Beyond Bloodline - Unbreakable Bonds

eleven

"Uncle," Nigel couldn't help the slight, easy smile that spread across his features at the sight of the man who pulled open the door for them. "Is Alfie home?"

"Nigel. Aries." Paul Shaffer was a seasoned, now retired chef who had turned to investing in real estate. He groomed himself rather well so looked over a decade younger than he actually was. If there was one thing he cherished over his own life, it was the relationship he shared with his best friend's dad and his wife, Winona.

They had more love they knew what to do with and were more than willing to dole it out to he and Aries who could never seem to get into the good graces of their own parents. They'd even come to recognize them as their own parents, just without the blood. "He is. Come on in," he promptly beckoned on them, his face softening as he broke into a warm smile that eased up the slightest bit on seeing the poor state a beat up Aries was in. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Nigel answered for. "Just a little tussle." Having understood his intentions on a certain wavelength, he ignored the grateful glance his friend sent over, not even willing to be bothered with him. He knew the latter was more willing to let Paul misinterpret and believe they'd had a spat about something than let the man worry about him.

"’right, then," Paul darted an exasperated glance between the two but helplessly decided to give it up since they'd sorted it out between themselves. "Alfie's in his room. You all can head down for dinner in half an hour."

"Thanks, uncle," Nigel quickly led away Aries who had been forcing himself to stand upright to prevent Paul from picking up on anything and had already broken up in cold sweat as a result. He grimaced when Aries let him bear his full weight as soon as he was gone, greeting Alfie's quiet elder brother on his way to the latter's room.

"What happened?" Alfie asked as soon as they entered and Nigel shut the door behind him, shuffling a bit on the carpeted floor but ultimately not getting up from his extremely comfortable position.

Nigel relinquished his support as soon as he was sure Aries could at least be fine stumbling around before going to collapse in Alfie's desk chair. "Ask your friend," was all he said as he closed his eyes, not wanting to even be the one to broach the subject in the first place, knowing he'd just give way to his irritation.

In fact, Alfie didn't even need to ask. They'd all known each other long enough to know there was only one person capable enough to beat Aries  up badly while he remained highly passive.

"Oh," Alfie returned to what he was doing prior to their arrival, idly bouncing the beach ball in his grasp against the wall right in front of him. "Was he drunk?"

"Yeah," Nigel peeled his gaze open at Aries' quiet tone, not responding to the comment as he watched him take out a change of clothes from the closet.

There was a moment of silence as Alfie turned a strange look on his bruised friend, missing the trajectory of the ball and getting hit in the side of his face. "I was being sarcastic," he rubbed his nose, pushing it this way and that before finally turning to Nigel once he ascertained the appendage wasn't broken, resolve to put Aries' matter behind him. "Want to play a couple rounds of Death Row?"

"Sure," Nigel dragged the swivel chair closer to the bed, stretching his legs out on it and accepting the console as Alfie turned to set up the videogame.

Aries glanced between his two friends whose attention had been arrested by the game before turning to head into the bathroom. He knew it was the one thing they could never agree on but he couldn't help it. So, they just brushed over it as always. Like he wanted. He took a quick, warm shower because of his wound and dressed in a pair of loose shorts.