A/N:This is for the Bard Secret Santa on Tumblr. @macabrelamb, I hope you like this. I couldn't decide between Draven or Darius, so... Why not both? Heh. Enjoy! Also, Ao3 link here! [x]
Summary: Darius has just returned from a campaign, but while he wants nothing more than to sleep, his brother has other plans... A Secret Santa gift for @macabrelamb on Tumblr!
Strings of lights, red and green and blue and gold, were all strewn about, flickering and bright against the dusk. Some lined rooftops and windows, while others twirled around bushes. Snowdown decorations littered any free space in entrance-ways, and parked in plain sight through every open window sat Snowdown trees, trimmed with ornaments and covered in tinsel. All around, people flocked to parties and bustled with energy, despite the late hour. Noxus was always crowded, with so many gathered in such tight walkways, shoulder-to-shoulder, Darius found it silly for him to have worn any furs at all. The streets were warm from so many crammed bodies, but at least when people saw him, they stepped aside.
It was late, and Darius was long overdue for a good rest. Late nights of strategies and training were draining enough, but he had been assigned to a small faction. An elite force, handpicked by Cyrus, that had traveled to the rough lands of Freljord, where the winds howled and the ice cut. They had seiged and captured a key border fort, and upon their return, the soldiers had been praised for their successful campaign, and given an audience with Emperor Boram Darkwill himself.
Darius was proud of what he'd accomplished, but he was also tired. His limbs were sore from marching, and as he finally reached his doorstep, he still hadn't decided whether he should take a warm bath or fall asleep on his bed first. The door was bare, the lights off, just as they'd been when he'd left, months ago. The key slid into the keyhole just the same, and the doorway was as finicky as ever, squeaking in protest as he pushed it roughly ajar. He stepped inside, closed the door behind him, and turned the lights of the entrance on.
Darius winced at the sound, half-way into a crouch already, before he registered who the voice belonged to.
There was his baby brother, leaning back on the couch, looking as comfortable as ever. His legs were kicked over the edge, and his boots dangled lazily in the air. Draven's moustache was tidy and trimmed to perfection, and he donned a Snowdown suit, right down to the red, fuzzy hat. Darius had definitely not given him a key to his apartment, but he should have known that wouldn't stop him.
This was not how this meeting had gone in his head.
Before he left, Darius had had a rough argument with Draven. His little brother, upset that he hadn't been chosen for the campaign, had walked away fuming and cursing. Darius himself had been just as frustrated, but had pushed the fight aside to focus on his mission. Now, he was home, and having to confront his brother when he was on the brink of exhaustion was just about the last thing he needed.
But of course, Draven was as nosy as he'd been since childhood, and endearing though it might be, Darius was simply too tired to match his brother's energy, let alone settle a fight. He relaxed his posture, slipping out of his crouch, but kept his narrowed eyes on his little brother.
Draven's grin quickly turned downward.
"Jeez, no reaction? You'd think you were dead inside or something," he said. He made no move to leave the couch, or even lean forward, for that matter; rather, he seemed to settle even further back. "I mean, I know hanging out with frosty cavemen isn't anything like being in my company, but did you really forget how to smile?" Draven gestured at his own face, and he broke out in a wide, toothy grin. "Shee? Laike dish."
Darius stood there for a few moments before walking past his brother.
I'll go to bed, he thought to himself. Draven can wait til--
"Darius!" There was a distinct clatter as Draven hopped out of the couch and rushed to catch up. "Hey! It's Snowdown!"
Darius stopped walking, took a deep, calming breath, and turned around.
"I'm tired," he said. "I've been gone for months, and I want to rest."
Draven waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, that can wait. You can sleep after this." Draven struck a pose, and Darius would have rolled his eyes if he'd had the energy. "I brought you your Snowdown gift!"
Darius didn't move. "It can wait until tomorrow," he said again.
Draven shook his head. "No, it really can't." He flashed his toothy, curled grin at his brother. "Trust me."
Darius sighed, raising a hand to rub his forehead in exasperation. Draven always had a way of getting under his skin, but... Darius turned around.
"Let me unpack first, at least," he told his brother. Behind his retreating form, he heard Draven let out a victory cry. He could almost imagine him leaping in joy.
