∵  

「 ❝GO CHOKE
ON A DICK!❞」
— Nick Jackson.

TWO WEEKS LATER

   Performing at the main event of the night had come quickly and quietly for Kenny, who had hit the showers immediately after his match.

    Normally he'd of stuck around for a while, but before arriving to the facility, Matt had sent him a text informing that their flight would be arriving  two hours before midnight (as had been initially expected). 

   By the time Kenny dressed and hitched a cab to the always traffic loaded airport, the Jackson siblings greeted him with more delight than usual. 

❝This is just as good as coming home.❞ Matt admitted, as he was happily caught smashed in the middle of a warm embrace between his brother and Kenny. ❝You're only saying that because the you're recording.❞ Kenny retorted as Matt backed away to re-stabilize the focus on his phone's camera. 

   Still clinging onto the hug, Nick begged to differ. ❝No we're not.❞ The younger Buck smiled as Matt chuckled and put the phone away to once again form part of the embrace.

   Standing in the middle of the airport as strangers looked on didn't phase any of the three. Although Matt and Nick kept in touch with Kenny every day through multiple phone calls and video chats, the three had gotten so used to being around one another from the start of the day to the end of the night.

   For the past months, their schedules had coincided so much that a small two week period of being away from one another felt like an eternity. 

   To the Bucks, Kenny was family. Their father would even talk about the Canadian so fondly back at home that sometimes family dinners would leave a void— as if their third brother never made it home from war.

   As the three walked out of the airport, Kenny placed his hands inside the pockets of his hoodie and smiled as Matt blabbered on about his adorable children— how Zack no longer had a fever (thankfully), the mighty super kick he landed on his sister Courtney, and how it it didn't even phase her.

❝Sounds like Courtney's after Candice's balls of steel.❞ Kenny laughed as Matt ran his hand over his head and deeply exhaled before speaking up, ❝I hope my little girl never takes the bumps Candice does❞ he finalized.

   While Nick waved a cab over, he glanced at his brother and shrugged— ❝as fathers to badass daughters, we can only hope that they come out as indestructible as Candice.❞  

    ❝Amen.❞ Kenny whispered, agreeing with Nick as he politely helped the two load their suitcases into the back of the cab's trunk. 

   Although the Bucks didn't speak Japanese, they had embraced the culture enough to know a few words — one of them being hotel.

   ❝Are you tired?❞ Nick asked his brother who frowned and adamantly shook his head. ❝Hell no!❞ He responded, glancing at Kenny who turned back to look at the two from the passenger seat.

   ❝How about you two book a room, drop your stuff off, and then we head to the arcade?❞ Kenny suggested as the two had eagerly nodded. 

   Speaking the language, Kenny gave the cab driver further directions. 

  ▽  

   As usual, their night at the arcade was so great that the three had lost track of time. Although it was three in the morning when Nick, Matt, and Kenny  stumbled out of the arcade and into the streets of Japan, the air was so fresh that neither wanted to be cooped up inside a cab.

   Instead, the three walked the short distance back to the hotel in random conversation and nonstop laughing. Halfway there, Matt and Nick turned to look at one another with suspicion as they heard some heavy rumblings coming from the alleyway just a few steps ahead.

   ❝Tell me you guys hear that too.❞ Nick whispered, referring to the loud pained groans that came from the alleyway. Kenny extended an arm forward and pushed the Bucks behind him as he took the first brave step forward into the alley. 

   Following right behind him, Nick held onto Matt's hand as his brother gasped in surprise—❝what the fuck, man?❞

   Matt cursed, the foul language so unlike him, but appropriate for the given circumstances—Elliot and a stranger, Elliot attacking the stranger.

   ❝Hey, leave the man alone!❞ Kenny spoke up as he looked back and forth between Elliot, the stranger on the ground, and the furry dog that obediently sat nearby. ❝Man?❞ Elliot questioned as he cynically laughed before landing another gruesome fist against the stranger's face.

    ❝THIS ISN'T A MAN,

THIS IS A FUCKING COWARD.❞

    Elliot then hissed, standing up and brushing his hands off against his thighs. Circling his victim twice, Elliot spat on the man before looking up at his small audience of three. ❝The second someone his size picks on him, he suddenly turns into a dickless piece of shit who can't even fend for himself!❞

   Elliot shouted in complete rage as he once again took his aggression out on his victim by kicking him in the abdomen twice before Nick intervened to push him back.

   ❝What the hell is wrong with you? Don't you see that he can barely breathe?❞ Nick harshly snapped as Elliot caught his breath. ❝He was choking and kicking the dog, this fucker doesn't deserve to be breathe.❞

   Elliot muttered as he brushed past Nick and then bent down towards the dog who rushed to him the second he extended his hand out to it.

