It's a relief for Brendon, that things seem to be shaping up now.

Pete just learned that he's staying at Dallon's. The lawyer was just relieved that it was Dallon rather than some shady person, so there's that.

He and Dallon also cleared up their little misunderstanding. Well, he was a bit pissed at Spencer for meddling with his life. Sure, he's experienced heart break before and it will happen again, probably. But he learns from it.

Nonetheless, he still appreciates Spencer, who was only looking out for him in the end. That also cleared up a few things.

There's just one thing he needs to do now.

"There's something you need to know, Dallon"--"I need to tell you something."

The two men blink at each other, realizing that they spoke simultaneously.

"Y-You go first, Dallon." Brendon suggested.

"Uh, okay."

Brendon couldn't even comprehend the awkward tension between them at this moment. They've been talking normally after the whole Spencer ordeal, but there's still some parts of it that felt awkward, and he can only hope it dissipates soon.

Dallon clears his throat, then turns to look at Brendon. "So, It's almost the holidays, and uh, I'm going to visit my brothers in Utah with Weston's family next month."

"O-Oh." Brendon utters. Of course it's almost the holidays. No one's going to be in the apartment then. Does Dallon want him to go home now?

"I was hoping... you can come with us?" Dallon continues, a small, hopeful smile gracing his lips. "I already asked Weston, and he'd be glad to have you celebrate with us."

"Dallon, you don't need to do that. This is your time together as a family." Brendon says. He doesn't want to intrude in their reunion. He knows it's been years since Dallon's brothers saw Weston. He doesn't want to bother them.

"Brendon, please? I just..." Dallon trails off, looking hesitant. "I'm scared."

Scared. It's not something he's heard from Dallon before. People would say being afraid of something is a sign of weakness. But it's not entirely true. Nonetheless, what's Dallon afraid of?

"It's just that... Nathan and Jordan... They might not take it well, with Weston returning and all." Dallon explains softly, his head hanging low. Brendon could see his shoulders slump in defeat, his hand clenched tightly on the table. "E-Especially Jordan. I just don't know what to do if they end up fighting. I want them to make up and start . It's been so long, you know? I want us to be together again but I just... I don't know what to say if it comes to that. I'm scared."

Brendon sighs, understanding the severity of the situation, then slowly reaches for Dallon's hand on the table. He intertwined his hand to the brunette's long, calloused hand. The skin is kind of rough, along with the presence of a fading scar; a sign of his years in working hard for his family. It's a sign of all his hardship and struggles.

He wraps his hand around it, feeling it's warmth beyond the callous and rough exterior of his palm.

"You've been through so much, Dal." Brendon says, a smile forming in his lips as he gazes at the brunette's unsure, hesitant stare. "Even I would feel afraid, if I was in your situation. But you're going surpass whatever pain or fear you're feeling when you go through it. You've done it for years. Just like all the things you've done for your brothers."

"But you're not going to through it alone this time." Brendon continues, squeezing Dallon's hand in assurance as if he made a decision. "I'd love to meet your family, Dallon."

It was all too fast for Brendon. At one moment, he was sitting in a chair, holding on Dallon's hand. And the next thing he knew, the older man pulls him up from his seat and wraps his long arms around him. Dallon leans closer, his face hiding against his shoulder.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Dallon mumbles gratitude against his shoulder. Brendon is all too shocked at the gesture; his heart beating faster than anything he's experienced before. Once he calmed down, he returns the gesture, wrapping an arm around Dallon's.

"You make me feel like I can do anything. That's why I want you with me." Dallon admits with a flush on his cheeks as he pulls away slightly, still keeping up some proximity. Brendon could see his eyes glistening, but his lips are tugged up into this warm, gentle smile that he told Sarah about; that one smile that lits up the whole room.

"Because you can." Brendon says confidently, returning the older man's smile. "And I don't need to be there to prove it."

How he would wish to make it his duty to turn away all of the brunette's doubts and fears within himself. Dallon's special and someone needs to reassure him.

"Thank you, Brendon."

"You're welcome."

They both look at each other in silence, basking on the comfort that it provides. The awkward tension is surely gone between them, and Brendon's thankful to that. But he realizes Dallon has yet to keep distance between them. He's not sure if the brunette realizes.

But honestly, he doesn't mind if Dallon's arms just remain around him and never lets him go.

It's too good to be true, it seems, when they had to let go. But Dallon looked much better than he was before. And that's good enough for Brendon.

"What was it you were gonna say earlier, Brendon?"

Brendon blushes, remembering the offer he had in mind for Dallon.

But perhaps, that can wait until he meets Dallon's family.

