Song: Yoko Ono // Moby Rich

"I don't need it, a house that ain't a home

I need you on the passenger side

A house gets cold with nobody inside

Some shit I just don't need in life but I need you."

•••

Dylan arrived ten minutes after the phone call. During that time, Nick took it upon himself to plan out how we were going to piss him off. I don't think I've ever seen him so excited to do something, nor do I think I've ever seen him actually plan things out.

Nick was like me; a complete opposite to Dylan. While Dylan would take the time to carefully plan things out, Nick and I just chose to go with the flow. Dylan did his work days before the due date while we worked on it the night before. Dylan was organized– everything had to be in a specific place, and if he used it, he had to return it to where he got it from.

Nick and I just let chaos follow us wherever we went.

Maybe that's why they got along so well. Dylan kept Nick grounded while the latter taught Dylan it's okay to let go every now and then.

Nick was picking out outfits for me in a store when Dylan got here. I didn't want to admit it, but I was excited to shop again. There was nothing I loved more than clothes and fashion. I've been living in fear that someone might steal everything from me again. By having Nick force me to attend therapy and into the mall, I was beginning to feel slightly more secure.

"Hey, Bee," Dylan greeted, pulling me close for a hug before stepping back to look around the store. "So, you're shopping?"

"Yup," I popped the p, rocking on the heels of my feet. "Nick took me out so we could hang. It's been fun."

He nodded slowly, "That's nice." He replied, but even I could tell that it wasn't nice. Nick was totally right. "Speaking of Nick; where is he?

I stood on the tips of my toes and scanned the room before I caught sight of a relatively buff man running around like he was a child who was given a lot of candy.

"He's over there," I said while pointing at his direction. "Nick!"

Like a dog who's just been called, his head snapped in my direction and he perked up at the sight of Dylan. He made his way towards us with a basket full of clothes he picked out.

"Dill Pickle, you're finally here!" He exclaimed happily as he skipped in our direction. "Amby, I picked out a shitton of tops that would look good on you."

Dylan furrowed his eyebrows and looked between us, "You're letting him choose your clothes?"

I don't usually let anybody choose my outfits, even Dylan. Nick and I had planned this out to piss my brother off. Dylan knew how important fashion was to me, and I didn't like anybody meddling with my clothes.

Nick chose to respond by nodding, "Yeah, something about how my sense of style is unmatched."

I snorted, "Alright, let's not lie to ourselves here." I said before glancing at Dylan. "I just needed a fresh perspective."

"Oh, that's great, I guess," Dylan muttered, eyeing the basket of shirts in Nick's hand. "Do you need any help?"

I glanced at Nick from the corner of my eye and saw him give me a knowing look. I shook my head at Dylan, "No, it's all good. I'm sure whatever Nick picked out will look good."

"Plus everyone knows Amber prefers my sense of style to yours," Nick jumped in before intertwining my arm with his to drag me to the changing room. He leaned in to whisper in my ear, "Your acting skills are amazing."

I glanced up at him and smiled, "I know." I replied smartly before giving him a wink. Once we reached the fitting rooms, I looked over my shoulder to find Dylan trailing behind, eyeing the both of us with suspicion.

I stepped towards a room and opened a door, "Okay, I'm going to try these on," I shook the basket of clothes. "You guys sit here and wait."

After trying on a bunch of tops and pretending I liked them, I finally put one on that I genuinely felt good in. It was a white, tie-up blouse with trumpet sleeves and a very deep v-neck.

With a smile, I stepped out of the fitting room with a genuine smile on my face. Both men's eyes widened at the sight. Nick with delight and Dylan with horror.

"Oh my God, Amby, you look fucking amazing," Nick exclaimed with a grin. "Your tanned skin with that color– beautiful. Chef's kiss material."

Dylan gave Nick an incredulous look, "Why the fuck would you pick that out?"

"The fuck's wrong with that?" Nick replied, clearly baffled. "It looks good on her."

Dylan glanced from me to Nick pointedly, "Most of her 'tanned skin' shows because her chest is literally on display."

I crossed my arms under my chest and shot Dylan a look that instantly shut him up– he knew I didn't like it when he said shit like that. I looked at Nick and leaned down to give him a hug, "I really love it, Nick, I'm going to go buy it."

