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Jiah had gone missing. She had not answered a single one of Yeon’s calls for the last two hours.
He had been walking around her area, but hadn’t gone to her immediately since she had been busy working on editing the latest part of the documentary her team had been working on.
Last thing that Yeon heard from her, was that she was meeting up with an eyewitness at a cafe nearby.
He never would have imagined said eyewitness was his little brother, Lee Rang.
Lee Yeon got sick of waiting for a reply, and headed directly for Jiah’s house.
Jiah didnt know Lee rang, but Lee rang knew Jiah. How could he not? This was the woman his brother placed on a pedestal, while he was dirtier than the scum of the earth to him.
A good for nothing, little shit brother that only knew how to bother and get in Lee Yeon’s way.
A thing that needed disciplining, a pain in his ass. An ungrateful brat- all of the above.
Who gave a fuck at this point? Bad attention was attention at the end of the day, wasnt it?
So why shouldn’t Rang be bad? Chasing after his brother like a shadow didnt do him any good 300 years ago. Things done “the good way” clearly didnt get him anywhere with his brother.
And this would be no different. Rang knew how this would go. Lee Yeon would walk in and they would fight, he would get insulted and beat up and scolded and then hed be thrown out and spat on. Like always.
But, Lee Yeon would come. He would come, and he would be there at that moment..so it was a win right?
So he sat on Jiah’s couch, and waited for the show to begin. For the plot to develop itself the same way it always did.
Yeon already knew playing cocky was Rang’s defense mechanism, being cynical was his way of survival..but it still pissed him off nonetheless.
He barged through the door, and of course the first thing he saw was Lee Rang, on Jiah’s couch.
“Hi, brother” Rang said with a shit-eating grin and a small wave of his hand.
Jiah was on the opposite couch, deeply asleep. Yeon looked back towards Rang.
“Dont worry, shes not dead. I just thought it was about time for a reunion dont you think?” The younger fox exclaimed with a smile, his eyes crinkling with every word that left his lips.
Lee Yeon immediately flew over to the younger, pinning him to the wall by his neck.
“This funny to you?” He hissed out. Looking Rang right in the eyes.
“A little?” Rang said with a sheepish chuckle. Yeon adjusted his grip- his outer forearm fully pressing against Rang’s chest and throat.
Yeon threw him around like a rag.
Windows were broken, the living room became a mess and an entire bookshelf was knocked over.
Rang smiled as blood dribbled from between his teeth. He nodded his head weakly.
“Keep going” He commented, his voice wheezing from the punches and kicks Yeon had landed on him.
Rang had landed a couple of hits too, but there was no wiping out Yeon the way his older brother could wipe him out.
“Why do you do this huh? Do you like getting beaten by me that much?” Yeon asked, walking closer to Lee Rang, who laid weakly on the floor- looking up at Yeon.
“Sure..lets say that” Rang said weakly, adverting his gaze to the fallen books that lie on the floor with him.
Yeon crouched down, and positioned Rang’s torso between his legs. Hovering directly over him.
“Then what is the fucking problem- Lee Rang.” He said through gritted teeth. His eyes burning with rage.
Rang avoided his gaze even more. “Why should I tell you that? You’re the great mountain god Lee Yeon..figure it out yourself” He said, his voice coming down to a whisper at the very end.
The younger gumiho’s head was turned completely to the side. He didnt want to make eye contact- because if he did Lee Yeon would figure him out.
“Its not like you ever cared about me anyways..you just care about that woman” Rang mumbled, his voice wetting. Lee Yeon looked down at him.
“You wouldnt have come if I wasnt causing trouble..you always show up just to beat me up and leave..you..you would never show up if I called you..If I was hurt” Rang stated weakly, a defeated tone bleeding into his words. Why care anymore. He just felt so- so misunderstood and defeated.
Why should he pull his brother tooth and nail for him just to notice just to care out of the own goodness of his heart. He was so done with laying it out for Yeon. Couldn’t he see the obvious?
Yeon sighed. He blew the hair out of his face before sitting down on Lee Rang’s stomach. The younger winced in pain- and the older fox raised an eyebrow.
“I didnt hit you on the stomach.” He deadpanned. His hand immediately flew down to the hem of Rang’s shirt- nearly ripping it off to see what was beneath.
An injury bigger than Lee Yeon’s hand right on the younger’s stomach. Bruised ribs. Infected wounds.
