Step-Brothers

~Chapter Twenty-Four~

They get to the house and Jared smells the giant wiff of Michael.

"Jesus."

"You get used to it."

"You know I'm gonna be like 10x more protective than usual right?"

"I mean... Michael isn't a threat or anything... And by the smell he's probably upstairs with Jeremy." The two of them walk upstairs, Jared following closely after Evan. Evan walks into their room first. Michael is definitely there, lazing in Jeremy's lap on the beanbags.

"What's the new smell, Evvy?"

"Wow, Play3r0ne, you sound a lot better when you're not trying to eat your mic" he grins. Michael snaps his head up.

"Cronchman??"

"Who else?"

"You..... know each other?" Michael is grinning like a damn fool.

"Hell Yeah!! Best scout I play Battlefield with! Dude, you know Evan??"

"Uh, duh. He's my boyfriend."

"Whaaaaaat? No fuckin way."

"Uhuh. I know That one is your boyfriend too"

"Hell Yeah, this is my baby, definitely, Evan introduce you yet?"

"Once, over Skype."

"Yup. Jeremy right?"

"Uhuh.... and you're Jared. Evan talks about you a lot."

"Dude, Jer, this is the bathbomb guy. THE Jared Cronchman. Holy shit."

"Well I mean my last name's Kleinman but whatever works."

"Did you really eat bathbombs?"

"Absolutely."

"This absolute nut told me he's aroused by bathbombs."

"I said they were really cool. Not that I was aroused by them."

"No no, I specifically recall the words 'and the dreamsicle one from Lush? That shit gets me rock hard,' coming out of your mouth."

"No. No there wasn't." He blushes.

"Whatever man. Guess this means I don't have to scent Evan to keep assholes like Rich at bay like I thought."

"Right, I think Jared has that covered."

"Who's Rich?"

"Someone you'll meet very soon."

"Someone who's been tormenting us for the years now. Scenting Jer keeps him from trying to have his ass most of the time, so he doesn't sexually harass him, but physically and verbally he's the fuckin worst."

"Sounds horrible..."

"Most cool kids are."

"....... I was a cool kid..." Michael snorts.

"Not cool. Popular. Not certified cool."

"Put an emphasis on the 'was' "

"I think you're better off not like that, Jar."

"Yeah.. me too..."

"I mean, cause if you were cool you wouldn't play Battlefield with me."

"Yeah well. At our old school, It was just everyone knew me. Mostly as the trombone guy."

"Better than weird headphone kid I guess..."

"Or string bean."

"Well I mean.... I used to and still call Evan an Acorn."