He is NOT ALONE in his suffering, that much he knows; they have tasted the agony, the ETERNAL torture of losing a BROTHER, of losing half a family even. It pains him, hearing their pain, the story of injustice and corruption leading to the loss of even an INNOCENT child, one who probably wondered for the reason of their murder before it happened, who cried and begged for their life, but CRUEL men are deaf, they have no ears for the innocent, only for themselves, their GREED and TARNISHED AMBITIONS. Liam knows. ❛ I’m so sorry, Fed! That’s– ❜ He can’t even find the words; what happened to their family, it was UNFAIR, ugly! His hand finds their shoulder, squeezing firmly; words can’t express the rage he feels for them, for the injustice they have suffered.
Attention and focus are with them even as he retracts his arm, yet unable to stop himself from peeking at the name of one of the many he has lost, one of the many scars to his soul and heart. In the dorsal of his wrist is a name engraved in ink to his skin, the name of a brother he LOST the moment he FOUND. Theo.
❛ It’s a...long story. ❜ It’s his fault they wonder about it, and he only hesitates at the beginning; this man beside him is a brother, too, and they have shared with him what is probably one of their most precious secrets, it’s only proper he does the same, and besides, he trusts them with everything, even the most precious to him, even Theo. ❛ Me baby brother.. ❜ He starts, head lowering, gaze not parting the inked name, thumb brushing against it longingly. ❛ It was a bad day from the start– bad eight or so months even.. I couldn’t find anyone or anything’ I was lookin’ for, but I found him! ❜ Now a smile graces his softening features, a mix of longing, pride and hurt on his face, in his voice. ❛ He was cryin’, no one was there, so I picked him up, pressed him against me chest, tried to calm him, rockin’ him, and he..calmed! ❜ He has to look at them, a wider smile on his face, it’s like he was, and still is, proud of that, it still feels good, it still surprises him how he managed it back then. ❛ He started laughin’ at the faces I made, holdin’ me nose, sometimes pullin’ me lip! ❜ A laugh now, a one that doesn’t live for long when he does his best to not crack down, not cry, and he quickly turns his face away, jaw clenching. ❛ I- They came and I- I hid with him! H-h-he was calm, he was okay! I decided t-to lure ‘em away but..... ❜ God, he is so ANGRY, so hurt, he can’t control the thumb now DIGGING into his flesh. ❛ They caught us... I had him in my arms and then he was...gone! ❜ It’s subconsciously when his arms demonstrate, moving as if he still has his brother in his arms, and then they don’t, and so his arms wrap around himself, just like the cold days after. He tells them how the bastards SUFFOCATED an eight-month-old child, MERCILESSLY stopping to let the boy have some air back into their lungs just to suffocate them again, and again, and again, all while he kicked and fought, trying to free himself just so he could free his baby brother, but he was weaker than now, weaker than them, and he could only BEG and PLEAD, cry for them to let his baby brother go! They can KILL him, TORTURE him, do whatever, but just let his brother live, let his brother go! They don’t, no! They let him WATCH until Theo is gone. ❛ That-t wasn’t e-enough! ❜ He can barely speak now, tears running down his face, his voice is cracking, yet he holds on, doesn’t cry yet. ❛ When they brought th-that gas, I was...relieved! I thought I was gonna die with me baby brother! ❜ He was wrong; they only poured it over the toddler’s corpse, forcing him to watch as whatever left of them turned to ASHES, refusing to even keep something for him to bury, to honor. ❛ He w-was only e-e-eight months and they BURNED him, F-Fed! They burned me b-b-baby brother, Fed! They... they... ❜ Words can’t get out anymore; he can’t hold the cry in anymore, letting it all out, his shoulders jump with the failed attempts to stop, his arms tighten around himself as he lowers his head further, leaning forward, head almost at the level of his thighs.