"Nah, it's nothing important. I just think you look wonderful today. Just as you've always been everyday."

****

"Are you guys ready?"

Dallon nods, carrying his bag and puts it in the trunk of Weston's car. His bag placed just beside Brendon's.

He didn't think that this is about to happen after so many years; he didn't think all of them will be complete after so long. The only thing that he wished for is that all of them would get along and start over again.

Dallon's tired of feeling anxious. He should be excited for this reunion, but what if, what if, what if. These what if's would constantly cross his mind.

'What if they don't get along?', 'What if they never forgive Weston?', 'What if they never be complete?'

If his parents were still alive, they would have scolded them from this spat they have. But after their death and Weston's disappearance, he had to stand up and take everything. He had to take every weight and pain just to keep his brothers alive. He forced himself to be strong, and give out his best smile to the challenge ahead.

Right now, he's probably at his limit. The last strength he has within him is just to keep smiling and not break down and cry at how tired he is of everything.

People always lean on him, and perhaps Jordan was right; maybe it's his turn to lean on someone when he needs to.

That's why Brendon's presence is so important to him. The younger man makes him feel like he can do anything. Brendon looks at him as if he's worth more than just anything exquisite you can think of.

The younger man can see through him, and Dallon is still trying to adjust on how the Brendon could act so mature over the span of months.

Brendon sticked with him, no matter how things became awkward for them at some moments. The younger man works hard to prove himself; clearly not like how he was the first time they met.

All he knows is that Brendon will leave him one day and return to his old life where he's wealthy and taken cared of. Dallon would rather push him back to that life, and not have him stay at his own miserable little life.

But deep inside, he wanted to be a little selfish, and have Brendon stay with him for as long as he can have the other man. He wants to see Brendon's charming smile everyday, or eat his breakfast and taste the younger man's coffee the way he knows his taste. He wants to keep seeing his wide eyed brown eyes that often stare back at him fondly, or how his hand would cover his and share its warmth.

He wants Brendon to stay. That's something he wanted for himself.

But he has this penchant of choosing his morals over his own desires.

The only thing he could do is cherish this while the younger man is still here.

Dallon turns to Matty beside him, who just watches Weston's family from the side, an unreadable expression in his face. Dallon wonders what the older man is thinking about. He's been quiet since he arrived at their apartment, telling Dallon that he wants to see them off.

"Matty? What's wrong?" Dallon asked, gauging the curly haired man's expression. Matty has always been good at concealing how he feels. But Dallon isn't blind when this man who's treated him as a brother for years hides those feelings.

Matty knows that fact as well. So, he sighs. Turning to Dallon with a stern expression.

"Are you sure about this, Dallon? I'm not going to stop you if being with Weston makes you happy." Matty says with a subtle note of disdain when he mentions his older brother. "What if he just leaves you and your brothers again?"

'That's another what if to add.' Dallon thought, but just huffs a smile at that. Matty is protective as always.

"He won't. I promise you, he won't. I want to give him a chance, Matty. He's my brother, no matter what." Dallon says.

The older british man just nods, his eyes turning to Weston with a suspicious gaze. In the end, Matty just grumbles, running a hand through his curly locks in frustration.

"You know I'll kick his arse if he leaves you again, right?"

"Yes, I know."

"Good."

They stay silent, as they both watch Weston's family getting ready. Weston is placing their own bags in the trunk of his car, while Nikki, her mother and Brendon are chatting inside the car while they're waiting.

"You know you're still a brother to me, right?" Dallon says out of the blue, with Matty turning to him incredulously. "Even if Weston's back, you're still a brother to me, Matty. After everything you've done for me, how can I ever forget that?"

Matty just stares at him, then chuckles. Turning his head away like he always does when he's embarrassed. "You're such a sap."

"I'm proud to have you as my brother." Dallon continues, watching the other man's reaction despite Matty's best  efforts to hide his blush. "And I'm sure your brother Louis would be too."

The older man slowly turns to him, a genuine smile in his lips. He leans closer to Dallon and reaches to ruffle on his hair, despite Dallon being taller than the two.

"Take care, okay?"

"I'll be fine. We'll only be gone for two weeks " Dallon said as he lift his gaze towards the car, his eyes lingering on the younger man joining him in his trip. "And besides, Brendon's with me, so I'll be just fine."

"You should ask him out. You have my blessing." Matty suggested with a cheeky smile that made Dallon blush furiously.

"I-It's not like that!"

"Well, hey. If you do decide to make it like that, then I fully support you two idiots who blindly like each other." Matty teases with his arms raised in defense.

Dallon rolls his eyes at his teasing, and the other man just laughs at him for it.

