Authors Note: Hello all! So, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who still reads this. I am doing my best to finish this so you won't be disappointed. This chapter, Touya finally reveals his true intentions, but how will it go? Well, find out ;P peace!
Chapter Eight
He knew that his twin sister would just gloat and brag about how she had been right and that it had been obvious his devious little scheme would fail, and yet he found himself seeking comfort from her about it all.
Just why had he chosen not to sleep with Nate? He was there, begging and asking to be ravaged. And yet his stupid conscience had come into play and prevented those cards from being used in the sick and twisted game.
"Oh, jeez bro... I didn't expect you to fall for him... and so quickly!"
"Shut it, you." He scowled at her as they once again sat at their favourite coffee shop. How the tables had turned this time around. Last time they visited this establishment, he had been beaming about his plan and how easy it would be to pull off, yet he had failed.
And miserably so.
"So, what exactly happened?" She asked, idly sipping her orange juice through a straw. Touya sighed, head placed on the palm of his hand.
"Nate came home off his face drunk, threw himself at me and I turned him down."
"Wait... what?" Touko gawked, clearly shocked that her twin actually had any power of restraint. Considering how he had been bragging about breaking the young boy, why had he chosen not to go through with it?
"Yeah, believe me... I'm just as shocked as you are." He grunted, swirling his straw around the glass, his eyes not even managing to look at his sister. She would probably just tell him 'I told you so' and berate him. That was the last thing he needed right now.
"Was it maybe because he couldn't consent, and the decent human being that resides within you couldn't go through with it?" She tried, watching as Touya shrugged his shoulder's.
"No idea. Like it literally got close to it, but then for an odd reason my body just wouldn't co-operate..." As kind eyes beheld the image of her twin brother, she couldn't help but smile. It was clearly written on his face. He genuinely did care about Nate, even if he tried to hide it all the time.
"Maybe you genuinely care about him and don't actually wanna hurt him?" She tried, watching as he scoffed at her remark. Even though she knew he would deny it, it was apparent. The younger brunet had really crawled underneath his cold skin, and hopefully, within time, it would make him a warmer and kinder person.
"Come now, sis, you know me. I don't care about people who aren't important to me."
"That's the thing, though. Nate is important to you." She blatantly said it out loud, sipping her juice, watching his body language. He was guarded, not meeting her eyes and a nervous disposition took hold of his usual brash demeanour. Her brother was feeling, and he didn't like it or even know how to handle it.
"Ugh... last night was so awkward." He groaned inwardly. "Afterwards he got so upset, thinking I hated him or something. I couldn't even give him a reason why I didn't go through with it. I kept thinking... should I just give him what he wants?"
"...and how the tables have suddenly turned~" Touko marvelled, grinning. "Why are you sitting here with me, drawling on about how his actions made you feel? Just the other day you were confident, telling me all about your... antics with him, and now you're acting like you'll break him or something."
Was that what it was?
Was Touya scared about messing things up so his plan wouldn't come to fruition? With Hugh being on the scene, it felt as if he had a rival of sorts and needed to tread carefully.
"Yeah, you're right sis. I should just go and take what I want, I mean... isn't that what I do best? Just think about myself and screw everyone else's feelings?" For an odd reason, his words cut her deep. It felt as if he were personally attacking his own persona to validate what she had said.
"That's not what I am saying." She scolded, eyes burning into his figure as finally sienna irises met hers. "...I meant as in why are you sitting here telling me when you should be talking to him about it?"
And the simple response to that was he didn't know how. It felt like he had flat out rejected the brunet. Just what was he supposed to say to reconcile?
"And just what am I supposed to tell him?"
"Well, the truth would be a start." His skin erupted in goosebumps. Was that really necessary? Would he actually need to tell Nate the whole truth about his cunning plan? Surely by doing that the boy would hate him, and then it would make this whole mess worse.
"So, tell him my master plan?" Touko looked thoughtful for a moment.
