There's Nothing To Be Sorry For

Since Aike didn't answer his question, Howie decided to take his silence as a yes and walked away from him. "Don't just stand there," Howie called out to him, "if you have another fit, I might not be as quick as I was a while ago to save you from a fall straight to the A&E or to the other side."

To put it bluntly, he has never seen anyone as harsh with their words as Howie. Sometimes they say to themselves that he doesn't realise his words are harsh towards others or that he understands the world differently. Since all these extremely intelligent people have difficulty acting like normal people around others, their EQ is far too low for them to put themselves in the shoes of others.

But these few days with Howie have proved him wrong, he may have the problem of too low EQ, but Aike knows that he can make an exception from time to time, he can compartmentalise and he does it very well. It's only the people he can't tolerate that he treats as if they weren't human.

He has seen Howie with his father, his dogs and also with his brother, how he behaves around them and how he struggles to treat them like people he cares about. Not once has he treated them badly, but with him there is no shortage of opportunities. He doesn't really know why, or maybe he does, but he refuses to say it aloud.

Aike watched as Howie moved away from him, with indignation eating away at his guts. He really wanted to run after him,and what for exacrly? And at the same time he had this rage boiling inside him that kept him rooted to where he was. There is a desire, much stronger than all the others, to tear away Howie's arrogance and put it where he thinks it belongs.

But he did nothing, he didn't move. He just watches as Howie walks to the bay window and disappears into the house, leaving him on the terrace with his brother, who has fallen asleep curled up in a ball, carefree and unaware of his surroundings.

Frankly, he envies him. Ayke does what he wants and what is on his mind without thinking twice about the consequences or anything else.

With an inhuman effort, Aike pulls his feet away from the railings, leaves his post, and approaches his brother, covering him with a blanket to protect him from the chill of the night. It was late now, they had not even noticed the time.

He does not want to sleep here tonight, he just wants to go home and find some privacy with his brother. But he does not want to wake him up when he is so peaceful.

Ayke is so peaceful and charming when he sleeps that he is no longer the cheeky and adventurous child of the day, he has become again who he was when he was five years old, fragile, gentle and submissive.

Aike ran his fingers through his brother's dishevelled hair and kissed him tenderly.

No one can understand this bond between them, and why obscene thoughts run through their minds whenever they see them together.

People often wonder if they are just brothers or if there is something more between them. But the twins don't care about these unhealthy accusations. They protect each other from everything, and sometimes even from themselves.

This need to protect each other didn't just come out of nowhere, they suffered something in their childhood that made them bond more than ever and more than most people.

When they were five years old, a few days before Alfred was recruited into their service. They had a puppy, Ayke's puppy, and they were inseparable, a gift from their grandmother.

But Maryse was against the idea of them having puppies or any other pets, they had a lot more to do than having puppies stuck to their feet.

The boys were excited about having one, so much so that their grandmother said that one puppy would be better than two, so they would just have to share it between them and the charges would be divided in two.

So they ended up with a little pet on their hands. They were very attached and motivated to care for him, and the dog had become part of their world. Wherever they went, the puppy would faithfully follow, forming a happy little trio.

At that time, laughter erupted from all over the house, much to everyone's chagrin, of course.

This jolly laughter irritated Maryse more and more, and when she was at home, the dog had to stay in the servants' quarters, or she would kick him out and forbid the boys to bring him in, and she would not let them go out to look for him.

It happened every time, so they would often sneak off to play with the puppy when their mother was at home, and the poor creature would be distraught every time they left him behind or stayed away from him or when it was time for them to part. They were all as distraught and desperate as each other. These three were connected, it was unimaginable how quickly they bonded.

Each time it was like this until one morning they found the poor animal dead, in a most unpleasant, gruesome death, the most cruel and horrible; its eyes gouged out of their sockets and its poor little entrails strewn on the ground.

The boys were the ones who found it, and the image haunted them every night, every hour, every second from their earliest childhood until they were ten years old, and even now they can't talk about it because it's still as vivid as the day they found it, which is why they refuse to make friends. Who knows how far their mother's madness can go.

It's terrible how a child's soul can keep traces of the things that have been done to it, but many people make the mistake of thinking that they will forget as soon as they have something else to do.

Of course, children are more malleable and are prone to quickly move from one game to another, from one toy to another, but that does not prevent them from being fragile little beings.

