Luka Kovac/General Bonus 01: Twilight

Luka Kovac/General Bonus 01: Twilight
Title: Two Steps Forward, one Step Back
Character/Pairing: Luka Kovac
Prompt: General Bonus 01: Twilight
Word Count: 334
Rating: PG
Warnings/Spoilers: Spoilers to Season 14's 300 Patients
Summary: Niko tries to get Luka to open up about what happened in Chicago, and instead reopens old wounds.
Disclaimer: Neither Goran Visnjic's image nor the character of Luka Kovac of ER belong to me. No copy-write infringement is intended by their use, they are being borrowed here strictly for entertainment purposes.

"You want a beer?" Niko nudged the door open with his elbow before stepping out onto the porch, then offered the bottle to his brother.

"Thanks." Luka took the offered drink with little enthusiasm.

"Did you put Joe to bed already?" Without waiting for an invitation, Niko took a seat on the step below where his younger brother sat, deliberately avoiding eye contact with him in the process.

"Yeah, he was worn out."  He took a pull off the bottle before picking at the label with his thumbnail.

"It's starting to cool off, going to have to get out heavier coats." Following suit, Niko took a drink off his own bottle before shaking his head.

"I don't want to talk about the weather, Luka."  He released a quiet sigh before continuing.

"Are you going to tell me what happened in Chicago, why Abby didn't come back with you?  She's your wife, Luka, she should be here, it insults Tata that she isn't." Niko's words held the slap of emotions held back too long.

"Don't start, Niko, this isn't any of your business." Luka pushed himself up out of the chair he was sitting in with enough force that it slid backward, struck the wall and tipped over but, he paid it no mind.

"What, you're going to run away again, like with Danijela?" If Niko had meant for his words to sting, they served their purpose, and Luka whirled on him, his silhouette now framed with the twilight sky as his backdrop.

"This has nothing to do with Danijela, I can't believe you even went there." With a wave of his hand to indicate he was through with the argument, Luka stormed back up the steps and into their father's house, letting the door slam behind him.  Both men knew the argument was farfrom over, it had been years in the making, with heated words thrown on both sides, two steps forward, one step back, the healing would come with time.