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Brandon Saint John felt completely out of his element. He was used to luxury and mansions—he lived in one, after all—, but this was just… too much. The exotic dancers, the pixies floating around, carrying trays full of pills and all kinds of beverages, the champaign fountain. Not to mention the magic. Brand couldn’t sense magic, not really, but he could feel its effects: the confusion of unnatural smells, the glimpses of glittering skin, the funny distortions in the corner of his eye.
If the circumstances had been different, Brand would’ve been enjoying himself; there was so much to look at, so much stuff to learn. However, he’d lost Rune, which meant every new interesting thing had turned into a threat. He’d only gotten distracted for a second, but apparently that had been enough for that sneaky little shit to make his escape.
It was all Lord Sun’s fault, really. Rune had finally turned thirteen the day before, making him officially a teen. Ostensibly, in Rune’s mind that turned him into an adult, and his father agreed. This meant that, instead of the celebration Rune had been hoping for, Lord Sun had dragged him to an Arcana event. He'd been understandably annoyed, but that was nothing compared to the state he’d been in once he got back.
He’d barged into Brand’s room with his tie askew and a fire blazing in his eyes. “He didn’t even stay with me; he just left me with other heirs and went somewhere to ‘take care of business,’” Rune said as he made air quotes. He looked absolutely livid.
Brand had been sitting on his bed, using this much needed Rune-free time to catch up on his homework—namely, cleaning his weapons which, according to his teachers, were “unfit for any half-decent Companion”. When he looked up, there’d been no need to assess their Companion bond to notice the mix of anger, disappointment and dejection Rune was feeling; it was all there in his eyes.
“That sucks,” he said carefully, trying to think of the right way to approach the situation.
“Why did he ask me to go if he was going to ignore me the whole time? Does he even understand the concept of a birthday celebration?” Rune continued, pacing the room.
“You should be used to him acting like this by now though,” Brand couldn’t help but say, throwing away any attempt at tact. “He is kind of an asshole.”
That made Rune laugh. “It would’ve been at least bearable if you’d been able to come with us,” he sighed, sitting on the bed too.
“Yeah, well, apparently I’m still not fit for civilized society. Too many guns, probably.”
“I doubt you’ll ever join me, then.” He yelped when Brand flicked him on the ear, but his smile hadn’t disappeared; moreover, it acquired a devilish tint. “Although it wasn’t all bad.”
Brand just stared at him, feeling something twist in his stomach.
“We’ve been invited to a party.”
And that had been it.
After such a bad excuse for a birthday celebration, Brand didn’t have the heart to say no. Rune wasn’t allowed to go out without him, so it was with Brand or not at all. Even when he found out they weren’t going to a regular party, but one of the biggest raves of the year, he hadn’t managed more than a feeble objection. Apparently, one of the upperclassmen from Magnus Academy always threw a big event at his house by the end of the term. It was absolutely decadent and pretty exclusive, yet Rune had managed to get them invited. There’d probably been a lot of batting of eyelashes involved.
Rune had been a ball of excitement the whole day—he’d changed outfit a grand total of five times. Yet, as soon as they’d arrived, Rune’s whole attitude had changed. The excitement on his face morphed into aloofness, turning into what Brand would later christen “Cool Rune”. He would’ve laughed, except he’d noticed how his own demeanor changed too. Brand stood straighter, trying to look more menacing, and his hands kept lingering on his upper thigh, where he kept some of his knives. Everything looked so grown up, he couldn’t blame Rune for trying to look the part.
They were immediately approached by one of the pixies, who didn’t lose a second offering them an impressive array of drinks. Brand refused, of course, but Rune went straight for a bright blue concoction with a holographic parasol on top. It had even sparkled.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Rune,” Brand said, eyeing the drink suspiciously.
“It’s just a drink,” Rune rolled his eyes, his mood going from excited to annoyed in a heartbeat. He’d been doing that a lot lately. “And it’s my official birthday celebration, so give me a break.”
“Couldn’t you at least pick one that came in a bottle? Preferably with the cap on?” Brand pleaded.
“And what would be the fun in that?” Before Brand could react, he tipped back the glass and downed half of the liquid in a gulp. Then, when he saw his Companion’s horrified expression, he had the audacity to laugh. “Relax, can’t you act like a teenager for once?”
