Here's chapter three. I hope you like it and out of interest, who else is looking forward to tomorrow's episode?

Caleb didn't start out as a party lover.

Ethan never was.

Strange how one could find such a liking for something they used to hate.

"It is much easier to focus on what you like than on what you dislike."

- Raphael Zernoff, I Am.

Ethan's second birthday came and went.

Cal was glad this past year of his brothers life had been uneventful, meaning it had worried him much less than the first. Changes had been made though. Mrs Hardy had had a window seat built in Ethan's room, had the living room redecorated and bought Cal a new football. Mr Hardy had continued working.

The garden was peaceful. Peaceful enough that Caleb wished he could spend some evenings out there, however his father hated sitting in the garden and his mother - who held him as the apple of her apple - wasn't keen to let him be outside alone. After Ethan's mysterious fever from last year, she had become rather unkeen to bring Ethan outside at night. Cal got the idea she didn't trust their father enough to leave the baby with him.

He spent a lot of time outside in the holidays, especially when it was summer and there was (or was meant to be) a fair share of sun. The new football saw daily use, but Cal hadn't played much over the winter after he nearly broke a mirror and his father demanded the ball be kept outside. Looking back, Cal knew it was a stupid idea to have brought it inside in the first place as there was always the high risk he could have injured Ethan, alas his mother had supported him in the idea and that was enough for Cal to enact it.

He didn't realise - or even ever think - his mother might favourite him over Ethan or why that could be.

He also didn't realise his own strength and when he kicked the ball, never put thought into it, even after multiple close shaves.

"Caleb!" His mother called after his ball had bounced off the door as she opened it. Cal always thought she looked funny when she put her hands on her hips and attempted to look stern to tell him off. It never seemed to come over that way, and she never seemed to truly mean it in that way. It was as though she did it to humour him, "How many times must I tell you, mind where you kick that ball."

"Sorry." He apologized, as was well mannered and expected of his upbringing. His mother was a fanatic for manners; his father for looking good.

"It's alright," She assured, dropping her hands from her hips and picking up the ball, "This time."

"I'll be more careful, I promise." He replied, taking the football back from her.

"I'm sure you will. Now come on, get ready, guests will start arriving soon."

He sighed. "Yes Mum." Reluctantly, he made his way indoors, his mother ruffling his hair as he entered the kitchen, despite his attempt to run far enough around so that she couldn't reach.

Cal hated the social events his parents hosted. They hadn't hosted one since before Ethan was born and after over two years of a gap, his father demanded on it, and his mother liked the idea of restarting them. He was hoping Ethan might kick up a riot, yet something was suggesting to him that his little brother was going to be exactly that and hardly the risk or riot type. More like the silent.

So he'd decided he'd have to cause the trouble himself if it came to it.

When he was ready, he sat and looked out of his brother's bedroom window. It had a better view of the street,compared to his view of the garden. He kept a close eye on Ethan, who was sat on the floor playing.

"You alright, Caleb?" His mother asked as she walked in and knelt next to Ethan.

Cal stood and sat next to her, "Are you bringing Ethan downstairs tonight?"

"Of course," She tilted her head slightly in that way that meant she was going to ask a question, "Why?"

"What if he doesn't like all the attention?"

"You did as a baby." That was embarrassing to know. And also annoying, considering his hopes to escape tonight.

Cal was delegated the sofa and watch of Ethan.

He didn't mind.

His parents spent the first part of the evening 'meeting and greeting', serving their guests drinks and starting conversations. Cal spent the first part of his evening smiling at everyone who walked through the living room door and came over to greet them, smiling at them both before talking to Ethan in a stupid voice that sounded like they planned on coddling him. Caleb decided he disapproved.

The evening continued with conversation, some music, but mainly conversation. Layers of voices over voices, talking about this and that, some of which Cal caught, some of which he understood and some of which he completely ignored.

"It will be nice to have a break."

"Where would you go?"

"Why would you think that..."

"Wouldn't you if he was out half the night then..."

Cal sighed. He ignored the conversation after the first five minutes, spending the rest of the evening focusing on his dear brother. This is why Cal ignored conversation and ended up just diving in.

The noise wasn't excessively loud, yet after an hour or so, it was loud enough to be distressing Ethan, more so than it had Cal at the same age.

So Mrs Hardy handed her drink to her husband, "I'm going to get Ethan to bed, this isn't working."

Seeing an opportunity, Cal dived in, "I'll take him."

"Really?"

He nodded, "I can manage," There was some air of unsurity from his parents, his father more so, "He is my brother, Mum."

"Of course he is," She answered with a smile, taking her glass back before gesturing upstairs, "Go on then."

He didn't go upstairs.

