When Crickets Cry...

Zac watched silently.
"Are you alright?" Brayden piped up, watching his brother. He wasn't one to stay quiet and jsut watch

Angles head snapped over to him.
"Just chipper." He muttered as he tried to calm the voices.

Brayden hummed as he watched him, now interested in him.

His body shook frequently as always. He Chewed his lip as his hands held his head.

Brayden scooted closer, chin resting in his hand as he watched curiously.
"Whatcha doin?" He hummed

"Trying to make the voices be quiet." He answered softly, his pained eyes meeting those of his brother.

Brayden blinked, feeling bad for his brother.
"Like voices? In your head?" He tilted his head to the side. He wasn't being rude but he was interested

Angel nodded, clenching his eyes shut and putting pressure on his head.
"Th-They wont be quiet....."
Higgy sighed softly, looking at him worriedly.
"They are loud....And mean....And they wont shut up..."

"Angel... if I touch you are you gonna flip out on me?" Brayden asked softly, looking into Angel's eyes with his deep brown ones.

Angel blinked,pressing back.
"Please don't touch me." Angel voice was gentle but there was a waver of warning in it, he didnt wanna flip out on them....He was trying so hard.

"ALright then. I was just going to hold your hand but I won't if you dont want me to." Brayden nodded.
Zac blinked at them. That could have been the first time Brayden listened without arguing.

Angel curled up on the couch, pressing his temples, trying to make it stop.
Anything to make it stop.
Higgy bit his lip.
"Angel....Don't hurt yourself." He reached out to pull a hand away and Angel snapped, back handing him across the face and crouching like he was going to run.
Higgy rubbed his jaw, sitting up and wiping the blood away from his lip.
He couldn't let Angel flip and hurt himself....

Zac checked on Higgy for a moment as Brayden continued to watch Angel.
"Well... are they being mean? Or are they nice but they just upset you cause they won't shut up?"
He had a high pain tolerance he'd see how close he could get without being hit.

"Some are nice.....But most are cruel...mean....always passing judgment and they drown out the nice ones, they are loud, they wont stop...."
If he got to close and scared the boy....
Angel may never let him close again.

"What sort of judgement...?" He raised an eyebrow. "Is there anyway I can help you?"

"Don't touch me....Dont call me crazy....never get to close...."
He shook his head.
"They tell me things....Things about you....about...Mom...."

"Okay, I wont call you crazy or touch you without permission." He nodded. "You're not crazy anyways. And what do they tell you about me?"

"They say...."
He paused, listening.
"Your....bad....you'll hurt me...You WANT to hurt me..." He frowned at him.
"They say you cant be trusted."

"Hey now, you just met me. That means the voices just met me too. They don't know me. Now, I, I know myself. I know that you are my brother and I already love you. So I'm never gonna hurt you. We might argue, but I do that with all my other brothers and sisters." He nodded.

Angel shook his head slowly.
"Shhhhhh......"
He was quieting the voices.
But they were right.
They were always right.

Brayden smiled softly at him, shushing him in a barely audible coo.

Angel was silent a moment, his eyes clenched shut tightly.
"They dont like you now...." Angel whispered.

"Well, why not?" He whispered.

"Because I like you." He whispered back, his eyes closed.

Brayden smiled softly.
"Well I like you too." He continued whispering.