“No, you won’t.” Ocher objects, glaring at their potential interloper. “I don’t know anything about you.”
Odaius looks towards Azure who shrugs with a faint smile. “If Ocher says no, then no,” he agrees lightly. “You really should stop ignoring him. He’ll take that from me, but I’m not sure he will from you. I am his favorite after all.”
Ocher grimaces, “Barely.” Where did all that distrust suddenly go? Now they’re a team? Azure’s moods are as fickle as ever.
“Come on Ocher, I’m tired. Saving your ass again took all my energy.”
He doesn’t bother defending himself. Sometimes it’s easier to avoid rising to the bait with Azure. Besides he wants to get away from Odaius too. They know nothing about him and he knows a lot about them, even where they would be. He doesn’t need worldly experience to know that’s a bad thing.
They head to the dark green caravan they were shown earlier and the kid from before is already settled in on one side. The kid watches him closely as they climb in. It makes him uncomfortable. He’s still not good with kids and this one seems to be brimming with barely restrained curiosity.
He wedges himself in on the opposite side, sandwiched between Azure and the wall of the caravan, forcing Azure to move. His intentions don’t go unnoticed and Azure glares as he shifts over. Ocher shrugs, pulling the blanket over his shoulders. Azure already moved, it’s not his problem anymore.
“Why does he stay so close?” The kid asks, finally done with holding back his questions.
“He’s affectionate and lonely,” Azure answers smugly with a sly grin back at him.
“No, I’m not!” Azure’s the one who touches him, he gets punished if he even attempts first contact.
“Fine, then. I’ll leave you alone. Make sure to keep your hands to yourself too.”
“Good,” he replies, momentarily mollified until the thought of what Azure might actually mean hits him. The other male is vindictive enough to keep him at a five feet distance and disappear on him with no guilt under the pretense of ‘leaving him alone.’ “Wait, that’s not what I meant!”
Azure turns away from him laughing, “If you say so.” He pulls his tablet from his bag and holds it out to him, “Read to me, Ocher.”
“No, thanks,” Ocher pushes it back. “I don’t like reading and whenever I do, either you don’t listen or try to feel me up.” Not that he’s really complaining.
Azure laughs again, taking his tablet back and pulling up the browser. “You’re not wrong.” Ocher watches over his shoulder as he begins searching the web. “Then, let’s find your happy childhood home.”
Chapter 15: Azure
Ocher stands in front of the door, shifting his weight anxiously. Azure isn’t sure if the other boy is nervous at the prospect of seeing his family again or just angry that he has to be here at all. He hadn’t shown any inclination that he was ready to forgive them, he was even more subdued on the way here.
Azure steps forward to wrap his arms around him and rest his head against Ocher’s. “It’s fine, stop fidgeting.”
He feels Ocher lean back into him, resting a hand over his arm, “Are you really trying to reassure me?”
“Maybe.”
“Or trying to manipulate me into picking you over them.”
Azure laughs, “I don’t need to manipulate you.” The ‘anymore’ goes unsaid. He squeezes a bit tighter, reveling in the warmth of Ocher against him. After meeting them, he’s really not sure what Ocher will choose to do. He can make all the threats he wants and Ocher can swear his loyalty, but in the end, it’s the actions that really count. “Are you ready for this?”
“No.”
“Alright,” Azure lets go and hears Ocher take a deep breath as he knocks on the door. A second later, the door swings open and a woman with Ocher’s skin tone and eye shape appears. This must be his mother.
She looks at him in confusion before her eyes slip to Ocher and she gasps, tears gathering in her eyes.
Interesting.
Pulling the door open the rest of the way, she reaches forward to pull Ocher into a hug, but he backs up before she can reach him, leaving her expression crestfallen. Azure steps in to smooth the rejection over, “He’s just nervous and unused to touch after being in the army for so long.” Her eyes fill with sadness and understanding.
“I’m Mayla,” she introduces herself, then calls back into the house. Mayla ushers them inside and onto a couch in the living room, careful not to touch them. Shortly afterwards, two older boys and a girl younger than Ocher come out. Azure feels Ocher go rigid beside him.
He studies them, they all have the same family resemblance, except the eye color which he assumes Ocher must have inherited from their father. Their sister looks to be several years younger and she hides shyly behind her elder brothers.
So, they chose to have a fourth child. Azure represses his smile, that almost guarantees Ocher’s allegiance to him. Similar to himself, Ocher is not always the most forgiving. Although, he’s not sure if that’s an inherent trait of his personality or something Ocher picked up from him along the way.
Mayla takes a seat opposite them and her children crowd around her, expressions ranging from suspicion to outright shock. For her part, she does her best to keep a smile on even as her eyes dart endlessly around the room, only occasionally coming to rest back on Ocher’s impassive face.
“So, how are you both?”
“We’re fine,” Azure answers for them.
Mayla’s eyes flick over to him, “And who are you? Did you two meet in the army?”
“Something like that,” he responds noncommittally. Azure watches the older brothers exchange an uneasy look. He doesn’t judge them for their mistrust, they’ve probably heard about the incidents at both bases. The reason Ocher has come back isn’t unknown to any of them.
“Well, it’s good that Ocher has a friend!” Mayla clasps her hands enthusiastically. “I know the army is a tough place and I was afraid he would be all alone there at such a young age. Ocher never was the most outgoing child.”
Azure bites the inside of his cheek in amusement, it looks like her fears were spot on. “No, he’s not alone. Ocher sticks pretty close, but you’re right, he isn’t the most outgoing person. That hasn’t changed.”
“Looks like he’s still our same younger brother then,” the eldest adds. “Does he still have a temper? He used to be so calm and then one wrong thing and he’d attack us with his little baby fists. He was so easy to tease.” The two brothers laugh together and Azure’s gaze slides sideways. Ocher doesn’t look amused in the slightest. In fact, he looks almost disgusted.
Mayla smiles up at them before turning back to Ocher, “We weren’t sure if we would get to see you before you turned yourself in. It’s unfortunate your father is still at work. Maybe you could stay to have a last meal with us? I know he would love to see how you’ve grown too. Either way, we’re still happy we get to meet you again.”
Ocher grows even stiffer, if that’s possible and Azure pushes down another laugh. Last meal? He hopes she means their last meal because there’s no way Ocher is doing anything for these people, especially not putting his life on the line to save them. She’s delusional, they’re nothing to him and every word out of their mouths is another nail in the coffin.