The Male Luna (MxM) (Complete)

Chapter 1

Brayden

The darkness around me moves by at a steady pace. There is the illusion that there is nothing surrounding me. The dark, having gripped the sides of the vehicle, seeming like the entire journey now, passes by my windshield in a movie-like glaze. Even with the dull headlights turned on, I can barely make out the trees that canopy both sides of the road. The faded yellow lines of the lane dividers have now given the illusion of merging into a hypnotic crooked line, and the rhythmic up and down of the van creates a sort of comforting lull as the night continually wanes on, surrounding the car.

My eyes burn as I try to keep alert on the road, and when I start to succumb to sleep deprivation, twilight just barely starts to light up the sky from the foreboding black to a pale purple. The change in scenery, as the sky slowly illuminates more and more of the forest's silhouette around me, is just enough of a change to keep me from having to pull over and waste precious time resting.

The van I am driving is stuffed. I guess that's what happens when you try to move six people in one vehicle, but we didn't have any other choice. Old cardboard boxes were balanced on top of each other, while clothes of varying sizes were wedged between the crevices. Empty chips and bottles were strewn over bundles of blankets, and amidst the chaos, I could see four silhouettes. Stuffed between the suitcases, piled under blankets, with limbs spread all over each other were the animals otherwise known as my four youngest siblings.

Moving my hand from the steering wheel, I fiddle with the temperature and fan to break the long drive's continued monotony. The old vents pathetically sputter out some luke-warm air due to my fidgeting, and my hand finds its way subconsciously rubbing my now, dusty fingertips on the tops of my jeans.

Heaving a sigh, I try to distract myself with something, anything, just to help me stay awake a little longer. Glancing over, I see the center console is filled with various, emptied energy drinks and gas-station coffee cups that have accumulated over the long hours of driving. As quietly as possible I reach over and gently shake some of the empty containers, hoping one of them has just a little more caffeine left at the bottom. After shaking the last drink, I let out a string of curses and frustratingly run my hand through my, now, slightly greasy blonde hair, from having traveled such a long while.

A long, long, while.

Even longer since I was last able to take a shower, or change my clothes. I sigh and lean back into the firm driver's seat trying not to think too hard about the specifics of the situation I am in.

I am fine, everything is going to be fine.

Slowly, the sun starts to formally make her appearance, and dawn begins to break on the road ahead of me. Just as the dirty van fills with morning, sudden movement from my side startles me.

The drowsy figure in the passenger seat begins to uncurl from the fetal position she was previously sleeping in. Long, stringy mousy hair peeps out from under her dull hood and thin legs stretch out in an ungraceful way as my younger sister tries to adjust her waking position.

"You're up early, you should try and get some more sleep before the rest of the gremlins decide to rise with the sun," I whisper over, trying to be as quiet as possible.

She rolls her eyes tiredly, giving me an indecipherable grunt as her only verbal response, while casually flicking her hand towards the back seats. As if to try and make the other passengers disappear with the action.

There were six of us in total, although none of the children looked anywhere near related. We are all half-siblings. Having kids was always an occupational hazard in mom's line of work, but to have as many as she did was considered rather tragic.