"I'M probably going to end up in juvie. I just got released from being locked up, just to be locked up again."
Miles sighed, and he watched from his spot on the couch as Hunter paced the living room floor. Hunter stopped, and looked over at Miles who had a slight smile on his face. Hunter furrowed his brows in confusion, he had no idea how Miles could be smiling at a time like this.
"Look, I'm not going to let you go again. I mean, I just got you back," Miles said with a slight laugh in his voice.
"It's not like you can do anything to change whatever verdict I get," Hunter said. He ran a hand through his hair, and started to pace again. "The swatting was bad enough, not to mention the online harassment and doxxing. I'm as good as screwed."
Pacing was something that Hunter did when he was nervous or upset. He was trying to get his head in the right place, but it wasn't really working out too well for him. Miles wanted to help him. The last thing he wanted was Hunter panicking. It was rare when Hunter ever did actually show his feelings, but now was one of those times where he did.
"Even if you do, I'll make sure I am by your side. I'm not letting you go again, and even if that means getting myself into some trouble I'm willing to do that." Miles was serious about not letting his brother go again, and he just wanted to ease his brother's mind for the time being. Joking around was the best way he felt he could do that.
"What about your future? I don't want you to mess that up because of me. I'm pretty sure a juvie record wouldn't look too good on anything," Hunter replied. He obviously had no clue that Miles was actually joking, and thought Miles was being serious.
"I was kidding about that, by the way. What I wasn't kidding about though was not letting you go again. I will do everything in my power to make sure you stay," Miles said with confidence in his voice. He had such a good relationship with Hunter now, and he wasn't going to let his little brother go. Miles pushed himself off of the couch, and walked over to Hunter. He grabbed his brother by the shoulders, and then wrapped his arms around him.
This completely caught Hunter off guard.
"I promise I won't let you go, Hunter. I promise," he said quietly. Hunter slowly wrapped his arms around his older brother. Miles held onto Hunter tightly. Hunter's lips curled into a small smile while he was in the embrace.
After about a few minutes of just standing there in the middle of the living room in silence while in each other's arms, the two let go of each other and just looked at each other. It felt good to Miles that he got his brother to smile. He was beginning to think that it wasn't possible.
"So, do you wanna hear how I was planning on sticking by your side if you did get sent to juvie?" Miles asked with a quirky smile on his face.
"Yeah. Hit me with your best shot," Hunter replied. He was actually pretty curious as to how his brother planned to get himself into trouble. He knew that with Miles it was going to be some crazy and elaborate plan that was "full proof" in Miles' own words.
Miles led Hunter over to the couch where the two sit on opposite ends and face each other. Miles laid his feet down on the open space between the two, and started to explain in great detail his excellent plan. The two had their fair share of laughs from this crazy ridiculous plan, and by the end of the explanation Hunter and Miles both were in a fit of laughter.
"In what universe would that actually work?" Hunter asked between laughs. "I have no clue where you'd actually get half of the things you'd need to fulfill that plan. Especially the giraffes."
"Don't doubt the great Miles Hollingsworth III, because you know I'd find a way," Miles replied quite nonchalantly and casually despite his own laughter.
"And if that way involved using dad's credit card, then I am completely in," Hunter added. He felt like he was going to die due to his excessive laughter.
"There is totally a 'Rent-A-Giraffe' service on the Internet," Miles said in a sarcastic tone. That sounded like a good idea, but he figured that he'd have to break into a zoo or something.
"Don't doubt the deep web, I'm sure you could find something like that there," Hunter informed. There was a lot you could find on the deep web, and he didn't doubt that people there would be willing to run a giraffe smuggling ring and made profit from selling or renting giraffes. There was some weird stuff on the deep web.
"You're probably not wrong." When it came to the Internet, Miles trusted Hunter with what he said because Hunter seemed to know the Internet inside and out.
It was times like this that gave the two brothers hope. Even after all they'd been through, it was times like this when they were just joking around and laughing with each other that just showed how close the two had gotten. Neither of them would let each other go because when it came down to it, they needed each other.
They needed each other a lot.