Luke & Liam: Thunderstorm

Luke jolted awake as the thunder shook the house. He groaned and rolled over, pushing away the teddy bear Liam still forced him to hug every night. What time was it? Out of habit, he looked over at the nightstand before remembering that Liam had taken away his clock after he threw a fit about being put to bed so early each and every night. He groaned as the memory came back of standing there in just his underwear as Liam kissed his nose and promised that 'big brother' would keep track of time for him from now on.

Listening to the rain outside, it quickly sunk in that it was not just the thunder that had woken Luke up. He needed to pee. Kicking off the blanket and smirking a bit triumphantly as the teddy bear tumbled to the floor, Luke grimaced at how his Buzz Lightyear briefs seemed visible even at night, glowing almost fluorescently white and blue. He got out of bed and pondered getting dressed. Wearing Toy Story pajamas at least seemed marginally less embarrassing than walking around in his underwear.

He dressed, wondering again just what time it was. As far as he could tell, he had been asleep for a couple hours, so everyone else in the house should be in bed. It was hard to tell with the rain pounding on the roof and the thunder rumbling. They could still be up, he realized with a groan. His bedtime was so ridiculously early now, after all.

Avoiding his reflection as the lightning illuminated the room, Luke opened the door and listened for a moment. All he could hear was thunder and rain, so it was difficult to tell if his parents and brother were still awake. It felt so late that they could not be, right? He stifled a yawn, disappointed in himself. He hated any reminder that he was getting used to a little boy’s bedtime. Before all this, he had regularly stayed up until one or two in the morning.

Luke peeked around the doorframe toward the stairs. No light. They must be in bed. Of course they were. It had to be midnight, right? Luke set his sights on the bathroom. Was the door closed? He did not see any light coming from under the bathroom door, so he tested the knob. It turned easily, so in he went.

Luke gasped as he walked in on Liam standing before the mirror, wearing nothing but a pair of blue camo boxer briefs. He turned in surprise, his gaze going over Luke’s head before adjusting downward to meet his shocked expression. He grinned at Luke, but confusion remained in his hazel eyes.

“Lukey? Why are you in your comfy clothes?” Seeing the embarrassed boy about to close the door with a stammered apology for walking in on him in just his underwear, Liam crossed the bathroom and pulled him in. “I asked you a question, bud. I put you to bed in your undies, so why are you in your comfy clothes? Did you get chilly?”

“No! I just didn’t wanna walk around the house in my”

“Undies.” Liam finished. “Well, I’m walking around the house in just my boxers, so why can’t you be in just your undies?” He lifted Luke up and set him on the bathroom counter. “There, now we can talk a bit more easily. Now, what are you doing up? It’s so late.”

“You’re still up!”

“Yes, but I’m getting ready for bed. I put you to bed a while ago, didn’t I?”

“I needed” the house shook and the lights flickered as another rumble of thunder struck. Liam smiled knowingly.

“Ah! The thunder scared you and you were coming to sleep with me.”

“What? No!” Liam covered Luke’s mouth.

“Keep your voice down, Luke! What do you think mommy and daddy will think if they find you out of bed so long after your bedtime?”

“You’re the only one who cares about all that!” Luke said defiantly.

“Oh, that’s not true at all.” Liam said. “We went to the early showing of Slugman last week and why?”

“So we’d be home in time for me to go to bed…”

“That’s right. And who was it who suggested that? Not me!”

“It was Dad.”

“Lukey.” Luke groaned. He was too old for this! Why did Liam insist on treating him like a little boy?

“Daddy.”

“Very good.” Liam gave Luke a hug. “Now, let’s get you to bed.”

“But I really do need to pee!” Liam grinned broadly at how whiny Luke sounded.

“Oh, that’s right. Alright, well, go ahead and pee, but” he kept Luke on the counter for a second. “I think we should take your comfy clothes off first, shouldn’t we?”

“Why?”

“To help you learn there’s no shame in being in your undies.” Liam replied. “I mean, you’ve eaten breakfast in just tighty whities lots of time, haven’t you?” Luke glared at him, holding back his retort that he had on Buzz Lightyear briefs, not tighty whities. He wished he could wear boxers like Liam so he did not have to constantly wonder if tighty whities or Buzz Lightyear briefs were more childish.

