Don't Tell

The sunrise happened gradually, gently waking ten-year-old Rory. He was laying in a twin sized bed surrounded by soft blankets with a big pillow behind his head. His room was nice, better than about half the kids at his school. He had toys to play with, nice clothes to wear, and a bed that he thought had to be the most comfortable bed in the world, unless you counted his big brother's bed.

Rory hadn't always lived here though. Actually, he hadn't been here for very long. This family - the Colts - had adopted him about three years ago after his mom died in a car accident. It still made Rory sad sometimes when he thought about his mom, but the Colts gave him everything he needed and they loved him a lot. They cared a lot about him and made him feel special, almost like he had been with them his whole life.

Since it was a Saturday Rory didn't have anything to do. His adoptive parents who he had taken to calling mom and dad were probably out going to garage sale after garage sale looking for trinkets or antiques to bring home even though they oftentimes came home with nothing at all. When they were out on Saturday mornings Rory and his adoptive older brother, Matt, were left alone to their own devices.

Matt was sixteen, but he wasn't at all like most teenage boys everyone complains against. He was good to Rory and he loved him a lot. On Saturdays like today Matt would usually come into Rory's room and tickle him until he had tears streaming down his face and thought he would pee himself. After Rory begged him to stop Matt would carry Rory down the hall to his room where they would watch cartoons and lay around Matt's room all day until their parents came home and made lunch. Saturdays were definitely Rory's favorite day of the week because he had Matt all to himself.

When Rory fully woke up he opened his eyes and turned his body to peer at the clock on his bedside table. It was 10:30 already, and the small boy frowned at the green numbers that shined at him. His favorite cartoon was already over by now, and Matt should have came a long time ago. Uncertainly Rory swung his feet over the edge of his bed and padded down the hallway quietly, the cool wood floor absorbing the noise from his sock-clad feet.

"Matt?" Rory called hesitantly as he cracked the door of his brother's room open. Matt was still in bed, which made the ten year old frown again. Matt had to be sad, and Rory hated when Matt wasn't happy.

The door creaked when Rory pushed it open and the figure in the bed turned to his side, opening his eyes slightly, the rims of them still slightly red as though Matt had been crying late into the night.

"Hey bud," Matt whispered with a husky voice. He patted the bed beside him and Rory quickly crossed the room and scrambled up the side of the big bed to lay beside his brother as always. Matt pulled the smaller boy to his body, spooning him from behind and Rory smiled as he felt Matt's lips on the back of his neck. Rory loved his brother, and Matt loved Rory. It was everything Rory had known since coming to living with the Colts, but he liked it.

"What's wrong Matt?" Rory asked when his brother rested his forehead against the shoulder of the younger. Matt sighed traced patterns on Rory's arm with his thumb, mumbling about guys at school, as usual. Rory knew his older brother caught hell a lot at school for being gay, and it made Rory really upset. He didn't understand what was wrong with liking boys if you we're a boy. After all, Rory himself liked boys. Well not really boys in general, but Rory knew he loved his bother. He might have been only ten, but it just made sense and Matt made him feel so special Rory couldn't see how anyone could say it was wrong.

"You know I love you, right?" Matt said into Rory's back. The way Rory nodded enthusiastically cheered Matt up a little and he propped himself up on an elbow, leaving his other arm lazily draped across the body of his brother. "Good. I can't wait to get out of here as soon as I can. I'm done with the people around here and even though I don't know where I'll go, anywhere will be better than here."

"What will I do if you leave me?" Rory asked in a small voice, turning over and planting is face in the older's chest. Rory couldn't bear to think of Matt leaving him, even if Matt would be happier away from the guys that constantly made his life hell.

"Baby," Matt began gently, pulling Rory's chin up so he would look him in the eyes. "I love you. I'm not leaving you, ever. I'm going to take you with me when I leave. Just a few more years. If I can't convince mom and dad to go somewhere we'll take off, just you and me against the world."

The two boys stared at each other softly for a moment before Matt lowered his face to Rory's and pressed their lips together. The ten year old responded to his brother's lips on his own, pressing himself closer to the older and deepening the kiss.

Rory had way more experience than most boys his age, having been making out with his brother for over a year now. It didn't happen all the time, but Rory didn't mind it. As Matt said, he loved Rory, so honestly, there was nothing wrong with it.

His small hands clumsily found the back of Matt's head and planted themselves in his hair, pulling Matt's face even closer to his own. Matt chuckled quietly against Rory's lips before slowly tracing his tongue along the seam between the top and bottom. Rory's lips sprung open with an adorable little gasp, allowing Matt to explore the cavern of the younger's familiar mouth.

Matt kept his hands firmly on his brother's hips, holding him still in front of him. He liked kissing Rory a lot and he really cared about him, but he would never dream of trying anything else with the boy, at least until he was older. Ten was a fragile age and Matt knew that. He wanted to show Rory that he was special, especially after what happened with Rory's mom.

After a few moments of Matt's tongue running over the roof of his mouth Rory gently sucked on the other boy's tongue as Matt had done to him before. Rory felt Matt's hands on his waist tighten by a degree and Rory sucked just a little harder, bringing a small moan from the back of the sixteen year old's throat. Rory wasn't sure what he did to his brother, but his brother liked it and Rory did too.

Matt withdrew his tongue from Rory's mouth, allowing the ten year old his own turn in the game. Rory was slower with his kiss than his brother, more hesitant and unsure of himself, but it was this shyness that Matt loved about him.

Matt had rolled the two bodies over so he was hovering atop Rory, repeatedly pecking his small red lips when the sound of the front door being opened came from below. Matt froze for a second and peered into Rory's eyes expectantly.

"Don't worry bubba," Rory whispered before the reminder of 'Don't tell' could spill across Matt's lips. "I won't say anything at all. Promise."

Matt grinned and pecked Rory's nose, grabbing the TV remote off his bedside table and turning on Cartoon Network. The blanket was pulled up over the two boys, Matt resuming a position beside his brother that was protective yet far enough away to not let their parents think anything of it.

After their parents showed off their new garage sale finds their dad would get the grill ready and make some burgers for lunch that they would all eat together, either in the dining room or in the living room watching something they could all agree on. Rory and Matt might play play station together later, and maybe Rory would ask Matt to play the guitar for him while he sat and listened.

The rest of the day was so full of variables that Rory wasn't sure what would unfold. One thing he was sure wouldn't happen, though, was him telling his parents what happened with Matt. Rory never told, and he never would. Matt said it was okay, and Rory couldn't find anything wrong with it, but deep inside he was still scared. If he told somehow they might react the way the boys at school reacted to Matt liking boys, and then Rory would lose his brother. He loved his parents and his life, but more than anything he loved his brother and Rory wasn't about to do anything that could run the risk of losing him because without Matt he would be lost.

Rory returned his attention to the screen that was playing Scooby Doo and a moment later their mom stuck her head into the bedroom.

"You boys have a good morning?" She asked. Both boys nodded their heads and she smiled lovingly at her two sons in the bed. "Good. Dad's already getting the burgers ready so we'll eat soon. I'll call you when it's time to eat!" She finished cheerfully before returning down the hall leaving the boys alone again.

Back in Matt's room he put an arm around his younger brothers waist again and pulled him close, Rory's head resting under his chin right where he fit and right where he belonged.