Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2014 21:00:13 -0700 (PDT)
From: Seth Kirkcauldy <seth-kirkcauldy@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Brother Mine 11

Brother Mine Chapter 11
copyright 2014 Seth Kirkcauldy
seth-kirkcauldy@sbcglobal.net

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This story may not be reproduced in whole or in part
without the author's permission.  The author grants the Nifty Archive a
non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, and non-cancellable
license to display this work.

This story is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to persons, living or
dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. They are a
product of the author's imagination, or used fictitiously.  This story
contains erotic situations between brothers not yet of a legal age.  If it
is illegal for you to read this, or you just think it's yucky, please leave
now.

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Part 1: Aiden

Roderick's finger ran lightly over Aiden's collarbone, making him shiver
involuntarily. The movement was a whisper of skin on skin where the collar
of Aiden's purple polo shirt opened invitingly.  Aiden found he was
suddenly puffing his chest outward so that he arched toward Roderick like a
filament of iron aligning to a magnet.  He frowned in irritation at his own
reaction and pulled himself straight again to the accompaniment of
Roderick's deep chuckle.

"Next question," Aiden said brusquely as Roderick withdrew his finger. "You
come across a boy who is drowning in pig shit. Do you A: wade in and rescue
him; B: toss the perpetrators in with him; or C: find a plunger to play
with?"

They were on their first date and they had very different agendas.

"Do I really have to answer all these in order to go to bed with you?  I'm
not that good at tests, Aiden.  Although, I'm good at lots of other
things."

"Answer the question. Someone could drown in that pig shit while you sit
around arguing."

Roderick rolled his eyes.  It was especially comic in the dim
faux-candlelight of the French restaurant.  Other couples held hands and
whispered to one another while Aiden interviewed Roderick over the
flickering LED that winked wearily within its votive holder.  "Really, I'm
a flame," it seemed to tell Aiden.  "Really, I'm with the man I love,"
Aiden replied in obligation to this confederacy of liars.

Roderick's tongue peeked out of the corner of his mouth while he thought,
and the natural child-like gesture melted Aiden some.  He found the big guy
kind of adorable.  Roderick was almost the exact opposite of Aiden in every
way imaginable, and there was no doubt that the magnetic polarity
attraction pulled within him.  Aiden tried to squeeze his erection under
the table without being noticed while he watched Roderick's dark eyes
narrow in concentration.  The jock's very large hand sifted unconsciously
through his short, dark hair, and then rubbed his chin where a scruff of
dark whiskers grew.  He was masculine and sexy and Aiden realized his own
tongue was hanging out, too.

"I know that Connor is a hero; I know he rescued you.  But I also know you
should not have been in danger after the very first time you were hurt,
Aiden.  The answer is D none of the above.  The boy in question would have
been by my side all day long and he never would have ended up in the muck
to begin with."

Aiden bit his lip and glanced at Roderick, wrestling the warring of his
loyalty to Connor and gratitude for stated truths.  He made a hesitant
checkmark on his paper.  "That's an acceptable answer."

"Do you ask all potential dates these questions?"

"I've, uh... never been out on a date before this one.  Well, not counting;
well... I guess I have, actually, but it's different somehow."

"Do I get to ask questions of you, too, during this interview?"

Aiden screwed up his face. "You want to know things about me?"

"God, yes.  How many freckles do you have?"

"I don't really know."

"Can I count them after our dinner?  Could I play connect-the-dots with my
tongue?"

Aiden sputtered in surprise and a glazed look overtook his
eyes. "Y-you... you want to lick ME?"

"Ohhhhh yeah."

Aiden swallowed noisily, blinked a few times, and then looked down at his
paper.  He was suddenly very, very glad his best - and ONLY - friend, Bo,
had rejected Roderick's offer to relieve him of his virginity.  It turned
out that Bo was not at all happy that Aiden was trying to organize stud
service from Connor and all his jock friends.  Something about dignity and
morality, blah, blah, blah.

