Hi, everyone, and especially levyruth18! Thank you so much for the lovely review once again, I feel sincerely honored.

I apologize to you and everyone following this story for making you wait so long. A lot is going on in my life and I have to be there for my love ones, so I can't find time to write these days.

I didn't want to post this one too soon, because it might be a while before the next one, but I felt a bit sad today so I wanted is to put a tiny bit of joy out in this world with this new chapter..

I hope you'll enjoy it, whoever, wherever you are and that it'll make you smile.

Day 48.

"How do we look?"

Kaiah gave the two boys a once-over. Because, damn, they looked good; however, they always looked good.

What with their lively bright blue eyes, their lean, just-muscular-enough bodies, that juvenile air about them that made it like no worry would ever stick or matter. Connor's spiky dirty blond hair, permanent nonchalance, angelic features, and bewitching smile. Murphy's elvish good looks, slightly broader shoulders, disastrous haircut that made you want to continuously run your fingers through his dark strands, his piercing look that kept stunning her, and his boyish devious grin under a little beauty mark that was nothing but a call to sin. Those two didn't leave a fair chance to anyone else. It was downright maddening.

Yet, she was used to observing every little detail of their traits and shapes, so she came up one eyebrow raised with skepticism: "You don't look any different than usual. Like, at all."

"What?" – "We put on our best outfits for ye, lass!" - "Look, our jeans don't even have holes in them." – "And our shirts are extra-clean; we put detergent in the machine and everything!"

"Well, you're supposed to do that every time, you know…"

"I don't think ye appreciate our efforts here," Connor protested.

"Sorry, you look awesome," she said, rolling her eyes. "Thank you for coming with me, though, I mean it!"

"Why are ye so stressed, lass? It's just a party," Murphy then remarked as they started to walk toward the entrance of the warehouse where the art show apparently took place.

"Yeah, but it's a…grown-up party. With actual artists. Talented people. People who know what they're doing."

"So? Ye'll blend right in, luv!"

"Aye, and ye look totally fit in that little dress of yers, by the way."

Murphy let her pass in front of him so he could get a better look at the yellow halter dress that nicely showed off her delicate shoulders and fell right above the daintiest knees he'd ever had the pleasure to behold. The bright color nicely contrasted with her dark skin, and it was a definite change from her usual humble clothes. Notwithstanding that, as she walked with low heels, only high enough that they still straightened her posture, you could just about discern the round shape of her butt moving against the flowing fabric. The sheer suggestiveness of it made his mouth water.

"Downright tasty," Connor also noted with a wink to his brother. They undeniably shared one mind.

"Will you two stop! I mean, thanks -I guess- but it's not the time." She was trying hard not to blush and stutter, as she was getting to the front door, where a bouncer checked if her name was on the list.

"Christ, it's actually fancy…" Murphy started to sound a little worry as well, then. Although, Connor elbowed him in the rib to gesture with his chin at some other guests arriving.

"Fancy or not, I think we could've come here dressed however the hell we wanted, brother."

The little groups approaching were so eclectic -some with piercings and mohawks, some in Converses and torn-up t-shirts, some in cocktail dresses, or even some in old tweed suits- that it would have been difficult to decipher a dress code. Even though the twins were far from their usual rowdy pub, nobody should notice.

Still, once inside, the three of them fidgeted like kids at the parents' table. They toured the walled paintings, not knowing what to make of the abstract images that didn't evoke much to them. Kaiah still managed to find some interests in the choices of colors and textures that could inspire her.

"Well, I'm positive, lass: I prefer yer drawings to any of this," Murphy complained with his hands deep in his pockets and a distinct 'let's-get-out-of-here' look on his face.

"At least with yer things, I can understand what I'm looking at…" Connor agreed.

"To be fair," she retorted with an indulgent smile, "there're not supposed to represent anything. More like provoke a feeling. Maybe like a dream you can't quite remember but that left an afterthought you're stuck with."

"I still like yers better, especially as an afterthought…" Murphy muttered with a smirk now.

"Damn, I've got some harsh critics here!" a voice exclaimed behind them.

