Logan yelped as he attempted to twist away from his brother's swing. The book crashed into his rear with a flattening effect and a not so subtle pain.
"Books are for reading, not throwing," Victor brought it down again, "Especially not at me, brat. Now since you need motivation to read this is what we're going to do," he opened the book to the first two pages, "You're gonna read these first two pages, and when you're done, I will be too."
"What does?" Jimmy was quickly silence with a hard slap to his left cheek.
"Start reading," he slapped him again.
"Mrph!" Logan looked to the page, "Wa-one m-OR-n-nig!" he wince as Victor hit his thigh, "a little rab-IT! I can't read with you smacking me!"
"Learn, because I'm not stopping until those two pages are done," he brought his hand down hard on the right cheek.
Jimmy wiped his misty eyes and looked back to the book, "Sat on a BANK!"
"Good. Now you know what the word bank looks like," he brought his palm down on his brother's redding cheek.
X
By the time Logan finally read the two pages his cheeks were throbbing something horrible.
Victor grabbed his collar to look at him, "What's the point of being rich and stupid? You'll waste your money quickly if people don't just swindle it out of you." he warned, "And be wise to remember that the guy at work you talk to has no reason to care whether you're smart or not. Or if someone takes advantage of you." Vic dropped him and went to see if his vegetable and meat were done.
x
Logan could still feel the pain of last night's spanking as he ate his lunch. At least they had some meat to help keep him full.
"Hey kid," Derrik smiled, "Did you tell your brother off?"
"You can kiss my ss," he turned away, silently reading the book.
x
Weeks had gone by with them both working their respective jobs. The weather was starting to take a turn, getting more rainy. This meant no cooking could be done as well. It also meant that they were sleeping at the railyard more often.
"Nature's free shower," Victor scrubbed his brother's hair.
"Pity that there is no heat control," Logan commented as he scrubbed himself, "How much money do we have between us now, you think?"
"Little over a 100," the elder shrugged, washing himself, "Elijah?"
"You are not using our soap on the bear," Logan scolded, "We should get an apartment now that we finally have the money."
"I think we should wait a few more weeks, make sure we have enough." Vic shrugged, turning to his brother to get a glare, "What?"
"We have been living in the forest, under a tent made of our blankets and sleeping on a bear skin for 8 weeks."
"And?"
"I think it's time to actually look for a place to stay, where we can have a real stove. And a real icebox again." he looked to his brother's contemplating look, "If we get an apartment I'll buy you a new cookbook. And we'll get ice cream." he almost sang the last part.
"That's not fair~!" His brother knew he had wanted ice cream for the past week.
"Do you like living out here in the woods?" he sat in wait for the rain to wash the soap from himself.
"It doesn't bother me so much," he shrugged.
"Well tomorrow we can go to town and look for somewhere to live. Somewhere the ground doesn't turn to muck when it rains."
"Oh fine," he sighed and shook lightly, "At least both us and the clothes got clean tonight. So if we do find a place we won't need to wash for a couple weeks."
"Not counting the cloths," Logan reminded him.
"Oh yeah..Well it's been a good two weeks since either of us wet, so maybe we'll last a little longer."
"Wouldn't that be great?" he smiled.
X
Logan stretched, "Wake up Victor, time to find us a place," he looked around the train box, "Victor? Elijah?"
He walked around the carts, warily. No sign. An eye rolled and he quickly made his way to the forest, sniffing around for his brother or the cub.
The smell of rain was messing with his brother's odor but it was still faint.
"We're supposed to be looking for an apartment and he's playing hide and seek with his pet," Logan muttered.
He walked about a block into the wooded area, inhaling deeply before following the scent to the baby bear, "There you are, Elijah. Where's Victor?"
The cub growled at him playfully and smacked at his leg.
"Doesn't answer the question," he looked around.
Suddenly he was grabbed from behind. He elbowed the person's stomach and grabbed the arm that was wrapping around his throat. A flip and some action happen before he was pinned on his stomach.
"Get off me! You weigh a ton!" he squirmed under the weight of his brother.
"Say I win and I'll let you up," Victor smirked.
"Never!"
"Suit yourself," the eldest smirked, reaching under his brother.
"No. Don't you do it!" Logan almost instantly gave way to laughing and squirming under Victor, "Cheater!"
"Say I win and I'll let you up," Victor tickled his sides.
"Ne-never!" he shouted around his laughter.
"Be difficult if you wish. Hold him down, Elijah," the eldest commanded as the cub climbed on Logan's head.
"Don't you dare! Victor Creed are you listening to me?!"
Vic smirked and pulled his brother's shoes off, holding his ankle tightly and dragging his claw across the sole, causing Logan to shriek loudly, twisting and turning.
"Stop!" he laughed hysterically, pushing hard at his brother, "Stop, I'm gonna pee!"
"Say it and I'll let you free," he snickered, tickling both feet around his brother's kicks, "Well?"
"You win! Stop, please!"
Laughing himself, Vic stood, letting his brother curl into a ball of giggles, "You're amusing."
"Asides trying to kill me, why are you up so early?" Logan chuckled as the cub licked his face.
"I forgot to get Elijah's bottle and I taught him to hunt some." Vic snickered, "Ready to search?" he stood, picking up the cub and it's bottle.
Soon as he turned Logan jumped onto his back, nearly making him drop the baby, "My legs are broken because of you, now carry me."
"I very much doubt anything of you is broken," he handed him Elijah and walked with them both on his back to the railyard.
X
"This one is nice," Logan looked at the place they found, "And it's not too far from the forest."
Vic inspected the kitchen, "How much?"
"For the two of you? $14 a month," the landlord informed them.
"Thats robbery," Logan glared, "Our place in the city didn't cost that much."
"Thats business."
"Eleven dollars or we're taking our business elsewhere," Vic chimed in, "Our last place had a bed already. And a toilet."
The man looked between them both, "Fine. Eleven forty. First month's rent now."
The elder quickly handed him the money in exchange for the keys before the man left.
"I miss our other place," he sulked. This place wasn't bad, it just lacked the lovely appeal their last one did. At least the last one had an indoor bathroom.
"Time to start rebuilding," Logan cringed.
"Starting with dusting," Vic dragged a finger across the wall, "Grab a rag."