Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4, 5xD
Warnings: AU, Duo POV, angst, humor, sap, fluff, shounen-ai/yaoi,
Rating: R (for language)

Chapter 44:

A Brother for all Seasons:

“We can’t keep him here, Duo.”

“I know that. Pass me the mayo.”

“We’ve got to report him to the police…his mom, I don’t care! He just can’t stay here.”

“There’s no way I’m chasing him out tonight, Heero. It’s freezing out there and besides, he’s not giving us any trouble. You should be lying down anyway. You look like shit.”

“No thanks to you. I think I’m suffering from a major case of blue balls.”

I grin and place a quick kiss on his lips, enjoying the small pout he’s giving. “Sorry, man, but he’s my kid brother…sort of. I’ve got to do the big brother thing and take care of him.”

A quick rummage through the fridge shows that we’re almost out of milk. I pour what’s left into a glass – which isn’t even up to half of it – and shake my head in disbelief. Heero drinks milk like people breathe air. He can go through a gallon a week!

“How long do we plan to keep him?” he asks. We’re speaking in low whispers by the way. Although the TV is pretty loud in the living room and Gabriel seems to be watching a cartoon show and might not be listening to us, we’re still not taking any chances of him hearing our plans in regards to his sudden visit.

“Until we figure out what he’s doing here and trying to talk him into going back home. Damn.” I eye the pathetic meal of a ham sandwich and a half glass of milk. “Don’t we have anything else?”

Heero shrugs and opens the fridge to get out a bowl of leftover Spanish rice and waves it in my face. “You should have just warmed this for him.”

“He might not like rice…or leftovers,” I state flatly.

We glare at each other for a moment, since Heero was the one who cooked the meal a day ago and I’m sure he does not appreciate me insulting his cooking. Finally, he snorts and tosses the container back into the fridge before shuffling out without a second glance.

“Do what you want. He’s your brother after all.”

The way he says ‘brother’, you’d think it was a new disease likely to get your cock and balls rotten and decaying. I make a face behind his disappearing back, lifting the tray to follow him into the room where Gabriel is resting on his elbows and laughing over something on the screen. He looks up at me with a smile and I’m struck by how much he looks like our late father. While I got most of Eleanor’s looks, Gabriel is blessed with Daniel’s facial features and dimples he must have at least gotten from his mother. He’s definitely going to be a lady (or guy) killer when he’s older.

“Awesome,” he crows in delight, sitting up as I place the meager dinner in front of him. “Thanks a lot, Duo…Heero,” he adds quickly as he glances at my silent boyfriend who is watching us from the comfort of the bed. There’s an unreadable expression on Heero’s face, but then again, I’ve long given up trying to read the guy whenever he gets into moods like this. It’s like trying to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics when it all looks like gibberish. Impossible.

Gabriel digs into the meal like he’s never eaten in weeks. The milk vanishes in a single gulp and he belches for added effect. Ah, a kid after my own heart. I glance at Heero with a grin and he only rolls his eyes as if saying we’re like two peas in a freaking pod.

“Aren’t you going to ask me why I’m here?” Gabriel finally asks as he licks his fingers clean of the mayo that was still stuck on it.

“I figured you’d tell us when you were good and ready,” I reply with a smile. I’m sitting crossed legged across him, noticing he’s barely looking at me now. He pushes the crumbs on his plate with a finger before taking a deep breath and finally lifting his gaze to pin determined blue eyes on me.

“My mom’s new boyfriend wants me to go to military school.” His voice wavers a bit and to my mild shock, I can see the tears forming in his eyes. A quick glance at Heero shows the slight mixture of bemusement and concern on his features, before I turn back to Gabriel.

“Your mom’s…new boyfriend?” For some reason that has me suddenly angry. Our father had barely passed away three months ago and Emily’s already found herself a new man?

Gabriel nods and lowers his head a little. A low and barely audible sniffle accompanied by him scrubbing his eyes quickly with an arm lets me know that he’s finally given in to his tears. “Mom brought him over about a month ago. He doesn’t live with us, but he keeps coming to visit her and everything. She’s trying to make me and Amanda like him, but we can tell he’s a creep. He only wants Mom for all the money she inherited from Dad.”

“What’s his name?” Heero asks.

“Miles,” comes the quiet reply. “Miles Donaldson. He says he’s the Vice President of some pharmaceutical company but he’s not.”

