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“How would you know?”
The simple inquiry brings the entire conversation pit to a standstill. Alan can feel the shift of Gordon’s turning on his right and all but shrugs his hand off his shoulder before it can truly plant itself there. Virgil and Brains look between the two astronauts anxiously, it
wasn’t
like Alan and John to get truly angry at each other, it was almost
unheard
of.
Scott opens his mouth to cut their youngest off until Grandma touches a hand to his arm, shaking her head firmly, Kayo nods over her shoulder. This was a confrontation between the pair of them that was needed and only between the pair of them.
John’s eyes narrow in the hologram. “
Excuse me?”
“I’m just saying,” Alan shrugs intentionally. “
How
would you know?”
“Because that is my home–”
“Is it?”
Alan’s temper was the perfect mix of both their mom
and
dad’s. Even worse, a perfect mix of all
four
of his big brothers, when one got into an argument with him it was a true war to see who would come out as champion. He’s either so incensed that he’s eerily calm or raging so hot anything within range is viable for annihilation. “I would have never guessed considering you’re never
here.
” He was angry,
something
John had said or done had touched his volatile temper that had been held back for far longer than any of them had begun to realize, Alan and John
rarely
got into arguments because they were so alike. Two peas in a pod, many had often said, where one was the other definitely wasn’t far behind. And there was no winner in their arguments either. Only outside casualties and stalemates. “You spend all your time up in space now,
‘looking for dad’
you’d say every time I’d call up and ask you to come home, well, it’s been nearly a year and you’ve still not come up with shit!”
No one has the nerve to call him out on his language. Because that would mean butting into the two astronauts' beef with each other. It was best for one's life not to do such a thing. Not even Kayo will attempt at breaking them up or mediating and that in itself speaks volumes. It’s best to let them work it out on their own or for whatever set them off on each other to simply be forgotten.
“Watch your tone, baby brother.”
“Oh yea,” oh and there’s a challenge if there ever was one. “And what if I
don’t
, you’re never here so why keep a room for you, I say we move all your crap out to the heap where it belongs. Space
trash
.” Building. The tension is building. “What could you
possibly
do all the way up there, you forget I’m just as capable with computers as you are, you’ve got no
authority
down here, you'd have to
leave
Five to regain it. You’d have to leave your stupid,
fucking
space station, and we
all
know you won’t do that because you’re
still
looking for life signs of a man who disappeared nearly a
year
ago rather then
be with the family you’ve still got left
.” Alan’s driving it home. “Tell me,
John
, what’s it like to be a failure?”
A pin dropping would be akin to an atomic bomb detonating.
John ends up disconnecting the call with a low growl and Alan storms off swearing up a storm under his breath.
No one, not even Grandma, chides him for it.
….
At first, it appears John isn’t going to rise to the bait, taking the highroad instead of stooping down to their youngest brother’s level in his attempt at engaging into a rather nasty altercation with him.
Until it comes to interfering with Rescues. Particularly those in Space.
Alan’s their astronaut, sure Gordon was their backup, the aquanaut had been in command of the massive rocket until their youngest brother had taken over, but it was all the littlest blonde’s
now
.
Refusing to take rescues is perhaps the tick in John’s temper that starts wearing on his resolve not to stoop to that level. It’s when he
himself
is blocked from overriding Three’s commands to allow Gordon access to answer the distressed call of a space freighter that he decides taking the high ground is complete
horse shit
and meets their baby brother head on with a rage that he’s not known for because it’s really just that hard to set him off. Apparently locking him out was one of those things that will in fact set him off
.
“You
locked
me out of Three! You
never
lock me out of
any
Thunderbird!”
So imagine their surprise when they return from a mission in the Netherlands to see Alan and John facing off together in the kitchen,
physically
there and in person not a hologram John had actually come down from Five at their baby brother’s daring level of disrespect, their youngest brother isn’t at all phased by their second oldest seemingly looming over him. If one were to take the manner he throws his arms out challengingly in account. “You’re lucky that I–”
“I don’t care. It’s
my
rocket. Not
yours
. If they’re stupid enough to
get
themselves–”
“I get that you’re angry, I
get
it Alan, you’re angry at
me
and that’s
fine
.” What makes their arguments terrifying when they do happen is the fact that Johnny’s temper is like their mom’s. Calm and soft. The calm before the storm. Just like their baby brother’s could be too. “But when you start directing your temper tantrum–”
“You want me to throw a
temper tantrum
, haven’t done that in a few years, but I think I’m capable enough–”
“Be angry at me
all
you want but you leave
everyone
else out of it!”
