Chapter Text
Ethan could feel the music from the party in his bones; it was so loud. The house was hot, so many people were bumping into him left and right, and his cardboard costume hat made his head sweat so much it was becoming unbearable. But his smile was still plastered as he stood next to Chad.
He wasn't even going to come to this silly Halloween party. He much rather be in his dorm or hanging out in Quinn's room. But between Quinn telling him that he needed to go out more and have fun and Chad begging him to tag along caused him to give in. One look from Quinn showed that she knew he gave because of his unwavering crush on the taller boy, not because he actually wanted to go.
Chad suddenly pulled Ethan closer by wrapping an arm around his shoulder, yanking him against his chest, and snapping him out of his thoughts. Ethan looked up at the slightly taller boy taking his soft smile and somewhat concerned look.
"Earth to Ethan! Are you okay there, bro? I was talking for like a minute there, and you were staring at me with a blank look?" Chad asked, chuckling quietly, but the undertones of concern remained.
"Yeah! Yeah, I'm good! What were you saying? Sorry, the music is a bit loud!" Ethan responded, slightly leaning into the boy's touch. Chad chuckled, tugging Ethan closer with a slight smile on his face. Ethan was so grateful for the darkness of the party at the moment to hide the sudden blush that took over his face.
"Guess that means you have to come a bit closer than! You know, to hear me better, yeah?" A slight smirk graced Chad's face as he spoke, causing the blush on Ethan's face to darken even more.
Chad leaned closer to Ethan, their faces only a few inches apart. Ethan laughed quietly, nodding along to Chad's words. "Yeah...I guess I do! What were you saying, though? Before when I was zoned out!"
"I asked if you wanted to find any girls maybe here tonight! You looked great! A simple snack–not a full-course meal!" Chad exclaimed loudly, gesturing to Ethan's body with the hand not wrapped around Ethan's shoulder, keeping the two boys close. Ethan's smile suddenly dimmed a bit, causing Chad to backtrack his words. "If you don't want to, that's fine too! I don't mind keeping you to myself tonight!"
Ethan's smile was back in full force at Chad's words, causing Chad to sigh in relief. But before Ethan could respond, Anika came up to them.
"You're needed, big guy!" Anika said, patting Chad's shoulder with a grim look as she pointed to the stairs.
Anika led the boys over to the stairs, where Tara seemed drunk out of her mind while being pulled up by some guy Ethan didn't know. Chad stepped forward, and before he knew it, a fight broke out, and suddenly Sam was there tasing a guy in the balls. Feeling his phone buzz, Ethan took out his phone, seeing he had a text message from Quinn.
Quinn❣️: hey, fair warning E, sams on her way there, rn lol
Ethan: she's already here and tased someone in the dick, no joke.
Quinn❣️: NO WAY Jesus Christ
Quinn❣️: Get home, E I wanna hear about your date with Chad
Ethan: We are walking back now
Ethan: And it WASN'T a date, Q!!!
Quinn❣️: sure, baby bro!!
After someone's diet, cherry coke drenched Sam, the group returned to the apartment, quickly filing their way in. Somehow Ethan ended up in front of Chad. Chad led him into the apartment with a gentle hand on his lower back. Ethan pretended that he wasn't lending into the warm touch. Tara immediately went to her bedroom, ignoring Sam's shouts.
The pair made their way to the couch, sitting beside each other and across from Anika and Mindy. Quinn quickly came over, ruffling her brother's curls as a hello before going to Tara's room, muttering something about an apology.
Chad draped his arm on the back of the couch, his hand resting on Ethan's shoulder, gently pulling Ethan closer. Ethan carefully curled up against Chad's side. Almost mirroring the way they were standing at the party.
It actually mirrors the way Chad and Ethan usually sat in their dorm together. The two best friends were very touchy people. Chad always had a hand somewhere on Ethan. Whether it be on Ethan's shoulder, back, holding his hand, or gently running his hands through Ethan's curls when the two of them were curled up on their couch watching their weekly movies.
Ethan always found himself leaning into Chad's soft gestures. Ethan's family wasn't a touchy-feely one growing up besides himself and Quinn. Quinn was 15 months older than Ethan, and they were extremely close. She tried to protect Ethan from their older brother Richie's rampages. Their dad didn't care what Richie did to Ethan or Quinn. Everything Richie did was perfect in Wayne's eyes. So when Their mother passed when Ethan was seven, Quinn became the one who looked out for Ethan.
