Aftermath

It was an average day in the Stylish God's household.

Bamberly was drawing cats on her computer, Bamburai was hanging out on the couch watching TV, and Banjex was smoking weed in his room.

Except it wasn't.

Bamburai was thinking about his old village again. And his brother Bamwind, who had betrayed him. No amount of TV was going to change what his brother did to him, and he knew this, but he kept mindlessly staring into whatever garbage show was on the screen at that moment.

Thinking about how his brother betrayed him made him angry. He didn't want to remember the details, but the memories flooded in his mind anyways, the jeers of the villagers, the forged letter being shown to him, and his relatives screaming "TRAITOR!" at him, despite him telling them over and over that it wasn't him that wrote the letter.

Bamburai immediately knew who had the plan to forge the letter when he had time to come to his senses, and approached his brother. What happened after that was a blur, only remembering a chorus of jeers as he was escorted out of the village, never to return again.

Not like he wanted to return. He never wanted to see that bastard again, unless it was to kick the shit out of him, or to chew him out for choosing his reputation over his own brother.

But as much as he hated to admit it, he still loved his village, despite his brother, and it had devastated him when he was exiled. He missed his village. He missed his mother. He missed the friends he had there.

But if he wasn't exiled, he never would've met his girlfriend, Bamberly, nor his best friend Banjex. He never would've found out he was bisexual. There were many experiences that would've been missed if he had never found Bamwind kissing his second in command that fateful night.

He wondered what happened to the second in command. He had heard that he had left the village a few days after he was exiled, but had heard nothing besides that. Hopefully, he was having a better time than he was, not plagued with thoughts of his village when he was trying to watch TV.

He wondered how his brother was doing. Bamwind probably would've given in to their mother's demands to get a wife by now. Before he was exiled, Bamburai knew of a woman who had a crush on him, which deemed her the best candidate for a wife in their mother's eyes.

But Bamwind did not love her back.

Bamwind loved despite gender. This, Bamburai has always known, before he knew himself. He had his eyes on his second in command for a while, though no one knew except for him. But it was considered wrong to not have a wife and children, so he had hidden it.

Bamburai somewhat hoped that he finally gave into tradition and got into a loveless marriage, devoid of happiness. It felt wrong to hope that, and he didn't know why. Bamwind betrayed him, made up lies about him. He ripped him away from the village that he grew up in.

He missed his mother so much. He would give anything just to see her again. He missed his friends, he missed his family, his way of life, his brother.

Bamburai missed his brother.

He felt like he was going to throw up in pure frustration at this realization. His stomach twisted and turned and his body felt weak, Bamburai slumping over, laying down on the couch. He shouldn't miss him. He was stupid for missing him. He was weak for missing him.

Before his thoughts could delve deeper, he noticed Bamberly looming over him.

"Bamburai? What's wrong?" Bamberly looked panicked, reaching out to hold his shaking hand.

"My village..." He choked out, Bamberly leaning in closer to snuggle with him.

"What about it, honey?"

"My brother... I... I hate him. I miss him. I hope he dies. No, wait-" He held back sobs. "I don't know anymore."

"It's okay. It's okay. He can't hurt you anymore."

"I want to be hurt." Bamburai said between sobs, which had surprised her. "I wanna see them."

"It's not good for you."

"I know, I know, I'm a fucking idiot."

"You're not an idiot. You have feelings."

"I don't want to have feelings." He buried his face onto her shoulders, the sobs starting to stop. They sat there in silence, the uncomfortable atmosphere slowly turning into a calming warmth.

"I love you." Bamburai kissed her, then pulled away from the embrace.

"I love you too." Bamberly sat up and reached for the remote, putting on some cheesy romance film, but not paying attention as her boyfriend sat up with a serious look on his face.

"...I want to talk about it."

"Are you sure? I don't want yo-"

"I'm sure. I don't want to run from it anymore."

"Okay." Bamberly sighed, concerned for her boyfriend. Bamburai stood silent, looking deep into thought, then he spoke.

"I miss my brother. But I hate him. But I love him, and I will never forgive him. I wish it was different. I wish he didn't lie. You understand, right?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry that you went through that."

"Don't say sorry, just hold me."

She wrapped her arms around him.

"Why did he lie anyways?"

"My village was more... traditional about the kind of relationships he had."

"What do you mean?"

"He liked men, Bamberly."

"...oh." Bamberly said quietly. "He exiled you because he liked men?"

"I found out about his stupid boyfriend. Couldn't risk his reputation so he accused his own brother of beimg a traitor with a bullshit letter."

"He didn't know about you liking men too?"

"Hell no. If I ever told him, he would probably try to act mightier than me because he hides it or some shit."

"What an asshole."

"Who's an asshole?" Banjex sat on the bottom of the stairs.

"My brother, but I still love him."

"I mean, the love doesn't automatically go away once they hurt you."

"It should. I don't want to love him anymore."

"Bamburai, it takes time."

Bamburai stood silent, before nodding.

"You're right."