Hi everyone!

I should probably be working on my (currently abandoned) fic or writing something about the recent drama our boys are going through, but instead I have been focusing on this. I'm currently on chapter nine and have a few more ideas which will hopefully keep me going for longer than that. I have no idea if the subject matter of this is something people will want to read, but I wanted to work on writing a longer piece that was realistic rather than sensationalised.

This story will have mentions to more adult themes, but I will put a warning ahead of any risky chapters. This first part is just scene setting, so well accessible to all. There will be a couple of my own characters included in the story, but the overall focus will be on the two brothers and I hope I am doing an okay job at depicting their complex relationship. I've certainly been enjoying writing it, anyway.

I would be incredibly grateful if you had the time to leave a review and hope you enjoy my story

x

Chapter 1

Ethan struggled across the carpark, with two bags in one hand and a large box tucked under his other arm. His parents were laden equally heavily and across the campus Ethan could see many other families weighed down by overflowing luggage. Although the area was awash with busy Freshers, Ethan was suddenly caught by the intense feeling that someone was watching him. He trailed to a halt and squinted across the field. He could just about see the outline of someone else standing still but the sun was too bright and his glasses not quite effective enough.

He jumped as his dad bumped into the back of him and swore loudly. Ethan felt his cheeks burning as a few nearby students turned to look. By the time he had apologised to his dad and recovered from the embarrassment, the feeling of being watched had gone.

They arrived at the flat to find a boy of a similar age to Ethan, fighting to open the door. His parents stood by his side, helpfully reminding him that they wouldn't be there with him for the rest of the year, so he may as well learn to do it himself now. The boy stooped to the level of the handle so that he could closely examine the twist-and-turn mechanism.

Ethan heard his own dad grunt and then a loud thump as one of the many bags hit the floor. Patience was not a virtue that David Hardy possessed. Ethan knew that it was only a matter of time before his dad made a sarcastic (and probably rude) comment and so he lowered his luggage and took a step forwards.

"Excuse me," he said, to his new flatmate. "May I try? We may as well figure out this strange contraption together!"

The boy didn't laugh at Ethan's joke but he did smile gratefully and shove his key fob into Ethan's hand. "At least someone helps!"

Ethan held the fob against the detector and waited for it to flash green. He twisted the door handle to the right and then pushed it down. The door swung open. "Voila!" He stood to the side and let the other boy enter first.

"Thanks, mate," he said. "I know who I'll be phoning when I'm locked out!"

Once there was enough space, Ethan led the way to his room. He was relieved to find he was the furthest but one from the communal kitchen and dining area, hoping that would mean he was less disturbed by noise. The room itself was small, but that was to be expected. It was the bareness that surprised him, although he wasn't sure why.

His Dad grunted again. "This is it?"

"This is it," Ethan confirmed. He tried to ignore the unease in the pit of his stomach. "I imagine I'll be very comfortable here."

"The amount we're paying, you'd think you'd at least get your own bathroom!"

Ethan's mum laid a comforting hand on her husband's arm. "This is much nicer than a lot of the rooms we looked around. Once we've made the bed and Ethan's put a few posters up, I'm sure it'll be lovely and cosy."

There was a silence while the three of them contemplated that. It was broken by another grunt from Ethan's dad and an announcement that he'd fetch the remaining luggage from the car.

Once he was gone, Matilda Hardy turned to her son. "You will be okay here, won't you Ethan?"

"I'll be fine and dandy," he said.

"It'll be quiet without you."

Ethan doubted that he made enough noise at home to make much of a difference, but he knew it was his mum's way of saying she would miss him. He had no doubt that he would miss her too but he was confident that he would cope. After all, he was well practised at ignoring thoughts about missing family members.

"I know you'll work hard," she continued, "but it's okay to have some fun too, you know."

Ethan laughed. "I'm not sure that's the advice you should be giving me!"

She dismissed his comment with a wave of the hand. "Well, once you're a top Doctor you'll have no time for such things. You may as well enjoy yourself while you can." She gave him a lopsided smile. "Don't tell your dad I said that!"

"Oh, of course not," he said. He deepened his voice in an impression of his father. "I'm not here to enjoy myself."

Matilda was still smiling but it was a sympathetic one this time. "He just wants the best for you. Especially now-"

"I know, mum." Ethan wandered over to the window. He knew where her sentence would finish, but he didn't want to discuss it, especially on such a landmark day. "Not a bad view actually."

He watched the crowd of new students walking to their various flats and wondered which (if any) he would manage to make friends with. He'd heard that Fresher's Week was the best opportunity to meet new people, but he would have been quite comfortable sticking with the small group he'd been part of at school.

