*Four months later*
The two brothers stopped at the rock climbing building and went inside. The instructors explained to what they were supposed to do and gear them up.
During their ride here, Zayev was quiet while he drove the car and answered Jeandre's questions so that he wouldn't be able to continue the conversation.
Jeandre felt awkward and wanted to cry. Ever since his brother moved out of the house he hasn't contacted them. He often accompanied his parents to visit Zayev but it just seemed like he changed. The conversations ended before they started not to mention that their mama kept on crying because his brother was being an asshole.
There was continuous yelling and every conversation was ignored. Both Theo and Reign were going mad and not even Cindy and Alexander could get Zayev to come to his senses.
Zayev plainly told her to seek counselling or get the fuck out of his life earning him a slap on the face a bunch of times. When Theo and Reign spoke to him asking him who taught him to speak like that to a parent of his. Zayev glared at them but said nothing, then a few weeks ago, Reign returned home after one of his visits to do Zayev's laundry and found cigarette buds and used condoms in his rubbish.
Theo tried speaking to him but it seemed like Zayev was growing distant the longer he stayed home. Jeandre didn't know what he was feeling but his heart ached. Zayev made him love him and wish to be with him yet he pulled away from him placing so much distance between them that it seemed as if they weren't related.
Halfway up the wall, Jeandre stopped and looked at his brother who had sweat beads on his forehead. From the corner of his left eye, Zayev couldn't see movement. Stopping after grabbing a red painted rock, he paused his movements and looked at Jeandre.
Frowning he asked, "What's the matter?" when he saw that the younger boy was just staring at him with his mind most probably far away.
Jeandre snapped out of it and continued on climbing up, ���Nothing," he uttered. Zayev watched his brother climb up and raised a brow. His eyes blinked a few times faster as they lowered to his bottom that was practically in his face.
'He's underage,' a voice reminded him. Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he started climbing again. When he reached the top, Jeandre was already sitting on the edge and watching him. He pulled himself up and asked, "Not heading down yet?"
Jeandre just looked at him then jumped down catching the edge. He slowly came down with the help of the instructor who was watching them from below. Zayev soon followed meeting Jeandre at the bottom.
They took the gear off and went to shower. The two showered in one stall. Zayev could hear his brother sigh, literally counting them up to the seventh sigh. Jeandre got out first and waited for Zayev and they headed off to eat at Wendals.
They were seated at a table and placed their orders. Zayev placed his phone down after a while of checking his notifications and social media. He looked over at Jeandre who was looking down and playing with his fingers. Putting his hand on Jeandre's he caught his attention.
Jeandre looked up and saw that his brother had a concerned look on his face, "What?" he asked took his hands away.
Zayev raised a brow, "Your mind has been occupied all this time, what's bothering you?"
Jeandre rolled his eyes, "Nothing, why do you want to know?"
"What's gotten into you?" Zayev asked with a frown.
"What do you mean what's gotten into me? What's gotten into you brother?" Jeandre asked folding his arms across his chest.
"What do you mean?" Zayev asked confused.
Jeandre's expression relaxed, looking at his brother he asked, "Why have you distanced yourself from me? What did I do to you?"
Zayev's eyes darted around the restaurant, with a sigh he answered, "I told you already that you didn…"
"Don't lie to me!" Jeandre yelled and slammed his hands against the table. The people in the restaurant turned to look at the two brothers making Zayev look around and apologise to them. He turned back to Jeandre who had anger written all over his face.
Sighing Zayev took his brother's hands in his, "Okay look, this isn't the right place to talk about this, I promise I'll explain it to you, let's eat then we'll head to the park and I'll explain it to you, okay love?"
Jeandre rolled his eyes while pulling his hands away, "Remember your words," he warned.
Zayev felt miserable, what in the world was going on and he certainly didn't want to explain to his brother why he was distancing himself.
∘ ━ ✧ ━ ∘
Sitting in the car at the park Jeandre was staring his brother down, "We've been sitting here for seven minutes, when will you start talking?"
Letting go of the steering wheel, he sat back and turned his head to the side facing Jeandre's glare, smiling bitterly he began, "Do you know the age gap between us?"
Rolling his eyes, he nodded, this was a common topic before, "Yeah, it's five."
"Do you know that it's illegal for you and I to date?" he asked lowly.
"Yes that's why we don't hold hands or kiss in public and only do it at home," Jeandre answered concededly.
"If other people see us together, I will be considered as a paedophile and what we are doing is considered as incest that most people consider illegal and disgusting," he said noting the frown forming on Jeandre's face.
"Dre, you know I love you and I want the best for you and the best person for you isn't me," he said choking back a sob.
Jeandre looked at him confused, "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, you and I may love each other now but you might not love me in the future, you might be suited best for someone else, you know, perfect like how my father is for your father," he said sadly.
"What makes you think that you are not perfect for me?" Jeandre asked defensively.
Zayev chuckled humourlessly, "Love, what makes you think that I am perfect for you?"
"But I love you Zai!!" he protested with tears in his eyes.
Zayev sat up and wiped Jeandre's tears away, "I know you love me but the love you have for me is that for a brother and not a lover. I distanced myself so that you can grow up without me and love your life without me holding you back with my forced love. Jeandre, I've loved you since the very first day I laid eyes on you, I've wanted to be yours since a very long time ago and I love you so much that it's tiring to just hold you, I want to go on dates with you, I want to sleep with you in my arms and I most definitely want to do lewd things to you but I can't. I had to leave or else I am going to suffer in that house. Jeandre listen, if you love then you will do as I say and stay away from me, if you find that one day that you still love me, then I want to you tell me but you can't just love me as your brother, I want you to love me as your lover, the one who will fill your heart and understand that I will love you with all of my being. I want us to be as happy as our fathers but I can't force you to love me now. I want you to forget that I exist and grow up then maybe one day when we see each other again you'll fall in love with me and not just love me."
Zayev left Jeandre in tears, he wanted to hug his brother, kiss him and make him feel better but he couldn't, he would just be hurting himself if he did. Jeandre would get over it soon but he won't.
After half an hour, he started the car up and drove back home. He was tired of hearing Jeandre cry and sniffle, it was breaking his heart and he couldn't take it.
∘ ━ ✧ ━ ∘
They arrived at their parents' home. Jeandre got out and ran inside before Zayev could get out of the car. He mustered the courage up and got out of his car walking over to the door. Theo was waiting for him with a frown but didn't say anything since he could see that Zayev's eyes were red from holding his tears back.
Reign soon came down angry and was about to yell but stopped himself when he saw his son's face. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Did something happen between you two while you were out?"
Zayev looked between his parents then nodded, "Mn, he wanted to know why I was distancing myself from him. I told him the truth since he was causing a scene and as you can see, he isn't handling it well, now if you'll excuse me, I'll be going and don't expect me to come back."
He ignored his parents who wanted to say something and kissed the twins goodbye who were playing on the mat in the middle of the sitting area.
Zayev soon left and kept to his word. He only visited when it was someone's birthday, their parent's anniversary and important occasions at the children's school, doing the same for his visits to his mother's house. When it was his birthday, they celebrated it like a family and that was it, the next day would be like any other day without Zayev in their lives.