Every Adventure Has A Start

"Iiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrriiiiisssssssss!!"

Peony was loud, and it was even more annoying when he was whining. It had been a particularly slow business day, and Peony hated running the shop. Iris had just returned from running errands, because he refused to let Peony do it, anymore, after the last time, in which Peony had run off and spent the money on alcohol and women.

He grabbed his brother, violently shaking him.

"Let me have time off, please! I'm begging you, only old, gross men come to the stand!! I need some real action!" He sobbed, tears pouring down his cheeks.

Iris swatted his brother's wrist, flipping his purple locks over his shoulder.

"No--I don't trust you. Dad left me in charge when he died, and he was right to. Just look at you. Women shouldn't be your priority; we have a business to run."

He shook his head and sighed, holding the market bags close, as though he feared his brother would steal them. It wasn't unheard of.

"If you need some action, go into the streets and do a dance to advertise our business."

"Brilliant!!" He exclaimed, pulling his brother into a tight hug. Then, he let him go and waltzed out to the street, shaking his hips.

"Ladies~!" He purred loudly, drawing attention to himself. "If you shop at my caravan, I'll give you something...special~"

He singled out on the ladies from the crowd, trailing his fingers down her cheek. He watched with satisfaction as she giggled. Then, he pulled her towards him, twirlng her around in one, practiced motion. He laid her into his open arm, smiling down at her. "Would you like to dance? Perhaps," he paused, setting her back upright. "Someone else would like to dance with me?"

He grinned charmingly at his sudden audience of women, glancing back at Iris to give him a stupid thumbs up.

Iris groaned loudly, stepping behind the shop counter.

"Tell them to come inside and buy things, you idiot!" he shouted after his brother, groaning deeply. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy creep into his heart. He reassured himself it was because his brother was his only surviving relative.

Instead of dwelling on his feelings, he returned to shouting.

"Don't advertise yourself, stupid! Advertise the wares if you want to eat! I'll make good fish for dinner if we earn enough, stupid."

Peony smiled widely, twirling around another girl.

"Oh, but that's enough freebies~" he called, extending his arms. "If you want to dance with me, you have to buy from my shop, lovely ladies~"

He grabbed a woman's hand, kissing it. "Wouldn't you like a trinket to remember me by?" He winked, grinning to himself.

Iris just groaned and rolled his eyes. He had always resented his brother's habits; whether it was the women or the alcohol, his brother was simply incapable of being responsible. It drove him crazy. While other boys had played knights and dragons or hide and seek, he had been stuck at home, sweeping the shop and taking care of brother's messes. In the streets, people gave them both the same amount of disdain.

As one of the girls his brother had been flirting with approached the counter, he plastered on an unconvincing smile.

"Hello, welcome to our shop..."

He would look from the customers every few minutes to glare at his brother. At least he wasn't drunk yet.

However, a few minutes later when Iris looked up, Peony had disappeared. With his arms around two beautiful women, he had snuck off to a rather high class bar. He entered, choosing a seat in the back, where he could sit between the beautiful women.

"So, what type of drinks should I buy for us?" he chuckled, knowing that at the end of the day, they'd be the ones paying for the drinks.

As the crowds dispersed, Iris realized his brother was no longer in front of the shop. Swallowing his anger, he sat in the shop and waited. And waited. And waited. He waited until the sun had long set and any possible customers had gone to sleep.

Feeling embarrassment and anger, he packed up every unsold item and sat alone in the tent, eating a less than pleasant meal of salted, dried meat. It was tough and low-quality, but it was all he had been able to buy at the market earlier.

He waited late into the night, his stomach growling and the lamp flickering, for his brother's return. More than once, tears began to form at the corners of his eyes, but he always blinked them back. His father had told him that real men did not cry.

Suddenly, his brother came bursting into the tent. He was still holding a bottle of alcohol, probably good wine. He stumbled over the bedding until he found his brother, at which point he threw his arms around him, spilling alcohol all over his back.

"Brother! I love you so much, don't ever forget that!" he exclaimed, nuzzling his cheek. He attempted to kiss him on the cheek, but he was really smashed, and he ended up kissing him straight on the lips. "I love you~ <3"

With that, he moved over to his bed and fell into it, taking a swig of alcohol.

Iris stood there for a moment, literally shaking with rage. Then he swallowed, and turned around to face his brother, ignoring the foul-smelling alcohol that was rapidly staining his cape.

