[fic] Loving Eliot Groussé - 011.Cry - Little Brother
Title: Little Brother
Author: haruka etherealkittens
Fandom: Fixing Loving Eliot Groussé (original)
Characters: Eliot Groussé/Marina C. Groussé, Melanie G. Fitzgerald
Prompt: 011. Cry
Word Count: 1,205
Rating: K+
Summary: Melanie remembers about her little brother, and talks to him about the family inheritance.
Warnings: Um. None? Some D'awwww moments..?
Disclaimer: This belongs to me. They are my original characters set in my own fictitious landscape ;D
Fixing Loving Eliot Groussé
011. Cry
There was always a wall between him and people. Ever since he was young he's been able to see right through people and get to the heart of what they are. There was a time when he would come home from school and lock himself away in his room for hours. Most of the time he would be crying, and when I look back on it I wish I could have had enough courage to barge into his room and hug him.
The children at school didn't like him; I could tell by the way he interacted with them on the playground. How he would sit alone at the mesh fence and read his book, but then children would run by and kick him, or get sand in his face and hair. After school I would wash his hair in the family washroom and do my best. But, besides helping him look presentable at the end of the day, he wouldn't let me help him.
He was always alone. No one told anyone else, and when high school came for me I didn't want to go. He was three years younger than me; my cute, lonely little brother. When high school came for him he suddenly brought up the idea to go to a far away boarding house. Our parents liked the boarding school more than the private school chain I went to, and that was the last I saw of him for years.
The next time I saw him was at our father's funeral. He was just as angry-looking as ever; it brought a smile to my lips. On his arm, right beside him, was a young woman. She looked small and intimidated, especially when compared to the proud man beside her.
His and my eyes met briefly and he let go of the woman next to him to approach me. She looked frantic for a couple seconds before following.
"You've changed," was what he said first and then turned to the woman next to him. "This is my fiancée," he introduced.
I bowed to her gently and held out my hand. "Good afternoon. I'm Melanie Fitzgerald. It's nice to meet you."
She took my hand meekly and shook it. "H-hello." She turned to Eliot. "Is she an ex?" I laughed but he looked almost angry.
"She's my sister." He gave me a look and I backed away. He gave the woman a glance and followed me. We exited the main hall and wandered to one of the outer upstairs balconies.
"She's your fiancée?" I asked and leaned on the railing. He came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder.
"Melanie, I know Father left everything to you. I know how angry he was when I moved away and separated myself from the family."
"So what do you want?"
"Hand over the inheritance and I'll give you a portion to be comfortable for ten years."
"Why would I want to do that? I could keep it and be happy for the rest of my life, as well as provide for my children." He looked at me strange.
"You have children?"
"I have two children. I'm widowed. Of course you'd never know, though. Being separated from your family doesn't let you know you're an uncle." I was upset with him. He's gone for more than a decade and still expects something? He knew Father wouldn't give him anything, so he came crying to his big sister who was soft and nice to him. I have a family now, and can't keep putting a run away in front of everything else.
"I'm sorry," he said and for a second his small, proud yet shy self came back. He sighed and leaned into me and I embraced him.
"Let me tell you," I said and he nodded his head on top of mine. "A year after I graduated, Father married me off to a man and gave his estate to us while he built a new one in Germany. I missed you a lot, Eliot. Before I got married I had hoped you would come back to save me. You never talked, were incredibly humble, but you were strong and proud."
"I never loved Mother or Father. I didn't want to get you involved in my troubles, so I scarcely asked you for help. I loved you, Melanie."
"So, what, are you telling me you don't anymore?" I wasn't playing fair. I knew it was hard for him to talk about his feelings.
"That's not it."
"Tell me about your problems. How about explaining to me what happened to you? Where you are in life." He sighed and we separated. He leaned against the balcony railing and I leaned next to him. He was silent for a long time, most likely constructing the thoughts in his head.
"A lot of things happened. I graduated at the top of my class, but still had no friends. Father told me to come home to take over the family business but I rejected. I moved to France and went to university. Got a job as an editor after graduating with a Major in journalism and fashion. Took an editing course to become a better editor. Over the years I've had over a dozen girlfriends and even more one-night-stands. When I was in a dead-end relationship and feeling depressed I met a homeless young woman. I eventually took her in and paid for her post-secondary. She's still in her first semester and I'm having some money trouble. Ever since Father disowned me I've been on a road of ups and downs. I've made a whole new life, Melanie."
At one point I had closed my eyes and imagined his new life, with satisfactory-paying job and new beautiful girl. I envied him and what he made of his life. But I know I wasn't really allowed to be jealous, since he disobeyed Father and I did as I was told. In this way, he could stand on his own while I always relied on someone to help support me.
"Are you sure you need the money?" I asked him and looked straight into his eyes.
"I do. I need it to keep living happily." His face was stoic and confident, something I could never accomplish. I smiled at him and gave him a comforting hug as I said:
"Father never disowned you. Mother was always the one behind Father's misgivings. You're still in our family roster, and you're probably the one inheriting all of Father's belongings." I paused a moment to let him take it all in. "Eliot, Father loved you the most. Up until the day he died, all he wanted was to see you again."
His eyes flickered slightly. "Father? Loved me?" Deep down Eliot had always respected Father. I knew this. I always have. After more quick blinks his breaths became ragged as we stared at each other. "Father?" Finally, tears started to fall from his eyelids. They started off like a drizzle, but, after I hugged him, the tears came in tsunamis.