And when Kaiah spun on her heels, her face was already crimson red.

"I'm sorry, sir! We were just kidding!" Her teacher, the one exposing, was standing right at hearing range, walking to them with a facetious smile. He was a tall, slender, passably good-looking man, with a sharp dark-blue suit above a brightly colored V-neck top, platinum-dyed short hair, and a few piercings all along one ear.

"Don't worry, dear! It's always good to keep me grounded, especially at events like these! And that was a very nice description you gave. I'll keep it in mind if someone else asks. Plus, I can't blame these gentlemen for liking your art; I'm very fond of it myself!"

For a moment, Connor wondered if that man wasn't outwardly flirting with her, but then, the painter turned his eyes to Murphy and his look radically changed. It showed a sudden hunger that made Connor queasy. And when he talked again, Connor could now detect the blatant partiality for the boy in his tone:

"But I can see you didn't find the bar yet! Let me show you, we've got some interesting artisanal brews, and I even think we might store an old Irish whiskey, if I'm not mistaken. That's where you're from, isn't it? I could recognize that nice brogue from a mile away…"

The man put a hand on Murphy's shoulder, guiding him to where most guests were gathered and leaving Connor and Kaiah to trail behind. She searched for his eyes and had to bit back a triumphant smile at the pure hatred she found spitting fire in there, fixed on the manly fingers inching toward his twin's nape.

They ended up finding other students there, and the art-enthusiasts quickly turned into beer tasters and whiskey experts around the open bar.

The night was well advanced when they finally left the refitted warehouse. They gave up waiting on the ever-late nighttime bus, opting for a nice stroll under the stars instead. Kaiah had donned her small vest, but it did little to nothing against the spring's chilly breeze that gave her goose bumps. While Connor seemed lost in his thoughts, Murphy wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders, rubbing her skin above the fabric to warm her up a little. He was excitedly skipping, happily rambling about how atrocious those sugary lagers tasted compared to their hometown stouts.

"See, it wasn't so bad after all, you even had fun!"

"If I didn't think I'd have fun, lass, I wouldn't have come."

"Ye had fun?" Connor suddenly asked with an edge in his voice that had the two others turn to watch him as they walked. "What with that creep that kept clinging to ye like a fucking leech."

Kaiah bit back her first impulse to mock him for his obvious jealousy, but she still felt like she should come to her teacher's defense. The man had only made his interest clear without ever being inappropriate or crude.

"Well, Murphy certainly caught the eye of the man of the hour. Can't blame the guy, really…"

Murphy let out a laugh at the compliment: "That's only 'cause he recognized me from your sketch, Kaiah! He asked me if I'd model for him too or if it was an exclusive thing I had going on with ye."

Connor stopped in his tracks, there, with his hands buried in the pockets of his black pea coat and a scowl plastered on his face: "Yeah, right! That fucker doesn't even draw people, only ugly blots of paint."

"C'mere, Conn', he was nice-"

"Christ, brother, don't ye see the lad only wants to get in yer pants?

At that, Murphy let his arm fall from Kaiah's shoulder and stared his brother in the eyes firmly for a second. Then, he shrugged with a defiant smirk: "So?"

It took a second for Connor to wrap his mind around the fact that, maybe, Murphy didn't mind that this man was hitting on him. Then, he grunted a non-comital response and averted his eyes to start striding ahead of them.

After a few seconds of silence, Kaiah dared a small: "Did you say yes?"

"I said I'd ask ye first, lass. He gave me his number, but I wasn't sure how ye'd feel about that. I mean, don't all girls fancy their teachers or something?"

She burst out laughing in turn: "Not all girls! I mean, he's great but not my type, I guess. Plus, he's obviously gay and into you, so, even if I did, it wouldn't matter. Are you gonna call him?"

"I don't know, maybe…"

"Perhaps you should-"

"Don't call him." Connor had stopped again before them, turning on the sidewalk to block their path. The icy tone of his voice, the serious look on his face, made him look angry, but his eyes were mostly sad.

