“Well, that changes when your brother decides to fuck off to the afterlife.”
He sobered from his humour. “I always pictured you running off into the sunset with some man, not going to the Demonslayer guild.” His sight drifted to the Duskwalkers. “Is that how you met him?”
“Yeah. I freed him because I couldn’t handle what they were doing to him.”
Gideon’s eyelids crinkled knowingly. “Of course you freed him. Still as soft-hearted as ever.”
Emerie turned her shoulders inward in bashful awkwardness. “Do... you want to meet him?”
She’d asked Ingram to give her a few moments with Gideon so she could reassure him and have some free, non-Duskwalker-weirdness time with him.
“Absolutely, I do.” He lifted his chin and firmed his expression. Then he tossed her a smile while bending his arm in the air. He patted his flexed biceps. “Have to give him the ol’ ‘hurt my sister and I’ll break your legs’ chat.”
“Gideon... I’m not sure how to tell you this, but... he’d destroy you.” She patted his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look. “You just aren’t strong enough, no matter how much you think so.”
“Fuck, that was rude,” he exclaimed.
They both burst into a quiet fit of laughter.
As she laughed, feeling lighter than she had in a long time, she swept her gaze over to Ingram and Aleron. Their backs were semi-turned to them, and it appeared as though they were having a very important and hushed conversation.
“I just have to know one thing before I meet him,” Gideon started, his voice warm but also serious. “Is he nice to you? Does he make you feel... safe?”
“Of course he does,” Emerie defensively muttered, her attention lost to Ingram and Aleron.
Well, it was lost in trying to figure out the hand gestures Ingram was making. Especially since Aleron had cupped his hand over his fanged mouth in thought. He was nodding, as though he was listening very intently while Ingram explained something.
“I’m just making sure, considering he’s a monster. It’s hard to accept.”
“He’s not a monster...” Emerie trailed off, and her eyes widened.
Her heart almost leapt to her throat, just as her face heated in deep-seated embarrassment.
“Ingram, no!” she squealed, running towards him.
Both Aleron and Ingram turned their skulls towards her, just as Ingram put his forefinger through a ring he’d made with his other hand.
Oh shit, he was explaining to Aleron what sex was!
She shouldn’t have left him alone. Now he was telling his twin about his – their – sex life!
“What is the matter, Emerie?” Ingram asked, tilting his head without removing his finger from the circle, like he saw nothing wrong with what he’d been doing.
Even though Aleron was right next to him, she waved her hands through Ingram’s ghostly ones, wishing to flap it away. He remained, unfortunately, until he turned around to face her.
“Don-don’t just tell people stuff like that about us.”
“Why not?”
“Yes, why not?” Aleron asked, tilting his head in the opposite direction to Ingram. “He has been teaching me all about these things I did not know. He said you feel very nice inside. I wonder if, when I also obtain a bride, I can use my d–”
“Anywaaaay!” Emerie squealed, since Gideon had come up behind her.
She was sure if she had been alive and her breaths didn’t feel... pointless, she would have expired or fainted from embarrassment.
“What’s wrong?” Gideon asked, placing his hand on her shoulder since she’d suddenly run off.
“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” She pointed at Ingram. “Don’t tell people that stuff. It’s private.”
Even though he was just purple, she figured his orbs had changed to another colour since he huffed and tossed his head around while folding his arms across his chest. He was obviously pouting.
Gideon shook his head in bewilderment at her, whereas Aleron’s orbs had turned dark yellow.
“Ingram,” she gently called to get his attention, as she waved her hand to the side. “This is Gideon, my brother.”
Gideon put his hand out with it flat and on its side. “Nice to meet you, I guess.”
Ingram’s beak pointed downwards at his hand before mimicking him. He did not attempt to clasp it, just mirrored him.
“What is the point of this?” Ingram asked. “Is this a human greeting?”
Gideon gave an awkward chuckle. “Yeah, it is, but it was kind of pointless for me to do it with you, since you’re a Ghost and I can’t touch you.”
“Can I try?” Aleron asked, shoving his hand out like everyone else.
Gideon cast Emerie an uncertain glance. She just shrugged in answer.
Gideon hesitantly grabbed Aleron’s large and imposing clawed hand, although rather awkwardly due to their size difference. He clasped as best he could as he shook it.
“I’m Gideon.”
“I’m Aleron,” he answered, copying him, and shook back far too hard.
Gideon went headfirst to the ground when Aleron tugged his arm downwards, not knowing to control his strength. His orbs turned white, and he threw his hands into the air frantically.
“I am sorry. I did not mean to make you fall.”
“Fuckin’ hell,” Gideon grumbled against the grass. “That was one hell of a handshake.”
A small giggle escaped her.
Just as Gideon was rising to his hands and knees, Aleron grabbed the man by the waist. He lifted him off the ground completely until his arms and legs were flailing, then plonked him on his feet.
Gideon stumbled back a step as though he was disorientated. He cast Emerie another uncertain glance, only to scowl when it was obvious she was resisting the urge to laugh more.
“You get used to it,” Emerie reassured.
“I doubt that,” he answered, brushing at his pants like they were covered in dirt, when they absolutely weren’t. “So... Ingram, was it?”
“Yes,” he confirmed, as he skulked his way closer to Emerie.
She stepped away from them, certain that Gideon would do a good job of making conversation, so she could go to Aleron. He twisted his bat skull at her as she approached him while he stood on all fours.
“Hello, Aleron. Ingram has told me a lot about you.”
“He has told me much of you.”
Oh gods, that sounded ominous in the most perverted way possible. Heat flared in her cheeks once more.
Still, she slowly, as though not to startle him, leaned forward. She wrapped her arms around his thick neck and openly buried her face into the fluffy, furry side of it. She also did it to hide from the sight of his wings right before her – she really didn’t like them and was thankful he hadn’t spread them while being in her presence.
Aleron stiffened, likely unsure of what to do or what was happening.
But that was okay; she just wanted to hug him.
“He misses you very much,” she softly stated. “I’ll try to take care of him for you.”
Within an instant, all his tension deflated out of him in a single false breath. He loosely wrapped an arm around her waist.
“I miss him, too. I will try to find a way back to him.”
Tenderness flooded her chest for Aleron. He seemed kind and gentle, just like Ingram.