“Or
what!”
Nobody dares move as silence so electrified fills the empty space. That was the ultimate challenge. You don’t just
do
that. Well, the normal person doesn’t just do that, but Alan..Alan is far from being a normal person by definition. He’s not just presenting a simple challenge. This is a challenge to John’s authority as
Second Eldest
.
“Let me
show
you.”
….
See the thing about arguments between Allie and John is they are sharp, dangerous, and
fast
. One minute they’re at each other’s throats and the next everythings back to rights again.
Grandma’s quick in ushering the crowd away, Kayo makes herself scarce personally, the moment their red haired brother reaches for the kitchen counter. This was now a
private
matter between a pair who’d once been so
close
, a relationship between two brothers that could be one to envy by outsiders, now seeming to live two worlds apart. Their argument had reached its climax. Alan was challenging him to take up his role as Second Eldest again and how Johnny
responded
would dictate where their relationship ultimately went going forward.
Their baby brother knew just how much he was putting at stake but sometimes putting one’s self at risk of harsh retribution to get someone to
open their freaking eyes
is a sacrifice that has to be made.
Alan had gotten what he wanted, John snapped, finally taking the bait he was dangling in his face. He’d met the challenge laid out against his authority and his response was one everyone, unfortunately, was hoping it would be.
“It breaks my heart that it had to come to this for you two.” The last anyone had heard was their baby brother shrieking to the sound of something solid making contact with something notably
not
. It wasn’t easy to truly get under John’s skin, their baby brother could manage it like no other, and when you got to that point where instinct kicked in…big brother had a harsh unrelenting swing. “But it had to have happened eventually.”
“Was I too harsh?” Gingerly brushing stray blonde curls from their youngest’s puffy eyes. “Too heavy handed?” Alan sniffles softly, not necessarily asleep
yet
, but content with his big brother on the couch in the conversation pit. His butt is on fire
but
he has little regret. “I didn’t want to hurt him. I was just
so
angry Grandma.”
“Heaven’s
no
, that boy’s had it coming for some time now, Alan knew what he was doing when he decided to pick a fight with
you
, dear.” Sally sighs softly. “And it
had
to be you, Johnny, it couldn’t be
anyone
else. I dare say, he got what he
wanted
, perhaps a bit more too.” She smiles softly when her youngest grandbaby sniffles again and watches as her fourth youngest rubs his cheek soothingly with a finger. “It couldn’t be anyone but
you
.”
John hums under his ear and he nods, sighing as he turns more into his brother’s chest, fingers flexing lightly in the front of his sweatshirt. Humming softly himself when fingers scratch through his hair gently. Their space operator had decided he was going to stay earthbound for…a while. “I don’t know what made me angrier, the fact that I
couldn’t
find any fault in his accusations or the fact he started forcing
others
into our—
when
did I lose sight of the important things, Grandma?”
“Dear, you think you’re the
only
one who’s been the target of your youngest brother’s unorthodox ways?” Alan leans into the fingers that brush over his cheek lightly. “Not quite,
you’re
simply the only one he’s gone this
far
with and we all know
why
, we all lost sight of what was most important in the wake of the loss of your father. Now is not the time for self-pity and second thoughts,
now
we move forward, we begin to heal and we do so together as a family, you wouldn’t come home so he
brought
you home. Sure his methods were questionable, I’m sure the sting in his rear is the cause of many regrets he’s facing in this instance, but Allie
knew
what the outcome would be when he overrode your remote access to Three.”
“Only
he
has the ability to–”
“Oh, believe me, I know exactly what you mean.”
“Though,” fingers curl over his ear as a thumb brushes over his cheek tenderly. Closing his eyes, the youngest of Five simply takes it in, sure he’s got no desire to
sit
at the moment but Johnny’s seems willing to accommodate that for him. “If he was any different I’d be sorely disappointed.”
…..
“You don’t hate me….Right?” There’s still an air of tension between them, not so much heated tension, but one of the
Unknown
. “I’m sorry I locked you out of Three.”
“No, I don’t hate you.” A large hand rubs his head lightly from behind. “But don’t you
ever
do such a thing again, do you
understand
me?”
“Understood.” Alan grins, tilting his head back to meet his brother’s eyes, John smiles back over his tablet and rubs his head again. “Want me to show you
how
I did it?”
“Obviously.” Patting the spot next to him on the couch is all the beckoning their baby brother needs. Scrambling up, Alan wastes no time, no shame in monopolizing his second biggest brother’s time and affection. The others don’t speak a word about it either, letting him do so without the hint of teasing, there was a reason he went as far as he did to get this particular brother back again. John doesn’t complain either, which is taken as a ‘green light’ when it comes to him basically hanging off the man. “There’s a perfectly good spot right here at my
side
, kiddo.”
