MissCris: This is the sequel to My Brother's Best Friend (MBBF). This is Noah's story and begins a month after MBBF ends. I hope you like and comment!
***WARNING: If this is your 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. time reading this story, please do not comment with spoilers. There are people who are new readers and would like to read to fidn out what happens and not simply be told. If you do comment with spoilers your comments will be deleted. And you will have seriously pissed me off. Thank you!***
Pic: Micheal Trevino as Noah Hughes
Chapter 1
~Noah's POV~
"Justin!" I yell for the hundreth time as I wait by the car, "We're gonna be late!"
"I'm coming!" he yells back as his head pokes out of the house then ducks back in.
I sigh as I lean against the car. We really do need to leave or we're going to miss Justin's appointment. You'd think he'd want to leave as soon as possible seeing as he's getting his cast off today, but no, he has to take an hour to say goodbye to his boyfriend, who he's going to see when we get back, I might add.
I stare up at the house before me. It's a nice two story suburban, painted a light blue with white shutters. There's a garage which my Mustang is parked infront of. The door is closed, the only car inside a silver 2009 Hybrid belonging to Stephan, Isaac's brother.
Isaac, my best friend and my brother's boyfriend. I don't think I'll ever get used to that. Not that I have anything against gays, actually I have nothing against them and that's the problem.
My mind drifts to the person who's the reason for said problem and I find myself walking over to the garage door and pressing the button that opens it.
I walk inside and run my hand lightly over the Hybrid and remember that day, over a month ago, when it's owner kissed me right here in this garage.
I close my eyes as the memory and feelings from that day wash over me. The feel of Stephan's soft lips on mine both cold and hot, the electrifying feeling of his hands in my hair. The warmth of his breath on my face, the feel of his muscular arms as I clung to him.
I breath deeply as I try to keep the memory with me as long as possible. Yet, as much as I cherish it, it also bring a strong sense of confusion. You see, I'm not gay. At least I didn't think I was. But that was before, before I met Stephan, before the kiss and before I felt the pain and anguish at the knowledge that he was going back to the army.
Now, all I can do is think about him and wonder if he's ok. I'm constantly badgering Isaac about any news of Stephan, in a nonconspicuous way of course, but I know it's only a matter of time before he starts wondering why I'm so interested in his brother. Especially since I think my brother suspects something, if he doesn't already know.
I frown as I think of Justin, who should really hurry up, I might add. He's a year younger than me but sometimes he seems way more mature. He see's things others don't, I think that's what's happened with the whole Stephan and me situation. See, he's been dropping these hints that leave me thinking he knows something but when I ask him what he means he only shrugs his shoulders and walks away.
Still, I've been taking care of him long enough to know when he's hiding something and he's definetly hiding something, not only from me but from Isaac too. That scares me even more seeing as ever since the incident, a month and a half ago, they tell each other everything.
The incident. My blood still runs cold everytime I think about that day. I almost lost my best friend and Justin came out of it with a broken leg. I shake my head trying to rid myself of those memories but they stay right there, vivid in my mind.
I can remember clear as day the way Justin's leg was twisted the wrong way and the pain etched into every aspect of his face. I remember the fear at seeing our school in flames and the anxiety of waiting, not only for Isaac to come out of the burning building but his brother, who had gone in search of him, as well.
Those were some of the worst moments of my life. Worse, even, than when I had to step in to stop my dad from taking his rage out on Justin or when I had to rush both of us out of the house before things got too far out of control and something really bad happened. I remember being really scared during those moments but they had nothing on how I felt standing outside my school, watching it burn to the ground, knowing that two very important people were inside and that I couldn't do a damn thing to help.
I sigh as I feel the same tension I had felt for a week after the incident wash over me. I roll my shoulders back as I open my eyes, trying to relax again. Walking to the garage door I look at the Hybrid one last time before pressing the button to lower the door back down.
I stare at the garage door, my thoughts once again drifting towards Stephan. What's he doing right now? Is he safe? My stomach does a flip at the thought that he may be in harms way.
Lost in my thoughts I don't hear Justin approach, even with his crutches.
"I thought you said we were gonna be late." he says reaching my side, "I looked outside and you were gone, then I saw the garage."
I look away as I feel a light blush crest my cheeks. I clear my throat and walk to the passengers side and open the door, "You're right, we're gonna be late, lets go." I say motioning with my hand for Justin to get in.
He smiles sadly at me, again giving me a sense that he knows something but just won't tell me. He hobbles over to the open door and gets in, I close the door and go to the driver's side getting in and starting the car. I glance at the clock, yup, we are definatly late, great.
