Quadrant Feathers

Chapter 59: "You Can be Happy Again,"

Book One Finale:

Kwared stammered, wordless as Phandrin glared at him, tear tracks covering his cheeks.

"I didn't intend-,"

"Do you think I fucking care about what you intended?! It's about what you did you fucking-," Phandrin cut himself off, an angry yell leaving his throat as he turned, gripping his horns. Tears streamed down his face as Kwared stared, wide-eyed. The ribbon Kwared had given the boy was torn and thrown to the side, the sight making Kwared shrink in his spot.

"You're ruining my life, It was perfect before having to watch your every step and baby your drug addict ass," Phandrin spat pushing Kwared back slightly, Kwared clenching his jaw. Stay calm, he's mad. He's not thinking straight. He's upset.

Kwared stayed quiet, Waiting for Phandrin to finish. 

"It was great, Me Holly, and  Metis went out all the time, Metis didn't hate me, I didn't risk getting jumped, I didn't get called names or called out or treated like a fucking disease. I was happy, and you had to come into my life and take all of my peace away from me, just because you had some misfortune, just because I'm stuck with you,"  Phandrin rambled, his voice shaking more and more with each word until he was stuttered, his eyes clenching shut as Kwared shrunk.

Kwared rethought coming in. Phandrin sounded genuine, maybe he was thinking straight, he was just finally being honest with himself. 

He stepped back again, glancing at the door as he contemplated his options, his own chest tightening as Phandrin continued rambling. The words weren't audible now, Phandrin was just spitting nonsense at this point, and Kwared had heard enough.

"I didn't mean to ruin anything-," He said, glancing back to Phandrin who glared at him through blurry vision.

"You still did." Phandrin spat, his nails digging into his palms. Kwared glanced down, his eyes burning slightly.

"If you'd told me about this sooner, I'd have left sooner, Phandrin. I didn't need anyone to begin with. You're the one who helped me get friends, and you're the one who made me like you, and if you were gonna blow up at me like this, maybe you should have spoken up a bit fucking sooner," Kwared said back, his voice quiet but his throat closed up near the end, swallowing. He avoided eye contact now, his tail withered down between his legs.

"You're honest now... it's not too late, I can tell people the message was for me since my parents are dead. I'll leave you be and you can tell Metis, you can be friends again, you can go back to the way it was before," His voice cracked as he kept his head down wiping at his eyes.

"You can go back to exactly as it was before. I'll risk getting jumped, Ill get name called, 'll be treated like a disease" he said, repeating what Phandrin had said, opening the door hesitantly.

"And just as I honestly did...  Everyone will love you," He finished, shutting the door and turning out of the building. He shut his wings tight against his back, wiping away his stray tears as he glared down, his nails and teeth lengthening.

"You can be happy again,"