Story continues! Thanks so much for your reviews guys :)

Enjoy!

S

Well, that had been weird.

Simon took a moment to replay what exactly had just happened, why Alvin had reacted the way he did.

Everything was even more intriguing than it had been before.

And, since Alvin had cracked and admitted something was going on, it was time to hit the home run, for his and Alvin's own good.

Of course, he would find his win with Theodore. This had been his plan from the start. Knowing that Alvin had admitted part of the "secret" would only encourage the youngest. Especially if Simon didn't reveal how much – or how little – he really knew.

He found Theodore in the kitchen. The green-clad Seville was just tying an apron around his waist and had an array of not yet opened baking utensils. His expression was one of determined excitement.

That is, until he saw Simon.

'Hey, Si!' He was already too chipper. Even for being Theodore.

Sometimes, it's just too easy… Simon thought, pursing his lips and approaching Theodore with more purpose. 'Theo, I think we need to talk for a second.' He said it kindly.

Theodore's green eyes were already shimmering in fear. 'O-okay…' He just nodded, trying to figure out if he should spill or not. Simon's seriousness was cause for him to be truthful, he thought. The calmness about Simon wasn't fooling the youngest. Simon was being cautious, careful, and calculating.

The older of the two lead the younger into the joining living room, and Simon motioned Theodore to sit. When the youngest did so, Simon took a seat on the coffee table opposite him, still with that calm look.

'Alright, Theo…' Simon began gently, keeping Theodore's gaze continuously in reassurance. 'I'm starting to understand what you and Alvin have been keeping from me…' he lied. 'A-and… well, Alvin refused to tell it to me clearly.'

'Y-you talked to Alvin about it?' Theodore blinked, both scared and hopeful. 'What did he tell you?'

Simon, starting to understand that this was something a little more serious than he'd initially thought, forced over a small blush and looked down with staged confusion. 'Just… bits and pieces…' He looked up at Theodore. 'I-I deserve to know exactly what's going on, don't you think?'

Theodore gave a set of small nods. 'You do…' he agreed. 'B-but it's n-not… my secret, to tell you.'

Putting on more of a show than he'd ever done before with Theodore, Simon leaned forward and placed a hand on Theodore's leg bracingly. 'All I need is the clear version.' He promised. 'Alvin's been… vague…' he took his hand away. 'I think you can understand why I'm not comfortable telling you what I think it's all about…'

When Theodore nodded, Simon mentally ticked another box. This was personal. It was either embarrassing for Alvin, or something concerning Simon directly.

'H-he is.' Theodore nodded, giving in.

'Is… what..?' Simon couldn't help but be eager to find out. He couldn't believe his deceit was paying off – this was like a new trick he would be proud to say worked. 'It's okay, Theodore…' he promised. 'Alvin's already done the work… you're just… you're helping me. There's nothing wrong about that.'

Theodore shifted his green eyes down and up in consideration. But Simon was right. If Alvin had told him the pages, he just needed to give it a cover. Alvin had already broken the seal of the secret, there was no point Theodore linger any longer. If he could help Simon understand it all and accept it, then he would do so, happily.

'So… so, A-Alvin's…' Theodore found it oddly hard to say. He supposed that was the seriousness Alvin had been talking about. 'Simon,' he said, trying now to be casual. 'Alvin's in love with you.'

What..?

'And it's really not as bad as Alvin says it would be,' Theodore continued, regardless of Simon's now very frozen expression. 'He probably made it sound like it was the worst thing in the world… but I don't think it really is that bad.'

Is this happening right now..?

'Simon, he really cares about you…' Theodore went on timidly. 'More than anyone I've seen…'

Stop talking…

'I-I kept telling him you wouldn't overreact… you're not like that.'

Stop… Theodore, stop.

'He's kept this for so long because he thought you wouldn't understand – I don't think he even understands it – but I think… you could…'

Oh, god, please stop!

'It's not like he could help it –'

'Stop!' Simon stood, emotions beginning to break out. 'I don't want to hear any more!' He shook his head, hesitating for a moment before dashing out of the room.

Theodore stood, too, watching Simon disappear. He wanted to follow, and ensure that Simon knew that it wasn't bad. This wasn't bad.

