Entangled

Disclaimer: Alvin and the Chipmunks aren't mine.

A/N: They're human. And there's incest. Run away if either (or both) of those two things irk you. Still, maybe if this was more...family-orientated, I could write about them as chipmunks, but hey, this is totally not a family friendly fic.

...

"C'mon Si," Alvin grinned, running to his brother's side. Looping an arm around the taller brother's shoulder, "Stop being a stick in the mud! You can't worry about lab and schoolwork all the time!" He stopped them both in the middle of the sidewalk and pulled his brother closer, their chests touching and noses mere inches away from one another. He gently tangled a strand of Simon's messy dark brown hair between his fingers and narrowed his blue eyes accusingly, "Have you even showered today?"

Simon glowered and pulled free of Alvin's grip, earning him an exasperated 'hey!'. He tugged his coat closer against his lanky frame, partially because of the chilly autumn weather and partially to cover the sweater that he had been wearing for the past three days. "For your information, yes, I showered." He did not, however, comment that his first shower in nearly a week was yesterday.

He stuffed his hands into his coat pockets, quickening his pace to his apartment only to have Alvin meet his stride.

"I come all the way here to visit you and you ignore me," Alvin pouted while simultaneously peering up at Simon from underneath his signature red baseball cap, batting his eyelashes provocatively. "I'm hurt."

Simon rolled his eyes, finding himself slowing his pace. Really, how did Alvin manage to do that maneuver while nearly a grown adult and make it work was beyond him. "Your college is only twenty minutes away, it's not that hard of a trek."

"A bus," Alvin responded. "Public transportation, dearest brother."

"I'm so glad Dave banned you from bringing the car to campus," Simon sighed.

"Barbaric, I tell you!" seethed Alvin. "What kind of rock star rides the bus?"

"One that is busy going to school and does not need another fender bender on the insurance plan," Simon replied. "Besides, Dave wants us to have a normal life before we go back to the glitz, glam, and plastic lifestyles of stardom."

"I enjoy the glitz," Alvin retorted, "And what would industrial America be without the amazing invention of plastic?"

Simon rolled his eyes, digging into his coat pocket for his keys. He frowned. He must have forgotten them on his dresser again. He was about to reach for his cellphone (hopefully his roommate was nearby) when he heard the jingle of the door opening.

"What…?"

"Um," Alvin looked guiltily at his key as he pulled it loose from the doorknob, "You gave me a key…?"

Simon swiped the key, holding it up to his eyes to look at critically, "Did you make this key?"

"Of course not! I don't have the expertise to – "

"You had someone else make you a copy, didn't you?"

Alvin attempted to grab the key from Simon's fingers, "I'm your older brother! I think it's my right to make sure you're okay at all times!"

"My key – " Simon grunted, tucking it into his back pocket. "Aha!" Alvin pouted. "The back of my original key explicitly states that copies are not allowed."

"Rules were meant to be broken, Si," Alvin muttered, giving up only to lean against the doorway. "Besides, that inscription was only a suggestion."

"I'm keeping this. At least now I have a spare," Simon sighed, slipping past Alvin into his apartment. His roommate was probably still out on campus. Like Simon, he was a severely overworked teaching assistant and worked long hours for his supervising professor.

They bonded over their accumulating paperwork over burgers and jumbo onion rings on Tuesdays.

Alvin rolled his eyes.

"You have backups?" Simon eyed his brother warily.

"Of course not," Alvin gasped, a look of hurt across his features.

"I thought so," Simon groaned, trudging to his room.

"Aw, but it's for you benefit!" Alvin peered into Simon's room.

"How so?"

Alvin opened up the satchel and pulled out a large silver container, "Lunch ala Theodore."

Simon immediately perked up at the sight of the canister – actual food?

The frozen pizzas in his freezer paled significantly in comparison.

Alvin grinned knowingly, "I thought that would get your attention. I'll heat it up. He's been concerned that you aren't eating properly."

"He worries too much," Simon muttered as he shed his clothing. He sniffed his sweater and grimaced – after another shower, he would need to do the laundry.

