Please continue any thoughts of Andrew Bittle, big brother, knew his little brother was gay, before Eric knew. Loves and accepts him. Misses him terribly. Andy first charmed his way into a personal aide job with someone who runs the town, somehow. Is actually very good at his job, thank you very much.
“You have a brother?” Jack coughs, spilling coffee on his jogging shorts. “Since when? How did I not know? You tell me everything! Tabarnak – wait, did you tell me? Did I forget?”
“It’s not you it’s because I’m a little bit jealous, okay?” Bitty whines. “Everyone loves Andy. He’s tall and he played QB and he has a good job with the city. Meanwhile, I’m over here baking, like a fool. I didn’t want you to spend all your time with him.”
“You’re attending a D-1 university on an athletic scholarship, you’re the captain of the men’s hockey team,” Jack reminds, dabbing his pants with a napkin before turning a finger on himself, “and you’re dating a pro hockey player, who is me. Why would I spend more time with my boyfriend’s brother than with my boyfriend?”
“Well,” Bitty presses his lips closed in what is possibly the guiltiest look Jack has ever seen in his life. “Everyone else does. Andy is like … if you rolled Tango, Holster, and Chowder into one person and gave that person a guitar and unflinching optimism. ”
“So, why bring this up now?”
“When I went home he was there,” Bitty mutters into his latte. “All dumb and supportive while mama was still being weird. I love-hate him so much.”
Jack’s blatant skepticism is not helping Bitty’s mood in the slightest.
“I knew,” Andy pipes up. “Like, so long ago.”
“What, because I’m small and I like girly music?” Bitty mocks, squaring up for a fight.
“Uh, maybe because you told me, duh,” Andy’s grin is lopsided like he’s embarrassed on Eric’s behalf. “I think you thought I was asleep, but I totally remembered.”
“I’ve never told anyone,” Bitty defends keeping an eye on the door, wary of their parents coming home early. “Not even you.”
“Well, then, I guess you talk in your sleep, because I definitely knew about Jack’s cute butt before everyone else did and guess what? I didn’t tell anyone,” Andy slugs Bitty in the arm. “Because I’m looking out for you, little bro. No one gets to make fun of you for being into dudes, except me. That’s a promise,” Andy stops, thinking hard. “And, I guess, all those guys on tv get to make fun of you, too, but if I ever meet them in person, laying a smack down, guaranteed.”