Hello again!

Okay, so, this is the last chapter I have SO FAR of this story (the next chapter is about 1/4 done, so it's getting there).

And I suppose it's worth mentioning that I've got another character of my own creation below: Sadie May Heart - in most stories of mine, she is a Chipmunk OC, but in this one she's just human. She's not too important: again, I needed a fill-in, so I used her. I don't describe it here, but she's got green eyes and straight blonde hair (just if you get frustrated not knowing what she looks like...)

Anyways, enjoy!

'Hey, Alvin. Wanna hang out sometime?'

Alvin flinched once when Sadie walked up beside him, and again when she asked him that question. 'What do you mean?' He returned unsurely.

Sadie pursed her lips reluctantly and looked down to the side. 'I don't know, a movie or something?' She continued.

The amount of times I've been rejected by this girl… and now she's asking me out..? Alvin closed his eyes momentarily to shake off his frustration. It was two weeks into school, now, and he was struggling with every moment of being allegedly "single". Sadie was the last straw.

'Since when are you interested in hanging out with me?' Alvin replied instead.

'I've been trying to figure that one out myself, actually.' Sadie mused. 'I reckon it's because you're not dating girls left-right-and-centre anymore.'

Alvin sighed. 'I'm not allowed, that's why.' He reminded. The whole "Dave has forbidden it" was pretty common knowledge by now.

Sadie frowned at Alvin. 'That's an obvious lie, you know.' She stated.

'It's not a lie.' Alvin said boredly.

'You can't take a friend to the movies?'

'No…' Alvin was finding it harder and harder to remember Simon.

Sadie blew out a breath. 'Okay, fine.' She shrugged. 'But you know I'll never ask you again, don't you?'

Alvin shoved his hands into his pockets miserably. 'Yep.' He said passively.

Sadie gave a slight curious frown, but she fell back and let Alvin walk alone.

A

'Si? Don't you find it sad that you'll never experience what it's like being with a girl?' Alvin asked that afternoon once he'd made himself at home on Simon's bed, pulling a comic out of his schoolbag before looking up at his younger brother.

Simon swivelled to face Alvin from his desk. 'I honestly don't.' He shrugged. 'I find the idea kind of repulsive.'

Alvin raised a brow blankly. 'You're joking, right?'

'Not at all.' Simon smiled amusedly at Alvin's disbelief. 'The best way to describe it is that I prefer a challenge to the ordinary.' He shrugged slowly. 'I have love I'm constantly fighting against, and I suppose the main reason is solely that I've never had a good experience in liking a girl. Jeanette and I together would have been the cliché of the century.'

'That's actually very true,' Alvin agreed, 'but, you know, girls are just so… so interesting.' He bit his lip as he tried to figure out his argument. 'They're all so dynamic. They have an outer layer and an inner layer – and everything about them is welcoming. What can't you like about the fact that they're so… you know, pleasant. Their hair is soft, their skin is soft, their lips are soft –' he was cut off as Simon started laughing, and he frowned at his brother blankly. 'What?'

Simon stifled the chuckles. 'Everything you just said I can say about you.' He stood with a smile and moved to Alvin, kneeling up in front of him. 'You've never experienced a guy.' Simon continued, and tilted his head modestly. 'Neither have I, of course, but accidental moments that happened between us before you knew about my feelings… were everything you just said. Except maybe the lips, but I mean…' he felt himself blushing, but didn't look away. 'They look pretty soft.'

Alvin looked at Simon unsurely. 'You seriously think I have those traits?'

'Absolutely.' Simon confirmed. He brought his hands to Alvin's arms, slowly smoothing them up, and he smiled at Alvin's crimson cheeks. 'You're perfectly soft, Alvin.'

'O-okay…' Alvin pursed his lips uncomfortably. 'So are you, I guess…' He noted the gentle movements Simon was repeating. 'I just can't help but feel… scared…'

Simon nodded and stopped, standing. 'People like to think that homosexuals are ridiculously intimate.' He agreed. 'They think of them as sexual animals. You're scared because that's the definition you've learnt your whole life.'

Alvin gave a few slow nods. 'That might be it…' he stared up at Simon. 'Even knowing that, Si… I still can't… can't bring myself to…'

'Takes a while for a dictionary to redefine.' Simon returned calmly, setting himself at his desk again. 'Just take into account: rather than creeping you out any further, I actually just want to do my homework.'

Alvin cracked a smile. 'Nerd.'

Simon grinned. 'Egotist.'

