kohako_shadow

Author's Note: I decided on a sequel series to my Dark side of the
Moon series. This is the first story. For some kind of reason the
story series isn’t letting me go.
Also I choose Phelan as Ezra’s middle name. It’s Gaelic and
means “little wolf”, I think it’s just perfect since I consider the
guys more as a pack of wolves than anything.
And this is the first story that’s actually more than 7 seven pages
long so an actually feat for me. Alas I decided to break it into
several parts.

Title: Basking in the Moon’s Light 1/?
Author: Kohako_Shadow
Disclaimer: I wish to own these characters, but alas the Powers that
Be thought otherwise. I'm happy enough with playing with them for a
couple of hours.
Warning: None that I can think of...except maybe for the several
shifts in perspective and my ramblings; and just being long-winded.
So Yeah be warned!
Summary: The road to recovery is paved with chocolate bricks and
fluffy kisses
Series: Basking in the Moon’s Light (sequel to Dark Side of the Moon
series)

+++

Atop a canopy of cards and magic he slept. Unaware; unmoving of the
fact he was swallowed up by a dark void streaked with stars. The
youth was never tall or large to begin with, but amidst the
protective cover he seemed even tinier than life. The light from
beyond gently covered him with this ethereal glow. Casting him in a
morbid display of a fallen Angel; suspended by the sun.

Brown placid eyes surrounded him from all sides. Watching and
protecting the recovering soul flickering in and out of life. Blacks
and browns alike bared gleaming teeth; elegant necks straining
forward from the baby blue walls. Lush manes whipped and sharp hooves
dared anyone to enter. The sight would have been frightening if the
horses weren’t chibified and looking utterly adorable despite their
attempt of fierceness. Also the lithe form sneaking into the quarters
was made of sterner stuff than to be thwarted by a herd of cute
horses.

The soft butterfly wings glancing off his rosy cheek did not disturb
him from his slumber. Cautiously his unseen visitor crept back into
the sunlit hallway. Lances of sunshine streamed behind the broad
back. A thin glowing halo formed above long lushes of angel hair. A
sad sigh fell from droopy lips. He had hoped the kid was awake. It
had been too much to hope for.

‘Aw hell, now I gotta wait for the kid to wake up!’

“Damn! It’s not fair!”

He whimpered and his bottomless hole hissed. With slow measured step
he walked the agonizing slope back to the silver kitchen. Sparks of
light glittered around the place, it gleamed and pulsed with a life
of its own. Vin’s mouth watered; his thoughts a jumble of sweet
strawberries layered on fluffy scones and sweets in between. Oh the
things his brother Chris had made in this kitchen. He thanked his
lucky stars his brother held him second in favor of tasting his
heavenly culinary skills.

Walking quietly toward the huge fridge, he paused and debated on his
further actions. Yanking it open before the last of his resolve
vanish he gently set his package of heaven on one of the shelves. The
cool air cleared his head and he criticized his choice of placement.
Clearly setting it between Josiah’s Chili dish and the last pack of
Coronas would do it injustice.

He laughed quietly to himself and then threw caution to the wind.
Everyone knew of his famous sweet tooth, but it was only Ezra that
knew of his secret delight. He liked to talk and lovingly whisper
sweet nothingness at his sweet.

“Don’t worry hun, I’ll fix you something nice.”

It was ridiculous and utterly quirky but he believed with all his
heart that it just made the tasty morsels seem more heavenly when he
devoured them. His loving ramblings would be testimony to the good
they’d be doing to him, nestled warmly inside of him. A snort of
amusement snapped his head against the top shelf. His curse died in
the face of mischief. Chagrined he rubbed his newest acquisition.

“You did that on purpose!”

Spiky blonds shook with delight before jumping on the marble island
dividing them. If anyone other than Chris Larabee did it, they would
have been given hell. Since none of them wanted to face death by
hunger the guys had learned the old adage of "silence is golden" the
hard way. Although cleaning duty had never sounded as good to Vin,
when Chris gave him scraps of bliss for his reluctant help. 

“Close the damn door, if you want the pleasure of eating tonight!”,
Chris mock-growled.

A large lump stuck on sun-kissed skin before long calloused fingers
slammed the metal door. A wince stole over his feature and the young
Texan glimpsed between his lashes, in fear of his older brother’s
wrath. Puppy dog eyes shone; brimmed with a dash of silver at the
ends. A look of disgust wiped the forming smile on Chris’ face.

“You really need to stop copying JD, you know that! It just takes the
fun out of everything.”

A short laugh burst out of Vin before he could stop himself. It felt
good to hear the soft rumbling laughter of the blonde echoing with
his in the air.