"That all depends. If you genuinely think you care about him, and feel more for him than you're letting on then you'll need to come clean about everything. Yeah, it'll be painful- for you both, but he should know the truth." Swallowing hard he briefly closed his eyes, attempting to slow down the incessant beating of his heart. There was no way Nate would be forgiving if he told him.
"... y'know... I hate to say this Touko, but you really were right, about everything." Her lips pulled into a sad smile, and gently her hand reached out to his arm.
"Look, I'd love a reason to gloat right now believe me, but this is a huge breakthrough. You've met someone who brings emotion out of you! That has never happened!"
"Yeah, and as soon as I tell him the truth, he will run away as fast as a Rapidash, not that I'd blame him", Touya grunted through clenched teeth.
"You know Nate better than I do, but maybe the kid will surprise you. Just follow your heart, and do what you think is right, bro."
This was all a horrible mess, something he never planned for. Would he really have to come clean about everything, including his past? A heavy sigh escaped Touya's lips as he sipped at his coke, trying to ignore the pressing issues that lingered back at home.
Back where he felt... vulnerable.
XxXx
Given the terrible state Nate had gotten himself into last night, thankfully he didn't have a raging hangover. His head throbbed somewhat, but it was definitely manageable.
As his eyes opened weakly and he looked to his side, once more Touya had left early. Nate sighed deeply, tracing the indentations in the pillow with his fingers, wishing that his step-brother wouldn't just up and go so suddenly.
They needed to talk. Last night he was out of it and had tried it on with Touya, only to be rejected. Was it merely only because he was drunk?
Was that it?
Yet, even so, he felt sad. His lust for his step-brother was real and deeply rooted, all he wanted was to be close to him and yet he felt like his actions were pushing him further and further away.
Weakly he buried his head into Touya's pillow and inhaled deeply. The scent of sandalwood lingered, and it gave him a false sense of comfort, as if his brother were still here in the room with him. If only. Right now all he wanted was a cuddle, and yet even that seemed an impossible feat right now.
Then his ears detected the bedroom door opening. As he turned over to face the direction, his eyes melted into pools of sienna, and instantly his heart leapt in his chest. Touya had come back!
"You're back..." He murmured shyly, pulling the bedsheets up around his naked torso.
The older brunet closed the door and took a deep breath. So, was he actually going to listen to his twin sister on this one, and try talking things through? He didn't even know where to start, but as soon as their eyes connected, he could feel his steely resolve slipping.
"Yeah... looks like it." Touya gently sat on the edge of the bed, feeling the younger boy shift amongst the covers to get closer. Weakly he closed his eyes, attempting to sort out the horrible mess in his own head. It was apparent Nate was confused about why he acted that way, but what was he supposed to say?
The truth?
"Is everything okay?" The older brunet turned to look at the boys kind and youthful face. Since when was he looking at him differently? Yes, Nate was a means to an end, but for a strange reason, his conscience kept playing tricks on him. This kid was cute, and clearly infatuated with him, did he really desire to hurt him in the process of his sick and twisted plan?
"Tell me, Nate... why are you still trying to talk to me? Why don't you just forget about me and go and spend time with your best friend?" Hazel eyes sparkled with emotion as fingers gripped the sheets tightly.
"Y-you know why, Touya... I really like you..."
"Do you though? Or is it just lust clouding your better judgement?" It was weird to see such a strong conviction on the young boys face. He was stern and unwavering. Perhaps he had been wrong to have just assumed that Nate was overwhelmed by sexual desire, and there were real genuine feelings that fuelled his actions?
"Touya... why would you say that?" He shrugged, eyes looking away.
"I'm a bad person, kid. I use people for my own gain. It's better to invest your time into someone who actually deserves it." The older brunet jolted when he felt cold fingers on his arm. As their eyes met once again, he could clearly see the annoyance in hazel irises.
He was only speaking the truth. All this time, he had been trying to use the younger boy to hurt other people, to break up the family and to save his mother. He truly was a selfish and hateful person.
