© Jojo B 2016

All rights including those in copyright in the content of this story are owned by Jojo B. It's Illegal to steal and/or copy.

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*N.E.V* The Seven Deadly Simpson Brothers

20

(Picture is Severn)

I lay in Walter's bed, wrapped up in his arms and listening to his heart beat as he slept. I knew it was early but I felt wide awake. I stroked the neckline of Walter's t-shirt with my fingertips and glanced at his lips as he breathed slowly. Walter woke suddenly with a jerk, making me jump too.

"Are you okay?" I murmured to him in concern.

Walter swallowed, a little short of breath, "Yeah I...I was dreaming."

"Oh," I sighed in concern, rubbing his chest through his shirt. "A nightmare?"

"Yes, it was my....my Dad," Walter ran a hand down his face and sighed deeply. "I just hope I become nothing like him. That guy was a....he was a...."

I cupped his face and made him look at me.

"Walter," I said. "I never knew your father, but I'm telling you, you're not going to be anything like him."

Walter nodded, gazing into my eyes before he pulled me into a very tight hug. Walter didn't say anything and I didn't either, I just held him like he held me and it seemed to be enough.

Hours later we woke up again and I got out first whilst Walter lay propped up in his bed watching me. I felt comfortable in the top and shorts I had been sleeping in and didn't mind Walter's gaze that followed my bare legs as I went to open the curtains. It was late November now and even though it was chilly at night, Walter's body had kept me warm.

"Do you have to do that?" Walter moaned before I'd even opened them.

"What's the problem? Are you a vampire?" I turned around and smiled at him.

"No, but – "

I threw the curtains wide and was almost blinded myself by the blanket of white I saw. Having to blink hard a few times first, I looked again and sure enough it was snow covering the whole of Walter's huge back yard.

"Walter! Walter it snowed," I span around grinning at him whilst he had his head buried in his pillow, still groaning.

"It snowed?" he lifted his head and frowned at me.

"Uh huh," I nodded excitedly, almost like a child would.

Walter groaned again, "I hate snow."

"Oh," I bit on my lip. "So you don't want to go out in it with me?"

Walter took one look at me and then sighed before he got out of bed and going to the window to see for himself. As soon as I saw his face start to form a grimace I grabbed his arm and pushed my bottom lip out.

"Please Walter? For me?" I batted my eyelids.

Walter slowly blinked at me whilst a smile crept onto his face, "Fine. Twenty minutes."

"An hour."

"What?" he exclaimed. "Coral, are you serious?"

"Very," I smirked at him.

"Thirty minutes," Walter said.

"Forty five."

The longer he looked at me the more I saw in his eyes that he was fighting a losing battle.

"Okay," he finally agreed. "The things you do to me."

He took hold of me by the waist and before he could kiss me, the two of us jumped when we heard what sounded like a shout of joy from one of the next rooms.

"The triplets," Walter rolled his eyes, letting go of me. "If we're going to go out in the snow we have to go now before they all come and ruin it with a snowball fight or something."

A snowball fight sounded like fun to me but I didn't want to put Walter off completely, so I nodded in agreement. We went and brushed our teeth and got dressed into warm clothes. Well I only had what I had worn the day before so Walter gave me some of his to wear.

"I don't think I'll be able to run in this," I laughed, looking down at the oversized jogging bottoms and jumper sleeves.

"Who said anything about running?" Walter cocked his head to the side. "We were just going to walk, right?"

"Uh yeah," I said quickly. "No snowball fight or anything like that."

"Coral," Walter narrowed his eyes playfully at me. "What are you planning?"

Instead of replying, I started rolling up the sleeves and then bent over to do the trouser legs too. As soon as I was done, I took off running as fast as I could manage without unravelling it all. Walter was laughing in what sounded like disbelief as he chased me down the stairs and I raced for the back door.

I didn't see Phoenix until it was too late and I crashed right into him. The force I hit him with actually made Phoenix stumble back a little bit and he looked down at me with what I could describe as loathing.

