Chapter 2 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 again, he said, “Besides, whether I choose to have a girlfriend or not isn’t any of your business, either one of you.” His tone was firm as he stared at his brother and then stepbrother. His expression was clear. Stay out of his love life.
• Reo shrugged his broad shoulders as if it were of no importance to him. “Sure, bro, whatever you say. If you want to be single for the rest of your life, then that has nothing to do with us. If you want to grow old and lonely, that also has nothing to do with us.”
• Aiden raised a brow, a slight smile playing across his lips. “Is that sarcasm I hear from you, Reo?” he asked in amusement.
• Reo chuckled and gave Aiden a cheeky smile in return. “Sarcasm? Like I’d use it on you.”
• As he made his way toward the sink, Noah asked, “Is Mason up yet?” He poured himself a glass of water and then drank to his heart’s content.
• Aiden said, “Still in bed.”
• Reo nodded. “He didn’t come home until four this morning. I heard him making a lot of noise in his bedroom next door.”
• Noah said, “He really should stop working at that bar. I know he gets really good pay, but, man, it’s no life working night shift.”
• Reo added, “And studying at the same time. I don’t know how he does it.”
• Aiden, his eyes on the door searching for signs of Haru again, said, “It’s not so hard once you’re used to it.”
• Noah chuckled. “So the father of the house says. We know you’re a workaholic, Aiden, but it doesn’t mean Mason has to be one, too. Besides, it’s not like we can’t afford to pay the bills anymore now that the mortgage is finally paid off.”
• Reo nodded. “Maybe we should talk to him when he’s up? Reducing work hours would be a good idea, considering he’s in his third year at the university now. There should be quite a bit of a workload, right?”
• Both Noah and Reo turned their eyes to Aiden, expecting him to take charge, as always.
• Aiden, knowing this was one of his many responsibilities as the head of the family, nodded. “I’ll talk to him when he’s up.”
• On cue, Mason, the Davises’ third brother, sitting at twenty-two years of age, appeared at the door. He was still in his sleepwear and his honey-blond hair was a bed-style mess. He yawned loudly as he came to sit beside Reo.
• “Morning, everyone,” he greeted.
• Reo said, “You’re up early for going to bed so late at night.”
• With his eyes half closed, Mason reached out for a piece of toast. “I got hungry in my sleep. I’m going back to bed after breakfast.”
• Noah nodded. “Good call.”
• It wasn’t long before both Noah and Reo turned their eyes to Aiden and signaled for him to initiate the discussion.
• Aiden put his cup of coffee down and began. “Mason, we need to talk about your job at the bar.”
• Mason let out another big yawn as he nodded. “Sure. You want me to quit or reduce my hours?”
• None of the brothers were surprised at Mason’s words because he was one of the most easygoing and considerate guys they knew. He’d do anything to make the family happy.
• Aiden said, “Reducing your hours would be great, especially if you don’t have to work so late anymore. But quitting that job is an option, too. I’m sure, with your abilities, finding another job won’t be hard.”
• Mason nodded. “Sure, I’ll talk to my manager about reducing my hours. But I won’t quit just yet. I like having my own money.”
• Aiden nodded in understanding while both Noah and Reo grinned. Discussion closed, easy as per usual where Mason was concerned.
• A moment later, Noah asked Aiden, “Didn’t you say yesterday you have a meeting with a client this afternoon?”
• Aiden nodded. As a real estate agent, there were no set work hours. Saturday, such as today, was also a workday if his clients demanded him.
• “The client wants to inspect a few of the apartments she liked.”
• “What part of New York are they looking at?” Reo asked.
• “Upper East Side.”
• Noah whistled in appreciation.
• “That’s going to be quite a commission,” Mason said.
• Aiden nodded. “If everything goes well, then yes.”
• Noah finally moved from where he stood near the sink and took a seat across the dining table.
• Reo eyed him with a frown. “Why are you still in your running gear?”
• Reaching out for a slice of toast, Noah said, “Haru’s in the bathroom.”
• Reo smirked. “How considerate of you. You should have gone in first and made him late for work.”
• At this comment, Aiden chimed in. “Maybe we should find another apartment. One with at least two bathrooms.”
• “And six bedrooms?” Noah asked with raised brows. “That’s not going to be easy to find.”
• Mason nodded in agreement. “It’s going to be very expensive. Do we even need to move? We’re doing fine living here, aren’t we?”
• Reo felt the need to add, “Rightly so. And can we actually afford to do that, anyway? I know we’re far better off than we used to be, but you’re the only one with a stable income. And besides, do you actually want to sell this apartment? It’s Mom and Stepdad’s legacy, you know. They worked really hard on the renovation to fit everyone in.”
