heartstrings - a tntduo fic.

Replacement

Some people liked the morning, Will wasn't one of them.

He sat up, clutching his sides and his head in both hands. He was back in the dorm, this time on his own bed. There wasn't anyone else around- Alex must've left early.

There was the usual practice, a glass of water and hangover pills with a hand-written note that said, "Morning, take the pills. Also, I won't be back tonight."

Will crushed the note in a white-knuckled grip.

'You have a brother?' Alex's words were muffled by the food in his mouth but he didn't care. The cat, Patches, was perked on the ledge of the loft house staircase and Alex enjoyed the way she nudged his hands to continue petting her.

'Yes, I do,' Clay spoke over Karl's giggling. The two were at the stove with Karl flipping pancakes and Clay attached to him with his chin resting over his shoulders. He whispered some words between their shared space and Alex internally cringed at the sight of comfortable intimacy.

'His name is Luke, he lives by himself.'

'Why?' Patched stood up, stretching her limbs out before jumping down to walk towards Clay who finally left Karl's side.

'He said he wanted to be independent,' Clay picked up Patches, pressing his nose into her fur in a way that made Alex want to compare Clay himself to a cat.

'I'm just going over to help him unpack, wanna come?' Alex shrugged, sure.

'Will, stop,' George huffed against his ears, nails digging further into the fabric of his sweater.

'I'm close,' Will's voice was low, rough- it made the other man flinch.

'What's up with you?' George felt his body begin to fail on him and Will turned George around, throwing him over the bathroom counter finding himself in the same, wild pace as before.

Will dragged a hand down the other's back, causing his shirt to ride up, exposing much of his pale skin. George's grunts for air matched the sound of skin hitting against each other and Will eventually found George's watering eyes in the bathroom reflection.

'You fuck like an animal,' he bit on his words, finding power in his voice when Will pulled him up by his hair.

'You take it like a slut,' Will forced George to turn his chin, and their lips locked.

'You guys look nothing alike.' Filter, Alex forgets to filter his words.

'I take after mom, he after dad.'

'Bullshit,' Clay locked Luke under his arm, rubbing his knuckles through Luke's hair. The act solidified their brotherly relationship.

Luke was younger by almost two years and the two were nothing alike. Clay was energetic, organized, and timely, Luke was everything but that. Luke was laid-back, party-goer, and wild.

But they balanced each other well- Clay helping him organize his books and schedules accordingly and Luke getting Clay to relax when they were stressing about the weird exam schedule.

It was interesting, to Alex it was fascinating.

Alex had a younger brother too, all the way back home. They were close but ever since he started to follow mom around for work, they drifted. Alex would visit home once and while and feel all the farther apart from him each time they met.

'You guys,' Alex cupped the back of his neck in embarrassment, '-you guys seem like good siblings.'

'Please, some days I just wanna slap him with a chair.'

'Ass.' Luke threw Clay a raspberry and Clay simply rolled his eyes.

'What the-dude you bought a guitar?' Clay held up the neck of the acoustic, half of the body was still the box but Alex's ears perked up easily enough.

Luke walked over despite the floor of boxes, taking the guitar from Clay's hands, '-actually, I did. I wanted to learn something new to past time.'

'You talking any classes?' Alex asked finally getting up from his seat in the corner to walk towards the two, he handed Clay another box to unpack and Luke had thrown the guitar strap over his head.

'No, I don't like classes, I thought I'd just self-learn. You know how to play?'

Alex nodded, '-that and piano. Though I'm rusty on the piano by now.'

'You should visit more often then,' Luke joked setting the guitar down by his bed, '-if you taught me I don't think I'd mind.'

'Are you seriously hitting on my friend?' Clay threw a sock at Luke.

'He's hot,' Luke answered nonchalantly.

'Dude,' Alex punched at his shoulder. Luke was going to wink at him before a shoe came colliding into his face.

Feelings are weird, sex is easy.

'So,' George stretched out from between Will's grip. After the quickie Will pretty much collapsed once again and George had to borrow one of his sweatshirt's after claiming Will had ripped holes in his own.

'-what was all that?'

Will and George had a weird relationship. Sure, they were good friends, but there were a few times it went a little further than most people define as "friends". When they both turned 16, they both bought alcohol and sneaked out into the night to drink, only to end up drunkenly making out with each other.

After that, they got closer. Once when they were 17, George wanted to learn about sex and the two ended up watching porn together at Will's place. The night ended with both boys jerking off together.

The times escalated to George giving Will a handjob one time for losing a bet and Will taking George in his mouth another time when he got heartbroken. After that time, the two pretty much agreed they'd be there for each other, be it physically or mentally- a pact was made.

'I got drunk last night before I came home,' Will began, allowing George to turn and face him, feeling him press his forehead against his as he spoke, '-I think I did something to my roommate by mistake.'

'What makes you say that?' George's words were soft, and so were his hands as they combed through Will's wild fringe.

'Remember what I told you? Last week? When he called me while we were watching a movie?' George nodded against the sheets.

'I think last night, he tried to talk about it and I reacted. I don't really remember what I said or did, but I remember kissing someone.'

George's oh was hollow and it struck a nerve.

'What should I do?'

Will cussed on his teeth and he felt George's hands fall to his cheek as they massaged his tense jaw.

'Will, you weren't okay last night. Maybe you should talk to Alex. Tell him that your reaction last night was most likely due to what happened earlier that day.'

Will pressed forward, swallowing George's words in a comforting kiss, '-you think that'll work?'

George hummed against his lips, '-you're an adult, so talk to him like one.'

'Thanks, Gogs,' Will whispered against his lips, finding them part again as Will took George's invitation. George turned to lay flat and Will found himself hovering over his body as George's hands kneaded into his hair.

'Round two?' Will slurred on his words, feeling George's grin against his lips.

'Fuck yes.'