[FRAG] Grieve in Blood

The chimes on the door rang as Morning Star stepped in, pausing to wipe his feet on the welcome mat. He pulled the door shut securely behind himself, twisting the lock. It wasn't actually all that useful - it wasn't like it activated charms or wards - but it made him feel better, even if a little bit.

He didn't shrug off his coat as he stepped from the foyer into the dining room. The lights were on, and the table was scattered with a mixture of cards, poker chips, drinks, and his siblings. Neither glanced up as Morning Star quietly slipped into a chair, but one did push him a small pile of chips.

"Oh, you know I don't like poker," he muttered, rubbing his wrist awkwardly.

Nebulous Star gestured. "At least play a hand or two."

Morning Star didn't protest, simply waiting. Hour Star folded, and Neb collected the chips in the middle. Five cards were flicked to each player. Morning Star pushed his chip into the center and quietly picked up his hand. Two Dolphins, a Shark, a pegasus, and a unicorn. He could try for an aquatic house.

The trio sat in silence as chips were moved and cards were placed facedown on the table. They were reshuffled and redistributed, and Morning Star peeked at his hand once more. 

He didn't like gambling in the first place. He always played too cautious, was too easily intimidated, and always lost to Hour Star. Their personal games had no real weight behind them, but they were still terrifying in a sense: overwhelming and not fun at all. But they were a family activity, and so Morning Star always played when he came home.

Nebulous Star coughed as they pushed more chips into the center. "So."

Morning Star glanced up.

"Word got out about your boyfriend pretty damn fast."

Ah. Morning Star glanced back down to his hand. "I expected as much."

"So he really did turn down an Overseer invitation?" Neb glanced over to Morning Star, picking up their glass of... something and taking a sip. 

"Yes." Morning Star stared at his hand. There was something twisting in his chest, and he didn't like the way it made him feel almost sick.

Hour Star slammed down a handful of chips. "Raise!"

"He doesn't expect them to stop, does he?" Neb tapped the table before pushing more chips in. "The Overseers can recruit him any way they wish. They could take him in for the next Voidrinker title."

"I know." it wasn't something Morning Star had thought about often. He didn't want to. He just wanted it all to be over.

Hour Star leaned back in his chair and shot Morning Star a grin. "He still treatin you good?"

"What?" Morning Star glanced over his cards. "O-of course! If he wasn't then we wouldn't stay together."

Neb and Hour shared a dubious look across the table. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Morning Star lowered his cards.

Hour reached down, digging into a cooler that sat next to his chair. He procured a drink and slid it to Morning Star, who shrank away as if berated. Silence ensued as the other two stared expectantly.

"I don't drink," Morning Star mumbled, weakly.

Hour grinned. "It ain't alcohol."

He glanced back to the bottle again. There was no label on it, and it was certainly shaped like a beer bottle. Tentatively, Morning Star reached forward, picking it up and drawing it closer to himself. The lid was on too firmly for him to smell.

With a slow, shaking hand, Morning Star uncertainly unscrewed the cap, lifting it close to sniff. It didn't smell like anything, but he still didn't trust the waiting grins his siblings wore. He almost wanted to put it back down and reiterate that he didn't drink. But then it'd hang in the air between them for too long, and make it hard to climb out of the awkward pit.

So Morning Star took a sip.

It burned.

Starsdamnit, it was alcohol.

He coughed into his arm while Hour Star had himself a right laughing fit. Neb had the dignity to not poke fun, but smiled behind their cards, pretending to be wholly interested in the pile of chips on the table than his wheezing brother. Morning Star slammed the bottle back onto the table and pushed it towards Hour Star with a dirty glare.

"You can finish the rest of it!" Hour encouraged between snickers, pushing the bottle back.

"I told you I don't drink."

"You just did!"

Morning Star narrowed his eyes. Hour was still laughing, so deeply amused by forcing alcohol on him. It was a game to him, to both of them. A fun game wherein they pushed all of Morning Star's boundaries and watched him suffer for it. And they still had the gall to ask why he didn't come home more often.

Then again, they both were definitely drunk. Maybe he just kept coming back at the wrong times, when they were both well passed buzzed and into cruel territory. Morning Star wordlessly picked up his hand again, trying to ignore Hour pushing the bottle closer and closer. It teetered on the edge of the table.

Hour reached to push it again. 

Morning looked up with narrowed eyes. "What are you-"

The bottle was pushed over, and spilled most unceremoniously on Morning Star's lap. He stared dully at the mess while Hour howled in laughter. Morning Star slowly picked up the bottle and set it back on the table, ignoring how cold and wet his thighs were. 

"Maybe you should've finished the drink," Hour half-giggled, winking. 

Morning Star stared at his hand. Two Dolphins, a Shark, a Mermaid, and an Antelope. This was the best hand he'd ever had. It'd be more than enough to blow his siblings out of the water; no way they could beat an aquatic house. He could totally, utterly humiliate them, take the chips, and leave. It would be so badass. He'd strut out while they sat there, mouths hanging open, and he'd head home to Magnotris and they'd kiss and it'd all feel better.