“Anyone could’ve put anything in it!”
“Well, if something happens I’ll have you to carry me to safety, so no harm done.”
Brand had been too indignant to say anything. After that, he tailed Rune as he greeted some acquaintances from the Academy, though it seemed as if he was searching for someone. Every single person they passed was older than them by at least three years. Brand knew Rune had started hanging out with some of the older kids at his school, but he had no idea that they’d be that much older. And with such a taste for debauchery.
While Rune socialized, Brand tried to stay vigilant, assessing any potential threats and always conscious of his scion’s whereabouts, as he’d been trained to do. Yet, his eyes kept drifting towards the dance floor, to the couples dancing, or to a hot bartender who kept making eyes at him. He had to reprimand himself several times, forcing his mind to focus on the task at hand, his literal life mission.
Despite his best efforts, his concentration finally broke when someone approached him.
“What a sweet little thing you are, why aren’t you having a good time?”
Brand had been prepared to throw a quick sardonic comment, yet it dyed inside his throat. The voice came from a tall figure with long white hair. They were wearing a tunic so fine it was almost translucent, and every inch of their skin radiated with a supernatural glow. Their most striking feature, however, were their eyes, which seemed to keep changing color. Definitely part fae.
Through the fog that had suddenly settled on his brain, Brand managed to mumble. “How do you know I’m not having a good time?”
They laughed, a sound that seemed more like the tinkle of wind chimes than human voice. “It’s all over your face, sweet one. And we cannot have that, can we?” They’d gotten a little closer while Brand just stared, transfixed. “Why don’t you join me and my friends?”
Brand tried to take a step forward, but his body didn’t move for some reason. He really wanted to follow the fae and look at their pretty face all night. It seemed like a wonderful idea, really, why wouldn’t his body cooperate?
“Leave the kid alone, he can’t be older than thirteen.”
The voice had cut through the music, allowing Brand to get a grip on himself again. He retreated, but the fae-like individual didn’t seem to notice, having turned towards an approaching girl.
“You think? I figured he’s at least fifteen,” they said with a disappointed pout.
“Still too young for you,” she said in a sing-song. “He’s also human, you should be more careful.”
That seemed to take them aback. “Is he?” They examined Brand with a critical eye. As soon as he looked into those colorful irises, he started getting lightheaded again. “He seems too pretty to be a human though.”
The girl had gotten closer to inspect Brand too. He hadn’t really known what to think about that, so he just stared back, trying to recover some of his lost dignity.
“Yep, definitely a human. That’s two strikes, let’s go,” and then she proceeded to take her friend by the arm to lead them away. Before she left though, she turned towards Brand. “You should really invest in some anti-glamour charm or something, this idiot’s magic shouldn’t be strong enough to cause that besotted expression you wear on your face.”
After that, she’d disappeared into the crowd, taking her friend’s complaints with her and leaving Brand feeling like an idiot. He couldn’t believe he’d fallen so easily for someone else’s charms. Was his mind really that susceptible? Or was he just horny? Before he could figure out the root of his embarrassing behavior, he realized he hadn’t seen Rune in a while. The whole encounter left his mind completely, giving way to genuine panic.
That had been how Brand had landed himself in every Companion’s nightmare, surrounded by strangers and with his charge completely unaccounted for. Trying to stay calm, he felt through their bond, trying to ascertain if Rune might be in danger. Their connection was somewhat muddled, but he didn’t feel any fear, just excitement. That at least helped him think rationally again. Brand took a deep breath and started searching.
Suddenly in full bodyguard mode once more, Brand started assessing the place, now completely ignoring the lascivious looks cast his way. He was in an enormous room, in the middle of which there was an impromptu dancefloor. Numerous settees were scattered all around the walls, where people shouted at each other over the music or did… other things. Ignoring his morbid curiosity, Brand passed by couples in various compromising positions, searching. When he made sure he definitely wasn’t there, Brand moved on to another room and started systematically seeking Rune’s familiar figure. He was prepared to the same in every room of the house for as long as it took—if necessary, he'd even smash the stereo and scream Rune’s name, like an embarrassing dad picking up their child. Thankfully, before desperate measures had to be taken, his eyes finally found him. The sense of relief that washed over him felt like a warm shower after and especially exhausting day. Like his muscles could finally relax and his lungs could work properly at last.
