1968
To say the Bancroft household had been tense lately was an understatement. For days on end, all Zagen could hear from the upper floor of the house was the back and forth yelling between his father and older brother, he hadn't been able to hear exactly what they were arguing about, but it left both his mind and body unsettled.
He wasn't the only one to have felt the tension, for Zagen's mother also took notice of it but didn't dare intervene though she and her youngest son both clearly expressed the same level of worry for what was going on, they hadn't really even had a proper conversation, as they were too preoccupied trying to listen in from the living room downstairs.
Zagen had been sitting on the couch while his mother sat opposite of him in an armchair, visibly trying to distract herself from the chaos above by reading a book. She seemed to flinch every time one of the men upstairs raised their voices even louder, especially when it was Zagen's father doing so.
"Mother, do you know what they could be talking about up there?" Zagen asked quietly, knowing he had to tread lightly. He had a suspicion that his mother knew more of what was happening due to the look on her face and the she already seemed to be distraught over something that was to come later.
"No, dear, I don't. Just try not to focus on it, alright?" She spoke with a slight smile, clearly forced, trying to lighten the mood. She soon returned to her book, so Zagen sighed silently and turned his attention back on the floor.
Zagen spent the next twenty minutes anxiously bouncing his leg up and down in a fidgeting manner as he continued to focus on the screaming upstairs, he couldn't help himself. Finally, both he and his mother looked up at the ceiling when audible footsteps were heard marching about and going through different rooms, it only made the arguing voices louder.
Within the next minute, a young man came charging down the stairs with a short duffel bag gripped tightly in one hand, a permanent look of pure rage and honest disbelief on his face. Zagen launched up from the couch and toward the man, his brother, just as his father appeared at the top of the stairs.
"You are never to step foot inside this house again! No longer are you my son, you've brought shame and disappointment to this family!" Zagen's father shouted, causing for Zagen's eyes to widen as the words sunk in. He immediately shook his head, but before he could say anything, his brother did first.
"Fine with me, you crazy old bastard, you were never my father anyway! You were my damn drill sergeant!" He yells back, tightening his grip on the bag even tighter as the two men glare at each other with pure anger in their eyes. After not even a full minute, he turned to open the front door, but Zagen rushed forward and grabbed his arm, preventing him from doing so.
"Eros! You can't go," Zagen's voice was meager compared to the two men who were just yelling moments ago, he didn't dare be any louder anyway. Zagen had always been incredible at silent expressions, it was something the older brother always knew about the younger, and he knew now Zagen was practically begging him not to leave just through the look in his eyes alone. Eros sighed after seeing the fact Zagen was already beginning to get tears even after consistently trying to blink it back, he simply looked between their father then back at Zagen, taking on an apologetic tone.
"I'm sorry," was he all feebly uttered before leaving the house, slamming the door shut behind him as Zagen turned around almost in a panic to face the top of the stairs, doing everything in his power to hold himself back from crying even further than he was.
"Father! I implore you to reconsider, I-" Zagen couldn't finish his shaky sentence due to his father cutting him off, seemingly frustrated and even a little annoyed at the fact Zagen was so distraught over what happened.
"You are never to see that man again, for he is no longer your brother. Do I make myself clear!?" He demanded, basically barking it out because of how angry he was at the moment.
Zagen, for one of the first times in his life, failed to answer immediately. He was left almost shaking by all of it, this of course only angered his father more. Sensing another yell, Zagen spoke up first before he could.
"Yes sir...I understand," Zagen quietly mumbled, his head already low. His father watched for a moment before grumbling and storming off into another room, slamming the door which caused both Zagen and his mother, who was still in the room, to flinch.
Zagen looked up at his mother, who was crying almost uncontrollably and had a hand on her mouth in surprise. He didn't know what to say to help her, as he was also feeling the same thing and wanted to do the same in all honesty. He couldn't believe what had just happened, but what hurt more was not knowing if he'd ever see his brother again.
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Regardless of when I end up publishing this, it's two in the morning at the time of finishing it so I'm sorry if there's mistakes and stuff like that, I'm extremely tired right now but I really had an itch to write. And if you don't wanna do math, Zagen here is fifteen and Eros is twenty.
