A Midnight Rendezvous
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Gordon's P.O.V
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Beep-Beep-Beep
There it was…that blasted noise again! Who in their right mind would set their alarm clock for 11:55 pm? Don't people know when to sleep? Gordon slowly opened his eyes to the sound of an alarm clock. He had just fallen asleep an hour prior, and here he was awake because his little brother in the next room over had left his alarm clock set for damn near midnight. Grumbling, Gordon pulled one of his pillows over his head to drown out the noise. He sighed in relief when it shut off. Gordon could feel himself slipping back into the land of dreams when he thought he had heard the soft click of his brother's bedroom door. Pulling the pillow from his head, Gordon crawled out of bed and crept over to his door. Opening it quietly, he poked his head out of the room to see the retreating forms of Alan and Tin-Tin.
"What in god's name are they doing up at this hour?" Gordon whispered to himself. Getting ready to follow, Gordon began feeling the pull of sleep. He eventually disregarded the thought that maybe his younger brother and his girlfriend were giving in to the raging hormones that night. Returning back to his bed, he quickly fell into a light sleep. The next time Gordon woke up it was close to 2 am. He heard giggling from the hallway. It sounded like Alan and Tin-Tin. Again crawling out of bed, Gordon approached his door quietly and put his ear to the door.
"Oh my…I had so much fun. My back is going to be killing me tomorrow, you know that don't you?" Gordon could make out Tin-Tin's voice. She was panting slightly.
"Well yeah. But so am I. Most guys probably don't do this until their wedding night, let alone where their families could potentially walk in on them. Could you imagine?" Alan whispered in a husky voice. Gordon blushed. Should he have stopped them? It really sounded like they had in fact given in to the raging hormones which could mostly be found in teenagers.
"Don't even go there. My mom and dad would choke if they knew. It is customary to learn together with your fiancé, but I just couldn't wait. Besides it helps me to burn off the extra energy that gets built up. So, think you'll be up for another midnight rendezvous tomorrow?" Tin-Tin chuckled quietly.
"We'll have to see if either of us can walk by morning. Chances are we might be in for a world of pain when we wake up." Alan replied.
"Just shut up and kiss me." Tin-Tin muttered. Gordon stuck his tongue out in a mock gag when he heard his 16 year old brother kiss his girlfriend.
"Good night Tin. Love you." Alan's voice dropped an octave as he muttered to Tin-Tin.
"I love you too, good night my prince." Tin-Tin chuckled as Alan sputtered at the pet name.
Alan and Tin-Tin kissed again from what Gordon could tell. Soon he heard his younger brother's bedroom door close quietly and Tin-Tin's receding footsteps. Keeping quiet for a few minutes, he became curious when he heard his brother's shower start up.
'Surely he is not bathing because maybe he…' Gordon's face paled at the thought. He went to go back to bed. Hopefully this was only a one-time thing and wouldn't continue every night. As Gordon turned onto his side, the thought that Alan and Tin-Tin wouldn't be so reckless crossed his mind. Deciding to confront his brother if it happened again, Gordon slipped off back into the realm of dreams.
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Scott's P.O.V
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When everybody gathered at the table, I couldn't help but to notice that Alan had a slight limp when he entered the room. I noticed Gordon giving Alan a pointed look, before taking a drink from some juice. We had a pleasant breakfast. Everybody talked and joked. Dad and Brains discussed the schematics for a new prototype to assist in potential rescues. Soon, everybody was done with breakfast and took their soiled dishes in to rinse and put in the dishwasher for Onaha. I took notice that Tin-Tin rubbed at her lower back.
'Maybe I went too far on the training. Both Alan and Tin-Tin are showing signs of being sore. Perhaps I should stick with some light training until they get used to it. After all they only just started Thunderbird training two weeks ago.' Scott thought. Again he noticed Gordon glaring at Alan as their brother limped away with Tin-Tin. Deciding to play referee, Scott stood and discreetly drug Gordon up the stairs to his bedroom to ask what the problem was. Normally Gordon doesn't display irritability, but this was unusual.
"Okay spill little brother. What has got you fuming?" Scott watched Gordon blush and avert his eyes from his older brother.
"It's nothing Scott." Gordon tried to brush off Scott's inquiry. Scott wasn't buying it.
"Nice try Gordo. I know you too well that when you begin fuming, it isn't just 'nothing'. So spill." Scott stepped in front of his bedroom door to block Gordon from fleeing.
Scott raised an eyebrow when Gordon growled lowly. Now Gordon was beginning to scare him. Gordon usually reserved his irritation for reporters or people picking on his brothers. Gordon ran his fingers through his hair in an effort to calm his temper. Scott cleared his throat to gain his younger brother's attention again.
"Well? Care to explain what has got you so irritated so early in the morning?" Scott began tapping his foot impatiently. Gordon began blushing again.
"Fine! I have reason to believe that Alan and Tin-Tin are…doing that!" Gordon's blush increased tenfold at the thought of his younger brother even considering that at his age.
"What do you mean?" Scott narrowed his eyes at his brother. He didn't like where this was going.
"Use your head Scott. How exactly did mom and dad conceive us?" Gordon closed his eyes, not wishing to see the look that would be crossing Scott's face when he realized what Gordon was implying.
"Well, they had…oh my god. No! No! No! No! No!" Gordon opened his eyes to see a blush on Scott's face. It wasn't a secret that their dad had stressed they wait until marriage if at all possible, but the mere thought of one of their brothers; the youngest in fact may be throwing that promise to their dad out the window for a young romance was just asking for trouble.
