Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Tom was four years old and there was a boy standing in front of him.

His parents had finally, finally, allowed him to go out and play. In a park. 

A real park, with other children.

Children that weren't being nudged towards him and told to be his friend.

His mother always reminded him that they only wanted to be his friends because his father owned one of the biggest talent agencies in Hollywood. She also said that she'd be vetting the other child actors before informing Tom which ones would be worthy enough to be his friends.

But this kid didn't look like a child actor, he wasn't dressed in fancy clothes or a meticulously chosen costume, just a bright red T-shirt, shorts and a pair of sneakers that looked scuffed and well-worn. There was some dirt on his face and shirt, his knees were scraped, and he had a few bruises on his arms. 

Tom was pretty sure none of those were make-up.

“Hi! I'm Colton! But everyone calls me Colt! What's your name?” the kid asked with a big, toothy grin,

“I'm Thomas, but everyone calls me Tom.” he replied, a similar smile slowly forming on his own lips,

“D’you wanna play cowboys with me?” Colt asked “Rylie doesn't want to and Court said he has to watch us, so he can't play...” he added, pointing at two figures sitting under a tree.

Following Colt’s finger, Tom could make out an older kid watching them closely. Their eyes met, and the boy stared at him for a few seconds before giving him a small wave.

Next to him, reading a book, was another Colt. 

Tom's first thought was ‘a clone!’. 

He knew what those were because when he was two, he was in a movie about a man who created a clone of himself to help him take care of the kids and get everything ready for Christmas while his wife was away. He didn't actually remember being in that movie, but his parents put it on every Christmas to show off his first role.

Then Tom remembered that twins existed. Which probably meant that Colt and Rylie were twins.

He met a few sets of twins. Most of them were little-er kids who couldn't act for long periods of time before they got too fussy. So instead of taking breaks, they switched between twins. Tom, his parents always boasted, never needed brakes because he was more talented and disciplined than any of them.

His gaze shifted towards his nanny (Later, his parents fired her for letting Tom play with some random kid. For the time being, she smiled and nodded encouragingly at him) and his bodyguard (Who silently followed them from afar. Who was closely watched by the older kid Colt called Court) before he nodded “Yeah!”

Colt's grin grew bigger before he finally took Tom's hand in his “Cool! We should be best friends!” 

They were five and, sometimes, Tom's parents gave Colt's dad money.

When that happened, instead of Tom and him meeting in their usual park, a driver picked Colt up from home in a shiny, black car. Court always stood at the front door, watching as Colt rushed to greet his best friend. He stayed there until their dad yelled at him to close the (fucking) door, or until he started yelling at Rylie for some thing or another. 

They took them to a different park, somewhere fancier, with manicured lawns and a playground that always looked new and unused. There, some people with cameras took photos of them playing from far away.

Tom said they were called papa-rat-sees, which was a weird name because Colt was pretty sure that none of them had any rats (It would have been kinda cool if they had rats, Colt thought, but they didn't. So it wasn't).

Tom also said that they like taking photos of famous people.

Colt didn't think he was famous, so he still didn’t know what all of it had to do with him, but he guessed that maybe being friends with famous people automatically made you famous too?

Regardless, it was still weird. Because if they wanted to see Tom, they should have just put one of his movies on.

When he said as much, Tom shrugged and said that sometimes adults are just weird like that.

But what confused Colt even more is why his dad got money when the papa-rat-sees wanted to see Tom.

“Dad says it's so they can see that we're friends.” Tom shrugged.

They've been playing superheroes, but they had just defeated an evil alien, so they decided to sit under a tree and take a well deserved superbreak. 

Or at least Tom was under the tree. 

Colt had climbed up onto a low branch and sat on it, growing more and more confused as the conversation went on. “Yeah, but why do your mom and dad give my dad money?” he asked again, still feeling very lost. “I don't need money to be your friend.”

Tom’s head snapped up sharply, eyes wide and locked on him “You don't?”

Colt looked at him like he had just said something very stupid before dangling himself upside-down so he could look at Tom from a bit closer “Duh. We're bestest friends. Best friends don't need money to be friends.” he said sagely, copying Rylie's tone whenever he said something smart,

Tom stared at him for a moment. “Mom says that other kids want to be my friends only because my dad is a talent agent.”

“Well that's stupid… I want to be your friend because you're fun.” Colt declared, before squinting at him, once again looking confused. “What's a talent agent?” he asked, before, a beat later, his eyes widened "Is your dad a spy?!” 

The other boy frowned, and now it was Tom's turn to be confused “No?”

“But you said he's a talented agent!” Colt insisted,

Tom rolled his eyes, exasperated “A talent agent. It means he finds work for famous people.”

“Oh.” 

“Oh?”

“Oh.” Colt shrugged, “My idea sounds cooler.” He sounded somewhat disappointed,

Tom couldn't not-agree, so he just nodded instead.

Colt twisted off the branch, landing in front of his friend “Besides, I don't want to find other famous people. You're the only famous people I care about.” The smile on Tom's lips was infectious, and he couldn't help but return it “D'you wanna play talent agents, but like… cooler talent agents that have special powers?”

Tom nodded enthusiastically as he got up “Yeah! Your agent talents can be that you can climb and run and fight really good, and I can be the one that makes everyone think we're the bad guys so we can steal their super secret computer that has all their evil plans!” 

Tom, Colt thought, always had the best stories for games. It’s a bit sad that his brothers weren't there. Rylie could have been the one that did spy science, since he was smart, and Court could have been the boss spy that kept everyone safe, since he was really good at protecting everyone.

But regardless, they always ended up having fun anyway so it's okay.

Despite it being around two years since Colt became friends with him, this was only the fourth time Tom had ever come over to their house. 

Ryland counted.

Tom was mostly Colt's friend, and Ryland only joined them on rare occasions. It's not that he was jealous or anything. His twin was allowed to have other friends, even if Ryland didn't really have any other friends besides Colt.

He usually preferred reading by himself anyway, since he doesn't like most kids. They were loud and touched Ryland even when he told them not to. Most kids didn't like him either. They usually got angry at him for talking too much or for being weird.