Sighing again, Darius carefully placed his pack onto his bed, and began to gently rummage around inside it.
By the time he wandered back out to the living room area, Darius found that his brother had managed to produce a small tree, feebly decorated with five bulbs and a half-hazard tinsel job. He'd placed it by the window and opened the curtains. He heard his brother humming Snowdown tunes to himself as he sat by the tree. By his side was a small box, wrapped in paper covered in candy canes. When his eyes met Darius's, he grinned, practically glowing with pride.
"I did the decorating myself," he said, as though it wasn't obvious. "It's not... flashy enough in here, you know?"
Darius allowed himself a small smile. "Flashy is for you, not me."
"Truer words have yet to be spoken," Draven declared, enthusiasm pouring from his voice. Then he sat up taller, eagerness lighting up his eyes. "Snowdown time!" He stood, and the bells on his belt jingled as he pulled the box up with him. "Here." He sat beside his brother on the couch and handed him the box. Darius took it, but he put it down on his other side, then turned to face Draven.
"We need to talk," he said. Draven made a face; he knew that tone from when they were young. Darius reserved it for only the most serious of situations.
"We are talking," Draven replied. Darius didn't bother answering that; Draven slumped forward, looking across the room. He avoided his brother's gaze. He sighed then, and Darius knew he'd resigned himself to their discussion. "Fine... About what?"
Even though Draven refused to meet his eyes, that didn't stop Darius from seeking him out anyways. His brother was young, but he'd gained a few scars since Darius had left, and they made him seem older, just a bit. Even so, he was still more or less the same spirit he'd been as a child, overeager and proud and quietly, quietly afraid of his shortcomings, afraid of being a shortcoming.
"I know you wanted to go on the campaign," Darius said. He had meant it to be quiet, but as always, his voice was gravelly and deep, projecting more than he'd intended to. But he pressed on. "But you weren't ready."
Draven let out a gust of air he'd been holding.
"You always say that," he said, "But I've proven myself plenty." His hands clenched into fists against his knees. "But I just didn't want..." He trailed off, then started again. "I'm always by your side. So you going, and me staying... It just... Felt weird. Wrong." He hesitated. "Does that make sense?"
Darius let out a breath of his own. "You don't need me to stay with you anymore," he told Draven. "You're not a kid anymore. And we have duties, to Noxus--"
"I know, I know," Draven cut him off. His clenched fists finally relaxed, settling together as he leaned forward. "I'm not saying I need you around to coddle me. I'm not a child. I just..." Draven struggled to find words for a moment. "I want to be... Equal. Your equal."
Darius shook his head. "Our strength isn't equal. That doesn't make you weak. As you've said, you've proven yourself plenty."
"Hm." Draven let out a hum, and Darius let him ponder his words in silence. For a time, there was nothing but their breathing and the dusk light creeping through the open window.
Finally, Draven looked up to meet Darius's gaze, and he found resolution in them. "You're wise beyond your years, big brother."
Darius smirked. "Of course I am." Without missing a beat, he tore into his gift. Draven started, surprised, but he beamed widely as Darius peeled the paper away.
"It's awesome, I promise!" he said. Darius lifted a penguin snow globe up in his palms. "See?" Draven grabbed it from his hands, turned it upside down, and twisted a key beneath it. A Snowdown tune began to play. "It's so cool!"
Darius chuckled. "Thank you," he said. He searched the room for somewhere to put it. His eyes fell on the windowsill. "It is pretty bare in here."
"Exactly!" Draven said. "That's what I was sayin--"
A thump from Darius's room made him cut off. He stood, glancing down at his brother in curiosity.
"Go see," Darius said, his smirk growing into a full-blown grin. "it's for you." Draven wandered off excitedly, and Darius looked out the window.
It was a lovely night, made all the better by a warm home and brother. He was still going to bed, though, right after Draven found--
"Oh my Gods, is this a--?!" Draven's laughter tumbled down the hallway. "It's a poro! A poro! Oh, Gods, you're heavy, dude... I'm naming him Glory!!!"
Darius heard his brother stomping back to the room, squeezing the life out of a fluffy foreign creature, and he met his gaze with a smile. "Happy Snowdown," he said. Draven grinned back, eyes wide and bright.
"Yeah," he replied, "Happy Snowdown."