"Uh- Let's see.  Next question.  What kind of name is 'Roderick'?  It
sounds like someone was confused when they filled out your birth
certificate: 'His name is Rod, er... Rick'?"

"You make fun of me a lot.  I'll leave you alone if you really want me to,
Aiden.  I know that compared to you, I'm pretty dumb, but..."

"You are not dumb," Aiden said fiercely, and then he blushed as Roderick
grinned at him, teeth glowing whitely in the dim light.

Roderick shrugged his big shoulders casually, "I only meant compared to
you; but it's no secret that I don't understand some of my classes and need
a lot of help to study for 'em.  I'm good at plenty of things, but nobody
likes their raw spots poked at, and you're a little intimidating
sometimes."

Aiden's jaw was hanging open.  "I intimidate YOU?"

The big man laughed and rested his chin in the palm of one large hand and
watched Aiden closely.  "You're a whole lot to take in, Aiden, and yes, you
intimidate the hell out of me.  I dunno why I find smart people so hot.  My
friends think it's weird since smart people generally don't like me much.
It's like I go for the ones I can't have."

"I know a bit about that," Aiden muttered.

"I bet you do."

Aiden looked up at the serious eyes and gentle smile, and he set the papers
aside.

"You know."

Roderick shrugged.  "I suspect.  All that's really important for me to know
tonight is: do I have a fucking chance?  Even a little, tiny, chance?"

Aiden frowned and then glared down at the light bulb pretending to be a
votive candle.  Was nobody fooled by artifice anymore?

"It depends what you want a chance at.  If you want a chance to replace
him..."

"I'm not THAT stupid," Roderick growled, and then relaxed his scowl when he
saw Aiden's frightened expression.  "Look, Aiden, I can't claim undying
love and a lifetime commitment.  I just met you a few weeks ago when you
tried to bash my head in and drown me.  As hot as that was, I can't quite
get up the nerve to commit to you forever.  But your brother will be your
brother for the rest of your life.  You think I'm out to replace that?"

"No.  I'm sorry... that was really unfair..."

"But..." Roderick interrupted, holding Aiden still with his steady gaze, "I
really like you.  I could make you a list of the reasons, but I'd rather
just spend the night SHOWING you how much I like you.  I sorta suck with
words unless I'm offering direction, you know?"

Aiden's mouth was dry and he was trying to find sufficient lubrication for
his voice.  "You... uh, you offer direction?"

"I wore this fucking tie tonight for only one reason, Aiden: I was afraid
you might not have rope in your bedroom.  I want to tie your hands behind
you, lick you from head to toe, make you spurt in three different ways, and
then and only then do I plan to start giving you direction so that I can
make a mess too."

Aiden screwed up his face and huffed loudly, trying to hold off the tears
that wanted to spill over.  Roderick lurched across the table and grabbed
his hands to steady him.

"I love him," Aiden said in a quiet gasp.

"I know.  I hope you never stop."

"He's straight."

"I know that, too.  I gotta say, I REALLY hope he never stops."

Aiden laughed; it was a surprised sound like a cough and hiccup together.
He turned his wet gaze up to Roderick.  "I think you have a chance.  I want
you.  I want you really bad.  You are...  God, you are really hot and kind
and funny.  But I love....  I love..."

"I know."

Aiden nodded.  "I'll never stop loving him, but that's the whole reason I
let him go.  I guess I just wanted you to know that although I love him,
it's not like being with someone else is a consolation prize; I chose this,
so yeah, I think that's doable."

"You think I'm doable?"  Roderick asked with a grin.

"You are so very doable.  Your whole body is even bigger than... I mean,
you're more muscular...  geez, I'm sorry."

"Don't be.  I think you'll find that physically I compare favorably to
Connor in every measurement.  I invite the comparison."

Aiden's eyes rounded, big and wide.  "You're kidding me."

Roderick grinned very broadly.  "Nope."

Aiden glanced hastily around the restaurant, suddenly nervous and excited.
"Um, did you want dessert?  I don't think I really need to stay for
dessert..."

"We haven't ordered any food at all yet, Aiden."

"Oh!  Yeah... we should probably at least do..."

