The work day was slow, the hot dusty air of the construction site was filled with the constant noise of drills and hammers, so loud the city sounds of traffic and voices seemed like a distant, low hum. All every worker could think about was getting the work done and over with as soon as possible and earn their pay.

James went about his work mechanically, his thoughts elsewhere. The argument of the previous night still weighed heavily on his mind. Victor had told him to think, and think he did, he thought about it all night, was still thinking about it. He may be slow to finding the deeper meaning of things but he wasn't completely incompetent at piecing things together. He thought he knew what Victor had meant, but there was some strange undertone to everything he did, unspoken meanings James wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Relief from his thoughts came at approximately twelve o'clock noon, when his girl arrived. He bounded over to her happily and placed a light kiss on her puckered lips. She had brought him lunch and he gratefully took the brown paper bag she held out to him. He briefly wondered if this would be a good time to introduce her to his brother, but decided it was a bad idea.

/

Victor watched as James led the woman over to a bench where he started on the bag lunch. Doesn't even bother to introduce me, he thought bitterly. He hadn't spoken to James at all that day, when he left after their fight he hadn't come back till the early hours of the morning and even left early for work. He was sure the entire thing had been dismissed from his brother's mind.

Only on the way home from work did James finally speak to his brother, only to tell him that he had scheduled another night out, it was a few days off so he could use his pay to take her somewhere really nice. James noted the deepness of Victor's scowl at this information.

When they entered their apartment the first thing James did was open up a beer. Victor could tell there was something on his mind, he could always read the little signs when his brother was troubled, like now as he was taking large gulps of the beer, his body language speaking of frustration and unease. It was apparent that his brother could read him just as well when James turned to him and stated, "you really have a problem with me havin a girl don't ya."

Victor shrugged in response, "its your life why should you care."

James downed the rest of the beer, slammed down the bottle and leaned forward with his hands spread on the counter top. He breathed a deep sigh before speaking, "that kiss, wasn't just to teach me, was it?"

Victor was silent for a long while, James could almost hear him thinking, going over all the possible answers that might defuse the situation. It seemed like any answer he could give would have the same awkward outcome. James was expecting him to stay silent, say nothing and leave it at that, it was the easiest way to deal with an awkward situation, with silence or a laugh.

Just as it seemed that silence would be the only forthcoming answer James heard Victor move, deliberately slow, like a hunting cat stalking toward its prey.

Victor pressed his body against his brother's back, placing his hands on the counter on either side of him. James breathed in deep through his nose, he could smell the dreaded answer as clearly as he could feel it pressed against his backside.

Victor's nose brushed against the back of James's ear, warm breath caressed the skin as he whispered into it, "no Jimmy, it wasn't."

James closed his eyes and felt the pounding of his own heart. His older brother had pretty well just admitted to an incestuous desire for him. Now it was his turn to choose a response. Silence? Laughter?

His thoughts were interrupted by the wet press of a tongue on the back of his ear, teeth following to trace the edge. It felt good. Despite the feeling of discomfort twisting his gut, the desire for pleasure momentarily won him over as a pair of hands slid up his arms and down over his sides to lovingly grip his hips. The rest of the world seemed to fade into the background, only the sounds of rough hands against fabric and the breathing of an open mouth at his neck, echoed painfully loud in his ears.

Victor's desire had won him over and he lost himself in the moment, just feeling his brother's body so close, so warm. He had expected James to be angry and strike him, and he knew that once his little brother's mind finished processing his words and touch, that would likely come to pass. So he took what he could get while his brother remained passive.

The hands moved over his front, went low and cupped him through his jeans. James felt his cock twitch at the sudden, bold touch. He pushed Victor away, "we cant do that Victor!" he said firmly, without meeting his brother's gaze, though he could feel the intensity of his eyes upon him.

"Why not?" Victor purred, "we're brothers."

"Exactly! We're brothers for god's sake! And besides your not... Im not..." James stammered over his response.

"Not what Jimmy? Homosexual?" Victor replied, though he knew it was an argument he couldn't possibly win, he wouldn't go down without a fight. "We don't have to be."

James rubbed a hand over his face, he couldn't believe he was having this conversation. "Look Victor, I love you, you're my brother," he said in a calm tone, "but we cant do that, an I've got a girl now."

There he goes, on about that damn girl again, Victor thought angrily. "It wont last," he told his brother again.

"How do you know...!" James bit off the argument before it could start, and forced himself to keep calm. Victor could see he was on the edge of control. "Maybe you should go out an find a girl of your own."

"Women," Victor snorted with contempt, "frail, weak, only good for a fuck. If you haven't got what they want you aint got no chance, an if you do have what they want they take it an leave! And what the hell have I got that any woman wants!" Victor stepped up close to his younger brother, seeming threatening. "I don't want no girl!" He captured James's mouth in a rough, biting kiss, almost chewing on his lips.

Stunned, it took James a moment to react. He tore away from the kiss, the younger man's blood smeared over both their lips, and threw a right hook that connected solidly with Victor's jaw.

Victor turned back on James with a bloody laugh, it was all he could do. The punch had hurt more than just physically. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the tile floor.

James's face was red with fury and he was visibly shaking from the barely held rage, "Im sorry Victor, but it cant be that way," he forced himself to say. He kept his stance wide, braced for an attack.

An attack never came. Victor just stared at him coldly, all arguments had been made, there was nothing left to be said.

James started toward his room. "Goodnight Jimmy," Victor threw at him, before he closed the door.

James didn't sleep that night. He lay on his side staring over at the door, as though he expected his brother to burst in any moment and try to rape him, like he had done with so many women. If he were a boy then he would have been scared, alone with no protection. Victor was his protection, had been for years since they had run away together.

Goddamit Victor, why did you have to screw things up, James thought, things were going fine until this. But James still wasn't as disgusted as he knew he should be.

/

The night was no less long and troubled for Victor. He wanted to go to his brother, to tear at his flesh with teeth and claws, feel it yield and watch in frustration as the marks knit back together. The thoughts exited him, but all he could do was put a hand to himself, he may have already gone too far. His thoughts were laid bare, Jimmy knew how he felt, but he didn't

feel the same.

Jimmy would never feel the same as long as his delusions of a normal human life remained, as long as he believed anyone other than his own flesh and blood would accept him. Victor would fix that, he would make his brother see the truth of the world.

Victor knew what he wanted now, and he would do anything to get it.