Hello :P It is Wednesday and I am back with a new chapter. This one is about a new dynamic and even though it's a little rusty in places and I feel like I need some more practice writing about them, this is about Justin and Jayden. They are Jessie and James' eldest son and second eldest son and I wanted to tackle one of the reactions of one of the siblings after Justin came out. I've been developing Justin's character a lot lately so I'm not surprised that I ended up writing about him. And Jayden is easily the most sensitive out of all the Morgan children so I enjoyed writing him having a perhaps unusual reaction the first few months after his big brother announces his sexuality. I hope you enjoy!

Ages:

Justin: 18

Jayden: 15

Disclaimer: I own the story and the OCs :3

My head automatically peered over my shoulder when I heard the footsteps of the long haired young adult and my eyes followed him curiously. As ever, he had his hat perched on his head and his hand was casually holding a plate with a sandwich on top. I had previously been completely absorbed by sitting on the window sill in the hallway of the Morgan mansion and looking at the clouds while I waited for my best friend to finish his appointment getting an outfit fitted. But that got my attention. Justin got my attention. I turned my body to observe him fully.

He continued padding along the hall in his socks, the sandwich still in his hand. I watched, and I waited. He paused outside a room – his brother's bedroom. He kept the plated sandwich in his hand for a few seconds longer before he switched it to his other hand and used the first one to knock. He knocked softly at Jayden's door and after a moments silence, the sound of a reply could be heard.

"Yeah?" Jayden asked simply in response and in a mumble too. It wasn't the most excitable or enthusiastic reply but it was a reply nonetheless. So Justin went on ahead into his brother's room, a warm smile already on his face to greet the younger male.

Though I had previously been enamoured with peering through the window and looking up at the sky and at all the clouds of a mid-winter Kanto, I didn't hesitate to jump down from the window sill as quietly as I could and follow Justin to the entrance of Jayden's bedroom. I couldn't help it. I wanted to nose. The dark purple haired male shut the door behind him as he went into his brother's room but it stopped with a gap perfect enough for my curiosity to be satisfied. Perfect.

"Hey Jayden." Justin greeted his younger brother by just a few years with an enthusiastic smile that contrasted the dual haired male's quiet previous response. Jayden didn't look up. Like I had been, he too was by a window but he was very busy indeed, you could tell.

Like he often did, he had a canvas board on an easel spread out in front of him with his paints all around him. He was in a creative mood. And he was creating one of his common masterpieces.

Though he was seemingly in his own world, using a piece of an old sponge to dab paint onto his artwork, he heard his older brother's second greeting. He nodded his head as a response and then flicked his head, flipping his hair out of his eyes.

Justin nodded in return, taking it upon himself to sit down on the edge of his brother's bed, his sandwich plate still in both of his hands. Jayden's response hadn't been much but those two boys had grown up together so the older one was used to it. He was satisfied with the reply. He continued speaking, his eyes full of curiosity.

"Working on yet another great one, huh?" the long haired Morgan offspring asked his brother, perched on the end of his bed and his long legs spilling over the edge. After Jayden replied again with a short 'yep' (but it was not rude, if anything, you might have said Justin was the rude one for interrupting his creative time), the hat wearing male nodded his head. "Excellent."

After Justin said that one word, neither of them said anything for a few moments. Jayden continued painting, his sponge making a soft and almost unnoticeable slushing noise as the wet paint went onto the canvas. He flicked his hair from his eyes again and furrowed his brow. His green orbs that he got from his father were glinting with concentration. He really was making a good one.

A few minutes silence passed before Justin broke it by pressing his lips together and showing off his dimples and sighing. But it wasn't an annoyed or a bored sigh; it was just what it was – a sigh. Anybody else would have probably left it at that. But I didn't. I rested my cheek against the door frame as I watched the two boys. In that moment, my concentration was more so on the eldest of the Morgan son's. That sigh that he had had, it was probably only a simple sigh. But I couldn't help but smile and nod to him. Yes, Justin, you can breathe out now. You can be yourself now. It's okay.

Of course the deep purple haired male didn't notice this and neither did his younger brother who was still very much absorbed in his painting. He was so enamoured, in fact, that I was surprised that he actually was hearing his brother speaking to him.

