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Little Brother

A golden comb resided in his pocket as his body lay limp next to his brother's in the small makeshift shelter. The wind raged on but the cardboard castle protected its young inhabitants with a will of steel. The heirlooms precious to the boys' family lay in a sack lumped behind a dumpster for fear of thieves. Many times,the younger one had suggested selling the precious jewels and ornaments but the older one forbade it. Those heirlooms were the only survivors of the flame that had ravaged their home along with their current bearers.

So for months on end, the boys had lugged the sack with them, keeping the heirlooms close until one night. When the wind was a wild beast and when the thunder echoed a war drum. A small shadow slunked to where the precious sack lay and hauled it over his shoulder before taking off into the darkness. Like a beast,the shadows swallowed him whole and there he would remain for 19 years.

"Hey Indo! There's some random dude asking for you!" Del Pilar called from the front door, his manners gone with the wind. The visitor cringed inwardly at the nickname but kept his smile plastered on his face."Is it my delivery?" Indo came running with excitement lightng his eyes but stopped short when he caught sight of the young man beyond Del. The visitor's gaze swept over Indo as though studying his physique before finally daring to meet his eyes. Emeralds met Topazes as each man held the other's gaze for a heartbeat longer.

Del Pilar wisely backed away into the kitchen so as to give the pair some much needed privacy. "T-Timor? You're alive?" Indo choked out, silver lining his eyes. It just wasn't possible. Timor was dead! He buried a body and everything! "H-hi Abang Indo," Timor Leste whispered as tears streaked his cheeks.

Leading his little brother to the balcony of his bedroom, Indonesia studied his younger brother in the sun's warm embrace. The last time he had seen his brother was when he was 4 years old and the 19 years apart felt like a century long. Yes, Indo had found a new family but like Phil once confided in him, the blood in our veins yearns for our own kin.

For our blood relatives. "How've you been Abang?" Timor broke the silence, his tone still carrying that disbelief of reuniting with his older brother. Swallowing, Indo forced his act together as he took his brother's hand. "You have no idea how much we need to catch up on do you?" he breathed,hating the way his voice caught as he spoke. Chuckling, a small smile played on Timor's lips as he let his older brother pull him inside to meet the rest of ASEAN. "Trust me,you are going to love them! These guys are the best ever!"

After a bunch of hugs,a couple of compliments and more than necessary claps on the back, Timor had officialy met all of the ASEAN members including the man himself. After the brief yet fun filled introduction, Indo had whisked him away to a popular shopping district while pointing out all his favoirite places and which restaurant had the best food. All the while, Timor still couldn't shake off the disbelief and found himself wishing that Fate hadn't separated them like it did.

Instead of galivanting with some randos,he could've been spending a lifetime with his brother. "Hey, Timor? You okay there?" Indonesia looked at his brother's sorrow filled eyes and took his hands in his. "Hey, I know the past hurts but we're in the present now. Without the past, we wouldn't even be here," Timor nodded his understanding but Fate had more in store for the pair. Much,much more.

"Okay so this jewelry store has a bunch of shiny stuff and the owner lets Phil, Mal and I help out every once in a while. He even lets us know when new stuff arrives! Right Indie?" Indonesia turned to the stunned India. "Uh yeah...but-" Indonesia cut him off as he exclaimed over the beauty that was a pearl embedded band seated on a velvet cushion.

Sighing, India shook Timor's hand and motioned for Indo to approach the counter. "We actually have a new shipment Indo! It came in two weeks ago! I wanted to tell you earlier but it was a huge load!" India brought up a number of small glass cases with each one draining the colour from Indo's face until he was as pale as a sheet. Timor averted his eyes from the ornaments as though their presense unsettled even him. "I-India? Why do you have my family's heirlooms?"

"Family heirlooms? Indo what are you talking about? The guy who sold me these said that they had belonged to his ex-girlfriend,"India's brow furrowed at the fear that was overtaking Indo. "N-no...I thought I lost them when I lost my brother but..." hating the dread that settled in his gut, Indonesia thanked his friend and led Timor out of the store. All the while, Timor watched his brother's every move. The way his shoulders shook and the way his breathing had become more laboured.

"Abang Indo?" reaching out for his brother, Timor tried to calm him but he had barely blinked when Indonesia's grip found it's way to his wrist,stopping him from touching him. "We need to go Timor. We need to talk," not much louder that a murmur yet Timor heard his brother loud and clear. As the pair climbed into their cab, dread settled into both of them. As the brothers made the agonizing trip back to the mansion, Fate smiled.

"Indo? Please say something, you're scaring m-!"Timor barely had the word out of his mouth when Indo had him pinned against the wall, his face practically slamming into the bricks. Tears were now streaming down Indo's cheeks and his eyes burned with a hate so strong that Timor found himself unable to look away no matter how much he wanted to.

"TRAITOR!" the roar of pain and sorrow was enough to bring the rest of ASEAN out of the house and to the front yard where Indo had released Timor from his hold. A red handprint marred Timor's cheek and Indo's clenched fist told the rest of the story. "Indo, calm down! What happened?" Mal and Phil both rushed to Indo and tried to hold him back while Thai planted himself in front of Timor. A cold smile played on Indo's lips, his eyes full of unforgiving hate. "Go on then, tell them exactly what happened Little Brother," Indonesia cooed, hate and anger personified.

That night, Timor found himself at Portugal's doorstep. After Indonesia forced the truth out of him, Asean had told him to stay away until Indo had calmed down. Until he forgives you was what he didn't have to say. "You were right, our past really does define us. He might never want to see me," Timor greeted Portugal the moment the door was open.

Smiling softly, Portugal held the door open as Timor led himself to the room he had been staying in for the past 19 years. He knew now that selling off the heirlooms was wrong but what happened was irreversible. Rubbing the still tender mark on his cheek, Timor knew that there would be no happy ending. At least not for him and his brother. But maybe there was a happy ending out there for Indonesia and his new family. ASEAN...