The first time I met Aiden Davis was when I was eight years old, when Mom, my older half-brother Reo, and I had just arrived in New York and landed at the airport. It was during winter, and I had a terrible cold during the entire flight.
Aiden, who was sixteen years old at the time, walked up to me, took my small cold hands into his large warm ones, and said, “Hello, Haru. My name is Aiden. I’ve heard so much about you from Dad, and I’m glad to finally meet you. We’re going to be brothers soon. Isn’t that great? I’m going to take good care of you.”
All I could do was stare at his refreshing smile, mesmerized. For an eight-year-old half-Japanese boy who had lived in a small town all his life where there were hardly any Westerners around, I found the sight of Aiden fascinating. I thought his blond hair and hazel-green eyes beautiful.
I felt drawn to him.
Brothers? We were going to be brothers, he said, and it made my heart swell with joy that we were going to be one big happy family: Mom; my new dad, Michael Davis; new brothers, Aiden, Noah, Mason, and Isaac; and Reo and me.
That joy, however, only lasted five years, because just after their fifth wedding anniversary, Mom and Stepdad passed away in a motor vehicle accident. That joy had swiftly and unapologetically turned to sorrow. Slowly and surely though, that sorrow turned to determination, hard work, and eventually joy again, because us six brothers had stuck together through thick and thin. For me personally, that joy started turning to agony three years ago, all for a different reason, and the handsome face that had used to mesmerize me now pissed me off.
“Haru? Wake up! It’s already half past seven.” Aiden’s deep-timbred voice insistently nagged at me.
I flashed my eyes open and stared at the face that never failed to please a woman, the face that made my heart ache.
My heart skipped, which only managed to annoy me even more at such an early hour of the morning.
I groaned in protest and rolled over, giving my back to him. Damn, but I didn’t want to see him so cheerful, grinning at me with that ridiculous smile of his. It affected me in a bad way.
I muttered, “Didn’t I tell you not to come into my room? Privacy, Aiden, privacy.”
Aiden laughed wholeheartedly. “Sorry, but I can’t help myself. Old habits die hard since I’m always the one to wake you up. You always sleep so deeply, which is adorable.” He chuckled, as if he found that amusing.
Who found an eighteen-year-old sleeping adorable, anyway?
“You’d better get up; otherwise, you’re going to be late for your part-time job,” he said as a reminder.
I said, “I’ll get up once you’ve made yourself scarce.”
I knew I sounded snarky, but I couldn’t help myself. Seeing him first thing in the morning was the best and worst thing to me. Damn, but my heart still hadn’t stopped racing since he’d appeared.
Aiden chuckled merrily. He was always like that with his easygoing attitude, taking everything I said as a joke and lightly brushing it aside.
He said, “You know, you used to like my face, a lot. You used to always stare at my face and comment on how much you liked it.”
I felt him sitting on the side of my bed and then leaning on the lumpy cocoon of my body.
He continued, as if perplexed, “What happened?”
What happened? Really? What the hell happened?
I wanted to yell at him, “You happened!”
I fell for you, for God’s sake. Hard!
Hiding the forbidden feelings I had for him, I grumbled into the pillow, “People change.”
“What was that, Haru? Did you say something?”
I flipped the duvet away from me, sat up straight, and muttered, “I said people change.”
Aiden gave me a warm smile. “So, you’re finally awake. About time.” He reached out and tousled my bed hair. “Good morning, Haru. How was your sleep?”
I brushed his hand away from my head, my face hot with embarrassment. If I told him I had masturbated while thinking about him last night before going to sleep, and the fact that during sleep, I also dreamed of doing him, which made me so deliriously happy, would that count as a good night’s sleep?
I muttered, “It’s okay. Sleep is sleep.”
Aiden cocked his head to one side. “You’re moody today.”
I put my hand on his chest and pushed him off my bed. Damn, but I felt so uncool that I had to put in quite a bit of effort just to make him move. The fact that he was bigger than me was something that always riled me up. With that type of athletic physique and such a gorgeous face and charming smile, who wasn’t going to fall for him? Ever since high school, there had always been strings of girlfriends attached to him.
Sometimes, I wondered what happened to me, the runt of the family. Reo, my half-brother, wasn’t like me. He—like our stepbrothers Aiden, Noah, and Mason—was at least six feet tall and had an athletic build. Isaac, although he wasn’t sternly framed like the rest of his brothers, was still a head above me.