"Trust me Scott! I was shocked too." Gordon blushed again when he remembered his brother and Tin-Tin's conversation.
"How exactly did you come to this conclusion, that our baby brother was doing that?" Scott sat on his bed. Dropping his head into his hands, he berated himself on delaying 'the talk' with his younger brother.
"I heard them talking last night. Scott, Alan set his alarm for 11:55, and didn't return until close to 2 am! He woke me up leaving his bedroom. Then he woke me up again at two giggling with Tin-Tin. I stayed quiet and listened to their conversation. What they talked about heavily hinted that they were doing…you know." Gordon looked at his feet. The 21 year old blushed while discussing his 16 year old brother's possible love life with his 26 year old brother.
"I know I am going to regret asking, but what did they say?" Scott closed his blue eyes before leaning back on his hands. Gordon pulled Scott's desk chair out before sitting as well.
"Well, Tin-Tin was saying she had fun, but that her back would probably be hurting her in the morning. Then Alan commented that he would probably be sore as well, because and I quote 'Most guys probably don't do this until their wedding night, let alone where their families could potentially walk in on them'. "
Scott's jaw had dropped open in shock. Now he could understand why Gordon had jumped to that conclusion. The conversation he had overheard certainly sounded like Alan had in fact done a dirty deed or two with Tin-Tin. Blushing at his thoughts, Scott coughed. This was going to be an uncomfortable conversation with his youngest brother.
"Okay, I am going to go find Alan, and I want you to skedaddle. Do not let John and Virgil anywhere near my room. I am going to have a talk with the sprout, and I don't want anyone around, because this is going to be embarrassing enough discussing that with him. Understand me?" Scott tried to reign in his flaming blush. He really didn't want to have this conversation with his little brother. He had hoped that his dad would have done so already, but their dad was just as embarrassed about 'the talk' as he was. Lord knows that Jefferson Tracy had tried to have 'the talk' with each of his sons and had failed miserably, he finally decided to keep his mouth shut when it came to the younger two not wanting to scar them.
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John's P.O.V
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Being the observant brother he was, John took notice of the general mood at breakfast. Alan remained quiet, which was in and of itself unusual, considering the kid talked nonstop to either one of his brothers or his best friend Fermat. Alan hardly spoke at all at the breakfast table. John could see that Alan was tired. He looked as though he had only slept for part of the night. Tin-Tin as well. 'Perhaps they are still suffering from occasional nightmares of the Hood incident.'.
However, John didn't miss the frequent glares directed at Alan from Gordon. Briefly, he wondered if Alan and Gordon had gotten into another argument. Gordon was not known to display the famous Tracy family temper, as Alan had. But it was still there from time to time. As breakfast came to an end, John noticed that Alan had a slight limp. Much like how Tin-Tin was nursing what appeared to be a sore back. He got up to check on his younger brother and his girlfriend when Virgil called him away to come help with inventory in Thunderbird two's infirmary.
As the two brothers walked away, they noticed Scott dragging Gordon up the stairs. Gordon looked mildly irritated while Scott looked concerned, and both John and Virgil glanced at each other before silently following their oldest and second younger brother upstairs. Upon seeing Scott shut his bedroom door, the brothers leaned in close to listen in on the conversation.
"Okay spill little brother. What has got you fuming?" John and Virgil again glanced at each other in concern. Scott was using his 'concerned older brother' voice.
"It's nothing Scott." John couldn't help rolling his eyes at Gordon's poor attempt at deflecting the question from himself.
"Nice try Gordo. I know you too well that when you begin fuming, it isn't just 'nothing'. So spill." Scott's voice sounded from directly in front of the door. The brothers outside in the hall held their breath for fear of being caught eavesdropping. John leaned closer to Virgil before whispering.
"What do you think they are talking about?"
Virgil placed a finger in front of his mouth to signify silence, before whispering back. "No clue, just stay quiet for now."
"Well? Care to explain what has got you so irritated so early in the morning?" The brothers in the hall could make out that Scott was tapping his foot while waiting for an answer.
"Fine! I have reason to believe that Alan and Tin-Tin are…doing that!" John and Virgil both shared a look of confusion at what Gordon meant by 'doing that'.
"What do you mean?" John thanked Scott silently for trying to clear up what 'doing that' had meant. He hoped it wasn't what he was thinking.
"Use your head Scott. How exactly did mom and dad conceive us?" John and Virgil blushed in realization. That is what their brother meant when he said that Alan and Tin-Tin might be 'doing that'?
"Well, they had…oh my god. No! No! No! No! No!" Virgil face palmed when he heard the urgency and disbelief in Scott's voice. John's blush just increased at the thought of Alan and Tin-Tin…soon however John was mimicking the face palm action that Virgil just did. 'Please just think of something else!'
"Trust me Scott! I was shocked too." John didn't want to listen in on the conversation anymore, but he wanted to know what led Gordon to believe that such a thing could be taking place at their home.
"How exactly did you come to this conclusion, that our baby brother was doing that?" Both John and Virgil wanted to know too, they only hoped it wasn't that maybe Gordon had happened upon them.
"I heard them talking last night. Scott, Alan set his alarm for 11:55, and didn't return until close to 2 am! He woke me up leaving his bedroom. Then he woke me up again at two giggling with Tin-Tin. I stayed quiet and listened to their conversation. What they talked about heavily hinted that they were doing…you know." Again John blushed heavily. Now he understood what led Gordon to come to the conclusion he had blurted at Scott's insistence.
