Small's Story Collection

【One Shot】 Don't Sleep, Little Brother

Muddy soil met black leather shoes, as a man dressed in a red formal suit carried a small and fragile body of an unconscious boy on his back through a harsh thunderstorm.

Both figures were drenched to their core, the older man shivering at the cold temperature invading his body.

Evan gasped tiredly at every step he takes inside a place he wasn't familiar with, mainly a forest, with no hints of stopping his tracks to keep the boy and himself safe from whatever they faced earlier. Evan swallowed his spit, to distract himself from the numbness increasing on the soles of his feet.

It hurts, but he has to keep going.

"Big... Brother...?"

Evan briefly stopped, he was taken by surprise by a small voice, hoarse from screaming. Evan's heart wrenches as his mind reminded him of his brother getting—

"Leaf? You're awake?"

Evan says happily, his voice cracking as he held back from crying. Evan continued to walk, sounds of cracking twigs and the harsh rain muffled Evan's whimpers from how numb his legs have gotten.

"Mhm...! I'm so glad we got out of there, big brother!" Leaf says in his cheery yet raspy voice, now nuzzling his face on his older brother's back, wanting to shield his face from the rain.

"I'm glad too! Tell you what, we'll play all your favourite games at home! We'll even play outside all day and cook your favourite food if you want!" Evan says in his happy performer voice, imbuing hope inside the emerald-eyed boy.

"Really!?" Leaf says excitedly as he stared at the back of his brother's head in awe.

"Yeah! Really!" 

A moment of silence as the smaller boy clutched Evan tighter, not wanting to fall off of him as the rain continuously poured all around them.

"Big Brother," Leaf called out to his caring big brother carrying him back home. "My neck's been hurting..."

Evan almost slipped when he placed his foot on a rock to traverse the wilderness, earning a surprised squeak from him. He should focus more.

"My thighs hurt too..."

Evan doesn't want to remember the state his brother was in. His wrists and ankles all chained up to a bloodstained bed—

"My insides hurt."

—his neck being tightly held by two scarred hands while the sounds of skin hitting skin echoed throughout the dungeon. He can remember the pleads of mercy uttered by a cracked voice of a small boy.

It's better if he didn't send him off to play earlier that morning.

"Don't worry, Leaf! Big brother Evan will make you feel better once we're back home! You won't even feel a thing!" Evan regrets saying that.

"Yay! Will we get there once I wake up?" 

"Ahahaha!" Evan laughed out loud, not minding the small drops of rain falling into his mouth.

"Hmmm, maybe? But first! Let's play a game!" Evan says happily as he kept on walking, not minding the pain he has to endure for Leaf.

"Ooh! I wanna play!" Leaf says happily, ignoring the pain he feels all over his body. Evan could sense it.

"Okay! The rules of the game are to not sleep until we're home!" Evan says telling his little brother the rules as Leaf eagerly listened to everything he said.

"You win if you don't fall asleep before we get home! You lose if you sleep! Are you up for the challenge?" Evan says challenging Leaf, who was now filled to the brim with determination.

"Of course I am! Watch me nail this challenge!" Leaf whined as he playfully hit his older brother on the back of his neck, earning a small yet pained chuckle out of Evan.

"Ahahaha! Alright!" Evan's laugh subsided afterwards.

Evan heard small ragged breaths behind him as he did his best to get back home immediately. He heard his breathing get quieter.

"Are you sleepy, Leaf?" Evan asks smiling, now speeding up a little faster to keep the boy awake.

"No!" Leaf says determined to win the game, trying to keep his eyes pried open.

And quieter.

"You better not be sleeping!" Evan teased, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm not...!" Leaf pouted at the question made by him.

And quieter.

"You know, Leaf…" Evan says as he continued to walk.

"Do you know how much big brother loves you, right…?" Evan asks smiling, his lips quivering as he expected another reply from his brother.

Evan hoped in his heart that the boy was only asleep.

"..."

"... Leaf...?"

Nothing.

"Ah…"

"... Ahaha…!"

"Ahahaha! It looks like I win this time, Leaf!" Evan says, his tears getting camouflaged by the thunderous rainstorm brutally pouring down. A metallic smell reached his nostrils briefly.

It's just him now.

…

…

…

Evan woke up with a start, his tear-stained eyes darted around the darkened room he was in. Unfurling his crossed arms and feeling the smooth and warm mattress beneath him, his hands soon met with another person's skin.

Clear, undamaged, no longer covered head to toe with red marks around one sleeping boy.

"Thank God..."

He sighed in relief, seeing the body of his small little brother Leaf heavily asleep, hogging all of the blankets that were placed on his form, making a sight he's glad he could see again.

That dreaded dream, he wishes it doesn't happen at all.

Evan pet his brother's head lightly, earning a disgruntled groan from the boy and turning their body away from Evan.

He laughed quietly at the action, now placing a quick affectionate kiss on his little brother's cheek, smelling the all too familiar scent of tree nuts emanating from his form due to the boy's hobby of collecting them.

"Love you."

Evan stood up from the bed, dusting off whatever clung to his clothing, and exited his little brother's room as quietly as he could.

With a soft click of the door signalling that Evan had left, a small smile crept up Leaf's sleepy face.