AN: This one is set when they first arrive in Melbourne, before they are a couple.

Rachel showed them to the room. The room which held a bed, just the one.

"I'll leave you guys to get settled. Remember, you can stay as long as you need to."

"Thanks," Casey managed. Heath turned to him once she was gone.

"Is it weird she expects us to share a bed? As far as she knows we aren't family." In a way it was a question, one Casey chose to ignore. He didn't know why but he just felt it was better to keep their connection to himself.

"It's alright," Casey shrugged, "it's just for a night or two." Heath knew there was something Casey wasn't telling him, but he left it for now, getting Harley settled was the more pressing issue.

Heath changed his son and fed him and tucked him into the little cot Rachel had saved from Jess's things. She'd seemed glad to have a use for it again. She'd clearly missed her nephew.

With Harley bedded down for now, Heath took care of himself.

Strictly speaking he didn't own any pyjamas so he settled for the oldest shirt he had to sleep in, seeing as how he and Case had to share.

Casey was tidying up a little when Heath got back from the bathroom, focusing entirely on the simple task, which made Heath suspect he was avoiding eye contact on purpose.

"Alright, 'fess up. What's with all the cloak and dagger stuff? What aren't you telling me?"

Casey deliberately took his time finishing folding his clothes before he slowly turned to look at Heath.

"Rachel might've said something earlier," he admitted, "something that would make this make sense."

"Like what?"

"Like it's okay if we're a couple."

"What the hell? She thinks we're gay? Why didn't you set her straight?"

"I dunno, she seemed so sure and I didn't want her to know the truth, so I went with it."

"You went with it? Just like that? God, what will she think of me? A wife, an affair and now a boyfriend? Even for us, that's seriously messed up."

"Shh, you'll wake Harley."

Heath dropped his voice.

"Why would you do that? Why hide it?"

"I'm dunno," Casey said, "maybe because it feels like we can do something different here. I don't wanna always be thinking about who's related to who and whose more of a brother to who. You're you and I'm me and let's just take it from there, yeah?"

"Case..."

"No, it's okay Heath, I'm not upset. I just want to start fresh. Can we do that?"

"Sure, I guess. If that's what you want."

"It is. Now let's get some sleep."

They climbed into the bed together and Heath had to admit that things did feel different. For the first time in a long time he felt excited about the future and a lot of that was down to Casey. So if Case wanted a fresh start then that was what he'd have. Really, Heath thought they could both do with one. That was a little daunting though, he'd never had to start from scratch before. Back home there'd always been Brax and the River Boys to fall back on.

Heath was pulled from his thoughts when Casey rolled over to face him.

"Does this remind you of when we were kids?"

Heath cast his mind back to long ago nights when six year old Casey would creep into his room. For months after Johnny Barrett had hit him he'd been frightened and upset. Brax had been no help, Heath knew now that was because he'd been grappling with his guilt over killing the man, but at the time he'd just known Brax couldn't be counted on. Now wasn't the time to bring any of that up though.

"You were a sooky thing," he teased instead.

"Because you picked on me all the time. At night though, you'd always let me sleep in your bed if I was scared." For a moment Heath wondered how much of that stuff Case actually remembered now. It was clear for Heath because he'd been fifteen at the time.

"It's a wonder you came to me at all. I know I wasn't the most sympathetic person."

"I knew you'd never say no."

"I'm gonna keep him," Heath announced. "You were right. But I meant it you know, I can't do this by myself."

Casey gave him a small but satisfied smile.

"You'll never have to. Let me be the big brother this time. With me here you've got nothing to be scared of."