I looked around the bare room. The walls were a boring white, my new dark blue sheets were the only color in the whole room, it barely had enough space for the bed and the spare bedside table they had lent me, and the room smelled like stale air, but I loved it. The room had three windows which made for excellent easy escape routes if there were every a need for it. Plus it was a whole three steps away from Weylyn’s room and four steps away from the bathroom and it had a bed. It’s been the best room I’ve had so far and I just got it. 

After everything was put away and we had time to ‘decompress’, Liam’s words, we were called down to the dining room for dinner. 

Callum sat at the head off the table, Jax was on his right, Liam and Ryder were on the left. Weylyn went to sit next to Jax but I stopped him the second I figured out where he was going and instead pushed him to the chair opposite of Callum so he would be sandwiched between me and Ryder. I didn’t think Callum would marry an abusive asshole but I didn’t know Jax well enough to let Weylyn anywhere near him. 

“How’s the moving in going,” Ryder asked once everyone had fixed a plate of what appeared to be some kind of oven baked chicken casserole. It didn’t look the most appetizing but I was starving and it was better than half the food we’d been eating most of our life.

“Not like there’s much to move,” I said as I began eating. “I’m already done.” Liam frowned at that. 

“We can get more things for your rooms this weekend,” Ryder said with a big smile on his face. “We can go shopping, get ice cream, maybe catch a movie. We can make a whole day out of it.”

“Darling shopping with you is going to take all day regardless,” Liam said with an eye roll. “But yes we can get more stuff this weekend.”

“We need to start thinking about what school they’ll go to next year. Summer is almost up.”

Weylyn shrank back at the words. He loved school. He loved being able to sit down and just learn about his favorite things for hours. He didn’t like 99% of the people we happened to meet at school; wether it was because the people were loud when he was trying to focus, or they thought it was a good idea to push him around but regardless he never really had people at school he willing hung out with other than me. 

“We want to be in the same classes,” I said, trying to leave no room for argument. 

“We’ll see what we can do about that but you need to be prepared in case that doesn’t happen. Besides, it would be good for you to send some time alone,” Liam said as he played with his own meal. “Also Ryder, you’re never cooking again. Jax is back on meal prep detail.” Ryder gave a rather grumpy face while Jax groaned. 

“I should make Carter do it,” he said with a frown. “He’s the one who eats the most anyway.”

“I don’t want time away from Axel,” Weylyn said, bringing their attention back to the situation at hand. 

“You can’t be with each other every second of every day,” Callum said with a disapproving frown. 

“Of course not,” I said with an eye roll. “We have to use the bathroom at some point.”

“That’s not healthy,” Liam said with a somewhat hard look. “You need time away from each other so you can develop your own personalities and life goals. You can’t make those changes if you’re always thinking about the person beside you.”

“We already have a life plan,” Weylyn said matter-of-factly. “I plan on living on his couch for the rest of our lives.”

“Its a solid plan, we’ve had it for years,” I confirm much to all of their horror. 

“Well that’s going to change,” Callum said firmly. “You’re going to therapy after you get settled in more. He’ll help you with that.”

“We don’t need therapy,” I spat. 

“Oh I remember those days,” Jax said with a small smile. “God how wrong I was.”

“Therapy is for weed smoking hippies so unless someone here is hiding a bong around here somewhere I’m not doing it.”

“You’re going regardless,” Callum said, a small glare on his face; it was the same one he used to have when he told us to do our homework when we didn’t want to. “I don’t care if you sit in silence for an hour straight every time or if you pour your heart out, you’re going.”

I huffed as I leaned back against the chair and pushed my empty plate away. 

The rest of dinner passed in silence. Callum’s husbands seemed to tense at the small argument but our brother wasn’t phased one bit. After dinner was cleaned up Liam suggested we all watch a movie together for ‘bonding’. I thought it was a bunch of bullshit but Weylyn was excited about it so I sat down beside him. 

The movie was about a cat who was on it’s last life or something. I wasn’t really paying attention. My eyes were glued to the lego set Callum had bought me earlier that day that had gotten left in the living room by mistake. 

