My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 87: Surface Tension

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Ethan ended up sticking around way longer than either of us expected. Time seemed to fly while we were just hanging out in my room, sharing stories about the past couple of weeks, almost as if we’d missed just hearing each other’s voices.

He shared how close he came to losing his mind out of boredom during his suspension—how he eventually hopped a train to Everhart Academy just to see his little brother who was in the boarding school. His grandparents were there too, and Ethan did these hilarious impressions of their posh British accents that had me laughing so hard my stomach actually hurt.

"You should’ve seen my grandmother’s face when I showed up, Noah." he said, grinning as he leaned back on his elbows. "She honestly thought I was kicked out for something wild, like eloping with my chemistry teacher or robbing a bank."

I snorted, flipping a page in my physics workbook. "To be fair, with you, both options sound equally likely."

He gasped dramatically. "Rude! I’m a model citizen. I only commit crimes against humor. Not that I’d ever need to rob a bank!"

"Crimes against humor," I chuckled. "That’s one way to put it. Your dad jokes are a whole different category."

"Hey!" he said, pretending to be offended. "My dad jokes are basically an art form." He pointed at me like a teacher about to drop knowledge. "Why did the scarecrow get promoted?"

I shot him a wary look. "Ethan—"

"Because he was outstanding in his field," he declared, laughter bubbling up as he reveled in his own joke.

It was ridiculous, but I couldn’t help but laugh too. Maybe it was just nice to feel that easy comfort between us again—being with him, free from any tension or secrets.

He asked how my Clearwater trip went, but for some reason, I felt too guilty to spill the details. So all I said was that Adrien and I had been getting closer as step-siblings and that he seemed like a better person now.

But Ethan’s response left me a bit blank.

"Do you really think he’s changed, Noah?"

I didn’t have an answer for that, even though I didn’t think Adrien was a bad person anymore.

At some point, Ethan started helping me with my physics homework, leaning over my notebook like we were back in middle school. To my surprise, he was better at it than I thought—patient, providing little doodles and metaphors that made the concepts stick in the silliest ways.

"So basically," he said, sketching a crooked stick figure on my notes, "if this guy jumps off a cliff, gravity’s gonna have a blast. That’s Newton’s way of saying ’you played yourself.’"

I groaned, pushing his hand away, but I was smiling the whole time. "I’m never letting you tutor me again."

"Yet you’d be lost in physics without me," he teased, leaning back with that smug look of his. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm amber glow through the room, a comfortable silence settled over us. It wasn’t awkward—just cozy, familiar. The kind of quiet that comes when there’s nothing left to say, and both of us wanted to hold onto the moment.

Ethan looked at his phone and let out a soft sigh. "I should probably head home before my uncle thinks I’ve disappeared again."

I nodded, putting my books away. "Yeah, probably a good idea."

He smiled and stood up, stretching his arms before reaching out for my hand. "Come on, walk me out? I’ll pretend it’s because I might get lost on this massive property of yours."

I rolled my eyes but took his hand anyway, letting him pull me up. We walked downstairs, our fingers grazing each other every now and then until we reached the front door. Carlby passed by, giving a polite nod and pretending not to notice the way Ethan’s thumb was tracing light circles on my palm.

"So..." Ethan paused by the door, his expression softening again. "I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? Maybe we can make plans—go somewhere nice, just us. Catch up on lost time."

My heart did a little flutter at his words, that easy honesty that always made it hard for me to stay mad at him. "Yeah," I said, smiling a bit. "I’d love that."

He pulled me into a warm, familiar hug, the kind that felt like releasing a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. His cologne was fresh, with a hint of citrus—all him. He squeezed a little tighter before stepping back, his blue eyes sparkling in the fading light.

"Don’t stay up too late with your homework," he said playfully.

"No promises," I shot back, trying to sound casual, even though part of me wanted him to linger a bit longer.

He chuckled, giving my knuckles a final gentle stroke. "Guess I’ll have to keep texting you annoying reminders until you fall asleep."

"Like you don’t already," I teased right back.

Just as Ethan was about to say something else, I heard footsteps echoing softly down the hallway, slow and steady and familiar. My heart sank before I even laid eyes on him.

Adrien appeared at the entrance a moment later, towel in hand, wiping the sweat from his jaw and neck. His shirt clung to him slightly, and he had that laid-back, post-workout look that somehow made him feel even larger than the room.

The moment he stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted.

Ethan’s easy demeanor faltered for just a second before he collected himself and turned to Adrien with a polite smile. "...uh, hey, Adrien. Long time, huh?"

Adrien didn’t smile back. No slowing down or friendly banter—just a curt nod, his eyes flitting from Ethan to me and then back to Ethan, sharp like a dagger. "Yeah," he muttered, tossing the towel over his shoulder as he strolled past us, "not long enough."

Ethan’s jaw twitched slightly, but he kept his voice even. "Still the charmer, I see?"

Adrien gave a low, humorless response, as if he couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge Ethan’s words. He opened the fridge, snagged a bottle of water, and cracked it open with one hand, leaning against the counter like we weren’t even there.

The tension was thick—almost palpable. I could feel it pressing in on me.

I swallowed hard, darting glances between the two of them. Ethan looked composed, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. Adrien, on the other hand, seemed completely unbothered in his apathy. Maybe that was his way of keeping control acting like he didn’t give a damn.

I wanted to say something, anything, to lighten the mood, but my throat felt dry. Part of me wanted to stand up for Ethan—he was at least trying to be civil, but another part of me just couldn’t find the words.

"Uh... Ethan was just leaving," I finally managed, my voice smaller than I intended.

Please, not another fight. I can’t handle that again...

Adrien didn’t look up. "Yeah? Don’t let me hold you up."

Ethan forced a smile, but I could see the irritation flickering in his eyes. "Right. Wouldn’t think of it."

The silence that followed was deafening. I could hear the fridge buzzing and my own heart racing in my ears.

Ethan turned to me, his expression softening when our eyes met. "I’ll text you when I get home, okay?"

I nodded, trying to smile even though I felt a mess inside. "Okay."

He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to my forehead, a gesture that should’ve felt comforting, but under Adrien’s watchful gaze, it made my chest tighten instead. Ethan offered Adrien one last polite nod before heading for the door.

The sound of the door clicking shut echoed through the house, and once it was quiet again, I let out a shaky breath. I hadn’t even realized I was holding it.

Adrien was still leaning against the counter, arms crossed, a faint smirk playing at his lips.

"You two looked cozy again," he remarked casually, as if it was just an observation, though there was an edge to his tone. "I guess you two finally sorted things out."

I shot him a look, irritation bubbling up. "Did you really have to act like that? I know you two hate each other, but he was trying to be polite to you."

He shrugged, pushing off from the counter. "So what?"

"So, that was rude," I muttered, crossing my arms though my voice lacked conviction. "Seriously, you’re such an asshole."

Adrien’s eyes flicked to me for a moment, before he smirked and m he turned toward the hallway again. "Whatever you say, Hamster."

And just like that, he was gone, leaving me standing there, heart racing for reasons I didn’t want to think about.

I told myself it was just leftover tension.

That’s all it was.

But deep down, I wasn’t convinced anymore.