On the Other Side

Chapter 12


“Katherine!” William stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him. “Kat, Katherine, Kathy…always her!” He jerked the drawer from the nightstand, sending the contents sprawling over the floor. “If he’s going to…” he drew in a shaky breath, “…the least he can do is learn my name!”

He scrambled through the spilled papers on the floor, finding his mother’s picture and plucking it from the mess. He stared at it for a moment, until rage contorted his features and he ripped it in half.

“I hate you!” He screamed at the blonde woman, whose smile never wavered as her picture was ripped into shreds. “You…you didn’t even love me enough to stay, you just…left me here with him! You…you bitch!” He tossed the fragments in the direction of the waste can and crumpled to the floor.

Sunlight reflecting off glass captured his attention and he picked up Jenny’s picture, dashing it against the wall and watching as it shattered into pieces.

“You lying bitch! You said…you loved me. You said I was your son. And then you DIED, you heartless…You’re heartless. And a liar.” Leaping to his feet, William grabbed the nightstand and shoved it, the bedside lamp smashing against the floor. “You left me!”

Gathering up the frame, which was glassless but still intact, he hurled it against the door, which slammed shut as Xander ducked behind it. William stormed across the room and snatched up the photo just as his brother entered the room.

“You LIAR!” He ripped the photo in two and was about to rend it into pieces when he fell to the floor, decked by Xander’s right fist.

“Ok. What the hell are you doing?” William was on his feet in an instant, grabbing the younger boy by the shoulders and slamming him against the wall. They both tumbled to the ground, clawing and hitting each other as they rolled across the floor. William flinched as he rolled over a piece of glass and his back was sliced open. He thrashed about, flipping the pair and knocking over a table in the process.

“They left me!” The pair continued to wrestle across the floor, both receiving multiple cuts in the process, until Xander managed to pin his older brother. William simply laid there, glass still embedded in his back, under the weight of the younger boy.

“They left us.” He focused dull eyes on the face hovering above him. “They left us, Xander.” William went limp, allowing his head to tilt backwards and roll to the side.

The tears began to fall.

“Will?” Small, warm hands stroked his face and hair. “Will? What’s wrong? You…you’re kinda scaring me here.” The brunette leaned forward, crushing William’s smaller body to his own. “It’s ok, Will.”

William shifted under the weight and his still-bleeding ass clenched. He began to sob in earnest then, shuddering as moist lips pressed against his temple and a sweaty hand cupped his chin, tilting his head to face his brother’s.

“Will. I didn’t leave.”

Soft, tender kisses were placed on his forehead, cheeks, and nose, until Xander’s lips brushed against his own. Still hiccupping in shock, William responded.

They kissed slowly, almost-chastely, lips softly caressing one another, lying together in a rapidly growing puddle of blood and tears.

They moved to the bathroom, gently extracting glass shards, then cleansing and bandaging each other’s wounds. Replacing the first aid kit where he’d found it, William turned towards Xander, who was perched on the side of the tub and turned moist eyes towards him.

“Will? I know you said that you didn’t…I mean, do you think I could stay with you, just for tonight?”

William cringed at the thought of sleeping alone after… And he would never hurt his Xander. Not like that. Not ever like that.

Reaching to take the younger boy’s hand, he pulled Xander towards his room. “I think…I think I’d like that.”

They lay, cuddled in a tangle of limbs, sharing sweet lingering kisses until they fell asleep, lips still pressed together.