1. Claude Phoebe(ManxMan)

•Chapter 6✓

She was fierce and fast. Her face was set in stone, her eyes piercing hazel and focused on the objective at hand. They screamed kill. Her movements were like a dance despite being on the battle field, she was beyond her years group, training with teens five years older than her and she never once lost, and if she did, she'd spend all night trying to get better to win the next battle against the very person who dared defeat her.

Kathryn had her thick Auburn hair in a bun, fists raised and sweat covering her skin as she went against one of the biggest  17 year olds. He was out of breath and she was just getting started. She ran for his crouched figure, stepping onto his knee and using her other knee to knock into his face. Blood gushed from his nose as she landed gracefully and thrust her arm out, cutting his oxygen and sending him onto his knees before kicking his large chest. The giant fell down onto his back and I clapped for my little sister who beamed, finally showing her tired body by leaning onto her knees.

"She's good."

"Very."

"Think she might even be better than you."

"I wanna disagree but I can't." I laughed looking to Ace who grabbed my wrist smiling.

"You figured out what you wanna do for your birthday??" I rolled my eyes then turning away from Kathryn and the group training and congratulating her.

"You know very well that I'd like to sleep that day. The whole day, seriously."

"You're turning 18."

"Thank you for reminding me that I'm not getting any younger."

Ace kicked my shin and I cursed raising my leg. "Dude."

A scream rang from behind us and I turned only to be tackled from the side.

"Claude! Dude! Listen!"

"No!" Another screamed and crashed into Travis and I. Travis had crashed into my side, wrapping his legs around my torso and Danielle, pouting, stared up at us grabbing onto Travis' shirt who laughed and held onto me tighter.

"Ugh!" I groaned then as Travis laughed in my face and Danielle whined pulling on him.

"I have tea to spill."

I grinned then and wrapped my arms around his waist. "oh dear brother, do tell." Ace huffed beside us and Danielle slid to the ground wailing.

"Shut up!" Someone yelled from the house, we all looked up to see a scowling teen peaking out his window. I laughed walking us into the house. Danielle stomped behind us while Travis told me juicy details about Danielle's apparent love life.

"You're so embarassing!" Danielle groaned banging her head into the kitchen table while Travis explained about some guy being cheesy at school and trying to win Danielle who is apparently secretly dating some girl in the grade above them and it was a mess.

I gushed over the whole thing, being surprised at all I was hearing and Travis having a blast embarassing Danielle.

"So, Dany." She raised her head glaring. "Who do you like?"

"Aah!" She ruffled her hair and jumped off the stool. "It's not true! Claude you have to believe me, he lies this one!" She pointed to Travis who snickered.

"No,I don't."

"You do!" Danielle stomped around then. "Nancy and I are friends, Josh only did that to be funny and- and, ugh! You suck!"

"How you try to justify your love life is adorable."

"This is cute and all-" they turned to me as I coughed and mastered up my big brother pants. "But dating is off limits until your all thirty eight."

"Eh!"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm serious. You're too young to know what a love life even is."

"Just cause you don't have one doesn't mean we gotta suffer." Travis shook his little finger and I growled. The boy glared then and showed me his teeth. "Eh, I will tell on you!"

"I dare you!"

"Uncle Theo!" My eyes widened and I grabbed him by his arm pits and picked him up, he laughed and within seconds he disappeared and appeared by the stairs, the boy wiggled his tongue and fingers at me and I growled.

"Your brother."

"I have no brother like him." Danielle deadpanned and I laughed at how serious she looked before she sighed and grabbed her bag along with his and went up stairs grumbling to herself about how stupid boys were.

"Y'all too cute."

"And I want us to have three just like them." Ace stared at me like a doe in headlights and I laughed punching his shoulder before leaving to my room for a well needed nap, gossiping with my brother took a lot after all.

I felt him before my rest completely left me. My eyes fluttered gently and I tried not to move much so as not to scare him. Xavier was looking at me, his unique violet eyes bright as the sun shone through from behind me. He tilted his head.

"Hi." I greeted him with a soft gentle smile.

"You look like him-" He started, his eyes traveling over my face. "...when you sleep."

I had no response to it so I chuckled lightly, short and stared back at him.

"I wanted to get you a present."

"Oh? That's exciting. You don't have to though."

He hummed and stood from his kneeling position beside my bed and I sat up.

"Is there anything in particular you'd like?" His question was adorable and so innocent. I reached out for him, grabbing hold of his cold hand, he scowled but didn't protest.

There wasn't anything I could ever want really because I had everything. I was grateful for the little I had, little in most people's eyes, too much in mine. My siblings were my world, my whole family and as long as each one of them were happy I couldn't want much. I only wanted to make them proud, to give them what they lost to the best of my abilities.

If I could ask for anything for myself... Nobody could give it to me. I looked him in the eye and smiled.

"Would you dance...for me?"

My brother was known as the loner, a boy lost in grief, covered in sadness, alone despite so many brothers and sisters. Not many got to see his face be anything other than neutral, I myself was blessed rarely with the change of his expression outside of a scowl or a glare.

The boys pale cheeks flushed and his throat shifted. For a moment a dusty like cloud of black surrounded him. He met my eye, his eyes bright.

"You sure think small." His voice was low, vulnerable and I grinned as he pulled his hand gently out of mine and cleared his throat. "Not sure why you'd want that-" he cleared his throat and stepped back. "But fine."

He was gone before I could say anymore, the door had barely opened before he evaporated into a cloud of black dust and I was left smiling. He was so cute.

A/N
{Written: 19 April 2021}