Chapter 42 Differentiation 2

Chapter 42: Differentiation 2

Eric leaned down and gently wiped away the tears at the corner of Avis's eyes. Humming the lullaby from their childhood, he picked up the pink syringe and slowly injected the liquid into the male's body.

By the time the lullaby ended, a wave of heat had surged, coursing through Avis's body. He bit down hard in shame and anger, resisting the stifled moans that threatened to escape his throat.

He thought his brother giving him a drug to restrict his movement was crazy enough, but he never imagined he could be even crazier.

That kind of drug, an illicit drug no insect should ever lay eyes on, he actually dared to use it on him.

A mix of grievance, anger, and shame intertwined, leaving Avis overwhelmed and helpless. He struggled against the unfamiliar, scorching heat within him, tears rolling down uncontrollably.

It hurts so much.

Brother, it hurts.

Broken sobs escaped his lips. Avis couldn't help but writhe on the bed. The pajamas that had been neatly tied came undone again from the friction, and the cool air in the room caused his flushed skin to shiver uncontrollably.

"Mmm..."

Instinctively, Avis wanted to curl into Eric's embrace. But when the female reached out to touch him, he resisted fiercely.

His mind was already somewhat hazy. He scolded Eric to go away, yet his body actively pressed closer.

Eric lowered his gaze, desire churning within. He reached out, his thumb stroking the flushed corner of Avis's eye. He had dreamed of these desire-filled eyes countless times, but now that it was reality, he felt a profound sadness.

But having come this far, he could no longer turn back.

Seeing Avis in such distress, biting his lip until it bled yet unwilling to beg him, Eric waited no longer. He raised his hand, cupped his chin, leaned down, and kissed those bloodied lips.

The warm, moist, hurried breath fanned across his face. Avis's body trembled, and his eyes widened in terror. He stared in disbelief at the one so close, unwilling to admit that the one now biting and tearing at his lips was the brother he had respected since childhood.

Resistance was futile. Avis could only deliberately ignore the sensations on his lips, staring blankly into the distance.

What would their father and mother think if they knew their carefully raised daughter was entangled with their son?

Anger? Or disappointment?

Avis dared not think further.

Noticing the male's distraction, Eric felt a flicker of dissatisfaction. He extended his other hand, slid it down the male's scorching back, moving downward. When his hand passed over the small of his back, his palm suddenly exerted force, pushing the male toward himself.

Pressing against the male's burning skin, Eric's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he coaxed, "Avis, see? You need your brother."

"No..." The cool, rough fabric brushed against his skin, sending shivers through Avis's entire body. He stubbornly shook his head in refusal, desperately trying to avoid the female's lips, but Eric only bit down harder. "Uh... Bro...ther..."

Warm tears wet Eric's white hair beside Avis's face. He pleaded despairingly in his heart.

Don't go that far. We can't go that far.

"Brother is here. Don't be afraid, Avis..."

Swallowing the blood and saliva in his mouth, Eric panted, suppressing the urges in his body as he pulled away from him. Freed, Avis parted his lips, his chest heaving as he breathed dazedly, all resistance gone.

Wiping away the silvery strand of saliva from the corner of the male's mouth, a surge of satisfaction and bitterness welled up in Eric's heart. He leaned down, tenderly kissing away the tears at the corner of Avis's eyes, made up his mind, and reached out to undo his own disheveled belt.

Realizing what the other intended to do, Avis whimpered and shrank back.

"No, don't..." Avis was already tormented by the drug and his body's reactions into a mental haze, only able to vaguely repeat words of refusal.

The faint, breathless pleas made Eric pause for a moment. But the mental turmoil and his heat had long since worn away his reason.

The male's soft pleas sounded no different to him than coquettish invitations. He did not stop. Instead, he pressed his body lower, against the male's damp form.

The touch on his chest severed Avis's last shred of hope. The scents of male and female pheromones intertwined and filled the room.

