WARNING: Some sexual themes and bad language.

Stupid title is stupid 8D I finally got back to this story wtfffffff anyway.

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“So it was good, then?”

“As good as I could've hoped, I guess.”

“Well... Glad you had fun...”

The two brothers sat together on the couch with the TV quietly buzzing on about some new product in Russian. Skelter was sitting back, somewhat paying attention to the TV before turning his attention back to his brother. The older one sat forward, holding his sides and shaking. He was clearly in pain. Skelter had caught him red-handed again, completely passed out on the floor with a freshly used needle right next to him. The younger one was starting to become concerned again.

“I told you to take care of yourself, Yurick.”

Yurick grunted irritably, hugging himself tighter. “Easier said than done...”

“Look, don't worry. I'm back now, I won't leave again for a long time. I'll get you through it.”

“Thanks...”

Another pause passed, then Skelter looked at the clock. He sighed, “I have to go to Mum's... Will you be okay?”

“As okay as I'll ever be.” Yurick didn't move his gaze, still staring forward, trying not to focus on his churning insides. “Go on, Mum needs you.”

“Alright... I'll be back later tonight.” Skelter sighed, thinking of how lucky he was to not be attacked first thing once he came here. But seeing his brother on the floor in the middle of a high wasn't much better. “I won't be long.”

Yurick grunted again as Skelter stood. Soon the younger one was out the door and he was all alone. Yurick slumped down across the couch, his shaking becoming more violent. He needed something. He wasn't sure what, and he didn't want to move. He hated coming down, it always made him feel like the lowest garbage on the face of the planet. His life was plagued by it. His mind always told him to stop but he just went back for more. Yurick sighed. This wasn't what life should be like.

***

Skelter, once inside his mother's house, set his things down and pulled a phone from his pants pocket. He had only been in Russia for a few hours, and it was taken up by driving and checking on Yurick. He needed to make this call while he still remembered it. He found the number and pressed “call.” There were a few rings, maybe six, before the voicemail came up.

“Hi, this is Sprite, leave a message.”

Skelter looked down in a bit of rejection, then waited for the quiet beep. “Hey... It's me. Uh, I just got back to St.Petersburg, so... Just letting you know that I made it safely... Um... I'll call you later, I guess, okay?...” He paused. “... Love you...” He closed the phone.

Skelter trailed slowly into his mother's room, sitting down on a chair next to her bed and taking her hand. She was asleep. “Mum?...”

She stirred a bit, then opened her deep blue eyes, turning her head peacefully over to her son. “Skyelter, you're beck... How vas your trip?”

“It was good...” Skelter was honestly tired of being asked that question.

“Ded you see who you vanted to see?”

He paused again, flashing a weak smirk. “Yeah... I did... She uh... sends her love, I guess.” His mother smiled, taking in a long breath and yawning. He let a more concerned look come to his face, his voice never growing louder than barely above a whisper. “How are you doing, Mum?...”

“Not good, Skyelter... Not good...”

The gray haired one frowned, looking downward. “You only have a month left, don't you...”

“At the most...”

“I'm sorry... Mum... I wish...” He closed his eyes for a moment, leaning over to hug her, “I wish you didn't have to suffer so much...”

“My boy...” She patted his broad shoulders, “It's not thet bad...” She kept silent as she felt his back twitch and heard his quiet chokes. She shushed him, still keeping quiet until a few minutes had passed and he had sat back down, wiping his eyes dry. She gave a light cough and leaned against the bed again.

“Is there anything I can do now that I'm back?”

“Oh please, don't... Everything has been fine. Et's not like I do anything around here...”

Skelter nodded, looking down again to calm himself a little more. The question finally crossed his mind. “Did Yurick ever come?”

His mother smiled for a moment, then nodded. “Yes... He syed you gave a conwincing argument...”

He furrowed his pierced brow, trying to remember what exactly he said the week before but not coming up with anything important. But he didn't bring it up. “I'm glad he finally got it through his head.”

“How long cen you stay?”

Skelter raised his head at the sudden question. “Why?”

She stayed silent for several moments, a look of concern slowly creeping onto her face. “Yurick... He looked wery poor...”