"C'mon," Roderick said gruffly, rising from his seat and taking Aiden's
hand.  "I'm not all that hungry for food right now, anyway.  I want to get
this knot off my neck and tied where it belongs."

Aiden grasped his hand nervously, but followed his long strides out of the
restaurant.

They returned to the brothers' apartment with the idea that it would offer
more privacy than Roderick's dorm room.  While the truth of this was
uncontested, there was another bright and sharp truth showing beneath
Connor's door, a shard of light that slashed them both like a conscience.
Roderick only allowed Aiden to gaze at it for a moment before he shepherded
him past and into Aiden's bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

"Do you put something on the knob so he knows not to come in?"

"We haven't really worked out any signals," Aiden's hand gestured all
around him. "This whole thing is kind of kamikaze Jell-O, you know?"

"You say weird stuff."

"Yes." Aiden sat on the edge of his bed with his hands between his knees,
shrinking inside himself, folding up like an origami boy.

"Would you like me to leave?  I'm sorry I didn't consider that he might be
home."

Aiden looked up at Roderick then and studied him closely, trying to decide
what it was he actually did want Roderick to do.  The large jock was
standing there taking up most of the space in the room, his expression
neutral.  He was one of the tallest men Aiden had ever known, a full head
above Connor.  His height didn't remind him of a tower, tall and straight,
but rather a mountain, sturdy and inexorable.  From his large feet and
solid, wide stance to where his neck strained the buttoned collar of his
shirt, his clothes bulged with the boulders of his muscles, hard and bulky.

The dress pants he'd worn to dinner were an ill fit for his large size, the
fabric shiny in the places where his muscles strained against it. The
crotch bulged obscenely and Aiden realized his mouth was hanging open.
Connor always teased him about his Pavlovian response, and that thought was
enough to pull his jaw shut.

"Would it be okay if you took your shirt off?  Can I see you?" Aiden asked
breathlessly.  He could feel his brain slowing, the multitude of thoughts
fading in a way it had only done with Connor.

With no change in his expression, Roderick pulled the knot of his tie loose
until the ends fell free. Then his lips twitched slightly as he pulled the
fabric free of his neck and let it dangle suggestively from his fingers. He
finally flung it away to the bed where it twisted upon the pillow. His
large fingers began working at the buttons. He had to unbutton his cuffs
and sleeves because his hands were much too large to pull through, and when
he at last peeled the fabric away from his body, Aiden hissed quite
nervously.  The man was beautiful, as he had known he would be, but he was
also huge in a way that made Aiden feel insignificant.

"Jesus," Aiden said quietly. "I've never seen so much muscle."

Roderick shrugged his massive shoulders, but then relaxed them so that
Aiden could look his fill.  "I just try to stay in shape for my sports, but
my body turns it into all this bulk."

Roderick's skin was a creamy expanse the color of mascarpone, except for
the fading summer tan that outlined his chest in the silhouette of a tank
top.  The paleness of his chest highlighted the dark, hard lines of his
muscle definition.

"You shave your chest," Aiden observed, both amused and slightly
disappointed.  He loved male body hair in a primal way that he couldn't
really explain; but he had to admit the wide terrain of smooth, male flesh
in front of him was quite beautiful, too.

Roderick shrugged again, and this time Aiden got to see the way the muscles
rolled under all that tight skin. "I have a lot of chest hair, and I'd be
happy not to shave it if I had a reason. You like hair, Aiden?"

Aiden licked his lips as his ears prickled with embarrassment. He knew he
was blushing bright red.  "Yeah."

Roderick nodded. "I see." He raised his arms and folded his hands behind
his neck so that his powerful body was fully displayed for Aiden.  He could
barely hold the pose because the intumescence of his biceps pushed against
his forearms.

"I don't shave anywhere else," he said, and turned his head slightly to run
his tongue into his own armpit where a thick shock of black hair protruded.

Aiden clamped his eyes closed to keep himself from orgasm. He could feel
the cramp in his lower belly that told him his body had almost been jolted
into release. He panted heavily and felt a drop of sweat trail down the
side of his face. He gritted his teeth and hissed.

