[Take his choices away again. That...implies a lot of stuff. None of it good. Riley gets those arms wrapped around him so Vegas can cling to him instead.]
What you did was really stupid, P'Vegas. More than really stupid. But right now you can't run after him. You have to give him space because he's hurting too.
(( Oh, this wasn't the first time. But it's the worst.
He settled for wrapping his arms around Riley's waist and laying his head in the Fae's lap. Vegas honestly didn't want to see the disappointment he's sure was on Riley's face. He deserved it, but right now he was too busy dealing with own conflicting feelings. Someone hurt Pete and there was nothing he could do about it because that someone was him. Wallowing in guilt was self-indulgent. What he was feeling was the suffocating grief of a loss he caused himself. ))
Not stupid, nong. Vile, wicked. Evil.
(( He sucked in another ragged breath. Poor Riley's pantleg was going to be a mess if he let Vegas sit there too long. ))
I've seen real evil, phi. Real evil doesn't hold regrets or guilt for the things they do. What you did was stupid. And maybe it was vile too. But evil? No. Otherwise you wouldn't look like this.
[He knows his clothes are going to end up soaked by the end of this but he doesn't care. He stays right where he is and lets Vegas cling. And if he needs to cry he'll stay here too. Because stupid though his brother is, he's an idiot who needs someone to listen to him.]
It's hard for him to be without you too. He looks like a zombie when he thinks no one is looking. You two really need each other but you have to go to him on his terms, okay?
(( If he could just manage to stay holed up here... Then they'd both be alright, right? Pete would have his space and Vegas wouldn't be in danger of violating his boundaries again. It sounded so easy, but Pete was like some kind of magnet, always pulling Vegas toward him. ))
[He pets his hair gently. This is such a disaster. It's so clear these two are a mess even without this incident. But all he can do is be supportive because there's nothing he can do to fix this obviously. And no matter what happened in detail? Vegas regrets it and Pete needs him. Both those things say so much to him.]
Nong, I don't know that I'm a strong enough man to stay away...
(( Vegas buries his face against Riley's leg, just shuddering at this point. He swears he's cried all the fluid out of his body. It certainly feels that way. ))
Well you're going to have to eat anyway. If not for you then you have to eat for P'Pete. If you're not taking care of yourself for when he's ready for you then how are you going to take care of him, hm?
[Riley knows that he can't fully logic with Vegas right now. But what he can do is give him a reminder of who needs him.]
(( Riley's right. Logic is pretty meaningless to Vegas right now. However, the approach the Fae chose is a more effective one. Vegas grunted and waved vaguely toward the small kitchen in the apartment. ))
Soup.
(( He and Pete don't keep the place stocked with a lot of fresh foods, but there's plenty of tea, canned goods, and some dry goods. Things that won't go bad in a week if they're not there to eat them. ))
[He agrees to that and gently frees himself so that way he can go to search through the kitchen for everything he needs, turning on the light in there. It doesn't take long before he comes back with some tea and a bowl of hot soup.]
Time to sit up. You've got to keep yourself fed for him.
(( It doesn't take any effort to get free of Vegas' hold. He listened to Riley in the kitchen, doing nothing until the little Fae came back and urged him up. Vegas huffs and pushes himself up, slumping back against the couch. Looking at the bowl and the cup of tea, he then glances up Riley. ))
Yep. But focus on the soup. If you don't finish the tea I will.
[Somehow. He's not a fan of unsweetened tea because it can be his least favorite thing...bitter. But for now he takes the soup and holds it out for him.]
(( Vegas has no appetite, but he spoons the soup into his mouth anyway so Riley won’t have anything to fuss over. He finished maybe half before handing the bowl back to Riley to exchange it for the tea. ))
[Taking the bowl, he sets it on the table then continues to sit there. What Vegas did was stupid, even without him knowing all the details. But that doesn't mean his brother doesn't need him so he'll be there.]
(( Vegas breathed out heavily. Not because Riley wanted to stay, just because of... well, everything. He's silent for a long moment, the only real sound in the apartment is the sound of Vegas occasionally sipping the now-lukewarm tea. After solid minutes of silence, he finally sighed and spoke: ))
I don't actually care for tea. This is... (( His voice catches in his throat and he looks pained. )) This is Pete's.
Then you should drink it as a reminder that you're going to make yourself better for him. Because he needs you as much as you need him.
[He reaches over and rests a hand on his arm, giving it a little squeeze.]
I know you don't want to tell me all the details, probably because you're scared I'll hate you, but the fact that you regret what you did tells me a lot. So it's time to learn from your mistake so you can be the man that he needs to live, okay?
(( Does Pete really need him? The illogical part of Vegas' mind wonders. Though, deep down inside, he knows it's true. He knows it because he needs Pete, too. They complement each other in the most surprising and yet natural of ways. ))
The thing is... if it were anyone but Pete, I wouldn't even care.
