So….how are brookie and Annie doing🙈
Funny you should ask. Annie, did move in with Brookie, so she changed her choice of schools, and is instead going to NYU to be with him. Brookie puts on A LOT of stress on himself. He moved away from his family, he's trying to head the New York division of Blood Like Wine, and he's trying to be as effortlessly good as his big brother Otto. Brooks adds a lot of unnecessary stress to his life because of this. No one asked him to do this alone, but he wanted to prove himself.
🖤🖤🖤🖤
Whatever You Need, Brookie
Summary: Otto spots Annie in New York
Pairings: Otto X Annie, Brooks X Annie
Rating: mild
Warnings: language, implied sex, 18+ ONLY
Word Count: 1.6K
Desperate Lives AU Masterlist
Brooks Baizen Masterlist
Annie takes a long sip of her coffee as she looks outside of the café. Needing to get out of the apartment and just study for a moment. This wasn’t at all how she thought living with Brooks would be. The first year was blissful. Brooks was his playful self, chasing her around the apartment.
But now Brooks spent more time at the new division, and less time at home. He slept less, and became a lot more bitter, especially when Otto reached another milestone. Annie tried to tell him that Otto was older, and he had been at the company for quite some time, while Brooks was starting a division from the ground up. He didn’t want to listen.
So anytime Analey got a chance, she was drinking a coffee, eating a croissant, and sitting in her favorite spot. Able to people watch, but also fully pay attention to her studies.
Otto rarely went to the city. He preferred his time spent in Boston. But when he could take a chance to visit the new division and spend some time with his brother, he did. The past few months, Brooks always had an excuse. Explaining to Otto, that he had everything under control, which confused the oldest Baizen more, because he just wanted to see his brother, and not wanting to talk business at all.
It just so happened that he was walking to his apartment when he spots Annie, nose in a book, while her finger unconsciously plays with her hair. Otto stops to watch her a minute, having to shake his mind from going elsewhere, before he just walks into the café.
“Well, if it isn’t little Annie Gables,” Annie looks up at him, giving him a big smile, and Otto diverts his gaze to the book she’s reading, “This,” he taps on an old copy of Anne of Green Gables, “I’m pretty sure isn’t required reading.”
“It’s not. I just needed a moment of…simpler times,” she gestures to the chair in front of her, and Otto holds up a hand. “What’re you doing?”
“I need coffee.”
She gives him an odd gaze, and then points at the front counter, “Then go order one, like a normal person.”
Otto leans back in his chair, and gives her a big smile, before a young man walks over to their table, “Mr. Baizen, would you like your usual?”
“As a matter of fact, Jeffrey, I would,” Otto’s eyes never leave Annie’s as he talks to the barista, “Could you maybe bring me a surprise pastry of some sort?”
“Of course. Right away.”
Otto leans forward again, and slides the book over to him, while Annie rolls her eyes, “You Baizen’s get recognized everywhere, huh?”
“It comes with the territory, sugar,” he tears off a piece of her croissant, and pops it into his mouth, “What’s wrong, the loft too big for you? Brookie keeping you too busy?”
“Wow, that’s a bit personal, Otto. Do you talk to all your brother’s girlfriends like that?”
“Well, Z is divorced, Archie is looking for a woman that can compare to mom, and Raiden has been married since he could walk. But I did not mean that the way it came out. You and Brookie, you guys have been together awhile, huh?” Annie’s eyes move down to the table, as her cheeks go red.
“Hey, you know mom and dad started dating when she was in high school. It’s fine. Uncle Hawwy didn’t know though, did he?” Annie shakes her head no, and Otto stops talking while his own coffee and dessert is delivered to the table.
“Brookie used to have fun.”
“He’s busy,” Annie finally looks back up at Otto regretting that decision. “He’s got a lot of pressure on his shoulders. He was sent here alone.”
“No, he wasn’t. Aster offered to come out here with him, and even Fable said she could start here, but Brooks was all, ‘Oh, I don’t need some college girl fucking up the family business.’ He’s too proud to accept help, that’s different. Dad always said if he wasn’t careful, Brooks could turn into Gregory, and mom swatted his ass for that. We don’t like my dad’s parents.”
“Why would Carter say that then?”
“Gregory, avoided his wife and put all his effort into his work to do so. I mean…I’m not saying Brooks is doing that to you.”
