[TPP, single part]

Abe and Red discuss their feelings. Everything goes just as well as you’d expect.

(From Canisaries, anyway.)

–





“Is something bothering you?”

Abe recognized the tone. It wasn’t as much earnest brotherly concern and as it was a ‘Ugh, I guess I have to say something now since I’m his older brother and all’ kind of response.

“It’s nothing,” Abe said. He clearly didn’t want to actually help, and it wasn’t like he would have been the best guy to give advice on the subject anyway.

“No, something’s bothering you. What is it.”

Abe sighed. Of course - he had never given up easily before, why would he have done it now.

“You wouldn’t be interested,” Abe said. Or, wait. Would it just spark his curiosity?

Abe heard the thump of Red resting his forearms on the back of the couch. It would. Darn it.

“Just spill it.”

Abe took a deep breath. Maybe he should just tell him. He’d leave him alone after he found out how much he wouldn’t want to involve himself in an issue like this.

“Well,” Abe started hesitantly. “Lately, I’ve had these… feelings.”

Abe could hear Red shifting his position. Yes, he was leaving.

But, actually, no. Halfway through drawing himself away, he stopped in his tracks.

“What kind of feelings?” he asked. There was a strange hint of intrigue in his voice. Why? He was the opposite of compassionate.

“Uhh…”

The quicker Abe came out with it, the better it would be - he understood that well, but it was… too embarrassing to just blurt out.

“M-Maybe I should talk to someone else about this,” Abe stuttered.

You idiot, now he would be twice as intrusive.

“No, no…” Red mumbled, grasping Abe’s shoulder, slightly pushing his younger brother down. “I’m here for you. I’m listening,” he said.

Gosh, he was… actually interested. Now Abe was interested, too.

“Well, do you-” Abe adjusted his glasses, “-do you ever look at someone and… and have some thoughts…”

It felt really, really weird to say it. And he barely said anything at all.

“Oh-!”

Red jumped over the couch’s back and sat close to Abe. Uncomfortably close. Then again, there were few distances within which it wasn’t uncomfortable to be from him.

“You’re having… those kind of feelings,” he whispered. He sounded like he was convincing himself rather than just stating a simple fact.

Oh- oh, boy. This would be a wild ride.

“Can you describe these feelings further?” Red asked. Or demanded.

“Um, well…” Abe really didn’t know how to explain it all.

“When you see them… You want to get close to them. Really close. Don’t you?”

“Y-yeah…”

“You want to feel their heartbeat.”

“I suppose…”

“And you want to do. Things. To them. Correct?”

“I wouldn’t put it like that, but-”

“It’s no use trying to deny it, Abe,” Red said. “We’re going to feel like it, no matter what.”

Abe quieted. He was right. It wasn’t going to ever go away, was it.

“Who was it when you first got these feelings?” Red continued.

“I’d r-rather not say her name-” Abe mumbled, but was interrupted.

“So it’s a woman?”

“Ah- uh, w- okay-”

“Just like my first…”

“Really? I kind of thought- I mean, I had the impression that-”

“Oh, Abe, gender doesn’t matter to me.”

A short silence followed. Huh. You learn something new every day, Abe thought.

“Though I do… prefer women…” Red continued. “They’re… easier. But I do also like the… challenge men give.”

He looked away. Abe could see a bit of blush form on his face. Admirable, as Abe’s own face was burning by now.

“S-So anyway-” Abe began, trying to get up, but to no avail. Red pulled him back - not in a violent manner, but definitely in a way that said ‘You’re not going anywhere, we are having this conversation’.

Well. If he was going to be like that, there would really be no leaving before everything was sorted out. So Abe decided to ask. It would be over faster that way.

“You’ve done it before?”

Red let out a short laugh - equal parts uneasy and authentic. “I guess I have never been that… open about it… but are you really surprised?”

Abe took a good look at his brother. Disheveled black hair, homely clothes, tired-looking eyes. Yes, muscles, but Primeape have those too, and people definitely aren’t all over those. Abe decided not to answer.

“In any case,” Red began, “If we’re really talking about this, I need to address some very important things first. Like protection.”

Oh, not this.

“Yeah, yeah,” Abe groaned. “They teach us this stuff in school. I already know.”