The eldest leaned back on his palms for a moment, considering what Simon had said. Simon had made a few excellent points, and Alvin was finding it odd to realise that. Unnerving. He looked down at his comic on his lap worriedly for a few moments, wondering if he wanted to agree with Simon.

Sure, it would help him keep up the relationship they had going… but to completely alter another mindset – as he still had to do knowing Simon was his brother – seemed overwhelming and a frightening concept. Finding men attractive would be just as different as finding his brother attractive, if not more.

He felt his mind blocking him from accepting the sexuality. Rejecting it.

It made him feel… repelled, by Simon. Other boys.

He had to fix that before he did something he'd regret.

A

'Hi, Jen.' Alvin greeted the bespectacled Chipette cheerfully. 'Is Brittany home?'

Jeanette nodded with a smile. 'She's in her room, come in.'

Alvin did so, shooting a quick "hi" to Eleanor as he passed her in the living room before he started upstairs.

He needed to remember how much he disliked her, and snap himself out of the whole unnatural longing he felt towards girls at the moment. This was a challenge he wanted to overcome, and quickly.

Brittany's door was open, so Alvin knocked a few times on the side before going in.

'Alvin!' Brittany snapped – she was dressed in a short silk nightgown, her hair down and slightly damp from what Alvin guessed had been the shower. She looked rather… nice, actually. 'Knock and wait! Five minutes earlier and I would have been naked!'

Alvin found himself blushing slightly, he looked down with a shocked expression. 'S-sorry,' he managed. 'Jeanette didn't say you were busy.'

Brittany sighed sharply. 'What do you want, anyway?' She ruffled a towel through her hair as she walked over to her vanity.

Alvin pursed his lips. This isn't working… he noticed, watching Brittany's hips swish through the silk fabric. 'Um…' he hesitated. 'Simon… you know, some days he really freaks me out…' he decided to stick to the lie. 'I just needed to hang around someone else for a while.'

'Hm.' Brittany scoffed amusedly. 'Now you want my company?'

'Not as a girlfriend,' Alvin retorted stubbornly. 'We've been friends since we were eight.'

Brittany turned to Alvin, leaning against her desk. 'I'm just confused,' she shook her head, bringing a hair tie up to do up her hair. 'I don't get how you don't find me attractive.' She shrugged and turned to the mirror to continue.

Alvin swallowed. 'I do.'

Did I say that out loud? He chided himself.

Brittany turned slowly in curiosity, her crystal eyes narrowed somewhat. 'Is this you admitting you want to go out with me?' She mused with a small smirk beginning to come through.

Alvin stumbled to find a counter argument. 'N-no,' he insisted without too much certainty. 'It's not about what you look like, that's what I'm saying.'

'Uh-huh.' Brittany nodded sarcastically. 'Same difference.' She moved towards Alvin in interest. 'You find me attractive.' She seemed to take much too much delight in the knowledge.

'I don't want to go out with you,' Alvin repeated insistently.

Brittany tilted her head thoughtfully. 'Your words… don't match your expression.' She noticed, coming closer still. 'Alvin…' she stood close in front of him, lifting her arms above his shoulders. 'You know I don't mind.'

Alvin's gaze dropped to Brittany's lips, his mind buzzed at how it felt as she held him like that. 'I… I'm not… meant to…'

'If you always played by the rules, you'd be a very different person…' Brittany pointed out playfully.

'I know, but…' Alvin bit his lip and locked his sapphire eyes on Brittany's icy ones, for only a moment. And then he kissed her.

Brittany jumped a little in the shock of it, but she did return the kiss quite eagerly, moaning in approval and closing her eyes to enjoy the sensation, and Alvin's taste of sweet cherry. That taste was made for her, and she knew it.

Alvin kept wanting to pull away, but didn't. He held Brittany closer, his body humming in content as he caressed her waist, feeling the perfect curve at her hips, the other hand moving up her back to hold her in more of an embrace as they continued bantering the tender kiss.

This was everything Alvin knew he liked.

But this time, it felt hollow.

Soon enough, he stopped moving his hands, and parted from Brittany's lips while shaking his head. 'I-I can't –'

'Alvin?' Jeanette's timid voice was filled with shock.

Alvin looked over at her, instantly worried. It took a moment for him to remember that Jeanette knew about he and Simon, and he stumbled into desperation. 'Jeanette, I'm –' he shook his head, not really knowing what to say. This was his fault, there was no excuse.

