head over heels

27 ~ flickering

Monday seemed to arrive at the speed of a lazy, ancient snail. That being far too fucking slowly. Evan felt like an idiot. Twelve hours without Kei and he was starting to get antsy.

He also hadn't forgotten Kei's closing words. Date, he'd said. Obviously he just meant, like, a non erotic, very normal, perfectly acceptable detention they were definitely going to get, just together, at a certain... Date. But like the idiot he was, he couldn't shake the words from his stupid, stupid skull. 

It gnawed at him.

He was tired. He'd slept like shit and just desperately wanted Kei with him.

Oh how he hated how he was falling right into the stereotypes he used to hate so much. He'd have to send out his apology letters to Willow when this whole thing was feeling less embarrassing.

He even woke up early Monday morning, and was waiting in the kitchen with his coffee as Ethan stumbled down the stairs.

Ethan blinked. "What the fuck."

He could only shrug. "Couldn't sleep," he lied, though it wasn't really a lie. He missed Kei's comforting weight beside him, missed the sound of his breathing, his warmth. He felt like he was missing something now. It threw him off.

Ethan sighed as he put together his protein shake. He was dead silent, void of his usual volleyball chatter. It was then that Evan noticed that his brother was decidedly not meeting his eyes. He was being shifty, taking too much time making a protein shake that Evan knew for a fact he could do in ten seconds.

"Why are you being weird?" Evan uttered accusingly.

"I'm not," Ethan snapped instantly.

"Uh, you are—"

"Evan, leave it," Ethan grumbled, slinging his bag hurriedly over his shoulder and making for the door.

For one, terrifying instance, Evan wondered if this was about Kei, then he shook that thought away. No, Ethan would confront him, it was just the way he was. This? Shifty, no eye contact, quiet Ethan. This was weird.

Evan glared at him as they got into the car. He hadn't really talked to Ethan since the morning of their birthday. Had something happened? He racked his brains, unable to recall anything much but thoughts of Kei from the day.

Silence filled the car for too long, to the point where Evan was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"You're too quiet dude," Evan uttered, feeling perplexed. He'd never had to actively ask for his idiot brother to talk. Usually he never shut up.

Ethan shook his head, "Just tired, m'fine." He kept his eyes fixed on the road, his hands tight on the wheel.

"I mean—" Evan paused, another beat of silence filled the car, and he fought the urge to groan, "Did something happen? Are you good—"

"Nope," Ethan said all too quickly. "Nothing."

Evan blinked. It was like arguing with a brick wall.

"Fuck, fine?"

"Good talk," Ethan drawled, pulling into the gym car park. As soon as he'd parked, he hauled his things from the car and made a beeline for the gym.

"Christ," Evan grumbled, following his brother.

Whatever it was, Evan was not about to break out into a fight about it. Ethan was fully capable of sorting out his shit by himself.

Evan idly looked behind him. Kei's car was easily recognizable in the carpark.