“And how do you know that?” I ask with a raised brow. I’m already not liking the sound of this guy.

“Amanda did some research on this company he claims he works for ‘South Shore Pharmaceuticals’ in upstate. The only South Shore thing we found is some paper mill company. We told Mom about it, but she doesn’t want to listen. She says we don’t want her to be happy and we’ll be content to watch her remain alone and miserable.”

“Bitch,” Heero mutters beneath his breath. Luckily Gabriel doesn’t hear that.

“Did you confront him?” I ask quickly. I hope he didn’t. It would make for a pretty nasty experience for both parties.

“Not me,” he said shaking his head. “Amanda did, but all he did was laugh and say he understands that we’re worried he’s going to take our Dad’s place. He assured us that he really did love our Mom and wanted to make her happy, but all he does is make her give him money when he thinks no one’s listening.”

“How do you mean?”

“Like the other day, he told Mom that their latest shipment of drugs was lost in an accident off the coast. We’re talking thousands and thousands of dollars lost, and he doesn’t know what he’s gonna do so…Mom being all nice and sympathetic wrote him another check for a lot of money. I don’t know how much, but from the way he sounded, I think Mom gave him way too much.”

I sit back on my elbows and stare blindly at the ceiling for several minutes, the only sound breaking the silence coming from the TV where the characters are currently breaking into some cheesy song and dance. It’s cold comfort to the harsh reality that faces us.

“And now he wants to send you to military school,” I mutter, more to myself than anyone, but he hears it all the same.

“I heard him and Mom talking about it two nights ago when they thought I was asleep. He kept saying that Amanda would do great at some expensive all girls boarding school and he knew of ‘a fantastic military school for boys’ upstate. That it would be nice for me to follow in Dad’s footsteps and it’s what Dad would have wanted me to do anyway.”

From the corner of my eye, I watch the kid clench his hands into tight fists on his lap. He’s trembling with anger now, which is good. I hate to see him cry over such an asshole. “And Mom just kept saying yes, yes, yes, how good it would be. How wonderful it would be to have her boy in the Military and her daughter locked behind some boarding school. I mean…what the fuck?!”

“…sorry,” he adds quickly, giving Heero and I apologetic looks for the foul language. I would laugh if the situation wasn’t grave. He looks like he’s expecting a spanking.

“But why did you decide to come down here?” Heero asks in genuine bemusement. “Don’t you have any relatives up north?”

Gabriel shakes his head and begins to play with the edge of his plate. “None of the relatives I know would have supported me anyway, and besides, Duo said I could call on him if I had any trouble.”

I shift a little, feeling the heat of Heero’s accusatory glare at the back of my neck. “I said call, Gabriel, not take a bus and come all the way down here. Anything could have happened to you on the way! Weren’t you worried about that?”

“No,” comes the flat reply that has me sighing. I can see the stubborn tightness of his lips. He’s ready to fight his decision to be here no matter what Heero and I say. “You can’t make me go back,” he adds as if to validate my thoughts.

“Well you damn well can’t stay here,” Heero begins, but I cut in quickly at the pained look that fills Gabriel’s eyes.

“What Heero is trying to say is that we’re only students, Gabriel and…we barely have enough room as it is to keep you here. I can understand that you’re trying to run away but—“

“Then I’ll sleep on the floor, I don’t mind!” he interjects quickly, panicked blue eyes looking at me with near desperation. “I don’t care where I sleep just as long as I don’t go back!”

“You can’t keep running away from your problems!” I blink at the sudden vehemence in my tone, wincing as he shrinks away from me as if bitten. I run fingers through my bangs and take a deep breath. “What I mean is…you don’t want to end up like me, Gab. I used to run away a lot and never admit to my own weakness. I know you don’t want to live there but can you imagine how worried she’s going to be? I’ll bet she’s called the cops by now and there must be a manhunt for you or your dead body.”

“She doesn’t care,” he mutters, lowering his gaze. “She won’t care.”

“Yes, she will,” I reply with a smile, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder to give it a reassuring squeeze. “Why don’t we give her a call at least and let her know that you’re alive. It should put her mind to rest.”

“NO! She’ll call him to come pick me up!” Gabriel cries out. To my surprise, he rises to his feet quickly, hand reaching for his backpack and small carryall. “It’s okay. I’ll find someplace else to stay. You don’t have to put up with me. I thought you of all people would want to protect me. I thought you were my brother!”

