Only an hour had passed although it felt like an eternity to Dean Winchester.
All of the sudden, a few thunderous consecutive bangs on the door caused Dean's dried eyes to shoot wide open in startle. He tightened his grip around Giselle's body immediately as the first conscience of protectiveness kicked in.
"Open the fucking door!" Aaron yelled. "I'm giving you one fucking minute before I break the hell in there!"
Dean's brows automatically pulled together furiously as he moved Giselle's body gently off of his torso. He clenched his teeth a bit in perplexity before turning to glance at Giselle's face in hesitation. "It's okay. I'm here. Nobody can take you away from me." He whispered.
"I have a fucking key, Dean! I'm only waiting because I am respecting your fucking privacy!" Aaron warned loudly while he continued to bang on the door.
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose a bit in frustration before forcing himself to get off of the mattress. As soon as he reached the door, he swung it wide open. The first thing he did was shove Aaron's chest aggressively with both hands, causing Aaron to stumble backward a few steps. "What the hell do you want from me? If I don't fuck with you, then stop fucking minding my damn business! Leave me alone already! I want to be alone! I don't want to fucking see anyone! Get out of my sight already!"
Aaron straightened his posture before rushing toward Dean and then pushed him off to one side. He barged into the penthouse suddenly and made his way to the bedroom.
"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" Dean screamed and then ran after Aaron quickly, trying to stop him.
"You were sleeping with a fucking corpse, weren't you?" Aaron shouted. He kicked the bedroom door wide open, only to see Giselle rested peacefully on the pillow.
"This has nothing to do with you! If you dare to fucking touch her, I will chop off that motherfucking fingers of yours!" Dean threatened as he seized Aaron's shirt with one hand and yanked him forcefully backward.
"Dean!" Aaron stumbled towards the wall while he shouted in frustration.
Dean ignored as he ran to guide the bed protectively.
"You've gone insane, haven't you?" Aaron questioned in disbelief as he fixed his shirt a bit. "You do realize that she is dead. And, why the fuck are you still keeping her in here? Send her to the damn hospital or bury her already."
Dean's eyes heated up once again before his tears rose to blur his vision. "Yes... I am insane... I've lost my fucking mind, okay? Now, why don't you leave a fucking psycho like me alone? I am sick of talking to you."
"You are... You're very sick," Aaron mumbled through his gritted teeth. "Is that all that it took... to just make you give up on everything?" He asked seriously. "Over a fucking woman's life?" He empathized. "There are plenty of women out there, Dean. You can always find a better one."
"You better stop talking," Dean warned dangerously. "She's still here, right behind my fucking back! How dare of you to bring up other women? I rather get buried with her under the damn ground than replace her with some random slut."
"Isn't that what our father did?" Aaron asked with a bit of frown at the corner of his lips. "After marrying my mother... he went ahead and found the substitution... While my mother was carrying me... he was enjoying his life to the fullest with your mother... How do you think I feel? I am just suggesting you another better option... in case you too want to find a better ending."
Dean sighed out loud in the overwhelming stress before he shoved his hand roughly through his thick hair. A drop of tear escaped the corner of his right eye as he parted his lips to reply, "Look..." His voice came out almost as a whisper, soullessly and emotionlessly. He cleared his throat a bit before turning around to gaze at Giselle. While his back was facing Aaron, he continued to speak in a sad voice, "I am not that old man... I can't... I can't leave her...." The boiling tears flooded his eyes heavily until they dripped down his cheeks towards his chin. "I am sorry about what you had to go through... but my life too has turned upside down... Aaron." Dean pronounced his brother's name in hesitation softly.
In a swift motion, he wiped his hot tears with the back of his right hand.
"I love her..." Dean whispered underneath his breath in a trembling voice. "I felt like I am going crazy... Everything was just getting better... but why the fuck did that motherfucker..." Dean's voice faded out as he slowly kneeled onto the cold floor next to the bed. He reached out for Giselle's hand before bringing it closer to his face. "How am I going to just... watch her... leave me? ...We were just laughing... talking... but, look at her now... she can't even breathe on her own..." Dean's voice cracked as he sobbed harder.
Aaron gulped as he watched his brother from behind. He took a deep breath and then decided to take several steps closer to Dean. He soon came to a stop next to Dean. His eyes scanned briefly over Giselle's body before he turned his head to stare down at his brother. He hesitated at first as to what he should be doing in the uncomfortable situation. After a minute of hearing Dean's nonstop heartbreaking crying sound, Aaron decided to pat the back of Dean's head lightly. He stroked the thick hair and caressed them in slow motion with his long slender fingers. He didn't say anything as he stood there, repeating the same motion with his hand for a couple of minutes.
When realizing that his touch didn't seem to refrain Dean from crying, Aaron lowered himself onto the floor, and then pulled Dean's head to press tightly against his hard chest.
Dean's knees weakened as he fell weakly into his brother's embrace without any resistance. He cried louder as he felt his brother's tight arms around his body. Was it the first time that he gets to feel his family's presence? All along, he felt nothing but isolation and loneliness. If not because of the bloodline, Dean would've forgotten that he once had a brother as others too. Even if he wanted to pull away from the hug, Dean found himself exhausted and strengthless. He didn't know why, but he knew that one part of him was grateful to have Aaron by his side at this very moment. While he didn't seem to have anyone left, someone whom he had always overlooked suddenly came up to him, and console him in such a way that he never experienced in the past. Family love. Brotherly love. Was that what it is? Was that how it was supposed to feel from the beginning? Not romantically loving, but warmly cared for and supported in a way that only a family member could provide.
