His silent voice.

The hell, was this a test?

What's going on? Why was he being stared at by two identical Theodores and an older Theodore whose charm perfected the image of a grown Theodore?

Was he still hungover?

"Dylan! You made it," one of the identical Theodores smiled and came up to him. "I thought you'd still be tired after last night."

He'd missed that.

"Huh...uh, yeah."

His brain was still trying to comprehend why there were two Theodores, and why the second Theodore had on a glare. A look he never thought he would see on...Theo?

"I'm guessing you didn't know he has a twin."

Dylan snapped out of it thanks to the heavenly deep voice that called his whole being. The older Theodore was now also in front of him, and he had on a welcoming smile that Dylan wanted to steal all for himself.

"Yeah," he breathed a response. "I didn't."

"There was no time to mention it, he only got to know my name last night." Theodore defended.

"I'm Lucas, the eldest." he put out his hand for a shake and Dylan delightfully took it.

"I'm Dylan," his smile showing a little too much of his emotions.

"Yeahhh," Lucas dragged and his eyes stole a glance at Theo before Dylan received an arm tap from him and watched him walk off to the dinner table.

What was that? He could miss a lot of things but he hadn't missed that. What was that look for?

"And that's Theodora, my twin." Theodore gestured behind him and Dylan paused. Trying to tell if Theo was joking or being serious.

"I'm just kidding." Theo laughed.

"Oh." he found himself join in. He almost fell for that.

"His name's Kyle," he glanced back. "Come say hi, Kyle."

Dylan could swear he almost fell in love again as he watched Kyle shift his gaze, uninterested and completely ignoring them before walking away to the dinner table.

An outgoing Theo was a hit, but a snobbish Theo with an attitude... he'll gladly take the front sit.

"He hates it when I make a speech joke." Theodore joked again and then nodded with a gentle smile. "Let's join them."

Dylan felt his heart grow full as he followed behind quietly. Would he be a clown if he said he wanted to take back what he said last night, he was still hot for Theodore.

Just look at his wide back and that build, it looked so safe and reassuring. Now he was getting three Theo's all with different characteristics?!

"Thought you weren't coming?" Belle mouthed and he gave her cheek a little shove as he passed by.

"You can sit here," Theo pulled out a chair at the end and Dylan smiled.

"Thanks." he took his sit and then his eyes came up to see he'd been sat across Kyle who had his eyes widened at Theo.

Did he hate the idea of sitting across him so much? he thought then Kyle's gaze met his and the two fell silent for a minute.

"I'm so glad you all could make it, I hope this wasn't too sudden?" Mrs. Waltson's voice snapped through their gaze and Kyle blinked away.

Leaving Dylan confused.

"Of course not," his mom replied excitedly "We're really glad to be here."

"You bet!" Dylan's dad shifted on the chair with a smile, but Dylan knew that smile anywhere.

Then Bree leaned closer to him and whispered "He's got a game tonight."

"Ohh," he mouthed, the smile now making sense to him, his sitting in that chair was a priceless gamble.

"I was just so excited to see an old friend." Theo's mom squealed and her eyes met his and Bree's.

"Your mom and I knew each other in high school."

"You did?" Dylan found himself more interested than he usually would.

"Yes, she helped me out a lot but we lost contact after that. I was so shocked to see her again."

Does that mean he had slept with his mom's friend son? It felt so wrong but right at the same time.

"Please," Dylan's mom waved. "If anyone got any help it's me. I've missed you so much, and look at you all grown up with your own family and might I say, such handsome boys."

She's not wrong, Dylan silently agreed.

"Oh, please." Mrs. Waltson waved back with a blush.

"We hear that a lot," Theo's dad responded. "But what can we say, they get it from their pops."

The boys all turned their heads in his direction and Dylan specifically took note of their dad's black straight hair.

"It's just so hard to miss." Lucas nodded.

"Man, too bad we barely got any of mom's trait." Theo added and it took Dylan all had not to crack up.

His eyes went up to see Kyle staring down at the table and his smile faded. Why did he look like like he was forced to be here.

"I'm sure it would've been so lovely." their mom chipped in and they all chuckled.

"I've always wanted to know what it felt like to have twins. You're so lucky." Dylan's mom sulked at her lifelong dream.

"I sure am, but trust me it's not all rainbows when you have double the kid care stage. I'm thankful they're all grown and mature now, a whole load off my chest." she chuckled.

"Wish I could say the same, but sadly I still have two kids living in matured bodies."

Dylan's mouth fell open along with Bree's and their mom gave them a look that said they could challenge her anytime they wanted if they could.

But they couldn't. And he could see the Waltson brothers passing a silent smile.

"I see one of you doesn't speak much," she turned to Theo and Kyle.

"That would be Kyle," Theo responded.

