2. Proposition

"Aha!" Kevin Lucas crowed triumphantly. His 16 year old brother, Nick, glanced up.

"What? Find something?"

Kevin, tiptoe and teetering dangerously close to the edge of the stepladder he was on, shoved his arm between two boxes on the attic shelf. "Yeees…" he said as he wriggled his arm, searching. "I found…my lucky shoelace!" He grinned as he yanked it out from behind the boxes, shifting several large ones to the edge of the shelf.

Nick eyed them. "Um, Kevin… you should probably MOVE." Kevin took one look at the heavy boxes already tilting over the side, and took an awkward leap off the step ladder. The boxes hit the ground with a resounding "BOOM" a split second after he landed next to Nick. The contents of the boxes- pictures, frames, old toys- scattered across the attic floor.

After double checking the shelf to make sure nothing else was going to fall and squash him, Nick sighed, knelt down and began placing things neatly back in the appropriately labeled boxes. Kevin stayed put, giving the shelf a mildly offended look, as though the shelf had just suddenly decided to knock some boxes onto his head, and he himself had had nothing at all to do with it.

A minute later, the second eldest Lucas brother, Joe, ran into through the door way. "You guys good? I heard a cr…" He looked at the mess Nick was still fixing and gave Kevin a look. "What did you do?"

Kevin scowled. "Why do you assume it was me? You shouldn't jump to conclusions, Joseph." He sniffed.

Not missing a beat, Joe bent down to help Nick and retorted "Because I doubt Nick would make four boxes fall from that high a shelf, Kevy."

Kevin thought about it for a moment (but only a moment-bad things happen when he thinks) and had to admit Joe was…probably right. However, he just grumbled "whatever" and started assisting his brothers.

Not three minutes later, Stella Malone walked in. "Hey guys. Frankie said you would be up here…" She trailed off when she saw what was remaining of the mess. "Kevin, what did you do?"

The oldest brother threw his hands up. "Why does everyone automatically assume it was me?"

"Because it usually is." Nick said evenly.

"Need any help?" Stella asked, already making her way over.

"That would be appreciated." Nick replied, but Stella had already knelt by Joe and was putting pictures back in the boxes. For a few minutes, the room was silent.

Kevin was looking through an old album of his baby pictures when someone's foot nudged him in the leg. He looked up, fully prepared to whine "whaaaat?" when he noticed Nick motioning for him to come next to him. He was holding an old piece of notebook paper in his hand and…grinning. Kevin knew that this did not bode well for someone, and made his way over to Nick's side; Joe and Stella were fawning over an old photo album of childhood photos (well, Stella was; Joe was just smiling) and didn't notice the movement.

"Dude, read this." Nick said, still grinning. He handed the notebook paper to Kevin, who read it slowly. After a moment, a grin of his own broke out across his face. He looked up at Nick, who nodded. Kevin handed the paper back to Nick, and then cleared his throat to get Joe and Stella's attention. Both looked up at him and Nick.

Nick's grin hadn't lessened, and, if the way he glanced up at Joe from the piece of paper he was holding, this wasn't going to be good.

Wait. That piece of paper. Joe paled. "Don't you dare."

Nick just brought the paper up to eye level and began to read. "'Do you love me? Do you wanna be my friend?' " It slowly dawned on Stella what the paper was, and she turned pink. Joe had already scrambled across the piles of photos and was attempting to snatch the paper from Nick. Nick was one step ahead, and had already passed the paper to Kevin who was standing a few feet away. Kevin read from where Nick left off. "'If you do, don't be afraid to hold my hand'."

"Come on, guys, I mean it! Not funny!" Joe snapped from his place on the ground as he scrambled to get up.

Kevin didn't stop. "'I think this is how love goes.' " Nick finished the note with him. " 'Check yes or no. Love, Stella.' "

Joe had finally managed to get up, but he was too late. "I hate you." He hissed, his face red. From anger or embarrassment, his brothers didn't know. Probably both.

"We love you too!" Kevin laughed, tossing the paper back at Joe. Joe caught it, but quickly shoved it back in one of the boxes. "I asked you to stop!"

"You didn't say please." Nick replied, perfectly serious. The grin, however, had not left his face. Joe opened his mouth to give an angry reply, when Stella said quietly behind them "You kept it?"

Joe whipped around, turning even redder. "W-Well, I mean…we-we were in third grade…a-and Mom found it…and she thought it was-" He stammered, trailing off. "…yes." He grumbled.

Kevin slapped him on the back. "Way to admit it, bro." Joe shot him a fierce glare that plainly said 'don't touch me; I'm not done with you yet'. Kevin backed off, raising his hands in surrender.

Stella beamed up at him. "That's so sweet!"

Nick snickered. "Yeah, Joey, it's so sweet." This time, it was Stella who glared, and it was twelve times worse than Joe's. Nick immediately shut up, covering his mouth with his hand.

"I guess…" Joe said finally, his blush fading. "Look, uh, let's just finish putting all this stuff away."

The three brothers made their way back over to the pile. Joe took his place next to Stella, who was still smiling to herself as she put the note back in the box. Nick and Kevin went back to their spot on the opposite side of the boxes. As such, they didn't notice Joe silently slip his hand into Stella's.

And not even Stella had noticed the faded check in box marked 'yes'.