After we have finished our food Sebastian shows me to the large kitchen where I'm meant to wash my dishes after using. 

There's a line of only two people chatting while they hold their dishes. 

"It's just so no one gets stuck with washing everything." Sebastian explains as we move up in the line. 

As I make my way up to the sink I take Sebastian's dishes from him and begin washing. 

He hits my shoulder lightly, "I can do it my self." He mumbles. 

I just smile at him, and continue washing his plate. 

~~~

Having mentioned that the girls would be joining us later, Sebastian leads me to his room. We leisurely walk down the halls, I stop at all the pieces of art. 

Sculptures and painting, just sitting in this home that was almost abandoned.  A bust of a woman, flowing locks of hair, her face forever stuck in fear. A painting of just dark and empty. If I just stare, I can almost feel the shapes moving. The dark blobs of black, gray, and navy's become shape. They morph into something familiar. 

My breath catches as the shapes move closer, and I can almost make them out. I lean in, hoping that the distance is what is hindering my understanding. I can almost make it out, I think, I reach out, like some thing is calling to me. 

"Tober!" Before I can reach the painting Sebastian grabs me. "What are are you doing?" He asks, I can barely make him out over the nagging in my stomach. Like something is terribly wrong. He puts his soft hand on to my face cradling me. And the feeling is gone. 

I sigh. "I'm sorry. I don't know, the painting, just felt, off."  He takes his hand away from my face, lightly trailing it down my arm till he slips his hand into mine. 

"Why is there so much art here anyway?" I ask to keep myself from doing anything embarrassing. 

"I don't know, we only met the guy who owns the place for a day. But I think his wife was an art collector. I think that counts as a hobby when you're rich." We both giggle. 

Erin and Steph bound down the hallway, laughing and holding each other as they run. Steph spinning Erin around, humming a tune.  They stop as they see us, still smiling.

And then that thing happens again, where I know when some one is coming.  

Jon. 

He appears around the corner before I can warn anyone. Before I could decide if I wanted to warn them. He wants to apologize, explain why he was so, shitty.  

"Hi." Jon says gaining everyone's attention, his long hair Id once seen  pushed up in a cap was brushed up and neatly in a bun.  His tall body was made smaller by the anxiety eating him up. His shoulders crouched inward arms folded around himself. 

"Hi Jon, are you alright?" This wasn't my own voice to my surprise. It was Steph, only a softness in her voice. 

"I need to apologize. For everything." He says. The 6ft tall man looks so small as he stood in front of us. Like a kid being scolded by their mother. I could almost forgive him with nothing at all. 

No, he has to explain it.  I remind myself. We meet eyes, and I nod asking him to go on. 

"I know what I did was wrong, everything. I'm sorry. Especially to you Steph for hurting you when you came out to me. And Sebastian for making it seem like I didn't understand you being bisexual. I truly believed what I said translated as a joke, but I can recognize that it wasn't at all. And Erin I'm sorry for anything at all, or if I've said anything to hurt you, and for generally being horrible." He takes in a huge breath, having said it all in one go.  "You don't need to say anything."

"I just want to know why you've been acting like this?" Steph says, tears had been welling up in her eyes, Erin was holding her hand trying to comfort her. "Its like everything just changed all of a sudden? We were all friends." 

Jon looked down at his feet, he mumbled an answer out to himself but no one could make it out. 

"Jon, you have to speak up." I say firmly. 

With a sigh, Jon looks up, "After Steph came out, there was this pit in my stomach. And I couldn't figure it out, I hadn't ever felt it before. But once she started transitioning, and people still cared about her I knew, I was jealous." Jon pushes a fly away hair away from him face, highlighting how much his face had gotten red. 

Steph starts to giggle, just softly at first. Then it grows till she is laughing, her head rolling back and face red. 

Even trough his confusion, Jon smiles softly. 

Steph detaches herself from Erin, slowly approaching Jon, as if he is an injured animal. About to attack or flee at any moment. 

When she's close enough, she puts her hands on his shoulders, smiling.

 "I forgive you, I've just wanted my brother back." She pulls him into her arms. He holds her back just as tightly, if not more. 

Erin awkwardly walks to them, hovering till they pull apart. She pats his back muttering  agreements, and of course she says "you're on thin fucking ice." 

Sebastian settles to just side hug, and agrees with Erin. 

Its an understanding that this has been the most important for Steph. To reconnect with her brother. Maybe I would have found this more urgent if they had mentioned that they were related? 

Jon turns to me, still seemingly burdened. "What is it?" I say brows pushed together, almost touching.

 Pale faced, he opens up and says, "October I think I saw you die." 

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