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The glare of the sun blurred against Kevin's narrowed eyes, beads of sweat dripping down his furrowed brows. His thin lips pressed together, sealed shut with discomfort from a light so invasive and scalding. Walking down the street he hadn't a clue how he looked, stumbling around the pavement with glossy eyes darting around so as to dry them. With a deep inhale he ran fingers against the nape of his neck and throughout fluffy locks of hair, the strands stretching longer than anticipated- right, the haircut he'd most recently gone for, he'd grown the back considerably longer than before. A sliver of solace.
Surroundings blurred in his lack of care, sun-smudged trees, cross lights, and cars. It was only natural the ever-present overcast would part upon the day he'd least prefer something creep upon him in the mocking passion he so lacked. Kevin gave a sigh, and quickened steps of his long legs, practically burning within his trousers at this rate. David's flat was nearly a block away, he reminded himself- and well-cooled. The street so happened to be clear, and Kevin scrambled across the asphalt, his first break of the day; what came next, he wondered, following lines of Victorian-era lots well run-down and decrepit.
Crumbling masses of taupe and brick lined the city blocks, soon enough Kevin stumbled upon that which happened to house David, and made way to scramble up a stairwell of clanking steps and a metal rail aching his hand. A singular story was enough before he could enjoy the overhead awning's shade, a thing he was much grateful for in all of its gaudy green glory. Entryway replicas flashed by until Kevin stopped upon the path, by heart deciding a full stop before his hand quivered in his trouser pocket, fishing for a spare key of David's he'd kept for the longest time.
This morning he'd rang David before tea, claiming he was unwell, and then chalked it up to the fact. By now that was already a few letdowns ago.
In the lock he twisted the key, hands trembling against the handle and the door's latch. It creaked open beneath the pressure and he stepped inside.
"Hey Dave," Kevin called, gently shutting shut the door beside him, now behind, and blindly twisted the lock until he heard it click. His glance at the front room met him with his older brother, sat atop the settee. And . . . "Hi Danny."
Kevin bit down upon his bottom lip, flashing a timid smile at the two leaving one another's embrace. Not so much what he anticipated…though the drawn curtains obscuring all a sign of light provided him some sort of comfort, at least.
Lanky arms pushed David up, and he stood from the settee, apparent to be lured by the overcast brought upon the lot by Kevin's presence, and dove in for an embrace. Kevin felt tears promptly well up in his eyes, and returned his brother's hug in clinging desperation, head leant the slightest over his shoulder; Kevin always has been the taller one, after all. Though his boyish face made it comically apparent he was the younger of the two, even as his youthful features were overcome with tears and distress, and Daniel watched in silence from across the room.
"Thank you, Dave," Kevin murmured, slow to pull back and let his arms fall back to his sides.
David only gave a nod, along a gaze softened at the edges, typically blue and harsh the rare times it was uncovered, but his sunglasses were off, after all not a hint of sunlight could slip through. "You can have a seat if you'd like, Kev." David gestured a hand toward the settee, and Daniel sat upon it with a sheepish smile. How comfortable he was with the two, though this time he seemed fearful to interrupt something between the siblings.
Kevin gave a slow nod, followed by steps trailing his brother, and a seat in between David and Daniel. His hands rest in his lap, and long legs pressed together in focus much so inward.
"Would you like to tell me anything?…" David offered.
Kevin took in a breath, a hiss, and shook his head, lips pressed flatly together.
"That's all right," Daniel said. The look David gave him said he'd beaten him to it. Daniel shrugged and slung an arm around Kevin, leaving him comfortably sandwiched between his older brother and his best friend, not too warm along their body heat in a room properly air-conditioned.
Kevin let his head fall to rest on Daniel's steadily rising chest, clumps of fluffy hair bunching up at their corners against the polka-dotted cotton of Daniel's shirt. Long fingers glided through these. A gentle rhythm pounded in Kevin's ear. He could only hope his own heart would follow its beat.
Daniel watched Kevin over, eyes closed, resting upon him. He gave a glance back to David, met with the preoccupied intentness of eyes that have never left Daniel, nor each one of his gentle acts toward Kevin, simply scanning. To make certain that his younger brother was treated well when in need, Daniel presumed. The two exchanged a silent glance, making David's concern much apparent, though he'd hesitate not even a word the moment someone had Kevin mistreated. Something seemed to convey that Daniel was the same way.
