Not too cold yet, isn't it? (Paul)

[Mason McQueen]

Continued from
To Start Things Off

“Dude, you’re the best!” grinned Mason, giving his little brother an exaggerated (read: loud) kiss on the cheek and hugging him close, careful not to spill his hot drink on his sibling. He gave Paul one last pinch on the side before running away and up to their rooms, smiling very much like a loony.

“Oh, and one more thing,” said the man, stopping midway through the stairs, “You wouldn’t mind feeding Chowder too right? Seems he woke up a little later than usual.” And true enough, a medium-sized Chow Chow

[/url] came running down the stairs, happily barking and licking Mason’s hand before continuing its trek down and stopping at Paul’s feet. “Sorry ‘bout that Andrei! Love you bro!”

No, he says he’s not taking advantage of his brother. What made you think that?

-xxx-

And while he left clean-up (and dog-feeding) to his brother, Mason did take the responsibility up for preparing the stuff they need for their lake excursion. Snacks placed in the basket, a pair of towels for drying up, Chowder’s chew toys and a mat should they want to rest.

He insisted on being the one to drive up the lake, since he was the one who proposed it anyway. Lately the man’s been more and more conscious about his overall body figure (starting with that bet Ella made him do) and he’s been thinking of ways to go about having a good lifestyle. And as it was, those self-defense and yoga classes aren’t just enough for the man anymore; he’s decided to take on swimming.

True, he can simply do that in the community pool, but he wants to maximize the lake as long as it’s not cold enough yet. He hasn’t been around it during the summer after all. A few minutes of teasing and laughing around in the car (and constantly telling Chowder to keep his head inside the vehicle), they finally arrived.

“And there he goes,” said Mason, shaking his head as his dog just ran off the moment his car doors opened, “I’m not that active when I was little, am I?” They say dogs sometimes take after their masters and that scared him a bit. Just a bit anyway. He grabbed their stuff from the back of his car, and let his brother find them the perfect spot.

Once settled, he promptly took his shirt off and began stretching. “You aren’t simply going to lie down and work on your tan, aren’t you?” he asked his brother, “Race you to the buoy then?”[/justify][/blockquote][/font]

[Andrei McQueen]

Andrei waved his hand and nodded his head to motion his brother to move up the stairs. He suddenly felt Mason tug him on the side and land a kiss on his cheek. Good thing he didn't turn his head or it would have landed in his lips. On second thought, he could have done so, and excused it as an accident.

He faced the kitchen sink and had his eyes out the window. Why didn't I turn my head? He heard a few mumbles and then a couple of barks. "Wait! What!? but I don'..." Too late, his brother was already half way up the stairs. He looked at the mutt dog looking at him. Who could resist this cute furball? "...okay..."

When he was done cleaning up the mess, he moved upstairs and packed a few more things; a book he was currently reading (Crescendo), his earphones, and a few extra clothes. He would have packed half the house, just like how mum did when they were little when went to the beach, but they were under time constrain, especially when his brother was jumping around and rushing.

-xox-

It was a sight to watch Mason drive to the lake. He would have insisted on driving, but his brother was always the better driver. They were laughing and teasing, he only hoped the teasing would be something different, though. Even if he has his earphones on, he could still hear Mason's voice ordering Chowder to keep his head in the car. (No, Paul wasn't mentally chanting Chowder to jump off the window. What gave you that idea?)

When they finally arrived, he stretched his arms out and watched Chowder run off. No, he wasn't wishing the dog to get lost. He doesn't dislike the Chowder. Maybe a bit jealous whenever Chowder was resting between Mason's legs. He couldn't resist the ball of fur.

When he finally rested on a spot and opened the book, he heard his brother mock his skin tone. He just looked up with a raised brow, but then he saw Mason undress and have his jaw slightly drop instead. Paul took off his shirt too and realized , it was his brother he was with. It wasn't like he was thinking he was in a porn scene or something.

He heard his brother dare him on a race. He watched Mason run to the lake. Paul took off and ran after the man. There is nothing wrong with a little ass slap, right? "What do I get if I win?" He said as he was ahead of his brother.

Who would get to the buoy first?