Under extreme stimulation, Avis's body suddenly tensed. A tear slid from his reddened eye.

After a muffled groan, Avis's neck arched slightly. His eyelashes trembling, he looked toward the intertwined shadows on the wall. In his daze, he remembered the shadow-stepping game he played with his brother as a child.

Back then, he was still small, his arms and legs still short. His brother could always easily step on his shadow, but no matter how hard he ran until he was out of breath, he could never reach that tall shadow.

Unable to catch it, he would pretend to be hurt and cry fake tears. His brother would be fooled every time, standing still and letting him stomp all over his shadow.

Later, he could catch up to his brother, but his brother began to intentionally distance himself. Today could be said to be the first time since he was 15 that his brother actively approached him. He stepped on his brother's shadow, but the price was so great.

Where did it all go wrong?

Why did they end up like this?

Trembling, Avis shifted his gaze away from the shadows, his eyes vacant, turning toward the window.

At some point, fog had risen outside. The gray-white mist, under his blurred vision, seemed to take on a tangible form.

A strong wind blew, tangling the thick fog together. The fog behind was pushed forward with a menacing surge. The fog ahead, caught off guard, was squeezed and swayed left and right. No matter how it struggled, it couldn't escape the pursuit that followed closely.

The wind seemed to know it had disrupted the harmony of the thick fog. Gradually, it slowed its speed, quietly and gently passing through the mist.

Without the wind's assistance, the spreading fog gradually ceased its turbulent crowding. As the tail of the wind gradually withdrew and the sound of the wind faded, the forcibly separated thick fog remained still for a few moments before merging into each other and dispersing into the sky.

The night grew deeper. The cool air outside the window collided with the heat inside, condensing a layer of moisture on the glass. The moisture gradually gathered, finally turning into droplets that slid down to the windowsill, leaving behind clear, glistening trails.

Eric released the male's slender waist, leaned down, and held Avis tightly in his arms. The sleeping male was damp. Even though his body kept trembling, he clung tightly, unwilling to let go.

Brushing aside the sweat-dampened hair on the male's forehead, Eric left a kiss there. He knew that when the sun rose, this moment of tenderness would vanish like smoke.

Therefore, before dawn arrived, Eric held Avis, not closing his eyes for the entire night. When the first light of dawn appeared, he withdrew, picked up the male, and carried him to the bathroom.

When Avis woke up, it was already broad daylight. He turned his head, scanning the room. Not finding Eric's figure, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

After what happened yesterday, he really didn't know how to face him. Out of sight, out of mind.

Lying idly in bed for a while, Avis felt truly bored and tried to move. Instantly, a wave of soreness shot from his waist, making him gasp sharply.

What? Why did his waist feel like it was about to break?

Biting his lip, Avis endured the discomfort and shame, propping himself up on the mattress. But his limbs were still somewhat weak, unable to support his body's weight. He fell heavily back onto the bed. His waist was jolted, the pain making tears spring to his eyes instantly.

Stupid brother! Bastard! Big bad insect!

He would absolutely never forgive him! Absolutely never!

Rubbing his waist, Avis curled up under the covers, wiping away tears filled with grievance and hatred.

When Eric entered the room carrying a tray, he saw the male with eyes full of humiliation, silently shedding tears. He hesitated, not daring to enter immediately. But remembering the male hadn't eaten for a long time, he walked to the bedside, set down the tray, and reached out to help the male sit up.

*Slap.*

A crisp, loud sound of a slap echoed in the bedroom.

"Don't touch me!" Avis instinctively trembled the moment the female appeared. The events of last night were still fresh in his mind. He glared at the other with fury, gritted his teeth, and slapped away the outstretched hand, his eyes filled with a coldness and hatred he'd never shown before.

"Eric, I just wanted to help you up," he explained.

"I don't need your help! Get away from me! Don't touch me!!"

The two insects remained locked in a stalemate for a good while before Eric was the first to back down.