It wasn't.

Was it?

S

'What have I done?' Simon frantically paced his basement, talking to himself in hysterics. 'What have I done to make Alvin think about me like that?' He ran a hand through his stubbornly messy hair. 'How long has this been going on? Is it because of that time I lost my towel in the hall as he was coming out of his room –? Oh, god, or was he already attracted to me then?'

The bespectacled boy was beginning to feel quite sick. 'The amount of times he's seen my body… the amount of times… a-and he would have… would have thoughts… thoughts of… of me…' He stopped himself, his hands on his bench top to keep himself steady. 'There are boundaries… you – you don't cross… typical… so typical – typical Alvin: here's another rule he wants to break –!'

Simon groaned loudly and slammed his hands against the table in frustration. 'Why the heck would he do this?!' He demanded. 'Who does he think he is?! How could he mess with me like this?! Is this some sort of new competition to him? Another fight? Is he in love or is he saying that to freak me out? Is this all some revolting prank? God, Alvin!' Simon shoved himself back, running his hands through his hair again. 'What did I do for this to happen?! Weren't we clear enough while fighting?! There was no relationship between us! We didn't have that affection! What the hell sparked him to want me that way?!'

He couldn't – just couldn't – understand what why or how Alvin could feel the way he did.

Simon's mouth opened in shock and repulsion. 'He said it! He said it to me! Not an hour ago! He told me straight to my face that he – that he –' he reminded himself to breathe. 'He broke down when I yelled that I was his brother… That's what it was. He didn't want the reminder. He's… he's ashamed…' Simon looked up at the ceiling where Alvin would be, two stories up. 'Rightly so…' he nodded in, slightly maniacal, reassurance of himself. 'A-and then I went and made him… made him say it…'

"Simon, I love you…"

'And I said it!' Simon gasped, cursing himself. 'I told him I loved him! Great! Three guesses how he took that! No wonder we could never say it to each other before, because he was going to end up with the other kind of love –' he blew out a heavy breath and tried to calm down.

'I need to figure out how I'm going to go about this…' he reasoned. 'Do I want Alvin to know that I know? Do I care if he gets angry at me for tricking them both into telling me? Especially after I told him I trusted him…' He shook his head. 'No, I'll keep it to myself for as long as possible…' he decided. 'I'll tell Theodore that I'm uncomfortable with it and that he shouldn't bring it up… he'll understand… he will – he doesn't seem to, though.' Simon frowned. 'He told me it wasn't as bad as it seemed. It's… it's every bit as bad as it seems. It's terrifying. Does he understand what it feels like to know that a boy you've grown up with all your life, now looks at you differently – that your whole brotherhood is thrown out the window –' Simon could feel the sour thought. Nothing was right now. It was all different. Their arguments were never going to be the same, their family would never be the same. The way they shared those rare inside jokes, like Theodore's unnatural innocence, or Dave's complicated love life… the humour was lost to Simon, now.

Tainted. Corrupted. Foul.

He couldn't believe he hadn't picked up on it.

Kudos to Alvin: he'd hidden it well. Very well. Too well. That wasn't fair, not at all. Simon still believed he had a right to know – even know, scared and shocked and disgusted, he still felt obliged to have known from the start.

Guilt…

Guilty that Alvin felt he couldn't tell him…

Shame that he was criticising Alvin not acting like a brother, yet he'd never cared enough to even to suspect something like this was going on.

No, for both of their sakes, he wasn't going to let Alvin know that he knew. Not yet. It had to be the right moment, the right place. Maybe he wouldn't even need to tell him; maybe Alvin would be able to see it in the way Simon knew he would act. He wouldn't mean to do it, to be tentative and repulsed and sorry for Alvin… but he knew it would come through whatever he told himself.

He just didn't know what else to do.

And he wanted to confront Alvin about it, but at the same time… hearing the words again, hearing Alvin confirm it all… it would make it far too real. And right now, Simon didn't need any more confirmation. Or, he supposed, denial.

He knew Alvin. He would deny this like crazy, and Simon certainly wasn't in the mood to counter that denial. He'd rather agree with it.

Ah I enjoyed writhing this story so much... more to come! (This one's the longest so far)