Blood Ties

"Maybe," coughed Dante, the man's mood only perking up when Rembrandt arrived back in the room. Being so occupied dealing with the illness he was hit with, Dante had failed to hear the commotion downstairs, his head banging too much for him to take much notice of what was happening. Instead, he assumed Rembrandt had been searching for his missing bag and belongings, his smile disappearing when he noticed the other hadn't returned with anything in hand other than the cup of hot tea.

"Didn't find it, huh?" He offered with a sigh, pushing himself up to take the tea with a thankful nod. "...I'm sure it'll turn up soon. I... I need to rest anyway, so maybe you'll find my stuff in an hour o-or two?"
 
“Perhaps. What matters is that you start to feel better, you won’t be able to do much if you’re still this ill,” he whispered with a small smile before fluffing the other’s pillow. Glancing over at the teacup, he would admit that he felt the small bit of guilt. Rembrandt had never met someone so adventurous and caring for him in such a small time and maybe he knew his head was in the cloud but he had the urge to take the tea away. He hesitated, making a decision in his mind.

“It’s... a hypothetical, Dante, but would you let me come on an adventure with you once you feel better?” He asked slowly, keeping his voice down. “My parents, they... they would never see the places you have, I want to explore and see the world.”
 
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"Hm? Oh, sure, sure I would. I gotta leave tonight, but... hey, I'm not against you running off into the sunset with me, it's kinda cute," he teased lightly from the bed, only stopping when he saw how serious -and desperate- the other was, which left Dante falling silent as he contemplated the idea. He wouldn't mind bringing someone along with him, especially if that someone was Rembrandt, but he also knew it wasn't his place to disrupt a family by intervening like this.

On the other hand, he didn't like how Rembrandt was treated, as though his eye for adventure was a bad trait, and so he eventually nodded with a firm smile.

"Course you can come with me, when I'm better. I feel like shit right now, so... give me a few hours. If you wanna come, it'll have to be tonight. I really can't miss this train, y'know?"
 
Looking away warily, he pursed his lips hard before offering a nod. It was a dangerous idea but the allure of seeing the world with a cute guy was too exciting to take up. Offering a smile, he took the empty tea back. "Yes, of course. Well, please take it easy for a bit. You can take a bath if you'd like, it always makes me feel better when I'm ill," he explained quietly before daring to lean down and offer a peck on Dante's forehead.

"I'll bring up some breakfast that I'm sure you can stomach - toast and some basic fruit," he declared quickly before anxiously heading from the room, his cheeks growing pink. The idea of him beside Dante, taking a ship down the Amazon river wearing cheesy costumes like the characters in his books. Letting out an eager squeal, he hurried to the kitchen with a growing grin on his lips
 
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"And why are you so happy? I thought you liked Dante. I don't think slowly poisoning the man you like is something you should be happy about, Rembrandt," said Amelia quietly, having been ordered to wash and put away the dishes as part of the punishment she had been given. It was nothing too serious, surprisingly, but the fact she was forbidden from seeing Morgan was deeply serious to her. It didn't mean she was going to stand in the way of Rembrandt's happiness, however, the sight of her younger brother happily smiling making her smile in return.

"...You didn't give him the tea," she noted, her eyes glancing at the full cup with a small grin. "Oh, you'll get in trouble for that. Mummy and Daddy are going to know if he doesn't get any sicker, Rembrandt. I like Dante a lot too, but... well, you can't keep him alive. Mummy and Daddy won't allow that, you know this."
 
“I won’t be in trouble if Dante takes me with him,” he quickly withered back, moving close in fear of anyone else hearing. “He.... said he would take me with him once he’s better, Amelia! I can’t be here any longer, I need to be able to s-spread my wings and explore like Mummy and Daddy did when they were younger. It isn’t fair to hear stories from them whilst I’m forced into this house,” he insisted, though his wary expression contradicted his confident words.

“I... It isn’t like if I don’t give him this cup of tea, he’ll heal instantly. The effects last 24 hours so... so I have time to think, right? I would love to bring you too, Amelia.”
 
"...I can't go anywhere. I don't want to leave the village and never see Morgan again, and I doubt he'd want to drop everything to go travelling with me. Daddy said I'm a lovesick girl who's more in love with Morgan than he is with me, which I... I suppose is true. I doubt Morgan truly loves me as much as I do him, so... so no, I can't ask him. I'll just get upset when I'm rejected," she nervously smiled, setting the dishcloth down to examine her brother. She wanted nothing more than to join him and Dante, if only to enjoy the freedom of travelling herself, but she was a great deal more fearful than her brother was - she couldn't even contemplate the idea of running away, whilst Rembrandt seemed all but ready to act upon it.