“It’s just that you could end up with some really nasty diseases. Incurable ones, even.”

Abe sighed. That wasn’t the issue here.

“You know…” Red sounded a bit quieter than before. “I’m glad we’re having this conversation. I feel like it’s brought us closer as brothers.”

“…Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. Maybe we could even… do it together some time.”

“WHAT?!” Abe jerked as back as he could in what little space of the couch he had to himself. No, no, no no no no no.

Red snorted. “Oh, not to each other,” he specified. “I just meant at the same time, at the same place, but to different people. Keep each other updated. Or something.”

“That’s still… really weird, Red,” Abe snapped. “I’m not doing anything like that.”

“Yeah… it wouldn’t really work, would it.” Red sighed. “Sorry. I haven’t really been able to talk about this to anyone.”

Abe wanted to say he forgave him to make him feel better, but, well, he wouldn’t have meant it in the slightest. Seriously, what the hell?

“But Abe,” Red started again, “if you ever need to… you know, practice, I know some people who can get you a girl or two.”

“Are you… are you talking about prostitutes?”

Abe winced. This conversation was going places. Undesirable places. Illegal places. Red could forget about receiving that forgiveness any time soon.

“I can see that you’re not really a fan of that idea… Well, maybe some other time, then.”

“Th-that doesn’t help answer the real question I have, either,” Abe added.

“So, what was your real question?”

Abe cleared his throat. Out of all people he knew, why was he asking his brother this…?

“H-how do I know for sure if they… consent?”

“Consent?”

Red stared at the floor for a while.

“I don’t trust people who consent. Honestly, you’re better off doing it to those who don’t.”

Wait.

What?

“Yeah. Why would anyone want something like that done to them? It’s just common sense.”

What?! Was he kidding? It didn’t sound like he was kidding.

“In fact, I’ve never done it with someone who’s consented. And I’m glad. Their struggles probably wouldn’t feel authentic if they wanted it to happen.”

“Whoa, whoa whoa whoa…” Abe stared directly into his brother’s eyes. Something he didn’t like doing very much. Red stared back, unblinking, no visible emotion on his face.

“Y-You…” Abe began, having trouble mustering up the strength to even speak, “you’re a…”

Out of the blue, Red’s expression rapidly changed. He burst into laughter. Laughter that filled the room, and probably the entire house. Or neighborhood. Abe kept staring as his brother’s fits became more and more violent, until they abruptly quieted down quite a few decibels.

“Abe I- I totally had you! Unbelievable!” he roared, still chuckling, glancing back at Abe every now and then. “Y-you really believed all that? The- the, uhh, prostitutes, the sexual assault and everything?”

Abe sat immobile. What would a person do in that kind of situation?

“Oh, oh dear…” Tears were beginning to form in Red’s eyes. “You are a riot.”

“S-Suh-, s-, so- so a-all that-”, Abe tried, but could not make the words come out in any comprehensible manner.

“Yes!” Red shouted. Quite loudly. “I made all that up.”

Abe noticed Red had drawn himself back rather far.

“C-come on, Abe, laugh-” It nearly sounded like begging.

“N-No!” Abe cried out. “What is wrong with you?!”

Looking down, Red briefly smiled. It was a strange kind of smile. Abe couldn’t tell what kind of smile it was, but he was sure it wasn’t spiteful. His eyes seemed bizarrely dispirited, however.

“Y-You ask to hear my feelings, something you already never do, and then you make some kind of sick joke out of it!”

“Oh, well, I guess you didn’t that so funny. Ah. Alright then.”

“Sure as hell didn’t!”

Abe normally didn’t curse, but Red normally didn’t pull pranks on people.

Though he had always been outstandingly insensitive.

Abe really should have seen this coming.

“Well, see you later. I’m gonna go to the basement for a while.”

Red stood up and walked off. Just like that. No ‘sorry’s or anything. Soon after, Abe heard the door to the stairs close. He finally let himself breathe.

He took off his glasses and looked at them. Ugh, spots… He must have cried a bit.

Abe placed them on the table in front of him and drew his knees to his chest.

More issues. That’s what he needed right now. Yep.





The evening would be an awkward one.