“He’s not,” Annie answers defensively. “Brooks is trying to prove himself to his dad, and Ransom, but mostly to you.”
“Me? What the hell does he have to prove to me?”
Annie sighs rolling her eyes, “Brooks looks up to you. He adores you. Everything has always came natural to you.”
“I couldn’t talk normal for thirteen years of my life. Thankfully I was good at school since I had speech therapy most of my childhood, had to be pulled out of class to work on my R’s and L’s. Got bullied because of the way I talked. I have a father who was a fucking psycho, and I hoped my whole life I didn’t turn out like him. Why do you think I was always so hellbent on being with my dad, and doing what my dad does? Because I didn’t want to be my sperm donor. Brooks wants to play this pitiful game, it won’t work for me. We had the same childhood. We had a good and charmed life. And he at least gets to say Carter is father.”
“I didn’t know,” Annie looks up at Otto, and sees his need for complete perfection all the time.
“But I don’t blame my sperm donor for anything. I thank Carter for being my dad. Brooks never wanted for anything. Babied by everyone because he was tiny. He’s so naturally smart, but he stresses himself out. He didn’t even come shopping for the children’s hospital with us this year. Explain that to my mom. She misses Brookie. If she could have kept us all at the castle she would. But to hear him talk, she only favored me and Raiden. And once the girls were born, she didn’t care about any of us boys. Which is a lie.”
“Otto, I…Brooks is just misunderstood.”
“He’s a baby, that everyone makes excuses for, including you. So either he mans up and gets the company started, or he’s the bigger man, and admits he needs help. There’s nothing wrong asking for help. It’s good for you to admit that you can’t do it alone. I still ask dad for help.”
“Can we change the subject. Brooks isn’t here to defend himself. He does try. He wants you and your parents to be proud of him.”
Otto nods slowly, “He should consider himself lucky that we have the means to fail. He should take risks. Most don’t have built in money like we do.”
“So, how is your girlfriend, Giselle?”
“We broke up,” Otto smiles taking another bite from her croissant. “I’m flying solo right now.”
“You’re about to be drinking solo if you take another bite from my food. You should have asked for one of your own,” Otto throws a hand up to ask for his own croissant, but Annie pulls it back down. “Stop. Be normal for once.”
————————————
“You’ll never believe who I ran into today,” Annie says walking into hers and Brooks’ loft, while he sets another dirty dish in the sink. She takes a calming breath before picking it up to put in the dishwasher.
“Who?” he asks. He reaches around her for a container of bourbon, and pours him a glass.
“Your brother Otto.”
“Really? What’s he doing in the city?” Annie turns to give him an odd look at the tone change, but continues.
“He was wanting to see you.”
“He didn’t,” Brooks takes a long drink of the bourbon looking at her. “How long did you talk to him?”
“I don’t know maybe an hour?”
“Where?” he asks taking a slow step towards her. “Where was my girlfriend at while she was talking to Mr. Perfect?”
“You’re acting ridiculous. I was at the coffee shop. He saw me, and came and sat with me.”
“I don’t want you around him, unless I’m present.”
“Excuse me? Is there something you want to say? Since clearly, you think our talking was more than that.”
“You’re a fucking redhead,” Brooks screams. Annie rolls her eyes and walks towards the bathroom. “He wants you.”
“Oh. My. God! Brooks, do you hear yourself? Where am I? I am at home with you, my boyfriend. And instead of taking a nice relaxing bath with me, you’re screaming at me for something I didn’t do. Banning me from talking to your brother, unless you’re around. I don’t want him.”
“But he wants you. And whatever he wants, he always gets.”
Annie turns the water on, ignoring that Brooks had followed her into the bathroom. Glaring at him. “He’s not the only one. Just like this stupid argument. Do we always gotta fight before we have sex?”
Brooks shuffles his feet back and forth looking at her. “Not everything has to be fast and hard, Brooks. But if you want to lean me over the counter and take your frustrations with Otto out on me,” she undresses, standing in front of him completely naked. “I’ll let you. Whatever you need to make you feel better.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me.”
“I didn’t say there was.”
“I’m stressed. And…C’mere. I am stressed Annie. Work is killing me. I’ve got no help,” Annie steps closer to him, and cups his bulge over his pants. “You gonna help me relax?”
“Whatever you need, Brookie.”
Masterlist