"It's quiet out here," Cal remarked, Ethan said nothing, "I wish you could talk to me," To this Ethan made a small sound, "I mean properly, not just with sounds and the odd word or two."

Cal had found himself desperate to be able to hold a conversation with his little brother. For a moment, Cal was sure he heard Ethan say his name.

"Sorry, what was that?" He looked down to the baby sat in his lap. Ethan looked back. Cal exhaled and looked back up towards the sky, leaning his head back into the chair, staying in silence for a while.

"Look up there, Eth," He began after a moment, pointing, Ethan turning his delicate head and raising and arm like his brother. Cal smiled, lightly shook his head and leaned in closer, whilst carefully taking a hold of Ethan's hand, "No, there," He guided his brother to be pointing in the right direction before letting go, "That's what they call a star."

Ethan smiled and as Cal didn't know much better, assumed he laughed. Cal turned his head to look at Ethan, "Do you like stars?"

Ethan nodded. Caleb was practically beaming, "You do."

He could get used to moments like this.

"Caleb?" Their father's voice echoed from down the hall and Cal felt his shoulders sink, just like how he felt his spirits deflating, "Get inside."

Sure enough the man appeared at the door, scowling as he looked at the elder.

"Why?" He didn't see a problem.

"Inside. Now."

"But we're fine."

"I said now Caleb!" The raised voice wasn't need. Ethan had looked around and Cal was holding his father's glare. It was a starting point for a magnitude of problems.

"Don't shout. He can hear you perfectly well." The emergence of his mother pulled his father's eyes from him and Caleb .

"He shouldn't even be out there, least of all with his brother."

She put down her glass and grabbed a wine bottle, pushing it towards her husband, "You go and take this into the living room and entertain our guests, I can sort this."

"Don't be too lenient." After Mr Hardy left, Mrs Hardy leaned against the door frame.

"Thanks Mum." Cal smiled again, but when he looked back to his mother, she wasn't looking quite so pleased as him. He stopped smiling almost straight away and looked down, tightening the arm he had around Ethan

The sound of her heels was muffled by the grass, but when she stopped, she bent down to his eye level, "What are you doing, Caleb?" She broke into a smile and then Cal knew it was okay to smile back. He was still the apple of her eye.

"I thought it might be a nice change," He explained, "And Ethan likes looking at the stars."

"Why don't you sit upstairs and look at them?" She suggested, "Then we know you're safe, but you can still be with Ethan, yes?"

"Yes."

So Cal did exactly that. He sat Ethan on his lap whilst he sat on the window seat and looked out at the stars. Ethan fell asleep eventually against Cal's chest and seemed content to stay there.

Cal moved slightly after an hour when he began to get pins and needles and Ethan woke almost instantly. After a few minutes, the younger had settled again though, once again with his head on Cal's chest. He didn't move the next time.

The noise quietened gradually until Cal had seen everyone leave from his new perch. When the door opened, he looked up and watched as his mother walked in. She took one look at them and made sure to whisper, "You're still awake?"

"I didn't feel like sleeping."

"What will I do with you?" She shook her head, but Cal knew she meant it in jest, "Get into bed."

"It's the holidays though Mum, can't I stay here?"

"You won't be comfortable like that."

"I am," He attempted to insist. He wasn't. But he'd make do, "And Ethan is." That was more important.

"You're good to him."

"He's my brother."

She smiled. One Cal would never forget even though he was young. He'd picture her face like that, one day when she'd lost those lovely looks and the sparkle in her eyes.

"Mum," Cal called as she went to leave, yet still only slightly louder than a whisper, "Why does he want to sleep against my chest? I moved him and he didn't like it."

"Babies like to be able to rest against a heartbeat."

"Why?"

"They grow with for nine months before they're born and most are close to their mothers after they've been born. It's just a comforting sound they get used to," She explained, "One they sometimes like to hold onto."

"Was I like that?"

"You were more of an independent baby."

Cal stayed where he was all night, Ethan remained asleep all night despite a few minor disturbances, all of which Cal was able to settle relatively easy. His little brother seemed to know he was in safe hands, Cal believed it. The shouting from downstairs reached his ears, but he put a hand over Ethan's, hoping to dim it.

"He's six, you can't trust him with a baby!"

"Have some faith in him. It wasn't like he went marching off down the street!"

He disliked shouting, though maybe some noise was okay, like music.

He disliked party's and he disliked his father, the latter more than the former. The former he might be able to come to like. The latter he never could.

He liked his brother.

He'd stick with him.

Though he never thought he might come to dislike him.

I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you think. I appreciate all the support on all of my stories and I will keep writing for these two as long as you want to read them and as long as I'm inspired by George and Richard's brilliant acting (which is likely to be quite some time).

Next chapter should be up soon. Thanks again. :) x