WELCOME

Today was the big night. It was opening night of a local musical that Jake was in. He had scored the lead role and was nervous. Sure, he had lead roles before but, he always got nervous on the day of opening night. What if the audience didn't like him this time? He needed to just not worry like his brother always told him. However, his brother was at work...or something and so, he wasn't there to tell him to calm down or everything.

After ten minutes of pacing through his room and the rest of the house, Jake laid down and started reading. He wished that Justin was there so they could just talk. That was Jake's favorite thing to do. Talk. He didn't care where he talked or who he talked to, Jake could always find something to talk about and he could talk for hours. He just needed someone to talk to.

After reading for about two hours, Jake's eyes grew heavy and he laid on his bed, book still in hand, eyes closed, asleep. It was a rather cute site.

After he had gotten off work, Justin drove right home, feeling pretty exhausted. It had been a long shift and a lot of customers had needed his assistance finding the things they wanted or were looking for. The moment he got home, Justin kicked off his shoes and then went into the kitchen, making toast. He made four slices of toast, spreading each slice with a hazelnut, skim milk, and coca spread called Nutella. Once he had all four slices of bread on the plate, Justin headed upstairs to the bedroom he shared with his twin. Holding the plate with one hand, he used the other to open the bedroom door, the sight that greeted him made him chuckle.

"Couldn't even wait until I got home." he muttered, stepping into the room and closing the door, putting the plate with the toast on it beside his laptop on his desk, watching his sleeping twin. Walking over to his twin, Justin pulled the book from his twin's fingers and closed it, putting it on the nightstand beside Jake's bed. The way Jake had fallen asleep Justin knew if he tried to cover Jake up he'd have to move Jake's body too much. Deciding he'd leave Jake asleep on top of the blankets, Justin turned away, intent on going to his desk and eating the toast while surfing the web. When he turned around, however, Justin accidentally knocked over the stainless steel baseball bat that had been leaning against the foot of his bed. The bat fell over and struck his toes, which made Justin take a deep breath and swear loudly while hopping on one foot.

"JESUS FUCK!" Justin swore, hopping on one foot and then sitting on his computer chair, bringing the foot that had been assaulted by the bat up closer to himself and rubbing his toes with his hands. "Stupid bat."

As Jake slept, he didn't even know that his brother had come home and that he was standing right by the bed. After all, that's what Jake was waiting for, Justin to get home. As the book was taken from his hands, his hands collapsed onto his stomach and then he rolled on his side, facing the room instead of the wall behind him.

When his brother screamed in pain however, Jake sprang up, right away. He couldn't fathom what all the calamity was about. He blinked to get the sleepiness out of his eyes and the looked at his brother who was in sheer pain.

Jake got out of bed and walked over to the boy "Hey babe, is everything okay? What happened? Calm down"

"I tripped over the stupid bat." Justin said, still rubbing his foot a little as he took his eyes from his brother and then pointed out the bat as it lay on the floor. He was surprised that Jake hadn't tripped over it while walking across the floor. "Stupid thing landed right on my foot, hurt my toes." he said sincerely, sighing before he gingerly placed his wounded foot on the floor. Putting his foot on the floor hurt, but he didn't let it show on his face. Yes, he could feel his toes swelling a little where the bat had struck them, but he wasn't going to complain about it.

"When I got here you were holding a book as if you fell asleep while reading." he said, looking up into his twins eyes while holding up the plate he'd brought. "Want some toast?" he asked, wondering if Jake wanted some toasted whole wheat bread with nutella on it.

Hearing what his brother said about tripping over the bat, Jake frowned and took a closer look at his brothers foot. It looked kind of bad. "Ow, that just looks like it hurts. I'll get you some ice, it will take the swelling down" Jake said, knowing how to take care of things like this. He didn't want his brother walking around with a swollen foot. "Man, why don't we put that thing like...in the closet or something, does it really have to be right by the bed?" Jake wondered. It would prevent him or Justin from tripping on it again.

"Oh, yeah. I was waiting for you to get home." Jake said, sighing. "No thanks." Jake said, sweetly. He kissed his brother on the forehead and then looked serious. "Okay, now we have to get that foot elevated and put some ice on it. Want me to carry you to the bed?"

"It should be in the closet." Justin said with a serious frown. "I was sure I put it away before I left for work. There's no way it could have walked out of the closet on its own, so who got it out?" he asked, looking confused as he stared at the bat. "Did you take it out of the closet?" he asked, looking at Jake. When Jake kissed him on the forehead, however, Justin blinked a little, blushing softly. Yes, he had made love to his brother and proposed to him, but he'd been thinking about that recently, he just didn't know how to put into words what he wanted to say in a way that wouldn't hurt his brother.

