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Chapter Text

"A camping trip?"

The Heffley's were all gathered around the dining table for supper while his brother, Manny, was sitting next to him and stuffing food in his little mouth like there was no tomorrow. Greg couldn't help but wonder why. The last time they went on a vacation was years ago, and he didn't want to remember the experience he had on that water slide. 

"Yes, a camping trip with the five of us! It's going to be at Salt Lakes Camping Destination!" Mom happily stated while giving Rodrick a look, the 'You're coming no matter what, and I don't want to hear it' look.

"We haven't gone on a family vacation in a while, not since Rockin' Rapids. This time, though, we're all going no matter what! And since we want to make sure you two won't get the chance to get in trouble like last time, we're leaving tomorrow right after school, right at the start of summer vacation. Won't this be fun?!" Their mother had a wide grin on her face. 

Greg just shook his head and went back to eating, trying to digest the information he got told.

"Now Susan that seems highly unfair… Springing this on us out of the blue, the day before summer break to boot! I had plans this weekend, big plans, plans that would pave my future." 

Hand gestures flayed around to emphasize what Rodrick was trying to say. Leave it to his brother to try and get out of a family vacation. Greg kind of agreed with him, though; he had wanted to hang out with his friends. He had also planned to invite Holly with them, but he wasn't able to find her anywhere.

"I don't want to hear it, Rodrick, it's just for a couple of weeks. You'll have the rest of the summer vacation to do whatever you wanted to do." Susan gave her eldest son a look to signify that there was no way out. Her mind dead set, and there was no going back on it.

Greg was looking at his plate when he saw Rodrick out of the corner of his eyes start to back away from the kitchen table, his chair legs scraping against the tiled floor aggressively. His mother yelled at her eldest son to get back here, but Rodrick gave no indignation of having heard anything, Greg knew his older brother was just ignoring her on purpose. Rodrick slipped on his shoes and walked out of the house, slamming the door behind him once he was out.

Greg gave a puzzled look in his mother's direction, not understanding what just happened either. His mother just shook her head, and his father was angrily munching on his food, a menacing look flickering in his eyes to signal that once Rodrick came back, he would be in trouble, but he'd still have to go on the trip. Their parents knew how to make their lives miserable by being kind.

In record time, Greg finished eating his supper and then excused himself from the table. He ran up the stairs to grab his phone, so he could talk to Rowley about what had just happened.

His older brother was being weird; it was just a camping trip for a couple of weeks. He didn't need to storm out of the house in a temper tantrum. It made him wonder, exactly what was the big problem with spending time with them? Didn't Rodrick love them? Okay, maybe not, but a little bit surely?

"What do you mean, he stormed out of the house?"

Greg had been talking to Rowley for the past thirty minutes about what had transpired downstairs in their kitchen. It was very tiring, having to explain everything over and over again, but Rowley was his best friend, so it was something he was willing to do.

"Exactly Rowley; he got so pissed off that he left the house. He probably went to go hang out with his friends like he usually does, complain about us most likely." Greg softly sighed as he laid down on his bed, looking up at his white ceiling. Rowley was talking about something, about how maybe he was just frustrated. Greg rubbed his own eyes in frustration.

"Of course he's frustrated, Rowley, I am too! Our parents are forcing us on this trip. I am not thrilled. Camping involves bugs, and sunburns, being forced into a small space with four other people." Rowley was just so slow at times. Greg rolled over on his bed so that he was now laying face first in his pillow.

"You know Greg when I was talking with Holly she said that she was going on a camping trip for a few weeks too. That's why she was not at school this week. Hey, maybe you'll see her at that camping place…what was the name she told me? Salt, Salt, something?"

Greg sprang upwards so fast, causing the blood to rush down quickly and leave him slightly light-headed. He grunted and looked at his phone, wondering why Rowley knew something this important and waited this long to mention anything. He pursed his lips in an unpleasant scowl and began speaking in an accusatory tone.

"And you decided just NOW to tell me?! Geez Rowley, if I would have known that Holly went to Salt Lakes, I wouldn't have been as depressed when my parents told me! This could be my time to finally put a move on Holly. It's great!" Greg let out another sigh, this time of content, and fell on his bed once more in contentment, saying goodbye to Rowley and hitting the end button on the phone.

Nothing could ruin his mood now. Everything was great, just perfect. He could finally be able to connect with Holly, and not even his dumb older brother could ruin that. 'Speaking of older brothers…' Greg thought to himself as he heard the front door slam shut and hurried footsteps going up the stairs. 

Greg knew that Rodrick was going to his room so that his parents wouldn't be able to get to him first, but what surprised him was when his brother opened his door then locked it right behind him. Greg shot him a questioning look. What was he doing?

"Can I help you…?" Tone accusing and skeptical. He wasn't in the mood to get punched.

"Just shut up and listen to me, wimp. You need to make up an excuse to not go. Get sick, get drunk, do SOMETHING that will force us to stay here. I know, let me break your leg." Rodrick looked wild; he seemed to look like a caged animal ready to pounce at any sudden sound.

"Rodrick…what are you doing? Why are you so dead set on not going and making a big deal out of it? You're acting extra right now." He grabbed a pillow off to the side as a type of protection despite knowing it wouldn't do anything. Rodrick took a few steps toward Greg, which had the younger brother backing up until his back pressed against the headboard. 

"I just can't go, alright! Do this for me, if you don't… I'll make it hell, I promise you that." Rodrick rocked on his feet. He looked like a maniac; what the hell did he go do while he was gone? 

"I'm sorry, but I can't." The only thing Greg was able to say, what did Rodrick expect him to do about his mother who wasn't going to back down? The thought of spending time with Holly overshadowed Rodrick's demand. He wouldn't give this chance up for anything, even if it meant facing Rodrick in this frightening state.

"What did you say?! You can or you won't…?"

"I won't." Rodrick let out a small laugh, shaking his head like he was in denial. 

"And why exactly won't you make something up, so we don't have to go? Hmmm, I thought you didn't want to go? What suddenly changed your mind?" Greg could hear the clenching of teeth Rodrick had going on. Why was Rodrick acting this way? Greg let out a sigh as he pushed his brown hair out of his chocolate brown eyes.

"Because, Holly is going to be there….and….I like her and all…that…" Greg's eyes never strayed from Rodrick's as he said that. He couldn't even if he wanted too, Rodrick's dark eyes had a way of pulling him in and holding him captive. Dark brown locked on honey brown so intently that he felt something stir inside of him. Fear. Fear of the way his brother was looking at him and fear of the pain he was surely going to receive. When Rodrick busted out laughing, it was probably the most frightening thing he had ever seen. 

"Don't make me laugh like you'd have any chance with her. Face it shrimp; she'd never been able to handle you. You need someone that can take care of your wimpy little ass and keep you in line."

Greg could only watch as Rodrick took those few steps forward and grabbed him by the arm in a tight grip, eyes shutting instinctively after the burn. His first instinct was to yell out, but he decided to bite his tongue and keep quiet. Greg quickly grabbed onto the aching bruise that was bound to form on his arm once Rodrick let go.

"You'll regret this, Greg, you really will. I'll make this trip a living hell for you. Like cat and mouse, you brought this on to yourself." Rodrick's eyes hardened in Greg's direction before he huffed indignantly out and slammed his way out of the room.

Greg could only stare at the now-closed door of his brother's bedroom on the other side of the hallway. A tightness gripping at his chest. What exactly had just happened? What did he do to deserve this? What exactly did his brother mean by he needed someone that would take care of him? He didn't need anyone to take care of him! He could take care of himself just great. And what was all this about a Cat and Mouse game?

Greg hadn't noticed that he was shaking. Was he shaking from fear, anticipation, weirdly enough, a little bit of denial? Greg let out a deep, shaky breath, not really in the mood to do anything but cuddle up in his bed and try to go to sleep. He threw one of his pillows at the light switch on the wall.

Everything went black.

Chapter Text

The sun was streaming onto Gregory's face, stirring slightly in his sleep before his eyes cracked open. His sleep crusted eyes fluttering, a small groan escaping his lips. Finally, his brain decided it was impossible to go back to sleep, and he began his transition into the new day.

He turned onto his side to see his alarm clock.

6.25 A.M.

Great.

Greg sighed in defeat and swung his pale legs over the side of the bed, stretching his limbs with a groan and yawn. The events of last night flooded back into his mind like blood rushing to his head; Rodrick's taunting remarks rang in his ears, and a twisting feeling danced in his gut.

Greg gulped, and his eyes darted around the hardwood floor; Oh god, not that awful feeling again. He didn't know what was worse, that daunting feeling gnarling his insides or the fact that Rodrick was the cause of all this. Greg gathered himself up and trailed along to the bathroom, finally looking up at his reflection in the mirror. He looked terrible.

The rims of his eyes were red and sore from the restless sleep; his dark brown hair stuck up in more weird directions than it usually did, and a dark, fresh bruise had already formed on his left bicep where Rodrick had grabbed him the previous night.

Greg was at a complete loss at how Rodrick could have this effect on him. He had received far worse treatment from him in the past; for example, at the Roller Rink when he completely hijacked his chances of asking Holly to dance with him, following with Greg being beaten up by a bunch of little girls and then a scolding by his mother.

But what was so different this time? He stopped pondering and decided to try and fix his broken reflection in the mirror before going down for breakfast.

When Greg finally ventured downstairs, he wasn't surprised to see his mother and him were the only ones awake. Hearing footsteps place themselves loudly against the floor; his mom turned around to face him in surprise. Greg was standing there awkwardly, wondering what excuse he could come up with for waking up so early.

"Oh, honey, you look terrible!" She exclaimed in shock, walking over to where Greg stood, placing a hand upon his forehead to see if he had a fever, doting over him.

"You seem to have a normal temperature…" Susan frowned slightly, lips thin and questioning. Greg just shrugged off her hand and trotted over to the breakfast table.

"I'm okay mom... I just didn't get much sleep last night." Greg shrugged once more, trying to make it seem like it wasn't such a big deal. His mother pursed her lips and nodded as if it still was an unconvincing argument; she sighed and proceeded to make toast for him. Greg inwardly sighed in relief; for now, he was off the hook from his mother, but he wasn't off the hook from his brother.

He quickly ate his toast, gulped his orange juice before he scampered over to get his shoes on, causing her head to shoot up from the papers she was signing.

"Why are you leaving so early, Greg? Maybe you should wait a while. I'm sure Rodrick could drive you to school." She smiled gleefully while putting the papers in a folder, on her way to head upstairs to wake up Rodrick. Bad idea.

"No!" Greg blurted out before he could stop himself; Susan jumped slightly at the abruptness, turning towards him with her eyebrows so high they hid in her hair.

Greg licked his lips nervously.

"You know what Rodrick's like when he has to drive me somewhere. I don't want to face him before noon." Correction, he didn't want to face Rodrick at all. Luckily his mom must have believed him because she gave him an amused look and sighed.

"I can't say I blame you on that one, it's a wonder how that boy can sleep for so long..." She pondered while looking down, buttering her piece of toast. Greg took this moment to slip out of the door, shoed tied and backpack on his shoulders.

While walking down the driveway, he wondered what would happen at school today. Rowley would probably be so psyched that school would be out; Greg could almost imagine his wide chubby grin. He couldn't help crack a smile at the thought. He propped up his bag, which was sliding down his shoulder as he turned to walk to his destination.

If he had looked back at his house, he would have seen the silhouette of a young man glowering at his retreating form.

The school day passed in a blur much to Greg's dismay; he knew that any other kid would be counting down the minutes until the school bell rang loudly, marking the end of the school year. For Greg, all he could feel was panic.

"Greg!" Mr. Winsky exclaimed. Greg snapped out of his thoughts and focused on the classroom; chocolate brown eyes lifted to see his teacher staring at him with his hands on his hips in exasperation.

"I know vacation is a mere few moments away, but could you please pay attention to the remaining time in class?" His teacher blamed him as a few kids around sniggered, and Greg had to refrain from rolling his eyes, so he just gritted his teeth and nodded. Satisfied, the teacher turned around and walked back to the blackboard and began writing again.

Greg sighed and looked up, his heart nearly skipping a beat when he saw the clock was a few seconds away from the end of the school day.

"5!" Rowley whispered excitedly.

Greg's heart sped up quicker, just five seconds away from the fated ring of the bell, and five seconds away from his fate with Rodrick.

"4!" The other voice of Fregley chanted with Rowley. Greg's hands started to sweat, and he inhaled a shaky breath, sweat tickling the back of his neck as his eyes shut on themselves.

"3!" A few others joined in on the countdown, whispering as quietly as before. Was it him, or was this room suddenly feeling warmer?

"2!" Most of the class joined now, including Patty. Anxiety seemed to build up in Greg with each roll of whispering that flowed out from his classmate's mouth.

"1!" The entire class, excluding Greg, shouted out the last number and cheered. Greg shut his eyes tightly while his heart pounded inside his head as the sound of the bell rang out.

"Greg! Greg! Come on its summer vacation!" Rowley almost squealed as his face lit up; Greg managed a smile at him. Rowley's smile faded at seeing his best friend's face not match his own.

"Hey Greg, what's wrong?" Rowley worriedly asked as they exited the classroom. Greg frowned, should he tell him about what happened?

"Nothing just a bit of a stomach ache," Greg smiled as reassuringly as he could despite the ache in his arm flaring up at his lie. Rowley's face grimaced at the thought of a stomach ache at a time like this but decided to launch into the plan of his summer vacation anyways. Rowley was a good friend like that sometimes, changing the subject and believe Greg's little lie.

Greg, meanwhile, was not so enthusiastic about his summer vacation like Rowley was. He also felt just the slightest bit guilty about lying to Rowley, sure he could be a bit embarrassing at times, but he had never lied to him before.

His thoughts then switched to what would happen when he got home; Greg knew they would be leaving at 5 P.M. which they would then stay in a hotel considering the camping site was still a long drive away.

Wait, a hotel? Does that mean that…? Oh no, please, no! Would he have to share a room with Rodrick?

"Greg! I thought I told you last night that you and Rodrick would share a room! It's only for one night." Gregory Heffley stared at his mom in complete disbelief, was his mother that oblivious to how much Rodrick tried to make his life a living hell.

"But mom! Why Rodrick? I'd rather share with Fregley!" Greg exclaimed, okay, maybe not so much Fregley, but it was enough to make his mother stare at him in disapproval.

"No buts Greg, as I said, it's just for one night. Now get in the car or traffic will be hectic!" Susan narrowed her eyes at Greg, breaking no room for arguments with her stern tone. Greg sighed in utter defeat; he didn't understand his family most of the time. His feet, without his consent, made their way over to the shiny silver van while his fingers trembled as they grasped the handle and slid open the car door.

The sight that awaited Greg was a pair of dark, wicked eyes staring at him.

"Looks like we're roomies, shrimp." Rodrick smiled at him devilishly.

Greg gulped.

He was going to die, and it wasn't like he even had a choice.

Chapter Text

It felt like the car ride had only just begun before Manny started bawling his eyes out about something stupid. Manny was blubbering about how Greg was taking up all the space on the seat they were sharing, when in fact, Greg was on the very edge, making sure not to be in Manny's area. His parents were, of course, taking his little brother's side like usual, which in the end caused them to have to stop on the edge of the road so Greg could take a seat in the back of the Van, which Rodrick was currently occupying.

The reason why he decided to sit next to Manny was so that he didn't have to be anywhere near Rodrick; he had even been willing to put up with Manny punching him. He didn't understand why it was he was the punching bag between both his siblings. A growing frustration was just blossoming in the pit of his stomach as he glowered.

His father had taken one of the back seats out so they could pack more of their luggage in the Van. That resulted in the back seat only having two spots instead of three, both right next to each other and smaller in size compared to the middle seat that Manny would now be hogging.

"That's not fair mom!" Greg whined out as he got out of the car and turned to his mother in the passenger's seat. She was currently trying hard to make Manny stop crying.

"He's five years old, and you two still treat him as if he's two. There's no room in the back for Rodrick and me. Put Manny in the back instead, and we'll take the middle seat!" Greg flailed his arms around, trying to prove his point of space.

"Greg, stop whining, you know how Manny is with the back, and I know how you are. You'll do this for me. You'll be the bigger brother, suck it up, and go in the back seat with Rodrick. I don't want to hear anything else about this. Now hurry up and take a seat, we don't want to get to the hotel too late." Firm tone and a sudden glare were all he needed to follow his mother's wishes.

Greg choked back a yell, wanting nothing more than to scream off into the distance at how much the world seemed to hate him. Like his mother had asked though, he sucked it up and stomped towards the back seat. Rodrick kept trying to trip him as he attempted crawling over him in the tight space. Pokes and jabs here and there from him were also inevitably going to accompany the bruise on his arm. As he plopped himself onto the back seat and his mother closed the door with the switch, they were finally off again.

Greg took hold of the seat belt and buckled himself in, resting his head on the back of the seat and closed his eyes. He let out a small squeak as a finger was jabbed into his side once more. He glanced over to Rodrick with a glare only to be thrown a grin. Greg shook his head and went back to trying to fall asleep. A few more jabs and poked were directed his way before a sigh left his lips.

'This is going to be a long ride, at least with Manny, it didn't hurt as much.' He thought to himself as another poke graced his side.

It had gotten dark out when Greg finally roused from his sleep; he hadn't even realized he had drifted off in the first place. A small yawn left his mouth as he tried lifting his head up only to realize a hand was holding his head in place. His head was also well-rested in the crook of somebody's shoulder and neck. Greg blinked a couple of times, trying to grasp the situation.

His body was slumped over at a strange angle, but it was surprisingly quite comfortable. His right hand was grasping a pants leg as his left arm slid over his abdomen. The grogginess was finally starting to leave his mind, and he realized that the person he was cuddling with was Rodrick. Greg felt his heart quicken as his breath get stuck in his throat.

Why hadn't Rodrick pushed him away yet? Or hit him upside the head and promised that his life would be a living hell again? Greg softly un-wrapped his fingers from the pant leg and slowly retreated it back to his side.

He was cautious because the soft breathing coming from the direction of his brother signaled that he, too, was still in the process of sleeping. Lifting his head, he slightly turned it to look at Rodrick and saw that his older brother had fallen asleep as he had.

It was strange, watching Rodrick sleep. His face was soft and void of all anger or frustration, and truthfully, it felt relaxing seeing him look this way for once.

Greg inspected his older brother's face, finally getting a chance without fear of being beaten up. Greg couldn't help but think how attractive Rodrick was. His lazily chopped dark brown hair spilled into his face and everywhere else. His lips were parted and Gregory could hear tiny fragments of snores every few often. He knew how much Rodrick liked to portray this bad-boy persona, the scary older brother that wasn't afraid of anything. It was honestly frustrating because Gregory knew that his older brother could have a gentler side to him, but the other always chose to go down the wrong route

Without knowing it, Greg's face was inching closer to his older brothers; those dark lips fascinated him, and the way air left and came back in. A little closer and he could- The Van came to a sudden halting stop. Greg grabbed hold of the seat in front of him so his face wouldn't connect with the back of the headrest. A large hand gripped his thigh; Rodrick had awoken with the sudden jolt of the car stop. Fingers were digging into his skin, which causes Greg to wince.

"We're here, boys! Wake up and let's go get tucked into the hotel room for a good rest, we're up at six A.M. tomorrow, bright and early so we can arrive at the camping site by 11 at the latest." Gregory cringed at his mother's overly active voice. She must have seen them sleeping, cuddled up to each other. No, they weren't doing that, Greg's head simply fell onto Rodrick's shoulder, where Rodrick's arm somehow ended up around him and holding his head in place. Greg groaned out and hit his head multiple times on the headrest of the seat in front of him.

"Come on, Greg, Rodrick, get out and help us unpack!" He vaguely heard his father yell out to them in that voice he tended to do to get them to move. Greg was about to start getting up when he noticed that Rodrick's hand was still wound tightly around his thigh. He turned his head with eyebrows furrowed, questioning gaze directed towards his older brother. His dark piercing gaze had a way of digging into his soul, and not wanting to drown, he shoved Rodrick's hand off and crawled over the taller male to get out of that suffocating Van that was causing his heart and body to do weird things.

Rodrick liked where he was; he was comfortable, and from the looks of it, so was Greg. Rodrick wasn't sleeping, maybe only partially, mostly just had his eyes closed so no one would feel a particular need to talk to him. He had stopped picking on Greg when that fluff of brown hair fell onto his shoulder and started tickling his neck. It was starting to get hard for him to hold back from touching his younger brother any way he could.

Rodrick had felt Greg move and wake from his sleep. A few seconds had passed his little brother still had not come to realize what position he took. Rodrick smirked at that, oblivious little Greg, to easily trusting.

Rodrick, being the devious one, kept up his play of feigning sleep, all the while having his eyes partially open enough for him to see Greg without him suspecting he was awake. Greg kind of just sat there, staring at him, trying to control his breathing. Rodrick let out a tiny snore.

Greg seemed hesitant from his view, almost like he was second-guessing himself, inching closer and closer. What was he playing? It was like Greg had been trying to kiss him.

Closer, just a little bit closer-

Frustrating gripping him as the car came to a sudden stop. He felt his breathing jump out of his throat as he was surged forward, his hand grasping onto the closest thing, which was Greg's thigh.

He steadied himself as he glared at his father for disrupting this significant moment; he wanted to see if Greg was going to try and kiss him. Rodrick just looked at Greg as his parents were talking, he vaguely saw his father take out Manny, and when Greg turned to him with that questionable look, he just wanted to take that face and smash his own against it. Rodrick wasn't sure if Greg wanted it. Greg was running on thin ice with how close Rodrick was and the way he kept looking at him. Rodrick heard Greg huff out and unbuckled his seat belt and start climbing over Rodrick to get out of the Van and help out their parents like the good little child he was.

Without even waiting, Rodrick pinched Greg's ass only to have his little brother squeak out and scramble himself out of the Van even quicker. An innocent smile was on his face as he, too, finally stretched his way out of the automobile. The glare that Greg was sending him was quite feeble, nowhere near as threatening as Greg thought it was. Like a little kitten thought it had a chance against a lion.

Rodrick passed by and shoved Greg with his side before going ahead and taking out the suitcases from the trunk. He took his own and looked at Greg and nudged his head, signaling for him to come to get his suitcase. Greg fumbled over to him and took hold of the grip on his bag. Rodrick ducked his head around to Greg as he started walking away and whispered out to him.

"Don't fall asleep." A jab in the ribs before Rodrick went on his way towards the hotel's front doors.

Chapter Text

It turns out their parents decided to go the cheap route and opted for two single bedrooms and a cot for Manny. Greg was starting to believe that his parents wanted Rodrick to kill him or something with how often they kept trying to get them together.

"Now then, I'll wake you both up at 5:30, we'll be out on the road by 6 A.M. I suggest you both get some rest and not to stay up too late. Goodnight, boys!" With that said, their mother smiled, waved and closed the door that joined their rooms behind her. 

Rodrick had already made himself comfortable by hogging most of the room on the bed. Sprawled out in such a way that only a small section was utterly free from touching Rodrick. Greg shook his head and headed for the bathroom, muttering how frustrating Rodrick was being.