With an unamused look from Dylan and an excited clap from me, I twirled around and ran back into the fitting room to change back into the hoodie and shorts. I stuffed all the ugly-ass tops Nick chose back into the basket and dropped it off on the table by the entrance to the rooms.

I paid for the top and skipped alongside Nick out of the store with Dylan walking behind us while grumbling something under his breath.

"Alright, where to now?" I asked.

"How about we have lunch? There's this Italian restaurant that opened up here recently–" Dylan started.

"I'm in the mood for steak." Nick interrupted him without any remorse. Dylan clamped his mouth shut and glared at Nick.

My eyes widened and my mouth started salivating at the sound of steak, "That sounds so good."

Dylan blinked, "Well, I guess we could have that for lunch."

"Come on, Amby, let's go stuff ourselves." And with that, I followed Nick towards the steakhouse. I could feel Dylan's stare boring into our back's, but Nick and I ignored him as we smiled at each other knowingly.

This was fucking fun.

•••

After having an argument with Dylan about what I should order (since a salad was better for the baby than mashed potatoes), we finally ordered our meals and sat in silence as we waited for the waiter to return with our drinks and appetizers.

"So," Dylan trailed off, looking between Nick and me. "What did you guys do today?"

"Oh, it was so much fun!" Nick exclaimed with exaggerated excitement. He sat up in his seat, "I went over to your house so I could help Amber with her nightmares since you called me crying like a baby."

"And did he?" Dylan asked me with furrowed eyebrows. I applauded him for completely ignoring the comment Nick made.

I glanced at Nick before nodding, "Yeah," I answered honestly because his idea to take me to the therapist was therapeutic, even if I didn't talk to her about the nightmares. "He took me somewhere so I could unwind, I guess."

"Yes!" Nick hissed, pointing a fork at me. "She talked about her feelings and opened up to someone."

"You say that like she wasn't talking to you," Dylan said with narrowed eyes. Of course, he'd fucking notice; it wasn't like he was a lie detector or anything. My brother listened to you speak and picked apart every word like a fucking English literature analyst.

Nick's eyes widened in alarm and he gave me a look that screamed 'do something'.

I pursed my lips before deciding to be honest with him. Sure acting dismissive to Dylan was fun, but I couldn't keep pretending. I would obviously continue to help Nick piss Dylan off, but telling him the truth wouldn't do that much. Maybe it would help speed up the process.

"Nick took me to see a therapist," I told him, shooting Nick a grateful smile. Dylan looked shocked. "It was an hour-long session, and she just listened to me talk about things."

"Oh..." He trailed off. "That's a good idea."

Nick perked up at the compliment, "It was, wasn't it?" He grinned. "Anyways, I decided that it was time for a shopping spree, so I drove her to the mall."

Dylan glanced at me with furrowed eyebrows, "And you agreed?"

Nick scoffed, "Of course she didn't. She didn't have a choice but to come."

"So you forced her to come to the mall?" Dylan asked.

I shrugged, "Yeah, he did, but it was a pretty good decision on his part. I missed shopping and having him drag me to the mall basically forced me to face my fears."

"That's great," He said through a forced smile. Nick winked at my direction and I grinned in response.

The waiter returned with our meals. Dylan practically gave me a lecture about what kind of cut I had to order– something about how lean meats are better for pregnant women than those that are high in fats. After thanking the waiter, I picked up my fork and knife and dug in.

Dylan looked at me in surprise and when I furrowed my eyebrows, he shook his head and looked away. I shrugged and continued to eat my meal. Before I knew it, someone was sliding something in my direction. I glanced at Nick and he winked before tilting his head at his side of mashed potatoes.

I grinned and scooped some onto my plate, "Thank you!"

Dylan shot Nick a stern look, "Nick." He warned.

I waved my hand dismissively, "Dylan, you need to relax a bit. They're literally just potatoes, there's nothing wrong with eating them."

Dylan pursed his lips in contemplation while Nick smirked, "They're just mashed up vegetables– calm your tits, man. This is why Amber likes me better than you; you need to learn how to chill."

I rolled my eyes at his attempt to be 'cool'. Of course, I didn't like Nick better than Dylan– even he knew that, but Nick was still trying to rile him up. Dylan usually remained cool, calm, and collected, but whenever it came to someone in his family, he tended to overreact– especially when it came to me. The man was protective as fuck.