Snatching his brother’s tablet from his hands, he forgoes snuggling into his side, and flops over his lap instead. No efforts are made to push him away. Hands simply come to rest upon his belly. Alan wastes no time in pulling up the metaphorical loophole that allowed him access to basically ‘killswitch’ Johnny’s access to his beloved rocket and turns the tablet around to show him. Where he expects anger is intrigue, a simple hum instead of a harsh reprimand, dare he say pride over anger. Because he found and exploited something their more experienced ‘computer guy’ hadn’t even noticed.
“I’ll have to patch that when I get the chance. Very impressive Sprout.” Fingers curl around the left corner of the elder’s tablet as others slowly crawl up under his (stolen) hoodie. “You know, baby brother, you really set yourself up here deciding to take this position over undoubtedly snuggling up in my side. You know that, right?” Biggest Brother 2.0 is taking over, Alan can see that plain as day as the tablet is lifted from his hands, eyes widening slightly when that’s set aside and those fingers then reach for the wrist of the arm not currently trapped against the other’s waist. “I
don’t
think this is an opportunity Big Brother can pass up.” Biggest Brother 2.0 who is secretly the
worst
tickle monster in their family and
especially
when it comes to the youngest baby brother of their family. Because that’s Biggest Brother 2.0’s Baby Astronaut and never lets him forget it too. “Simply can’t resist with you right here basically
asking
for it.”
Alan jolts, squealing as he arches his back, squirming and rocking when the fingers pressing into his bare belly under his far too big hoodie spider all around. Circling and scribbling around and around his tummy before they're spider crawling down to his waist and he arches unintentionally into them. “I’ve neglected you, my little Baby Astronaut, something I need to rectify immensely.” He pleads, those promptly go ignored as one would expect them to, cackling when he tries to curl away only to be held fast as those torturous fingers crab walk from his waist, around his belly for a minute or two, over to his exposed side where they claw and spider up and down from hip to armpit. “You know what that means, don’t you?” He’s a goner, twisting and turning his hand in that unbreakable grip, yanking frantically to pull his arm down when the fingers clawing all around his belly once more suddenly disappear. Begging, promising to do anything, anything Big Brother 2.0 wants him to do when the hoodie he’d snatched from said man’s closet is yanked up. Needing both hands for what he intends to do next, Johnny teases him lightly about the fact he’s still shrieking with laughter, even though he’s not doing anything to actually prompt it as he stretches his arm just a bit more to trap it under his leg. “It means you get the worst
tickle torture
of your entire year.”
The Baby Astronaut screams, arching his back sharply when five fingers claw viciously back into his bare belly, this time wasting no time in reaching for any place it wants, his waist, then to spidering up and down his side relentlessly, going to absolute town with his armpit as the other hand slowly manages to get his other arm in the same position.
He’s shaking his head frantically, very nearly bouncing in Biggest Brother 2.0’s lap, a thumb drilling into his one armpit while five fingers claw around his other. “Well looky here, I found myself another armpit to play with, well aren’t we a hysterical little mess,” they leave his poor armpits for his belly, spidering and clawing with a viciousness unseen these days over every inch of shaking tummy they can reach first smoothly and then jumping from tummy spot to tummy spot. “And at my complete mercy
too
.”
Alan screams, definitely bouncing around in his lap now, eternally grateful that the only ones on the island are Grandma and Brains as one hand keeps jumping around on his belly while the other rises to jump between one armpit to the other. Brains is in his lab working on something and thus doesn’t hear his hysterical cackles bouncing around the lounge but Grandma definitely does. Two fingers, one for each armpit, claw and wiggle evilly and he’s a goner. That’s all it takes to have him succumbing to his mad laughter, still bouncing, but too lost in his madness to be yanking desperately on his arms. “And since I’ve been so neglectful as of late.” John grins down at him,
grins
as he’s shaking his head once more, when he focuses his two fingers entirely on his left armpit. “I think that calls for a few more tickle tortures when you least expect it because I simply can’t resist when it comes to my precious adorable far too ticklish baby brother.”
….
Alan shouldn’t be as surprised as he is when his big brother second edition says he’s the one who’s going to take him back to the mainland for his midterm exams, he does partake in online schooling but those are required to be taken in person to ensure one isn’t utilizing outside cheating material to ensure a passing grade. Kayo’s taken him every other time.
He’s both nervous that John’s going to be there and excited.
