Bill pounded on Tom’s door, knowing what might happen if Tom read his thoughts. “Tom, you had BETTER not read that!” he yelled.

“Actually, I’m planning to.”

“Nein, Tom! Don’t do it!”

“What, no ‘Tommy’? You’d think a person in your position would be trying to sweet talk me.”

“Tom, I am NOT joking! Give it back!”

“Ooooh! Were you serious when you write that?”

“TOM!” Bill pounded the door so hard he nearly broke the lock.

“I was kidding, Bill…Jeez, what are you tryin’ to do, knock down my effing door?”

“If I have to!” Bill hit the door again, so hard that it finally opened. Tom was sitting on his bed, shocked, the diary open on his lap. Bill ran over and snatched it up. “Thank you,” he said nastily. He turned and started to leave, but Tom had gotten up. Tom grabbed Bill’s shoulders and spun him around, kissing him on the lips.

Bill broke away after a moment. “Oh, no you don’t. You’re not getting your filthy hands on this again.”

Tom smiled. “I’m not trying to, Billa.” He leaned in again.

Several minutes later, Tom stopped. “I have to go.” Without a further explanation, he walked past Bill out of his room.

Confused, Bill turned round and looked after him. Tom had already gone downstairs, and outside. But he didn’t worry too hard about it- he knew opportunity, and he needed revenge.

Bill looked around Tom’s room until his gaze landed upon a blue notebook. He went over and picked it up, a smug smile on his face. “Not even hidden?” he said. “Ha.” Bill left for his own room.

Bill lay down comfortably on his bed with Tom’s notebook. He opened to the first page and started reading. The sexiest guy alive? he thought.

Bill finished reading, disappointed. “I already knew this stuff,” he said crossly. “Why won’t he write about stuff I don’t know?” Bill spread out on the large bed and slowly fell asleep, pulling Tom’s book closer to him subconsciously.

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“Bill!” Tom said.

Bill awoke with a start and muttered “What?”

“Why do you have my notebook? You little hypocrite!”

Bill smiled, a clumsy, wide, sleepy smile. “Revenge, Tom.” He yawned.

Tom stared at him, then said, “Georg and Gustav are here.” He turned and left Bill’s doorway.

Bill stood up with another yawn and started for the stairs. Georg was at the bottom, waiting for Bill, but Gustav and Tom had gone elsewhere. When Bill met him, Georg asked, “Uh, Bill…Has anything…happened between you and Tom, lately?”

Bill eyed Georg, slightly alarmed. “As in…?”

“He seems very annoyed.”

Bill’s throat went dry. “Oh, he’s not mad at me for…” he muttered to himself.

“For what?”

“I stole his diary.”

Georg snorted with mirth. “That’s it?”

“Uh…I read it…?”

“Well what did you do that for!?” Georg wasn’t smiling anymore. “Which one? How much did you read?”

Bill had started to say something, but stopped. “Wait…what? What do you mean, ‘which one’? he’s only got the one.”

Georg looked about to kick himself. “Oh, yeah…Thinking of someone else…” he started to back away, then took off. Bill stared after him. The hell? he thought, before following Georg.

Gustav and Tom were sitting on the table, while Georg was leaning against a cabinet, saying something. Bill stopped, trying to listen, but Georg heard him and shut up.

“Hey Bill,” Gustav said. Georg nodded, but Tom did nothing. He simply crossed his arms.

Bill wondered for a moment if Tom could honestly be mad at him for reading things he already knew, but dismissed the idea quickly. “What are you guys here for?” Bill asked instead. He decided against going to sit next to Tom, and went to stand beside Georg.

Gustav shrugged. “I dunno. What do you want to do?”

“Let’s watch a movie,” Georg said.

Bill almost laughed. He had thought that there was some type of problem, when all that was happening was a horror flick.

Georg and Gustav sat down in armchairs, while Bill and Tom were forced to sit on the couch together, whether Tom was pissed or not. The movie started, and all four were engrossed.

At a particularly gory part, Tom felt something squeeze his hand underneath the blanket he was sharing with Bill (Georg and Gustav both had their own; it was rather cold). He realised at once that his brother was not only scared, but also asking for forgiveness for whatever he had done. Tom smiled. His plans always worked. He squeezed Bill’s hand in return.

Bill moved his hand to Tom’s thigh.

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“Uh…Bill? Tom?” Gustav’s slightly worried, slightly shocked voice was a little too loud.

Bill and Tom stopped feeling each other up- they knew when they were doing too much in company with Gustav. Tom gave a smug smile. “Sorry,” he said in a mocking Tom. Bill hit him. “Shut up, Tom,” he said.

Tom rubbed his arm. “Ow!” he said.

After another hour, Georg and Gustav left. Bill looked at Tom as soon as they had left the driveway. “Why did you do that?” he demanded.

“Do what?...Oh, that. Well, you know I like to tease Gustav. He’s so fragile-”

“That’s not what I meant,” Bill said, keeping his eyes locked on Tom’s despite the swooping sensation he felt as Tom slid his arms around Bill’s waist.

“What did you mean, then?” Tom asked, pulling Bill closer.

“Why did you pretend to be mad at me?”

“I wasn’t-”

“I know you were faking, Tom,” Bill laughed.

Tom sighed, but smiled. “I like your ‘confused face’.”

“My what?”

“When you don’t know what you did wrong, you wrinkle your nose and furrow your eyebrows. I love it.” Tom grinned widely, and Bill kissed him.