"Where are you going?" Rodrick yelled as he started flipping through channels on the television with the remote, arm propped behind him on the pillow as support for his head.

"None of your business." With that said, Greg stepped into the bathroom and closed the door, locking it behind him. He undressed, twisting the shower knob to the hottest setting before stepping in. Mind wandered, as one usually did in the confines of their shower time. Greg had no idea what had come over him once he woke up from napping on Rodrick. 

'Why would Rodrick pinch my ass like that?' Greg subconsciously rubbed the spot where his older brother had pinched, lathering soap over it as if he wanted to wash it away. Greg noticed the bruise on his arm was slowly starting to fade, all the while a few other small bruises littered his side from where Rodrick kept jabbing at him during the care ride and after.

Greg let out a sigh as he finished cleaning himself, hopping out of the shower as he dried himself with the fluffy white hotel towels. Remembering a second too late that he didn't grab some clean clothes before hiding himself in the washroom, his suitcase still sitting unopened outside. Greg was quite reluctant to leave the room wrapped in a towel because he knew that Rodrick would most likely start messing around with him. 

Greg had thoughts of just wearing his old clothes, but one look at them on the floor in a puddle of water quickly extinguished that notion. Greg wrapped the towel around his waist, making sure to tie it extra tight with his hand holding it down. Cracking the door slightly, he peaked out as steam tumbled out softly from the crack; the lights and tv were off, a sigh of relief thinking Rodrick might have gone to bed which allowed him to go get change in peace. Heading out and turning the corner towards his suitcase, the wind got knocked out of him as he fell face-first into the bed after being tackled from behind.

"What the hell, Rodrick!" Greg gritted out, coming out as a harsh whisper, not wanting to cause alarm towards his parents sleeping in the other room. Walls in hotel rooms tended to be relatively sparse in canceling noise. Rodrick was currently sitting on his back, his legs on either side of Greg as a hand was shoved into his shoulder, keeping him pinned to the bed.

"Now, now, let's not use that language. Mom and dad are on the other side of the room." Rodrick's grin was predatory as he let his index finger trail down Greg's back, goosebumps popping out with each drag, enjoying the way Greg seemed to squirm underneath Rodrick.

Greg couldn't stop himself, growls of frustration bursting from the back of his throat, trying, but failing, at trying to get out from underneath Rodrick. For how lanky the taller brother was, he was surprisingly heavy and muscular.

"You're just wasting your energy shrimp, just lay there and take it." Greg let out a last growl before he just stopped and stayed still, letting Rodrick do whatever he wanted. It wasn't like he didn't enjoy the feeling, it felt nice. Though he didn't like the fact that Rodrick was the one making him feel good. It was weird.

"Just get off of me." Greg sighed out in defeat, skin tingling as Rodrick kept trailing his nails up and down his spine, hair standing on end, chill running up his nerves.

"Beg," Rodrick growled out as he scratched down Greg's back, which in turn let out a gasp. Bright red scratch marks now marred his bare backside.

"What? No way, and stop that! You're acting weird!" Greg shouted out, annoyed once more and forgetting about being quiet. What was wrong with Rodrick? He was acting just like the time in his bedroom. Rodrick growled and kept scratching down Greg's back, eyes hard, face morphed into a scowl. Rodrick took a different approach, fingers reaching towards Greg's sides as he started poking and tickling, exactly knowing where Greg did not like to get tickled. 

Gregory clenched his hands, eyes clenched as he tried to keep his laughter at bay, body seizing up as grunts and groans were the only noises that fell out. He hated begging. Rodrick was seriously sick minded.

"Please stop…Rodrick, I don't like it." Greg groaned out, squirming, Rodrick just chuckled and kept his fingers busy.

"I can see and feel your goosebumps, I bet you secretly like this, huh Greg. You're enjoying what I'm doing to you, aren't you? I didn't know you liked me that way." Rodrick's voice was gravelly and low, sending waves of something coursing up the back of Greg's spine, heart beating erratically in his chest, palms sweaty. Rodrick's fingers skimmed up Greg's back, finger interweaving into that soft brown hair, grabbing a handful and pulling at it slightly. Greg let out a gasp of pain, seeing red for a split second before he suddenly had enough of this utter shit that was happening. Rodrick was taking it too far.

"Get off of me right now!" Greg yelled out, and with those words, fun time was over.

"You're lucky mom and dad are so close because your begging was shit." Rodrick got off of Greg's back and headed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him in a fit of anger. Greg heard rustling on the other side of the wall, assuming his parents just went back to bed after it became quiet once more. 

Gregory got up, rubbing the back of his head furiously, his side of the bed now wet caused by how he was still dripping water. Greg's eyes were staring harshly ahead, not pleased at all with what had happened. He got dressed in record time in the darkened room, stubbing his toe lightly but keeping his yelp of pain in with how frustrated he was feeling right then and there. He continued to try and slow his beating heart, calm his raging breathing. He was plopping himself down on the far end of the bed, where he wrapped himself up in the comforter, tucking himself so Rodrick wouldn't be able to touch him while he slept. Foolproof plan, protection by blankets.

Greg didn't know when he had fallen asleep; all that he knew was that he was comfortable and warm, the sun only started to peak through the curtains while its rays of light settled upon his sleeping form and the arms wrapped around him.

Wait-a-second…arms?

Greg laid still, wondering what was happening. Was Rodrick playing a game on him again? Was he going to suddenly push him off the bed or start beating him up? Gregory blinked the sleep out of his eyes as he began to formulate a plan on how to get out of his older brother's grip before he got hurt…again.

He saw an opening when Rodrick's grip loosened up; Greg bolted out of his arms, scrambling onto the floor before rushing over to the washroom. He remembered to grab a change of clothes this time around.

He didn't know what happened, but he sure as hell hoped it didn't happen again. Greg felt…nice in his arms, comfortable even. That thought scared the hell out of him. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead as he looked at his reflection through the mirror, noticing how tired he still was. 

"Rodrick, Greg, it's time to wake up…oh, you two are already awake, that's great. Get ready; we're leaving soon." He heard his mother say, probably walked in using the connecting doors.

Greg let out a defeated sigh; there was no way he would be able to handle four weeks of this, especially if Rodrick would keep getting worse and worse. He did tell Greg that he would make this a living hell for him, just how far was Rodrick planning to go?

That thought alone scared the shit right out of him.

Chapter Text

The early morning drive was more peaceful than it had been yesterday, Greg put it down to the fact that most of them were probably still half asleep. Manny even got the middle seat while Greg was once again stuck with Rodrick in the back seat. This time though, Greg was smart enough to take the window seat and not have to go through what happened yesterday again. 

Rodrick kept poking and jabbing at Greg throughout the whole trip, but sometimes he could feel Rodrick slide his fingers underneath his shirt to slightly stroke and tickle his side. A few giggles erupted from Greg during those times, but he kept swatting his older brother's hand away and glaring at him in the process, only for the taller male to give him toothy smirks and sharp eyes.

It was around noon when they finally arrived at their destination, Salt Lake Camping. It was a cute little place, Greg would give it that. Groups of people, families, were milling around talking and laughing as small children were playing around in the playground as they drove in. They kept driving a few ways before they came upon this little blue house, mostly the same size as all the other with a bit of a screen porch. 

Greg was looking out the window at the small house. He always thought when camping was involved; it either required a tent or a small trailer. The fact that basically, the camping place was tiny houses made him feel like they could have just stayed home.

He suddenly remembered the reason why none of this should bother him. Holly was here, and, as far as he was concerned, that's all that mattered. With a burst of enthusiasm and a big grin on his face, he bolted out of the van and started helping his parents unpack their things.

He could tell Rodrick was confused and slightly skeptical about Greg's sudden burst of energy and dutifulness. He could see his older brother lazily get out of the van and looked around, not even bothering to help them. Gregory snorted, not like it was anything different. Rodrick always had to be told to help, or else you wouldn't get anything out of him.

"Thanks a lot, Greg, for your help; we'll take everything from here. If you want, you can go with Rodrick to look around. They have a lot of activities here, and this is a good way to make friends." Their mother said with a smile as she carried Manny inside, their father following soon after while trying to juggle a handful of suitcases, crouching over like a crab. Gregory didn't want to go anywhere with his older brother alone right so, so he just nodded and started heading out. Rodrick following behind him, of course.

No words were passed between the both of them as they trailed their way along the path. Seeing people mingling with one another, children squirting each other with water guns and lit BBQs for lunchtime. Greg, with his dashing good luck, got sprayed by a little girl. She yelled out a 'sorry' before they kept running away. Rodrick was laughing hysterically next to him as Greg started airing out his shirt, a scowl on his face.

"Shut up; it's not funny!" Gregory bellowed out, why couldn't Rodrick just not laugh at his expense for once? Greg's pace turned slightly faster, face morphed in a mouth with his arms crossed over his now wet shirt. Rodrick kept up with him, his long legs carrying him, coming to walk beside Greg. Curse his height. Their arms slightly brushed up together, sending a tingling jolt up his arm. Why was Rodrick walking so close to him?

"Greg?" Greg didn't even need to turn around to accurately know who that voice belonged too; he only kept thinking about since the first time he met her.

"Holly! Wow, it's good to see you! Who knew I'd find you here?!" Gregory ran up to her, a smile on his face. He had to play it cool as if he didn't know she would be here, which of course he did, but no need to make it visible least Rodrick makes fun of him for it. Holly giggled with a small smile on her face. 'Gosh, she's so cute.' Greg thought to himself, goofy grin on his face as he looked at her. They chatted some more about how random it was for them to both be there, feeling the presence pressed up against his back as he went slightly rigid. A small glare being directed to Rodrick as he craned his head around to look at him. Greg wasn't entirely sure if they both met each other, or even talked to one another before. A mild hesitation at introducing Rodrick to Holly. Greg had a feeling like he should keep his older brother away from his crush, lest he wants to lose her to his Rodrick, like everything else.

"Holly, have you met my older brother before?" He inquired, which in turn he got a shake from her. "Rodrick, Holly. Holly, Rodrick." A curt way of introducing them to one another, which was fine with Greg honestly, the least information either of them got the better.

"It's nice to meet you." Greg blinked his eyes at Holly as she smiled brightly at Rodrick. She seemed fascinated by Rodrick, which didn't bode well with Greg at all. Especially considering Rodrick was looking at her with a completely different look in his eyes as if he was calculating a problem that he was the only one who knew the answer too. He didn't like that look, not one bit. Jealousy ripped through him, confusing him, considering Greg wasn't correctly able to pinpoint who this jealousy was for? He liked Holly, right? So shouldn't Greg be jealous of her looking at Rodrick like that? This jealousy thing was bizarre, and he didn't like it, so he backtracked.

"We're going to go look around a bit; I'll catch you later, alright. It was nice seeing you!" Strained smile and a wave before he started walking away. Holly waved back towards him as he turned away, catching his arm just in time to let him know that she was having a campfire late with friends and that they should join her. He couldn't help but agree to go, getting invited by Holly was still really special to him, despite his mood slightly dampened at the moment.

"Are you jealous?" Rodrick didn't even wait until they were farther away from Holly before he strolled beside him and asked him that out of the blue. Gregory whipped his head around and stared at Rodrick, expression screaming deer caught in the headlight, mouth opening and closing like a beached fish. Did he already catch on? Was Greg that obvious? Trying to calm his features into that of calmness, he shrugged his shoulders absentmindedly.

"What are you talking about?" Trying to make his voice come out as calm, but even Greg could hear how bad his voice sounded, he still could never get rid of his voice going high as he tried to play dumb. Rodrick saw it and heard it. He was very much used to it. A feral grin spread across his older brother's features, and Greg couldn't help but swallow his nerves.

"Oh, don't play dumb Greggy. I saw your face when your little friend was looking at me with that star-struck expression of hers. I guess it can't be helped. It's so cute seeing you get jealous, though, but I wonder if you're more jealous of her, hmm?" Rodrick said as he pinched his little brother's cheeks, earning a disgruntle protest from Greg.

"It's not what you think!" Greg's voice raised again before he huffed out and turned on his heel, stalking off in a direction that didn't involve being around Rodrick.

Greg wasn't looking forward to this trip anymore, even with Holly there, more confused now then he had ever been before. A dread coiling itself around his heart, grabbing hold and not letting go.

He wasn't just pleased; Riveted. Rodrick hadn't expected the girl that Greg liked to be here, but he could make this work. Jealousy not only brought out the worst in people but it sometimes even brought out hidden truths.

Rodrick trailed behind Greg, hands stuffed into his hoods pockets as he kept a short distance from his little brother. Eyes were staring at the back of Greg's head and making sure that the shrimp didn't get out of his line of vision. Gregory had this strange way of being able to sneak away undeleted, which irritated him to no end when he was trying to find him. Rodrick didn't know why he had this fascination with his little brother, or why he enjoyed annoying the shit out of him so much. Touching or punching him, either was fine as long as Rodrick was able to be around him. It was a feeling he never really understood, but he did know that it started getting progressively worse, and he began to get even more impatient. The only thing was that Rodrick wasn't sure what he was anxious over. Greg was able to bring this kind of fire out of him that no one else really could, not even the girls he had dated. His little brother constantly fought him on things, always thinking he was better because of how well he was able to get out of sticky situations, how Greg's friends seemed willing to do anything for him despite how annoying and judgmental he was. Greg just had this way of making people enjoy his company even if he didn't have anything to add but complaints and excuses.

It had started naturally enough; Rodrick enjoyed getting a rise out of Greg, from calling him short to annoying. Seeing the full range of emotions that we're able to pass across Greg's face when he was angry or sad and everything in-between. It sometimes baffled him and left him wondering what his little brother could be thinking. Greg was like an open book to Rodrick, and yet the pages still never seemed to stop entertaining him. 

Rodrick used to hate Greg because he never felt good enough to be his older brother. He was the fuck up, the wicked child that always did wrongs and made everyone upset. Greg messed up just as much as Rodrick had, and yet people steel seem drawn to him, still wanting to help and support him. It was something he never really had, and he always resented Greg for it. But as time went on, a small part of him started to adore Greg, and it only kept growing from there the more that Greg grew up and functioning less like a spoiled kid and more like a rebellious teenager. It made the squirming, biting remarks and outbursts he got from Greg all that sweeter. Because he was the one that brought all of that out of him, he was the one now on Greg's mind, and as far as Rodrick was concerned, he'd make himself the only one that kept crossing his little brother's thoughts.

Cats were known to play with their food before they savored it, after all.

Chapter Text

The camping site was reasonably big; Greg didn't feel like he'd be able to walk everywhere, considering it just went on forever. He saw a couple of adults using golf carts to travel around, and he wanted nothing more than to ride one himself. Those things could go fast.

After a while, he had enough of site seeing, starting to head back towards the small house they were renting. Only, Greg didn't seem to remember his way back. He had been so quick to rush out that he didn't take into consideration any of the landmarks that could help him figure out exactly where they were situated. He stood on the side of the path, contemplating whether he wanted just to keep walking around or ask Rodrick if he knew how to get back. Not waiting long, Greg decided to push his pride to the side, ready to open his mouth and ask his older brother where to go when a sudden hand grasping his own stopped him from uttering even a single syllable. He sounded like a deflated balloon.

"It's this way; I can't believe you're lost already." Rodrick's tone was sarcastic and demeaning, not exactly something he wanted to hear but alas he could do nothing about it considering his brother started dragging him to follow. Greg's cheeks blossomed with a slight hue of color, out of embarrassment or shame, who knew, didn't matter much, considering he still felt miserable. He yanked his hand every so often, but Rodrick seemed to have a firm grip, keeping Greg's hand in place in the other's much larger one.

"R-Rodrick, why the hell are you holding my hand!" Gregory stuttered out, voice high, face flushed entirely with blood. Rodrick turned around and saw his face, deciding not to comment on it as he replied. 

"I wouldn't want you to get lost again. Just follow your older brother like the good child you are." To emphasize what he said, he tugged on Greg's hand, forcing Greg to walk next to him. Greg just kept spluttering things, complaints, and excuses all along the way. Rodrick humored him, which was more so letting him talk instead of shutting him up.

He could be helpful sometimes, especially when he was in a good mood.

They finally arrived at their lot, everything already taken out and placed in their new home for the next four weeks. Greg pulled at his arm again, and Rodrick finally let him go; Greg glared up at Rodrick before heading inside, Rodrick following close behind.

"Ah, there you two are! How was it? This is a nice place, isn't it? Did you see the lake? It's so big, and they have kayaks and small boats we can go on." Their mother stated enthusiastically, eagerness clearly smacked across her face, hoping that they could all do something as a family. Greg put on a fake enthusiastic smile and nodded, replying that "yes, the camping site was awesome," too big for his taste, but his mom was happy, so that was fine he supposed. He was dreading staying here honestly, especially now that Holly had seemed to show more interest in Rodrick than himself, and Rodrick enabling that attitude. Leave it to his brother to screw things up for him without even really trying.

It was almost time for lunch, so Greg decided to help his parents set up the table, he had nothing better to do, and he still couldn't get the thoughts of Rodrick and Holly out of his head. He was jealous of Rodrick and the fact that Rodrick was getting attention from his crush, and yet he felt even more suspicious of Holly swooning over Rodrick and Rodrick doing nothing about it- heck, he accepted it! Greg shook his head, trying to get rid of those thoughts with no avail. These thoughts were bouncing around in his mind, taunting him, shoving it in his face that he'll never really be good enough. 

He was not looking forward to the Campfire later tonight, nope, not one bit.

Rodrick couldn't help but enjoy the way Greg was fussing around as he helped set up the dining table. Snickers escaping him every so often, glancing at Greg who kept stopping in his tracks to think about something. How he couldn't walk and think was a mystery to him, at least it was hilarious to watch. 

"I think you need to calm down, or else you'll drop the plate," Rodrick stated offhandedly, finishing with placing the utensils down. Greg simply glared at him, crossing his arms over his chest after he set down the last plate.

"I am calm, Rodrick!" Eyes narrowed at his older brother, nose breathing because that was just what angry people seemed to do. "Maybe you need to stop invading my space." He uttered the last part underneath his breath, but Rodrick still somehow heard. Greg kept fidgeting with the plates on the table, all to have a reason to not look at Rodrick who was clearly still leering at him, a smirk plastered over that tanned skin of his. That stupid, annoying face of his, arms crossed over his chest as his eyes stayed locked onto Greg's jumpy form. Rodrick snorted before looking away, grin still plastered on his face as he started to head back inside to see when they could eat. 

There was no reason for Rodrick to overwork his little brother so soon, especially with the Campfire hosted by Holly happening right around the corner. There would be plenty of time to make the other squirm then.

Lunch was relatively uneventful for the most part, a little bit of chit chat with the sound of birds and insects singing in the background. Rodrick was kicking Greg in the shin as their mother talked. The brothers shrugged along, not adding much, which just fueled Susan to give lists of suggestions of things they could all do. His mother was still on a rant when the words Campfire made Greg glare down at his mash potatoes, mood souring, even more, when Rodrick kicked him one last time before speaking. 

"We were invited tonight to go spend time with one of Greg's friends around a campfire." Susan stopped and smiled at them, happy that they were experiencing the outdoor life as well as adding to her otherwise long monologue.

"Well that's just great, who is this friend, and do I know them?" The whole table now looked at Greg for his answer, even Manny was turned and boring holes into him as he smashed mashed potato over his face. The slight nudges against his foot from Rodrick weren't helping his situation.

"It's my friend Holly from school. Holly Hills." Greg muttered, pushing his food around. 

"Oh, that girl you like? She's a nice girl, isn't she Frank? Well that is just perfect! I'm so glad you're going to be spending time with her. I hope you both can make fond memories of this place; I know how things tend to go!" Susan beamed at them before continuing to eat; backhanded remark was forgotten, considering Greg wasn't even paying attention due to his embarrassment flaring up.

Was his crush on Holly that noticeable? He stabbed at his food before ramming it into his mouth, chewing down a bit more harshly than he needed to. Greg was just sick of always being in this type of spotlight, and with the look, Rodrick kept sending his way he couldn't help but feel like something terrible was going to happen tonight.

And there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

Rodrick could tell how uncomfortable Greg was getting, the swell of red dusting his cheeks was a clear indicator as well as how his little brother kept trying to kill his already dead food. His cheeks hurt from how much he was grinning, enjoying how easy it was to annoy Greg and how fun the smaller male made everything with his reactions.

Once everyone had finished with their lunch, their parents started bringing everything inside, Rodrick opting to keep sitting as things got cleaned up around him. It was late afternoon, which would make their dinner happen a little bit later than usual. Stretching his legs before standing, he gave a small look towards Greg, still hiding in his food before walking inside the small house, taking a tour now that he finally had time to scope the place out. The house itself was more extended than spacious, the front door opening into the lounge area with a couch that pulled out into a bed. At the end of the hall, he saw what he assumed was the bedroom their parents would be taking, as well as another smaller room next to them that already had Manny's things placed inside. The kitchen was tucked in a corner with the washroom in a room on the other side, the kick knacks littered around were more offending than decorative, and the rug his feet were on was a dirty mustard yellow.

Seriously, who had decorated this place?

His attention mostly focused on the couch with both Rodrick's and Greg's things placed to the side. Eyes glinting as his teeth showed. He was seriously starting to think that his mother was the most oblivious person he had ever known. He wasn't complaining, of course.

Greg walked passed him so quickly that Rodrick almost didn't realize he was there until a plate was put into the sink clumsily. It didn't take long for Greg to notice what Rodrick was staring at until he saw the single couch. Cue a look of absolute horror that Greg tried oh so very hard not to hide. Turning on his heels, he faced Greg with his arms stuffed into his pockets, a lazy grin stretching across his tan features.

"Looks like we're roomies again." Rodrick flicked his finger onto Greg's forehead, leaving a small red mark in its wake. Greg rubbed at the sore spot, sticking his tongue out childishly, not having the thought capacity to retort with anything else except pettiness.

"Better bring that tongue back in before I bite it." Greg's tongue vanished back into his mouth in record speed, eyes wide in surprise. Not wanting to deal, he scurried away towards the front porch, in the safety net of their parents.

Rodrick had been about ready just to take Greg's face in-between his fingers and smash his lips against his little brother. It was both a frightening and thrilling experience. Terrifying because Greg was his little brother and he hadn't had this sudden urge happen once so vividly and heatedly. Excited, because it was Greg was making him feel these things.

Maybe this trip might be just the thing he needed to figure his shit out. Rodrick was resilient, a real survivalist at the worst of times. 

Greg didn't stand a chance against him.

Greg had been sitting on the front porch's steps for the better part of an hour. That was after he hid around his parents to stay remotely away from Rodrick. It was almost like Rodrick was acting like a child, annoying one specific person to try and get the most attention out of them, which was strange when Greg thought more about it. Rodrick even went as far too almost invariably be in his line of vision, almost like his older brother didn't want Greg to forget that he was there, watching everything he was doing. Stranger Danger much. But it would explain the hand holding Rodrick did to drag him back after he got lost.

