Don't Think You Can Hide There In The Shadows

The last few days had been a blessing in Joe’s eyes, not once was he awoken by his baby brothers terrified screams in the night, not once had he had to shake Nick’s shuddering body awake, or hold him until the sobs subsided. It was as if he was suddenly healed. Suddenly released from the cages of his mind. Joe had no idea what caused the sudden change but whatever the reason; he didn’t really care just as long as the smile continued to grace his little brother’s face.

Nick couldn’t wait to get up for school after the long weekend off. A first ever occurrence, considering that waking up before ten seemed atrocious in his eyes, especially if it was just so he could attend a prison masquerading as a school.
His dreams had been plagued all weekend by a beautiful pale body with a waterfall of burgundy hair that gently waved as the figure seemed to almost float around his unconsciousness.

That figure being Mya obviously.

Yeah, Nick was crushing hard; he just refused to see it.

“Josephine, rise and shinnnneee!” Nick sung, shaking his brother from his peaceful slumber with a smirk, enjoying the task that was normally the opposite way around.
It took a few moments of incoherent mumbling and swatting on Joe’s behalf before he finally cracked open one eye practically glaring at the blurry image that was his littlest brother before they flickered to the seemingly smudged clock on his bedside table.
7:30? Was Nick serious?

“Argh, why did you wake me up before my alarm, I still have a good half an hour of sleeping time!” he muttered trying to curl back into his cocooned bed sheets only to have them rudely tugged away. Doing the only thing a responsible adult like himself could do in this situation, he pouted.

“Nicky! Stop being a douche,” he whined trying to add puppy dog eyes to the mix, unfortunately he hadn’t quite perfected the look unlike young Nicholas. Nick simply grinned, showing off his pearly teeth before shaking his head no.

“I want pancakes, and yours are the best.” He announced taking a hold of Joseph’s ankle attempting to drag the sleepy boy from his bed. Joe grabbed at his headboard desperately but couldn’t get a grip on the shiny wood resulting in his body being yanked off the bed leaving his limbs in a tangled mess on the hard wood floor.

“Nicholas Jerry Jonas, you are sooo dead!” he growled jumping to his bare feet just in time to see him dart out of Joe’s bedroom.

Joe sprinted down the hall following the sound of Nick’s laughter into the living room where a pillow was hurled at his face. “Nick! Respect your elders!” he yelled like a battle call, jumping the couch and chasing Nick around the coffee table.

“Never!” the youngest of the two, (maybe not mentally), cried in protest, leap frogging the table and heading towards the kitchen area.
“At least not until I have pancakes in my stomach!”
Joe cracked up laughing as he skidded to a halt in the kitchen, Nick was sat at the island, knife and fork in each hand, a napkin tucked in the collar of his polo shirt like a bib and a giant grin on his face.

“Pancakes! Pancakes! Pancakes!” he chanted sounding about 6 years old.

Joe shook his head in disbelief cursing himself in his head, “Fine I’ll make you your damn pancakes but remember my kindness, and you have to tell Kevin you like me better! Got it?”
Nick laughed dropping his cutlery to the counter with a clang.
“Sure, sure, now make me pancakes!”

Little brothers...