And me? I was barely over five foot five. Barely. Who was going to find me attractive?
When they, the girls, referred to us brothers—the Davises and the Onos—Aiden was always the gorgeous one, Noah the broodingly handsome one, Reo the hot Asian one, Mason the stunning one, Isaac the attractive one, and me the cute one.
Why was I cute? Just because I was below the average height for a male didn’t mean they should refer to me as cute.
Once Aiden was finally off my bed, I said, “I’m getting ready, so just leave already.”
“I got it. I got it,” he said. Before shutting the door behind him, he asked, “Do you want me to drop you off at work?”
I shook my head. “I can bike there. I’m old enough to look after myself. Stop treating me like a kid.”
The fact was Aiden was the only person in our family who pampered me and treated me like a kid. My mom, Sana Ono, had never spoiled me when she was alive. Reo, who was four years older than me, and our three other stepbrothers, Noah, Mason, and Isaac, didn’t either. They treated me like any normal brother would—close, but not too close. Although I seemed to remember Stepdad had been a little bit like Aiden—overly fond of me and doting on me.
Aiden chuckled. “See? Old habits die hard,” he said before closing the door.
Yeah. I guessed old habits did die hard. Like me always running to him, seeking reassurance and comfort whenever I got into trouble, despite being a grown adult. Well, teenage young man, to be precise.
It couldn’t be helped. Aiden had been the one solid rock I could lean on when we lost our parents. In fact, as the eldest of the family, he was the only strong brother everyone could lean on for support during that painfully difficult period, despite being only twenty-one years old at the time of our parents’ passing.
I sighed, feeling depressed suddenly.
Shit! Here I go again, feeling gloomy.
Hormones. I decided to blame it on the hormones. I was eighteen years old and had never had a girlfriend. Let alone all-out sex. I was still a virgin. I could have gone to parties like most guys my age did, picked up some random girl, and just had a one-night stand like I had tried previously, but the thought didn’t sit well with me. The few times I had the courage to take action, I had never managed to go further than saying hello before walking out again, feeling sick to my stomach.
Why the hell couldn’t I just be like a normal guy? Why couldn’t I just like girls and want to do them? Why couldn’t I find boobs attractive?
Fuck! Why did I have to fall in love with Aiden, my own stepbrother?
Why?
Like hell I knew why!
My chest felt tight and painful. It fucking hurt.
With another deep sigh, like some depressed middle-aged man with a midlife crisis, I got off the bed. After grabbing a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and underwear, I headed out of my closet-sized bedroom.
In the hallway of our crammed six-bedroom, no living room, one kitchen-dining-sitting area, one bathroom apartment, I met Noah, the Davises’ second brother who was five years older than me and was currently a brand-new university graduate at the age of twenty-four.
“Morning, Haru, you’re up later than usual today,” he said.
It looked like Noah had just returned from his intensive morning run. His shirt was soaking wet with sweat. Not to mention his forehead and face.
“Yeah,” I said. “I didn’t go to bed until very late last night.”
I didn’t add the fact that I was too busy masturbating while thinking about his older brother, Aiden, imagining doing all sorts of perverted stuff to him like kissing him, licking him, and sucking him, especially that large cock of his which I had seen numerous times when we used to bathe together when I was younger.
Couldn’t be helped. The family wasn’t well off, and with only one bathroom to share among six brothers, taking baths together was the only solution to saving money on the power bill. And Aiden had always been the one to bathe with me, and when you bathe, you get naked, and when you get naked, well, you were bound to see parts of the human anatomy that weren’t revealed when you had clothes on.
“I know it’s summer break and all,” Noah said, “but it’s only your first week on the job, right? You really don’t want to give your employer a bad impression.”
Noah, the perfectionist, never failed to lecture me on my too chillaxed attitude where life was concerned. For him, life needed to be taken seriously.
I said, “I won’t be late. I’ll bike there as soon as I’m done showering.”
After all, I couldn’t afford to lose the job, since I needed money. I refused to solely depend on Aiden where that was concerned. As the only one with a stable income in the family, he had to pay a shitload of bills, not to mention there were six very hungry mouths to feed. Boys’ appetites could be extra expensive.