His thoughts were interrupted by the return of his father, who dumped another pile of bags on the floor and declared that it was much later than he realised. Ethan detected the insinuation within the statement and it appeared his mum did too, for she flung her arms around him and pressed her lips against his cheek. His father's goodbye was less emotional; a simple handshake and an 'I know you'll make me proud'.

Once his parents had gone, the room felt incredibly empty. He did his best to rectify this by unpacking straight away, making his bed and sticking a few pictures on the cork noticeboard. He carried the cardboard box full of his cooking equipment through to the kitchen, where a few of his new housemates were already getting to know each other. A particularly energetic girl jumped off her stool and flung an arm around his shoulders.

He nearly dropped his box. "Er, hello," he said.

She took the box off him and dumped it on the floor. "You can unpack later," she said. "I'm Tasha." She grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the rest of the group. "Let's hope I can remember. This is Luke," she said, pointing the boy Ethan helped open the front door. "Sonny. And Erin. We've got three more still to arrive."

Ethan waved at the others, feeling only slightly foolish as he did so. He was thankful that they all smiled back at him and no-one commented on his awkwardness. He took a seat next to Erin and realised that they were all looking expectantly towards him.

"Oh," he said. "I'm Ethan. Delighted to meet you all."

Ethan stood in front of his new bedroom mirror, worrying about his appearance. The way he dressed wasn't something which had ever bothered him before, but now, about to spend his evening with a group of extraverted strangers, his body didn't seem to fit comfortably into his usual clothes.

His dad always approved of a smartly dressed man and it was one the few pieces of his advice that Ethan actually agreed with. Yet his crisp white shirt and blazer didn't evoke the confidence they usually did. He realised he'd run out of time when a quick knock on his bedroom door followed by Tasha bursting into the room.

"Don't you look sweet!" she said. "Come on, drinks are waiting."

Ethan was alarmed to discover several of his housemates were already inebriated, but did his best to disguise his shock by forcing a smile and accepting the bottle that was shoved into his hand. He'd had beer a few times before and quite enjoyed it so took a large swig and settled onto a stool.

Someone's laptop lay precariously on the kitchen counter, blaring loud club music. Tasha and two others were already dancing around the kitchen. Erin and a girl Ethan hadn't met were preparing a fruit punch with copious amounts of vodka. Two of the guys were bickering over football teams. Although the room was occupied with the full quota of eight housemates, Ethan suddenly felt very alone. With nothing else to do with his hands, he returned the bottle to his lips. It wasn't long before the drink was finished.

Erin approached with a plastic glass full of her punch and insisted he tried it. It was sickly and tasted strongly of alcohol, but he felt rude to turn it down. By the time he'd been too polite to say no to three further glasses, the room was beginning to spin. It was an unpleasant sensation but one which he could tolerate as at least conversation was becoming so much easier.

"Your punch is magical," he told Erin.

The flatmates were rounded up by an overenthusiastic bunch of reps and hoarded towards the Students Union. Ethan staggered down the path between Tasha and Erin in the direction of strobe lighting and pounding music. Through the haze of alcohol, he gradually became aware of eyes upon him, just like earlier that day. He swung around, trying to pinpoint who was watching him. Although a few students glanced at him flailing about, it wasn't with the same intensity of whoever it was staring. He squinted, but couldn't determine who it was. The only possibility was a single figure, retreating through the crowd.

Erin laughed and pulled him back round to face the way they were walking. "What are you doing?"

"There was someone-" he began, but he couldn't put it into words. "Doesn't matter."

"Erin, I think your punch was too strong for some," Tasha said.

Every student was permitted a free shot upon entry. Ethan wished it was a shot of water, but he accepted one anyway and sipped at it, much to the amusement of his housemates. It was blue and syrupy, but he had no idea what flavour it was supposed to be.

The music was uncomfortably loud and not the genre Ethan preferred, but from looking around, it seemed he was the only one who felt that way. The rest of his flatmates were dancing and, as he had nowhere else to go, he joined in the best he could. His limbs didn't move smoothly and certainly not at time to the beat, but after a few more beers, he found it didn't matter anyway.

This time, when the feeling of being watched returned, he pushed his way through the crowd. He could hear his flatmates calling after him, but suddenly nothing mattered except discovering who the person was. He walked in the vague direction he was being watched from and noticed someone else pushing their way towards the exit. He didn't know if that was the culprit, but it was the only lead he had. He was so focused on following them that before he knew it, he was outside, cold and disorientated. Now that the throng of students had dissipated, the unfamiliar campus was dark and eerie. He stumbled slightly, even though he was standing still.

"Ethan," a voice called.

He knew that voice instantly, even though he hadn't heard it for years. He whirled around and locked eyes with someone he'd missed more than anything. Then he punched his brother.