"Do you shave your legs every day?" Rayne asks as he swivels around on his computer chair desk.

I was sat on his bed in a towel. I had some spare clothes here just because I stay here often and usually forget to take stuff home. And well Ivy just ends up washing it and putting it away in Rayne's room for me.

Rayne and I stayed in bed until like mid-day this morning. I was exhausted and well Rayne liked to do that anyway, it was always me pushing for us to get up and do something for the day.

But anyway, as I showered I used one of his new razors to shave my legs and well can I just say that men's razors are like so much sharper?

Well, I was bleeding and Rayne was just watching me try to deal with it.

"Em?" he asks and I look up.

"What did you say?"

"I asked if you shave your legs every day?"

"Not every day. But most days, I guess. If I want like smooth legs."

He nods.

"You need a plaster or?"

I just nod. It wasn't going to stop anytime soon, and I was bored of holding the tissue up to my leg. Plus, my hair was dripping wet down my back and no matter how hot Rayne's bedroom was it was making me shiver.

"I will go grab one."

I smile and Rayne gets up, opening his door up and jogging away and down the stairs.

I just sigh and take the tissue away, frowning when the blood runs down my leg and I just shake my head in confusion.

Blood is so gross.

"What did you do?"

My eyes widen and I look up to see August at the door and I just feel a deep blush settle on my cheeks when I realise my nakedness.

I was in a towel, but it was a lot. Why did Rayne leave the door open when there was others here? Damn you.

"Emersyn?" August snaps and I send him a small smile.

He was making an effort not to ignore me and I was just sat here staring at him in embarrassment.

"Nothing, just a razor. I just- they are sharp."

He rolls his eyes at me and nods. "Yes they are sharp."

I smile slightly at his sarcastic tone. "I- why are you here?"

"Why is it you ask me that when this is literally my family home?"

I smile at that. I like it when August doesn't take on the notion that he is disconnected from this. That Ivy and Jackson are his family.

"I just mean, I left you at your flat, didn't I?"

"How's your head?" August chuckles then and I smile.

"A lot better than if I had drunk."

"Yeah you only feel rough the next day if you do like a lot a lot."

I nod at that.

"Here." Rayne says, walking up to the room and his eyebrows raise at me, indicating his surprise over seeing how August's shoulder was casually leant against his doorframe.

"Thank you." I smile and Rayne kneels down and puts it on from me.

Cutie.

"Are you-" I look up to August and my words die when he's already freaking gone.

Oh.

I just shrug.

"Huh?" Rayne says looking up at me and I shake my head.

"Oh nothing. What are we doing today?" I ask.

"Um, we can either stay in. Or we can go out? We could meet up with my friends?"

I just pull a face.

"I know it's summer but how do you feel like a lazy day?" I ask. "Like pamper session, movies, snacks the lot."

Rayne just laughs at me and in sign of agreement he closes the curtains and then his bedroom door.

"Alrighty Em."

I grin.

And cut to half an hour later, I am finally dressed, my hair in braids and both Rayne and I had face masks on.

"I am not talking to you." I pout, sliding further down in the covers and Rayne pulls the duvet away slightly so I don't get the cucumber-based mask on his sheets.

"Em-"

"No I just merely suggested we make a cake and you-"

"I said okay but not using your Jam. Emmy I have been living and breathing strawberry jam all week and-"

"But I thought about making a Victoria sponge cake with fresh cream, fresh strawberries with strawberry jam it will be so nice!"

Rayne groans. "You need to find a hobby so you stop doing these little mini projects."

"I have a hobby thank you very much."

"And yet I am left with the pressure to eat five jars of jam?"

"I just wanna make a cake." I exclaim, shaking my head at him and he sighs.

"Emersyn-"

"No. You aren't-"

"Oh goddamn it. You get your way too much."

I grin. "So we can make a cake?"

"Yes."

"Good." I say, sitting up. "Can we make chocolate cake?"

He runs a tired hand down his face. "You just said-"

"Yeah I know what I said but now I decided I wanted chocolate. Do you have ingredients because I-"

"You are talking to fast Em, slow down, we are supposed to be relaxed."

