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“Bye, Mum,” Andrew and Aaron yelled in unison as they bolted for the door, throwing their tents and duffles into the trunk of Bee’s Honda Civic. The car was an insult to everyone having to look at it but it ran and nothing else mattered.
A whole weekend. Alone. Parent-free. Their first one ever. It could be nothing but perfect.
“Let Aaron drive, too,” Bee yelled after them, waving from the porch as if they would leave the country for years.
“No fucking way,” Andrew muttered to his twin as he stepped on the gas and was out of the driveway in a second.
~
Andrew and Aaron had a lot in common. Not that he would let anyone else know about it but deep down he had to admit that the others had to recognize it. The worst thing they had in common though was their taste inc significant others.
They didn’t only share the same looks but also their penchant for mouthy gingers. And of course, they had to be siblings, too. At least not twins. It was enough as it was. And to be fair, they were adoptive siblings. Andrew and Aaron never failed to get that straight.
Aaron was twitching in the seat next to Andrew as they took the last turn to Stuart’s mansion. Whatever Stuart did for a living, he was either part of the mafia or he was damn good at his job. Probably both.
Andrew honked when he reached the gate and waited for it to open. He drove the Honda up the serpentine road, taking each curve as fast as he could if only to make Aaron sweat a bit more.
Minyards didn’t take heat well. Their fair skin and ash blonde hair made them the ideal target for the sun’s greedy claws.
Neil and Katelyn however could as well have been born on the sun itself. Their skin was meticulously tanned, and nobody could ever look away from their freckled faces crowned with a wild auburn mane. They were every inch every teenager’s wet dream but somehow they had chosen the Minyard twins. Andrew still counted it as his second biggest win (Bee adopting them was unsurpassable).
The mansion stretched across the lawn that was probably twice as big as Central Park. One day, Andrew would know for sure. One day, when he visited New York with his brother, Neil, and Bee. Or he could let Neil confirm it for him. He had traveled the whole world, after all.
Katelyn bounced next to a waving Neil on the stairs, taking two steps at a time as she bounded towards the car. Neil strode a bit faster than usual, the only sign giving away his excitement.
“Hey, Baaaabe,” Katelyn cooed as she climbed into the backseat, waiting for Aaron to join her. Aaron huffed and unbuckled, quickly crawling in after her.
Andrew drowned out every disgusting sound his brother and the cheerleader were making in favor of focusing on Neil’s long legs in his coral-colored beach shorts. Andrew was indeed a lucky guy.
Neil leaned in and placed a tentative kiss on Andrew’s cheek, smiling sheepishly at him while Stuart stuck his head through the window.
“Andrew. Aaron,” Stuart said and gave both twins a nod. “Okay fellas, I wish you a joyous weekend. Neil, Katelyn, no weed, no other drugs. Only beer for you two. And Minyard?”
“Yeah?” Andrew and Aaron piped up in awkward unison, exchanging a quick glance. Idiot .
“Neil’s Minyard.”
Luckily, Andrew’s face was already the color of a cooked lobster from the day at the pool yesterday.
“Yes, sir,” Andrew deadpanned, swallowing thickly. Stuart was the kind of adult you somehow really didn’t want to piss off.
“Keep that sarcasm to yourself, my friend, or I have to call your mother. Anyway. No smoking .”
“Stuart. Can we just leave?” Neil whined from the passenger seat, face now just as red as Andrew’s. “We’re adults now.”
“You’re sixteen, young man,” Stuart said and wagged his finger. “Not too boisterous. Well, Andrew,” Stuart turned his gaze back to Andrew, “at least not too much smoking. And Katelyn, Neil, whatever happens, remember what I told you about safer s—”
“Okayyyy, that’s enough. Thanks for the reminder,” Neil said and pushed the button to close the window, all four quickly waving before Andrew drove around the fountain that served as a giant roundabout.
Neil and Andrew turned around to look at Katelyn and Aaron. Pop music blasted through the speakers. The sun turned the Honda into a furnace and right in front of them lay the seemingly endless ocean. It was summer.
~
“Ugh,” Andrew groaned as Neil wrapped his arm around Andrew’s waist. “It’s too hot.”
