Ash turned to Dex, a wide grin spreading at the horrified expression on his face. “Your middle name is Justice?”
Dex shook his head at Sloane. “Why would you do this to me? I thought you loved me.”
“I’m sorry,” Sloane squawked. “It slipped out!”
Ash erupted into full-blown laughter. “That’s the funniest shit I’ve ever heard!” He doubled over, laughing so hard he was soon in tears.
“It’s not that funny,” Dex grumbled, dropping down onto the couch beside Sloane, who drew him into his embrace and attempted to soothe Dex’s epic pouting.
Cael shook his head. He was related to crazy people. Ash was on his knees and holding on to his side as he laughed. Apparently he was also in love with a crazy person. Sloane kissed Dex’s cheek, then his jaw, and whispered something in his ear. Dex appeared to consider whatever it was Sloane had said to him. The lewd smile he gave Sloane had Cael cringing. Ugh, they were going to have sex.
“Good night,” Dex declared. He stood and pulled Sloane with him. “Ash, you’re a douchebag.” With that he marched off, Sloane in tow. Cael waited as Ash continued to laugh. He couldn’t even reply to Dex’s insult.
Maybe Cael should change into his pajamas while the fiercest Therian Defense agent he knew rolled around on the floor laughing like a five-year-old.
“Is this going to take long, because I might go upstairs and change.”
Ash wiped his eyes, his laughter easing up. “Man, I have enough material for at least a year. This is fucking brilliant. Best. Christmas. Ever.”
“It doesn’t take much, does it?” Cael asked, amused by how happy Ash looked. Like a little kid who’d been given a big red fire engine for Christmas.
“To annoy the living daylights out of your brother? No, it doesn’t. This is payback for every time he’s called me Simba, for that fucking puppet, for every smartass remark.” He rubbed his hands together gleefully. “I am going to have a fucking ball with this.”
Cael chuckled and got up. “I’m going to go change.” A thought occurred to him. “I haven’t shown you my room, have I?” Ash had seen his apartment bedroom plenty of times when he crashed at Cael’s, but Cael had never taken him up to his old bedroom.
Ash shook his head and got up off the floor. “Can I see it?”
“Sure.”
Cael beamed at him. He motioned toward the stairs, and Ash accompanied him. Upstairs there were several doors. He pointed to the door at the far end of the hall, away from the others.
“That’s Dad’s room. The room closest to his is mine, across the hall’s the bathroom, and the first room here is Dex’s.”
There was faint moaning coming from Dex’s room.
“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Ash grumbled, grabbing Cael’s wrist and hurrying toward Cael’s bedroom. He walked in and closed the door behind them.
“How can you sleep with them in the next room sexing each other up? I had to sleep in your dad’s freakin’ office Thanksgiving night.”
Cael winced. “Sorry, should have told you about the headphones.”
“Headphones? You were wearing headphones?”
Cael took a seat on the edge of his bed. “Yeah. So was Dad. That’s why we didn’t hear anything. Dex warned us.”
“That fucker. He didn’t warn me.”
Cael couldn’t help his laugh. “Sorry.” He so wasn’t sorry. “I have a spare set you can borrow if you need it.”
Ash flopped down across from him. “I shouldn’t have to sleep with headphones. I can’t believe your dad lets your brother get away with it. It’s not like anyone’s asking him to refrain from having sex for the rest of his life. It’s one fucking night.”
“You’ve known Dex over a year now. When has he ever not gotten away with something? If Dad told Dex no, he’d come up with an elaborate scheme to do it anyway, and believe me, the alternative would most likely be worse.” Cael fell back onto the bed. “Those two are like freakin’ bunnies. All the damn time.” He turned his head to observe Ash, who was taking in the room around him.
Like Dex’s bedroom, their dad had kept Cael’s room how he’d left it when he’d moved out. Unlike Dex, who moved out when he went to college after buying his own house, Cael had stayed home. It wasn’t like he had to go far to get to school. His bedroom furniture, bedding, and carpet were varying shades of gray. A dark gray bookshelf on the far wall contained all his old textbooks and all the books his dad had read to him since he was little. A few toys from his childhood, along with some gadgets, were arranged here and there. Boxes filled with all his baby belongings were stacked neatly in his closet, along with his toys, and later his Little League equipment. Their dad didn’t believe in throwing their childhood belongings away, especially since he’d taught his boys how to appreciate what they had from an early age.
“Who’s this?” Ash got up, walked to the bookshelf, and picked up Cael’s favorite stuffed toy from his childhood.
“Oh, that’s Braveheart Lion.” Man, he’d loved that thing. Still did.