Dylan grumbled something under his breath but didn't comment on Nick's statement. Instead, he picked up five french fries and stuffed them into his mouth. Nick stifled a laugh at my brother's childish actions while I contemplated how my life has come to being surrounded by two grown men who act like seven-year-olds.

Antoine was more mature than these dimwits.

"So, Amby," Nick started. Dylan glanced at Nick to listen to what he had to say while I stabbed into a bunch of lettuce and carrots. "When are you going to start working on the nursery?"

I chocked on my salad and Dylan had to slap my back to stop me from coughing, "Nursery?" I repeated in confusion.

Nick shrugged with one shoulder, "Well you're having a baby, aren't you? Don't you need a crib and a room or something?"

I blinked before leaning back into my seat, "I haven't thought about that if I'm being honest." I replied, very stumped by his question.

I hadn't considered designing a nursery. Where would I have it? I obviously wasn't going to stay here with Dylan forever, but I had nowhere to go. Fashionistique still hasn't replied with an interview and I quit my job. I didn't have anywhere else to go for the time being.

"We have a spare bedroom you can build it in, Bee," Dylan offered while a soft smile.

"Yeah!" Nick nodded excitedly. "I can help you design the entire thing and build it."

"Don't you think that maybe I should do that?" Dylan asked through gritted teeth when he snapped his head in Nick's direction.

"Nope. If there's anything we've learned from today, it's that Amby here," He started, pointing in my direction with an open palm. "Likes my style better than yours. Plus she needs somebody to do all the heavy lifting, and you can't do that with your noodle arms."

Dylan narrowed his eyes at Nick, "Well don't you think that maybe she'd like her brother's help?"

"Why would she?" Nick asked with a crinkled nose.

Dylan's grip on his knife tightened and his knuckled were turning white. He was glaring daggers at Nick and I could tell that the knife would end up in his chest any second now. Nick, on the other hand, seemed excited to die.

I rolled my eyes, "Guys, I don't even know if I'm going to be here when I have the baby."

The two men paused and looked at me inquisitively.

"What do you mean?" Nick questioned while tilting his head.

"I mean, I'm not going to stay with Dylan forever–"

"You're not?" Dylan interrupted with surprise.

"You're not?" Nick repeated.

"No, I'm not," I told them with an incredulous look on my face. "Guys, I'm an adult woman. I literally just applied for a job in Paris, and odds are I'm going to get it. I'm probably going to have to go to France before the baby is even born."

"You're what?" Dylan erupted.

Nick looked at me with a worried expression, "Amby–"

Dylan lifted a silencing hand in Nick's direction, "You– shut up." He seethed before glancing at me. Nick looked like somebody just stabbed him in the back. "Amber, don't you think that maybe you're going to need some help at first? Taking care of a newborn baby on your own isn't easy."

"I know, but I'm going to take care of it on my own for a long time, so I'm going to have to figure that out. Plus, being an editor at Fashionistique has been my dream for years now, and if I do end up getting the job, I'm going to have to go to Paris."

Dylan blinked and leaned back into his seat. He stared at me, and then his eyes flickered to Nick, who was happily finishing his steak. After a few minutes of silence, he pushed his chair back, threw a credit card onto the table, and stood up.

I watched agape as he picked up his suit's jacket from the back of the chair and turned around to wordlessly leave the restaurant.

Nick stared at Dylan's retreating figure before looking at me, "Do you think we took this too far?"

•••

Dylan didn't return any of my calls, and Nick told me not to worry about it. Instead, he dragged me to more shops. He told me that Dylan just needed some time to process things. When I asked what those 'things' were, he said that it was too complicated for me to understand.

And that was coming from Nick. 

I texted Rose, just to give her a head's up on Dylan's shitty mood, but she never replied. The woman had a job to attend to, though, and I understood. It was too early for her shift to end, and she was a nurse that had to care for hundreds of patients.

After shopping for two hours, Nick dropped me off at home. He patted my knee and gave me a reassuring smile. I returned the smile, threw open his car's door, and opened the trunk to retrieve the shopping bags.

I gripped the six bags and walked up the steps. I unlocked the front door and turned around to wave Nick goodbye. He returned it before peeling out of the driveway, driving right past Dylan's parked car.

I walked into the house and threw the bags onto the couch in the living room.

"Dylan?" I called out. "Dylan!"

