Erika's POV:

"What?"

Brandon's body grew rigid as he stared daggers at her. It was funny how they had almost the same expressions, but I kept my amusement under wraps as I tried to clear the air.

"It was a misunderstanding, really. A first meeting, I'm sure, no one will forget," I said with a nervous chuckle.

Brandon's glare was still painfully pinning Mia down. Fortunately, she was impassive to his death stare, ignoring him completely, as she picked a second slice of bread. 

"This is so good," she said after taking a sip of his coffee.

The siblings liked their coffees strong; good to know.

"I wouldn't be insulting her, if I were you. Erika could have your head on a platter, if she wanted to."

"What are you saying?" she asked, one eyebrow raised as she looked at me, from head to toe.

"Well, you're a med-student now, but once you start rotations, she'll be your resident."

"Crap. You're shitting me. God, I'm so sorry..."

Her words didn't matter. If anything, she was looking out for him in her own way, although pretty harshly. Still, I remained silent during their exchange.

If there was something my Italian mother taught me, was, to never meddle in the family disputes of my spouse; not if I didn't want my own head served on a silver platter.

"Erika, this is Mia, my little sister. Mia, this is Erika. My girlfriend."

"It's nice to meet you." I was glad to see her relax a bit, but I couldn't hold in my next words. "But when we're at the hospital, it's Dr. Ricci," I said with a wink.

She gulped, her cheeks becoming darker, when her phone rang. She excused herself to get the call, leaving us alone in the kitchen.

Brandon settled his body between my legs, nuzzling my neck with his face.

"I'm sorry," he said, leaving a trail of kisses on my skin.

Pushing him just a few inches away, I looked up to his eyes with a question in mine.

"What for?"

"She has no filter. I should've known she'd act this way."

"She didn't know about me, though. Right? If anything, she was looking out for you."

"She hasn't been to Chicago for some time... and we haven't talked in ages, but she must have heard something from mom. She's smart enough to put two and two together."

He looked deep in thought for a few moments, before his signature smirk appeared on his face.

"You had to make her crap her pants with the whole 'Dr. Ricci to you'-thing," he said with a dark chuckle.

I rolled my eyes, not giving in to the bait.

Instead of humoring him in a game I knew I was going to lose, I changed the subject.

"So... boyfriend." His eyes were gleaming, making me feel small and warm under their intensity. "Would you like to eat anything?"

"I could think of a few things."

My eyes widened, when he started attacking my jaw with kisses.

"No... No, no... Your baby-sister is in the next room, probably talking to your mom about the bitch you call a girlfriend." 

Instead of stopping, he continued teasing me, his hands settling on my back under the shirt I was wearing.

"I like it when you wear my clothes," he said, completely ignoring me.

"Brandon!" I tried to push him back, but he was so damn strong. "I think we don't need any more uncomfortable encounters... especially ones with me trapped under your body, our clothes on the floor, me moaning your name, when she could walk in-"

His lips stopped my runt, completely ignoring what I was saying as he pulled me closer.

"Brandon, I just said..." I tried to say between heated kisses. "That we should behave."

"Then you shouldn't have created all those images in my head, Angel."

This was a battle I was losing, and fast.

My alarm rang loud, startling us both, and I managed to untangle myself from his claiming body.

Saved by the cake. Literally.

"What's this?" asked Mia, as she walked in a moment later.

With a knowing look, I tried to stare him down; we were almost caught. It looked like he was impassive to death stares just like his sister, because he was looking at me with a devilish smirk and a hidden promise.

'This isn't over.'

Trying to hide the shiver running down my spine, I opened the oven to reveal my creation.

"This is ciambella. It's like vanilla ca-"

"Is this really ciambella?" she turned to look at me, eyes wide. "I haven't had one of those in ages. I'd say I love you right now, but figured after my previous stunt, it's better to shut up and eat."

Between cake bites and coffee sips, Mia explained to me how their family was familial with Italian cuisine, because of their half-Italian mother. "She doesn't really bake, but her lasagna is to die for."

The more we talked and got to know each other, the easier it was to see the little girl she hid behind her strong exterior.

Under all the walls built around her, she was really a Bambi.

She was loved by her mother, it was obvious from the back-and-forth texts, but as sheltered as she was, she was a woman ready to explore the world away from the overprotectiveness she got used to, up until now. And navigating through life without her dad or Brandon by her side was challenging in its own way.

"How long will you be staying here?"

"Oh, I won't be staying here at all. Mom thinks I am, but I have a place in the student dorms. Which brings me to another questions. Can you drive me-"

Mia paused, when Brandon's phone started ringing. She eyed the number, eyebrows furrowing, as she tried to mask her surprise by sipping more of her coffee.

"Hold that thought," he said, taking the call.

After a few moments, his eyes widened. He looked shocked and remained silent for a few seconds, before he walked out of the kitchen.

I turned to look at her, questions in my eyes, but she looked away.

Deciding this wasn't the time to let my curiosity run wild, I started cleaning dishes. Mia offered to wash them while I dried them next to her; we were both ignoring Brandon's perfectly working washing machine beside us.

"It's not really my place, but if you wanna hide them, next time let me wash the dishes while you dry them," I told her, placing the last plate on the counter.

"What are you talking about?"

I pointed towards her left forearm and fingers, when a knowing 'Oh!' left her lips.

The soap and water washed most of the foundation off her skin, leaving behind an intriguing swirl of black ink; like vines growing on her skin, with tiny, delicate flowers. It looked beautiful, classy.