Emotions stay for life, and the aftermath, good or bad, is forever engraved in their memory. Their subconscious is always keeping track of them somewhere safe until one day they reappear.

A child is like a computer - you can always see which documents have been deleted if you know exactly where to look.

Ayke is the one who suffered the most from this cruelty... in fact, they both suffered greatly from this loss, but one was forced to stay strong to look after the other, and Aike was the one who took it all in, while his brother gave free rein to his grief.

They spent nights sneaking into each other's beds, seeking comfort and security. The nightmares became more frightening and when they were together, they shared their fears and anxieties, making it easier to overcome them together.

That day, as their parents were not at home, the servants arranged to help them bury what was left of the poor animal. They were deeply moved by the children's pain, and even more so by the horror they had to face.

If only they knew what had happened, they would have done anything to prevent the boys from finding the poor animal in such a state. In the morning, when they found the twins clinging to each other as if their lives depended on it, they did everything they could to hide it from their mother.

The CCTV cameras started to change angles as if by magic, so even if they changed beds or slept together, their mother had no idea.

It was only three months later that their father noticed the change in atmosphere around the mansion, the laughter had disappeared as if by magic, no more little barks, no more little hurried footsteps. Everything had become quiet, as in an abandoned graveyard. And that was what their villa had become - an abandoned graveyard.

Of course, their father was not there on the day of the accident or the incident, but it took him a while to realise.

When he asked the boys about their little four-legged friend, they lied and said they had given him to someone who could look after him better than they could.

It was their first lie, and their father believed it without thinking. But he knows only too well that the children didn't go out and had no friends to play with at home.

They were always busy with their music lessons, riding lessons, swimming, a whole range of activities and lessons that their mother felt were necessary and beneficial for their development.

Lucian had always been the passive type, and that's why he saw Maryse as the ideal woman for him. She would know how to keep him awake and on the path his parents had set out for him and his brothers long ago.

When he was young, he was interested in everything to do with art, but that was not an option for him, because there was already a life waiting for him, he would have to adapt to this life that had already been paved for him.

Maryse served as a reminder to always be on his back, to remind him of the reason for his existence when he wanted to go astray. As Maryse is a special person, when she has a goal in mind, she will definitely achieve it before she can sleep peacefully, so she was the best for the role.

She is never distracted, her work or responsibilities always come first for her. However, she forgot her own role with her own sons. It has to be said that the maternal instinct is not really her thing, it is not in her DNA or anywhere else.

She was born to lead, to command, to bend people to her four wills, but not to be a mother.

She was born to be anything but a loving and caring mother to her children. The people around her have long since realised this, but for Maryse she is the best mother there is, because her children lack nothing, and a good wife, because her husband runs a billion-dollar business without getting involved in shady stories or making professional mistakes that could lead to ruin, let alone talk of bankruptcy. The Morgenstern companies will last until the end of time.

In Maryse’s mind, she believes hard like iron that she is partly responsible for Lucian's success, because her spoiled and childish husband will not be able to do it alone without her by his side. She believes this and says it loud and clear to anyone who wants to listen to it.

Certainly Lucian had other projects in mind when he was young, making him less determined to run the family business than his ancestors before him, but he received an education that prevented him from letting his family down. "The Morgensterns above all" is their credo.

Lucian did not and does not have the right to make mistakes and he has the duty to make his empire grow day by day, like his brothers on their side and their ancestors before them.

Apart from the presence of his wife, who serves as a reminder, it is the challenges the brothers have begun to throw at each other that keep them more alert. They need it, it's their way of keeping up the pace, and these three are as childish as each other. Otherwise, like wayward children, they will go astray and bring shame to their family's prestigious name.

But one thing is for sure, they are intelligent, creative and very talented, qualities that all the Morgensterns have in common. Not to mention the perfection they have inherited from their family tree. So they do everything they can to remain a trustworthy Morgenstern, worthy of their genes.

This is how Morgensterns behave, they look out for each other, and a Morgenstern is never trampled or overtaken by events, but Lucian still lets his wife do whatever she wants without ever bringing her back to order, as long as she does not overstep the boundaries they mutually set when they were engaged a few years ago.

Let's say they had no plans to have children and one fine morning the poor kids just fell into their arms out of nowhere, so those limits didn't take them into account and Maryse is also their parent, which reduces Lucian's actions by half.

