In The Sight of These Hills (Dolan Twins)

Gray Matter Memory House

Chapter 34: Gray Matter Memory House

A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated in a little over two weeks. I'm usually pretty consistent but I finally got finished with all of my finals. I'm spending vacation with the fam. since the semester is over and I'm trying to get shopping done for Christmas (shopping sucks, it really does). Thank you all for the votes and the kind comments. It means a lot. :)

"Unsettled hearts
Promise what they can't deliver
Bring me the wine
And the cold night air to clear my head
Gray matter memory house
Master of this trembling flesh
Steady still my doubts
Let me speak the word that precedes bliss
Let me speak the word
Let me speak the word"

-Tracy Chapman's "Speak the Word"

"Grayson."

He felt his phone in the darkness. His twin was nuzzling against his shoulder slowly, sluggishly, sleepily, and he was trying to get him to pay attention. He reached out to touch Gray's side, bandaged hand spread out on his rising and falling rib cage, and he seemed to like that. He felt each one through his filthy shirt. He had his other hand securely in his coat pocket trying to ignore the pain, and he knew that the cut on his finger had already clotted, the blood drying. Gray tried to move even closer which was impossible since they were already pressed up against each other.

"Hey, stop that."

He removed his hand from his warm side and turned the flash light on. The whole small space glowed in the sharp white light. He moved the device up and shined it to his brother's face, looking at him. Gray blinked, a low growl rumbling through his chest, and squinted his yellow eyes.

"Gray-"

A hand came out quick to hit the plastic bringing it to the dirt floor with a small crack. The light went out as it hit the surface.

Ethan opened his mouth and closed it again. He thought his phone had taken enough of a beating already, but he guessed not. He reached for it and tried to turn it on again.

Nothing happened.

"That's great. This is really just what I wanted," Ethan said and felt as Grayson purred in content, nuzzling against him again.

"We are going home," he whispered and tried to pull up, one hand grabbing his forearm, raising up his stiff body from the dirt. Grayson was grabbing him and bringing him back down again in a second.

"Gray," he said, his cheeks warming in the dark, "we need to go home. It's going to be morning soon. Dad's going to wake up and find that I'm not there. He's going to lose his shit."

He could feel Gray grabbing his back, clawed hands rubbing lightly at the skin there through the coat's thick material.

"I don't want a back rub," he mumbled and placed his hand on his shoulder and shoved him hard.

He released him and made a little noise in his throat.

Ethan moved up-

Gray was wrapping his arms around him and throwing his leg over him, bringing him down again.

"Grayson," he mumbled against his shoulder, "we are leaving. I'm not going to stay here, okay? It's too damn cold."

Grayson was making little happy growly noises, not comprehending anything he was saying in the blackness of the small space.

Ethan let out a huff and shoved him again, and he rolled slightly but Ethan could feel him grabbing again, hands on his arms.

"No!" He yelled out, hand stilling on his shoulder, "You're missing! I am not saying here, and neither are you. We are fucking leaving!"