Colt and Court never did, but they were also his brothers so it didn't really count.

Ryland tried his best to be the least annoying he could be when Tom was around. After all, he didn't want Colt to lose his best friend, just because Ryland was being weird.

He wasn't stupid, which was a big part of the problem for sure. Everyone always said he was too smart for his own good. His dad said that no one likes a smartass know-it-all. 

But regardless, Ryland knew that Colt and Tom were more popular and well liked than him. Other kids liked them more than they ever liked him, but he also knew that Colt would stick by him always. 

It’s just what twins do.

Which was great most of the time, but was terrible when you considered that Ryland was bad at making friends, and that he might infect his twin with it.

This was the exact reason why he stayed away from Tom most of the time. Even if Colt insisted Tom was nice.

But now they were all sitting together in their living room, watching The Land Before Time.

The twins don't get to watch movies at their place very often. Their dad usually sat in front of the TV, watching sports or the news. And even when he didn't, he got mad if the TV was too loud. And it was always too loud.

Tom was mainly allowed to watch his own movies. Any other movie had to be pre-approved. His parents, Tom informed Colt, who informed Ryland, didn't want his talent influenced by inferior media. Still, Tom and Colt both liked movies. So whenever they weren't meeting at the park, they'd meet at Tom’s house, pick a pre-approved movie, sit in the home theater with a giant bowl of popcorn and watch it together. 

(It sounded nice, Ryland thought, but never dared to tell Colt, just in case his twin decided Ryland had to join them.)

At that moment, their dad wasn't supposed to be home for at least two more hours, Tom's parents weren't around and the movie was playing on the TV. 

Despite Ryland trying his best not to ruin the movie for the other two, he couldn't help but let out an indignant huff as more and more characters were introduced.

Colt kept looking at him expectantly, but Ryland insisted on staying quiet.

His twin often thought everyone wanted to listen to Ryland like he did. Which, Ryland knew for a fact, was very often not true.

But science once again triumphed, this time much to his chagrin, as Twin Telepathy failed Ryland. (They tried a few times, for science, and failed, much to Colt's disappointment, Ryland's conviction and Court's amusement.) Instead of letting it go, Colt sat up, fully turning to look at his brother,

“What is it?” He asked Ryland eagerly, 

Now Tom was also looking up at him from where he was lying on the floor, eyes curious,

“‘s nothing.” Ryland mumbled, fidgeting with the sleeve of his sweater as he tried to focus on the movie.

Colt, of course, didn't relent. 

“C'mon!” he insisted before turning to look at Tom “Rylie reads a lot of books so he always knows all sorts of things, like when movies are being stupid!” he informed his friend,

“Really?” Tom asked,

“Really really!” Colt confirmed,

“Only a little…” Ryland tried to amend, but then they were both looking at him expectantly. His gaze flickered towards Court, seeking reassurance. 

His brother had been standing in the kitchen, looking out the window towards the street, tense and unmoving like a vigilant guard dog. But the scene unfolding in front of the TV had drawn his attention. His eyes found Ryland's, and he gave him a tiny smile and a short nod. A promise of safety. 

With that, their gazes parted, Court looking back out the window, Ryland back to Colt and Tom. 

“C'mon Rylie!” Colt repeated, and Ryland couldn't help but let out a sigh.

“The dinosaurs are all wrong...” he mumbled,

“Like, said something wrong or…”

Ryland let out another exasperated sigh, this one louder, more dramatic “They're not supposed to be together at the same time.” 

Tom and Colt exchanged confused looks before turning back to Ryland. 

“What d'you mean?” Colt nudged him just a bit more, and suddenly Ryland is tumbling head first into a passionate rant about the Late Jurassic period and the Late Cretaceous period and how they were like… a gajillion years apart.

When he finally finished, Ryland felt his face heating up. Hesitantly, he looked at Tom, expecting him to look annoyed, but the other boy looked at him with wide, sparkling eyes and- 

“Woah. Colt said you were smart, but I didn't know you were this smart!”

Colt smiled proudly, chest puffing with pride “Told you!”

They kept asking questions after that, so Ryland kept talking. 

It felt… nice. 

Tom was… nice.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Court was in front of the TV. He switched the channel back to their father's favorite sports channel, and turned off the TV.

Tom looked like he’s about to protest, before Court spoke up “You should go play outside.” He said it like a suggestion, but Colt and Ryland knew what that meant.

“C'mon.” Colt said as he got up and grabbed Tom's hand “It’s a stupid movie anyway. We can play dinosaurs outside.”

That seemed to placate the other boy and they both started heading outside. 

Ryland turned towards the stairs, planning to go back to his latest book. He hoped that today his dad thought that Ryland reading meant he's smart and talented, and not weak and useless.

Before he could do so, Tom turned towards him, confused “Where are you going?” he asked “Aren’t you coming to play with us?”

Ryland looked confused. 

Colt looked pleased, clearly proud of his best friend.

Tom just rolled his eyes “How are we supposed to play scientifically accurate dinosaurs without you?” he asked, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

A quiet “Oh…Okay…” is all he managed as Tom and Colt smiled brightly at him, pulling him towards the backyard. 

Ryland couldn’t help but notice the feeling in his stomach. It was warm and pleasant, and it made him want to smile just as brightly.

Court's smile was softer, but his eyes kept moving towards the front door as the sound of heavy footsteps grew louder on the gravel path.

The Gentrys, Tom knew, weren't as rich as his family was.

It didn't really matter, in the grand scheme of things, because most of the rich kids he met were annoying. 

Meanwhile, Colt and Ryland were his best friends. And Court was probably the best big brother ever. So much so, that sometimes Tom was a bit jealous and annoyed that he wasn't Tom's actual big brother. But then again, Court always treated him like he was...

Colt told him once, rolling his eyes as if Tom had said something really stupid, and looking even more like Ryland than usual, that since he's best friends with him and Ryland, that he might as well be family.