"Oh my," I stared at him with wide eyes, taking a couple steps back. "I'm so sorry."

Walter caught up with me and took hold of my hand, pulling me back slightly and positioning himself in front of Phoenix instead.

"Excuse us," Walter muttered.

Phoenix wouldn't say anything and it made me want to know what he was thinking. All Phoenix did was give me the same look that had me feeling like I owed him, like I should take up on his proposal to spy on the Santiagos. Walter moved past Phoenix, who didn't move a budge. He made sure not to touch Phoenix which would have probably started an 'argument', and I did the same.

"That prick," Walter balled his fists once we'd let ourselves outside.

"You did well," I said to him encouragingly. "Not starting a fight or anything."

"It's a new day," Walter shrugged. "I can do without getting angry first thing in the morning."

That's when the triplets burst out of the back door behind us, already laughing, yelling and pushing each other over in the snow. Walter clenched his jaw and exhaled deeply through his nose and I tried not to grin.

"Snowball fight?" Giovanni came up to me and Walter.

"Umm, sure," I tried to make it sound like I had to think about it and gripped the sleeve of Walter's jumper before he could turn around and head back inside.

Knowing that he had been caught out, Walter smiled down at me and made a defeated expression before glaring at Giovanni and his triplets.

"We gotta sort out teams," Gomez was saying as he packed a snowball in his hands, aiming it for the back of Severn's head.

All three of them were wearing identical snow hats, which I thought was adorable.

"Where's Landon?" Gio asked.

"Well it's Saturday morning, so probably asleep," Severn said before getting hit on the back of the head by Gomez's snowball.

"There's only five of us," Gomez came to join us. "And Phoenix isn't going to play, he thinks he's too good for us."

"What about Eli?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, where's he?" Severn questioned, rubbing snow out of his hair.

"Don't care," Walter stretched his arms out. "Let's just play this thing and get it over with."

"We need even numbers," Gomez made a point.

"What about Hayley?" the thought popped into my mind. "It's a Saturday, she might be free."

The boys paused for a second and then the triplets started nodding and telling me to go and invite her to come over 'now, right now!' I went back inside the house laughing as I went to retrieve my phone and sent her a text asking if she was free and wanted to come round to the Simpson's house. Hayley replied within a couple minutes saying how she'd love to come over and how nervous she was about it. I told her it was fine, Phoenix hopefully wasn't going to be around. She said she'd be there in half an hour and after asking Eli, who was in his room, I sent her the address.

"Are you coming to play too?" I asked Eli after I put my phone in my pocket.

Eli sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing his hair sleepily, "Later."

"Make sure you come," I sent him a smile. "It would be a great chance to talk to Hayley."

Eli smiled tiredly, "I hear you."

I turned to go, "See you down there."

"Yeah Coral."

When I got back outside, I was surprised to see that Landon was also out in the snow. They boy's seemed to be waiting for me, and when I arrived to join them, Landon told everyone to gather round.

"Nice outfit by the way," Landon pointed at me with a smirk.

"Thanks," I felt my face warm slightly.

"So teams," Landon said, glancing around at us with excitement in his eyes, as if he didn't just wake up a couple of minutes ago.

"Walter and Coral together," he motioned to the two of us. "One of the triplets with them."

"Coral how good are you at throwing snowballs?" Gomez asked me. "With precision and force?"

I stood there, taken aback, "Average?"

To be honest, it was barely even that. I had poor aim and a short throwing distance, but it didn't stop me trying and having fun in the process.

"Yeah, I'm on Landon's team," Gomez concluded. "Sorry Coral."

"Sorry to yourself man," Walter said darkly. "You've got my precision and force to play against."

"Bring it on," Gomez smirked, folding his arms and Gio hooked his arm around his shoulders.

"I'm with Gomez and Landon too," Gio lifted his chin at us.

"I was going to go on your team anyway," Severn smiled at me. "But do bear in mind that I'm not much of a runner."

