@crassussativum
Most of them were sat down for breakfast, early in the morning. Velox had a big cup of coffee in front of him that he was nursing. He was talking about this bird he'd seen on his morning run. With long legs and neck and the impossible grey feathers that shimmered in all the colors.
Siska was standing by the counter, just now plopping down some toast in the toaster for Linnaeus. He was not a morning person, and he kept blinking with both eyelids to get the gunk out of his eyes.
Murk was watching them all over his cup of tea, looking for all the world like he didn't want to be anywhere else but here. This was perfect. Friends and family, enjoying a calm breakfast together.
And then, Dius stepped in, and the atmosphere in the makeshift kitchen changed. He stopped, when he spotted Siska, who shifted, uncomfortable where he stood. His tired eyes glancing away. This was how it had been, for several days now. That distressed tension between the two. Dius would duck out of the room and lock himself away outside the house. Siska would avoid going out to the backside of the house. And Murk didn't understand what had changed. He'd been waiting for the showdown. That was their pattern whenever they were in a silent fight like this. They'd butt heads and eventually throw down. They'd brawl, scream at each other and as the smoke cleared, the air between them would settle and calm. They'd laugh and be friends again.
Why didn't the tipping point come this time? What was different?
He watched as Dius' feet shuffled, about to turn and run.
"No," he said, voice calm, but solid. One you didn't argue with. Enough was enough. Murk stood. "That's not happening." He managed to grab hold of Dius' wrist, just as he turned away. Reaching out, he placed his other on Siska's shoulder, the hand on Dius finding its way up to a similar hold. "You two, gentlemen, are taking this outside. It's time, it's past time, even."