Chapter 02

“Ahhh. Fuck." Lucas groaned, making his elbows support his body to lift from the ground. 

"Ouch. That fucker did hit hard." He cursed. Looking around he knows he is already inside. "Ah shit. It still hurts like a bitch." 

It took him about good 10 minutes to get on his feet, he really went too loose on alcohol today.

"Ahh Christopher come on, at least buy yourself good, flavoured juice." He said annoyed as he found orange flavoured juice in the refrigerator. 

He still took a glass of milk and walked back to the living room. Getting comfortable on the couch, he switched on the TV to entertain himself till Christopher come back. 

"You, fucking, alcoholic. How many times did I tell you do not get tipsy to the point that you lose the track of ground. How many fucking times I told you to go to your own apartment when you are drunk." Christopher yelled as soon as he came inside. 

It's 5 in the evening, he left as early as he can. It still took him 45 minutes to get back home. 

"Hello to you too." Lucas took his leg off the table. Placing the glass on the table he stood up. 

"What's the excuse this time?" Christopher asked controlling himself to not beat the shit out of his friend. 

"She left me." Lucas asked trying to look innocent. 

"That's not the first time some girl left you. What's the thing that took you go drink so much." Christopher tried to calm down. 

"She was different, I actually love her. That fucker Michael interfered. He took her." Lucas told him, looking hurt. 

"Get over it Volkov, you fall in 'actual love' twice a week. Cut the crap!" Christopher sat down losing his tie and stretching his legs. 

"You know me quite well." Lucas smirked getting comfortable again. 

"Shut it." Christopher scoffed. "Oh God." He was back on his feet. 

"What?" Lucas asked but he was successfully ignored by Christopher who ran past him and went towards his bedroom. "What the fuck?" 

Christopher was quick to open the door, only to find Miles snuggled in a pillow clutching it tightly in his arms. 

"I'm sorry." He went close to him and caressed his cheeks lightly brushing his hairs off his eyes.

"Chris....." before he can call him Christopher shushed him and glared at him telling to get out of the room. Lucas was quick to get out and close the door just like it was. 

"Chris...." Miles called him in his slightly hoarse voice. 

"I'm sorry I woke you up." Christopher pouted sitting beside him on the bed. 

"Give me a hug." Miles said making grabby hands. Christopher was quick to hug him. Miles rested his chin on Christopher's shoulder and hugged him tight. It's been four years he last met his best friend. "I missed you." 

"I missed you too. I'm so happy you accepted my offer." Christopher replied, smiling ear to ear. Suddenly he was alert again. He broke the hug, looking at his friend with a close look. 

"What?" Miles asked kind of annoyed. 

"Are you okay? I mean, you feel comfortable? Nothing happened right?" Christopher didn't want to use the clear word for it, but he was worried for a specific reason. 

"I'm okay Chris, I was tired but now that I slept, I'm fine." Miles replied and Christopher breathed in relief. 

"You are over-reacting now. I'm not a teenage girl who can't protect herself." Miles mocked. 

"Yeah, you are dumbass boy who gets scared easily." Christopher laughed earning a glare and a slap from Miles. 

"Meanie." Miles pouted folding his arms over his chest. 

"I'm sorry, okay so you told James or Cal that you reached? They must be........" he stopped looking at his friends face which showed dread and worry. "You didn’t, right?" 

"James asked me to call him as soon as I reach and tell him everything. He'll be so mad, and worried." Miles almost cried. He hates to worry people and make them uncomfortable because of him. 

"Relax okay. He won't." Christopher assured him taking his phone out. "Stay quiet okay." He said and Miles nodded. Miles saw how Christopher dialled the number and waited for the call to connect. 

"Hello Jemmy, I'm okay how are you?" 

"......"

"Yeah yeah..... yeah, about that, Miles was here on time, I took him out so we couldn't tell you earlier. I hope you won't get mad. He was really worried though." Christopher told him. He lied obviously it was a better cause. 

"Yeah, he is right here. You can talk to him." Christopher said and handed phone to Miles. 

After the call come outside, I'll set the table till then. 

Christopher whispered to Miles and left the room after handing him the phone. Miles was so excited to talk to his brother and his brother's boyfriend. They were his only family, and he has been missing them already. 

Christopher came out only to find Lucas already in the kitchen. "Hey, it's my turn to cook today." Christopher asked calmly. 

He doesn’t want to think what's really his mind is telling him. 

Lucas has a very bad habit of start cooking food, whenever he is angry. 

But why would he be angry? I mean we have Miles here so how can he get mad at me and never talk to me. 

"Come on step aside." Christopher grabbed the apron. Lucas jerked his hand away and putting the veggies into the pan. Now Christopher is confirmed he is angry. 

"What is it?" He asked. 

"Nothing." Lucas replied. 

"Okay. What happened?" He asked again. 

"Nothing happened." Lucas replied with a glare. 

"I know you; you know right!" Christopher replied. "Tell me what is it? Did Michael mess with you?" 

"No, he won’t, and you know this." Lucas replied. 

"What's with the cooking then?" Christopher asked. 

"What do you mean? I'm hungry, you are hungry and so is your friend. I'm just making us dinner." Lucas shrugged his shoulders. 

"Yeah right. About that Volkov, stay in your fucking limits. He is not like other guys you meet; he is new to this environment; he has never been alone anywhere so he is more conscious about everything. He is sensitive and not very strong. Don't ever joke around him with your humourless ass. Understood?" Christopher was serious again. 

"Still, he is a guy." Lucas replied. 

