Chapter Text
Aegon could hear the noise around him. The faint shuffling of someone's shoes, bags being zipped and dragged along the floor. He could hear clothes being folded and stacked on top of one another, the way that a pile of shirts fell over because someone stacked them too high. He could even hear the faint tap of the tree branch that was tapping against the open window. He should close the window, he thought to himself. It was far too hot for them to be open, though he supposed it was far hotter with them closed. However, if the window was open, it would let bugs in. He battled with the useless and mundane thoughts in his head. Like a tennis match that would never be won. Both sides fighting equally as hard to distract him from the things he really wanted to think about. And those were thoughts he despised more than anything.
With the thoughts, and the soft noises that his ears concentrated on, Aegon was unable to hear when his mother called out for him. He looked up to see her giving him a confused look. It was a consistent look he had seen as of late. Aegon, it seemed, was now the kind of person that was constantly lost in his thoughts. He wanted to blame a certain person for that, but he knew it was his fault. His fault for the way he had been acting these past couple of months. He was responsible for the way he smoked too much, for the way he drank when the others were asleep, for the parties he didn’t really need to go to, and even for the countless thoughts in his head that made him miss what others were saying around him.
“Aegon?” his mother asked him again, confused turning to worry. When he saw the way that her brows furrowed in concern, he plastered a small smile on his face and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Sorry, mum. What did you say?” Aegon said quickly.
She reached her hand out and smothered down a wrinkle on his shirt, “Are you alright, Aeg?” she asked him quietly, not letting the others in the room hear their conversation. He nodded his head and gave his mother another smile, “I’m fine mum, promise. Just lost in thought is all.”
She nodded her head and returned a smile of her own, “I was just checking to see if you had everything packed, and if you had the tickets?” she asked him, moving to sit on the footrest in front of the chair he was sitting in. It was the spot Aegon, and his mother, loved the most in the house. The deep and warm chair was tucked into the corner of the living room where a large window was. The plants that his mother took care of rested on the windowsill and there were books resting on the bookshelf that was inside of the wall. A past project that Aegon and Aemond took very seriously for a mother's day around three years ago.
Aegon nodded his head and leaned forward, his arms coming to rest on the top of his legs, “All packed and I gave Aemond the tickets last night. Are you still sure you want us to go there before you all?” His mother nodded her head and ran her hand through his hair, trying to tame the brown locks that never seemed to sit still. Another thing him and his mother shared. The dark locks never seemed to grace any of his siblings, only him. A fact that his mother had told him she was rather happy about “so I can always find you” she had told him. He could remember her tears when he had bleached his hair when he was fifteen. It had looked rather awful; orange bleach that made his hair look greenish in some spots. Though the girls at school liked it.
“You’ll only be a day or so ahead of us. And I want you guys to get there and set everything up before we all get there. Please do not forget to open the windows, it’ll be stuffy if you don’t.” she told him. He grinned at her, a sweet one, “Mum, the cleaners were there yesterday.”
He laughed when she tilted her head and gave him a look, “I know, but still.” she said, as if it was a dire situation. He nodded his head and patted the top of her hand with his, “I’ll open the windows, mum. Don’t worry.” he told her, a smile still gracing his lips as he spoke.
She leaned over to kiss the top of his head, “Good. Now,” she stood, “You four should put your bags in the car, your flight is in a couple of hours.”
The four she was talking about would be Aemond, Luke, and Jace. She and his older sister, Rhaenyra, had tasked the four boys to leave first and make sure everything was ready for their arrival. “I will, I will.” he told her as he stood up as well, following her into the kitchen and past the full living room. The room was packed with his siblings and cousins packing for their trip, well, their leave. They would be gone for a good three months. The family was always gittering with excitement for the family holiday trip to Italy for the summer. It was a tradition for them to gather at the house and pack up everything together. When Aegon’s father was alive, they would pack separately, leave separately, and grind their teeth when they had to spend the entire summer together. Though that was twelve years ago, and with the man dead and long gone from this world, the family seemed to glue the shards of their family back together. Finding a sense of peace, a new beginning in the man's absence.
The kitchen held less people in it. His uncle Daemon and his cousin Rheana were seated at the table, drinking coffee and talking quietly amongst themselves, though with Aegon and his mother entering the kitchen, they looked and paused their conversation. “Happy for your flight nephew?” Daemon asked him, taking sip from his mug.
Aegon leaned against the island in the middle of the kitchen, “I am. Why do you ask uncle?” Aegon questioned him. He knew his uncle had something hiding underneath his sleeve. Daemon hid a grin behind the rim of the coffee mug, “Thought you might be upset that you couldn’t travel with the rest of us. Especially Helaena and Henry. You and Henry are rather close.”
There it was. Aegon tilted his head with a face full of faked confusion, “Are we?” he asked his uncle. Daemon shrugged his shoulders, “Well I thought you were, with the way you were looking at him earlier. Well, now that I look at it, it looked more like a glare. Did you have something in your eye nephew?” he asked, trying to light a cigarette, though Aegon’s mother plucked it from his hands and threw it in the trash.
