"Dude. This thing still creeps me out."

Caleb turned to him, dark eyebrows pressing, before he realized that Pogue had an arm resting over the leopard figure on his living room. The same one he had been unknowingly staring blankly at for a while now. He almost smiled. Almost. Pogue pressed his lips as he watched his friend. And Caleb sighed, looking away.

He had been doing that a lot. Pogue. Watching him as though he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it was prickling his skin, all the way up to his scalp, more and more each day. He pinched the bridge of his nose, then nodded, letting his hand fall.

"Yeah, I know."

"Ever thought of getting rid of it?"

Caleb shrugged. "My mother likes it there."

They both went quiet. Ignoring the obvious truth between them. That Evelyn Danvers wouldn't have the faintest idea anything was missing, even if Caleb did get rid of the damn thing.

When they were little, it used to give Caleb the creeps, when he went down for a glass of water. At that time, Reid, being Reid, would taunt them. Telling them that he saw the thing move, when they were watching tv or playing, in the quiet afternoons. Or say things to Tyler, I swear it wasn't there. I just looked, and it wasn't there, Ty! At five years old (Reid being six, and the others seven), Tyler had been rather impressionable. It wasn't so much, Caleb thought now, what it was, as much as the fact that it had been alive one day. It was prophetic really. Like some ominous and morbid allegory of what they could become in the future. Of what his father already was, in a way.

That had been a long time ago, though. Tyler had long since learned to read his friend and to play pranks of his own. Still, even then, Caleb already felt responsible for all of them. For their safety. Their well being. And even behavior. Had he ever not felt it?

Pogue frowned as Caleb seemed to forget that he was in the room. Again.

His comment of the old leopard was intended as a joke. Something familiar and easy going for them. Some attempt to make Caleb laugh. Or at least smile at him. Or honestly, just look at him. Look at me. Like he hadn't done in weeks now. Not really.

Since that night, when they'd all gotten a little drunk on beers, at Tyler's house. And Caleb had gotten very drunk. And kissed him. And pretended not to remember a damn thing on the morning after. Since that night, his friend hadn't actually looked at him. So stubborn.

If he had, Pogue might have even made an effort to believe his bullshit story. But if Caleb really had no recollection of kissing him- Not that Pogue had asked him like that. He had asked him if he remembered anything weird, from the other night. But wasn't kissing your best childhood friend, weird? If Caleb didn't remember any of that, not even a little. Then why would he be avoiding Pogue, like the plague?

Pogue was pretty sure he hadn't fucked anything up before or after their reunion. And yet, Caleb seemed to be breeding little excuses, to get away from him, every day.

It had gotten to a point where Reid was the one to come to him with questions, earlier in the day. And hadn't that been something.

Pogue knew that it wasn't that Reid never noticed anything that didn't involve him. He noticed it. He just usually didn't care enough to ask.

Reid believed that people could deal with their every day shit without his meddling. He did, right? And that if they really needed him, they'd ask for his help. It really wasn't that hard to type a text. And he didn't have any hero complexes, like Caleb. Sure, Pogue and Caleb had fought before. But as far as the blonde was concerned, they were perfectly capable of finding their way back without needing an intervention.

It really wasn't rocket science. They were just not as good at ignoring and icing each other out as Caleb and him were. Honestly, he didn't even know if this was a fight. This weird thing between the two. And Tyler had just shrugged when he'd asked. Tyler was usually the one to pick up on shit like that. Nevertheless, three full weeks of weirdness were definitely all that he could take, before getting involved.

It pretty much hit his patience's limit. Or, rather, his curiosity's. And that was definitely meddling territory.

"Hey, Tarzan."

Pogue had rolled eyes at him and ignored the boy. Even as Reid sat down by him on the grass, the older one kept looking foward. Dick. Down at the field where their classmates were training for lacrosse.

He'd tried it before, and had even liked it. But swimming had always been where he felt at home. These days he'd been wondering if that was because he rocked at it. Or simply because of the people he was there with.

"What do you want, Reid?"

He'd asked, when it became clear that the younger boy wasn't going anywhere. Brat. Reid pursed his lips in that thinking expression he made, before talking again. His tone, however, was softer then. The kind of tone he used when he was genuinely concerned, and it caught Pogue's attention.

"What's up with Prince Charming, these days?"

Pogue shrugged. "I don't know, man." he sighed, running fingers through his hair. "Caleb's just weird, you know? Maybe it's just ascending stuff."

"Weird with you." Reid pointed out. Going on, when he didn't get an answer. "Maybe Sarah's been fighting with him." It didn't seem like they were fighting. Did it?

"You'd wish." Pogue snorted.

"I wouldn't." It was his time to shrug.

Pogue glanced at him for a minute, taking his sincere tone in. Then pressed his lips and tossed one of his legs stretched out.

"I would." he admitted, getting the same glance from the blonde, he'd just gave him. " 'least then we'd know what the fuck is going on with him."

They hadn't talked much after that. Just sat side by side, watching the game. Reid was sure as hell that Pogue wasn't telling him everything. But didn't push it.

Pogue and Caleb had always been like that, hadn't they? They'd always had their secrets. Nothing big. Nothing that made neither him nor Tyler to feel left out. That was, when they weren't doing the secrets thing about him and Tyler. Just a proximity. An understanding, even clearer than the one the four shared among them. Like he did with Tyler. At the end, he'd just said, with a tap on Pogue's shoulder:

"Look. Whatever it is. Between you two? Just get it the fuck solved out, ok? It's throwing off my groove. And call us, if you need help smacking sense into Caleb."

