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"However,
the older brother defeated the younger,
and grounded him."

I grounded you? Really?
Last I checked, I wasn't your parent.

・ ・ ・

The sound of writing drifted softly through the room.

Flurried writing.

Xenor paused, then breathed out softly, listening to the beating of his heart in his ears as he set down his pen, and closed his notepad. He leaned against his chair, tilting his head back, and closed his eyes.

Basked in the dim, comforting darkness of his room.

Another silent breath.

"You were never like this before, Brother."

His eyes flashed open, illuminating green.

"You were never this... nasty."

Gritting his teeth, Xenor slammed a fist down on his table, causing his pen to jump. It rolled, and he watched it as it approached the edge and teetered there for a split second, before dropping.

A clatter.

He stared down at the floor, at the fallen pen, making no movement to pick it up.

Nasty.

Storm had called him nasty.

I am nasty?

Xenor scoffed, and tucked his notepad into one of his drawers.

I am nasty...?

He pushed back his chair, standing up.

I am nasty.

The word sounded foreign to him. Strange. He dipped his head, trying to control his palpitating heart as Storm's voice echoed in his mind.

Just what part of him was nasty, exactly?

His face? Definitely not, he thought, as he gently touched his cheek, feeling the smooth skin beneath. The Spirits had given him uniquely handsome features— like his vibrant, lime green eyes, for example— so surely, that was not the case.

His hair? He admitted, it was closer to the wild side, but that was just how it was. A natural wildness, which accommodated his pulchritudinous appearance. And it was most definitely clean. Smooth. Refined.

Maybe his body? But what part of his body was nasty? Everything about it was perfect— neck, shoulders, arms, hands, torso, legs, and even his feet, for the fucking Guardian Spirit's sake.

He was perfect.

So why had Storm called him nasty?

And why was it bothering him so much?

He pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.

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