"Do as I say." Christopher demanded. 

"With you calling me Volkov, never happening." Lucas said folding his arms on his chest. 

"Alright, do as I say Luke." Christopher said again and Lucas had a smug smile playing on his lips. 

"Noted." He turned to the stove and the food was almost ready. He turned the stove off to keep it that way and then served it into three plates.

Miles was free. He just ended the call with a smile playing on his lips and eyes slightly teary. He got teared up while talking to his brother, as he already misses him. 

James has never been away from Miles and this fact alone was making it so hard for both brothers. Both of them miss each other and both were trying to be strong by listing each other’s voice. 

Miles put the phone in his pocket and walked out of the room only to find Christopher and his friend busy cooking. Miles felt bad to behave like a guest and not help them. He saw how good the two friends are, as they were occasionally playing around and cooking.

Christopher's friend has too many tattoos and an eyebrow piercing. He looks so cool yet intimidating. It's a same guy who almost gave heart attack to Miles not just an hour ago. 

"C-Chris." He called, getting the attention from both males, he slowly moved towards Christopher. "Y-You need any help?" 

"No baby, everything is ready. Let's just eat." Christopher said pulling him back in the living room to the dining table. 

"I'll get the plates." Christopher said going back inside to come with plates along with Lucas. Miles was in dilemma to greet him or not. 

"Okay, so Lucas this Miles, my best friend and Miles this is Lucas my friend and more like brother. We went to school together, but I graduated and he still is studying." Christopher made it a lot easier to decide now. "Good news he'll be going to the same school where you go Luke." 

"H-Hi." He finally initiated. Christopher was quick to look at his friend. Lucas had a very dirty smirk on his face. Christopher can clearly see what's he thinking. 

"Hello blondie." Lucas replied. Miles's breath hitched on the tone and words. Lucas has naturally intimidating aura. 

"We should eat. Shall we?" Christopher announced quickly getting beside Miles to sit between him and Lucas. Lucas looked at his friend and gave him an innocent smile and sat down. 

"Sure." Lucas replied and sat down to eat, according to Christopher he sensed a change in Lucas. Christopher had never been good to understand Lucas's changing emotions. But he can tell that Lucas is not himself, not the cheery bubbly Lucas. 

"Oh my God." Christopher almost yelled and soon burst out laughing.

"What?" Lucas asked and same as him Miles was looking at him confused. 

"You--" He couldn't control his laugh. "Your cheek…..what happened there?" Christopher finally said and Lucas was quick to cover it with his bangs. 

He has been hiding the swollen blue part right beneath his eye as he knew Christopher will make fun of him. He will laugh at him. That's how it always has been, he does that to Christopher also. 

"Nothing." Lucas replied almost growled. He looked at Miles finding him already looking at him. 

"That doesn't seem like nothing. Come on why didn't i see that earlier. Oh God don't tell me this was Alexa?" Christopher asked. 

Miles wanted to dig the hole in the ground and gets eaten by it. That's his shoe mark, he kicked him in the face for getting in. Don't blame him he was afraid, and he wanted to save himself. 

"That wasn't her and stop laughing." Lucas growled at him. 

"Awww, Lucey got kicked in the face. That must hurt right!" Christopher was really really rolling on the ground by now. The bad guy, Lucas Volkov got kicked right on his face, well that was new for him. 

What he didn't know was that Lucas didn't like it one bit, ego you must say, his ego was hurt. Christopher has laughed at his miseries for thousands of times but this time it's different. He was being laughed at in front of his friend. 

"Fucking stop that already." Lucas tried but it still came out loud, he at least stopped his hand from smashing it on the table. He saw how Miles flinched on his voice, the fork slipped from his hand and dropped to the ground. 

"Sorry." Miles was quick to bend down to take his fork form under the table. He looked back and Christopher was still smirking looking at Lucas who looked pissed. And why won't he, he got kicked. 

But the dinner went quick. All three of them done and went to place their plates in the sink. Lucas was first one to finish and wash his plate. 

"I'll be going now." He announced and Christopher walked with him to see him off. 

"I'll be waiting for the story time." Christopher smirked pointing at the bruise. 

"Shut the fuck up already, Crisp." Lucas said annoyed. 

"You can tease me curse me all you want but this still stays the highlight for today." Christopher laughed again. 

"Good fucking bye to you, asshole." Lucas said and turned on his heels to go back to his room. 

"Hey, will you please pick Miles tomorrow. It's his first day. Going with you will help him calm down." Christopher asked eyes shining of hope. 

"Sorry." Single word and Lucas turned to him. "I'm not a fucking babysitter." 

"Come on you just have to take him to the school. Don't be an ass." Christopher said annoyed.

"He isn't a kid he can go by himself." Lucas argued. 

"It's his first time. He doesn’t know how he will go to school. He has never been out in a such big city please. He is too innocent for his age, and you know Brooklyn, people here can eat you alive. Miles will get eaten. Kids in school will bully him please." Christopher tried to make him understand. 

"Still No." 

"Luke, please for me." Christopher used his final card and Lucas was weak for it. 

"Fine. Ask him to be ready at sharp 8. I'll get him." Lucas asked and before Christopher could say anything he went off. 

Christopher was happy that at least Miles won't get in trouble but what he didn't know was that he just pushed him in a trouble by himself. 

"Fucking revenge time. I'll make you pay for this embarrassment. He fucking laughed at me. You don't get to kick and get away with it, not with Lucas Volkov." Lucas played it cool, but he was boiling with rage. 

"Just wait and watch." He said smirking.