"I brought you this." Justin told his younger sibling and because he didn't say what, Jayden was forced to look up and see the sandwich on the plate that was being held out to him. He didn't say anything, though. He just nodded his head with a fraction of gratitude and Justin was forced to continue being the conversationalist. But he didn't mind. He smiled. "Dad made it but he asked me to bring it to you. He says you've been in here hours and probably haven't had a break for lunch."

Upon hearing this, like he had been before, Jayden was forced to look up a second time. But he didn't stop there. In fact, he actually put his paint sponge down and took the time to massage his fingers. And he even broke away from his land of creativity to look at his brother!

His eyes blinked and squinted like they were really coming out of seeing a different world before his brow furrowed. He continued massaging his long and slender fingers. He shrugged.

"Hm? Oh yeah, I guess I did get kinda absorbed and forgot about lunch." He told his only big brother before shrugging a second time. He then pushed his hair out of his eyes with his paint ridden fingers and added an orange streak to his already dual coloured hair. He glanced back at his painting briefly and then looked back at Justin. "But I'm not too late for it. It's only like two in the afternoon."

As Jayden accepted the sandwich on the plate off the deep purple haired male, he couldn't help but smirk in response at his younger brother. As the magenta and lavender haired male shuffled in his seat to get comfy again and take a bite of his late lunch, Justin shook his head at him.

"Only two in the afternoon?" the hat wearing male repeated to Jayden with an amused smirk and he played with the ends of his hair now that his fingers weren't occupied with a plate. He let out a few light hearted giggles. They were good to hear. He continued teasing Jayden after he nodded. "Buddy, it's gone past four. You really have been here for hours."

Jayden's eyes grew wide and innocent upon hearing this and his green orbs darted to the clock to make sure his brother was being serious. He was. Sure enough, it was beginning to head into the evening. After realising how long he had been locked in his room working on one particular piece of art, the second oldest Morgan son couldn't help but duck his head and share a laugh with Justin. Justin laughed even more upon hearing his little brother's quiet laughter.

I rested my cheek further against the door frame as I continued watching them, my own smile taking over my face. It was lovely to see. It was so so lovely. I had seen those boys as toddler boys getting along famously and even then that they were teenagers; they still had the same bond. I wasn't surprised. They were both so kind and caring and creative guys. But despite the fact that it wasn't a surprise, it was still heart-warming to see. Just like each and every bond and friendship I was able to witness within our group.

After Justin's laughter began to die down and Jayden's did too as he got started on eating the third triangle of his sandwich, the hat wearing male actually took off his hat and casually rested it on his brother's bed. He then carefully inched forward, towards Jayden and towards his painting. He smiled at him.

"Let's see this masterpiece then?" he asked gently enough but his body jerked him forward to try and see it. His long legs were still sloped over the edge of Jayden's bed. His nose scrunched up briefly with enthusiasm. "It must be great if you've been in here all this time working on it."

And with that, Justin edged his body closer to Jayden and his canvas a third time, hoping to see this. But for some reason, despite me only just thinking about the bond that those two brothers' had, Jayden stiffened upon hearing this. And he shook his head. Justin blinked.

"No?" Justin asked airily but already in that moment, he was beginning to suspect something and feel something deeper. He tried to ignore it. He continued smiling but his cheeks were aching with the urge for his smile to drop. He remained being playful and casual. "No? What do you mean 'no'? Is it saucy?"

"No!" on a rare occasion, Jayden was quick to answer but his cheeks turned slightly rosy knowing that they both had noticed the speed of his reply. (And I had too). He quickly swallowed and continued shaking his head. But he tried to make his actions more casual. He breathed out deeply as Justin moved away and sat back on his bed. He tried to give his big brother a small smile. "Y-You know me. I only like to show people when it's fully complete. And this one isn't. Not yet."

I paused. I tilted my head on one side and thought to myself. I soon shrugged. That was true enough. I didn't believe that I had ever seen a work in progress of Jayden's. True enough, I had only seen finished products. So I assumed that that went for everybody else too. My eyes went back to Justin. I saw it all.

I watched him nod his head understandingly at his brother and give him an apologetic and understanding smile in one but his brain was secretly ticking. He was trying not to overthink his brother's haste and protectiveness but he was failing. As Jayden finished his sandwich and went back to creating his artwork, Justin's face became decorated in a full frown. His pupils darted from left to right as his brain began ticking.

