Three Words, Dear Romeo (Kevin/Joe)
“Joseph!” Nick barked, throwing his blanket back to scowl at his brother, eyes squinted against the light that just served to illuminate the room. “I swear to God, I’m exhausted, and if you don’t quiet the hell down and turn the light off, I’m going to have to kill you, really.”
Joe sighed, exasperated, and plopped down the end of his brother’s bed. “But, I have too much energy to go to sleep, and I can’t just lay there with the lights off!”
Nick reached over for the hotel phone, punching in a number, all the while grumbling about the pains of having to share a room with his older brother. “Hey, Kevin? Sorry, did I wake you up?” He paused. “Okay, well, Joe’s wired, and if you’re awake, I’m sending him your way. I don’t want to deal with him … Alright. Good night.” He hung up and fell back against his pillows, eyes closing. “Go. Turn the lights off on your way out.”
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Joe was happy he had a key to Kevin’s room. It always took him a long time to answer the door. He opened it and bounced in.
Kevin was stretched out on his bed, ankles crossed, glasses perched on his nose. A tattered, paperback copy of Romeo and Juliet was carefully-held between his pinky and thumb, and he didn’t look up from reading it.
That was okay with Joe. He looked relaxed, for once in their busy lives, and he wasn’t about to change that. So, while Kevin read, Joe proceeded to find ways to entertain himself until he got tired.
Wandering around the room, his eyes lighted on a rubber band lying temptingly on the dresser. Joe didn’t know why it was there, but that didn’t stop him from picking it up. The tip of his tongue poked out between his lips, one eye closed as he aimed the rubber band at the lampshade on his brother’s nightstand. It snapped off his finger and hit the lamp itself, making a bright ding as it bounced off the metal. He snickered, despite the fact that he missed, and went to retrieve it, already looking around for another target.
Kevin smiled softly, watching his brother for a moment as he playfully occupied himself. He liked having him around. They hadn’t even spoken, but it was nice for him to be there in the room. Sighing contentedly, he returned his attention to the play at hand, one of his favorites, leaving Joe to it.
Joe was impressed with himself. His aim had improved ten-fold, and he was now hitting almost every target he chose. His latest was the painting above Kevin’s bed, in which a lady in a Victorian-era dress was eating a picnic beside a lake. She didn’t even know what was about to hit her.
But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and-
“Joseph!” Kevin slapped a hand to his forehead, which stung horribly. “What the hell are you doing?”
Joe had clapped his own hand over his mouth, eyes wide and guilty. “Sorry! I was aiming above your head.”
“Well, lucky for me, you broke it.” Kevin held up the piece of rubber that no longer qualified as a band. “Find something to do that won’t cause me bodily harm, please.”
Joe grumbled under his breath - something about being bored and having brothers who didn’t know how to have fun. He looked around, baffled that with the amount of hotel rooms he had been in during the course of his life, he had never noticed how boring they all were. With the exception of the TV and the clock radio, there were simply no means with which to entertain oneself, and he wasn’t about to turn either on and further encourage Kevin’s annoyance.
He decided to do something productive. He would work on his balance. It was a good idea, considering Joe was more likely to fall on his face than anyone else in his family or band. Of course, that wasn’t what Joe had in mind. He wasn’t going to try to balance on one foot or walk in a straight line. He was going to stand on his head, because in his mind, that course of action made perfect sense.
He positioned himself near the wall, so he could use it as his spot, and crouched down to push himself up on his hands. He teetered for a moment, then straightened out, resisting the urge to shout his triumphant at successfully doing a headstand. Of course, all the blood was rushing into his brain, and of course, the pressure on his scalp was a little painful, but he was excited he was still able to do it. He hadn’t tried since he was a kid.
Then, he felt it - that sensation he knew far too well. He was losing his balance. His arms shook, and he wobbled. He was momentarily thankful for putting himself against the wall, until his heels bumped against it, and the momentum knocked him over.
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose would -
“Damn it!”
Kevin jumped at the proclamation, and looked over for his brother just as he toppled over, landing with a thud on the carpet. He was off his bed and at his brother’s side in a second. “Jesus, Joe, are you okay?” He helped him to rearrange himself into a sitting position, then smacked the side of his head. “What is wrong with you? You always do the weirdest things!”
Joe winced, clutching his head. “Well, I have to do something to keep myself from being completely bored!” he exclaimed, exasperated. “You and Nick are so boring after shows.”
“That’s because most people are exhausted after playing to thousands of screaming fans.” Kevin sighed, standing and pulling Joe to his feet. “We want to relax and you’re insane and want to waste more energy?”