However, Murphy chose not to acknowledge that. He had decided to move on for his own sake, so whatever Connor was feeling shouldn't factor in his choice:

"Why the fuck do ye care?" he spat with a little more aggressiveness that might have been necessary.

Connor glanced at Kaiah as if he was asking for help, though she only gave him an encouraging nod back. He took a deep breath through his nose. Except it did nothing to calm him. In fact, he took another, then another as if he was heaving, his eyes dead set on his twin now, with a growing intensity that began to frighten Murphy; is that fucker going to punch me?

And indeed, Connor's hands suddenly grabbed him by the lapels to push him back into a darker alley, with Kaiah on their heels:

"Connor!"

Murphy felt his shoulder blades slam on a brick wall. He prepared to fight back, without even thinking first, it was a reflex. However, when he made a fist in his brother's coat as well, he felt Connor's whole body lunge at him faster than he could react. He barely had the time to witness the dark shade of ache in his twin's deep-blue eyes before he felt the man's lips crash onto his own.

It was fierce, rough, messy, almost painful. It wasn't thought-out or controlled. It was forceful. And it was possessive.

At first, Murphy even pushed back on his brother's shoulders, trying to free himself from the bruising grasp. He even thought about punching his twin away for a second. It was too much. It was too violent. And, to a point, it felt straight-out assaultive.

Though, Connor did pull back, but only an inch away. They locked eyes for a second, and Murphy found something in there he hadn't ever seen before. The cloudy storm in their usually bright sky-blue pleaded him to understand. To yield. Because anything else would have been too devastating.

So, he understood. He understood that this was the confession, the admission he had craved from Connor since he was still a teenager. That it could not come out any other way. It was stupid and brutish and awkward. But it was the only way it ever could have been said. Ye want me as well.

Thus, Murphy surrendered to the clumsy demand. And Connor kissed him once again. His body relaxed in the overbearing embrace. Trusting. Happy even. He managed to half open his lips and Connor's tongue plunged into his mouth. Intrusive. Aggressive. But that meant he got to taste him for the first time. The spice of cigarettes and whiskey that matched his own. The warmth inside of him, the flavor of saliva that was only Connor. And Murphy shivered from head to toe as elation took him in a wave. That was it. It was happening. And there was no denying the sentiment behind it. The heat that built up around them. It felt like they were one, once again.

Murphy met fervid strokes with tender ones. He put his hand delicately on his brother's jaw, caressing his cheek in an appeasing, encouraging way, and he heard the desperate whine that escaped the back of his twin's throat. Almost needy.

That's when Murphy had to clamp his brother's sides, forcing them both to spin. And Connor let him. He let himself be led because he seemed fucking lost. Murphy in turn slammed his twin's back against the wall and showed him how in synch they were. He attacked Connor's mouth now, so it was this one's turn to melt in his embrace. His whole body pressed against him. Molded into him.

They both felt themselves hardening on, as well as they felt the other do the same. And smiles grew onto their tenaciously sealed-together lips. Chuckling giddily against each other, sneaking a shaky breath so they wouldn't have to part.

Connor had a fist tangled in the hair at the back of Murphy's head, almost painful and yet right where it belonged. The other was tugging at his hip, pulling him closer even though that wasn't possible. Murphy's own arm had snaked around his brother's waist, snuggled in the small of his back. His tattooed hand still glued to the side of his twin's head, fingers grazing under his ear, thumb brushing the sharp line of his cheekbone to still sweeten their ardor.

The kiss became more languorous. And curiosity took over. They explored each other's mouths truly for the first time. They learned what tickled and what made the other shudder with want. Obviously, they fought a bit for dominance, but that felt reassuring for both. Because it had always been their way of doing things. And that meant this was changing nothing. They were still themselves, underneath the lust. Neither wanted their intimacy to change beyond recognition.