"I know I am going to regret asking, but what did they say?" John crossed his fingers in hope that they had not been discussing that right outside Gordon and Alan's separate bedrooms.
"Well, Tin-Tin was saying she had fun, but that her back would probably be hurting her in the morning. Then Alan commented that he would probably be sore as well, because and I quote 'Most guys probably don't do this until their wedding night, let alone where their families could potentially walk in on them'. "John and Virgil almost swallowed their tongues. Their eyes widened to the size of saucers. John had in fact noticed Alan was limping and Tin-Tin had been rubbing her back.
"Okay, I am going to go find Alan, and I want you to skedaddle. Do not let John and Virgil anywhere near my room. I am going to have a talk with the sprout, and I don't want anyone around, because this is going to be embarrassing enough discussing that with him. Understand me?" John and Virgil both gulped before running quickly down the hall to distance themselves from Scott's room. Skirting into the bathroom, the brothers locked the door. Both were breathless from the silent sprint down the hall, and didn't want to come out until they were sure Scott had gone off in search for Alan.
"Are you kidding me, Alan and Tin-Tin doing that? But when would they have the time? God only knows how busy Thunderbird training has kept them!" Virgil quietly questioned his older brother.
"I don't know! I just hope the assumption is wrong…very wrong!" John hissed back at Virgil. Soon they heard Alan and Scott bantering back and forth, and after they heard a door close assumed it would be safe to exit their hiding place.
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General P.O.V
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As Virgil opened the door to the bathroom, he poked his head out to check if the coast was clear. Upon confirming it, John silently exited as well. They walked together talking quietly amongst themselves. Soon though they happened upon Gordon, who was knelt outside Scott's bedroom with a glass pushed up against the door. John and Virgil shared a glance before silently joining Gordon in his eavesdropping.
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Alan and Scott's P.O.V
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Scott motioned for Alan to sit down. When the younger male sat down, Scott sat as well. Leaning forward, Scott placed his elbows on his knees. He was still trying to figure out the best way to broach the subject to his little brother. He didn't want to cause an argument, lest that attract their dad's attention.
"So what's all this about Scotty?" Alan leaned back in Scott's computer chair. He was sore, and tired and just wanted to sleep. Alan considered going to bed earlier if Tin-Tin wanted to have another one of their midnight rendezvous.
"Well sprout. I think…it's time I gave…you 'the talk'." Scott tried to tamp down his blush at bringing it up. Scott wasn't shy by any means, but even discussing this type of subject with his youngest brother who just happened to still be a teenager was embarrassing.
"Um, Scott? Are you feeling alright?" Alan asked in a deadpan tone of voice. Alan began to blush just as much as Scott was.
"I am fine sprout. It's you we should be concerned with." Scott decided to skip 'the birds and the bees' talk and on to why Tin-Tin and Alan should wait.
"Me? Why? I'm not doing anything. At least nothing anyone should be concerned with." Alan answered back with an incredulous tone. Scott pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew this talk would be difficult.
"Sprout…Alan. I know you and Tin-Tin are dating and all that, but you two need to consider your future. Don't be doing anything you might later regret." Scott clasped his hands together.
"Trust me Scotty. Tin-Tin and I are being safe." Alan grinned at his older brother. Scott acted like he was about to swallow his tongue at Alan's 'safe' comment, before Alan broke out laughing.
"This is not meant to be funny Alan. This is serious. I don't want you sealing your fate with a young wife and child in tow. You know if you get Tin-Tin pregnant, dad and Kyrano will make you marry her." Scott was appalled that Alan found this subject funny.
"So let me get this straight. You actually think that Tin-Tin and I are fooling around?" Alan couldn't contain his laughter at Scott's shocked look.
"Well, you are the only one on this island with a girlfriend." Scott muttered to Alan with a blush the size of Mount Rushmore on his face.
"Um, dude? You are aware you don't have to have a girlfriend to fool around right?" Alan began laughing so hard at the look on Scott's face that he began crying.
"Oh my…what are they teaching you at Wharton's?" Scott's eyes grew in shock.
"Well certainly not that." At Scott's puzzled gaze, Alan decided to hint at how he learned some of the things that Scott was alluding to. "Ever attend an all-boys school before? The conversation in the dorm halls is excellent."
"Wait so you're telling me, you found out…that…from your dorm mates?" Scott practically squeaked out.
"Well not everything. Trust me, Fermat and I slept with our i-pods playing loud enough to rupture our eardrums those nights. That is just how I found out that one can fool around and not be romantically involved." Alan began chewing on his thumbnail. He was blushing heavily at the admittance.
"I don't even want to know how your dorm mates managed to sneak girls in to the dorms of an all-boys school."
"Trust me; they did it during the guard change. There is like a fifteen minute window of no guards in sight." Alan grinned in mirth at how easy it was to sneak girls in. Not that Alan or Fermat had done that.
"Oh, I said I didn't want to know." Scott rubbed his forehead in irritation.
"Um, Scotty…I don't mean to offend. But you really suck at giving 'the talk'. You know that right?" Alan deadpanned at his blushing older brother.
"Trust me when I say, this is not what I had in mind for today's training. But I'm trying Sprout can you really blame me? I am concerned about your wellbeing and Tin-Tin's for that matter."
"Well, at least I am receiving an off-brand version of the talk I should have received from dad when I hit puberty." At Scott's puzzled gaze, Alan sighed heavily.
