“Honey!” Carl called out loudly as he entered the flat and put his keys on a nearby piece of furniture, “I got you your pizza…”

His next words evaded him as he saw a figure he only knew too well sitting at the kitchen table, calmly sipping coffee, his girlfriend sitting next to him, looking like she didn’t know how to act. She raised her head, and he could have sworn he saw stars in her eyes… stars that weren’t there when he had left.

“What the hell?” He exclaimed, just as Daniel half-turned in his chair, a smug smirk adorning his face.

Natasha jumped out of her seat, and asked if he wanted coffee as well since she had made more than enough for the three of them. Albeit it was not the right time for it – it was almost nine pm – she had just felt she needed to offer her boyfriend’s brother something and didn’t find juice in the fridge, she carried on justifying herself.

“Is that any way to welcome your older brother?” Came Daniel’s taunting response after Natasha’s endearing rambling.

Carl placed the box of pizza on the table, and then stared at his brother, not knowing what to expect.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, as if trying to make sure this wasn’t just a bad dream he was having.

He hadn’t seen his brother in years. Not even when their parents died in a car accident six months ago. But then again, his brother had been estranged from the family for almost a decade now.

“What brought you here?” He asked, venom coating his words despite his efforts to appear unaffected.

“Last time I checked, I have my share of the flat,” came the sarcastic reply.

“Not here as in here,” Carl bit out, pointing at the ground as if he meant the place he had been living in for over four years, “I mean what brought you back to California?”

“The company I work at has always had a branch here in Los Angeles,” Daniel drawled matter-of-factly, “I just felt like I needed to get away back when I started at twenty three.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s not like you just went to New York. You went to Australia!” Carl accused, raking his hand through his hair.

“I don’t see how that is any of your business,” his brother let out simply. Then, turning to Natasha, he asked softly, holding his cup up, “Can I have some more?”

“It’s nine pm for god’s sake. It’s not healthy!” Carl exclaimed, exasperated, feeling like he was about to explode.

Daniel rolled his eyes. “Just because you’re going to be a doctor doesn’t mean you get to make decisions for me.” It was his way of telling him he wasn’t his mother. Carl knew his brother was only sparing him the sarcasm because he was exhausted. Then, turning towards Natasha, he politely asked, “Some more coffee, please darling.”

“Oh, hell no!” Carl barked almost immediately, seething, seeing red. “You do not get to call her darling!”

“OK, that may have been out of line,” Daniel agreed readily, only to add, “My apologies, sweetheart.”

Carl, always the hot-head, swung at his brother who swiftly dodged the punch, grabbed his hand and twisted it behind his back, all while still sitting down.

Carl hung his head in shame when he saw the stars in his girlfriend’s eyes double. She was admiring Daniel’s perfect composure, it seemed. And he couldn’t bear to watch as another one of his girlfriends went after the bad boy that was his brother.

“Be a good boy and behave,” Daniel bit out acidly. “I believe our parents raised you better than that.” He then released him and told him in a no-nonsense tone, “I will be staying here since it’s close to my workplace. And I’d rather you didn’t act this way every time you felt threatened by my good looks.”

“I don’t feel threatened,” outrage coated Carl’s words.

“Sure you don’t,” his older brother rolled his eyes anew.

“You’re not all that,” Carl huffed while dropping in a chair, stroking his arm which stung a bit. He shouldn’t have swung at his brother. He knew him to be a good fighter. In what world did he think he could land a hit on him?

“I’m still waiting for that coffee, Natasha,” Daniel said amiably.

Carl watched as his girlfriend, who had almost been rendered mute during their heated exchange, shot into action and poured his brother some coffee.