Greg was happy, mostly considering he wasn't getting beat up as much. It was starting to feel almost like they were actually acting like brothers. Greg felt like he grew enough to finally be able to handle himself around Rodrick, for the most part at least. He still sometimes felt powerless around his older brother, especially with all the touching he was doing. It had been more than usual and that was the part that was confusing him the most. Never sure what Rodrick was really thinking, his intentions, and his plans to apparently make Greg feel like hell. Yah. He didn't forget that part. Despite the explicit threats, he had yet to see Rodrick do anything apart from giving him a few bruises and teasing him, which were things he already did regularly anyways.

Sigh and a groan, a roll of his shoulders as nightfall started to slowly trickle in, the sun taking it's time to set, taunting him. He was knowing full well exactly what he would need to do once nighttime fell all over. Holly. He was excited to see Holly, but at the same time, he was dreading the looks she would be giving his older brother. He hated that Rodrick kept getting everything Greg ever wanted: Rodrick had popularity, a lot of friends and fans, and now he was getting Holly. Getting Holly without even trying because all he had to do was stand there and look attractive.

Greg knew that deep inside; he didn't hate his brother like he might make it look on the outside; truthfully, Greg loved him, Rodrick was still his older brother despite how horrible he was at it. This was why all these new feelings, the touches with how they made his heart jump, the looks that made him drown softly and forget everything around him. Rodrick didn't have to try to get his attention; he already had it.

He was fucked. Even he knew that. 

It was time to brace the music and move forward from there. Rodrick might have ideas on what he could do to tear Greg down, but Gregory was starting to form his plans as well.

If Rodrick wanted to fight, then Greg would give him a fight, he won't soon forget.

Chapter Text

Dinner passed along more swiftly than lunch had, which Greg was thankful. Their mother interrogated them about whether there would be alcohol, how neither of them was allowed to have any. Rodrick rolled his eyes while Greg. 

Greg was about to help clear the table, anything to pass the time before the inevitable. Of course, that was too much to ask, considering his mother shooed him away, saying that he needed to get ready to make a good impression. Greg furrowed his eyebrows in his customary 'what the hell' expression. What impression, they already knew each other? Rolling his eyes, Greg headed inside to do just as he was told and get changed. Taking a handful of clothes from his bag, he headed towards the washroom to change. His outfit consisted mostly of a plain long sleeve red shirt followed by a Twisted Wizard hoodie. Pants were baggy dark gray sweatpants with white stripes. All in all, comfort was what he needed the most right now in terms of clothing when he knew for a fact that Rodrick most definitely had a plan up his sleeve to make Greg feel uncomfortable. 

Picking his dirty clothes from off the floor, he balled them up as he headed out of the washroom. Going to their parent's room and throwing his dirty clothes in their hamper to be cleaned later before stalking over to where his shoes laid crookedly next to each other, slipping them on and tying them up. He passed by Rodrick on the way, and deciding to be the bigger person; he ignored him. Greg still felt that small brush against the back of his hair as they passed, though.

It didn't take long for Rodrick to get changed before he was walking outside in a pair of black jeans and a Löded Diper hoodie. His older brother didn't bother waiting for him to get off the front porch's stairs before heading out. Greg jumped up, almost tripping over his own two feet in his haste only to get his footing back soon after, jogging up and trying to keep up with Rodrick's longer legs. Curse him. He walked briskly behind his Rodrick, arms stuffed in his hoodie and brooding in the night, mood already sour at all the laughing and noise coming from different houses who also had the bright idea of doing a late-night campfire. Greg dragged his feet behind him, causing the gravel to make a lot more noise than what was necessary.

"Do you want to hold my hand, so you don't get lost, shrimp?" Rodrick had his face turned towards him, walking slightly backward with an arm outstretched, clearly instigating and trying to get on his last nerve. He swatted at his hand, glaring up at him before his pace changed briskly.

Being the one to lead the way now, Rodrick closely behind, laughter bubbling out and doing a horrible job at trying to hide it. Greg huffed indignantly and crossed his arms over his chest, brows furrowed, lips turned downwards with contempt. Rodrick always kept treating him like a child despite him being sixteen. It was an infuriating habit that his older brother kept doing because he knew how much Greg hated it. It was like a tape on repeat, anything that Greg hated; Rodrick would be sure to keep shoving it in his face knowing that Greg wouldn't do anything about it.

Rodrick brought his arm back, hands pocketed in his pants pocket as he strutted next to Greg, a bored expression that stared ahead of him. Greg wondered why Rodrick was even coming; he never wanted to hang out when his friends when they were around, always making excuses to get out of hanging with the children, as he liked to put it. Dusk had started to settle, casting the sky in hues of purple and red. Crickets were already beginning to come out and play. Greg didn't know how he did it, but they somehow ended up at Holly's place if the fact she was waving at them was an indicator.

"I'm so glad you both could make it! Everyone's already in the back, come and meet them. My parents are inside watching a movie, so at least we'll be left alone." Holly smiled at the both of them, her eyes-of course-kept flickering to Rodrick. Greg felt his fists ball up in his pockets, but a small smile remained on his face. He was somewhat better at hiding what he was feeling at least.

"No offense, but I'm scared of your dad, so this works out." His laugh was dismal at best, but Holly didn't seem to care much, giving him a small smile that felt a lot like she was humoring him. Ouch.

"Greg is also a scaredy-cat, so honestly, it's not surprising." Leave it to Rodrick to make him feel even worse than he already felt. It felt like an even more significant blow when Holly just enabled Rodrick and giggled along. Greg's cheek flushed an unattractive red as he punched Rodrick in the arm. It had come out of nowhere, and Greg was expecting Rodrick just to hit him right back. It was a shock when all he got was his hair ruffled as he walked past Greg, trailing behind Holly, who was on her way to show them to the backyard. Greg, with no other options, followed along.

The fire was blazing, Greg noticing the four other people surrounding the flames all wrapped up in blankets and slumped in their camping chairs with sticks holding marshmallows over the fire. Greg stood awkwardly next to Holly; Rodrick glued to his side as she went ahead to introduce everyone to them both.

"This is Greg, a classmate from school. And this is Rodrick, Greg's older brother!" Greg tried not to grimace at how more enthusiastic Holly had been at introducing his older brother. He decided to play along, waving to at least try and make a good impression on people he'd most likely be seeing for a couple of weeks. 

"I'll introduce everyone, over there with the long brown hair is Krissi, and she's been my Salt Lake buddy for the last four years." Holy pointed towards Krissi, with her light brown eyes and a tan complexion. Wrapped in a cocoon of the red blanket that hugged her as she waved and smiled.

"And then you have Eric and Jake, they're twins, but I find that the best way to tell them apart is by what they wear. Eric wears bright colours and Jake wears neutral. They like to switch it up together sometimes, of course. They've been coming here since they were little kids." Holly giggled out as both Eric and Jake nodded at them. Both had short black hair styled relatively the same way, with matching honey brown eyes.

"And then Sarah, she's new here like you both, she and Krissi are best friends since elementary school." Sarah waved meekly and averted her eyes from them. Shy and petite, Sarah had medium curly red hair accompanied by greenish-blue eyes, wrapped up in the fluffiest green blanket he had ever seen. It looked very soft.

Introduction aside, Greg didn't waste any time at the prospect of just sitting and hiding in the chair, following along as Holly went to sit down herself, technically rushing to get the middle seat. Greg liked to think it was because Holly wanted to sit next to him too, but he was realizing that he had instinctively gone after the middle seat himself as well. He had been trying to separate Holly and Rodrick. Chewing his bottom lip in frustration at the discovery that Holly had her own agenda and was making it quite obvious, Greg headed for the open seat next to Sarah. He wasn't feeling in the most talkative of mood, and Sarah being timid gave him hope of not being prodded or poked. 

The fire warmed his body, the flames trickling into hues of orange and red, spitting embers out with loud cracks — the fire itself resembling a lot like the turmoil happening in his chest. The conversation had picked up with no lull, questions directed at Rodrick, the oldest and coolest looking one out of all of them, and Greg wasn't surprised that his presence was almost non-existent. It's what he had wanted in that instance, but he couldn't help and feel defeated about it anyways.

"So, Rodrick, what do you do for fun?" Holly didn't waste any time at sinking her nails into his older brother, metaphorically, of course. Her posture was leaned to the side and open, resting herself on the armrest. Her fingers twirled strands of hair around, softly smiling as she gave all her attention to Rodrick, Greg almost seeing hearts for eyes. Was this how he looked when he first met Holly, and why was he feeling like that crush was slowly fading away. 

Rodrick was playing along with Holly from what Greg could see, talking mostly about his band and less about himself, which Holly ate right up. Greg liked Holly; he had really liked her, and yet she was showing more attention to someone who was only playing with her because that's what Rodrick did. On the other side, Greg didn't want Rodrick to play along, not just because Greg had wanted to see if he still had something for Holly. He didn't like being pushed to the side because something better might have come along.

No. This is what Rodrick wanted. He was playing, and no matter what, everyone was always just a toy to him.  

Holly was a nice person, and she didn't deserve this just because he was jealous and petty. Greg glared at Rodrick, head perched on his fist, trying to say with his eyes that he wasn't happy and that his older brother should stop while he's ahead. Rodrick, of course, chose to ignore, not threatened in the least. 

"Oh, that's why you look so familiar, Holly, wasn't he in the video you showed me where a lady was dancing weirdly to their band. It became such a popular video; it was so funny. That's amazing, Rodrick, you're like, almost famous!" Krissi exclaimed, a sudden realization flashing across her face.

Greg groaned; he had forgotten about that. He could see the exact moment when color drained from Rodrick's face as his eyes hardened, losing a spark despite his smile. What scared him the most was the way Rodrick's eyes flitted over to rest onto Greg's face, his mouth drying up as he tried hunching more into his chair. That had been a time where Rodrick was the angriest, he's ever been at Greg. Posting that video with Rowley had been a spur of the moment, but the impact it left was not. People still talked about it sometimes 3 years later. Either way, he was fucked, because it seemed that anger was just progressively bubbling underneath Rodrick's skin.

"I wouldn't say famous; the video was mostly about our mother after all. Gregory wanted to embarrass me and deemed that moment to be the best way to get back at me." Rodrick ground out, posture rigid, and Greg knew that he was secretly seething and keeping it in until his older brother could be alone with him to unleash his fury. Like clockwork. Bless for Holly; she seemed to sense how things were starting to go downhill. Reaching next to her, she pulled out a bag of Jumbo marshmallows.

"Who wants marshmallows! We don't have any more sticks, but you can go into the forest and find something if you'd like." Holly chirped out happily, directing that question mostly to Greg. He was happy to have any excuse to get away, not liking the tension directed at him with his already sour mood. 

"Yeah, I'll go do that. Two sticks are coming right up." Greg said as he got up from his chair and started heading towards the forest. No sticks were long enough on the outside of the woods, deciding to brace his way against the mosquitos he knew would come after him, he headed slightly more in-depth into the crowds of trees, foliage, and bushes covering his figure. The sound of chatter was still loud enough for him to follow as well as the light from the crackling fire. He was rummaging around on the floor, coming upon two branches that would be good enough for marshmallows. Sound of cracking branches was heard from behind, turning his crouched body around just as a wave of dirt and discarded branches kicked his way.

"What the hell was that for?!" Greg sputtered out angrily, jerking up and away from Rodrick who had come out from behind a tree. Spitting out the dirt as he rubbed at his eyes, tearing up from the stinging as his body blazed with heat. A deep frustration, fear bubbling up suddenly at the fact Rodrick kept approaching him with a dark sheen to his eyes, Greg steps continuously moving backward until he found himself caged between a tree and Rodrick. A gloss of sweat pooling down the base of his neck, heart quickening as Rodrick leaned down, both arms on either side of Greg's head. Keeping him in place.

"I had forgotten about that video…I never did punish you for it." Greg's eyes drifted towards Rodrick's lips, noticing the tongue darting out to moisten them up as they turned into a feral grin. Head jerking back up as Rodrick drew closer, those long fingers digging into the back of his head, hair grasped in a hold as he yanked, causing Greg to wince slightly. Both hands came up, grasping the collar of Rodrick's hoodie as he tried pushing at him, feeble with how his hands shook.

"I said I was sorry when it happened, what else you want from me?" Greg uttered out, voice trembling, cursing to himself at not being able to hide it better. A small yelp left him as Rodrick pulled at his hair harder as he raised his fist, causing Greg to bend backward, neck exposed with eyes shut tight. Grimace pulling at his face, expecting to get hit. 

But it never came. The pain stayed in his scalp, where Rodrick's hand had loosened but still kept him in place. Greg's heart feeling like it was ricocheting out of his chest, his blood pumping through his ears, the sound was deafening, the ache and the adrenaline coursing through his veins as his body seized up, bending towards Rodrick and not knowing what was going on. Confusion and fear were two hard emotions to have together because the excitement made him open his eyes. Gaze locking onto the fist still hovering over his head before slowly drifting them towards Rodrick's face, his eyes that continued to bore into his own, pensive expression, 

"You know what, hitting you won't make me feel better. Maybe I should keep playing, I noticed how mad you were getting at me giving Holly a lot of attention. I wonder how you'd feel if I started touching or kissing her." Greg let out a noise of frustration. 

"Don't give me that look, you know it could happen, and it wouldn't even be that hard. She's throwing herself at me." Greg's face morphed into one of defeat, brows furrowed with a look of hurt cracking against his skin. His bottom lip trembling at how far Rodrick was going with this, at how now he was going to hurt Greg. This was hell, Rodrick had won. He cared for Holly; she was his first real crush, he couldn't let her get hurt, and not when Greg could do something to stop it. He shrunk in on himself, shoulders sagging as his bod leaned against the tree, fingers still latched onto Rodrick's hoodie. Greg could feel the irritation rushing off of Rodrick in waves, the heat from the other cascading over him and drowning him in something dark, bitter. 

"Please don't…Holly didn't do anything; you can't hurt her like that. I won't let you hurt her." Greg bit down when he felt another tug. Rodrick wasn't happy with that answer. 

"Fine, I'll do whatever you want, please, leave her alone!" Eyes locked onto Rodrick, figuring his brother would want to see how much he was hurting him, physically and mentally. 

"Please, I'm begging you." Greg sputtered out, his tone articulating his fear at Holly getting hurt because of him, at the pain in his chest was feeling at the thought that Rodrick maybe would never indeed be a brother to him. Everything was too much, he was falling apart, and Rodrick looked like he was enjoying this. Greg, on the brink of falling to the ground floor, the only reason he stayed upright was the hand that Rodrick had hooked around his waist, pressing him against the tree.

"Anything I want? Bold of you to offer, but I'll bite. I only have two things I want. First, you will need to do everything I say during this dumb trip. And that means no complaining or outing out what we're doing; it's a secret between us or else I'll do everything I said I would do. The second one, which I assume you will hate." Rodrick cackled lightly, face only a few centimeters away from Greg's "You will let me kiss anytime I want." Greg didn't have any chance to voice his displeasure before Rodrick swooped in and crushed his lips against Greg's. The moment of surprise caused Greg's mouth to open, letting Rodrick have a clear way inside, tongue invading his younger brother's mouth. Whimpers fell out of Greg as Rodrick took his time to explore, fingers digging into Greg's hips before dragging himself away. Greg was holding onto Rodrick as if his legs were rubber, lifeless and useless, exactly like how he felt. Rodrick took hold of Greg's chin in-between his fingers, Greg's eyes tearing up slightly but kept them at bay to not show how much he shattered.

Greg was scared and humiliated, dehumanized, and felt lower than dirt. He knew this was what Rodrick meant when he threatened him; his older brother loved nothing more than to make Greg miserable, taking a chance at swiping at his legs so he would fall. This time, it was starting to feel like there was no point in standing back up. He felt hopeless. Rodrick may stop humiliating him in front of Holly, not try and hurt her, but that didn't mean he would end his usual routine when it was just the two of them.

Greg shook his head, trying to push Rodrick away, he hated this. He hated how Rodrick made him feel. Rodrick never looked at him like a brother; he was nothing more than a plaything to pass the time because Greg never really fought back. All this was becoming clear to him, solidifying his intentions and pushing him forward to prove himself and save those he cared about, determined.

He couldn't give up. He wouldn't. Rodrick may have won this time, but if Greg was good at one thing, it was being stubborn and not giving up despite the odds. Greg knew now that the kissing was only a way for Rodrick to humiliate him. If Greg kept telling himself it meant nothing, then after a while, Rodrick would stop and get bored at how it wasn't bothering Greg anymore. At least, he would try not to let them affect him. 

Greg let his arm stretch outwards towards Rodrick, his brother side-eyeing the limb before setting back onto Greg. Suspicion swam across his darkened eyes, eyes narrowing, trying to figure out what angle Greg was playing.

"Fine…" Rodrick blinked and smiled down at him, allowing Greg to rest both his hands-on Rodrick's shoulders. "I agree with your rules." Reaching upwards, standing on the tip of his toes as he pushed himself against Rodrick, surprising the other slightly as Greg brought his lips against Rodrick one more time. In a way solidifying the rules and proving to Rodrick that he wouldn't just stand there and take it. 

He wouldn't let Rodrick know how devastated he was at losing his first kiss to his older brother.

He might be the mouse in Rodrick's game, but that wouldn't stop him from showing his teeth when he had the chance.

Chapter Text

Rodrick hadn't thought he would ever be in this type of situation. This had to be one of the best plans he ever had, being able to have Greg kiss him like this. Rodrick knew he was sick, who would make up a rule for their brother to have to kiss him. But he didn't care, Rodrick didn't care because he liked it. Rodrick liked having Greg all to himself, even if it was under pretenses. The fact was that Greg went in for a second kiss, and despite how suspicious he was, he wasn't about to turn his brother away when kissing those lips was all he kept thinking about for months. Rodrick did like his food to have a spine.

Rodrick had his hand threaded through Gregory's soft hair, ushering his little brother's head closer to his own as their lips pressed. The hunger Rodrick was feeling was different-he wanted Greg, even if his little brother didn't want him. He felt his fingers clench in Greg's hair, eliciting a small groan of pain from the younger sibling. 

Rodrick felt his dick twitch at the sound; how he wished he could hear Greg make more of those sounds, feel his naked body pressed up against his own as he took him over and over again. Rodrick would have what he wanted, no matter how long it took. He would win Greg over one way or another; he vowed that to himself.

The prospect of a kiss every day, and anytime he wanted, making his pants feel tighter with want, bodies flushed against one another, Rodrick not holding onto Greg to keep himself upright. Rodrick felt Greg stiffen against him as the younger boy became aware of the bulge pressing up against his lower body. 

He licked his little brother's bottom lips, silently asking for entrance yet denied. There couldn't be any of that, oh no. He pulled at Greg's hair once more, earning himself a small gasp of pain; in that quick moment in time, Rodrick's tongue plunged into the depths of Greg's mouth once more, feeling his way across every crevasse that his brother's mouth had to offer. The kiss wasn't sweet or soft; it was harsh and yearning. Rodrick had wanted this for so long, and he finally had it, damn him if he wouldn't enjoy every single second of it. 

Greg started pulling away; the strength seems to have returned as the push was able to dislodge their lips and draw him back. Rodrick nibbled at Greg's lips before trailing kisses down his neck, licking his tongue against the junction of his neck and shoulder before biting down, sucking, yearning to leave a mark. He knew this wasn't a part of the deal, best to leave any marks not visible.

Greg was panting at this point, clinging, all of this was new to his little brother, and Rodrick knew that, using it to his advantage. Greg was never touched this way, never felt the body of another holding him, never kissed. Rodrick would be a lot of his firsts, embracing it with a smile; Rodrick let his fingers trail out of Greg's hair and down the back of his neck, watching Greg's face heat up red and embarrassed. Or shame. Whichever it was, it was a color he enjoyed seeing because he caused it.

"Now, was that so bad." He uttered as he softly stroked his brother's face with his thumb, rubbing a stray tear away. Greg turned himself away now that Rodrick was holding him by the hair anymore, holding his arms around himself as he tried to hideaway. His tears had dried up a while ago, but he still felt how puffy his eyes had gotten. Rodrick's fingers tried going to Greg's face once more, but his little brother recoiled, the adrenaline seems to have worn off. He had lost his claws. Rodrick huffed before rubbing at the corner of Greg's eyes, trying to soothe away the redness from his cheeks.

"You should wait a few minutes before heading back, don't want people wondering why your eyes are so red," Rodrick said, petting Greg's hair and taking the chance to pull a few stray twigs from those brown locks. Taking his hand back when he finished, stuffing them once again into the pockets of his hood as he slowly drew away, and walking back towards the campfire to not cause suspicion, making sure to pick up a stick along the way.

Greg was at a loss for words, the way Rodrick jumped around from treating him like shit, humiliating him, to suddenly trying to comfort him. It felt like a roller coaster, and he was starting to feel like he just made a deal to go on a nonstop ride. Greg wound his fingers through his hair, tugging at the soft brown locks in exasperation. He felt like he was thoroughly losing his mind. Greg felt like a mess; heartbeat ringing in his ears as the blood rushed in his veins. Following Rodrick like he always did, but this time, it was different. He knew Rodrick was just playing him, trying to get a reaction out of him for his fun. 

Greg felt lost and alone more than ever, Rodrick's attempt had failed, considering he was the one that made him feel like shit. He felt trapped, but he also felt angry. Brothers weren't supposed to do this; He wasn't supposed to kiss his brother.

Rodrick had enjoyed it, thriving in it with the way Greg had felt him rub up against him. He might have been new to everything, but he wasn't stupid. He knew how sex worked and he knew how people got to that point. Greg had thought that given a chance, Rodrick would have just had his way with him if they hadn't needed to be back at the campfire soon.

Shit. The campfire. How long had Greg been out here?

"Calm down, calm down, calm down." He whispered to himself, repeating the words like a broken mantra. His heart started to slow itself, chest no longer squeezing and feeling like he was losing breathe. Greg could feel finally relaxing, his heart returning to a regular beat and his breathing becoming soft puffs of air in the summer night breeze. He felt his gaze move towards the burning fire, seen casting a shine through the otherwise dark forest. 

Greg felt it was about time for him to go back and face the music, in this case, face seeing Rodrick after that whole fiasco. He gulped absentmindedly, touching his lips, eyes closed shut before he started taking a few steps back, picking up a long stick. It'd be weird if he returned without even picking anything, what would everyone think. He didn't want to be questioned. Frankly, Greg just wanted to go back home.

Greg stopped and thought to himself and the kisses if Holly found out she would be mortified, disgusted with him even. Brothers, kissing. Holly would probably stop being his friend, or worse, tell everyone about it. Rodrick was right; there was no way he could tell anyone about this, even without being threatened. There was no out; Greg had gotten caught before he had even started the game? He rubbed his hand over his face; his eyes felt less stingy as the redness had shrunk. Face feeling itchier than anything else. He could finally hear their laughter as they chatted about something around the fire. As he finally made his way from the forest, he could feel some eyes on him, no doubt wondering why he had taken so long

"Sorry, my foot got stuck in a hole." Running his hand through his hair in a show of embarrassment for what happened. It felt like lying was starting to become second nature to him. Sneaking around like this with Rodrick was changing him as a person. He wasn't sure he liked it.

