Thick as Blood

Chapter 5: Brotherly Love pt. 3

There should be silence in the house–quiet, peaceful. It's night, everyone is asleep, or everyone should be asleep that is.

Neither one of the two are. One willingly, one unwillingly.

Pakas wants to sleep as he lays in his bed staring up at the ceiling, but he can't! It's too loud and... loud! ...And other things!

"Hmpf!" Pakas huffs as he begins to sit up, a scowl spreading across his face. What's going on!? Why is it so loud!? He jumps out of bed and grumpily goes to find what it is.

He storms out of his room into the hall going closer to where that racket is coming from or in the general direction as he can't fully tell where it's at, just that it's down the hall.

"Pathcal!" He yells, "Why ith it so loud!" He's both confused and grumpy with it, mainly because he hasn't been able to sleep because of it, but that doesn't matter! What matters is finding out what is going on!

"Pathcal!" He yells again to see if it will get a response this time, "Pathcal?" There's a slight worry in his tone this time.

There's silence, a few shuffles, Pascal walks into the hall with a look of grievance on his face, and then a response, "What Pakas?" The response is almost annoyed.

"...Why ith it tho loud?" His tone quickly goes back to annoyed and angry.

"I'm working." He answers curtly, "Why are you still up?"

"I can't go to thleep!" He yells, "It'th too loud!" He glares up at his older brother, "Why ith it tho loud!"

"Work." Pascal answers his tone remaining the same, "How about you shut your door to dampen the noise?" His tone softens a tad with the suggestion.

"...Only if you read me a thtory," He retorts, attempting to bargain, "Pleathe?" He adds in the nicest way a sleep-deprived seven-year-old can manage.

Pascal sighs and shakes his head while rubbing his eyes in minor annoyance, "No, it's too late for that, go to sleep."

"But–"

"Go to sleep." He interrupts, his tone quickly going back to being curt.

Pakas glares at him for a couple of seconds before grumbling, "...Fine," He turns around to stomp to his room, clearly muttering to himself.

Pascal doesn't care to respond.

He grumbles all the way to his room but despite the minor animosity toward his brother, he does listen to his advice and shuts the door, not gently, but not slamming either.

It does help the sound though. It is quieter he realizes as he scrambles toward his bed, still being very grumpy and very sleepy as he crawls into it, quickly burying under the covers after.

It is better–quieter–but he's still angry that he didn't at least get a story for retribution of the lack of sleep!

Hmmpf! This isn't fair! He lept me up! I wanted a story and he didn't give one! It. Just! ISN'T! FAIR!!!

He grumbles some more as he stares up at the ceiling as he continues this angry, emotional rant, still very tired.

He's so mean! And not nice! And–and–and mean! YEAH!!!

Yeah!

Yeah...

And he's out cold, now fast asleep.

"Pakas, it's time to wake up," A voice says interrupting his sleep as he begins getting shaked from side to side.

"No!" He grumbles before quickly remembering what happened hours ago with his rage rekindling, "NOOOO!" This was louder than his usual screams of protest.