The younger one trailed his eyes down to the floor again slowly, “I know...”

“Has he stell been like this?... This whole time?...”

Skelter nodded solemnly.

“Are you...”

“Yes... I'm trying to...”

She let out a breath, nodding, “Good for you, Skyelter... I'm glad you turned out so responsible...”

“Mum...”

“Don't 'Mum' me.” She looked at him, her blue eyes firm yet sincere. “I mean et.You really do have a big heart.”

For all the wrong I've done to you, he thought, I would never say that about myself. “You really think I have a big heart. Even to that kid.”

“Enough about the boy, Skyelter, et's en the past. Long time avay. Vat's done es done.” She took his large hand again, “Et vas a mistake, but you vere sorry, veren't you? Even big hearts can stumble.”

Skelter gripped her hand tighter, swallowing another lump in his throat. “Mum... If I... had a bad secret to tell you... Would you want to hear it...”

She looked at him, feeling her blood run a bit cold. “Why?...”

“It's... about Yurick...”

She paused, staring at him worriedly through a long silence, concerned about the look on his face. She sighed, “No, Skyelter... I don't need anything like thet right before I die...”

“Are you sure?... I'd feel terrible keeping the truth from you...”

“Vatever it is, I don't care. As long as et doesn't keep you from being heppy. Vatever Yurick is doing, I'm sure you cen help him out of et.”

Skelter bit his lower lip in some frustration, knowing there was basically nothing he could do. If he did leave Yurick, he would have to break his heart. And he knew how unstable his brother was. He would probably kill himself. No, he was trying to keep Yurick alive. There was no way to stop their relationship. His mother knew nothing about it, so he didn't take her words as important. He only nodded in false agreement.

He did end up cleaning the house a little, though there wasn't much left to do. His mother couldn't walk about like she used to. It didn't take the entire day. He spent the rest of it talking with her and taking care of her until he had to go back to Yurick's. It was hard to part from her again, but eventually, he did find himself stepping out of the car just outside Yurick's house. It was almost as if the drive didn't take as long. He stepped into the house, calling for his brother. He came up from downstairs.

***

“Y-Yurick...”

“Shh...”

Why the hell does this keep happening, Skelter thought. He was pressed up against the wall again, Yurick pinning him there. Nothing had happened yet, but he knew something was about to. Whatever it was, it depended on how sober his brother was. He was too afraid, Yurick's breath reeked of alcohol.

“You've been drinking...”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Dammit, Yurick, I told you to kick your habit, not take up another.”

“This is my habit, Skelter.” He drew closer for a kiss. “I have just one big schedule of habits...”

“It's worse than I thought then...” He pulled his head to the side to escape his brothers lips. “How are you still alive? I mean... God, look at yourself!” He pushed Yurick away slightly, staring into his identical eyes. “Have you seen yourself? Anyone would know how unhealthy you are, Mum even said so.”

“Is that... too much of a problem?... I... I can't do this when I'm sober, Skelt...”

“No.” He pushed him away a little more. “I could barely tolerate the heroine. I can't... I can't stand you when you're not sober. You're so pushy and... just...” He couldn't finish his thought without saying something wrong. One spill of the truth would be all it takes to send Yurick to suicide, he was sure of it. Lying was the only way to keep his only family alive. And maybe when Yurick was finally sober from everything, he would stop this madness. It was a slim hope, but hope nonetheless.

“Send me to rehab then...” Yurick was dead serious. He pressed his lips into a straight line before continuing, “I don't... wanna hurt you anymore...” That would actually make Skelter a little happy if it wasn't for the current situation. “I'm sorry...” He pulled in for another kiss, which, as Skelter predicted, immediately got out of hand.

Skelter didn't do anything though, he never could. He simply pressed his hands against the wall again, blushing angrily, but doing no more than that. Yurick sealed his silent promise this way, showing that he was entirely true about wanting to become clean. Soon his hands were trailing up Skelter's shirt. The shirt came off. Yurick stared for a long while at something below Skelter's chin.

Dangling from a silver chain was a ring with an amber stone. He bought it to remind himself of Sprite, as well as buying her a ring with a teal stone to remind her of him. It was the only thing keeping their hearts together now that they were separated.

