The thump of the rain outside was the only noise that could be heard from the inside of the kitchen. Ania walked back and forth between the dining table and the kitchen sink in fidgeted moves. Zen squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, whilst Ian picked at his mash potato with a sulk. Zen figured he and his mother were the only ones sitting in tense silence as Ian seemed miles away.

`So Ian how was school?' Zen flinched at the question and resisted the urge to glare at his mother. Not because today was different from any other school day, but when she asked the question Ian and her would start fighting. Funnily enough Ian just shrugged his shoulders and stuck a green bean into his mouth chewing it softly.

"Zen how about you?" She asked, it was as if she filling their silence with useless words. He decided to play along after all he was his mother's son.

"It's good. Kind of stressed about the Economics exam but it'll be fine," he rambled. Ania nodded her head and started to wipe down the kitchen counters with a wet rag.

"You can ask me for any help Zen you know that," she said. Zen snorted loudly which made Ian look up. His mother turned around glaring at Zen, "Excuse me?" She said.

Zen felt himself blush and ducked his head down, playing with his fork, "Sorry nothing," he mumbled. He felt her gaze on him but she finally looked away.

"Are you boys finished?" Ian stood up as his answer and Zen mumbled a yes, "Well get to bed," Zen bid his mother a good-bye and followed Ian up the stairs to the second landing.

Once up on the second landing Ian turned around and looked at Zen," Come to my room later yeah?" He asked. Zen nodded numbly and brushed past his step-brother to go the bathroom. He locked the door and slid down it as he sighed deeply as if he were having a nervous-panic attack.

Question whirred around in Zen's head as he tried to figure out what Ian was playing at. He knew all too well and he knew how much his step-brother liked to play games with people. Despite living in the same house as each other Zen knew he was just another person for Ian to play with. Getting up floor he stepped in front of the sink and turned on the cold tap, splashing his face with the refreshing water. Turning the tap off he picked up the hand towel and dried his face and placed it back in its holder.

Felling marginally better Zen unlocked the door, shut the light and walked towards Ian's room and gave the door a quick knock before entering the room. He closed the door behind him and almost shrieked like a girl, the room was in shadows except a little floor lamp that illuminated some yellow around the room so Zen could find his way through the carpeted mess. The reason why Zen's heart was beating at a rapid rate was the mere fact that Ian was laying in his bed in nothing but the most tightest shorts Zen had ever seen a guy where. (Ignoring the fact that he had never seen a naked guy). Zen let his eyes drift up from Ian's muscled calf's to his ripped stomach and developed chest, the man had little hair on his body and he had what Zen could say a footballer's body.

"Um?" Zen muttered stupidly. Ian's dark eyes were hot and heavy as he stared at Zen and Zen felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Ian continued to stare letting his hand trace lazy patters on his firm stomach. Zen watched that hand mesmerized as all thoughts flew from his head. He knew he should feel somewhat ashamed, this was his step-brother but sadly the repressed gay man watched with amazement and lust as that hand teased the naked skin. Zen gulped loudly but Ian didn't deter, his hand now drifting closer to his semi-erect cock, he knew Ian was teasing him, but Zen could do nothing but watch and feel his cock rise from frustration and need.

Finally Ian slipped his hand under the waistband of his tight undies pulling out his growing member. Zen felt his eyes bulge at the sheer size of the thing. Ian's cock was uncut and thick, not as long as Zen's but the girth of the thing was arousing and yet terrifying at the same time.

Zen watched in amazement as Ian slowing masturbated himself, he licked the palm of his hand and started from his balls and upwards in slow easy strokes. He used his other hand to pinch his nipple and roll it around until the pink nub became hard and erect. Ian' breathing became laboured as he stroked his cock up and down, only stopping to swipe at the purple head, letting pre-come leak out and using it as a makeshift lubricant. Ian groaned loudly and Zen winced as he thought about his mother downstairs in the kitchen.

Zen felt his hardening cock push against his zipper and resisted the urge to touch it. Instead he looked at Ian's parted lips, hand on his leaking cock and dark eyes on him. Zen bit his lip and let go letting his hand push and press against the hard muscle that was screaming for release. Ian shouted loudly and came with some force and Zen drank up the image easily. He continued to pressed the flat of his hand against his erection as he watched Ian come down from his high. Ian's eyes drifted open and that sensual mouth now quirked in a nasty manner, Zen stopped touching himself and frowned.

"I knew it. I knew you were a fag. Fuck this is brilliant," Ian laughed loudly. Zen felt his world crash as he flushed, funnily enough his erection subsided as quickly as it came and he all but stumbled out the room as he ran for the sanctuary for his. Slamming his own bedroom door he locked it and threw himself onto his bed his body quivered with anger and the urge to cry.

-----

The alarm clock rung loudly but Zen had been up for hours. He reached over and slammed the alarm closed and groaned as he rubbed his eyes. He didn't need to be at university till eleven and it was only seven in the morning. He could hear Paul and his mother moving about in the house, he hoped Ian would be long gone before he needed to leave the house. He did not need to see his step-brother ever again.

-----

The second time Zen woke up he realised he was late, getting up and throwing on whatever clothes he could find he dressed and got ready in record time. Flinging books into his bag he checked himself once more before running down the stairs and into the kitchen to grab something to munch on, on his way to university. He was glad he had forgotten about Ian in his mad rush to not be late, but the man was sitting on the kitchen counter-top eating cornflakes and watching some random chat show in the small TV as he ran in.

