. “– anyways,” he breathed out a chuckle as if he was speaking to them the whole time. “Yeah, just uh. Put that shit over there and I’ll take care of it,” Scrambling to his feet, the white haired male decided that there was no better time than the present to organize things. Especially right now.

   Due to the short yet much needed nap, Nero was able to lift a few boxes of his things off the floor without much effort. “Need somethin’ else before you threaten to throw me off the balcony instead?” the taller sibling said while facing the shorter one, even though the question was directed to both of the girls.

                     Oh, for God’s sake - She couldn’t help but easily notice her brother’s gaze practically glued to their friend, her own shooting a murderous look at him in response. She knew something was up with him, and it had to be something related to his { hopefully soon to be ex } girlfriend. She was done pressing Seven, and her brother was harder to crack than anyone she knew. Not that she wanted to harass him about his situation, taking note of it well enough in his expressions as days passed. 

                    She wondered if it had something to do with why she wasn’t around helping them with the whole move, not that she would give her enough credit.

                    “What do I need?” She questioned him, eyebrow raised quizzically. Her hand came to pull at his ear, voice nothing but a whisper against it. “Keep ‘yer eyes off the prize, an’ I’ll think about it.” She was incredibly aware, now, that something had clicked with him. The question was, what? She shoved him, lightly, as she went off to sort through the kitchen boxes like Seven had suggested. 

                    “The pizza place. Down the street.” An attempt to elude Seven from her actual statement at her brother, hoping she would take the bait of her giving him shit when they had yelled for pizza while he was dozing off. “Pepperoni ‘fer me!” An afterthought as she dug out a few plates to wash off for the night.

                    It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about it. Well, wouldn’t it be ideal? Your best friend and your brother, especially when you cared for him as much as she did. But something about it bothered her, and she just couldn’t place it. As much as she wanted it, something held her back. Maybe she just wasn’t ready to see something so jeopardizing come to fruition. She loved them both, but if anything happened... if they had a falling out...

                    Placing another box down on the ground, Seven raised her voice to yell up at Nero in the apartment. “Nero!” she shouted. “Order us a pizza, will you?”

                    She sighed loudly, sitting on one of the boxes she had just taken out. Something wasn’t going well for them? Sice could definitely say that again. Even though the two hadn’t conversed properly in a long time, Seven could still see the differences in the male. It tugged at something in her chest– something the student wasn’t so sure she was willing to explore. 

                    The thought of how his girlfriend was treating him was enough to make Seven sick to her stomach. If there was a way she could have stepped in to make it stop, she would. She knew for a fact Sice absolutely would. Until then, they would just have to wait.

                    “Eyes on me?” She responded, eyes widely staring at her best friend. Did she really just say that? “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sice.” A nervous laugh escaped as she scratched her head in thought. It was impossible for something like that to be happening. Especially without her knowing. Seven was known for being extremely observant, people were always freaked out by how much she knew without people talking. There was no way.

                     “We haven’t talked properly in years… Our last actual conversation was a very long time ago, and you remember how that ended.” Pausing for a moment, she shook her head. “He’s probably just trying to be friendly, or make conversation since it’s a little awkward. It’ll get better, we’ll be back to normal soon. Whatever normal is now, at least.”

                      “We hardly know each other anymore,” she continued, looking towards the concrete. They had fallen out of touch after what happened. Those were important years that they had missed out on. She was looking forward to getting to know him again. 

                     “I know things aren’t going very well for them, but I don’t think he’s looking at me.” It felt so weird coming out of her mouth. The thought of Nero possibly feeling some type of way towards her. It was laughable. She ignored the fact it was making her heart race.

                     “I do hope they break up, though.”

                    While it was obvious she was denying so vehemently due to her own feelings, a sense of relief settled in the pit of her stomach. Maybe she needed to back off on pushing this for her own sake. As much as she cared for the both of them, it was clear how deeply she cared for her brother. Sometimes she believed nobody would be good enough to take care of him. He needed someone independent, someone who wouldn’t depend on him for everything. He’d done enough of that for her, growing up. She would hope for the day someone would be enough for him, at least in her eyes. Until then she would just have to deny it.

                    “Honestly, she didn’ even come help us pack or unpack. How many times does he go off when she calls ‘im?”

                    It was exasperating, really, to watch him work himself to the bone only to be at her beck and call whenever he had a free moment - which wasn’t often. She’d seen less and less of him as time went one due to her needs. “You’re really not alone, y’know. This is the longest I’ve seen ‘im in a while cause’a her.”

                    While she knew it was selfish, and they couldn’t afford the relaxation, but she missed the nights they would huddle up on the couch with blankets and popcorn, watching movies until the sun was peaking in through their windows. He was an irreplaceable person in her life, and that woman was sucking every bit of energy from him. 

                    She just wanted him to smile again.

                                                            “They need to. For his sake.”