(Tom wondered if his parents would let him dye his hair blond when he's older. He could tell them it's because blond is a very cool-action-hero hair color. Tom is a great actor after all, and they don't need to know it's because he wishes to be part of the Gentry family.)

Still, he liked to spend as much time with the Gentry kids as he could. 

Which is how he found himself helping a bewildered older lady, as the four of them carried groceries into her house. 

She clearly recognized him from one of the movies he was in, maybe one she saw with her grandkids. Tom knew that look, of someone seeing a famous person in the wild, surprised and disbelieving. He gave her his most charming, camera-worthy, smile and followed Colt inside. 

By the end of it, she gave them all a cold glass of freshly squeezed lemonade, a homemade cookie and a few coins as a thank-you.

Tom had never gotten coins before. His weekly allowance was given via debit card and consisted of a (much) larger sum than these few meager coins. But, he thought, the clinking of metal somehow felt more satisfying.

Once they were back on the street, the twins, in what seemed like a well practiced habit, gave a few coins to Court before pocketing the rest. 

Tom dutifully divided his own coins and went to hand his portion to Court, who, in turn, shook his head,

“You earned them, so you get to keep them.” he said quietly,

“But Colt and Rylie gave you some of theirs” he pointed out stubbornly,

“I'm just saving it in case we need to buy something in the future.” Court clarified “You don't need to pitch in. It's probably just going to be for boring things like school supplies or shoes.” 

“But I want to.” Tom insisted, mustering up every ounce of petulant, rich, only-child energy that life as a child actor had taught him, 

Colt and Ryland stared at their brother expectantly, so Court had no choice but to sigh and take the coins from Tom. 

All three seven year olds smiled brightly and resumed their previous conversation about robots.

(Later, Tom's father scolded him because carrying other people's groceries is poor-people work and as such, is unbecoming of their social status.)

Tom's birthday was a month later. He was supposed to celebrate with his parents in France, but there was a last minute emergency at work, so they were both too busy and ended up canceling.

Instead, Court took them all for ice-cream.

Tom wasn't usually allowed ice-cream (“You'll get fat, and no one wants to see fat people Thomas” his mother had explained once in a clipped tone) but Court just ruffled his hair and told him to pick two flavors, that they won’t tell his mom.

The twins had once told Tom that Court mows lawns, babysits and helps other old ladies with groceries. That he saved up money for emergencies. But once in a while, he used it to buy things for his brothers, like ice-cream and skittles. 

That knowledge, that Court used that money to get them ice-cream for Tom's birthday, was worth more than any other gift he got that year.

He made sure to hug Court tightly afterwards, while Colt and Ryland were distracted. He whispered a small thank you into his chest, and Court just hugged him tighter, whispering a small ‘any time’ back to him.

It was the twins’ eighth birthday, and they spent it playing with Tom and Court in the park. Afterwards, they got ice cream and talked about their favorite cartoons all the way back to the Gentry household.

The first year they were all friends, Tom had gotten both of them big gifts. A fancy RC car for Colt, a big spaceship LEGO set for Rylie. They both got excited, eager to play with them the next time they all met up.

Of course, it didn't last.

Their father took one look at the expensive gifts and ordered the twins to return them because they were not going to receive charity from some rich stuck-up pieces of shit.

Colt had tried to protest, though all he could get out was a small “But-!” before their father slapped him.

Court quickly intervened and assured him they'd return the gifts the next day. 

Tom, of course, tried to argue when they did, but Court explained, as kindly as he could, that they couldn't accept them. That they were too expensive.

(That Colt was running around, when he tripped and hit his cheek against a doorknob)

Instead, Tom kept the gifts in his room. That way, they could play with them on the rare occasions they were allowed to play at his house. That way, he could keep them safe for them.

Ever since that time, he only got them small gifts.

This year, he got Colt a blue Hot Wheels race car. They pretended to be race car drivers, trying to run away from a monster.

He got Ryland a huge pack of glow-in-the-dark stars. 

Court was hesitant about putting them on the walls and ceiling, so instead they decided to put Ryland and Colt's beds together and put them under them, where their father couldn't see. They could always reconnect them when they wanted to.

Court took them all to the library so they could get a book about constellations because of course Ryland wanted their star map to be accurate. 

After coming back, they all huddled around the book as their resident science expert scanned the pages with great intent.

The Gemini constellation was chosen the moment they discovered it for obvious reasons.

After that, everything just fell into place. 

Next to it they found Orion, The Hunter.

Hunters, Colt pointed out, are strong and brave and provide for their families. Which was exactly why they needed to add Orion to their star map, so it could represent Court. Both twins knew that he spent years of his life being strong, so his little brothers could be safe. So obviously, they had to commemorate his care on their star map. 

(Court never really cried because that was just a recipe for disaster in their household… But if he had to look away at that moment, when all three kids nodded in unwavering agreement, no one said anything)

They kept looking for a tiny bit longer, until Ryland mentioned Canis Major and Tom made an off-hand comment about always wanting a dog, but his parents never let him have one. 

Ryland pointed out that people wished upon stars all the time, so maybe, if they put a dog in their stars for Tom, his wish would come true. So with that, the group agreed on what their final constellation would be.

Ryland had wanted to add all the nearby constellations, like Eridanus, but with a limited canvas and a limited amount of glow-in-the-dark stars, they had to settle on those three. 

Afterward, with the beds still pushed together, and the stars meticulously placed on the underside of the bed frames, Ryland went back downstairs with Court so he could sit and actually read his constellations book. 

Colt and Tom stayed upstairs, lying shoulder to shoulder under the beds, pretending the little race car was a spaceship. They were in the middle of an intense space battle against evil aliens. Colt making the space car flip around to avoid asteroids, adding the appropriate sound effects for maximum action. Tom, in the midst of a dramatic speech about taking down the evil guys.

Colt wanted things to stay like this forever.  

Apparently, he paused for long enough to draw his friend's attention, because Tom nudged him, looking at him quizzically.

“Do you think we'll always be friends?” he asked quietly,

Tom frowned “Of course… Why wouldn't we?”