"Don't say things like that! I don't think that about you, and I never will!" Nate piped up confidently, cheeks flushed with heat. A small smile teased Touya's lips. This kid was so naïve and trusting. Here he was, laying it all out to him, and he was still choosing to stay.
Perhaps he had to be brutally honest about what his intentions were from the start to see his reaction? Maybe then he would change his deluded mind?
"You're so naïve, kid." Touya jested softly. "I came here with one goal in mind- to do anything necessary to get my family back together. I didn't care about hurting anyone in the process because that was all that mattered. I wanted Vaughn to suffer for hurting Mom the way he did... it was all his fault that she ended up in the hospital.
"If he never met Lily, then none of this would've happened. They would still be happy and married, she wouldn't have gotten so mentally ill she needed hospitalising, and we wouldn't have been cast out of our home.
"I HATED the idea of coming here, mingling with a new family, and trying to be happy. Our Mom is all alone in that hospital, suffering because of what Vaughn did to her. All I wanted... was my family back."
His sienna eyes darkened as he looked away, hands clenching into fists at his sides. It had been all Vaughn's fault.
That cheating scumbag!
"... I'm sorry Touya, truly I am..." Nate uttered weakly, his fingers gently stroking against the older brunet's arm in a feeble attempt to comfort him. It was obvious just speaking about it was rattling him. "...but we would never have met if that didn't happen."
"That is the thing," Touya said casually, turning to face the younger boy. "I didn't care about you or anything. All I wanted was my Mom to be well again so we could all go home... I didn't want to be here with you. I hated being here."
He knew his words were like daggers in the naïve brunet's heart, but now was the time for brutal honesty. If Nate still decided he was worth sticking around for then, that would be up to him, but right now he was laying all his cards on the table.
"S-so... why did you make it seem like... you w-wanted me?" His voice was small, laced with pain, and it made Touya close his eyes. He couldn't bear to look Nate in the face right now.
Just speaking it out loud was really proving just how much of a colossal asshole he had been. The younger boy still had feelings, and they were just as valid as anyone else. But he had been so consumed in revenge and anger that anything else didn't register.
"I-I... wanted to get your Mom and Vaughn to break up by any means necessary... and you were an easy target. You took everything hook, line and sinker. Pitiful, really."
The atmosphere between them seemed electrically charged, and it caused the older male's heart to pound anxiously in his chest. Nate had every reason to hate his guts for what he just told him, after all, wasn't that the most logical of things to do after being told you were basically a means to an end?
"...s-so, it was all some... sort of plan?!"
"Yeah... it was. A sick and twisted plan... and the worst of it? It almost worked." The one thing Touya didn't expect was cold fingers smacking against his face, hard. It jolted his body as sienna eyes flared at the action. Nate had slapped him across the face, and he totally deserved it. His freckle-blemished cheeks were flushed in sadness as tears formed in sorrowful hazel eyes.
"...y-you never cared about me...?!"
"I said it was... not that it is the case now", Touya admitted, nursing the stinging sensation on his cheek. "...that was why I couldn't go through with it last night. I didn't wanna hurt you anymore, or drag you further into my mess. I wanted you to know the truth, regardless of if it hurt you. I owed you that much."
Even though Nate's heart heaved in pain, he appreciated how honest the older male was being. He was baring it all out for him to see, and then it was up to him how he would take it. Right now, it hurt- really hurt. But for some reason, he still felt so strongly for his step-brother.
"So, now you know." He finalised, exhaling shakily. "...the best thing to do is to keep away from me. I'm not good to be around..."
"Touya..."
"Don't..." He sharply cut him off, sienna eyes flaring. "...just don't..."
"Wh-why did you decide to tell me all of this? You could have just carried on... y-you could have used me like you intended to." Nate felt like his fragile heart was on the verge of collapse. He had become so involved with his step-brother and hearing his venomous words of truth were literally destroying everything.
"I wanted to give you the chance to not get involved with this, to be happy with someone who is good for you. You deserve that, Nate. You deserve to be happy."
