He may have lost his home and security, but unlike as a child, he wasn’t alone.
Chapter22
Axel
Axel paced, arms crossed, as he waited for Titus to open his door. “Bloody ridiculous, surely he can’t still be asleep?”
He’d already waited a few minutes with no response, his patience wearing thin as he ignored the need itching the inside of his arms. Lifting a heavy fist, he thumped hard against the wood.
“Come on, Ti. Open up the fucking door!” A moment passed, and Axel let out a frustrated sound as he went to knock again. “Stop being such as petty little –”
“What do you want?”
Axel spun, finding Titus in the corridor with a bored expression. “Oh, I thought you were inside,” he said, awkwardly lowering his hand. “Where were you?”
Titus mirrored Axel’s crossed arms, closing himself off while Axel immediately dropped his arms to the side.
Fuck,he thought.This is going well.
“Look, I came to apologise. What I said… about your parents… everything. I didn’t mean it.”
“Yes, you did.” Titus moved around Axel, opening his bedroom door and stepping inside.
Just like Axel and their other brothers, they’d all personalised their rooms, making them their own little sanctuaries. Titus’s was similar to his place at their apartment, with dark colours and rich woods. His bed was fourposter, the sheets black satin with only a single pillow. Titus never brought any of his dates there, which wasn’t a surprise considering all his toys were back at their shared apartment.
“What do you want Axel? I’m busy.” He gestured to his ridiculously large computer, the three monitors dark except for a single white cross pulsating in the centre. Titus worked online security for all of Riley’s corporations, as well as hiring himself out as an expert in his field. Not that Axel really understood what he actually did on that computer of his, the screen usually showing random letters and symbols that made zero sense. But if you wanted something hacked, money moved without a trace or a virus designed to take out a competitor, Titus was your man. Probably.
“You were right, I have a problem. I’m sorry it took me so long to realise it, that you had to protect me,” he said, cautiously watching his cousin’s expression remain neutral. “I’m trying Ti, I really am. It’s… it’s hard to admit this weakness.”
“You’re not weak,” Titus said, reaching up to brush the blonde strands from his face. The roots were dark, his natural colour coming through. “Stupid, but not weak.”
Axel chuckled, the tension he carried relaxing a fraction. “I really am sorry. I don’t deserve you as my brother, or cousin.”
Titus dropped his gaze to the floor, his hands tightening on his arms. “Do you actually want help?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitation, not now he understood it was an addiction. “I don’t know why I didn’t listen, you’re always right.”
“Of course I am,” Titus said with a genuine smile, his own body no longer strained. “But I’m sorry too. I should have seen you needed help.” As Axel went to protest, he held up his hand, moving to grab a black and gold tin from his bedside cabinet. “This is tea, it’s supposed to help with withdrawal symptoms.”
“Tea?” Axel repeated when Titus handed it over. “Helpful considering I’m doing this cold turkey. That’s the phrase, right?”
He turned it in his palms, unable to read the Mandarin label despite studying it as a kid.
“Is this from Laolao?” He felt the colour drain from his face. “Ti, tell me you didn’t tell her? She’s human, you could have given her a heart attack!”
“Of course not.” Titus scrunched up his face. “Do you think I’m an idiot? She would demand you back home, and probably make me come too for letting you get in the situation in the first place.”
A beep, the middle monitor flashing white before returning to the small pulsating cross in the centre.
Titus ignored it. “How did it get so bad? We used to talk about everything, and then you just shut me out.”
“I didn’t realise I stopped.” Axel clutched the tin to his stomach, the metal sharp at the corners. “The pain was getting worse and nothing I was doing was helping. My biggest fear was letting everyone down, unable to perform my duties with you guys.” A hollow chuckle. “Which of course, is exactly what happened. I found that some drugs could help with the pain, and even better when mixed with certain herbs. So I started experimenting, resorting to stronger stuff until I came to brimstone. It helped. I could perform without being overwhelmed as long as I was… high.”
“Why did you never tell me about the pain?”
“Because I didn’t think you would believe me.” Axel shrugged, unable to look at Titus. “We’re Guardians. We were trained to withstand pain, to fight until our last breath. I could never admit I constantly ached, that my skin felt so sensitive even a feather hurt.”
“I would have –”