A shrug “I dunno… maybe you'll become a mega big movie star and get better friends? Or maybe I'll become a secret spy, and I'll have to go into hiding? Or… or maybe Rylie will be a famous scientist, and they'll send him to space forever so he can research stars?” 

“Rylie gets sick when he rides the elevator, he can't go on a spaceship…” Tom pointed out “And I’m pretty sure it's literally scientifically impossible to find better friends than you… Even if I'm a big famous movie star…” he pauses a bit before snickering “A famous-er movie star.”

Colt snorted “Idiot.” but his expression fell once again “What if I get a super secret spy job?”

“Then don't.” Tom pointed out,

“But what if I have to?” Colt whined “My talents are jumping really high, running fast and climbing trees and falling really good! That's basically spy work!” 

Tom was quiet for a moment before he started slapping Colt's arm frantically to try and draw his attention “Oh! Oh! I know! I know!” he called out, 

“OW! OW! What!?” Colt whined, pulling his arm away with a pout. He kept rubbing it as he finally looked at his friend.

Tom's eyes were shining with excitement, looking as though he had just solved the biggest mystery in the universe. “You can be a stuntman!” he said,

“A what?” 

“A stuntman! They do all the cool stunts in the movies that the actors can't! Like jumping off buildings and flipping cars!”

Colt's eyes widened “That's an actual, real life adult job?” he asked, voice barely over a whisper and filled with wonder at the revelation,

“Yeah!” Tom nodded excitedly “I can show you next time we come to my place! That way, after I become a famous-er… the famous-est action star, I’ll do the acting, and you can be my stuntman! Because you jump higher and run faster than me anyway!”

“I'll make you look even cooler! The coolest!” Colt was now nodding along with him, 

They both smiled at each other, before Colt offered Tom his pinkie “So you promise we'll always be friends?”

The other boy nodded and linked their little fingers “Always! Do you promise to become my stuntman? That way we can work together!”

“Promise!”

Something wasn't adding up.

Sure, Tom wasn't a genius, but he wasn’t that stupid either.

He'd been in the movie industry since before he could remember, of course he'd be able to sniff out a plot-hole ridden story.

And this story. Didn't. Make. Sense.

Not only that, but the twins were terrible actors. It was part of the reason he suggested Colt become a stuntman and not an actor like him. 

Seriously, Ryland couldn't even look Tom in the eye. Colt was being a case study in over-acting. Something was fishy for sure.

“A tree…”

“Yeah!”

“He fell… from a tree…”

“Yeah! It was very scary.”

“Rylie.”

“Yup!”

“Ryland.”

“Ah-ha!”

“From a tree.”

Ryland let out a soft whimper, fidgeting uncomfortably where he stood.

Tom's eyes shifted between the two blondes in front of him, arms crossed, eyebrow raised. He was doing his best skeptical expression, which was very good thank you very much, hoping it would be enough to convince his friends to tell him what actually happened.

Because Thomas Joseph Ryder might not be a genius, but he also wasn't stupid enough to believe Ryland Gentry broke his arm after falling from a tree.

Ryland never climbed trees. He was too scared of heights. 

“Rylie never climbs trees, he's afraid of heights.” he pointed out, trying to coax them into talking,

Colt tensed up for a second, before he also started fidgeting “Y…yeah… which is why he fell… when he climbed… the tree…” 

Tom really didn't understand why they were lying to him. He wouldn't have questioned anything if it was Colt that broke his arm falling off a tree. But it wasn't, so it didn't make sense. He wanted to be angry, but looking at their faces, he was pretty sure there's no ill intent in their lies. So he tried to calm down, reminding himself that they're friends, that they wouldn't just lie to him for no reason.

Instead, Tom took a deep breath and turned to Ryland “Does it hurt?” he asked, voice going softer.

“A bit…” he responded “Not as much after they put the cast on…”

Tom nodded, looking down at the blue cast. “They didn't have a yellow one?” he asks, because he knows that's Ryland's favorite color, not blue. Blue is Tom and Colt’s favorite color. It’s part of the reason they became best friends. Ryland liked yellow, like the sun.

Once again Ryland went still, before shaking his head and averting his eyes. He was lying again, Tom thought, but he felt like being nice so he didn't push it.

“Can I sign it?” he asked instead, noticing how clean the cast was. It was weird that Colt and Court haven't signed it already, but maybe they didn't know they could do that?

Ryland didn’t respond, looking at Colt like he wanted him to save him,

Colt looked back at Ryland and then back at Tom and there was definitely something there they weren't telling him. 

Tom was really trying his best not to feel left out. 

“You can't…” Colt said finally, and his attempt at being nonchalant failed miserably “He's not allowed to draw on it…”

Tom frowned at the response “Why not?”

“Ummm… school.” Colt tried “Said it's not allowed.” 

“The school?” 

“Yeah… school… and dad. Dad said so too.”

Tom wanted to say something, but suddenly Court was there, with his hand ruffling Tom's hair. “Their school says it's too distracting, and dad said that if the school said he's not allowed, then he's not allowed.” 

Court is, by far, a better liar than his brothers  But Colt and Ryland's terrible lying skills made it impossible for him to buy what Court was trying to sell. 

But also…

But also, Court wouldn't lie just because. More so than the twins. And if Court was lying, it was probably because it was important.

So he decided to let it go, at least for that time being.

“We should play Spaceship.” Tom declared “I can be the Captain.”

“Oh! I wanna be the pilot! And the one that fires the lasers!” Colt's demeanor changed in an instant, rushing towards a shaded boulder he promptly designated as their spaceship,

“C'mon,” Tom gently took Ryland's uninjured arm “You can be our Science Officer. You can stay in the science lab, that way you won’t have to run around.” 

They stood there for a moment, hand in hand, before Ryland nodded softly and they both moved to join Colt.

Later, Tom looked for the faintest, least visible yellow marker he could find, and brought it along with him the next time he met the Gentrys. 

With Colt and Court distracted, Tom pulled the old marker out of his pocket. Taking Ryland’s hand in his own, he placed it palm-up on his and uncapped the marker. 

