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Liam opened his eyes. Sitting up in bed slowly, rubbing his eyes. The sun was starting to shine in the room he shared with his older brother.
The Smiths shirt Noel had on the night before was on the floor, his own jacket too, his trainers but no Noel, which was odd as he had fallen asleep on Noel’s bed with noel still in it.
Liam got up a, bit chilly in his boxers, picked up Noel’s shirt and put it on.
Noel didn’t work that day, where was he?
Liam made his way to the bathroom, which was unlocked. He opened the door startling Noel who was in their brushing his teeth.
“Fookin’ hell, knock next time knobhead,” Noel said rinsing his mouth, “I could’ve been nude for all you know.”
“Nothin’ I haven’t seen before,” Liam scoffed, giving Noel a knowing glance.
Noel didn’t find this funny. He wiped his moth and stormed out frowning.
Liam walked out after him trying to catch him in the hall.
“Noel, where are you?” Liam began but all he saw was Noel’s scowl as he closed the front door behind him.
“Isn’t that Noel’s shirt?” His brother Paul said as Liam bumped into him on the stairway.
“Fuck off,” Liam said brushing past him.
Liam slammed the door got back into Noel’s bed and pulled the sheets over his head.
Noel didn’t come home that night.
-
Liam lay in his bed staring.
Noel sat on his bed, his back to Liam, strumming his guitar aimlessly.
“Fuck you doing?” Liam started, “I’m bored.”
Noel plucked his fingers against the strings quit absent mindedly.
“Aye dickhead,” Liam said sitting up. He took off his sock and through it at the pensive older sibling, “What we gonna do tonight?”
Noel didn’t respond, he just continued frowning and strumming.
Liam got up, sat next to Noel, placing his chin on his shoulder.
“What’s wrroooonngg,” Liam whined quietly into Noel’s ear.
Noel could feel Liam’s breath on his neck, making all the hairs on his body stand on end.
Liam nudged Noel with his nose.
Noel shot up, placed his guitar down, grabbed his coat and left.
As Liam heard Noel slam the front door he threw Noel’s pillow against the wall.
-
Their mam had gone to visit their aunt who was sick the next neighborhood over leaving the eldest brother Paul “in charge’.
Paul was upstairs sleeping as his job digging ditches was an exhausting one leaving Noel and Liam sat on the couch watching tele, only not really watching. Noel had his arm on the sofa back and every once in a while he would poke Liam’s shoulder.
Liam would pretend to be mad and mutter “stop it” but it only makes Noel smile wider.
“Stop,” Liam said softly with a smile, nudging Noel in the ribs with his elbow.
“What you gonna do about it eh,” Noel said lowering his voice, licking his lip.
“I dunno,” Liam answered even quitter this time, “might ‘ave to hurt ya.”
Noel scoot a little closer, placing his hand on Liam’s shoulder, bringing him closer to himself.
“That so?” Noel almost whispering, “how?”
Liam gulped and placed his hand on Noel’s inner thigh.
Noel leaned in for a kiss. It was hot and sweet but he pulled away fairly quickly as if unsure. Liam grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him in again. This time he let his tongue slip in. Noel tasted like hard lemonade, in the distance the phone rang but both where immersed in each other too much to care.
Liam dropped his hand, Noel raised his placing it against Liam’s cheek, devouring his lips.
“Noel!” an annoyed voice yelled.
They both shot to opposite sides of the couch as Paul entered the room.
“Phone for you,” Paul motioned to Noel, “it’s her again.”
Paul noticed the looks on their faces and just shook his head and walked away.
Noel talked and talked, and giggled and said cutsey things over the phone to some girl and Liam had to sit there and listen.
After about half an hour Noel made plans for the following day to meet her and then Noel went back to ignoring Liam again.
-
Liam hadn’t spoken to Noel for a few days.
Not that he had fought with him, Liam just didn’t want to be home. He wanted Noel to miss him. To look for him. He wanted to ignore Noel, see hoe the prick liked it.
He had been staying at some girl’s house over the weekend and now he was on his way to a party, knowing full well Noel was also going to be there.
He showed u, arm around the girl, talking gibberish in her ear, which apparently made her swoon.
Liam felt a bit bad for her, then again he didn’t.
Time passed, he drank, let the girl dance for him, talked to his mates and drank some more.
He noticed Noel still hadn’t arrived. So he drank some more.
Now his date was talking to her girlfriends eyeing up Liam. Liam was getting annoyed.
Then he heard he door open, a breeze came in.
Noel finally showed up, alone.
Noel saw a few of his friends and brushed passed Liam, taking special care into bumping into him, making his presence and annoyance known.
He obviously did get to Noel.
Liam started to feel ill. Noel looked so miserable, where was his date, did he really worry about him?
The girl pulled Liam close and kissed him, Liam placed his hands on her waist, tried to enjoy the evening.
Liam though he had the upper hand but seeing Noel across the room as if Liam didn’t exist he knew Noel was always in control.
Liam let the girl go home with her girlfriends.
He saw Noel leave and he followed behind him.
Neither one talked all the way home and when Liam went to sleep he didn’t dream.
-
Liam woke up feeling like shit. He had drunk too much, his mouth tasted like an ash tray. His head hurt, his eyes throbbed.
He rolled over expecting to find Noel out of bed or at least asleep but he found Noel laying in bead on his side, his head propped against his palm. Staring.
“The fook you doing man,” Liam said pretending to sound indignant, “have you ban wanking to me sleeping all night?”
Noel frowned but looked more concerned than angry.
“Where the fook you been? You’ve worried our mam half to death you twat.”
Liam closed his eyes. Too fucking tired for this.
Liam got up.
“Ima shower,” Liam mumbled, turning towards the door.
“The fook you are,” Noel said grabbing Liam’s arm.
They stood there silent for a few moments and Noel smiled.
“Never mind you better have a bath, you fookin’ reek,” Liam said.
“You cheeky bastard,” he replied letting go of the younger brother.
“Who were you out with last night anyways,” Noel started, “never seen her before.”
“No one,” Liam replied, “why weren’t you with your bird then?”
“I thought you’d go alone, I thought I’d bring you home,” Noel started, “but..”
“You gonna cry? Did you miss me that much?”
“Shut up.”
“You couldn’t wank to my school picture this time could ya, had to have the real thing, eh?”
Noel punched him a bit hard in the arm and started to walk to the door.
“Where ya goin’,” Liam asked.
“Ima shower,” Noel said looking at Liam, waiting by the door.
“Yeah, what you waiting for?”
“You coming?”
“Huh?”
“No ones home.”