Big brother on the other hand doesn’t know how he feels about it when they’re walking through the quad and baby brother presses himself to his side without warning. John simply curls his arm around his shoulders and they keep moving.
They have to part when they reach the classroom, Allie’s reluctant to leave his side as though he’ll simply up and leave if he does (John recognizes he has no one to blame for that but himself), but gentle soothing assurances that he’s right outside and a light push to the small of his back has the teen moving.
John learns why the sudden clinginess when the other students exit and his youngest brother fails to come out among them. Finding out in this manner that he’s been being bullied
since he was enrolled in this school and the faculty has done nothing–
that’s something to take care of at a later time. Glaring at the brats who’d made his Baby Astronaut's life a living hell, he pointedly turns the kiddo around, with a gentle
“lets go finish packing up your dorm once and for all Sprout”
and takes great pleasure in the manner the other boys stare up at him as if they’ve witnessed their lives flash before their very eyes. It’s a fitting description.
When John said anywhere and without warning he
meant
exactly what he said. Does Alan find it slightly annoying that he suddenly gets treated like a kid randomly and without warning, yes, he does, but on the other hand he doesn’t really give a care. Because it’s
John
and that means he’s not in
space,
because he’s still with them at
home
. So he’ll throw his pride out the window for however long it takes big brother to decide he’s earned his mercy.
“I’m gonna get you.” They finish packing away the rest of his things that had been left untouched in a locked dorm for the better part of the time span since Scott had come to get him at eleven years old right after his entire school watched the accident. Sure it’s been a little over a year, but considering how much dad had invested into the school they didn’t kick up even the smallest of fusses when he’d simply left his dorm as it was, unusual but again money can get you basically just about anything. Sitting on his old bed while he’s gently forced (John would say encouraged) to tell his older brother all about Tom and Max and their history together. “I’m gonna get you, baby brother.”
No better time than ever to keep true to his promise, wiggling two of his fingers down at his wildly giggling baby brother laid over his lap, bright blue eyes looking between them both frantically because where they’ll go is an utter mystery. So many places for them to go, nowhere for the littlest brother to escape, Alan’s happy big brother the second came with him. John was the best option to talk about the bullying to. Because he has a
controled
anger whereas his three other brothers do not, he’s not kidding himself, Johnny’s going to make sure Wharton’s Academy for Boys knows just how much they fucked up but he’ll do so in a calculated way.
Shrieking with laughter, those two fingers come for his neck this time, last time had been his ribs, and he scrunches up like a tortoise. Chin pressing to his chest firmly does not help him in any manner. “Does someone have a sensitive neck?” Trick question, he does, John knows this, Alan knows that John knows this, and John knows that he knows that John knows this. Teasing just makes it ten times worse. “How about them ears, huh?” Yes, yes he has ticklish ears, and he shakes his head mad with laughter as they wiggle and scratch lightly up and down the curve of the back of his ears in complete unison before focusing on the spot just under his ear lobes. A deliberate act, Alan throws his head back instinctively, cackling up a storm when the two fingers turn into ten and their flutter gently all around his neck. Big brother shifts his leg just as he’s trying to lift his head and that task suddenly becomes a struggle because everytime he moves those fingers start fluttering again and he falls right back into position. “Told you I was gonna get you, Sprout.”
He arches to the side, shrieking madly, when fingers move from the right side of his neck for his ribs again. “This is for keeping the fact you were being
bullied
for as long as you were from us.” The other soon relocates to his belly. “And
this
is for thinking we wouldn’t care.”
….
Nearly three weeks since John came down to confront him about the fact he’d locked his older brother out of Three’s systems, Alan’s positively delighted, because he’s still
here,
it’s turning back into a total normal routine for him to wake up and meander out into the living room where big brother–ever the early riser–is comfortably seated on one of the couches reading or watching something on his tablet with a cup of coffee in one hand. He always smiles sleepily and pads his way from the hallway to the couch his brother is reclining on, John instinctively raises his right arm, balancing his tablet on his knee with practiced ease, and the little blonde cuddling up in his side with his blanket to get a couple more hours of sleep curled up in his brother’s arm and basking in his warmth.
See, the thing about either of them getting truly angry at the other is that their anger fizzles out fast, they just can’t
stay
mad at each other. It’s both mystifying and somewhat irritating to the others, because Allie is more than capable of holding a grudge, just as much as Johnny is. But when it comes to it being between each other it’s just impossible. Why that is, no one knows for sure, but it’s a fact of life.
They can come to the point of blowing up at each other and in the same hour be at each other’s side again as if nothing had happened in the first place.
