From a Certain Point of View

[Jessen Younger]

Glory, he was late.

Not just a few minutes either, he was really, really late. But Jay Younger didn't care. The boy--who may have been a bit buzzed--sauntered towards the spaceport where he and his brothers had docked their ship as if he owned all of Malastaire.

It wasn't as if the midnight curfew that the eldest brother, Cal, had given him was harsh. Actually, considering that he'd been grounded all week, it was a good deal. Lately however, Jessen hadn't exactly been pulling his weight. Now, yes, the little brother was known for trying to avoid chores, and bend the rules; But Jay had never made a habit of downright breaking them.

Cal was going to be mad. Six hours after he was supposed to be back did not make a happy family.

There was an excuse, of course.

The night prior had been the anniversary of the boys' parents death. The whole month had been a somber one for the remaining Youngers, and somber was something that Jay hated. In his opinion, he deserved a wild night.

Cal, however, was most definetly going to disagree.

[Tyler Younger]

Damn that kid! Where the frell was he?! Tyler had been looking all night for him when the youngest of the brothers hadnt come back on time. Cal hadnt initially noticed as he’d gone to bed with a heck of a headache somewhat early. But Tyler had remained awake and waiting.

And when Jessen hadnt returned, he’d gone looking. And hadnt found him. And Tyler was worried sick. It wasn’t like Jessen to one hundred percent break the rules set out by their oldest brother and guardian, Cal Younger.

It was like Jessen to bend the rules…but really – six hours late? That was late. Too late. And Tyler was damn worried that something had happened. He’d almost decided to wake Cal up and tell him, but had decided better of it.

It had been a long week. A very long, sad week. And a part of Tyler, knwing his brother as he did, had a feeling that Jessen had gone out to seek a bit of happiness. Or at least, a good time. Something to make him forget the sadness.

And so instead of waking up Cal, when he’d returned to the ship and Jessen still hadnt been anywhere to be found, Tyler had located himself directly in the ships entrance way – a somewhat dark hallway in the early morning light. His hope was that he’d catch Jessen coming in before Cal did – and the two of them could somehow make up some sort of story to keep the kid out of trouble. Because that’s how it was – Tyler was the middleman – the mediator. And the last thing his brothers needed to be doing after a trying week like the one they’d had was to be fighting. The three of them were all that they had left – they didn’t need to fight –they needed to come together.

And so it was there that he had fallen fast asleep, sprawled across the floor and waiting for Jessen to try to sneak in in the middle of night. He hadnt meant to fall asleep – he’d meant to be awake. But it had been a long week, and he had been exhausted. And he’d fallen asleep sprawled out there in the narrow hallway. Sprawled enough that perhaps Jessen didn’t exactly notice him – and might have tripped over him…making..well..a bit of a racket. Racket enough to certainly wake Tyler and….if he wasn’t awake already, their eldest brother Cal.