Aegon walked to the counter and began to pour himself a cup of coffee. He shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the counter, “Must have.” Aegin replied. Though with a look from his mother, Daemon turned back to his newspaper with a grin and dropped the subject.
Aegon put down the coffee mug and looked to his cousin, “I thought you were brining, Lance?” he asked her. Though he supposed he shouldn't of when her face dropped, and Daemon gripped the paper tightly. She shrugged her shoulders, “He said he didn’t want to,” she looked at him with those bright, large sad eyes of hers, “Were not really together anymore.” she told him.
Aegon winced and walked towards her, his mother, who was now sitting next to Rheana at the table, rubbed her arm affectionately. Aegon leaned down and pecked the top of her head, “He was a wanker anyways.” he told her, grinning when she laughed.
“Yes, he was,” Alicent began, “Something.” she decided on with a nod. Aegon grinned at his mother and laughed, “Something as in a loudmouth jock who doesn’t know his right from his left?” he asked her. She rolled her eyes at him, “Be kind.” she told him.
Aegon gave Rheana another peck on the head and nodded his head false seriousness, “Of course mother, I would never wish to speak unkindly about Fance.”
“Lance”
“Sure”
“Please go put your things in the car.”
Aegon grinned, and when he caught the eyes of his uncle, he gave him a wink and he walked towards the stairs that were connected to the kitchen. They were smaller and more compact than the main stairs of the house. While the main stairs led to the front rooms of the upstairs portion of the house, these ones led to the back. These rooms in this side of the house held Aegon, Aemond, and Helaena’s rooms. Daeron, his mother, and the guest rooms were towards the main staircase. He walked down the hall towards his room, though the sound of muffled voices made him stop. Helaena’s door was open enough for him to see that they were both sitting on her bed, heads leaned in while they talked. Far too close to one another. He gulped and knocked on the door as the pushed it open, “Hey, Henry, my mom wanted to talk to you about something.”
His sudden entrance had startled them, and Helaena had scooted an inch or two away from Henry. The boy looked slightly scared, “Oh, was she mad?” he asked, and Aegon almost felt sorry for lying. Almost did. He shook his head, “Nah, I think it was something about the tickets, I think.”
Henry nodded his head and pushed up from the bed, not before giving Helaena a quick kiss on the cheek, “I’ll be right back.” She nodded her head and gave him a sweet smile. Aegon moved out of the way as Henry passed by him. They watched him leave, and listened as he walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Helaena’s smile dropped and she gave him a disapproving look, “Something about the tickets. Really, Aegon?”
“What?”
“Stop it.”
“Stop what, dear sister?”
“That,” she said with frustration, “Being mean to him, tricking him. You’ve been so mean to him ever since we started dating. We are going on a vacation together, Aegon. He'll be there for a month. You need to stop it.” Helaena told him sternly, crossing her arms, Aegon followed the movement with his eyes. He shook his head, “I’m not doing anything, mum needed to talk to him. And I have not been rude to him. I like the guy.” he told her.
“No, you don’t.”
Aegon titled his head, “Helaena, it’s starting to seem like you want me to hate him.” he accused her with a grin. She stood up and walked towards him, he yelped when he pinched his torso, “No, I want you to be nice to him.” she said with a glare.
He rubbed at the spot she had pinched, “I am nice to him.”
“No, you're not.”
He sighed, “I'm just making sure he’s tough enough to handle you, sweet sister.” Aegon said. She rose a brow at him, “And why wouldn’t he be able to handle me?” she asked him. He pointed at his torso, “Well, you can be a bit rough. I just want to make sure he’s able to handle it”
She looked at him, into his eyes, the ones her shared the same color of as his mother, “You don’t think he can handle me?” she asked him. He gritted his jaw at the question, “No,” he said, “I don’t think he could.”
She walked a step closer to him. Though not close enough. It was never close enough. “And who could?” she asked him. It was silent between them. A thick and ever-present tension filled the room around them. Aegon felt as if he was about to choke on it, because the room smelled like her. Like the sweet perfume she always wore, and the smell of the candle that she burned each day. He could smell it all. And yet, he wanted more. His mouth opened to give her an answer, but the sound of the stairs creaking made her step back from him, and he closed his mouth shut.
Henry walked in and looked to Aegon, “She said she didn’t me about the tickets, though she did tell me a little about the house. You didn’t tell me you sailed.” Henry said with an excited tone of voice. Aegon plastered a smile on his face and chuckled, “Ah, shit. It was Jace who I was supposed to tell. Sorry about that, mate. And yeah, I'll teach if you want.” he rubbed at his neck. Aegon did not want to teach him how to sail.
Henry laughed, “It’s all good, mate. And yeah, that would be awesome.”
Aegon gave a week laugh, “Sounds good. Well-uh, I should go and tell Jace then.”
