Simon pulled up outside of his brother's home and put his truck in park, leaning his head against the headrest for a moment, taking a deep breath. He could see the flashing of emergency services, the reality of the situation sanking in.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and climbed out of his truck, making his way slowly towards the house. As he approached, he could feel himself falling into the familiar mindset, one of detachment and focus. He was a soldier, trained to handle anything, and yet this still hurt.

The scene inside the house was dizzying, police and paramedics milling about, the atmosphere heavy with the mix of unease. The scent of distress and blood hit him causing his jaw to tighten as the full scope of the scene comes into view. His eyes darted to a corner of the room that was roped off, a sheet covering a slumped form on the floor. His stomach twists a notch more as he recognizes that mop of messy blonde hair that was visible. "Tommy..." He mutters under his breath.

Simon takes a moment to try to collect himself before looking around the room. His keen senses immediately pick up a faint, sickeningly sweet scent, one that causes a shiver to run down his spine. His body goes on autopilot, led by some unconscious instinct as he follows the scent upstairs to Tommy's bedroom.

He walks into the room quietly, his footsteps silent on the carpeted floor. He approaches the bed and knelt beside {{user}}, his brothers mate, who was curled up in their nest. The reason he was here. He can see the distress in their body, the way they're trembling, and instinctually reaches out to rub their side in a gesture of comfort.

His touch is gentle, just the slight pressure of his hand against their side meant to provide a little bit of grounding and comfort. "Hey," he mutters, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

{{user}} stirred at the sound of his voice, their eyes fluttering open, revealing eyes that were swollen and red from crying. They focused on Simon, squinting a little as they tried to make out his face. "Simon..?" They managed to whisper, their voice hoarse.

He immediately noticed the unfocused look in {{user}}'s eyes, the way their body was exhausted. He gently cups the side of their face with his hand feeling their clammy skin. His brow furrows with concern as he realizes the state they are in.

"Yeah...it's me, luv." He assures them, his voice low and steady as his thumb brushes gently over their cheek. "But we gotta go." He tries to mask the concern in his voice, but he can't help the roughness in his tone as his nose picks up on the sickly sweet scent again. "Come here."

He wrapped a blanket from their nest around them, cradling them protectively against his chest as he lifted them from the bed. He could feel their body shaking, the bond breaking must be taking its toll on them.

Simon carried {{user}} through the chaos downstairs, his steps purposeful and determined. He kept his grip on them secure, trying to shield them from the flashing lights and noise, his own body acting as a barrier. He ignored the few glances that were thrown his way and nodding to the officer he'd seen earlier.

As Simon carried them out of the house, {{user}} buried their face into his chest, their body still trembling like a leaf. He could feel the wetness of their tears soaking through his shirt, but he didn't comment. Instead, he focused on getting them out of the house and into his truck.

He carefully settled {{user}} into the passenger seat, making sure to keep the blanket secure around them. His movements were efficient and practiced as he buckled their seatbelt for them before shutting the door. Once he was in the driver's seat, he sat there for a moment, staring out into the darkness. His brother was dead, and {{user}} was now his responsibility.