Neither of them verbally apologize to each other either, refusing to admit defeat, they simply move past it. Alan always returns to cuddling up against his side and John will curl around him in a bear hug.
It’s just how Alan and John
were
.
That’s also how they worked so well together. It was like they knew what the other was thinking without needing to hear the words being spoken. Alan could get an entire conversation of commands from John merely saying his name a certain way while they waited for those commands to actually be spoken out loud.
The same could be said with the tables turned too.
Dad banned Johnny from playing poker with them when Allie was eleven. His poker face was just too good. They’d been played as fools by the communications officer far too many times for dad’s liking and it was with a heavy heart that he was booted and decided to take up occupation behind baby brother.
Scott had always been under the impression that Johnny was being a good big brother in guiding little seven year old Allie through the plays to catch his first win. Because there was no way that their precious
innocent
baby brother could have been wiping them across the board since he was old enough to sit between daddy and second big brother and remember the most basic aspects of the rules of the game Poker.
He never took the time to truly think it through.
Johnny wasn’t guiding their innocent little Allie into beating their asses. Perhaps he never considered it wasn’t so much as John whispering their baby brother through winning the game but more so observing as their youngest, age seven, wiped the floor with the whole lot of them without anyone noticing until it was too late.
How many games has Allie let them think he’d been beaten?
Seven losses. Johnny is the sole cause of all seven of little innocent baby Allie’s losses. That kid has been wiping them across the table since he was old enough to sit between daddy and big brother number two and understand the basics of the rules.
Dad banned John when Alan turned eleven.
They’d split the winnings between each other. Baby brother couldn’t be banned though because that would end the experiment, he was stubborn, a few well placed pokes to his ribs and he’d listen.
“You.” Scott upholds the ‘No Johnny Allowed’ rule when it comes to family game night when actual bets were on the table, nothing high value, but enough to keep the game interesting. “Keep him in line.” He’s not fooled by John’s so-called display of confused
innocence
. “Yea,
you
, I know how you two play. Make sure he plays
nice
.”
“Uh..”
Oh, right, only
they
know about Alan being the one beating their asses during family game night all this time without aid from the outside.
Allie snickers, their brother pinches his side sharply, and that snicker turns into a surprised shriek. “Play nice, Allie.” He turns a glare and John raises an eyebrow as he pinches his side again. “Something to say?”
Failing to squirm away, the youngster sighs dramatically. “Fine, fine, take all the fun out of it.”
“He’ll play nice.” Leaning back in his chair, Scott trusts his immediate younger brother’s word, afterall him playing nice was riding on both their winnings tonight. “What’s the game?”
“Uno.” Alan perks up. John pokes him in the shoulder from his seat behind him warningly. Gordon and Virgil are so confused and it’s hilarious. Scott gives both astronauts a
look
. “Nice family game.
Control
him.”
“I’ve got him. Calm down, big brother.” They wouldn’t be very good older brothers if they didn’t nurture their baby brother’s many hidden talents. “Allie will play nice.”
“Uh, guys?”
“So, what are the stakes?” Alan’s far too happy for someone being monitored to ensure he made the game a good one. “What’s up for grabs?”
“Chores.” Scott knows how to play this part. The bartering part. Johnny’s taught him how to play with his Baby Astronaut well. “Two months.”
“Chores.” His brother is far too proud just over their baby brother’s shoulder. “
Three
months. Pick for
movie
night for two months.”
“Chores.” Scott narrows his eyes. “
Two
months. You can have the movie night pick for three.”
“No
way
!” He nods once and Alan shrieks when he’s pinched again. “Okay,
okay
, I want unlimited snack allowance for a month too then to make up for the lost month of no chores.”
“Deal.”
….
Realistically, as much as he wants his closest big brother to stay, Alan knows John does have to return to Five eventually. He can only keep things on Auto for so long before he has to return to taking care of Operations personally.
It doesn’t keep him from curling around the man and refusing to let go the morning he’s supposed to leave (him behind). “Please, Johnny, don’t go! Don’t leave! Please!’
“You know why I have to, baby brother. I can’t keep calls being redirected for long and you know that.” Perhaps their relationship is the way it is because John knows how to handle their baby brother with ease. “I promised to come down every weekend, didn’t I?” He curls his hand around the back of their youngest’s head. “I can’t very well keep my
first
promise if I don’t, now can I?” And that has the little guy giggling. Good. John would feel bad leaving him here knowing he was upset. Squatting slightly, he draws him for an actual hug, little arms curl around his neck and he curls his arms around his Baby Astronaut’s lower back. “I’m not leaving you behind, kiddo, never again. I know it’s going to take more than words to ensure you know this. That’s why I connected you to a direct feed, if you need me, I’ll be here, okay?”