I just smile slightly.

"Sorry I guess."

"But yeah we have stuff for that I think, I dunno let's go down and raid the cupboards and depending on ingredients we can decide on a recipe."

"Pft we don't need any recipe."

"Is that how we ended up with fifty jars of Jam?"

I frown. "Stop attacking my jam. It's good jam."

"The first bit I had was amazing." He nods. "I think I might be permanently put off now though."

I just feel so sad.

It is so sad that everyone isn't enjoying my jam.

"I also feel this need to batch bake cupcakes." I share with him and he shakes his head.

"Please don't, I love cupcakes but being forced to eat that many will forever put me off."

I shrug. "I have work tomorrow, I could bring them in."

Rayne gets up and he drags me out of bed.

"I am playing tomorrow evening, will you come?"

"Oh with Trev and-"

"No." He shuts me down quickly. "It's not a gig I am just playing at that Café I told you about."

"Oh." My eyes widen. "Yes of course." I smile.

"I will be with-"

"Oh." I frown.

"Emersyn..."

"Look I've been doing pretty good minding my own business about you and Will but I dunno how well I will be able to-"

"Please?"

I nod. "Okay sure." He grins.

"Yes okay lets go down stairs?" I ask.

Rayne leads the way and we are just sort of messing around his kitchen when I hear his brother's voice again.

"Why is August hanging out here?" I ask.

Rayne just blinks at me. "I mean- it is his home, he does have a room-"

I roll my eyes. "Well yes, I mean last year he didn't- I dunno I just feel like he's around a lot more."

"Yeah he is. Some stuff happened like before you went away and well so August is here more now."

"What happened?" I ask Rayne and he just shrugs.

"No actually." I ask and he shakes his head.

"Em, I don't really know and also I cant really-"

I nod, I was being nosey. I am just so curious.

"He-" I start and then my words faulter when Jackson and August walk inside from out back.

I send Rayne a small smile and look down, mixing the chocolate around the bowl. We were melting it ready to fold it in the cake mixture.

"You want a coffee?" Jackson asks August and August just nods, sitting down at the breakfast bar across from me and I bite my cheek in almost awkwardness. It was strange, I didn't know how to act now.

"Em, your parents are worried." Jackson says and I furrow my eyebrows and look up at my best friend's father.

"Huh?"

"They thought you were at Luella's and then when I said you were here they were confused."

"Oh." I whisper. "I just didn't think to tell them that I changed my mind and came here."

He nods and noses into what we were making.

"Just send them a message or something?" He says and I nod.

"Who did you talk to?" I ask.

"Your dad."

I just nod again.

August is scrolling through his phone and I look up at Rayne once Jackson had made the coffee and left August sat there with us.

"My face is all tight." I tell him, lifting my hand to touch the face mask and Rayne laughs

"That's because it has like a setting agent in it. Like it traps or-"

August chuckles, lifting his eyes to meet Rayne's and he smirks slightly.

"You sound like a pansy bro."

I swallow, taking in a deep breath as Rayne's fucking heart probably sank.

I thought Rayne might say something back, August probably expected banter, laughter. But Rayne fell silent.

Fucking asshole.

"And what the fuck is wrong with that?" I snap. Stepping back and Rayne's hands find my waist as if to silence me, but I was livid.

"You're supposed to be educated August, that word is so offensive."

His eyes lock with mine and he just lifts an eyebrow at me, confusion evident because I knew he meant it as a joke, Rayne knew he meant it as a joke but it wasn't fucking funny.

"Get out." I say. "Go away."

"Emersyn." Rayne whispers, a low laugh falling between his lips. "You don't need to go all social justice warrior. You. Are. Being. Random." He grits at me, as if I was drawing too much attention. That my offence for him was going to uncover something and I knew I needed to chill but I just hate that.

Like why is that okay?

August stands and he just widens his eyes slightly at my angry face and he walks away.

"Trying to be his friend my ass-"Rayne mutters and I spin around to face him.

"You can't just- people shouldn't say shit like that. You can't call someone gay because they're doing something typically known as feminine. Like who the fuck does-"

"He didn't mean it like that Emersyn, you are drawing too much attention to it." Rayne mumbles, looking down and moving me out of the way so he could take over making the cake.