"What do you mean 'off-brand version'?" Scott inquired. He was shocked by Alan's next statement.
"Ever sit through the talk with your best friend? It is probably one of the most embarrassing and uncomfortable things one can deal with." Alan looked directly into Scott's eyes.
"Wait…you mean?" Scott again blushed.
"Oh yeah, I received the talk from Brains. Talk about uncomfortable. I have practically known Brains my whole life. I mean he is like an uncle to me. But receiving the talk with your best friend seated beside you is embarrassing." Alan blushed at the memory.
"When did this take place?" Scott couldn't remember a time where Fermat and Alan wouldn't look at anyone in the eye.
"Two years ago. About a week after Fermat turned thirteen. I was still fourteen at the time. I don't know if you remember, but Fermat and I had been missing for almost two hours. That was because Brains had us locked in his office until he finished having the talk with two pubescent boys. Trust me, being well informed is not always a good thing." Alan blushed heavier at the turn this conversation had taken.
"Again, don't want to know. But where were we? Oh yeah, your wellbeing and Tin-Tin's. I realize you two might think you are being safe, but really the true way of being safe is to not take part in those kinds of activities." Scott focused a pointed gaze at his younger brother to get his point across.
"Oh my god, Scott…I'm still a virgin! There I said it, are you happy now?" Alan closed his eyes in embarrassment. His face was bright red with a blush as red as a cherry tomato.
"Well, yes. But still that was still too much information. I trust you and your decisions, but…" Scott trailed off. He was in fact shocked by Alan openly saying he had not 'fooled around' as he put it with his girlfriend. Most guys Alan's age would have already done something, especially if their girlfriend practically lived with them.
"You try even thinking of such things when you have received 'the talk' twice in less than three years. Kyrano sat me down and talked with me again about the importance of abstinence a month after Tin-Tin and I started seriously dating. And he had no problem telling me that if I tried anything with his daughter that he had no qualms with using his under-developed telekinetic abilities to make my life a living hell. I have heard my fill. I am good. Tin-Tin and I are not doing that, and in fact we promised each other we wouldn't try until after marriage. Why do you think we wear matching rings?" Scott glanced down at Alan's left hand to see Alan did in fact have a purity ring on.
Scott rolled his eyes. Why did having these types of discussions have to be so exhausting? Back when his dad had attempted to have the talk with him and John and Virgil on separate occasions, by the time they were done talking and hashing it out, the guys felt mentally and emotionally drained. Glancing at his clock, Scott realized that they had been at this discussion for almost an hour.
"Okay. Well I apologize if I have made you uncomfortable with this little discussion. I just figured that with you and Tin-Tin seriously dating that you should be receiving this type of discussion." Scott stood up and offered his hand to his younger brother.
"Well, better late than never I suppose." Alan took the offered hand and allowed himself to be pulled up to a standing position. As Alan took a step, he couldn't hide the limp that he was sporting.
"What did you do to get the limp? Was I too tough on you during training?" Scott inquired.
"Nope. After being raised running from four older brothers daily, I am pretty sure that your training was a cake walk for me. No…actually I got a Charlie horse this morning and it was a killer." The two brothers didn't notice the soft footfalls of running feet outside the door. As Alan opened the door, he and Scott exited, Scott looked around.
"Okay, well. I need to go over some paperwork for Tracy Enterprises with dad, so I am cancelling Thunderbird training for today. Go get some rest, I would hate for you to pull a muscle in training because of an already sore leg." Scott looked at Alan as he spoke. Alan smiled, before agreeing to relax.
"'Kay Scooter. Well, if you need me I am going to be down in my cove." Alan limped away slightly, hissing slightly from the pulled muscle.
"Alright, but take it easy." Scott and Alan parted ways, going in opposite directions. As Alan walked/limped, he rounded the corner and came face to face with Tin-Tin. Both smiled at each other, Alan taking the lead and leaning down to kiss her softly. Placing one hand on the back of her neck, Alan pulled away before chuckling.
"You know, I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing that look on your face." Alan blushed slightly as he admitted his feelings to his girlfriend of a year and a half.
"Well, stud…keep me happy and you will always be seeing this face." Alan groaned at what Tin-Tin was referring to. Tin-Tin had no idea what her smile did to him. When she was around, he became a stuttering, bumbling, and love sick idiot. Just holding her right now in his arms, he felt his heart begin racing and his palms began sweating slightly.
"Now how can I refuse a request like that?" Alan leaned down and pressed their foreheads together. Tin-Tin giggled at his open display of affection. Alan was not one to show his true feelings, but Tin-Tin felt honored that Alan allowed that barrier down when in her presence.
"Do you feel up to having another rendezvous tonight? Or do you want to wait a few nights to heal. I noticed you had a limp." Tin-Tin gave her boyfriend a concerned look. She didn't want him to cause himself serious injury for her.
"My leg is fine. I strained a muscle last night, but nothing a hot shower and heat pack won't fix. How about you and your back? I noticed you rubbing it this morning. Do you want to take a few nights off?" Alan placed one of his hands on her lower back and he could feel the tense muscles. With Alan rubbing the small of her back, Tin-Tin couldn't help but to giggle. Her boyfriend was so attentive to her and her wellbeing. That's why she loved him.
"Alright stud…hands off. A nice soak in an herbal bath, and relaxing on the beach with you and I'll be right as rain in no time. If you want to meet tonight for another rendezvous then lets agree on it. I can stop by your room, and then we can go…practice." Tin-Tin whispered the last word. Alan grinned before nodding and sealing the promise with a kiss.
