Bound by Blood; Chosen by Fate

Chapter Seven

*🐬*

"But it wasn't my fault," he whined for the fifth time, heels banging into the cabinet doors as he avoided Jonathan's attempts to clean his scratched face. I was sitting at the table, watching the other two. 

Almost absent-mindedly, I turned my phone in my hand, checking the screen. Still nothing from Josuke. 

He'd texted us a while ago, saying that he had to stay behind to tutor. Jonathan had been practically vibrating with excitement (he was so proud of his 'lwittle brother'). It was reaching four, still plenty of time for him to be tutoring, but something about it made me uneasy. 

Jonathan's irritated sigh brought my attention back to them. Joseph was sitting on the counter, bloodstained jacket discarded next to him. 

"I'll send a note to the school to apologize," he said. Joseph paused, biting his lip. Jonathan took this as an opportunity to catch his face, quickly wiping away the blood on his cheek. 

Joseph let out an unearthly yelp, wrenching his face back as the alcohol stung his cut.

"Josuke's out tutoring, Jotaro's doing homework.... and you got into a fight," Jonathan droned, pinching Joseph's thigh. 

It was almost funny to watch them, Joseph sitting on the counter like a child- though, standing at six foot five, his head nearly brushed the ceiling. His build was nothing short of ripped either, making me worry for the sake of the counter. Jonathan was standing in front of him, maybe an inch taller, muscles much more prominent. 

"It wasn't my fault!" Joseph repeated as Jonathan stepped back. He'd washed the deep cuts on his arms, bandaged them for the moment to stop the bleeding. Jonathan gave Joseph a hard glare, and he shut up. "Besides, no one else saw us!"

Jonathan paused, glancing at him. 

"Ask Josuke!"

A soft breath. Then,

"Go work. I'll talk to you when he gets home."

Joseph frowned, though slipped off the counter. He glanced at me as he passed, though seemed too troubled to bother me, lower lip pushed out in a childish pout.

I sighed, tugging down my hat as I glanced at my phone. A new text message appeared against the geometric background. 

CrazyD: Tutoring got cut short. I'll be home in a few.

I turned it face down, feeling a little more calm. I hated how protective I was, sometimes. How the need to see all three of my brothers, safe and healthy drilled at the back of my head, growing louder and louder until it became an attack. 

I rubbed at my face, glancing up as Jonathan sat down across from me. 

He let his head fall down, forehead smacking into the wooden table. 

"Sometimes I wonder if he'll ever grow up," he moaned. I leaned back.

"He won't."

Jonathan rose his head, giving me a quiet smile. His fingers pushed through his hair, silence settling around us as he lost himself in thought, and I turned my attention back to my phone.