For a second, he thought that Ryan was going to leave him alone. As ready as he was to take this on alone before, he suddenly felt a stab of genuine fear hit his gut. He couldn’t be left alone to his thoughts, not now.
But then Ryan was back and warm and oh so familiar, and James had to choke back a shaky sob. “Yeah, I’m a piece of work, aren’t I?”
He didn’t speak for a while, simply leaning into his brother’s touch. His breath slowed, and if they weren’t standing, he could have easily fallen asleep there. His eyes fluttered shut. “I want to stop thinking. I need to. Think you can distract me?”
Ryan pulled James closer toward him, squeezing his eyes shut as he heard that sob. He was the only one who ever saw his brother break this way. He was the only one who had ever seem him display any sort of emotion other than anger. With him, James was safe. He was always safe with him.
Biting his lip, he moved up, pressing a kiss to his brother’s neck. “You’re my piece of work. And I will always care about you. No matter what you do.” He mumbled, nuzzling his again. He smiled a bit as he felt James relax against him, giving a little hum at the request. “What would you like me to do?”