(O.D.D.- This chapter was beta-read by OfCloves-san! Thank you so much! Please enjoy. (๑>◡<๑))
A short, platinum-blonde-haired child made his way through the long halls of his mansion. His light-blue eyes blinked at a light coming from an ajar paper door. His small feet tiptoed as lightly as possible on the wooden floorboards as he got closer to the door.
Once he was finally by the door, the child stopped and sat down, hugging his knees to his chest as he recognized the sound of a keyboard clacking softly and a pencil scribbling.
He was slowly getting lulled by the sound until...
"You should not be up this late, Alaude."
The child jumped at his name, hugging his knees closer. The noises stopped--although there was a rustle of clothing and light footsteps. The door was slid open further, and a teen with spiky, raven hair peered down at the child with calm, silver-blue eyes. The ravenet kneeled down in front of Alaude, studying the younger's face.
"...A nightmare, Alaude?"
Alaude's face twisted into a slight frown.
"Only herbivores get nightmares."
The ravenet let amusement flicker across his face as he reached out and took Alaude into his arms, lifting him up from the ground as he stood.
"Alright. A disturbing dream then?" Alaude nods. "I see. You can stay in my room for now."
The ravenet enters his room and sets Alaude down on a futon bed, fluffing the pillows up slightly and setting the child's head on it. The teen then drew up the covers so they rested below Alaude's chin. The teen ruffled Alaude's hair before walking to a low desk, sitting down before it as he picked up a sheet of paper, scrutinizing it under the dim lighting of the lamp on the corner of his desk.
Alaude watched the ravenet's back for a moment.
"....Nii-sama?"
The ravenet, his older brother, looked over his shoulder at the child.
"Yes?"
"What are you doing up?"
The teen gazed at Alaude before looking back at the paper in his hand. The child noted that it looked like a newspaper page--it seemed to be about a car crash.
"I'm....investigating something."
"But you're only a teen, Nii-sama."
"Age has nothing to do with what I wish to do, Alaude."
"Okay."
Alaude watched as his brother went back to his computer, back facing him once more.
"....Is it about Sasagawa-san?"
He saw the other's shoulders tense. The teen's voice grew terse.
"Yes. Please go to sleep."
Alaude watched him go back to work before speaking once more.
"You disappeared, Nii-sama." The ravenet paused and looked back at Alaude with curious eyes. "My disturbing dream was about you going to somewhere far away."
The teen frowns, setting the paper down before getting up from the tatami mat.
"Alaude....don't shed tears over something so foolish."
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Scarlet Zinnias
Fanfiction"Harmony makes small things grow; a lack of it makes them decay." - Sallust