Zen let himself stop and admire Ian's chest and legs before letting himself look at the face. That mouth. Ian's eyebrows were raised in a questioning manner but Zen looked away, he grabbed an apple from the fruit basket, and left the kitchen making sure to slam the front door behind him.

----

When Zen entered his Politics lecture he was ten minutes late, the hall was relatively empty and the lecturer looked sullen about the low numbers. Zen sat down near the back and pulled out his notepad and pen , dropping his bag on the floor and shrugging out of his coat. he scanned the room to see if James was anywhere but couldn't see his friends. It wasn't new anyway, James hardly came to morning lecturers he was always too busy partying with Ellen and Matthew the night before to make it in before one in the afternoon.

The lecturer was pretty boring and most of the guys had fallen asleep and the girls like him were busy scribbling down notes. He didn't mind the subject so much, but he didn't like it. Politics just was too much bullshit for him to handle and he rather not be sitting through classes and lecturers on the EU and British governing system.

Zen watched and read the slides as the lecturer talked about the next part of the topic, and he felt his mind wander back to last night. He knew Ian was trouble but why did he follow him? Why did he let him see him at his most vulnerable? Zen admittedly never thought about Ian other than bitching about him to James or to himself. He only saw Ian as a pain the arse and nothing more. He never looked at him as another guy, a good-looking guy, a guy that he could fantasise about. That was sadly taken up by Ashley most of the time. Even at the break of dawn he didn't feel anything more than hatred and loathing towards Ian and yet he felt aroused enough to get off on watching Ian come? Zen had no idea what to think, sometimes people said you only pick on someone if you like them. You only dislike someone because you secretly want them. Was that the case with him? Did he constantly talk about Ian, because he wanted him? Did he always bail him out because he admired him? Cared about him? Yet he felt nothing towards him, not anything. He thought maybe underlining crush or admiration or something. But nothing.

But with Ashley he felt like a fourteen year old girl, when he smiled he smiled, when he talked to him he stammered, when he brushed passed him he's break out in a sweat. He felt nervous and giddy around Ashley all signs of liking someone. But with Ian he didn't want to be near the man more than necessary.

-----

"I think I'm about to puke."

"Well puke over there."

After his lecture Zen phoned James and asked him if he was planning to come into their next class which was in an hour. Luckily the party boy had already come into university and was waiting for Zen at the student union. Zen made his way there and found James slumped and looking yellow at the table they used frequently.

"Nobody told you to party and drink till four in the morning," said Zen unwrapping his vegetable twister and taking a huge bite.

"God do you have to eat," James groaned, "It fucking stinks."

"Shut-up. Anyway where did you go and who did you do?" Asked Zen laughing.

James looked up with a little smirk, "Tony's and I did him."

"Tony isn't he straight with a girlfriend?"

"So?"

Zen laughed, "Damn you're a slut."

James leaned up off the table and sat back against his chair, "Well I am young and unlike you celibacy and me aren't good friends."

"Fuck you."

"I think it might come to that soon."

Zen felt his eyes bug out of his head, and James roared with laughter, "O-k, maybe not," he said choking a little.

"Don't be an arse," huffed Zen.

"Fine. That's what I did and what did you do?"

"I think my mum thinks that me and Ian are sleeping together."

"WHAT!" yelled Ian, a few kids turned around and frowned at James and Zen felt his face flush red.

"Damn man be quiet."

"Well shit, you say something like that what kind of reaction are you expecting?"

"It ain't true okay. It's just she found us sleeping together."

"Okay...the hell? James said with wide eyes.

Zen groaned and rehashed the story telling James about the police station, the fight, the sleeping and the masturbating. James listened with wide eyes and his mouth open. Once Zen was finished he let out a huge sigh.

"He likes you."

It was Zen's turn to look shocked, "Hardly. He did it to see if I'd react and stupidly I did."

James shrugged his shoulders, "So what? You may not be out-out but you know who you are. What is he going to do? Your mum pretty much knows you bat for your own team, and she knows I'm gay, and we all know you could care less about Paul and his views. Then what's the problem."

"One you think he likes me and ew he's my brother..."

"Shut-up. Ian and you are not related, he's a fucking closet case and by closest case I mean him being bisexual and not gay."

"How the fuck do you know?"

`I just do man, some guys are like that and Ian is. Why do you think he calls you and picks on you all the time. He went too far yesterday and look how he reacted, he felt guilty and shit. To be honest I think he knows you have a crush on Ashley and that's why he's acting out."

"You're messed in the head man," Zen said, "Look and even if he did like me, and that's a big fucking if, what difference does it make, I told you I don't like Ian like that."

"I guess he knows that too, fighting and picking on you was part one of his plan, part two was to get hot and sexy and part three, well whatever part three is I hope it includes you getting laid."

Zen grinned and took a drink from his water bottle, "You know the way you're talking about Ian I think you have the hot's for him."

James shrugged, "He is hot man, but that kid has eyes only for you and I think we should play him up on it."

"James I am not about to play any game with Ian, I am not interested and our parents are married so shut the fuck up, and stop being gross."

"Shit Zen, you need to do this, fine you don't see him like that, but don't you want to get back at him for all the times he messed with you?" Play this game and win it."

"I don't like hurting people."

"I know mate, I know. But Ian has had it coming to him for a long time."

Zen smirked, "Fine we'll play."

James smiled, "Let the games begin."

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