I laughed, "It's all just some fun anyway, it doesn't matter who wins."

Landon started laughing, "Of course it matters who wins."

"Oh...uh okay," I glanced up at Walter who was smirking threateningly at Gomez and Gio.

"Rules," Landon spoke.

Giovanni cleared his throat, "Rules are, there are no - "

"Rules are," Walter cut him off, putting his hands down on my shoulders. "No one throws any at Coral's head, or I'll end them."

"Okay," Gio nodded, swallowing. "That's a cool rule."

"Rules are," Landon started again. "The team to get the most bruises on the opposite team wins."

"Wait, what?" I blinked at him in alarm.

Maybe I shouldn't have been in such a hurry to play this game with the Simpson brothers. They clearly took everything to the next levels. How did I not see this coming?

"Okay, girls, not included," Landon quickly added after a look from Walter.

"That means when Hayley get's here, she has to be on my team," Gomez wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Makes it even."

"And you guys can have Eli when he comes," Gio grinned. "You're going to lose by the way."

"Keep saying that," Walter said to him, pointing at him. "Feel free."

By the time Hayley arrived, Eli had also come down and had actually been the one who let her into the house. They came out into the massive back yard together, smiling about something and I grinned, happy to see Eli trying.

"Hey," I waved at Hayley and she came and gave me a hug.

"I can't believe I'm really here," she whispered in my ear as she squeezed me.

I laughed and let go of her and Walter smiled and greeted Hayley too. The triplets sent her grins and Gomez beckoned her over to his side. After sending me a nervous smile, she went and joined the other team.

"Hayley," Landon said, holding his hand out to her. "I'm Landon, nice to meet you."

"Landon," Hayley's eyes rounded as she looked up at him and put her hand in his. "Nice to meet you too."

"I hope you are good at throwing," Landon shook her hand and grinned. "We have to win."

"I'll try my best," Hayley laughed.

"So can we start now?" Giovanni asked.

In answer, Eli chucked a ball of snow I didn't realise he was holding, right into his face and the game started. Walter, who didn't even want to play, was throwing balls snow that he'd moulded into ice at Gomez and Gio and I was just trying to avoid getting hit. Severn was lying in the snow after being knocked over, making no attempt to get up at all and Hayley and Landon seemed like they were having fun. Every time I looked over at them, they were either using each other as shields or down in the snow laughing.

To my disbelief, Phoenix came out the back door during the game and actually joined in.

"Who's team are you on?" Eli asked him after throwing a massive ball at Landon.

"Doesn't matter," Phoenix replied, aiming for Walter.

"Walter's on our team," Eli said, deciding for Phoenix. "Landon, Gomez, Gio and Hayley are on the other team."

"Who's Hayley?" Phoenix frowned, looking at her who continued to play obliviously.

"Coral's friend," Eli answered, making my stomach tighten.

"So she thinks she can invite her friends round to my house now?" I heard Phoenix say and I quickly avoided his gaze and busied myself in running away from him and making it look like I was dodging snowballs.

"You okay?" Walter came over to me, packing snow in his hands.

"I'm cold," I smiled sheepishly. "I think I'll head inside for a bit."

"I'll come with you," Walter replied. "I'm done with this anyway. It's been about forty five minutes, right?"

"Probably," I said, glancing around as the others played. "Did you get hit?"

"A couple times," Walter shrugged. "You?"

"Lots of times," I grinned.

Walter frowned, "Hard? Who did it?"

"No," I assured him quickly and then jumped out of the way before I got hit again by another snowball. "It didn't hurt much."

"Are you sure?" Walter creased his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I'm sure," I replied. "If we're going in, let's go before Landon or someone throws ice at us."

On our way back inside I saw that Severn was still lying in the snow like he had been about half an hour ago.

"Do you think he's okay?" I frowned in worry. "He's gonna get sick if he stays there for too long."

"He's fine," Walter said.

"No, I have to check," I went over to Severn and Walter grudgingly followed.

