James stopped in the doorway to the bedroom; as expected, his roommate was there, angrily thrusting clothes into a backpack. The other man didn't look up from his packing, but he stiffened slightly when he realized he was being watched.
"Were you going to tell me you were leaving?" James asked quietly. "He's in trouble," was the curt reply. James sighed and stepped into the small room, intercepting the slightly taller man as he turned to head to the dresser. "Alec, I know. The admin clerk asked me for my leave request, because he thought I was going with you. That's how I found out. Why didn't you tell me?"
Alec tried to shift around James to get to the dresser for the rest of his clothes and James stopped him with a hand to his chest. "Alec. Stop for a minute. Please."
"He's my brother, James, and he's in trouble. I have to help." Alec's green eyes met his friend's ice blue eyes and begged for understanding.
James lifted his hand off Alec's chest, showing Alec his scarred palm. "I thought we were brothers too."
Alec's eyes dropped to his best friend's scarred hand, the matching scar itching on his own palm.
"Blood brothers, Alec. Your brother is my brother and if he's in trouble, I want to help."
Alec was startled. He thought James would be jealous of Alec's relationship with his brother, but if James wanted to help? He smiled in relief. There wasn't anything he couldn't do when James was at his side. Getting his – their – little brother out of the trouble he had gotten himself into would be easy.