There it is again. That damn ‘brother’ word. Geez. For seventeen years I was the solo kid and all of a sudden I have to be burdened with a brother when it’s convenient for anyone. That pisses me off and in a swift move; I kick out a leg, sending him stumbling to the floor with a light grunt.

“Ouch! What did you do that…hey!”

Grabbing the scruff of his shirt (I’m aware that Heero hasn’t said a thing since this little confrontation began), I pull the red-faced teen towards me, until barely inches separate us. “Now, you listen here you little spoiled brat. You’re even lucky you’ve got a parent still alive. For years, I thought I was alone and in the past year, I’ve been put through so much that your pretty little head will spin from the story. So don’t talk to me about being a ‘brother’, no one ever gave me a goddamn manual on how that’s supposed to work!”

I ignore the tears beginning to cascade his cheeks, knowing that if I stopped now or gave in to it, my role would be nothing more than a sham. “I want to do the right thing as you do, Gabriel. So why don’t you pick up the phone and give your mom a call, at least let her know that you’re doing okay. Hell, call Amanda! At least she gives a rat ass at this time. Even if she’s the only one that knows, she can reassure your mom that you’re doing fine until you get your shit together and can go home.”

Releasing him, he slumps to his knees, chin resting against his chest as his sobs grow louder. Feeling like I’ve aged in the space of a few minutes, I eye Heero warily but he only holds out the phone to me with a tiny smile of reassurance. Plucking the device from his fingers, I give it to Gabriel…who ignores me for a moment before reaching for it with a small sigh of resignation.

We both watch as he dials the numbers and as I suggested, he places a call to his sister. Her cry of relief at the other end of the line is enough to finally bring a smile to her little brother’s face.

---

Stifling a yawn, I snuggle close to Heero as we walk toward the bus stop. The excitement of last night is finally catching up to me, and I must have gotten only a few hours of sleep before our alarm went off - a painful reminder of our status as students. Maneuvering our way over the sleeping figure on the floor had been another matter all together. Gabriel slept like the dead, and despite all the noise (including Heero nearly tripping over him and cracking his skull against the desk – you should have heard the expletives he let out) he barely stirred! I didn’t have the heart to wake him up, so I wrote a note telling him where he could find things – Heero gave specific instructions for Gabriel not to touch anything – and to remain in the apartment and not pick up the phone or open the door for anyone.

“Think he’ll be all right?”

“That’s the one thousandth time you’ve asked me that,” Heero mumbles, still sniffling a little. Maybe he should have stayed home with Gabriel. He’s still recovering from the flu after all. But I have the feeling that Heero would have rather walked on hot coals than remain in the apartment with the little tyke. “He’s old enough to take care of himself for a few hours, Duo. Stop worrying too much.”

“Okay…” But I can’t help stealing a quick glance over my shoulder all the same. Our apartment building looks desolate from here and the few lights showing from windows makes it seem even more depressing. I begin to wonder if the apartment is warm enough. We barely have enough food in the house and what if he’s hungry and has nothing to eat! What then?!

“We don’t have any groceries,” I begin, but the bus has pulled up and Heero’s not even listening to me. “We locked the door properly, right?”

He eyes me with a mixture of exasperation and faint amusement. “Yes, we locked the doors, Duo.”

“And we put the note in a place where he can see it, right?”

“If you mean stuck to his forehead, then yes.”

“Ah…okay…” I sit back and close my eyes, and try to put him out of my mind. I really do. However, by lunch time and still no phone call from him, I’m a nervous wreck.

“What’s with him?” Wufei asks as he joins Heero and me in the Student Council office. “He keeps staring at his cell phone.”

Heero, who is swamped with paperwork to deal with – thanks to his absence – mutters behind a pile of papers. “His brother is here.”

“Huh?”

“Duo’s half brother,” he replies. “He came over to our apartment last night and will be staying there until his mother can come pick him up.”

Wufei unwraps his sandwich, looking bemused. “But I thought you said he lived up north. What’s he doing down here?”

“Long story…”

“I’ll call him,” I finally decide as I get off the desk to pace to the window. But then I remember something. “Oh shit. We told him not to pick up the phone if it does ring! Damn!”

“Doesn’t he have a cell phone?”