Swallowing, I couldn't do anything but just watch Justin's expression go from accepting to full of confusion and almost remorse. I wanted to do something but I couldn't. Neither of them knew that I had been there. Neither of them knew that I had technically been snooping. But in that moment, both those things didn't matter. All that mattered was Justin's face beginning to get filled with more hurt as each second passed. I couldn't stand it. It was just like before.

But before Jayden could look up and see his brother's expression and share his pain, Justin shook it off his face. A frown still remained as he tried to hold his tongue but ended up speaking to his younger brother.

"That was weird." He told Jayden simply and this caused him to briefly look up. He met his brother's eyes and he frowned before going back to his painting. Justin clarified. "You being so private about your painting. You're never like that."

Once again, Jayden answered very quickly. And that made me think that maybe Justin was onto something. Maybe he really was sensing something deeper.

"I told you I only like to show off finished products." Jayden responded with a shrug, looking back at his brother again but, once again, only managing a few seconds gaze before going back to his creation. He spoke truthfully. "Maybe sometimes I will show one off before. But not today. Not this one."

"Alright, fine." Justin couldn't help but reply hurriedly when he knew along with me that Jayden was telling the truth. That was just how Jayden rolled and had done for years. But in that moment, Justin didn't know how to express that it wasn't his previous actions that made him feel like something was up, rather just a feeling itself. He didn't know how to express this. So he didn't bother. He moved on, his brow still furrowed. "Let's talk about something else. Everything's about me lately. Talk to me about you."

There was a heavy pause on Jayden's part when he was reminded of a certain something with part of what Justin said and the deep purple haired male noticed this. And Jayden knew that his brother had noticed this. He continued speaking quickly but calmly. He shrugged while dabbing his painted sponge against his canvas.

"Nothing new, nothing new." He murmured, his brow furrowing as he looked at his painting but that was out of concentration rather than uncomfortableness. (I think). He let out a quiet sigh. "What can I say? My last journey was great. Been back at school for a few months. Been painting loads. Same old."

"See? This is what I'm talking about!" Justin suddenly erupted and this caused Jayden to become very startled and drop his sponge. I believed I was feeling the exact same alarmed emotions as the dual haired male as I almost fell through the door with surprise. Justin had been overthinking before, but where did that outburst come from? He continued, his forehead still creased with a frown. "I don't get you. I don't get it. You were laughing just a few minutes ago like old times. It made me feel like we were in the past. But now you've gone back to being weird and answering me weird and it's weird. I don't like it. You've been like this with me for a good month now."

The long haired Morgan male panted slightly at the end of his het up emotions while Jayden remained silent for a few moments and just picked his sponge up off the floor. When he was seated again, he then wiped the paint off the canvas that he had put there in mistake when he lost his sponge. Justin furrowed his brow even further at the silence while I blinked.

I didn't realise how wrong I'd been. Things had been weird between Justin and Jayden for a good month or thereabouts? I found myself shaking my head. In that moment I realised that even though I was still very much part of the group, I still didn't know everything that went on. That was simultaneously very comforting yet very alarming to me. But I pushed that to the back of my mind. I continued listening.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jayden responded to his big brother calmly but, once again, he exploded. Justin wasn't even yelling but he was a passionate guy who had kept a lot of his feelings and emotions secret for a very long time. He still wasn't the best at expressing everything. He was like a volcano spilling lava. It wasn't very scary or explosive, but you could feel the potential passion and danger there.

"You do! You know that you've been damn weird with me for a good month now. In fact, you've been weird with me since I bloody well came out to you!"

My mouth hung open upon hearing this and my eyes grew wide too. It wasn't even Justin's unraised but his passionate tones. It wasn't even Jayden's pale face and gulping that made me do this. It was just hearing those words. I couldn't believe it.

In one way, I couldn't believe that Justin had actually used the words 'come out'. I felt like I had been a huge part of his journey. I had witnessed each and every emotion that came with him being in the closet. But as soon as he let everybody know who the real him was, he wanted to move on very quickly. He was out. And he was himself. He had mulled over it all for so long that it was old news. When everybody knew, he wanted to speak no more about his difficulties around it. He wanted to be Justin. He just wanted to be Justin.

