Big, Little and Tiny Sef <3

Bunk beds

Yusuf's POV:

My dad had started to text me now. Just the normal dad stuff, if he was a normal dad. This was weird for him. I ignored him the best I could, but my mind kept wandering to him. I hate it. I had managed to push him to the back of my mind until now.

Youssef had been amazing, he's even printed a list of things that are kosher and put it up on the fridge so he wouldn't forget. He's also a really good cook, and he's teaching Nathan too. I love living with them.

Back to hating my father, his fake caring has rubbed me the wrong way. Ignoring him made him angrier too, he kept saying he knew where I was and would make me talk to him in person and that's...scary to say the least. I didn't sleep very well.

Youssef woke me up for school after a refreshing four and a half hours.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded and stared at his face. I had to know if he knew.

"That's good, you get dressed and I'll go make you something for breakfast." He smiled, messing my hair up before standing up to leave.

I got dressed for school and left my tie hanging around my neck because I've never been able to do ties, Yas found out once Asher left and she always did it for me. Such a clever baby girl.

"Good morning sweetheart, did you sleep good?"

I nodded as he handed me a glass of juice. This was routine now, drink it in one, hand it back. He was happy either way.

"Eat up, at least half. You need to feed your brain kiddo." Youssef spoke before setting a plate down in front of me along with a fork.

"I'm not hungry."

"You need three meals a day, you're small enough as it is."

I gave up eventually and shovelled a few bites of scrambled egg before he was satisfied and took me into the living room.

"Let me do your tie?" Youssef offered in a soft voice.

I nodded and he got to work. He did it differently than Asher, but I liked it. When we got to school, Asher was already there waiting.

"I've behaved myself so I can come over and see you more." He spoke as he picked me up. My legs dangled at least half a foot from the ground as he said all of this.

"And Noah?"

"Noah won't stop being a dick, he misses you though."

I nodded.

"Have you seen Amir and the babies yet?" I asked.

"Amir let me over a few times, Zara ratted though."

"She's always been a snitch. Remember when she told dad we snuck out?"

"Your poor chin." Asher whispered as he finally pulled away and kissed my forehead.

Dad waited for us to get home, and then grabbed our hair and started shouting. Eventually he dropped my head right into the corner of the table. I needed eight stitches. Asher took me and did everything for me, even though he was only eleven. The best part is we'd only been away from the hospital for an hour. Momma had a lot to say, and shout. That was a few weeks before she died and I blame dad. If he hadn't hurt my chin, she wouldn't have used up her energy.

"How are they? Is Yas settled in?"

"She's fine, don't you worry."

Youssef leant against the car and watched with a little smile.

"He's treating you good?"

"I had scrambled eggs for breakfast." I answered with a laugh.

"Shit, sorry Prince Yusuf." Asher chuckled as he eventually put me on the floor again.

"Why are you here so early?"

"Foster mum is horrible. I'm happy Farouk is great though."

"He asked me about taking Yas, he'd probably take you too. I'll ask-"

"No. He hates me, I tried to hurt him."

"He doesn't hate you, he thinks you're really nice. I love you so he loves you."

"Don't ask anything. I'll put up with her."

I made a mental note to ask Youssef what happened. I don't think he hates Asher, he's always saying that he thinks he's a great brother and that I'm lucky to have him.

Youssef said that we could all sit in his room until school actually started so that's where we went. Asher was busy texting his girlfriend so I took the opportunity to ask him what had happened.

"I'd said something about telling your parents that he was misbehaving, and that was about a week after your mother passed away. He was upset and angry, as he should've been so he started shouting and I told him to leave and he hit me a few times. He was weak back then, he didn't do anything serious."

"He thinks you hate him."

"No, I don't hate him. He's got a short temper but I do too. I can't hate him for grieving."

"He hates his foster mum. Would you...maybe foster him instead?"

"I'd have to think about it. Definitely talk to Nathan, the only other spare room is where he paints so it's a matter of if he'd give that up."

"Asher could share with me. We've always shared a bed, bunk beds, double beds. We're brothers."

"Social wouldn't agree. He'd at least need his own bed in your room and I don't think we'd fit another one in there."

"Forget all of that, if you had the space, would you foster him?"

"Of course I would, but things are very complicated. I'd love to foster Asher but there's a lot to it. He has a criminal record-"

"Dad lied!"

"But he got arrested anyways, and that makes things very difficult. In a perfect world, yes, I would foster him. I'd adopt you two if it came down to it."

I shot him a little smile.

"Don't start getting your hopes up again."

"It worked last time."

"Only because my sister works for social services. I doubt she'd risk her job again."

I sighed.

"We have Momma money. We could buy bunk beds, you don't have to spend a penny."

"No, end of discussion. If he requests a new home, then we can talk."

"I'd feel a lot safer with my big brother to protect me." I added in a quiet voice. Youssef jerked his head slightly before closing his eyes.

"Maybe." Youssef whispered, rolling his eyes a little.

I told Asher what he had said and for a second, I saw him smile. Then he told me off for going against what he said. I didn't care because I knew he'd be happier with me.

Asher left a few minutes before form time and left me and Youssef alone. He told me to stop talking about him fostering Asher because he could tell it was upsetting him.

"He wants to live with me, or at least not with that bitch he lives with now."

"He's so sensitive, you said it yourself. He thinks that I hate him. When he apologised, he couldn't stop crying and that broke my heart. I don't want him to cry because he lives in a house with someone he thinks hates him. That's not fair on him."

"You don't hate him."

"Of course I don't, I realise why he did what he did. He had so much grief and anger in his little mind that it all started to seep out when I said I'd tell his parents."

"Less seep, more explode."

"Either way, if he wants to talk to me about it, he will and he can. Tell him that. If not, don't push him. He's still your big brother no matter where you live and if he's there too." Youssef spoke in a calm way, like he could tell I was seconds away from crying.

"I'll buy bunk beds. I promise."

He shook his head, I think to say to stop talking all together. He hugged me and told me to set my hopes a little lower, just for Asher to find a home with nice people first.