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Damn 'at Scottish jimmy pure feckin' hurt

When Moren came home from his job at Chris's hovercar repairment place, he was expecting to find Caio studying and Reuben sitting nearby, upside down on the couch with a bunch of clock parts scattered beneath him as he dismantled a clock from Kedi's. Their father would still be at work and the vacuum bot would be running somewhere in the house.

That is not what Moren opened the door to.

Deric Gridley and Reuben Gridley could be heard shouting at each other in what sounded like the kitchen. Caio was nowhere to be seen. Reuben's stuff was in a discarded heap, laying near the back of a couch with the bag's contents spilled out onto the floor.

This was not the first time that his father and twin brother had fought, but it was definitely one of the more heated ones.

"-you didn't even go to his funeral, you don't have a right to shut it down!" Reuben bellowed, accompanied by the sound of him slamming his fist onto the counter.

"You never even cared about Mr. Kedi, did you? You only kept that place open because mom loved it there! She was the only thing protecting that shop and then she died, giving you leeway to-"

"DON'T YOU DARE BRING YOUR MOTHER INTO THIS!"

"But it's the truth, isn't it? Now she's gone, and you won't even talk about her. You barely even acknowledge that she existed. You're never here when you need to be. And I thought you might visit mom's death site. Some father you are," Reuben sneered venomously.

Moren knew that his brother had gone too far and quickly stepped into the kitchen- just in time to see Deric Gridley's knuckles sink into Reuben's stomach. This was their father now. The man that was there when their mother was alive had vanished. Perfectly okay with hitting the children his wife adored.

Fury immediately broke Moren's dam of caution and he shot forward as his father swung at Reuben's hunched form. Deric Gridley's fist connected hard with Moren's ribcage.

Shocked by the force of the punch and the pain that ensued afterward, Moren stumbled backward into Reuben, who shouted a stream of curse words at their father before launching himself at him. Moren stumbled, his breathing coming in sharp, painful gasps. He was quite sure that his rib was broken.

"Reuben, stop," Moren managed to say, wincing in the process. "Forget it-"

"Dad, what are you doing?!"

Dread fell into Moren's stomach like a heavy stone. Caio had come downstairs.

As the youngest boy in the room struggled to pull Deric Gridley away from Reuben, the stronger and older man tore him away roughly. Caio flinched, thinking his father would hit him too, but he didn't. Instead, Deric Gridley glowered at Reuben, who glared back with equal ferocity. Neither of them moved. Reuben's lip was cut and bleeding. A bruise was forming on the bridge of their father's nose.

"Get out of my house."

Caio stared at his dad, his eyes wide and fearful as he rubbed his arm. Reuben narrowed his eyes. "With pleasure," He spat. The front door slammed after him.

Deric Gridley didn't look at either of his remaining sons as he walked out of the kitchen and disappeared upstairs.

Moren's side was throbbing terribly as he walked toward his younger brother. Caio's face had lost all its colour. A bruise had blossomed on his arm.

"We're leaving," Moren said, his voice ragged as he spoke. There was no way he would leave his brother with that man. He couldn't risk it.

Caio was silent for a moment before his back slid down the wall and he stared at his knees. "We don't have anywhere to go," He murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. Moren's heart ached for his brother. Caio had been the closest with their father.