Joe huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as his brother returned to his bed, leaning back against his pillows and picking up his book from where he’d thrown it on the comforter. “What’s so great about Shakespeare anyway?” he muttered grumpily, changing the subject.
“Ah, that ridiculous question,” Kevin sighed, shaking his head like he was talking to a child. “As spoken by someone who has truly never read Shakespeare.”
Joe’s eyes narrowed, his frown deepening on his face. He was silent for a moment, glaring at his brother, who looked back at him, eyebrow raised. Then, he spoke, suddenly, as if he didn’t have to think about it at all: “O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?”
Kevin rolled his eyes. “Oh, please, you don’t have to have read it to know that line.”
“Deny thy father and refuse thy name,” Joe went on, walking toward him. “Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love.” He sat down beside him. “And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.”
There was something in his face that made Kevin uneasy. “Joe …”
The younger boy’s face suddenly broke into a grin. “The slip, sir, the slip; can you not conceive?” he cried melodramatically, falling across the bed, clutching his heart. “A plague o’ both your houses!”
Kevin laughed. “Okay, I get it; you’ve read Romeo and Juliet."
Joe sat back up, then climbed to his knees, posing with his hand in the air. “To be or not to be; that is the question.”
“That’s Hamlet, moron.” Kevin knocked his foot against his brother’s hip, effectively pushing him over again.
Joe pulled himself up against the pillow beside him, smiling softly.
Kevin eyed him warily. “What?”
Joe leaned in. His voice was low, lips soft against his earlobe, breath warm. “If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.”
Kevin didn’t even think. It took him about four and a half seconds to turn his head and press his mouth against his brother’s.
Joe moaned, his fingers tangled in Kevin’s curls, and pulled him down on top of him, wrapping his arms around his neck. “It’s about time.” He whispered, nipping playfully at his bottom lip. “I’ve been waiting all night for you to notice me.”
Kevin rolled his eyes, his hand sliding up his brother’s side as he pressed his kisses to his neck. “Don’t ruin this, Joe. I might have to do to you what Romeo does to Tybalt.”
Joe stretched luxuriously beneath him, a teasing smile playing on his lips. “I’d rather you do to me what Romeo does to Juliet.”
Kevin’s eyebrow shot up. “You don’t mind being Juliet?”
“Of course not,” Joe grinned, pulling him down to kiss him again. “She has all the best lines.” Their mouths came together hotly. “Have my lips the sin that they have took.”
Kevin groaned, pressing him down into the bed, already beginning the process of ridding him of his clothes. “Give me my sin again.”
Joe sighed, exasperated, and plopped down the end of his brother’s bed. “But, I have too much energy to go to sleep, and I can’t just lay there with the lights off!”
Nick reached over for the hotel phone, punching in a number, all the while grumbling about the pains of having to share a room with his older brother. “Hey, Kevin? Sorry, did I wake you up?” He paused. “Okay, well, Joe’s wired, and if you’re awake, I’m sending him your way. I don’t want to deal with him … Alright. Good night.” He hung up and fell back against his pillows, eyes closing. “Go. Turn the lights off on your way out.”
------------------------------------
Joe was happy he had a key to Kevin’s room. It always took him a long time to answer the door. He opened it and bounced in.
Kevin was stretched out on his bed, ankles crossed, glasses perched on his nose. A tattered, paperback copy of Romeo and Juliet was carefully-held between his pinky and thumb, and he didn’t look up from reading it.
That was okay with Joe. He looked relaxed, for once in their busy lives, and he wasn’t about to change that. So, while Kevin read, Joe proceeded to find ways to entertain himself until he got tired.
Wandering around the room, his eyes lighted on a rubber band lying temptingly on the dresser. Joe didn’t know why it was there, but that didn’t stop him from picking it up. The tip of his tongue poked out between his lips, one eye closed as he aimed the rubber band at the lampshade on his brother’s nightstand. It snapped off his finger and hit the lamp itself, making a bright ding as it bounced off the metal. He snickered, despite the fact that he missed, and went to retrieve it, already looking around for another target.
Kevin smiled softly, watching his brother for a moment as he playfully occupied himself. He liked having him around. They hadn’t even spoken, but it was nice for him to be there in the room. Sighing contentedly, he returned his attention to the play at hand, one of his favorites, leaving Joe to it.
Joe was impressed with himself. His aim had improved ten-fold, and he was now hitting almost every target he chose. His latest was the painting above Kevin’s bed, in which a lady in a Victorian-era dress was eating a picnic beside a lake. She didn’t even know what was about to hit her.
But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and-
“Joseph!” Kevin slapped a hand to his forehead, which stung horribly. “What the hell are you doing?”