"Hey, you okay?" Roderick was suddenly on his knees beside Aiden, his
large, warm hands soothing up and down his arms.

Aiden laughed deep in his throat and nodded violently, his eyes still
closed.  He grabbed a deep breath and cracked open his eyes.

"A-almost messed up my pants.  A-almost."  He gestured vaguely around the
room while not meeting Roderick's eye, trying to move the jock's attention
elsewhere.  He knew he was blushing hotly, and he couldn't remember being
more embarrassed.  "It sometimes catches me by surprise if my brain gets
jolted by something really, really hot."

"Oh," Roderick's breathy growl almost pulled Aiden to the edge again.  "Did
you see something really, really hot, Aiden?"

Unconsciously, Aiden's hands were exploring all those hard muscles,
memorizing the paradoxical feel of silk and granite.

"I like your hands on me; but I'd sort of like to tie them up now.  I want
to do dirty things to you, Aiden."

Aiden took a deep, shaky breath.  "I don't think...  It sounds really hot,
but I don't think..."

"Ahhhh," Roderick's voice sounded sad and disappointed in himself.  "Did
they do that to you?  Tie you?  God dammit, I'm so sorry.  I didn't want to
scare you; I should have known better than that."

"They did," Aiden whispered, his eyes watching his fingers touching
Roderick's chest like he couldn't believe the man in front of him was real.
It had been a couple of weeks since he had last been with Connor, and the
need for touch was choking him.  "It'll be alright; I just need more time
to get to know you better.  I'm not ready..."  His fingers brushed a nipple
and stopped a moment to pluck at it.

Roderick hissed.  "Okay, then, maybe some other day when you've learned to
trust me more.  Let's just start slower than that for today, huh?  Can I
undress you now?  Would that be okay?"

"Yeah," Aiden whispered again, and then he glanced up at Roderick's eyes,
shyly.  "But, you know, I could just stay dressed and, uh, suck you or
something, if you want.  You know, if you don't want my junk in your face
or anything."

Roderick frowned at him and his eyes got a little hard.  "Look, Aiden, I
don't really know what you're used to, but let me tell you the way it's
going to be with me.  There's not a thing on your body that's junk, and I
gotta tell you I'm hard as a rock at the thought of putting any part of you
in my face.  I'm getting a vibe that you like to be submissive and sort of
used for pleasure, and that can be hot as fuck.  I'd get totally into
making sure those needs are met.  But we're gonna go slow and I'm going to
explore you some tonight, okay?  We're not going to play roles or tie up
your hands.  You aren't going to be my sex slave tonight.  We're gonna both
get undressed and find out a few things about each other, alright?"

Aiden gestured at the words he wanted to say.  They were scattering around
the room.

"Nnngg," he managed, and squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment.

"Yeah, okay.  You are so beautiful, I can't stand it any longer," and then
Roderick's warm lips were brushing against Aiden's in a tentative kiss.
Aiden's lips opened and he lunged at the big man, groaning loudly and
ravaging his mouth.  Roderick fell backward onto the floor, and Aiden
followed him, devouring his yelp of surprise.

"Jesus Christ, you're something," Roderick laughed, and then crushed his
smile against Aiden's.  While they kissed, Roderick's fingers opened
Aiden's belt, unfastened his pants and lowered the zipper, and then pulled
the dark purple polo over his head so that their bare chests rubbed against
each other.

"Oh," Aiden moaned, absorbing the skin-to-skin contact thirstily.  "You
multi-task well."

"I'm goal oriented," Roderick muttered, crushing Aiden against him harder,
making him moan again.

Aiden was laughing.  "We're talking like a Dilbert cartoon.  Why is that
hot?"

"Skin," Roderick panted in reply, shoving Aiden's slacks and boxers down
his thighs.  "More skin."