"You should have yelled for me to come and help you then. Or did you not want to be seen stuck in a hole?" Rodrick laughed along with everyone else. Greg laughed together with them, though strained, it still seemed natural. Walking back to his chair, he sat down where Holly gave him the bag, smiling softly at him before going back to Rodrick.

Once he received the small globs of white sugar, he stuck one on his branch rather forcefully before setting it over the flame, being careful not to let it burn. Greg was lost in his thoughts when he felt a slight pressure on his stick, being pushed deeper into the forest. He softly squeaked as he drew his treat out of the flame, inwardly groaning when he saw the marshmallow on fire, blowing at it even though it had been ruined. The edges a stark black of charcoal. Glaring at Rodrick, he threw the snack into the fire before sticking one more on and making sure to keep his eyes on the other so it wouldn't happen again.

Greg glanced at everyone surrounding the fire: Sarah was still wrapped in her blanket, munching softly away on chips. Jake and Eric had both burnt theirs, but they seemed to enjoy it that way as they ate theirs in one mouthful. Krissi and Holly were talking to themselves and giggling. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, everyone except for himself. The night had grown much darker, Greg not knowing how long they were around that fire, he felt weightless.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see Rodrick started getting up, stretching his body slightly.

"Are you heading out already, Rodrick?" Holly asked with a pout on her lips. Greg felt his hand clench around the branch in turn. What was so good about Rodrick? Why did Holly like his brother so much and not him? His fingers kept clenching around his stick, hearing a small crack.

"Yeah, I'm feeling a bit tired. It was a big day today, what with setting up and everything. I think it's time that the shrimp and I headed off back home." He gestured towards Greg and himself. Greg let out a sigh as he wasn't unusually tired, and he wasn't looking forward to sharing a bed with Rodrick.

Oh god, he was sharing a bed with Rodrick! He could feel a headache come along with that forgotten realization; the thought of what Rodrick might do to him while he was sleeping scared that hell out of him. Palms sweating in on themselves as a sudden chill ran up his spine.

"That's understandable. Either way, it was really fun to have you and Greg here with us. We should all do this again!" Holly exclaimed happily. The others nodded their agreements, laughing as they did so. Rodrick politely smiled, but Greg was starting to feel like Rodrick wouldn't be spending much time around Holly if the agreement was anything to follow.

"Sure, that would be fun. It was great meeting all of you." He waved as he started heading out. Greg got up and smiled at everyone before turning to Holly.

"Thanks for having us Holly, it was great meeting everyone and spending time with you." Holly beamed and gave Greg a hug, saying that it was great having him there. Greg felt himself hugging back and melting in her arms. He really did like Holly, she was a great person, despite the way she ignored him a lot. It wasn't her fault, though, Rodrick was just able to make people drawn to him. Once the hug finished, he smiled softly before turning around and following Rodrick, who was looking at him with a hooded gaze. Expressionless. Greg was confused, and his face spoke that to Rodrick. Rodrick sighed out dejectedly and turned around, expecting Greg to follow him, which he did.

Once the two of them were out of the backyard and walking down a barely lit road, Rodrick grabbed hold of Greg's hand, interlocking their fingers together. Greg jumped in surprise, about ready to tear his hand out when Rodrick spoke.

"Remember our deal." Rodrick stood in the middle of the road, fully turned towards him as the words were gritted out, frustrated. Greg, taken aback, wondering what had made Rodrick so mad. 

"Are you mad at me because I hugged Holly?" Rodrick snorted, but deep down, Greg felt like that was precisely the reason. The way Rodrick answered him back only reaffirmed that belief ten folds. Rodrick had been jealous? Why.

"Rule number 3, no hugging Holly." Greg just stared at him, surprised by the obscurity of it all. It was idiotic, this was not what they had agreed on when they made the deal. Rodrick was already going back on his word!

"What! You can't just make up rules, that wasn't a part of the deal! She's my friend; I can't just say no when she wants to hug me. Is this because you like her or something? Do you actually like Holly?" Greg looked at Rodrick, chest tightening as his older brother stared at him. Rodrick growled in the back of his throat, frustrated, annoyed. Greg's head snapped in surprise at the sound when he was yanked forcefully against Rodrick, no time to even utter a single word before lips were upon his. Hands flailed before grasping onto Rodrick's person for support, feeling lifted off his feet and fingers dug into his skin, arching them together in a heated kiss that left Greg breathless.

'What the hell is going on?' Greg felt his older brother let go of him, hands trailing down his side, fingers intertwining with his own once more. The kiss had muddled his head. Greg, having no idea what to do apart from being dragged along by Rodrick.

"Don't ask stupid questions," Rodrick whispered, words uttered so softly that Greg barely heard it. He felt hot all over, tingles running up his arms back towards his lips, finding feelings in the places that Rodrick had touched. Confusion swam through his thoughts, caking his mind with information he just was not able to handle or comprehend at the moment. Day two had felt like the longest day in his withstanding life.

Frankly, he had no idea how he ever thought he'd be able to survive four weeks of this.

Chapter Text

Greg was almost sure Rodrick took a different turn to spend more time holding his hand because once they got to the house, it was well past midnight. All the lights were off; for a second, Greg was freaking out about having to wake up their parents to open the locked door when Rodrick suddenly took one out from his back jean pocket.

“When did you get a key?” Annoyed that he didn’t get a key. Rodrick just shrugged his shoulders, opening the door quietly as he walked in, and letting go of Greg’s hand in the process. Greg had forgotten they were even holding hands, something he silently cursed at himself for forgetting. Brushing it aside, thinking to himself it was because he was tired, he shuffled inside and took off his shoes. Shoulders sagging as his mind finally caught up with his body and realizing just how drained he was.

Greg had dragged himself to his suitcase. He started digging for his PJ pants and a baggy t-shirt. Rodrick was rummaging for his things on the other side of the couch, allowing Greg to rush to the bathroom first to be able to do his nightly routine, alone, in peace in quiet without being touched or kissed. After finishing brushing his teeth, Greg gazed at his reflection through the mirror, not liking what he was seeing. He looked like a wreck; dark circles were underneath his eyes, baggy, tired. His hair was sticking up in a weird direction, completely disheveled from when he had first left the house. Pulling his shirt collar down, he noticed the hickey Rodrick had left, already starting to bruise with burst vessels. Teeth marks were noticeable. Breathe shaky as he exhaled, his brain having a hard time trying to catch up with ever thought rushing through his mind.

Why. Why was this happening to him? Why was Rodrick doing this? Why was he even letting Rodrick do these things to him, enabling his sick way?

Questions Greg continued to repeat to himself over and over again, a broken record with no inch of ending. Grasping the side of the sink in his fists, he let himself the time to close his eyes and try to relax. To try and breathe, to focus, he needed to get through this. This wasn’t going to be forever. He had a couple more years before he would be away for College. He would go far, far away.

Opening the door and walking out, he was greeted by Rodrick waiting against the wall in front of the washroom. Greg kept his gaze downwards, not bothering to turn off the light, considering Rodrick looked like he was waiting for him to finish. He was shuffling over to the bed that had been pulled out, no doubt by their mother before she went to bed. He felt the lightest of touches against his back, the drag of a finger dipping into the curve before it was gone. The back of his neck blossomed with goosebumps, flutter of his hair standing on end with that small, ghost-like pressure.

A small cry left his lips as he jumped towards the bed, hiding underneath the covers. He was curling in on himself on the farthest end of the bed, burying his face in the plush pillow that he was utterly thankful to have. He heard the bathroom door close, room engulfing in complete darkness, the only sound coming from the cricket’s loud cries. Paranoia creeping, entangling his heart in a harsh tangle of webs, shutting his eyes to try and block it out.

When all was silent, and he paid attention, he heard everything that was happening around in the outside world, a blur of noises. The creaking of wood, bugs buzzing, small pebbles hitting the windows from the force of the howling wind, its cries sounding like ghosts singing you to sleep. Except Greg didn’t feel like he could.

Greg wiggled himself deeper into his pillow, wrapping the cushion fiercely against his head to drown out the sounds. Eyes tightly shut as he tried to remind himself that everything would be okay. This wasn’t forever. He would get an out one day. Wishing his body to calm itself, to breath, for his mind to just stop.

It had felt like hours before Rodrick ventured outside of the bathroom; in actuality, only twenty minutes had passed, and Greg was simply to hyper-aware of everything that everything seemed to be much slower than it was. The light had filtered slightly into the room before they were shut off. The creaking of wood signaled Rodrick was drawing near, the dip in the bed as he felt eyes bore into the back of his head. His breath evened out, Greg trying to play it off as if he had already fallen asleep, not wanting to give Rodrick a chance to do anything to him. Covers jostled, Rodrick arranging himself on the bed in the position he enjoyed the most. Greg’s body was tense as he continued to even his breathing, the rise and fall of his chest, adding to the image.

His fists were balled around the blanket, scrunched in on himself as he continued to tell himself to just. Fall. Asleep. But nothing was happening, his mind still buzzed with activity, body feeling electrified and alive. Freezing up even more as Greg felt fingers push into his stiff shoulders, trailing their way up and down his neck and back, pressure continuously being added, making Greg hyper-aware of the warmth from how close Rodrick has seemed to scoot over.

“You won’t sleep well if you keep your body so tense.” Breath hitched when Rodrick spoke, Greg feeling himself tense even more from the touching, feeling trapped. Emotions swirling in the pit of his stomach, silently crying to himself that he just wanted to be left alone.

“Yeah, I wonder who could be making me feel tense right now.” He spits out softly, a hissing tone to try and keep it a whisper. Rodrick stayed silent, which drove Greg even more over the edge. Though, the continuous, repetitive rubbing on his back was surprisingly really helpful, easing his body to just and relax. Body tingling after every touch, a soothing flow enveloping him, and calming his heart. In reality, it felt terrific, and Greg hated himself for allowing himself to feel that way, even more allowing Rodrick to continue whatever he was doing. Greg’s body started to finally sag, his mind breathing a breath of fresh air as he began to get sleepy. Before he knew it, he finally started drifting off to sleep, the last thing Greg remembered feeling were fingers brushing lightly through his hair, petting him in a way Rodrick used to do to him when he was younger.

Greg started slowly waking up to his body, feeling hot, electrical jolts shooting up his spine as his tired mind was trying to process what exactly was going on, trying to catch up with his surroundings. The second thing he noticed once his mind started to un-cloud itself, was how unbelievably close Rodrick was. He felt fingers gripping his hips, arms encircling him, and pressing him closer, how Rodrick’s hand were grasping at Greg’s backside and ass, digging his fingernails in the soft flesh. Rodrick had his forehead pressed against Greg, warming breath fanning over his face. His breath was catching in his throat; his eye’s softly widening as he stilled. His face lit up like a tomato, red hue warming his face to match his body.

What the hell was going on?

 Rodrick was slowly rubbing his erection against Greg’s growing swell; they’re PJ bottoms the only barrier between them. The sensation soft and electric, a moan was falling softly from his lips with the added pressure of a particularly hard roll of Rodrick’s hips. What the hell was he doing? Greg had half a mind to push Rodrick to wake up when a small roll of his eyes upwards sowed him that not only was Rodrick very much awake, but those half-lidded dark eyes of his were staring at Greg’s face.

An unreadable expression stretched across Rodrick’s face, his warm pant intermingling with Greg’s soft breathes of arousal. Greg’s temper suddenly flared, half a mind to chew Rodrick off at that moment when a sudden jolt of pleasure racked his body, a gasp escaping his mouth. The arms around him tightened, Rodrick quickening his pace, grunts, and groans falling from both of them. A coiling heat in the pit of their stomach, their thighs, and abs were tightening with each stroke. 

“Rodrick. Sto-Aah.” His whisper came out more like a moan, eyes shutting, losing himself in the sensation as the buildup intensified. Every friction against his cock was causing spikes to shoot up his spine, Rodrick faring no better as his thrusts quickened, breathing erratic, heartbeat jumping out of their chests.

Pleasure blinding as his release surged forward, a groan about to fall from his parted lips when Rodrick drew forward and smashed their lips together. Greg’s whimper of release was drowned out by the tongue massaging itself against his own, their bodies seizing as cum splattered within the inside of their pants. The holds they had on each other were firm, gripping, suffocating as they both rode the high, and the only way to ground themselves was by the arms gripping one another.

The comedown was when Greg started to regain all sensation and thought process. His body was tensing in the darkened room, the wind howling outside, reflecting how shattered he felt inside. A scream stuck in the back of his throat as his gasps for air started bubbling out of his chest. Greg felt something coming; his heart aching with hurt as he wrenched himself away from Rodrick. Without a second glance, Greg sprinted as quietly as he could towards the washroom, the hand grasping at his chest a shock to him as he found himself sitting on the floor next to the toilet. When had he even opened the light and locked the door? His hands were shaking, brows furrowed as he looked at them, and unreadable expression stretched across his face, his eyes showing more hurt than what he was able to handle emotionally.

He was disgusted. It had been disgusting, and he didn’t know why he didn’t try harder to make it stop. Rodrick was his brother; they shouldn’t have done something like this while their parents slept, not even five meters away. Holly crossed his mind, the actions of what just transpired quickly, blocking all thoughts of thinking about how his classmate would think about all of this. He couldn’t tell anyone. Ever. He was humiliated and disgusted with him.

Rodrick had caged him once again into something he didn’t want to do. He knew he didn’t want to do it because his mind kept screaming at him, his heart had wanted to stop, but his body had felt like it had lost all control. His brain fog as he rode out those sensations, feeling the pleasure flow through his blood and nerves. A raw hunger had surfaced in that instance, and it was something he had no idea how to handle. He felt dirty. He wanted a shower; he needed a shower. That’s what Greg went and did. It was like clockwork, with a set goal in mind, he got off the floor and turned the shower to the coldest setting, the spray willing to wake him up from his apparent nightmare. Stepping inside once all clothing was removed, he stood there as the shower beat down on him, skin going red from the coldness he felt, the ache in his chest matching the numbness on his skin.

Greg clawed at his chest, feeling the tightness, constricting, breathing, feeling a lot harder to do now that he was alone and hurting. The tears were already starting to fall down his cheeks, eyes staring blanking at the wall opposite of him and focusing and trying to map out the cracks in the tiles, to ground himself from the inner turmoil wrecking his thoughts. His hatred, this maddening anger which should have been directed at Rodrick, was only being dumped back onto himself.

He hadn’t tried to stop it hard enough. Greg had once again let Rodrick run all over him, taking control and using Greg up like the toy he was. Fingers threading through his wet hair, pulling at it, trying to cause a different kind of pain than the one he couldn’t stop feeling betting through his chest. The misery he was feeling through every nerve of his body at how dirty he still felt.

He wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed and never wake up, but that was impossible at this point. Rodrick was there, and Greg just didn’t think he’d be able to fall back asleep. Rodrick got off on him. They got off on each other. The hardest part was how Greg had enjoyed it.

He chocked as his body started shaking once more, sobs racking his body and not knowing if it was from the realization that he enjoyed it or the fact the cold water was starting to make him number than he felt. A knock resounded on the door, quiet and quick, three raps to show that someone was there. Body stilled, breathing harshly as his eyes were blown, frightened at making noise. A hand covering his mouth to help muffle the sobs flowing out of him like a tidal wave.

“Open the door, Greg.” A hiccup at hearing Rodrick’s voice through the door, a low and soft rumbling noise that drew at Greg. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t see Rodrick right now when he felt this way. This void.

Body shaking as he slid to the bottom of the tub, turning the water to a medium setting as to at least not lose all feeling everywhere. He didn’t want to die from hyperthermia despite how much he wanted to just disappear in general. He tried to scream most of all, to let his anger and frustration out onto the world without fear of getting judged or getting even more hurt.

But he couldn’t do anything like that; he couldn’t even talk to anyone, he was Powerless, helpless, and weak.

He was a grade-A wimpy kid.

Chapter Text

Time seemed to stand still the longer Greg sat there, his skin had long since pruned, and the noise coming from the other side of the door stopped. No more knocking, no more Rodrick telling him to open up while trying to stay quiet. Nothing. Just silence from the night as the water trickled down his bruised body. 

'I'm disgusting.' Greg repeated to himself.

'let Rodrick do that to me; I didn't even try to stop him.' His self-esteem was as low as the ground he sat on, the hatred coursing through his veins at his inability to make good choices in his pathetic life fueling his self-deprecation.  

'I'm sick; this is my punishment for not pushing away. I could have done something; I didn't try hard enough.' Air fell from his lips as he hiccupped through the pain Rodrick was putting him through.

'I'm a freak like him. I'm disgusting like him. I hate myself for liking it. Why. Why is this happening to me? What did I ever do to him? I hate him. He always wins. I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.' Greg knew he was lying about hating Rodrick. That's why it hurt so much more. He couldn't escape.

"Greg, are you okay? Manny needs to use the restroom. You also left your clothes outside the door. Hurry up; breakfast is almost ready." Eyes wide as he stared at the door, adjusting to the window to see that the sun was already up. Just how long had he been in here? Turning off the water, he went ahead and grabbed the towel to dry himself, his body moving subconsciously, which he immensely appreciated at the moment with his thought's being too deep on himself.

"Y-Yah, I'm almost done, mom. Just. Give me a few seconds." Greg stammered out, trying to catch his bearings as he stood up on shaky legs and quickly wiped at his face to remove any notice of blotchy red eyes before wrapping it around his body. Unlocking the door and stepping out, he glanced down at the clothes that had been placed neatly at the door. 

"I know it's early, but forgetting your clothes outside the door is so silly of you." Susan giggled out as she let Manny rush to the toilet. Picking up his clothes and shuffling to the side, Greg took his chance to go into Manny's room and start to change into his clothing.

Stepping out of the room once he finished putting his baggy sweatshirt and jeans on, Greg slowly looked up towards the bed and saw to his relief that Rodrick was nowhere to be seen. Though with how frazzled his mind was, he couldn't take any chances. He figured Rodrick was the one to pick out his clothes, considering everything was black. He didn't know what he had expected, as far as apology went this was dismal at best. Besides, Greg was having difficulty trying to forgive Rodrick. Not after everything he did. He was inhaling a deep breath, holding it to try and zone himself out to act at least a small semblance of normal in front of his family. Greg was a master of repressed emotions. A ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

"Where's Rodrick?" He asked his father as he stepped outside to sit at his spot at the table from the previous night. He felt tired and, most of all, famished. His energy had gotten sucked out before the day even started; food is the only way that could help in his current situation. Eat your feelings, as Rowley always said.

"I'm not sure champ, he was already gone by the time your mother and I were up. Going to miss this awesome breakfast that I set up." Greg hummed along, not listening as his father confirmed Rodrick wasn't around. He started digging into his food as his mother and Manny showed up. It was a quiet breakfast, Greg thankful for that as he was busy enough with trying to keep everything in check. Greg was surprised by how much he was eating, his appetite not having been much of anything with the activity from the early morning, but his body was demanding nourishment because of said activity anyways. His attention was absent during the conversation around the table; his mother seems to think he was simply still tired and chose to spick more with her husband instead. 

Greg's thoughts moved towards Rodrick, how his older brother seemed to feel ashamed of what he had done to him. Was Rodrick finally realizing he was going too far? Was there still hope that they could put everything past them and just move on from all of this, and Rodrick would stop being so weird? Stop it before it gets too far and ends up drowning him in the process. 

Up until now, Greg hadn't seen any sort of remorse from Rodrick, nothing at all up until Greg saw the clothes in front of the door, how he had left him alone. Rodrick was never one to apologize, especially not with words.

Greg let out a disgruntled sigh and stalked out of the room once he was done eating, shoving his shoes on as quickly as he could before rushing out, stalking down the front steps, and ignoring his mother yelling at him to know where he was going. He simply yelled back a wall before he was off, his legs dragging him down the gravelly path, even more, confused than he was before. Rodrick was sending mixed signals, the roller coaster ride having more twists than he was expecting, already starting to feel sick as his thoughts did the same thing. 

Rodrick silently cursed to himself as his eyes burned holes into the wooden door in front of him, locked in a way to keep him out. He was cursing at himself silently, over again in his head, anger, a hint of regret crawling its way through his heart. Grabbing harshly at his throat as the soft sounds of crying could be heard on the other side through the water spray. Why had he done that? Rodrick had gone too hard and too fast. A lapse in judgment, the excitement of having control over Greg having clouded his decision, and not taking into account that all this was too much for his younger brother to handle right now. 

Deep down, he knew why he didn't stop; he had known for a while now. It was nothing new that Rodrick felt something for Greg, the spark had been small, almost a blimp in his radar he had overlooked until it had been too late. Its claws sinking into his beating heart, squeezing every time he was close to Greg, starting to appreciate certain parts of Greg's personality and character that he had initially thought to have hated. His eyes were beginning to look at his little brother in a way a brother shouldn't.

As he kicked the small rocks in front of him, an exaggerated sigh left his lips as he kept his face cast downwards towards the ground. His thoughts were a mess, his frustration at the situation was dragging him down, and now it seemed like Greg might hate him. He had never really been angry at Greg; the reason he didn't want to come to this stupid place was that he was afraid of what he might do. As it turns out, he had been right. He felt like doing this deal might have been the worst idea he could have done, all traces of triumphant from before lost now that he had taken it too far. He had never wanted to hurt Greg; he had been jealous, angry at his feelings, and frustrated at Greg that he couldn't just see how he felt.

Most of the morning, since he left Greg in the washroom had been spent walking around the lake. Not particularly having a destination in mind and merely wanting to give Greg some space as much as it frustrated him. 

Rodrick had almost made it back home just as he noticed Greg running out of the house in the clothes he had laid out for his younger brother. A small bubble of hope gripping at him at the fact Greg had chosen to wear what Rodrick had given him instead of spitting him by wearing something else. Greg had no reason to provide him with this small token, but it just showed how forgiving Greg was, a quality he admired.

Rodrick followed behind Greg for a few minutes, slightly enjoying to watch from behind as his presence might still be too much for him. His tongue darted out to lick his lips, trying to formulate a plan in his head on how he might be able to smooth things over. Rodrick felt like he should just call the whole thing off, but with how far they had gone, he felt like keeping this going was the best thing to do. His intentions were nothing more than to find a way to get closer to Greg. 

Okay, he knew how completely fucked up his idea had been. Rodrick was certain that Greg felt caged, which was only driving him further. After living with his little brother all these years, he knew that Greg craved a different kind of attention from him. He was a bully though, Rodrick had picked on Greg for so long that at this point, it was tough for him to get out of that mindset. Rodrick knew Greg had bruises, and that he was the one to put them there. He was blaming everything on his anger and jealousy because Rodrick was too stubborn to blame himself and his own bad decisions.

 Greg seemed out of it, not paying attention to where he was going, which was why Rodrick sped up to grabbed him by the collar to pull him back before he walked headfirst into a light pole. His younger brother jerked, twisting around as his eyes fell on him. Rodrick seeing the color drain from his younger brother's face, causes a spike of regret, fists balling at his sides once he let go, not wanting to cause Greg any more distress than his presence seems to give. The frustration was continuously swirling in the pit of his stomach, but he kept it at bay as much as he could. This wasn't Greg's fault. He wanted to make Greg feel better, but he had no idea how he could make him smile after what he had done. The dread gripping at him, wounding its way around him and holding him in place.

