nysalogs | (closed) i hear it calling down in my soul

Who: Elliot Nighray (

yelliot) & Gilbert Nightray (

rechained)
What: Elliot's decided it's a good idea not to answer his phone when it's his extremely codependent, separation anxiety-prone brother calling. It's not.
When: Now...ish... After Leo departs.
Where: Elliot's place
Warning(s): idk secondhand embarrassment probably.

It takes a while for Gilbert to come up with a plan, but once he figures it out it doesn't take long to pull off. Once it's become clear that Elliot isn't going to answer his messages, he spends a few hours just standing there in the street, smoking irritably, vaguely pondering just how hard it would be to scale up the wall of Elliot's building.

But then he spots the next door neighbor of Elliot's, an elderly lady it turns out, shuffling home with her arms full of groceries and he springs into action. After holding the door open with her and offering to help her inside, he explains very earnestly why he's been standing out on the street for hours. His brother, you see, his dear little brother hasn't answered his calls in over a day and he's terrified Elliot's lying hurt somewhere inside, unable to reach his phone. If he could just pop onto her balcony and climb over to check on his brother, it'd help them both out immensely.

A few minutes later finds Gilbert throwing Elliot's balcony door open, storming in a perfect maelstrom of concern and fury.

"Elliot! Just what do you think you're doing?? You can't just not answer me when I call! Just because the Duke isn't here doesn't mean—"

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"Even Oz will get taller than you before long if you keep starving yourself," Gil points out, already planning on forcing Elliot to take seconds. "Eventually. If he ever wakes up."

Gil scoots some food around his plate, then sighs and has another bite.

"...he'd probably wake up tomorrow if he knew getting taller than you was on the line."

"Yeah well he's not getting taller than me!"

Ah, yes. Elliot's weakness. Being compared to the Vessalius boy. "I'm not starving myself...I just didn't have an appetite." Even now he's honestly forcing himself.

"He'll wake up, don't be stupid. He's going to wake up and be annoying as ever."

"You think...?" Gilbert gives a quiet laugh, finding the food has suddenly gone to ash in his mouth as he takes another bite. But this is what adulthood is, Elliot. Forcing yourself to do stuff you don't want to do in hopes you survive to someday do one or two things that you do.

"It's starting to feel like all I do is wait for him. Did you know I've been waiting for him longer than I actually knew him...? It seems so ridiculous, the more I think about it."

Does Elliot think Oz will wake up? He has no reason not to believe it. After all, Gilbert had woken up. Why would Oz be any different?

The usually loud Nightray lets silence settle between them for a moment. He hadn't actually known that, if only because Gilbert hadn't really talked much about it.

"It is kind of ridiculous, but at least you realize that." Probably not helpful. Hm. Let him rephrase that. "You're loyal though Gilbert, I'll give you that."

"He gave me a reason to exist when I didn't have one," Gilbert mumbles, blinking in surprise at himself for confessing this to Elliot. They'd never spoken like this, not once in all the years they'd lived together in Nightray Manor.

"It's just normal, isn't it...? To feel loyal to someone like that."

"Yeah...I get it."

Now more than ever he can understand where Gilbert's coming from. After all, he felt things someone in his position shouldn't for their valet. If anything, his budding relationship with Leo that had been cut short was far more scandalous than Gilbert being Oz's servant.

Why did life have to be so complicated?

This time Gilbert jerks up slightly in surprise, bumping his plate with one hand and nearly knocking it over.

Elliot... understood?

He stares a moment, then looks around Elliot's empty place again, the dark corners and the quiet momentary pared back by the smell of food and Gilbert's company.

"Did something happen with Leo?"

...to Leo?

"He's not here anymore."

It comes out of him after a moment, when he's decided to not pick at what's on his plate anymore. It isn't something he likes to put into words, and by doing so it makes the emptiness of not having Leo by his side all the more real.

"They put him back to sleep."

Gilbert knows that happens sometimes. He's heard about it happening, read the reasons why. The people behind all of this, the ones in charge, they genuinely seem to only have their best interests at heart, but that doesn't make it any easier to stare at their loved ones trapped behind glass, sleeping, no indication of when or even when they'll wake. And even when they do wake, they could go back to sleep at any time. Like this, like now.

Life has always been a tenuous thing for Gilbert, never certain, filled with politics and loss and forces beyond his control. But not for Elliot, and it shouldn't be. Elliot shouldn't have to face this, least of all on his own. Gilbert swallows, shutting his eyes briefly. Then he reaches out and places a hand on Elliot's shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He knows it's a worthless phrase, it doesn't do anything, doesn't begin to set this right. But he says it anyway, giving Elliot's shoulder a squeeze. "He'll be back, though. As soon as he's able, he'll be back. After all, we both know Leo doesn't trust you to get by on your own."

It might be a worthless phrase, but at least he knows Gilbert means it. The hand on his shoulder is more comforting than he'd thought it'd be, but then again hasn't Gilbert always been a comfort? When they were little Elliot would fight to wriggle his way into his lap, and when Vanessa or Ernest were being particularly unfair (in Elliot's eyes) Gilbert would listen to Elliot complain about the injustices being shown to him. He's always liked Gilbert, despite the more recent quarrel he's had with him. Now though, like he'd said before, what happened then doesn't matter. Not here.

"Yeah. He'll wake up and just make fun of me...and I'll punch him for it."

There's a long pause before Gilbert smiles, pushing himself up from his seat to pull Elliot into a one-armed hug.

"As if. I'm pretty sure he's the one who does all the punching."

Ah...a hug. Feels nice, even if he's too tsun to admit it. He'll just...allow it.

"He doesn't look it...but he's way louder and violent than I could ever be."

"You think people don't know you're all bark?" Gilbert murmurs, laughing quietly as he's still holding Elliot. Then he kisses the top of Elliot's head, quickly, before releasing him.

"Finish your food. I'm gonna check on the pie. You'll want a slice while it's still warm."

What the fuck Gilbert? Don't call him out on his shit?? Embarrassment is clearly evident, not only from the call out but from the quick affectionate kiss to his head. This is too much. He's going to die.

"I-I'm not all bark! Take that back! I'll punch you Gilbert!"

But the promise of pie keeps him seated. He does...want a warm slice. Fuck.

"Mmhm," comes Gilbert's unconcerned, noncommittal answer as he wanders into the kitchen to check on the pie as promised. It's getting there. He leans against the counter to wait for it.

"Guess I better fill in for Leo until he gets back, huh?" It's just a stray thought off the top of his head, but once it's spoken he realizes it makes more and more sense the more he thinks about it. Elliot clearly needs someone to look after him, and here Gilbert is without a single charge to his name. He's about as used to that as Elliot is used to being on his own, without a mess of older siblings and a personal servant and a household full of butlers and maids to look after him.

"What, you're going to be my servant?" There's a raised eyebrow at that, Elliot's attention more on the pie that Gilbert seems to be checking out in the oven. Wait what?

Had he really said what he thinks he had?

"You're my older brother, don't you think that's kind of weird?"

(closed) i hear it calling down in my soul

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did you just use tsun in a tag

of course i did

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