Their Sister, Their Strength (Old)

Chapter 10 - Sunday Night Blues

My brothers carried out their threat at 10pm when we were 10 minutes, I repeat, 10 minutes from the end of the film and they turned the TV off. Who does that? That was the second time today that my brothers had interrupted what I was watching just before the end.

They were treading on thin ice disrupting a 13-year-old girl from her Netflix.

"But we're so close to the end," I whined when Elijah paused it.

"I guess you'll never know what happened," Cole smirked. How I wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off his face.

I looked up at Elijah with the best puppy eyes I could muster, if anyone was going to give into them it would be Elijah.

"We can finish it tomorrow," he suggested, firmly.

I huffed and muttered under my breath, "There'll be no point."

"Maybe next time, you won't test us," Elijah said, raising his eyebrow with a small smile on his face, silently informing me that he found this whole situation just as amusing as Cole did.

"Even I'm going up now," Harley said, yawning for emphasis. I had no idea whether he was actually tired or was just saying that to encourage me to go up. I couldn't believe that the 21-year-old was genuinely tired at just 10pm. Either way, his little trick worked.

His yawn was contagious and I found myself yawning before I could stop myself. Completely betraying my argument.

"Not tired, hm?" Cole teased with a grin, after seeing my yawn.

"No-" I started to protest but Elijah swiftly interrupted me.

"Don't make tomorrow 9pm," he warned, to which I frowned.

"Come on, we don't we don't want a grumpy teenager tomorrow," Harley commented jokingly, but I was in no mood to be teased.

I grumbled under my breath, "I can't be a baby and a teenager at the same time."

"Shall I get Mason?" Elijah threatened with a raised eyebrow.

I doubted whether he would actually carry out that threat and if he did, whether Mase would really be bothered to sort out some childish argument. However, one look at Elijah and I decided I really didn't want to test him on that. I instinctively knew Mase would take my brothers' side if it came to adding another rule to the list.

"We're going up," Harley said definitively as he quickly stood up before I even had a chance to shake my head.

I bit back another protest hovering on my lips.

"Okay, fine," I groaned, reluctantly standing up with him.

"Night, baby sis," Cole said with a smirk, knowing full well it would wind me up (and succeeding).

"Goodnight, Bambina," Elijah said warmly, standing up and pulling me into a brief embrace.

Regardless of the little squabble, I had a great night with my brothers. Yes, they were annoying, but I preferred that to if they just ignored me. I preferred their little quips and sarcastic comments to them walking on eggshells around me. In a strange way, the teasing made me feel included and loved.

Harley waited for me to lie down on my bed, I was already in my PJs, before wishing me a goodnight.

"Goodnight, Mads," he whispered softly.

He started, almost unnoticeably, to reach down (I assume to pull the covers over me) but he hesitated and pulled back, before I could even properly recognise the movement.