He didn't respond to my calls. I checked the kitchen, and when I didn't see him there, I walked up the steps to check his room. I didn't find him in anybody's bedroom. Then, I put myself in his shoes.

If I were Dylan and my younger sister royally pissed me off, where the fuck would I go? How would I deal with my frustrations?

Then it hit me– I'd play an instrument.

I walked in the direction of the music room, that was in the back of the house so that the sound wouldn't disturb us. As I neared the room, I heard the sound of the piano get increasingly louder. If I was being honest, it just sounded like he was slamming on the keys rhythmically.

I rapped on the door, and the classical music came to an abrupt stop. I opened the door and peeked my head through the small gap. Dylan was sitting on the grand piano. His eyes met mine and he thinned his lips before pressing down on the piano keys again.

"Hey, Dyl," I whispered, looking around the organized music room. Six guitars hung on their hangers on one side of the room while the grand piano sat on the opposite side. A drum set was shoved into the corner of the guitar wall and his violin's case, along with some air instruments, sat on a shelf behind the door.

Like a child, Dylan ignored me and went back to playing the piano like I wasn't even in the room.

Okay.

I stepped into the room and shut the door behind me. I made my way towards him and shoved him with my hip. I took a seat next to him on the piano bench.

"Are you okay? You left pretty abruptly." I asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm good," He replied through a breath.

"Dyl, just tell me what's wrong already. Are you really going to lie to me? The professional liar?"

He shot me an unamused look before taking a deep breath. Then, in a voice lower than a whisper, he asked, "Am I a good brother, Bee?"

I reeled back at his question. He was avoiding my eyes, instead, he chose to stare at the piano keys spread out in front of him. That wasn't what I was expecting to come out of his mouth. Maybe he had shit to say about Nick or the shirt I just bought; maybe he didn't like the fact that I ate the mashed potatoes– but I never expected him to question whether or not he was a good brother.

"Of course you are, Dyl," I responded wholeheartedly. "What's this all about?"

He pursed his lips before replying, "It's just, I've been trying so fucking hard to help you through everything, and it fucking sucks how Nick helped you so much in a few hours."

I opened my mouth to reply, but he cut me off by continuing to speak, "He took you to a therapist, and that alone probably helped you get things off your chest. Then, he took you to the mall to shop– and you actually bought things. I've been trying to convince you to go shopping for weeks now, and you've always turned me down. Not to forget, today was the first time you actually ate a full meal without complaining. He did so much in the span of a day and I feel like I've barely done shit."

I snorted, "Dylan, compared to you, Nick has barely done shit to benefit me. The man has made me feel fury, hatred, and the overwhelming urge to punch someone at the same time more times than I could count."

He bit his lip and thought over what I just said, "But you've had more fun with him than you've had with me. I mean... you even let him pick out clothes for you."

I scrunched up my nose, "And they were all hideous. I literally only bought one thing out of the hundred he's chosen for me."

He went silent after that and stared at his piano. I felt guilt weigh in on me– was he feeling this way because I refused to open up to him? Nick said that his brother collapsing affected him too– did the robbery also affect Dylan?

Or did Nick finally come up with a plan that actually worked?

I pressed down on a key before turning to face Dylan, "You know when the men burst into my room–" His figure tensed at the mention of the robbery and his stare turned into a glare.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, "When the men burst into the apartment, I was fucking terrified. I don't think I've ever been that scared in my life– not even when I moved away from home to go to university. The man whipped out the handgun and pointed it at my head and do you want to know the first thought that passed through my head?"

Dylan bit his lip and turned to face me.

I gave him a shaky smile, "I didn't think that I was going to die– that hey, my time on Earth was up. All I could think about was how much I wanted you by my side. I wanted somebody to protect me and to save me from potentially dying– and I wanted that someone to be you. Every time the men left with my furniture or stuffed my clothes into a duffel bag, all I could think was 'I want Dylan'."

"I didn't want Nick, Alexandre, or Rose. I wanted you. You wanna know why?" I asked with raised eyebrows.

"Because I'm your brother?"

"Nope," I shook my head and released a heavy breath. "It's because, for the past ten years, you've always been there for me. When Elise announced she was my mom, you were there to comfort me. When I got full marks in my assignments and tests, you were there to tell me how proud of me you were. When Dean left me the night of my prom, you were the one to drop me off then take me out to a very fancy dinner. You even invited Nick and Alexandre and had Antoine dress up in that adorable baby's suit. Most of my happy memories include you, Dylan."