And in the other way, I couldn't believe that Justin was saying those words and about Jayden too. I swallowed a bitter taste in my mouth. My brow furrowed. No. Just no. I didn't believe that the dual haired male would be prejudiced against anyone but especially not his big brother. But like I said, I felt like I had been part of Justin's journey. So in that moment, I was almost as sceptical of Jayden as my best friend often was. He would have to tread very carefully because I was listening. I was listening intently.

Jayden's face continued being a suspicious ghostly grey but he tried to ignore it. He tried to act like Justin's words were nothing to him and that they didn't hurt him. He stopped using his sponge and used his finger instead to add details to his painting. He shrugged.

"I don't know what you mean." He repeated calmly and instead of erupting again, Justin let out a weary sigh. He shook his head – at Jayden or himself, nobody could tell – and sank down on the bed. Like ever, his long legs were spilling over the edge of the bed but for some reason, in that moment, he seemed so small. He seemed so vulnerable. Both his hands rested in his lap. And because he reacted so weakly rather than passionately, this got a reaction out of Jayden.

He swallowed quietly and his eyes darted to his big brother. He winced seeing him so upset but this evoked something in him. He paused and he pondered. He realised that it took so much for Justin to be straight with him. For him to accuse him of acting different since he told the big news to him. That was hard for Justin. So Jayden figured that if he was honest with him, that he had to be honest in return with him. He just had to.

He swallowed a third time but he spoke, shaking his head. He looked at his painting rather than Justin and his eyes pooled with tears that the deep purple haired male didn't see. But I did.

"I know I've been acting weird with you. I know it." He admitted to Justin and before he could say anymore, the long haired Morgan male seemed to shrink further into the bed. Though he was eighteen years old and the older out of the two of them, Jayden knew that he'd have to speak quickly and fluently to save him from feeling even more pain. He didn't overthink his words. He didn't hesitate. He just told his big brother the truth. "But it's not because of what you told me. Well, it is. But it's not for the reasons that you think. Because I don't bloody care who or what you love. As long as we have and love each other. I don't care."

Despite me previously watching Jayden like a hawk, I already had to swallow a lump in my throat while, as soon as he heard this, Justin felt a weight lifting from his shoulders. He sat up a fraction and looked towards his little brother. He didn't see his tears. Or maybe he did but maybe he didn't believe they were there. Or maybe he was used to them from the sensitive dual haired male. Either way, nothing deterred him from looking at him and listening. Jayden continued.

"I don't care. But I do care about being a good brother. And I feel like a terrible one. Justin, you don't know how all of this affects everybody else without you realising it. How it affects me. I realise that it really isn't about me but I can't help feeling this way. I feel like I should have known. And I hate myself for not knowing. I should have looked at you and I should have known. Or at least, I should have looked at you and saw the pain you were facing and figured it out myself. But I didn't. I was too busy focusing on my bloody art work. As ever."

Jayden finished his emotional and truthful words with a scoff and he quickly wiped hot tears from his eyes before they spilled down his cheeks. Justin didn't hesitate to move to his brother's side to wrap his arm around him. He didn't look at the painting once. He tried not to get emotional at everything that Jayden had told him and to push the lump in his throat away; he shook his head and furrowed his brow at him. He tried to reassure him.

"Oh Jayden, it is not your fault." He told him with another adamant shake of the head while Jayden guiltily and forlornly nodded his head. Justin continued reassuring him while Jayden sniffed. "It is not your fault. It wasn't for you to work out. It wasn't for you to figure out. It was for me to do. I don't want you to blame yourself for a single thing. You're my little brother and you just being around was enough. Really, I never want you to do anything else. Other than be around for me."

I desperately tried to keep the tears in my eyes as I watched Justin keep his arm around his younger brother and Jayden shakily move his hand to his brother's back. It was so moving to me. I had seen so many bonds but there's was quite special. For a moment previously, I had doubted their bond. I had worried that Justin's path in life had formed a barrier between he and his little brother. But I couldn't have been more wrong. There bond was still there and it was still strong. And it was still as pure as when they were little boys.

Jayden sniffed again and head butted his head lightly against Justin's shoulder to nuzzle it but in a man to man way. He looked up at him briefly, trying not to let his green eyes pool with even more tears.

