Family Secrets

Salvador and Xavier 1

Salvador

­"A kissing booth," I hear an elder's Mate gasp in horror, eyes wide and shocked as she gazes at the 'lurid' college display set up just outside the carnival. "This is what humans see as educational?!"

"Not to worry my dear," the grizzled elder rasps, drawing his horrified Mate's hand to the crook of his slender elbow. "No good Weildon boy will fall for that."

She sniffs, elevating her nose as she looks down at the young women readying the booth, "This is why I have always been against higher education for girls—and not just our girls. Just look at how..."

Their voices fade into the background noise. Next to me Xavier rolls his eyes. I see this because I too am rolling my eyes.

~They need to get with the times~, Xavier snorts mentally.

~Yeah~, I agree, but my attention has shifted from the retreating couple and returned to the kissing booth—specifically to the one female we've been watching for several minutes. I promise, it's less creepy than it sounds.

~There's something about her--~

The wind shifts.

~She's Weildon!~ I don't mean to send this realization to my twin, don't mean for the thought to be anything more than mine, but it doesn't surprise me when my voice joins his, becoming one statement loudly agreed upon between both of our minds.

~And she smells even more amazing than we thought she would,~ Xavier's voice whispers in my mind, already smitten.

~Sounds amazing too,~ I acknowledge, straining my ears for another hint of her voice.

She smiles at her friend, pulls on an apron, and—

~She's working the booth.~ Our voices echo between us in perfect sync. We glance at each other, coming to the same conclusion with the same insane plan.

~It'll never-- ~ I begin hesitantly, hardly believing we're going to do this.

~--never work,~ Xavier agrees, ~but just maybe...~

~...she'll learn to love us both.~

I can practically feel his heart racing with the same crazed tempo as mine. I don't know how we know, but it's always been that way with us. We just... know.

Whereas our older twin brothers Juan and Eliseo are vastly different—and have deliberately, consistently worked to make people aware of that fact—Xavier and I have never felt the need to be seen as separate. We have tried to explain this to our concerned parents, but they do not understand that Xavior and me, we feel like we are one soul that was split between two bodies. Separate, we are incomplete.

It is difficult for the pack to understand this, that we are each other, that we feel no need for competition. It is even more difficult for females to understand this. Understandably, this is why we are now in our early twenties without ever having dated, courted, or even stayed the night with a widow—though there are a few that have let us know they are open to the idea of both of us in their bed at once.

We're not sure how we feel about that idea.

But we know how we feel about this female.

~You first,~ I prompt, already sliding into the shadows so she doesn't see both of us.

~Xave?~ he double checks with me.

~Xave,~ I give my consent for him to use the nickname we gave ourselves long ago. Separately we are Xavier and Salvator. Together, we are Xave. Yes, I know it is more similar to his name than mine, but... it is us.