next door ↬ ethma

ten

When Ethan returns home the next morning, not that he particularly wanted to (since that meant leaving Emma), he was met with his brother in the kitchen.

"So when am I gonna meet your girl?" Grayson asks, pulling out orange juice from the fridge.

Ethan's heart warms at the sound of Emma being called his girl.

"I was actually thinking of inviting her over tonight." He says.

Ethan had only been going over to Emma's, mainly because he wanted to surprise her by coming by and well, he was too impatient to wait on a text when she was right next door. He did however, want Grayson to meet her. He could tell she was becoming a large part of his life and he couldn't keep her all to himself the entire time. Plus, Grayson is an important person in his life and if his two favorite people got along, everything would feel complete.

Grayson nods, "Sounds good, bro. Anything happen yesterday?"

"Oh, so she's my girlfriend now. That's pretty important information." Ethan says, smiling.

"I just assumed it was official the moment she saw you." Grayson laughs.

"I mean I knew she liked me on the first day and vice versa, but I didn't want to rush into anything. Yesterday was the first day we kissed, too." Ethan admitted.

Grayson claps his brother on the back, smiling because he genuinely was happy for him. Sure, he missed his brother when he was gone, but he could tell Ethan was so excited to be in a relationship, so he only felt happiness for his brother, and not jealousy. That would only make everything difficult and tense, not to mention cause his brother feelings of pain if he had to choose between the two of them.

He knows Ethan would feel the same way for him if he got in a relationship.

Ethan smiles as he walks into his bedroom. He thinks about how he hasn't written Emma a letter in a while, and feels the urge to put pen to paper once again.

It's become a common ordeal to write his feelings out on paper, pouring all the emotions he feels for her. He planned on giving her this one as a surprise, considering he hasn't written one for a week. He figured Emma might have assumed they would stop since she now knows who he is. It's just the simple things he does that really make a difference.

—

Emma receives a text from Ethan, asking her to come over tonight so she can officially meet his brother. It may be a week of knowing him, and to the average person that may be enough to grow accustomed to a person (especially if they see each other every day), but to Emma her nerves still remain.

She's not worried that Grayson won't like her, that's not it. It's just the overall fact that she's meeting someone that means a lot to him. She wants to make a good first impression is all.

She sends a quick text back to Ethan, agreeing. She imagines that they'll either just chill at their place or maybe go out to eat. Either way, the occasion does not call for a fancy outfit of any sort. If she remembers any cliché advice, it's always advised to be yourself, so that's exactly what she plans to do.

Emma settles for a green Champion hoodie and some basic denim jeans.

A few hours pass as she edits photos and mindlessly watches a few netflix movies. She hears her phone buzz and it's a notification from Ethan alerting her that she can come over. She grabs her wallet and keys, disregarding the idea of bringing a purse.

She exits her apartment and locks the door, stepping a few feet over to their apartment next door. It almost feels weird leaving her home and her destination is literally a wall separating the two.

Emma knocks, standing back as she waits for her newfound boyfriend to appear. Once he does, he welcomes her with a hug, wasting no time in gathering her in his arms and resting his chin on top of her head. A few seconds later, she enters the sanctity of his home and is greeted with another tall figure, one that is almost exactly the same as her boyfriend.

She had never been friends with twins, much less ever dated one, so the idea of her boyfriend having a duplicate is kind of strange. Nevertheless, it's not difficult differentiating the two.

She spots Grayson almost immediately and she goes for a hug as he tries for a handshake. They both laugh and they each try to match the other, again resulting in an opposite of actions. The two of them eventually settle for a handshake first and then go in for a hug. Ethan laughs as he watched the interaction.

"Off to a great start." Ethan chuckles.

He steps over to bring his arm around Emma and she leans into his touch.

"So what's the plan?" Grayson asks.

"I was thinking In-N-Out. How does that sound?" His brother replies.

Emma and Grayson both agree, and as quick as she entered the apartment, they're out. They walk downstairs to the parking lot and they hold hands, Grayson beside them.

Once in the car, Emma takes shotgun and Grayson sits in the back.

"You know, I don't think I've actually sat in the back of this car but I like it, a lot more roomy and I have all this space to myself." Grayson comments, spreading out onto all three seats.

Ethan laughs, he's really grateful that his brother is making the best out of this and is really accepting of his new relationship. He knows what it feels like to be the third wheel but he can already tell that it won't be awkward between the three of them. Emma is really good about making others feel welcomed.

It hasn't even been a complete ten minutes with all of them together, but it's already turning out great and that makes Ethan feel warm at heart.