The boy was fast asleep by the looks of it.

"How?" I gaped. "It's freezing. He's gone a bit blue."

"No he hasn't," Walter wasn't even looking, he was throwing balls back at Gomez.

I bent down and woke up Severn, shaking his shoulders. He'd been in the snow for way too long and he was extremely pale.

"You have to get inside, now," I said once he'd opened his eyes.

"What?" he shivered.

"Severn, get up," I said to him. "Come on."

I helped pull him up into a sitting position and called Walter to aid with lifting him up onto his feet. Walter hooked his arms around Severn's chest and got him standing up and he walked Severn, who was shaking violently, back to the house.

"I'm cold," Severn shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself.

When I expected Walter to make a snide comment about how it was his own fault for falling asleep in the snow, Walter only said he was going to get some blankets. I sat down in one of the sofas with Severn who really had turned a pale blue and put his hands under my armpits, which would warm him up faster.

"Thanks," Severn breathed through chattering teeth.

"It's okay," I replied with a smile, although I was thinking in my head how he should have been more careful.

Walter came back down with a two blankets and a change of clothes. He pulled Severn's hands out from between my underarms and told Severn to take off his wet clothes. Severn stood and slowly started pulling off his sodden jumper with trembling hands and Walter decided to speed things up by taking Severn's jumper off for him, followed by his soaking jogging bottoms, socks and....well I looked away for the last item of clothing. After Severn had gotten into some warm clothes, Walter wrapped him up in the blankets and pushed him down into the sofa. I got up so Severn could stretch his legs out and he closed his eyes, asleep again in seconds.

"He has narcolepsy," Walter explained, looking down at his brother. "It's a sleeping disorder."

"I haven't heard of that before," I raised my eyebrows. "Is it common?"

"No, not really," Walter replied. "He has irregular sleeping patterns, which means he doesn't always get enough sleep at night so he's tired throughout the day and just falls asleep randomly. Or he can also fall asleep if he feels strong emotions like anger or joy...it's weird like that."

"That's definitely something new," I looked down at sleeping Severn. "He's so cute."

"Huh?" Walter stepped towards me, almost bumping his chest in my face. "What was that?"

"He's cute," I repeated, smiling cheekily up at him.

"You're cute," Walter said, tipping my face up more with his finger under my chin so that he could kiss me.

We only kissed for a few moments before the back door opened and everyone piled in. I stepped back from Walter and stuck my still freezing hands under his armpits, instructing him to do the same with me.

Gomez and Gio walked on by, dropping chunks of snow (from God knows where) onto the floor as they passed. Landon was blowing into his hands to get them warmed up again when he saw me and Walter.

"We're counting the scores later," Landon said to us as he walked past. "Give a bit of time for the bruises to really come out."

Hayley I noticed was talking to Eli, the two of them trembling from the cold, and Phoenix was last to come in, glaring at Hayley which made me shift my gaze because I knew that I was next to be glared at.

After a couple of hours, everyone was warm again and ready to count scores for each team. Severn (who was feeling a lot better) was awake once more and he sat next to me drinking hot chocolate in one of the sofas, with Walter on my other side and Eli on the carpet.

Landon stood up, "My team first. Someone needs to count and someone else needs to add up the score."

"I'll add up the score," I volunteered.

"And a counter?" Landon asked. "I can't do it myself."

"I'll do it," Hayley said shyly.

"Good," Landon winked at her.

He then proceeded to take off his shirt and Walter put his hand over my eyes, making me giggle.

"Don't get any funny ideas," Walter said in my ear jokingly once he'd removed his hand.

"I will when I see you," I grinned, blushing at the same time.

Walter raised his eyebrows when he too remembered that I hadn't ever seen him topless and then he smiled.

"That's the only exception."

Looking back at Landon, who had finished stripping, I was surprised to see his body actually marked blue in multiple places. Exactly just how hard had the boys been throwing those things?

