He wasn't sure how long Luc was planning on staying, but he could already tell it was going to feel like a life sentence.
Chapter Five
Luc
Over the next few days, Luc spent as much time as possible in his old bedroom mostly doing his actual job. It was easier than being around Adam. Besides, there wasn't much he could do, except set up social media accounts for the dance school, until Jane got back to him with a new website design. She'd agreed to bill him for her time. It had been too much for Luc to expect a freebie from her, but he wasn't going to pass the costs onto his parents. They had enough financial worries without coughing up for an expensive new website.
He ended up with a growing pile of social media permission slips from dance school parents. He poured over the timetable and fees list, looking for gaps in the school's provision, compared to what the other local dance schools offered. As far as he could tell, there was one glaring difference. He decided he was going to talk to his parents about it over breakfast, when things were generally the most relaxed.
He froze as he walked into the kitchen. Adam was the only one in there. He was standing pouring milk over cereal, with his back to Luc, wearing nothing but a pair of grey jogging bottoms, which rested low on his hips. Luc couldn't help but stare at the V shaped muscles on Adam's back, between his hips, that vanished beneath his waistband. He imagined what it would be like to leave a trail of kisses down Adam's spine, until his lips met that waistband. Heat flushed through him. What the fuck was wrong with him? He had to get his thoughts and feelings under control. He wasn't a teenager with raging hormones anymore.
Luckily, when Adam turned around, he didn't even bother to glance over at Luc, so there was no danger of him seeing his brother's discomfort.
"Morning," he grunted, before carrying his cereal bowl over to the table and sitting down.
"Morning," Luc said, his voice about as cheerful as Adam's had been.
He made himself breakfast with record speed, making sure to keep his back to Adam the whole time. Then he dashed to the table and sat down, hiding the boner that he'd have to attend to soon, before it became excruciating. He needn't have worried. Adam still didn't look at him.
Seconds later, their parents wandered in. Luc waited until they'd made coffee and toast and had settled at the table, before speaking.
"Why don't you have lessons for kids under six?"
Ken stared at him for a few seconds, the expression on his face suggesting that Luc's question was stupid. "The bones in children's feet aren't properly developed until around then," he said eventually. "If you start formal ballet training too young, you could do more harm than good."
Luc remembered starting to learn dancing just after Ken had married his mum. Adam used to sit and watch him, eager to join in, but their parents had refused to let him until he'd turned six.
"All the other schools in the area have lessons from three."
"That doesn't mean it's a good thing," his mum said.
"No." Luc inhaled. He knew he had to tread carefully. "But what it does mean, is that you're missing out on a lot of potential students. Unless their parents are unhappy, the dance school they put their kids in at three, is the dance school they're going to stay at as they get older." He pursed his lips as he stirred his milk drenched cereal. "Couldn't you offer some form of fun dance lessons from three? It doesn't have to be formal ballet."
"It's a good idea," Adam muttered.
Luc glanced at him, eyebrows lifted. Adam was staring at his own cereal, the set of his jaw harsh. Luc found his gaze lingering on his stepbrother.
"I could come up with some ideas for classes, if you want?" Adam carried on, his voice gruff.
Luc hadn't expected Adam to back him up, even if he was doing it grudgingly. Was that because it was Luc's idea? Did Adam hate him that much? Luc's shoulders slumped. If Adam did really hate him, he only had himself to blame. He'd been awful to Adam those last few years before he'd gone to university and didn't deserve anything but contempt from his brother. It was for the best, too, because if Adam was actually nice to him, he'd probably fall apart and confess his attraction to him.
"I really don't think—" Ken began.
"Let's see what Adam can come up with," Luc's mum said. "Don't rule it out completely."
Luc wondered if every suggestion he made would be met with equal hostility from his father. It was his mum who had asked for his help, not Ken. What had she done to persuade him to lay down his pride and let his nearly estranged stepson help him? He tried not to think about it too much as he wolfed his breakfast down.
Adam was the first to leave the table.
"I'm going to go jot down some ideas," he said after clearing his bowl up. "Later."
Luc took the opportunity to leave too, following close behind Adam whilst their parents' gazes were elsewhere. Adam took the steps two at a time and Luc jogged up after him. Adam disappeared into his room, but, unusually, left his door open. Luc half hid behind the door.
"Thanks for backing me up down there," he said.
Adam, who had just grabbed a T-shirt from his drawer, paused and glanced around at him and shrugged half-heartedly.
"I really want to help turn the dance school around," Luc told him.