"I... I'd like to, though. Go with you, I mean. Maybe I can ask Morgan, and if he says no, then... then I know he's not serious about me. It's a win-win, I-I guess."
 
His eagerness faded though after a moment, his smile fading at his sister’s lack of encouragement. Looking away quickly, he awkwardly laughed. “I... I guess it’s dumb to want to do that, yeah? I’m sure that mummy and daddy will be upset if I ran away, I.... I wouldn’t want them to be upset with you,” he admitted before moving to help his sister.

“I’m just... ignorant,” he murmured, his eyes closing. “I shouldn’t be dreaming, huh? I should just... accept everything and stop being so innamered with some silly man.”
 
"No, no, don't go back on this! No, we'll... gather our things and head off whenever Dante is ready. I want to do this, I won't ever get another chance, Rembrandt. Not... really. I want to explore as much as you do. I want to... to go to parties with Morgan and do all sorts of fun things. We can always come home when we've had enough," she pointed out, nodding firmly for emphasis as she carefully retrieved the cloth, her eyes now sparkling at the idea of actually leaving the village, with a boyfriend on her arm. It was all she had dreamed of, so the fact it might come true was too good a chance to turn down because of fear.

"No, we have to do this, R-Remmie. It has to be done because... Dante will die otherwise and Morgan will too, I don't think Mummy and Daddy will let him live. We can help them and travel with them, it's... perfect."
 
“But there’s the complications of food,” he reminded after a pause. “That’s... not as easy. We cannot survive off of human food solely, Amelia, a-and... I don’t know how we would get what we need. As for mummy and daddy, what... if they didn’t want us back? They could ban us from the property.”

With clear anxiety hitting him, Rembrandt glances back at Dante’s room before turning to his sister for any more solid convincing, nibbling on the sides of his nails desperately to keep himself from getting to upset.

“What if mummy doesn’t take it well and she does something irrational?”
 
"What is it you want me to say to you, Rembrandt? I think you should do it, and you're spending a great deal of time doubting whether you should, so maybe you should stay home. I don't know what you want me to say. I've told you how I feel and what you ought to do, haven't I? If you're in this much doubt, then clearly you don't want to leave, deep down. Or yo'd already be packing your bags," the older sibling pointed out, returning to the dishes with a heavy sigh. She was ready to abandon everything for a chance at travelling with someone she cared about, but her circumstances weren't as simple. She was in love with someone who's home and family were in the village, and she doubted Morgan would abandon them all for her.

Meanwhile, her brother was growing closer to someone whose job it was to travel and explore all of these places. He had the chance to accompany him and grow closer to him in the process, so of course Amelia was almost furious that he was close to turning his nose up at the chance. Especially considering she couldn't do it as easily as he could.

"Mummy will be fine. I can't go, I'll have to stay, it's silly of me to think I could - but you can, Remmie. You can explore and... and do all sorts of fun things. Mummy and Daddy will be mad, but it's worth it, isn't it? To do something as wonderful as exploring the world with a cute guy who... clearly likes you. Don't let your fear get in the way, that's... my advice, I think. I want you to be happy."
 
“I’d miss you,” he admitted with a whisper as he helped Amelia, though avoided her gaze in fear of getting teary-eyed. “How would I keep in contact with you? I don’t want to just never hear from you and I’m sure you’d feel the same, hopefully, right?” He reminded before pursing his lips tight.

“I would probably only be gone for a year, tops. I just - I just want to see things, I don’t want to leave permanently. I just can’t sit idly anymore, I need... I need to leave - hell, even a month would be better than nothing.”
 
"I... I'm not sure you could keep in contact with me. I'd suggest sending letters but Mummy and Daddy would see them and... and I'm sure they wouldn't let me have them. I'm not sure it's possible - but don't worry! You won't be gone forever, so I'm sure I could manage not hearing from you for a year. It'd be horrible, but I... I'll manage if I know you're out there having fun," she promised, turning to look at her younger brother with a wide smile. Not having him around the home would be horrible for her, given he was her best friend and the sibling she was closest to, but she knew she could manage. She wasn't going to let how she felt stand in the way of her brother actually getting out into the world.

"Stop worrying, you'll enjoy yourself! Especially alongside that lovely young man upstairs, he's so smitten with you, isn't he? It's rather adorable, I'm happy you're happy, Rembrandt. And maybe a guest will visit who... who our parents will approve of, so maybe I can have someone eventually. Nobody will be like Morgan, of course, but... I assume that he wants nothing more to do with me after Daddy threatened him, so... so don't you pass up the chance to be beside someone who likes you, or it'll make me mad~"
 
“I think you’re smart enough to, well... outsmart mummy and daddy,” urged Rembrandt, though his wariness began to rise again. “I’m really only worried about food. I don’t...: I don’t know if he would be so relaxed when he learns of what we eat, yeah? Should I tell him now? I think I should - he’s too weak to run away still so if I told him and he reacted poorly, we can just eat him. If he takes it... well, then we can run away together, yeah?” He suggested with a tight smile. Moving away, he hesitated before moving back into the guest bedroom.

