No Best Friend Like Your Brother
I know I have been slacking on my fanfic, but I'm working on it, I swear! Anyway, here is some wholesome Christmas fluff to make up for it. Merry Christmas, Everyone!
Finally, the last show of the night was over.
Scott let out a dramatic sigh and flopped onto the little twin bed in he and Jamie's dressing room on his back, glaring at the disgusting ceiling. Christmas was always the worst. The twins were still expected to put on a show, knowing good and well that they wouldn't be getting anything out of it. They never got paid for the work they did for Uncle Don, not even on Christmas, and the only Christmas presents they got were new cheap shirts to wear for the special Christmas show. The red one was for Scott, and green for Jamie, and they were just as itchy, hot, and uncomfortable as the black button up shirts they wore the rest of the year, but Scott figured it was better than being forced to dress up like elves or wear reindeer antlers and blinking red noses.
He turned his head when Jamie entered the room. His brother had been hiding something from him all day, and Scott was getting fed up with it. He hated when Jamie put up walls and kept secrets from him. They were supposed to know everything about each other.
Jamie took a seat on the bed beside his brother and sighed. “Merry Christmas to us, I guess.”
Scott folded his hands behind his head, returning his gaze to the ceiling. “Yup. Another miserable Christmas, just like the last one.”
Jamie lay down, his head on his brother's shoulder. “It's not so bad, Scott. At least we have each other.”
Scott smiled faintly. “Yeah.”
“When we become famous, we'll have the best Christmas ever. We can have a party and invite all of our friends--”
Scott gave his brother a confused look. “What friends?”
“When we're famous, everyone will be our friend.”
Scott chuckled. “That's too many people in one place. How about we just spend Christmas with our family?”
“What family?”
“Each other.”
Jamie smiled. He opened his mouth to speak, but the door slamming opened interrupted him. Uncle Don never knocked.
Uncle Don poked his ugly fat head into the room, and the boys sat up. “We've got a very important Christmas party to attend, so you two will just have to walk home.”
“Walk?” Scott demanded, getting to his feet. “It's freezing cold out there!”
Uncle Don waved a hand. “Then take the bus.”
“The busses don't run this late on Christmas!”
“Oh, stop whining. It's not like its snowing.”
“But it's below freezing. All we have are our hoodies. We'll get sick.”
“There's cold medicine at home. I suggest you get going.” With that, Uncle Don turned and left the room, leaving the two boys standing alone.
“Fuck you,” Scott hissed under his breath. He took his brother's hand. “Come on, Jamie. Let's go home.”
Uncle Don was already starting the car and driving away when the twins emerged from the theater and began the long trek home in the cold.
“I hope they get in a wreck,” Scott cursed their guardians.
“Scott...”
The older of the twins sighed and pulled his brother closer, protecting him from the cold as best he could. “Sorry.”
Holding on to each other, they continued walking through the city, the bright glare of neon lighting their path.
“Wow! You guys are twins, aren't you?” a male voice asked in surprise.
The two freezing teenagers turned their gazes on the man. He was dark skinned and carrying a sketch book.
“No, we're cousins,” Scott grumbled sarcastically.
Apparently not noticing the venom in his tone, the man went on. “You kids look cold. Why don't we stop by my sister's place and warm up? She can cook you up something warm and delicious, and I can draw you one of my special portraits.”
“We don't have any money,” Scott admitted.
“No problem, it's Christmas. Consider it a gift.”
The boys exchanged glances.
“What do you think?” Scott asked his brother. They were only about halfway home, and Scott could barely feel his fingers.
“I'm cold, Scott. And hungry. It'll be okay, right?”
Scott smiled faintly. “Of course it will.” If anything went awry, they always had their powers to fall back on, if they had to. He looked back at the man. “Well, if you're sure.”
He nodded eagerly. “No problem at all. Just follow me.”
The man led the way, the twins following closely, until they reached a small apartment above a restaurant that was closed. He led them up the stairs and into the apartment. It was small but cozy and very warm.
“Elmer!” a woman exclaimed, running to the man and pulling him into a hug. She had dark skin just like the man, and it was obvious that they were related.
He hugged her back. “I'm alright, Leah.”