"Most importantly, you were the one who dropped everything when I called you crying, just to come over to make sure everything was fine. I didn't tell you I got robbed that night, you just heard me sobbing and you were there instantly." I snapped my fingers for added effect.

"Nick can't hold a candle to you, Dyl."

Dylan's lips tugged up into a genuine smile and he pulled me close for a hug. I rested my hands on his back and placed my head on his shoulder. I reached a thumb up to swipe at a tear and closed my eyes to savor the feeling of having my brother close to me. His protectiveness might get annoying at times, but I loved him for it because he was my brother.

Dylan was always there for me.

"So, were you only acting like a child because you were jealous of Nick?" I taunted as I pulled away from his hug.

He scowled, "I'm your brother, not him. You're supposed to do those things with me."

I threw my head back and laughed loudly. So not only did Nick come up with a plan that actually worked in making Dylan jealous, he was actually right regarding my older brother being jealous about me spending time with Nick.

I pinched his cheeks and cooed, "Did somebody miss his little sister?"

He furrowed his eyebrows and slapped my hand away, "Of course I did." He replied in a 'duh' tone. "My little sister isn't so little anymore, though, is she?"

"Dyl, I'm always going to be twelve years younger than you," I replied with a soft smile. Dylan rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Bee, you know how I hated myself because I was basically absent for thirteen years of your life," He started. "I like being present in your life. Becoming your legal guardian was the best thing that could've happened to me because now I'm the closest I've been with you. So, I don't necessarily like the fact that you're all grown up now because that means you're independent. You barely need me anymore. I mean, you're going to move away from me again, and this time, you're having a baby."

"Well, you can always come over to Paris to change out my furniture for something better." I teased.

"You're insane if you think I'm going to let you continue your pregnancy in Paris," He chuckled. I opened my mouth to argue but he spoke over me. "Bee, I'm not a woman, alright, so I don't know what pregnancy feels like, but I can assure you it's hard. Your body changes itself to accommodate a fetus, your hormones go haywire, and you have to change your lifestyle. And that's only during your pregnancy; your entire life flips onto itself when the baby is actually born."

I listened to him with wide eyes, "I'm talking sleepless nights, crying– both you and the baby, and learning how to take care of a human being you created. Rose and I were completely lost when we had Antoine– it was difficult as shit and we had each other. Bee, I don't want you to be in another country all by yourself while you try and figure everything out."

"But what about my job? What if they give me the position and I have to be there while I'm pregnant." I asked through a whisper as I stared at the piano with wide eyes. "This is my dream, Dyl. Being an editor for the magazine is me being a step away from becoming the editor-in-chief."

He patted my knee and gave me a reassuring smile, "Maternity leave exists, Bee. It usually starts in your third trimester, which is miles away, but until then, we'll figure something out."

I blinked before nodding. Thoughts were running through my mind at what felt like two-hundred kilometers per hour and I was slowly becoming overwhelmed. I stared at the piano as I tried to process everything, and I guess Dylan could tell how anxious I was because he slung an arm over my shoulder and pulled me close.

He placed a kiss on my head, "Whatever happens, happens, Bee, but I'm going to be here for you. You're not gonna go through pregnancy, childbirth, and your child's first few weeks on Earth on your own. You're going to have me, Rose and Alexandre."

"And Nick," I added with a smile. He totally left him out on purpose.

"When you have your child, Amber, you're going to realize that you're going to want that idiot as far away from your baby as possible." He said, and I could tell he was speaking from personal experience. Nick was a nightmare around babies. Instead of taking care of one child, you'd have to take care of two.

I laughed again.

•••

– 28/06/20

Man, writer's block fucking sucks.

I stopped writing this chapter a good 5 times before I finished. I also had to scrap an entire bonus chapter for DWI because I just couldn't write something I liked.

I'm not used to writing very fluffy chapters, I guess, that don't add to the story, but as I continued writing this one, I realized that it did. 

Dylan and Amber's relationship is pretty important to the story, so I'm happy with the way the chapter turned out. Plus, exploring Amber and Nick's friendship was fun (thank you iamchill12 for the suggestion).

I hope y'all enjoyed it!!!

(Also the top in the media section is the top Amber loved but Dylan hated).