They stood there staring at each other, Rodrick not knowing what to do or say when a strange idea popped in his head. Taking the plunge instead of worry, Rodrick brought his hands up where he then proceeded to start tickling Greg in his sides, a devilish grin stretched across his face.

"W-what are you doing! R-Rodrick! Stop!" Greg huffed out, a small whine as a bubble of laughter escaped. Greg was starting to try and pull away, grabbing onto his hands to try and push only for Rodrick to broaden his search as he began to tickle his little brother a little bit everywhere. Greg had no chance as his body jerked in every direction before his legs gave out and he fell to the floor like dead weight, screeching all along the way. Rodrick followed, making them both fall to the ground in a way that it wouldn't hurt Greg as much. The faces Greg was making brought a smile to his face, happy to see an expression on his younger brother's face that wasn't hatred or anger directed at him. After a few more minutes, Rodrick pulled his hands back to allow Greg to breathe after all the laughing and screeching he was doing. Glancing around to make sure their little episode hadn't alerted anyone, coast clear.

Rodrick backed off as he crouched, arms crossed over his legs as he balanced himself. His gaze was fixed on Greg's cherry tomato face, the fall, and rise of his chest as he wiped the laughing tears from his eyes. It was only for a moment, but Rodrick was glad that he was at least able to give Greg a little breather before his younger brother went back to glaring at him suspiciously. Rodrick's smile drooped slightly, bringing his hand up to scratch at his head as his thoughts centered on what to do now.

Rodrick was scared of his feeling quickly growing for Greg, at how his own body was betraying him by being so responsive towards Greg. He didn't want his older brother to hate him; it was something he had feared for a long time now. He had felt like he could get away with anything because Greg never seemed to fight back as much as he should. He just kept telling himself that the only reason he was doing this was that he didn't want to lose Greg. This was the only way he felt like he could of a chance at being in his life, despite how twisted this whole thing was.

"Look…" He whispered out, licking his lips to bring moisture back to their dryness and forcing his eyes to rest on Greg's face, his little brother deserving at least that much for putting up with his shit. Inhaling softly before letting out words he should have said a long time ago. Greg was looking at him with suspicion in his eyes, not that he blamed him.

"I'm sorry for what I did. It was out of hand; I shouldn't have gone that far with my teasing." A voice reverberating with regret, trying to put his feelings into his apology, knowing deep down that Greg needed this from him if he ever wanted to be let back in.

Greg felt like his ears were betraying him; not once had Rodrick ever apologized to him. His heart had started to race after his older brother's statement, not know what to say or do in this type of situation. It was completely new territory to him, and Greg had no idea if he should just trust what Rodrick was saying at face value. He sounded sincere, Rodrick's expression pulling at Greg's heart, nibbling on his bottom lip in contemplation. Greg felt skeptical; he thought this might still be a trick, a way for Rodrick to always play his game while trying to push him into a false sense of security before Rodrick struck again. Greg hadn't forgotten that amount of damage Rodrick had done to him, how could he, he was still feeling that disgust at himself. But, they were brothers, and Rodrick seemed like he was trying to fix things between them.

Rodrick had moved from his position to standing, dusting himself off before offering his hand to him, giving Greg the option to either knock it away and never turn back, or believe Rodrick and hope that things would get better. That whatever kind of game he was playing at would end there and wouldn't hurt him anymore. Greg knew his face spoke of what he thought, and that Rodrick saw, because his older brother smiled softly at him, non-threatening, merely waiting for a hand and giving Greg a chance at a choice. 

He took a few moments to himself before a small sigh left him, already knowing his decision, eyes falling to Rodrick's hand as his own hesitantly drew towards those outstretched fingers. He was hovering for a few moments before his hand clasped around, allowing Rodrick to pull him off from the ground. Greg's chest squeezed from the warmth he felt when Rodrick took his hand, relief flooding his face as the hand left his once he was upright and standing on his own. 

A snarky remark was on the tip of his tongue until his face was pressed against Rodrick's chest, arms wrapped around his shoulders as his brother hugged him. Greg tensed, realizing a moment later that a hug was all that Rodrick was doing. His mind was spinning at the suddenness of it all, but strangely enough, not against it as much as he thought he should have been.

They both stood there with their arms wrapped around each other, the back of Rodrick's shirt held loosely between his fists, the sound of their heartbeat beating to the sound of their drum. Rodrick was softly petting his hair, not saying anything and letting their embrace do the talking. Greg was honestly surprised at how 180 Rodrick had gone. He didn't hate it, at least. It was a start; it was a chance.

Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, a small whimper, he stopped trying to resist and instead let the comfort of Rodrick and his arms envelop him in the embrace he always craved from his older brother. Greg let himself breathe in his brother, letting the calmness of his scent, the air, and the oxytocin from their hug bring light into his otherwise dark thoughts. 

He didn't hate this despite how awkward it made him feel, cheeks heating slightly.

"Hey, Rodrick, I'm surprised to see you awake! Greg always tells us stories about how you sleep your days away. What are you doing her-" Holly cut off her sentence as she realized she had walked in on them having a somewhat brotherly moment. She stood behind Rodrick, inspecting them both with surprise washing across her face, eyes wide at their position. Greg gasped and bounced out of Rodrick's arms, suddenly embarrassed despite the fact they were just two brothers hugging each other. Nothing weird about that, right? Was he simply overthinking about it like he usually did?  

"Holly! Haha-ha…how are you doing? What brings you out…and such?" Greg decided to speak up first, his awkwardness causing him to speak on reflex. His voice wavered and he cursed inwardly at himself, trying to calm down and act normal. Nothing weird had happened; they didn't get found out. Holly didn't know. Greg's eyes focused on Holly's face, a grin stretched across his face in a way that seemed too enthusiastic. Great, he was going to scare her away.

Huh? That was strange. He felt his heart beating rapidly, but this time around, he knew that it wasn't because of Holly. He wasn't feeling shy at standing in front of her; he felt more embarrassed at the fact he hadn't paid attention to his surroundings. Greg should have heard Holly running at them, and he knew she ran, considering she was currently still trying to catch her breath. Greg knew one thing for sure; Holly was definitely into Rodrick.

"I'm doing fine, thanks for asking, and since you asked Greg, I'm here to ask Rodrick something." She smiled softly, seeming to push their brotherly hug to the side as his face turned towards Rodrick. 

"Rodrick, I was wondering if you'd like to go on a walk with me. Get to know one another?" Her cheek started reddening as she asked, Greg feeling a touched annoyed at not only being ignored despite everything he had done for her, being pushed to the side for Rodrick. Again. Greg tried not to pout, but considering Holly was focused on Rodrick, he felt like he had a right to be upset with his situation.

What clouded his mind the most at the moment was the fact he couldn't feel a single thing for Holly anymore in the romantic department. All semblance of a crush having seemed to disappear. But even so, he still didn't want her anywhere near Rodrick, telling himself it was because she was still his friend and he was trying to protect her. But the smaller part of him that Greg couldn't hear was telling him it was for a completely different reason.

Greg didn't know what to do apart from standing there and watching Holly try and flirt. Truthfully, he wouldn't be able to do anything if Rodrick decided to forgo their deal, which was something that Greg might have slightly wanted before, but now it seemed to be something he hopped Rodrick would follow. It took him a while to realize what he was feeling was jealousy, the sweat in his palm, the chill on the back of his neck, this heating annoyance eating at him, and causing him to lose all control of words. Speechless. 

"Thanks for the invite, but I'll pass. This kid-" He heard Rodrick say as he felt a finger brush against his neck, sending a rush of chills down his spine before it hooked into his shirt, tugging him closer to Rodrick as his older brother hooked an arm over his shoulder. Greg squawked out in protest, trying to get the arm off from around him, except Rodrick wasn't letting go.

"-Was just telling me how our family wanted to spend some time together out on the lake. Maybe some other time." Rodrick's grin stretched across his face, showing teeth and giving Holly smoldering eyes. Greg blinked his eyes in confusion at what was currently occurring. Was Rodrick still following through with their deal? A warm sensation was rubbing at his chest, feeding into him like a blossoming flower soaking up the sun and the positivity. 

"Oh…is that so?" Greg felt terrible for the smallest fraction at how sad Holly looked, but it was quickly overshadowed by the swell of happiness suddenly overflowing in him.

"Yeah, we are," Greg mumbled out, awkwardly trying to smile at Holly without showing how downright smug he felt. 

"Alright, maybe some other time then. You know where I'm staying, don't be afraid to drop by Rodrick! By Greg, see you later. Have fun with your family." Holly smiled sadly and waved to both of them before heading back in the direction she had come from, her steps seeming less vigorous than usual. Greg gnawed his lips, starting to feel sorry for how he had acted with her. She was still his friend in a way, even if he no longer had feelings for her.

"Why did you say no?" He asked, questionably. He wanted to know Rodrick's reasoning behind his decision. 

"No reason really, I figured I should focus more on you and righting my wrong instead of going off with one of your friends." Rodrick spilled out, not particularly upset about not getting to be around Holly. Greg hummed at his older brother, still wondering if the other was playing at something or if he had just completely changed since the early mornings. Greg didn't know what to believe, considering he felt like it took more time for someone to change for the better completely. Greg told himself he would still be careful; he always felt hurt after all. Rodrick would have to do a lot more to gain his trust back than just hug him. 

Of course, it had been a warm hug.

"Alright, if that's what you want," Greg muttered out softly, gaze averted to the lake, noticing a few people already lounging in their waters. 

Rodrick hadn't been serious when he said they were going to go out on the lake, right? His chocolate eyes trailed back towards Rodrick only to gulp, the gaze looking back at him, clearly planning something worse.

Oh no.

Chapter Text

Greg had not seen this coming.

He figured Rodrick telling Holly that their family wanted to spend some time on the lake was just a small ruse to get her to leave. His older brother had been the type to recoil at any family outings, after all, choosing to sulk away in the corner and keep their family at arm's length away, and for what reason? Greg didn't know, and after all these years, he didn't think he ever would. So when he came to realize that they were going out on the lake as a family, his expression was all Rodrick needed to see to burst out laughing, hand ruffling Greg's hair where he proceeded just to roll his eyes and swat those offending fingers away.

It was still weird, Rodrick trying to be careful. Trying to not be an ass to him. It felt nice though, strange but sweet.

He could see his parents off ahead in their little purple paddle boat. Manny was sitting with them like always, in the middle, not having to do any of the work. This left Greg and Rodrick to be paired up in their blue paddle boat, his older brother obviously being in charge of steering as Greg kept his arms crossed over his bright red life jacket. Both of them would have liked not to have to wear one, but apparently, it was a rule that life jackets were mandatory — something about the campsite not wanting to be liable for any drownings or whatever.

The sun was high in the sky, not a cloud in sight as the rays cast a warm glow onto their skin, warming them up the way the only summer could. The fresh lake water splashed onto their feet, sweat trickling down the back of their necks from the heat. Eyes drifted along the far side of the lake, the trees and foliage aligning their edges. People were running along the path that seemed to interconnect at every crossroad. His thoughts were calm, tranquil in a way that he hadn't felt since they started this trip.

Greg chanced a glanced to the side, blinking slightly as Rodrick's dark brown gaze locked onto his own. He couldn't help but feel like Rodrick had something on his mind, eyes swirling with unanswered questions with a face set so impassively Rodrick just looked frustrated. It left Greg feeling annoyed, trying to fathom a guess at what his older brother could be thinking about but coming up with nothing.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He whispered out, tone confused with an under a layer of suspicion. Despite their weird truce, Greg still didn't feel 100% safe around Rodrick, always waiting for the next punch line.

"Nothing," Rodrick replied, turning his gaze back towards the open water in front of them. His older brother was like a brick wall that wouldn't fall, an impenetrable fortress that never wanted to let anybody inside. Greg knew relatively nothing about Rodrick, which didn't seem right.

"Are you sure, you're acting kind of weird? And I don't mean the normal kind of weird, either." Greg prodded out, his tone showing that he wasn't going to stop till he got what he wanted. His finger poked at Rodrick in the shoulder for emphasis, repeatedly. Rodrick swatted at Greg's offending hand, glowering at him with dark eyes. Greg was pouting slightly, brows furrowed. Greg was shuffling nervously in his seat at the stare but trying to play it off as if he was just fixing his swim trunks, taking everything in him to not tear his gaze away.

"What do you think of me?" Greg was not expecting Rodrick to ask him that. Eyes blinked, confused, trying to process what he said.

"What do you mean?" Greg didn't know why he said that it had been a pretty straight forward question. His mind short-circuited, not thinking he would get this far with Rodrick, the Rodrick who never asked what people thought or cared about what they wanted.

"I mean what I mean, I don't know how much more specific I can be." Rodrick scowled at him, offended by his question if the tone in his voice was anything to go by. Greg finally tore his gaze away, lips set in a thin line and feeling stupid for asking. Even if Rodrick had seemed to show signs of being more supportive, Greg still knew how easily annoyed Rodrick got, that didn't change. Greg scratched the back of his head, hair ruffling as he contemplated what to say.

"You've been an asshole to me most of my life. Don't give me that look, you're asking for my opinion." Huffing slightly as Rodrick just glared at him, the other male not enjoying that at all. Thoughts of the previous night's ricocheting in his mind, Greg's eyes were looking at his feet, which were continuously paddling, just wanting to do something to help quiet his nerves.

"I never know what your goal is or why you do the things you do. I'm not afraid to say that you scare me sometimes if we're honest. But…" Greg could see from the corner of his eyes that Rodrick's shoulders slumped slightly, not able to read his face, but Greg was feeling waves of sadness washing over him.

"You can be nice sometimes, and protective towards me if you think I'm getting in trouble, especially when I got picked on by others at school when you went there. I know you haven't always thought the best of me. Sure, older brothers pick on younger brothers all the time, but sometimes you do take it a bit too far." Greg gnawed his bottom lip, furrowed eyes glaring slightly at the mosquito that landed on his knee, slapping it before it could draw blood.

"Which frustrated me, because I never know what you're thinking and whether or not you're going to be the nice older brother or the one who hurts and uses me." Greg exhaled softly, feeling like a heavyweight had lifted off his shoulders. He didn't dare look at Rodrick, fearing what the other might look like or what he might say. Most of all, he was afraid of getting punched out of the paddleboat.

Greg finally stole a small glance at Rodrick from the corner of his eyes when the older man didn't respond in any way. His older brother seemed to be in deep thought, which startled him. His brother seemed to be listening to him, what he had to say instead of brushing him off as a nuisance. A small bubble of hope swept its way across his heart, a short squeeze in his chest that warmed him up despite the coolness of the lake on his skin.

Greg didn't know what else to do but sit there and paddle away, which he noticed Rodrick had stopped doing — making the boat go in a slight arch, pulling away from everyone. It wasn't like there was anywhere to go; the lake was a giant circle.

A few more moments passed and still nothing. The thoughts of trying to steer the conversation to something a little less dense crossed his mind, but he was wondering what Rodrick would say. He wanted to know what Rodrick thought of him too, how he saw him, what he felt for him. So many thought filtered through his brain that Greg couldn't pinpoint what he wanted most. He wanted to be seen and heard by someone he valued highly.

"I don't hate you, at least, I don't hate you anymore." Greg's head whipped towards Rodrick, eyes wide and blinking in surprise. That was not the type of response he was expecting to get, but at least it was a start. Greg had been brutal and truthful; he should have anticipated Rodrick to do that same.

Greg knew that his older brother might have felt a dislike for him, but he never thought of it as a full-on hatred. Granted, Rodrick said he 'used' to hate him; it was most likely why the small pang in his chest that coiled around his heart didn't make him feel as suffocated as he usually would.

"Wow, you hated me, I had no idea." The bite in his voice was noticeable as he rolled his eyes, but Greg gave no other indication of needing to say anything else. Thoughts suddenly drifted towards the previous night, the touches, the warmth, the fact it was utterly wrong, and yet he couldn't stop thinking about it. Greg didn't know what it was about Rodrick; he just couldn't let things go when it involved his older brother.

They were family, brothers, and despite how hard Rodrick was on him, all the horrible things he put him through, Greg still looked up to him, as fucked up as that was. Despite how wrong he felt. The progress Rodrick was making in such a short time made Greg feel hopeful, a small tangible line was being tossed his way, and his fingers couldn't help but wound their way tightly around it. Fingers clenched white for fear of losing the only positive connection he was able to get with his older brother in years.

"You always do that. You try to make everything into a joke; it drives me crazy sometimes with how annoying it can be." Rodrick growled out, fist-clenching around the steering rod, plastic crunching slightly underneath. Greg slouched further in his seat, suddenly very interested in what was in front of him instead of his now frustrated brother.

"And even though it's annoying, you've managed to cheer me up quite often. Turned my mood around when I thought it'd be something I'd be continuously angry over." Greg nibbles his lip as Rodrick continued his rant that strangely enough was starting to sound more like compliments, as backhanded as they were. His eyes lifted to Rodrick, face turning as he watched Rodrick's furrowed face, noticing the small smile stretched across his older brother's lips.

"You're supportive, with this frustrating need to help fix things that make you dive headfirst into annoying situations that don't even involve you in the first place. You're not afraid to stick up for what you believe in despite the consequences or what people might think. You're also really stubborn, pig-headed, and infuriating." Rodrick let out in a long breath, becoming slightly more animatic as he started gesturing with his hands at everything he was saying. Greg couldn't help but smile at this, finding it almost endearing if it wasn't for the fact Rodrick had just flipped to insulting him again.

"You're also loyal." Rodrick licked his lips, an action Greg followed. "You would do anything for your friends. Which is why I know you'll continue to keep this a secret and follow my rules, right?" Greg's breath got caught in his throat, eyes widening before they narrowed, hurt coursing through his veins. Was this all this was, Rodrick saying pretty things to him, the both of them opening up to try and figure whatever this was, only so that Greg wouldn't tell. Not like he would, he had agreed to the deal, and he wasn't about to break a promise. This whole thing infuriated him beyond belief, his body surging upwards as he stood with a foot on his seat and the other bellow. Greg was keeping his balance despite the swaying of the paddle boat Eyes staring heatedly at Rodrick, who, in turn, just returned his look with one of surprise.

"You always do this!" Greg threw it back in Rodrick's face. "Anything you do or say is only ever about yourself and what you can get out of it. The best way to protect your ass while getting everyone else in trouble or hurting them. Here I thought you were changing; seems it was too much to ask to have an older brother who gave a shit about me for once." His eyes stung, lip trembling slightly at the sudden flare of emotions gripping his body. Sight foggy with unshed tears, not wanting to blink in fear, everything will just spill out. He felt a hand suddenly grip his arm, digging, he quickly yelled no and wrenched his arm away, the force of his pull causing him to slip and topple over into the lake water bellow followed by Rodrick who had reached out a second later to try and stop him.

Waves crashed around them both, the pressure as the cold chill froze over his heated body. He thought he had swallowed a little bit of the water, worrying he might drown when his head and body came bobbing back up for air, the life jacket doing its job as he floated. Greg sputtered and coughed, eyes shut as the water was dripping down his hair and face, intermingling with the tears he could now hide.

"Are you okay?" Water rippling towards Greg as Rodrick threaded the water, keeping his distance. He couldn't stop the sad huff that left his mouth, Chocolate brown eyes looking at Rodrick as if he couldn't believe how dense he was.

"What do you think?" He spat out, kicking his legs angrily beneath him to keep himself from toppling to the side, staying upright with his puffy life jacket.

"I think you took whatever I said and twisted it around into something worse than it was. Talk to me, tell me what I did to make you so angry, because frankly I have no idea, and that irritates me." Rodrick reached his hand over and hooked a finger into the straps of Greg's life jacket, his other hand reaching out for the paddle boat, dragging them both through the water so that they could be hidden behind it. Greg's hand reached to encircle around Rodrick's wrist, trying to pry himself out as he tried to kick Rodrick away. His older brother was more prepared at dodging his blows, Rodrick's arm keeping him at just the right distance apart to not be able to reach. Greg went ahead and grasped the side of the paddle boat with his free hand for more leverage, resting for the time being and seething inside as he looked away, not wanting to give Rodrick the satisfaction of listening to him.

"No, I'm not talking to you. You don't care about me, stop pretending like you do." He felt a jerk, ripping his body through the water as his face was almost brushing up against Rodrick, their noses touching as his eyes lurched upwards, eyes hard and unhappy.

"You don't know how I feel; I do care. I care a little bit too much if we're still honest. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't give you the time of day. I know you're not stupid, so stop acting like you are." Lips trembled as Rodrick yelled this at him, his words becoming more of a whisper as he realized it wasn't just the two of them out there on the lake. All Greg could hear was the wind whistling past leaves, distant laughter, ordinary families, the water hitting against the plastic of the boat. He could also hear the exhales from Rodrick mouth, their breaths intermingling with one another, the closeness of their body and face causing a growing heat. Rodrick said he cared about him, but he kept wondering if he really did, then why was he making everything so hard. Why did he continue kissing him? Doing the things he did. It didn't seem like it was about Holly anymore, so what exactly was Rodrick getting out of all of this?

It couldn't possibly be because Rodrick, liked him?

Greg drew back and shook his head, ripples in the water from his movements, ridding himself of those thoughts, and wanting his heart to stop feeling like it was beating out of his chest, the pounding in his ears was deafening. He shouldn't be feeling this way, not when the way he was starting to feel was cause by none other than his older brother, whom he was currently still angry with to boot.

Greg felt the hold on him loosened, noticing the hand trail itself back into the water where they touched light at his underwater hand. The body in front of him moved to the side before pulling themselves back into the paddle boat. Greg swam in place, one hand still grabbing the edge to keep him close, confused. It was a pretty quick change of discussion, but he hadn't expected for Rodrick to back down and just leave. Nibbling his bottom lip, he wiped at his dampened cheeks, cursing the water for his red eyes. Glancing upwards, he was met with a hand reaching down to him, fingers outstretched, waiting, giving him another choice.

Eyes trailing upwards, the look on Rodrick's face would be etched onto his mind forever. It was neither happy nor sad, no anger detected, but the amount of hurt he could feel from that small smile left him feeling light-headed, his eyes telling him more than his words might ever give. It scared him.

Before he could even stop himself, his hand reflectively went and held onto Rodrick's outstretched fingers, letting his older brother drag him out of the water without a struggle. Legs feeling like jelly from their conversation and his possible realization, he underestimated his balance and the slipperiness of their boat. Greg went down as his arms wound their way on Rodrick's shoulders, a small squeak as his feet gave way, a little yelp, and the shutting of his eyes as they suddenly both went tumbling awkwardly into the boat. It ricochets from side to side, waves of water falling on both of them. Their arms and legs were sticking out in weird angles as both groaned in slight pain, bodies rubbing against slipping against each other as they tried to upright themselves.

"Stop moving for a damn second!" He did. Greg dropped like dead weight back onto Rodrick, causing a grunt of air to escape from his older brother.