Alan nods into the side of his neck. “Promise, Johnny?” Being twelve years old had not stopped him from sobbing like a baby when his brother said he had to go back. “You swear?”
“I
swear
.” Curling his hands around their littlest one’s cheeks gently when they pull back, John smiles, rubbing the last trails of tears away with his thumbs. “Give them a bit of hell for me until I come back, okay, but not
too
much. I’ll be back this weekend, I promise, Friday at six just before dinner like we agreed.”
“Okay, Johnny.” It’s at this moment he feels so small. Because he’d made the same promise before going up and never coming back down again. “Can I stay in your room sometimes too?”
“Of course you can, I thought you’d ask, so I fixed my telescope just where Five should be before bedtime. So you know I’m up there waving goodnight to you.” They hug one more time before John stands once more and Alan’s stepping back to stand with Grandma and Scotty. “Keep them on their toes for me, got it?”
They all smile when the Sprout giggles again and nods. “I will. Promise.”
….
It takes consistency to earn back that trust when he says he promises to do something. Virgil was the one to bring up agreeing on a time, or time frame, that Johnny would be home again for the weekend. The first couple of weekends, Alan’s there, sitting patiently for the space elevator. Twelve years old and finding trusting by mere words near impossible. Scrambling to his feet as soon as his big brother steps onto the scaffolding and jumping to meet him halfway, John catches him like he has the last time and the time before that, carrying the twelve year old with him as he makes his way for the lift to the villa above them.
The torture he faces at some point over the weekend is based on just how much of a stinker he’s been for the others throughout the week, should have known it was too good to be true when Johnny gave him permission to keep everyone on their toes, Allie doesn’t mind though. Keeping consistent with that promise too just continues to help rebuild that trust that had been broken.
“You have to lift your arm.” If anything, baby brother clamps his arm down tighter, squirming and kicking out at the finger wiggling and clawing into his armpit relentlessly. “If you want me to move my finger you need to lift your arm.” Cautiously, Allie lifts his arm, squealing when more fingers spider over his armpit. “Oh, my bad, I’m sorry Sprout. I thought you wanted me to tickle your little armpit.” And that thin arm comes flying right back down. “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again, lift your arm so I can have my finger back.”
The little blonde shakes his head shrieking with laughter, heels digging into the deck lounger they’d claimed after dinner, it wasn’t uncommon for Allie to attach himself to John the first night he came down. As though being able to reach out and touch him was to assure himself his big brother was actually there just like he promised. “I need you to lift your arm so I can have my finger back.” When the preteen shakes his head he turns his trapped finger and claws in harshly, eliciting a scream before squeals of laughter erupt from the little guy trapped in his second biggest brother’s clutches. “Give me back my finger, Sprout.”
No movement from that little arm has the fingers of the other hand reaching for his belly, squealing again, the twelve year old astronaut arches his back, small hands flying down in an attempt to catch the fingers clawing and spidering around his tummy. Curling into big brother’s arm when the finger wiggling in his armpit slowly grows to five in total and they claw away together, curling into a slow ball, the baby blonde cackles wildly. “Should’ve given me my finger back like I said.”
Gulping for a breath, the Baby Astronaut giggles into the Grown Astronaut’s side, fingers brushing through his messy curls lightly. “Thank you for giving my finger back, squirt.”
….
Three steps forward, five steps back, the one day their older brother isn’t there at the specified time on the specified day of the week. Alan plants himself in his usual spot, a whole hour before, and waits. The specified time comes and goes. Still he waits. Dinner passes by. He doesn’t move.
“He promised, Gordo.” Is the small voice that answers Gordon’s announcement that it’s bedtime for a certain kiddo. The older blonde sighs sadly, looking over to the empty space where Johnny’s space elevator is set to dock, wishing he could give an explanation as to why their older brother isn’t there. “He
promised
.”
The difference between when they get angry with each other and when they hurt each other is the time it takes to bounce back.
He knows that this, this moment, is going to have a far reaching impact. Allie was still coming around to trusting John when he says he’s going to do something again. “I know, kiddo, I know he did.” The aquanaut offers a life saver for their older brother in his absence. “Maybe something happened, you never know, Johnny’s been following through on his promise for nearly three months. I’m sure he’s not breaking it now. Positive.”
“Yea.” It’s in the flat tone that shows how truly hurt his baby brother is. And how much he
doesn’t
believe him because Johnny’s track record, though growing better, still precedes him. “Sure.”
