"Are you kidding?" I looked lovingly in to Nick's rich brown eyes. "If you like my hair I'm not gonna cut it." I was sad to be driving home…back to a place where Nick and I would have to pretend like the only thing that happened between us was normal brotherly reconciliation. I felt his hand rest gently on my knee and I smiled a little wider as I drove.

"Thanks." Nick gave my knee a small squeeze. "I mean…you're hair's just so cool…besides, if you cut it what would I do with my hands when I kiss you?" God…he was just so cute! He would say something like it…it was just so Nick….

"You bring up a good point there." I smiled.

"I know, I always bring up good points."

"Hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves here," I said with a laugh. "You've been wrong before kiddo."

"Really?!" he asked, feigning five different kinds of surprised. "I don't remember this…" I just laughed at him. He truly was adorable. We reached the house and I took the key from the ignition as Nick took his hand from my knee. I lingered in my seat for a second, debating re-inserting the key and whisking Nick off somewhere secret where I just kiss him and tell him that I loved him over and over again…but that wouldn't be a good idea. "You ok?" He asked, looking at me with suspicion as I thought.

"Yeah," I nodded and smiled, opening the door. "Just thinking…you know how that goes."

"I love you," he whispered in response. I shivered with the pleasure of the words and stepped out of the car.

"Wow, you two look a lot better." Joe greeted us at the door looking…well…hung over.

"You look like shit," I said, shoving him slightly.

"Yeah well, too much booze, not enough aspirin, eh?" He shrugged and we pushed past him through the door and into the house.

"Aileen still here?" Nick asked, looking around for signs of Joe's very on again off again girlfriend.

"No, we got in a fight." Again Joe shrugged as though it didn't matter.

"Oh yeah? What this time?" he asked.

"She said I drank too much, I said she just drank too little and it sort of escalated, no biggie, I sent her roses, she'll back over here by dinner time, she usually is."

"Just as long as you don't mess up and send lilies again," I said with a chuckle, remembering the time that Joe sent Aileen lilies to try and make up after a fight and she thought he was wishing her death because of the eerie connotations that lilies hold.

"Yeah, I won't be making that mistake again any time soon." Joe sighed. "I swear to god I didn't know."

"It was still funny," Nick chuckled. "Remember? She came over here brandishing a green light saber, threatening to do you serious harm with it…and then you ended up making out in your room…" Nick trailed off. "Still not sure how that one happened." He shook his head and I couldn't hold back a laugh.

"Ahhh, yes," Joe nodded. "I remember that well, the first time we had sex." He smirked mischievously…that was just too much information.

"You're such a loser," I said, rolling my eyes at Joe.

"Well at least I'm getting some…you're not…which makes you the loser, you don't even have a girlfriend…you're not even getting…getting…kissed?" Joe was clearly struggling for a better word, but he didn't come up with one. Nick and I exchanged quick glances and a secret wink…I didn't need a girlfriend.

"Come on Kev," Nick grabbed my shirtsleeve. "Let's leave this freak to his hangover and go play chess." Oh god…Nick and chess, that boy was OBSESSED! But any excuse being with him…

"Get better soon Joe." I followed Nick down the hallway as Joe muttered obscenities under his breath. He didn't like hangovers, but he liked getting drunk every now and then just because…it wasn't like he abused his of ageness.

"So, black or white?" Nick asked as we sat at the chess board in the study.

"Black." I knew it didn't matter. I could bowl but there was no beating Nick at chess. Ever.