“He didn’t bring it,” I reply. “He didn’t want anyone to track him so he left it back home.” I groan and begin to gnaw my lower lip in worry.

“You’re acting like a goddamn mother,” Heero says. “He’ll be fine.”

“He’s my responsibility now, Heero,” I retort sharply, now feeling a bit put out at his impatience. How could he understand anyway? He’s an only child and doesn’t have to know what it feels like to have a loved one in your care. “Ever heard of that word? Res-pon-si-bi-li-ty?”

“I know what the word is,” he says in a tight voice, those dark eyes of his glaring in disapproval. “Maybe we should have just done the res-pon-si-ble thing and sent him back on the first bus to Drysdale this morning!”

“Oh that’s just typical, ain’t it? Just chuck the kid in a bus and have him go on his merry way back to a home that doesn’t give a hoot.”

“Didn’t you just say last night that you didn’t want him repeating the same mistakes you did?” Heero reminds me with a small smirk. I can feel my cheeks flushing with heat at the insinuation. Damn the wise-ass.

“What’s your point?”

“His point is,” Wufei cuts in. “As good a job you’re doing as a brother now, have you ever considered the fact that the cops might consider it kidnapping?”

“Huh?! He came on his own accord! I had nothing to do with it!”

“With that crazy bitch as his mother, you can be sure she’s going to say something like that,” Heero mumbles. “If you think you’re worried, I’m downright—

“Hi, guys!” comes the cry from Relena as she throws the door open with a flourish. “Don’t forget that Saturday’s the Winter Ball! So come one, come all!” Two students from her club come skittering in like mice and drop three wrapped packages on Heero’s desk. They sprinkle something like snowflakes…or glitter and then twirl for a moment before darting out just as quickly as they had come.

The three of us stare at each other for a moment before snickering at how ridiculous the brief interruption had been. I’m kinda glad for it, because it breaks the tension which had been building amongst us.

“Is that allowed?” I ask as I pick up one of the packages. “Getting dressed in naughty Santa outfits?”

“It wasn’t naughty,” Heero answers as he opens his package to reveal the invitation and the small box of chocolate attached to it. “Costumes are allowed as long as they’re reasonable enough. Besides, it’s almost Christmas. Tis the season and all that shit.”

“Doth says the president!” Wufei cries out and we both salute smartly, laughing as Heero blushes at the gesture before attempting to chuck a folder at us.

All talk of our impromptu adopted ward ceases as Trowa and Quatre soon join us for lunch, and between talking about our upcoming exams and the Winter Ball, I think it’s safe to say we completely forget about Gabriel…

---

…for a while at least.

At the grocery store, I buy enough to feed five people, making sure I get double the usual items we usually buy. Since Heero’s an employee, I make good use of his discount card (okay, okay, so I’m rich enough to get what I want, but old habits die hard, you know?) Only problem is…

I have no goddamn ride.

“Ah fuck.” I’m standing like a fool in front of the grocery store with armloads of brown bags nearly bursting with food stuff. My arms are beginning to ache. Heero’s still at school because of meetings to deal with. Relena’s not going to help thanks to her last minute preparations with the ball. Trowa and Quatre have gone downtown for their rehearsals for the Christmas concert, while Wufei and Dorothy have an Inter School Kendo competition at Livingston.

“Might as well call mom,” I mumble and reach for my cell phone (placing the bags gingerly to the ground) when a familiar voice has me wincing.

“Duo-niichan!”

Kill me now. Please.

Looking up, I can see the smiling teen – my other soon to be half-brother – waving through the window of his daddy’s Sedan.

“How did you know I was here?”

“Heero senpai called me from school,” he says with a grin, all but jumping out of the car to help me with the bags. He completely ignores the curious looks we’re getting now. After all, it’s not every day such an expensive looking car comes pulling up to a local store like this. “He said he has a feeling you’ll forget that you had no means of getting back home and would shop first and ask questions later.”

“Ah, well…sorry for the trouble.” I’ll fucking kill you, Heero, I swear inwardly.

“It’s no problem. That’s what brothers are for.”

I wince again at the term, now realizing that if we are going to my apartment, Kamui will eventually have to meet Gabriel, my ‘real’ enough blood-related brother. I sincerely hope that both boys can get along.