Brand wasn’t used to seeing Rune in tight leather pants and a revealing shirt, so that was probably why it’d taken him this long to single him out. And maybe it also had something to do with the fact that he was sitting on some guy’s lap. Brand approached him at full speed, dodging people without giving them a second look, his eyes fixed on Rune.
“Where the fuck were you?”
Rune turned around without leaving his place on the guy’s legs. His face lit up as soon as he saw him, but his heavy-lidded eyes and warm cheeks confirmed Brand’s worst suspicions: Rune was completely wasted. He hadn’t even been missing thirty minutes, but he’d probably drank the whole bar by now.
“Brand! You’re here! Look who I found,” he gestured towards his human chair, a scion around seventeen looking at Rune like he was an especially appetizing piece of meat.
“C’mon Rune, we’re getting out of here.” Despite the gentleness with which he grabbed his Companion’s arm, his tone was rough and more than a little bit annoyed.
Rune didn’t move though, and not because he didn’t want to. The other guy had tightened his grip around Rune’s waist, keeping him in place. “Excuse me? Who are you to be telling Rune what to do?”
Brand saw red. “Who am I? Who the fuck are you, you-”
Thankfully, he was interrupted by Rune.
“He’s Brand, my Companion,” he said, still looking utterly relaxed. “Ordering me around is kind of in his job description.”
“Yes, and the Companion says it’s time to go now.”
The scion’s embrace on Rune stiffened again. “I don’t see why, we were having a good time until you arrived.”
That was it, he was going to cut the bastard’s hands off and make them into a necklace. He was about to chew him out, when a silent warning in Rune’s eyes stopped him. Apparently, he wasn’t as drunk as he’d seemed.
“Brand, it’s Dalton!” he pouted, with that slurred speech that he now knew Rune was exaggerating. “He’s the one who invited us, and he’s been giving me these amazing cocktails…”
Dalton? Lord Tower’s heir? That Dalton? Shit. At least that somewhat explained Rune’s weird behavior; the Tower Court was one of Lord Sun’s biggest allies, so they needed to proceed with caution. The last thing he wanted was to cause a diplomatic blunder just because he’d punched the Tower heir’s nose in. Brand still didn’t know what the hell was up with Rune, but he trusted him. Unfortunately, he’d have to put his murder plans on hold—a pity, he’d been dying to try some new knife techniques.
So, after taking a deep calming breath, Brand played along. “Yes, that’s all very nice, but I think you’ve had enough to drink, Rune. What about some fresh air?”
For a second, Brand thought Dalton was going to say no. He saw a dangerous glint in the scion’s eyes, the look of a person used to get what they wanted. But then Rune nodded and turned towards Dalton with his most charming smile.
“I’ll come back in a bit.”
Brand’s snort was thankfully drowned by the music—Rune would do no such thing, at least not on his watch. Yet, that seemed to pacify Dalton a bit, who let Rune go. When Rune stood up, he immediately put his arm around Brand’s waist. “Lead the way, Companion,” he said with a sardonic smile.
Although Brand rolled his eyes, feigning exasperation, he finally felt calm. With Rune’s wiry body next to him, safe and happy, every obstacle seemed surmountable. Even if he was an irritating little shit.
When they finally managed to fight through the throng of partying rich kids and get outside, they were greeted by a biting Spring night. The cold air felt amazing on Brand’s skin, who closed his eyes for a moment, savoring it. Then he remembered he was with a highly unpredictable drunk Rune, and opened them immediately. Thankfully, Rune hadn’t gone too far; he was just a few feet away, going in slow circles while he admired the stars.
“Are you okay?” Brand asked when he reached his side.
“Yeah, just a little dizzy.”
Brand murmured a good, then punched him on the arm. Rune had still been looking up and the blow startled him out of his reverie, making him squeal in indignation. “What was that about?”
“A little payback for acting like a dick and disappearing on me.”
“You seemed otherwise occupied, I didn’t want to interrupt,” Rune replied, with a little more venom than necessary.
Brand didn’t know how to answer that, so he decided to change the subject.
“What the fuck where you doing with Dalton anyway?”
Rune avoided his gaze, all of the sudden seeming fascinated by the patch of grass bellow him. “I told you, he was the one who invited us.”
“That didn’t mean you had to be all over him.”
“Are you jealous?” he said looking up with a gloating smile.
