Dinner was lively and fun, filled with laughter, even from Sean. It was surprising for Valerie since it was the first she saw Sean make a facial expression in a long time. Valerie had decided to leave after making dinner but the boys persuaded her to stay for dinner with them, she couldn't resist Raymond's puppy eyes. She happy to see her son lower the walls he had built around him and let people in, by people meaning his childhood friends. Valerie left after dinner and everyone retired to their bedroom, as usual Asher followed Cian into his room. It was a bit awkward for the first time between them. Asher was nervous of how Cian would treat him now that he remembers everything.
'Do you want me to move to my room or....' Asher voice trailed off
'I never said you should leave beside I doubt your room is clean' Cian said, lightening up the awkwardness between them.
'I don't sleep there, it's lonely' Asher said
'Coming from a loner' Cian chuckled.
There was a knock on the door, 'Cian it's me' Clint voice came from behind the door. Asher stood up from where he sat beside the bed to get the door revealing Clint.
'You are here? obviously' Clint replied himself, he had noticed that Asher didn't sleep in his room for sometime now. Asher opened the door wide for Clint to see Cian who comfortably sitting on the side of the bed. 'I wanted to ask if you want to visit mom and dad tomorrow?' Clint asked and Cian bow his head staring at the floor, he shook his head.
'You still feel guilty?' Clint asked and Cian nodded
'I told you that it wasn't your fault' Clint said
'I know, it's going to take some time but there is a place I want to visit' Cian said raising his head to look at Clint
'Where?' Clint asked with enthusiasm
'Our old neighborhood, I want to see our old house' Cian said as nostalgic feelings burnt in his heart.
'I haven't gone back there after that night' Clint said biting his inner cheek, that place was his nightmare, that night was his nightmare that face was his nightmare.
'Let's go, brothers should have each other's back, right?' Cian reassured, titling his head to the side, Clint nodded and smiled before leaving for his room.
'You remember that' Asher said
'Yeah, Dad always said that to us' Cian said smiling sadly to himself.
'Uhm, Asher, I have a favor to ask' Cian quietly waiting for Asher's reaction.
'What is it' Asher said in a voice that is ready to give Cian anything.
'Uhm, it might sound childish, Can I cuddle with you? it's okay to say you don't want to, I'm not forcing you or anything, I just....kind of missed it' Cian rambled his words in embarrassment.
Asher squatted in front of him, he painlessly flicked his finger on Cian forehead, Cian frowned slightly rubbing the spot Asher had flicked even though it barely hurt.
'Why are you feeling embarrassed, when we were young you were never embarrassed you usually....' Cian covered Asher's mouth with his palm preventing him from continuing.
'Having fun teasing me, huh?' Cian said pretending to be annoyed, Asher removed Cian's hands from his mouth and smiled,
'Not even in the slightest' Asher said leaning closer to Cian's face, 'I can do a lot more than teasing you' Asher said leaning closer and Cian leaned backward until he was lying on the bed and Asher was hovering over him, evading his space, he saddled his led on Cian's sides.
"What is he doing? Is this part of his teasing, wait, why is my heart beating faster? Do I have an heart disease? should I push him away? No, if I did, it will look like am affected by it but if I don't it would seem suspicious" Cian's mind was going rampage as the air around them got hotter. Asher leaned in causing their face to be an inch away from each other. Cian felt his face burn so he turned his face away from Asher's eyes that were burning a hole into him.
He felt Asher's fingers gently holding his jaw and turned his face so that he was facing Asher again. Asher eyes danced around his face,
'You still make me feel like this' Asher muttered under his breath, almost breathlessly
'Hm?' Cian asked, he saw Asher lips move but his mind was too busy to make out what he said.
'Nothing, your deep blue eyes is bright compare to when you were little' Asher said as he laid on the bed perpendicular to Cian's head.
Cian tugged in his shirt for air, 'Because I'm no longer that sick kid' Cian commented still in the same position, he wasn't seeing Asher, just a plain white ceiling.