"Ice would be nice." he said, looking up at his twin. "But I've got homework to finish, I can't go to bed yet. What play are you in now?" he asked, remembering the book his brother had fallen asleep reading. "Did you get a part?"

"Alright" Jake said, walking over to the bat, picking it up and putting it in the closet. "No, I haven't touched it. After all, it's your bat" Jake said, shrugging. He could see that his brother was confused and Jake was too. He couldn't figure out that if his brother said he put it away, how it got out. When his brother blushed when Jake kissed his forehead, Jake smiled. He truely loved his brother.

"Alright" Jake said, and the frowned at what he said next. "I'll do your homework or something. You're hurt. You need to rest that foot, dear" Jake said, being completly serious.

"I am only in the play that you have known that I was in since January. Remember, tonight's opening night?" Jake said, really hoping his brother remembered this.

"You can't do my homework for me," Justin protested. "Our writing styles and the way we write are completely different, the teacher would know. Besides, I could always sit in bed with my laptop in my lap, foot elevated on a pillow and a bag of ice that's been wrapped in a towel." he said, trying to think logically.

Thinking about the whole situation with the bat, Justin decided to let it go. "I'm sorry," he said, "I've been so busy with work I forgot the name of the play and what part you got. Remind me again?" he requested softly,

"I was only kidding. You know that right?" Jake said, wondering. He hoped that his brother did know that he was kidding. "We are sort of two different people when it comes to school work and writing." Jake said, sighing. He loved his brother but, Justin cared a lot more when it came to school work. Jake, as long as he passed, didn't care. He wanted to go to college and everything but, he also didn't care that much. His brother was starting to get him to care a little more.

When his brother said that he was 'too busy with work to remember the play', Jake was horrified. He felt so betrayed. Like he was just another person to his brother. Something was different and Jake didn't like it.

"Come on." Justin urged. "What play is it? Romeo and Juliet?" he asked, trying to figure it out. "Les Miserables?" he asked, honestly willing to keep guessing until he got it right. "Phantom of the Opera?"

Seeing the look on Jake's face, Justin sighed, reaching out to gently stroke his brothers cheek with one hand. "I'm sorry, but with work and homework I've been swamped. I do have off tomorrow though, so I'll be coming to see the play, to watch you."

"I can't believe you forgot." Jake said, sighing and walking back over to the bed. For years Jake's outlet of stress was cutting himself and, Justin said that he could cuddle but, Justin was the one causing the problem. If he did cut himself, Jake knew that if he did, Justin would never forgive him. "No, no, and no." Jake said, looking more and more sad.

"I get it. You don't have time for me." Jake said, sighing. "You can't even come to opening night." Jake said, he couldn't believe that he wasn't going tonight. It hurt Jake. Ever since he was little his whole family was there for him and now his own brother and boyfriend won't?

"Jake, it isn't even midnight yet." Justin said, pointing at their alarm clock. "The play isn't until tomorrow, opening night is tomorrow, that's when I'm going." he said, then sighed inwardly. Setting his laptop aside, Justin got to his feet and hopped on one foot over to Jake's bed. Plopping down on it, favoring his injured foot, Justin licked at his upper lip as he looked at his twin, trying to look into Jake's eyes.

"Why won't you tell me what the name of the play is?" he asked sincerely. "You didn't even get me a ticket, so how am I supposed to know what it's called?"

"Oh...right. I am just so fed up with people today. I think I hate everyone right now." Jake said, sighing. He thought that his brother was acting strange today but, to Justin, Jake was probably acting strange too. Jake was just so confused at the moment, he didn't know what do to. However, when his brother came and laid in the bed next to him and licked his upper lip, Jake smiled. "You're beautiful" Jake said, completly honest.

"Because. You should remember. I have been talking about it since the beginning of the year." Jake said, still being honest. "I got you a ticket, I just haven't seen you in a while."

"Forgive me for saying so but I have been working overtime a lot to pay for your ring." Justin said seriously. "Plus I've been working to keep gas in the car, and to save up some money for something else." he said seriously, looking into Jake's eyes as he lay next to him. "I'm sorry I forgot the name of the play you're in, but you could save me the trouble of guessing all night by telling me what it is or by giving me the tickets. I don't like to see you cry."

"Oh..." Jake said, now feeling bad and looking down at the ring. "You know...you didn't /have/ to buy it." Jake said, frowning a bit. "Something else? Is there something I don't know about here?" Jake said, raising a brow, something few people can do. "Alright. We're doing How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and I got one of the lead roles, Bud Frump." Jake said, sighing, looking as if he was about to cry because Jake was sick and tired of people.