I laughed at Sean and gestured them into the house. "Awkwardness aside, thanks for digging us out. I tried doing it two days ago and the fucking makeshift tunnel I made collapsed on me."
Justin widened his eyes as he glanced to Sean then back to me. "Fuck. Were you hurt?"
I grunted, "Only me pride because Neala had to pull me out."
Both Sean and Justin looked at one another and after a moment they both burst into laughter.
Dickheads.
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. I was close to blacking out because I couldn't breathe."
That put a sock in both of the hyenas' laughter.
"Fuck," Justin muttered.
Sean nodded this head. "Glad you're okay man, but I'm sort of happy that you almost died. It makes me feel better about you and Neala... you know."
Yeah, I knew.
"Cheers, mate," I laughed.
I looked up at the sky and smiled. "I never thought I'd be this happy to see the sky. I don't think we would have lasted much longer in there. The power cut out three days ago."
Justin looked at me, his face frozen. "Could you eat food?"
I shook my head. "My cooker is electric so we had to eat beans and shit because everything I bought needed to be cooked. I'm out a couple of hundred quid this week already, all me food in the fridge is spoiled so I have to buy everything fresh."
Justin racked his hand through his hair while Sean looked down at the shovel that was in his hand and twirled it around.
Odd.
"Was everyone affected like us?" I asked Justin who looked perplexed. "You said you were snowed in too when I rang the other day."
He gnawed on his lower lip. "Yeah, man, but it wasn't as bad as you and Neala had it. Everyone helped out everyone else in the village, but it was... difficult to get up here with the roads being so bad."
I nodded in understanding.
"Yeah, I bet it was bad... but it's clear now?"
Both Sean and Justin nodded their heads.
They momentarily reminded me of robots.
"Yeah," Sean said. "The council gritted the roads so they're easier to drive on now."
That was some good news.
I was about to tell my brother and Sean that, but I hesitated when I caught them both exchanging glances. I looked down at myself to make sure I wasn't sporting an awkward boner, but when I saw I was wood free I looked back to the lads.
"What's wrong with you both?"
Sean gnawed on his inner cheek. "Nothing, lad. I'm just wondering how you aren't cold. I'm freezing me arse off here and I'm fully clothed. You're in underpants and you aren't even shivering."
That was true, I wasn't touching any of the snow, but the freezing cold breeze didn't even seem to bother me.
"His morning mattress dancing probably still has him warm," Justin teased.
I was about to correct him, but I let his comment lie when Sean came at him with his shovel raised.
"I'm messing!" Justin screeched and fell backward into a huge pile of snow.
I burst out laughing and so did Sean.
"No joking about sex when it involves me little sister, ever."
Justin groaned as he got to his feet and brushed the snow from his clothes. "Noted."
I held up my hands and nodded my head to Sean so he knew I got the memo. I mean, if he came at Justin and threatened him with a shovel for playfully teasing about sex with Neala, I'd hate to think what he'd do to me if I pissed his off for actually having sex with her.
It wouldn't end well for me - that was for sure.
I looked behind me and when I saw my bedroom door was still closed I gestured for the lads to come into my house.
"Come in, she's still out," I said.
I walked down into my living room and opened the door.
I smiled when light filled the room instead of darkness.
"I shovelled most of the snow and cleared it away from the glass - I was hoping to scare you if you're in here," Justin said from behind me.
I entered my living room and laughed, "Cheers for that, you prick."
The lads froze when they entered the living room.
"You actually finished decorating?" Justin asked, more than surprised from the look on his face.
I smiled. "Not me, Neala."
Sean nodded his head. "Sounds like her."
I nodded.
Sean grimaced. "So... what's happening now with you both?"
My stomach dropped at the question because I honestly had no idea.
"I guess we'll go back to our old ways and do what we normally do - hate each other."
Justin furrowed his eyebrows at me while Sean full on glared.
I swallowed and blew out a breath. "I know it sounds harsh, trust me, I don't want say it, but when she wakes up and realises what's happened she will go crazy."
Sean stepped forward. "Realises what's happened?"
Oh shite.
I worded that terribly.