They slowed down gradually, not wanting the bliss to end, but naturally soothed from their first agitation. Connor soon nibbled at his lips, as if he fought an inner battle between pausing and keeping it going forever. Murphy smiled and moved his own kissing to the corner of his brother's mouth, his jaw, lowering to his throat, tasting his golden skin. And reveled in the low, satisfied moan he elicited. Fuck, that noise went straight to make his cock twitch. Knowing he was the sole responsible for it was extraordinary…and a little daunting. Because…didn't it mean something else was coming? Something Murphy wasn't sure he was completely prepared for, despite yearning for it since fucking puberty.

His brother's voice immediately settled the rising anguish down:

"Fuck, Murphy… That's so fucking-"

"Good."

"Wrong."

Murphy stopped nipping at his neck to watch his darken eyes with a concerned frown, so Connor quickly admitted:

"…And good."

And Murphy's beam was enough to make his twin let out a laugh. They were okay.

However, as they looked at each other now, they found themselves a little at a loss for what to do next. They were both usually pretty good at this part; they knew how to lose themselves in the moment and seek to give as much as receive pleasure from the other part involved. But that was it, they were used to taking things fast. The problem now was: this wasn't just any one-night-stand that you could wash off the next day, however pleasant it was. This was the real deal. This was important.

Instinctively, Murphy looked around for the one person that had helped him through all of these questions lately. His anchor. The girl that had unlocked the kind of stalemate they had previously reached in their brotherly relationship. Although she wasn't there.

"Where's Kaiah?"

Connor didn't seem thrown off by the question that tore them both away from the moment they'd been sharing. On the contrary, he looked around a bit concerned as well:

"I would have thought she'd have loved to watch that," he mumbled, attempting to lighten the eerie situation.

"No, she's gone…"

"Well, come on then!"

With that, Connor broke into a jog up the street and Murphy followed suit. They caught up with her only a few blocks away. She was crossing a bridge above the river, hugging herself to fight off the cold, her little heels clacking on the concrete with each hurried step.

"Hey, lass!" – "Where ye going so fast?"

She spun around as they called for her.

"Oh…hum. Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak out on you. I just thought I'd give you two some space…"

Murphy thought maybe Connor would get embarrassed or angry or at least try to downplay what had happened, although he only smirked and asked:

"What for?"

She answered with a pointed look as if he was dense, and before those two could start arguing, Murphy said in earnest:

"I mean, I know we sort of forgot about ye for a second there, but that doesn't mean we wanted ye gone…"

"Far from it!" Connor's addition startled them both. But Kaiah still hinted that they should get some time alone together:

"You want to walk me back all the way to my aunt's house? That's a long detour. And the neighborhood's not that bad, I'll be okay if you guys wanna get home," she said pointedly.

"Why are ye not coming with us, luv? Ye mad or something?" Connor asked now.

"What? No, I'm not mad! Are you kidding? I just…I'd get it if you wanted privacy or something…"

"Don't be daft, girl! Privacy from ye? Like that ever existed," he now scoffed, so Murphy knew he could safely clarify in a soft tone:

"I guess, we'd be glad if ye came back with us, lass. Ye know, spend the night."

She narrowed her eyes. "Please tell me you two are not gonna pretend nothing happened again…"

Both twins turned to look at each other for confirmation, and a smile crept on both their faces. However, they also looked a little uncertain, shier than usual, awkward. Connor chuckled and talked first, glimpsing at his brother a little sheepishly:

"C'mere girl, ye can't forsake us now! Ye know we're both stupid little shits that are going to ruin everything left on our own devices!"

"Talk for yerself, eejit!"

"Like ye're any better, fuckwit!"

They started happily rowing, and she came between them with a shout: "Alright! Alright! You've made your point, morons!"

"Okay then! Let's all go home! There are some ideas ye've put in my head that I need to try now…" Connor concluded.

Murphy glanced at Kaiah with wide eyes while she beamed from ear to ear. So, Connor slid between them, lacing in his fingers with Kaiah, and laying a small peck on her temple that she understood as a silent 'thank you'. Then, he strongly wrapped his arm around Murphy's shoulders and leaned his head in so he could, in turn, lay a kiss on the side of his brother's head. And this one blushed like a virgin at the faint touch of his twin's lips, his whole body shivering with excitement as they walked toward their apartment.