"But you are hurt." I say.

"Yes." Rayne laughs. "It hurt."

I bubble. I couldn't help it. "He's an asshole."

"Em." Rayne laughs softly and I just shake my head.

"No I don't wanna be friends with him anymore."

"Emersyn." He laughs and I just frown deeper.

"No he needs to know that it's not okay to say shit like that."

"Em I say shit like that, It's part of guys language, part of the culture. He was being friendly in a way, amused, banter, you bit his head off."

"Because I just don't think that that's okay. For goodness sake of course you are freaked out about the way you're feeling, you've grown up with gay being used as an insult."

"Okay stop." He says and I pull a face. "I am going to go take this mask off, clean my face."

"Rayne..." I sigh and he shrugs.

"I feel weird now."

I just nod, looking at him sympathetically and he leaves to go and wash his face.

I was still mad.

I just- how was Rayne ever going to feel comfortable to come out to his family if he is- I just- I am angry.

My poor cake batter is getting the brunt of it, stirring aggressively to fully portray how annoyed I was.

Maybe I was overreacting?

My heart just hurts for my best friend.

Honestly.

"I am back." Rayne grins, jogging back through the door and I can tell he's just gone and blocked whatever he was feeling out.

I smile slightly.

"Can you get this cooking?" I ask. "I am just going to go wash my face myself." I say and Rayne nods, letting me go and I knew that I was probably going to go to August.

I climb the stairs and I do in fact go and wash my face, but I also make my way down to the study and find Jackson sitting there, laptop open, coffee in his hand and he just raises an eyebrow at me.

"Where's August?"

August clears his throat and I spin around, finding him sat on their armchair in the corner of the room.

"A word?"

"No." He says, looking down at the book he was reading, and I just narrow my eyes.

"I will just say it in front of your dad."

August looks up then. "Not my dad."

Asshole.

I look at Jackson and his eyes are slightly hardened, he must be so used to August's moods, but it's so shitty that he throws that out there when he knew it would hurt him. The man brought him up since he was seven.

You'd think he wouldn't want to hurt him.

"Outside." I grit. A weird strength resonates inside of me when it comes to August. I never feel like I should shut up, I suppose because I already know he doesn't like me so the fear of making someone not like you just isn't there.

August gets up and he follows me out into the hall and I just walk straight into his bedroom.

As if I had been here before. I hadn't.

It was bare, all his stuff at his flat but you could tell he occasionally stayed here.

"Just let yourself in." He mutters.

"I am sorry for being so snappy." I say and his eyebrow raises. "But seriously you can't call people words like that."

"Emersyn, I don't know what happened for you to think you can dictate what I can and can't say but you are sadly mistaken."

"So you seriously think calling someone-"

"No. it was a joke. I won't joke like that again." He says, his eyebrows furrowed and I just look back at him confused too.

There's a big contrast between him saying I can't dictate what he says and then to him saying he won't say it again.

"I just- you could hurt someone with your words August. I know you and Rayne and you and your guys I guess might throw those words around, but they can be hurtful. Plus, like not only can the term pansy be classed as homophobic it can also be classed as sexist because you were-"

"Referring to my brother in a negative way because he was displaying feminine behaviours and that was wrong of me because it encourages the whole toxic masculinity thing and also labels stereotypically feminine behaviours like skin care into something negative and I used it in a way that belittled him. Yes Emersyn, I am aware of the world too. I can jump on bored your little politically incorrect train. It was a joke, it didn't hurt his feelings, it's Rayne. But it clearly ticked you off, so I am sorry about that."

It did hurt his feelings though.

Wait.

Did he just apologise to me?

"You just apologised." I breathe, shocked.

"What did you come up here for if it wasn't an apology?"

I dunno. I guess I wanted-

"Honestly like a fight?"

He laughs, he's not cold today. Not really. He's not even high.

Or is he?

"Have you been smoking?" I ask.

He blinks at me. "It's two in the afternoon."

I shrug. "I just-"

"We can fight if you want to Emersyn. I like seeing you all angry-"

"What?"