Aike slipped in spite of himself next to his brother, his head resting on his chest, his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the wild space above their heads, not even noticing the starry sky in front of him. He stayed like that, without moving, lost in his thoughts.

They both like Howie, but he is worried too. What will they do when their parents return from their business trip? What will happen to Ayke when her mother finds out about his friendship with Howie? He keeps asking himself these questions, he can't help it, it's in his nature to worry.

He is afraid of the changes and damage that could come from these events if their parents find out what they are doing in their spare time. And every time he thinks about it, he gets this ball in his stomach that prevents him from moving, that crushes his chest like a ton of sand on his chest, pressing him down. And every time it happens he can't breathe properly, but tonight it was different, he lost control without knowing how.

They talked about it one evening at home, after Ayke had finished his usual video call with H, as he often calls him. Although they had spent the day together, it wasn't enough for him, he still had to call Howie when he got home and act stupid.

Aike doesn't really understand their bond, but he's okay with it as long as his brother is happy, and he's on cloud nine these days. This cloud is becoming more and more threatening as the days go by, it's worrying. If he could, he would stop time just to savour these moments with his brother... and Howie.

After his brother had hung up, Aike had expressed his concerns to him, and he was more determined than ever to let nothing cloud this new chapter of their lives.

"Tell me, Ayke, what are we going to do when our parents come back?" he asked his brother, who was smiling like an idiot as he stared at the screen of his phone.

"We will continue to see him as best we can," he replied without thinking.

"But it will be almost impossible to spend time with him like we do these days, you know that, right?" Aike continued to make sure that his brother understood what this meant.

"Yes, I'm aware of that, Ike, but that's no reason for me to be afraid and give up everything for mother's sake." Ayke replied, knowing why his brother had brought up the subject.

"And what about us? What should we do? Why don't we have the right to live our lives? Has someone prevented her from living her life and meeting people? If so, let her retrace her steps to make life difficult for the person who once made her unhappy, because I refuse to be the fruit of her hatred and even less of her revenge. I'm Ayke and you're Aike; we're only sixteen, dammit!" He shouted, frustrated and angry. This business with his mother makes almost no sense to them, but they can't fight it. Their mother's wishes are orders.

"Damn it and damn it! I don't want to go through this again and again, Ike, do you understand?" he continues, giving free rein to his frustration by cursing everything that caused it.

He knew that one day this would have to come out and he also knew that Aike would bring up this conversation, not to bother him but to prepare him for that damned day.

"Of course, I understand you. No need to get angry. We're together, so we'll get through this together, just like the last time, okay?" Aike told him quietly while patting his arm.

"But there's a problem," Ayke chimed in firmly, "this time I don't want to let it go that far."

"And I want to enjoy every little moment I can in the company of H, without someone between us dictating our behaviour and teaching us bad lessons about the people we should and should not be friends with. "If our mother had only a quarter of the qualities that H's father has, we'd be a nice family with a loving home today instead of survivors."

Aike burst out laughing, "that's a good one, we really are survivors, man, but that will change, from today we will live and not survive, what do you think?"

"That's what I just said to myself, let's face teenage life and the ups and downs that come with it." Ayke finished in a good mood, and then they both jumped into bed, squealing happily like children.

The housekeepers heard them laughing and shouting in the villa, and they felt the tension that had hung over this house, which was nothing more than a gilded cage, for more than ten years, evaporate into the air as if by magic for the whole afternoon.

They all know what happened and how the boys decided to mess with them, but they weren't offended by this change in attitude. That afternoon they finished their service in the main house with joy and cheerfulness in their hearts.

That evening they gathered in their neighbourhood, full of good spirits and light hearts, drinking beer and telling stories. It had been so long since this veil of sadness and mourning had hung over the villa, which had grown pale in spite of its luxury, and today they had a respite.

In the distance, the boys could hear the whispers of the old days, the laughter, the music and everything that reminded them of their childhood.

When they were little, they used to spend a lot of time with their puppy in the company of the staff, but since the incident, they had never been there.

The twins looked at each other with shining eyes before dashing for the door, pushing past each other as they ran down the stairs, laughing and jostling to go first.

Ayke slipped and missed a step, finding himself face down on the carpet unceremoniously, still laughing as he got up with his brother's help.