"Not like that…but okay." Rodrick gritted out, his fingers holding Greg in place as they both started to catch their breath, the crisp air causing goosebumps to jump across their skin. Processing their position didn't take long for Greg to figure out. His fingers were grasping Rodrick's wet shoulders and chest, their legs intermingling with one another as their skin rubbed, the friction sending jolts up his spine. His face raised, noticing just how close their faces were to each other as his eyes suddenly trailed down to Rodrick's parted lips. His earlier thoughts were crossing through his mind about his older brother, maybe liking him, a small kind of heat ghosting across his cheeks as a sudden feeling of wanting to kiss Rodrick filtered through him. The way their bodies and heads were placed was slightly hidden from view, their boat had already been far away from prying eyes, to begin with. He didn't fear being noticed; he shuddered for what his body was trying to make him do while having no control over it. A certain kind of pull that kept drawing him closer to Rodrick.

Eyes half-lidded as he drew his face even closer, feeling the small, tense stillness of Rodrick, thinking it silly that now of all time, Rodrick was holding himself back. Greg's mind was hazy, body aching for something he didn't know. Their lips touched, Greg hesitating before a sign of sudden courage pulled him forward, pushing their mouths as one. It felt soft and wet, a kind of heat he hadn't expected as he drew himself more into it. Greg didn't push more for entrance, forming himself around Rodrick in a way that seemed most comfortable to him.

It finished just as quickly as it began, Greg drawing back with a small jolt, eyes widening at the realization of what he just did. He had wanted it, and had liked it! Greg could feel his chest and neck flaming with heat, embarrassment, and mortification seizing his body as he pulled himself off of his older brother, almost sitting on top of his seat, squatting slightly. Everything felt like too much, Greg having a hard time trying to calm his racing thoughts as they fired away, scenarios and reasons filling his head that he had no idea how to deal with at the current moment.

"Ah…" Greg cursed at himself, his growing shame bubbling up, suffocating him as he looked at everything, but Rodrick, he was currently placing himself back upright.

"What was tha-?" Rodrick had started to say after what felt like minutes of silence, Greg feeling progressively more on edge the longer he stayed around his brother. The sounds of Rodrick's voice low and gravelly, gripping at something in him, lurking with the boiling heat he felt between his legs.

"I'm going to swim back. Bye!" Greg cut off quickly as soon as he felt the tightness, throwing himself into the water before Rodrick could do anything to stop him. The splash against his skin stung slightly, but he paid no mind, the adrenaline he was feeling allowing him to push himself the hardest he's ever done at swimming. Greg had been glad he didn't catch any kind of expression he had worn after Greg drew back from the kiss, wanting nothing more than to take another shower, shoving down a large tub of ice cream to freeze his lingering thoughts.

Groaning to himself as soon as his arms and legs started hurting from the strain of how completely inactive, he was.

This sucked.

Chapter Text

Greg threw his lifejacket unto the soft ground as soon as he got out of the lake, water dripping down his body in a cascade of droplets as the sun glared down towards him. The heat he could feel enveloping him felt less from the sun and more from where his thoughts were heading. Chocolate eyes stared ahead as legs took off running towards their lodge, wanting to throw what had happened behind him just like how he had left his brother in the middle of the lake. Bare feet slapped against the dirt road, thankful for once that the rocks have all but been mostly cleared from the path before him.

The soles of his feet digging into the dirt, kicking his body forward despite already feeling tired from the swim. Adrenaline pumping through his veins, his blood coursing quickly towards his palpitating heart, sweat pooling on the back of his neck as ragged breathes exhaled from weary lungs.

Chest tightening like a snake coiling around his heart, holding him down tight with this airy confidence of having trapped the mouse right where he wanted him. Rodrick felt like a cat circling onto his prey before he pounced, Greg being the prey. A stupid prey, a senseless mouse that kept going back and hoping for a different outcome despite knowing perfectly well that he would only get eaten every time.

Rodrick hadn’t meant what he said, Greg’s brain telling him that the older male was only using him for his own gain, his own agenda. A means to an end to help give flavor to an otherwise boring vacation. Greg wanting nothing more than to stomp down onto that small part of him that still held a small candle of hope towards his older brother.

Waiting patiently with a hand cupping the flame, protecting it from the swirling wind that was his mind and his heart being at odds with one another. Frustration rang out of him as he slammed his way through the house, not bothered in the slightest as water dripped onto the hardwood floor despite the sun's best effort to dry him.

Irritated tears hanging in the corner of his eyes, fingers rummaging through his suitcase for clothes as he carelessly dressed himself. Running pruned fingers through damp hair, ends sticking on end before aimlessly putting his sneakers on, stomping out of the house, and heading in a direction up the road.

Dark brown eyes watched the figure swim away, eyebrow’s almost extending towards his hairline with how stunned he was. The boat continued to sway along the water, legs still extended from the position he had fallen before Greg jumped ship. Literally. Long fingers ran through wet hair, a sigh escaping his lips that resounded with annoyance and a hint of hidden adoration. Grabbing hold of a few strands as he pulled, frustration welling up at his missed opportunity.

Greg had been slippery, seeming to catch on to something that caused him to run away. It hadn’t been his imagination when he felt a certain hardness against him during their kiss, even the courage to initiate the kiss gave Rodrick a better grip on the situation they had now both found themselves in. Despite his best effort, it seemed like things had to progress more organically and not distorted.

What had started off as a simple game of cat and mouse was spiraling into a territory that was both motivating him and causing a certain type of anxiety at the prospect of everything falling apart. Feeling like maybe, if everything fell into place the right way, there was a possibility that his little brother might actually be starting to develop feelings for him. It was a wishful thought, but one that started to make a lot more sense if the sudden change in assertiveness he received from Greg was anything to go by.

His mouth stretched upwards slightly in a smirk, tooth poking out as he sagged more in the seat. Arms thrown across the side of the boat as leverage as his gaze finally saw Greg get out from the lake and start running towards the house. Shaking his head in slight disbelief, their previous conversation replaying through his head in a tangible line. Putting away each word and touch behind different compartments, analyzing them, poking their meanings, trying to figure out exactly how he could be able to fully win Greg over. To not have to continuously hide how he felt, not having to act like the shitty older brother trying to keep a distance for fear of what might happen. He was scared of being rejected by the one person he cared about the most.

It was a stupid mindset to have, he knew that. The more he pushed, the more Greg would slowly drift away. The more he antagonized, the more his little brother would fight. Rodrick just wasn’t able to control himself anymore.

‘Maybe I’ve been going at it the wrong way?’ Rodrick couldn’t help but think to himself, a distant look in his eyes as his thoughts flashed across his mind. Greg had yelled at him that he didn’t actually care about him, that he was only doing this for himself and that he didn’t care about anyone who got caught in the crossfire. It had hurt him at the time, having felt his anger swell with ramification before he actually let the words sink in. Like a small wave gently letting you push through before the tidal wave would form. Hearing what Greg had to say instead of using his resentment as an advantage, his size as a barrier.

What he heard and saw, it allowed the tidal wave to disperse and make way towards the clear ocean that laid before him. A glimmer of hope of a relationship that didn’t solely rely on irritation and mockery to get attention.

“Where did Greg go?” His mother’s voice drifted off towards his ears, a lot closer than he had expected as he turned his head towards the paddle boat that was now only a few meters away from his.

“He wanted to swim back and go talk to Holly about something.” Answering efficiently and without pause despite the sudden appearance of his family. He imagined that’s what Greg would do, the younger male definitely not planning to stick around the house in case Rodrick decided to go back and follow him. Greg was smart that way, or maybe he just knew Rodrick a little bit too well. Either way, Rodrick had already decided to give his little brother a little bit of time to himself. He had already planted the few seeds, all he needed to do now was water and let it grow.

‘It’s only a matter of time now…’

Greg didn’t even realize where his feet dragged him to before his eyes finally glanced at the lodge he stood in front of. If Rowley were here, he’d be the one to talk to, but considering the fact they were miles apart, showing up in front of Holly’s place wasn’t exactly that difficult to understand. She had been the first girl he had truly ever fallen in love with, after all. If he was actually in love with her, at this point, he didn’t really know what love might be.

“Greg, what are you doing here? I thought you were spending time with your family?” Speak of the devil, her voice carrying off towards him as his body turned in her direction. By the looks of it, she had been in the process of tanning if the lounge chair and bikini she was wearing was anything to go by. Usually, he’d be falling over himself at how cute she looked, now though? It was like his feelings had never even been there in the first place, a scattering of memories that were soon forgotten.

“I wasn’t feeling too good so I went for a walk instead.” Stating softly as his hands fiddled with his shorts pockets. Shoes slightly digging up dirt as he looked at everywhere except Holly. He had calmed down from earlier, his heart returning to its normal beat as his body finally listened to him and slowed down. Now just feeling as if he had ran 5 miles despite that not being true, his body and mind feeling inexcusably tired and wary. A feeling of being drained without actually having gone through anything that would cause him such exhaustions. Unless he really was out of a shape, which in that case he would definitely need to work on his stamina.

Thoughts of Rodrick and him in bed shocked him out of his stupor as his cheeks deepened with heat, eyes slightly opening wide before shaking his head, trying to rid of the images that had popped into his head like a firework on the fourth of July.

“You okay?” His first crush questioned him, and why wouldn’t she? He had shown up out of nowhere, having inner thoughts that were not proper while possibly looking like an absolute creep, blushing out of nowhere while she sat in front of him in nothing but a swimsuit.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m okay!” It was a lie, but no point in letting her know that. “I actually had something I wanted to ask you about.” He had no idea where he was going with this, but he needed answers and what better person to ask than a girl.

“Oh?” She straightened up slightly in her chair, seeming to look a little bit more interested, but then again, she was probably hoping he was going to tell her things about Rodrick. Which, yeah, he was going too, but not like he would make it obvious it was him who he was talking about.

“How do you know if you like someone? Or if someone might like you back?” Taking a few steps closer as he asked the questions, not wanting anyone to overhear as embarrassment tinted his cheeks despite his will to try and subside it. Greg could see Holly slightly drawback, a type of calculation glossing over her features as her lips drew slightly into a line. Greg deflated slightly, wondering exactly what Holly was thinking about for the sudden body language switch.

“Oh, um…” Twirling a strand of blond hair between her fingers, eyes seeming to look across from Greg and towards the lake. “I know you have a crush on me, but I only really see you as a friend...” Her nervous laugh which once sounded like soft bells suddenly lost all traces of pleasantry.

“I used too. But I’m not talking about you, it’s…” Drawing a blank at the worst possible time, surprised and pleased at seeming to not even feel remotely hurt at Holly’s rejection, even seeming completely normal despite him not actually talking about her.

“I like someone else, at least, I think I do? But I’m not entirely sure if h-she might like me back?” Greg had almost slapped himself for that slip up he had been about to let out, thankful that in the end, he was still able to make everything sound normal. As normal as a teenager blushing his ass off while secretly asking his old crush about whether or not he might like his older brother as more than a brother. As well as wanting to see if maybe he wasn’t actually reading too much into it. That possibly Rodrick had been telling the truth at the time of the paddle boat incident, the whole thing about actually caring about him and Greg just jumping to conclusions too quickly.

For some reason, Greg just wasn’t able to grasp his mind around it. The words Rodrick were saying contradicted the way he treated him. At this point, actions spoke louder than words, and Rodrick was whole fully lacking in that department. Greg already coming to the conclusion a long time ago that Rodrick just didn’t feel empathetic unless it suited him.

“Oh!” Holly’s change in attitude was so drastic that Greg couldn’t help but feel slightly put off by it.

“You do? Do I know them from school? Are they at the camp? Is it Sarah?” The constant myriad of questions caused a small step back from the girl in front of him, holding his hands up to try and calm her down. He had forgotten who Sarah was before he remembered the campfire night, the red-haired girl who he had sat next to. Greg hadn’t even had a real conversation with her yet, how far of a stretch was Holly trying to make?

“What, Sarah? Why would you think that?” Flailing his arms around slightly, to him it felt more like he was just confused, but to Holly apparently he looked like he was trying to hide something. Which was exactly why she pounced.

“You both looked cute next to each other. I saw her looking at you sometimes too, I think she wanted to talk to you.” Strangely enough, that didn’t even cause a single flutter in his chest. As things were though, Holly was trying to divert the conversation to something that didn’t even exist while completely overlooking his own questions.

“You didn’t answer my questions.” A small hint of annoyance coated his words, it seemed that Rodrick had rubbed off on him in more ways than one. Holly pouted slightly, clearly not the answer she had been wanting and taken aback slightly from his complete dismissal. With a dejected sigh, she flipped her long blond hair over her shoulder, blue eyes regarding Greg with open suspicion, though the slight wall that she had on before was completely gone. Maybe telling her that he didn’t have any feelings for her anymore made her feel more comfortable around him. Huh. Who would have known?

“Well for me, I like being around them. I want to talk to them and get to know them. They make me feel a certain way, like my body starts feeling warm and my heart feels like it’s beating out of my chest.” Greg listened intently, a slight dread passing through him the more she talked.

“Like, if they ever did anything bad or something happened to them, I’d like to be the first one they call for help. It’s harder to tell if someone else likes you unless they’re really obvious about it. Take your older brother for example.” A small hitch in his breath as she started talking about Rodrick.

“He’s really good at hiding his feelings, picking his words carefully before he says them to keep people at a certain distant. He seems to be afraid of something, which can say a lot about someone. I bet if someone got to know him well and find a way over his walls, he’d be a good boyfriend.” The glow that peppered her cheeks brought out a certain flare in the pit of his stomach. Hot coils gripping its way upwards, heat dragging as it burned towards his heart.

Why was he feeling so jealous? Why was the only thing he kept thinking about, was wanting to keep Rodrick away from Holly?

“Ah.” Breathing out in a huff, he didn’t know when he started looking at the ground, eyebrows furrowed across his forehead in concentration as her words flowed through his brain. A lot of the things she said rang true with him to a certain degree, slightly surprised by how perceptive Holly actually was. Then again, she had seemed to know when he had a crush on her, it only made sense to him that she would have a better knowledge surrounding this type of topic.

The downside of it all was that Greg finally had his answer.

He had a crush on Rodrick.

A chill ran up his spine at his realization, lips getting gnawed on as he started feeling light-headed. His eyes burned.

“Did that help?” Help would be an understatement, it had pretty much-shattered everything he had built up for his defense. A tidal wave engulfing and crashing into him. His chest felt tight, but he wouldn’t dare start crying in front of Holly.

“Yah, thanks for your help.” Greg hopped his voice sounded alright as he brought his face up to stare at her, eyes shut lightly as he rubbed the back of his head with a small smile, trying to pass off a laugh despite hearing how forced it sounded even to himself.

“It was nice talking to you, sorry for just leaving like this, but we’ll talk again soon.” His wave goodbye came out a bit more erratic then he would have liked, legs already taking him up the road. Seeing Holly wave back with confusion and disbelief running across her face was a problem best saved for another day. He didn’t have the mental capacity at the moment to really explain his strange behavior. Nor did he want to stand around and listen to Holly go off a bit deeper on what she felt for his older brother. She was as obvious as they got, if Greg was even able to catch on to it.

Hands rubbed against his face, fingers pushing down on closed eyelids as he walked up towards the start of the forest trail. He couldn’t stop feeling the way he was, the tightness, the lightheadedness. It was hard. So very hard for him with how often Rodrick had messed with his head, made him so doubtful and so absolutely confused about anything the other did or said. The frustrating that welled up forced his body forward, the tree branches of the forest welcoming, the sun shining down and allowing light to pass through the leaves, the wind showing him the way as his feet brought him aimlessly over the trail.

“What am I going to do…” Greg couldn’t help but ask himself, dejected, shoulders hunched forward with his arms wrapped around his middle. Trying desperately to keep everything, and himself, together. He didn’t feel sick, which was the normal response someone would have after figuring out something as big as this. A small part of him still refusing, seeding doubt, and self-restraint. Greg’s mind telling him how much of a bad idea this all was, while his heart continued to throw feelings in his face. Making his body react in a way he had absolutely no control of. He wasn’t able to hold the laugh that bubbled out of his mouth, sounding completely broken, lost.

Rubbing at his eyes once more, frustration seeping out of him. Suddenly the ground underneath him gave way, a small shout of surprise left him before he went tumbling down a hill, bypassing the rope bordering it off for protection. Tucking into himself and protecting his head, Greg was dragged down, body twirling before hitting the bottom floor with a hard thud. A shout of pain leaving him as roots gave way to his foot that slammed down into a mass, entrapping his right leg and squeezing tight.

Greg moaned pain etching through his body, grabbing handfuls of soil and leaves as his figure stung with the various scrapes and cuts he knew he had. Heart hammering in his chest as his blood pressure spiked, anxiety, and desperation taking hold. It hurt. Everything hurt and he couldn’t help but be mad at himself. Frustrated tears racing down the side of his face, letting them fall as he stared angrily up into the trees and towards the sky.

“Why does this always happen to me.” Murmuring out softly, sniffling as he tried to pull his leg out, failing miserably. Small grunts of pain as he sat up, breathing out a sigh of relief once he was fully seated. He was glad that he was at least still able to move his body and that nothing actually seemed broken. His foot might be in bad shape, but it felt more like a light sprain if the non-constant pain was anything to go by.

Both hands wound across his calf, gripping tight as he started using his whole body as he pulled, but before he could get far, he heard a creaking and the roots dug in, scratching more on his already fresh cuts. He yelled out in anger and pain, hands leaving their hold of his leg as he drew back, grabbing a handful of dirt and throwing it at the roots. Making sure to throw it in the cluster further from him and not actually on his own foot most likely bleeding slightly if the slight wetness in his sock was anything to go by.

“Help!” He couldn’t help but scream out desperately, voice cracking as tears welled up in his frightened eyes. He didn’t know how far he had come or where he was, regretting not having paid more attention as he shook himself inwardly at how completely stupid he had been.

“Help! I’m down here!” He wasn’t sure if his voice would even reach anyone. It couldn’t have been more than an hour since he was last at the Lake, even less after having left Holly at her house. No one knew he was here or that he was hurt, he hadn’t told anybody about where he was going and the campsite itself was really big, and that’s without even adding the forest that surrounded it.

His eyes glided up the hill, continuously going up and noticing just how far he fell. Surprised at the fact he came out less hurt than what this type of fall would have usually done to someone. His tuck and roll had come in handy, appreciative that he had thought quick enough to do that.

Greg rubbed the stains and dirt off his face, though no matter how much he tried his eyes continued to flow with salty tears, itching their way down his face and only making him more upset with the situation at hand. Was this his punishment, was this what his life would be like if Rodrick continued to plague his thoughts. Even when his brother wasn’t around, something always seemed to happen to him. At the end of the day, Rodrick probably wouldn’t even know where to start looking for him.

‘That’s not true.’  Rodrick was smart, Greg was sure that his older brother would be the first one to notice his absence. Now all he could really do was wait and hope it wouldn’t be too long.

Rodrick had spent an hour more on the lake before finally taking off towards the lodge. Water droplets shaking out of his hair as he threw his head around like a wet dog, finger poking in his ear as he popped the water out. He wasn’t surprised that Greg wasn’t there, the house completely barren apart from the wet swimsuit sloshed onto the floor.

Once he was done getting dressed, long legs brought him outside towards the path, following the same road towards Holly’s place to see if by chance his younger brother would still be there. Because let’s face it, there really wasn’t really much to do or many people to see at this place, and knowing how Greg was, he would want someone to talk to work through his thoughts.

“Rodrick, hey!” Eyes locking onto the blonde sitting up in her lawn chair, pushing her sunglasses on top of her head as she got up and walked towards him. A small hmm left him, not at all interested in talking to her considering he wasn’t able to see Greg anywhere around. Only having actually talked to her because he had known it would annoy his little brother.

“Hey, have you seen Greg?” Straight to the point and no time for pleasantries. Holly faltered slightly in her steps but continued to keep her smile, she was resilient he had to give her that.

“Oh, yeah, I saw him about an hour ago.” Tucking her hands behind her back, puffing out her chest lightly and it was on sheer goodwill that Rodrick was able to keep his laughter in at her small attempt to try and entice him.

“I think he likes Sarah.” That had caught his attention, swerving his foot back just as he was about ready to walk away and keep searching. His posture was rigid, but all ears were on Holly, which was probably exactly what she wanted, mentally cursing himself for falling for it.

“Why do you think that?” There had to be a reason why she brought it up, it couldn’t be simply because she wanted to keep him around.

“Yeah, he came to see me earlier and he wanted to know how to tell if you like someone or if they might like you back.” He felt his heart jump slightly in his chest at that.

“Sarah seems interested in him and I thought they might look cute together. He seemed like he was hiding something, he was acting kind of weird so it just made me think that I was right after all.” He couldn’t help the fist reflexively clenching in his pockets, his face remaining passive as he gave her a small smile.

“Do you know where he went?”

Chapter Text

Greg didn't know how much time had passed since he had fallen. The trees and leafs obstructed the view from the sky, causing his surroundings to be cascaded in the hazy darkness that seemed to permeate dense forests. The little particles of light passing through the top at least gave him a sense the sun still had not yet descended. The heat ghosting over his body made him feel more tired than he really was, a bead of sweat pooling down the back of his neck as his gaze continued to glare at his trapped foot. The tears from earlier still streaming down his face despite his will at trying to stop them. His anger only made them seem to fall down harder.

'Stop crying. It'll only make me feel more tired.' Using the sleeve of his t-shirt to wipe the salty tears from his reddened cheeks, Greg let a sigh wreck his body as he tried to breathe calmly. 'Ugh. My leg hurts. I wonder if I have anything to chip away at the roots. No use in just crying at my foot and hating myself.' With that thought, Greg started rummaging through his pockets. He didn't even have his phone, having forgotten it back at the house like the single-minded brain cell he really was.

'I was in a rush to talk to Holly that I actually forgot my phone. What witch did I piss off to be cursed like this? This vacation is bringing on more damage than it is at fixing them.'  He wasn't entirely sure if his cell service might even work considering how far he seemed to have gone, and by accident, fallen in the forest. The rope had been bordering off the trail; how had he missed it? He couldn't exactly be blamed, though, for the trail falling apart, not with the way it had happened. He had ventured too close to the ledge, which caused the unstable trail to finally give way after years of travel ware. It was his fault for not paying attention, though.

'I wonder if there's a large rock around I can use? I could open the roots up, but the angle of my foot is too weird for me to really get any grip to pull apart.' Eyes scanning the forest floor before him, moving some of the leaves on the ground as he looked. Chocolate eyes landed on a medium-sized rock slightly bigger than his fist a few ways away. As his side thumped against the ground, he tried stretching his body and arm out enough for him to reach. His fingertip clipped against it every few attempted grab, and on the fourth try, he was finally able to dig his nails in it flip it closer over. With the heft of its weight now enclosed in his fist, he crab-walked his way as close as he could with the angle and started chipping away at one of the roots enclosing his leg.

'I'm not helpless. I don't need Rodrick to get me out of this. I'm old enough to fight my own battles and get my ass out of trouble. No use in being a baby about it.' Greg couldn't help but wince slightly every time the rock came down on the root. The cracking gave him hope that at least he was doing damage, but the force of it kept knocking back into his already sore ankle. Teeth gritted as he pushed through, almost growling as he tried to concentrate his frustration on the situation at hand. Greg wiped the back of his hand against his forehead before sitting back slightly, taking a small breathe looking over the progress he had made and letting his aching body recuperate. It hadn't been much, but he would say that a couple more hits and the root might finally break apart. From the looks of it, he might need to destroy two more before he would have enough room to weasel his foot out. 