After Aiden was stripped bare, Roderick rolled them over so he was on top
and had room to maneuver.  The crushing weight of the huge man caused Aiden
to grind his teeth to forestall the second threat of orgasm.  Just the bulk
of this giant, gentle guy atop him made him want to jet his semen in
complete submission.  God, he was weird.  He groaned in both relief and
frustration when Roderick positioned his forearms to bear much of his own
weight and relieved the burden from Aiden.

"There, now you can breathe a little, okay?"

"I liked it. I don't want to breathe.  I just want you to crush me into a
little puddle."

"Hmmmm.  Well, I think I like you with functioning organs.  This one, in
particular."

Aiden gasped as Roderick ground his crotch against his hard, leaking cock.

"Do that again."

"How 'bout I undress the rest of me and do that again when I'm naked?
Would that be okay?"

"MMnnnng."

"Yeah.  Okay, Aiden.  Just kiss me while I get these things off."

While Aiden was focused on warm, wet lips, the rest of the clothes seemed
to vanish.  Roderick was a special kind of magician, and Aiden was falling
deeper for his illusions.

He squirmed down Roderick's body.  "That is one hell of a big rabbit.  Can
I make it disappear?"

"What the fuck?" Roderick barked a laugh.

"Sorry," Aiden muttered, embarrassed.  "I say stuff."

As advertised, the flesh between Roderick's legs was larger than Connor's,
and so different in many other ways.  It sprouted from a tangled mass of
black curls, jutted up and away from Roderick's body before arcing back
toward him, forming a curved column from the juncture of his groin to where
the circumcised head touched perfectly right above his navel.  The flared
head without its hood looked more like Aiden's own circumcised organ,
except about twice the size.

Aiden loved the solid heft of it in his hand, and with his stomach
fluttering with excitement he gently kissed the glans before opening his
mouth for a more complete taste.

"Wow!"

Aiden flicked his eyes upward at the sound and found Roderick watching with
wide eyes as Aiden slowly swallowed his very large cock all the way down to
the base, accommodating its wicked curve by pivoting around in a corkscrew
so that it angled down his throat.

"Where the fuck did you learn... Jesus, Aiden!  Come back up here before
you make me squirt.  I wanna do that to you."

Aiden ascended the column again and released it with a slurp.  "To me?  But
I don't..."

"Come up here, Aiden.  Have no fear about me wanting more of that.  I've
never seen anyone do that to me before, and I didn't really think that
could be done, honestly.  I may just move in here and keep you on my cock
for a week; but not tonight.  Tonight I'm giving something to you.
Something I don't think you've had enough of."

Aiden squirmed.  "But I don't really get sucked.  I'm more the guy that
does the sucking."

"Yeah, I got that; not tonight, though."

"But..."

"Not tonight."

"I don't know if I can... I mean, I'm just not sure my brain will let me -
Jesus...."

Roderick finally had gotten tired of waiting, and since Aiden wouldn't come
up, he went down.  He wasn't even at Aiden's crotch yet, merely at his
taut, pale stomach, which was quivering as Roderick lowered his lips and
placed gentle kisses along the flesh surrounding his navel.

"Ahhhhh..."

Roderick's rough whiskers dragged across his skin, burning like soft fire,
but his moist lips immediately followed, caressing gently and quenching the
burn with gentle kisses.

"Oh... that smells like green grass and gasoline.  Holy...  UH!"

Roderick had nipped his hipbone as he continued to meander lazily across
Aiden's body, planting small kisses and dragging his masculine scruff and
twisting tongue.

"I... I... I don't know about this... my head is- weird."

He got a nip on his other hipbone, causing him to involuntarily thrust
upward into the air, arching his back and banging into Roderick's head.

"S..Sorry... I..."

"Don't be sorry, Aiden.  I love that your brain and body are out of control
right now.  Just close your eyes and let me make love to you."

"B..but I love... I love..."

"I know who you love.  Close your eyes, Aiden.  You need this."

"But I don't deserve... nobody should want to...  ARGH!  How could he stand
all this love all the time?  It's so LOUD."

Aiden was squirming and moaning on the bed while Roderick hung onto his
hips out of self-preservation.  The big man lazily laved his tongue over
one thigh before dipping down to lap lazily at Aiden's sac.