He could feel the heavy weight lifting off both of their souls. They
would get through this thing together, as a family. This past week
had taken a large toll on everyone, but not as much as with Chris.
Josiah surmised it was because their leader felt too deeply about
others, especially his loved ones, despite his black countenance.

Hearing the high voice of JD calling him, Vin took one last longing
look toward the fridge before moving away. Locking his baby blue eyes
with pale green ones he waited for the elegant brows to lift. The
silence grew between them to encompass a gaping crater.

‘Wait for it!’ He told himself and held his breath. As sure as the
sun came up, so did the telltale throbbing of that little vein right
above his brother’s right eye. Larabee was so easy to aggravate. He
grinned with a smug voice before blundering onward with the tact of a
bull.

“So, what’s for dinner?”

Chris only answer was to ruffle his curls, to his dismay; lightly
cuffing him on the head and told him to, “Get out of here Tanner and
I better not see you in here before I’m finished.” 

The annoying whine died in Vin’s voice when the surprisingly strong
grasp of JD kidnapped him from his beloved place in the house.
Playfully discussing the merits of staying put as JD dug in his heels
he finally let the boy drag him to the tables. Quenching the urge to
run from hell and back toward what, in his opinion,  had to be heaven
on earth.

Chris waited a moment before he heard the quiet settle down with a
sigh. On wraith’s feet he stalked through the house moving toward the
corridor. A moment pause and then he was closing in. The golden plate
glaring back made him smile ruefully. “Ezra” was scrawled in
calligraphy writing on the plaque with an ace of spades cards on each
corner. With hardly any power the door swung open, hinges creaking
quietly in the silence.

Mismatched toys and books littered in familiar places. A cursory
glance told him no unknown entities lingered in the room. Years on
the wayside where focused kept you away from the banks of the Styx,
made him aware of the curious onlooker. However the surprise on his
face trickled passed his defenses when faced with his little brother.

It seemed wrong somehow. The sight that held him in his tracks
settled wrong in his psyche. Subdued was a foreign word when
describing their Ezra. Energetic; full of life seemed more likely
than this shell of pain and misery. His tentative, “hey” dispelled
the shadows lurking in murky eyes. Grinning at the look of disgust
settling on the delicate features, Chris offered the boy some respite.

“Why don’t we draw you a bath, Kiddo? Wash all the dirt away before
we have to pry you out of that bed.”

Immense relief smiled his way and laughing heartily the big blond
delicately swept Ezra off his feet. The procession toward the
pristine bathroom was slow but light at ease. They were in no hurry.
And Chris rejoiced in holding his brother against him. He fit in the
cradle of his large arms as if he was made for them. The chaos
residing in his soul eased with the sunshine that filtered inside.

A ruffle on oily locks earned him the Larabee glare, the effect
diminished by the scrunched up face Ezra made. Quickly the blond set
to work on filling the large tub with rose-scented water. Little
bubbles emerged from the warm pool and a giggle beside him lightened
his heart. Turning his back toward the boy he prepared himself for
the onslaught of emotions when the disappearance of flimsy protection
heralded the visions of pain and agony. 

His heart stopped. The livid purples and blues had faded, painting
the white backdrop with sickly colors of vomit greens and murky
yellows. Bile rose up in his mouth and he steadied his breathing like
Vin taught him during one of his innovated moments. It did nothing to
ease his mind; ugly thoughts ran a mile a minute. He curled his large
hands, suddenly afraid of any contact. Similar yet foreign hands
marred the beautiful visage of perfection.

He did not notice the hot cascading waterfall streaming against his
cheeks until he felt the smooth touch of his brother. Tiny soft hands
reverently brushed his anguish away while murmuring understanding
words of comfort and love. He was selfishly aware of his actions yet
warmed by his brother’s. The invisible weight lifted off him and
drifted back into the void. Acknowledging the support he allowed the
last remaining ounce of strength to filter away into the tiles. His
brother was safe and sound. They would overcome this sleight of hand.
It deemed not worthy of thoughts of if’s and maybe’s. The past was
the past; could never be re-written. They could only exult in the
glory of the presence; in the here and now.

The bath refreshed them both, tranquilizing and soothing at the same
time. Wrapping his precious package in cottons of puppies and
grinning bones he sauntered to the large living room. Despite the
sunny day contrasting with the gloomy air that permeated the house, a
warm crackling fire greeted them. A dark head poked from the kitchen,
waved enthusiastic then disappeared like fog from the sun.

“Here you go, Pard!”

A swash and buckle and the small mahogany table was engulfed with an
enormous plate filled to the brim with chocolate chip cookies. The
dark aroma of cacao flooded his nostrils and Chris sighed heavenly.
Buck was a bachelor in heart and spirit. He may not be Martha
Stewart, but his famous chocolate chip cookies were to kill for. A
grateful smile was directed toward the grinning lothario.

