Disclaimer: No incest in this one! Therefore, no disclaimers :D But it does help if you've read the previous installment.
Author's Notes: Again, blame the plot bunny. I know I said I wouldn't develop this story, but I had to. the plot bunny bit.

For the Love of the Family

Life went on pretty much as normal for Michael and Joshua. Joshua had not come any closer to figuring out if he was gay, or just in love with his adopted brother Michael. Michael was pretty convinced that Joshua was completely gay, but didn't want to tell him that. He was most certainly not in love with his brother. Dispite gaining their mother's approval to experiment, the one time was enough for him. He believed it was wrong, even if they weren't blood relations.

If Michael was completely honest, life wasn't really normal. He tried to pretend it was for the sake of their sister, Cassy. She was the middle child, the only straight one, as far as they were aware, and the only hope for grandchildren by natural means, even though none of their mother's children were actually hers. Cassy knew about Michael almost as soon as she joined the family, but only he and their mum knew about Joshua's problem. Cassy, Michael believed, would probably react quite badly if she found out her two brothers had locked lips. She was of the same opinion as he. Siblings do not do that, blood or adopted.

He loved his sister and didn't know how she would take it.

"Mike..." a drowsy Joshua coughed from his bed, and into the morning.

"Yeees...?" Replied Michael, who was less awake but dressed for college and packing his bag.

"Mike, I'm dying..." He spluttered the last few words, forcing Michael to actually feel sympathetic towards him. When he did turn to look, he saw a very grey looking Joshua, who was hugging the bed sheets as close as possible, as if he would die if they left his body for a moment.

"Josh," Mike walked towards the bed, "are you gonna stay at home today?" his little brother nodded, then grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down, "er... dude?"

Joshua mumbled incoherantly, and tightened his grip on his brother's clothes. Then he moved his head, kissing Mike's cheek. Michael pulled away, meeting little resistance, "I told you that wasn't a good idea."

Again, Joshua babbled.

"Damn, you're really ill, I'll get mum."

"No..." He managed to say, "no mum, you. Want you to stay."

The older brother turned and sat on the bed, rubbing the brunette's back, "I have to go to college you know, I've got a full day today, I can't miss it." The statement ensured a new set of groaning from the bedsheets, more complaining about being left to die than anything else. Michael checked his watch. He had ten minutes before he had to be downstairs for his mother to drop him and his sister Cassy to college.

"I'll stay for now, but I have to go to college today," he stated, kicking off his shoes and lying down next to the invalid. He wrapped his arm around him. Mike knew it could send out the wrong message, but he'd done it a few times before when Josh had been ill. He didn't think this time should be any different.

Unfortunately, tiredness got the better of him, and cuddling his brother closely, the blond fell asleep, his head in the crook of the younger boy's neck.

The next thing either of them knew was Cassy running out of their room screaming for their mother, "Mum! They're sleeping together! Mum! Mum!" Michael jumped off of the bed as soon as he comprehended what was going on, which was very quickly. He ran out of the room, following his siter, with the distinct feeling of de-ja vu.

"Mum! Joshua's gay too! They were sleeping together!" They both reached the kitchen, finding their mother drinking a cup of tea. She looked exasperatedly at Mike.

Cassy put her small face in front of their mother's; piercing blue eyes wide open in shock, staring straight into the older woman's own, "Mum, Joshua's gay too!"

Michael stepped in quickly, "No! No, he's ill, and he wanted me to stay, so I lay next to him." Cassy snapped her head to face her older brother.

"You were too close!"

"We didn't sleep together!" Michael yelled back, "I was just hugging him like mum does with you when you're ill!" Cassy closed her mouth and just stared, "and he's not gay."

"I am," Joshua appeared at the doorway, in his pyjama's, voice still croaky, "guys, I'm gay. And no, me and Mike aren't sleeping together."

Cassy blinked. Michael blinked. Their mother drank from her mug.

"You're gay Josh?" Cassy asked softly. As soon as she saw his head nod, she turned to her mother and screamed, "MUM! He's gay! I told you!" Michael sighed and turned to face his brother. He didn't say anything, but his thoughts of malice towards his sister were clearly communicated to the subject of the conversation.

Their mother put the mug down and patted her daughter on the head, "I know..." She sighed and put her mug in the sink. Three sets of eyes followed her. Cassy stepped forward, trying to grasp the concept that not only was her younger brother gay, but her mum knew and:

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Josh hung his head, he didn't realise his sister would be so horrified. Though she was probably more disgusted by finding her two brothers in bed together. Michael on the other hand knew from the start. He knew his sister, knew she wouldn't be able to handle her two brothers behaviour.

"When did you find out?!"

"Last week," their mother put her hands in her pockets and leaned against the counter, cursing under her breath.

"Last week?! You know we had that bet! I could have used that forty pounds last week!"

"What?!" Both boys stared at their brown haired sister. This is too much to take in one morning... thought Michael.

Their mother took a hand out of the pocket it was resting in, and slapped two twenty pound notes into her daughter's hand, "happy?"

"Yes!"

"That's what this was all about? You had a bet that Joshua would be gay too? What about the whole sleeping together thing you thought we were doing?" Michael exclaimed, completely shocked that the two females of the house could be so crass.

"I don't give a crap about you two sleping together, do what you want! I was just estatic I won the bet." Cassy slid her winnings into her trouser pocket and grabbed her bag from under the table.

"Okay, fine, you win. Now, Cassy get in the car, Michael, put your shoes on, grab your bag and meet us there; Josh, go to bed, I'll look after you when I get home. Now I've got to drive you to college like a maniac cause you all insisted on having this escapade!" Their mother huffed.

Cassy left the room with a big smile plastered on her face. Michael sighed and went upstairs, Joshua following. He smiled inside though, six years he'd been with the family and he thought he'd had the wrong conception of it from the beginning.

"Josh?"

"Yeah?"

"I love this family."

"Yeah, me too. Does that mean you love me back?"

"Don't push it."

…

feedback please if you like. if you don't like, lemme have it :D likesaid, this is practice.