Status: HIATUS

The Glass Coffin

Chapter 2

Jacob and I had been spending quite a bit of time with one another, sharing stories and he even showed me pictures of my parents that he had. He was a young boy in one of them and my mother was pregnant with me. As happy as that made me it also made me quite sad. I didn't have many memories of my mother but the ones I did I greatly enjoyed.

Tonight however, I wouldn't be spending it with Jacob. Tonight, Lucien (the oldest of the seven brothers) would be returning from a doctors conference out in San Diego. Whenever he went away we would all agree to have the house cleaned and dinner made for him when he returned.

Lucien was like the father figure in our home, he had occupied the fourth floor in the house while the rest of us were scattered among the other three floors. The main reason being, he was the oldest, took care of the last three young ones and wasn't seeing anyone. Of course it wasn't by choice, like Harrison, Lucien was gay. However, being a doctor took away from his social life, unlike Harrison's who was usually seeing a new guy every week or so. As much as a loved Harrison, he could be a serious dick when it came to men—the kind you never recommend to your friends.

"Damien, please pick up the ingredients Harrison needs before he gets home?" I had called Damien while I was cleaning the kitchen up for Harrison to cook tonight. I still had the living room and to make sure everything was just fine in Lucien's room before he got home and I needed help. I couldn't do this all by myself you know!

"Yes. Oh and when I left this morning, I noticed that the front yard needed some clean-up." Damien seemed to be treading on his words, afraid that I might snap at him for giving me something else to do. I laughed and thought about it quickly. Shawn was upstairs not doing anything since today was his day off. I would just go make him do.

If there was one person none of these boys argued with, it was me. It's the price of almost a life-long friendship.

"Gotcha. Make sure you're home on time!" With that I hung up the phone and quickly finished up the kitchen.

"SHAWN!" I yelled up the stairs as I put away all the cleaning supplies. Slowly but surely, Shaun came shuffling down the stairs while rubbing his eyes at me.

"What?" He snapped, yawning and glaring at me—to which I just glared back.

"The front yard needs some cleaning up. So, if you don't want to wash any plates after tonight-" He instantly threw his arms up in the air and his eyes widened.

"No! I'm gone! Yard work is done!" I giggled to myself and watched him run outside to clean up the yard. What did I tell you?

***


"WELCOME HOME!" We all shouted as Lucien and Robert came through the door. Robert sneezed lightly, followed by a chorus of "Bless you" and Lucien just smiled at all of us, Robert holding on to his bags.

"Don't sneeze on my bags." Lucien muttered while I ran up to him to give him a big hug.

"I'm sorry, it's my allergies!" Robert growled. He was carrying his own school bag on his back so he dropped Lucien's luggage and headed upstairs to rid himself of his own.

"Dinner is ready, so wash up and hurry on down!" Harrison said cheerfully as he gathered the rest of his brothers into the dining room.

"Pru, follow me up?" Lucien asked as he picked up his bags. I found it strange but nodded my head and grabbed his carry on. Lucien grabbed the other bag and the both of us headed up the stairs.

The entire way up the stairs I could feel the tension between Lucien and I. He was obviously concerned about something (someone ratted me out about Jacob no doubt) but it also made me feel like a teenager all over again. Lucien would often be the one to discipline me because even though I loved his parents the loss of my own caused me to close myself off to adults.

Lucien was the only one who could get through to me as a teenager and I've always loved him for that. He made me realized that as cynical as I can be, there isn't just bad in the world-- it just takes up most of it.

We entered his 'apartment' (what else do you call a fully fledged bedroom, living room, bathroom, and mini-kitchen?) and placed his bag down in his room. I began to open up one of his bags in order to help him unpack when he placed a hand over mine, stopping me.

"Pru, you have something to tell me?" The question sounded more like a statement rather than someone trying to be inquisitive and I let out a small sigh, knowing Harrison or one of the other gossiping little buggers in this house could have told him about Jacob.

Lucien had never liked any of the men I ever dated but he also never stopped me from seeing them either. I'm pretty sure he knew I needed to find out right from wrong on my own. This time though was a bit different. Part of me wanted Jacob to be real, nice, and just as sweet as he seemed to be. Anything but what I usually ended up with. Mainly because he had a connection to the only other family I ever had, but I was still trying to figure Jacob out. I didn't want Lucien to come in and play 'big brother'.

