Mine to Lose

Chapter 6: Bond

-Eighteen-

When Kimhan met Kavin when they were fourteen years old, he hated the other boy on sight. He looked every bit a notorious playboy and he certainly acted the part. Kimhan just knew that he would never get along with Kavin and that the latter was a poor match for his brother. Oh, if only his fourteen-year-old self can see him now.

Kavin practically lived with them now, with the amount of time he spent at the twins' house. It wasn't really out of the ordinary, after all mate pairs yearned to spend time together, but a huge chunk of Kavin's visits was spent just hanging out in Kimhan's room doing nothing. It came to a point that Thyme once knocked on Kimhan's door, irritably, and demanded to have his mate back.

"Awww, baby, your brother and I are just having fun! A bit of Alpha bonding, if you will!" Kavin replied with a grin. "Aren't you glad that we're getting along now?"

"Too well, if you ask me." Thyme replied, narrowing his eyes. "Get your ass up from there, Taemiyaklin, and I swear if you're not in my room in five minutes, then you will be missing out on a lot of things."

"Oi! No funny business or I'm telling mom!" Kimhan replied, in a brotherly attempt to protect his twin's virtue.

"Mom knows that we're bound to do funny business sooner or later, Kim." Thyme deadpanned. "Nonetheless, you will be pleased to know that my virtue is still intact, not by my choice of course."

"We wanted to wait for his first heat, you know." Kavin said with a huge grin to Kimhan. "Makes it more special that way."

"Correction. You wanted to wait." Thyme replied with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm sure your brother would agree with me. Don't you, Kim?"

"Kim would lock me up in a tower for my own safety if he had his own way. Stupid, pathetic twin brother. I'm going to my room. Kavin, you can either follow me and I'll show you a good time, or you can stay here and play video games with my brother. Either way, you have five minutes to decide."

Kimhan caught his brother's scent as Thyme turned away with a dramatic flair and sashayed to his room. From the corner of his eye, he can see Kavin's gaze glazing over, no doubt affected by the Omega pheromones that Thyme unconsciously left hanging in the air. With a sigh, Kimhan began putting away the video game paraphernalia.

"Hey!" Kavin exclaimed, as Kimhan pulled the controller out of his hand. "We're still playing!"

"You and I both know that you wouldn't be able to focus, and I'd hate to play with someone who isn't a challenge."

"I resent that."

"Don't. What are you waiting for? My brother's waiting for you."

"But -"

"Kaaaviiinn," came Thyme's playful voice from down the hall. "I'm waiting!"

"And, yup, that's your cue to leave. Go on, do whatever it is that mates do in their free time, but please don't tell me." Kimhan was pushing Kavin out of the room at this point, as the latter hesitated, seemingly unsure whether he wanted to go to Thyme's room or stay and play video games with Kimhan.

Kimhan wasn't sure why. Thyme was Kavin's mate and the thought of spending time with him should be attractive above anything else. And if not, well, Kimhan will be very very offended for his brother.

"Well?" Kimhan asked, as Kavin stood in front of him, now outside his bedroom door. "Go on. Shoo."

There was a split-second when uncertainty was so visible in Kavin's demeanor, it made Kimhan doubt himself too. Surely, it was okay for Kavin to skip one afternoon with his brother to play video games, instead? And then Kavin sighed. "Sorry, Kim, I'll make it up to you. Let's play video games some other time. I promise to kick your ass."