"Jesus.  Please, Roderick, please... it's so loud..."  Aiden's arm was
thrown over his eyes and his body wracked with either pleasure or pain, it
was hard to tell which one.  He vibrated and bucked, and his chest
convulsed with what might have been sobs.

Roderick opened his mouth and swallowed Aiden's hard cock down, twisting
his tongue as he went and sucking hard.

Aiden had never felt anything like it in his entire life.  His brain went
bright white.  He howled in orgasmic agony, thrashing wildly while Roderick
held his hips down, sucking.  Aiden's head whipped back and forth, and a
keening wail issued from his throat as he emptied himself into Roderick's
mouth.

His chest heaved and tears streaked his face.  He brushed at them
mindlessly and stared blankly at the ceiling as he slowly relaxed to the
gentle kisses Roderick placed on his scrotum and thighs.  His breaths
leveled, and then slowed.

"I think you're wrong, Aiden," Roderick said softly.  His deep voice
vibrated in Aiden's balls.  "I think your brain will let you be loved.
Let's try that a few more times and make sure."



Part 2: Connor

I listened to my friend have sex with my brother throughout the night.  In
the morning, my sheets were drenched with sweat, tears, and semen.  I had
not slept, tortured for the duration of the long night, restrained tightly
by knots of love and jealousy.  I'm sure I didn't miss anything at all,
especially the louder portions.  My God, Spaz can holler.

I was happy that he'd found someone who could give him things I simply
could not.  I felt guilty and frustrated that I hadn't offered him these
things myself, although Aiden and I both knew I had offered him more than I
ever thought I could to begin with.

I wanted him to have all these things that Roderick could give him, but I
wanted him to have them with me.  I wanted my cake, I wanted to eat it, I
wanted the bakery it was made in, and oh yeah, throw in the fucking baker
because I wanted him too.  Hell, you better add in the baker's wife while
you're at it; I like breasts a lot.

This was my state of mind when I finally rose around noon, groggy, jealous,
horny, and sad; and started to get ready for my first date with Meghan.  We
were meeting at a coffee shop, and with the way I was feeling, I'm sure
she'd be running for the exit within the first few minutes.  I wanted to
hate her.

But, I had forgotten how much she looked like Aiden, and my stomach did a
flip-flop when I saw her bright red head enter the shop and make its way
over to my table.

"Connor?"  She held out her hand for me to shake.  "I'm Meghan."

I grinned at the gesture as I stood.  "I understand you've seen me naked?
Can we at least hug?"

She laughed at that and stepped forward to give me a friendly hug.  She
smelled like apples.  At this point Aiden would tell me she also smelled
like honeydew rind.  Or a platypus's intestines; I never REALLY knew what
to expect from Aiden.

I offered her the coffee I'd purchased her and then apologized that I
didn't know what she liked.  She waved it off with a smile and thanks, took
a sip, and then we both sat and fidgeted a bit.

"So, Connor Cavanaugh, do you know your brother is in love with you?"

The surprise of that statement sort of kicked me in the stomach; I couldn't
breathe.  I turned red, and realized I was doing my grouper imitation
again, mouth silently opening and closing.

 "Yeah," I finally managed to say.  When I looked up into her green eyes
that were so much like his, I found my backbone.  "And I love him, too."

She nodded and frowned.  "I had no idea I was going to ask you that.  My
friend Lisa is the one who mostly talked with him and set it all up;
but... well, do you already know all this...?"

I grimaced and admitted, "No. I wasn't really a part of any of it.  I want
you to understand up front that I was an unwilling participant in this.  I
lost a bet, which I know sounds awful, but I don't think it's as bad as it
sounds."

She nodded. "I know about the bet.  He and I finally talked and he told me
all about it.  I only had to talk with him for about five minutes before I
realized he's in love with you.  Not just that he loves his brother; he's
IN LOVE with you."

I sighed heavily.  "That must have been uncomfortable for you. If you knew
how he felt about me, why did you come?"

