*Episode 5: The New Rule*
Day 90.
Summer is over.
Milo’s classes start next week. Cass’s big project is finally done.
The house is full of boxes that aren’t boxes anymore. They’re just... life.
Milo’s paintings on the wall.
Cass’s books, still in rainbow order because Milo won.
Gertrude in the window, huge now.
Two toothbrushes. Two coffee mugs. One blanket that they’re always fighting over.
No more "guest room." It’s just "the room."
No more "staying for the summer." It’s just "staying."
The last house rule is gone.
---
Saturday morning.
Milo wakes up first. Sun through the window. Cass asleep next to him, face relaxed in a way it never was 3 months ago.
Milo watches him.
Cass opens one eye. "You’re staring."
"You’re pretty when you sleep."
"That’s illegal."
"Is it? Add it to the rules."
"We don’t have rules anymore," Cass says, pulling him closer. "Remember?"
"Right. New rule then."
"What’s the new rule?"
Milo grins. "Be happy. On purpose."
Cass kisses his forehead. "I can do that."
---
They spend the day doing nothing.
Grocery shopping. Arguing over cereal.
Milo drags Cass to a thrift store. Cass buys Milo a hideous yellow mug "because you’d like it."
They cook dinner together and burn the garlic bread.
They sit on the floor and paint. Cass is terrible at it. Milo tells him it’s "abstract."
At night they call Jay.
"How’s married life?" Jay asks immediately.
"We’re not married," Cass and Milo say at the same time.
"Yet," Jay adds.
"Jay," Cass warns.
"What? I’m just saying. You guys are disgusting. In a good way."
After they hang up, Milo is quiet.
"What’s up?" Cass asks.
"Nothing," Milo says. "Just... I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop."
"It won’t," Cass says.
"How do you know?"
"Because I’m not going anywhere. And neither are you."
Milo nods. Leans into him. "Okay."
---
Two weeks later.
Milo’s first day of classes. Cass drives him.
"You don’t have to," Milo says.
"I want to," Cass says. "Also I miss you when you’re gone for 6 hours."
"That’s 6 hours."
"That’s too long."
Milo laughs and kisses him in the car. In public. Without thinking about it.
"See you at 3," Milo says.
"Text me when you get there."
"I will."
"And text me at lunch."
"Bossy."
"New rule," Cass says, serious. "You have to text me."
Milo rolls his eyes. "Fine."
---
Fall comes.
They figure it out.
Some days are easy. Coffee in the morning. Cass walking Milo to class. Movie nights.
Some days are hard. Cass has to travel for work. Milo has finals. They fight about dishes again.
But they talk now.
"I’m scared," turns into "Can we talk?"
"I’m mad" turns into "I need 10 minutes and then I want to hear you."
They go to therapy. Together. Once a month. "For maintenance," Cass calls it.
They meet each other’s friends.
They get a dog. A mutt named "Blueprint" because Cass named it and Milo let him.
Blueprint chews Milo’s sketchbooks. Cass replaces them.
Milo lets Blueprint sleep in their bed. Cass pretends to be mad about it.
---
6 months later.
It’s Cass’s birthday.
Milo wakes up early and makes pancakes. Again. Burns them. Again.
He hangs a banner that says "DON’T KISS THE BIRTHDAY BOY" because he has no self control.
Cass comes downstairs, sees it, and groans.
"You’re ridiculous," Cass says.
"You love me."
"I do," Cass says. And kisses him. Right under the banner.
Later, they have dinner with Jay on video call. And Cass’s parents. And Lena from work.
Everyone is there.
No one acts weird.
No one asks questions.
It’s just... normal.
After everyone leaves the call, Cass pulls Milo into the kitchen.
"I have something for you," Cass says.
"Is it cake? Because I ate the cake."
"It’s not cake."
Cass pulls out a small key.
"To the house," Cass says. "An actual copy. Not the spare I hid under the mat."
Milo stares at it. "Are you...?"
"I’m asking you to stay," Cass says. "For real. Not for the summer. For as long as you want. With me."
Milo takes the key. His hands are shaking a little.
"Yes," he says. "Yes. A thousand times yes."
Cass exhales. "Good. Because I already changed the locks and put your name on the lease."
"You did not."
"I did."
Milo jumps him. They end up on the floor laughing.
"No more rules," Milo says.
"No more rules," Cass agrees.
---
1 year later.
Same house. Same kitchen.
Milo is painting at the counter. Cass is working at the table. Blueprint is asleep on Milo’s feet.
The radio is playing. Bad music. They’re both singing.
Cass looks up from his laptop.
"Hey," he says.
"Hey," Milo says without looking up.
"What’s the rule?"
Milo smiles. "What rule?"
"The new one."
"Oh. That one." Milo sets his brush down. Walks over. Sits in Cass’s lap.
"Be happy," Milo says. "On purpose."
"With you," Cass adds.
"Always with you."
Cass kisses him. Soft. Sure. Home.
Outside, it’s raining again.
Inside, it’s warm.
*THE END*
---
*AUTHOR'S NOTES* 💙
We did it.
Thank you for reading all 5 chapters. Thank you for commenting, for screaming about the almost-kiss, for being mad at me during the fight, for loving them as much as I do.
*"House Rules: Don't Kiss The Brother"* was about two people who thought they had to follow rules to be safe. And learned that the only rule that mattered was choosing each other.
*Cass* learned to be soft.
*Milo* learned he doesn’t have to perform.
*Together* they learned that love is boring and beautiful and dishes and coffee and "text me when you get there."
I wrote this for anyone who’s ever felt like they were "too much" or "not enough." You’re not. You’re just human. And you deserve someone who chooses you on the quiet days too.
*FAQ:*
Q: Will there be a sequel?
A: Maybe a bonus chapter for Christmas? 👀
Q: Are they okay?
A: Yeah. They’re okay. They’re more than okay.
Q: Can I use this for my writing class?
A: Yes! Just credit me 🫶
Thank you to everyone who voted Team Cass / Team Milo. Thank you to everyone who said the kitchen scene wrecked them. Thank you for letting me share this with you.
This community made this story better.
Now go annoy someone you love today.
Love you all forever.
- [C. Faith]
P.S. Gertrude is thriving.
