The Couch

There was something strange about today, and Theresa Russo couldn't seem to pinpoint what. That bothered her greatly because she didn't like not knowing things. What she did know was that her two eldest children Justin Russo and Alexandra "Alex" Russo weren't talking to each other. It was a nice change compared to the screaming she was used to, but something about it felt… different. She looked up from behind the kitchen island, staring at the brother and sister. They were sitting on the couch in opposite directions, their backs pressed together. Neither of them looked angry or irritated with one another. Alex was just using her sketchbook (even though she should have been studying) while Justin was typing up an essay for his History class. Occasionally, Alex would call out his name, and he would just squeeze her hand in reassurance. It was like she was afraid he'd disappear any second.

Theresa didn't remember anything about the catastrophic events in the Caribbean. She hadn't been put through hell like Alex and Justin were. She wasn't the one that had watched her older brother be sucked into a tornado, potentially gone for good. It had only been a week and a half since their return, and Alex couldn't help but fear that her nightmare would come true. One day, Justin would get up to go somewhere and never return. Which was why she hated school even more now. She didn't want to be apart from Justin. So, every time he had to go to class, he would do something that still shocked the school. He would give her the most loving, bone-crushing hug he could muster.

And Monday was no different.

She was staring at her brother, scared as always. He reached over and pulled her into a hug, making her smile. "I'll see you at lunch, okay?" He offered, pulling back with his hands still rested on her shoulders. Slowly, the brunette nodded and told him to stay safe. It was just a classroom, she knew, but she couldn't help but still be worried. Then he would smile, pat her on the head, and tell her to put less effort into worrying about him and more into studying. Then she would laugh and wave goodbye.

The first school day back from the Caribbean, Justin had decided to sit with his sister at lunch, rather than Zeke. He remembered trading sandwiches with her, which they hadn't done since they were kids. Harper wasn't surprised by any of this. Alex had told her what went down. The brunette hadn't had to explain how frightened she was, she wasn't very good at the "feelings" part of things. Harper just knew. She knew her best friend better than Alex knew herself. Ever since then, Zeke had joined them at their new designated table with Alex, Justin, and Harper. It was nice having more people to talk to, Alex realized.

Jerry Russo was just as confused as his wife. These weren't his kids, they couldn't be. When his kids came home there was usually fighting, screaming, hitting, and the eventual slamming of doors. Instead, the door closed quietly, and Alex and Justin sat down on the couch together. The brunette took out her science notebook and flipped a page open, earning a confused look from him. He said something and she slapped his arm lightly. Jerry walked behind the couch and stared at the open pages, which were filled with doodles. Justin was smiling at his sister, praising her for paying attention in class and doing her work.

This confused Jerry. They were drawings, not notes. Why should his son be proud of his sister?

As if reading her father's mind, Alex rolled her eyes. "Each drawing represents a different topic we've covered in class." She explained. Then she adjusted herself to where she was leaning against the arm of the couch with her legs propped in Justin's lap. He didn't complain. He just smiled at her and started his own work, while Alex started on her science homework. "Hey." She whispered, gently nudging him with her arm. "Do you ever get jealous that Mom and Dad don't remember anything about the trip?"

He instantly understood what she meant.

"No." He admitted. The fact remained that if he didn't remember everything, then he and his sister wouldn't have this new, healthy relationship as they did now. He didn't add on that last part, but he didn't need to. Alex just smiled at him and went back to her work. Yes, he liked this version of them. The version where they got along, pushed each other to be better, cared what the other one thought.

But the strange thing was, Theresa and Jerry didn't like it. Their kids weren't supposed to be like this. They confronted the siblings, telling them to knock it off. Whatever spell they were using, whatever she had hanging over Justin… it had to stop. Alex was hurt when they spoke to her this way. She didn't budge, though. Justin just scooched over and wrapped a protective arm around his sister. This had gone on long enough. Jerry and Theresa pulled the two apart and Alex let out the most unexpected scream. She sank down to the floor as her parents tried to pry her away. One arm was out, trying to take her brother's hand, their fingertips barely touching. He was being taken away from her. Again.

No!

In an act of quick thinking, she flashed out and reappeared beside Justin, hugging him tightly as she cried into his chest. "No." She mumbled. This infuriated their parents more. They told her to let go of Justin and explain herself.

"No."

They told her that if she did not, she'd be sent to her room. That they'd be separated one way or another. Those words scared Alex, and she started panicking again. Justin began to gently stroke her hair. But it happened again. They were broken apart. Jerry and Theresa forced them to their own separate rooms. Neither parent understood what was so bad. But they would, if they remembered. They were putting both kids through another round of hell and just didn't know it. Theresa went to check on her daughter a few hours later. The sound of her door opening brought a hopeful smile to Alex's face. All that hope faded within a second when it saw it was just her mother. The brunette's smile faded, and she resumed crying.