His lungs expanded as he took a large breathe inwards, closing his eyes as he prepared himself to fight more against the tiredness his whole body started to experience as the adrenaline from the fall started to finally wear off, the pain starting to slowly creep up as his adrenaline finally started to run away from him.

'I can do this. Just a bit more. I've been through worse.' With his mind steeled, he set his body in motion.

His hands clenched and unclenched themselves in his hoods pockets, mauling over the information Holly had graciously given him as he walked towards the forest trail that the younger girl had seen Greg heading towards. It's not that he believed what the blonde had told him, sure Greg tended to be the type to fall for someone at first glance, case in point what had happened towards Holly. This time around, though, he felt like his younger brother had a heavy head with thoughts that couldn't be bothered with the prospect of interest from a new girl he had only recently met.

If anything, not defending himself against this new girl had made Rodrick come to the conclusion that his younger brother didn't seem to have any remaining feelings for Holly, who he had taught would always be a barrier between the two of them. He didn't think badly of Holly; if anything, he had to give her props for the confidence she had as well as knowing what she liked. He was himself, After all, there had always been plenty of interest, but to their dismay, never from him. No. With the way he was, is, Rodrick didn't waver from the things or people he was interested in. He knew that the way he felt for Greg wasn't at all right. He wasn't stupid despite what others might believe. 

He blamed and punished himself for years, as well as hating Greg for being the cause of it all, only recently coming to terms with them as he tried to fix the damage his hatred had caused along the way. Despite accepting his feelings, he still had tried to keep them a secret, desperately. His slip up had caused him to start the rule game, afraid of what might have happened if Greg had gone to their parents to rat him out at how impulsive he had been. At how disgusting of a brother he really was with how forceful he had been.

Rodrick knew he had a lot of things to make up for. The damage was so dense with pent-up resentment and hurt that it was purely from the purity of Greg's own heart Rodrick was still able to be a part of his little brother's life. He knew he had to keep working at it. People don't just change overnight. Especially him of all people. The one who dreaded the finality of change to a fault. The older Greg got, the more his feelings hadn't been able to stop. The more time passed, learning, growing, being around his younger brother, the harder it was starting to get to stop himself from just revealing exactly how he truly felt. No games. No underhanded remarks. Just him. Bare.

Oh, how hard it really was.

There was always the possibility of another slip-up, another chance for him to become an ass. It's why he had been so afraid to come on this vacation. Greg was bound to hurt or annoy him in such a way that he wouldn't be able to control his impulsivity. He had gotten better at controlling it, but there was always something about his little brother that made it hard to concentrate.

But Rodrick was tired. He was tired of hurting Greg. He cared about him, to a fault. He didn't want his younger brother to be afraid of him. He didn't want to be put at arm's length because Greg was scared. Rodrick had been frightened when he had kissed him, his insides feeling electrified. In contrast, his mind had gone haywire with possible negative scenarios if he didn't find a way to rectify his actions and hide his vulnerable feelings. Now they were both stuck in this mess he had created, and he had no way of really backtracking with how tightly woven they had now become to one another. Maybe Greg was starting to feel something, and as fucked up as Rodrick was in wanting to steer Greg towards him despite what might happen, maybe Greg felt the same way too? 

"Where is he?" Aggravated sigh leaving him as his eyes scanned his surroundings. His thoughts had gotten hold of his attention for who knows how long as he wandered the trail, the events of the past few days continuously coming to the forefront of his mind. Greg was starting to make a new side of himself come out, a change that was entirely brought on by his little brother's words and actions. Setting in motion something new and undiscovered.

As he looked for any sign of his brother long the trail, dark brown eyes couldn't help but focus slightly ahead on the broken path in front of him. The wind was gently swaying the rope boarding off against the ledge, eyebrows knitting together because there was no way that Greg would have been stupid enough to fall down. That thought didn't seem to stop the cold sweat that broke out against the back of his neck. Breathe hitching in his throat before he let his voice drift into the forest as he called out his brother's name towards the open space in front of him.

A few moments passed and nothing; he didn't know if it was relief washing over him or dread. Feet already starting to drag him further down the road before a voice drifted off from down below. Eyes widening slightly as his body lurched in the direction of the voice, running towards the ledge and catching onto one of the hanging trees on the other side of the rope as he peered down over the hill. Height-wise, it looked to be no more than a twenty-foot with a slight slope towards the bottom so that it wasn't a straight drop.

He couldn't hear much apart from the blood pumping through his veins, the beat playing against his ears as his eyes narrowed on the small figure of Greg at the bottom. Looking banged up and stuck from the way his leg looked bent inside the hollow of a tree. Rodrick had to mentally and physically stop himself from jumping straight down. 

"What the hell! Are you okay, Greg? I'm coming down, stay there." Rodrick decided to ignore Greg's outstretched hands, obnoxiously pointing towards his clearly stuck foot as Rodrick started making his way down the slope. Catching onto roots jutting out from the wall of dirt, dangling his way down in a safer manner than what Greg had obviously endured if the soil surrounding Greg's body was anything to go by. Sneakers slapping against the solid ground beneath him when he finally reached the bottom, he didn't waste any time shuffling over to Greg to inspect the damage.

His hands grabbed onto Greg, unable to stop himself from touching to make sure that the other was there and alive. Noticing the scratches on his arms and dirt on his face, wanting to do nothing more than to wash them away. He saw the foot clearly stuck, red and swollen, the cuts and redness of the blood only furthering to worry Rodrick. Furrowed brows noticed the chipping that had been done at the tree, one almost completely bent away and broken off from where it had once been. Dark brown eyes zeroing in on the rock still held in Greg's hand.

"What did you do, idiot." Already regretting the words once they came out but not being able to stop the worry dripping off his tongue in waves. "You're lucky you didn't break your neck. How did you even fall down? There's rope?" Looking around the tree roots as he spoke and trying to find the best way to get his brother free. He only had half an ear to listen to his brother's reason as he tried to keep his annoyance in check at how careless Greg had been. This wasn't the first time that Rodrick found Greg hurt because of something idiotic he had done.

"It wasn't my fault!" Rodrick stopped himself from rolling his eyes at the whine as he pulled at the roots, trying to figure out how flexible they were at being pried apart. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Greg wince slightly, causing him to stop what he was doing. Greg tensed up slightly when Rodrick drew back. 

"It wasn't, I swear! I did walk a bit too close to the edge, but the road broke from underneath me, and then everything was just happening so fast that all I could think about was holding my head. It wasn't my fault!" Whatever Rodrick had been about to say got lost inside his lungs. He could feel the trembling from where his hands were grasping Greg, the vibration in his voice speaking to him in more ways than any words could. It was his chance to change, to be different. Greg didn't need to be made to feel worse than he probably already does.

"Fine, I believe you." He couldn't help but have a small chuckle leave him as Greg's big chocolate eyes just stared at him in shock. "Don't act so surprised, I can be reasonable…sometimes." He added off at the end, not able to help himself from teasing despite the situation. Better to air out the discomfort and panic they had both felt with a lighter mood and trust.

"How about we get you out of here. Do you think you can stand? I'll try to make an opening so you can slide your leg out. Hold on to me if you want." His hand already reaching for Greg as he helped his brother stand up, arms going around him as he lifted him slightly to try and find the best position for him to put himself in for the easiest and less painful extraction method. Greg's free foot stood against the forest floor, hand instinctively reaching out to steady himself as Rodrick bent down. He felt both of Greg's hands find purchase on his shoulder as he added pressure on one side with his foot, and both his hands gripped the other side.

"I'm going to pull, and I want you to slide your foot out when you're able to. Okay, here we go. Don't lose your grip, hold on as tightly as you want, I got you. You understand?" Waiting for Greg to show him a sign to go ahead, not paying attention to the different emotion filtering through his younger brother's face, instead of searching for the physical nod before Rodrick started pulling and pushing. He heard the creak and strain that the roots made, trying to fight their way against the force trying to pry them apart. 

The way Greg dug his nails into his shoulder as he tried to stay strong despite the bite of his injury made Rodrick pull harder. With a bit more added strength on his part, he noticed that Greg had finally been able to drag his foot out, battered and dangling slightly before being brought down next to the other. He noticed right away that the younger male favored his other foot, which was expected. Arms encircling around Greg once more, he started ushering his brother towards the side of the slop, setting him on the ground so that he could take a better look at his leg and all the other injuries he had sustained in such a short period of time.

"Let me take a look at that." Kneeling beside him, Rodrick took hold of Greg's right leg, bringing it up to rest on his knee as he inspected the damage. Teeth clenching, cuts from the roots weren't deep, and they had already started to crust over. There was slight bruising, but thankfully the swelling didn't look to be too bad. Not wanting to risk anything, Rodrick searched through his back pocket and came out with a black bandana, wrapping it up in a secure hold so that it would keep things together and help with the pressure.

"Are you able to move it at all, or does it hurt too much?" Trying to gauge the mobility, he really hoped it wasn't broken. Greg's face focused hard as he willed his ankle to move. Rodrick nodding along at his younger brother, pleased to see that pain didn't stop him from moving.

"That's good. It's not broken. A sprain isn't too bad and doesn't take too long to heal. We'll have to put ice and elevate it as soon as we get home." Relief finally flowing off of him like a wave hitting against the shore as he set Greg's foot down, running the back of his hand against the side of his face as his eyes searched against his younger brother's face. He could see that Greg had been crying, the redness from his eyes causing them to be slightly puffy. Mouth quirking downwards at how alone and afraid Greg must have felt for the tears to have been that relentless.

Hand reaching out, he ran his thumb alongside Greg's cheek as if to wipe the already dried tears before fingers slid behind, grabbing hold of the other head and bringing Greg's face over to his shoulder. His arms encircling the smaller males body as he let himself sag into the hug. A calmness coming over him as he tried to offer comfort in a way he wasn't usually used to doing. Greg didn't even hesitate or recoil from the touch, going to wrap his own arms around his older brother and giving a squeeze that spoke volumes in Greg's thankfulness towards Rodrick. The content sigh coming out of Greg wafted over him, and he nuzzled slightly against his younger brother's neck, relishing in the fact that his injuries weren't that severe.

"You're safe now. I'm here." Fingers treading softly through Greg's hair as he absorbed the warmth coming from their bodies. Drawing his head back to look into chocolate brown hues, seeing the same conflicted emotions he had seen earlier when he had finally found his way back to his brother's side. The same glazed look like that time during the paddle boat incident. Fingers continuing to dance along Greg's scalp, enjoying the way he felt as their foreheads rested against one another. Breathing each other in as they tried to just focus on the moment and the fact that they were here together.

It was Greg who drew in first, much to his surprise. Soft lips touching his own, tentative hands hovering over his hood before clasping on for strength. Drawing their bodies closer, as flushed as they could possibly be in their current position on the floor. Eyes closed as Rodrick slanted himself and his lips so that they could fit better. Touch more. Feel more. 

Rodrick wanted everything he could get.

Greg thought his ears were deceiving him, playing tricks on him as his heart thumped softly against the hope blossoming up his throat. But then it came again, this time closer, almost as if the carrier of the sound he knew all too well was but a glance away, overheard from the ledge that had caused all of this in the first place.

But there it was, almost as clear as day as the voice of his brother yelling out his name kept ringing in his head. Not able to stop himself as his lungs expanded with air, the shock from the whole situation finally catching up with him and yelling at him to respond back before he was alone once again.

"Rodrick!" Various emotions riddled through his voice as his cry rang out in the lonely forest. He didn't want Rodrick to see him like this, to blame him, but another part of him wanted nothing more than to throw himself at him for actually finding him. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, so many thoughts, realizations, the truth about his feeling, and how absolutely scared he was about it all. He didn't know which way he should take and what choices he should make. 

Greg didn't really pay attention to the things that his older brother was telling him as he made his way downwards, surprisingly adept with how he strung his way down without faltering in the slightest. He didn't really want to hear Rodrick criticize him for getting hurt and becoming stuck. He didn't want to hear the frustration and accusation leave his older brothers' mouth when all he really wanted was comforting and helping out. He said his peace to defuse the blame; imagine his surprise when Rodrick actually let it go and stated that he believed him. No fighting, just pure agreement. Just listening to what he had to say instead of passing on his own judgments.

Greg couldn't help but stare at Rodrick, even allowing the other to pretty much maltreating him into the position he wanted to get him free. It was about time, honestly. His foot felt warm, heated in a clear way that signaled the sprain, cuts, and bruises, only adding to the somewhat constant ache. All that he could really do was wait for the roots to give way as Rodrick worked away, holding his breath in as the pain rippled through him. Once he had finally removed his foot, he felt like he could breathe again. Fingers gripping onto Rodrick tightly as the taller male maneuvered him towards the ledge where he suddenly found himself sitting against. Everything had felt like it was happening so quickly; the shock and adrenaline had worn off a while ago, but the sudden appearance of Rodrick and his care had made him feel tongue-tied in a way he hadn't been before.

His cycled thoughts continued to center on not only what Holly told him but how exactly they both got to this point. Towards this outcome of Rodrick fretting over him like a mother hen while not even a few days ago, Rodrick had threatened to hurt him badly if he came on this trip. 

It was hard for him to come to terms with his feelings, fretting over the outcome and the possibility of being discovered. The fear of Rodrick turning on him at any moment and going back to treating him like dirt. The possibility of being thought of negatively because of the dark secret he was keeping between them. It made him feel as if he would drown if he did not thread back up got breathe.

The air-only grew thicker with each deep breath, the closeness and care that Rodrick was showering him with fueling the ever-growing spark inside. Thick arms surrounding him, soft words that guided him back. The fingers playing across his hair sending slight chills along the back of his neck, air catching in his throat as Rodrick started drawing away from him, instinctively reaching out to keep him near. Their foreheads touching in such an intimate way that it wasn't entirely his fault with how his eyes closed, drawing his face towards the other as their lips finally touched. A press that enjoyed the feel of savoring the moment.

No need to rush with the cover they shared deep within the woods, hidden away where no one knew, the ability to simply enjoy what he was feeling no matter how wrong it may be. He had been saved. He wasn't alone, and he didn't think he ever really would be as long as Rodrick would continue to come searching for him. He had known his older brother would find him. He had wished that he would. And here he was, in his arms with their lips locked together in a kiss that felt so different from the first but still offered the same heat. Warming him up from the inside out as he pushed his resolve to the side.

He would allow himself this, if only for a little while.

Acting like the big brother he always wanted. Being good to him. He wanted it to last. He wanted him to stay. Greg wanted to believe that he could be safe, grasping fingers digging as he drew harder into the kiss. The sensation drawing out everything he wanted to say but didn't have the courage to voice.

His body started responding, having no control as the heat pooled in his gut. Feeling more wanting as Rodrick was the one to suddenly drawback, nervousness creeping up his chest as it coated his cheeks and neck in a red hue of embarrassment. This time, the only downside was that he didn't have a lake he could swim across to get away. He well even couldn't walk properly at this point. Greg was now unfortunately stuck.

The rules were Rodrick's idea of a game, something to pass the time because he felt like it would annoy Greg the most. Now here he was, waiting for Rodrick to tease him about how he very well threw himself at the other not just once but twice in the same day. Drawing his head away, hand unclasping from around his brother as his eyes nervously glanced at the floor at his side.

"Sorry…" Huffing out, fingers tapping themselves against his thighs. "I wasn't thinking. I might have hit my head after all." Trying to play it off, acting as if it was no big deal. He could tell Rodrick was just looking at him, his large hand still on his shoulder, resting like a heavyweight that helped to ground him despite the gnawing in his heart.

"You know." Rodrick had started to say, a small sigh, hand rubbing his shoulder before they were drawn away. "The rules don't just apply to you." Eyes lurched upwards towards Rodrick's face, a blink of surprise at what he had just said, what he had just insinuated. 

"You can kiss me whenever you want." He wouldn't be surprised if Rodrick could hear how hard his heart was pumping. "Your heads fine, by the way. I already did my little inspection." Long fingers curled on the side of his head, twirling a piece of hair next to his ear to draw the point across that only helped but fuel the rising heat already attacking his cheeks.

"We should get you back. You shouldn't put any pressure on that foot if you can help it, so go ahead and get on my back." Rodrick turned around, still kneeling as he presented him with his back. Chocolate eyes lingering as they traveled upwards, seeing the long line of his neck and how wide his shoulders were. Gulping slightly, Greg scooted over on his good leg before wrapping his arms around his older brother's neck. Rodrick bent himself forward so he could slide on better as his arms tightened once Rodrick's hands found themselves against the underside of his bare thighs.
 
Feeling safe and secure now, he sagged against the other's back, warm face hiding against the side of Rodrick's neck to try and calm his racing heart. A bad idea once he had done it, Rodrick's smell just filling his nose with a pronounced scent that was all him, reigniting that heat he had thought had gone away once the kiss had been broken.

"We'll go around. There must be a section that goes back up without needing to climb." Rodrick had already started walking to the left from where they were, being vocal about the plan instead of keeping Greg in the dark. It did something to him. This care, the softness, the carefulness that Rodrick was exhibiting towards him. It hadn't been long since he discovered his crush, and now they only seemed to continue to grow. Gnawing on his lip as he breathed slowly. Willing himself to calm down, yelling inwardly at his body to not do a little show and telling exactly how he felt. Not that his body ever listened.

The mortification he felt when Rodrick stumbled in his steps because of him, back rigid for what felt like minutes but was only seconds as the other felt Greg's hardened member against the small of his back. Greg was about ready to just let go and break his neck purposefully only to have Rodrick hold him tighter as he continued walking as if Greg didn't have a hard-on. It made him feel strange. He wanted Rodrick to say something so that they wouldn't walk in complete silence.

"Why does your little blonde friend think you have a crush on the girl called Sarah?" Nevermind, he would rather Rodrick just not talk at all.

"I don't know; it's not true, though." – "I think she was just trying to make me stop asking questions." Mumbling out against Rodrick's neck, watching, fascinated as goosebumps raised against the skin his head was resting against.

"Oh?" Greg didn't like where this was going. "What kind of questions?" And there it was. Greg wanted so badly to wiggle away, but he feared that any friction against his lower region would make everything worse.

"You know, questions." – "About stuff." He sounded so lame. It's not like he had to tell him. Still, if he kept the conversation going for as long as possible, maybe they'll get back to the house before he really had a chance to explain anything he and Holly had talked about. 

"What kind of stuff?" Rodrick kept trying to push for more details, not seeming to want to back down and seeming to be enjoying where this was going if the way he was laughing slightly against his chest was anything to go by. Teeth softly nibbling on his bottom lip as he held his head up and turned his head away as if to pout. "Important stuff." Huffing out, being as difficult as he could be.

"You mean like how to tell if you like someone? Who do you like, Shrimp?" Shoulders slumped inwards slightly, a barrier, trying to hide away despite knowing the answer to that. 

"I'm…not sure yet." That was a lie, but there was no reason for Rodrick to know. It would only cause his older brother to use it against him, which he really didn't want. Getting hit was one thing. Being made fun of for having his feelings thrown in his face was a type of hurt he didn't particularly want to feel anytime soon, or ever.

"You'll figure it out if anything seems like that Sarah girl has a crush on you too." Greg wanted to bite Rodrick's neck and his damn teasing. Head spinning with each new direction his older brother seemed to take. He also wanted to yell at Holly for being such a blabbermouth. "Did Holly tell you everything already or something?" Next time he would just wait to talk to Rowley, though he felt like his best friend probably wouldn't have been able to help him with his particular string of questions. 

"No, just about the other girl. Why, was there something else?" Greg could almost hear the cat-like grin his brother was making just by the way his voice changed in pitch. Groaning inwardly, he glanced forward and was relieved to see the trees starting to spread out as they were finally drawing nearer to where they were meant to be out in the open where this line of questioning was hopefully going to end.

"Ugh, no. Look, I see the camp, yay home! Onwards! Go!" Smooth. He felt pointing in front of them was a little bit much, but it did the job in the sense that Rodrick stopped prodding Greg for answers. He would love nothing more than to just lay in bed and take a good nap. Unfortunately, it would have to wait, considering they had to clean his cuts and try to get ice on his ankle as soon as they got in. A shower sounded nice, though. He'd definitely need to take one of those soon. The dirt he felt between his nails and toes just had to go.

Once out, Greg was finally able to see just how long he had been gone. The sun was getting close to setting, maybe a few hours away before evening dawn would wash the land. It hadn't felt like that long, but then again, time always seemed to run a lot slower than one really imagines in those kinds of situations. Greg noticed that Rodrick didn't follow the road, instead of keeping to the side and walking along the lake instead of being out in the open. Just as he was about to ask, his brother seemed to have caught on and answered it anyway.

"You have cuts, sprained ankle, and look like a total mess. I figured you didn't want anyone to see, especially since we would pass right by your little friend's house." He hadn't been able to say anything at that response, choosing instead to rest his head back down as his arms tightened, nodding his head against Rodrick's warm skin. It would save him the trouble of explaining if no one saw. Not to mention he really didn't want to talk or see Holly right now. She always asked too many questions, and it's always hard to try to get away from her, especially with what she felt for his brother.

He had to keep Rodrick away from her. 

Rodrick had decided to walk alongside the lake for many reasons despite what he told Greg. One of them being he wanted to spend more time with Greg, carrying him as his brother held on tightly. It had driven him insane with how he had talked against his neck, sending a chill that rose goosebumps and made him feel warm. He had tried so hard to ignore the hardness against his back, having to bite his own tongue to stop himself from saying anything to embarrass him, stop himself from going further than he was allowed.

Greg was hurt, and the only thing on his mind had been solely on trying to make his brother feel better. It wouldn't do well for him to lose his cool and take advantage of the situation. He wanted to change, and change happened through actions. He wouldn't fuck this up. Not again.

Rodrick had only set one foot inside their home before Susan was on them like a bloodhound on its prey. Already wincing slightly at the outcome of how this might go. Their mother really was over the top sometimes.

"Oh my goodness, Gregory! What happened, Rodrick?" Susan fretted to them both as Rodrick just went towards the couch and set Greg down propped up against a few pillows. Without waiting, he took another pillow only to set it underneath his brother's injured leg. Setting himself to the job of taking Greg's shoes off to let his swollen ankle breathe before turning around to go to the fridge in the corner.

"Mom, I'm fine. I just fell down a hill. It wasn't too bad." Rodrick couldn't help but roll his eyes at how flippant Greg was being. He didn't think a twenty-foot drop was anything to play off as if it was nothing. But if this was how Greg wanted to play it out, who was he to correct him. If anything, keeping it as down low as possible was probably the smartest thing to do to not have their mother completely freak out.

"Why did you fall? Weren't you paying attention? I told you to always watch where you walk! Look at that ankle and those cuts!" He felt somewhat bad for Greg, only slightly, though. He hadn't been able to go off on his brother like he used to, so someone at least had to make Greg see that he needed to start being more careful about himself. Not that he would listen. They've had so many of these talks. 