"Okay, tonight. The same time and yes the same place. That is the only place we can ever get privacy and quiet." Alan whispered in a nearly quiet voice, just loud enough for Tin-Tin to hear him, but not loud enough for anybody else to hear unless they were practically on top of them.
"Okay, well you had better go get your shower and heat pack. After my bath, I will be down in our cove if you want to meet me there." Tin-Tin glanced around discreetly. She didn't want her parents to overhear the plans she was making with Alan, nor did she want his family to overhear them.
"Okay babe. I will meet you there in the next hour. I actually have a very funny story I want to tell you. It is embarrassing, but I think you will find it is hilarious." Alan leaned down and kissed Tin-Tin again, before pulling away and chuckling at the dreamy look on her face. Unbeknownst to them, Gordon, John and Virgil had all heard what they had said…having hidden in one of the alcoves beside one of the windows. If one had been able to see the older brothers, it would have been a comical sight. John was covering Gordon's mouth and Virgil covered both his and John's to prevent their breathing or anything they might say from being heard by the couple standing not even 5 feet in front of them.
After Alan and Tin-Tin parted ways, the brothers stood stock still for at least five minutes before leaping out of their hiding place. The three brothers were blushing madly. The thought, that they overheard Alan had promised Scott that he and Tin-Tin weren't doing anything promiscuous was quickly disqualified. Alan and Tin-Tin were definitely up to something. Now the plan was to figure out how to get Scott on board to help them discover what it was, without getting their father involved. God only knows how disappointed and angry Jeff would be at Alan for breaking the promise to remain abstinent until marriage. True not all the brothers had been true to their promise, but then theirs were one time flings.
Gordon came up with the perfect plan…he had been the first one to suspect Alan and Tin-Tin were fooling around. He decided to go tell Scott outright what he had overheard Alan and Tin-Tin discussing. Upon seeing Virgil and John's shocked faces, Gordon smirked.
"Relax. I was the one who even brought this whole thing up to Scott. I will just go find out how the talk went. Then I'll see if he'll say anything." With that said Gordon took off at a slow jaunt. Quietly he approached his father's office as Scott was exiting. Tapping him on the shoulder, it didn't surprise Gordon when Scott spun around and placed his hand over his chest in fright.
"What are you doing fish-face? Trying to give me a heart attack?" Scott glared at his second youngest brother. He raised an eyebrow when Gordon simply smiled at him.
"So…how was the talk with our precious Sprout?" Gordon watched Scott's face brighten with a blush.
"Fan-tastic. Can we change the subject now?" Scott began walking down the hallway in an effort to evade his brother of the embarrassing questions he knew would come up.
"No. I only ask, because I overheard Alan and Tin-Tin making plans for another one of their midnight rendezvous things."" Scott spun around at that. He had a blush covering the entirety of his face, and if Scott had been a natural redhead like his younger brother, then his face would have matched his hair color.
"Okay, fish…spill. What are Alan and Tin-Tin planning?" Scott had the protective big brother tone of voice.
"Let's go to my room. John and Virgil were with me and heard the same plans of Alan and Tin-Tin. We can discuss a plan of action in finding out the reason of these midnight meetings between the lovebirds." Gordon physically dragged Scott to his bedroom, and upon opening the door was greeted with John and Virgil whispering amongst themselves.
"Okay, meeting starts now. Now what did you hear going on between Alan and Tin-Tin?" Scott was becoming impatient. He wanted to hear at least a smidgen of the conversation between his youngest brother and his girlfriend.
"Well…it went like this…" As John the level-headed brother went into an explanation, all the brothers sat down to form a plan of attack. It was going to be hard to swing what they had planned, but provided nothing major happened then the plan could be executed flawlessly, before long hours had passed and it was soon past dinner. Dinner had been uneventful. Alan and Tin-Tin hardly spoke, but they would grin at each other from time to time and it was those little winks and grins that had the brothers growing concerned. Not long after dinner the entire family retired to their rooms for the evening. The plan was going into effect…now.
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11:45 PM
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Hearing a knock at his door, Gordon was quick to answer it, outside the door stood Scott, John and Virgil. The brothers had all agreed to meet in Gordon's room so they could listen to anything that Alan and Tin-Tin said during their little 'rendezvous' as they called it. Sitting quietly, the brothers patiently watched the clock. Soon it was 11:55 and right on schedule Alan's alarm clock next door beeped loudly. Hearing it shut off quickly, the brothers listened to the muffled thumps of their younger brother walking about his room. Soon a serious of soft knocks could be heard and the brothers crept closer to the door. They could hear a girlish giggle and Alan chuckling. Soon however the brothers heard the muffled footsteps of Alan and Tin-Tin retreating down the hall.
"Okay, follow them, but stay far enough back so that they don't see or hear you. I want to know what they are up to." Scott quietly sent his brothers into action and they all swiftly but silently followed the muffled giggles down the hall. All too soon however, they lost their targets. Pausing silently, John turned to his brothers with a finger pressed to his lips. He could hear a muted conversation, and he suspected that his brother and his girlfriend were heading towards Tracy 2's silo. Creeping slowly, John and his brothers peeked around the corner. They could faintly hear a quiet conversation taking place between Alan and Tin-Tin.
"I know you told me once before, but why exactly is it customary to learn with only your fiancé?" Alan questioned his girlfriend.