Joe had clapped his own hand over his mouth, eyes wide and guilty. “Sorry! I was aiming above your head.”
“Well, lucky for me, you broke it.” Kevin held up the piece of rubber that no longer qualified as a band. “Find something to do that won’t cause me bodily harm, please.”
Joe grumbled under his breath - something about being bored and having brothers who didn’t know how to have fun. He looked around, baffled that with the amount of hotel rooms he had been in during the course of his life, he had never noticed how boring they all were. With the exception of the TV and the clock radio, there were simply no means with which to entertain oneself, and he wasn’t about to turn either on and further encourage Kevin’s annoyance.
He decided to do something productive. He would work on his balance. It was a good idea, considering Joe was more likely to fall on his face than anyone else in his family or band. Of course, that wasn’t what Joe had in mind. He wasn’t going to try to balance on one foot or walk in a straight line. He was going to stand on his head, because in his mind, that course of action made perfect sense.
He positioned himself near the wall, so he could use it as his spot, and crouched down to push himself up on his hands. He teetered for a moment, then straightened out, resisting the urge to shout his triumphant at successfully doing a headstand. Of course, all the blood was rushing into his brain, and of course, the pressure on his scalp was a little painful, but he was excited he was still able to do it. He hadn’t tried since he was a kid.
Then, he felt it - that sensation he knew far too well. He was losing his balance. His arms shook, and he wobbled. He was momentarily thankful for putting himself against the wall, until his heels bumped against it, and the momentum knocked him over.
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose would -
“Damn it!”
Kevin jumped at the proclamation, and looked over for his brother just as he toppled over, landing with a thud on the carpet. He was off his bed and at his brother’s side in a second. “Jesus, Joe, are you okay?” He helped him to rearrange himself into a sitting position, then smacked the side of his head. “What is wrong with you? You always do the weirdest things!”
Joe winced, clutching his head. “Well, I have to do something to keep myself from being completely bored!” he exclaimed, exasperated. “You and Nick are so boring after shows.”
“That’s because most people are exhausted after playing to thousands of screaming fans.” Kevin sighed, standing and pulling Joe to his feet. “We want to relax and you’re insane and want to waste more energy?”
Joe huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as his brother returned to his bed, leaning back against his pillows and picking up his book from where he’d thrown it on the comforter. “What’s so great about Shakespeare anyway?” he muttered grumpily, changing the subject.
“Ah, that ridiculous question,” Kevin sighed, shaking his head like he was talking to a child. “As spoken by someone who has truly never read Shakespeare.”
Joe’s eyes narrowed, his frown deepening on his face. He was silent for a moment, glaring at his brother, who looked back at him, eyebrow raised. Then, he spoke, suddenly, as if he didn’t have to think about it at all: “O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?”
Kevin rolled his eyes. “Oh, please, you don’t have to have read it to know that line.”
“Deny thy father and refuse thy name,” Joe went on, walking toward him. “Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love.” He sat down beside him. “And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.”
There was something in his face that made Kevin uneasy. “Joe …”
The younger boy’s face suddenly broke into a grin. “The slip, sir, the slip; can you not conceive?” he cried melodramatically, falling across the bed, clutching his heart. “A plague o’ both your houses!”
Kevin laughed. “Okay, I get it; you’ve read Romeo and Juliet."
Joe sat back up, then climbed to his knees, posing with his hand in the air. “To be or not to be; that is the question.”
“That’s Hamlet, moron.” Kevin knocked his foot against his brother’s hip, effectively pushing him over again.
Joe pulled himself up against the pillow beside him, smiling softly.
Kevin eyed him warily. “What?”
Joe leaned in. His voice was low, lips soft against his earlobe, breath warm. “If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.”
Kevin didn’t even think. It took him about four and a half seconds to turn his head and press his mouth against his brother’s.
Joe moaned, his fingers tangled in Kevin’s curls, and pulled him down on top of him, wrapping his arms around his neck. “It’s about time.” He whispered, nipping playfully at his bottom lip. “I’ve been waiting all night for you to notice me.”
Kevin rolled his eyes, his hand sliding up his brother’s side as he pressed his kisses to his neck. “Don’t ruin this, Joe. I might have to do to you what Romeo does to Tybalt.”
Joe stretched luxuriously beneath him, a teasing smile playing on his lips. “I’d rather you do to me what Romeo does to Juliet.”
Kevin’s eyebrow shot up. “You don’t mind being Juliet?”
“Of course not,” Joe grinned, pulling him down to kiss him again. “She has all the best lines.” Their mouths came together hotly. “Have my lips the sin that they have took.”
Kevin groaned, pressing him down into the bed, already beginning the process of ridding him of his clothes. “Give me my sin again.”