“Don’t make this weird,” Brand snapped, rolling his eyes. “I was worried about you! I still am. You’re not acting like yourself.”
“Maybe I want to try out something new,” he said petulantly.
“Rune…”
But he didn’t let Brand even start the sentence. “I just needed him to like me, alright? He’s the key into this world. If I want to keep getting invited to these things, he’s the way in.”
The vulnerability in Rune’s voice took him aback. Brand hesitated for a second and, when he spoke again, he did so in a softer voice. “Rune, you’re Arcana, if you want to get invited just ask.”
Rune shook his head, seeming frustrated. “You don’t understand, Brand. It doesn’t work like that.”
He was probably right; if there was something Brand knew absolutely nothing about was politics. Even school politics seemed foreign to him. In places like Magnus Academy, status was an important and complicated thing; Brand knew that, he’d talked about it with Rune several times. But at the end of the day, it was just school, an essentially temporary phase of life. He didn’t get why Rune cared so much.
“Why do you even want to be part of this?” he asked, making a gesture towards the house and the party raging inside.
Rune just shrugged unhelpfully, which made Brand let out an exasperated sound. He was really trying to understand, but Rune wasn’t making it easy. There wasn’t anything he wanted more than to be by Rune’s side, helping him through this new stage of their life. Despite being a very good intentioned kid, however, Brand also had a really big mouth.
“I mean, the party is great and all, but I don’t know if it’s worth sucking that creep’s dick…”
Rune’s face turned scarlet. “What’s your problem? I was just flirting with him and you’re acting like you caught me selling my body or something!”
Brand snorted. “C’mon, Rune, you were acting like a slut with a single braincell.”
Silence. Brand’s voice seemed to reverberate in the air, along with the crickets and the distant sounds of the rave. He already regretted every single word he’d said.
Rune just stood there, processing his words. His face was unreadable and he’d even blocked their Companion Bond, so there was no way of knowing what he was thinking.
“Fuck you, Brand.”
Or maybe there was.
The venom in Rune’s voice made Brand flinch. He thought Rune was going to scream at him, but he just stormed off. As he watched him walk unsteadily away, Brand raked his hands through his hair, trying to come up with something to say that would make him come back. He wanted to go after Rune, but he felt as if he was rooted to the ground by shame. It was like the only thing he was good at was fighting and breaking things. Words just… eluded him somehow. At least the right ones always did.
Nevertheless, when Rune disappeared behind some trees, Brand’s bodyguard instincts took over, and he was on the move again so as to not lose him. When he reached the group of trees, he saw that the branches hid an enormous pool. It was shining a bright turquoise, giving its surroundings a ghostly appearance. Illuminated by the pools lighting, he saw Rune seating on the edge, legs crossed and hands touching the water. He looked so sad it broke Brand’s heart. He felt like such a dick.
Unable to stand it anymore, Brand decided to throw caution to the wind and just approached him. He would fix it, their argument and any other thing that was bothering Rune.
The edge of the pool felt damp and cold against his jeans, but Brand payed it no mind. He scooted closer to Rune and, given that his mouth kept betraying him, he decided to express himself through actions. Rune was still looking into the water, ignoring him, so Brand put his head on his shoulder. Then, he took Rune’s hand and gave it a squeeze. After a few seconds, Rune squeezed back. Feeling a rush of relief, Brand looked up and saw Rune looking at him with a smile. His eyes were still sad though.
“I’m really sorry, Rune, I didn’t mean any of that, you know?” he felt the need to say the words aloud, to avoid any confusion. Rune nodded with a glint of tears in his eyes. Brand’s heart sunk; that was unacceptable. There’d be no crying, at least not on his watch, so he kept talking. “I was being unfair, you have at least two functioning braincells.”
That made Rune laugh. “You’re such a dick,” he said, pushing him away. But he’d made him smile, so Brand didn’t really mind. “I’m sorry too, I shouldn’t have disappeared like that and make you worry. I should’ve known better.”
“Yeah, you should’ve,” Brand nodded. “But that’s no excuse for what I said. You can do whatever you want, with whoever you want and, Companion or not, it’s none of my business.” He should’ve left it at that, leave the rest of the conversation for another day, but he couldn’t help himself. As we’ve established, subtlety was something Brand still had a lot to learn about. “I just worry you’re doing it for the wrong reasons.”