She frowned again. "Honestly, I'm here BECAUSE of how he felt about you. I
never thought I'd go out on a blind date, but after talking to Aiden and
understanding how much he loves you and how important you are to him, it
was really obvious to me that he's serious about this thing.  This isn't a
joke to him.  It's not a punishment for losing a bet.  He's trying to make
you happy and he thinks what you need is me."  She laughed
self-consciously.  "And frankly, if you are just a fraction of the man he
thinks you are, you're better than anyone I've ever met."

 "Spaz thinks everyone sees me the same way he does.  He makes me out to be
this... this..."

"Hero."

"Exactly."

"So, just to be clear about things: you love him, and I totally get that;
he's your brother.  But you're not...  you're not gay?"  She was obviously
uncomfortable asking me this, but was determined.  She was looking up at me
from underneath her red lashes.  It sort of took my breath away.

"No. I'm not gay.  I'm not bisexual either.  I'm straight.  And... and... I
want you to know that although I was against being set up against my will,
I've still been... uh... looking forward to meeting you.  I mean, all I
knew about you was how you looked; but, well... that was.... Uh..."

Yeah, I was really THAT impressive.

"Until I talked to Aiden, all I had was a picture of you, too."  One
eyebrow had suddenly arched in a perfect unspoken query.

"I could fucking kill him for that.  I was so angry.  I mean, well, sorry
for my language.  I probably shouldn't say..."

"Fuck fuck fuck.  It's a great word.  My Mom swears like a fucking sailor
and I'd like it very much if you just spoke the way you're most
comfortable. Tell me about that fuckolicious picture."

I swallowed quite loudly and tried to adjust my erection under the table.
"I guess he came in my room while I was sleeping.  I didn't know anything
about it being posted until my friends told me.  I could fucking KILL him."

"Yeah, but no.  That's not what I wanted to know.  Is it Photo Shopped?"
Now BOTH of her eyebrows were arched and there was a smile playing around
her lips.

I laughed. "No.  No, it's not Photo Shopped."

She grinned wickedly then, but it turned into a true smile.  She had
freckles across the bridge of her nose, and I could see now that her eyes
were a darker green than Aiden's.  Her eyelashes were the same red color as
her hair.  She was beautiful.

"Honestly, it's a gorgeous photo.  You're a beautiful man.  And in my
opinion, his love for you shows even in that picture he took.  My guess is
that's probably what makes you so uncomfortable about it."

"Well, that and every inch of my skin is exposed to thousands and thousands
of strangers.  You know, just so everything is fair, I think I should get a
picture of you with all..."

"Ain't happening, bucko; nice try, though."

I grinned and took a sip of coffee, realizing the moment she'd walked in
the door I had forgotten to do something very important.  I fished my phone
out of my pocket.

"I know this is rude, but if you'll indulge my phone call, I think you'll
understand why I need to do it."

She nodded her permission and watched me curiously.

I had taken Aiden's phone this morning and programmed in a new ringtone, as
well as increasing the ringer volume to its highest level.  I dialed his
number and met Meghan's eyes.

Sure enough, from the other side of the cafe, Hall and Oates started
belting out the lyrics to "Private Eyes" at full volume.  We both turned to
watch the boy scrambling in panic to find his phone, along with everyone
else in the coffee house.

He had camouflaged his hair with a baseball cap, and wore a hoodie
sweatshirt which was pulled up over the hat.  A nice pair of sunglasses
completed his disguise, and they almost fell off as he thrashed all around
trying to find his phone.

"Uh, hello?  Connor?"

"Heya, Spaz.  Whatcha doin'?"

"Um, just getting some studying done."

"Yeah?  In the same place I'm having my date?  What a coincidence.  Go
home, Spaz."

"But, I just wanted..."

"Go home, Spaz.  Do you know what it's like being on a date while you're
sitting over there watching me?"

"I imagine it's a lot like having sex when I know you're lying awake all
night listening."

Well, fuck.  I turned and looked at him across the shop and he tilted his
head so that he met my eyes over the top of the sunglasses.