They didn't even bother to put on shoes or flip-flops as they hurried out into the courtyard to the garden where the staff had gathered to end the evening in peace and quiet, taking advantage of the change in atmosphere to spend some time alone together.

They hadn't used the garden for small gatherings like this for a long time.

They heard all the noises the twins made, which put them in an even better mood. They started laughing even more and added music when the two little rascals came into the garden, out of breath, their hair dishevelled and their white socks a little dirty from their frantic running.

For a moment, the staff couldn't believe what they were seeing, until Alfred stood up and walked over to the boys. "So they're really here," they shouted almost in unison.

"So I see we're acting crazy," Alfred commented as he approached them, trying as best he could to put some order into their dishevelled outfits. "Do you remember there were cameras at least?"

"Oh, we'll have to sort that out later." Ayke answered vaguely, but when he saw Alfred's frown he added, "Don't worry, we'll deal with it later." Alfred then relaxed, but still tried to tidy up his slightly unkempt appearance.

"Stop acting like a mother hen," Aike growls at him as Alfred tries to bring some semblance of order to his outfit and hair, Alfred fixing and Aike unfixing. They go on like this for a good ten minutes before Alfred decides to leave him alone once and for all by giving him one last annoyed look.

He is closer to them than the rest of the staff, as he accompanies them in everything they do every day. As soon as his back is turned to walk away, Alfred smiles; it's so nice to see the twins happy. Like the rest of the staff, they are delighted to see the boys regain some of their childhood enthusiasm.

"Sodas for our guests," Rosa, one of their former nannies, announced cheerfully. "Rose!" the twins shouted her name in unison. They took the cans of Coke from her hands with big smiles. The other members looked at them with emotion on their faces, some with tears in their eyes. "It's been so long," they said, shaking hands to welcome them back.

The twins were also moved to see how happy people were to see them laughing and acting crazy. That night, they promised each other that they would never let anyone steal their smiles, their laughter and their bursts of laughter that Howie gave them.

They had a good time together that night. Alfred couldn't bring himself to leave them barefoot and went to get them slippers to protect their feet from the cold of the night, for fear they might catch a cold and be forced to spend these few days of freedom in bed.

This little moment of relaxation was quite good!

Ayke had promised himself to live, to enjoy every hour, every minute, every second of every day as if tomorrow would never come. And he told his brother, who agreed, but that didn't stop him from worrying about their parents' return.

"Maybe it's better for me to follow Ayke instead of living in fear in my gut. And it won't be easy to get rid of Howie. I'd like to see him and my mother face to face". Aike said aloud, remembering his conversation with his brother.

"And why is that?" asked a soft voice behind him, which he recognised only too well. He jumped and turned suddenly, bumping into his brother.

"Um, sorry, it's... I was thinking out loud," Aike replied quickly, stuttering in a very low voice. "I got that." Howie replied, handing him a glass of water with a small smile.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asks Aike in a much friendlier tone than before. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you," Aike answers and takes the glass from Howie.

He drinks the contents in one gulp and hands it back to Howie, who takes it and looks at him curiously.

He puts the empty glass on a corner of the fireplace table and sits down in an armchair, crossing his long legs elegantly. "Do you have panic attacks often?" he asks quietly.

"Not that I know of," Aike answers a little defensively, because he really didn't want to talk about what had just happened to him. "OK, let's just say there's a first time for everything," Howie replied.

"Yeah, let's put it that way," Aike replied with a smile. "And are you alright, H?" He took advantage of their little friendly chat to ask, after all he and his brother had fun using him like an inflatable doll.

Howie smiled when he heard Aike call him H, he ran a hand through his hair and leaned back in the chair, his eyes fixed on his shy interlocutor.

He studied Aike for a moment before answering his question. "Of course I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"Uh... oh! Just like that. Was that inappropriate?" Aike replied hastily, like a child who had made an error in their calculations. "What are you talking about?" Howie asked, beaming warmly.

Aike doesn't answer, in fact, he doesn't even understand why Howie is smiling. Wasn't he unhappy about his intrusion in his life just now?

"You see, your brother, when he wants something, he takes it, and I have the impression that he never considers the consequences of his actions - he is so unpredictable. Whereas you take everything to heart, you don't allow yourself any slip-ups, any moments of madness, absolutely nothing. You have to know how to let go from time to time, mate. I know that right now you are the one thinking whilst the other one is free to be carefree, you can also put all this control aside for a moment, forget the world around you for a moment. You're not going to hurt anyone, alright, follow your brother. Live, Ike, enjoy your life, big lad."