Ryland tensed up as he watched the marker grow closer to the cast, but didn’t pull his hand away. 

Taking it as permission, Tom pulled the hand even closer and proceeded to slip the tip of the marker in the thumbhole of the cast, right between the plaster and Ryland’s skin. With as much dexterity as he could muster in that awkward positing, he did his best to draw a little heart. 

“There!” he said triumphantly, and pulled the marker away “I can't really write anything, but now you get to have your cast signed without anyone seeing.” 

Ryland stared at him, lip trembling a bit, and Tom couldn’t help but notice they were still holding hands.

“Thank you, Tommy…” Rylie finally said, smiling,

Tom mirrored the smile, cheeks suddenly feeling warmer than they did before. He hid the marker away “Of course! It’s what friends do!”

The twins were both pretty sure they'd never seen this many cameras in the entire nine years of their lives. 

While Colt seemed to take it with a stride, Ryland seemed a tad more uncomfortable with the countless eyes and questions aimed at them. Court not being allowed to join them wasn’t helping either, and all in all, he felt rather queasy.

Thankfully though, they were allowed to mostly stay at Tom’s side, which certainly helped. He was a far more interesting target for photos and interviews, considering the premiere was for a movie he was acting in. 

It was his first (actual) major role, and as such everyone wanted to know all about his experience. Tom, who was media trained since he could string a coherent sentence, charmed the reporters easily. He had largely succeeded in drawing most of the attention towards himself and away from the twins. Of course, once in a while, someone noticed the two similar-looking faces and got curious.

Tom’s mother had made sure the stylists that dressed them color-coordinated their suits. Naturally, she explained, the brown color of their suits complimented the rich and vibrant blue of Tom's own suit without outshining it. Mirroring the design created an interesting visual pattern, so when they each stood on either side of Tom, the eye would be subtly drawn towards the young actor in the middle.

The twins never wore coordinated outfits. Their father couldn’t care less about what they wore as long as it was cheap and not too feminine (whatever that meant). Court, who was usually the one to take them out shopping, always let them pick their own outfits. And Colt and Ryland had very different preferences.

But of course, Helen Ryder explained once again in a tone neither twin liked but knew better than to challenge, they were twins, and everyone loved twins in matching little outfits. The aesthetics was far too good to ignore, and good aesthetics would make Tom look better. Tom looking better meant he got more movie roles. And obviously all of them wanted that.

Colt and Ryland weren’t the ones paying for the outfits anyway, so it wasn’t like they had much choice in the matter. 

Tom had tried explaining to his mother that Ryland liked yellow and that Colt liked blue, but she scrunched her nose at the idea. Then, she proceeded to chide Tom for the suggestion. They didn’t want the twins to look like a couple of IKEA bags standing next to him. It would look bad on the red carpet.

So matching brown suits it was.

They had received a few instructions before the event. What to say and what not to say, how to act and what not to do. Of course, being well aware of what disobeying adults could look like, the Gentry twins made sure to do their best to listen to those rules.

So naturally, someone had to go and make things more difficult.

Up until then, when someone talked to them, the questions were all like “What's it like  being Tom’s friend?”, if they “were excited to see the movie?” or “Did you get to visit Tom on set?”

Then, someone had to go and say “It must be really exciting! To be friends with someone famous!” 

The twins looked at each other confused, then back at the man aiming a microphone at them,

“I guess…” Colt shrugged finally, though it clearly wasn’t what the man was looking for because he kept pushing,

“You two are probably very popular at school if you have such a famous friend!” 

Now, usually, Colt was the one more likely to get into trouble. That being said, Ryland had his own fair share of moments. They were rarer, sure, but no less spectacular. 

“What does that have to do with anything?” Ryland said, eyes narrowed slightly. Colt and Tom could tell that, at that moment, Ryland probably forgot all the lessons Tom’s mother had drilled into them.

As if sensing the oncoming storm, Helen came swooping in with all the practiced ease of a former-actress-turned-agent “What the boys mean is that their friendship with Tom is not about fame.” Her smile is charming, and her hands are on Ryland’s shoulders. 

He usually disliked it when people he didn’t know very well touched him, and the feeling of her sharp nails digging into his skin was even worse. But, he supposed, it’s not the worst punishment he could receive for speaking out of turn.

Later, the twins were sitting on either side of Tom in the theater. With people slowly making their way into their seats, they used the time to lean in closer to him, away from the prying ears of the adults, 

“You know we don't care about you being famous right?” Colt says seriously,

“We wouldn’t care if you weren’t famous.” Ryland clarified,

“We'd like you even if you were just a boring, normal person,” Colt continued, nodding, 

“We don’t need you to be famous and go to fancy events with you.” Ryland added,

“We don't even like these suits.” Colt said dramatically, finally causing Tom to giggle,

“Yeah, I know.” 

As the lights finally dimmed, Tom settled into his seat, a small but pleased smile on his lips.

It started out of nowhere one day, with kids at school greeting them in the hallway. 

This wasn't particularly strange. Colt was popular and well liked and Ryland was usually with him. Other kids usually greeted them as they passed by. Or rather, they greeted Colt and added Ryland as an afterthought. 

Which meant that when Court dropped them off one Monday morning, and they both walked into the school only for them to be greeted with several “Hey Colt! Hey Ryland!” and not a handful of “Hey Colt!.... Hey Ryland …”, Colt noticed.

He knew most of those kids wouldn't be (weren't) as nice to Ryland when Colt wasn't around. That was the reason he wasn't friends with most of them. (And one of the reasons why he liked Tom more than any of them.)

So when suddenly everyone was extra nice to Ryland, he noticed.

Ryland wasn't as good as he was when it came to reading people, but even he noticed something was off when the three most popular girls in their class suddenly came over to him, asked him about his weekend and giggled sweetly at his awkward response instead of laughing at him. And all while Colt was nowhere in sight.

It took a while before someone finally said something that clarified the situation.

“Are you really friends with Tom Ryder?”

It seemed that someone had stumbled upon a picture from the movie premiere they attended the previous year. It was one where they looked less posed than the others, more relaxed as they leaned against each other. Colt had just said something funny that made Tom and Ryland giggle.

