Sibling Rivalry

Bully

Alex ran his fingers throw his hair in stress, his teeth still grinding. 

"Mason I don't understand, you've gotta give me something here. He's not in your grade, hell he's not even in the same god damn building as you are," Alex growls, slamming the expulsion papers down on the table in front of his oldest son. "You at the very least have to tell me what the hell you were thinking!"

Mason looks at the papers, he was overly calm for having just been expelled. His hand was wrapped in bandages, his knuckles still pulsing. He wore a grey t shirt, and red joggers. 

Rustin watched silently from the other end of the kitchen, where he had been both listening and doing his homework (unlike him entirely), dressed black jeans, and a dark blue hoodie, his hair mostly hidden under a green beanie. He had managed to slip out of school and return home with his father and brother when the whole thing took place. 

"Daddy look," Bri chimed, holding up her bright blue slim happily. 

Alex rubbed his face. He truly was at a loss for words. It was so unlike Mason.. he had never gotten in trouble like this. Ditched school once or twice, sure. But this?

"Brianna go and put the slime away please." Alex spoke firmly. 

Reluctantly, she nods, scurrying off. She was wearing pink ruffled shorts, and a white collared shirt with a bunny face on it. Knowing better than to argue when her father looked so serious.

"I have to pick Liam up." Alex growls. "When I get back, I want an explanation. I'm not fucking kidding Mason." 

With that, their father storms out, slamming the front door hard in anger. 

Rustin watched the door slam, keeping his eyes there for a moment before looking to his older brother. Not seeing the brother who was always shoving him around, and calling him names. He caught himself looking at his brother in a way that he had not done in years. The feeling was serine, almost nostalgic for him. 

Mason, who was for the most part unscathed, glanced up at his younger brother. Seeing him differently as well. 

"You should have told me." 

Rustin looks back at his laptop, for some reason feeling a bit ashamed. But he nodded. 

Mason felt that Rustin looked so different to him in this moment. He was such.. a little brother.. awkward in his own way. Annoying, a brat, and.. vulnerable. Whether or not he was willing to admit it.

"Thanks.."

"Shut up." Mason snapped, rubbing at his knuckles. "I mean it. You should have told me. I would have pathed the fucking concrete with his face." Mason growls, letting his eyes drift pack to the papers that had sent his father into a fit.

Rustin couldn't help but see Mason.. in this moment.. in the same light he had when he had been Liam's age.. Mason seeming to have this lion like quality.. something he admired about his brother. Something that he had always looked up to.

The two brothers had been too busy fighting lately to really see one another as they truly were, brothers. 

"Let's go." Mason sighs, standing and calling to Bri. "Bri get your shoes!"

Rustin blinks. 

"What? Your kidding. Dad's gonna murder you if you're not here."

Mason nods, glancing to his younger brother. 

"Yeah, I know. C'mon, were gonna go to our spot." 

Rustin stares, but doesn't argue. Wordlessly, the two brother's get their shoes, and lead their little sister out of the house.