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Brae had been wandering the street for a while. Darkness had fallen and his bottle was nearly gone, just empty glass in a brown bag. He felt pathetic, but his friends had been busy; Pops with work and Dea just... Dea actually hadn't given an excuse. She was just busy. He didn't want to sit at home and get drunk alone and be a burden to Cael, who always got ad to see Brae drink. So he took a walk.

It was dark now, though. The dark brought the cold and the chill had been deeper than Brae expected. He started to shiver and that just wouldn't do. So he thought of something he wouldn't do normally and found himself at his older brother's door, knocking.
It had been a rough night for Daen, Rider had gone down easy but once Daen drifted off the nightmares came and the nightmares had sent him for a bottle of pills and a fresh bottle of bourbon. Now he was sitting on his couch staring off into space absently sipping at his cup. At least until the knocking on the door made him jump, while he did keep a weapon in the apartment thankfully it was locked soundly away.

Standing up he moved to the door and peered out only to see...Braeden? Opening it he quirked a brow, "Brae? You okay?" But he opened the door wider regardless, "Get in here, it's cold out there. The cold is no place to be, c'mon. Rider is asleep."
Brae had been rethinking this in the time Daen had taken to answer the door. He and Daen weren't that close... And it was late. He should have realized Rider would be sleeping and that he would be disturbing the house. Brae was twisting away from the door when it cracked open. He flinched and looked back at Daen. "Hey, Daenie. I'm good, I just..." The door opened more and Brae was relieved he could come inside. "Yeah, it's fucking freezing." He got inside the door and took a few steps before pausing, wondering again why he'd done this. He'd always been awkward when it came to talking to Daen!
Daen offered Brae a smile, he'd seen the flinch but he hoped his brother didn't just...decide to turn around on him. "Better believe it is, hate this weather." Once his brother was inside he shut the door and rubbed his hands, "Want something to drink? I just pulled out some Makers..."

Then he made a face, "Don't tell Cael, he doesn't like it too much." Daen walked into the kitchen and grabbed another glass. "Got some cold pizza too, you look like you could eat." Of course Daen always tried to get the twins to eat, so he grabbed that and brought it into the living room too before flopping on the couch and pouring them both a drink.
Brae chuckled just a little. "Me too. Winter can go die for all I care." He was inside and Daen offered a drink which he accepted a little too readily. "Yes, please." He'd chucked his bottle already but Daen may pick up on him having pre-gamed before getting there. As for Cael, Brae offered a wry smile. "Why do you think I'm not home?" Though now he felt a little guilty for not being home with Cael. Brae grinned a little about food, though. "I can always eat." He almost added 'you know that' but this wasn't his twin he was talking to and the things Brae and Daen didn't know about each other could fill a book.
Daen passed the glass over to his younger brother as he settled, "I haven't liked the cold since high school. Used to always bundle up like I lived in the North Pole, kinda got over that though...still...not a fan." He took a sip of his own drink and leaned his head back, "Yeah...I feel bad, but this bottle has been my friend for a very long time."

As for the pizza he grinned and made a gesture at the pizza, "Have at it, Rider ate like a mouse tonight. I just didn't feel like food." Brae would probably notice the few pill bottles on the coffee table but not much else. Daen wanted to ask what was wrong with Brae but he figured that would send his brother running. "So, what have you been up to tonight? Anything fun?"
Brae hadn't known that, or the reason why really. He made a curious 'hm' sound and made himself comfortable. "Me too, actually. Layers." He would have been bundled tonight had he been prepared! Brae shrugged, taking more than a sip. He was not one for moderation. "I have a lot of friends like that, Daenie. No big deal." The pizza was snatched up and Brae began devouring it. His mouth was half full when he answered with another shrug. "Nothing, really. Everyone was busy." He swallowed and looked over at Daen with slightly bloodshot eyes. "Not that... you're my last resort..." Though, he kind of was.
Daen stared down into his glass, "Some things you just never get over I think." With a sigh he took a long swallow and then looked at Brae, "Well, kindred spirits then eh?" There was a smile and he tipped his glass towards Brae before drinking again.

As for having a lot of friends Daen grunted, "You're not alone in that." His eyes fell on the table and he pointed at a few bottles, "Those friends of mine are pretty good." He had to laugh though and he reached over to ruffle Brae's hair, "No worries, my door is always open to you guys. Better here than on the street right?"

Topping off his glass he swished it around a bit, "So what's on your mind baby brother? Someone who hates the cold doesn't wander aimlessly unless something is bugging them. Wanna talk about it?"
Brae looked at his brother a moment and the corner of his lip curled up. He tipped his glass back. "I guess so."

His attention was brought to the bottles of pills and he frowned a tiny bit. Pills... We not his thing anymore. He'd tried them for a time, but it hadn't been a good thing. "Yeah, better than on the street. I just thought at the last minute--after I knocked of course---You'd be asleep or something." He ran his hand through his hair to fix it a bit after Daen mussed it, but he was grinning. Then of course they got to the real questions and Brae went quiet. He finished his glass and reached to refill it entirely. "A lot of things, really. Like I said, I don't like drinking at home around Cael..." As for talking, Brae shrugged a little and stared at the table. He let the silence hang a minute and chewed his cheek.
Daen snorted softly at the guess, he was pretty sure none of them forgot anything that Richard "taught" them. The frown was seen but Daen didn't let it bother him too much, the pills kept him stable and that was very important. "I don't sleep, not much really. Sleep isn't something I look forward to."

Tilting his head he watched his little brother for a minute, "Something is on your mind." There was a sigh and he stared at his glass again, "You can talk to me like you do Cael, you know. I'm your brother too, love you just the same." They'd always had their distance and it hurt, but he was trying to be a part of their lives again at least.
Brae refocused off the pill bottles and his dark memories to his brother for a second. "Really? Why?" He found he was quite curious as to why other people didn't sleep.