Liam undressing him pulled Luke from his thoughts, shivering as the cold night air touched his bare skin. He blushed as Liam slipped his hands into his soft, smooth armpits and set him down on the floor. He could not help but notice just how much hair Liam had under his arms. Sure, it was not as much as their dad who looked almost like Bigfoot with how hairy he was, but it was far more than Luke had. Even his legs only had what could be considered downy peach fuzz.

“Alright, buddy. I know you know how to go pee-pee all by yourself.” Liam said, standing by the sink as he nudged Luke toward the toilet. “You know, that’d be fun, Luke. Instead of saying you need to go potty, you should say ‘pee-pee’ or” he paused. “What’s a good word for number two? You’d get in trouble if mom or dad heard you say anything that sounds vaguely like a swear word, so…” he looked at Luke. “Go pee-pee while I’m thinking, Lukey pooky poo.” Luke considered insisting Liam leave, but it terrified him to imagine just what Liam would do to prove who was in control, who was always in control. He might never get to use the potty, no, the bathroom alone again. Besides, much as he hated to admit it, Liam saw him naked several times a day

Taking a piss, Luke thought defiantly as Liam watched him. Sure, he would have to verbally play along, but Liam did not have any way of reading his mind. He could swear as much as he wanted in his head, couldn’t he? Then again, their parents had been so adamant about training Luke to say mommy and daddy again that he worried Liam would start getting serious about training him to use all the toddler words Liam wanted him to. Luke shuddered as he imagined himself talking completely like a toddler as his family smiled and cooed at him. Was that what they wanted?

“All done, Lukey lambikins? You look like you’re about to fall asleep right here at the potty!” Liam came over and pulled Luke’s briefs up over his privates. “Now let’s wash your hands.” Luke walked over and turned on the faucet. “Oh, no, Lukey. Use the stool, remember?” The stool was not necessary, but it still made Luke just that much closer to Liam’s height, helping to remind him just how itty bitty he was compared to his younger brother.

“Done.” Luke said, feeling as if he was on display standing there on the bright red stool.

“Perfect. Now let’s get to bed.” Liam yawned extra loudly, stretching his arms up high above his head. As he brought his arms down, he wrapped them around Luke and picked him up. “Oh! That was some loud thunder, hmm?”

“Put me down.”

“I know the thunder scared you, but that’s no reason to be a rude little buddy.”

“Put me down. Please.”

“Alright.” Liam set him down, but followed closely behind as Luke tried to run to his room, hoping to lock Liam out before he could get there.

“Good idea!” Liam said. “Grab Teddy before we go to bed.”

“Huh?”

“Remember? The thunder scared you, so you were coming to sleep with me!”

“I was no” Luke growled as Liam grabbed the pacifier from his pillow and pushed it into his mouth.

“Do you want to wake up the whole house?” Liam asked sternly. “Suck on that pacifier and get rid of all your loud yelly thoughts, okay?” He did not seem to notice Luke’s fiery glare as he picked up the bear. “Give Teddy a big hug and a few baby kisses.” Baby kisses was a term their mom had come up with for Luke touching his pacifier, held in his mouth, to Teddy’s face. It had come to her one day when Liam was out with friends and mom decided to have Luke practice keeping his pacifier in almost all day. He shuddered as he remembered just how awful a whole day of little kid pajamas and hugging a teddy bear had been. Was that what they wanted for him all the time?

“Alright, let’s go, Lukey loo.” Liam said, grabbing his hand. Heading down the hall in just underoos, sucking on a pacifier with a teddy bear in one arm, his other hand held by his younger brother, Luke felt almost overwhelmed. He was fifteen years old, yet anyone who saw him would see a kindergartener, if not a complete baby!

They reached Liam’s bedroom and Luke groaned as he realized he would have no choice but to actually sleep in Liam’s bed with him.

“This is ridiculous.”

“Sleepy little boy mumbles.” Liam replied, scooping Luke up and cradling him in his arms. Luke remembered back to that fire drill, the first moment when it had really sunk in just how outmatched he was compared to Liam. Had that been how this had all started? Sure, Liam had been taller than him for most of their lives, but Liam had never really realized it, it seemed. Luke was older, so therefore, Liam deferred to him. Until recently, at least. “We’ve got Teddy, and Lukey, and Liam. We’re all set.” Liam said, climbing into bed and kissing both Teddy and Luke on the forehead. “All snug and safe and sound, hmm?” Luke lay there, feeling the warmth of his brother’s body against him. What was he going to do? Sleep came before he could come up with something.