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"He's up~" Charlie spoke up with a little bounce when she came into the foyer the next morning and indeed, found the older spider brother up on his long lethal back legs, unmoving but upright.
"He shouldn't be doing that though!" Niffty fret beside the couch where Arackniss had been lying the whole night long in an agonizing touch and go after the punch from Henroin's tail barb was sunk into his middle.
"He's not one ta listen, Niffty-" Angel spoke lightly, eyes watching as his big brother took a step then another away from his couch made bed.
He quaked upon his long thin legs, but didn't show face other than determination and pride in every motion he achieved.
"I don't care if he was Lucifer himself! He NEEDS to get better and that means he NEEDS to get back onto that couch and rest!" Niffty hissed, tiny fists shaking by her sides.
Arackniss ignored the worry in the small cyclones voice and made a few more motions forward, unbalanced now more than ever it felt but still he tried and achieved his goal.
Good!
"Your brains are fucked up, dumbass!" Angel hissed on the other couch, hands folded over his chest when he noticed his brother's odd mannerisms in his steps.
"Equilibrium!" Sir Pentious hissed helpfully though still held his hands and worried them after Arackniss hadn't listened to him either in settling back down.
"Ya, equality or what'eva!" Angel rolled out then waved a hand over one half of his face, explaining, "Your fucken face is missen on one side, dipshit!"
The ever silent charcoal colored spider made a motion with his own hand and brushed the torn out fur upon his head and trailed the rivulets that cut down his face.
His hand stayed a moment upon his nose where a single long cut mark ended then grumbled softly for the first time, "Just somethen I have to get use to is all!" Then let his roaming hand drop to his bandaged side.
"Nissy-" Sir Pentious hissed softly, looking as if he was about to rise from the couch bed his partner had been laying in that early morning.
"I got dis, Pent! I..mean.. I got dis~" Arackniss started gruffly then, turning his head towards the Snake Demon, found him looking crestfallen by his tone of voice and softened it a little, smiling shyly at the serpentine form of his partner.
"Maybe you should listen to them, Arackniss.. You've only JUST woken up from that pummeling-"
"All the more reason to get back into shape, Principessa!" He shot back before Charlie was even finished speaking.
"Maybe ixnay on the ya know, pummeling business, ey, Charlie?" Angel offered when he saw the absolute MURDER in his older brothers eyes.
"I'm sorry, Arackniss.. I mean, maybe you SHOULD have a rest? How can you protect anyone or get back at your Dad if you're tired out and hurting?"
"I told'em that all his damn life before dis, Princess!" Angel shot down as his brother quaked again upon his legs.
"We grew up being forced into NOT showing weakness of ANY form!"
As the long creamy colored spider spoke on, Arackniss forced his face to remain muted. Didn't heighten his breath due to his pain. He kept looking forward and took a step forward every few minutes.
"If we did, Pops would nail us! Complained at all, Pops would nail us! Cry-"
"Nissy!!"
A low guttural sound came from deep within the fallen spider's mouth that stopped the worried snake from approaching any further.
"Niss.. Listen to your snake bea and-"
"STOP IT!"
The small form had begun to puff up with his anger, his breath panting from his pain. He trembled where it was he'd landed on the other side of the couch yet didn't give into his exhaustion as it sank its claws into his groggy brain.
He NEEDED to get it back together NOW!
He tried righting himself onto his feet once more and whimpered unnaturally before sinking back down onto the floor, his good arm wrapped around his middle.
"I TOLD yo-"
"Niffty, wait.." Charlie spoke softly, holding the small Demon back when she saw Angel had gotten up and over to his fallen brother's side in a single quick stride.
Even Sir Pentious stayed where he was, watching as the brother's had a heart to heart for the first time in centuries.
-
"Listen.. Nissy, I KNOW how your mind works-" Angel started saying as he got himself into view of his panting brother.
Arackniss trembled lightly, fighting the pain, fighting the exhaustion, trying to get himself back onto his feet!
Damnit!
His legs weren't listening!
And Anthony wasn't quitting!
"You don't have'ta hold yourself accountable for everyone and thing anymore! Not all on your own anyway!"
He didn't NEED THIS!
If Henrion was to barge in right this moment-
"We're family here, Nissy…"
He watched as his little brother's hand came into view and blinked at it slowly.
His mind ran wild with this or that if he didn't force himself to get back up and straighten himself out!
But in that empty hand Anthony held open for him to take, and the voice that owned that hand, told him that maybe-
He held his own good hand back.
Maybe though-
"You don't have'ta do this all on your own anymore, Nissy~" Angel spoke softly, his body brushing his brother's as he sat beside him.
Side to side now, the height difference between them showed, but what lay between them, inside, heart to heart, as Arackniss stared at the offered hand and listened to the calm clear voice beside him, an older brother was finding himself in need of help he never knew how to ask for.
And a little brother able to give such and more, if-
Maybe-
"I'm so tired, Tony.."
"I've got you now, Nissy~ We got you~" Angel whispered when instead of his whole hand holding onto Angel's, Arackniss linked a pinky claw around his little brother's own and leaned his heavy head into the other's waiting shoulder.
"Rest~"
As if he had an on and off switch, the charcoal colored spider ceased his inner fighting and slumped into his brother's arms, fast asleep before he was aware of it taking place.
Resting his back upon the back of the couch, Angel looked towards the peeking Sir Pentious and nodded with his nose down at his slumbering brother, a smile upon his lips. An offering to join~
Slithering close and after a moment of silence between them, Angel nodded again to his older brother and offered the snake Demon room to curl around his partner.
In a moment of kindness, instead of taking his brother from him like their Father almost had, Sir Pentious slowly moved himself around so that he held the brothers together within his coils. His head however rested closest to Arackniss' softly breathing chest whilst Angel rubbed the hand his older brother gave him, smiling with relieved tears burning at the corners.