Brother's Best Friend

Over the past couple of weeks, Nathan and I grew rather close. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was about him, but he just made me feel like I could be happy again. He made me feel like life went on.

Tom had finally gotten me to move into a flat with him and out of my parent’s home. The day we moved was just as hard as I didn’t want it to be, but I had Max and Jay there to help me through my packing. Come to think of it, I hadn’t a clue where Tom was that day. He tended to distance himself when Max was near me. Sure, Tom was my newly found brother; but Max was acting as a brother for me as well. If not for these two, or the other lads, I’m not sure I would have been able to get through that.

Tonight is my first night in the flat with tom, well kind of. Tom went out and hadn’t come home before 10 so I just went up to my room. A loud buzzing broke the silence, it happened again. Finally realising it was the doorbell, I got off my bum.

“Were you ever going to answer?” I heard as I walked into the living room and saw Nathan standing there holding a large bouquet of yellow roses, my favourite flower.

“How’d you get in?” I smiled and pulled him in for a hug. Leaning against him as I admired the flowers in his hand.

“Key under the door.” He gestured towards the door. “Go upstairs, I’ll be right up. Do you want these in your room or out here?” He moved away from me, heading towards the kitchen. I couldn’t help but smile. This boy was too sweet.

I popped in Twilight and got settled under the covers. Nathan slowly peaked his head around the door and walked in, noticing what I put on and groaned. He plopped down on the edge of the bed and wiggled his eyebrows at me. “What would Thomas say if he were to come home and find his little sister in bed with me?” He spoke rhetorically as he scooted back towards me, resting his arm around my shoulders.

Pushing at his chest. “Don’t get any ideas, Nath. He’ll go after me before you.” We both laughed.

Halfway through the film, Nathan got bored and started playing with my hair. I kept swatting him away. Once he gave up trying to get me to conversate with him, he got up and started looking around my room. There was an assortment of pictures and letters handing on the walls, even some paintings my dad gave me when I was a little girl. He stood there quietly, admiring them. I soon lost interest in Edward and Bella, as I was watching how he looked at the things on my wall. Picking things up, running his hands over others. Once he got to the corner of my room that had the last family portrait my mother made us partake in, the last painting my dad ever did, and the letter I had gotten from my parents the day I got that horrible call- I let out a soft whimper. I know he had heard me, but he didn’t turn around. Instead he left the room and came back after a few minutes with his keyboard.

“What are you doing?”

Ignoring me, he sat down next to me. He brushed the hair from my face and kissed my forehead. His fingers began to dance along the keys beautifully, soon music filled the room with them. He opened his mouth and then shut it, looked at me and opened it again.

He began to sing: We can stand so tall together/ We can make it through the stormy weather/ We can go through it all together, do it all together, do it all/ I’ll be your strength/ I will, I will, I will/ I’ll be your strength/ Yes I will, yes I will.

I rested my head on his shoulder and experienced his voice. Closing my eyes as a tear rolled down my cheek. I hadn’t even noticed the room getting quiet until he adjusted himself under me.

”Sam? I mean it. I will be your strength. Okay?” I looked up at him, into his green eyes that were so full of promise and life. I knew he meant it, but I couldn’t find my voice to respond; I kissed his chin to let him know I appreciated him.

I awoke the next morning, sun glaring through the window right onto my face. Rubbing my eyes, I remembered that Nathan slept next to me last night. Last night had been the first night where I hadn’t cried myself to sleep.

I heard voices coming from the other side of my door. “She needed me! We didn’t DO anything, Tom. I wouldn’t do that to her.”

“Fuck off, Nathan! You never should have come. How do you think that looked? I come home to find my best friend and little sister cuddled up, asleep!” I contemplated getting up before Tom burst into the room, standing over me. I opened my eyes and smiled at him. His hard expression softened slightly. “Are you okay?”

Sitting up properly, “Yeah. I am okay. I’m really okay.” He smiled at me, before turning his gaze towards Nathan who was still standing in the hallway. Nathan smiled sheepishly at me, causing me to blush. I put my hand on Tom’s arm, “We didn’t do anything. I promise.”

“You heard?”

“Kind of hard not to have, you were yelling right outside the door.”

—
*Tom’s POV*

I was sat on the sofa, flipping through channels when I heard Max stomping into the room.

“Oi mate!” He dropped next to me, rubbing my ear.

“Yayaya.”

“I heard about this morning. You might’a over reacted, mate.” I rolled my eyes and walked into the kitchen-getting two beers.

“What would you have done if you saw Sam and Nathan wrapped up like that?”

“I don’t know.” I handed him a beer and took my seat next to him. “I wouldn’t have yelled at the boy when she was in earshot.”

Just then, the front door opened and the house was flooded with Jay’s and Sam’s laughter. Those two laughed at everything. When they came into view, his arm was wrapped tightly around her shoulder as her head was lent against his shoulder. As much as I hated to admit it, I’d much rather she go after Jay than Nath. Jay just felt right for her.

“Thomas. Maxipad.” Sam laughed sitting on my lap.

“Oi! I can’t see, get yer big ass off me,” I pushed her off of me. “Wait. Maxipad?” We all busted out laughing. She kissed the side of my head before jetting upstairs.

“She seems to be getting on just fine.” Jay spoke up. I nodded at him.

“She does. I just wish it’d stay like this.” They both gave me confused looks. “She’ll go back to being depressed sooner or later. She acts all happy and everything and then she hits bottom again.”

“Don’t think like that.”

Someone’s phone started buzzing on the table. I picked up, mistaking it for my own, when I noticed the wallpaper was a picture of Sam and Siva wearing matching outfits I put it back on the table. The buzzing went off again. Out of pure curiousity, I picked it up and opened the text messages. They were from Nathan.

Sammy, we’re still on for tonight right? -Nath x

I miss you already :( - Nath x

I thought about telling him ‘no,’ but figured Sam would have my head if I did. Instead, I did what any good person would do and put it back. Regretting it straight away.

Sam came traspping into the room, in a chipper mood. She grabbed her phone and left. “Nice talking to ya!” Max called after her, and laughed at his own poor humour.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon my mind kept going back to the messages from Nathan. What were they going to do tonight? Should I let her go? Could I really stop her? Are they dating? Was he using her, or she him? My mind raced with countless possibilities, all of which were worse off. Each one worse than the last.