Richie always found Joy in tormenting his youngest brother. Either it is jumping out and scaring him with a stupid ghostface mask on or forcing him to watch the Stab movies when he was too young. Quinn was always the one who stepped in and saved Ethan from the grasp of their older brother. There were nights when Ethan snuck into Quinn's room to sleep because he feared what Richie would do to him.
As the three siblings got older, Richie's torment got more severe. It fell out of the range of 'silly sibling pranks' and into the range of 'things that Richie could get arrested for.'
Richie started randomly filming them both at all hours without telling either Quinn or Ethan. Claiming it was for his movies. Wayne said it was harmless, and the two younger siblings needed to "get over it already" it. But once Richie decided to wake Ethan up by standing over his bed, dressed in a Ghostface robe with a knife against Ethan's throat, causing Ethan to scream bloody murder waking up the whole household. His screams made Richie jump, and Richie "Accidentally" cut Ethan's arm, which sent Ethan into a panic attack that took Quinn over about an hour to calm him down.
Finally, Wayne told Richie to lay off his siblings.
Two months later, Richie went to Woodsboro with Sam and never returned. Ethan wished he could say he was shocked to find out that Richie was a killer, but the stuff Richie put Ethan through…He wasn't.
Now Ethan wasn't heartless. He still mourned the loss of his brother. Maybe not to the same extent as Quinn, and undoubtedly not like his father was. But he still grieved.
He noticed how people at his school started to stare at him in the hallways and the whispers on the street about himself and Quinn. It took a heavy toll on Ethan. He lost all of his friends. But even then, he noticed how different Quinn became. She was much quieter. Ethan caught her and their father whispering. Ethan just assumed they were finally bonding. But Quinn still made time for him, sitting on the couch as he did his homework. She was helping him with a question or two here and there as she played with his curls.
Quinn didn't just help with Ethan's schoolwork. She helped Ethan with his suffering mental health as well. She would sit and talk with Ethan about his darkest feelings and thoughts and how sometimes he didn't miss his older brother even if it pained him to say it aloud. Quinn was there for him no matter what through it all. Always there to hug Ethan and remind him he's loved and wanted. That Richie can't hurt him anymore. That he was safe.
Sometimes he would look up at Quinn during these moments, and she would have a faraway dark look in her eyes, staring at a photo of Richie they had up in the living room. Ethan pretends not to notice and focuses on the feeling of her hug.
The two siblings got much closer over the months after Richie's death. Ethan felt like sometimes he would be lost entirely without Quinn. She was his rock and someone he looked up to. Instead of wanting to make his father proud, he worked towards making his big sister proud instead. Quinn was his best friend; he knew she would do anything for him and vice versa.
So at the end of his senior year, when Quinn suggested he apply to Blackmore University, he didn't think twice before using and getting in. Their father transferred to the NYPD, and Quinn switched to Blackmore, leaving her small-town community college.
When Ethan expressed his fears of people finding out who they were related to, his father said it was taken care of. Wayne said that he placed Ethan in the Witness protection unit. He gave Ethan the option of the last name 'Landry,' which was their mother's last name. Or the last name 'Bailey,' which was their grandma's. Ethan picked Landry to honor his mother, as Quinn and Wayne took Bailey.
Ethan thought everything was finally settled as he moved into his new dorm. Quinn's apartment was only a five-minute walk away. Quinn insisted that he get the dorm experience, going as far as filling out the paperwork for him and picking the room.
But then he realizes who his roommate is, that his brother's whole victim list is now a part of his life, and he is even living with his sister. But Quinn reminded him that the roommate selection was a lottery, and she answered a random ad. They were safe, and the group from Woodsburo had no clue who they were and wouldn't find out because of the witness protection their father placed them in.
So Ethan allowed himself to believe his big sister. Over the next six months, he and Quinn became very close with them. Ethan considered Anika and Chad his best friends and finally felt his life return to normal.
Normal enough that he was able to develop a massive crush on Chad, his sister teased him nonstop and tried to tell Ethan that Chad liked him back. Ethan wasn't sure about that part, but Quinn was convinced the two would end up together sooner or later.
