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.

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 thought were on her level so she

always been arrogant like

up his sleeves like he was about

was wrong, only to get a flick at

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

to beat your ass," James

try it,

"As if-"

inches taller than the latter. But Leonel was no longer than 6'3" academy senior, he stood at almost 6'10", towering over him who

you," James

Aina had reacted before even James

been stuck in the Segmented Cube for too long. They felt stifled, and they felt too reliant

If it was up to him, he would take all the weight on himself and

day, although they had all grown up

fiery spirits, they wouldn't be his brothers to begin

could kick Zephyr's ass for Raj... but would Raj even want that? Even if he didn't say anything like he normally wouldn't, that didn't mean

man who had protected his blindside for his whole football career. He took

he wasn't able to protect