Gomen = Sorry
Oniisan = Brother
Diamond smacked Asha hard, across the face. “I’m not going to tolerate your troubles, Asha! You only get into trouble because you enjoy seeing me get ticked, don’t you!” “Does it work?” Asha fell from side to side as Diamond smacked him time after time. Asha was afraid, trembling, scared to death. He scrunched himself into a corner, trembling. He had seen Diamond at his worst but had never like this. “Oniisan, I didn’t mean-” Another smack across the face. This one left a bright red mark on his cheek. Tears stung his eyes as Diamond grabbed the collar of his jacket and looked him straight in the eye. “I’ve had enough of you, Asha! From now on, every time you get in trouble, I’m giving you hell! Got it?!” Diamond shook his trembling brother violently, having lost his temper when Asha had gotten into trouble. “Oniisan, I got it. Please let go, you’re hurting me.” Asha looked at his brother still trembling with fear. Diamond smacked him again, angrily. Sapphire opened Asha’s door just in time to see Diamond knock Asha hard over the head. He ran over and took Asha in his arms, protectively. “What’re you doing, Diamond-sama?! He’s gotten the point! Look at him!” Sapphire turned Asha’s red face to the side showing where Diamond had hit him so hard, so many times. Asha was still trembling. “You’re going to kill him if you keep that up!” “Who asked you to interfere, Sapphire?!” “It doesn’t matter! You should learn to control yourself! You’ve gained Asha’s trust so long ago; you promised him nothing would separate you! Asha’s been beat enough! Leave him alone! He doesn’t deserve this!” Sapphire looked at Asha then took a defensive position, ready to protect Asha, if he had to. Diamond eyed Sapphire for a moment then stormed out. Sapphire looked back to his trembling brother and gently hugged him reassuringly. “You okay, Asha?” “I-I think so. . . thanks, Oniisan.” “Anytime, Asha. You should stop causing so much trouble. He can get a lot worse.” Sapphire hugged his brother into him, careingly, rubbing his back gently. “I’m so sorry, Sapphire-sama. . . I-I just. . .” Asha dropped off crying from pain and fear. “It’s all right, Asha. Yes, you’ve been a lot of trouble for us, but Oniisan can have a short fuse. I know you’ve been getting into trouble on purpose, and I know it’s not because you want to be a problem. . .just because you’re a teenager.” Sapphire looked down at his little brother, feeling Asha’s moist tears stain his jacket. “Sometimes I find it hard to believe that you and I are brothers, Asha. . . by how easily you bruise, and by how strong you are physically. . . Me. . . I’m always paranoid.” Sapphire formed a wet rag in his hand and a bowl of warm water next to him. Removing his gloves, he gently brought the cloth across Asha bruises and scars from Diamond’s lack of temper-control. “Hold still, Asha. . .” Sapphire softly dragged the rag across Asha’s back after removing his jacket and black shirt. He rested a separate cloth onto his forehead, which was starting to get hot. “I’m really sorry, Oniisan. . . I truly am. . .” “Don’t be sorry, Asha-kun. It’s Diamond-oniisan’s fault you ended up like this-” Sapphire cupped Asha’s chin and brought his eyes to meet Sapphire’s.-”Okay?” Asha nodded with a slight pain in his neck, from having his head thrown in all directions when Diamond smacked the hell out of him. Sapphire kissed Asha’s cheek gently, lovingly. Sapphire ran the rag across Asha’s bare chest, talking to him softly. Asha listened silently, giving his opinion when asked and nodding with a crink in the neck every now and then. Sapphire soon picked him up and laid him on his bed gently, and sat on the edge of the bed. Sapphire put the sheets up to Asha’s shoulders and replaced the semi-dry cloth with another rang-out cloth. Sapphire talked to Asha before he fell asleep. Sapphire couldn’t bring himself to leave Asha’s room, not even his side. Sapphire watched Asha sleep, stroking his everly-so-black hair. Sapphire laid down next to Asha silently. Asha turned onto his side facing Sapphire, and after that, laid still, asleep. Sapphire gave a small smile then closed his eyes, falling fast asleep, with an arm over Asha. Asha opened his eyes looke at Sapphire, then re-closed closed his eyes with a sigh, going back to sleep in his brother’s arms. ~*~ The next morning, Asha made sure to stay away from Diamond and by Sapphire’s offer for protection, stuck close to Sapphire. Glued at the elbow, Asha went everywhere with Sapphire. Well. . . not exactly everywhere. “Sapphire!” Diamond’s agaitated voice rang out through the Nemisian Palace. As commanded, Sapphire came, Asha following like a lost puppy. Asha was quite afraid of Diamond from the night