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Ethan sat on his bed, unable to contain his energy - bouncing slightly in place on the edge of his bed. His eyes flicked to the clock on the wall, then to the window, while his foot tapped against the mattress. Soon! Finley would be home soon! Then they could finally play! Next to him on the bed sat the reason for Ethan's excitement. A small game case—holding the very game he and Finley had started months ago. Finally, they had a chance to finish it. See, Ethan and Finley's parents weren't the biggest fans of video games. "Rot the brain," "Too much violence," "God is watching," Ethan rolled his eyes as he remembered the phrases that were often repeated in their household - including not long ago, as his parents said goodbye to him. "And remember we'll be back on Sunday. Your brother will be home soon. NO PIZZA. Or those video games. Remember, God is watching!" Ethan sprang to his feet and walked to his window, looking out in the front yard and at the driveway, confirming that Finley was not home yet. He started pacing, his mind going back to when Finley had first brought home the game system - something the older collie had bought from a friend - using money from one of his first paychecks with the coffee shop he worked at during the summer. Ethan remembered feeling guilty the first time they played - but the guilt had only lasted minutes, quickly overpowered by the excitement and fun of playing. Their parents hadn't liked it, and restricted the time Ethan was allowed to play... but this weekend, Finley had promised they would play. That they would finally beat the game they had been stuck on. *Sputter-pop-clunk* Ethan froze for a moment, his breath hitching in excitement as his eyes went to the window and a grin forming on his face as the unmistakable sound of Finley's old car stopping came from outside. Ethan was moving towards his bedroom door only seconds later. ------ Finley was wrecked. Coach had kept him at practice longer than usual. The state championship was coming up, and coach had been pushing Finley and the other starters hard for weeks. "Barclay, you're slacking! Think you can slow down because you got yourself a scholarship offer? Get your ass back into gear! Everyone knows we're the best, so they'll all be coming for us. We're going to match and surpass their preparation. That's how we keep ourselves on top. Break's over. Short sprints, now! Line up!" Carla shuddered beneath him as he turned off the ignition, the engine quieting after one last POP. Finley slumped back against his seat, letting his head fall back against the headrest as he exhaled. At least he could rest now that he was home. His legs felt like lead and his shoulders were tight and aching. Tomorrow was going to be brutal, though, once the aches caught up with his muscles. He knew Coach meant well—hell, he owed his scholarship to the lion—but damn, could he catch a break? Man, was he tired. Not to mention, he was sweaty and smelly. He pulled at the top of his shirt, which was starting to dry already but was still damp with sweat. Finley had opted to hop in Carla and head home straight after practice rather than showering in the locker room - deciding that spending a good long time in his own shower would be way better for him today. They didn't live far from the school, luckily. As he got out of the car, pulling his gym bag from the passenger seat, Finley took notice of his father's missing car, processing that his parents must have already left for the weekend. Finley barely had time to step into the house before there was a blur of motion and something had collided with him. Something short, furry and waaay too excited. "Umph." Finley couldn't help the small amount of air that was knocked out of him. Despite the surprise, and the additional ache to his worn muscles, a smile came to his face as his free hand reached down to Ethan's shoulders, returning the surprise hug. "Finally! You were supposed to be home an hour ago!" Ethan pulled back from the hug, head up and eyes beaming at Finley. As he pulled back from the hug, his smaller hand wrapped around Finley's arm and he began to tug his older brother, "Come on! You said we could play when you got home! I wanna beat that next level!" With one hand, Finley nudged the front door shut, still clutching his gym bag as Ethan dragged him toward the stairs. He barely had time to drop the bag by the entry before his little brother pulled harder, practically bouncing with excitement. Finley had forgotten that promise to Ethan, made a week ago when their parents had told them they'd be gone on a church retreat for the weekend. When he had made the promise, he hadn't factored in how tired he'd be from practice... "E-E... Ethan. Bud, hold up a sec, okay?" Finley dug his heels in just enough to slow Ethan’s persistent tugging, stifling a tired laugh. His muscles ached from sprints, his shoulders tight with exhaustion. He just wanted to shower, maybe even collapse onto his bed for five minutes. "I just got home. Coach ran us into the ground today, and trust me, you don’t want me anywhere near you until I’ve showered. I stink." And there it was—the pout. A weapon of mass destruction. Ethan’s brown eyes somehow doubled in size, shining up at him with the innocence of a saint. Finley barely had time to fortify his defenses before Ethan went in for the kill. "Pleeeaaase?" A well-timed quiver of the lip. "You don’t even smell that bad!" Then, as if to emphasize his point, Ethan moved in and practically buried his head into Finley's shirt and midsection, dramatically inhaling through his nose as he hugged his older brother. He looked up, a smile on his face, "See? I don’t mind one bit!” There was a moment - a brief falter in that smile, before it was renewed, “I'll do your chores this weekend? I'll even wash your clothes!" Finley never stood a chance. Ethan knew exactly how to pull at every heart string. Finley knew that Ethan knew it, too. Knew the exact words and the exact amount of pouting required to break down any resistance Finley might have. Not that Finley minded. He would do anything for Ethan. So what if he was a little sore? "Fiiiiiine. You win. We'll play." "YES!" Ethan bounced on his heels as he hugged into Finley tighter. "But! But, only after I shower, okay?" "Awwwww...!" Ethan's exaggerated exclamation was met with a soft laugh from Finley. "You might be okay with me stinking to high heaven, but I'm not. Don't want to mess up the bed." "Okay..." Finley took Ethan by his shoulders and turned the smaller collie around, pushing him gently towards the stairs. "I'll make it quick, okay? And while I'm in there, you can head up to my room and get the console going, okay?" Ethan grinned, "Okay!" With that, the younger collie was bounding up the staircase - two stairs at a time - and Finley was left at the bottom of those steps, his head shaking slightly as he smiled at the sight. He knew he likely needed a little extra rest to help recover from today. But… this was fine. More than fine. Because he loved that little blur of energy. And Ethan’s joy was more than worth it. Finley sighed, bent his neck down, and pulled his shirt to his nose for a sniff—grimacing immediately. He had absolutely no clue how Ethan was able to not even flinch at that smell. "Yep," he muttered, "definitely need a shower." And then - with far less enthusiasm than Ethan - he trudged up the stairs. |
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threeracoons |
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RobotsMadeMeDoIt |
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zoleth |