“Who did this to you?” Lee Yeon questioned. Lee Rang scoffed. “Like you give a fuck..you just beat me around like a rag- why does it even matter?” he questioned, rolling over to get his older brother off of him.
Lee Rang had a point. Yeon had beaten him around within an inch of his life- it would be hypocritical to suddenly care about these unknown injuries. But, that didnt stop Lee Yeon from feeling bad about reacting the way he did.
He would attempt to be nice to his little brother, and see where that took him.
“Rang-ah” Lee Yeon started. Rang curled up, facing completely away from him. His breaths were heavy, holding back the urge to cry from pain. The younger ignored him.
“Are you acting up because you want my attention? Is that it? Is that why you went after Jiah?” Lee yeon questioned, and it seems he hit the nail on the head- judging by the way the younger’s head whipped around to look at him.
It made perfect sense, going after Jiah did seem like the only logical way for Rang to even get inside Lee Yeon’s picture.
“You said im pathetic earlier..why should I even answer your questions?” Rang deadpanned, turning back around to lay away from Yeon.
Yeon crawled closer to the younger. Sitting down right by his little brother’s head. His hand centimeters from Rang’s hair. Rang curled up tighter.
“How long have you been injured..? Is this why you got me to come here? So I would pay attention and help you?” Yeon asked sadly, his tone laced with self-conciousness. Rang didnt reply, and just curled into himself even more, if physically possible.
It clicked in Yeon’s head now. Rang could only get his attention if he did something bad. If he stirred up trouble- especially involving Jiah. Rang was incapable of asking Yeon for care or comfort- acting out like this was his way of saying ‘Notice me, dont you see im hurting? Help me.’
Yeon slowly let his hand go into Lee Rang’s hair, brushing at it quietly. “Hyung understands now” He whispered softly, his deep-set eyes wandering over to the little sliver of Rang’s face that he was able to see. The youngers ears had turned red, and his breathing became erratic with hiccups.
Rang was crying.
“Its alright now, you mustve been scared..” Yeon trailed off, watching Rang trying not to break apart. “You just wanted me to care for you right? Because somebody hurt you..” he reasoned out loud, watching the small frame in front of him go from trembling to shaking.
“You just wanted your hyung..I understand now, Rang-ah..come here love” Yeon whispered, his free hand tugging on Rang's elbow.
The youngest let out a quiet sob, breaking once and for all. For 300 years- he has prayed for his brother to just fucking get it. He finally did.
After all that heartache- all those nights alone in a cold, empty room..where he would tightly squeeze his own arms around his body, and the way he would lay coldly- his own hands finding their way into his hair as he whispered It's okay softly into the shadows. Rang had been his own comfort for so long- while wishing for his brother to be the one doing this for him.
So finally seeing his brother get it, broke him in ways he himself couldnt understand.
The younger boy was carefully picked up and hugged into Lee Yeon’s shoulder. The oldest rubbed his back as loud, painful sobs wracked their way through that little frame. Rang cried out- nearly screaming. The pain of being so, so cripplingly alone flowing with each tear that hit Yeon’s shirt.
He screamed and sobbed like a little boy.
Yeon had to hold himself back from letting his eyes get wet. To think that this is why Rang had made so much trouble over the years- that all this time it had been a blaring siren instructing Yeon to just look beneath the surface of these situations and actually attempt to find a cause..it made his chest hurt.
Lee Yeon brushed at his little brother’s hair as he slowly calmed down- nearly an hour after he began crying. The young fox had exhausted himself in every sense of the word.
The boy who never slept in front of others- never let himself be weak and vulnerable in front of other people, was now limp in his arms.
Rang had fallen asleep to his older brother carding fingers through his hair, and quietly whispering sweet words to him.
It was nothing short of a dream. Purely impossible in Lee Rang’s mind, but the way his chest rose and fell peacefully in Yeon’s arms was certainly real.
“You’re not alone anymore Rang-ah, Hyungs here now” Yeon whispered into nothingness, the corner of his lips lifting as he heard his little brother’s incoherent, sleepy murmuring.
He hadn’t had the privilege of hearing that since the day he found Rang in that forest.
His little brother had never been gone- he had been there, fighting alone all this time. In his own way.
Lee Yeon was grateful for every scene he made, every tantrum he threw, every punch he landed and every whine he let out. He understood now- and they would both be pain-free from today onwards.
“I love you, Rang-ah. Forever and always.”