His lips strained into a grin, as sienna eyes sparkled with emotions that refused to stay buried. Even though for an odd reason just saying these words out loud were hurting him, he couldn't help but long for the younger brunet to just wrap his arms around him and to forget about it all.
Then a touch of tenderness was felt, as Nate moved to hold Touya's hand in his own. His fingertips gently stroked his honey blemished skin, in a feeble attempt to try and lift his spirits. Even though the truth had been something he didn't want to hear, he was grateful.
Touya could have easily ruined him last night with him being in such a state, and yet the boy had chosen not to. Clearly, he had a conscience and cared even just a little bit.
"I want to come with you to the hospital..." The older brunet's eyes widened in shock. Just what the hell was Nate saying? Even after all this, he still wanted to support him? But why? He didn't deserve it. He deserved to be alone and to suffer for his despicable ideals.
"Wh-what?"
"...to visit your Mom... I want to come with you." Touya swallowed hard as he beheld Nate's kind face. The messy-haired brunet really was something. He was still here, wanting to be close to him, wanting to help him.
"...seriously?" Nate nodded, squeezing his hand.
"If you'll let me that is. I want you to feel supported, and know that you're not alone in this."
It happened so suddenly.
He couldn't help it.
Touya lunged at the younger boy, wrapping his arms tightly around his smaller frame, holding him close desperately. As he squeezed his eyes shut, painful tears cascaded down his cheeks. All this time, he had felt alone, and now by some miracle, he wasn't anymore.
Nate returned the gesture, wrapping his smaller arms around Touya's waist, inhaling deeply and enjoying how warm his body felt against him. The older boys grip was firm, as if he were scared to let go.
"Th-thank you..." He muttered softly, nuzzling affectionately into his soft messy hair. Nate smiled a little, feeling a bit better than he did earlier. Just seeing this new vulnerable side to his step-brother made it all that much harder to pull away. He couldn't deny his feelings for him, and they continued to grow stronger with every passing day.
"Touya... "
"Yes, you can come with me to visit my Mom." He finalised, sniffling back tears. "I'm sure she would love to meet you." Nate smiled, simply enjoying this moment with the brunet. The tables had well and truly turned, Touya was vulnerable right now, and he was the one offering a helping hand. It felt good and made his heart thunder powerfully within his chest.
"I'd like that..."
XxXx
Ever since the day Touya had finally come clean about his cunning plan, the dynamic between himself and Nate had changed. The evil, manipulative thoughts that once resided in his brain had now altered to that of genuine contentment. He enjoyed the younger boys company. The kid was a welcome distraction in this cruel, unforgiving world.
Even the atmosphere at the dinner table was a lot nicer. Touya and Nate shared many laughs, which made Lily and Vaughn happy to witness.
Rosa was the only person who still seemed concerned about her step-brother's actions. Why was he behaving like this now? He had made it very clear that he only had bad intentions for her twin, so why now did they actually appear content together?
Touko felt overjoyed at seeing the boys, secretly happy that they had managed to sort things out. Even though her twin would never admit outright about his feelings, she knew that they ran deeper than what he was letting on. And that was okay. As long as something other than vengeance ruled his heart, she could rest easy.
One particular evening once dinner was finished, Rosa made haste to her bedroom not even bothering to speak to her brother, which made Nate feel as if he had done something wrong. Was she unhappy that he was getting along better with Touya now, or did she know of his true intentions from the get-go?
It made sense. Rosa never liked Touya and made that abundantly clear. She was always better at reading the situation and knowing what people were truly like. It was as if she possessed a sixth sense or something.
"Nate honey," Lily piped up as she picked up the empty plates from the table. "I'm so happy to see you and Touya finally getting along better." His cheeks flushed a little.
"Yeah, we had a long talk... and sorted out things." She smiled kindly and ruffled up his hair playfully.