In another life, Howie could be a life coach or something because he knows how to talk to people whenever he wants. But in this life, he has to overcome his scary and unsociable personality so that people can confide in him, which isn't going to happen anytime soon.

"No, it's not really like that. Sometimes, there are just things I can't get out of my head, but I know how to allow myself a little slip from time to time," Aike defends himself.

"Oh, really?" Howie responds in surprise, "When was the last time?"

"I'm not going to tell you," Aike retorts quickly.

"Obviously you're not going to say anything because there's nothing to say," Howie says very slowly, while he looks at Aike sideways, his head slightly tilted back.

"That's not true," Aike almost shouts, giggling. Howie, still in the same position, smiles as he listens to his companion's giggles.

"It's quite nice when you laugh," he comments quietly. Aike blushes at the out-of-nowhere compliment. This is the first time he and H have spoken on such good terms. Usually, it's their venomous glare that speaks for them, but today they use words like good friends.

"So you don't hate me?" Aike took the opportunity to ask him in a small, barely audible voice as he tried to push aside the wave of heat that was invading his cheeks and the rest of his body.

"And why should I hate you?" Howie replied without thinking as he sat up in his chair to look him in the face.

He jumped up and looked to see if his brother was awake, but to his great surprise Ayke was sleeping soundly like a child taking a nap, having sucked dry whatever energy his mother had left in reserve, and it's certainly not Ayke's imagination playing tricks on him, he heard his brother answer him clearly and distinctly.

If he was not mistaken, they had just reached another level in their mental connection.

Howie noticed his start and instinctively moved from his chair towards Aike, worried that something else was bothering him. Aike noticed this and looked up at him, smiling to reassure Howie. "It's okay, I just thought I heard my brother, but he's sleeping like a baby, it must be in my head," he explained.

"That's normal," Howie replied, leaning back in his chair. "You're always in each other's heads. It's a muscle reflex, I suppose, or you've taken another step in your complicity," he responded naturally, as if it was normal for them to communicate through their minds.

"Oh! You do know that too?" Aike was surprised. "Honestly, how do you do it?" he asked, curious to know at least one of Howie's little secrets.

"Honestly, to tell you the truth, I don't know anything at all, it's just that I feel things with you, I feel your emotions," replied Howie quietly and honestly.

Howie never lies and he hates it; it's not his habit, even when it's a matter of life and death. However, he knows how to keep to himself the details that he does not want to leak or that he feels are necessary to remain in the shadows.

However, lying should not be confused with the voluntary withholding of information; they are very different, although the line between the two is often very thin and sometimes even blurred.

"So this is it," Aike whispers quietly, as if to himself. "I can see why you get along so well, you go by instinct," he continued whispering, looking at his brother and Howie.

But Howie heard it anyway and replied in a rather cheerful tone. "No, don't compare me to your brother. He's really something else," he laughs quietly. He's in a pretty good mood. Well, it is strange.

"But hey, I don't care, I like him and he doesn't bother me, which I find strange because I hate physical contact and excessively affectionate people," he adds thoughtfully, as if he has just realised how much he has changed.

"Oh, really? Looking at you, no one would say that," Aike replies ironically.

"Ha ha ha! Very amusing!" Howie snarls and Aike bursts out laughing when he sees Howie's face.

He covers his eyes with his hands to avoid looking at Howie. He wanted to laugh and he wasn't going to let Howie bully him out of it when he got so much out of it just once.

"That's it!" Howie taunted him in a boring tone, but deep down he liked what he had in front of him and what he was listening to. His answer and the tone of his voice makes Aike laugh even harder. "We're having fun, ain't we?" He continues, looking at Aike out of the corner of his eye with a small smile that Aike cannot see.

"I admit it," Aike admits between bursts of laughter.

As he laughs like a child, free of all responsibility, Aike wonders why he is laughing so much, but he can't find an answer to his question. But one thing is for sure, at the moment he is happy, even if he does not know why.

Then a flash of worry mixed with sadness passes through his laughing eyes and he suddenly stops laughing, making Howie jump in his seat. It's as if Aike's cessation of laughter made a loud noise he wasn't expecting.

He waits patiently, a little tense because he doesn't like his laughing friend's sudden change of attitude.

