[ Matthew hates it, he hates seeing either of his brothers upset, and when Declan begs him like this in a way that he's never seen before in his life it wrenches at every piece of him that's still intact and he tries, he tries--oh god, please, make it stop, he doesn't want to leave Declan either.
But it's getting worse. His fingers reach up to pull at his own hair, his ears, a pathetic attempt to silence the buzzing, only to come away smeared in more black.
It gets worse, when he stops crying, and then even more so, when his spine arches and his head lolls backward and he looks at Declan and for a heartstoppingly terrible moment doesn't know him.
But it doesn't get any worse than that.
Miles away, another boy falls to the ground, a king in his sacrifice. In the kitchen, Matthew slumps abruptly against Declan, going still except for the wild, exaggerated heaving of his chest, like a person who's been held underwater and then clawed their way back to air.
His eyes roll closed, the only sound in his ears is that of his own blood rushing through his head. ]
One-- [ He's exhausted, his voice slurring with fatigue, but he has to say it for Declan. ] Two punch.
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But it's getting worse. His fingers reach up to pull at his own hair, his ears, a pathetic attempt to silence the buzzing, only to come away smeared in more black.
It gets worse, when he stops crying, and then even more so, when his spine arches and his head lolls backward and he looks at Declan and for a heartstoppingly terrible moment doesn't know him.
But it doesn't get any worse than that.
Miles away, another boy falls to the ground, a king in his sacrifice. In the kitchen, Matthew slumps abruptly against Declan, going still except for the wild, exaggerated heaving of his chest, like a person who's been held underwater and then clawed their way back to air.
His eyes roll closed, the only sound in his ears is that of his own blood rushing through his head. ]
One-- [ He's exhausted, his voice slurring with fatigue, but he has to say it for Declan. ] Two punch.