I put the car in reverse and pull out of Isaac's driveway. As we make our way to the main road Justin turns to look at me, "Noah, when are you gonna admit it?" I feel my stomach drop to my toes at his words.
I swallow trying to find my voice, "Admit what?" I ask in a croaky voice.
"You're nose is growing," is all he says and I smile a little at our familiar joke, "and I thought it was Pinnochio who's nose grew when he lied."
I look over at him, my eyes pleading him to drop the subject, before turning back to the road. I see him shake his head slowly from the cornor of my eye.
"Noah, you have to admit it, at least to me. I-I saw you. The day before the whole school thing happened. In the garage with him." I tense. Shit.
We're almost to the doctor's office so I keep my mouth shut. Justin seems content to wait until I say something because he doesn't utter a word either.
When we reach the doctor's office I park the car and stare out the window. Justin still doesn't say anything, he just sits there, waiting.
I sigh as I turn to him, "Why didn't you tell me what you had seen?" I ask in a quiet voice.
"It's none of my business what you do or with whom, but I would have thought you trusted me enough to tell me."
"It's not that I don't trust you, Justin, it's that I didn't know how to tell you. How am I supposed to tell you something like that? Just slip it into a conversation during dinner? Oh, the pizza is really good and cheezy and by the way I kissed my best friends brother?"
Justin doesn't say anything so I continue, "It's not that simple. For one I didn't think I liked guys and two he's my best friend's brother!"
"I know," Justin says calmly, "but you have to admit it, Noah. You can't live denying the truth to yourself."
I sigh again, I've been doing that a lot lately, "I know. I don't deny it, I know what's happening."
"Good, now are you going to tell him?"
"I think he already knows seeing as I responded to the kiss." I say.
Justin gives me a confused stare, "Not Stephan, Isaac."
"You haven't told him?"
"Like I said it's not my business to tell."
I lower my head resting it on the steering wheel, "I don't know how. How did you do it?"
"What? Tell you I was in love with your best friend? It took me forever to do it, but I knew that, unless I did it, you'd find out some other way and then things would be worse. It's better that he hear it from you than from someone else, even if that someone else is me or Stephan."
I lift my head up and stare at him, I did mention that he was way more mature than me at times right? I smile soflty at him as I let his words sink in. I know he's right, of course, but it's not so simple.
Isaac and I have been best friend's for almost nine years. We do everything together and trust each other above everyone else, except our brother's. I don't want to break that trust or our friendship.
"He's your brother's boyfriend." Justin says as if reading my mind, "I think he trusts you enough to handle this calmly, like you did."
I look over at Justin trying very hard to hide my grin, "J, I punched him in the jaw, remember?"
Justin laughs, "Yeah, but you were in shock. Just be ready to recieve a blow to the jaw, it's not like you guys haven't hit each other before."
I shake my head, although the thought is not unwarrented, if a punch to the jaw is all it would take for Isaac to be ok than I guess I can handle that. But if he decides this is too much for him, that I can't handle.
Justin opens the door to the car and begins to try and get out, I get out and go over to help him. Once I've put him steadyly on his feet again he speaks, "He won't be mad, you should know that by now."
I open my mouth to argue but Justin puts a hand up, "You're always going to find a reason why he would get mad, but until you tell him you won't know, so tell him. Now come on, we're way past late."
I watch as he hobbles over to the front door of the doctor's office, wondering why I couldn't be as confidant as he is right now.
Maybe it's because I know Isaac loves Justin, and vice versa, so they are willing to risk anything for each other. But I have no idea how Stephan feels about me. Sure he kissed me but that could have meant anything, not necessarily that he liked me. So the real question I have to ask myself is not 'should I tell Isaac and risk our friendship?', it's 'am I willing to risk our friendship over someone who may not like me back?'
And all of this because I fell for my best friend's brother. Ugh!
We spent an hour at the doctors office getting Justin's cast off. The doc said he would still be stiff for a couple months but it should improve with time. Justin seemed relieved to leave behind the mold of plaster and the crutches. I noticed his walk was a little hesitant when we left the office but otherwise his leg seemed fine. I wish I could say the same for the rest of him.
A month isn't enough time for someone to get over a traumatic event like what happened at the school but you should show some improvement, Justin isn't. Isaac told me that he still wakes up at random hours of the night with nightmares but he won't tell anyone what he dreams about. I'm worried about him, but he won't let me in either.
It's not like I've been paying much attention though, which pisses me off because I always make sure to know if Justin's ok. But with the whole Stephan situation, I've been distracted, to say the least. That and finding a way to tell Isaac is making me a mess. I know Isaac suspects something, not just because I ask about his brother a lot, but because ever since we got back from the doctors my brother has taken it upon himself to glare at me everytime Stephan's name comes out of my mouth.
