KINGDOM OF MINE ⇀ ( JASPER HALE ) ²

TWO

CHAPTER TWO
°⋆∴☽°:۵≼

i. ill miss you !

— IT HAD BEEN A NEAR WEEK SINCE ISABELLA BEGAN IGNORING TONY AND HIS INQUIRING GAZE, and he was starting to get tired of it. Every time he brought up their upcoming birthday, she seemed to shut down on him.

For as long as Tony could remember, their birthday had been a day to look forward too- especially from the moment he had been diagnosed. As if every birthday he saw was just another way of saying 'You made it! A whole other year!'.

He could recall a few September days where Bella would actually visit him in the hospital, even though she hated being there. Now, he knew it was just because she didn't want to see him in a such a weakened state- even if he was trying his best to seem strong for her.

Tony could remember exchanging gifts- her giving him some new comic book, and him giving her some stuffed teddy bear he'd managed to find in the hospital gift shop.

At the time, it was the best thing he could have asked for.

Those few days when his sister finally visited him were a small beacon of happiness and contentment, for the both of them- that, he knew.

So why, Anthony thought as he looked over at Bella's desk, decorated with three individual teddy bears and one deeply deflated Mickey Mouse balloon, why did she seem so against the idea now?

"Tony, you said you'd help me with this." Bella groaned, waving a hand in front of his face.

His attention came back to her, and the math textbook in her hands.

"Yeah actually, about that. I can't do math, Bells- you've known that about me since grade three, when Mrs Calducaot called home because she asked me what 'two plus two' was and I said twenty-two." Tony chuckled, tossing her notebook and pen back onto the bedsheets.

Bella ran a hand through her hair, clearly not happy with the situation. "You literally did this same stuff just last year though- why can't you do it now?"

Tony looked at the numbers and brackets and letters and shapes for a moment before looking back at his sister, "I'm gay."

Despite being slightly stressed, Bella let out a laugh. "You have to stop using that as an excuse."

"Why, you clearly think it's funny." Tony joked in a smug tone, before changing the subject, "C'mon loser, its time for a break."

Bella sighed, tossing her textbook on her bed alongside her other school supplies, before expelling a deep sigh and letting herself fall into a laying position, her head just barely reaching her pillow.

Anthony maneuvered his oxygen tank further up the side of the bed so as to join her.

They sat in silence for a few moments, perfectly happy just listening to the rain pattering against Bella's window- and the few cars that went by.