"Why are you hiding them, anyway?"

"Well, for starters... There's mom... and then there's Brandon."

"You do know half your brother's body is tattooed, right?" I chuckled, at the thought of where his ink began and where it ended.

"First of all, spare me the details. And secondly... I haven't been here since... his accident."

I turned to look at her, the look in her eyes pained and filled with guilt. She hasn't visited since Brandon ended at the hospital, at the beginning of summer.

"I got this," he paused to show me the dainty Bee behind her elbow, "on my birthday. And the rest a week after. That's the same time as his accident. I didn't know it at the time; he wouldn't answer my calls."

Mia looked away, drying her hands on a towel, before she settler back on the stool. "We were supposed to go together. He promised we would, but... I didn't know."

With a heavy sigh, I settled down on the stool opposite hers. It was obvious that, they didn't do well with feelings.

"We don't meddle with each other's lives... let alone personal things..." She sighed, taking another deep breath in frustration. "I don't want him to be disappointed."

I thought about her words for a moment.

Brandon would forgive anything this young girl did and more.

She didn't need protection. She just wanted to know he had her back, and she had his. It was obvious from the way she attacked me, the moment we met.

But some wounds were deeper than others, and before they could forgive each other, they had to forgive themselves first.

"Besides... there's also my field of work. Not everyone is accepting."

"I don't know how it was in New York, but here, things have been slowly changing. Both colleagues and patients are accepting of anything beyond the norm. Most of them don't even care to be honest. So just be proud of it."

"You're probably right. But it's gonna take me some time, before I finally tell him anyway."

I nodded in understanding.

It became apparent to me, that in this family secrets were what kept them close, but far away from each other at the same time.

We were both sitting on the counter, munching on cake with our fingers, when Brandon walked back in with Liam behind him.

"Give me a sec. I have it in my office," Brandon said, before leaving him in the kitchen with us.

"Liam. Hey... Want some ciambella?" I asked, offering him a piece of cake.

He gave me no answer. Instead, Liam seemed to be transfixed on the girl next to me; eyebrows furrowed, jaw clenched.

I turned towards Mia, seeing her equally star-struck, a piece of cake still in the air as it never reached her mouth.

Che cosa?

"Umm... do you guys know each other?"

"No!"

"Yes."

Both spoke at the same time; Mia's negative response contradicting Liam's positive answer.

"Right."

"We... we met, before they moved to New York," he tried to fix it. "I think you were... ten or nine."

"Oh... I see. Sorry, for not remembering."

"Here you go," Brandon's voice broke their reverie, and Liam turned to get the folder he came for. "Tell Alex I truly appreciate all her help. We'll have to meet, before my next game, though."

"First thing in the morning, King."

As he exited the kitchen, Brandon remembered what Mia was trying to tell him before, making Liam stop in his tracks. "Mia, you said you needed a ride back to the dorms?"

"I'll stay here tonight."

"I can take you home, if you want to," Liam tried to break the wall she was currently lifting, but it was of no use.

"Nope," she said, sounding brusque and impatient, before she jumped off the stool to walk upstairs. "Oh, and by the way... Mom's expecting you to meet her tomorrow at pops. Erika, as well," were her last words before she shut the door to the bedroom down the hallway.

I wasn't sure what just happened but was too tired to make any connections. They weren't making this easy for me, anyway.

"It was my sister... on the phone." Brandon said as we settled together under the covers of his bed.

The shirt I was wearing was on the floor, beside his sweats. He reached for me from his side of the bed, pulling me closer to him. His body temperature seeped through my skin, a welcomed warmth enveloping me as I rest my head on his chest.

"What?"

"Ariana... she came back, apparently."

"Really? That's wonderful news."

He was silent for a few moments.

"Aren't you happy she's back? And that she called you?"

"I am, but... All the people I care about are coming back, but that just means, all my weaknesses are gathered at the same place, at the same time, and I can't help but..." 

He didn't finish his sentence, drowning us both in silence.

I pulled him closer, kissing his lips to quieten those thoughts. I was here for him, every step of the way.

The way he reciprocated my affections, answering my kiss with his own claiming one, said that he knew.

"What did Liam need, tonight?" I asked after I settled back on his chest.

"It's some of the clues we gathered up until now. It will help Alex make some connections and start digging."

"Do you trust her?"

"I don't have a choice. She's the only one willing to dig deep enough and put herself in jeopardy for us. Besides, Liam trusts her, and I trust him with my life."

I sighed at his words. I knew he was backstabbed before, but having the strength to trust again was a superpower on its own.

"Are they seeing each other?"

"Who? Liam and Alex?" He chuckled, before he continued, "Angel, Liam sees no one. He's his own person. Whoever gets tangled up with him, knows. I'm sure Alex knows as well."

He didn't look like a person who didn't care; at least that's what it seemed to me in the kitchen.

"Try not to overthink it."

He kissed my forehead, pulling me closer.

I tried not to dwell on it further. I had work in the morning. And meeting his mom in the afternoon, as per Mrs. King's wishes.

And I couldn't wait.

___

Eri: Intensely thinking of a way to: *How to get more votes, how to get more votes, how to get more votes... How to get more VOTES?*

Brandon: Angel... Don't overthink it.

Eri: *already on her 7th spiderweb-trail of clues and figures, trying to differentiate between Plan D and Plan F, because the rest have already been eliminated due to previous assumptions*

Eri: Oh... Oh, yeah, don't worry about it.

Thank you for being here.

xo, J

Next update: April Fool's Day