"I can do that." He told him truthfully and with a brief smile before his voice cracked when he saw Justin just smiling back at him, accepting everything that he was and everything that he felt. How he had acted weird. How he had made it about him. How he was crying in front of him. He didn't mind any of this. And this somehow pained Jayden more. He almost winced as more tears came. "Ugh. I can't stop thinking of all the things I didn't do. I can't stop thinking of all the things I should've said when you told me what you told me. But I didn't."

Justin swallowed. Though once again, he was wondering what they were and he was wondering what on earth Jayden was going to come out with next, he nodded his head. He smiled at him. His teal orbs mixed with green met his little brother's pure green ones. They were accepting. They were already accepting everything that Jayden wanted to say. And as soon as the dual haired male met his big brother's collected and calm orbs, he somewhat clutched onto his shirt and emotionally told him.

"I wanted to tell you that I don't care who you love, Justin, I just love you. I wanted to tell you how amazing it was to hear you announcing who you truly were. And now I want you to know that I'm proud. Not only of you but I'm proud to know and love who you were before you knew who you were and now that you do know who you are. I'm just proud. And I'm happy. I'm happy to see you breathe for what seems like the first time. And I'm glad to be alongside you doing that."

It greatly surprised me when Justin didn't cry or breakdown upon hearing Jayden's beautiful and heartfelt words. Listening to them, I knew that if Jayden was my brother and he had said them to me, I would've been overwhelmed with love and gratitude and held onto him and never let him go.

Even though Justin didn't bawl or choke up, his eyes and face looked beautiful with love and gratitude and his arms moved to hug Jayden even more. He even pushed his little brother's face forward so he could lightly and briefly press a kiss to the back of his curls. That was enough. That was all that he needed to say.

The dual haired male sniffed a third time and continued holding onto his brother. He didn't say anything else. He just stayed hugging him, making up for what felt like lost time. Even though they had been in the same house together for years on end (bar some months when they were on their different journeys) sometimes it felt like they were in completely different places. And they were. They had completely separate lives. But in that moment, they felt united again. They felt together. And their brotherly love was reaffirmed. Jayden was thinking all of those things. So he couldn't resist the urge of telling his big brother some more truths.

"You're still you. You're still that hat wearing dude. You're still that guy who I've grown up with and I've grown up drawing and playing dress up with. You're still the son who dad goes to for almost everything – advice and all. You're still the son who mom likes to wind up endlessly but cuddle endlessly too. Even if you are like a beanpole. You're still… You're just still you."

Jayden trailed off thoughtfully and for once, Justin remained silent. He must've felt overwhelmed and emotional and loved from everything that his little brother was saying to him but for once, he wasn't overthinking it. He was just accepting it. It was just going in one ear and staying there for later. His words weren't swirling around his brain. They were just melting into his heart. But Justin stayed hugging Jayden. That's one thing that he was doing. Even though he didn't have any words to say, he had a lot of hugs to give. And Jayden was the one getting the most of them that day.

It might have been the warmth of the brotherly hug that made Jayden speak a third time. He kept his eyes shut thoughtfully.

"It's weird. Even though you're my big brother, I feel as though I've watched you grow up too. I guess age is strange. Even though you're older than me, I've watched you grow and mature and it's been good to see. Everything goes by so fast. One minute you were so confused then the next you were out and telling everyone and now you actually have a boy. You have a guy. I don't know. Time goes fast. But I'm glad to have watched it all."

Jayden finished his words by giving his big brother a tight hug and he rested his chin on his shoulder. That was that. He had said everything that he wanted to say. He had hugged him tight. He was ready and about to pull away from the embrace. But Justin hugged him tighter still. He wasn't ready for it to be over. So the hug didn't end. Justin shut his own eyes as he finally spoke to his little brother again.

"Time does go fast." He nodded his head slowly in agreement and said thoughtfully to himself. He spoke through a pondering expression as his love-filled eyes remained shut. "Time goes so fast. I remember the day that you arrived. It feels like I remember every single day with you. It feels like I know every single thing about you. I definitely don't. But I love you anyway. And I know the important stuff. How you always eat those gross green jam sandwiches. How you secretly get up in the middle of the night to paint. How you feel about Katie-"

This certainly got my attention. And it certainly got Jayden's attention too. His chin pulled away from Justin's shoulder. The fifteen year olds eyes grew wide too.

