I originally started writing this last night, but it got deleted when fanfiction logged me out, so this isn't as good as it was first time around.

Breaking, shattering...

They went through everything together.

Brothers.

Cal saved Ethan's life; Ethan had saved Cal's more times than could be counted, just not as drastically.

They did things separately, differently, but as brothers.

Then it came to this.

Ethan holding him back.

Cal trying to push past him.

"You couldn't face it, could you? Even the slightest chance I might be happy again."

"It's not like that."

It really wasn't.

"I thought you were coming to help me!" Words laced with venom as he stepped forwards and Ethan - ever the pacifist - stepped back.

"I did!" He did, he had, and now he felt like he was on trial, with Cal as the judge.

"Cal, stop it, please." He had to keep pleading. To make Cal see that he wasn't 'different'.

"I was going to get your money back."

"No, you weren't!"

That was the penultimate straw.

Stalemate.

Neither of them moving, because there was no move to make.

Then;

"You know, you're just as messed up as me."

"I'm nothing like you."

It's true, they were polar opposites.

"Yeah? Then where's Honey, Ethan?" Cal was pushing his luck. He knew Ethan wasn't good with relationships.

"At least I'm trying." Yes, to make them bankrupt and get them involved in some illegal mess, "At least I've got the BOTTLE to get it wrong!"

That was the last straw.

The straw that broke the camel's back.

The straw that broke Ethan's temper.

Ethan grabbed Cal. Cal grabbed Ethan back.

Cal was stronger.

And Cal saw red.

Cal went for his head, knocking him to the ground, grabbing his hands as he tried to push the elder away.

Pinning him down. Pinning him down, when earlier that was a careful hand on his back a fear - an unspoken fear - that if he moved it, Ethan wouldn't be okay.

He wasn't okay now.

"Admit it, Ethan, you need me to be messed up so you can look away from your own pathetic life!" Holding him down, an arm across across his collar, "That's why you keep coming back Ethan."

"Why would I keep coming back to clean up your mess?" How could he not see? How could he not understand? How could he not let go? "What is wrong with you?"

"I come back because I have no choice," It wasn't the camel's back that was broken, but it's heart, "Because you're my brother."

Breaking, clouds and lines of red dissolving and suddenly Cal could see it was Ethan he was holding down. It was Ethan finally pushing him away.

"And whatever hat is forced me to come back, to protect you."

And so he sat there, breathing, breathing heavily.

And Ethan sat there, breathing, breathing heavily, yet somehow calmer, somehow... forgiving?

"I'll keep coming back for you, Caleb."

He'd been attacking his little brother. And now he sat there, listening. Listening to words Ethan shouldn't be saying, because they were the words he should be saying to Ethan.

"I just will."

...Broken, shattered.

I hope you liked it.