[freaking long drabble]
As children, they'd walked around the back beaches of the estate's beach house when the sun started coming down, the last light of the sky guiding the small hours Ravel was allowed out of the house. Small paths winding from their house past driftwood and closed wooden fences kept wanderers out and left the two to walk together, the younger but taller Hawksley holding his brother's hand.
"Be careful, Ravel!" He looked back, smiling brightly at the smaller, paler boy as they climbed over sand dunes and large wood washed upon the private shore. Ravel was dressed in a long white dress with his hair down, flying all around in the Australian wind. It was only after Cayden started going to school that he realized there was something wrong about his parents dressing and treating his brother like a girl. Ravel smiled back hesitantly but trusting in Cayden's hand. When it came to anyone else, he was afraid. . .but he knew he could always trust his brother.
His hand held his brother's tighter. "O-okay!"
Standing at the edge of the water, dress rippling in the wind, hand held safely in the grasp of his brother's tanned and warm hand, Ravel could only close his eyes in happiness. He had not a fear in the world right now- it was only him and Cayden and nothing can hurt them here.
"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe." Cayden said, grinning as Ravel stumbled on a patch of sand. Ravel smiled up at him, falling into the familiar lulls of the memory and dream. Soon they would settle down in the sand and Cayden would tell him stories about the Tarot card decks and mythology and dreams. . .
"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe." Cayden said, looking away into the sun stained ocean, now an orange red of burning fire. Ravel's smile faltered a little. This wasn't how the dream usually went.
"Mm, I know." He said. Cayden's grip tightened on his hand, hard enough to cause the skin to whiten. He winced a little but didn't pull away.
"Cayden?" His brother was still turned away but the voice that came back was a little changed, warped and older.
"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe." The hand tightened even more suddenly and Ravel cried out, pulling away now.
"You're hurting me, Cay." He whimpered. Cayden never hurt him, not even when they fought or argued. He might use a sharp tone but never did he strike Ravel. Cayden didn't budge, still looking away, his fingers and nails clawing into his brother's wrist. Ravel panicked and brought his other hand up to pull at his brother's fingers and suddenly there was red and wetness flowing over his hands and he starred in horror at the knife that was held in his hands and the empty space where his brother's hand used to be.
"Ravel?" He looked up, eyes huge and stark with horror. Cayden had turned around and where the child had been, the Cayden he knew now, slept with, ate with, was starring at him. Blood poured out of his mouth, his long blonde hair, hair he'd grown out to keep Ravel company, was stained with clumps of dried blood. Gashes and bleeding wounds bled profusely as he stepped towards Ravel, still waving the stumped hand.
"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe. Even if you kill me, I'll keep you safe." At those words, Ravel looked down at his own hands and the knife, scream caught in his throat as he starred at himself, his arms soaked with his brother's blood.
"Don't worry-" Cayden moved towards him, arms outstretched. A gash across his face made a gruesome smile as he continued to drip blood down over the beach.
"I'll keep you safe, Ravel." Ravel fell on the ground in horror and fear, sobbing to himself repeatedly, apologizing to his brother who stood over him.
"I didn't, Cay, I didn't, I didn't, I didn't-"
"Ravel. Ravel." A firm hand was shaking him, Cayden's voice whispering to him. Ravel opened his eyes and starred at his brother, who for once did not look much better than he did. They were in the dorms on Cayden's bed, the sound of Ky rolling over on his own bed audible.
"Bad dream?" Cayden asked quietly, his face solemn. Ravel gave a cut off moan and grabbed his brother's shirt, burying his face into Cayden's chest. His face was already covered in tears and he'd bitten his lip hard enough to bleed. Cayden didn't say anything, just let the other boy cry away his fears, hand stroking his brother's back. His eyes were troubled even as the muffled sounds faded away and Ravel drifted off into a troubled dreamless sleep. He stayed awake for a long time after, starring at the wall, watching the shadows fade from night to day, trying to keep his own demons at bay.
"Be careful, Ravel!" He looked back, smiling brightly at the smaller, paler boy as they climbed over sand dunes and large wood washed upon the private shore. Ravel was dressed in a long white dress with his hair down, flying all around in the Australian wind. It was only after Cayden started going to school that he realized there was something wrong about his parents dressing and treating his brother like a girl. Ravel smiled back hesitantly but trusting in Cayden's hand. When it came to anyone else, he was afraid. . .but he knew he could always trust his brother.
His hand held his brother's tighter. "O-okay!"
Standing at the edge of the water, dress rippling in the wind, hand held safely in the grasp of his brother's tanned and warm hand, Ravel could only close his eyes in happiness. He had not a fear in the world right now- it was only him and Cayden and nothing can hurt them here.
"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe." Cayden said, grinning as Ravel stumbled on a patch of sand. Ravel smiled up at him, falling into the familiar lulls of the memory and dream. Soon they would settle down in the sand and Cayden would tell him stories about the Tarot card decks and mythology and dreams. . .
"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe." Cayden said, looking away into the sun stained ocean, now an orange red of burning fire. Ravel's smile faltered a little. This wasn't how the dream usually went.
"Mm, I know." He said. Cayden's grip tightened on his hand, hard enough to cause the skin to whiten. He winced a little but didn't pull away.
"Cayden?" His brother was still turned away but the voice that came back was a little changed, warped and older.
"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe." The hand tightened even more suddenly and Ravel cried out, pulling away now.
"You're hurting me, Cay." He whimpered. Cayden never hurt him, not even when they fought or argued. He might use a sharp tone but never did he strike Ravel. Cayden didn't budge, still looking away, his fingers and nails clawing into his brother's wrist. Ravel panicked and brought his other hand up to pull at his brother's fingers and suddenly there was red and wetness flowing over his hands and he starred in horror at the knife that was held in his hands and the empty space where his brother's hand used to be.
"Ravel?" He looked up, eyes huge and stark with horror. Cayden had turned around and where the child had been, the Cayden he knew now, slept with, ate with, was starring at him. Blood poured out of his mouth, his long blonde hair, hair he'd grown out to keep Ravel company, was stained with clumps of dried blood. Gashes and bleeding wounds bled profusely as he stepped towards Ravel, still waving the stumped hand.
"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe. Even if you kill me, I'll keep you safe." At those words, Ravel looked down at his own hands and the knife, scream caught in his throat as he starred at himself, his arms soaked with his brother's blood.
"Don't worry-" Cayden moved towards him, arms outstretched. A gash across his face made a gruesome smile as he continued to drip blood down over the beach.
"I'll keep you safe, Ravel." Ravel fell on the ground in horror and fear, sobbing to himself repeatedly, apologizing to his brother who stood over him.
"I didn't, Cay, I didn't, I didn't, I didn't-"
"Ravel. Ravel." A firm hand was shaking him, Cayden's voice whispering to him. Ravel opened his eyes and starred at his brother, who for once did not look much better than he did. They were in the dorms on Cayden's bed, the sound of Ky rolling over on his own bed audible.
"Bad dream?" Cayden asked quietly, his face solemn. Ravel gave a cut off moan and grabbed his brother's shirt, burying his face into Cayden's chest. His face was already covered in tears and he'd bitten his lip hard enough to bleed. Cayden didn't say anything, just let the other boy cry away his fears, hand stroking his brother's back. His eyes were troubled even as the muffled sounds faded away and Ravel drifted off into a troubled dreamless sleep. He stayed awake for a long time after, starring at the wall, watching the shadows fade from night to day, trying to keep his own demons at bay.