I'm curious with what might happen next. hahahhahahha
-bee-

[Mason McQueen]

“Yo! You’re not answering my question!” whined Mason as he locked his car and watch Chowder happy play in the water. Seems the lake isn’t so cold yet after all (Chowder hates the cold water; the puppy’s a diva and would only take a bath with hot water). He gave his little brother a playful bop in the head and ruffled his hair, before idly wrapping his arms over his shoulders as they walked over the spot Andrei chose. “I know Tim was a headache. Or at least according to Lois. Was he really?” With an eleven/twelve-year difference between them, Mason hadn’t had a chance to watch their littlest brother grow. Tim was only three when he was whisked off to Eisai (then to Hammel) after all. Which is probably why he’s all for spoiling that littlest brother of his whenever he’s around. “I told him to visit us soon (since we’re both in one place now and it’s easier) but he said something about being stuck with his studies. Have you talked to him lately?”

Mason really wasn’t the person to go stretching before doing any physical activity, but thanks to a mishap that happened in one of Josef’s training sessions, well, he’s learned his lesson. Cramps are never to be underestimated, as it was. “’Drei, have you met Sam yet anyway?” he said out of the blue, remembering that particularly disturbing conversation he had about Sam trying to sleep with his brother to get even, “I know you’ve met Flo and Levi before, since they both live here and all that, but Sam’s kind of a drifter.” Introducing them after a threat like that from the probability manipulator might not be the best course of action, but the man figures that it’d be better for him to introduce them than have them meet in a bar. At least Paul would know who to stay away from.

Having his butt slapped then be overtaken by his supposedly tanning brother is so not his plan. “Hey! Wait up! Unfair!” he laughed, flailing his arms behind the man-pixie. Within seconds he’s in the lake and boy was it cold. “I’d be your slave for a week!” shouted Mason, hoping it’d distract his brother enough to let him get the lead, “You’re basically chore free and all that. Same goes for me though.”

“To the buoy and back?”

He’s not going to lose, right?

ooc:
This took soooooooooo long. Apologies Bee. </3.
- Jam

[Andrei McQueen]

Paul wasn't able to finish the line in the book he was reading when he was asked about Tim "Yeah! Uhmm.. I think it was last week. We had a little chat on facebook but then work got a little busy." Tim was the youngest of the McQueen siblings, a bit of a handful but in a cute adorable way. He talked to him about visiting but school was busy. Paul wasn't sure if that was the real reason or was it just an excuse dad told him so he'd stay away from his gay brother. It wasn't really a thought he wanted to assume but his over-thinking got the best of him.

"Yeah, Levi and Flo had been fun when I first met them. I wonder when I'd see them again." Paul had only met them once, and it was only when Mason introduced him to them. It would have been not a good start lest Mason wasn't there. Good thing he was.

"Sam? Uhmm. Idunno.. Should I?" He heard the name with a slight concern from Mason's voice. If this sam guy was the stalker kind of guy, then he guessed he wouldn't show himself to Paul. He didn't know any guy named Sam, so, he guessed it wasn't a good idea to know one either. He thinks.

The cold breeze, the beautiful sun, the peaceful and the constant asking of his brother was distracting him from his book, so he laid it on the side and just took everything in.

A slave? Mason has been knowing the words that would make Paul's mind fly off to its little world. It would have been a great reward until he heard him add "free of chores" on the conversation. His bubble of fantasies just popped and he lost his footing and slipped a bit, giving his brother the lead. It was soo much of an error on his part, he wasn't able to gain the lead. He just took his time and enjoyed the swim instead. It was the last bit of freedom he has from now till next week. Well, being a slave didn't have much of a difference from how he naturally was, he was always used to say yes to anything.

He walked out the lake and saw the grinning man with his arms crossed. "What is Master Mason's first orders?"

What would his brother make him do first?

[Mason McQueen]

A sudden rush of disappointment washed over Mason when he heard what Paul said about Tim, a frown replacing his smile and his shoulders visibly dropping. “You serious? That sucks,” he muttered with a sigh. It’s been long since he’s met his little brother (Tim was somewhere around the world taking an IB course and has just recently transferred to a US university last year) and was really looking forward for at least a weekend with him. Bro-bonding, he says. “Well, if he’s too busy to come here, maybe we can just fly over there?” mused the man, idly rubbing the back of his head, “For Thanksgiving, I mean. Surely he has no exams or plans yet for that day, right?”

