A sequel to Maybe, but you don't have to read that to read this. Enjoy.
*Note: Maybe and The Photo has the characters from Secrecy Unjustified, but they are in no way related to the plot of SJ. Thank you for your understanding.
The Photo
Private was nervous. Very nervous.
He was in the car and was playing with the ring necklace he had, looking back once in a while. Occasionally, he would stop himself from doing so, but he would look up again to find out that he had passed another street. Another street closer to the apartment...with a probable furious Skipper waiting there.
Even with Jay beside him in the driver's seat, he was still felt afraid. And who wouldn't be afraid of the man who strictly leads a group of people similarly known as 'assassins' and is feared by an entire city? Maybe he didn't look like much to others, but anyone who really knew Skipper knew that it was very bad to cross his line. Very bad indeed.
He didn't think much about it; he was too excited to explore England. But now that he was back on American soil, he was petrified of the thought of entering his living quarters. What would Skipper do to him? He just disappeared for a few days and sent his older brother into a panic. (And I really mean panic; for he called up the NCIS for sanity's sake. Who does that? He's just a boy, not a secret agent slash soldier. Oh wait.)
"Boy?" Jay raised a brow at the half Brit sitting uncomfortably in his seat as they stopped before the apartment building.
"Um..." Private started nervously, but he quickly swallowed it down and faced his superior as the two started walking up to his doom, the boy's home. "Sir, what do you think Skipper would do?"
"I don't know how your brother's brain works, my boy." Jay suddenly raised a hand and Private froze, before he saw that he was about to knock on the door. He hadn't realized that they had already arrived, he was too much in a panic to notice.
"Wait!" Jay stopped and looked down at Private, who smiled sheepishly. "Maybe, maybe we can come back tomorrow? I'm sure they're all asleep by now. I wouldn't want to disturb them." Well, Skippah, specifically, but let's just, ya know...
Jay sighed heavily and dropped his hand. "Boy, this is New York's elite. Doesn't matter what time it is, they'll still wake up to do the job. I thought you knew that?" Private looked down at the ground, playing with the ring. "Or you just don't want to face your brother right now."
"I really think it will be a good idea if we just-"
"He's your brother. He's not going to do anything drastic."
"I practically embarrassed him in front of the whole world." Private hissed quietly, eyes darting to the door once in a while, as if expecting it to burst open any second.
"Just the NCIS. And the squad. Maybe some of the bad guys too."
"Some?" The boy paled at that. Oh dear...
"Still, there's no need to worry. I'm sure he will forgive you."
"But you don't know Skippah." His voice had dropped to a whisper now.
"Private." The man sharply called and the boy couldn't help but flinch at his tone. "Look, boy-"
"You're either coming in," Private felt his heart stop when the familiar voice called out, "or I'm coming out. Armed. Make your choice."
"See?" The boy gestured to the door desperately and Jay sighed.
"It's just us, Skipper."
A rustle of papers was heard throughout the entire hallway. "Come in then." Jay pushed the door open and placed a hand on Private before he could run away, forcing him in. An easy task, despite his heels digging into the ground, because the man was stronger than he looked.
"Ah, Private. You're finally back." He placed the newspaper on the table and got up, nodding at Jay, who nodded back and closed the door behind Private. "How was the flight, brother?" The calm exterior of his brother was not calming him down. Now stop it right there, Private. That's Skippah right there. He's not going to do anything bad to you. Especially when you tell him why you 'left'. Skipper's lips curled into a grin.
A grin? Now he was getting suspicious. In fact, it showed on his face. Skipper chuckled and shook his head.
"Now what's with the face, baby bro? I was just asking about your trip back home. I did try to get Kowalski to give you first class, but apparently they don't let kids in."
"I'm going to be nineteen soon."
"I know. I was trying to get a discount. You barely look fourteen." Now he was just making fun of him. Something was definitely up.
"Fourteen?"
"Come on, lighten up." What happened while he was gone? Did somebody attack New York and replace his brother with an android? And what was up with that grin?
"Skippah?" The boy asked, just to be sure.
"Yeah, Private?"
"Are you," he started, uncertainly, "alright?"
"Of course I would be. You just got back." The man walked over to him and engulfed the boy in a bone crushing hug. "My favorite baby brother just got back." The kid didn't miss the sinister like tone in his voice.
"Uh," Private quickly stepped away once he was released, letting the panic settle in, "Skippah, I think-"
"Calm down." The usual grin wormed its way on his face. "It's still me, bud. No worries. Just had a little drink few hours ago. Got a little spike afterwards." He nodded to the kitchen and Private's eyes widened at the coffee pots lined by the sink.
"Little? You call that little?"
"I call a lot of things little. Little faults. Little problems. Little things. But I," Skipper pulled a square piece of paper and looked at it, "think this is a big thing." He flipped the paper around to show a picture. More specifically, a picture of himself and Kyle cuddling too closely under the covers. "Doncha think?"
"It's, uh," Private shyly pawed the floor with a foot as his face turned red, "nothing."
"Nothing?" Skipper repeated in mock confusion and looked at the photo. "It's nothing?"
"Well..."
"Of course," Skipper mused over the photo with a smirk as he watched the boy from the corner of his eyes, "when I expected you to visit your father's birthplace, I expected pictures of the place, not a girl."
"Um...wh-where did you get that?"
"Doesn't matter now, does it? As for this friend of yours, I didn't think you'll be this close to this 'friend'." The man even put air quotes and crossed his arms.
"Skippah!" Private looked up at him horrified and shook his head. "No no, not like that. We're just friends, remember? We're, just, friends."
"Friends?" Skipper continued in the same tone and gestured to the picture. "This doesn't look like friends."
"She had a nightmare...I was just trying to comfort her."
"And it sounds like you don't want to be friends..."
"Skippah. No. We're just friends." He said firmly, glaring at his older brother.
"You sure? 'Cause this surely looks more like,"
"Of course I'm sure! Have you lost it, dude?! Do you not hear me?!" His eyes widened and he covered his mouth in shock as Skipper raised a brow at him. "Sorry." He mumbled through his fingers, dropping his hands to his sides as he expected the blow. He didn't receive it, but the moment the sound of laughter escaped from Skipper, he really wished for his 'disciplinary action' instead. His cheeks turned bright red and he looked down at the ground in embarrassment as Skipper patted his shoulder.
"I'm just messing with ya, bro." The man ruffled his hair and Private spared a glance to see him grinning at him. He sighed, still embarrassed, and his form relaxed somewhat. "But if you do sneak off again," Skipper frowned, "do expect this picture to come up."
"H-how so, Skippah?"
Skipper bent a bit so that they were face to face and grinned widely. "Just, expect it, Private. Now get to bed, it's already past midnight, and I believe we still have training tomorrow."
"Yes," Private sighed and dropped his head in submission, "Skippah."
"Good boy." Skipper ruffled his head before slinging an arm around him and tugging him to his room.
Tell me what you think! Also, any requests? I have ideas, but they're uh, incomplete? Yes, incomplete. They're not a complete story, I guess.
Random: I'm such a cynical person...XD