“Luc—he’s nice. Apparently he and my parents knew each other. I’ve seen pictures to prove it.” Lucien’s face faltered at the mention of my parents, most likely to do something with the fact that my mother used to baby sit him when he was younger. When my mother died he told me how much he would miss my mother being his baby sitter. It’s what gave me comfort, the fact that no one would forget my mother. It was also the reason after my father had passed, I wasn’t left completely on my own, it’d just felt that way.

My step-mother had given Lucien’s parents custody of me without a thought.

“I’d like to meet him.” Lucien stated rather matter-of-factly. I wanted to protest but Lucien’s face was serious even as he changed his shirt and pants.

“Five. Tomorrow he wanted to see where I worked. You can meet him then.” Lucien thought about it for a moment and then smiled.

“Agreed. Now, come on, I’m starving.”

***


Having been gone for a month, Lucien had missed a lot. Some good, some bad—mostly bad. However, despite coming home to Jay (16 year-old-high school student) having been suspended from school for the next month, Lucien seemed happy to be back. (He was caught smoking pot behind the school with his friends. Idiot.)

Tomorrow came sooner rather than later and part of me was extremely nervous about Lucien meeting Jacob. I found that Jacob had grown on me a bit quicker than most and having Lucien approve would help me out greatly.

Little did I know just how late I was running.

“Holy crap! Lucien; make coffee please!” I ran downstairs in my lightly knitted sweater to find Greg (the youngest of the brothers) opening the door to Jacob’s rather bright orange head.

“Sure, hunnie. But, I’m thinking you want clothes.” I snickered at him and looked over at Jacob.

“This is a good look for you.” Jacob commented, clearly trying to hold back a laugh while a the same time eyeing me.

“Why thank you. Jacob—this is Lucien, the eldest brother and that tiny one with all that pent up anger is Greg—the youngest.” Jacob smiled at the two of them and held out his hand to Greg's first.

“Nice to meet you.” Greg just glared at his hand and walked away. He may have been only twelve but he sure packed about as must angst as any other teenage boy, probably more.

“Well, Jacob it’s a pleasure. Have a truffle, they’re homemade.” Lucien shoved a small round chocolate truffle in Jacob’s face, who seemed confused at first before he reached out to take it.

“Gladly.” Before he took a bite, I decided to warn him.

“Careful. Great doctor - crappy cook. I’ll be getting ready upstairs. Play nice!” With that I ran upstairs to make myself more presentable.

I worried a bit, as I thought about leaving Jacob alone with Lucien. Was that a good idea? Do I want Jacob to even meet the people closest to me? However, since Lucien was the one that asked to meet him I really had no choice. That thought only provoked me into fixing myself up quicker and getting Jacob far away from here.

Surprisingly however (I don’t say this lightly), as I returned downstairs after having fully clothed myself, the two were chatting away gleefully as if they were old friends.

“You look beautiful.” Jacob complimented and I just gave him a quick smile.

“Uh, thanks. Well this doesn’t seem at all strange. Shall we go?” I questioned Jacob. He looked to Lucien who just nodded his head smiling.

“Yes. Go. Bring him back sometime!” Jacob simply nodded his head as if he had a choice in the matter. Charming and cocky, isn’t he?

***


”You know we are going to have to tell her.” Greg muttered as he came out from hiding by the stairs.

“Eventually.” Lucien seemed unfazed by Greg’s statement whereas Greg seemed to be worried by Pru’s new relationship, despite Lucien’s approval. Just then Lucien’s phone and beeper went off simultaneously.

The beeper was work and the phone was Harrison. Lucien gathered his things and headed out the door while answering his cell phone.

“Harrison?” Lucien questioned knowing he should have been bust at the restaurant.

“We’ve got some problems…with the books.” Harrison whispered to his brother Lucien sighed and thought about it for a moment.

“Fine. We’ll discuss it tonight.” Lucien hung up the phone and entered his car.

“Should’ve known.”