The Brothers [boyxboy]

*Slash* ..::The Brothers::.. [06]

I woke up because somebody was shaking my shoulder roughly. I squeezed my eyes tight closed and groaned, trying to pull the covers over my head, but somebody ripped them away from me completely, leaving me shivering in a tight ball on the bed.

 'What do you want?' I groaned without opening my eyes or rolling over to face them.

 'To kill you,' Alana's voice hissed, and I finally opened my eyes in alarm.

'Why?'

'Because of what you did last night! I had to sit on Rain's lap, Aiden! His lap!'

'I would've thought you would have enjoyed that,' I muttered, then stretched and sat up on the bed, leaning my back against the wall behind me.

'It was so embarrassing,' Alana was going on like I hadn't even spoken. 'I was too scared to move obviously, and everybody was laughing at me! You are so dead.'

'What if I tell you a story?' I suggested weakly.

Alana's eyebrows shot upwards. 'Is there something to tell?' she asked slowly, suspiciously. I nodded meekly, and her eyes widened in excitement as she started bouncing on the bed. Which begged the question – where had my brother gone?

'What time is it?' I asked, frowning.

'About twelve. Why?'

'We missed school?'

Alana looked at me weirdly. 'It's Saturday.'

'Oh. Where's Caleb?' I tried to ask lightly but of course she knew from the fact that I had a story for her that I really wanted to know.

'He went to work. Like three hours ago. What is up with you today? I've never known you to be so dopey.'

'Sorry,' I muttered, rubbing my eyes with the heels of my hands. 'I feel all fogged up.'

'Are you gonna tell me this story or what?'

I levelled her with a gaze and paused for dramatic effect. Then I took a deep breath and said carefully, 'I kissed Caleb.'

Alana was silent for a second as she stared at me, then she literally screamed at the top of her lungs, bouncing around the place in excitement. I lunged forward and clamped a hand over her mouth to shut her up.

'Be quiet!' I hissed. 'Do you want the others to come rushing in here?'

Alana stopped struggling behind my hands and held up her fingers in a Scout's Honour salute for a second until I cautiously let her go.

'You kissed him?' she whispered, her eyes wide and her expression shocked. 'What happened?'

'He, um. He kissed me back.'

Alana squealed quietly. 'I knew it! Did you do anything else?'

'Alana!'

'Sorry! Jeez. Is that a yes?'

'No!'

'So it's a no?'

'It's a no,' I sighed, getting impatient.

'I'm gonna need details here, Aiden. Like, a lot of them. You guys may need to demonstrate for me later as well, just so I get the complete picture.'

I do not condone hitting girls, but just this once I made an exception and slapped Alana on the arm. 'You have no shame,' I muttered darkly.

'I have plenty of shame. I'm horribly ashamed of every single thing I've ever said or done to Rain, for example.'

'Alana if I can make out with my own brother than you need you get over whatever mental block you have about Rain and just go for it.'

'It's a girl thing,' she said lightly in a, "I don't expect you to understand" tone. I scowled. 'so what now, anyway? Are you guys, like... Together?'

I shrugged. 'I dunno. It ended kinda weirdly. I figured we'd sort everything out this morning but...' I trailed off. 'I guess we'll talk when he gets home.'

'Or you could boink each other.'

'One more word and I am making your life here a living hell for as long as you're staying. Rain will be involved.'

Alana mimed locking her lips and throwing away the key, but then smirked smugly at me.

'I wish you had an off button,' I groaned.

Caleb

I arrived at work just on time and clocked in, putting my card back on the rack and shrugging out of my coat. I'd been able to drive today seeing as it was a Saturday and the others didn't have school, so I'd avoided the worst of the rain, but even the quick jog from the car to the door had left me drenched. I shook the water out of my hair as I felt two small arms wrap around my waist.

'Hey sexy,' Vienna murmured, and I tensed up slightly. Vienna is a repeat customer, but after what happened last night...

'Hey,' I said quietly, conflicted. Just because Aiden had kissed me didn't suddenly mean we didn't need the money anymore. And even though we hadn't talked about what any of it meant, I felt like I was the lowest kind of scum for allowing her to leave her arms around me. 'What's up?'

'I need to talk to you about something,' she said, her voice becoming more serious but still with a flirting tone to it. 'What time do you get off today?'

'I've only got a four hour shift,' I told her. I hated these ridiculous short shifts Larry signed me up for, it felt like there was hardly any point in coming in at all when I was only getting €35 for the privilege.

'I'll take my break at twelve then. Meet me in Costa,' she ordered, naming the coffee shop next door to Virgin Megastores.

I sighed inwardly but didn't argue, and moved away from her to walk out of the staff room and set myself up at my till. Larry doesn't trust me with anything related to money but I've been here over a year now so he doesn't really have any choice. In fact, I don't think Larry trusts me with anything at all. I think he thinks that if I'm on the floor, I try to convince people to shop elsewhere. I have no proof of this, but I can't come up with any other reason why he hovers over me constantly.

Saturday is typically the busiest day for CD and DVD sales, given that the main demographic – teenagers – are free to blow their parents' hard earned cash for a full fourteen hours (we're open from eight am to ten pm). Given the weather and the fact that the economy was in shit though, the day was pretty slow and I had more than enough time to let my mind wander off into daydreams about Aiden. I kept reliving the kiss and how amazing it was and how – basically – I wanted my younger brother. Who knew sexual harassment could end so well?

As twelve rolled around and Larry breathed an audible sigh of relief that I would be off the premises and business could pick up, I clocked out and trudged, hands buried deep in my pockets, across the sidewalk towards Costa. Vienna was already there, sitting outside with a coffee and her sunglasses on even though it was still pouring down from the heavens.

'So what's up?' I asked, dropping into a seat across from her. I just wanted to get this over with and go home.

Vienna tilted her head so her sunglasses slid down her nose slightly and I could see her eyes. She was regarding me interestedly, and she took a sip of her drink before speaking.