"Because, in my culture, it is frowned upon to commit this dance until you are in a proper relationship. My parents would most likely be saddened that I am not waiting, but you are the perfect partner for me." The brothers hiding in the shadows could make out the silhouettes of Tin-Tin and Alan in each other's arms. They blushed when they heard what Tin-Tin said, and hoped they were wrong in their assumptions.
"So you bring the stuff?" Alan asked in a low voice. The silhouette showed Alan was running his fingers through Tin-Tin's hair. Tin-Tin had her arms wrapped around Alan's neck and a soft giggle could be heard.
"You know I did. If your brothers ever found this stuff in your room they would never let you live it down…am I right? Besides, my parents don't check my closet, so it is unlikely they would discover our materials." Scott and John looked at each other with a shocked look on their face. Noticing Virgil and Gordon's jaws had dropped; the two older brothers quickly covered their younger brother's mouths in case they made their presences known.
"Well, I don't know about you…but I am all warmed up. What do you say we get this show on the road?" Alan spoke in a less than hushed voice. The young lovers were aware that in the silo of Tracy 2 virtually no sounds could be heard. That is what made this the perfect location for their midnight rendezvous.
"Okay. Here we go. You know the first one is the slow one right?" The older brothers slowly crept from their hiding places and could see Alan and Tin-Tin. Tin-Tin was standing over near the wall, but the brothers noticed she was not wearing pajamas. She was wearing a loose fitting top and a skirt with leggings. They also took notice of the heels she wore. Definitely not something one would wear to bed. Glancing across the room, they spotted Alan taking off his housecoat, he was wearing a dark t-shirt and black pants, which oddly enough also were not pajamas. The brothers watched as Tin-Tin nodded her head and then slowly made her way towards Alan.
A soft piano music began and a woman singing in a foreign language began to play. The brothers looked at each other slowly, confused about why there was music playing. Then they saw Tin-Tin walk slowly across the floor. As she raised her arms above her head, Alan closely followed behind her. As they began a slow sensual dance, the brothers watched on as captivated viewers. As Alan grabbed Tin-Tin by the waist, the brothers blushed when they watched Alan and Tin-Tin look at each other with absolute trust.
The pair spun around before meeting in each other's arms. As Alan spun Tin-Tin away just to quickly bring her back into his arms the brothers watched on as Tin-Tin wrapped a leg around Alan's waist, before Alan slowly lowered Tin-Tin in a low dip. Tin-Tin arched her back expertly, before being brought back up and spinning around. Reversing the position, Tin-Tin again allowed Alan to wrap one of her legs around his waist, before lowering them both to the ground in a dip. Quickly bringing her back up, the pair spun around several more times.
Virgil being one of the artsy ones of the family quickly recognized the movements of the Rumba. They watched on as Alan and Tin-Tin danced. Alan spun away from Tin-Tin releasing her hands and she sashayed her way across the floor, before turning and gliding across the room back towards Alan. The duo quickly separated again only to meet back in the middle of the room again. Alan twirling Tin-Tin around, soon Tin-Tin turned to Alan and wrapped both legs around Alan's waist. Slowly Alan lowered her down to the floor before releasing her completely. Alan spun around as Tin-Tin sat on the floor. Alan knelt to Tin-Tin's eye level and they both gazed at each other. The older brothers could see the determined focus and love being the only features on the young couple's faces.
Pulling Tin-Tin up from the floor, the couple took a few steps away together. The brother's blushes faded as Alan and Tin-Tin continued to dance around the room. Slowly Alan picked Tin-Tin up bridal style before spinning around the room with her in his arms. When Alan released Tin-Tin, they both parted ways before turning to each other and swaying their bodies in unison. Quickly, the pair walked towards each other and Tin-Tin grabbed ahold of Alan's neck and shoulders. The speed at which the two walked towards each other, allowed for Alan to lift Tin-Tin off the ground and spin her around. As the song began to slow down, Alan embraced Tin-Tin from behind, before allowing her to walk away. As she walked away, Alan held perfectly still until the song ended.
"Whoa. Did you know they could dance?" Gordon whispered to his older brothers. They all quickly shook their heads before gazing out again. Alan and Tin-Tin had stopped dancing and were standing together on the far side of the silo drinking some water. Scott noticed that Alan and Tin-Tin gazed at each before taking each other's hands and walking back out onto the main floor, in which the couple had danced.
"So are you ready for the next song?" Tin-Tin asked quietly. Alan blushed and nodded his head. This next dance was fast and Alan frequently managed to forget the steps. But he trusted Tin-Tin and he knew she believed in his ability to learn the dances with her.
"No, but you know I am only learning these dances because you asked me to. But why do I get the feeling that Lady P put you up to it?" Alan's older brothers watched on as Tin-Tin had a knowing look on her face, but she shrugged her shoulders. Alan sighed as another song began, this time the beat was a quicker pace. Alan and Tin-Tin stood facing away from the brother's hiding place and stood holding hands arms-length away. Not long after the song began Alan and Tin-Tin released hands and Alan picked up Tin-Tin whilst spinning around. The music was very upbeat, but it soon became noticeable how Alan had hurt his leg. Certainly not a Charlie horse as he expressed happened to Scott. As Alan and Tin-Tin danced, Virgil noticed what appeared to be a look of pain on Alan's face. Alan and Tin-Tin began to sway to the music before throwing their heads back.
"What are they dancing?" Scott whispered to no one in particular.