That made Rune’s shoulders tense and the lines of his neck pop, the effect made even more dramatic by the peculiar lighting. “The wrong reasons?” he repeated, on the defensive again.
Brand paused, trying to gather his thoughts. After some hesitation, he decided on bluntness again. If he couldn’t be blunt with Rune, what was even the point of them sharing a bond?
“Are you sure you’re not doing all of this just to piss of your father?”
Rune opened and closed his mouth several times. At first, he seemed indignant, but, as his mind worked, his expression started changing to confusion and sadness again.
“You think he’d care that I was with Dalton?” he snorted darkly. “He’d probably be elated. What a perfect way to consolidate his alliance with Lord Tower!” He shook his head. “I just want to belong somewhere, you know? And something that’s mine because of who I am, not because it was my father’s or my inheritance or whatever. A place for me, away from the Arcana’s formalities.”
Brand could’ve easily told him that, if that was the case, prancing around a bunch of rich assholes pretending to be someone he wasn’t was definitely not the way to go about that. For once in his life though, he kept his mouth shut. They could talk about it another time, when Rune didn’t have so much alcohol in his system and they hadn’t just made up after a screaming match. So he just nodded and put his arm around Rune, trying to make him understand that, whatever he was going through, he’d be by his side.
They stayed like that for a while, just staring at the water and enjoying each other’s company. Until the cold became too much and Brand decided it was time to go home.
“I just have to say good bye to Dalton,” Rune said, waiting for Brand to stand so he’d help him up.
“Definitely not,” Brand said. He got up with a jump and extended his hand towards Rune, who ignored it.
“C’mon, Brand, I can’t just disappear,” he frowned.
“You already did. And at any rate, if that asshole sees you again he won’t let you go this time, and I’d prefer to avoid that confrontation.” Rune still wasn’t taking his hand, so he decided for another approach. “You’re too good for him anyways.”
That made Rune smile. “You think so?”
“I know so.”
Rune finally took his hand. When their palms connected, Brand pushed him up with a little more force than necessary. Rune stumbled forward, but Brand caught him before he could fall. If it hadn’t been for his good reflexes, both of them would’ve ended up in the pool.
“Well, that was close,” Brand sighed, looking at the unwelcoming waters while his heart hammered in his chest. He looked up and saw Rune’s face just inches from his. His hands were still firmly placed on Rune’s shoulders, but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he was looking at Brand with a funny expression. Before he could ask him what the fuck was his problem, Rune closed the distance between them and kissed him.
It took a few seconds for Brand to process what was happening, and by then he’d closed his eyes and put his arms around Rune’s neck. It was like his body had been born for this, their lips together, raking his hands through Rune’s hair, hearing his little sighs. His heart was beating like crazy again, but for a completely different reason. The kiss was awkward and rushed and sloppy. But it also made every inch of Brand’s body tingle and his chest tighten. He hadn’t felt so happy in ages.
Then he remembered Rune had been drinking. And that he was sad. And, more importantly, that he was his fucking Companion. This wasn’t right, he wasn’t going to throw their relationship away for a stupid drunken kiss, no matter how good it felt. So he did the only thing he could think of: he threw Rune into the pool.
“What the fuck, Brand?” Rune shouted, coughing up water.
“I thought you needed a little sobering up,” Brand said with a smile, taking a step back so Rune couldn’t pull him into the pool. “Did it work?”
“Like a charm.”
“Perfect. Let’s go home before you catch a cold, okay?”
Rune got out of the pool looking like a drowned rat. His hair was plastered to his face and his shirt—now completely translucent—clang to his frame, making him look even more thin than he already was. The glitter he'd put on his eyelids had scattered all over his face, giving him the appearance of a hungover specter. As he started walking towards Brand, he opened his arms wide. "You know what? I think you need a hug, Brand. For all the hard work you've done tonight."
Brand took a step back, holding up his hand in warning. "Don't you fucking dare."
Rune just smiled mischievously and broke into a sprint.
It was as if nothing had happened. Brand ran as he flung insults at Rune, who kept trying to get him wet. They acted as they always did, like best friends, brothers. Except, in reality, something had awakened inside Brand. A feeling he hadn't known existed until that night, something strong and warm, and definitely not brotherly.
And he didn't like it at all.