“I’m positive there’s a reason. I know so.” Gordon hurts just seeing the pain in his only little brother’s eyes. Swearing their older brother’s name ten ways to sunday. There’d better be a good freaking reason. “Wanna sleep in Johnny’s room? I’m sure he’ll be there by morning at latest.”
“No.” Heartbroken. Alan is heartbroken. Twelve years old and an orphan holding onto the word of his favorite older brother who just broke it again. “That’s okay. Night Gordy.”
Watching their baby boy walk off, he turns, glaring into the darkness of the hall on the other side of the hanger. “I hope you got what you were looking for Virg.” There was a good reason, he knew it, they all knew, all of them but Alan. Virgil wanted to see how far they’d come in rebuilding that bridge between their astronauts, telling John to miss the time he was meant to come down had been met with anger on the older man’s end, and out of the shadows both men came. “Because John worked
hard
to regain his trust and you just broke it in one single night.”
“He’s growing codependent on him, what happens if there’s a real situation that Johnny can’t come down when he said he would, we need to start weaning him.”
“I get that, Virgil, I do. But doing it
cold turkey.
” He throws his arm out in the direction their baby brother had disappeared in. “That kid’s already lost
so
much, Alan is twelve, twelve years old and has no mom and now no dad. If he’s a bit
codependent
on John then
let
him be! He’ll grow out of it! We all discussed this, the four of us, and we agreed to having Johnny call down to tell him he was going to be late,
we all agreed
!”
“And there could be a time when he can’t–”
“
He
is right here.” As said before, John can’t stay angry with Allie for long, just as it was the other way around, but the same can’t be said when it comes to the rest of them. “I told you this was a bad idea. I can’t fathom
why
I let you talk me into it.” Their space monitor glares down at his younger brother. “Think about how this could have been done far better than it was, think long and hard, while I go clean up the aftermath of
your
decision.”
Gordon watches the older man head in the same direction their littlest one had gone before turning back with a glare. “Hope you proved your point and you’re happy with the results you got.”
It goes to show how far they’ve come when Alan takes Johnny’s word as it is. Especially so when Scott whirls on their brother for his cruel test. Curling around the older Astronaut when he scoops him up and
refuses to let go.
That does nothing to stop him from breaking down into his shoulder, and to their satisfaction, Virgil has the forethought to appear regretful at the sound of their baby brother’s broken sobs.
He believes him because of his consistency. For the three months since John’s had to return to Five, just like clockwork, he kept his promise.
It’s one thing to end up on the other's bad side, and something entirely different to end up on their second oldest brother’s bad side, because John’s
protective
. Especially when it comes to his Baby Astronaut. Allie stays by his side, wherever the astronomer is, the youngster is right there with him. No matter what they use as a means of trying to get him to separate himself, he latches on, and his grip remains unbreakable.
“I’m pulling our funding to Wharton’s.” John doesn’t seem phased by the shadow he’s obtained in the wake of what they now refer to as the ‘incident’, as soon as baby brother had returned from his mission he’d planted himself right back at the older astronaut’s side and remained there, giggling into his hands because he’d been told to be silent while they discussed business and it was not something easily accomplished because of his pinching and wiggling his little toes playfully. “And I’m pulling it
entirely
.”
Trying to assist in any way he can, Scott wiggles his toes in their youngest brother’s side, smiling when he shrieks into his hands (he never said who he was assisting) because the little guy had been threatened with consequences if he interrupted them. “I’ll back your decision.” Allie arches away from his toes as much as he can. “May I ask why though?”
“You may.” He scratches a finger over the bottom of the little foot in his grasp when it’s tugged on just a bit too hard. “I found out some rather interesting news when I took our dearest little baby brother to complete his midterm exams, would you be interested in knowing what it is?”
The oldest of Five was just as protective of their youngest. “I’d be very interested.”
Alan shakes his head pleadingly, which only increases his oldest brother’s curiosity, because he knows what his reaction will be to finding out he’d purposefully kept it a secret.
“Baby brother was being bullied and had been since he started going there.” John nods faintly. “Trust me, I was just as surprised as you are.”
“And why weren’t we ever informed?” That is directed at both brothers.
“Well, as it is, the staff simply turned a blind eye to it, I managed to get names out of him.” He does not like the way Scotty is looking down at him. Not one bit. “And, get this, the reason our own little bundle never told us? He thought we wouldn’t care.”
