Disharmony

Crumble

                  

It was completely dark out by the time they finished dinner.

After clearing the table, Xavier offered to help his grandparents wash the dishes, but Kasia quickly jumped into help. She had seamlessly adapted to being part of his family, a thought which caused his stomach to tighten into inexplicable knots.

Sending her a grateful smile, he set off to ensure that his brother was getting ready for bed. He found Dylan in his bathroom, brushing his teeth vigorously, clad in a white t-shirt and batman pajama bottoms.

Waving at his brother, Xavier plopped down on the edge of Dylan's twin sized bed, leaning back against the soft mattress and lacing his fingers behind his head.

"Good day?" Xavier called out, staring at the rotations of the ceiling fan.

"The best," Dylan replied through a mouthful of toothpaste.

"I'm glad," Xavier laughed as he turned his head to watch his brother spit the excess foam into the sink and rinse out his mouth before returning to the bedroom.

"Kasia seems cool."

"Yeah?" Xavier quirked an eyebrow as he sat up. Dylan crawled beneath the covers and Xavier readjusted himself so he was sitting on the side of the bed. "Why do you say that?"

Dylan shrugged as he made himself more comfortable. "She's just so...not perfect."

"What does that mean?" Xavier laughed. He was actually genuinely curious as to Dylan's take on the popstar. Of course, Dylan had heard Xavier's various rants on Kasia, which ranged from talking about how irritating she was to talking about how much he wished they could be more than friends.

But now that Dylan had met her, he could form his opinion.

"Well, she's famous," the boy continued. "Like some of my friends have posters of her on their wall famous. But she just sat at our table and talked to Nana and Gramps like she's known them her whole life. And you can tell she gets sad and happy and nervous like the rest of us. I guess it's just nice to know that famous people are just people too."

Xavier pursed his lips and nodded. "Good to know."

"I get why you like her, is what I'm saying."

"Yeah," Xavier laughed, ruffling his brother's hair. "Thanks for saying that in front of her."

Dylan giggled. "As your little brother, it's my job to embarrass you in any way possible."

Xavier laughed as he tucked the sheets around the boy, sighing when Dylan hummed contently. "I've missed you, bro."

"Me too," Dylan replied quietly. "Will you sing my song for me?"

Xavier's brow furrowed in concern. "Are you still having nightmares?"

"No," Dylan shook his head. "But you're never here anymore."

Xavier could physically feel his heart breaking.

After their parents passed away and they moved in with their grandparents, Dylan didn't sleep soundly for months. Although he was too young to remember their parents, he was terrified of being in a new place. To soothe his nerves, Xavier had penned him a song. It was now one of his biggest hits, but few people knew that it began as a lullaby for his baby brother.

"Sure," Xavier whispered. Adjusting himself into a more comfortable position on the bed, he watched as Dylan fluttered his eyes closed before he began to sing softly. It was a song about comfort, one that that he'd written to assure his little brother that no matter what in their lives, Xavier would always be there for Dylan.