Sammy's Kitchen - 2. Chapter 2

I know it isn’t healthy, but the first thing I did after opening my eyes was checking my phone. I had to blink twice to make sure I’m not daydreaming and I climbed on my brother’s bed next to me. I shook him up urgently.

“Jakey! Jakey, wake up!”

“Ughh…” muttered Jake.

“Just looked at that!” I screamed excitedly and shoved my phone screen in his face.

Jake adorably rubbed his big eyes and focused them on the screen.

“6k views… Sammy, it’s amazing…” he said with a sleepy voice.

“I know, right? And it’s all thanks to you!” I said and gave him a peck on his forehead. Something seemed strange. I pressed my lips to his skin again and waited a few seconds before looking him in the eyes.

“Oh my god, Jakey, you’re burning up!”

“No, I’m not,” he said weakly.

“Yes, you are! I told you it’ll happen if you keep playing soccer outside in the cold. Don’t move, Jakey, I’ll be right back!”

I trotted out of our room and checked Mom’s bedroom. Of course, she was already gone. Where do we keep the thermometer? I quickly went through all the shelves in the bathroom and there it was.

I ran back to Jake who was laying as I left him, with his wrist resting on his forehead. I slid the cover down to reveal his smooth, toned chest and made him raise his other arm. I stuck the thermometer under his pit, noticing a few dark hairs he grew there - just as many as I had.

“Now squeeze it like that, very good. And keep it there for a few minutes,” I said and covered him back.

“Okay, Sammy.”

“Don’t die on me, Jakey, I’ll save you!” I shouted and picked up my phone to call Mom.

“Mom, Jakey is sick,” I told her when she picked up.

“What happened?”

“I think he has a fever. I’m getting his temperature.”

“Okay Sam, tell me when you measure it. And make sure Jake stays in bed.”

“I will, Mom.”

“There is some vitamin C and paracetamol in the medicine drawer.”

“I know, Mum, but it won’t be needed. I’ll call you later, Mom, I need to tend to Jakey.”

“I hear you, Doctor Sam, you’re being a good brother for sure.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

I hung up and went straight to the kitchen. I found some oatmeal and started boiling water. I threw the oat flakes into the pot and meanwhile, I sliced some banana and added it along with a healthy spoon of honey, a pinch of cinnamon and a few crushed peanuts. Upon reflection, I also crushed two big cloves of garlic right into the mixture and turned off the heat.

“I’m coming, Jakey!” I shouted as I rushed back to him and knelt next to his bed. “Sit up.”

Jake lazily complied and sat up in his bed. “My skin feels sensitive,” he moaned.

“Show me the thermometer,” I said and took it from under his armpit. “Over 101! It’s bad, Jakey! Eat up while it’s hot.”

I placed a towel on his lap and then the bowl on top of it. I silently watched him eat and realized my hand was resting on his leg.

“It’s delicious, Sammy, thank you. Did you add garlic?”

“Yes, it will help your immune system. Finish it and get some rest. I’ll be taking care of you today.”

I left him there eating and decided it’s about time to switch my SIM card to the new phone. On second thought, I decided to record unboxing with my old phone. It would be a nice follow up to the gift video.

When I finally powered the damn thing on, I was like a child at Christmas. I ignored all prompts about suggested apps and functionalities and started the camera. Wow! The display was amazing. It was like looking at the world through a pure glass, or even better. I played with the camera and video functions for half an hour and then checked back on Jakey. He was laying on the bed with his eyes squinted. The empty bowl was neatly placed on the night shelf.

“Very good, Jakey, now rest. Do you want to watch something? Or listen to a podcast?”

“I want cartoons, Sammy.”

I melted. My jock brother could be such a baby sometimes.

I placed my laptop so that he could see.

“Do you want Adventure Time?”

“Yes, Sammy.”

It wasn’t a tough guess. Jake could watch Adventure Time all day even if he’s seen all episodes three times over ever since we were kids.

I washed Jakey’s bowl and opened my phone to search for “a meal to treat a fever”. After scrolling past some uninspired results, one caught my eye.

“Sopas,” I read aloud, “a rich, thick chicken soup from the Philippines traditionally served during cold weather and to sick people. Dubbed the best soup in the world, sopas is… say no more!”

I quickly scanned the recipe and it was childishly simple to make. We had all the ingredients, too. I checked on Jake quickly.

“Hey Jakey, do you mind being in my new video? Guess what? I’m filming with my new phone I got from the best brother in the world!”

