I hope you all are enjoying what you've read so far. I haven't heard a whole lot yet. But I do understand that I'm still in the exposition. This chapter will start some of the rising action. So, I hope you all enjoy some tender moments between our favorite brothers. I do love when people review, even if they think something stinks, I like to know what your thoughts are.

Again, I do not own Wizards...

If there are any Jake T. Austin fans reading this, and you have not seen The Perfect Game yet, then you need to do so ASAP. He is such a great actor!

Max is Here to Stay

JUSTIN

Justin wasn't sure what to expect when he got home. He had made Max go to school for the past three days after allowing him two days off. The past two days, he came home to a sulking Max in front of a blank television screen, eating Oreos. Justin carefully inserted his key into the lock and turned it. The clicking sound of a lock being unlocked was one of Justin's favorite sounds. It was what he thought something finally connecting in a brain would sound like if it made a sound. He smiled, thinking about how it was probably like a big, donging bell inside of Max's head. But, he instantly felt a bit guilty for thinking that because, sure Max wasn't the brightest, but he wasn't actually dumb. Of course, Justin couldn't really come up with a time that Max was terriblysmart.

For the first night, the television was on, emitting soft sounds and bright colors of a cartoon. On the couch, deep and soft breaths were cycling around. Justin tip-toed over and peeped his head around the couch to see that Max's eyes were closed. He was asleep. There was no sign of a snack, but a math book was opened on the table with a blank piece of paper—aside from Max's name and the problem numbers—covering the problems in the book.

Max's nose kept twitching from a part of his hair falling down over it and blowing back to the side as he exhaled. Justin extended a cautious hand and brushed the hair away from Max's face. There was something very serine about Max sleeping. Like every anguish of Max's losing his magic would completely fall away. So, Justin certainly didn't want to wake him. There was something else as well, but Justin couldn't quite put his finger on it. But the word cute was floating to the top of Justin's brain.

Of course, the lightest touch of Justin's fingertips against Max's smooth skin was enough to wake the younger boy up. His eyes fluttered open as he let out a deep breath that ended with a slight moan and stretch.

"Justin?" His smile was soft, sweet, and filled with question. He sat up and ran his hand roughly through his hair, pushing it all out of the way and exposing his chocolate brown eyes that were filled with a strange nervous energy.

"Yes?" Justin squatted down to Max's level.

Max grabbed onto Justin's wrist. He lightly tugged on it, pulling him in toward the couch. Justin twisted around and sat down next to his little brother, still so full of innocence that Justin began to feel guilty about taking his magic away again.

"Help me with my homework," Max pleaded.

Justin's heart leaped. How many years had passed since Max last asked for Justin's help with homework? Justin knew it was at least three years.

Justin leaned forward and picked up the book and pulled it onto his lap. As he read over the problems, Max rested his head on Justin's shoulder. It instantly brought a smile to Justin's face. It felt like when Max was twelve; however, there was something very adult about the way Max was asking for help this time, waiting just for Justin to get home to get the help he needed.

As Justin glanced over the math lesson, he realized the concepts were really simple, but they were also concepts that really needed the five lessons before. And with Max missing two of the days in there, Justin figured he hadn't understood what was going on all week. So, he went back and started explaining the math concepts to Max. The whole time, Max leaned over the book and payed close attention. Light breaths tickled Justin's arm hairs. A stench of Cheetos emitted with each breath as well. When Justin looked at Max for understanding, he saw the reminisce of orange dust circled around Max's mouth.

At one point, as Justin's stomach was calling out to be fed, he was pointing at a problem. Max pointed to follow along as well. The warmth of his finger against Justin's finger flowed quickly from that point to his cheeks. Justin was uncertain why he was having that kind of feeling. But, having Max in the house with him made everything so much less lonely. What was having magic worth if you were still alone?

Justin's stomach rumbled loudly.

"Think he's telling you something." Max motioned with his head toward Justin's stomach.

But the word he made Justin ask, "Who?"

"Duh, Justin. Everyone knows there is a little man in your stomach that plays drums for the profit of food."

Justin let out a deep belly-roll laugh. Even though Max seemingly didn't know what Justin was laughing about, he let out a tiny giggle as well.

"Order Chinese," Max suddenly suggested, getting serious quickly.

Justin grabbed the phone and ordered the Chinese. The two boys moved to the kitchen as they waited for the Chinese to arrive. Their elbows kept bumping into each other as Max worked the problems because Justin had himself propped up against the table.

Right before the Chinese got there, Max finished his math homework. They moved back into the living room and started a movie as they scarfed down the Chinese. Justin was a bit upset that no chop sticks had come with their order.

Midway through the movie, Max asked Justin a question that really caught him off guard. "Are you happier because you won the magic?"

"Huh?"

"You just seem more relaxed and a lot happier than you ever have been before." Max traced a design in the couch with his finger.

