PYRE -A Jeff the Killer Rewrite

2|| Rage

AN// Use of the f-slur and sh mentions <3

Over the course of the next day Jeff managed to set up his room. Contrary to his belief, the attic-turned-room was quite nice. Sure the ceiling was a tad low in spots, but it was spacious and sectioned off from the rest of the house. There was much more room than he had expected, so Jeff found himself hauling his drum set from the moving truck and setting it up in his room rather than downstairs. Jeff did plan on painting the room sooner or later but until then he would settle with his hodge-podge wall décor.

Wood creaked as someone climbed up the stairs to enter his room. "Hey, I just came up to check this out. Damn, you really do got space in here man," Liu exclaimed, seemingly mentally comparing the space to his room.

Jeff sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the Halloween poster across from him. "Oh yeah, it's partly why I didn't whine about you claiming the room you did. Plus, dad and 'Liv can't get me from here."

"Guess I'll be hiding up here when they're angry then," Liu chuckled half-heartedly.

Liu moved to sit beside Jeff. Seeing Liu walk over, Jeff shuffled back to sit in the middle of the bed. Something was off with him. As much of his life Liu had been nonverbal, he seemingly never shuts up nowadays. Jeff figured it had something to do with his brother's guilt complex, but today he just seemed off. Maybe it was the lighting, but Jeff swore he could see tears clouding the green in Liu's eyes.

"Liu," Jeff started gently, "what's wrong?"

He responded quickly, as if startled. "Nothing! Did I do something wrong? Shit I am so sorry-"

Jeff cut off the younger by dragging Liu to face him before he could finish apologising. "Dude, you can tell me, I promise. As long as you aren't admitting to having a secret boyfriend who's fucking you, it'll be okay."

Liu did not laugh at Jeff's joke.

Something was definitely wrong for that to happen.

Instead of saying anything Liu turned his head, reddish-brown curls obstructing his face from Jeff's view. He silently took off the hoodie he had been wearing, of which Jeff was certain was his but that was irrelevant, and let it fall to the ground. Apart from the arm that dropped the hoodie, Liu did not move an inch.

"Shit-" Jeff said breathlessly. "Is that-?"

Blood, some dried, most still wet, covered his freckled forearm. The black fleece of the hoodie must have been obscuring the amount of blood it had soaked up, because there was no way Liu had been bleeding that much and it had not soaked up some.

"I'm sorry," Liu uttered feebly, not even daring to move his bowed head. Shit, he was crying, it being obvious from the voice cracks that struck through the words.

"Hey, Liu look at me," Jeff gently moved his brother's head to face him. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Let's get your arm cleaned so you don't get an infection."

He did not force Liu to move immediately, hell he would wait as long as the other needed, but he did give a sense of urgency that came from caring. Careful to not inflict more pain to the open wounds, Jeff folded himself around Liu and hauled him up. Jeff tended to do stupid shit to lighten the mood, and today that had manifested as picking his brother up koala-style. Liu squeaked as he found himself in the air and awkwardly carried to the adjacent bathroom. This had been a lot easier before Liu had started catching up to Jeff height-wise.

"What are you doing?" Liu screeched. His tears had started to dry up by now.

"Moving your dumbass," Jeff replied, setting the wriggling pile of bones down.