Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Chapter 31: old habits die hard .Jackson was the first one to rise as he slipped out of bed, careful not to wake up Nathan who was fast asleep beside him on the bed. He looked at the clock and saw that it was six in the morning, Luca had to be at school by nine when his classes start. A shiver ran down his spine from the chilly morning air as the brunet picked out a set of clothes and made his way into the bathroom for a shower. He ran the water and stripped out of his clothes then he looked in the mirror. His hair was sticking up at odd angles and his eyes were puffy from sleep. Once the water was hot he slipped inside and sighed at the contact, he made a mental to turn the heat up at night before going to bed to keep the house warm in the morning.The brunet stood there for a couple of minutes before he jumped when he felt arms snake around his waist and Jackson whipped around to see Nathan grinning at him. “Stop!” he exclaimed as he smacked the
Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Chapter 33: bullies, who are they? .Luca nodded and walked over to the cupboard where he grabbed a glass then moved to the fridge. He pulled out the orange juice and filled his glass before putting the container back in the fridge.“So how did you sleep,” asked Jackson.Luca gasped, Jackson’s voice being a lot closer then he expected, and his glass slipped from his hand. As it hit the floor it shattered spreading juice and glass shards all over the kitchen floor. Jackson gasped as well, jumping back slightly to avoid the glass. Everyone’s heads turned to Luca and the boy paled, the image of his father beating him flashing through his mind. Panic began to set in as he stared wide eyed at Jackson.“I-I… S-Sorry… I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” said Luca. He continued to say he was sorry as he bent down to pick up the glass.“Luca, stop,” said Jackson and the boy froze mid reach for a shard. Jedidiah and Williams ran towards the kitchen but Jackson held up his ha
Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Chapter 34: the presence of another human. Several students moved out of the way when they got too close and whispers started to move through the crowd. Luca shivered slightly at all the eyes staring at him and he moved closer to Jackson.“So who are these boys that are bullying you?” asked Jackson.Luca looked up at him surprised though looked away when he saw Jackson wasn’t look at him but the students hanging around the grounds. Luca decided to do the same and looked around to see if he could find the bullies who picked on him but couldn’t see them any where. “I d-don’t know,” he said. “They usually w-wait for me at the front g-gate,” he turned to look at the gate but they weren’t there either, “b-but I’m here earlier t-then normal.”Jackson nodded. “Alright well, just stick close to me okay,” he said. Luca nodded and moved closer, his hand gripping tightly on the back of Jackson’s shirt. They walked into the school building and Luca pointed the w
Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Chapter 35: intrusive thoughts always get the best of me . After dropping Luca off at school, Jackson gave Jedidiah and Williams a choice to either go back to the house or to go to the mall with him and Nathan. The two decided to go with the two older boys saying they wanted to putt around the mall and do some window shopping. Once they reached the mall Jackson parked the car and entered the building with the other three.“Alright, Nathan and I are going to get his hair done I will call you when we are done,” said Jackson as he looked at Jedidiah and Williams. “Stay out of trouble please.”“Hey, when was the last time we were in trouble,” said Williams with a laugh. Jackson just stared at him with a ‘you’re seriously asking me that question’ kind of look. Liam gave a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Right, we’ll behave.” He grabbed Jedidiah’s hand and quickly moved away from Jackson and his penetrating stare.“No jumping off bridges
Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Chapter 36: knowing the evidence is in good hands. Nathan looked over at him and tilted his head. “You okay?” he asked.Jackson pushed the fake glasses Nathan had grabbed for him off their dresser up his nose before looking at the raven haired man. “Yeah, I think so,” he said. “What if… this doesn’t work? As much as I love Jedidiah’s grand parents I’m not so sure the evidence will be safe with them. What if we asked Adrien if we could take it to France with us? That lawyer would never think to look for it there. Also now that I think about it, if we leave the company, where are we going to live? We’ll be kicked out of the dorms and we could go back to our parents’ places but then we all wouldn’t be together.”Nathan reached for Jackson’s hand and gave it a small squeeze. “Relax Jackson, one thing at a time okay? We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it; right now we need to focus on the task at hand.”Jackson closed his eyes and took a deep breath bef
Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Chapter 37: a panic attack at school .Jackson and Nathan nodded before leaving evidence lock up with the two men. They spent the next two hours at the police station to fulfill their role as interns before leaving. By the time they were done it was a little after two in the afternoon and Nathan all but collapsed into recliner in their living room. Jackson took both their backpacks to their bedroom and stored them carefully in the closet before joining Nathan out into the living room.The brunet walked over to his soulmate and climbed into his lap as he snuggled into Nathan’s chest. The raven haired boy smiled and extended the leg rest of the recliner as the back rest dropped back slightly, almost laying them down. Jackson rested his head on his lover’s shoulder and closed his eyes. “Can we just stay here and no move for the rest of the day?” he asked.Nathan chuckled lightly the sound vibrating in his chest. “As much as I would love that, you have to
Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Chapter 38: me gustas tu . Warmth, a gentle pressure around his body, and the smell of caramel apples and fresh spring orchards wrapped Luca in a blanket of comfort as he slipped slowly into conscious. The familiar smell was one hundred percent Williams and one he’d grown accustomed to waking up to every morning for the past week. A smile graced his lips as he snuggled closer into Williams’s chest not wanting to open his eyes or wake up just yet. Just as he was about to fall back asleep the sound of drawers opening and closing reached his ears. Groaning Luca pulled his hands up to rub at his face before opening his eyes.Williams’s wide grin greeted him. “Hey there,” he said softly, “sleep okay?”“Liam,” whined Luca as he gripped onto Williams’s biceps. “Where were you? Why didn’t you answer your phone?” He could feel himself getting upset again so he took a couple of deep breaths to will the oncoming tears away.Williams reached up a hand and brushed
Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Chapter 39: Soulmates coming through. Williams remained silent as he listened to the song and watched Luca carefully. The boy had his eyes closed and was lip-syncing to the song. This song was familiar to Williams having listened to Justin Bieber before though listening to Luca sing the song, he thought his soulmate was doing it a lot better than the original artist.Come the chorus, Williams slipped his hand into Luca’s and pulled him up from his seat. Luca blinked curiously at him as the brunet put his free hand on his hip and pulled him closer. It took Luca a few seconds to realize Williams was dancing with him in slow circles around the room.“Liam,” giggled Luca, “what are you doing? Why?”Williams laughed as well and kissed Luca’s forehead. “What I can’t dance with my soulmate? Besides you made a beautiful song.”Luca blushed and hid his face in Williams’s shoulder. “You’re just saying that.”“I mean it babe, you have a killer voice,” said William
Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Final Chapter: love and everything in between .The keeper at the animal shelter has no idea what Jedidiah’s trying to say.“So, you’re looking for a cat,” she repeats after Jedidiah slowly. He nods. “But you also want a dog?”“No, no,” Jedi says, waving his hands in front of him. “No, I’m looking for a cat, a specific cat, grey tabby, nasty temper, but, she’s called Dog.” The girl stares at him. Jedi shrinks under her gaze. “Her name is Dog. It wasn’t me, by the way.”“Don’t worry,” the keeper says, an amused grin spreading on her face. “We get all sorts of weird names and weird people. Some redhead in tiger-stripe glasses came in the other day hysterically searching for a cat called Elizabeth 3rd. As long as all the animals go to good homes and are looked after right, we’re not here to judge.”“Good to know,” Jedi mutters under his breath, keeping his eyes peeled as the keeper leads him past rows and rows of crates. “Um, anyway, Dog should’ve been broug
Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Chapter 60: heart beat fast, affection so overwhelming.Of course Liam forgets to close the bedroom door.Of course Dog jumps onto Jedidiah’s face in the middle of the night.Jedi, in a violent subconscious reaction, whacks Luca in the face, kicks Liam right in the crotch, and accidentally yanks on Dog’s tail while scrabbling for the lamp.Hell hath no fury like a grumpy cat scorned.*** “Whoa, what the hell happened to your face—”“Cat.”“Oh. Right. I’m assuming that’s the same reason you smell like cat pee?”“I hate my life.”“Welcome to cat ownership, I guess. Oh, wait, more like the cat owns you.” Stefan chortles to himself as he sets down his suitcase. “Hah!”*** The glorious, glorious weekend finally comes. Luca’s free from university classes, having handed in his last design assignment in on Friday, Liam doesn’t have CEO meetings or business classes to attend too until Monday, and Jedi is free of the big Man for two short days of freedom.Unfor
Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Chapter 59: Cat claws sting.“Why is there shit on the sofa.”Jedidiah Roswell, 25, executive assistant to legal bigwig Miguel Midas, has just come home to his cozy little apartment on the second floor of a new residential complex in upper side of New York.Jedidiah Roswell, 25, is standing at the shoe alcove of the lovely abode he shares with his two boyfriends, holding a suitcase full of paperwork, and staring at a huge steaming pile of shit on his favourite sofa.“I can explain,” a guilty-looking Williams says, holding his hands up. Jedidiah levels him with a gaze, blowing a strand of hair away from where it’s matted down to his forehead. “Don’t freak out, okay?”At that moment, Luca chooses to trot in from the kitchen, holding an entire roll of paper towels. Luca spots him, freezes mid-step, and looks at Jedidiah with a mixture of panic and horror.“Please tell me it wasn't you who shat on the sofa,” Jedidiah says slowly, and Luca just lets out a ner
Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Chapter 58: all good things last . Luca walks into the apartment and he smiles as he remembers the kind greeting from the doorman downstairs. Walking into the warmth of his home with the smell of food being extracted from the oven lulls Luca into a happy daze, love making itself apparent in the warmth in his chest. “I’m home, Jackson!” Luca nuzzles into Jackson’s shoulder, looking at the beautifully cooked food being split between seven plates."You're my baby," Jackson tells him as he kisses the top of Luca’s head that has butterflies settling into Luca’s stomach. It doesn't matter how many times his friends' shower him in affection, it'll always make his heart flutter.Luca sits on the counter by Jackson, tired from a long day of filming famous bands in their complex music videos. He instantly feels comfortable when he breathes in the food’s delicious smell, feeling the love poured into his midweek dinner date. “How about a game night tonight?” Jac
Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Chapter 57: safe . Luca walks into the apartment and he smiles as he remembers the kind greeting from the doorman downstairs. Walking into the warmth of his home with the smell of food being extracted from the oven lulls Luca into a happy daze, love making itself apparent in the warmth in his chest. “I’m home, Jackson!” Luca nuzzles into Jackson’s shoulder, looking at the beautifully cooked food being split between seven plates."You're my baby," Jackson tells him as he kisses the top of Luca’s head that has butterflies settling into Luca’s stomach. It doesn't matter how many times his friends' shower him in affection, it'll always make his heart flutter.Luca sits on the counter by Jackson, tired from a long day of filming famous bands in their complex music videos. He instantly feels comfortable when he breathes in the food’s delicious smell, feeling the love poured into his midweek dinner date. “How about a game night tonight?” Jackson suggests as
Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Chapter 56: D-Day.The day of the audition finally arrived. They boys woke up early to get ready. The older boys came over in the morning and Mrs Roswell made them all a big breakfast before they left. They all piled in the van and drove to the menu. There were a lot of people when they arrived.“Wait here while I check us in,” said Nathan as he went up to the reception desk.“Are we the only big group?” asked Harry as he looked around.Saint looked around as well. “Seems like it,” he said. “10,000 dollars says we’re going to be performing last.”Harry looked at him with narrowed eyes. “I’m not taking that bet,” he said. “You’ll most likely win.” Saint smirks at him.Nathan returned and handed out badges on lanyards to everyone. “Keep these with you,” he said. “We are in waiting room seven.” He led the boys down a series of hallways till they found their room, though they weren’t the only ones in there. They shared the room with two other groups though
Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Chapter 55: dwindle in the past, no! Move forward .The days following the trial were busy as the boys spent most of their time at the dance studio either practicing their dance or working on their song in Luca’s room. With Wilder’s help Saint and Nathan were able to get their recording equipment back from their old college. They set up half the equipment at the studio and the other half at their apartment. At the moment all seven of them were in the private room. Liam was laying on the floor near a wall by the couch with a comic book in hand. Jedi and Luca were on the couch going over a notebook with music notes and lyrics. Harry, and Saint were at the desk making adjustments on the computer. Jackson and Nathan were down in the cafeteria getting them all lunch.“You should show these to him,” whispered Jedi.Luca scratched the back of his head. “I don’t know,” he replied. “I don’t really think these ones are any good.”“But they are good,” said Jedi. H
Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Chapter 54: breathe and relax .Luca stood in front of the bathroom mirror trying to fix his tie. He was extremely nervous as the trial was merely hours away. Sarah had bought him a brand new suit so that he would look presentable in court. The suit was a dark gray color with a white button up shirt and a purple tie. He growled in frustration as he undid the tie for the fifth time because he just couldn’t seem to get it right. “Jedi!” he called. “Help!”Jedi stepped into the bathroom and smiled at Luca. “Here,” he said and took the tie from Luca. “Relax babe.”Luca huffed as Jedidiah secured the tie around his neck. “Easy for you to say,” he mumbled.Jedi leaned forward and gave Luca a quick kiss. “Everything is going to be fine, you’ll see.”Luca looked at him for a minute or so before he sighed and wrapped his arms around Jedi, pressing his face into his soulmate’s shirt. Jedi just smiled and hugged him back tightly.“No fair, I want hugs,” called Lia
Two Brothers. One Soulmate .Chapter 53: we’ll win that too .The doorbell rang causing Luca to jump and spill juice on the counter. “Shit,” he mumbled to himself and grabbed a towel to clean it up.“I’ll get it!” yelled Williams as he tossed his controller to Jedi. Jedi not being prepared, squeaked and nearly dropped his laptop as Liam ran to the door. “Harry! What brings you over?”“What? So I can’t come and visit my younger ones every once in awhile? I’m insulted!” Harry’s cheerful laughter filled the house before he came into sight. The brunet spotted Luca in the kitchen and his already large grin got wider as he made a beeline for the boy. “Luca!”“Hi Harry,” replied Luca as the older wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “How are you?”Harry beamed at the boy and ruffled his hair. “I’m good,” he said. “So, guess what I woke up to this morning?” Luca shrugged. “Both Nathan and Saint working away at their computers for a brand-new song that they said you wrote.”Liam slid onto o