Aike regains his seriousness and steels himself with all his courage to ask the question that has been haunting him for weeks, he wants a precise and clear answer.

He looked up at his companion and met the piercing gaze of H, who did not take his eyes off him. They looked at each other for a moment before Aike decided to throw himself into the water, even though he was afraid of the answer. At least he would have a clear conscience.

"Tell me, Howie," he began quietly, "do you hate me?" he asked shyly. "Hate you?

"For what?" Howie asked without thinking twice. "Do you think I should?" he demanded in a hard tone.

"What I mean is...really...really... I apologize for what happened in your room last time." After several desperate attempts with different approaches, Aike decided to apologize instead of asking him why his gaze was different when he looked at him and soft when he looked at his brother.

"When?" Howie asks him, "what happened in my room?" and the latter being the unstable guy that he is, chooses to act stupid instead of making life easy for Aike.

"Come on, please be nice. It's a bit complicated to talk to you and you make it even more difficult when you do it voluntarily," Aike complained. "Here I'm trying to apologise for my behaviour, do you understand?"

"What exactly are you apologising for?" Howie asked him, leaning back comfortably in his chair.

"Um... actually, I don't want to apologise... but..." Poor Aike stammered under the intense gaze of his interlocutor.

"Would you please stop staring at me like that? You're making me anxious and uncomfortable. You have a knack for that, you know?" Aike snapped involuntarily and so he finally broke down and plunged back into the dark path. Their lifelong disappointment.

He did not even have time to chastise himself for his behaviour as Howie easily caught the stick he threw at him.

"And you have a knack for attacking people, do you know that?" Howie replied in a gruff tone, almost beside himself. But it's wrong, this time he's not angry, it's just what he wants Aike to believe, to torment him better.

That's his playground, to persecute others for his own pleasure. That's his thing! That's how he lets off steam most of the time. And he's not going to let it go just because Aike tries to apologise for treating him like shit right after using him as he pleases to satisfy his burning desires.

But for some reason, the memory of that day irritates him a little. He remembers how Aike did everything to get away from him, as if he had forced him to kiss him. It wasn't funny at all.

"I see! So you'll never let me off the hook with this?" Aike said in a weak voice. "I'll stop when you stop," Howie replied bluntly, without thinking.

"Well, I suppose this is the end of our amusing little tête-à-tête," Aike tells him dejectedly. "It was rather nice talking to you, so we'll do it again when you're less resentful towards me than you were the last few minutes." He got up abruptly and walked hurriedly towards the door as if his arse was on fire.

"I understand and it's no... I don't hate you and it was just a simple kiss, don't be embarrassed. After all, you only had me, who else could you practise on? At least you didn't have bad breath. Otherwise, I would have been finished." Howie answered his question this time with a small laugh.

Aike had stopped mid-step when he heard H's voice rising from behind him like a symphony. A symphony, yes, he knows what it is because he is the real musician in the family, but hey, it doesn't matter because they both had good teachers, but what music means to him, it doesn't mean to his brother.

He retraces his steps and stops a few steps away from H, who does not move from his chair. "So you're not angry with me?" he asks again, quietly, to confirm that Howie holds no grudge against him for what happened.

Oh yes, he's angry with him, but not to the point of hating him. He just felt hurt for some reason, but that was it, he never thought about it again after that.

There is a nervous chuckle before H speaks again: "No, I don't have room for these fantasies. And you should also try to let go, too. You know, sometimes strange things happen between mates, like comparing who has the bigger penis, having experiences like wanking and snogging. And what you asked for was the least of it, mate, at least you didn't ask me to touch you right away the second time we talked."

Aike blushes furiously when he hears Howie talking so calmly about such things. He really wants to shut him up now, this guy is really too much. He doesn't know how he can say something like that so calmly. And what kind of friends give each other handjobs?

Sometimes he wonders if Howie is really sixteen, he's too... he doesn't even know how to describe him.

"We just kissed, there's no need to make a big deal out of it. And now that you know what it feels like to have your first kiss, you can go and repeat it with other girls or boys, it's up to you." Howie finally finishes his rant. He doesn't talk much, but when he gets going, he gets going for good.

"You and my brother really make a pair," Aike replies, a little sulky but less tense than before, still flushed red. "I really understand why you two get on so well now. You are both as crazy as each other," he concludes in a childish tone.

