Axel’s POV

I hated that piece of shit more than I hated anything else in this world. Rowan fucking Stewart stared at me with the same level of hate that I was giving him.

I had been minding my own fucking business, watching TV with Wey like we do every night before starting homework when this dude walks in like he owns the damn place and demands we leave.

“I’m not going to be sent to my room by someone who doesn’t even live here,” I spat as I made myself more comfortable. Weylyn was already huddling into my side and the fight hadn’t even started yet. He had never been one for violence but I thrived in it. Besides, it was a special day.

“Considering I’m the one making the mortgage payment every month I feel like I’m well within my right to watch TV in the house I pay for without brats staring over my shoulder,” he said as he reaches over to pluck the remote off my lap but I’m faster. I snatching it up and held it to my chest before he had even fully leaned over.

“Get fucked, we were here first.”

“I don’t remember asking who was here first. Give me that damn remote.”

“Let’s just go,” Wey whispered into my ear, his hand on my shoulder already trying to pull me away from the asshat.

“No.”

“No?”

“No. Go watch TV at your own house. Lily isn’t even here. Go away.”

Rowan’s scowl deepened as he stood up from the couch to tower in front of me. Weylyn bailed from my side, leaving the couch all together but not going as far as leaving the room yet.

I didn’t have time to dodge the hit aimed towards my jaw. It hit with a loud pop that I wasn’t sure if it came from me or him. The pain wasn’t even fully developed before I launched myself off the couch and head butted him directly in the stomach. He doubled over with the wind being knocked out of him but I didn’t stop. My next kick went to his dick.

“I said fucking leave,” I seethed at the man on the floor, holding his junk for dear life as if it would help. “We don’t want you here old man. Get out.”

He didn’t leave. I give it to him, for a guy who just got his dick kicked he recovered pretty fast. I had the upper hand for all of about three seconds before he was back on me. I didn’t stand a chance, Rowan had a good two feet on me and had developed muscles that I had yet to be blessed it, but that didn’t mean I didn’t try.

For every three hits he got in, I got one. Things weren’t going well for me. Blood was pouring down my nose, my lips were bloody, and my head fucking hurt. 

“Just leave him alone,” Weylyn screamed as I stared the devil himself in the face, a small smirk on my face just to piss him off even more.

“Shut the fuck up or you’re next,” Rowan said as stalked over just far enough away to slap Weylyn across the face.

Nothing but rage coursed through my body and Rowan had stupidly turned his back to me. 

I didn’t waste a second before forcing myself up and jumping on his back. My arms wrapped around his neck and squeezed as hard as I could. I wanted this fucker to die. No one touches Weylyn. Fucking ever.

He went limp in my arms but I didn’t stop until Weylyn physically dragged me off his body and into our room; the TV still being on the channel we had picked. Small victories were good enough for me. I may be bloody and in more pain than him but my show was still on and he was the one that was passed out.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Weylyn said as he dabbed the wet bath cloth around my nose to get what blood he could get off. “He’s going to be mad when he wakes up.”

“He should be mad. A 10 year old just beat him in a fight.”

“11,” Weylyn said with a frown as I hissed in pain when he passed over a rather tender spot. “We’re 11.” I smiled at him but he didn’t give it back.

“Happy birthday Wey.”

“It doesn’t feel very happy,” he sighed.

“Well that’s because you haven’t opened your present yet.” He looked both shocked and angry.

“Lily said we couldn’t do gifts this year.”

“Lily is a prick. She gets herself 50$ presents every year. We can have something. Go get it, it’s under my bed.” He looked a bit reluctant to leave but curiosity won out and soon enough he was sitting cross legged in front of me with this poorly wrapped gift in his lap.

“I didn’t get you anything. I didn’t want to make Lily upset.”

“I know. I don’t need anything anyway. Besides getting gifts is what big brothers do.”

“By 12 minutes,” he scoffed as he began tearing the paper.

“Still older.”

“It hardly counts.”

“Older.”

“Mom said she doesn’t even really know who came out first.”

“But Callum said it was me.” He tensed at the name before he remember where we were and the certain people who weren’t home.

Ever since Callum went away to school we hadn’t been allowed to talk about him. Mom seemed disappointed whenever we bought him up while Lily just got mad. She made it clear every time we asked her why she didn’t like our eldest brother it was because he left us with her and ‘ruined’ her life. 

The two of us still loved Callum though. We were still really young when he left but the few things that each of us remembered were always so kind. He helped us with homework before starting his own, cooked dinner every night even though he hated it, made sure we all took baths at night before going to sleep, always finding the money to get us little niche things when we had birthdays or even just because he saw something and thought of us.

I missed him more than anything. If I had known what school he had gone off to I would be dragging him back as we speak but mom refused to tell us where he went now.

A small gasp pulls me from my thought as I see Weylyn take in the book I had gotten for him. I had taken the money out of Rowan’s wallet while he was drunk one night and that made the whole thing so much better to me but what Weylyn didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

“That’s the only one in the series you didn’t have right?” He only nodded as he held the book to his chest. “Good. Now we can stop going to the library every time you want to reread the same damn series.”

“You should read it,” he said as pulled off the dust jacket to inspect the hardcover.

“Yea no thanks. You’re the reader, not me.” He only rolls his eyes as the front door opens. He flinches at the sound before quickly going to his bookshelf and hiding the book in plain sight. Lily was never observant enough to notice the new books I snuck him from time to time, mostly using either her or Rowan’s money. 

Our bedroom door opened without warning and Lily stood there with a cigarette in her hand as she stared us with nothing but distaste in her eyes.

“Why is Rowan asleep on our couch?”

“I don’t know,” I lie smoothly. “He’s probably drunk and sleeping it off. You know how alcoholics are. Day drinking and all.” Her glare hardened as he jaw clenched. 

“He’s not an alcoholic,” she defended weakly. 

“Right and you aren’t a bitch,” I said with a glare of my own. “Damn I love stating the wrong answers out loud. It’s so freeing don’t you think?”

“At least he’s not a 9 year old brat getting in to fights all the time,” she spat as he took in the bloody cloth on the floor. “Seriously. Knock it off. If that school calls me one more time I’m going to kill you.”

“I’d like to see you try,” I scoffed before she left and slammed the door behind her.

“She’s such a bitch,” Weylyn whispered as he looked over my face.

“Don’t curse. It’s unbecoming of little children.”

“We’re the same age.”

“You will always be 12 minutes younger child. Don’t disrespect your elders.”

“Mom said-,” he started again with an angry scowl on his face that just didn’t match who he was as a person.

“And Callum said-,”.