'Come on, Jen, you can't be that surprised.' Brittany laughed shortly. 'It was going to happen eventually.'

Jeanette kept her gaze on Alvin, her forest-green eyes slowly giving him an expression of disappointed hurt. 'I guess so.' She nodded.

Brittany seemed rather confused at the exchange, and how Jeanette and Alvin kept eye contact and neither of them moved.

'Please…' Alvin started shaking his head, 'don't tell… don't…' he sighed, briskly moving out of the room and down the stairs, running his hands through his hair nervously and in self-criticism.

'Hey!' Jeanette called to Alvin as the eldest Seville pulled open the front door.

He turned back to her worriedly, meeting her sad-but-stern expression as she came closer to him, as if unsure if she was meant to be confronting him or not.

'Why did you do that?' She asked quickly. 'You know you're committed to someone else, why were you kissing Brittany?'

Alvin looked down. 'It's hard…' he argued lamely.

Jeanette blinked, before frowning at Alvin. 'I mean, I can't say I'm surprised, but I honestly wanted to believe you'd be faithful.' She bit her lip. 'You don't even like Brittany, Alvin, this is… this… what is wrong with you?'

'I just wanted to –' Alvin faltered, not even knowing what could save him at this point. 'It's too much… change – I can't just – it's ridiculous –'

'No, wait, I'm sorry,' Jeanette halted him in confusion. 'I can't take you seriously. You asked Simon to be your boyfriend, so you can't suddenly decide it's too much and cheat on him – this isn't like having tonnes of girlfriends, it's a commitment. And Simon told me you knew that, you wanted that. If you can't handle it, break up with Simon first.'

Alvin shook his head. 'I want to be with Simon,' he insisted, 'he's incredible, I need him, but everything is changing so quickly – I-I just had a moment of weakness – it meant nothing.'

Jeanette looked at Alvin unsurely. 'Do you know what I did when Simon told me he was in love with you?' She asked gently.

'What..?' Alvin frowned, having never heard this story.

'I ran away from him.' Jeanette admitted in shame. 'I avoided him for weeks.' She looked down as her feet shuffled, shaking her head. 'I was so mad at him…'

Alvin scanned Jeanette in sympathy. 'Because you loved him?'

Jeanette met Alvin's gaze with a slow set of nods. 'I was being… so selfish. I was meant to be his closest friend – meant to be in love with him – but I rejected him because of what he felt towards you. The time he needed and relied on my support the most, I ran away.' She bit her lip and closed her eyes. 'That's when I understood that I wasn't right for him.'

'So… what's this got to do with –?'

'I'm standing by Simon as best as I can, now,' Jeanette returned strongly. 'I'm trying to make up for how I treated him, and I'm trying to understand what he's going through and help him, and be there when he needs to talk.' She stared at Alvin desperately. 'It is so hard for me to support Simon on his feelings. Because you keep letting him down. I wanted to believe him: he told me how good you were going, he told me how compatible it all seemed – and – a-and now…' she blew out a breath and looked to the side. 'I don't understand how someone like him could love someone like you. So whether I tell him about today or not is up to you.' She met Alvin's gaze. 'Stop taking advantage of Simon's trust.'

Alvin nodded immediately. 'I don't want to hurt him, I don't.' He promised. 'You know how selfish I can be, how… egotistical I am. I'm still learning – that's why I need him, why I'm doing this – it's for both of us.' He looked down. 'Simon only seems to see the best in me… he's the only person who can make me second-guess my usual routine, be ashamed of how I've acted.' He bit his lip. 'I'm still learning…'

Jeanette pursed her lips uncertainly. 'He deserves to know about this.' She offered. 'I… i-if you don't tell him then I… I might.'

'But it didn't mean –'

'If it didn't mean anything, then it shouldn't be hard to tell him.' Jeanette returned sternly, folding her arms uncomfortably. 'Don't make this a big deal when it comes up later. You know Brittany: she's going to boast about it.'

Alvin almost argued, but he sighed and nodded instead. She had a point. He just hoped Simon would appreciate the honesty. 'Alright, I'll tell him when I get home.' He agreed.

Jeanette nodded slowly. 'Thank you.' She bit her lip for a moment, hesitating, before she turned and wandered back inside.

A

'So…' Alvin bit his lip at Simon's even, confused gaze. 'She kissed me.'

Simon nodded slowly. 'She… kissed you?'

Alvin nodded back. 'We… kissed.'

'Well which was it?' Simon folded his arms, trying not to be worried or offended.