Jake didn’t answer. His eyes were closed. I got a bit closer and heard silent snoring. I smiled and kissed him on his forehead again.

The kitchen was all mine. I placed my new phone on a makeshift stand. I knew I had to buy a proper one as soon as possible.

I took chicken breasts out of the fridge. I didn’t have cabbage but there were a few brussels sprouts I never had a chance to use so I chopped them and threw them into a bowl. The recipe called for chopped hotdogs but I decided to stick with the chicken. I just took half of it and seasoned it generously with powdered garlic and some mustard seeds I previously ground in a mortar. I got some frozen peas and chopped some carrots and threw them into the largest pot we had. This was one of the dishes I knew will last for a week or two, some of it frozen.

After about forty minutes it was all boiling peacefully and I was in such a trance I almost forgot I was recording it. Suddenly, I had a great idea and set the maximum-sensitivity autofocus setting on my brand new iPhone and faced the camera.

“Most of you don’t know about all the many things you can do with garlic,” I said, rolling a juicy clove in my fingers. I did it just two inches in front of the camera and observed with amazement as the lens managed to focus on it and leave my face and the rest of the kitchen blurry. It looked amazing.

“This is a simple recipe but I’m about to enhance it with triple garlic madness. I already roasted some sliced garlic - it adds a bitter, roasted aroma you won’t get from anything else. I added garlic powder - it’s great for giving a dish a sharp, umami flavor without changing the character. Finally, I’ll add some freshly pressed garlic for this unique tanginess no other veggie will ever give you,” I said as I pressed the clove straight into the cooking pot. “And since today I’m cooking for my very sick brother, let me add a few more.”

I ended up crushing and adding the entire head. If I had more patience, I would also bake some more garlic in the oven which would add another layer of sweet garlicness. After scrubbing the garlic presser and making sure nothing gets wasted, I immediately turned off the heat and let it simmer, allowing the tastes to merge. I checked the time.

“Okay guys, now that my hot and wonderfully creamy soup is ready, let’s feed it to our poor sick boy,” I said, smiling knowingly to the camera. I served a healthy bowl, took the phone in my other hand without turning off the camera and went back to the room.

“Hey Sammy,” Jake greeted me with a weak and raspy voice. It was good to see him awake. “What smells so good?”

“You’ll see, Jakey. And don’t mind the camera. I’m just testing something out.”

I placed a camera on my desk and pointed it at Jake’s bed, supporting it on a history book. Gosh, I really needed that stand.

“I made you a feel-good soup, Jakey,” I said as I sat by his side, holding the hot bowl in the kitchen gloves. “Can you eat yourself or do you want me to feed you?”

Without answering, Jake raised himself to a sitting position in his bed and opened his mouth, sticking out his tongue just a little bit. Oh my god, he looked so sweet and helpless. I wanted to kiss him right there. I took a spoonful of soup and tried it a little bit to make sure it’s not too hot and then fed it to Jakey who ate it with gratitude. He was looking me right in the eyes all the time.

“It’s delicious, Sammy,” he said and opened his mouth again.

“Thank you Jakey, it will make the sickness go away, you’ll see.”

“I feel better already. Damn little bro, you really went to town on that garlic.”

I smiled and continued feeding him in silence. Aside from my usual satisfaction of having someone else appreciate my cooking, I felt a strange tingling when looking into Jake’s trusting eyes. Suddenly, the sensation got so strong that it electrified every inch of my body and goosebumps were the least prominent manifestation of it, if you know what I’m saying.

“Sammy, are you crying?” I heard Jake say. I blinked and indeed a single tear escaped my eye and ran down my cheek.

“No, it’s just that… I’d do anything for you, Jakey.”

“I know, I know. It’s alright, I’m not feeling that bad. Thank you for taking care of me.”

“Always.”

I let him finish the soup in silence and the rest of the conversation happened just between our eyes, tender and caring. When he ate the last spoon, Jake rubbed his firm tummy.

“It was so good, Sammy, thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it, Jakey. I just want to see you happy,” I said and put away the bowl. “Do you need anything else? Cartoons? Ginger honey tea?”

Once again, Jake didn’t answer with words. He switched back to a horizontal position and with his whole upper body out in the open, he stretched both hands up with puppy eyes.

