[Closed] Breaking through the shell

[cole manaj gryffon]

"Like fuck you think I wanna fuck them over?" Jacob snapped, eyes growing more and more canine. He too had played in high school, and barely seemed winded, again grabbed for the throat.

"I don't need some guy coming in here thinking he can fix my little brother when nobody else has been able to! Got it?! I don't need you screwing things up more then they are!" Something else flashed in his eyes..insecurity.

He rolled, slamming August's head and shoulders against the ground just enough to hurt. "Why can't you just-"
A lithe hand snatched at Jacob's arm weakly, green eyes pleading. "Leave him alone Jacob..." Cole whispered softly. "Please.."

Jacob's teeth gritted, sharp now, agitation in his eyes. Something in his brother's gaze eased his grip on August's throat though. "It's okay Jake..he's not gonna hurt me."

The sound of Cole's voice, so steady and sure of himself...
Jacob released the guy, staring down at him as he slowly sat back in silence. An enemy...and here Cole was protecting him.

He watched the fifteen year old boy brush a hand over August's face in worry and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "How-...he never..." Teeth shortened, eyes becoming normal again. "You got him to talk to you...got him to care..." He shook his head. Cole had only ever spoken with his brother's since the incident, and even then rarely.

[august]

August ran his hands over his face, groaning. He felt a hand on his face and was about to bite it when he looked up and saw Cole. He kissed it softly, closing his eyes.

"I dunno.." He groaned, sitting up slowly. "I'll tell you the same thing I told him- there ain't no wound that a glow in the dark bandaid can't fix. You can sit around and let your life slip away, or you can live. I'm guessing you didn't see what he saw, his mirror image being impaled by a metal pole. I wouldn't talk either. But because I'd have shot myself in the fucking head. He's a lot stronger than you. He's a lot stronger than me. He's a lot stronger than any of us sitting here gawking. You just gave up. 'Hey, he won't talk, fuck it.' Right?" He pulled himself to his feet, dusting himself off. "I know what I want when I see it. And I want Cole to talk again. And if you don't have the patience to draw him out of his shell, I do. I have the time to kill." He held out his hand, hauling Jacob to his feet.

"You need to start caring a little more. Son of a fuck. I can tell you right now: you blame yourself, he blames himself, he's learned to live with it. So where did Cole come in? Where did anyone beside his twin stop to think he was involved too? That's where your problem is. Blaming yourself clouded your judgement, you thought if you put the blame on yourself, it would make everyone else okay. Well, newsflash, bro. It doesn't. It hurts all of you. I could be a damn preacher." He bent down, wrapping his arms around Cole's waist.

"I'm never gonna let you down, okay?" He whispered, stroking his cheek gently. He pulled back, looking into his eyes. "I'm gonna be here until you're okay again.. Until everyone gets to hear your voice.." He ran his thumb across his lips, then kissed his forehead.

[cole manaj gryffon]

Jacob let himself be pulled to his feet, working his jaw. He hated that the vampire was right, but the way Cole looked at him with full trust...

He glanced up at Jacob, standing up and remainin close as Jake searched August's face sternly. "If you ever hurt him in any way I will fuck you up," He murmured. Cole knew the words weren't a threat, but a promise. He also knew Jacob was struggling to act unbothered now. "Call me when you're ready Cole.." He whispered, and left the hallways behind.

Cole only gazed up at August in silence. But this time it wasn't because he refused to speak. It was in respect.

[august]

"Like I would ever hurt him." He said with a roll of his eyes. He sat back down, putting his head in his hands. It was throbbing. He rubbed his eyes, then leaned back, closing them. He looked up for a moment at Cole, the corner of his mouth turning up in a smile.

"See something you like?" He asked sarcastically, then grabbed his hand gently, pulling him over. "You could've gotten hurt." He said quietly, looking up at him. "So can I have you back in my lap now? We can talk about something else. Or not talk at all, if that's what you want."

[cole manaj gryffon]

Cole shook his head as he sat down in his lap again. "He won't hurt me.." He murmured softly. "Not ever.."
He toyed with a string on August's jeans absently, shrugged. "I don't care.." He whispered, subject no longer much of a big deal.

Jacob would leave them alone now, he didn't have to worry.

[august]

"What if that string was like, crucial to my pants? And when I get home and wash them they're gonna come unravelled? What then? I'm gonna call you and you're gonna owe me a new pair of jeans." He said teasingly, rubbing his side. He hugged him close, kissing the top of his head.

"You know everything is going to be okay, right? That I'm gonna be here as long as you need me.." He tipped his chin back to he would look at him. "You know that, right?"

[cole manaj gryffon]

Cile smiled shyly at this, patted the spot he had pulled the string from. He gazed up at August as his chin was lifted again, shook his head.

"No..I don't know that... Neither do you. You can assume though..that's it's gonna be alright." He curled up against his chest. "But nothing is for sure, not even tomorrow is for sure.."

[august]

"Assuming makes an ass out of you and me. And you're too damn cute to be an ass." He said, playing with Cole's hair. "No, we aren't promised tomorrow. Well, you aren't. But no matter what, I'm gonna be here. And that's a promise."

He thought for a moment, still playing with Cole's hair. "What about books? You read? Or video games? I'm killer at Silent Hill. I can finish that game in like, one sitting. Well, until Ember stomped on it. Now I gotta go get another one. Little pest."

[cole manaj gryffon]

Cole bit his lip at that, seeming to think it kver a moment. August's next questions tore him from his thoughts. "I read, yeah..." He murmured.
"Sometimes play video games..not much though.." He shrugged, finding another string to play with though he didn't pull it loose this time, just giving his fingers something to do.

[august]

August pretended to scowl. "I'm for sure that string is the life of my pants." He said, starting to laugh. He pulled Cole's legs over his own so he would stop playing with his pants. "There. Play with my hand. If you break that, I got another one." He said playfully, laying his hand in the boy's lap.

"I remember when we used to have Pac Man on like, the Atari. Oh my gosh. I would spend hours of my life glued to the TV, screaming everytime a ghost came near me. I swear my neighbors didn't sleep for six months. But they made me babysit their colic-y baby, and all hell was paid back in full with interest." He smiled over at him, touching his finger to Connor's. He was positive he felt his heart beat, and he coughed into his arm, his chest feeling tight.

"So, anything other than 'mime' on your list of things to be when you get older? I wanted to be a police officer. And a fireman. Now I'm a bartender. Close enough, huh?"