'I thought you wanted to cuddle' Asher said, Cian smiled and turned to Asher who was lying on his back, patting the space beside him. Cian happily crawled to Asher's side, Asher wrapped his arms around Cian and pulled him closer, Cian's head was on the same height as Asher's, so as Asher pulled Cian closer their faces were meters away. Cian's fingers found its way to Asher's hair, it was soft as he remembered and it was too tempting not to touch it. Cian ran his fingers through it, Asher's eyes widen in surprise as he bit his lower lip in nostalgia, Cian quickly remove his hands thinking Asher presently hated it but he has to differentiate the young Asher from the grown one.
'Sorry' Cian apologized
'Don't stop' Asher said, it sounded more like an order. Cian's fingers went back to Asher's hair and continued passing his fingers through it, it felt so good, it have been ages since he felt Cian's finger on his hair, it seems like Cian's memories came back along with his old habits.
'Was it hard, when I went missing?' Cian asked twirling Asher's hair with his finger
'Yes'
'Do you want to talk about it?'
'No I don't'
'If you want to talk about it, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere, remember brothers have...each other's backs' Cian said as he slowly drifted away in sleep with his fingers still in Asher's hair
'I don't want to be your brother' Asher said as he used his thumb to rub circles on Cian's cheek. Asher leaned in and kissed Cian's forehead before pulling Cian closer to him, he crooked his head into Cian's neck and fell asleep.
'Why are we taking the cars if we could just open a portal there?' Cian asked as Sean magically locked the entrance door.
They had to take two cars since the remaining three are coming back from repair the next day.
'I'm still preparing my mind' Clint said in a quiet voice. Sean and Asher were driving each of the two cars, Clint and Raymond rode with Sean while Cian rode with Asher, it was all Sean's idea and everyone had complied to it.
They finally reached their old neighborhood, They drove through the playground which was presently empty since all the children in the neighborhood are probably at school.
They skipped school today to visit their old neighborhood, it wasn't like they needed to take permission for not showing up at school, they were still the School Kings. They drove pass the lake that was near the playground, the lake water used to be sparkling but not anymore. Cian remember that this was the place his fire magic manifested, soon their old house was in view. Five of them lived in the same neighborhood when they were little so it was easy to visit one another and have sleep overs.
The cars stopped few feets from their old house, Cian looked out the window and remembered the spot where he saw Fergus' dads kissing, his curiosity took him away from his family and his curiosity brought him back to his family. He wanted to ask Asher about what had made him angry that night to leave him outside but didn't seem to find the right timing.
Getting out of the car, they had a clearer view of Clint and Cian old house, it's roof were old and rusty, some part of the the roof have fallen off, leaving the house naked under the sun. The wall paint that used to be bright yellow was brown, peeling off and showing the concrete. The entrance door was opened, it made creaking sound whenever it's blown by the wind.
It was the middle of October and it was getting cold. Sean, Raymond and Asher can't feel temperature changes because of their vampire side and Clint didn't feel cold since werewolf are always feeling hot, it was only Cian who worn warm clothes.
He was putting on a turtle neck, black pants and a long black cotton coat.
They entered the house through the creaking door, it was an example of a haunted house. The house was still as they left it that night, the sitting room that used to be filled with warmness and lights was cold there was no light except from the sunlight slipping through the broken roof. Clint was intensively staring at a corner in the sitting room, where everything happened that night, he started trembling and sweating furiously as everything that happy that night replayed in his head.
'Clint', he finally heard his name when Cian gave him a squeezed in his shoulder, Cian noticed Clint's red eyes as tears threatened to come out.
'This was where in happened?' Cian asked stepping closer to Clint, Clint lips were trembling, he couldn't make a word out of it since it felt like if he opened his mouth those tears would shamelessly fall out.
Cian stepped closer enough for Clint to drop his head on Cian's shoulder like he did back at the storage room.
'Don't hold it back, it hurts, the nightmares, let them all naturally go away, I promise like dad said, brothers have each other's back' Cian said patting Clint's back. Clint sobbed quietly then loudly when he felt others hand on him, comforting him.
"Dad, I found him as promised" Clint thought.
The house was cold and damaged it was still with warm memories of their families, those memories that brings back you.