lior's geheimniss. (aven, lior)

Aven woke up with a start, so sudden that it woke Ra up too. Aven tried to see around him in the pitch darkness by opening his eyes really wide. It didn't work. Not that there was anything there with him. No, he'd just been having a bad dream.

He'd gotten the news of Charlie's death indirectly. Aven had known Rowan and Charlie had been together and Charlie herself had told Aven she was dying. Then the other night, Lior had come into his room and gotten clothes. Presumably for Rowan, because Lior's didn't fit and Aven and Rowan happened to be the same size.

Charlie had approached Aven in his dream that night, clear and as beautiful as day. As beautiful as she always had been in life.

Aven frowned, the vivid memory of her glowing in his mind. She had been such a wonderful clio; bright and sunny, always with something nice to say. Aven had admired her.

He felt tears come, just as the last day Aven had seen her, when she told him what was happening to her.

You're coming back, right?
No, Aven, I won't be coming back...

It was a little hard to handle. Ra, in a sympathetic mood, crawled over to Aven and pushed his head under Aven's hand. Aven looked down at him.

"Rara, why did she have to die?"
"I know it seems hard now, Aven, these things take time. Soon you'll understand, though, that she doesn't hurt at all anymore."
"But I do!" Aven sniffed. "And so does Rowan! It's not fair!"
Ra sighed, "It's not always fair. Be rational, Aven, you know it isn't."
Aven didn't say anything. He pushed the covers off himself and stood up. Ra climbed up his pajamas to come along.

Aven walked the hall to Lior's room and quietly opened the door. His brother was asleep in his bed. Aven sniffed and took the liberty of crawling under the covers with him.

Lior stirred and rolled over, "...Aven?" He said, the sleep in his voice.
Aven nodded, "Hi."
"What are you doing here?"
"I can't sleep."
Lior leaned over his table and turned the light on. Abruptly, Aven put his hands over his eyes to shield them from the brightnes. "Why can't you sleep? Did Ra tell you another scary story?"
Aven shook his head against the pillow. "No," he sniffled again, trying to hold back his tears. It didn't work, and Aven began to cry.

Lior looked on, surprised. "Aven, hey..." he whispered, touching his shoulder. "What's the matter, kid?"
"It's Charlie," Aven sobbed, "I can't sleep, she's gone."
"Oh...Oh, Aven," Lior sighed, lying back down and awkwardly one-arm hugging his brother. "It's okay, kid."
"Can I sleep here with you, Lior?"
Lior nodded, mildly surprised at being called Lior, nodded, "Yeah, yeah, it's fine." He stroked his arm calmingly, "Just go to sleep."

Aven sniffled a little t more. "Rowan came over the other night because of Charlie, hm?"
"How did you know Rowan came over?" Lior asked, he had been sure that he hadn't woken Aven up. And Rowan had left early. Before Lior had even woken up.

"I heard him talking to you and you came in my room. Is Rowan sad?"
"Yes, Rowan is sad. I want you to be as nice to him as you can, okay, Aven? Death is a hard thing for clio..."
Aven didn't respond.
"Aven?" Lior looked over at his brother, who looked so much older when he slept. He smiled and turned the light out and fell back to sleep...