"I count one," Hayley pointed to Landon's chest., and then to his toned stomach. "Two, three....is that a bullet wound?"

"Yeah," Landon rubbed the spot on his side briefly. "Doesn't count."

No one seemed shocked, but I was, and I could tell Hayley was too. Even though I heard the Simpsons and Santiagos shooting at night, I never really thought that anyone actually got shot...and well even when I'd seen a bullet wound on Ario, it didn't really appeal to me how real and how dangerous what they did was. Perhaps it was sinking in now, because I had gotten to know and like Landon a lot more and he seemed like such a nice, funny guy...nothing like a thug.

"Turn around," Severn said and Landon did, showing more bruises scattered across his broad back.

"Four...five....six," Hayley raised her eyebrows.

"And drop them pants," Gomez said.

"You're on my team," Landon gave him a look. "The lowest score wins, remember? Do you want us to lose?"

"Oops," Gomez bit his lip with a grin.

"Drop the pants," Severn called when Landon didn't do so.

"Fine," Landon said, pulling his trousers down.

I didn't know where to look and Hayley didn't either. Standing right next to Landon, who was just in his boxers, she looked like she wanted to sit down and let someone else take the role of counting.

"One on the back of his thigh," Walter spotted.

"Okay, so that's seven," Hayley concluded, blushing like mad.

Landon noticed it too and he grinned at her, holding the eye contact as he pulled his trousers slowly back up.

"This isn't the strip club," Eli called. "Sit down."

Landon slapped his butt in Eli's face and laughed before jumping back into the sofa.

"Gomez," Landon said. "You're up."

Gomez got up to his feet in excitement and then took off his jumper. Neither Hayley nor I could disguise our disbelief when we saw that Gomez had a body as built as Landon's. He was only fifteen.

"Okay," Hayley didn't know where to look. "Two on his chest and...turn around?"

Gomez turned and I saw that he also had dimples in his back.

"Don't say it," Walter said, reading my mind. "It's not cute."

I grinned and said nothing, and Hayley counted three more bruises on Gomez's back before Gomez took off his trousers and basically waved his bum in Hayley's face.

"Are you trying to tell us that you got hit from behind?" Gio smirked. "My Gomez, I didn't know you swung that way."

"Shut up," Gomez rolled his eyes, wiggling his eyes at Hayley instead.

Hayley laughed and counted two more on Gomez's legs which made the total seven, like Landon. Gio had six bruises.

"So what's the total for my team?" Landon asked me.

"Twenty," I replied.

"Okay. You're up Eli," Landon pointed at him.

Eli sighed and got up. He pulled off his shirt and I noticed how curious Hayley looked, and how I most likely had the same expression on my face too. Eli's body was slim but muscled all the same, and he also had a few scars here and there.

"One," Hayley touched Eli's bruised ribs lightly.

"Two...three..four," she brushed her fingertips over his chest. "Turn around?"

Eli turned around without a word and Hayley touched his back, counting two more bruises.

"Drop your pants?" Landon said.

"No," Eli spoke. "Don't have any bruises there."

No one challenged him, probably because no one was in the mood to argue and up next it was Walter's turn.

I found my stomach fluttering in anticipation as Walter stood up to take off his shirt. When he pulled it off I simply stared, drinking up every part of his sculpted physique. Walter did have a tattoo, and it was of a thorny heart which was on his left hip with the letters E.S in it. I was inquisitive as to who E.S was, Eli? An ex? Walter also had a couple scars scattered over his body which I tried to memorise so that I could ask him about later.

Hayley counted only four bruises for Walter, who also decided not to take his trousers off and then it was Phoenix's turn. When it came to Phoenix I found myself holding my breath. I didn't think Phoenix would actually comply, but he started to take off his top and I looked away out of fear before shifting my eyes back again.

