Where Are Your Parents? | SBI FD

Are you okay?

Wilbur crouches lower behind the forest shrubs and holds his breath waiting for the rabbit to come close enough to the trap. The sun was beginning to set and he was having a hard time dealing with his frustration for having such a pathetic amount of food to bring back to his brothers.

Techno would understand that with winter approaching the food was more scarce but Tommy was only ten, and the last thing the brunette or his twin wanted was to have their little brother be anxious about the lack of food. They'd just have to work harder in town.

The animals were hiding quickly, winter was going to be cold this year. Wilbur wasn't sure they were prepared for that.

For starters, they're not really brothers by blood, but runaways living in an abandoned shelter right outside a town. Techno and Wilbur were teenagers and had realized their chance of finding a family was with each other. After talking it over, they decided to run from the orphanage a few months ago, and Tommy had stupidly run after them.

Whether the blond boy regrets his choice to chase his two brother figures into uncertainty or not is up to him, and this winter might decide it.

Wilbur had no regrets. He gathered his basket of herbs and the fish from earlier. The trees were golden and he knew his brothers would be back from their respective jobs soon.

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He nudges the fence door to the side and slips into their makeshift home. He can't help but be concerned when he sees Tommy already asleep curled under his thin blanket. The younger always waits for at least one of his brothers to make it back. He ran his hands through his hair and set down the basket before heading over to check on Tommy. There's a moment where the brunette hesitates to wake him up. with all that's happened to the boy he only looks at peace when he sleeps.

There's bags under his blue eyes, there's scrapes on his arms and face from being pushed around in the streets. Techno always gets so angry when Tommy comes home hurt, but there's not much they could do besides steal from the men who do. Wilbur brushes his shoulder and Tommy flinches awake.

"Wilbur? Why are you waking me up?" he mumbles while rubbing his eyes.

"Tommy, is your shoulder okay?" Wilbur holds his arm away gently and pushes his sleeve down to reveal several small bruises, as if someone had grabbed him. "What happened?" He searches the sleepy boy's face for any kind of answer.

"Just another person who was tired of seeing street boys. It's nothing really. It's fine Wilbur."

He's a little more awake now.

The older one takes a deep breath trying to choose his words very carefully. "No it's not fine, I should be able to protect you from those people. Letting you get hurt should never be okay." Honestly, what he decides next has been a long time coming. "I'll go with you tomorrow morning, see if anyone messes with you then, yeah?" He smiles and hopes he looks reassuring.

"Wilbur, it's okay really-" He's cut off by the sound of the door moving. Both boys turn to see Techno come inside.

He takes off his work clothes, and puts away his earnings for today.

"Techno! You're back." Tommy is sitting up now, tiredness forgotten and replaced with excitement. "How was the farm?"

Techno glances to Wilbur to answer for him, He's always tired after he gets back from one of his trips. Wilbur hunts and gathers, Tommy goes into the town and asks for money, and Techno...

Well, Techno takes any job he can find. He switches between taking letters faraway, to helping on the larger farms. Wilbur always makes him promise he'll be home before it's been a week. Or else he'd assume the worst.