"Do you ever think about your actions before you commit them, brother?" he asked, his voice tense and his words curt. "Do you even know what time it is? Do you care to hear what my day was like?"

Peony looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "What the hell are you talking about? Of course I think before I do stuff, brother~"

He spilled the alcohol all over, as he waved his hands to illustrate his point. He stared at his brother fondly. He truly loved him, so much. He was so cute. He always looked more adorable when Peony was drunk, he realized. Maybe it as the alcohol? He shrugged slightly, sitting up so he could see his brother better. When had he started wearing that cape, anyway? He really enjoyed the view, though.

He grinned, as he decided to attempt to undress himself. He dropped the wine bottle and fumbled to remove his gloves, then his shirt.

"I said, do you care to hear how my day was?" he repeated, feeling anger well up in his throat. "Because it was horrible. I was stuck behind the desk all day, and I couldn't even buy more ingredients to prepare a proper dinner--I had to eat the leftovers from lunch instead. And where was my brother during all of this? Nowhere to be found. Because he obviously doesn't give a damn about the family business."

He took a deep breath, not wanting to lose his temper.

"...So, my day was horrible. Now you know. And I hope you feel horrible."

Peony frowned suddenly, as he pulled his boots off. Finally, he was left in only his uber tight pants, which really didn't leave much doubt about anything.

"Brother...I'm sorry, I thought you could handle it," he stood up suddenly, stumbling back over to Iris. He ran his hand over his brother's cheek, tangling it into his pretty hair. "I'm sorry, brother..."

He pulled him into a hug, running his hands through his brother's hair like a gaybo. He wasn't sure what he was doing, anymore. Peony knew it was never wise to be around his brother when he was this smashed. He liked to go home and pass out, before he did something he regretted.

"I love you," he reminded him, smiling. "I'm going to take my eyepatch off, so...don't look."

"Get off of me."

Pushing his brother away had been a reflex, but he didn't regret it; he couldn't stand it any longer. He hadn't been this angry in a while.

"I don't want to talk to you, and I don't want your apologies--haven't you been horrible enough for one night?" He took a deep breath, then sighed.

"I just...go to sleep brother. I'm sorry I said anything." He laid down on his bed, shaking his head. He neatly folded his cape and placed it nearby; he would have to wash it the next day. "Just...please, don't talk to me."

Peony frowned deeply. This wasn't what he had wanted.

"...Iris," he said quietly. "Please don't be angry with me. I'll change. I'll mind the shop tomorrow, I'll work hard. I'll stop being like this."

He gave this speech every time Iris got angry with him, but it never changed the fact that he didn't change. He'd claim he would every time, but then he'd revert back to how he was.

"I know you will," he replied, as he did every time his brother gave his little speech. He pulled the blanket over his shoulders and closed his eyes, and said no more than night.

-x-

As always, Peony did not change. He did the same annoying things he always did, drinking all day long, being irresponsible and stupid about their finances. However, as he always did, he dreaded Iris's birthday. He had to do something for it, but no matter what he did, he knew he'd just screw it up. Peony wasn't good at making things, and he was even worse at managing what little allowance Iris gave him. He'd never been good at picking out presents, anyway. He didn't know what other people liked, because he didn't pay enough attention to know or care.

Peony had finally decided what he was going to do.

"Happy birthday, Iris!" He said, the second he saw his brother stir. He had woken up extra early, gotten all dressed and set out all of their merchandise. "I'll take care of the shop today, okay, brother? You can take today off!"

"You mean it?" asked Iris, confused and bewildered. It wasn't like his brother to do something so responsible.

"You don't have to do anything for my birthday, you know--I can just watch the shop like normal."

"No, no!" he insisted, smiling down at his brother. "It's totally fine, bro! Go out and get yourself something fun, or something! Like, I'll be fine!"

He put his hands on his hips. "C'mon, it'll only be for a day, so don't waste it!"

Against his better judgement, Iris found himself smiling. His brother was up and dressed before noon, just for him. How could he feel anything but flattered?

"...Are you sure?" he asked, changing out of his nightclothes and pulling on his cape and boots. He couldn't remember the last time he had spent a birthday having fun instead of minding the shop--even when his father was alive, he hadn't been allowed to go out. The very idea made his pulse quicken with anticipation and joy.

"I don't know what to say," he said, standing up and walking over to his brother. He held his arms wide for a hug.

"It...it means a lot, Peony. I'm sorry I'm always so cross with you."