Drake's Quest

Realizations

"How-How is this here?!" Drake demanded, turning back to his brother. Caine was smirking. "Well, this is my Dreamworld." He pointed out dryly. Drake stared at him, baffled. He wandered into the kitchen, then the computer room. The infirmary, then back to the living area. Everything looked exactly the same.

Drake half expected Grayson to come walking through the door, taking off his black helmet and exclaiming about how cold it was out there. A pain erupted in Drake's chest, which had nothing to do with his possessed state. He missed Grayson so much. He was the only family Drake had left.

"Well, except me." Caine leaned against the wall, cocking his head and striking a goofy pose. Drake smiled slightly, touched that Caine was trying to cheer him up. "You know." Caine said, standing normally once again. "Grayson isn't that bad, for a human." Drake stared at him, startled. Caine winked at Drake. "I'll let you in on a little secret."

He grinned. "I let Grayson go. Willingly. It wasn't an oversight or anything. He'd proven himself to be different than most other humans, so I let him live his life." Caine waved his hand dismissively. Drake was stunned. He'd never really thought about it, but Grayson had gotten married, had a son, and became a strong political figure and millionaire without Caine interfering. Not once. Caine grinned at Drake. "See? I'm not completely heartless." He laughed. "Get it? Because I don't have-" Drake frowned. "Yeah, I get it." He interrupted.

Caine smiled, apparently really proud of his little joke. Drake wandered over to the bedrooms. There were still names above the doors- Grayson, Luke, Collin. Oddly, even Drake and Armen's names were up there, above the door with the bunk beds. Caine walked up behind Drake. "Go ahead." Drake glanced at him, startled. He grinned back. Drake looked at Grayson's door, then hesitantly opened it.

It felt wrong, like he was trespassing on Grayson's life. Though Grayson hadn't used this room in years. Drake stepped inside the room, closing the door behind him. Caine didn't follow, which Drake was grateful for. His feelings were confused enough, even without Caine hovering over him. He didn't want Caine hovering over him while he looked around his friends old room.

It was a nice room, small but cozy. A bed was pushed against one wall, with a few pictures tacked to the wall. A dresser sat in one corner, with Grayson's old helmet sitting on top it. Drake picked it up and fiddled with it, lost in his memories. Beside the helmet, there was a pistol, and Drake remembered how Grayson had pointed it at him when they met.

Well, he'd pointed it at Armen first, but Drake stepped in front of him. Protecting him. Back then, he'd never thought he'd end up caring so much about the blonde man. Certainly never thought he'd end up protecting him with just as much ferocity as he had Armen.

Drake stuck the gun on his belt, under his shirt, the same way he'd seen Grayson wear it. The cold metal pressed against his skin, the weight of it, felt so unfamiliar to him. Drake had never shot a gun, wasn't even sure how to load it. But he'd like to have it anyway, it reminded him of Grayson.

Drake crossed the room to the small wall of pictures. He knelt in front of them. The first was of a younger Grayson, standing beside a man with bright purple hair. They were caught mid-laugh, and the purple-haired man's eyes were open, revealing one blue eye, and one green. They were sitting in the living area. Drake smiled at it slightly. He touched the purple-haired man lightly with the tip of his finger. Is this Luke?

Drake wondered, remembering the empty room labeled "Luke." The next picture was one of just Luke, grinning and holding a penguin hat under his arm. The caption "thanks Grayson!" Was written on the picture. Drake grinned at it, then turned his attention to the next one.

It was Grayson and Luke again, but this time there was a man standing between them, grinning with one arm around each of them. Drake froze, then moved closer to the picture. Collin. Drake and Caine's creator stood arm in arm with Grayson and Luke, grinning happily. His eyes were identical to Armen's, a bright blue-green. He wore the same thing Drake and Caine do, a light blue T-shirt and blue jeans. He had a small scar on his upper lip. Drake took the picture off the wall.