Justin tried to gulp down a knot in his throat. He actually was using magic less than ever. Maybe because he was always afraid of losing it, he relied on using it when he was younger. "I'm actually happy that you are here, living with me. Does that sound weird."

"No," Max answered so quickly that Justin wondered if he even processed it. When Max didn't say more and just blinked at him, Justin decided Max didn't need to say any more.

Justin paused the movie and picked up the phone again. As he talked to his mother and father about Max staying with him permanently, Max looked as if he was wagging a tail with excitement. His parents resisted the idea, but it was finally Jerry that thought it would be the best idea for them to be together during this hard time.

During the movie, Max's eyes were growing heavy. His head kept drooping and snapping back up quickly. After a bit of that, he finally lied down on the couch and rested his head on Justin's lap. At some point after that, Justin started combing through Max's hair without thinking about it. When the movie ended, Justin carefully lifted Max's head up from his lap and scooted out from under him. He placed a quilt over his little brother and let him sleep.

Justin took his shoes off in the living room and picked them up to make less noise as he went to his room. He removed his socks, shirt, and jeans, throwing each in his hamper. He quickly hopped into his pajama pants. Something about only being in his briefs made him feel so vulnerable that he never allowed much time before putting something on over them. After he was all ready, he walked around his bed to the folded over corner, lifted the blankets up, and slid into his big, lonely bed. Having magic, his options for a mate were quite limited. That was the one rule to keeping magic that made things very difficult.

To get comfortable, Justin wiggled his body to find that one spot he always lied in. The silk sheets felt amazing against his back. It was something like getting a massage. At least, what Justin thought it would be like to get a massage.

Just as Justin was about to drift off to sleep, a loud bang of a neighbor's car sounded nearby. His eyes opened. Living above the sub shop where people didn't hustle around after business hours and a quiet place where that kind of thing didn't happen. So, the sounds of suburbia still startled him.

Quiet footsteps were the next thing Justin heard. Without warning, his door flew open. A wide-eyed Max stood in the threshold.

"What was that?" Max hissed.

"A car."

"No. I was a gun. It was definitely a gun. And I was all alone in the livingroom." A scared Max was prancing anxiously in the doorway.

"Maxie—" Justin started calmly.

"Get your wand ready!"

Justin just waved Max over to the bed. "I'll keep you safe." Under his breath, he added, "Always."

Max slammed the door shut. The action figures shook on the shelves. None feel from their spots though. Max raced across the room to the other side of the bed. He practically jumped out of his shoes and slid under the blankets. "Get your wand!" Max demanded again.

Justin reluctantly opened his bedside table drawer and took his wand out of it so that Max would calm down. In the dark room, he felt the warmth of the exposed part of Max's arm. It was very warm compared to his own. It must have been the one Max was lying on downstairs.

For a long time all that Justin could hear was his clock ticking and their two breaths out of sync with each other. Normally, it would sooth him, but he felt extremely wide awake. Had he even been about to fall asleep moments before?

"Justin," Max broke the near-silence.

"Yes?" Justin whispered back and quickly wondered why they were whispering. It wasn't like they were in the apartment where someone else could hear them on the nights that Max would sneak over to Justin's room because he had brought up cookies from the cupboard.

"Can I stay in here and sleep with you tonight? I'm scared."

How could Justin say no to an honest request like that? Besides, wasn't he already feeling lonely in the big bed? And if Justin was being honest, he really felt less lonely with Max being close to him. Their arms touching. What harm would a sleep over do?

"Sure."

Max instantly started wiggling around. His heal kicked into Justin's shin. Justin groaned. But Max continued to move around. Next was an elbow in the ribs.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Justin asked.

"No. Getting ready for bed." Max said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

When a fluffy sound collided on the floor, Justin connected the words 'getting ready for bed' with the meaning: stripping down to his underwear.

Justin had never been in a intimate space with another person with so few clothes on—aside from his days in the PE locker room (which wasn't intimate). Three articles between the two. Justin's heart's tempo double-timed. His chest started tickling. The pressure of Max's head on Justin's chest clued him in on what was tickling him. Max needed a hair cut. The shampoo from Max's morning shower was still scenting his hair. The big shock was when Max's arm cupped around Justin's body. Justin would have put an instant stop to that if he didn't know that Max tended to cuddle his pillows. Justin gulped down the cuddle thought. That ordered up a triple-beat of African drums inside his chest.

"That gun shot must have scared you."

"What?" Justin was beyond confused.

"Your heart is so fast."

"Oh. Yeah. That's why."

Max nuzzled into Justin's chest. "Well, we are in here together. Safe. Because you won the family wizard. I wouldn't have known what to do."

An overwhelming serge took over within Justin. He didn't know what to say. His arm burrowed under Max, and he softly stroked Max's soft back with his fingers.

Again, Max's breaths began to deepen, then steady. With a yawn, Justin stopped rubbing Max's back and slowly drifted off to sleep. Only feeling the warm body of his brother against his. One of the best feelings in his life. Way better than silk sheets.