SGE His Darkened Heart (A Japaric Fanfiction)

CHAPTER 9 Shattered

—ARIC'S POV—

Aric watched his friend flee down the building to chase his brother across the lawn. For a moment, Aric stood on the roof, frozen before he remembered he was no statue and quickly made his way down the building to seek Japeth out.

The night sky no longer looked as beautiful as it once was with its starry black canvas. Instead, a sliver of light had broken through the darkness like a spear penetrating the inky abyss as the sun began to slowly rise over the distant horizon.

Aric's only comfort was the sight of the moon still hanging in the air and yet to sink away. But its once brilliant glow had dulled a shade like a shadow had passed over its round surface.

Aric stared upon the moon, recalling moments before when him and Japeth had been enjoying themselves on the roof. They'd confessed their darkest secrets and accepted each other's flaws.

The moonlight had done wonders to Japeth's complexion. His skin glistened like a sheet of silver, giving his usually pale face an ethereal glow and his eyes...dear lord, his eyes looked lighter than before like the clearest blue skies beginning to lighten from a deep azure color to a shade of light turquoise.

Aric found himself reddening at the remembrance of Japeth's closeness, his lips just inches from Aric's own. Aric had been lost in those eyes, those blue skies he'd grown so fond of. He'd didn't want to pull away from his dear friend because drawing closer felt like the right thing to do.

Aric should've known Rhian wasn't going to stay out of him and Japeth's business. Aric should've been aware that Rhian had been spying on them all along. But he'd been too focused on Japeth instead of watching out for Japeth's nosy twin.

"Darn it!" Aric hissed, kicking a boulder with his leather boot out of frustration. The impact of his toes making contact with the hard surface should've hurt more but Aric barely felt the pain.

He paced back and forth, fists shaking and teeth gnarled like he was on the verge of exploding. Aric was angry that Rhian had interrupted him and Japeth's time together and also angry at Japeth for continuing to turn to his brother over and over again even when Rhian treated him like trash.

Aric had warned Rhian. He'd warned him to stay away from Japeth and that if he screwed up, Aric would make him sourly regret it. The thought of making Rhian suffer for his mistreatment towards his brother made a sliver of delight crawl down Aric's spine.

But Rhian was Japeth's family. Rhian was Japeth's twin. Aric couldn't do anything especially cruel towards Rhian without hurting Japeth in the process. And hurting his friend was the last thing Aric wanted to do.

"I'm scared that somehow I—I might lose you," is what Japeth had said to Aric. Those words had struck Aric hard. Those words that slipped off his friend's tongue hurt more than they should've, and Aric felt himself stiffen.

Japeth couldn't bear to lose Aric. Japeth cared about him in a way Aric's own mother once did before she left him. Aric found himself sinking down to sit upon the boulder he'd previously kicked, his mind whirling.

What was he supposed to do? Could he trust that Japeth could work things out with his brother, or would Aric have to intervene?

Aric dug his fingernails into his arms in anger and felt blood trickling down his skin. He looked down to see fingernail indentions in his arms and wiped the blood away with the hem of his lace up shirt.

Aric knew that Japeth would be fine. He had faith that his friend would ease his brother's mind, but still the anger lingered like a parasite eating at Aric's insides.

It was than and there that Aric decided he had to do something. He couldn't just sit and do nothing, so he got up to follow the path that Japeth and Rhian had gone on. He passed by Burnhilde's newly planted garden and the redone Circle him and Japeth had once defaced. Aric followed the path around the side of the building where he spotted the twins in the darkness.

Rhian was on the steps leading into Arbed, his back to Japeth while Japeth was a few feet behind him, trying to tell him something. Curiosity got the best of Aric, and he silently watched them from the shadows, his violet eyes attentive as he peeked out from the side of the building.

Aric could tell Rhian was angry due to his tense posture, and Japeth only appeared distressed like he wanted to plead to Rhian. Staring at Rhian, Aric recalled Japeth telling him about how Evelyn and Rhian had been hurt by him. He'd said he'd been a terrible son and brother and it was his behavior that most likely led to Evelyn abandoning them.

Maybe Rhian blamed Japeth for their mother's absence. Maybe Rhian was so depressed over his poor mommy's abandonment that was the reason why he treated his brother like garbage. But that was no excuse to mistreat Japeth.

Japeth was better than Rhian in every way. He was grown up, while Rhian was a fool—a huge, idiotic fool to ever believe he could just dump on his own blood because he blamed Japeth for their mother leaving. Both Rhian and Evelyn Were.

Aric, however, would never leave Japeth. He'd promised it. He'd promised Japeth that he wouldn't leave him and that Japeth wouldn't lose him. Aric hadn't realized it before, but now he saw Japeth was right; him and Aric were family in a way or that's what it felt like. Besides, Aric treated Japeth far better than Rhian ever could.

Didn't Rhian care about that? Didn't Rhian care that Japeth was better off with Aric than he was with him?

Apparently not.

Aric peered at Rhian as he turned around to face Japeth, his blue green gaze storming. Aric could hear them arguing and his fists clenched tightly in anger at the look Rhian was sending towards Japeth like he weren't looking at his own flesh and blood, but a stranger.

Japeth was defending Aric, wanting desperately for his brother to let this go, but Rhian obviously wasn't having it.

"Why would I be jealous of you and Aric's friendship? Aric is nothing more but a psychotic monster. You're better than he ever will be. And you Can change, trust me. But Aric wants  you all to himself. I can see it in his eyes. What you've got isn't friendship, it's unnatural...an abomination!" Rhian's voice was hard, his angry tone cutting through the night, and Aric felt his body begin to shake in uncontrollable rage as he glared at the boy who was screaming at Japeth like he weren't considering Japeth's feelings at all.

The sudden rage within Aric was all consuming, the same sort of rage he'd once felt when Gracie Mahut had gotten on his bad side. But this time, Aric also felt hurt because Rhian was blind to his brother's wants and needs, blind to the truth staring him in the face. Japeth deserved better than a brother like him. He deserved much better.

Through his hate, Aric's gaze sought Japeth. His friend's blue eyes were wide in a mixture of emotion, of betrayal and frustration all in one. But it was those blue skies looking less blue and more somber that made Aric snap.

Seeing his dear friend, Aric saw he wasn't just distraught—he was shattered. Aric would make sure the boy who caused Japeth such pain would suffer. He would make sure Rhian broke just as Rhian had  made his brother break.