#nico:xander

Nico was still drunk as he stumbled into the Commune, knocking over the coat stand by the door. “Shhh,” he scolded it as it crashed against the floor, pressing his finger against his lips. It wasn’t quite sundown, but he also didn’t want his parents to hear him scold him for showing up drunk yet again.

Instead, though, he saw Xander, and his eyes widened. “Xan, Xan, listen,” he said, wrapping his arm around his brother’s shoulders and pulling him in close. “Listeeeen. Okay? You gotta listen. Okay? Okay.”He nodded sagely.

where: the pumpkin festival who: alexander garcia (@alexanderthesortaok)

Nico was tired of being angry at Xander. It’d been so long and it sucked. Plus, with everything happening with Josie, he needed allies, not nemeses. So he sought Xander out at the festival, finding him finally, in the crowd and grabbing his arm.

“Hey . . . can we talk?”

where: the commune who: xander garcia (@alexanderthesortaok)

Nico had gone out of his way to avoid Xander the past month. He spent his nights with Val or Scout or Mateo or one of his other, thankfully many, friends. He also avoided Josie, but that was less painful. Still very painful, but a little less. Xander was his big brother, his idol, his mentor. To be hurt by someone he held in such high esteem was heartbreaking. Josie he could get over. It hurt, but she didn’t owe him anything and he knew that. Xander . . . Xander was the one who was supposed to make good choices, who was supposed to take care of him.

So Nico was avoiding him. But apparently he couldn’t be avoided forever, especially when Nico was stepping out of the bathroom and literally ran into him.

“Oh. Might not wanna go in there for a sec,” he said, to be polite, before trying to move around Xander.

where: ren faire who: xander garcia (@alexanderthesortaok)

Nico didn't think when he saw Xander. There was absolutely nothing on his mind except the fact that his chest hurt, and he hated it and it was Xander's fault. With a yell, he ran forward and grabbed his brother around the torso, tackling them both to the ground. He straddled Xander's stomach and took the other's shirt in his hands, shaking Xander roughly. "You! You!! Why did you do it?!"