"Good. I bet it feels nice to finally have a big brother, someone to look up to." As hazel eyes delved into sienna, Nate felt his heart betray him. He was more than just a step-brother, he was someone who he was inexplicably drawn to as if he were the gravity keeping him grounded in the world.
"Y-yeah... it is." Lily turned to Touya, who had just finished off his glass of water.
"You look after my boy, okay? I know there isn't much of an age gap between you, but Nate has always been too naïve and trusting. He needs someone to guide him."
"Mom!" The younger boy cried in embarrassment. Touya looked at Nate and merely smiled. Now they had been honest, and the truth was out there, he intended to make good on his promise. Ever since he realised just how much the brunet meant to him, he was determined not to lose him, or betray him.
"Of course I will don't worry." As she left to help Vaughn with the washing up, Nate couldn't help but notice how sienna eyes darkened as he beheld his Dad's image.
Clearly, he was still hurting and held a lot of resentment for the man. The young brunet wondered deep inside if there was any way at all to help him, after all, he had been honest about the whole thing.
"...Touya..." He murmured, grabbing the boys attention. "I... uh... need some help with my studies. Can you come and help me real quick?" The older brunet seemed confused until it appeared the penny had dropped. He was making a plausible excuse to get away.
"Oh yeah, sure." And just like that, both boys managed to escape to the safety of their bedroom.
As Nate quietly closed the bedroom door and made sure that no-one could overhear, he turned around and faced the figure of Touya, who had sat on the bed. He still seemed perplexed by Nate's actions, but maybe there was a hidden meaning behind it?
"So, what is the real reason you needed to get away?" He asked, eyes watching the slim boy's figure as he settled down beside him. Hazel eyes seemed awash with concern, and he couldn't understand why. As far as he was concerned dinnertime had been a happy occasion this time, so why did he still look so sad?
"Touya... I saw the way you looked at Vaughn..." He swallowed hard, hands clenching into fists.
"... I'm sorry, kid. I just... can't hide my feelings very well it seems."
"I want you to tell me how to help." Sienna eyes sparkled as he looked at Nate's youthful, freckled face.
Wait, what did he just say?
"How to help...?" He nodded.
"To get your family back together... I want to help you. I hate seeing you so angry and upset..." His heart pounded in his chest. Just what was Nate saying?
Even after being told the truth, the kid still desired to aid him? He couldn't use the boy for that though, it wasn't fair. He had already made the decision that from now on, his intentions towards Nate were going to be for the right reasons.
"Nate... I'm not going through with that idea. I told you that."
"Isn't there another way?" He pleaded, and it forced the older brunet to look away. Nate was so adamant about doing something to help him, and even though it was sweet, did he actually know the extent of what his actions would cause?
Yeah, Lily and Vaughn would break up, but then Touya would have to leave again, and there might be a chance they wouldn't be able to see each other. If it got out about their sinful relationship, it was highly unlikely that anyone would want it to continue.
"Not that I know of... Vaughn cheated on my Mom with Lily, so the only other idea would be for him to cheat again. But I doubt he would. He clearly seemed besotted with her... and I am not resorting to plan A." Nate's face crumpled a little as he snuggled into Touya's side for comfort. He hated seeing him so full of resentment and anger. All he wanted was to ease some of that torment, in some way.
"If we did, though... it would work. They would have to break up to stop us from being together." The older males jaw tensed as the words infiltrated his brain. Why did he care so much about this now? Before he would have jumped at the chance.
"No Nate, it's not up for discussion."
"B-but..."
"Look, if we actually did that... do you really think we would be allowed to continue seeing each other? They would do everything to keep us apart!" For an odd reason, he found that his voice had raised in octaves, and his heart was now pounding angrily within his chest. The thought of someone taking the younger boy away seemed even more painful than losing his Mom to the mental illness, and he didn't understand why.
"I just want you to be happy", Nate uttered quietly, gently nuzzling his face against Touya's arm. "... you're not happy being here..."