He glanced up at Daen for a split second and then back on the table. His shoes were pushed off his feet so he could curl up and hug his knees. "Right... Sorry, Daenie... I know that, I do... We just never really... Did this. The heart to heart thing before." He was still avoiding talking about all the things on his mind, thouhgh.
Ardaen looked at Brae when he asked about sleeping and then he looked off, "Nightmares mostly. Close my eyes and I'm on a battlefield, getting shot, getting blown up, watching friends die. If I don't sleep I don't have the nightmares, and when I don't sleep I get more flashbacks so I take those." He pointed at the pills again, "Pain too, some injuries never heal. Sleep just isn't my friend."

When Brae hugged his knees he felt bad, "I know, and you don't have to if you don't want to. But...you came here, so it kind of makes me feel like you want to." He rolled his glass between his hands for a minute, "You want to know why I hate the cold?"
Brae was listening and wishing he hadn't asked. He felt like it was a bad topic for his brother and ducked his head. "Oh... Sorry."

Daen got yet another shrug. Brae spun the glass in his hands while he let the silence hang once more. He could talk, he guessed. Daen was not mini!Richard after all as he'd always thought. He brought the glass to his lips and knocked back another good portion of it. Thankfully, Daen spoke first so Brae was off the hook for now. Daen got a nod and Brae leaned his chin on his kneecaps as he watched his brother for an answer.
Daen shrugged, "My demons, my curse. I deal with the hand that was given to me, some days are worse than others. But I've got you twins and Rider, don't need anything else." His nightmares he'd learned to deal with in his own way.

Since he was starting he curled little in on himself too, "Richard." Closing his eyes he let himself go back, "You guys were eleven or twelve I think, I had a basketball game and because I missed some shots he locked me out. Made me shoot free throws through the night until well after breakfast. Do you remember when I was in bed for a few days? My hands were hurt? I nearly had frostbite."
Brae's stomach dropped just hearing their father's name. He could have guessed this story would have something to do with him. He gulped down the rest of the amber liquid and rubbed a hand over his mouth. "He's such a god damn bastard. I didn't know that, Daenie..." He was looking at his brother's hand now without meaning to. A wry smile took residence on his face a moment. "He did that to me too." He wasn't smiling because it was a good memory, it was more that he also should have guessed Richard had been so cruel to his brother.
Daen shrugged lightly, "He is a bastard." As for not knowing he looked over at Brae, "I didn't want you all to know, he wasn't physical with you for a long time, I liked it that way. If I could have kept him off you two forever I would have." Finishing his drink he stretched and rubbed at one hand gently.

As for him doing that to Brae that hand tightened hard around his glass, "I would have broken his damn neck. You didn't deserve that shit, you deserved better." Daen reached over and wrapped an arm around Brae, "I'm sorry Braeden, I should have protected you two better from him."
Brae just looked sad. Richard had started in on him when he was just around eleven and he had always hoped to keep Cael out of it entirely. He'd failed at that, though. Brae hadn't expected an intense reaction from Daen. He didn't know what he was expecting actually. Mutual sympathy maybe. Daen was wrapping his arm around him and Brae tensed a little at first before relaxing against the touch. "It wasn't your fault. Nothing to be sorry for." He fidgeted a little and scooted closer to Daen. "He was just a royal prick to all of us because he got off on that shit."
Daen felt him tense and he closed his eyes, "I thought if I did what he wanted in front of you guys he would just leave you alone. When it was just me and him though..." There was a grunt and gave a little bit of a smirk, "Well lets just say sports injuries were worth the look on that bastard's face."

As for it not being his fault he gave a shake of his head, "I'm the older brother, it was my job to protect you both. I should have been better." Tilting his head he closed his eyes again and let out a breath, "Can't change the past. But I can damn sure make sure that my baby brothers don't have to deal with that bastard again."

When Brae scooted closer that arm around him tightened a bit and Daen gave him a side hug, "I'm glad you two are better than his bullshit. You're good men, despite him."
Brae wilted the more Ardaen talked about it. He should have seen it then. it should have been obvious but Brae had been wrapped up in all his own stuff. "I was such an idiot not to see that, then. I always though you were just... I'm ashamed to admit it... Like him..." He hung his head and dug his nails into his palm at the realization of how shitty that was. "I thought that about Cael, too. It was my job to protect him. Even if it meant throwing myself in the way, which I was glad to do but it still didn't matter." Daen was right, though. They couldn't change the past. "I haven't spoken to, or seen him since he kicked me out."

Brae melted into the hug and reached for the bottle without having to get up. He'd refill his glass only because it was the polite thing to do; he'd rather just drink out of the bottle. The goo dmen comment had him snorting though. "I dunno about that. Cael maybe. You too."
Ardaen shrugged lightly, but it was obvious that he was hurt by the thought of being compared to Richard. "Why wouldn't you think that? I was his perfect little soldier, I became everything he told me I would." When he saw Brae dig his nails into his palms he reached out and squeezed his hands, "Stop, don't do that to yourself. The only person we should ever blame is Richard."

As for speaking to Richard his body tensed, "I did once after he threw me to the war machine. He told me he didn't want to hear from me until I was dead. I think I survived to spite him." His eyes fell on Brae again, "I don't want that bastard or her around Rider, I won't let them see him. He's been through enough, he doesn't even know they are around, and that's the way I like it."

But Daen wouldn't let him out of that hug anytime soon, and he rested his head against his brother's with another soft sigh. "You are a good man, I see it every day you interact with Rider and Cael." As for himself though he gave a firm shake of his head, "There is no good in me except my son, and I've done a hell of a lot of wrong by him along the way."

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