The first things I noticed were the gold chain around Phoenix's neck and the scar that ran down his side. Phoenix's body radiated power. He had no doubt gotten the mean looking scar whilst spending time behind bars. Phoenix also had more bullet wounds than I could count. At first they were hard to notice, but once I noticed one, they all became apparent and I held back a gasp. Phoenix barely any bruises and Hayley was done counting in no time. Phoenix didn't take off his trousers, and nobody really asked him to, he put his shirt back on and sat down.

"That was just two," Hayley said to me, so I could add it to the total.

"Severn," Landon called next.

Severn shook his head, "Nope."

"What do you mean 'nope'?" Gomez frowned at him.

"I'm not taking my clothes off," Severn shrugged.

"Then we'll have to do it another way," Landon rubbed his hands together. "Stand up."

Severn put his hot chocolate down and stood up with a frown.

"Every time you wince, that counts as a bruise," Landon said, grabbing Severn's shoulders.

Landon did next what I could only describe as a very thorough body search, making sure to press hard so that Severn would definitely wince each time Landon found a bruise under his clothes. Landon went behind his younger brother and squeezed his butt cheeks making Severn shout and me and Hayley burst into laughter.

"Was that another bruise?" Landon smirked.

"Just get this done and over with," Severn gave him a dead eyed look.

"Well I make that six," Landon concluded after feeling down Severn's legs. "So what's their total Coral?"

"Sixteen," I said. "So that means we win."

"Damn," Landon hit the arm of his chair.

"We had more people than you and we still won," Severn laughed at his brothers.

"The girls didn't do it though. Can't we like...strip search Coral and Hayley too?" Giovanni suggested. "It would make it fair."

"Are you crazy?" Walter asked him in a low voice.

"I might be a little bit," Gio made a thinking face.

"I agree with Gio," Gomez said. "I guess that makes me slightly bonkers."

"Same here," Severn smiled. "Sorry Coral and Hayley, but like Gio said, it would only make it fair."

"We're on the same team," I said incredulously to him. "And we won."

"Start running," Walter said.

"Wait, what?" Giovanni faltered.

"When the man says start running," Landon said with a carefree smile. "It means: start running."

As soon as he finished speaking, Walter jumped out of the sofa, slapping Severn on the side of the head first then going for Gio and Gomez who upped it and ran. I was laughing so much at the way the triplets were screaming that I couldn't even see straight from all the tears in my vision.

***

That night after Hayley had gone home, the older Simpson boys told me that they were going out on patrol. Landon and Walter explained to me that patrol meant going through their turf, sniffing out any Santiagos who might be trespassing. At first I didn't really have a problem with it, but when I saw the guns I started to worry.

"Walter, do you really need that?" I pulled him aside and asked him quietly.

I knew Phoenix was looking at me as he stood by the door waiting for Walter with Landon, but I ignored him. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Phoenix step outside, probably so he wouldn't see any possible signs of affection.

"We don't stab or shoot to kill," Walter said to me. "The guns are used as warnings when they are trespassing, or vice versa."

"I've seen bullet wounds on nearly all of you," I said. "And judging from the sounds I hear at night sometimes, they aren't just warnings."

"I know you're worried," Walter caressed my cheek. "But it's unlikely that any of us will meet death anytime soon. There are only seven of us and six of them after all. If we kill them all, there'll be no fun around here anymore."

"Not to mention," Landon came over to add. "They'll kill as many of us as they can in retaliation. Then, there would be no one left at all. And well..that's not how you play the game."

They had a point, but accidents happened. How could one shoot a gun at a moving target, in near darkness, knowing that the shot wouldn't be fatal?

"Landon go," Walter pushed his arm in annoyance.

"Be careful," I pulled Walter closer to me once Landon had joined his brother outside. "Please."

"I promise," Walter said to me.

I cupped Walter's face and gave him a firm kiss, "I'll be waiting."

"I'll be late," Walter took my hand and kissed my knuckles softly. "Don't stay up for me."

I nodded, knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway and then gave Walter a hug.

"See you later then," I told him.

"Later," he kissed my forehead and rubbed my hair before leaving.

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