“You can start building it,” Liam said when he followed my gaze. 

“It’s rude to play with toys in front of other people in a shared place,” I answered as I forced myself to look away. Lily had always hated it when we did stuff like that around her, let alone in places that she also liked being in. That and Rowan was really good at breaking my shit the second Lily looked away for more than three seconds.

“I don’t think it’s rude,” Jax said with a shrug, his eyes never leaving the TV. 

“Me either,” Ryder said, a wide smile on his face. I huffed and leaned over to grab the box. If they were going to let me do it, even if it was only once I would take advantage of that. 

I left the couch to sit on the floor so I could spread everything out and not being cramped or loose pieces. I sighed as I looked around the dozens of bags. It was going to take forever but that’s what I loved about legos. Hours of me just being able to focus on nothing but directions and bricks. 

“Dude, that’s going to look so fucking sick.” I jumped at the voice at my ear before wiping my head around to see Jax looking directly over my shoulder. His eyes seemed brighter than they had ever been and the unreadable look on his face was now full of life and happy. “I’m Bram by the way,” he said as he stuck his hand out. “We haven’t met yet.”

“Axel,” I said as I took his hand, a bit confused. “No one was yelling. Why are you out here?” He shrugged. 

“Felt like it. Plus legos are cool, wanted to see you put it together. I used to build them a lot when I was little but it’s been a hot ass minute since I got a set for myself.” I hummed as I turned back to the new bag. 

“How long ago?”

“Damn, must have been three years ago now back when I was 16 I guess. Like I said it’s been a minute.”

“You aren’t 21 like the rest of them? That doesn’t make since. Jax is 21 so you should be too right?” He shrugged again as he leaned back into the couch. 

“Brains are weird. I formed as a 12 year old in a 17 year old’s head. It’s been 4 years since I formed yet I’ve aged 9 years. I really don’t know how it works, we’re just going with it.” I hummed at the weirdness of Jax and the people in his head but didn’t comment on it further. 

“We should do a group puzzle,” Ryder said as he watched the two of us stare the legos. 

“Don’t be an old person,” Bram said as he side eyed the older boy. Ryder scoffed. 

“I’m not! You both like building things and we can do this together. Wouldn’t that be fun? We could just talk and build.”

“That sounds like the farthest thing from fun I’ve ever heard in my life,” Bram said with a scowl. 

“I think I’ll stick to legos, thanks.” Ryder huffed as he sunk back into the couch. 

“Callum thinks it would be fun. You do too, don’t you Weylyn?” Wey freezes at being called out but gets over it quickly. 

“It could be nice,” he said purely to end the conversation as fast as possible. 

“See! We’re doing the puzzle.” Bram groans. 

It was late by the time Callum declared it’s time to head to sleep. 

Sleeping in a new bed for the first time in literally years felt weird. The couch was never comfortable and was always too small and mom’s bed was old and lumpy causing random back pains the next day. This bed was like sleeping on a cloud and I never wanted to leave it. Still, sleeping in a new room, in a new house felt weird. I wasn’t a fan and it took longer than what I would have wanted to admit to finally feel sleep tugging at my eyes. 

I was just about to drift off when the door started creaking open. I flew awake in seconds to see Weylyn standing in the door frame. I relaxed in a second. He didn’t have to say a word before I was moving to the farthest edge of the bed so he would have room to climb in. 

“I couldn’t sleep,” he said as he fixed himself into the bed. 

“I was having trouble,” I admit though if anyone but him asked I would have lied through my teeth. 

“I think we’re going to like it here,” he said as he pulled the blanket up to his chin. 

“I think the bed alone is worth sticking around at the very least,” I said in all honesty as I turned on my side to face away from him. He gave a small chuckle. 

“The bed is pretty nice. I’m pretty happy with it.”

“Go to sleep,” I said as I closed my eyes. “And if you kick me again, I’m going to kick you back. No pulling my punches anymore, I’ve been too nice for too long.” He laughed again but thankfully did what I said. 

Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as I thought it would be. God I hope Weylyn was right about this.

Last updated March 23, 2024