Theresa tried to explain everything, but Alex tuned her out. The next time she saw her brother wasn't until dinnertime. The minute she saw him, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a fearful hug. She was shaking, just like she had back during the Wizard Competition. He wrapped his arms around her and placed a fatherly kiss on her forehead. This confused Jerry and Theresa further. They had to know.

But Alex couldn't say anything. She was still freaking out, scared about being pulled apart. So, Justin explained everything. How mentally scarred she was about being away from him. How terrified she was of losing him. How hard their punishment had hurt both of them. And that Alex would most likely never trust them again. And neither would he. This hurt Jerry and Theresa. Hard.

But they understood now. Well, sort of. Having your brother forcefully taken out of your life would bring a lot of painful emotions. They just didn't expect Alex to feel anything like that. Because she was Alex and Justin was Justin. They thought she genuinely hated her brother. That she would be glad if her brother was out of her life. When they said this, Alex's eyes widened with hurt. She walked away, Justin following her, because he knew she needed him. Dinner was left untouched, and Jerry and Theresa were still wrapping their heads around this.

The next day, Alex walked down the stairs slowly, ignoring her parents. She looked behind her and smiled when she saw her brother. Then she shrank back when she saw her parents coming closer, fearing he would be taken away from her for the third time. He felt her tense up and wrapped a protective arm around his sister. Theresa and Jerry apologized for their behavior, but it still wasn't enough. They didn't understand. They never would.

The two sat on the subway side by side, Alex leaning her head on Justin's shoulder as the train moved. Justin had never experienced what it was like to not want to go to school. He wanted nothing more than to get off at the next stop and take his sister to get ice cream instead because he hated seeing her so sad. But he knew he didn't have a choice, as Alex had recently been taking an interest in school. If he let her ditch, then it was more than likely that she would fall back into her old pattern. So instead, he just exited the subway and held his sister's hand as they motored through the large crowd so they wouldn't get separated. "Justin?" She asked in a weak voice. He just squeezed her hand and smiled at her, "I'm here."

Because sometimes Alex needed the reassurance that she wasn't losing him. That he was still there.

Both had just an okay day at school. Alex passed the one test she had today, but not the high marks she had wanted. Justin would be so disappointed in her. After all, a 75 wasn't anything to write home about. Justin, meanwhile, was having trouble focusing as well. He got all the questions wrong whenever his English teacher called on him. He was beyond embarrassed that he had forgotten to bring in his paper that he had been working so hard on. Nobody took it too hard because this was Justin. The smartest boy at Tribeca Prep. The one all the teachers praised. The person Alex was always compared to. He was supposed to be setting a good example for his sister. So, when she found out all his hard work had gone to waste… Alex would be so disappointed in him.

The two ended up eating together outside today, alone. Zeke and Harper had been informed, neither hurt nor offended. In fact, Harper had recently confided in Alex about her crush on Zeke, so the redhead was most likely ecstatic about the alone time she would be getting. The brunette pulled her knees to her chest and sighed. This whole situation was confusing. She argued with her brother, she would get in trouble. She got along with her brother, she would get in trouble. Makes perfect sense to me. She scoffed, earning her brother's attention. He raised an eyebrow and she just shook her head and stuck her tongue out at him. Justin chuckled and responded by playfully bumping into her side.

He surprised her with a trip to get ice cream after school at Central Park. She was bouncing in place all through the subway ride there. When they reached their stop and managed to maneuver through the crowd, she grabbed a tight hold of his wrist and tried to make him go faster. There was nothing that could get Alex Russo more excited than free food. They sat on a park bench and clinked their cones together. She was finally smiling again. They stayed there for another hour and a half until Justin declared it time to head back home. She groaned in annoyance but followed him anyway. They were laughing hysterically when they walked inside. She was holding his hand, still.

Silence filled the room when they met the angry eyes of Theresa and Jerry. Subconsciously, Alex moved closer to her brother. The two were hounded with questions. Alex, who didn't like shouting very much, explained that Justin had taken her to get ice cream. They calmed down and apologized profoundly. But Alex just shook her head silently and took a seat on the couch, Justin taking a spot next to her. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he leaned his head against her head. Jerry and Theresa couldn't help but think this was weird. Even with the explanation, they never thought they would ever miss their children fighting one another. Then again, the parents didn't exactly like change.

But they would have to get used to it, whether they liked it or not.

A/N: Cute, right? Well, this was fun to write! I may end up hitting y'all with a sequel if I feel like it. No, I don't ship them, but their sibling relationship is just so cute. Sorry if it's not very dialogue heavy. Hope you enjoyed it!