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Macau looked on with fondness at the scene in front of him. Though it wasn’t perfect circumstances, the sight of Pete cuddled up with his brother was a touching one – and dare he say it, long overdue. While he would have preferred it not to have been in a hospital bed, Vegas mummified with the bandages, too weak to even think about standing up, Macau knew it had given them both the push they needed to actually do something about their build up of feelings. So, he was kind of grateful for those bullets. Ok… Maybe not grateful. Whatever bastard shot at his brother deserved the hell fire that Pete rained upon him, but regardless, they were all ok and that was enough to make him smile at the situation.
Vegas had finally fallen back to sleep after eating the food that Pete had brought. He had given some to Macau too, which was honestly really touching. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had gone out of their way to look after him – Vegas excluded, of course. For a long time, his brother had been the only one that truly looked out for him, cared for him, loved him. That’s why he was so happy that Pete was finally there with them, and not just in an obligatory way either, really with them. This wasn’t some mission that he had been forced into, walking on eggshells, around the minor house, in his suits emblazoned with the major family’s crest. No, he was there out of love and care and worry.
His brother had curled into Pete’s side while the former bodyguard ran a hand gently through his hair, staring down at Vegas like he was the most precious thing he had ever looked at. That almost made Macau snort with laughter, since his brother was ruthless, bloodthirsty, unapologetic, most of the time… But he supposed Pete could be that way too, yet they both seemed completely at peace in each other’s presence.
Macau shifted a little in his seat, smiling at the two of them.
“Thanks again,” he said, his voice quiet so as to not wake Vegas. God knows he was always grumpy when he first woke up. “For the food.”
Pete’s head snapped up, like he had forgotten Macau was still sat there for a moment.
He smiled in return, “It’s not a problem, I know you’ve been here all night, so you were probably hungry.”
“So were you…”
Pete had barely left Vegas’s side since he got injured. He was there when he was brought to the hospital. Sitting in the corridor with shaking hands (that he tried and failed to hide) while Vegas was in surgery. A constant presence in his room during the entire month that it had taken for him to begin his recovery. Macau had to commend him for his efforts. He was there because Vegas was his brother, sure… But he didn’t think he loved anyone else in the world enough that he would act the was that Pete was. It even seemed a little scary to be faced with that much love for another person.
The man just shrugged, looking back down at Vegas for a second as he let out a sigh.
“I just need him to know that I’m not going anywhere.”
Macau softened a little at the statement.
“I’m sure he knows that by now…”
To be honest, even he didn’t believe his own words. Vegas had never truly believed that anyone would stick by him. Though he never said the words outright, Macau could always tell that’s why he was so closed off to other people – the words that he had spoken to Pete previously seemed to confirm that statement though. The way he had basically willed Pete to run away, to be free on his own without dragging him down. It had broken his heart to hear his brother speaking like that, trying to push away the only person he had truly cared for to put yet another barrier around his heart.
Macau had been there through it all. He had seen the way that Vegas looked at Pete, honestly he had been terrible at hiding it.
In the beginning, it had just started out with simple comments when he came back from visits with the Major Family, how Pete had been there, what he was doing, stuff like that. Normally it was snide, and his voice had an edge to it, but it had seemed odd that none of the other bodyguards seemed to get him just as riled up as Pete did, purely just by being in the room.
And when the three of them ended up going to listen to the sermon together, that was when Macau truly realised something was there between them. He had been asleep for most of it, but even he – through bleary eyes and grogginess – could sense the tension between the two of them. He watched curiously as Vegas ran his hand down Pete’s back, while the bodyguard merely sat there. They made merits together, exchanging words that Macau couldn’t hear from his position, but it must have meant something because Vegas came out of there going on and on about the goddamn sticky note he had left there. While the young boy had no experiences of love for his own, he wasn’t a fool either. There was no way Vegas would have been so caught up in Pete if he didn’t feel anything real for him.
He knew this because, during some of his many conquests that were for missions, Vegas never said a word about them, because that was information Macau didn’t need (or particularly want). He didn’t hear much about Tawan, the petulant childlike man who was always lapping at his brother’s heels. Or Porsche, Kinn’s head bodyguard, the guy that had punched him during their first meeting – ok, maybe he’d deserved it but he still wasn’t exactly enthralled with the guy either. Yet Pete was entirely different to them… He found that Vegas was actively updating him on the little details. He never would have done that if he hadn’t felt something towards the bodyguard.
“Even so,” came Pete’s reply. “I’m not going anywhere.” He looked at Macau with a serious expression and repeated his sentence, like he wanted him to know it wasn’t just for Vegas.
Macau grinned at that, “You know, I meant what I said before. About you being welcome in the family.”
Pete looked at the boy with an expression akin to surprise, something flickering in his eyes, but he said nothing. Not that he was expected to say anything at all, the boy had just wanted him to know how valued he was. It was the least he deserved for everything he had done.
“And for what it’s worth, I don’t think Vegas would ever leave you either,” Macau continued, casting a glance to his brother, still tucked into Pete’s side. He knew that was the case, no doubt about it. “He literally thinks of you as his whole world – don’t tell him I told you that though.”
“Yeah?”
“Definitely. I mean, he told all of our bodyguards not to harm you at all, he was very explicit with his instructions. You can’t control many things in wars, least of all casualties, but I know damn well Vegas wasn’t gonna let anyone harm you… I think he’d burn the word to ashes if you two were ever parted.” He thought on his words for a second, a realisation dawning on him. “Not that he doesn’t think you’re incapable or anything! I mean, he knows you can defend yourself and I just-”
“Macau,” Pete chuckled, cutting off his rambling. “I know what you mean… Thank you for telling me that.” He seemed completely genuine when he spoke, looking at Macau with kindness. “He’d never leave you either.”
He nodded along, smiling uncontrollably. Macau knew that Vegas would never leave him, he had always said they would stick with each other, always promising that he would never let anyone take him away. And he believed wholeheartedly that his older brother was telling the truth but hearing it from someone else that loved him was still very touching.
As he glanced down at his brother, Macau noticed that he had woken up, the corners of his mouth having twitched into a smile at hearing the other two talking.
“Who’s eavesdropping now?” Macau jibed, jutting his chin out in Vegas’s direction.
In turn, the older boy rolled his eyes, shifting in his position so he was sitting up. The movement clearly hurt, judging by the way his eyes screwed up, but none of them said anything about it. Pete merely squeezed his hand, gently running his thumb back and forth to comfort him, and that was probably better than any words that could have been spoken anyway.
“Yeah, yeah,” Vegas smirked. “So, what were you guys talking about?”
Pete snorted, “I’m sure you figured that out.”
“Yeah, you know we were talking about the marvel that is Vegas Theerapanyakul,”
“Well by all means don’t let me interrupt…” Vegas said, leaning his head against Pete.
Macau glanced at Pete, humour in his eyes.
“You see what you’re getting yourself into here?” he asked, grinning. “You sure about staying?”
It was a joke, but both him and Vegas nervously awaited the answer anyway. Like they were somehow afraid that despite all of the reassurances, the good times would no doubt end like they always did. But, of course, Pete just laughed in return, pressing a kiss on top of Vegas’s head.
“Oh, I am,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere. You two are stuck with me from now on, I’m afraid.”
Macau didn’t think he’d ever heard such good news in a hospital, or wanted to stay in one for so long… Not that he particularly wanted to be in that stuffy room. More like the atmosphere they had created, the calm bubble, the brief serenity.
The minor family had always prided themselves on treating their bodyguards like family, but he knew that Pete was different. He knew that he had found another brother, and he couldn’t have been more happy.