Braith's mouth popped open in surprise, but flames appeared in his eyes, flaring dangerously. Neo, my love… What the devil had happened between these two men that they could not talk anymore? Braith cleared his throat again, "So. M. How goes your part of running the Kingdom?" A lame beginning but it was all he could think of.
He got the impression M didn't like him much and worried that it was because he was a man…like how he knew his parents would lose their minds, king or not.
M paused near a table and glared at him over his shoulder. The mention of his job seemed to make him even pricklier.
“It is fine,” He growled deeply, crossing his arms and continued his pacing.
Braith paused his stirring, frowning. "And your home life….?" His eyes watched M walk to and fro, pausing every so often to flick over to Neo. Ugh, the gods are challenging me.
Neo siezed Braith’s upper arm when he mentioned ‘home life’. M himself tensed up, his crossed arms tightening around his chest.
“I don’t have one,” M’s response was stifled, angry. It was as if he spoke through clenched teeth.
Braith gently shrugged off his lover. "Why did you come?" he asked softly, placing his utensils down and looking M straight in the eyes. To torture your brother? He asked within his mind. Braith laid bare his feelings for Neo and how protective he'd become of his King. Everything was out for M to see.
M turned stubbornly away from the pair, his pale hands tightened into agitated fists. “According to you, I had no choice.”
Braith snorted at that, returning to his cooking. "You're really going to let a little elemental tell you what to do?"
M’s eyes flashed and he narrowed his eyes at the wall. “According to your oh, so factual thoughts, I had no choice.”
This time Braith handed his utensils over to Neo and stomped over to M. The other man towered over him, but Braith still glowered. "So what? You're practically a god, M. I'm nothing. An elemental from the mountains. You can tell me to shove off and die. But you didn't. You came. Now if you're going to sit at my table in my house then you best behave yourself and respect your brother." He was breathing hard, by the time he finished his little speech, his eyes blazing and his hair aflame.
M snapped around and opened his mouth to angrily retort, almost exactly after Braith’s spreel, but Neo yanked his lover back and stepped between the pair. His back was to his twin, and he faced Braith.
“Calm down.” Neo set his hands on Braith’s chest. “Go. Cooking will help you calm.”
Braith didn't pout, by the flames around him died the moment Neo touched him. His handsome face frozen in a look of angered disapproval. He pulled away from Neo without a word. Turning his back on him and stomping over to the counter to season the meat with such vigor that his anger could not be denied.
Neo snapped his arms to his sides, turning to his twin. M snapped angrily in an odd language. It was the language known natively to Mind Readers only; Langifics. Neo growled back, his eyes narrowed slightly.
"If you're going to talk, at least do it so there can be witnesses." Braith muttered to the stove, but he knew both could hear him.
M snapped up at Braith, snarling a rude word in his direction. Neo snapped loudly in his thunderous voice, in Langifics, but still his meaning was clear. M snarled at him in return, wheeled on a heel and plopped down in a chair, fuming.
The glass that Braith was holding, shattered in his hand. He glared at M, keeping eye contact as he made his hand glow with heat before reforming the glass. This was turning into a disaster but Braith could not for the life of him reign in his temper. Neo was a gentle soul, no one would treat him so in his presence.
M met Braith's gaze boldly, his pale lips turned in a deep frown. He was scowling with his eyes, his eyes sharp and piercing. But behind them was dead emptiness. It was quite odd to read.
Neo turned back on his twin, walking across the kitchen to Braith, where he firmly grasped his wrist.
“Calm down,” He hissed into Braith’s ear. “Fighting him will just make him angrier. It’ll make you angrier too.”
Braith's skin heated until it was unbearable for Neo to hold anymore. But Braith looked up at him with teasing eyes. "Why must all the men in your life be so hot headed?" He kissed in gently on the edge of his jaw.
Neo kept his hand determinedly on Braith’s wrist, though his body screamed at him to let go. He put on a grudging smiled and pecked him.
“Like you, I suppose.”
Flames appeared in his hair as Braith smiled, but his skin remained hot as if he was a living flame. "Yes. Like me." He looked down at the skillet he was working with before murmuring to Neo. "I apologize. Nothing excuses my behavior. I have no right to speak to him in such a way, but I will not tolerate someone you care for treating you like this. I would like to have a nice dinner."
Neo slowly let go of Braith. His hands felt like they were burning, but he didn’t care. He gently rubbed a circle into the small of Braith’s back, carefully kissing Braith's cheek and taking care not to show pain.
“I don’t care how others treat me, babe,” He murmured back.
"Yes, but I do. And anyone who would want to hurt you has to go through me now." Braith's body cooled and the flames along his hairline went out as his anger subsided.
He grasped Neo's hands kissing the palms carefully, pulling the heat from them back into his body. They healed as he did so.
"Now go tell your brother he must behave if he wants to eat. Or else he will suffer the wrath of your…..companion." He winked.
Neo smiled and took Braith’s face in his hands, pulling it up so they were looking at each other. Neo bestowed a kiss to him, pressing their noses together.
“Alright,” He mumbled over the kiss after a few moments, letting Braith’s hot face go.
Braith stuck his tongue out at Neo as he turned away. He sighed praying to the deities that this dinner would go well. He was almost done cooking so he homes that Neo and M could figure out how to be civil before they all sat at the table.
Neo pulled up a chair or two to the table where M was sitting, still somewhat far off from his twin. The air between the pair was like dry ice.
Braith cleared his throat, raising his brows at the men. He began chopping ingredients for a salad and pointedly made sure both of them could hear his thoughts.
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