She pulled away to look at him and smiled. “I know, but you know I worry.”
“Well don't. By the way, I brought guests.”
She turned her gaze to the boys, her eyes growing wide. “You brought twins!”
Scott and Jamie exchanged glances.
Leah smiled and offered a hand. “I'm Leah. Elmer and I are twins too. Fraternal.”
Scott shook the hand first. “I'm Scott, and this is my brother Jamie. We're twins. Identical, in case you couldn't tell.”
She shook Jamie's hand. “Ooh, you boys are freezing. Let me make you some hot cocoa while you warm yourselves by the fire. It's not a real fire place, of course, but it does let off a lot of heat. Go on, warm up. I'll make your cocoa.”
The boys shrugged and went to sit on the couch in front of the fake fire place. It really did let off a lot of heat. Elmer took a seat in a nearby recliner and took out his sketch book. He began to draw, looking up at the boys occasionally.
As they talked and warmed up while Elmer worked on his art, Leah came into the room with two Christmas mugs of hot cocoa and handed one to each boy, asking “you will stay and eat, won't you?”
Both boys took a sip at the same time, the creamy deliciousness filling their mouths and stomachs, the sweet scent of chocolate pleasing their nostrils. They gave her a big smile and nodded.
“Yes, please,” Jamie gushed. “This chocolate is delicious.”
Scott nodded. “If you don't mind.”
Leah waved away their concerns. “Of course not. But after we eat, you boys need to tell me where you came from and what you're doing walking all alone in the cold like this! You'll get sick.” She didn't wait for a response and turned to go back into the kitchen.
Jamie and Scott exchanged glances and took another simultaneous sip of their cocoa, trading smiles. It brought a smile to Elmer's face while he drew as well.
“We can help with the clean up or something,” Scott offered as the four of them ate.
“Nonsense,” Leah fussed. “You boys don't need to worry about that. Just tell me what you're doing out there all alone. Please. Don't you have any parents?”
Jamie and Scott hesitated.
“How much should we tell her?” Jamie wondered.
Scott bit down on his bottom lip. “I don't know. She seems trustworthy, right?”
“Yeah. I think so anyway.”
“Boys?” Leah demanded.
“We actually don't have parents,” Scott finally answered. “Not real ones anyway.”
“We live with our foster parents,” Jamie explained.
“Yeah, and we do this show every night. It's like a magic show.”
“That's where we're coming from.”
“Your foster parents couldn't take you home?” Leah asked in shock.
Scott shook his head. “They had to go to a very important Christmas party.”
“What party could be more important than you kids?” She seemed horrified.
The twins just shrugged.
“How did those sorry excuses for foster parents end up with you kids anyway?” Elmer demanded.
“Ask the foster system,” was the only response that Scott could come up with.
“Terrible. Absolutely terrible,” Leah fussed.
The twins stayed a little while after eating, talking while Elmer finished his picture.
“You can stay the night here, if you'd like,” Leah offered.
Scott shook his head. “We can't. Uncle Don will be really mad if we aren't home.”
She sighed but didn't argue. “I wish we could give you a ride or something, but we don't have a car right now.”
“It's no problem. You've been nicer to us than pretty much everyone,” Jamie joked, but his eyes told the other set of twins that he wasn't actually joking.
“Let me get you a frame, and you can take your picture home with you,” Elmer said with a sad smile. He left the twins in the room with Leah and disappeared.
“You'll love it. Elmer is an amazing artist,” Leah assured them.
“Thank you for everything tonight,” Scott said quietly. “You and your brother have been really nice to us.”
“Of course. You boys are more than welcome to come and visit us anytime. We'll have cocoa and a nice meal in the winter and lemonade in the summer."
Elmer returned then with a large frame and handed it to Scott and Jamie. “Here you go. A little memento for Christmas.”
The boys looked at their gift and broke into identical smiles. It was well drawn, a simple picture of them sitting together, each with a cup of cocoa in their hands and smiling as they talked and laughed. It was almost like a photograph, and the memories that would be forever attached to it were even better.
“Thank you so much,” Jamie and Scott said in unison, giving Elmer a hug, then Leah.
“No problem, Boys,” Elmer replied, hugging them back.