“After showering and then breakfast, you mean,” Noah said firmly. “Breakfast is an important meal of the day, Haru. You just don’t eat right—that’s why you don’t grow properly.”
His words hit me right where it hurt most. My size.
I said, “Well, excuse me for dramatically bringing down the family’s average height, but I can’t help that I stopped growing at fifteen.”
Noah must have realized his words pissed me off because he took a step forward and patted my head, like all the brothers did. It was their habit to pet me when I lost my temper. I guessed that was how you get treated when you were the youngest in the family.
“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just watching out for you.”
“I know,” I said.
Yes, I knew he was watching out for me, as all the brothers did. After all, that incident when I had collapsed at school from severe malnutrition had scared them shitless. Not to mention the drama that followed with social services.
“I’ll have breakfast before I go,” I promised.
Noah tousled my hair as he said, “Good boy.”
I brushed his hand away and asked, “Can I use the bathroom first? I have work at nine today.”
Noah nodded. “Go ahead.”
“Thanks,” I said as I turned on my heel.
At the bathroom door, I knocked, knowing one brother or another was currently in there using the facilities.
The door opened a moment later, and Isaac, the Davises’ fourth brother and a year older than me, appeared.
“Oh, Haru. Morning. The bathroom is all yours.”
“Thanks,” I said, nodding.
Once Isaac left, I slipped in, gladly shutting the door behind me. Honestly, I thought, once I had saved enough money from my part-time jobs, I’d find myself a small, very affordable apartment to live in while studying. Sharing a place with five other brothers was no fun at all, especially when you’re sickly in love with one of them.
Yep. I’d be leaving this apartment before summer ended, any brothers’ protestations be damned!
Aiden“What’s wrong?” Reo Ono asked from across the dining table as he set his cup of coffee down, his smoky-dark eyes on Aiden Davis, the family’s eldest brother.Aiden raised his blond head and gave his stepbrother a querying look. “What do you mean?”“You seem preoccupied.”Aiden glanced at his cell phone, noting it was already ten to eight. “Am I?” he asked, now glancing at the door for signs of Haru.Reo sighed, knowing all too well what was bothering him. “If Haru is going to be late for his job, then it’s his own fault.”Aiden said, his voice firm, “I’m his eldest brother. I can’t let him be late for work.”Reo leaned forward on the table. “You’re not his mother, Aiden. Stop pampering him and start finding yourself a permanent girlfriend already.”Noah, who appeared at the door at that moment, said, “I concur.”Aiden frowned. “How the hell are those two related?” He picked up his cup of coffee and took a sip while Noah and Reo looked at each other.When he put the cup down agai
HaruThe feeling of Aiden’s warm hand around my arm made my heart race and my stupid dick respond in the most inappropriate way. Shit! And I had just jerked off in the shower, too, all while imagining doing it with Aiden.Youth could be so damned hard to deal with.I moved my arm away from his touch. My face hot and probably red, I said, “All right. All right. I’ll have breakfast.” Just so he would leave me alone.Honestly, the only way to make Aiden rest his case was to do what he demanded of me. In this instance, eating breakfast.Taking a step back, I raised my gaze to his face and said insistently and clearly, “But you don’t have to drop me off. It’s not that far anyway, and biking doesn’t take long.”With that declaration firmly out of the way, I turned my back on him and took a seat beside Isaac.As I reached out and got myself a slice of toast, I spied him taking his seat across the table. I could sense that he was watching me intently, like a mother hen, making sure I ate enou
HaruAiden’s deep timbre came firmly, which drew my attention to him.“Isaac, stop leading Haru astray. Haru is fine the way he is,” he said, which instantly made me blush.Yeah, I blushed a lot in front of him and knew it wasn’t normal. Girls blush when a hot guy talks to them. An eighteen-year-old boy shouldn’t blush when his older stepbrother was talking to him.He continued saying, “I’d worry if he goes and does things like that too soon. His body is too fragile.”Fuck me! I could only sit there and stare at him in astonishment. What the hell? Did he think I had a chronic sickness or something?Reo looked as though he couldn’t contain himself and laughed loudly. There were even tears in his eyes. When he managed to stop, he said, “Daddy Aiden is worried his daughter Haru will grow up too soon.”I went bright red and snapped, “Oy! Can we stop talking about me now?” I turned to Aiden and said clearly, “For your information, I am not fragile and am perfectly healthy.”Yep. I wanted t