They both heard the sound of the car's engine getting ready. Weston's voice calls for Dallon to get inside the car.

There were no words goodbyes for the two men, who both just hugged each other as if it's their own language.

"See you soon, love." Matty says with his usual endearment, nudging him towards the car. Dallon waves at him and trudged forward, going to the car that awaits him.

He was halfway there when he remembered something that made him stop his tracks and turned back to Matty.

"You never told him, didn't you?"

Matty seems to know what he meant, when he shooked his head in confirmation, a melancholic smile gracing his thin lips. "There's nothing for me to tell."

"But he--You should tell him, you know. You should tell him. He deserves to know." Dallon tries, knowing about the older man's feelings that he held for his friend for so long.

But it seems, Matty has made his choice when he shook his head again. The smile still as bittersweet.

"I'll think about it."

Dallon just stares at him, hopeful and sad at the same time for Matty.

"Don't worry about me, you git." Matty says with a rather forced smile, as he pokes him in the forehead. "Go on! Your ride is waiting!"

"Right."

With one last wave to the curly haired man, he enters the car and sits himself beside Brendon. The younger man tilts his head, staring at him.

"What's wrong? What did Matty say?"

The engine of the car begins, as Weston tells them to put their seat belts on. Dallon doesn't really know how to respond Brendon with so many things going through his mind about Matty.

"I was wondering." Brendon prompts, making his voice close to a whisper that only he can hear, as his voice is almost drowned by the sound of Nikki talking to her father. "Is there something between Matty and Dan?"

Even Brendon noticed, and all that Dallon could do is smile sadly at him. "There should be. But there's nothing between them."

"I was right." Brendon says, rather to himself. He then turns back to Dallon with a questioning gaze. "Dan said he doesn't know anything about love. And then at that time in the café, I saw how Matty was looking at him. I just thought there was something odd about it."

"Dan's something of an ace. Aromantic/Asexual, if you're familiar with the term." Dallon explains, his head gazing at the car window beside him. "Matty knew even with his feelings, so he hasn't told Dan."

"They should try."

Dallon then smiles at Brendon. "I think so too. But as sad as it sounds, Matty has this thing where he believes that there are fights that can only be won when we learn that it's time to quit. And believe me, Matty is never a quitter."

Dallon shrugs, leaning his head on the car's cushion. "But that doesn't mean he doesn't have weaknesses."

Brendon just nods at him, then stopped asking questions. The younger man seems deep in thought about the answer, and Dallon had to stifle a chuckle at the serious expression.

"There are fights that can only be won when we learn that it's time to quit."

Dallon knows those words would be important to him later on. But Matty might just kick his ass for that if he let's that happen without a fight, though.

He hopes Matty would try.

And so he'll fight for whatever he has with what little limit he has left.

****

Dallon has fallen asleep, leaning his head on the car's window. Brendon thinks he deserves the rest. He saw the bags under Dallon's eyes, in which he assumes the older man hasn't been sleeping well.

It seems Nikki and her mother have fallen asleep as well in the passenger seat. The only sound the surrounds the car is the low hum of music from the radio, and car's engine as Weston drives them to their destination.

"Brendon, was it?"

Weston acknowledges him, looking at Brendon from the rear view mirror. Brendon shift in his seat, suddenly feeling that this might be the talk he's been expecting from Dallon's older brother.

"Y-Yes, sir."

"Please, call me Weston. A friend of Dallon is considered a friend of mine." The older man says kindly, which eases his nerves a bit. "So, how did you meet my brother?"

He contemplates on whether he should lie to Dallon's brother. But it probably be not a good thing for him if he did. He's making an impression, after all. Weston needs to know he can be trusted.

"It started when I ran away from my wedding."

Brendon tells him all the details. And surprisingly, he feels a lot better telling the truth than think of lies. Weston just listens to him without question.

"Okay, so..." Weston begins, once Brendon finished his story. "That's quite a lot to process in one day."

"I-I know. Sorry."

"Haven't you thought of returning home?"

Brendon shook his head, turning a glance at Dallon's sleeping figure beside him. "I know I have to, one day. It's just that my Dad... I don't know if I could see him again after what he did."

The older man hums in thought at his words, becoming silent for a bit before he said: "Talking to them would help."

"I was afraid of meeting my brothers. I didn't think Dallon would forgive me after all I did." Weston admits, his eyes darting towards the rear view mirror, gazing softly at his younger brother's form. "But he did. He did and that just lifts off something heavy in my chest."

"You should try talking to your father." Weston suggested. "Whether the outcome would be good or bad, you should see if what you have with him is worth fixing. Whatever your father has done must have a reason. Wouldn't you want to know that?"