“Well you can join me during my Tuesday yoga classes. Levi and Flo are there.” Funny how the whole thing happened anyway. He could remember still Levi’s reluctance and his frequent disasters when they first started. “Or if you’re busy, Wednesday’s self-defence classes with Josef, Levi and Sam. Though personally, I think you’d like the latter better since Josef always says that Wednesdays are the oddball since it’s the only day when his class is a sausage fest. Sweaty, grunting men are always better than sweaty, grunting women right?” teased Mason, laughing as he nudged his brother’s side with his elbow playfully.

Heaven knows he didn’t expect to be this active when he first moved in with his brother a year ago.

“Well, I think you should. He’s my best friend after all.” Sam was the guy who helped him have fun during high school, but also dragged him into so many mishaps that it’s a miracle Mason still got graduated relatively unscathed. “Just be careful around him. He’s a total sweet talker and can make odds go to his favour, if you know what I mean.” And while that power of his usually backfires on them since Sam was relatively untrained back then, a good chunk of their impossible escapes happened thanks to that sporadic ability too. “I’m only immune since I’ve seen Sam’s everything from the very beginning. Totally unimpressive.” Oh how his best friend would kill him for saying that.

While Mason’s pretty confident of his swimming abilities (he can’t finish first should a competition happen, but he knows he can hold his ground), considering how much of a head start Andrei had, he was pretty much set that he’ll lose. But then his plan worked and though brotherly instincts say that he should stop and make sure his little brother’s good, he still went on and pushed for the buoy, giving Paul a simple nod of sympathy before diving into the lake.

And besides, Paul’s already a grown man. He could totally take care of himself.

He felt so good when he finished first really. He stood there, legs apart and arms crossed, with a smug grin on his face, Chowder barking playfully at Paul when he surfaced. “Well, my first order would be, hrm, to simply enjoy yourself at the moment. The hard chores will come when we go home.” He gave Paul a pat on the shoulder before moving on to their mat and grabbing a pair of water bottles. “Do you have any plans for this weekend? I think I did earlier, but apparently they were lost on our way here,” said Mason, throwing a bottle to his brother as he opened one for himself.

[Andrei McQueen]

"I guess..." Paul wasn't sure about the trip to Tim. It would be nice to be around family during thanksgiving, but he was more concerned about the expenses and the place. Tim would be in a dorm and there wouldn't be a real homey place to stay when they visit him. "...maybe we could buy him a ticket going here, or something." It would be much cheaper and the house was more comfortable than renting wherever Tim was. "We'll plan it. Besides, Thanksgiving is still a month away." They are two fully employed adults. Yes, they have the money to go around the country, but it's always better to plan things out first.

Hmmm. Paul wasn't sure how to react to Mason's invites. He wasn't sure which one was better-- sweaty eye candies or hot body contact. He was giving it a serious thought until Mason started laughing. "Lets go to the yoga class instead." It would be nice to work on his flexibility and have some fun to embarrass Mason in front of a lot of girls. Who doesn't want to embarrass their brother?

Everything. Not that impressive. The words swam around his mind for more than it should. Was his brother doing something with Sam, he should know? "I think you should plan a little meeting with this Sam." Paul thinks he shouldn't expect anything big from Sam anymore. His brother already let it out.

---

Paul caught the bottle and continued to walk to the mat. He placed the bottle outside the square cloth and laid flat on the mat. "As you wish." Paul was a little more tired than he expected. The swim depleted much of his energy than he expected; and his back pain wasn't helping either. He crossed his arms and laid his head on them "No, I'm free till tomorrow. What do you have in mind?"

Oh, how Paul wished the man he was with wasn't his brother.

[Mason McQueen]

Didn’t Paul just tell me earlier that Tim told him he’s busy and stuff last week? So why’s he talking about getting Tim to fly here for Thanksgiving then? I thought-?