"Go home, Spaz.  And make sure you take Bo with you."

"How did you know that he..."

"I didn't until you just confirmed it.  Now find Bo and go home."

"Shit."  He hung up and started gathering up his things, collected Bo from
a table much closer to ours, and they both departed sullenly.

"The sunglasses were pretty swank," Meghan offered.

"I'll say.  I hope he didn't blow his whole allowance on them."

She chewed her plump lip thoughtfully.  Her teeth were pretty, and one was
charmingly crooked.  "You two are quite a pair.  You knew he would be
here."

I shrugged.  "I know Aiden very well; it's about my only weapon against
him.  He's so much smarter than I am.  My only advantage is that I knew he
would be here spying on me before he even decided to do it."

"So... "she said, "am I wrong that there's still something about your
relationship with Aiden?  You're not gay; he's in love with you, not the
other way around; yet I still can't help feeling..."

She trailed off and I waited for the eyebrow.  There it was.

"You're not wrong," I sighed.  "It's just a really big topic for a first
date, yeah?"

She nodded.  "All right.  That's fair.  You're not denying it, so I can
definitely work with that."

"Thanks.  Do you have siblings, too?"

"Two. One older sister and a younger brother.  He's a junior in high school
this year.  My sister is an adult but lives with my Mom and Dad.  She has
Down syndrome, but she works at an art supply store and is pretty
independent."

"Aiden is probably the same age as your brother.  He's supposed to be a
junior in high school this year."

She nodded.  "He seemed really young to me.  He's enrolled though, isn't
he?  He takes college classes?"

"Junior and Senior level college classes," I replied drily.  "Supposedly
we're both freshman, but one of us will probably graduate next year the way
things are going."

She laughed at me.  "You're trying to sound jealous, but you're actually
proud."

I liked that she wouldn't let me get away with it, and nodded.  "I am.
He's amazing, there's no two ways about it.  But he's... different."

She shrugged.  "Who isn't?  My sister has Down syndrome; I've learned to
see the ways we are alike more than the ways that we're different.  She's
really the most amazing person I know, just as Aiden is the most amazing
one you know."

I nodded and swallowed around the knot in my throat.

She put her chin in her palm and watched me carefully.  She looked
intrigued.  "Did you really rescue him?  They tried to kill him?"

I looked around the coffee shop slowly to give myself time to answer.  "I
did, but... God, you're going to get tired of this from me, and I would
hate that, but... could we not..."

She nodded.  "Too big for a first date?"

"Yeah."

"In that case, tell me what we're doing the rest of the afternoon and
evening.  I've decided I like this blind date and it's not going to end
after we have coffee."

"It's not?"

"No, it is not.  We're spending the afternoon together.  We're going to
learn all about each other, and then you're going to take me to dinner."

"I am?  You're a little bossy, you know?"

"See, you're learning about me already.  Now, where are we going?"

I laughed, charmed.  My little brother had done very, very well.




That night, I entered my darkened apartment after taking Meghan home.  We
had spent a really great day.  My chest felt full and the buzzing
excitement of mutual attraction had settled deep into my bones, rattling my
nerves a bit.  I liked her just as much as Spaz thought I would.

I started into my bedroom, but then glanced down the hall to see something
big hanging from Aiden's closed door.  I wandered down the dark hall to his
room where there was a lot of muffled grunting and groaning going on.

Hanging from the doorknob was a sign made from a huge piece of cardboard.
Aiden had written in black, felt marker:

WE'RE HAVING SEX.  DON'T COME IN.

I smiled, placed my forehead against the wood of his door, and listened to
the sound of my brother's pleasure.  I closed my eyes and smelled the scent
of apples wafting from my clothes.  I think I might have stood there for
hours.


* I appreciate hearing from people who are reading my stories.  Shoot me an
email and let me know what you think.  Your feedback is the only way I know
you're reading and whether or not it makes sense to continue.

I have other stories, too.  Look up Seth Kirkcauldy in the author's
section.

seth-kirkcauldy@sbcglobal.net