He cried silently and still-like, gently reminding me of when he used to come home and lock himself in his room.
Author: haruka etherealkittens
Fandom: Fixing Loving Eliot Groussé (original)
Characters: Eliot Groussé/Marina C. Groussé, Melanie G. Fitzgerald
Prompt: 011. Cry
Word Count: 1,205
Rating: K+
Summary: Melanie remembers about her little brother, and talks to him about the family inheritance.
Warnings: Um. None? Some D'awwww moments..?
Disclaimer: This belongs to me. They are my original characters set in my own fictitious landscape ;D
Fixing Loving Eliot Groussé
011. Cry
There was always a wall between him and people. Ever since he was young he's been able to see right through people and get to the heart of what they are. There was a time when he would come home from school and lock himself away in his room for hours. Most of the time he would be crying, and when I look back on it I wish I could have had enough courage to barge into his room and hug him.
The children at school didn't like him; I could tell by the way he interacted with them on the playground. How he would sit alone at the mesh fence and read his book, but then children would run by and kick him, or get sand in his face and hair. After school I would wash his hair in the family washroom and do my best. But, besides helping him look presentable at the end of the day, he wouldn't let me help him.
He was always alone. No one told anyone else, and when high school came for me I didn't want to go. He was three years younger than me; my cute, lonely little brother. When high school came for him he suddenly brought up the idea to go to a far away boarding house. Our parents liked the boarding school more than the private school chain I went to, and that was the last I saw of him for years.
The next time I saw him was at our father's funeral. He was just as angry-looking as ever; it brought a smile to my lips. On his arm, right beside him, was a young woman. She looked small and intimidated, especially when compared to the proud man beside her.
His and my eyes met briefly and he let go of the woman next to him to approach me. She looked frantic for a couple seconds before following.
"You've changed," was what he said first and then turned to the woman next to him. "This is my fiancée," he introduced.
I bowed to her gently and held out my hand. "Good afternoon. I'm Melanie Fitzgerald. It's nice to meet you."
She took my hand meekly and shook it. "H-hello." She turned to Eliot. "Is she an ex?" I laughed but he looked almost angry.
"She's my sister." He gave me a look and I backed away. He gave the woman a glance and followed me. We exited the main hall and wandered to one of the outer upstairs balconies.
"She's your fiancée?" I asked and leaned on the railing. He came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder.
"Melanie, I know Father left everything to you. I know how angry he was when I moved away and separated myself from the family."
"So what do you want?"
"Hand over the inheritance and I'll give you a portion to be comfortable for ten years."
"Why would I want to do that? I could keep it and be happy for the rest of my life, as well as provide for my children." He looked at me strange.
"You have children?"
"I have two children. I'm widowed. Of course you'd never know, though. Being separated from your family doesn't let you know you're an uncle." I was upset with him. He's gone for more than a decade and still expects something? He knew Father wouldn't give him anything, so he came crying to his big sister who was soft and nice to him. I have a family now, and can't keep putting a run away in front of everything else.
"I'm sorry," he said and for a second his small, proud yet shy self came back. He sighed and leaned into me and I embraced him.
"Let me tell you," I said and he nodded his head on top of mine. "A year after I graduated, Father married me off to a man and gave his estate to us while he built a new one in Germany. I missed you a lot, Eliot. Before I got married I had hoped you would come back to save me. You never talked, were incredibly humble, but you were strong and proud."
"I never loved Mother or Father. I didn't want to get you involved in my troubles, so I scarcely asked you for help. I loved you, Melanie."
"So, what, are you telling me you don't anymore?" I wasn't playing fair. I knew it was hard for him to talk about his feelings.
"That's not it."
"Tell me about your problems. How about explaining to me what happened to you? Where you are in life." He sighed and we separated. He leaned against the balcony railing and I leaned next to him. He was silent for a long time, most likely constructing the thoughts in his head.
"A lot of things happened. I graduated at the top of my class, but still had no friends. Father told me to come home to take over the family business but I rejected. I moved to France and went to university. Got a job as an editor after graduating with a Major in journalism and fashion. Took an editing course to become a better editor. Over the years I've had over a dozen girlfriends and even more one-night-stands. When I was in a dead-end relationship and feeling depressed I met a homeless young woman. I eventually took her in and paid for her post-secondary. She's still in her first semester and I'm having some money trouble. Ever since Father disowned me I've been on a road of ups and downs. I've made a whole new life, Melanie."
At one point I had closed my eyes and imagined his new life, with satisfactory-paying job and new beautiful girl. I envied him and what he made of his life. But I know I wasn't really allowed to be jealous, since he disobeyed Father and I did as I was told. In this way, he could stand on his own while I always relied on someone to help support me.
"Are you sure you need the money?" I asked him and looked straight into his eyes.
"I do. I need it to keep living happily." His face was stoic and confident, something I could never accomplish. I smiled at him and gave him a comforting hug as I said:
"Father never disowned you. Mother was always the one behind Father's misgivings. You're still in our family roster, and you're probably the one inheriting all of Father's belongings." I paused a moment to let him take it all in. "Eliot, Father loved you the most. Up until the day he died, all he wanted was to see you again."
His eyes flickered slightly. "Father? Loved me?" Deep down Eliot had always respected Father. I knew this. I always have. After more quick blinks his breaths became ragged as we stared at each other. "Father?" Finally, tears started to fall from his eyelids. They started off like a drizzle, but, after I hugged him, the tears came in tsunamis.
He cried silently and still-like, gently reminding me of when he used to come home and lock himself in his room.