Don't be afraid, darling ✔[COMPLETED]

Chapter 14: Tears aren't weaknesses

Cassian's POV:
"Curly, what're we gonna wear?"
Her adorably panicked voice made blood rush to my head. She could wear a dishrag and still take my breath away. So this means that I make her all cute and flustered.
Or rather, my smile made her flustered. Turns out I'm not the only one feeling this attraction.
There's just one hitch. She thinks that I murdered Illiana. And that makes her think of me as a homicidal murderer.
All the better.
What's the fun in a "no danger, all sappy" love story?
If she fears me, it'll so much more exciting to tame her sharp, witty tongue and coax her into expressing her feelings for me.
Once the time came, I will cherish her like a Goddess and punish her when she's too fiesty. I will be the object of her nightmares and the centre of her daydreams. Oh Kiara.... you have no inkling of what fate is going to befall you...
I didn't realise that I was smiling, lost in thought when I entered the living room of my house. An irritating voice snidely commented from the antique sofa, "I see you are quite elated, brother. I haven't seen a smile like that in a long time, now. Can the cause of it be our beautiful obsession, Miss Kiara Carlyle?"
Ignoring Zorraine, who had made himself perfectly at home by stretching out on my sofa and pouring himself a crystal glass of my aged rum, I went to the obsolescent fireplace and flicked my fingers.
A blazing fire roared to life and illuminated the dark room. I drew up an armchair and settled down next to the bright flames.
"Looks like someone has had an interesting day." Zorraine gestured to me with the rum bottle and took a large sip, trying to show swagger and suaveness he didn't possess.
I snatched the bottle out of his hands and raised it to my lips, not bothering with glasses, "Yes, Zorraine. I actually have some interesting things to do rather than wander around uselessly like you."
He chuckled, "Ah, touche. However, my wandering around uselessly has cleared up your mess."
"Mess?"
"You left all fingers pointing at yourself after killing that Carter girl. You didn't bother to even modify her mother's mind to forget about your arrival in her house. I had to do that for my dear little brother."
I smirked, "Why should I waste my time doing pointless things like that? They cannot dream of proving me guilty. I am way out of their reach. You know that, Zorraine."
He got a somewhat wistful look in his eyes, "You used to call me Ren. I wish you would call me that again."
I turned away, not wanting to face him, "That's not possible, Zorraine. I used to call you that when none of this.." I gestured around the room and to him and myself, "... had happened. Our lives hadn't been torn apart. We were happy."
"So we can't be happy anymore?"
I looked at him incredulously, "Are you out of your damned mind, Zorraine? You wish for happiness after what he did?" I referred to our grandfather, Nathaniel Mantzari.
I continued, letting loose emotions that I had bottled up inside myself for years, "He taught me to be emotionless. To kill without remorse. To invoke fear in people's heart by the mere mention of my name. He made me a monster! He took away my childhood from me. He snatched away my toys and handed me knives and guns. He had been driven to make me a true Mantzari. A true demon. Why Zorraine..." My eyes met his. He had no emotion on his face. He did not offer me sympathy. Good, because I don't want any,
"....I have forgotten to feel. To laugh out of pure joy. Not out of sadism. To be excited about something that is not committing murder. It hurts, do you understand? It, bloody, hurts!"
To my shame, a tear squeezed out of my pain filled eye. Out of habit, I was about to stop them slipping down my face, but a hand stopped mine from reaching up to my face.
Zorraine sat on his knees in front of me and held my hands away from my face where tears fell freely, "Whatever the old bastard has taught you, don't stop your tears, Cass. Let them flow. Let your emotions lead you. Don't shut them out. Crying is not a sign of weakness, brother. It means you are not shy of revealing your feelings to the world. Our father shed so many tears in his life. For us, for mother, for Ally, even for grandfather. Would you say that he's weak?"
At the mention of father, more tears spilled onto my lap. I had lost the first person I had ever truly loved. The only person in the world I had any admiration left for.
I shook my head slowly and said in a broken voice, "I miss him, Ren."
At the mention of my nickname for him, he smiled softly, and a little sadly, as he pulled me into his chest for a hug.
"So do I, Cass. So do I."
I gave in and put my arms around him, glad for his presence, for the first time.
We held on to each other for a long time. I was reminded of our childhood, when I used to count on him to comfort me.
Very gently, another pair of arms encircled us, as wanting to take part in the hug.
"Its been so long since the two of you have actually behaved like siblings."
I smiled, "Ally. When did you arrive?" She sniffed and snuggled closer to us as we shifted to accommodate her.
"Doesn't matter when I came. All that matters is that you two aren't behaving like idiots anymore."she said in a watery voice which proved that she was crying.
Zorraine chuckled in his usual annoying manner, "It's been so long since we behaved like normal siblings."
He was right. It has been long....

Author's note:
Hey you all! I just wanted to say that I probably won't be able to upload any chapters for at least the next two weeks. Exam pressure, you know?
Anyway, do tell me how you liked this family reunion. Vote, share and comment!
Bye bye!😀😀😀