Reunion

What utter nonsense!

Dmitry couldn't help but laugh internally. So that's the grand, secret plan that shadow entity had for him and the entire group? He didn't want to be part of it. Not really. He didn't have grand goals in life. But, he knew he would have no choice. He had known all along, even back then, even as he was inside the padded cell, that he sold himself to the creature for the power he had, to be free to take revenge. He had no control. And for the most part Dmitry was fine with it.

That being said, he had control over one thing, and that was his love for Cody. No matter what happened he would get Cody back to his side. To get his brother back into his life, to keep him safe, mattered more to him than some plan of some darkness being.

Maybe he had waited for long enough. Ten years was a long time to wait and see. Maybe not as much for him anymore, but for Cody, who still followed the same flow of time as everybody else, it mattered.

Dmitry stood outside the house Cody now lived at. Their uncle's old stone home in Bangor. It had been a long, long time since he had visited this place. Not like he ever enjoyed it. He was not that different from his father. Another man's man. A pain.

Speaking of pains, getting Mahnaz off of his back for today had not been easy either. She had insisted on coming with him, but Dmitry needed alone time with his family.

He knocked on the door with the back of his fingers. His uncle answered the door. Just like his father, Dmitry's uncle had a big build also. But unlike last time, Dmitry could look right into his uncle's eyes.

"Can I help you?"

Dmitry smirked. "What, you don't recognize your family anymore, Uncle Arnold? I was told many times I looked just like dad, but skinnier."

It took a second but once it sunk in Arnold's eyes grew wide. They quickly frowned in anger. "What the hell are you doing here, you little shite? I got nothing to talk to you about. Get out of my sight and never show your mug to me or my family again!" He slammed the door open so hard the frame shook.

"How rude," Dmitry said. He knocked again. Of course he didn't answer. He knocked again, harder this time. "I didn't come here to talk to you, old man. I'm here for Cody."

The door was opened as violently as it had been closed. "You lost all rights to even talk to that boy. He is doing well without you coming to his life to ruin it," he said. "I don't know how you are walking free, but get away. Cody doesn't need you…"

In the blink of an eye Dmitry slammed his palm against his uncle's chest, sending him flying back into the house, crashing against an old glass shelf.

Dmitry took a step inside the house. His eyes were wide, red with rage as the vessels of his eyes glowed. When he stood next to the body of his uncle he grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up. "Who the hell are you to make that decision? I decide if Cody needs me or not. As if a man that ignored us when we were kids has a right to make that call," he said. "Trying to substitute Sean with Cody because you never got a son, again?"

"Wh…what do… you want?" The older man felt Dmitry's fingers digging into his throat.

"What do you think, idiot? I Want. My. Brother!" He shook the man as if trying to find loose change. "Why isn't he here? I know he doesn't do therapy today."

How did he know that? He was stalking them? "You… you're sick."

"Don't make me repeat myself! Or should I ask Aunt Matilda instead? Or maybe Cousin Elizabeth."

That broke any resistance Arnold had mustered. "Out! He's out… with a friend."

Dmitry released the man, dropping him. Loud, ragged coughs followed. "With a friend?"

The singularity of that word is what surprised him the most. Not friends. Just one friend. One special friend?

"When is he coming back?"

"Don't know. An hour or two." The man rubbed his throat. "Why are you here? Cody was recovering from the trauma you caused. How is a monster like you walking free? Bastard! I should kill you for killing my brother."

The younger man rolled his eyes. "You think Cody will ever be fine without me? I'm the only one that loved him in that sick family."

Despite the pain the man managed to let out a coarse laugh. "You don't know anything about love. I don't think someone like you can feel anything." He gave him a smirk. Until he was grabbed by the hair and lifted up to meet Dmitry's gaze.

"You want to know what I feel? I feel like seeing the look on Aunt Angela's face when she sees your severed head on your bed. Oh, and look at Elizabeth when she sees the rest of your body on her bed too."

"Y-You wouldn't?"

Dmitry got in closer, his raging eyes inches away from the trembling eyes of his uncle. "I will if you don't tell me what I want to know. Tell me and I'll leave them alone. But if you lie," he smirked, "I'll enjoy the look on your face as I tear them apart in front of you. And slowly. They won't get the privilege I gave my parents."

Arnold's arms dangled as his spirit of resistance was broken. Not wanting to put his wife and daughter in danger he gave in. "He's near the coast. There's a celebration going on."

"Was that really that hard?" Dmitry released his pull on his uncle's hair. Now that he had the information he wanted he was ready to leave the man alone with his thoughts. Until he saw a curious frame on a small table. He picked up the picture. It was of the family. Arnold next to his wife, who was next to their daughter, and in the middle of the picture was Cody. Behind them all a "Happy Birthday" sign. The curious part was the tall, brown hair man next to Cody. Both Cody and the strange man were smiling.

"Who the hell is that next to Cody?"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

Dmitry swiped the back of his hand against the old man's face, leaving three long cuts on the cheeks. "Don't act senile on me, you fuck. Tell me!"

His uncle screamed as his cheeks were sliced open. Blood poured from them, quickly painting his hand red as he tried to stop the bleeding. "What do you want from me?"

"Who. The Fuck. Is this?!" The sight of his uncle too afraid to talk only added more fuel to the burning rage inside of Dmitry. "Fine. I'll wait until they come back. Haven't seen my aunt and cousin in a while, anyways."

"Boyfriend! That's Cody's boyfriend Connor."