"Sooo… It was a fun party till the end! I'm glad you decided to come out, Eth!" Chad spoke softly, gently squeezing Ethan's shoulder, bringing him out of his thoughts for the second time that night. Ethan smiled softly at Chad. Chad was looking at him, concerned again, knowing he had caught Ethan too deep in his thoughts again.
"Yeah! It-it was! I…I uh…Had a good time!" Ethan said quietly, resting his head against Chad's shoulder. He felt Chad gently press a soft kiss to the side of his head, a gesture that wasn't unusual for the two. Ethan let himself lean into the kiss and relax against the taller boy.
"Are you okay, Eth? You've been zoning out a lot tonight…Are you feeling okay?" Chad lowered his voice to a whisper. Ethan turned to look up at Chad from where he lay his head on Chad's shoulder—taking in Chad's soft expression.
The two looked at each other for a moment before Ethan could answer. Sam walked up to them, shaking a bottle of painkillers. Chad sat up and slightly pulled away from Ethan.
"Chad, can you bring these to Tara? She's pissed at me, but she needs these. I'm going downstairs for the same air." Sam asked, gently throwing the pill bottle towards Chad, walking away before either boy answered. She was shutting the door to the apartment behind her.
"Okay then–I'll be right back, Ethan. I want to hear your answer." Chad stood up, nodding to Ethan before heading down the hallway to Tara's room. Ethan smiled and watched Chad walk away before sitting on the couch and rubbing his face gently.
"Are you and my brother fucking yet?" Mindy asked suddenly, causing Ethan to jump and look at the girls across from him. He had completely forgotten they were there. Ethan could feel his face starting to heat up.
"I–What are you talking about!" Ethan stuttered out, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Anika gently flicked Mindy's arm.
"Leave him alone, Mindy!" Anika laughed softly, kissing Mindy's cheek softly. Mindy leaned into the kiss before nodding.
"Fine, fine!" Mindy laughed, pulling Anika closer. Ethan rolled his eyes at the girls. Looking over, he watched as Quinn and Chad returned to the living room. Chad took his seat back next to Ethan. Quinn suddenly stopped walking, checking her phone. Ethan leaned against Chad again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mindy sit up and turn up the volume on the TV.
Suddenly Quinn was in front of him, gently hands cupping the side of his face, a look of worry sketched into her face, crouching in front of him. Ethan looked back at her, confused about why his older sister was unexpectedly so worried.
"Hello to you too, Quinn!" Ethan leaned into his older sister's touch, watching Quinn shove Chad to the other side of the couch, stealing his spot next to Ethan. Quinn pulled Ethan close, holding him close. "Quinn? What is going on?" Ethan asked. Quinn shook her head, holding Ethan tighter.
"Holy shit…" Chad whispered, eyes locked on the tv in front of them. Ethan followed his eyes to see what he was looking at. The news was playing, reporting on a killing…
A Ghostface killing.
Ethan felt like the air was ripped out of his lungs. His eyes widened, and he could feel his breathing picking up. Ethan shifted a bit, so he was pressed closer to Quinn. He reached over, holding onto Quinn's hand like a lifeline.
He could hear Chad calling Sam back into the apartment. Everything felt fuzzy like his brain couldn't focus on anything happening. Memories of Richie that he hadn't thought about in years were coming to the surface. He felt like he was suffocating. He tried to focus his mind on Quinn's touch, the way she hugged him tighter and tighter.
Ethan almost jumped out of his skin when he heard Sam's phone starting to ring. Chad looked over, noticing Ethan's jump. Chad gently ran a hand through Ethan's curls, feeling how Ethan tensed up for a moment before relaxing, realizing who it was.
"Ethan! Quinn! Your dad is a police officer, right?! Can't you call him?" Tara asked, turning to face the siblings, bringing Ethan back to reality. Ethan sat up more, noticing everyone looking at himself and Quinn. Feeling more self-conscious suddenly, Ethan pulled his knees to his chest, trying to feel smaller.
"I'll call him!" Quinn replied quickly, pulling out her phone. Quinn lowered her volume slightly so Ethan couldn't hear their father on the other line.