Yurick couldn't even find words for the first minute or so. He simply stared at the thing, trying to comprehend it. He slowly raised his hand and cupped the ring in his fingers. “Where did you get this...”

Skelter stayed silent.

Yurick fully grabbed the ring now, his voice growing louder, “Where did you get this?”

Skelter started to panic, “Let go of it...”

“Tell me where it came from.”

“Let go...”

“Tell me! Who gave it to you?!”

“Let go!” Skelter, at this point, grabbed Yurick's hand with both of his, trying to pry the ring from his fingers.

The older one's eyes burned, “Who gave it to you?!”

Skelter seemed to revert to childishness, hopelessly pulling away as if that would release his brother's grip, “LET GO!”

Yurick finally did as he was told, letting Skelter slump down to the floor and curl up, holding the ring close to his chest to protect it, terrified. He knelt next to him, grabbing his shoulders and forcing him to look up at him. “Where did you get it.”

Skelter still kept silent.

“Please, tell me.”

“...”

“It was someone in America, wasn't it? That person you cared about? Was that who it was?!” Skelter tried to shrink away again but Yurick held him fast. “Who is it?!”

“Her name's Sprite!” He blurted in a trembling voice. Yurick loosened his grip, making Skelter able to curl up again. “Her name's Sprite...”

“Her?” Yurick actually laughed, loudly, “A girl? And you?” He continued to laugh, covering his eyes, before suddenly calming down and returning to being stern. “So that's the person in America. Skelter I thought you learned by now...” He put a finger under his brother's chin to lift his face up. “You can't love, remember? You already belong to me.”

“I know...”

“Good... So we can just get rid of this, then.” He moved his hand towards the ring, but Skelter held it tight and flinched away.

“No, don't take it...”

“She can't have you, Skelter, so what's the point in keeping it.”

“Because I care about her...” He suddenly looked up to glare at him, “You wouldn't care if the ring was from Mum! So why do you care over a girl I'll never see again?!”

Yurick sat silent for a long moment, then sat back, letting out a breath, “You're right... Fine...” He reached into one of Skelter's pants pockets, which made him cringe. Yurick only wanted his phone. He stood, dialing through the numbers before finding the one he wanted. It rang maybe six times before going to voicemail.

“Hi, this is Sprite, leave a message.”

“So you're that American girl. Listen, I know how you must feel about Skelter now, but don't get any fucking ideas. Skelter's mine. If you try stealing his heart from me ever again I swear you will pay for it. He was mine first, he'll always be mine. Stay the fuck away from him.”

He closed the phone, throwing it on the floor before Skelter. He moved away, out to the porch, lighting a cigarette and breathing it in angrily. Skelter continued to sit there, cradling the ring that was so precious to him, and feeling terrified at Yurick's words. He finally calmed down enough to grab his phone and slip his shirt back on. Yurick was too flustered now, he wouldn't try anything until he stopped his anger. He wasn't quite sure when that would be.

Skelter didn't know what to do at this point. He felt like he shouldn't leave for his own brother's safety, yet he was too scared of what might happen when he came back. He sat down on the couch in front of the TV, which was off. He waited. If Yurick wanted him gone, he would go. If he wanted him to stay, he would stay. It was all a matter of waiting.

Needless to say, he was scared to death of what would happen if Sprite called him back after that terrible message. He didn't want to think of her reaction. He held his face in his palms, breathing to keep himself calm. It was only a phonecall. It's not like he threatened her life or anything. Or maybe he did... But she's there and we're here. Yurick couldn't handle a trip that far away from home. She'll be fine, she'll be fine...

He continued to reassure himself. He seemed to be good at it. He'd been doing it for the last sixteen years. It was the only thing keeping himself sane with his brother around. Yurick came back in after a while. He now added the smell of cigarettes to his already obvious alcoholic breath. He sat down beside Skelter, hugging him while breathing an apology. They laid down on the couch, Yurick behind Skelter, in a sort of cuddle. The older one managed to fall asleep. Skelter stared into space, gripping the ring around his neck through his shirt while shaking slightly.

At least he managed to lie again to keep his brother from suicide. But was it really worth it?...

He dozed off with that thought in mind.