"That isn't true, and you know that." The older brunet moved, so his arms were wrapped around Nate, pulling him close into a cuddle. After everything, he was still here, and that meant more than anything right now.
Gently he pressed his lips against Nate's forehead, hearing the smaller boy sigh softly. It just felt right to have his arms around him, to be in this moment and enjoy it sinfully. Who cared if it was technically wrong to feel this way. They weren't blood relatives, after all.
"... it's only going to be a matter of time before someone finds out..." Nate uttered weakly. "It's not like we can hide this forever..."
"If that happens, then we will have to figure something out, but for now... we just need to enjoy the time we have." And those words for once were actually sincere. Touya couldn't actually believe that it took jealousy to change his whole perspective. The mere thought of losing Nate to someone else had altered his resolve, and he had ended up confessing the truth behind his advances.
Nate had willingly forgiven him and appreciated the honesty, even if the words hurt more than any lost battle. At least now they were both being open with each other, and it felt like it was a clean slate for the two boys. But of course, they should have known that when a certain sister is involved... things never go according to plan.
XxXx
"Truth or dare...?" Nate asked quietly, as his eyes watched his sister's relaxed figure at her desk, spinning in the chair. A smirk tugged at her lips. She knew full well what her intentions were.
This little game all conjured from the fact it would be Hugh's birthday in a few days, and she was concocting a scheme to make things between the step-brothers extremely frosty. What better way than a game of truth or dare, mixed with alcohol?
"Yeah! It'll be fun! Hugh's Mom and Molly are visiting her Grandparents for the night, so it'll be perfect! We can all celebrate together! Order pizza, get drunk... play games." Her eyes mirrored darkness that lay within her soul, but unfortunately, Nate was utterly oblivious to it. He had never heard of the game or even knew the rules of how to play.
"So, who is going to be there?" She placed a finger to her lips in thoughts.
"Me, you... Touko, Touya and Hugh I guess, unless someone else gets invited. Maybe our step-siblings actually have friends they'd wanna bring with them?" Nate felt his skin prickle with heat at the thought. He was already very aware of how Touya wasn't too thrilled about Hugh's presence, and putting them all in a room with alcohol and bad decisions?
This was just a recipe for disaster.
"I-I... dunno... I doubt they'll wanna go, I mean they don't know Hugh."
"Oh, nonsense!" She beamed, smiling brightly. "Who doesn't love a good birthday party?" Rosa wanted to get to the bottom of Touya's real intentions, and by introducing alcohol and games that could undoubtedly lead to terrible decisions, surely she would be able to out him in front of everyone. It was the perfect set-up, and with Hugh already on side, it should be a breeze.
"...does Hugh even know you're planning this?" Nate asked, to which she rolled her eyes.
"Why so many questions, bro? It'll be a great way for all of us to bond as a family! Isn't that what you want?" It was a loaded question, and she knew that, but her twin didn't see it for what it was. He meekly nodded as his thoughts drifted to his step-brother. It would be Touya's idea of hell, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He could always try to convince him to go somehow.
"Y-yeah... you're right. I'll go and tell him..."
"No need. I'll do that." She stated as she stood from the swivel chair and walked towards the brunet. "He might see it as an olive branch or something if I ask him."
"...so are you trying to be friends with Touya?" For a moment, she contemplated her words carefully. There was no way she could be honest about her little scheme, so she had to be tactful. A beaming smile tugged at her lips as she ruffled up his hair.
"You guys are getting along better now, so it makes sense for me to try and do the same, no?" Rosa's heart leapt suddenly when the arms of her brother wrapped around her tightly.
As his hazel eyes closed, deep within he felt a rush of happiness flood through every nerve ending. Finally, his sister was coming around to the idea- or so he naively thought.
"Thanks, sis..." But of course, being best friends with her step-brother was not the intended goal here. If she could somehow set up Hugh and Nate and make it seem like something was going on, then maybe the truth would come out, and she would finally be able to get her brother back.
It was a long shot, but Rosa was willing to do anything to get Touya out of their lives, one way or another...