The ride barely starts – and I must confess it’s pretty comfy and warm in here – when Kamui asks in a slightly wary tone. “You have plenty of groceries, Duo-niichan. More than enough for two people. Do you have company?”

Smart kid. Except—

“What makes you think it’s not for Heero and me?” I ask with a raised brow, watching his cheeks flush lightly in embarrassment. “We eat a lot.”

“Oh…well…sorry,” he mutters and sits back, chastised and looking remorseful. Suddenly I feel like a heel for acting that way. He was nice enough to drag his driver to come pick me up. The least I can do is be nice to him.

“My brother’s here…half brother,” I correct quickly, while watching his reaction from the corner of my eye. I’m not disappointed. He seems to flinch and then pale, hands fisting tightly on his lap.

“Your… half-brother..? I didn’t know…”

“My dad’s son from his second wife,” I interrupt quietly. “He looks more like my dad though.”

“Oh.”

A heavy silence falls between us.

“You might like him,” I finally say with a smile, but I think I’ve lost the kid. He’s barely looking at me and I’m beginning to wonder if he’s sunken into his depressive or homicidal thoughts. That wouldn’t be good.

“We’re here,” the driver says, interrupting the tense moment between us.

I nod and turn to Kamui. “You don’t have to come with me, if you don’t want to—

“I do,” comes the sudden reply, and before I can even blink, he’s out of the car with a bag of groceries and staring at the building with a determination that makes me think he’s about to engage in warfare. Oh, boy.

“How old is he?” he asks as we climb the flight of stairs.

“He’ll be fourteen soon,” I reply, trying not to smile at the boy still walking ahead of me, well almost marching like a drill sergeant.

“Is he close to you?”

“Huh?”

“I asked if he’s close to you, Duo-niichan.” Emphasis on the ‘nii-chan’ part just in case you were wondering. For a moment, I’m tempted to remind the rude brat that he’s not even remotely considered my brother if it wasn’t for his dad and my mom boinking each other. I bring out the keys to the door and smirk, enjoying the petulant look on his face.

“He’s close enough.”

I open the door. “Yo, Gab! I’m home.”

“Duo?” comes the faint voice and then a patter of footsteps before he sticks his head out of the living room door to stare at us. There’s a mixture of wariness and then recognition as he finally seems to think that everything is okay. He smiles brightly and I swear I hear an intake of breath behind me. Kinda like that sound I make whenever Heero does something so sexy and hot without even trying.

Hmm.

“Welcome back. I was just watching…” He stops as he notices the boy still rooted to the spot behind me. “Who…who’s that?” The guarded look fills his blue eyes and I ruffle his hair in reassurance.

“It’s cool. As you can see he’s wearing the school uniform too. I didn’t get a chance to tell you this last night, but he’s going to be my step-brother. My mom and his dad are getting married. Gab meet Kamui Teruo, Kamui, my kid bro, Gabriel Maxwell.”

“Hi.”

“He…Hello,” Kamui stutters, completely red-faced and then to my surprise drops the bag quickly and bows. “I should be going, Duo nii…I’ll…I’ll see you in school tomorrow!”

He darts out before I can say another word, leaving Gabriel and I staring at each other in bemusement.

“Weird guy,” Gabriel says as he goes to close the door. He’s dressed in one of my t-shirts and a pair of his shorts despite the cold. For someone who lives up north where the cold is biting, down here must seem like summer to him. “Oh, Spaghetti-o! My fav!”

Laughing at his enthusiasm, we both make lunch and end up eating bowls of the damn stuff in front of the TV. As we eat, I can’t help thinking that this feeling of camaraderie and companionship might not be so bad. I can almost imagine Dad smiling from heaven as he watches his two sons hang out like they should have been doing all their life. I know that Gabriel’s time with me is fleeting and if my conversation with Amanda last night was any indication, his mother will be coming to pick him up in a day. The older girl had broken down in tears while speaking to me, saying their mother had almost gone insane at her son’s disappearance. There was no way she couldn’t tell her mom that Gab was with us. She wanted her mom happy and at least knowing that Gabriel was here would ease her troubled mind.

I was slowly losing my appetite. I could already see the ugly scene playing out before me. She accusing me of keeping her son away and Gabriel’s bitter tears of betrayal. I have not told him that his mother will be coming, and I just cannot bring myself to do so either.

A tug on my sleeve has me jerking from my reverie. I look into the concerned face before me and feel a pang of regret. Only a few more hours.