A quick shower later (he needed more body wash, sigh), Simon peered at himself in the mirror. He nearly forgot how nice, luxurious even, to actually shower daily. A towel rubbing his hair dry and one looped around his waist, Simon stepped out of the bathroom and in the hallway just outside of the kitchen. He could hear Alvin humming, his alto voice humming what sounded like a pop song that Simon could not place. He sighed, was he really out of that touch with reality from being too focused in his studies?

Stepping into the kitchen, Simon halted.

Alvin was in front of the stove, his hips wiggling in a small dance and the words of the song just barely audible, but overall still focused in his own little world whilst reheating. One pan on the stovetop and something in the oven from what Simon could smell. He had shed his jacket and stood in Simon's ratty kitchen with his thin red t-shirt, his bare feet against his cheap linoleum floor, and a pair of artfully ratty blue jeans. His cap was on the countertop, his light brown hair, which he probably spent hours to make it look acceptably tousled, was even more unruly but did everything to make him look like the rock star that Alvin would always be despite Dave's attempts to give them a 'normal' life.

Simon bit his bottom lip – how long had it been since he last saw Alvin?

"Geez, Simon! Dude, put on some pants!"

"Wha…?" Simon blinked in confusion, his brow furrowing.

Alvin was looking at him, his hazel eyes wide and the color of his face resembling a tomato, and just as quickly, he averted his eyes to the stovetop.

"It's my apartment!" Simon retorted but still sprinted to his room, his grip on his respective towels tight. He mentally scolded himself for his carelessness as he rifled through his drawers for cleaning clothing. A college sweatshirt he managed to dig out from underneath his bed and a pair of basketball shorts, probably from one of Alvin's previous visits, Simon stepped into his kitchen once more.

"Aren't you glad I decided to drop by? Actual food and the opportunity to shower – all in one day even!" Alvin grinned as he looked up, a pleased brush against the sprinkle of freckles across his high cheekbones, "I expect gratitude while we're eating."

"We?" Simon raised an eyebrow speculatively.

"Of course," Alvin replied, setting a second plate of food on the table. "As the messenger, I expect food for all my hard work."

"How gracious of you," Simon replied with a small grin.

"I am called Alvin the Benevolent, after all," he added as he sat down across from Simon. "Hurry up and eat. Theo made you all your favorites."

Alvin was right, Simon grinned as he speared his fork into his piece of seared tuna next to a bed of garlic-roasted chickpeas and caprese salad.

Half of his meal was finished when Simon realized that he had been mindlessly stuffing his face in silence. Mid-chew, he looked up and saw that Alvin was picking at his food, silently watching him with a familiar expression. It was soft, fond even.

Simon felt his heart quicken in his chest.

Maybe.

Maybe…

"It's been that long, huh?" Simon murmured as he took another bite of mozzarella cheese. He had to be careful.

"And you all thought I would be the one to go off and forget about our humble family," Alvin murmured, rolling a plum tomato around on his plate, his fish and chickpeas already finished. Years later and he was still not fond of tomatoes, Simon thought wryly.

"Sorry," Simon answered honestly, "I didn't expect myself to be so busy."

"I mean, you are in Berkeley," Alvin shrugged, leaning back against his chair. "I suppose you're enjoying yourself with your fellow brainiacs."

"Like UC-Los Angeles is anything to weep over," Simon eyed Alvin.

"Told you I could apply myself," Alvin retorted, pointing a tomato-speared fork at Simon. "But you don't visit and you don't call. Theodore and Dave are starting to feel neglected, especially Dave since you're not there to keep me out of trouble."

"Well, you don't look like you're a drug-addicted, tabloid causing star," Simon said wryly, "So I'm assuming you're doing well for yourself."

"Good parenting," Alvin replied, "And a little brother who didn't know when to stop nagging, and baby brother who gives me The Weepy Eyes if I even look like I'm about to do something that would possibly give me a record.

"Younger by five minutes," Simon didn't even attempt to bite back his smirk.

Alvin pressed the back of his hand against his forehead, sighing mournfully, "And a blessed fives minutes they were."

It dawned on him that living on his own; watching Alvin laugh and simply exist across from him lessened the heavy feeing on his shoulders – like the world of papers and assignments was as insignificant as they really were in comparison to just…enjoying life. That the time he was spending with his brother was precious, and the previous times of laughter and teasing was something he took for granted. For their many years of life together, he just assumed his obnoxious older brother would be in his life – as natural as breathing air.