before and dared not say anything. “Sapphire-kun, I’m putting you in charge of keeping Asha out of trouble. If you fail to do this. . .” “I understand, brother.” Sapphire took one step back and bowed to Diamond. Asha only watched with sullen eyes and a sullen expression. Sapphire left when excused and Asha started to follow when Diamond grabbed his arm. “No trouble from you. Am I getting clear now?” “Y-yes, Diamond-oniisan. Can I go?” Asha questioned. Diamond let him go and Asha ran to catch up with Sapphire. Diamond watched coldly, then turned away. Sapphire entered his neat lil’ ol’ room, which was waaaaaaay opposite from Asha’s room. Asha followed in slowly looking around. “Make yourself comfortable, Otouto-san. I’m going to work on something, okay?” Sapphire sat in a computer chair and started scribbling on the notepad, exercising his mind again. Asha just sat in a different chair. “Hungry?” Sapphire smiled and looked at Asha with just his eyes. “Not really. . .” “Sure?” “Yeah. Just a little tired. . .” “Lay down, take a nap. If you’re tired go to sleep. You’re still a teenager so you need your rest. Go ahead and lay down anywhere. Bed, floor, couch, chair. It don’t matter unless it’s not comfortable.” “Thanks. Sapphire-sama.” Asha got up and laid on Sapphires feather-soft bed. He heard Sapphire get up and felt him lay a blanket onto him. Sapphire put a hand and Asha’s head and kissed his forehead. “Asha-kun. . . I finally feel what it’s like to be an older brother. . . I love you, Oniisan loves you, Muma Star loves you. As Diamond-oniisan promised, I’ll protect you. I can’t love you anymore than I already do, Otouto-san.” Sapphire pulled Asha into a hug and Asha willingly accepted the embrace. “I love you, too, Sapphire-oniisan. . . I’ll protect you with what little power I have. . .” Sapphire stroked Asha’s black hair, lovingly, still embracing him. Asha gave a small smile as he felt Sapphire’s warm arms around him. Asha stood and being a little shorter than Sapphire rested his head on Sapphire’s chest, the sapphires on his jacket hurting the side of his face. Sapphire stood as well, still in an embrace with Asha. Again, they heard Diamond shout, but this time it was for Asha. “C’mon, Asha-kun. Oniisan wants you.” Sapphire started to pull away and push Asha away by his shoulders. Asha wrapped his arms around Sapphire’s waist and interlocked his fingers together making it to where Sapphire couldn’t pry him off. A surprised Sapphire looked down at Asha. “Please, come with me, Sapphire-sama. I’m afraid of Diamond-oniisan.” Asha looked up at Sapphire with frightened, sullen eyes. Sapphire smiled kindly and re-hugged him. “Of course I will, Otoutosan. I’ll come.” Sapphire helped Asha stand and they went to Diamond. Diamond walked down and stood in front of Asha and Sapphire. “Did I ask you to come, Sapphire?” “Asha-kun is my brother, oniisan. No one hurts him while I’m around. . . Not even you, Diamond-sama. I love you both dearly, but you put me in charge of Asha-otoutosan and I’m doing my job.” “Whatever.” Diamond’s gaze turned to Asha with an icy glare that made him shiver. A hard smack sent Asha to his knees with a few drops of blood on the ground, on the back of Diamonds hand, and on Asha’s chin and cheek. Tears of pain and fear stung Asha’s eyes as Sapphire helped the poor boy up and hugged his head to his chest. “That’s for planting a damned tack on my damned throne!! I warned you, Asha-kun and I’ll give you no more warnings!! It’s hell for you, otoutosan!” “Gomen!!!” Asha cried, shoving away from Sapphire to escape from Diamond. “Gomen, gomen, gomen, oniisan!! But I didn’t do it!!” “’Gomen’ won’t cut it, Asha-kun!” Diamond backhanded Asha time after time, blood flying from Asha’s nose and mouth. Sapphire threw his arms around Asha, protecting him, when Diamond hit the back of Sapphire’s head. “O-oniisan. . .” Asha whispered as Sapphire gathered his senses. “You okay, otousan?” Sapphire loosened his arms around Asha, but didn’t let go. “W. . . Why’d you do that, oniisan?” Diamond glared at Sapphire then turned and left. “Ow. . . dang, he hits you that hard??” Asha nodded. “C’mon. Lets go before Prince Diamond decides to come back.” Sapphire got up, then picked Asha up and carried him back to Sapphire’s room. Asha let him, not saying a thing.Sapphire let Asha sit on his soft bed and lifted his chin and wiped the blood from Asha’s nose and mouth. “You don’t deserve that treatment, otuotosan. I know you didn’t do that. I know you’d never plant a tack on oniisan’s throne.” “But Diamond-sama thinks I did. . .” Asha closed his eyes and sighed, sadly. Sapphire hugged Asha reassuringly. “Sapphire. . .” “Yes, Asha?” “I don’t think Diamond loves or even likes me anymore. . .”