Henry nodded, “Safe flight by the way.” he told Aegon. Aegon nodded his head in thanks and slipped out of the room. He walked down the hall, into his room, and shut the door. He leaned against it and leaned his head back and sighed. “Fuck.” he said to himself.
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The sun was going down as they drove along the long road that Aegon could drive down with his eyes closed. He had offered to drive, though Aemond had shoved himself into the driver's seat before he could even finish the words. Aegon could see the farms that littered the land around them. The vast lands of green fields, and the lake that Aegon and his family walked to almost every day when they were here. The running creeks and the swaying trees that always managed to lull Aegon to sleep when he was younger.
The windows were cracked open as they drove down the road, taking the needed turns from time to time. Aegon could feel how the warm air wrapped around his body like a heavy blanket, like a jumper he never wanted to take off. He could feel the way that his body tried to snatch him away into an endless sleep. How the wind sounded like the waves of an ocean, and how the warmth made him feel dreary. His mother liked to call him a cat, so much so that the rest of his family had gotten into the habit of calling him Cat. Aegon had, and still, hated the nickname. He could remember when Daeron was learning how to say their names, and he had looked at an eight-year-old Aegon and called him Catty.
His eyes had begun to slip closed, and with a hit to the shoulder, Aegon had startled awake, or well, more awake than he had been previously. “What the hell, Aem?” Aegon asked his brother as he rubbed his eyes. Aemond gripped the steering wheel, “I don’t want to drive a car full of sleeping people.”
“We weren't talking anyways.” Aegon said with an annoyed scowl. Aemond only shrugged his shoulders in response, “Then talk.” he said. Aegon rolled his eyes, “You’re a cunt.” he told his brother, who had only smirked at the response. Aegon leaned back in his seat, “Alright then, what do you want to talk about?” Aegon said with gritted teeth.
Aemond tilted his head and pretended to think of a topic, he snapped his fingers, “Ah, how about we talk about how you’ve been a complete ass to Henry lately. I mean you’ve never seemed to like him, but lately, Aeg, you’ve been outride rude to him.” Aemond’s tone became more serious as he talked.
Aegon rolled his eyes and gave a harsh laugh, “Jesus Christ. Did Helaena put you up to this?” he asked Aemond, turning to look at him with a look of frustration. And when Aemond had looked at him he shook his head, “No, you don’t get to look angry. You know that I'm right. And yes, if you must know, Helaena asked me to talk to you.”
Aegon rolled his eyes, “I haven't been rude, and I don’t dislike him. He’s a good kid.” The act only lasted for a moment until Aemond gave him a look that told him “Bullshit” without actually saying anything. “Ok so he’s not my favorite person.” Aegon said finally.
Aemond was silent for a moment before he said, “And why is that brother?”
“Why is what?” Aegon asked.
“Why is he not your favorite person, Aegon.” Aemond asked again.
Aegon clenched his jaw and shook his head, “I’m not talking about this anymore.” He told Aemond in a stern voice that he never quite used with his younger siblings. Though it seemed that Aemond was not done with the conversation, so he pressed on, “You can’t even say it.” Aemond said with a sarcastic laugh.
Aegon laughed with mirth, “What the fuck do you me to say,” he looked into the backseat, confident that his nephews were fast asleep, “That I'm in love with her and the fact that she's dating him doesn’t make my blood boil?” Aegon finished in a harsh whisper. His chest puffed up and down as he tried to contain his emotions, the only person who had heard these words before were Aemond. His brother shook his head and sighed, “Just tell h-” he began, but Aegon cut him off with a firm shake of his head, “She can’t know.” he told his brother.
“Why? Why can't she know, Aegon?” Aemond asked him.
Aegon laughed and shook his head, “Don’t you get it? I’m not-I-I'm not what she needs. I’m not good enough for her. He is though, and it fucking pisses me off more than anything.” Aegon said. Aemond shook his head, “That’s not true, Aeg.” but Aegon only nodded his head, “Yes, it is. And you know it. I can't even control myself since she's been with him.”
“Because you love her.”
Aegon nodded his head with a hopeless laugh, “Because I love her.” he agreed.
When they had reached the house, Aemond pulled the car into the driveway and tunred the car off. The two brothers sat in silence for some time. Taking in what each of them had said. Aegon could hear Jace and Luke lightly snoring in the backseat. “You want to know what’s the worst thing about all of this?” he asked his brother. Aemond turned his head and nodded for him to go on. Aegon laughed and leaned his head back in the seat, “I can’t even hate him. He's too fucking nice. I've tried, but I can’t. It's really fucking annoying.”
Aemond gave him a gentle smile in return, and Aegon wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and go back to sleep so he wouldn’t have to see the look of pity that his brother was giving him. He swallowed down whatever emotion was trying to crawl its way to the top of his throat. He lifted himself up and made his way out of car, “We should get inside, and wake them up. Come on.”