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 Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 8:22 pm
Jacob was beginning to feel mildly panicked. The strange voicemail from his brother mentioning that he would be out of the country for a while just hadn’t sat well with him. And when he had tried to get a hold of December to ask what was going on, he hadn’t been able to, and as the days passed, Jacob had only begun to get more and more worried.
He had worked so hard, tried so hard to get away, but he had gotten so used to having his brother with him.
Had grown so used to having family…he hated that suddenly December was gone and he had no way to get in contact with him. No way to do anything…
The male had taken to walking around the city, hoping to run into the younger male, taking the time to idly look in dumpsters just in case his brother might decide that it was another good day for a dumpster dive, but so far nothing had brought him any closer to finding the male.
He was on his fourth trip out and had his hands shoved in the front pocket of his new favorite hoodie, picked out by December himself on their last trip to the mall, a beautiful gradient from blue to yellow to pink with a smiling cat taking over the entire front of it.
Jacob had been out for nearly three hours walking around and searching, when a person with bright blue hair caught his eye.
Zac? The one they had gone to the lunch and movies with. December’s friend.
The one that…he worked with?
He hurried over. “Hey! Zac. It’s me, Jacob, Dessy’s brother?”
There was a smile on the male’s face, but worry was clearly etched on it too. “Can we talk for a few minutes maybe?”
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Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2019 5:46 pm
Zac blinked in surprise, looking up from the book he’d been reading and taking a moment to take in the face of Jacob before nodding decisively. “Ah, yes, the schedule conflict, I do recall.” He nodded. He did frown slightly and tip his head, an owlish gesture, and rather studious as he took in the question though, the real one. “Y…es?” He said carefully. “Has something happened?”
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Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2019 8:04 pm
Jacob took a moment to study the male, nodding as he mentioned the schedule conflict. Honestly he now thought that his brother had contrived the meeting in the hopes of getting Jacob more friends that he was friends with…or just someone that he could know who worked with his brother but.
Scheduling conflicts was a good way to put it too.
Periwinkle eyes caught those of deepest ocean for a moment and held them before looking away slightly and nodding. “Yeah. I just. He didn’t tell me much, I’m going to assume that you know how he is. If his head weren’t attached to his neck he’d lose it in the whiplash trying to catch a squirrel.”
His hand reached up and fingered the end of his braid absently, worry clearly etched in his face.
“He said something about leaving the…the country for work and not seeing me for a while? But…he didn’t tell me where he was going or what was going on, and now I can’t get ahold of him and I’m just…really worried, Zac. And he said that you two worked together so…where’s my brother? What’s going on?”
What big secret was there, and why couldn’t December trust him with it?
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Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2019 8:18 pm
That in turn earned an arched eyebrow. “Yes… working together, but not in the same department. I’m afraid I don’t keep up with every task that the people who send…paperwork to mine are assigned to. Though I appreciate your concern.” He looked absently thoughtful. “Truthfully, I know he was on business, but I’m mostly expecting to hear from him when he returns with…some 40 odd pounds of paper for me to sort and file, I didn’t… hmm….well if one of the other people in his, department went with him. Then there is every possibility that they are doing what they so often do, and are using him to do their own tasks as well. If that’s the case I’d hardly be surprised he’s out of contact.” He rested a knuckle against his upper lip concentrating. “And of course NDA.” He sighed frowning. “I can offer to reach out to him as well, though I hardly expect to get more answer than you have. Not if that overbearing p***k is there.”
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Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2019 4:16 pm
Jacob watched the male and felt his last bubble of hope popping. “Damnit.”
He reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose, clearly worried. “I’m not used to this. I mean…I spent the last few years running away from my family and the minute I get used to having my brother back in my life he disappears without a trace. With only a half assed goodbye and I am sick and tired of all of these secrets that he has.”
Finally he looked sharply at Zac. “Where is it that you all work? What has my brother gotten himself into, and how the hell can I help him get out of it. I don’t like the sound of any of it and then there’s someone like you who’s involved too, and you just seem so utterly normal that I don’t understand. Why does he come home with bruises every time I see him? Why does he just…disappear sometimes? What’s going on, and why won’t he tell me?”
He was sizing up the male, wondering if he would have to use force, imagining grabbing him and pinning him to a wall, but quickly pushing that thought out of his mind as it quickly snowballed to something very different and simply glared.
“You tell me.”
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Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2019 7:40 pm
It was a long pause before Zac spoke. "No." He said with careful and deliberate firmness. "Absolutely...not." He held up a hand before the other could launch a protest of his refusal, though from the way he had been sized up, he would not have been surprised if he had opted to return to a more physical reaction. "I have no way of knowing your current relationship with your brother. It would be irresponsible of me, criminally so, to assume that you are on sufficiently good terms with him -- that without his express permission I would give you any information. Especially, seeing as he does not seem to see fit to tell you himself." He shook his head firmly. "If you seek information, I suggest that you ask him yourself."
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Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2019 5:24 pm
Jacob watched Zac for a long moment and then nodded, blowing out a long breath.
Well. So much for that avenue. He supposed it made sense but. It still sucked.
“All right. It was worth a shot. Sorry to try and get you involved. I just. Worry about him. Do you have any siblings?” He forced a smile onto his face and worked to banish the worry from his eyes. “It’s hard when he comes home hurting and just tells me not to worry about it. I feel so utterly useless and I guess…I just don’t know what to do. It’s supposed to be my job to protect him and all I can do is offer shelter but…”
The male shook his head and rubbed at his face with a sigh. “Sorry to bug you, Zac. Didn’t mean to give you such a low opinion of myself. I hope you won’t think ill of him for this.”
Because that was the last thing he would need. To get December in trouble with someone at work. “Anyway. I’ll see you around, I suppose. Enjoy your book, yeah?”
He swallowed and glanced away. “If you hear from Dessy, could you just…tell him that I’m worried at least. And that I would really appreciate a call or anything? He’s all I have. I just need to know he’s safe.”
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Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2019 7:08 pm
“If he contacts me. I will let him know you were looking.” He said softly but firmly. His eyes narrowed slightly at the question about siblings. Everything about this rather overstepped their one time meeting. It presumed a great deal, a dangerous thing to do even had Zac not been what he was. He suspected that he could probably pull the Lieutenant back from whatever mission he was on. But he wasn’t going to, and furthermore he intended to treat any information about his officers the way you’d treat it if this were a more, mundane job. You didn’t just hand out information, not even to family, or perhaps, especially to family if they didn’t already know. You never knew what could have changed. His own family relations reflected that too strongly as it was. “I won’t think ill of him for you asking, we don’t work in the same areas, I said as much.” He closed his book and stood. “Another time perhaps, I hope he finds the time to reach out to you soon.”
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Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2019 7:39 pm
Jacob nodded and rubbed at his eyes for a moment before forcing another smile. “Thanks.” He shoved his hands back into his sweatshirt pocket and turned away, his mind back on finding out what his brother was doing and how he could best protect him.
His only lead had been a dead end…but he would find another.
He had to. He couldn’t just let December be alone with whatever was going on. This was his brother, and this was his responsibility.
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