Death of a King

Chapter 29

"Sadie, you in here?" I heard Dustin ask as he peeked his head into the room.

    I straightened from where I had been hugging Lumiere, keeping a hand on his shoulder to show that my comfort was still present despite the arrival of our Vice, "Yeah. Doc was helping Lumiere so I figured I'd hang around while you were meeting with Donovan."

    Dustin stepped fully into the room, taking in Lumiere's melancholy reform from our conversation with Doc. Dustin crossed his arms, approaching slowly while he took in the appearance of his friend, "What's wrong?"

    I answered when Lumiere didn't, "Doc was telling me about Steven and things got a little ..." What was the right word, "Heated."

    Dustin's arms dropped again and in an instant, his relatively happy exterior dulled, "Oh. What did he say?"

    "Nothing." Lumiere snapped, jumping up from his seat which caused my hand to fall from his shoulder. His glared hadn't been directed at me but cold wrath rolled off him in waves that hit me full force, "He didn't say anything. Just forget it."

    "Don't be mad." I said softly, reaching for him again, "It's okay-"

    He shrugged my hand off, gently brushing away my attempts to calm him, "You don't know what we've been through Sadie. I appreciate your compassion but I don't deserve it." His eyes met Dustin's, "None of us do."

    The Vice didn't respect Lumiere's attitude, "Don't start with this again. We both know what happened with Steven was an accident."

    Lumiere shook his head, blond hair shining in the dull light of the room as his gloomy demeanor became fully known, "Steven never should have been there in the first place. Doc might still have a son if we had done things differently."

    A muscle twitched in Dustin's jaw as his teeth clenched, "You mean if I had done things differently."

    "I didn't say that-"

    "You didn't have to." Dustin murmured, accepting the accusation far too easily. But what hurt even more was that Lumiere didn't correct him. Both men stood silent, brooding at one another while they each fought personal demons none could ever comprehend.

    Without saying another word Lumiere started for the door, stopping only when Dustin took a firm hold on his arm, halting him. They shared a look, practically spitting flames at this point, before Lumiere calmly said, "Let me go."

    Dustin wasn't nearly as affected by Lumiere's rage as I was, "Someday you're going to have to grow up. Your games are fun for a while, until hard decisions need to be made and you'd rather hide behind sarcasm." He paused for a moment, looking more like a beaten puppy than the Vice to a gang of motorcycle thugs, "I take responsibility for what happened, with Steven and with everything else. But don't stand there and act like being angry makes a difference because we both know it doesn't."

    "You're one to talk." Lumiere ripped his arm free, disregarding the Vice completely, "I don't believe I paid for this therapy session, but thanks. Always appreciated pal."

    Then he stormed from the room, slamming the door just as loudly as Doc had. Dustin stared after him, sighing to himself. These two were best friends, brothers since childhood, inseparable beyond measure. Yet no amount of comfort or rage could shatter the chains they each dragged from years of miserable strife.

    Everyone needed a shoulder to lean on, but sometimes, that shoulder was just as broken as your own.

    "He'll be okay." I promised, stepping into Dustin's side where I rose up on the tips of my toes to press a greeting kiss onto his lips, "He just needs some time."