“I know,” Neil said and grinned, bringing his legs into the addition by encompassing Andrew in a full-body hug, “but I still want to cuddle with you.”
Andrew lifted his head just enough to watch Neil’s face relax, eyelids heavy under the summer sun and copper curls like a crown of flames. The view was absolutely worth every drop of sweat that pooled between their bodies.
Andrew buried his fingers in Neil’s hair and played with the short curls on the back of his scalp. Allison had given Neil a haircut just yesterday. If Andrew hadn’t discovered his gayness yet, he’d definitely done it now. Neil was every inch beautiful.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured, gaze turned up to the blue blue sky. Not like Neil’s eyes. Neil’s eyes bore a blue nothing else in the world resembled. Of all the decillion colors in the world, Andrew was sure Neil’s was the one that was never seen before.
“You’re a sap,” Neil murmured back and pecked Andrew’s pec. “You, too.”
Andrew hummed and closed his eyes, pinning his blush on the unbearable heat.
When Andrew opened his eyes again, the sun was much lower than when he’d fallen asleep. Neil was still wrapped around him like an octopus but he was wide awake. His lips pulled into a smile; the one he only had for Andrew. “Morning, sunshine,” Neil said and laughed as he tickled Andrew’s belly.
“You two are gross.”
“Says the one who’s basically glued to Kate,” Neil grumbled.
Aaron rolled his eyes and clapped his hands, wincing at the movement. He was red as a lobster. Ouch. “Go go, lovebirds. We need to set up the tents.”
Sometimes, Andrew could strangle his brother but Aaron was right. They should set up the tents before the sun was setting completely.
“Come on, boy scout. Show me your tent building skills,” Andrew said and unstuck their bodies, pulling Neil up into his arms. They quickly ran into the ocean to wash off the sweat and sand and a few kisses later joined the others around the campfire.
Together, they all set up the camp in less than an hour before they started grilling the fish Jeremy and Jean had caught earlier. Renee played the guitar, silently inviting the group to join in with their off-key tones.
At around midnight, Andrew felt satiated with his stomach full and Neil’s warm body tucked against his side as they lay in the sand. The waves were rolling onto the shore in a steady rhythm, creating a soundtrack for nature’s masterpiece.
The others were still sitting by the fire minus Aaron and Katelyn who had sneaked down the beach earlier to have some privacy. Gross .
The sun’s earlier goodbye had brought up an enormous full moon which illuminated the night like a huge lighthouse.
Fireflies started to slow dance underneath the biggest blanket of stars, wrapping Andrew and Neil in comfortable silence. Andrew watched Neil’s eyes following the little dots of light, shining with amazement.
“They’re amazing,” Neil whispered as if he could read Andrew’s mind.
“Who’s the sap now?” Andrew huffed, nudging Neil’s shoulder.
“Shut up,” Neil said and snorted, offering his hand palm up. Andrew got the hint and put his hand into Neil’s, his grip tight, saying whatever he wasn’t good at expressing with words. Things like I like it here; with you and I hope this night lasts forever so I don’t have to let go of you and I hope I never have to let go of you again because I never felt what I feel for you .
“Do you know anything about constellations?” Neil asked, his eyes scanning the dark canvas expanded overhead.
“Bee showed me some,” Andrew said and showed Neil the Ursa Major and Hunting Dogs and Bootes and whatever smaller constellations he believed to recognize in the endless sea of gas balls before they lost themselves in their lips meeting in the middle and noses bumping and hands trailing along all the good places as if they had found their own, tiny universe.
They hadn’t done a lot more than kissing yet, with Stuart and Bee being adamant about doors staying ajar and stuff but Andrew knew Bee trusted them to make the right decision. She hadn’t given Aaron and him the talk for nothing. One day, he wanted to explore the tingle that always traveled down his spine right into his groins whenever Neil kissed him or trailed kisses down Andrew’s throat or let a finger brush through his blond happy trail.
For now, though, kissing under the stars on the beach felt like everything he ever dreamed for and so much more.
They kissed until they heard the others disassemble and crawl into their tents before they ambled over to their own. It was uncomfortable and the way too hard air mattress would give Andrew’s neck hell in the morning but he was here with Neil’s head on his chest, and his brother, and his friends, and that was all that mattered for the beginning of an endless summer ahead of them.