Chad leaned over the back of the couch, wrapping his arms around Ethan's shoulder, both boys watching as Quinn quietly spoke to their father. Chad answered something Sam said about backing her up, but Ethan's thoughts were clouded too much actually to listen.
Suddenly, Quinn sighed softly, rubbing her face, standing up from the couch, and walking across the room toward Tara and Sam. Ethan leaned more into Chad's touch to make up for the coldness left by Quinn getting off the couch. "My dad wants to talk to you, Sam…" Quinn said, handing her phone to Sam.
Before Ethan knew it, Sam and Tara were out the front door. Mindy and Anika decided to head into the guest bedroom in the apartment. Chad was setting up a place to sleep on the couch. Quinn kicked out her hook-up before pulling Ethan into her bedroom.
Ethan immediately laid on the floor in front of her bed, not wanting to actually touch the bed, knowing what was happening on it an hour beforehand. Quinn chuckled at Ethan before lying down on the edge of her bed.
"Dad said they found Sam's ID at the crime scene. That's why he wanted her to go down to the station," Quinn spoke quietly, taking in her younger brother's anxious expression. "We are going to be okay, Eth."
"What if they figured out we are Richie's siblings? What if our friends find out? Things just started to look up for me, Quinn!" Ethan's voice was strained. He reached up, tugging his own hair out of stress. Quinn quickly reached down and took his hands into her own.
"I promise you, Ethan. They won't. Chad won't. I'll protect you." Quinn spoke softly. Her words brought back Ethan's smile slightly as he physically relaxed. Ethan has always had a blinded strong trust in his sister, never having a reason to doubt her words. Ethan noticed a dark look crossing Quinn's eyes, but it was gone before he could overthink it. "Now! Tell me about the party!"
At that, Ethan and Quinn talked about the party for a little over an hour together, with hushed whispers and muffled laughs. Quinn offered to let Ethan sleep in her room, but knowing the sheets hadn't been changed since the earlier hook-up, Ethan declined, saying he'll share the couch with Chad and earning himself an amused look from Quinn.
The two siblings hugged each other goodnight before Ethan made his way back out to the living room. Seeing that Chad was spread out on the couch, still awake on his phone.
Ethan walked over to Chad, not even needing to say anything, before Chad lifted his blanket and moved over, welcoming Ethan to lay with him, which Ethan did. This was usually how they lay on their couch in their dorm.
"I figured you would be sleeping in Quinn's room tonight." Chad's voice was soft as he put down his phone to focus on Ethan. Wrapping his arm around Ethan's waist.
"Her bed is still gross because of her hook-up. Besides, I wanted to be out here with you," Ethan responded, yawning in the middle of his sentence, the night's events catching up with him, causing his eyelids to become heavier.
Chad laughed quietly, nodding along to Ethan's words. Chad's laugh was infectious, causing Ethan to laugh along.
"Are you okay? You never got to answer me earlier." Chad asked quietly once the two boys settled down from their laughter. Ethan sighed quietly, leaning closer to Chad on the couch.
"I'm…okay. This Ghostface stuff is just freaking me out." Ethan responded softly.
"It reminds you of your older brother, yeah?" Chad asked, causing Ethan's whole body to tense up in fear. Thoughts rapidly went through Ethan's mind wondering how or what Chad was talking about. Chad felt Ethan tense up in his arms. Carefully Chad began to rub small comforting circles into Ethan's hip, feeling how Ethan relax slightly.
"You told me he was like…crazy obsessed with them, yeah?" Chad continued, concern laced deep into his voice.
Relief flew through Ethan's body at that, remembering his and Quinn's cover-up story.
Quinn and Ethan came up with a story. Quinn told the friend group they had an older brother who died in a car crash. That was why Their father followed them to this new college, and their father was so overprotective of them. But what Quinn didn't know is that Ethan confided in Chad that said older brother was abusive and crazy with a horrible love for the Stab movies.
"I–Yeah…It reminds me of him." Ethan responded softly, closing his eyes, half out of exhaustion and half out of wanting to escape this conversion.
Luckily for Ethan, Chad got the message and allowed Ethan and himself to fall into silence as the two boys fell asleep wrapped up in each other's arms. Ethan had a dreamless, peaceful night of sleep for the first time in a while.