“Is everything okay?” he asks and then lowers his lashes, still holding on to my shirt for some reason. “I was just…I was just thinking that it’s cool to be with you like this. I’ve never really had a big brother before and Dad could only do so much with me, you know?”

Oh man…

“So, this really means a lot to me,” he says with a brilliant smile, looking back at me with something close to hero worship. “I wish I could stay with you forever!” He giggles and releases me before taking a deep breath and staring somberly at the images on the screen. “But I’m not…am I?”

Ouch. He must have figured it out already.

“Gab…”

“It’s okay, really.” He tries to smile. “I mean…even if I do end up going to military school, I’ll graduate and become a much better man and be strong enough to defend and take care of mom, right?”

I swallow the stubborn lump in my throat and stare resolutely at my bowl of congealing spaghetti.

“Duo…?”

“What?” My voice is rough, raw, and a bit angry at my inability to do anything.

“Thank you.”

I gasp at the sincere sentiment, before being bowled over to lay flat on my back as he sobs against my chest. His arms tighten around my waist, nearly crushing my ribs, but I hold him all the same. Hold him to me as tightly as I can, perhaps to memorize his scent and to cherish this moment for as long as I can.

For how long we stay there, I have no idea, but daylight is fading and our hours are getting short. If I am to make the most of being with my brother, I’ll have to make it last for as long as it can.

“Get dressed.”

“Hmm?” He looks up, his cheeks flushed and wet. I reach out to wipe his tears away, smiling broadly.

“Get dressed in something warmer, kid. I’m taking you around town. Just you and me.”

His eyes light up and he sits up quickly. “Really?!”

“Yup! I’ll show you where big bro hangs out and stuff.”

“SWEET!”

He gives me a quick, hard and rather surprising kiss on my lips before darting to his feet to shuck out of his shorts, already changing before me. Talk about having no shame. He kinda reminds me of someone. Oh yeah…me.

---

“Wheeeeeee!!!”

“He’s a happy camper, isn’t he?” Heero’s voice rumbles behind me as I turn around to watch him approach. He didn’t even go home to change, even though I had called to let him know that Gab and I would be at the park. Darkness and a light flurry of snow was falling, and the park was filled with people either skating in the large ice rink or just walking about and singing carols and the such. The Winter Ball at school will signify the beginning of the holiday season for us. It’s the last day of school before our two weeks off.

Gabriel’s a reasonably good skater and seems to be having a blast with a girl he just met. I don’t know how the kid can spin that fast after polishing off two big glasses of hot fudge sundaes.

“Mmmm….hey, you.” I wrap my arms around Heero’s neck, placing a hard kiss on his lips in greeting. My cheeks are flushed with excitement and pleasure, not just at seeing my boyfriend after a long day, but with all the things I had managed to accomplish this evening.

“We had fun,” I say as we turn to watch Gabriel fall on his ass and his new girl laughing at his antics. “I felt…like a real big brother for a moment there.”

“What are you talking about? You are a real big brother and I’m sure he realizes it too,” Heero says, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind and resting his chin upon my shoulder. “We just have to kiss the fairytale goodbye in the morning that’s all.”

“Yeah…I know.” He didn’t have to remind me. I was aware of it, every minute.

“Duo! Heero!” Gabriel suddenly calls out, waving his hands to us. “Come on in!”

I smirk and eye my boyfriend in a challenge. “Race around the rink?”

He smirks right back, reaching out to flick a snowflake from the tip of my nose. “Why not?”

“Aren’t you tired?” I ask as we make our way towards the section to buy the skates. “You know…because I don’t want to embarrass you or anything.”

“Har har, Duo, I can beat you anytime…with my eyes closed.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Wanna wager on that?”

“What?” He snickers.

“I top you for a week.”

He rolls his eyes and tries not to flush. “And if I win?”

“I’m your slave for a week.”

“Works for me.”

“Sadistic asshole.”

“Takes one to know one.”

Laughing, I push him onto the ice, but not before he brings up a topic that has me amused and yet slightly contemplative.

“So what was all that about Kamui possibly having a crush on your brother?”

Yes…just what was that really all about? Guess we’ll just have to wait a few more years to find out. For heaven’s sake they’re just kids and it’s too early to have such feelings for each other……………right?


~End Period Forty-Four~