                    Sice let out a sigh as she stood up straight, arms stretching out above her head to try and get herself moving again. They still had to run all the boxes inside, and it would be a while still even with the two of them working together. She grunted, pulling up the box she’d just set down and hauling it up the stairs. It wasn’t as bad as she thought, and the boxes were so little now that it wouldn’t take much longer to get everything hauled inside.

messoris:

                    Thanks to spending the last bit of time being able to work in the cool air conditioning of the apartment, she was content with the heat outside despite how much she had loathed it just an hour before. There wasn’t much left to bring back inside, she realized, after taking a good look inside the truck. It would be easy on the two to finish it up themselves. If they moved fast enough, the heat wouldn’t be able to take a real toll on them before they finished. 

                   “So ‘m thinkin’ we haul ‘em out first, an’ then we drag em’ inside once the truck’s empty.”

                   It seemed like the best plan. Stacking them up outside the door while they kept to the shade of the truck, then quickly running them inside and trying to avoid the sun as much as possible. It was a solid plan with a fast pace. The sooner they finished, the faster they would be back inside with the gift of central air. Something Sice hadn’t had the luxury of living in until this move.

                   There were quite a few luxuries she would learn to get used to, now.

                   “So,” She started, gaze drifting off to her friend as she dropped a box at the opening of the truck. “Any idea wha’ he was on about earlier?” It was weird, to say the least. She considered Seven like her sister. In any case, despite Seven, she thought Nero would think the same. A few funny baby pictures shouldn’t have gotten him worked up. Not that she minded. Something to slip up on the thing he considered a girlfriend, tucked away for later. Whether his reaction held merit or not, it would still upset her.

                   She hauled out a few more boxes before her brother had come out to check, eyes rolling as soon as his mouth opened. “Doin’ jus’ fine with our system, thanks.” She bit, brushing the bangs from her vision. There were only a few boxes left in the truck to pull out, and then they could start hauling them inside. All they had to worry about for the rest of the day was unpacking enough to get settled for the night. They could order take out for dinner and plug in the television. Eat a nice meal on the floor.

                   It would be peaceful.

                    Following her best friend down the steps to their brand new apartment, she found herself rejuvenated from the five minutes of rest. It wouldn’t take them long to bring the rest of the boxes in the house, and the motivation of being done was more than enough to encourage the young woman to work faster.

                    “Yeah, sounds like a plan,” she responded with a quick nod. Placing her hands on her hips while assessing the situation at hand, Seven felt determined. Once she set her mind on something, there was no stopping her. It would take physically holding her down to get her to stop now.

                     She reached out her arms to grab one of the remaining boxes from the truck, hoisting it over to the sidewalk leading towards the complex. They had messily written where each box should go in bold black sharpie, which was a great idea. It would make this job all the easier. 

                    “Oh–” stopping mid sentence, the student’s violet eyes grew wide at what Sice was asking. “I honestly have no idea,” she replied quickly, truly not knowing at all what the male was thinking when he said that. “This is the longest we’ve been in contact, or even talked, for a few years now.”

                    Setting another box on the ground beside the previous one, Seven bit her lip in thought. He was probably just joking around, being witty and sarcastic as usual. It wasn’t out of place, necessarily, but it was different towards her. It wasn’t something she was going to dwell on.

                    “I think we’ll be done pretty quick,” she stated, clearly changing the subject. Hopefully Sice wouldn’t notice– Unlikely.

                    “We can set up our kitchen first and then order a pizza or something, yeah? Everyone’s gonna get angry around here soon if we don’t get some food,” she laughed lightly, it was still kind of serious. The hunger was starting to set in. “When was the last time we ate?”

                    "Well, I definitely feel like there’s somethin’ weird abou’ it.”

                       Her response came a little strained as she hoisted a box up from the very end of the truck. It was the last one left, leaving the truck empty and their first job complete. Now, all they needed to do was lug them up the stairs. At least the hallways were relatively cool, as well.

                      She shrugged as she dropped the box atop another, elbow digging into the cardboard as she rested upon it. “Probably since last night. We’ve been haulin’ boxes since we woke up.” She could go for anything really, with how starved she felt just about then. If they ordered now, it would probably show up around the time they were done hauling everything inside.

                      Or, they could have a bit of a chat, first.

                      “Y’know, I feel like somethin’s jus’ not going well for them.” She couldn’t help the smirk that formed as thoughts ran through her mind. it was conflicting, of course, to think of her brother lack of happiness, but she knew from the moment she saw this girl that nothing was right about her. She wasn’t about to control his life, but as his younger sister, she knew he deserved better. That better had to exist somewhere, and she couldn’t help but get a hint that he was starting to realize better was right in front of him.

                      Like, really, what was that?

                      “I think he’s got his eyes on you, y’know,” She started, brows furrowing as she contemplated how far she wanted to push this. “Like, not contentiously’re anythin’ but it’s there.” And it may have just been a few pictures, something that anyone would find embarrassing showing to someone... but this was Seven. She was practically family to them, and embarrassing things had happened well enough in their childhood.