Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 04:07:26 -0700
From: andy dearth <andyistiredoftimeandspace@gmail.com>
Subject: Rings and Promises #9 by Kane

Chapter Nine: Seth...

[Author's Note: I'm just showing some Seth love okay? I think he needs
it. That's what my mind is telling me right now.]

Seth POV

Washing dishes has always helped me think. I know it's random and
weird but it does. "Maia, why don't you go play with Vulcan and Aiden
and I'll take care of this." Maia stared at me. "Are you sure?" She
asked. I nodded and grinned at her. I gave her a kiss on the top of
head and told her to run along. She bounded off into the other room,
looking for her brother and Aiden. "Aiden..." I thought back to when I
saw him all bloodied and beaten. He reached out to me looking for
Vulcan. I thought back to when Vulcan and I were kids. I was smaller
than most kids and that made it easy to pick on me. But anyone who
bullied me got the full wrath of Vulcan. "Touch him and I'll beat you
every time I see you!" He'd yell at my bullies. Those words echoed in
my head as I stared at a plate I had just scrubbed clean. I sighed.
"Dishes...you make me think about profound things." I said to the
bowls and plates still in the sink.

Vulcan once asked me when were 12 why I never called him Vee like his
sister does. I asked if that was okay. He said it was perfectly fine
and grinned at me with all his child innocence. But I couldn't bring
myself to call him Vee. It felt like it was something just for his
sister. Then his parents died. What was supposed to be a second
honeymoon went horribly wrong when the plane malfunctioned and crashed
into the ocean. A 13 year old boy and his infant sister suddenly
orphaned. They stayed with their grandmother until she passed away
from her old age. They had inherited the house and all the money their
grandmother and parents had left them. My mother would check in on
them. She cooked them food and took care of Maia. I remember the look
my mother had on her face whenever she would take me to check on them.
I was always happy to see Vulcan, but the look on her face was always
one of sadness and sometimes I'd see tears. She missed Vulcan's
mother. I knew it. They were as close as sisters.

I shook my head as I snapped back to the dishes. I was almost done
with them. "Maybe doing the dishes wasn't such a good idea." I drained
the water from the sink and dried my hands. I grabbed a spoon and
opened the cabinet above me. I pulled out a jar of peanut butter and
opened it. "I'll replace it." I said as I scooped a big chunk of it
out and ate it. Vulcan came in then and saw me eating the peanut
butter. "You owe me two jars now." He said with a smirk. I had too
much peanut butter in my mouth to say anything so I just nodded. He
took the spoon out of my hand and scooped some of the peanut butter.
He ate it and gave the spoon back to me. "That is good." He said with
a hand over his mouth. He grabbed three bottles of water from the
fridge and went back to the other room.

I stared after him. I looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "Aiden,
don't disappear on him." I whispered. This was probably part of the
reason I didn't want him around Vulcan. I was afraid he'd disappear
and Vulcan would feel that pain again, the pain of loss. I was his
only friend. He doesn't make friends at school; it's always been just
me and him. Sometimes though, if I look carefully, I can see something
different when I noticed Vulcan glancing at Aiden. It's almost like
he's trying to crawl into his skin, just to keep him safe from the
world. I was jealous of Aiden because now he was the one being
protected by Vulcan. I was no longer that small kid being picked on. I
was taller than Vulcan now, I was grown up. I could take care of
myself. Aiden, he's fragile, like a glass doll. I never thought that
Vulcan would have another friend. I thought it would be me and him
against the world. But now, now that I'm really thinking, I got this
feeling that they needed each other. They were meant to meet. I
smiled. "No, you won't disappear." I ate more peanut butter, content
now.