Like right now, we're sitting in the living room watching a movie and I casually ask Isaac if Stephan has contacted them. He says that not since he called three weeks ago.Justin g;ares daggers at me. I try to ingnore him, but I mean how can you ignore someone drilling a hole into your head with their eyes?
"What?" I whisper so Isaac won't hear.
He just shakes his head in disapproval. I frown, I know that I should tell Isaac, especially since he wasn't secretive about his feelings for Justin, but how to go about it is the problem. I can't blurt it out, but if I start trying to expain I know I'll babble.
Maybe I should just let it out and then try to explain? Actually, that sounds like a really good idea. I look over at Justin and nod my head.
"Justin, can you get me a soda?" the look in his eyes tells me he understands what I'm getting at and he stands up quickly, untangling himself from Isaac. Before he leaves he leans down and whispers something I can't hear into Isaac's ear.
Isaac cocks his head and furrows his eyebrows at whatever Justin told him, but also nods. What is that about? I look back at the TV as Justin walk out of the living room.
The graphic scenes of the movie don't penetrate my mind, we're watching The Exorcist. I have to do this now, or never.
Turning to Isaac I say, "Hey man, can we talk?"
He looks over at me, "I was wondering when this was going to happen."
"What?"
"Well, there's obviously something wrong. You've been acting weird for the past month. What's going on Noah?"
I take a deep steadying breath, "Do you remember how you started feeling for Justin on our trip to VA Beach?"
He nods.
"You kissed him."
"Yeah, and you left a bruise over half my face."
I smile tensely, "What would you say if I said I feel like that for another guy too? That I like him more than a friend?"
One of Isaac's eyebrows shoots up, "Are you trying to tell me you're gay?"
I squirm and look away, "I think so, I'm not sure."
"What do you mean you're not sure? Why are you even considering it?"
"I kissed someone."
"WHAT?! Who? Why didn't you tell me? I thought I was your best friend!"
"You are my best friend but I couldn't tell you."
Isaac's mouth forms a frown at the look on my face, "Who was it Noah?"
I drop my eyes to the floor, "Stephan." I mummble.
"Who?"
I lift my head, "Stephan." I say in a clear voice, "Actually, he kissed me but I kissed him back, and I'm sorry I know he's your brother and it only happened once, I swear."
I don't have time to react before Isaac is coming at me. Expecting him to hit me, I had mentally and physically prepared myself for the pain. What I had not expected was to be wrestled to the ground and for Isaac to begin tickling me. My one true kryptonite is tickling, I can't control myself, my body is super sensative.
Isaac doesn't relent his onslought and I'm beginning to feel short of breath. I'm pretty sure my face is tomatoe red and my body is writhing on the floor trying to get away.
"St-stop." I wheeze out, "Can't...can't...breathe." My chest rises and falls as Isaac gets up and smirks a me, "I thought you would be mad. Why did you tickle me?" I ask breathless.
"Becuase I told him to." I hear Justin say from somewhere near the door. I tilt my head backwards and see him standing there drinking the soda he brought for me.
"You little brat!" I say getting up and glaring at him, "Give me my soda."
He raises an eyebrow and hands me the drink, "It was funny."
"Tell that to my ribs." I whine as I gulp down the soda.
"Well, it better than being hit."
"Yeah, I guess so," I hedge, "Why didn't you hit me?" I direct at Isaac.
"Cause I'm not you?" I scowl, "Cause he not my little brother, he's my older brother and can make his own decision. And because as afraid as I am that this could cause problems if you two don't work out, I want you and him to be happy just as you want us to be happy." he says wrapping his arm around Justin's waist.
I sigh, "Why was I afraid again?"
"Cause you're a good friend." Justin respond smiling.
"Right." I say sarcastically.
"But, Noah," Isaac says a worried look crossing his face.
"What?"
"He's gone, he's in the Middle East, how's this gonna work?"
"He doesn't know." Justin puts in.
"Which one doesn't know?" Isaac asks Justin.
"Both."
"You guys are freaking me out, what's going on?" I demand.
"Noah, Stephan..." Justin begins.
"What about Stephan. I know he's gone, but he'll be back soon. I'll tell him when he comes back."
"That's the thing, Noah," Isaac hedges.
"What thing? Just say it!" this going around the actual problem is getting on my nerves.
"He's not coming back for at least two year." Isaac says sounding defeated.
"Two years?" I say dumbfounded.
I thought he would be gone a few months, at most, but two years? How am I supposed to survive two years without seeing him? With out telling him how I feel? What the Hell? Why hadn't someone told me this before?
How am I going to get through these next two years without you Stephan?