“It's been a pleasure having you around,” Leah agreed, also returning their hugs.
They said their final goodbyes, and Elmer and Leah saw the two boys off before returning to the apartment.
“There's something very unusual about those kids,” Elmer noted as he watched their silhouettes vanish into the foggy night from their apartment window.
Leah nodded in agreement. “It's almost like they could actually read each other's minds.”
Scott hung he and Jamie's new Christmas gift on the wall and took a step back to admire it. The likeness was stunning, and the art was beautiful. It was definitely the best gift they had received this year.
“It looks just like us,” Jamie noted.
Scott nodded. “It does.” He looked at his brother. “Now out with it.”
Jamie looked surprised, his cheeks a pale pink. “Huh?”
“What's the big secret? I know you've been keeping something from me all day. So what is it?”
Jamie shifted uncomfortably in his spot. “It's stupid really. I just wanted you to have something really nice for Christmas this year.”
Scott eyed his brother suspiciously. “Like?”
Jamie turned and walked over to the desk in their room, opening the broken drawer very carefully, in an attempt not to unhinge it again. He took out a box and, with blush on his cheeks, walked back over and handed it to his brother, avoiding his gaze.
Scott took the box, eyes on his brother. “What is it?”
“Open it.”
Still eyeing him suspiciously, Scott opened the box. He looked down. Inside, laying on a lovely red velvet bedding, was a silver open faced watch with gold accents. He looked at his brother with wide eyes. “Where did you get this?”
The younger twin shrugged sheepishly. “I saved up.”
“I love it, Jamie, but...”
“But what?”
Scott broke into a grin. “I feel like a terrible brother.”
“Why?”
“Because the watch I bought you for our birthday wasn't nearly this nice.”
Jamie laughed. “I had to one up you somehow, right?”
Scott chuckled and took the beautiful piece of jewelry from the box, putting it on his wrist and clasping it. “I love it. Thanks, Jamie. Unfortunately, what I got you isn't nearly as nice.”
“You got me something?”
“Of course I did. You know I'd never forget my brother.”
“Then where is it?”
“A little impatient, aren't we?”
Jamie shrugged sheepishly. How had Scott hidden his gift so well? And the thoughts about it? He was so much better at everything.
Scott lay down on the bed they shared on his stomach and reached under the pillow. He felt around between the headboard and mattress until he produced a small box and sat up again.
Jamie made a face. “I feel like that should have been completely obvious.”
With a grin, Scott tossed the box at him. “Just open it.”
Jamie caught the tiny box and opened it. Inside was a leather bracelet with a silver plate tied onto it, similar to a medical bracelet. The carving in the metal said ‘there is no best friend like your brother and no better soulmate than your twin.’ He looked at his brother and smiled as his eyes began to sting.
“Okay, don't get all teary-eyed on me,” Scott huffed, looking away as he blushed. “It's just a cheap bracelet that I bought on sale.”
Jamie took out the bracelet to inspect it and held it out to his brother. “Can you put it on me?”
“Yeah, sure,” his brother mumbled. He tied the bracelet around his wrist, adjusting it to fit.
Jamie looked it over and then sat down on the bed next to Scott. After a moment, he hugged him tightly and quietly said “thank you, Scott. I love it. I'll wear it forever.”
Scott shrugged and hugged his brother back. “Until it breaks is fine.”
Jamie laughed softly. “Yeah. Hey, Scott?”
Scott hummed in response.
Jamie looked up at his brother. “Merry Christmas.”
Scott smiled and looked back at his twin. “Merry Christmas, Jamie. Thanks for spending it with me.”
“I'll be here next year too. And the year after that. And the year after that.”
Scott laughed and covered his brother's mouth. “Yeah, I get it.”
Jamie pulled his brother's hand away, grinning. “Hey, Scott?”
“What?”
“I love you.”
“Shut up and go to bed.” Scott turned off the lamp on their bedside table and crawled under the covers with his brother, who laid his head on his shoulder. “By the way, Jamie.”
“Mmm?”
“I love you too. Merry Christmas.”
Jamie yawned and snuggled closer to his brother. “Merry Christmas, Scott. Goodnight.”