"Hey." Was all he said simply and was about to retaliate but he was met with Justin's steady and collected gaze. He looked at his face. He looked right into his eyes. He felt like denying it. He really felt like denying it. But he didn't. He didn't know what to say. It was almost in that moment, he was realising that he had been hiding away feelings too. And Justin knew this.

He smiled. But somehow, it wasn't an ego filled smile. It was just a smile, one that showed off his dimples. He smiled knowingly at his brother. He poked his jawline.

"Hey." He repeated back to him, not letting him out of his hold even though Jayden had adopted the same thoughtful expression that Justin had possessed earlier in the day. His eyes softened even more for his little brother. "Maybe you didn't suspect a single thing that was going on with me but I've known what's been going on with you. For a very long time in fact. In fact-"

The deep purple haired male was about to continue and prove that even though he had seemingly been very engulfed in his problems at the time, he could still sense other people's questions of the heart. He was about to continue. But he no longer felt the need to after Jayden answered him, carving the starting line to a journey of his own.

"That's for me to figure out." he told his brother maturely. "Like you said that your thing was for you to figure out, this is for me. This is just for me. Let me figure it out. Please."

And Justin knew not to press any further and, for the second time that day, his brain didn't overthink either. He didn't guess that Jayden expected his feelings for Katie to go away while he was away on his journey but they hadn't. He didn't ponder that Jayden worried Katie would outgrow him when she was on a journey of her own. And he didn't even question whether it would be too much too fast and too much on their friendship, for both of them. Justin didn't overthink these things. But I did.

However, like Jayden said, that was him to figure out. So that's how we left it. The deep purple haired male just nodded his head and smiled and pulled his little brother back in for a clumsy hug. And that's how the two boys stayed there for quite some time. Justin only broke the silence once, to tell his little brother one simple thing.

"It'll all be okay. You'll work it out in the end. It'll all be okay." Justin had told him that one simple thing. Well, it was two or three things, but they were still simple. Jayden had just nodded his head and smiled gratefully at the subtle and secretive approach while I found myself smiling to myself. In fact, I found myself beaming.

Justin had once wondered whether everything would be okay and whether he'd work things out in the end. He had worried so much. But he didn't need to because, a few years down the line, he would be telling his little brother that everything will work out in the end and not only that, but he'd have enough knowledge to truly believe that it could be true too.

Like Jayden had said, it was an honour to know Justin when he was struggling and he was out of those times too. Because, the truth was, no matter the twists and turns he made and the ups and downs he had, he was still the same person. He was still creative. He was still warm. He was still gentle. He was still witty. He was still humble. He was still polite. He was still Justin.

And as Jayden continued hugging onto his big brother, he was glad that's exactly who he was. And he was grateful too. Because no matter how long Justin stayed near the painting that he was working on, he didn't turn around to peek at it once. Jayden had asked him not to. So he didn't. Which I thought was a bit of the shame. Because if Justin had turned around and seen what his little brother was working on, he'd been filled with even more love.

For it was a painting of them both, their arms wrapped around each other and smiles on their faces. Smiles of love. Smiles of acceptance. And smiles knowing that everything would be okay in the end. Because it would. For the both of them. They both ended up exactly who they were meant to be and who they were meant to be with. And we all loved them every step of the way on their journey of life. No matter where the twists of life took them, we wholeheartedly loved them. And that was the important thing. Unity was the important thing. And let me tell you, our group has a whole lot of that. It really does.

The End.

There you go! Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed :3 It was fun for me to write about both the boys as teenagers and especially Justin so fresh after being in the closet. As you can imagine, his problems aren't completely gone even though a major weight has been lifted off his shoulders. Sometimes he 'erupts' with emotions and even though he's not necessarily an angry person, he is a very passionate one and can get pretty fired up. And as for Jayden, he's pretty quiet and sensitive and gets absorbed easily in his creations sometimes can forget about the world around him. And even though he's known Katie for years and crushed on her forever, he still doesn't quite believe everyone when they tell him that they know she feels the same way back, even if she hasn't said anything :P Thanks again and I will be back next Wednesday so see you then!

AmyBieberKetchum signing out :3