Beyond Bloodline - Unbreakable Bonds

twenty five

Nigel went straight to his bathroom as soon as his door was shut behind him but didn't take as long as he had last night, just taking a quick shower and getting out. He paused at the sight of his twin picking around his bed before walking on to pick a grey sweatshirt and pair of shorts he could shrug on.

"What's the matter?" he broke the silence first when the other just kept staring at him for a full minute.

"I brought you breakfast," Saxon said in the end, tearing his gaze away so he could dispose of the wrappers. In the end, only they knew each other better than themselves and Saxon was sure he wouldn't have bothered coming down with the short episode that had just taken place earlier.

Nigel took a short glance at the tray on his table but couldn't muster an appetite despite how nice and fresh it looked. His stomach was empty, definitely, but he didn't trust himself to be able to hold anything down so just didn't want to bother trying.

"I'm not very hungry," he confessed, flopping facedown on his bed and feeling tension he'd hardly even noticed fleeing his body as his eyes slipped a fraction.

Saxon took a short glance at the colorful wrappers that were populating the bin but decided not to speak the words on the tip of his tongue. "I'm sorry about mom," he murmured, finding his way back to the side of his bed.

"I don't care about her," his retort was instant and he flushed in the next second, annoyed. "Get out."

"Alright, alright, you don't," Saxon folded, not daring to touch the topic again. "Eat the food."

Nigel took another glance before sighing and burying his nose in his pillows. "I'm still full from yesterday," he attempted, words muffled enough in the pillows that Saxon had to ask him what he was muttering about. He turned so he was lying on his side and repeated himself.

"I heard you last night," he said, then paused, trying to choose his words carefully as he pulled the chair from his twin's study table over to the bedside. "Throwing up, I mean. What happened?"

Nigel's gaze was dark as his lips thinned considerably. "Nothing," he said, tone taut. "Just couldn't sleep."

"Nightmare?"

Nigel didn't respond, bringing his blanket properly around him. He'd had less than four hours of sleep yesterday and felt his eyelids weighing heavily.

It wasn't like Saxon needed the response, the answers written all over his twin's pallid expression. He also knew only one thing that would cause him insomnia so didn't try pushing it again.

"Just a bite," he pressed. "Then you can go back to sleep."

Nigel parted his gaze, eyes glittering as he took a glance at the tray again. "Then you'll leave me alone?" he asked, just to make sure.

"Sure," Saxon shrugged, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his hoodie so he could let his fingers stab into his palms as much as he wanted. He had to drop by his college and was only still here because he was worried about the stomach of this ingrate.

He stretched, reaching for the spoon and scooping up a considerable amount of the rice and gravy sauce he quickly ate up before letting the spoon clatter to the tray and laying back down.

"Nic, no."

"You said I just had to take a bite," Nigel frowned.

"Don't twist my words around, Nigel," Saxon sighed, exasperated.

"That's literally what you said."

"You know that's not what I meant," he said.

Nigel rolled his eyes, unbothered. "Say what you mean next time then," he said. When his twin just kept looking down at him, gaze hard, he managed, "I can't."