Why

"Why would you do something like that?"

Lucifer was scared, but he wouldn't let himself show it - at least, he'd try his best not to. Nonetheless, he started to back up across the cave as Crowley advanced, teeth bared in a grisly approximation of a smile. His brother was three years older than him, and though he was still young, he seemed almost adult-sized already. Tall, lean and fast, with great feathered wings and talons like serrated swords. Lucifer never tried to get on the wrong side of Crowley, but sometimes he did so without even meaning to - and most of the time, he didn't even know what he'd done to make Crowley so angry with him.

Then again, he had no idea why his brother hated him so much in the first place.

'Why would I do it?' Crowley replied, his voice a menacing hiss in the semidarkness. He took a step closer, and Lucifer pressed his back against the cold wall of the cave. 'Because I want to.'

The white crowdragon shivered and looked down. There, lying at Crowley's feet, was the reason this whole argument had started. A small wooden bird, perhaps three inches long. A silly thing, really. Lucifer's parents had bought it for him while on an expedition to a distant town, and he had loved the little toy ever since. They hadn't bought Crowley one, saying that there were no more left in the shop. They had been very apologetic about it, but Lucifer had a feeling his brother had never gotten over the fact that their parents had given Lucifer a gift and not him. But it wasn't Lucifer's fault that they'd done it, and he didn't understand why he deserved to pay the price.

And yet, he'd returned to the cave a few minutes ago to find the toy lying on the floor, one of the wings snapped off, the wood carved with vicious claw gashes.

The thought filled him with a sudden, burning need to stand up to his brother.

'Crowley,' he said, forcing back his stutter and trying to stand taller. Even on tiptoes, he was a little bit shorter than Crowley. 'It's - it's not fair to break my things just because you don't have one.' Seeing the dangerous glint in his brother's yellow eyes, he hastened to add, 'I-I know it's really unfair! But it wasn't my fault!'

'You little idiot!' Crowley exploded. 'Of course it's your fault! If you didn't exist, then my parents would have given it to ME!' In a lightning-fast movement, he lunged across the cave. Lucifer gasped as he felt claws wrap around his neck, pushing him back against the wall with merciless force. It hurt. 'I hate you! I wish you'd never been born!'

That hurt more.

'I-I'm sorry,' Lucifer whispered.

'No, you're not.' Crowley gripped his neck harder, tugging on his feathers. 'You're just a stuck-up, goody-two-shoes brat. You don't deserve to live here. And one day, I swear I'm gonna get rid of you somehow.' He froze as the sound of footsteps echoed through another part of the cave. Heavy footsteps - their father, Rook.

'This isn't over,' he hissed, and in a second the pressure on Lucifer's throat was gone and Crowley had disappeared.