Pierce Charles can't help but smile as he waits for Shea to walk into the kitchen.
It's Shea's 23rd birthday and he has a cake to surprise him, something he knows will embarrass his older brother.
Right on cue, he gets the response that he was looking for as Shea has a sheepish smile, and Pierce launches into a rendition of 'Happy Birthday' for the cameras.
In an exclusive interview at their London home, the brothers talk about breaking lamps while playing football as kids, debating who does the chores and the upcoming release of video game Grand Theft Auto VI.
With a cup of tea offered and shoes off at the door, you wouldn't think you were chatting with two international footballers, especially two who are riding the crest of a wave on the pitch.
London traffic aside, they are enjoying life in the hustle and bustle of the city as they live in England's capital for the first time.
"It's better than I thought it was going to be, I didn't think I was going to enjoy it," said Pierce who is spending the season on loan at Queens Park Rangers from Manchester City.
"I actually love it, and living together has been good. There's so much to do in London," added midfielder Shea, who joined Fulham from Southampton in a £30m move in August.
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It is the first time the brothers have lived in London, but the third time they have lived together.
Having been born and grown up in Manchester, they came through Manchester City's academy before Pierce joined Sheffield Wednesday aged 16.
Shea stayed at the Etihad and made his Premier League debut under Pep Guardiola in May 2023 before signing for Southampton that summer.
The brothers were reunited at Wednesday when Shea joined on loan for the 2024-25 campaign, but there was some 200 miles between them last year as the midfielder returned to St Mary's.
This summer, after impressive performances for Wednesday and Northern Ireland, Pierce returned to Manchester City in a long-term deal before joining QPR on loan.
Not to be outdone, Shea earned a switch back to the Premier League with Fulham as he became Northern Ireland's first £30m footballer.
Both based in west London, that gave them the opportunity to move back in together, reigniting debates over who is better at the Grand Theft Auto games and Fortnite and who cooks the better steak sandwich.
They both want to claim top honours, but Pierce feels he will have the edge if he can get the peppercorn sauce recipe off the chef at QPR.
Older brother Eoin and parents Mary and Kelvin often come to visit, too, and there's more debate over who makes the house presentable, and whether doing the dishwasher actually counts as a chore.
"I think she secretly wants it to be messy, so she can have a little dig at us and do it anyway," jokes Pierce about Mary, who was born in Northern Ireland.
"She enjoys it really, she's not on holiday," Shea laughs.
Quickly realising the danger of getting a telling off on her next visit, Shea adds, "Mum is class. We appreciate mum".
Things quickly get competitive between the brothers over a game of two touch
Before the brothers sit down for a chat, there's time for a kick about in the garden for a game of 'two touch'.
It doesn't take long for their competitive side to shine through, and a best of three quickly becomes best of five then, eventually, a rematch.
Conversation turns to memories of similar games in the family garden as kids and how things used to always take a similarly competitive turn.
"When we used to play Wembley I would have always beaten you two and the loser went in nets," said Shea.
"If you want a fun fact, people might think he is the best player now but Shea was actually the worst out of us when we were younger in the back garden," Pierce was quick to respond.
"It was me, then Eoin and then Shea. To be fair, he's improved massively since."
There's a blame game over a broken clock and lamp, and middle child Shea has to plead his innocence over the latter.
"I broke the clock but I didn't break the lamp. It actually wasn't me, I swear," recalled Shea, still pleading his case before a mischievous "I loved that lamp" almost makes him look guilty.
'No candles?' - Pierce's birthday surprise for Shea
Saturday, 14 November at 19:45 GMT
Watch on BBC iPlayer and BBC Two NI from19:15 GMT; Listen on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster; Watch, listen, live text and clips on BBC Sport app & website
Fourteen years on from watching the Olympics, Pierce Charles made a late double save to earn QPR a draw at West Ham's London Stadium
The brothers have yet to hit London's tourist spots since moving to the capital, but a trip to Thorpe Park just outside the city is on the cards.
Their first memories of London are from visiting their cousins growing up, and there have been trips to Wembley to see childhood club Manchester City.
But the London 2012 Olympics stand out as an early memory, when the brothers would have been eight and nine years of age.
They remember meeting Team GB heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and recall racing outside of the London Stadium.
"There were little events on outside the stadium," Shea recalled.