"Alright, I won't touch you," Eric lowered his gaze, silently withdrew his hand, and said softly, "I made your favorite sweet porridge. Please eat it while it's warm, okay?"

No, no, no! Avis screamed inwardly. You did this to me, and now you expect me to eat by myself! What kind of monster are you?!

But he was seething with anger and didn't want to express it so bluntly. Instead, he turned his face away, stubbornly refusing to look at Eric.

Eric knew the male insect would never forgive him and dared not add fuel to the fire. He moved the porridge bowl closer to the bedside, his voice growing even gentler. "I'll leave it here. If you need anything, call for... me. I'll be right outside the door."

With that, Eric turned and walked toward the door, glancing back every few steps, his concern evident. Throughout, he noticed the male insect couldn't even be bothered to spare him a glance, and his heart felt both stifled and pained.

Avis no longer liked him.

Eric thought, of course. After what he had done, it was only natural for Avis to hate and despise him. Wasn't this exactly what he had wanted all along?

But now that his goal was achieved, why did his heart ache so much?

As the female's footsteps gradually faded away, Avis couldn't help but sneak a glance back. Seeing Eric leave without even a backward glance, the resentment he'd been holding back swelled.

He'd only scolded him a couple of times, and his brother had actually left.

His brother had changed. In the past, whenever he threw a tantrum, his brother would always coax him gently and patiently. But now, he couldn't even be bothered to do that.

If he couldn't be bothered to coax him, if he despised him, then why did he say those things and do those things yesterday!

He had been trying to find excuses for him since he woke up, but now it seemed his brother had deliberately made a fool of him! Deliberately humiliated and degraded him!

Avis pressed his face into the blanket, growing angrier the more he thought about it, and couldn't hold back his low sobs.

He cried intermittently for a long time, only stopping when his stomach began to rumble loudly. He glared fiercely at the porridge bowl on the bedside table, deciding not to take it out on his own body.

Struggling to prop up his still-aching body, Avis gritted his teeth and reached for the porridge bowl. Just as he was about to grasp it firmly, his supporting hand suddenly gave way, and he fell back onto the bed. The porridge bowl, unbalanced by the force, was knocked over, spilling its contents all over the floor.

Hearing the commotion in the room, Eric immediately pushed the door open and saw the back of Avis's hand, red from the burn.

"Avis!"

Eric rushed to the bedside, quickly brushed away the spilled porridge, then turned to unfasten the anklet on his ankle, intending to take him to the bathroom to treat the burn.

Eric's proximity was the final straw for Avis. He shoved Eric away violently, his eyes red as he shouted, "I don't need your fake concern!"

"Avis, I wasn't..." Eric tried to explain but was cut off.

"Weren't what? Weren't you just ignoring me? Why bother with me now! I'm not some pet you keep, to be summoned and dismissed at will! If you want to leave, then get out! Don't put on this act of caring about me! I don't need it!"

Avis bit his lip hard, tears falling in large drops as if he were pouring out all the grievances he had accumulated from last night until this morning.

The male insect's words lashed at Eric. He opened his mouth but found he had nothing to say in his defense. He endured Avis's shoves but never took a step back.

Yet, even though he was despised, seeing Avis cry so bitterly, he instinctively reached out to wipe the tears from the corner of Avis's eye, only to have his hand slapped away harshly.

"Avis, you can hate me all you want, but don't take it out on your own body," Eric bent down, restraining the struggling, flailing insect, his voice hoarse. "Once your hand is treated, I'll leave immediately and stay out of your sight. Now, please cooperate, okay?"

"No, no, no!!!"

Avis, his eyes red, unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks at Eric. Eric neither resisted nor let go. In a fit of rage, Avis grabbed Eric's shoulder and bit down hard.

Forcing me, imprisoning me, and now you want to leave? Dream on!

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Author's Note: Eric's behavior is unacceptable and should not be emulated! [Melted]