"It's called the East Coast Swing." John mumbled. At his brother's puzzled looks, John hissed a response. "What? Just because I live in space doesn't mean I am not familiar with dance styles."
Alan and Tin-Tin danced and rotated in a dizzying manner. When the music picked up in pace however, Alan and Tin-Tin parted ways. Alan took off at a slight jog towards Tin-Tin and hopped slightly before flipping forward and grabbed Tin-Tin by the waist. She quickly mimicked what Alan had been doing. They were cartwheeling across the room. The brothers had to bite back calling out to Alan when he dropped to the ground with a cry.
Alan and Tin-Tin had been attempting to do simultaneous cartwheels, and as Alan left the last cartwheel, Tin-Tin lost her balance and Alan had grabbed her hands to prevent her from falling and had braced himself to catch her weight on his sore leg. The music resumed as Alan sat with his leg outstretched; Tin-Tin knelt beside him and was trying to rub his calf which had seized up from the overextension.
"I'm so sorry Alan!" Tin-Tin whimpered to her boyfriend.
"Don't worry about it. Just give me a minute. It'll stop hurting in a moment." Alan spoke through his teeth. The pain was definitely noticeable, but Alan decided to focus on something other than the pain. "So you gonna tell me what inspired you to ask me to learn to dance with you?" Alan bit his lip, his calf tightened further and Alan had to try his hardest to not yell. Slowly the pained expression began to fade, and Alan began to move his leg.
"Um, I kind of expressed an interest in dance and Lady P found out. She encouraged me to try to dance, but I didn't want to dance by myself. She suggested I find someone to be my partner and you were the natural choice. I mean, why would I not want to share the experience with you? You are my boyfriend." Alan noticed a blush on Tin-Tin's flustered face.
"Well, did I tell you I feel honored that you would rather dance with me than the other likely choice of my brother Virgil?" Scott and the others noticed that Virgil stiffened up. Chancing a glance over at their brother they saw him blushing. Shaking their heads the brothers focused on the youngest Tracy and his girlfriend again. They heard Alan continue speaking. "I mean, you and I both know that I have two left feet. But with all the past month of practices, I have slowly gotten better. Maybe soon the two of us can actually complete the dance we just tried without causing injury to ourselves." Alan and Tin-Tin began laughing. Alan curled in on himself gripping his stomach. Tin-Tin laid her head on his shoulder to hide her face as her laughter rang out. The brothers sat in confusion…what were they laughing about?
"Not gonna happen!" Alan and Tin-Tin pointed at each other while they continued laughing. Slowly so as to not hurt herself or her boyfriend, Tin-Tin stood up before offering her hand down to Alan. The brothers heaved a sigh in relief when Alan stood up with little to no problem. Scott took notice however that Alan's limp had returned. Tin-Tin guided him over to the wall where they had previously stood before they began the dance and had another water break.
"So do you want to try the Viennese Waltz after our break?" The brothers perked up at Alan's question.
"No…I think we should retire for the evening. I don't want you to hurt yourself further. If anybody finds out about these secret meetings we could get in trouble." Alan frowned at Tin-Tin's refusal. He took her hands in his, before placing a finger under her chin. The brothers had to strain to hear what Alan was saying to Tin-Tin.
"Babe, I am fine. It was just an accident. I can walk just fine. Yeah, I'll be a little sore tomorrow, but aren't we all? I want to dance this last song with you. After this dance we can retire to our rooms and if we are not hurting too badly tomorrow we can try again. What do you say?" Alan raised Tin-Tin's face up to his own, and the brothers watched as he closed his eyes and leaned down to kiss her softly. The brothers blushed and looked away from the display of affection. It was not often that the brothers saw Alan and Tin-Tin kiss, but when they did it still embarrassed them. Hearing a soft intake of breath, the brothers looked back over. Alan and Tin-Tin were nuzzling each other, and they saw the slow nod from Tin-Tin.
Alan walked over with a slight limp to where the music was coming from before shutting off the current source and changing the song. Slowly Alan and Tin-Tin walked over to each other and took each other's hands. Stopping in the middle of the floor, Alan and Tin-Tin glanced at each other, before taking several steps together. Slowly Alan twirled Tin-Tin in front of himself, before placing his hand upon her hips. The brothers blushed at the contact Alan and Tin-Tin had. As the couple walked together they increased the tempo of their steps. Soon they were gliding all over the room. The music increased in volume and pace slightly and Alan placed one hand firmly onto Tin-Tin's hips before picking her up slowly and gracefully. As he lowered her back down, she quickly changed their position so that he was lowering her into a dip. Again the brothers watched as she arched her back. As the two clung to each other the brothers could see the trust radiating off the couple. Slowly Alan raised Tin-Tin from the dip, before taking one of her hands into his.
They twirled around, Alan taking the lead through the entirety of the song. When the song began to slow, Alan and Tin-Tin quickly faced each other and gazed into each other's eyes. Slowly Alan led Tin-Tin through the room again. The two twisted and rotated like they had been dancing their whole lives. Taking Tin-Tin by surprise, Alan quickly picked her up, before placing her on his shoulder. She began giggling and she stuck her hands out like she had wings. Alan smiled as he reached his hands up to grasp her hands in his. The song slowed in pace, and Alan began to lower Tin-Tin back onto her feet. She hugged him from behind until her feet were firmly on the ground. As the song ended, Alan and Tin-Tin held their positions. After a couple seconds Alan turned in Tin-Tin's arms. Leaning down, he hugged her firmly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, before sharing another kiss.