Colt sighed dramatically, lying on the grass “And here I thought the girls at school finally realized how cool I am…”

Tom laughed, “They probably do think you're cool, but only because you're my friend.”

“Yeah! But I want them to think I'm cool because I'm me!” he whined “Not because I'm friends with you!”

“What's wrong with being friends with me?”

Colt rolled his eyes “Noting. I just want girls to like me.”

“I think Colt is trying to say that we all deserve to be liked for us and not because they want to be friends with someone famous.” Ryland said wisely, 

“Yeah, that.” Colt vaguely pointed towards his twin “You can get your own girlfriend.” he added, waving at Tom, who laughed again,

“But why if I can get all the girls in your school too?”, he asked and teasingly nudged Colt with his foot,

“No! You can't have all of them!” Colt cried out, nudging Tom back “You can have anyone else! Even another famous actress! I just want a normal girlfriend!”  

The other boy quickly retaliated, and the two would have started roughhousing if it weren't for Ryland pulling a face “I don't understand why you'd want all that attention… it's so stressful.”

The two stopped their nudging war, and Colt raised an eyebrow at Ryland, finally sitting back up “Don't you want a girlfriend, Rylie?”

Ryland shrugged, “I don't know… it seems complicated.” 

“But girls are so pretty!” Colt insisted,

“Boys too, sometimes.” Tom added with a shrug. As he did, his eyes settled on Court, who seemed to suddenly pay extra attention to their conversation.

“I guess?” Colt said, before shrugging, “But like… don't you think you'd like hanging out with people who aren't your brothers?” 

“I like hanging out with Tom.” Ryland mumbled, fidgeting with the fabric of his sweater, a soft blush dusting his cheeks,

Tom straightened in his place, fighting a smile as his own cheeks colored pink,

“Ah, right…” Colt mumbled, seemingly reminded that Tom wasn't, in fact, his brother. At least not biologically or legally anyway.

“You might… when you're older.” Court finally spoke up,

All three looked at the older teen, who seemed somewhat tense,

“Some boys like other boys instead… others like both. Sometimes neither…” his eyes flicker between Tom and Ryland,

“Oh… that's cool I guess.” Colt said, shrugging, 

“It’s not a bad thing.” Court continued, firm in his statement “But sometimes people can be… very mean about it. So you should be careful when you're talking to people, and only tell someone you're absolutely sure you can trust… Just in case.” 

His eyes meet Ryland's with an intensity that makes the youngest sibling tense up in understanding. The words ‘Don't let dad find out’ are clear despite never being spoken out loud. Colt clearly got the message too.

Sensing the heavy air around them, the eldest opened his arms slightly, a small smile on his lips. That was all it took for Ryland to lunge himself at Court, seeking comfort, 

The two other boys stared at them for a few seconds before Court gestured with his head, opening his arms again.

Colt and Tom slotted themselves into the hug, remaining there in silence 

“No matter what… I promise I'll always love you, alright?” Court whispered, and all three nodded.

“I still don't think I need Tom's help to get a girlfriend. “ Colt said, finally breaking the tension.

The next time Court took Ryland to the library, they came back with two books. One of them was about biology for Ryland. The other one was about sex ed, which Court used to give the three of them an extensive lesson in the subject.

It was slightly mortifying for all parties involved, but Court was patient with them and answered any questions they had as best as he could, so it probably could have gone worse.

It started small.

Tom complained (whined, really) about having a hard time with some subjects at school. He'd missed quite a fair bit of the year, being away filming, and the private tutors his parents got him always managed to make things even more confusing than they were before.

Then, Ryland suggested that he could try and tutor Tom while they waited for Colt to finish his judo classes.

Rylie, Tom was certain, was probably the best teacher in the world. Because suddenly, every confusing subject made sense.

Ryland even suggested ways to help him memorize, like using post-it notes. According to Rylie, who was the most credible source of information Tom knew, if you put notes all over the place, and read them whenever you saw them, eventually you'd remember what was written on them without even looking. 

And it actually seemed to be working!

Which only served to prove Tom's aforementioned, very scientific, hypothesis that Riley was the best teacher ever.

He was patient with Tom too, explaining things in a way that made everything clear. He'd go on long tangents about things that made every subject seem not just easy, but interesting. Tom actually wanted to study with Ryland, he actually waited for their tutoring sessions and found himself hoping they'd come faster.

So when he couldn't seem to concentrate on the lessons themselves, it was easy to notice that something was different. Like how he also noticed new things.

At first, it was Rylie's voice. It was a very nice voice, soft but passionate. Then it was the little giggling sounds he made when Tom said something funny. Then he was noticing how pretty Rylie’s eyes were, a darker blue than Tom's own, like the deep sea or some poetic shit like that (Tom wasn't terrible with literature, it was actually one of his best subjects. He liked stories and poems with deep meaning in them, things you'd have to think about to understand). Later, it was wondering how soft Ryland's lips were.

At twelve, Tom already knew some people were attractive, both girls and boys. He'd had a conversation with Court about it, the day after Tom mentioned for the first time he thought boys were sometimes cute too. He hadn't really talked to anyone else about it. Not really. 

He was pretty sure Colt and Ryland knew, on account of them being there for his first comment. He even mentioned it a couple of times since and the twins just nodded along and carried on with the conversation with the same ease as someone talking about the weather.

But Court's instructions to figure out who was safe before talking about it stayed with him. He tried testing the waters with his parents once, making an off-hand remark about a male co-star and how, apparently, he had a husband. His father huffed something under his breath that Tom couldn't hear. His expression spoke loud enough though. His mother tutted, humming dramatically something about ‘a terrible choice for his public image, really’.

Tom never tried again.

Still, he couldn't help but notice when someone was pretty. 

And Ryland was pretty.

It was weird how Colt and Rylie were identical twins, but Tom still thought Rylie was prettier.

Colt was also attractive, sure. Tom wasn't blind. After the hype of the twins being his friends died down in their school, Colt still remained popular in his own right. Had a few girlfriends even. Nothing lasted for very long, but Court reassured them that it was normal for their age.