“Are you still feeling ill? Can I get you some proper food?” He asked quietly, keeping close to the door while subtly locking it. Since all of the doors still worked through key, Rembrandt slipped into his back pocket secretly.
 
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Her brother disappeared before Amelia could get a word in to advise him against telling the human, and when she tried to head after him, she found the door to be locked. She could have banged against it to get his attention, to tell him that telling Dante would only end in disaster, but that would only alert their parents and, when she was supposed to attending her chores, having them find her away from her duties would only be a disaster for her.

So, as she sulked back to the sink, hoping for the best, Dante was left alone with Rembrandt, smiling over at him when he made his appearance.

"Kinda? I dunno, it's... the worst fucking hangover ever. I swear, I'm not this much of a lightweight," he promised with a chuckle, pushing himself up from bed to try and move about, deciding that lying in bed was only going to make him ache even more. "Did you find my stuff? I mean, I... need that, Rem."
 
“How... about you take a bath first,” he urged, an awkward smile on his lips. “I have no problem helping you. You must feel better first, why can’t you understand that? It’s incredibly frustrating. You’re a very nice guy, Dante, I want to help you.”

His urging, subtle words ended when he could hear footsteps nearby, freezing in horror. Dante wasn’t as sick as he should be by this point and he knew his parents could tell, which only made his gut sink. With a light knock on the door, Rembrandt awkwardly smiled.

“O-One moment, I’m helping with our guest!” He called before physically pushing Dante back in bed, side-eyeing the door. “Be patient, please.”
 
The sudden push from Rembrandt caught him by surprise, and he would argue that it was that alone that successfully pushed him back into the bed. However, he knew deep down that it was Rembrandt's strength that managed it, and it obviously confused him. Sure, perhaps Rembrandt was much stronger than he appeared to be, but it was confusing nonetheless, and Dante found himself staring awkwardly at the other - especially when taking notice of how panicked he appeared to be for what seemed to be no reason.

"...What's going on?" He questioned weakly, coughing into his fist and making no effort to rush out of bed again - Rembrandt seemed desperate to keep him inside it for the moment. Casting a glance at the door at the knocking, he furrowed his brow in confusion but made no effort to call out to answer them. For whatever reason, Rembrandt seemed to want him to remain in bed, ill... and while he had no idea why, he wasn't prepared to upset someone he had grown close to.

"Is everything alright in here?" Charlotte began as she cast a critical glance to Dante, smiling in satisfaction at the human's appearance. He did look sickly, but she also fell for the show he was putting on, making himself appear far worse than he actually felt. "He's had the tea you brought to him, yes, Rembrandt? There's a good boy - the tea will help you, Dante. You do look awfully unwell, I'm afraid..."
 
Rembrandt, in response, said nothing. He was taught not to lie and if he didn’t speak, he technically wasn’t lying... right? Avoiding his mother’s eyes, Rembrandt nervously fiddled with his hands behind his back. When the silence grew too intense, Rembrandt reluctantly began to speak.

“Mommy, May I speak with you in private?” He nervously asked, his voice shaking. “It’s important. We can let Dante rest in the meantime, right?”
 
Charlotte had no idea why her son appeared to be so nervous. In her eyes, after all, everything was going according to plan... besides his little excursion to the village pub, at least. Dante was sick, she believed, so she had no reason to be concerned. It did mean she was now suspicious over her son's shakiness, quietly leading him from the room and turning to him in anticipation once safely away from Dante.

"...What is it? Is it your sister?" She murmured with a tired sigh, shaking her head to herself. "There's no need to be worried about Amelia. She's only doing a few extra chores, that's all, darling. Your father made it clear to her that she can't go chasing after that inconsequential man from the village-- we aren't going to be too hard on her, I promise."
 
"Mommy, please don't be mad," he prefaced, his eyes still on the ground. "I just... I... don't... um... a-ah..." he babbled, clearly struggling with his thoughts. He knew his mother wasn't nearly as harsh as his father but that didn't mean he was void of any criticism. Shifting his weight, he exhaled in reluctance when realization that he couldn't keep it back.

"Dante, he's... great," he explained, a smile on his lips at the thought. "He's so fascinating and nice and... I love him, I think. I want to be with him, I want to see the world with him. I know it isn't safe a-and... I know you will be upset but you saw the world with daddy, I want to see the world with Dante."