His nose crinkles slightly and he just sighs.

"You like seeing me angry?"

"It's amusing." He mutters.

"Wow if we take away one word you literally just admitted that you like seeing me. That you like my presence."

August sits down on the edge of his bed and he shakes his head. "That isn't what I was saying."

I frown. "I-"

"I am saying that if I have to be around you then it's better when you're all angry."

"Why?"

"I find your niceness irritating."

I huff. "You keep saying this."

He shrugs. "You clearly feel comfortable enough to tell me off I clearly feel comfortable enough to say that you are sometimes annoying as fuck."

"August." Rayne snaps, we hadn't shut the door and I was just stood in front of August as he looked up at me from his position on the bed.

Rayne had come looking for me.

I actually had a small smile on my face because August said sometimes. Which was progress.

Shit. I said I didn't wanna be his friend.

"Come on Em." Rayne says softly. "Let's go out or something."

"Ray-" August says and Rayne sends him this look.

"No. Come on Em." He says again.

"I haven't even-" August says and Rayne interrupt him.

"No. I am sick of you being an asshole to her. She's nothing but nice to you so will you just accept that she's literally apart of the fucking family?"

I look between the brothers, tension brewing and I um look for Jackson who was also just across the hall in his office.

I need assistance here.

"Rayne he wasn't being rude then, like-"

How do I explain that we were sort of I don't know- that it was fine. That it was edging on friendly?

August just lies back on his bed, his hands to his head in frustration and I feel bad. Not only didn't he give a shit, he was actually trying to be nice today and it kept coming back to bite him on the ass.

I could literally feel him closing down from us. Like it was cold by the time he looked back up.

"Why are you both still here?"

I cringed. "Leo..."

"That isn't my name Emersyn, grow up."

I bite my lip to stop myself from snapping back and Rayne doesn't have the same patience.

"Did you not hear me when I said-"

"I heard you, just think it's pathetic."

Rayne tenses and he goes to take a step forward and thank goodness Jackson was around because I didn't know what to do. Rayne's dad clamps his hand down on Rayne's shoulder and he pulls him back slightly.

"Alright go out, cool off."

Rayne looks up at his dad and they exchange a few tense words.

Mainly calling his brother an asshole and I turn around to look at August and August is just staring up at the ceiling, away in his head.

"Leo." I whisper, not leaving straight away when Jackson pulls Rayne out if the door.

"What."

He slowly sits up, just leant on his elbows and he stares at me.

"Sorry that I made your good mood fall."

"Leave."

I nod and go to turn around.

"It wasn't you anyway."

I smile slightly at that and his eyes watch my smile.

"Get out." He sighs and I do, I go and follow Rayne and then we finish making that cake, and I try not to cringe in guilt when August leaves the house, the door edging on loud behind him.

The day fades pretty quickly and Rayne and I decide we needed to escape the house after we had finished making and decorating the cake.

I was hot and bothered and I decided to force Rayne to go for ice cream with me.

"Can I come?" Lottie asks when we announce we were going for icecream and I nod before Rayne says anything.

"We're going to one across town though." I say to her and she just pulls a face.

"Are you walking?" She says. "I hurt my ankle in football and I can't walk that far-"

"She kicked a guy." Rayne stage whispers and I laugh at that.

"Lottie why?" I ask, grabbing my bag and she just makes her way to the stairs which was where all their shoes and bags lived.

They had a shoe rack but Ivy never ever puts her shoes away and then the kids follow suite. It drives Rayne's dad mental.

"Because he touched my ass." She mumbles and I pause and so does Rayne.

"Wait what?"

"Yeah." She glares at him. "You seriously want me to just ognore it?"

"No you tell me or August and we'll sort it." He says and I raise my eyebrows at that, imagining the poor sod who really never realised who her older brothers were.

I smile.

That's cute.

But also, focus,Lottie.

"Did you tell anyone?" I ask and she shakes her head.

"Nah I just got sent off for playing too rough."

She plays in a mixed gender group. She loved it, but her face is utterly unimpressed at the thought of football now.

"Lots." I frown and she shrugs.

"It's not like he'll do it again."