"Alvin," Simon glared, a smile fighting across his face.

"You need to visit more," Alvin reiterated after a moment of silence. "They worry."

"And…and you don't?" Simon tried to ask jokingly, but it came out more…more desperate than he had anticipated. He internally winced.

Hope – after what he asked of Alvin three years ago, he didn't think he could be afforded knowing that there was still a possibility of something more.

They hadn't spoken about their achingly brief…tryst during their senior year in high school.

Alvin paused, looking at Simon with a bewildered expression.

"I mean, you don't have to answer – " Simon blushed, looking down at his plate only to feel a hand on his shoulder. Alvin was always known for his clumsiness, except when he wanted to, he could be sneaky, moving silently and stealthily, like those ninja movies he always watched.

"You know I always worry," Alvin murmured. He was crouching beside Simon, a hand on his arm and another on his thigh. "You're my little brother after all."

Simon sighed, lacing their fingers together. "Yeah, don't remind me."

Alvin blinked, moving easily as Simon tugged him forward until he was straddling Simon's lap, "Simon…"

"Three years was the deal," Simon murmured, their foreheads pressed together.

"That was a mean request, Si," Alvin murmured, smiling weakly at him. His smile didn't reach his eyes. His hands were on Simon's chest, his fingers idly playing with the loose threads of his sweatshirt.

"I – " Simon sighed in frustration, the palms of his hands resting on Alvin's hips, his fingers twitching to slide underneath that thin cotton t-shirt and touch that warm soft skin that he knew lied underneath. "I thought the time away would clear both our heads."

"This is me you're talking to," Alvin said wryly. "I know what I want and what I wanted was you."

Simon felt an irrational spark of agitation at Alvin's mention of 'wanted.' He gripped Alvin's slim hips harder. "That's exactly why I set it for three years." He eyed Alvin critically, "You always…want but from your past record, it was always a short-term thing."

'Like…us,' he wanted to say.

A look of hurt flashed across Alvin's face. He attempted to pull away only for Simon to loop an arm around Alvin's waist.

"I didn't mean it like that," Simon said quickly as he fought Alvin as the other struggled in his arms.

"You mean that I'm – I'm – that selfish?" Alvin asked harshly, "That you're ashamed of me because I am or – or was a hopeless flirt?"

Simon growled, tugging Alvin's face to look at him, despite his protests until his frustration boiled over and he resorted to smashing their lips together. He could taste the citrus from the fish on Alvin's lips and the tang of something uniquely Alvin on his tongue as he explored his brother's mouth languidly, mapping out every nook and cranny like a starving man in front of a feast.

He was though – starving, craving this feeling of Alvin pressed intimately against him. It had been three years since he had been able to taste those lips on his.

Air proved to be a necessity as Simon pulled away, only for him to press his mouth against the delicate curve of Alvin's neck to fulfill his sudden and inextinguishable desire. That shame – the shame of desiring his brother was long gone, not after tasting what it was like to be with him and having it inexplicably gone for those three long, arduous years. That was probably what led to his obsessive-compulsive need to throw himself into his work during that time.

Alvin's hands were in Simon's thick hair, his fingers threading through the delicate, damp strands of hair, tugging fruitlessly as he gulped air and shivered in his brother's lap as the younger pressed kisses and nips of his teeth against his sensitive flesh. He whimpered, "I hate nerds," he gasped as Simon sunk his teeth into his flesh, "They look all nice on the outside, but they're horrible. You're horrible, Simon."

"I am," Simon peaceably agreed as he tugged the collar of Alvin's shirt down to suck on a patch of skin just underneath his collarbone, away from prying eyes. "I'm making out with my older brother in the middle of my kitchen."

"That guilt still hanging on your shoulders?" Alvin laughed harshly into the hair, his fingernails scraping against his scalp.

Simon pressed a kiss against the reddening mark on Alvin's skin, a feeling of triumph threading through his gut, a better feeling than acing his final, way better. He looked at Alvin, raising a hand to press a finger against the plump bottom lip of Alvin's delectably swollen mouth, "Not anymore. Not like it was three years ago."

