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ONE
The first time Virgil walked in on Gordon, he had been sent to go and get his brother from the neighbour’s house. Gordon was nine and had boundless energy, and had made fast friends with Suri, the girl next door. They did most things together, spending hours at the community pool or climbing trees in the park. Virgil politely knocked on the front door, asked for his brother and was sent upstairs to Suri’s bedroom to fetch him. He found his brother experiencing his first kiss, their lips pressed tightly together, awkward with eyes clenched shut. Gordon had one hand on Suri’s arm, as if holding her in place. Virgil, just turned twelve and no prospect of a first kiss in sight, took a little pleasure in barking his brother’s name loudly, making both kids jump apart, blushing furiously.
Of course, later, Virgil eavesdropped when Gordon told Alan all about it, making it sound a lot more mature and exciting than it actually was. Virgil remembered Scott’s stories. He had listened with equally as much breathlessness as Alan was listening to Gordon now. He suddenly wondered how much of Scott’s version of events was true.
TWO
The second time, Gordon was fourteen. It was a Saturday morning. Alan had left their shared bedroom early for a play date, so Virgil was told by Grandma Tracy to get his lazy brother out of bed because “if there’s time to lean, there’s time to clean!” Virgil, committed to music practice, felt smug at being able to oust Gordon and make him do chores. Except that he didn’t knock, and Gordon already had his hands full, face screwed up with concentration, the tip of his tongue poking out.
“What the heck-“ Virgil exclaimed with a laugh, making Gordon startle and hurriedly sit up to hide what he was doing.
“GET OUT VIRGIL!” he roared, and Virgil shut the door just in time to hear a shoe thud rather hard where his head had just been.
Gordon eventually emerged, red faced and sulking, and barely said two words to his brother for the rest of the day. In the evening, Virgil knocked on his bedroom door before looking in. “It’s okay, you know. We all do it. I won’t tell Dad,” he said quietly. Gordon shot him a look, embarrassment mixed with gratitude. Alan poked his head up, looking between them.
“What won’t you tell Dad? Did you do something bad? Tell me!” he demanded. Gordon just shrugged and looked haughty.
“You wouldn’t understand. You’re too young,” he said, going back to reading his comic book. Virgil just smiled and walked away.
THREE
Virgil checked his watch and texted WHERE R U?? to his brother, before he walked in on the third time. He was waiting in his car outside the pool complex. All the other kids on the swim team had already left fifteen minutes ago. Virgil figured Gordon had forgotten he was being picked up today and was messing about in the pool still, so with a loud sigh and a muttered expletive, he got out of the car and walked into the building, finding his way to the changing rooms. A soft groan stopped him in his tracks as he rounded the edge of the door, and his eyes widened. His barely seventeen-year-old little brother was leaning with his back to the lockers, a dark-skinned young man Virgil vaguely recognised as being on the team kneeling in front of him. Gordon was biting his bottom lip, but when he detected movement and glanced up to meet Virgil’s shocked gaze, his mouth fell open in surprise. He tried to speak, his hand fluttering against the locker. Virgil disappeared before he had to find out what his brother’s orgasm face looked like.
When Gordon joined Virgil in the car a little while later, they sat together in silence for a long while, before they could even look at each other. Finally, Gordon said, “You’re not going to tell anyone are you?”
“About what? That you’re gay or that you’re sexually active?”
Gordon screwed up his face. “Ugh. Don’t say it like that, you sound like Dad. Besides, I’m not gay. I just… like guys sometimes.” Then, after a long pause, he added, “I thought you’d understand.”
“Risky, Gordon,” Virgil grumbled, starting the car. “Don’t make this about me. You need to talk to someone about this.”
“I’m talking to you, aren’t I?”
“I don’t count.”
“Yes, you do.” The brothers glared at each other, then Virgil sighed, defeated.
“What’s his name, then?”
They didn’t go home straight away, they went out for a drive and talked instead.
FOUR
When Gordon was nineteen, he came back to visit on shore leave when Virgil was back from college. Virgil had brought his newest college friend to stay with him, a young lady by the name of Meredith. She was freckled and joyful and had gorgeous red curly hair, and Virgil could tell Gordon liked her as soon as he saw her. He didn’t think, however, that he would find himself walking in on Gordon for the fourth time, when he went to see where his friend had gone after a few drinks one night. He’d put the flirtation down to just that. He hadn’t expected her to actually respond to his brother’s advances. Then he walked into the rec room and found his brother with his pants around his ankles, her bent over the pool table, lustily exclaiming her pleasure.
“Oh for- Jesus Christ, Gordon!” Virgil yelled, suddenly furious. “Will you learn to lock a fucking door already!”
Meredith shrieked and covered her mouth to stop hysterical giggles tumbling out. Gordon covered her naked breasts with his hands.
“Have some courtesy for the lady and GET OUT already!” he shouted back.
“He could stay…” Meredith suggested with a wink.
“No, he really couldn’t,” Virgil said, disgusted, and walked away, closing the door pointedly behind him.
To Gordon’s credit, he did try to apologise later, but Virgil was not in the mood to listen, feeling strangely betrayed by the both of them.
FIVE/ONE
Virgil paused, just about to push the door open. He was sure he’d heard a woman’s voice, but not just any woman. Lady Penelope was visiting, he knew, but he’d thought she was going over some clandestine spy agent stuff with Kayo, not on the other side of Gordon’s bedroom door, giggling girlishly.
“Just- wait a sec,” he heard Gordon say. “I forgot to-“ and then he heard the sound of the lock clicking into place.
Kayo walked around the corner and stopped. Virgil looked at her and pointed at the door.
“Is that-“
“Nope.”
“I thought she was with you-“
“She is. If anyone asks.” Kayo gave Virgil a wink. “I’m going down to the beach. Care to join?” She linked arms with him and together they left them to it.