Aaron inhaled deeply and then murmured, "It's okay... I am still here..."
"Aaron..." Dean gasped sadly. "Before... before we bury her... I want Richard Chu... and her friends... to have a chance in seeing her... Please help me... I don't think... I have enough strength... to talk to anyone right now..."
Aaron tapped his hand slightly over Dean's back as he responded softly, "I will send our men to go and get them as soon as possible. Don't worry. I will make sure the ceremony happens tomorrow."
Dean shook his head a bit against Aaron's shoulder before he mumbled, "Why does it have to happen tomorrow? Can't we just... delay it?"
Aaron furrowed his brows a bit in doubt then replied nicely, "We can't. You know why. I hope I don't have to describe it out loud." Aaron's hands froze and then moved to grab Dean's shoulders. In gentleness, he pushed Dean away slowly. Aaron tilted his head a bit to look at his brother's wet pupils as he said seriously, "We're taking her away tomorrow... whether you will allow us or not... You can curse me all you want, but it is what it is, Dean."
Dean felt melancholy as he heard his brother remind him. A wave of dizziness strike his head, making him speechless while his mouth continued to whimper. His strong built body shook uncontrollably at the same time that he brought his palms to cover his face in devastation. He lets himself fall backward carelessly causing his back to smash against the nightstand.
Aaron couldn't do anything besides just watching from a distance. In slow motion, he turned slightly to lean his back against the bed at the same time that he sank onto the cold floor. He didn't say anything as he sat there, listening to the crying noise of his brother. Aaron couldn't force himself to leave the room when he heard the sound of Dean gasping for air desperately in between each breath. He gulped now and then whenever he stole a pity glance at his brother's direction. After several minutes, Aaron's eyes turned to look at the clock. Regardless of how late the night was or how long it had been, he waited in silence patiently for his brother to stop crying.
After half of an hour had passed, Aaron turned to look at his brother again. This time Dean stared emotionlessly without a blink at Giselle who was resting on the bed. His eyes and nose were bright red.
Aaron sighed a bit and then turned back to stare at the wall. Then he murmured, "Don't you think this feels quite familiar?" As he had expected, there was no response. "I still remember the day that our father first brought you into the house. Not gonna lie, but I was a bit shocked when I first met you."
Aaron tried to chat, hoping to be able to divert his brother's attention and comfort him in any way possible, although it would be the slightest comfort he could give.
"There was nobody who could understand you back then... besides our father. Most of the time... I would see you cried... but I didn't know how to speak Chinese... so I couldn't even walk up to ask you why. Until one day... I think I went into your bedroom and just sat there like what I am doing now... My mother didn't want me to get involved with you back then, but I ran away from her anyway... and went in to hide inside your room. It was quite chaotic."
The corner of Aaron's lips curved up into a smile before it disappeared in a second when he realized it.
Dean brushed his hands over Giselle's palm as he fixed his emotionless gaze on her.
Aaron stole another glance at Dean before he said in a raspy voice, "Trust me... one day you will be able to move on... At one point in everyone's life... regardless of who you are, and how much money you have, nobody can live forever. People use money to make sure that their appearance doesn't age, but too bad... one thing you can never buy is... life. We all die in the end. It's just a matter of time, and how we are using it. Even with what we are doing... Those healthy organs, that we sold out, will only be given to the better deserving group of people. You can replace the gear, but you can't expect the machine to not die at one point."
"Get out..." Dean said weakly without bothering to cast a glance.
Aaron didn't follow the order as he continued to talk. "I've watched my mother die in front of my eyes... Dean. I couldn't do anything to protect her... At least you were more fortunate than me for not having to remember the last sight of your mother dying. Until today, the bloody image of her still stuck within me... But I just let it go. Even if I was never okay, I just have to pretend like I am. I have my future, whether it is a pitch-black road to hell, it is still my future. And, I will live up to it. I've never resented my mother for giving birth to me. I am grateful instead... I went through just as much pain as you had... In fact, I was undervalued and treated unfairly because the only woman that our father loves has always been your mother... You may be what people called, the illegitimate son, but I am the legitimate son who was born from a father who had never once valued me as a person. I was just an object as an heir to protect his position. He only had me as a backup for you... You didn't know how happy that old man was the second that the news about your mother having you reached his ears... What I am trying to tell you is... it doesn't matter how many people you lose. What matters is who stays with you. Even if there is nobody, then ask yourself what has always been the reason for you to live up until now. Don't bring her up... because you were living just fine even before you've met her. And, I'm pretty sure that you know yourself better than anyone else."
Aaron wiped the corner of his left eye with his thumb when he realized that a drop of tear had formed.
"I am going to leave you for the night," Aaron spoke bitterly. In a swift motion, he got up on his feet. "I will send the men out once I get downstairs. I hate waiting for something that I know is never going to be any different. Whether it is tonight or tomorrow, the fact that she is dead won't change. I will send her friends to the same room as Richard Chu. You can do whatever you want to them after that. You can't stop what will happen tomorrow. I won't let that happen again, Dean."
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