Lee Jordan (airjordan) wrote in disorderic, @ 2017-10-31 18:21:00 |
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Entry tags: | grace jordan, lee jordan |
WHO: Lee and Grace Jordan
WHAT: Siblings fussing over each other.
WHEN: BACKDATED to October 3rd and October 15
WHERE: Grace's flat.
“I did not tell you that you could get out of bed, young lady,” Lee scoffed, setting down the fresh of juice on her nightstand. He adjusted the apron he had commandeered from her kitchen, before placing his hands on his hips. “You need your rest. And another pillow? Yes, another pillow. You look uneven.” Lee had spent the last day acting as if Grace had somehow lost the use of her legs when her arm got tore up. He couldn’t help it. He was used to the one getting into trouble. He didn’t like seeing his big sister hurt. Grace, for her part, sank back into the bed, nearly swallowed by the mountain of pillows Lee had assembled for her. Where he had gotten so many pillows from, she didn’t know, but she sincerely hoped she wasn't being propped up by her movie collection, transfigured. “If you give me another pillow, I’ll drown in them. Mum.” She sighed. She should have known better than to let Lee in when he appeared not 20 minutes after she’d finally gone home, fully intending to shut herself in and away from the world for a while. He was worried, it was sweet. But he didn’t have to worry. “You won’t drown in them. Suffocate? Possibly, but it’s different. Don’t be so dramatic,” he added, pulling another pillow seemingly out of nowhere and throwing it at her face. She was a quidditch player, he knew she’d block it. And she did, the pillow vaulting into the 10 glasses of fruit juice Lee had retrieved for her. “So if you don’t need pillows what do you need? Spikes? Bed of rusty nails? One of those torture racks?” “Don’t be silly, this is all the torture I need,” she smiled back, equal parts affection and exasperation. “What I need is for my brother to listen to me. I’m fine,” she said more gently, and shook her healed arm to prove a point. “The only thing wrong with me is what is likely going to be a career-ending shoulder problem. But that won't be for a while yet. I hope. I don’t really have any other skills.” “Don’t tell jokes. You’re not the funny one in the family,” he mumbled, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. As far as he was concerned she was going to play into her seventies if that’s what she wanted. Why let a little thing like reality get in the way? “Besides, it’s my job to torture you. I was tortured by you for years and I owe it to you to pay you back.” Grace smiled at that. “Well, fairplay I guess. Come here,” she gestured, patting the side of her bed that was occupied only by the overflow of pillows. “You look ridiculous. I feel like you’re going to wield a spatula at any minute.” “I’ll have you know I have spatula maneuvering experience. Don’t try to pin me down, Grace Jordan. I am a man of many talents,” he boasted, sitting down next to her with more care than usual. Lee propped a pillow against what little could be seen of her headboard under the mountains of pillows that were already there before leaning back. “Look, I know you’re tough and all that. I’m not used to being the one that has to worry. It’s really messing with my groove.” “I threw off your groove?” Grace grinned, delighted. Lee sulked. She slumped over more so that the their shoulders were pressed together. “I’m sorry I’m making you worry,” she said more quietly. “I know it sucks, I’ve had 20 years worrying about you and we both know you’re more of a magnet for trouble than most little brothers.” She nudged him, her accusing tone couldn’t hide the smile. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m touched you’re taking after me. I always knew you secretly admired me and wanted to imitate me as much as you could,” he teased, knocking the side of his head against her’s lightly. “I suppose it’s good for me. Try not to do it too often is all. Our poor mother’s heart can only take so much.” Grace rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you’ve terrorized her enough.” Grace leaned back into the pillows, eyes sliding shut a moment as the exhaustion seemed to claim her. It was less the being kept up at night, decaying corpses biting into innocent Quidditch fans replaying in her head, than the overwhelming feelings of responsibility and guilt. “I don’t know what to do,” she admitted after a long moment. “I don’t know what I did,” Lee insisted, preemptively addressing Grace’s questions about Rodolphus’ threat on the journals. Really, it was a cartoon. A doodle! Nothing to agonize endlessly over. Okay, nothing more than one person should agonize endlessly over. He had this on lockdown! “Seriously, it’s fine. I think secretly you’re just jealous he knows my name. I’m famous in evil circles, but you still have your fans.” Grace’s breath came out in an exasperated huff. “Not the kind of fame you should be shooting for. Lee,” she stopped, wringing her hands slightly. There were far too many people she cared about on that list, but she hadn't really located her heart again once it had plummeted out of her chest at the sight of her brother’s name. “It is not fine.” “It’s not not fine,” Lee offered, already wincing as he waited for another huff from his sister. He realized this wasn’t ideal, but this is what he had signed up for. He was speaking out about something he believed in. He knew it would eventually catch the wrong sort of attention. “He’s just trying to scare us, that’s all. Look, not a scratch on me.” Grace was deeply unimpressed. “Not now, no. I am scared Lee. I am, because I know that this won't even make you pause. And that's not…” she inhaled deeply, the words not quite coming out the right way. “I wouldn't ask you to be quiet, I’m proud of you. But you, Fred, George, you’re all so reckless sometimes and now you have their attention.” “Would we really call it reckless? I see it more as brave, heroic...Okay, okay, no joke,” he said, forcing his face into a serious expression. “I’m pausing, see? Trust me, I have no interest in becoming a cautionary tale. I’m smarter than I look, I promise,” he assured her, moving to quickly place a kiss on the top of her head. “I’ve got this under control. Really.” Grace grabbed his arm as he tried to lurch off the table towards the kitchen, tugging him into a hug that would suffocate a regular person, but not a Jordan. Things had never felt quite as impermanent as they had lately, never had the possibility of losing her brother been more vivid. The 20 year stress ache in her stomach was still there, but it was only at a panicked pace that her heart seemed to keep beating. She wondered when he would tell her that it was all far more than heckling murderers. She wondered when he would admit he was a vigilante. “You said famous in evil circles. Prat” “So they’re a touch evil. It’s fiiiine.” He hugged Grace just as tightly, not wanting to admit that some days he felt a bit over his head. Way over his head. If he acknowledged how serious all this really was he might panic and he couldn’t afford to panic. Sure, he understood the risks, but understanding and dwelling on the risks were two very different things. “Would I lie to you?” He would if it meant keeping her safe. Trouble was they both knew it. “Yes,” she said without hesitation. “It’s your right as a kid brother. Have you ever told the truth? Footage not found.” “I’m sure I have. Probably. More than likely. Everyone slips up now and then.” Lee grinned, stifling back a sigh that wanted to come out. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders he pulled her in tight. “Here, because you’re letting me crash your flat and steal your food I’ll give you one truth. I’m being careful. Pinky promise.” “Oh well if it's a pinky promise,” she said, rolling her eyes. She nudged him in the stomach with her elbow and put one last smacking kiss against his head. “Alright, make yourself useful and grab that food, thief. We’re watching Jurassic Park and since you buttered me up with all that sibling bonding, I’ll even put up with the commentary.” Lee smiled, pulling his arms back in a T-Rex fashion before roaring and grabbing a bag of chips off the counter with his teeth. Not quite satisfied with the level of sibling bonding, he proceeded to chase her around the kitchen. |