For a moment there, Mason was confused. Then it hit him (after a good minute or so) that his brother said a different thing entirely. “God I’m so stupid,” laughed the man, shaking his head, “Never mind what I told you. I mean, I thought you said he couldn’t fly over.” Which is why he suggested they fly over instead. He is with his brother with the whole more-expensive-to-fly-two-men-than-have-one-fly-over idea. Not all hotels have kitchens and for those inns who do, well, they still have to buy supplies for their Thanksgiving dinner. At least in Andrei’s place everything (or at least almost everything) is there already. “Wonder how Tim looks like now. Dad say he’s taller than him when he left to enrol in an IB course in Australia.” Not that their father’s that tall in the first place anyway.

Mason’s laughter died down and was replaced with a look of suspicion. “You’re turning down the chance to be with sweaty guys (sometimes in various states of undress)?” asked the man, eyeing his little brother and trying not to let a smile break from his supposed serious stare. “I didn’t accidentally inhale a handful of your dust right?” He’s already tried it once (mostly because he wants to know how it feels like), and while it feels oddly fun, he’s not in the mood to try it again.

Then he remembers who was in his yoga class and how much embarrassment ammo Flo has with him. “You’re a sneaky bastard you know that?” he laughed, rolling his eyes, “Nope. Self-defence class for us. No yoga. At least none until I get enough blackmail material on you that you’d be scared to ask Flo.” Never mind that Levi and Sam were in his self-defence classes too.

“Want to meet him? Well, maybe we can invite him over for dinner some time,” Mason shrugged. He’s not opposed to a little visit from Sam anyway. Hopefully the man won’t feel weird being invited for no other reason than for his brother to meet him. “You’re the one cooking though.”

-xxx-

Mason saw the inklings of fatigue on his brother’s face and promptly scooted over, tapping his side to make him turn over. “My bad. I forgot you’re such a fattie now,” he teased, “I learned this helpful massage in yoga. It’ll help ease the pain.” He playfully ruffled his brothers hair as he began working on Paul’s shoulders.

“I actually don’t know. I mean, I finished grading all the papers I need to grade, and it’s too early to start on my next lesson. Probably just sleep all day then.”

Talk about lazy.

ooc:
Sorry. Late. >.<
- Jam

[Andrei McQueen]

Paul was still faced down, feeling more comfortable than ever. Mason was relieving his tired muscles and it was great. Every now and then, Paul would have forgotten that the man above him was his brother and he'd get a little stiffy between his legs. They're brothers, Paul knows Mason wouldn't mind. He thinks.

He recalled the conversations they had before the swim. The two of them do have the whole day to themselves and talking about multiple things at once might seem stressful.

"It would be really nice to have Tim around." Paul laid his eyes over his arms and tried to remember how simple everything were when they were little. It sucks how things change, how separated they were when the two of them discovered their powers. Sometimes, Paul even wonders why him and his brothers have non-related abilities. He's still thankful though, because he wouldn't be here now if it weren't because of it.

"What do you remember about Tim?" It's been long. Really long. Years since Paul saw his parents. Even after these years, Paul can still feel the mum and dad being reluctant of his orientation. He doesn't mind. He still loves them.

[Mason McQueen]

“Not much when we were kids. He was just a little cute baby when I left for Eisai, right?” Mason chuckled as he continued working on his brother’s shoulders, “Little kids all look the same after all. Stubby legs, fat arms and that sometimes cute, sometimes irritating babble.” He did look after their little brother from time to time back then, but his role in the house was more along the lines of running for errands along the house, like buying onions and other spices or helping their father fix the leak in the roof. Taking care of their two younger brothers mostly fell on Lois. Talk about stereotypical gender roles.

But he did go home after graduating. Visited a few times with Angela even. And the whole family was complete for their wedding. So he did have a few things on Tim. “All I know is that Tim got all the good genes in the family,” said Mason, “Mom’s nose, Dad’s cheekbones, your eyes, Lois’s jaw. Possibly why he turned into such a womanizer.” To be clear though, Mason’s using the term very lightly, meaning it to denote his brother’s confidence in himself and ease in talking to girls than the whole douchebag jerkface attitude. Though from what he’s heard from Lois, he’s supposedly turning into that direction as of late.

“Feeling better now dude?” he asked as he gave his brother’s back one last thwack, “Ready to head home?”

ooc:
Sorry if it's late. Should we start wrapping up though?
-Jam