Samantha

                                    

                                          
"Time to move away from the challenges," Samantha declares, her brain tired of reciting facts.
"I agree," Julian stretches out on the couch, looking relaxed despite his intense workout session.
"Have I pushed you too hard?" she smirks, settling into the corner of the couch with her chin tucked on her knees.
Julian scoots over to make room for her. "Nope, I'm not even that tired. But if I keep going, you'll make me too sore to go to work."
"What is your work?" she blurts out, her curiosity bubbling to the surface. She knows both brothers work in law enforcement, but Julian seems to be on the rougher end compared to Lucas.
Julian raises an eyebrow. "I'm a cop in the District of Columbia unit. Lucas told you."
"Yes, but that's your job, not your work."
"True. What do you think I do?"
Samantha studies his casual attire and laid-back posture. "I think you work more on the field and get more action than Lucas. You're less fancy and more hardcore."
Julian grins. "What makes you say that?"
"For one, you're always dressed casually—in leather jackets and jeans. Lucas is usually in a suit or something more formal."
"It's required."
"Yeah, I suppose it is," she waves a hand dismissively, "I'd never want to be an agent just because of that. Seems annoying."
"I agree. What else?"
"Well, you seem a lot more outgoing than him. You're probably an extrovert, and he's an introvert."
Julian chuckles. "I fear that's my fault. As kids, I spoke for him too often. He got used to me handling things, so he didn't need to."
"You know, the first few days I thought he hated talking because he barely said anything unless it was to tell me what to do. I was wrong, though. He's actually a great conversationalist, even if he speaks in a low tone."
Julian laughs. "My brother? A good conversationalist? I doubt it."
"It's true! He can balance teasing and seriousness perfectly."
"Okay," Julian says, still unconvinced.
"He's quite fun to talk to," Samantha insists, feeling a need to defend Lucas.
"He can be, but he hardly ever lets his guard down. Besides talking about cases, he rarely engages with others. Marcus is the only one who's been able to pass into his comfort zone," Julians eyes her, "and you too I guess. If he truly does talk to you so much."  
"You seem more, well, let's say, out there" she says, trying to put her thoughts into words, taking the opportunity that Julian is being so surprisingly open about Lucas, "while Lucas seems more, no offense, level-headed. He always walks around with this calm demeanor, like he's deep in thought."
Julian nods. "I can see why you think that. But to be honest, Lucas is more hardcore than you might think. Despite his quiet nature, he's never backed down from a fight. Many times I had to speak for him because he got himself into trouble."
"He often got into trouble?" Samantha asks. Part of her feels guilty for being so nosy, but another part wants to understand him better. If she's going to be close to him, she needs to know who he really is.
"Not bad trouble—just a lot of fights. People would see him as quiet and assume he wouldn't do anything if they bothered him," Julian chuckles, "they always regretted that assumption. He told you he was in the army, right?"