A gentle touch

Lyra and Lemy have had to share a room for years so anytime Lyra has to herself is blessing. In fact shes had the room to herself a lot recently, to the point where its actually gotten kinda boring, like tune all your instruments kind of boring. She actually started to wonder where the lil' headbanger had wondered off too?

She looked out to see Lacy and Lizy playing in the front yard. No sign of Lemy making a new go kart for them or building another half hazard ramp for thr little daredevil of a sister.

Her search lead her downstairs. Finding lupa staring dully at some history channel special. Her blank gaze made it hard to tell if she was engrossed in the show or just staring into space?

"Looking for Lemy" and now she was doing that mind reading shit again.

"Uh yeah, where is the runt?" She tried vaguely trying to not act concerned. Not that she was, just she didnt want to come off like that.

"Garage. Locked himself in there again." Ugh, he was always in that stupid garage, tinkering with his gadgets or something. It practically it was a second room at this point. Occasionally everyone got a chance to use it, but lemy used it the most.

"Thanks." She walked off leaving lupa to gel back into the couch.

"And its not mind reading, your just easy to read."

"Love you too, ya demonic lil' know it all"

"You also suck at whispering" now she was starting to remember why she liked her privacy.

Lyra walked to the garage door and was about to knock when she heard a familiar twang coming from the garage. She listened again hearing a faint pluck of a string before a sudden stop.

She listened as the rythm started again. The same notes as before, played at the same pace, it sounded familiar before hearing the wrong note again followed by a loud vocal groan.

While she listened, her eyes wondered and noticed the garage door was unlocked and her cursioty played its role leading her quietly through the door.

The garage was cluttered with junk. Ever since attic was made into a new bedroom, the garage had become the new home to all their collective junk. Boxs stacked on boxs all shoved to one side while a long work station ran along the other side of the room.

In the dark she was hidden the only source of light coming from the windows of the garage door and small lamp sitting on the work station. And in front of that desk a small boy sat on his backless chair holding a very familiar purple guitar.

Without the door between her and the guitar she watched as he strummed the notes again. Now clearly knowing what song it was.

Dun da dun, dun dun, Dun Da dun, dadda bweh!

Lemy groaned nearly wanting to throw the instrument across the room lifting it in the air before calmely setting it down.

She watches as he grips his hand. Slowly breathing, low whimpers as he smacks the desk again and again. He then quickly grabs the purple guitar again and starts over.

Dun da dun, dun dun, Dun Da dun, dadda bweh!

He slams his head on the desk. His bandanna hopefully absorbing the blow, before hitting again and again. Shaking the guitar in his palm.

"Enter Sandman isn"t the best first song to practice." Lemy barely looked up as he saw Lyra walk out of the unlit part of the garage. He didnt need to hear her shit right now.

"Leave me alone." He picked himself up and picked up the guitar, walking over to a small case and putting it back in it.

"If you wanted help practicing, I would have given you some lessons." He just groaned.

"Oh yeah, teach me your wisdom." He said with a tired sarcasm resuming his old position on the desk, refusing to face her. "If I play the wrong note are you gonna beat me with that stick up your ass?" She didnt care for the snyed comment but her comeback never came as she knelt down next to her defeated lil' brother.

"Look you cant expect- oh my god." Lemy saw what she saw and quickly put his right hand under the desk. But she took his and opened his palm. On the tip of each finger were peeled blisters. Now bursted open. "Lemy how long have you been playing?"

He refused to answer, he even still refuse to face her. At least he had the energy for that.

Not waiting, she quickly dragged lemy out of the garage. They ran past Lupa, and stormed upstairs. Before the young rocker knew it they were in the bathroom and Lyra was diving into the medicine cabinet. Lemy was about to walk away. But she suddenly pulled his hand again and put it under some warm running water. Wasting no time she put soap on the wounds to scrub away any infection.

"Lyra." What was wrong with him? Doesnt he know he could have really damaged his hand like this? "Lyra." Of course if mom was here she would just laugh it off and say it was good for him. "Lyra!" This whole damn rock and roll shit was gonna killing him before he even reached 20 at this rate if it didnt cripple him. "Lyra!"

"What!?" She almost barked back but stopped. The light of bathroo. Highlighted lemys face now, the bags under his, the thousand yard stare, she realized that her holding his arm was almost the only keeping him up.

"You can keep doing what your doing. But can I lie down at least?" She stayed quiet. Grabbing the ointment and gauze from the cabinet.

"Sure."

Finally back in their room. Lemy nearly collapse on his bed. Lyra pulled a chair over next to his bed, sqeuzing the ointment bottle to apply to each finger. Neither of them said a word as she slowly treated his hand. She wanted to tell him that he couldnt push himself like that. That he should try learning some notes before playing, but he didnt need a lecture. Hell she imagined he could barely see her right now from how drained he was.

"I just wanna..." Lemy tried to speak. But either the sleep was getting to him or the words failed him.

"I know, I know. Just relax." He was always like this. So gun ho at wainting to be like mom. She saw that in a few of her siblings. At least with Liby, she was naivily attempting to emulate het mom, and with Lacy she had the energy to have a shot. Lemy didnt need that, he already had enough to be his own person, not emulate someone like her.

"Moms coming back soon. I wanna..." Lyra had compeletly forgotten about that. She was coming by in about a week, it been about 3 months since she went on her tour, she was so used to not seeing her that her showing back up out of the blue was normal for her.

"I know." She took out the gauze and made small wraps around each finger staring over his palm to see the hurt in his eyes. It made her guilty over her own bitterness.

"Hey Lyra, did mom ever sing you a song before bed?" She remember a time when she did. That felt like centuries ago.

"Well if your asking if she ever sang Enter Sandman before bed? Then no. That was your twisted little special treatment." That got a faint smile out of him.

"Then what was your song?" He closed his eyes, trying to get comfortable.

"An old classic. Rock a by baby"

"Sounds like moms kind of song"

"Not really, it supposed to be this sweet little lymric about a baby going to sleep. But for some reason theres a cradle in a tree and the baby ends up falling if it doesnt go to sleep."

"Sick." He laughs. She laughs a bit too.

"Yeab I figured youd find that funny. Yeah lil' weirdo."  his smile stays, resting his eyes.

She looks at her work. It had been a while since she treated hands like this. It felt weird being on the other end of this. But her mind wondered back then and she almost forgot one of the most important parts of treating a hurt hand.

She gently leaned down and kissed each individual finger and looked back at the Lemy to see a very confused look.

"Uh... Why'd you do that?" Realizing how that must have looked, shes flusters letting go his hand and trying to find the right words.

"Bah well y-you see um. Mom used to do that when I got hurt. S-so i figured y'know, not that a kiss actually fixes anything, but its the thought that counts I suppose and really-"

"Sis! I get it" he was too tired to talk loudly but calmed her dowm at least. "And... Thanks".

She collected herself and turned back to her own bed to let him sleep.

"Hey lyra... When my hand feels better. Could you help me try to play that baby tree falling song?" She takes a moment. Learning the song would be easy, but his hand would take a few days to heal. But if they took it slow and she was their to help. Maybe he'll be okay.

"Sure."