oh baby, I have not been kind
He listened. Because he always did, couldn't help it. But so often people changed their minds or thought things they later wouldn't mean or a great number of things could alter what he heard and the truth behind any of it. Thoughts were always changing. So he didn't press when Dad didn't ask something.
Dad sympathized that he and Kylin had a hard adjustment to go through. As twins. So maybe he'd done a good job at hiding his feelings, at putting distance between them. At trying to be good, for Dad. But it hurt far deeper than just losing his sister or his twin. Maybe he was a little like Mom, and maybe he sort of lost a possible life. He'd already known it hurt so badly, but he hadn't had to feel it before. Only hear it.
I'm here if you need to talk is all, okay?
He nodded. But he couldn't really be here for Kharon. Nobody could.
He listened again, this time as Dad spoke aloud to him. Kharon hated that he was having a hard time. Dad was his favorite person, basically. He wanted to be just like him. He'd always wanted to be just like him. And he wanted him happy. Yes, Mom and Reilly and Badden were safe too. Everyone was. Dad's friend too.
His wings rustled and he draped one across Dad's back, nestling into that solid, warm metal and rubbing his cheek on his neck. I'm here for you too, you know. This is the easy stuff, really. We're all alive. And together. He breathed him in and sighed, turned his face to leave an affectionate kiss on Dad's skin, pulling back and grinning wide at the fog of breath that polished him. He loved doing that when he was little. Never gets old.
See? He supposed they were all the same. Just strange ages and events now. And a larger number of them. More family for them to get to know and love. A lot more people around them.
His head was starting to hurt. But he'd get used to it.
"It's nice here," he told him with a glance around as they walked. "It's close enough to home to be alright for a while. And we'll go home again soon." When it was safe again.
I wish I could scrape away the dirt that's on my mind