   Matt and Kenny stood back and watched as the dog licked Elliot's bloody hand before it tenderly began to brush its head against the palm of his hand.

   Its tail wagged, seemingly happy as Elliot looked down at the dog with a beaming grin.  As he scooped the dog up, it nestled in his arms so calmly that one could have thought the dog was Elliot's to begin with. 

   ❝Where are you taking it? Its not yours!❞ Matt shouted as Elliot began to leave. As he turned back, another wide grin appeared on Elliot's face as he spoke up, ❝Its mine now.❞

   As Matt tried to take a step forward, Elliot took a step back and defensively cradled the dog in his arms tighter. ❝If you leave an animal with an abuser❞ he began, petting its furry head as Nick stood beside his brother. ❝Then perhaps you're not the good little Christian boys you say to be.❞

   Elliot finished with his hand smacking Matt's left cheek. Before Elliot could move onto Nick, Kenny slapped his hand down and interrupted—❝don't lay hands on my friends.❞

   Kenny warned, face to face with Elliot as he pursed his lips and nodded. ❝Sorry❞ He quipped, looking directly at Matt before smirking at Kenny, ❝I didn't mean to ruffle your princess's feathers.❞

   Not afraid to turn his back on anyone, Elliot gave them his back as he scanned the premise before walking over to the nearby dumpster where he found the dog's leash.

   Feeling all eyes on him as he bent down to grab the leash, Elliot turned back to face them with narrow eyes that conveyed wickedness. ❝Word of advice to your good Christian Samaritans, think more with your top head ... and less with your blind faith in religion.❞

   He shot, burying bullets deep into their hearts that triggered at his words. ❝What's your problem? You can't respect our religion?❞

   Matt argued as Elliot remained calm, in fact, too calm. To Kenny, it was as if Elliot thrived in these matters. As Nick could see his older brother getting worked up over Elliot's eerie silence, he sighed and pulled him back.

❝GO CHOKE ON A DICK.❞ Nick scoffed at Elliot whose brows immediately shot up with not so much surprise, but delight.

❝You say that as if there was something wrong with that. What's wrong with a dick in my mouth? Are you homop—

   ❝NO, NO, NO!❞ Nick quickly responded with a gasp. ❝That's not how I meant it. We're accepting of everyone and all their endeavors as long as they're not harmful to themselves or others—

   Nick stopped the second Elliot chuckled, realizing that he was being played by the same punk they had just caught assaulting a man. 

   ❝I just ended a long relationship, and I've not been in the mood since, but thanks.❞ Elliot sighed, glancing at the dog before glaring back at Nick.

❝Also, it was never really my kink. After the face you made though, I think I may have just found my new kink.❞ Elliot then admitted, harshly teasing Nick into submission as he surrendered by backing out and away towards his entourage.

   Elliot stood firmly, watching as they retreated before raising his head a bit when Matt suddenly turned around and pointed a finger at him—❝you're a dick!❞

   He shouted, clearly showing that as the older brother, he always needed to have the last word. ❝God will just have to forgive me.❞ Elliot warmly responded with a smile as he glanced down at the dog that impishly wagged it's tail.

   As Kenny balled his fist up and started walking towards Elliot, both siblings gasped as they reached for his shoulders in an attempt to stop him. Unafraid, Elliot met him halfway and once again, found his face just inches away from his.

   In yet another intense stare-down, Elliot couldn't help but to wonder if that was the way all their encounters would end.  ❝Kenny, don't hit him. He's not worth it.❞ Nick whispered, bringing a smirk to Elliot's face.

   ❝Oh he's not gonna hit me. As a matter of fact, he won't even touch me because we already went over this, didn't we, Kenneth?❞

   Elliot sneered with the smirk of a man whose got the upper hand. Kenny only swallowed his pride as he backed away before further losing it to someone that clearly had every intention of relishing on that.

   ❝I hate you.❞ Kenny hissed, shaking his head at Elliot who grinned as he left the alleyway with the last words—❝bite me.❞

   「AUTHOR'S NOTES」  

  ‣ Thank you all so much for the support you left in beautiful comments on that first chapter. It means a whole lot to me, and I can only hope that the support sticks for the rest of the story.

‣  If you watch Mr.Robot, then you'll know where my inspiration came from for this chapter. 

‣  Elliot will be quite the lonely character here, a lone wolf if you will. He just needs some company, ya know? But he doesn't really love human interaction, so a dog will have to do because who doesn't love dogs? 

  ‣ As always, do let me know what you think of this chapter. What was your favorite part? Is there anything you'd like to know more of? Anyone want to come up with a name for this cute pupper?

Until then,
Vi.