"Soooo," Neb rolled their eyes, "how's the sex?"

Morning Star narrowed his eyes at his hand. Think about winning. Think about winning.

"Honestly, I think Magnotris was an ass guy," Hour spoke up, voice suddenly serious, as if he were discussing a child's report card. "Always caught him staring a bit too much."

Think about winning.

"Does he top or bottom?"

Perfect hand.

"Oh, definite top, you know the type. Bet he'd get all pissy if someone tried to make him a sub."

Think about winning. 

"He definitely doesn't seem like the guy to let you tie him down. Oh, wait, is he into bondage?"

Winning.

"Eh, I don't think he would be. Too stuck-up for fun shit like that."

Winning.

"Well, Morning Star?" Nebulous Star turned to him.

Both of his siblings were grinning, wide smiles, as if this was a funny joke, simple sibling ribbing. And maybe that was what it was. But it always went too far, always dug in a little too much, always reviled in his hurt expression and tears.

Morning Star stared at his hand. He could humiliate them. He could make them look like idiots, and it wouldn't even be in front of anyone but them. They could look like the absolute walking dumbasses that they were, and he'd leave feeling good for once.

Do it. Raise.

Put more chips in the center. Raise.

"Morning Star?"

"I fold," he mumbled, voice low, quiet, tired, exhausted. He put his cards down on the table and politely laced his hands overtop of them, staring at the tablecloth instead.

Hour and Neb blinked, staring at him. He didn't react. Both awkwardly returned to their hands, frowning, nervous. Silence filtered the room as they shuffled through their cards. Neb called, as did Hour, but Neb sealed with two pairs. They pulled the chips closer and gave another worried glance to Morning Star.

The deck was shuffled, and Hour dealt all three another hand. 

Morning Star didn't bother picking up his cards to look. "I fold."

"Oh, come on," Hour leaned on the arm of his chair, gesturing with his hand of cards, "stop being a fucking baby, Morning."

"Morning Star."

"I'll call you whatever the fuck I damn well please."

Neb glanced between the two. "Can we not start a fight for once, please?"

"Hey, it ain't my fault. We invite Morning to a nice little family card game and he comes and pouts the entire time. If he wants to be a pussy-ass bitch then that's his prerogative, but I'll call him out for it."

"I'm not being a pussy-ass bitch," Morning Star mumbled, staring at the tablecloth.

Hour sneered. "Oh, really? You showed up, didn't want to play the card game we invited you to play, didn't want to have a drink, and refused to talk the entire time. You're draggin' us all down, here, Morning. It's you."

He wanted to go home. He wanted to go home to Magnotris. He wanted to lay his head on Magnotris' chest and pretend like nothing was wrong.

"Hour, knock it off," Neb hissed. He hadn't moved any chips, even though it was his turn. "Leave Morning be. He doesn't have to drink if he doesn't want to."

"He doesn't, but he doesn't have to act like a dick about it!" Hour crowed back. "We were just tryin' to be nice and check up on him and make sure he was okay, and this is our repayment! That pisses me off, aight?"

Morning Star stared at the tablecloth. 

Hour waved his hand, still ranting, "-acting like he's all high and mighty for bein' the bitch of an important Frag - just cause you opened your legs for the right guy don't mean shit! You're still-"

Abrupt teleportation shut up the entire table, who all startled away from the spark of magic. In its place stood Magnotris, who clutched a stack of papers under an arm and glanced around dubiously. 

His eyes fell on Morning Star, and a smile broke out. "Oh, good, you are here. Come along, I think I got a breakthrough in the lab. You'll want to see."

His hand slipped to take hold of Morning Star's. He didn't resist, blinking rapidly at the other's touch, trying to keep the tears from his eyes. Magnotris pulled him out of the chair, dragging him close in an almost-hug. Morning Star glanced at Neb and Hour a second before he was teleported, the image of their shocked expressions burned into his mind.

They were standing in the main room of the lab, and Magnotris was running at a thousand miles a minute. He was barking something about the doses... something about a new kind of pure Magninium. Morning Star didn't move, keeping his head quietly on the other's shoulder. It wasn't the best hug, but it was far, far better than nothing.

"-so I unscrambled the chemical makeup of - ... why are your pants wet?"

Morning Star blinked, pulling away, face tinging red. "Uh. I accidentally spilled some water on myself."

"Water?" Magnotris stared at him, eyes narrowed. "It doesn't smell like water."

Morning Star's ears flattened against his head. "I wasn't drinking," he offered, quietly.

"I didn't think you were. But I don't think you spilled it on yourself."

Morning Star was silent. Magnotris stared, and his expression twinged into gentle care, and he pulled Morning Star in closely. A comforting hand rubbed at his back, and Morning Star sniffled into the other's neck, feeling tears roll down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," Magnotris whispered in his ear.

Morning Star wanted to say it was okay. That it wasn't Magnotris' fault. That he was fine. That it was no big deal. That he'd get over it. That he wasn't actually bothered. That he'd never been bothered.

Morning Star did none of those. Morning Star cried.