"You could say that," Howie replies in the same childish tone as him.

"Don't ask me to repeat the experience if it means acting so down to earth, you're better than that, a musical virtuoso like you," he added in a firm tone that almost made Aike lose his balance.

"Hey!" Aike shouted, "you've been spying on us for sure, admit it now. You are a dangerous man, Howie Huckleberry."

Howie gave a small, discreet smile at the way Aike naughtily said he was a dangerous man, using his full name in the sentence, but he didn't comment. Maybe Aike doesn't even know how naughty that sounded or whatever, he's much more innocent than his brother.

"What? I still amaze you, you're really incredible, Aike Uasal Morgenstern. You're so innocent and cute," Howie said sweetly, teasing Aike.

"Hey, how do you know that?" Aike snapped, he was still surprised that Howie knew his middle name, but he quickly dropped that part. There was much more important now - Howie called him cute.

How could he call him sweet with his brusque manner and bad temper? He's handsome and sexy, that's a fact. Sweet my ass, yes.

"And how have you called me?" he asks back, completely ignoring the middle name part. "Correction, I'm not cute, I'm handsome, for your information," he proudly corrects Howie.

It's true that the twins are very handsome, but that doesn't stop Aike from being very cute too, with his nice manners and everything.

"Say it again," Howie said amused, "maybe one day you'll believe it, if you keep practising," he scoffed.

The twins were well-toned all over, not as muscular as Howie, but very slender and beautiful.

However, they are so well-groomed that all their masculinity is almost obsolete, yet they are manly. Aike sulks even more as he protests Howie's affront, which makes him even sweeter.

He finally gives up because Howie doesn't seem to want to change his mind about him, he just has to prove it to him later. He gets serious again and returns to their initial discussion.

"I'm so sorry for the way I acted, I was..."

"I already told you," Howie interrupts him, "it was really nothing. Just wait until tomorrow morning or soon, you'll see how your brother reacts after what he just did. It will be as if nothing ever happened between us tonight." Howie reassured him in a calm voice.

"But it's all right to be yourself, don't change and don't be as insolent and cheeky as that brat. He, I assure you, is a real wound, but it's our wound, right?"

"Yes," Aike replied, "it is ours." He looked at his brother, walked over to the bed and tucked him under the covers to keep him warm, turning back to Howie as he stared into the distance.

"To tell you the truth, I'm surprised to see him so open and relaxed, I thought he was more the closed and naïve type and all that, he had all the signs but I realised I didn't really know him. It was you who showed me the true face of my brother, believe me, I am relieved to know him like this. And he's stronger than I thought." Aike confessed, still distracted.

As he spoke, he had moved closer to H without realising it. He was distracted, lost in his memories and thoughts, and as he spoke he compared his brother today to the one in his memories. In his mind, the difference is huge, and Aike really likes this character.

He puts a hand on Howie's shoulder, who grabs it and pulls him around the chair he's sitting in, Aike follows him unconsciously as if hypnotised, and H takes advantage of his distraction to pull him into his lap.

He knows that Aike is absent-minded, but he wants to see his reaction when he comes to his senses. He wants to see if he will be scared like a mouse or if he will follow his advice to let go.

And to his great astonishment, Aike snuggled up to him like a frightened little cat seeking comfort. He rested his head on Howie's muscular chest and let out a sigh of relief before falling asleep against him.

Howie looked at his handsome face for a long moment, a little surprised, and shook his head with a dry little laugh. Then he thanked the heavens for making him as big as he was, two metres and a few inches tall.

"Finally," he said, "they're really the same when he wants to let go."

With Aike in his arms, H leaned against the back of his chair and stared absentmindedly at the sky. He had nothing on his mind. He wasn't thinking about anything, he just felt the weight of Aike in his arms. Strangely enough, it made him forget his torment and everything around him.

Aike's soft and gentle body, the smell of his hair that tickled his nostrils, and the hand that rested on his chest made him feel like he had something precious to protect.

But he's just a child stuck in the body of a giant, how can he protect them from a danger that comes from within?

If it were a matter of scoring points, he would have won. But the enemy lurking in the corner is far too powerful.

What child can fight an abusive parent who doesn't even recognise their toxic behaviour towards their children?

And it's hard for them to tell anyone, to be taken seriously. Because they all say that parents know and want what is good for their children, so they will never, ever abuse them.

How ironic, isn't it?