Alvin paused, a glimmer of hope in his eyes before he turned his head away, simultaneously thumping Simon in the chest. "If – if you do that stupid thing again, a break or a chance to clear your head or whatever psycho mumbo jumbo you like to spew, I'm going to beat the crap out of you."

"You'll be knocking some sense into me," Simon murmured as he intertwined their fingers together, "Social norms be damned."

"Now you're living," Alvin stated, giving his hands a squeeze before pressing their lips together. Simon grinned, begrudgingly agreeing.

…

The incessant noise of his cellphone and Alvin nearly elbowing him in the chest with a grumbling 'Turn it off!' is what caused Simon to blearily cause him to rouse from his pleasant slumber.

Taking a page out of Alvin's book: Who the heck would be calling this early on a Saturday?

Pressing his forehead against the middle of Alvin's shoulder blades, Simon answered the phone with a sleepy, "Hello?"

"Morning Simon!" Theodore called out happily on the other line.

"Good morning, Theodore," Simon replied drily, the corners of his lips twitching upward at the sound of his little brother's familiar voice.

"Is Alvin still there?"

Simon smiled, nuzzling into the back of Alvin's neck, "Yeah, he is. You know Alvin, he's still asleep."

"Yeah," Theodore chuckled, "That sounds like Alvin." A pause, "He really missed you, you know. He even asked me to make you your favorite meal to bring to you because he was worried you weren't eating properly."

"Oh?" Simon felt his face enflame and fluttering in his chest. "So Alvin missed me?"

"C'mon Si," Theodore responded, almost a scolding tone in his voice, "You know you and Alvin are close."

He enunciated close a little too…knowingly for Simon's tastes. He inadvertently tightened his grip around Alvin's middle, "Theodore…?"

Panic. Simon was about to panic when –

"Stop worrying."

Pause.

Alvin grunted, and Simon slowly eased his tight grip around his brother.

"You…Theo…."

He could almost hear Theodore roll his eyes, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. "I know about you two, it's weird, but as long as you're happy and we're all one awesome family, like Meerkat Manor but way more happy with waffles and television instead of those gross bugs, then I'm fine with your relationship."

Simon grinned – his family was truly too good and weird to be true.

"But – "

"And we don't have to tell Dave," Theodore interrupted, "But it'd be nice to tell him soon. He even mentioned off-handedly that he's worried that Alvin hasn't had a girlfriend since high school." He snorted, "He even thought that Alvin was dating one of his professors or something."

"Hm…that sounds like Alvin," Simon said drily, possessively brushing his lips against the soft skin of Alvin's back. He made a self-note to himself to recount the freckles littering Alvin's shoulder blades.

With his tongue.

He heard Theodore huff.

"You sound preoccupied," the youngest Seville stated, "I'll let you go. But I do expect you two back tomorrow for Sunday brunch."

"Alright Theo," Simon smiles. His youngest brother, despite maintaining his innocence that he never quite grew out of, had gotten far too insightful for his own good throughout the years.

He promised one more time that he and Alvin would make it back to the house for brunch before he placed his phone back on his nightstand.

He felt Alvin stir in his arms, "Was that Theodore…?"

"Yeah," Simon murmured, burying his nose into Alvin's tousled hair. He could smell the expensive shampoo Alvin used – it smelled like ginger blossoms. "He wants us back home for brunch tomorrow."

"Uh huh," Alvin agreed, pressing his back further against Simon's chest with a sigh. "I know."

"You know?"

"Uh huh."

"And…he knew."

"Yeah," Alvin yawned, "He was the one who consoled me during that time you were all soul-search-y."

"You told him?"

"He figured it out," Alvin murmured, his voice drifting off. "Our baby brother is naïve, but he's not blind."

"Oh yeah?"

"Uh huh," Alvin's voice softened to the point that Simon had to press his face against his neck to hear his last few words, "He told me that I should admit that I love you and that you're a stubborn idiot and would reach his senses sooner or later."

"Yeah," Simon smiled. Taking a deep breath, he pressed one last kiss against Alvin's neck before remembered to add, "Oh, and you can have your key back when we get up."

Alvin yawned, "I already have another spare."

SS: Done! Review and have a happy 2012 everyone!