“Awww,” I let out and this time I really was on the verge of tears. He didn’t have to ask twice. I climbed his bed and a few moments later I was pressing my body against his. Jake embraced me with his naked arms, making our bodies and cheeks squeeze tight. There was a thick blanket separating us below our waists and I was wearing loose tracksuit pants I liked to walk around the house in, but there was no doubt. Jake was electrified, too.

“Don’t worry about me, Sammy. I appreciate you a lot,” he barely whispered.

“Stop it, Jakey. You’re making me cry for real. You know I’m here for you, always.”

For a few minutes, we were just hugging in silence, listening to our breaths and feeling each other’s heartbeats. I was almost dozing off and things around my groin area started feeling inexplicably good. The sensation spread to the other parts of my body and there was only one word I could use to describe it - bliss.

Meanwhile, things started moving and shuffling around in my head. Yes, Jake and I had always been close but the attachment and caring I felt for him suddenly elevated to the sky-high level. I couldn’t really wrap my head around it or put it into words. The only thing I knew was that it felt good. No, it felt great, amazing! I realized that Jake was holding a part of my soul and I couldn’t let any harm happen to him.

When I finally came back from this daydream and lifted myself, I felt hazy, as if I looked down standing on the edge of a cliff. Jake in turn was smiling at me with the corners of his mouth and confidence in his eyes. I really needed to get some fresh air or else…

“I’m going to take a quick walk and then I will be editing the video, so if you need me, just…” I gasped. I totally forgot I was recording the whole thing. I got totally carried away!

I had to adjust myself as I stood up and be careful not to fall because my legs felt like jelly all of the sudden.

“I… I’ll be right back,” I said and took my phone. I’ve been recording this part for over twenty minutes. I pressed the red square and made sure the video was saved properly.

“Have a nice walk, Sammy. I’ll take a little nap now if that’s okay.”

Jake stretched and yawned adorably. His dreamy eyes combined with his grateful smile made my head spin again for some unknown reason. I needed fresh air, quick!

I dressed up warmly and as I took a stroll around in the cold, my head started cooling down a little. Maybe I was getting sick, too? Around the corner, I saw Jake's best friend Sasha with some other boys. They were standing in the middle of the sidewalk with their bikes and talking. I felt a little nervous. I always say Sasha is Jake's friend and not our friend because he always seemed a little intimidating to me. Not that he was rude or anything, he just had this aura of looking down at everyone and for this reason, I'd always act awkwardly around him.

“Hi, Sasha.”

“Hi, Sammy. Did you see Jake? He’s not picking up my calls.”

“Aww, he’s got a fever. He’s been sleeping all day.”

“Poor Jakey. Tell him to call me later.”

“Yes, Sasha.”

“Thanks. Oh, and congrats on getting famous.”

He and his buddies smiled at me but I wasn’t sure if their smiles were sincere. They had a way of making you uncomfortable just by looking at you. I smiled nervously back and moved along.

It was a little weird that Jake and I had separate groups of friends. Mine were nerds, his were jocks to put it simply. I don’t remember what European country Sasha came from but he was blond, tall and well, not gonna lie, pretty hot. He and Jake were in the soccer team together; Sasha is a striker and Jake is a left-winger. This leads me to another trivia - I’m right-handed and Jake is left-handed (and left-legged).

Back at home, I undressed and changed back into my home clothes. I quietly checked on Jake and he was sleeping soundly. I stared at him for a few seconds, then took my laptop and tiptoed out of the room. It was Saturday but Mom was still at work so I sat in the living room to edit the sopas soup video. I was amazed by the quality of the clips I recorded. It looked so pro! The cinematic mode was just as advertised and the autofocus was amazing, with me and the food in focus and the background very slightly blurred. I knew I still had to play a little with the settings but overnight my recordings started looking like Hollywood productions. The sound was pretty great, too. If only I had better lighting… and better looks, I thought to myself, suddenly seeing my cheap clothes and messy hair in a different light.

Instinctively, I held my breath when I got to the soup serving clip with Jake. I was smiling like a fool watching the scenes of me feeding him and us having a little tender conversation. This was way beyond how we’d treated each other before. When I lay on top of him, I involuntarily covered my mouth with my hands. The intensity of this moment was enhanced by surrounding silence. Our words could barely be heard and then, when the conversation ceased, there were only our quiet breaths and a sound of cars driving outside the window from time to time as we lay there embraced.