“You thought
what
?” Alan squeals, throwing his hands down, breaking his vow of silence to avoid punishment for it when biggest brother leans over to claw his fingers into his sides. Shrieking with laughter as Johnny simply holds onto his foot to allow Scotty his time. “You thought we wouldn’t
care
if someone was hurting you?” Squirming on his back like a little worm, those fingers move for his tummy, he catches Scotty’s wrists but he’s far from strong enough to get him to stop. “Where in the world did you get that idea, huh, you know we’d move heaven and earth for you so what made you think we wouldn’t care about you being bullied?”
“I think we’re going to have to show him how much his big brothers love him again, Scotty. Knowing he had doubts really upset me.”
“Oh yea, I’ll let the others know, baby brother needs reassurance.” Letting the little guy breathe is a kindness he’s granted as he straightens in his chair. “Go ahead and pull our funding too. That’s just the start. Turn a blind eye to our baby brother being harmed on school property? I don’t think so.”
To get to Alan and ask for his forgiveness one must first go through John, and he
doesn’t
make it easy, the family dynamic is awkward. Especially when it comes to family movie or game night, a routine that had been reestablished coming on four months now, Gordon pointedly plants himself between his two older brothers as he passes Allie his game pieces.
John reaches around their baby brother, curled up in his lap, for his own pieces.
It’s easy to see that Virgil feels bad, feels less than dirt for handling things the way he forced them to, it was becoming rather worrisome the attachment their baby brother was growing on the ginger haired man but the rest of them weren’t all too worried about it. Bringing the matter up with a professional who specializes in adolescent mental health, it was normal for a child who’s gone through the amount of trauma Alan has to latch onto someone they deemed safest, as time passed and routine settled into place, the attachment would start to wean itself off.
Wanting to make things right, Virgil was faced with first having to get around Gordon who wasn’t letting anyone outside of his choosing close to his only younger brother, and if he managed to get past Gordo there was Johnny to contend with.
“Allie, I’m sorry.” Perhaps it’s just best to get it out, forget waiting for the right moment, just put it out there and hope for the best because god does he hate being enemy number one. Bright blue eyes peer at him from behind John’s left arm. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings like that, I should have listened to John and Scott but I didn’t, and I’m sorry.”
Alan eyes him contemplatively before shrugging. “It’s okay, Virgie, I understand.” Then elbows their older brother lightly. “Johnny stop being so mean to Virgie. You’re making him sad.”
“Well that’s not good.” Without so much as looking up from the game board as he tries to determine his next move. “Gordo switch spots with Virgil.” Without question the Tracy water baby trades places with the Tracy artistic baby. “Allie move my piece four places forward and six to the left for me.” The powers of being an older sibling for as long as John has, he doesn’t have to see where he’s reaching to know, fingers curling in the front of the medic’s shirt he yanks. “Thanks Sprout. Is Virgie feeling
sad
?” At any other point he’d be protesting the slightly pitched baby talk, but this isn’t any other point, because with a skill only someone who’s a big brother three times over has Virgil curled up on the floor next to their Second Oldest brother as he claws his fingers into his ribs rather more mean than is necessary despite how much he’s hugging his arms around himself. “We can’t have Virgie feeling sad, now
can
we?” Scott moves his piece and Gordo moves Virgil’s for him. “Allie, you think
little Virgie
is feeling better yet?”
At their baby brother’s mercy, questionable as it may be, Alan smiles down at him from his perch on John’s lap. “No Johnny, I think he’s still really sad.” Turning back to move his piece and then then the red heads. “I think you need to go to Virgie’s special spot this time because he’s
really
upset.”
“Yea?”
“Uhuh.”
See. Questionable.
Smiling to himself. “Does big brother have to push your happy button for you, Virgie?” Again with the baby talk. “Don’t you worry, big brother will push that happy button as many times as he needs to, don’t you worry ‘bout a thing.” Alan giggles at his older brother’s sharp squeal as he tries fighting off the finger wiggling in his belly button. “There we go, there’s that happy button,
big brother
will make you a happy
little guy
again.”
Despite how hard it is to get to him, to garner John’s forgiveness when it comes to hurting his Baby Astronaut, you first have to garner Alan’s and until you garner his you remain empty handed.
“You’re mean.” Leaning into their older brother rather more heavier than necessary, the middle Tracy boy moves his own piece, smiling at the feeling of a hand rubbing between his shoulders. Once John forgave you your transgression was over and done with. In the past. Ancient history. “You know that?”
“I’ve been informed, yes.” Virgil watches him move his piece. “But, then I’m also keeping our precious baby brother from kicking your ass at monopoly, so that outweighs how mean I am. Cancels out.”