"It was in the forest. The path broke apart and gave way. It wasn't my fault this time, I swear." Grabbing an ice pack from the freezer, Rodrick wrapped a towel around it before heading back.

"You sure it wasn't your fault?" Another nod. "Alright. Let's get some ice on that foot of yours then and clean those cuts. I suppose I'll have to stay and take care of you. I was looking forward to the bonfire BBQ." Her voice trailing off at the end. Rodrick had already returned with the ice pack before his mother was even finished. She seemed surprised at that and all but beamed at them both despite her sounding down at the fact she might have to stay back. 

"What no, you don't have to. I'm old enough to take care of myself. Besides, I'm exhausted, so I'll probably just shower and sleep." Greg quickly swept in to steer that idea somewhere else, Rodrick nodding along but otherwise deciding to stay quiet during this whole interaction. He tended to be the one to get both of them out of super long lectures, and this time he had wanted to see if Greg was able to do the same thing. So far, so good. Though him coming with the ice pack and holding it against Greg's foot seemed to have quenched a little bit of her worry, especially with what he had said next.

"I'll stay. I don't really feel like socializing tonight. You should go enjoy yourself?" Making a small wave with his hand as if he was shooing her away.

"Are you sure? It would mean a lot to us, I've wanted to get to know everyone more, and Manny made a friend! Your dad and brother are already over there. I just came over to grab the buns we had forgotten." Proving her point as she raised the bun bags she held in both hands that she had taken off the counter.

"Yes, it's fine. You worry too much." Greg muttered out as he threw his arm over his eyes, wanting to pretend as if he was about to fall asleep right then and there. As if talking had suddenly become just too much trouble for him. What a little drama queen.

"Well, someone has to when you continue getting into trouble." Rodrick snorted at that comment and almost laughed harder when Greg poked his uninjured foot into his side. 

"Will you be okay for food? Rodrick, can you make something for the both of you, or do you want me to come by later with some of the food?" Hovering around the door as if she wasn't entirely sure if she could leave.

"I'm sure I'll be able to dig something up for us to eat." It's not like they were picky. He was sure they would be fine with eating anything.

"No cereal." Her voice said sternly.

"There goes that idea." He really couldn't help himself. Shrugging his shoulders towards Greg as he saw his brother glared at him with how much he was dragging this out.

"Rodrick!" Sighing out as his mom raised her voice slightly. Greg now giving him a smirk at the one being under fire, even if it was for something small.

"Geez, I know how to cook, don't worry, mother hen." Laughing openly now at their mother's antics, enjoying how the lightness of the conversation had finally started to make Greg feel more comfortable if the tenseness he had felt finally seemed to leave him.

"And you know how to take care of cuts?" She had finally opened the door. "Yes." They both answered at the same time, eyeing Greg out of the corner of his eyes.

"Are you sure you don't need anything else?" Slowly inching her way out as her eyes swapped between the both of them. "Yes." It was just amusing to him how in sync they were being. Greg seemed to be enjoying it as well if the smile dancing across his lips was anything to go by.

"Can you say anything else apart from Yes?" Eyes narrowing slightly, having already felt she set herself up.

"No." Both breaking out into laughter right after, Rodrick trying to keep his hand steady, holding the ice on Greg's foot while his brother just tried to hide his laugh from behind his hand.

"You two are unbelievable." Not able to stop herself from laughing with them, finally seeming at ease with leaving the both of them. "Well then boys, have a good night. We'll be in a little bit late, so don't wait up. Rest up!" Waving her buns, they waited till Susan had fully left before they could just slump even more into their seats if that was even possible.

"Glad that's over with. I was starting to think she wasn't actually going to leave." Chuckling softly as he checked his brother's foot, lifting the ice off slightly. "The swelling seems to have gone down. I'll disinfect these cuts before you go shower." Taking the ice pack back once it's been over twenty minutes, Rodrick set it back in the freezer and went looking for the first aid kit,

Heading back to the couch, he went about to clean the wounds as best as possible while trying not to hurt his brother. Well. He tried at least. Greg winced and hissed quite often when he dabbed at the encircling cuts with the alcohol. He progressively worked his way up.

"Hurry up, you don't need to clean all of them. I'm about to go take a shower," Greg whined out as Rodrick was starting to clean a few of the cuts and dirt from his arms. Rolling his eyes begrudgingly, he huffed out a sigh as he balled up all the dirty wipes in his hand. Walking towards the garbage and getting rid of the trash.

"What did you feel like eating?" Calling out as he rummages through the fridge and cupboards. At this point, he was just trying to find something to do. "I don't know. What is there? Something easy is fine." Rodrick heard shuffling as Greg prompted himself into a sitting position with his feet resting on the floor. 

"There's soup. Mac n Cheese, probably?" Bending downwards before coming back up with the box he had been looking for. Setting it down on the counter before heading towards Greg's suitcase and starting to pull out some clothes. Heading towards the bathroom, once he had everything he needed, he set it down on the countersink as he returned to the shared living room.

"I'm always down for some Mac." Rodrick felt eyes follow him as he puttered around, an itch on the back of his head he just couldn't scratch but knew was there. "Sounds good. You should probably go shower while I make the food." Already going over to his brother to help him up. Hands coming to wrap around the other arm and hand, drawing him upwards as his arm snaked around the younger male's waist for extra support.

"Woah-! I think I can manage my way to the bathroom." Rodrick shrugged as he all but manhandled Greg anyways, making sure to take more of Greg's weight so that he could shuffle around without putting any pressure on that bad leg of his.

"Probably, but it'll be easier with me. Stop whining and just go with it." A glance towards his brother, eyebrows raised slightly as if waiting for Greg to continue fighting him on something he would definitely not win against. Greg might be stubborn, but Rodrick had about three extra years of practice in that department. "So pushy." Greg pouted out.

"You seem to like it." Hearing Greg sputter and lurch as if his remark had physically struck him made a smile bloom on his face, embarrassment falling off of Greg in waves as he tried to laugh it off. Rodrick deciding to humor him as he rolled his eyes and finally let go of Greg to sit on the tub's edge. The washroom itself was slightly cramped, but there was still enough room for at least two people.

 "Clothes are there, want me to wash your back?" Leering slightly, only half-joking as he gave his idea. He was already expecting Greg to shoo him out, which is exactly what he did as he felt a punch against his side. "Shut up." Enjoying the pink on Greg's cheeks as he gave a small jerky wave, closing the door behind him.

Greg was glad he had decided to go with a bath instead, thinking about it more. Standing just wasn't physically possible right now. The warm water enveloping him felt like a hug that helped soothe all the soreness from his body and bleed the hurdles of the day away. He smelled clean, he felt clean, and the number of cuts he had now seemed to all but disappear in almost invisible lines. He enjoyed the smell of the regular soap they had, not really a pronounced scent, but it still, strangely enough, reminded him of home.

He felt so far out of his element lately, feeling like he had been lost more in his thoughts than in trying to relax. Not that it was different from any other time, but he had really wanted to just unwind and not worry about anything. Now, not only did he almost drown and bust up his ankle on the same day, he discovered feelings for someone he really shouldn't have. 

Letting his body drift downwards, ducking himself under the water before springing back up again for air a few moments later, a long-suffering sigh escaping him. Resting his head against the back wall, Greg allowed his gaze to drift to the window a few ways up from where he sat. Only able to really see the leaves of the tree brushing against the still, the sky's lightness as orange started to blend with the blue—finally, the start of an end to this extremely never-ending day.

His ears picked up music and pots cluttering in the other room, Rodrick no doubt still fighting his fight towards boiling water, not that he didn't know how just that Rodrick tended to half-ass making food for even himself. Already regretting that visual as the taste of peanut butter and pickle sandwich, Rodrick had dared him to try. His disgust turning into a small smile as he remembers the two of them actually having a fun, light banter as they argued about how disgusting Rodrick's taste buds were. There had been no hard feelings, no mean name-calling, and no worry of getting hit. It was times like those that made it hard for him to not think about him. Those moments had been far in-between back then, which was why this new change to Rodrick was so big. He didn't want to mess it up.

It was Mac n Cheese. There really wasn't any way to ruin it, right? Shaking his head, Greg closed his eyes and tried to just live in the moment. He didn't want to think about today anymore. He definitely should stop thinking about Rodrick in any way lest he is found out. He couldn't let Rodrick find out. He just couldn't. There was too much at stake, and he didn't want to ruin the progress Rodrick was making by adding even more weirdness and heartache in the form of feelings.

'Ugh, this is so hard. Why did I have to talk to Holly? I should have just kept my mouth shut and continued on in the bliss of my own ignorance.' Teeth ground against each other because, again, he was still thinking about Rodrick. Taking a deep breath in, he focused on the water and his body, the heat, the semblance of quiet. 

It didn't feel he had rested long until he felt fingers carding through his hair and trying to wake him up.

"Wake up. You'll turn into a raisin if you sleep here." Greg's body felt like jelly, his mind hazy as he yawned, stretching towards a sitting position as his body curled forward. Head-turning to the side slightly, blurred eyes from sleep blinked softly at Rodrick, who was kneeled next to the tub. Mind not currently processing everything as fast as it should, a few moments passing before the small blink turned more into a rapid-fire. The water had turned lukewarm some time ago, unfortunately now resulting in him not able to blame his bath for causing the sudden rush of heat and color to gloss over his chest and face in mortification.

"You could have knocked!" Hissing out as Greg brought his knees up to try and cover as much as he could while making sure he didn't unnecessarily knock his ankle against the side of the tub.

"I did, but you were too busy sleeping to hear it." Rodrick continued to run his fingers through Greg's hair, fingers trailing down his neck, sending goosebumps fluttering before it was taken away. Feeling lost, all he could do was retort back.

"You could have knocked harder!" Face flushed as his eyes looked over Rodrick's shoulder, unable to handle himself to look in his brother's eyes fully. It wasn't like they hadn't seen each other naked before, but everything just felt so different, and he had no idea how to navigate them anymore.

"If I did, I would have broken my hand." A pout felt like it was forming on his face, gnawing teeth as he tried to keep himself in check from going off about privacy and space. "That's not true. I bet you just wanted to see me naked!" Why did he say that?

"And why would I want to do that?" Greg knew right away Rodrick was just playing with him, a heat pooling in his stomach that didn't feel like the annoyance he would usually feel.

"Because…Because…" Stumbling over his words as he fidgeted, beating himself up as his eyes kept drawing a blank before his eyes finally settled on Rodrick's face. "I'm listening?" Why did he look at him like that? Why did that smirk do things to him?

"Because you're…weird." Inwardly wincing at his poor attempt but still trying to look confident despite how scrunched he looked as he kept trying to hide as the water slowly drained from the tub. When had the plug even been removed? Dismay washing over him as he watched the bubble start to disappear as the water started getting lower and lower.

"You wound me. Good thing I don't care. Now get up before I make you." Seemingly unbothered by anything, Rodrick shook the towel in his hand as he got up, opening it towards Greg as if he was waiting for him to step into his outstretched arms. 

Greg listened, got up, and everything despite moving his gaze to the side so that Rodrick's stare wouldn't be able to intimidate him. Which was surprising for him, considering he tended to fight more than this. Was he obvious? Should he just stand there and not move forward? Rodrick would just grab him then. Would that be better? Would it seem like he was still putting up a fight?

His mind was spiraling, and he just wanted it to stop. He didn't notice the way Rodrick's gaze turned into one of confusion as he started lifting his leg over the ledge. Greg had been too caught up in his thoughts to realize that his bad foot was now the one holding him up. Within a moment, he yelped out, the stinging ache shooting up his leg as he staggered forward. Plummeting into Rodrick's arms, who had been able to catch him in time, supporting almost all of his weight, bad leg hovered over the ledge into the tub as he hung out of it.

"Holy shit, can you not go a couple of hours without getting yourself hurt today?" Greg heard Rodrick grunt out as his big arms tightened around his small body, light green towel encasing him in a protective cocoon as he tried to regain his bearings. His fingers gripped against Rodrick as he hid his head in the crook of his older brother's neck.

"Sorry." It had been a long day, and Greg just didn't have it in him to really fight it anymore. Not after falling naked on Rodrick. It was one thing after the other, and honestly, at this point, he might as well just let things happen, considering he had no power in stopping anything, it seemed.

"What? No, Greg, it's fine. It was an accident. Are you okay?" Greg wondered when he was set on top of the closed toilet seat, but there he was. Sitting and looking somewhat blankly at Rodrick. He had enough in him to nod at least at his brother's inquiry.

"What's wrong?" He didn't know how to feel with the way Rodrick was looking at him, caring and concerned. Chest feels tight, the air supplying to his lungs the way it should be but for some reason not really allowing his brain to process everything productively. Sleep. He just wanted to sleep.

"Nothing, I'm just tired." Water dripped down from his hair onto his bare shoulders, the towel keeping him decently warm apart from the skin that was uncovered. His eyes tracked Rodrick's movement as he looked over his ankle for any added damage, which thankfully there was not.

'I really just want today to end.'

"The food is almost done. We should also wrap up the cuts on your ankle." Greg's eyes were covered in darkness as Rodrick started drying his hair with a spare towel. Shuffling it around that Greg couldn't help but smile softly as he let himself close his eyes at being pampered and how soft his brother was being with him.

'I'll just eat and then go right to sleep. Yah. That sounds good.'

"Wow, this is actually edible." It was also delicious, but he didn't deem it a good idea to stroke Rodrick's ego like that. Not after the sandwich incident. 

"I'll take that as a compliment."  - "Wasn't a compliment." - "Doesn't matter, still took it as one." Greg glared down from over the top of his bowl towards his brother, who had taken it upon himself to polysporin and bandage up his ankle as he ate. As far as things were concerned, this type of banter was doing a lot to brighten his mood. Still inexcusably tired, but at least now he wouldn't be going to sleep upset anymore.

The cartoons playing on the small television across the room were also helping, but he wouldn't admit that either. Rodrick had joined him, eating his own food as he occasionally laughed at the television. Not that he was paying attention to the person next to him at all, well, okay, he was. It was hard not to with the way he had sunken into Rodrick's side once his brother sat down next to him.

His bowl got taken out of his hands as soon as he finished, fingers reflexively reaching out for it as Rodrick started walking away with both bowls to dump them in the sink. A few knocks on the front door had two pairs of eyes swivel towards the door before looking at each other. Greg shrugging towards his older brother as the other walked out onto the patio to open the front door.

"Hey, we didn't see you or Greg at the Bonfire" – "We figured we'd come to say hello and see if you wanted to hang out?" Greg shot up, eyes blinking, surprised at hearing Holly's voice outside the house. 

"Thanks, but I think we're going to call it a night." Something in Rodrick's voice just told him that he was trying really hard not to shut the door in her face. The conversation went back and forth, not really able to catch, which only caused him to become surprised when he heard a shouted "Hey!" from Rodrick as Holly walked through the door second door, but so did Sarah. He blinked at them both, not really knowing what to do and deciding his fall back would be waving. 

"Hey Greg, we came to see you! Sorry to hear you got hurt. What happened?" Holly had Sarah's hand in her own as they walked towards the couch, both taking a seat on either side of him. Across the ways, he heard the front door shut as Rodrick walked in, nothing seeming amiss apart from the way his older brother looked like he was fuming behind his calm façade. Swallowing slowly, he sent his brother a nervous smile before turning to Holly on his left. Staring at her for a few seconds, having completely forgotten what she had even said.

"Oh…I fell? Lost my footing and twisted my ankle." He didn't feel like telling the whole story, hoping that this would be enough despite how bare it was in terms of details. He didn't think Holly was all that interested anyway with the way she kept glancing at Rodrick, who had decided to go clean up their dishes.

"That's too bad. I hope you feel better." She really didn't sound interested at all, which was fine. Well. Somewhat. He thought they were at least friends. It didn't bother him as much as it would, but he could kind of understand why she wasn't paying attention. He snuck his brother a few glances as well. "I'm sure it'll be fine in a few days. Just tired right now so..."

"Yeah, you look pretty beat up." - "Geez, thanks?"

"She didn't mean it like that. You look good. Uh. Well, you know." Sarah had finally said something, a soft blush on her cheeks as Greg turned his attention to her. She seemed like a nice person, and if it was him a year ago, he might have actually had a little bit of interest. And now?

He really didn't feel anything towards her at all. Sighing softly, he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Deciding to move things along, he fake yawned into his hand that actually turned into a real one not soon after.

"Anyways, we should probably head back to the bonfire. We just wanted to check on you both and see if you would come down, but that ankle seems like you can't stand on it." Holly gave him a quick hug, causing him to jump slightly, not even returning the hug before she hopped towards Rodrick to talk. Greg turned towards Sarah, who gave him a small smile, which he politely gave back. She seemed reluctant, debating about something with herself before she just surged forward and gave him a hug as well. Taken aback but slightly having been able to prepare himself, his hand softly tapped her back a few times awkwardly. Eyes drifting off to the side, which landed on Rodrick's form in the corner, whose own piercing gaze was set on him before they reverted back to Holly in front of him.

"Thanks for coming." Saying finally, as he tried drawing back, Sarah getting the memo and getting off from the couch afterward. Walking towards the door, she waved at him as Rodrick saw both of them out the front door. Sighing out a breath of relief, Greg threw himself on his back along the couch and mountain of pillows. Arms thrown over his eyes as he rested his busted leg on top of the pillow in the corner.

"Seems like she does have a crush on you." Voice sounding a lot closer than he expected, not having heard any steps as he removed the arm covering his eyes, propping himself up on his elbows as he noticed Rodrick hovering over him. "So?"

"She even hugged you." Greg was starting to see where this was going. Rodrick had made a last-minute rule about not hugging Holly when this had all started. Had he actually been serious? Was he just not allowed to hug anyone?

"I...didn't really hug them back." Now he felt panicky. He was already injured, so he didn't think Rodrick would do something else. He never really knew though, Rodrick was unpredictable, and he did seem really upset when he had brought it up.

"I saw." That didn't help at all to quell his anxiety, fingers now playing with the bottom hem of his shirt to try and quench this sudden unease he felt in his whole body. Nibbling softly on his bottom lip. 

"Who do you like more?" His head snapped towards Rodrick at that, chocolate brown hues blinking stupidly up at his older brother, whose stare felt like it was boring holes into his own.  "What?"

"I said, who do you like more?" Rodrick took a seat between his legs, his uninjured leg having been over the side and resting on the floor, which opened a perfect spot for his brother to wedge himself between.  "Holly?" His eyes were gawking as Rodrick placed his left hand on his side, the touch sending a small spark down south.  "Sarah?" Drawing closer as Greg tried scooting away only to get stopped by the pillows behind his back. Stuck now as his brother continued to approach him, warm heat developing on his face and neck. What was Rodrick doing? What was happening? 

Most of all, why did he feel so excited?

"Or me…?" Greg's breath hitched in the back of his throat, words clearly on the tip of his tongue ready to spill out in denial only to be silenced as lips covered his own. Rodrick's right hand holding his head as his fingers threaded in his hair, gripping harder as pressure was added. Greg's hands came up to grasp where they could, Rodrick's shoulder and arm being close enough in his position as the kiss started sweeping him away. Bodies pressed against each other, soft, strong hands keeping him in place as fingers snaked beneath his shirt. It felt so good, the touch peppering goosebumps in their wake. Moaning as nails dug across the back of his scalp, tongue licking across his lips as his mouth opened reflexively, pliant towards the one holding him as if he never wanted to let go.

Rodrick's hand dragged Greg's shirt the more his hand traveled upwards, fingers finding a pink nub as he gave it attention. The pinching sent a small chill along his spine, back bowing as he tried searching for more of that sudden sensation that almost had his toes curling. That was something new. Greg's right hand found its way into Rodrick's hair from his shoulder, fingers intermingling with the soft, messy strands as his older brother did a certain upwards motion with his hips that had Greg gasping.

"Rodrick…I-I…" Breath intermingling as they drew up for air before his brother started attacking his neck with kisses and bites. Talking was hard, his brain feeling like mush while his heartfelt about ready to explode from everything happening all at once, like a tornado out of control. His hand pulling hair as Rodrick's teeth bit a susceptible spot too hard, groaning, turning into moaning as his hips tried finding that same friction he had felt before. 

"Ya?" Greg could feel the smirk against his neck as Rodrick inquired, heartbeat drumming against his sternum as things started to finally set in. Their eyes locked just before Rodrick took one of the pink nubs in his mouth. Teeth scraping against it as his brother's tongue followed, soothing the small ache. He wasn't sure exactly what he was trying to say, the words having just fallen out on their own accords. 

His body felt on fire everywhere Rodrick touched, a continuous weight that traveled towards the hem of his bottoms and along the line of his stiff member. Hips buckled forward, a gasp from parted lips, eyes widened downwards towards Rodrick as hands started pulling down his pants as kisses were peppered along his stomach. 

"W-What are you doing-?" Everything felt so much different from the rutting they had done in the dead of night, where no light had shown on them. Where what they were doing hadn't been on full display like it was now. Greg was able to see everything Rodrick was doing through half-lidded eyes. Saw the red hue that ran up his brother's throat as it disappeared behind his hairline, cheeks aflame, how hot Rodrick felt against him, how riled up he looked with how he couldn't seem to stop touching him. He didn't want him to stop.

"Isn't it obvious?" Greg didn't know how Rodrick was still able to form sentences and seem so in control. He felt like he was drowning, nerves alight with energy as his arousal strained against his boxers that were being pulled down slowly, member bobbing out as it slapped against his skin. Greg didn't have enough time to be embarrassed about being on display as his brother took hold of his erection, one small stroke before a warm mouth enveloped around his heated dick.

"Ah~!" Feeling like the air was being punched out of him, eyes shut tight as his hand found Rodrick's hair again and grasped it firmly. A hand splayed out across his thigh to keep them open, fingers finding their way towards his nipple as they were rolled between them. Hips twitching at the sudden assault, the feeling of the wet warmth of Rodrick's mouth opening up a door to sensations he never even knew about. Seeing his brother's head go up and down along his cock was obscene, the sounds alone doing things to him, playing with his head as everything continued to swirl together into one. 

Everything was boiling over so quickly, his brain kept telling him this was wrong, but everything else was telling him to just accept it, embrace it as it brought him out on a wave, heat coiling in his gut and heart beating along. His breathing became erratic, groaning softly as the buildup was finally starting to be too much, fingers pulling at Rodrick's hair as a warning, mouth panting out.

"Wai- Ah! Rodrick!" The explosion happened on Rodrick's upwards suck, fingers following along his shaft, tongue swirling his head as his body pulsed. Thick, white globs flowing out in spurts onto his bare chest, stringing along and connecting to his head. Dribbling softly down his member as Greg tried regaining his senses. Thoughts a blur, shaking slightly as the afterglow lit him up. 

Half lidded eyes following Rodrick as the other came up to rest his lips against his own. A soft heat surrounding his heart, a reassurance that he was still there, and that everything was okay. Tentative fingers spreading the semen on his stomach, hitching breath as he looked down at what his older brother was doing.

"So…"

Greg's eyes traveled upwards from his messy chest towards Rodrick's smirking face.

"Does this mean you like me more?"

Greg grabbed hold of a pillow and smacked Rodrick across the head with it.