Behind Closed Hearts

Chapter 29

James was the first to wake, his head pounding beyond bearable. He scrunched his brows and tried to flip over before he nearly went off the edge of the bed.

The sensation brought James to complete awareness and he stopped his self from rolling off completely. Sitting up, he looked around groggily. Aleks' room was dim with only a wisp of light streaming through the blinds. There was the soft ticking of the alarm clock on the dresser but all else was quiet.

How did he end up here? He didn't remember walking in here…

A soft exhale drew James' attention and he slowly leaned over the opposite side of the bed to find his brother lying in a sleeping bag next to the bed. His brow was furrowed while he slept, but he looked peaceful nonetheless.

James smiled fondly, leaning on his elbows. Aleks didn't have to do that. He didn't have to let James take his bed. He felt a fresh wave of affection for his brother.

Soon he leaned back, wiggled out from the sheets, and stepped out of the room and into the hallway. He made his way past the living room where everyone was sleeping; he smiled when he saw Eddie and Seamus snuggled awkwardly close. That was going to be a laugh when they woke.

Finally, he found himself in the kitchen, staring around at the foreign drawers, trying to guess where things could be. He tried the pantry first.

James sifted through boxes of cereal, chocolate chips, and all sorts of random of stuff until he found what he was looking for. Pancake mix! He pulled it out in anticipation. Mom had always made a big breakfast for his and Aleks' sleepovers but this time, he was going to give it a try.

--

"Who told you you could cuddle up to me in your sleep?!" was the first thing Joe heard when he woke. It was so loud, that Joe tired eyes snapped open and felt the need to murder whoever just yelled.

Seamus towered over Eddie who only looked up at his friend sheepishly. He shrugged, "Sorry, Seamus. Who I really wanted to cuddle with was Jordan. Right?" He turned to Jordan.

He glared at him and stood up next up with Seamus. "I wouldn't cuddle with you if you were the last human on earth."

Eddie deflated dramatically. "How could you say such a thing? We are gonna get married someday, so you've got to get used to it now."

Red flashed across Jordan's face. "Why are you saying such weird things so early in the morning?" He chucked a pillow into his face, smacking him directly in the nose, and he busted out laughing. Eddie chuckled in amusement while Seamus only shook his head, pressing a hand into his unruly hair.

Normally, this would be where Joe told everyone to SHUT THE HELL UP, but he decided against it, seeing how his relationship with them was still new.

Instead, he ended up groaning lowly and sat up at snail's pace. Dan was already at his side, sitting with his legs crossed and his arms resting on his knees. "It's too early," Joe whined, looking over at his friend.

"Yeah," Dan said simply, gazing at the three as they animatedly yelled at each other.

Suddenly, Joe perked up, turning completely towards Dan. "Oh, Dan, we have a mission from Aleks!"

He turned his dark eyes on Joe in curiosity. "What kind of mission?"

--

James was putting the last of the pancakes into the pan when he got a sense of someone watching him. He whipped his head to the side, looking to the kitchen door. No one was there.

"Hmm…" He turned back to his work, shaking it off.

The pancakes in front of him sizzled and he focused on them, watching the mix bubble and the chocolate chips melt. He waited for the edges to solidify and then he flipped them one-by-one.