Dimensional Descent

Raj tried to move directly past Zephyr, feeling that the time was about to hit zero.

"Hey," Zephyr reached out and put a firm hand on Raj's shoulder, his frown turning more dangerous. "I said to stop. That's my woman in there, who do you think you are?"

Raj froze, blinking once, then a second time.

The anxiousness in his gaze dimmed, and in the end all that was left was irritation.

He didn't like the feeling at all. His heart sunk to the pits of his stomach and his mind felt like it was whirring. He didn't even know what the emotion was, it was mixed in with too many things.

It was rage, but not quite rage. Sadness, but not quite sadness. Even embarrassment, though not quite that either. He had come here with his brothers, just to find out the girl he thought about more than he wanted to admit was with another man?

Was that why she had reacted like that? It wasn't his face at all, but rather that she was embarrassed to be caught in a situation like this?

No, what would she have to be embarrassed about? The two of them were so stubborn that they never really put any official labels on their relationship, and how long had it been since they saw each other?

But he had thought that things would stay the same... hadn't it stayed the same last time?

He had literally died in a war and disappeared for decades from Yuri's perspective, but after they met again she acted like nothing had happened at all and that they were still together.

He had thought that that meant that she was his ride or die. He never said it, but how could he not be a bit jealous about what Leonel and Aina had going on? A lot of times he would prefer to hang out with his wife than them, and Raj couldn't really blame him.

And now, Raj stood in confusion, a stranger's hand on his shoulder, and a great deal of hostility surrounding him.

now barely more than a year was too much? Was it because before she was surrounded by humans she always looked down on, and now she was surrounded by people she

always been arrogant like

son of a-" James started to roll up his sleeves like he was about to burn the tree house down, but Leonel suddenly pointed at his

what was wrong, only to

embarrassed he had fallen for a preschooler's gag, and on the other, he couldn't help but look at Leonel

I'm going to beat your ass," James

try it, short

"As if-"

used to being taller than Leonel, for so long he had been at least three inches taller than the latter. But Leonel

Fuck you," James

laugh, waving a hand at everyone and grabbing Aina's wrist. Surprisingly, Aina had reacted before even James had, but this time, he chose to take a step back

for too long. They felt stifled, and they felt

If it was up to him, he would

they didn't like it. They were all men at the end of the day, although they had all grown up together, the reason

have such fiery spirits,

Raj... but would Raj even want that? Even if he didn't say anything like he normally wouldn't, that didn't mean it wouldn't

his blindside

days, he wasn't able to protect