Whiskers

Grooming

Jared awoke to an empty bed and a terrible ache in his back. He'd passed out almost immediately after talking to his brother the previous night through their bond. 

Jamie? 

He could sense that his brother was awake, but sometimes he just wasn't paying enough attention to realize that someone was trying to talk to him through the bond. 

They took care of the two bodies. Came his brother's response after a minute of silence. 

That was a relief. He was in no shape to carry two dead people, and Jamie wasn't the most cautious person. He'd probably have ended up getting caught one way or another. 

I'm making breakfast if you'd like to come down. Jamie thought to him, making Jared's stomach growl loudly. He definitely wanted food, but getting downstairs? Is it worth the effort, bro? My back is killing me. He replied, getting a quiet chuckle in response. 

Bacon, eggs, sausage and pancakes. 

Hell. He needed to get his ass up. It took a good while, and he more or less slid out of bed over actually sitting up, but he somehow managed to get on his feet when his brother sent him another thought. 

I'm going to eat all of this if you don't hurry, I'm starving. 

Growling partially from pain and partially from not wanting his breakfast to disappear before he could get it, Jared stumbled out of his bedroom and down the hall. He didn't bother changing, since he still had on a pair of loose shorts and after walking through the forest naked with both Knight and Palace, he didn't think that it would matter if they showed up again. 

The stairs were more tricky than they'd ever been before, though. Each step he took made him feel off balance and forced him to clutch the railing tight enough to make his knuckles turn white. 

When his bare feet finally made it to the first floor, Jared was about ready to just drop down on the stairs and take a nap. King of the jungle, my ass. King of the nursing home, maybe. He growled at himself as he did his best to straighten up, then head for the dinner table. 

To his relief, when it came into view it was piled high with all of the foods Jamie had told him he'd made. His brother was sitting behind a fully loaded plate, but there was definitely plenty left over for him. 

"Morning, bro. Ready to stuff your face, then take the world's longest nap?" Jamie asked as he watched him drop into a seat with a wince. 

Jared nodded for only a brief second before he began stuffing his face. He might have been the more logical, chill one of them most times, but he was hurting pretty badly and didn't give a damn if his brother saw him acting like a starving child. Jamie knew how he really was anyways, so shoving food into his mouth with his hands was nothing new to him. 

"Are they coming back?" He asked after finishing two plates of eggs and bacon, the food having calmed his stomach enough to allow him to eat normally. 

Jamie swallowed his bite of sausage and shrugged. 

"I mean, I'm sure they are at some point, but right after getting rid of the bodies? I doubt it. They were talking about hunting yesterday, and honestly, I don't think I could afford to feed Palace right now, so it's probably best that they go find something to eat before coming back here." He said, getting a nod from Jared as he took a large bite of pancake. 

Why are you such a better cook than me? He asked through their bond, since his mouth was full again. 

"Because I follow recipes and don't just throw everything into a bowl, then onto a frying pan that isn't even heated up yet?" He said, drawing a frown from Jared.