Handing a mug of hot chocolate to their younger brother he cautioned
Ezra before sipping his own. Seconds later they watched as petite
hands edged forward to grab one of the delights. The sounds of
munching and slurps were music to their ears.

They sat there on the large beaten down leather that had long expired
ages ago. Even in the haven of their home they cocooned Ezra between
them; protecting him from any seen and unforeseen threats. Soon the
soft sounds of giggling dogs and smiling mice invaded their quiet
moment. Twin sets of scowls formed and then smoothed in relaxation.
They would endure the silly antics of Goofy and Mickey for the sake
of their brother’s laughter. In the end it wasn’t about them.

Unheard a ghost detached itself from the shadows. On light feet it
slinked cautiously around the table; its grey tail sensually
caressing the wood. Slits of emerald opened with mischief. A pink
tongue stroked over the velvet fur before settling tense under the
wood. A purr of satisfaction was their only warning as with the
loosening of its muscles it launched itself on his unsuspecting
victims. Honed reflexes kept them from getting scalded by their hot
beverages.

“Grey!”

A squeal of delight slashed through the shocked silence and Chris
swallowed his expletive as kisses and hugs and blissful purrs
permeated the air. If looks could kill his gregarious brother would
have been pushing daisies. As it was he did not fancy the time wasted
by cooking a delicious meal laced with poison. Or the sore back he’d
get for dragging Buck’s sorry ass into a pit in the yard. So he
settled on just glaring at his brother and Ezra’s cat.

Several minutes later and the crystal clear water washing away the
distinctive taste of medicine away, Chris felt alive again. Or as
alive as he could be in Buck’s opinion. He watched as Chris pinched
the bridge of his nose. Puffy red-tinted eyes cleared enough to glare
balefully at his amusement. Always aware of their younger brother
feelings the big menace was mindful of his actions. He painstakingly
assured Ezra that he was fine before resuming glaring needles at the
pretentious feline in his lap.

This tickled Buck’s funny bones considering the feline was kneading
the blonde’s privates. Sharp claws, lethal despite their size, were
sinking inch by inch of nails into soft flesh. Buck barely swallowed
his laughter at the agonizing look his brother shot him. Thankfully
Ezra’s urge to cuddle and shower his familiar with love saved Chris
from ever spawning again. By now Buck was biting his lips. The sudden
whoosh was just too much for him and he laughed his ass right off his
chair.

The looks of disgust and confusion shot his way only served to set
him off again. Realizing the ridiculous situation the other two
joined in, for Chris it was his embarrassment and for Ezra it was
having the joy of seeing his brothers so happy.

‘At least they’re not acting funny again. They are so weird.’

Ezra shook his head and lovingly stroked the silken fur of his
friend. His small smile went unnoticed as his brothers were still pre-
occupied. He watched them from the curtains of his locks and ruefully
smiled.

‘Thank god they aren’t sad anymore.’

He hated it when they were unhappy and gloomy. It made the world seem
so cold and harsh when they weren’t wearing their happy faces. After
awhile the novelty wore off and they lapsed in silence harbored in
peace. That’s how Josiah and Nathan found them, still surrounded by
the calmness of familiarity.

Giving their little brother their own brand of welcome they settled
to watch the news. It wasn´t long before the raucous chatter of their
remaining family entered the den. Warm greetings were exchanged all
around before the two thunderheads of brown and blond settled
themselves on each side of Ezra. A ruffle and a poke later both Vin
and JD had Ezra´s laughter drawn out.

By now the delicious aromas wafting from Chris was too much to ignore
and the guy’s stomach’s each started their own appreciated rumble of
approval. Like children following the pied piper they followed their
stomachs to the kitchen. The big marble island was already finished
with table wear and heating pans. They didn’t often dine in the
kitchen, preferring to eat in the large dining room, but then Chris
probably hadn’t had the patience to yell for them to set the table.
They shrugged at each other and seated themselves in their usual
positions. Now was not the time to question Chris’ behavior after all
you didn’t bite the hand that fed you. This way none of  them had to
go the long way to fetch something from the kitchen.

Even with the round island it still felt like Chris sat at the head
of the table. Silence enveloped them until the crackling of the fire
was their only noise. The clasping of hands and then the ritual of
thanks was given by Josiah. None of them were very religious but they
mimicked their eldest. It wasn´t something they did to indulge the
gentle giant, by joining him they tried to understand their friend
better and respect his wishes. It wasn´t often that they gathered
around together to eat. Not after their parents died did they eat
together anymore.