GAY ANGELS

[plotluck]

[It's the middle of summer and they're stuck house sitting. Their dad is away for the whole month.... Not really that unusual, he's always away on business. And their mom has been gone for a long while now. So it's just him, in charge of taking care of things, and his brother.

And the heat. Noel flops on the couch next to his little brother and groans, passing over a soda. It's already evening but the heat just doesn't let up. It really saps the strength out of Noel, but what it also does is... Well.

It's difficult being a teenager and gay and alone in a house with your brother who is actually really hot and you absolutely should not find attractive because he's your brother, and so as usual Noel slides his eyes away from his brother quickly after passing him the soda. Dinner was about half an hour ago so there's nothing left to do but sort of melt together in this heat.]

It's too hot to live. Revive me when it's November.

Comments

[amurdermostfowl]

Only history will tell.

[follows on his heels casually, like this is all fine and normal]

[plotluck]

[That's just his brother's normal weird responses so he doesn't pay any mind as he turns the shower on and climbs in, doesn't matter that it's cold, cold is nice right now.]

Hey pass me the soap.

[amurdermostfowl]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sidling in with him and offering him the soap, but he's also notably back to his personal bubble maintenance body language, keeping a little space between them.]

[plotluck]

[He isn't sure what to do with that. Maybe that's just how Rowan is when they're not... You know. Or maybe it's just... Awkwardness? This is really new and weird and... Okay they definitely need to talk but he'll leave the little personal space bubble be for now, soaping himself up and handing the bar to his brother as he rinses off.]

What kind of pizza do you want?

[amurdermostfowl]

Sausage and black olive sound good?

[washing himself as well, casual and clinical.]

[plotluck]

Sounds fine. [He steps out, snagging a towel and drying off, picking one off the rack to hold out to Rowan as he finishes.]

[amurdermostfowl]

Thanks.

[this atmosphere is killer... dries off, too, and wraps the towel around his hips.]

[plotluck]

[The poor pizza delivery guy. But whatever Noel heads back to his room to get his phone, putting in their order and then, you know, looking to make sure Rowan actually followed him.]

[amurdermostfowl]

[rowan is following him like the most uncomfortable kitten trying to act like he's totally comfortable, really, for sure]

[plotluck]

[He pats the bed beside him, leaning back on a hand.] You look really freaked out. Talk to me.

[amurdermostfowl]

[sits!!]

I'm not freaked out, though.

[plotluck]

You are, I can tell. [He's your brother? He knows when you're lowkey wigging out here, Rowan.] You don't have to act cool. It's me. If you're having second thoughts I gotta know. I'm your big brother before anything else, okay? You have to feel comfortable telling me stuff.

[amurdermostfowl]

It's not that I'm having second thoughts. I wasn't kidding when I said always, Noel. But...

[you've never returned those feelings. he'd gotten about as okay with that as possible.]

I never expected reciprocation on that.

[plotluck]

Well neither did I! But here we are. ...So I guess... Now what?

[amurdermostfowl]

[......flops backward.]

Dunno.

[plotluck]

...It's not like we can start openly dating. Assuming you want things to change at all. This can be one time only if you'd rather not have things change. [He doesn't want that but... What his brother wants is way more important here.]

[amurdermostfowl]

There's no way in hell I could look at the possibility of having you and be like "no, let's not, because of social constructs based on avoiding inbreeding".

[then, far more hesitant]

So that leaves... dating in secret?

[plotluck]

It's not just inbreeding... I mean I'm you're older brother, so if I'd come onto you wouldn't that have been really fucked up abuse? [Which has been his major worry and terror. But... But Rowan jumped him, and Rowan's wanted him for ages and... Okay, so it's probably still fucked up but at least it doesn't feel like he's hurting his brother here. They both want it. His heart clenches, skipping a beat and he feels all kinds of butterflies.] ...I guess it leaves dating in secret, yeah.

[amurdermostfowl]

I mean, it would have been if you'd like. Groomed me? But you haven't. No one has. I'm just like this. And I'm fine with that and anyone who has a problem with my opinion there can fuck right off.

[not to mention that the conversation they're having is a role reversal , that it's entirely possible that Rowan has accidentally groomed Noel somehow, and that's a terrifying thought. he reaches out to grab Noel's hand.]

Okay. Dating in secret it is. But... you know I'll still love you as my brother if you ever need to back out, okay? It's okay to change your mind.

[plotluck]

[He'd shove Rowan off the bed if he voiced those thoughts. But since he's not a mind reader he laces his fingers with Rowan's and tugs him over, leaning close too, so their faces are inches apart.]

Same goes to you. You're my brother first. But I don't want to back out. I don't really care if it's wrong as long as you're okay with it.

[amurdermostfowl]

[fuuuck. having those intent eyes locked on him is always rough even as much as he craves it, but somehow it's harder when the situation has suddenly changed like this.

he squeezes Noel's hand.]

...Near as I can tell, I'll always be okay with it.

[plotluck]

Okay. ...Okay, then I guess we're dating? [It seems so surreal and wonderful to say but also kind of scary because... Well. Dating is scary enough but they can't even let anyone know. But it's still great? It's amazing to think think of Rowan as maybe his, not just his little brother but... His lover?]

[amurdermostfowl]

Seems like it.

[reaches to cup Noel's cheek with the hand that isn't cutely handholding, leaning in to touch their foreheads together again.

he still won't- can't- tell Noel who they really are, who they've really been, anything like that. that's a closeness he won't share, a risk he won't take. but this... this is a closeness he's being permitted for now. he might as well savor it.]

[plotluck]

[That's right, he still has no idea the actual centuries Rowan has carried this torch but for now, at least for this version of Noel, the feelings are reciprocated. He leans into the forehead touch, and just as he's about to tilt his head and go for a kiss, the doorbell rings.] Ugh... You get the door.

[amurdermostfowl]

[can't help but laugh lightly, closing that last bit of distance for a cute little peck of a kiss before standing and heading for the door.

in nothing but a towel.]