Of course he wants to. He wants to know why that ridiculous wedding even started. He's not sure when he's going to have that chance, but when does, he's going to give his Dad a piece of his mind.

"I'll try." He says softly. He still feels a bit hesitant about it, but he knows that it has to happen sooner or later.

"Good. That's good."

And then the silence resumes, as Weston focuses on driving towards their destination.

Brendon could feel his eyes starting to droop. It's been a long journey, and perhaps some rest isn't so bad.

But one thought made Brendon awake. The only chance he'll probably get to have this discussion with Dallon's eldest brother is this one right here. Not exactly the right place for it, but after taking a deep breath, he goes for it.

"I like your brother."

The words itself sound foreign to his mouth. Not because he's uncomfortable with it, but rather, Brendon is usually more descriptive when it comes to his fondness for Dallon. Just a simple like barely scratches the surface.

Weston--to which he was not surprised in seeing the blinding grin from his lips, just chuckles at his words.

"I'm pretty sure my wife just gossiped about that last month." Weston says with amusement, but his expression then shifts to a solemn tone. "After your story, I want you to understand Brendon that Dallon's just a simple guy. Our family isn't as influential or wealthy as yours."

Weston pauses for a moment, then clears his throat before he continues. "You need to know that we only have enough, that's why I need to understand. Tell me--what exactly does my brother have that your life hasn't?"

Brendon looks down at the hands on his lap, smiling. There's so many ways for him to answer that question, but he says an answer that would also be enough. With a shrug, he says: "Dallon."

"My life doesn't have him in it." He says, turning his gaze fondly as the brunette's slumped form beside him, sleeping soundly.

"In my life, all I ever wanted was just easy to get when I asked. I could buy this, I could buy that, and I wouldn't even have to get my hands dirty to achieve it." Brendon admits guiltily, but Weston's silence just prompts him to continue.

"But Dallon is like, something I need to work hard for, in order for me to have. I need to work hard to earn his trust, his friendship, his kindness. In order for that to happen, I'm going to trip, fall, and get hurt. I'm going to walk through his darkest fears before I could get to him, but I just know that after everything, he's just--"

"Worth it." Brendon ends it with a final note. "Having your brother into my life is one privilege that can't be compared to the worth of wealth I had in my life."

Weston seems to process his words, and it gave him a moment to think about what he said. He's pretty sure he would never have said those word if he was still his old self: Immature, ignorant and reckless.

He only hopes Dallon is proud of him.

"Are you sure you're just 18?" Weston says with a smile, the older man chuckling in disbelief by what he heard. "Well, I'm just glad you know what you're getting yourself into. Not like when I was your age."

Weston never specified what happened, but Brendon didn't need to know. Despite having a beautiful wife and child, he knew the older man still has regrets of what he should have done for his family.

"But you're still young, Brendon. Do what you want to do. Continue studying, or cherish your parents while they're still there. Don't be like me." The older man said, his voice stern as he continues. "Dallon was right, you know? We always had an argument about this even when we were younger."

"He said there's a right time for everything. But I didn't listen. I was too impatient, out of fear that I'll lose my wife. I was immature to think she wasn't going to wait for me and find someone else." Weston admits.

"If you really think Dallon is worth it, then he's worth waiting for, if you think he isn't ready, right?" Weston asked him, and Brendon is startled at the question.

"Y-Yes, of course."

"But that brother of mine, though. He has this unhealthy habit of pushing away the people who care for him because he thinks he doesn't deserve it."

"Well... that's true. He doesn't want to involve other people in his problems." Brendon adds with a huff.

"Exactly. He's going to convince you all the reasons on why you should let him go, and all I ask of you Brendon is that if he does so, don't let him. If he's worth it as you say he is, don't let him go, okay? Convince my brother that he deserves what ever happiness comes to him, okay?"

It sounds more like a plea than a request. This feels like the only thing Weston could do for his younger brother, and so he said all of these words to Brendon. How could he say no to that?

"I will."

The answer seems to be enough. Perhaps more than enough. The drive continues, and the silence surrounds them again. But probably for the better, because there's no more to add than the words they just exchanged.

That's when Brendon closes his eyes, letting out a deep breath as he lets himself be taken by sleep. Intently listening to the soft, gentle snores of the brunette beside him.

*****

[A/N: I feel like the story in the chapters are gonna be longer. I feel a bit drained writing this. Just too many emotions used in one chapter and it can be exhausting I swear hahaha

Going to get emotional than that. Probably.

Thanks for reading and sorry for the mistakes! Enjoy your day!]