AidenAs Aiden stepped across the threshold of the apartment, he said, “Tadaima,” the Japanese phrase meaning I’m home that Haru had taught them when he was eight. At the time, Aiden had insisted to his brothers they incorporate Japanese daily expressions into their lives so that both Reo and Haru would be able to quickly settle into their new environment. After all, he wanted them to feel at home, as a part of the new family as soon as possible. Of course, it didn’t take any of them long to learn all the phrases, and once they started using them, they never stopped, and as Aiden had predicted, both Reo and Haru quickly and smoothly settled into their new life with their new stepbrothers.For Aiden, the phrase Tadaima gave him a sense of comfort because home was where he and the people he cared about most could be with one another and spend quality time together.“Okaeri.” Noah said the phrase meaning welcome back from the kitchen door. “Was he late for work?” he asked, with an amused
HaruTokyo Club Restaurant & Bar was once again busy and jam-packed with customers for a Saturday. Tonight, I estimated about eighty diners already on the premises, enjoying themselves, eating and drinking with family, friends, and loved ones. I was rather glad that neither Jess Taylor nor I were rostered on at the bar area, because that place could get rather rowdy with all the drunk patrons abound. Not to mention some outrageously flirty ones who couldn’t seem to keep their hands to themselves. They particularly liked to feel up staff members’ backsides, especially Jess’, and oddly enough, mine.Honestly, every time that happened, especially to Jess, it pissed me off because that type of thing was just not on. I had to admit I was very protective of Jess since she was my best friend, and a very beautiful one at that, especially when she was wearing that waitress uniform of a white blouse and black pencil skirt, which perfectly fit her slender figure, showing off her stunning body.B
HaruAiden moved over along the booth, allowing me space to sit next to him, which was also in front of Camille, who said. “You’re Aiden’s brother?”I wasn’t the least bit surprised by her astonished tone. Aiden was all American and very Caucasian, with blond hair and hazel-green eyes while I was half-Japanese with dark hair and eyes. Of course, most, like her, would be astounded if we mentioned that we were brothers.“I’m Haru, his stepbrother,” I said, twisting the lid of the soft drink bottle open. Then I drank to my heart’s content, so thirsty I was.Camille said, “Stepbrothers, I see.” She chuckled prettily. “So you’re the youngest, right?”I nodded, suddenly very aware of the strong perfume smell lingering in the air around us, which I now knew belonged to Camille.“Mm-hmm,” I responded, trying not to show how much I disliked the intense scent.“High school freshman?”I felt my face heat up immediately while Aiden beside me was chuckling away with amusement. I turned to glare at
HaruAfter dropping Jess off in front of her apartment, which she rented with some other university students, Aiden and I headed toward home. The journey was silent, and God, it felt strangely uncomfortable with just the two of us in the car. While Jess was around, it had been lively, with her chatting nonstop about her awesome life as a university student, along with me. But once she was gone, the atmosphere became tense, and damn, I so badly wanted to break the ice. I also wanted to know what Aiden had said to Camille after I left them back at the restaurant, because when I returned to clear away the dishes, she was gone. Then again, I didn’t want to ask, because the thought of Camille pissed me off.“So,” Aiden began suddenly, breaking the silence and drawing my attention to him. “You said you’re in love? That’s the first time I’ve heard of it.”My heart skipped a beat, and I turned away, avoiding his sidelong glance. I felt my face heat up in the dimness of the car.I said, “It’s
AidenAiden watched Haru go, his eyes on the boy’s slender back. He didn’t miss the fact that Haru had finally built some muscles either, since he had last seen the boy naked, which was six months ago.Had it really been six months ago that he had seen Haru nude? Ah, yes, that’s right. It had been when he had happened to walk in on the boy after a bath. And there was Haru, completely naked.Now that he thought about it, Haru did indeed look like a Shrine Maiden, especially with his dark hair wet and clinging to his face and his pale skin glistening pink from the hot bath. Of course, the alluring image had triggered some alarming sexual desire on Aiden’s part, which had caused him countless nights of sleeplessness and numerous wet dreams.Yes, Haru’s body looked more toned now, firmer, like he had finally grown into a fine young man. He wasn’t so boyish like he used to be. Well, he was eighteen now, so of course his body would mature into an adult, which both pleased and scared Aiden s