[And Riley knows that includes him. But he's okay with that. He's not about to be upset about that when he's always known he's not on the same level as Pete in Vegas' heart and soul. He'd never ask to be either. He's his brother while Pete is Vegas' universe.
He gently fixes his hair a bit.]
That just means that you have to take care of yourself for him so when the time is right you can be able to take care of him again.
(( Riley's partially right. Vegas probably wouldn't care as much if he did something horrible to the Fae. But he'd also destroy anyone who hurt him... with Riley's consent. That's why he hasn't laid hands on either of the young man's exes. ))
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What you did was really stupid, P'Vegas. More than really stupid. But right now you can't run after him. You have to give him space because he's hurting too.
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He settled for wrapping his arms around Riley's waist and laying his head in the Fae's lap. Vegas honestly didn't want to see the disappointment he's sure was on Riley's face. He deserved it, but right now he was too busy dealing with own conflicting feelings. Someone hurt Pete and there was nothing he could do about it because that someone was him. Wallowing in guilt was self-indulgent. What he was feeling was the suffocating grief of a loss he caused himself. ))
Not stupid, nong. Vile, wicked. Evil.
(( He sucked in another ragged breath. Poor Riley's pantleg was going to be a mess if he let Vegas sit there too long. ))
It's so hard, Riley... Being without him.
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[He knows his clothes are going to end up soaked by the end of this but he doesn't care. He stays right where he is and lets Vegas cling. And if he needs to cry he'll stay here too. Because stupid though his brother is, he's an idiot who needs someone to listen to him.]
It's hard for him to be without you too. He looks like a zombie when he thinks no one is looking. You two really need each other but you have to go to him on his terms, okay?
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I'll try...
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[He pets his hair gently. This is such a disaster. It's so clear these two are a mess even without this incident. But all he can do is be supportive because there's nothing he can do to fix this obviously. And no matter what happened in detail? Vegas regrets it and Pete needs him. Both those things say so much to him.]
Have you eaten today?
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(( Vegas buries his face against Riley's leg, just shuddering at this point. He swears he's cried all the fluid out of his body. It certainly feels that way. ))
'm not hungry.
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[Riley knows that he can't fully logic with Vegas right now. But what he can do is give him a reminder of who needs him.]
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Soup.
(( He and Pete don't keep the place stocked with a lot of fresh foods, but there's plenty of tea, canned goods, and some dry goods. Things that won't go bad in a week if they're not there to eat them. ))
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[He agrees to that and gently frees himself so that way he can go to search through the kitchen for everything he needs, turning on the light in there. It doesn't take long before he comes back with some tea and a bowl of hot soup.]
Time to sit up. You've got to keep yourself fed for him.
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Both for me?
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[Somehow. He's not a fan of unsweetened tea because it can be his least favorite thing...bitter. But for now he takes the soup and holds it out for him.]
Eat.
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(( The soup, maybe not, but he won't make Riley drink something he doesn't like. But Vegas reaches out to take the offered soup. ))
Can you just hold it for me for a little?
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[Making himself comfortable, he holds the tea for him while he lets Vegas start on the soup.]
Go slow and take your time.
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You don’t have to stay, nong.
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[Taking the bowl, he sets it on the table then continues to sit there. What Vegas did was stupid, even without him knowing all the details. But that doesn't mean his brother doesn't need him so he'll be there.]
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I don't actually care for tea. This is... (( His voice catches in his throat and he looks pained. )) This is Pete's.
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[He reaches over and rests a hand on his arm, giving it a little squeeze.]
I know you don't want to tell me all the details, probably because you're scared I'll hate you, but the fact that you regret what you did tells me a lot. So it's time to learn from your mistake so you can be the man that he needs to live, okay?
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The thing is... if it were anyone but Pete, I wouldn't even care.
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[And Riley knows that includes him. But he's okay with that. He's not about to be upset about that when he's always known he's not on the same level as Pete in Vegas' heart and soul. He'd never ask to be either. He's his brother while Pete is Vegas' universe.
He gently fixes his hair a bit.]
That just means that you have to take care of yourself for him so when the time is right you can be able to take care of him again.
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Okay. (( He nods, actually agreeing. )) Okay.
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[He's not Pete and he never will be. But he knows that sometimes physical contact is just what a person needs most.]
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(( Tempting as it was, Vegas needed to stay focused. And frankly, he didn't feel like he deserved comfort, anyway. ))
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[And he plops himself to lean against his side. He's fine with just that really. Just enough to give his brother support.]
Just take things slow. One day at a time.
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(( Mote like one minute at a time, presently. A day feels like too much to bite off. ))
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Just know you're not alone, okay? And neither is he. You both have people to help you through this.
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