Pogue snorted, at the bitter, fucked up reality that Caleb was the one needing to be reasoned with. Not that he wasn't a thick headed idiot at times. But agreed. And after a few more minutes alone, he'd picked up his bike's helmet, and left for the Danvers' house.

'Look at me.' Caleb blinked, as he realized he had drifted again. And Pogue repressed the will to shake him, until his teeth rattled.

It was usually Caleb's job to do this.

Pester his brothers to be honest with him. Solve problems. Be the protector. And sure, Pogue had done it too. But it didn't come as naturally to him.

He deliberately stepped into the other's personal space, and saw Caleb's attention really flicker towards him this time. It was as close as he could get to physically shaking him. And he hoped he wouldn't have to come to it. "You really don't remember a thing about the night at Tyler's?" he asked, bluntly, his eyes deep and searching.

He watched the color drain from Caleb's face. It wasn't dramatic. It was almost not there at all. But he knew Caleb enough to be sure of what he'd seen.

"Should I?" Caleb tried to pass his tension off as worry, for Pogue's sudden seriousness. But the other knew there was something more. 'Caleb'.

For the millionth time since then, Pogue was sure that he did remember what happened. That Caleb remembered the way he had kissed him. Like he hadn't seen Pogue in years. With fear and neediness and something else, Pogue wasn't sure what. He had felt it through their Power. And he could feel it now that Caleb was actually looking at him for the first time since then.

He had felt it, when he'd woken up to a shuffling and very hangover Caleb, trying to get dressed and sneak away. One does not do the walk of shame, without the shame.

"You haven't been drinking, have you?" Now that he was close, he could see how red Caleb's eyes were, how tired he looked. Like he hadn't slept for days. He could also see the surprise at his inquiring. The way the dark eyes widened for a minute, before he answered,

"No! No. I was serious, that morning, 'lrigt? No more drinking. Not like that." he watched the other rub his face. "Just a little trouble sleeping."

Pogue swallowed. He hated to ask, but he enjoyed the relief of the answer. With Caleb's family history, it was hard not to worry about it. Usually he didn't. Because his friend was the first to do it for himself. But lately, with all his weird acting, Pogue had been worried that it might have something to do with that.

"Good." and since we're being honest here. "You sure, then? Not even a glimpse of that night? Nothing?"

Caleb's jaw popped.

"No." and Pogue knew, felt, and saw, that he was lying.

He let out a frustrated sound.

"You're unbelievable. You know that?" he exclaimed, raising his voice as he rarely did.

Caleb's shoulders tensed even further, but he still didn't move. Didn't speak. And Pogue's frustration was rapidly coiling into something else.

He remembered something Reid had told him once. When he and Caleb had been in the middle of one of their rare fights. Taunt him. The blonde'd said then. Poke him until he explodes. It's what I do.

His fingers flexed as he felt the crave to do just that. To shove Caleb against the wall. Corner him. And not let him out until he did explode. Until he was forced to do something. Anything.

"Pogue... I'm sorry."

Pogue scoffed. Sorry for what? "Sorry for that thing you don't remember? Or sorry for having a blackout about it?"

When Caleb just flinched, Pogue was done. He pushed the other back, sending him stumbling, and he could see the fear in his face but he just didn't care right now.

Afraid Pogue would push him to talk about what he'd done, just like that morning after-

"Because I don't fucking know anymore, Caleb. What's the bullshit lie you're pulling today." at Caleb's widened eyes he laughed, humorlessly "...Who you think you're talking to, man?" or rather not talking. He shove the older one again, and this time, Caleb's back hit the wall. Pogue kept him there, squeezing his shoulder with all the exasperation he'd gathered through those weeks. He hated it. He hated to use his hands or Power against his brothers. He never did. But Caleb was just so goddamn stubborn.

"I'm not Tyler, Caleb! You can't just pat my back, smile and send me away. And I'm not Reid! You can't ice me out, and expect it to blow over eventually. I'm your brother. You really think I don't know when you're lying? That we all don't?" 'Really, Caleb?' "You think Reid and Tyler didn't pick up on your bullshit behavior already?"

When he let go, they were both panting. And his pulse was stammering on his ears.

He pulled away and swallowed as he looked to the side, clenching his fists. He really hated getting physical with them. That was reserved for jerks like Abbot. As he looked back, he could see Caleb's lips parting to talk. Those eyes. Those all Caleb eyes, focused on him, really focused on him, for the first time in weeks. And then the boy's mouth snapped shut, and he swallowed Pogue's answer down.

"Hey..."

Sarah's soft call and knock on the door frame, interrupted them.

He retrieved his arm, that had been halfway through grabbing Caleb again, should he try to change subjects. And straightened his posture.

"Am I interrupting something?" the girl asked, a light surprise on her inquisitive tone, that had Pogue threading fingers through his hair.

"Nothing." and wasn't that the true? "Nothing at all." he couldn't even look at his friend, but forced himself to offer Sarah a smile and a nod, as he passed by her. "Good to see you, Sarah. Later, man."

Caleb watched, with a deep frown, as Pogue walked out without as much as a glance back. He could feel his friend's anger seething and echoing around them, even long after he heard the bike growl away. He swallowed around his guilt, and turned his attention to Sarah. Whom had apparently been trying to get him to the couch, so they could have their planned movie evening.

He would have to talk with Pogue later. He just wondered, for how many more days he could tell himself and Pogue that. Before Pogue decided he just didn't want to listen anymore. And Caleb really wouldn't be able to blame him.