About halfway through the clip, I noticed something I had been completely unaware at the time. I saw my hips grind very gently back and forth and after a few seconds, Jake started moving too while also caressing my back with his hands. I had been so lost in the moment and overall bliss that I had failed to distinguish the sources of the composite feelings overflowing me until now. I gasped. Oh my god, I couldn’t possibly post that… or could I? I lost about an hour rewatching this whole scene three times and each time it felt more intense than the last time. I was slowly realizing that I managed to capture some elusive magic. Something as close to sex as you could get without actually having sex.

I ended up making two different cuts of the video. One I was going to post - with the hugging scene cut short - and the other one just for me - with Jake and I literally dry-humping for five minutes. By the time I finished watching I was burning up too and I had a feeling it wasn’t because of sickness.

I had to admit that even the censored version was at least a little questionable and I started wondering about how our friends will react if they see it. I didn’t know any other siblings who were so physical with each other and the more I thought about it, the more confused I felt. I saved the files, closed my laptop and that’s when I heard water flushing in the toilet. A few seconds later, the door opened and Jake emerged just in his underwear. I looked at him and the feeling returned right on cue.

“Hey Sammy, how long did I sleep?” he asked, looking all sleepy and cute.

I checked the time. “Almost two hours, Jakey. And why are you running around the house naked? You will get cold!”

“No, I won’t.”

“Yes, you will. Sit here next to me and I’ll get you a blanket. I want to show you the video.”

“Okay, Sammy.” Jake was clearly deflated and tired. I knew I had to get him back in bed soon.

One minute later, I wrapped Jake in his favorite blue fluffy blanket. We sat on the sofa and I opened the laptop again to play him the video.

“Wow, it all happened,” Jake said weakly.

“What do you mean?”

“I thought it was all a dream.”

“You thought you had been dreaming about me feeding you chicken soup?”

“Yes, Sammy, that too.”

“You silly boy.”

We kept watching for a few more minutes.

“Awww,” Jake let out when we got to the part when I got into the bed with him to hug him. It only lasted a few seconds and then there was a cut to the summary I recorded later.

Jake turned to me when it ended. “Wow, Sammy, it was so great. I want to watch it again. And the quality is so good!”

“Thank you Jakey, it’s all thanks to you. You can watch it as many times as you want later, now let’s get you back to bed. You’re supposed to be recovering.”

“Hey, what’s that second file? And why does it say “uncensored”?

“That’s just an alternate cut, Jakey, I’m not going to post it.”

“I wanna see,” he said and played it before I could stop him.

“You act like a spoiled child when you are sick, do you know that?”

“Shut up, Sammy, I’m watching.”

I wiggled nervously and waited for the video to get to the good part.

“Oh my…” Jake whispered the moment I started gently humping him. “Oh,” he whispered barely audibly when he started mimicking my movements. He didn’t say anything else, we were just watching, entranced.

When the scene ended, I paused the video and Jake looked me in the eyes. “Sammy, we’re posting the long version,” he said with confidence.

“What? No, we’re not!”

“Yes, we are.”

“Are you crazy? What will our friends think?”

“They’ll think that I love my little brother. They already know that.”

“Not like that! Do you want to get me banned?”

“No one ever got banned for hugging his brother.”

“Now you’re just trolling me, Jakey, I’m not going to…” I started but didn’t finish because Jake unwrapped the blanket and pressed me down to the sofa and started giving me short pecks on my lips.

“I’m not,” peck, “ashamed,” peck, “that I love,” peck, “my brother,” peck.

“Get off me!” I giggled, unable to release myself. He stopped and looked down at me, still holding my wrists. Something in his eyes made my heart beat faster. I pretended I wanted to push him off me and gently placed my hand on his chest. There it was, the electricity again. Jake must’ve noticed it, too. His skin was hot but in his case, it was at least partially justified by his fever. I had to stop it because I was about to do something very irresponsible.

“Okay, but if they ban my account, it will be all your fault,” I told Jake and my voice was trembling.

Jake didn’t say anything. His trademark slight smile was living proof that he was proud of winning this round. Just when I thought it was over, he leaned down and placed one last peck on my lips. But this time, the “peck” lasted a full five seconds and my synapses exploded.

“It will be fine,” he whispered when our lips parted and he must’ve had quite some fun watching my awestruck face. Then, just as if nothing happened, he stood up and marched back to our room, taking his blanket with him.

I had no idea for how long I was holding my breath but it was a relief to get some air again. I reached down and grabbed my hardness through my pants. It was throbbing and leaking like never. I had to change my underwear quickly. I turned on the TV because I needed to think of something else to make my erection go away. What’s going on with me?