It didn't take long for Kevin to get ready. He threw on a zip up hoodie and a pair of his skinny jeans while he slipped on his shoes and grabbed his keys. The address, as Joe had said, was on the table near the front door. Kevin stared at it a moment, knowing he'd seen these apartments before. He left the house quietly, and took off in his Jeep. It didn't take him long to get down the road and to the apartments, but he hesitated slightly as he stood at the entrance to Joe's apartment. He said the door was open…so…I guess I should open it? He wanted to knock but didn't think he could wait for an answer. His hand reached for the doorknob and he twisted it, pushing the door open to reveal an amazing living room, the kitchen in the back and a hallway to the left. Kevin stepped inside and closed the door with a soft click. His eyes rescanned the room, looking for Joe, but he didn't see anyone.

"Joe?"

He moved around the coffee table towards the hallway, there, he saw light faintly coming from the farthest room. I wonder if he fell asleep…well that would be quick…how the fuck did I let this happen in the first place…I should have pushed harder to make him stay. While Kevin walked down the hallway, he dragged himself out of thought long enough to open the door. There, lying on the floor was Joe.

"Joey?" Kevin's eyes widened and he rushed to his brother's side. "Oh my god, Joe."

There was a small cut on Joe's left arm through the fabric of his long sleeve shirt. It was bleeding, and Joe was lying there with his eyes closed. Kevin ran to the bathroom, looking for a first aid kit. He found only a roll of gauze, band-aids, tape and some rubber bands. He grabbed the roll of gauze and the tape and rushed back to Joe's side, quickly pushing Joe's sleeve up to wrap the small wound and tape it in place. When he finished he put the items aside on the side table near Joe's bed. He was about to move back when his eyes caught sight of the only photograph in the room. It was the picture of him smiling with Joe. That's the day Joe had gotten him a guitar. He would never forget that day, it was the day Joe had started to act more distant but closer at the same time. Kevin's eyes drifted slowly from the picture to the body on the floor before him. He smiled sadly, how could he not realize how much Joe really needed him? How much Joe was trying to make him proud by not letting his problems get to him, to conquer them? How could he be so fucking blind to Joe's suicidal state?

He leaned down and picked his brother up from the floor with a large amount of strength, and placed him on his bed, crawling over him and pulling him into his arms.

"Joe, Joey, wake up." He shook him slightly.

"Kevin?" Joe opened his eyes slightly and then sighed slightly as Kevin's face came in to view. "How long have you been here?"

"About 10 minutes?"

"Really?" Joe frowned, trying to remember letting him in, but then the event from earlier after the IM and looked down at his arm and groaned. "Oh god, I'm sorry, you must think I tried to kill myself…"

"Did you?" Kevin asked cautiously.

"No…I took a quick shower, changed, went to make some coffee and forgot I had washed the floor earlier and slipped, my arm caught on one of the metal picture frames in one of the boxes in the kitchen. The last thing I remember was cursing at myself for being such a klutz and heading for the bathroom but I tripped and …hit my head on the dresser…" He finished as he remembered and rubbed his head frowning. "Why am I such a failure at life?" He laughed, trying to make a joke but Kevin just shook his head and frowned.

"You are NOT, a failure…just a normal person, who makes mistakes…if I hadn't been such a jerk I would have been here when you asked me too, I would have been here before you asked me too, and you wouldn't have gotten yourself hurt." He sighed, his fingers grazing over the gauzed arm.

"Kev, will you please stop?" Joe frowned as well. "It was an accident, I slipped, it happens to people, the point is I didn't do it on purpose…I'm not superman." Joe sighed as Kevin winced, remembering what Joe had admitted to him in the IM less than an hour ago.

"Joe, why didn't you tell me all of this stuff before?"

"Because I didn't want you to look at me any different…"

"But I didn't know, I could have prevented a lot of things if only I had known…"

"You can't change those things now…" Joe smiled sadly.

"Why did you move out…if you needed me so badly? I mean…truthfully, I need you too…I like knowing you are just across the hall where I can walk over and sit down in your room and talk…spend time together, watch a movie at 2 in the morning cause we can't sleep…I don't like you being down the street rather than down the hall."

"Oh, Kevin…I know…and I really wasn't trying to hurt you…it's just. Being…in love with your brother isn't…exactly…helpful…"

"What do you mean "exactly helpful"…am I that bad?" Kevin looked hurt.

"You don't think it's wrong?" Joe looked slightly shocked.

"No, Joe…I don't think there is anything wrong with being in love …no matter who it is."

"Oh." That's all he could say. He sighed and looked away. "I just wanted to 'heal' myself …and make you proud of me…make everyone proud of me…I just wanted to prove I could get better."

Kevin pulled Joe's face toward his and kissed him lightly on the lips, his voice coming out as a whisper when he spoke. "I've always been proud of you, Joe. I just. Wanted you to love me."

"I do…a lot." Joe moved forward and captured Kevin's lips, holding him close as he nibble on Kevin's bottom lip, causing his brother to whimper slightly and part them. Joe slid his tongue into Kevin's mouth, tasting the sweet taste of peppermint from Kevin's gum and he chuckled before stealing the gum and pulling away.

"Hey, I'll have you know that was my piece of gum, go get your own!" Kevin mocked anger but the grin on his lips showed different.

"Since when do you chew gum anyway?" Joe chewed on it.

"I do…sometimes…"

"Well if you want it back, come and get it!"

"Oh, that's it, come here!" Kevin smirked and jumped on Joe, kissing him fiercely, trying to get the gum back. However the gum ended up being spit out in the trash bin near the other side of the bed and left forgotten as the two began to share slow, romantic kisses.

"Kevin…"

"Hmm."

"Thank you."

"For?" Kevin asked softly as he kissed Joe's forehead. Joe looked up into Kevin's hazel eyes and his own held a seriousness and thankfulness within them.

"Saving me."

The End

(Dedication for this story, goes to Em.)