The brothers blushed again, but found they couldn't tear their eyes away from their little brother and Tin-Tin kissing this time. To see Alan and Tin-Tin so relaxed was a treat. Normally Alan was grouchy, unless in Tin-Tin's presence and Tin-Tin was normally quiet until she stood with Alan. Then she talked constantly and they laughed most of the time when together. As the young lovers parted from their kiss, Alan grasped Tin-Tin's hands in his own.
"Tin-Tin, I realize we are only 16 years old, and you know you are my first and only girlfriend I have ever had…but if you are willing to wait for me, then I wish to marry you someday. Please until we are both old enough to be wed as man and wife, will you accept the promise of my heart to be yours and only yours? I vow to be faithful to you and I hope to be able to prove to you that I can be someone worthy of your love. I don't have a promise ring to give you, but you have my word." The Tracy brother's jaws dropped. Had they just witnessed a marriage proposal? They noticed Tin-Tin beaming at Alan.
"Of course I will accept your promise. For you are also my first and only boyfriend I have ever had. But aside from that, you are my best friend and I feel honored to be your love. I too promise that I will remain forever faithful to this promise. But don't worry about a promise ring. I am sure my dad would use his telekinetic abilities to make you regret your promise to me no matter how underdeveloped they are. I want to be your wife someday. So until that time, let's keep our vow close to our hearts to remind us every day of what we hope to have together in the future. I love you Alan Shepard Tracy and I do accept this promise to one day be wed." As Tin-Tin spoke, her eyes welled up with tears. She quickly grabbed Alan and brought his head down to hers to meet in a passionate kiss. Scott cringed, hoping that Alan and Tin-Tin would cool their heels. His eyes widened when Alan broke the kiss. The teenage boy was panting slightly from the fiery kiss, and struggled to regain his breath.
"Also Tin-Tin, no matter what...just because we have vowed to marry someday, we must remember our first promise to each other. We must remain chaste, until after marriage. I don't want anything to happen to possibly interfere with our future, and I want to prove to both your parents, and my family that just because I'm a stupid hormonal teenage boy, that I can control myself when in the presence of my amazingly gorgeous girlfriend. Besides, it'll mean more to give ourselves to each other properly as man and wife. Promise?" Tin-Tin gazed up at her boyfriend before nodding to him.
"Let's seal that promise with a kiss." Scott and his brothers smiled in relief. They just heard the confirmation from Alan again that he and Tin-Tin were not doing anything they shouldn't be doing. As Tin-Tin and Alan kissed, the brothers snuck off silently. They felt they had intruded on Alan and Tin-Tin's rendezvous enough. Making their way back to Gordon's room, the brothers sat around silently waiting to listen for Alan and Tin-Tin's return.
"Wow." Gordon breathed out.
"You can say that again. Those two are amazing dancers." Scott smirked at the memory of having just seen Alan dance with his girlfriend.
"Who'd have ever guessed that Alan would take up that kind of activity?" John inquired to no-one in particular.
"Well, perhaps it's a birthday present to Tin-Tin. Her birthday is coming up in the next month…isn't it?" Virgil speculated.
"Hers and Alan's birthdays are coming up. Alan's birthday is three weeks after Tin-Tin's." John piped up.
"Where would they have learned to dance though? Neither of them has been to the mainland since school let out for the summer." Scott inquired to his brothers.
"They have lessons that you can watch online. Maybe they learned that way." Virgil stated nonchalantly.
"Maybe." Gordon leaned back against his bed before yawning with a stretch.
"Good lord…look at the time! It's nearly two o'clock." Scott gaped at the time. Had it really been almost two hours of watching Alan and Tin-Tin dance? Time flew by when you were having fun, I guess.
As if somebody hit a magic button, all of the sons yawned and stretched languidly. Scott rubbed a hand over his face before standing up. As he crept closer to the door, he held up a hand to halt all movement. He could hear Alan and Tin-Tin coming up the hall. Each of the brothers tiptoed closer to the door and waited to see if anything would be said between the two teens.
"Thank you for learning with me Alan. You have no idea how much fun I am having doing this with you." Tin-Tin whispered gently.
"You are more than welcome babe. I enjoy just getting to spend some uninterrupted time with you. During these little rendezvous, I get you all to my self." Alan replied with a hint of a husky growl.
Hushed giggles could be heard just out in the hall as well as a couple stolen kisses. Each of the brothers hiding inside Gordon's room held their breath as they listened to Alan and Tin-Tin. The soft click of a door opening could be heard before a sharp intake of breath.
"Good night Tin-Tin." Alan whispered.
"Good night my prince." Another kiss was heard as Tin-Tin called Alan by his pet name. "I love you."
"And I love you." Alan whispered adoringly to his girlfriend.
In a barely audible flurry of footsteps, Alan's bedroom door clicked closed…and Tin-Tin was heard ghosting down the hallway. Scott and his brothers all held their breath as they waited to hear Alan's shower kick on in his adjoining bathroom. Sliding Gordon's bedroom door open, Scott poked his head out to find the coast was clear. A quick nod of the head had all the brothers…save for Gordon flitting back to their rooms.
As Gordon closed his door, he couldn't stop the brief chuckle. "I guess things are not always as they appear." Shaking his head at what he'd previously thought over his brother's and Tin-Tin's midnight rendezvous…he allowed himself to sink into the soft bedding that was calling him to sleep.
~Fin~