Everything inside of Dmitry's mind went black. No sound reached his ears, including the crying and begging coming from his uncle.

Boyfriend? He had to be lying. Why would Cody need a boyfriend? Or anyone else? "You are lying." This time his tone of voice had a lower tone, almost sounding like a whisper.

"He came out to us a month before his sixteenth birthday. He wanted us to meet him before the birthday party."

"Liar. LIAR!" He broke the picture frame with his hand, digging his clawed fingers into it. He tossed the leftovers against the TV screen. Then kicked a chair hard enough it went out through the front window. "Liar. Liar. You fucking liar, I'll kill you!"

Still on his knees on the floor, the frightened man crawled away from the raging demon walking towards him. "Why would I lie about it? The boy said it himself."

Dmitry stopped to think about it for a second. This man could be lying to save his life, sure. Nothing this man said would be of use now. He needed to hear it from his brother's mouth. The only person whom he could trust.

"Please, just leave us alone."

But Dmitry had left.

Arnold had no idea what he would tell his family about the mess. And he hoped Cody would be well too. He really had no idea the kind of older brother he had.

At the moment, though, Cody's mind was not occupied with his brother. Instead, another man was taking that place, more as of recently. That was the tall guy walking next to Cody.

Connor towered over Cody, who himself was not that tall either at 5'7" in height. More on the lean side, with a Mediterranean complexion to him. And he was a year older, at 17.

The day was nice. A bit cloudy, but the cool air of the coast added a freshness to things. Young couples walking together holding hands, or with their arms crossed. Girls resting their heads on the shoulders of their boyfriends or husbands.

Cody looked embarrassed. Should he be doing that too? Or would it be too awkward since they were both guys?

As if reading his mind, Connor said, "Don't feel forced to do something you don't want to."

Cody's cheeks turned red. "I'm sorry. I'm new to this whole couples things."

Connor wrapped an arm around Cody's shoulders and brought him closer, pressing him against his chest. "How does this feel? Awkward?"

"N-Not t-that bad, I guess." It felt right. It felt warm. But he couldn't find the words to express it.

Someone else didn't seem to have problems trying to express how they felt. Dmitry stood a few yards away from the couple he had been following for ten minutes now. The will to resist lunging forward and ripping that guy's arm off only barely held. That was not the first thing Dmitry wanted Cody to see from him for the first time in ten years.

Still, this was the closest Dmitry had been from Cody for a long time.

So close he could touch him. So close he could grab him and snatch him away from this faker trying to replace him.

In fact, he stretched his right arm. Just a few more inches and he would get his little brother back.

Instead of him grabbing Cody, a smaller hand grabbed his. "Aren't we impatient."

"What are you doing here, Mahnaz?"

"Making sure you don't make a fool out of yourself." She noticed the confusion on his face. "Oh please. You really think you are that clever, huh? I've been alive a lot longer than you, boy. You aren't that good at sneaking away from me or the rest. You might be good at hiding away from the rest of the world, but not those of us. At least not yet."

He swiped his hand away from her, growling. "Fine, I get it. You came here just to stop me, then?"

"No, silly. I think it's sweet how obsessed you are with this boy. I'll help you. Otherwise you'll cause a scene," she said.

"How are you doing that?"

"Just stand there and watch. Let a pro handle this."

Dmitry rolled his eyes. This he had to watch.

Mahnaz got into position, standing adjacent to the path Cody and Connor were taking. She looked pretty standing near a food stand. She wore a long, sky blue dress. She set her eyes on Connor, staring at him for a few seconds without saying anything.

Connor felt a bit of a headache, then it suddenly went away. "Hey, are you thirsty? I'll get us something to drink," Connor said. He walked away from Cody.

Cody had barely managed to nod when Connor broke their hold.

Even from a distance Dmitry knew that felt sudden. What had that been?

After a few steps Mahnaz approached Connor. "Hello. I am a bit lost. Could you help me know how I could get to the next town?" She had her phone out, and a map app open. She spoke with an unusually heavy Persian accent.

"Oh… Um sure." Connor wanted to get back to Cody but he also felt a need to help this foreign girl.

Cody saw that and wanted to go to him and see what was going on.

"Cody!"

He stopped at the sound of that voice. He recognized it. Even after ten years he recognized it. He turned around. When he saw that matured face after so long his eyes started to water. His voice began to crack. "Big Brother?"

Without thinking Cody ran towards his brother. Before he knew it he was already embracing him, his face buried on his brother's chest. He got his gray shirt wet with his tears.

Dmitry smiled as he hugged his brother back. "Hey, kid. Glad you still remember me."

Cody looked up as tears streamed down his eyes. "You look a lot older. And taller."

"You got older too. I mean, last time I saw you you still didn't know how to tie your shoes."

The brightness in Cody's eyes dimmed a little. "Why did you leave, Big Brother? Where did you go? After mum and dad died–"

Dmitry shushed his brother with his fingers. "We need to talk, just you and I. You fine with that?"

Cody was more than fine, but then he was on a date. He took out his phone from his pocket. "Give me a moment, I need to… Oh." There was a message on his phone from Connor, that he apologized but suddenly got a bad headache and needed to leave. That was unusual coming from him, but he didn't think about it too long.

Cody put the phone away and smiled as the brightness returned to his eyes. "Let's go talk, Big Brother."

The older brother held the hands of the younger one. They felt smaller, warmer. Whatever rage Dmitry had been feeling was fading. After so long he could feel his baby brother's warmth.

"There's so much I need to tell you."