"Wish I had at least one quiet one in the house."

"Yeah, rather than quiet, it's more like he can't speak at all," Lucas spoke now. And just when they were all trying to understand, he touched his lips and dropped on them. "He's voiceless."

The ticking clock dominated the atmosphere for a minute.

Dylan had heard of friendly dinners being ruined by someone wrong choice of words at the wrong time, never did he think his family would fall under such descriptions.

"Way to go, mom." Bree mumbled underneath her breath and Dylan couldn't agree more.

They could've just waved off the news, but his mom had ignorantly wished for a mute kid seconds ago. How does one get out of such a mess?

Just then, a light knock fell on the table, Dylan turned just in time to see Kyle's glare soften with a gentle smile, his hand that had been hiding under the table the whole time came into view, and he watched his fingers sign to his mom something he had no understanding of, yet fell in love with at once.

"He says it's okay," Theo translated, "you all look like you're about too dash out the door any minute now."

Damn right we are, Dylan thought.

"I'm so sorry, my silly mouth really isn't... I mean, I should apologize, I know a little sign language..."

"You know what, mom, I think we've said enough for tonight." Bree stepped in a second before Dylan, holding their mom's hands down.

"She's right, honey." Mr. Kerwood agreed.

"But I have to-"

"Mom, you can do that with your words." Dylan finally stepped in. "They said he can't speak not that he's deaf, he can hear you just fine."

The room fell silent again and Dylan felt himself losing it. His eyes shifted to the Waltson's who now had their eyes on him from the other side of the table. What now?

"...or is he?" he was forced to ask.

Theo and Lucas burst out in laughter and they watched their parents quietly join in, Kyle on the other hand looked uninterested all over again.

"You're right, he's not." Lucas calmed down with a smile.

"But finally, someone gets it," Theo joined in. "Usually when we say that people randomly assume he's also deaf, so they either stop talking or start signing to him."

"Oh." Dylan replied. So it's a good thing then.

"And just a random question Dylan," Mrs. Waltson turned to him with a smile he found suspicious as hell. "I'm just curious is all, your looks scream every lady's man, your girlfriend must be so jealous all the time."

Bree spurted out a laugh but tried to compose herself at once. "I'm sorry, that just... that caught me off guard."

"Why are you the one caught off guard when the question was directed at me?" he squinted at her irritable jest.

"Oh, sorry, I just thought that *girlfriend* must have a lot going for her, but then I remembered she's still yet to be found."

"Yeah, you mean like that boyfriend of yours that's been missing for so long yet still uploads his instagram in the same beach short."

"Hey,"

"What?"

"Guys?" their dad warned and they both rolled their eyes at each other.

Dylan fixed up his smile back at Mrs. Waltson and said, "I don't have a girlfriend. But..." he stole a quick glance at Theo who had his gaze fixed on him. "But, I am down for advances."

His voice faded off. Did he give himself out too much? He watched Theo's face pull up a smile but then his next behaviour confused him.

"Ohh?" Theo squinted with a smile and turned to his left.

"Ohhh," Lucas joined in, also looking to his left.

"Ohhhh." their mom finished up and then he realized all eyes were now staring at the end of the table. "

Not at him, but Kyle.

Why were they all staring at Kyle?

"Oh." he heard Bree also let out quietly next to him and he turned to her with a questioning look.

He clearly saw her read his face, but she only rolled his eyes at him like he'd failed to catch on to something once again.

"Alright, we've delayed dinner for too long." Mrs. Waltson changed the topic. "I made a lot so please, feel free to have as much as you would like."

"Lovely."

Seeing how no one was ready to fill him in, he looked at Kyle who was busy fiddling around with his spoon.

The twin gene was so uncanny, it felt like he was staring at Theo and it strangely felt hot knowing the real Theo was sitting right next to him.

He watched Kyle's veiny hands that looked just like Theo's flex at the smallest movement. Not over his head, but things he would do if he could just have those hands in his while sober.

He saw Kyle pause and flinched when his eyes came up to meet his again. His brows furrowed and with his glare back, he mouthed with an attitude.

"What?"

If it had been someone else Dylan would have shot up and smacked him on the head right across the table. But he had the looks of his type and has the same face as his crush, one measley attitude was nothing to him.

But in return... a little tease should be fine from his side too. If he was going to have a chance with Theo, he should get on his brothers good side.

He flashed his cutest smile and mouthed back. "You're cute."

He looked away without waiting for a reaction and reached for the cup of water next to him. As soon as he got down to drinking, it felt like karma came for him.

His memory glitched and he got a clear view of the previous night.

With a huge body looming over and his hands hugging the blurry stranger, his body grew hot and with a pleading tone, he heard himself say.

*Bite me.*

"Pfffttttttt!!!"