'I guess I sort of kissed her…' Alvin looked down in shame. 'I'm only telling you because it's not a big deal… I didn't want to keep something so stupid form you.' He kicked at the carpet lightly in unease. 'I'm sorry…'

Simon regarded Alvin reluctantly. 'Why… why would you… do that..?' He asked gently. 'I thought we were going well…'

Alvin lifted his gaze to Simon's quickly. 'We are going well,' he insisted, 'too well, that's why.' He knew Simon needed him to evaluate, but he was reluctant to do that. It would make it sound like he was trying to blame him.

'What do you mean, Alvin?' Simon continued to speak calmly. It was rather unnerving. 'I haven't made you uncomfortable, have I?'

'No, of course not,' Alvin shook his head, running a hand through his hair nervously and sighing. 'I guess I got freaked out by… by having to accept a different sexuality.'

Simon pursed his lips in contemplation for a moment, before he looked to the side uncomfortably. '…you think I was pressuring you…' he gathered.

Alvin eyed Simon warily. 'I wouldn't say "pressuring"… just… hinting…' He flinched a little as Simon met his gaze again, his steel eyes set on Alvin's sapphire ones, eyebrows raised, and unfolding his arms.

'Alvin, if this is about what I said earlier,' He began civilly, 'about… men and women being as attractive as each other – that… that wasn't me telling you to be gay.' He clarified with a confused frown. 'Not in the slightest.'

'But I have to be gay,' Alvin pointed out, 'If I'm going to fall for you, I need to find guys attractive.'

Simon looked at Alvin in concern. 'Falling for someone has nothing to do with sexuality – that's just a label given to you by society. Sure, some might say you're gay, some might say you're incest, bisexual – the confusion there is enough to know that love is… is different to sexuality.'

Alvin shook his head confusedly. 'Then what was with the "you've never experienced a guy" thing?' He rebuked.

'What – was that a lie?' Simon frowned irritably. 'I was just trying to let you understand my point of view – it wasn't meant to be a lecture!'

'That's funny, isn't it – because every time you try and talk to me it ends up being one!' Alvin remarked. 'You were basically advertising!'

Simon groaned, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose. 'Okay, okay, I'm sorry,' he blew out a breath and looked at Alvin. 'I'm sorry if I sounded like I was trying to sign you up. That wasn't my intention.'

Alvin forced himself to calm down as well. He knew how much effort it took for Simon not to snap, so told himself to appreciate the apology. 'And I'm sorry for everything I did after.' He returned civilly, with a small nod. 'I know I won't do it again, because it wasn't worth it…' he blushed slightly. 'I didn't enjoy it during… and I kept thinking about you…' He offered an unsure smile.

Simon returned it slightly. He was glad that Alvin had been honest with him, and even more so that they'd moved past shouting. 'I trust you.' He smiled more fondly. 'Please just tell me if something's bothering you.'

'I will.' Alvin nodded his promise. 'I'm sorry… I'm sorry that it takes me so long to learn…' He looked down, frowning at himself.

'I understand.' Simon promised evenly, also looking down. He brought a hand to his opposite arm shyly. 'You didn't mean it…'

Alvin noticed Simon's body language uneasily, the message was pretty clear: affection needed. Oh no… He pursed his lips, but soon enough found himself getting annoyed at that voice in his head. He strode forward determinedly and pulled Simon into a safe embrace.

Simon blinked at the suddenness, but was also surprised at the feeling. Alvin didn't let go, the way he held Simon felt… safe. Simon gratefully returned the hug, closing his eyes to savour it.

'Simon, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me…' Alvin admitted softly, clinging to his royal-blue shirt. 'Until I can say it as a lover, I want you to know that I've always loved you as a brother… and because of that, I never mean to hurt you…'

'Thank you…' Simon breathed gratefully, pulling back slowly and scanning Alvin's ashamed sapphire eyes. He smiled warmly. 'Please don't beat yourself up over this… I know how you feel about Brittany: this was a genuine mistake.'

Alvin nodded to the promise. 'It was.' He smiled in thanks. 'I guess that proves it, then…' he blushed a little and shrugged. 'If I can kiss her, I can certainly kiss you.'

Simon blushed as well, but chuckled amusedly. 'Please tell her you said that.'

'Don't worry, I will.' Alvin grinned.

Okay, so that's it as of now, but I guarantee it's going to be updated soon-ish. If I'm not busy, next weekend.

Thanks for reading peoples!