All that to say that while identical and equally attractive in theory, there was something about Ryland that drew Tom to him in a way Colt never did.

Maybe it was how he was softer, quieter. Or how smart he was. Or how, under that shyness, Ryland hid a sharp tongue and a sharper mind that could come up with the most creative insults Tom had ever heard (He didn't quite understand what "Aiming high on the pH Scale" had meant, but it seemed funny and clever. Court even had to stifle a rare laugh as he chided Rylie for being mean to the girl that tried to get Tom to ditch them so he could hang out with her.)

Regardless, Tom, apparently, liked Ryland. A lot. He like liked Rylie. More than he liked liked anyone else. Ever. 

Which was probably why concentrating on Ryland's words was harder now that he knew.

“Is everything okay?” Rylie asked, drawing Tom out of his daydreaming,

“Wh- Sorry, just got distracted.” he apologized, looking back down to his history textbook,

Ryland nodded slowly “We can stop for today if you want… Court and Colt should be back soon anyway.”

Tom hummed noncommittally, not wanting his time with the other to end, but knowing he was too distracted to actually retain any information.

The decision was made for him when Ryland closed the book and leaned back a bit so he could get a better look at Tom “So… When do you start filming again?”

Tom perked up, tilting his head so he could look at Ryland better too “Next month! I'm playing an alien prince, so I'm pretty sure I'm going to get a badass costume this time!” 

Ryland laughed, “Important.” he added,

“Very.” Tom agreed with exaggerated seriousness “You gotta look cool for the ladies!” he nodded “And gentlemen, too!” he added, trying not to look too obvious when he tried gauging his reaction.

Ryland's smile did… something, and Tom wasn't sure he liked it. “Is there?” he asked quietly,

“What?” he raised an eyebrow,

“A lady?... O…Or a gentleman?” now Ryland wasn't looking at him, the comforter becoming very interesting all of a sudden,

Tom felt himself blushing “Ah. No.”

“Ah.” and Ryland sounded maybe a bit disappointed, or not?

“I mean… not on set anyway!” Tom corrected himself,

“Oh…” Ryland kept looking disappointed for some reason and Tom couldn’t stop himself from babbling for some reason,

“Not at school either! I'm hardly there anyway!” he kept on talking “I'm usually on set, and sure, some of the girls on set were cute, but not really like that. Not for dating that is. And when I'm not there, I just hang with you guys!”

“I'm glad you do… I like spending time with you.” Ryland said quietly and Tom's heart skipped a beat,

“I like hanging out with you too…” he replied, his hand moved before he could think, and now his pinkie was touching Ryland's pinkie and Tom was pretty sure he no longer had control of his mouth “All three of you. But also just you. Not that I don't like hanging out with Colt or Court or anything! Colt is like... my best friend! And Court is like a big brother to me! But you're also my best friend!” He's usually more confident and smooth than this, but something about those blue eyes…

Ryland's finger wrapped around his own and Tom's breath caught in his throat “Thank you… for listening to me talk all the time… I know I can get annoying sometimes…”

Tom gasped indignantly “No you're not! I like listening to you talk! And you're a great tutor, you somehow manage to make everything a lot less boring! You'd make a great teacher for sure! And you're like, super smart! Anyone who doesn't see it is an idiot and their opinions don't matter! I like you, so there!” he declared before he realized what he was actually saying,

Hesitantly, Ryland leaned against him, not making eye contact “I like you too…” he said so quietly that Tom thought it was a miracle he could hear him over his own heartbeat thundering in his ears,

“Do you want to be my boyfriend?” He blurted out, 

Ryland looked up at him in shock, cheeks flushed pink,

“I mean you don't have to! Haha! I know you don’t really get the whole dating thing… I mean… It’s just- I was thinking- But you don't-”

”I'd like that…” came a mumble,

His mind felt like it was rebooting itself “Wh… really?” 

Ryland nodded shyly,

“Even though you don't really… understand dating?” 

“It’s different… with you…”

Tom paused, feeling the heat in his own cheeks. He couldn't help but look away in hopes of finding his usual smooth confidence hidden somewhere in the twins’ bedroom. “It’s… different for me too… with you.” he finally managed to say, though he didn't really feel like he had the right words to explain why.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

They sat there for a moment in a comfortable silence, shoulders touching, pinkies intertwined. 

“Is it okay if I…” Tom started, glancing at Ryland, who looked back at him “Can I kiss you?” he finally asked,

“Yeah… I… I'd like that, yeah.” 

“Cool.”

“Cool…”

A second passes before Tom remembered again what he had asked. Slowly, giving the other enough time to back away, he leaned in closer. Ryland met him halfway, soft, tender and chaste. 

Tom had kissed people before. His first (and second through seventh) kiss was with a fellow child-actress for a scene. He had kissed a few other girls since, and even one boy. 

None of those felt like this one. Not because Ryland was doing anything special. They just had their lips pressed together. He was pretty sure this was Ryland's first kiss (That thought made his stomach flutter with something he couldn't quite place.)

It felt special.

They parted, both trying to decide if they wanted to keep looking into each other's eyes or avert their gazes out of embarrassment,

“‘s nice…” Tom managed to say, 

“I think I liked that too…’ Ryland replied, 

“You think?” Tom tried not to sound nervous about Ryland potentially not liking the kiss, 

“We should… ummm… try again… just to check…” Ryland added “Science… you have to replicate… ummm… the experiments… otherwise it doesn't count…”

A grin spread on Tom's lips “Yeah. Science is important.”

“Very important.” Ryland agreed, unable to stop his own growing smile,

They kissed again.

Science was pretty cool. Tom thought they should do science stuff more often.

He'd been about to repeat the experiment again (because Tom was a serious scientist now), when the door opened abruptly.

They both startled apart, Ryland falling off the bed in his panic.

Colt and Court stood in the doorway, staring at them. Colt looked mostly surprised, gaze shifting between the two of them. Court's face was less readable, though the glances he kept sending towards the hallway looked more like concern than anything else.