• Aiden glanced around the open-plan kitchen-dining-sitting area. This had been the first and only home their father, Michael Davis, and stepmother, Sana Ono, had bought for the whole family to live in after their marriage ten years ago.
• He remembered the good old days when all six brothers used to sleep in the living room while both parents worked tirelessly renovating; knocking down walls, putting them up again, and then painting and decorating, which all had been done after their full-time jobs, from evening to the early hours of the morning and throughout the weekends. Once it had finally been completed six months later, the three-bedroom apartment had turned into a four-bedroom, large living room, and an open-plan kitchen-dining room apartment, where it was always noisy and lively.
• At the time, apart from the master bedroom that their parents occupied, Aiden himself had shared a room with Haru while Noah shared with Reo and Mason with Isaac.
• Thinking back to those days made Aiden’s chest ache with nostalgia. Sharing a room with Haru had been so much fun. In winter when it had been too cold, little Haru would crawl into his bed and snuggle into his arms. Then when their parents passed away, Haru had refused to sleep in his own bed. Aiden had known the boy had been afraid to lose another member of his big family and had clung on to all of them, especially Aiden. Of course, Aiden himself had found having Haru close helped him ease the pain and sorrow he had felt during the difficult time.
• He was the eldest of the family and had to be strong to support his younger siblings since they had no relatives to speak of to rely on. Their dad, Michael Davis, and dead biological mother, Annie Davis, had both been only children. As for Reo and Haru, their only uncle was in Japan and therefore couldn’t do much to help.
• To be strong and offer his strength selflessly to his brothers at the age of twenty-one had been truly tiring. So Aiden had secretly leaned on Haru for comfort in those small dark hours, which had truly been a blessing.
• That blessing didn’t last long, however, because when Haru had turned fifteen years old, he announced that he’d turn the walk-in closet into his bedroom, any protestation from the brothers be damned.
• That was when Aiden decided a rearrangement was necessary so the brothers could all have their own bedrooms. Hence, Aiden had turned the living room into his own sanctuary while Noah, Reo, Mason, and Isaac picked their desired bedrooms. Haru had still stubbornly wanted the walk-in closet as his bedroom even after Aiden suggested they share the living room since it was the largest, thinking space was the problem.
• “There’s no way I’m sharing a room with you, Aiden,” Haru had said. “If you guys aren’t going to help me take down the shelves, then that’s fine. I’ll do it by myself.”
• Of course, in the end, they all worked together and managed to turn the walk-in closet into a decent-sized room, which had just enough space to fit in a single bed, a study desk and chair, and a set of drawers for Haru’s clothes.
• This apartment had been their home for ten years now, and they had been through a lot while living in it, experiencing the good, the fun, and the sad, painful times. The thought of selling it just didn’t sit right with any of them.
• “No,” Aiden said. “I don’t want to sell it. It has too many memories.” He chuckled. “Although I do have enough savings for a deposit, if we’re going to buy a new apartment.”
• Reo said, “That savings is yours, Aiden. We have been leeching off you enough already. Besides, it won’t be long until some of us will be moving out.”
• Aiden frowned over this and said firmly, “Nobody is moving out anytime soon.”
• Shit! He knew he was acting unreasonable when it came to his brothers’ parting, but he couldn’t help himself. The thought of any one of them leaving just made him feel sick to his stomach.
• Noah said, “Well, I certainly won’t be moving out any time soon. Also, newly graduated here. About to start full-time work next week at one of the biggest gaming companies in New York. So technically, that’s going to be two stable incomes.”
• Reo said, “Hmm... Does that mean we’ll be able to afford a vacation soon?”
• Noah said, “Maybe?”
• Isaac came in, whistling a happy tune. “Morning, all bros,” he greeted. “What’s for breakfast? And what are you all chattin’ about? I heard vacation? Where are we going? When? Can I bring my friends along?”
• Mason said, “Breakfast is same old. Toast and scrambled eggs. No vacation just yet.”
• Rubbing his hands together, Isaac said, “Toast and scrambled eggs are good enough for me.” He took a seat beside Aiden and started gathering his morning meal onto a large plate. “No vacation is fine, too.”
• He was just popping a forkful of creamy scrambled eggs into his mouth when Haru finally appeared.
• Dressed in a pair of jeans and a light-gray T-shirt, his dark hair wet from his recent shower, he looked fresh and alert.
• He said, “I’m off now. See you guys later.”
• He was just turning around and about to leave again when Noah said, “Breakfast, Haru. Breakfast.”
• Aiden got up from his seat and came to stand behind him. “I’ll drop you off. Now have some breakfast,” he said, wrapping his hand around Haru’s arm.