Starlight | completed

Chapter 15 | agony

❝There was nothing but torment in his usual bright and shining eyes.❞

Chapter 15 | agony

Luce stepped into her room, his hat drawn over his face. It was hard to make much of his figure out, he had on a hoodie and he had on a hat on with the hoodie, covering just about every visible part of his face when he looked down.

Area straightened up and stared at him shock drawn onto her features, Luce shifted uncomfortably. Pushing herself out of her bed, she walked over to him. He fidgeted again, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

She leaned over and softly pulled his hoodie, and his hat off. He had a cut along the side of his cheek, and his eye looked a little swollen and red. "L-Luce, you told me he stopped" Aera mumbled breathlessly backing up.

Luce reached forward and grabbed her hands, holding onto them desperately. "H-He did." he mumbled meekly, there was something in him that just looked like it was breaking. Aera reached forward and pulled his body into hers, hugging him softly.

"Your brother is a asshole" she mumbled into the crook of his neck, and Luce chuckled humorlessly against her. His clucked fading into the cold air around them. He held her tighter, his arms wrapped around her. His face aching, he clung onto her even tighter.

Aera stepped away from him, and her brow furrowed as she examined his face. Reaching over, with her knuckle she ran her finger over his cheek, and then his eyes. Underneath her, Luce shivered.

"What happened?" she asked softly and Luce sighed. His brother had happened of course. It was a course, that was familiar in his life. As present as the moon and the sun, until that one day it had left. "You know he came back a few days ago?" He asked, and Aera nodded.

"W-We got into a argument, and I don't know. He-He just started beating me up. He apologized after like usual" Luce laughed again, that empty and humorless laugh. It as well faded right into the air. Aera's heart slowly crumbled.

"He stopped for so long though, I-I wanted to believe he could change. But I just don't know anymore" he whispered, and then he just collapsed. He didn't fall to the ground, but he looked as if he would at any moment. The look on his face was one of falling, and never getting back up. Aera reached forward and steadied him.

"Tell your Mom." she mumbled and Luce stared at her, a unfathomable expression on his face. Aera dragged him over to the couch she had in her room, and he leaned over and rested his head on her lap, Aera grabbed the first aid kit she had in the corner of her room and started slowly cleaning up his injuries.

"I can't. I know the only reason he stopped last time was because I threatened to tell Mom if it happened again. But-But I just can't, it would crush her. And he just got back from college, he has nowhere to go. He's looking for a house, he'll be gone soon." He mumbled, and then as if a afterthought "Probably" adjusting his head so he could look at Aera better.

Aera was moving her hands softly over his face, hands steady as she wiped his cut. "Are you sure? You can't just keep letting him get away with everything." Luce was now fiddling with her hair, eyes hesitant and uncertain. Aera didn't want to push, Luce wasn't the type to open up.

"He's my brother" he mumbled, as if it was the final answer. The only acceptable answer, Aera sighed and leaning down a little more, placed a bandage on his cheek. "Are you sure?" she asked again softly. It was all she could do it seemed.

He nodded again, the emotion in his eyes very familiar to Aera, pain. "Can we talk about something else? Please?" Aera hesitated, she didn't want to make it all about her. But the pleading look in his eyes, asked her to talk about anything else. Anything but this. So she swiftly nodded.