Gently, he pushed his younger brother into the room, closing the door after them.

“Were you two kissing?!” Colt stage-whispered as he rushed towards the other two,

Ryland climbed back onto the bed, glasses slightly askew “Colt!” he whined,

“Were you though? No, wait! Are you two dating?” Colt asked, 

Ryland’s high-pitched “Colt!” came at the same time as Tom's giddy “Yeah!”

“Seriously? Since when? Why didn't you tell me? I'm totally cool with it! So cool with it! The coolest!” he turned to Ryland, looking hurt and slightly offended,

“It just happened!” his twin replied defensively,

“Super new!” Tom added proudly,

Colt nodded, mollified. A second later his eyes widened, head snapping towards Tom “Does this mean you're going to get married? Because if you do, that'll make you family! Officially! Brother-in-Law is basically a brother, it’s the law!” 

Tom's eyes widened and both turned to look at Ryland,

“W… we just started dating!” he pointed, red-faced and fidgety. When Tom and Colt's faces fell at that, Ryland let out a soft sigh “It’s not that I don't want to… I just… we're twelve.” he reminded them “No one's going to let us get married.”

“But you want to, right? When we're older? Because I do! I will! Even when I'm like… thirty!” Tom scooted closer to Ryland, taking his hand,

Shyly, Ryland nodded,

“So we'll get married when we're older! I'll get you a ring and everything!” Tom declared,

Colt cheered, throwing himself at the two “Court and I can be your best men!”

“And we'll have lots of yellow flowers for Rylie! And maybe space themed? Or science themed? Are there any science themed yellow flowers?” 

“You need to be more careful.” Court's voice cut through their excited chatter.

All three heads turned at once, looking at the older teen,

He locked eyes with Ryland, staring at him intently for a long moment. When he wilted slightly under his gaze, Court softened finally, making his way to the bed and drawing his youngest brother into a hug “I'm happy for you.” he clarified, placing a soft kiss on top of his head, before opening his arms to allow Tom and Colt to tuck themselves into the embrace as well “I'm just worried. You know how dad is…” He could feel Ryland flinching in his grip, Colt freezing as realization dawned over him, Tom shifting in a mix of confusion and worry.

“I'm sorry…” Ryland whispered into Court's shirt,

He released the three teens, shifting so he could once again lock eyes with his little brother “No need to apologize Rylie… I just want you to be safe. I know he’s not home right now, but even if that’s the case, you have to stay on high alert. Even when you think you’re alone at home.” he said softly, sending a look towards Tom to make sure he was listening as well “And don't do anything in public. It's too dangerous. You never know when someone might be looking.” he added “As far as anyone outside this room is concerned, the two of you are just friends, alright? At least until you're eighteen. Or at least until I'm eighteen. We need a plan in case things go wrong.”

Ryland nodded, tears falling silently down his cheeks. Court wiped them away gently before looking at Tom, who proceeded to nod solemnly as well. Colt followed suit and Court finally let out a sigh of relief. He opened his arms once again and all three jumped back into the embrace.

When Tom kissed Ryland months later in an abandoned section of the park, it was only because in the almost-decade they knew each other, they'd never seen anyone there.

When Ryland happily kissed Tom back months later in an abandoned section of the park, it was only because, statistically speaking, the odds of someone seeing them there were astronomically low.

Later that day, a call would be made from one "concerned parent” to another.

The hospital room was cold but Colt could barely notice. His arm itched under the cast (yellow, like the sun), but he barely noticed that too. The doctor said he was healing quickly and that they'd probably take it off in two weeks at most anyway.

He'd keep the stupid cast on forever if it meant Ryland woke up.

A fresh wave of despair washed over him and Colt couldn't help but sob. He folded into himself, head coming to rest on the bed, Ryland’s unmoving hand brushing against his hair.

“You have to wake up Rylie… You have to.” he begged “Don't leave me… Not you too… I'd do anything… Please …”

The only response he got was the beeping sounds of machinery. 

He wanted Ryland to wake up so he could talk to him about the last book he read. He wanted Court there so he could make everything better like he always did. He wanted Tom to answer the phone so he could come and visit them.

The door opened with a soft creak and a tired looking man stepped into the room. Noticing the crying teen, He made his way towards him, placing an awkward hand on his shoulder.

Colt wiped away his tears as best as he could before looking up, eyes desperate “Did you get a hold of him?”

The man froze for a second before his shoulders sagged a bit “I'm sorry Colt…” he said softly “I… Got a hold of his mother.”

The teen looked up in confusion “What did she say?”

“She… she said Tom wasn't interested in talking…” he said hesitantly, 

A frown formed on Colt's face. That didn't sound like Tom. That didn't make sense. Tom wouldn't. He wouldn't. He was their friend. He was Ryland's boyfriend. He wouldn't just… not be interested. “Did you tell her Rylie's in the hospital?” he insisted “He'd definitely want to come visit! He… We're friends.” 

The man let out a sigh “I told her that too.”

“And…?”

Another sigh “And she told me that he… doesn't have time… for complicated situations.”

Colt's shoulders slumped, an overwhelming feeling of despair crawling its way into his throat and more tears threatened to spill from his eyes. That didn't sound like Tom either. It couldn't sound like Tom.

A pair of arms wrapped around him, awkward but warm and caring,

“Could you try again?” Colt asked, “Maybe she misunderstood you...”

“Colt…”

“Please Uncle Holland! Tom wouldn't leave us like that!” he pulled away, looking up at his recently-discovered uncle,

Letting out another long sigh, Holland placed a hand on his nephew's head “I guess we can try one more time… Maybe Healy would have better luck with it, hmm? He can be very convincing when he wants to be.” 

Colt smiled up at him through his tears and threw himself at the adult, hugging him tightly “Thank you…”

“Of course kid…” the PI mumbled, wrapping his arms around Colt again, though his gaze shifted towards the still form on the hospital bed. 

Colt only buried his face deeper into his uncle’s embrace, trying his best to block out the knowledge that his three brothers were unreachable at that moment, just when he wanted them the most.