Cheescake 30, Rhubarb 4 & Rum Raisin 4
Author: Casey
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy universe, During NIEE
Challenges: Cheesecake 30 (Let them hate me, hit me, hurt me, nail me to the cross - My Treat from Marina: Sorin could run, but he won’t), Rhubarb 4 (With friends like these, who needs enemies?), & Rum Raisin 4 (brother)
Toppings & Extras: Hot Fudge
Word Count: 372
Rating: PG (one swear word)
Summary: Sorin clears some things up for his brother
Notes: Hi! I’ve been lurking something awful. Expect me to bop through a few times this month during Camp and post some snippets from NIEE proper. I have another in the wings. Pretty much crossposted from my personal journal.
“What?” Vladimir asked, voice low and dangerous, so much like Edward’s that a shiver fought its way up Sorin’s spine.
Still, he acted as if he hadn’t noticed, or been bothered. “I mean that this is your dream. Ruling Tira was never something Ani or I wanted.” It had been Edward’s dream, originally, but Sorin wasn’t cruel enough to bring up the man by name. Vlad wasn’t that far gone yet.
“It’s all of ours,” Vladimir corrected sharply.
“Now, yes. It sort of has to be, doesn’t it? If we lose at this point, game over and we’ll most likely be dead or worse.”
“Don’t give me that. You helped me, Sorin, every step of the way!” he burst.
“I let you use me every step of the way.”
Vladimir finally got to his feet, looming over Sorin, who leaned back in the chair in studious unconcern. “What are you talking about?” he demanded.
“I let you use me,” he repeated, making sure to enunciate each word slowly and maybe a little overly deliberately.
“I don’t understand,” he said after a minute, deflating to press his palms against his desk.
“No, you wouldn’t.”
“Why?”
“Why did I let you use me? Because I didn’t care if I lived or died. Nothing seemed important, including doing the right thing.”
“How could you not care?”
“Give me anything I had to live for when I returned to that house and your plan?”
“Ani and me.”
“Halfway right. I did come back to do my best to keep Ani out of it and, if that proved impossible, to keep her alive.”
“What about me?” Vladimir asked, sounding almost hurt.
“You’ve always been able to take care of yourself,” he said quietly. “After all, you had cooked up the majority of this plot without me. So I willingly let you use my brains and resources.”
His brother pursed his lips. “So what has changed?”
Sorin’s lip curled up. “The willingly part.”
Vladimir straightened. “Sorin,” he started, a threat inherent in the word.
“Stop acting like your godsdamn father,” Sorin shot at him, before he could think better of it. “Edward has been buried for years and the world is a better place when he stays buried.”
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy universe, During NIEE
Challenges: Cheesecake 30 (Let them hate me, hit me, hurt me, nail me to the cross - My Treat from Marina: Sorin could run, but he won’t), Rhubarb 4 (With friends like these, who needs enemies?), & Rum Raisin 4 (brother)
Toppings & Extras: Hot Fudge
Word Count: 372
Rating: PG (one swear word)
Summary: Sorin clears some things up for his brother
Notes: Hi! I’ve been lurking something awful. Expect me to bop through a few times this month during Camp and post some snippets from NIEE proper. I have another in the wings. Pretty much crossposted from my personal journal.
“What?” Vladimir asked, voice low and dangerous, so much like Edward’s that a shiver fought its way up Sorin’s spine.
Still, he acted as if he hadn’t noticed, or been bothered. “I mean that this is your dream. Ruling Tira was never something Ani or I wanted.” It had been Edward’s dream, originally, but Sorin wasn’t cruel enough to bring up the man by name. Vlad wasn’t that far gone yet.
“It’s all of ours,” Vladimir corrected sharply.
“Now, yes. It sort of has to be, doesn’t it? If we lose at this point, game over and we’ll most likely be dead or worse.”
“Don’t give me that. You helped me, Sorin, every step of the way!” he burst.
“I let you use me every step of the way.”
Vladimir finally got to his feet, looming over Sorin, who leaned back in the chair in studious unconcern. “What are you talking about?” he demanded.
“I let you use me,” he repeated, making sure to enunciate each word slowly and maybe a little overly deliberately.
“I don’t understand,” he said after a minute, deflating to press his palms against his desk.
“No, you wouldn’t.”
“Why?”
“Why did I let you use me? Because I didn’t care if I lived or died. Nothing seemed important, including doing the right thing.”
“How could you not care?”
“Give me anything I had to live for when I returned to that house and your plan?”
“Ani and me.”
“Halfway right. I did come back to do my best to keep Ani out of it and, if that proved impossible, to keep her alive.”
“What about me?” Vladimir asked, sounding almost hurt.
“You’ve always been able to take care of yourself,” he said quietly. “After all, you had cooked up the majority of this plot without me. So I willingly let you use my brains and resources.”
His brother pursed his lips. “So what has changed?”
Sorin’s lip curled up. “The willingly part.”
Vladimir straightened. “Sorin,” he started, a threat inherent in the word.
“Stop acting like your godsdamn father,” Sorin shot at him, before he could think better of it. “Edward has been buried for years and the world is a better place when he stays buried.”