The longer half of Kevin's hair had an immense softness, and Daniel expressed his attempt at comfort in loving caresses. How delicate his long fingers and sizable hands suddenly became in Kevin's hair. The gentle face it framed puffed at its corners, lips the slightest scrunched together in a glossy-eyed pout. Kevin sniffled, doing his best to contain himself, even if the two at his side were content with otherwise.
In stopping by he figured he'd go for a one-on-one distraction with his older brother, maybe have a smoke or something similarly distracting, but to have someone so beloved on either side was a pleasant surprise, overwhelmingly so. Still he took breaths chopped by poorly obscured tears. Daniel frowned.
"I'm so sorry, Kev," he murmured, "you should've said something before now, like, you haven't got to keep this to yourself…"
Kevin only gave a deep inhale, exhale, and then his arms encircled Daniel's neck. The beat of Daniel's heart sped up against Kevin's skin, sharing solace with one another so like the times when it by nature fell into Kevin's hands, the responsibility to cheer up his best friend in need, or to mediate conflict between said best friend and his brother- both of the people at his side, the only ones in the world as far as the world concerned him in this moment.
David's loving touch always helped to clear Kevin's mind, now Daniel's seemed to cloud it, even if in a way he'd prefer rather than what his mind this day had bestowed upon him. His eyes were wide with glittering uncertainty, and he had a frown which Daniel pressed his lips against.
Kevin's brow furrowed, but he didn't pull back, nor did he push Daniel away as he tilted his head and shut his teary eyes. Daniel's pout encapsulated his own thin lips in soft clicks, in gentle echoes which didn't even cross the room. Trembling lips disrupted not a thing, so slowly Daniel's lips moved against Kevin's that faltered in the hesitation of kissing a dear school friend, who happened to share incredible intimacy with another, sitting right at their side. He hadn't forgotten the ever-often embraces, hands on the waist, quick pecks on the lips, and whispers of words he couldn't hear, which Daniel and David so recently happened to share. Nonetheless, the delicateness embraced him fully, and Kevin's gentle features, tense, softened.
Tears and their taste washed away in hints of tobacco smoke and something cherry-flavoured, the sweetness pulling his lips into a smile that happened to be rare today. He could feel Daniel's lips curve all the same, and breath likely to be the poor attempt to conceal a laugh. Fingers trailed from the nape of Kevin's neck to his jawline, soft and slim so like his other features Daniel so loved. Then the two parted, Kevin's scrunched-shut eyes, lashes pressing flatly on his cheeks, eased open for a heartful glance to his friend. Then his eyes fell downward, to his hand which David held with a grounding pressure.
"Thank you," he heard David murmur, leant over and promptly punctuating his words to Daniel with a kiss. He had wondered what David might think, after all.
Truly much too tired to do so much as even shrug it off, Kevin only blinked.
Daniel's brow furrowed, those things he'd shaped into an upturned point, and his chest rose with heavy breath as his eyes darted between both brothers. David, much right of him, kept a small smile plastered upon his very thin lips, watching over his brother intently with those eyes that could paralyse.
Said brother, Kevin, rest with blinked away tears and laboured attempts to compose himself. Daniel had an arm wrapped around both. How endearing Kevin found it to be, the attempt of equal treatment, when he was well aware Daniel had some sort of shared, immense love for David. Daniel's actions this day had spoken loudly enough so as to say he had for Kevin, too.
To say Kevin didn't return that to even the faintest degree would be a lie.
"Do you feel all right now?" Daniel whispered, and cut through a long, introspective silence.
"Well…" Kevin spoke lowly, in a hoarse search for words, and gave a glance between his dear sibling at his side and his best friend at the other. He could only frown, with fear to seem ungrateful. "Not really, but…"
Kevin's words tapered off, and a gentle smile forming upon Daniel's lips put them to a full stop. "That's all right, Kev. I'll be here for you until you do."
David gave a nod at Daniel's words, and a squeeze of his brother's hand. "We both will."