Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better)

2. The Next Start

After Tour (so much fun, not yet perfect, but they'll make it perfect next time), they never contacted Nate again. Ever. Grayson still hadn't told him yet what Nate said about him, but Ethan honestly didn't care. After the long tour, after exploring the world, after the news about their dad, he actually kind of... forgot. Aaron was probably still in contact with Nate, but they were always busy enough that he usually only had time to sometimes tell them "Nate said hi," without needing their reply.

Aaron only noticed something was wrong around the last month of their tour when Nate finally asked him why he couldn't contact either Ethan or Grayson, since they've actually blocked Nate's number from their phone. Grayson admitted he felt a little guilty about it, and also about never explaining anything to Aaron. But Ethan honestly didn't, even though he didn't have all the information yet. Besides, it was bad enough to anger Grayson, so fuck him.

Aaron was concerned though and tried to mediate, trying to make sure it wasn't just a misunderstanding. Ethan had thought it might be possible since Grayson hadn't explained fully to him, but misunderstanding or not, Ethan already didn't care for Nate. He was mostly indifferent. If Grayson wanted to reconnect with Nate, then Ethan... wouldn't probably like it, wouldn't really care for it, but he'll stand by him. If not, well, he won't miss Nate either.

He did pity Aaron who seemed to be stuck in the middle, though. He didn't know what happened and apparently, Nate was also confused to why they suddenly cut off all contact with him. Ethan didn't offer much explanation because, well, he didn't know either. Grayson only told Aaron about different people and drifting apart. Different mindset and whatnot. Just a lot of... well, maybe not entirely bullshit, but still at least 1/3 bullshit.

Eventually though, a few weeks after their Tour was over and they were back at their apartment in LA, Grayson told Ethan what Nate had said.

"He said you cling to me too much," Grayson said while they were laying together on the couch, Ethan laying on his back with his head on the armrest with his phone in front of him, while Grayson was laying on top of him, head on Ethan's right shoulder. His right hand was clutching his own phone, though he wasn't looking at his phone. He wasn't looking at Ethan either when he glanced down at him. He was staring at some random point of Ethan's left shoulder.

"Who said?" Ethan had to ask because Grayson had started that conversation randomly and despite the myth about twin telepathy, that wasn't an actual thing that happens beyond coincidence. Or habit.

"Nate. That was what he said."

Nate? What about Nate? 

Oh.

"...That I cling to you too much? Did he get us backward?" Ethan gestured with his free hand to their position. "And, how does that even relate to us fucking?"

"He also didn't understand why I always did whatever you said or whatever you dared me to do, even off-screen. Even when I initially said no, I'll eventually do them anyway."

"...Okay? So, he was saying I'm a bad brother? I still don't get where the fucking thing came from."

Ethan could feel it when Grayson seemed to sink into himself.

"He asked if you ever dared me something extreme. If you ever did something I didn't want to me. He implied it, like, sexually, mostly, but other ways too. He even added if it means we will, at the tour, fuck each other."

Ethan... didn't know what to feel, actually. Surprise, maybe. Shock, mostly. Like, what the fuck? That was so messed up! That Nate, who spent so much time with both of them, would think Ethan would do something like that to Grayson? Like, what the fuck!?