Smiley and Sunshine

10.

~FriYAY~

"Why are you standing here like a creep?"

Austin startled, not hearing Dakota walk up to him. "Lower your voice," he warned to Dakota. Austin leaned his head against the door frame to Hayes' bedroom watching Glen and Hayes sleep soundly.

"Why? What'cha looking at?" Dakota asked, keeping his voice at normal level. Austin rolled his eyes and moved over a little for Dakota to peek in. In the early hour of the morning when Austin was doing his bed checks for each of his siblings before going on his run, he found Glen asleep in Hayes' room. Austin assumed Hayes must have had a nightmare at some point in the night and went to Glen for comfort. He could see remnants of what used to be a pillow barrier between the two scattered around the bed. Hayes was curled up into a ball against Glen's back. "Well ain't that just fucking adorable." Dakota muttered.

"They are cute," Austin agreed, before letting out a heavy sigh. "I just wish I knew what her nightmares were about. But she won't tell me. It's fucking killing me to not be able to help her. To take away her nightmares or anything to stop her pain. They are both suffering right in front of my eyes and I can't do anything about it."

"That guy, uh what's-his-name, didn't tell you anything?"

"Stephen? A little, but he didn't know much either. The kids kept it closed lip."

Dakota heard the anguish in Austin's voice. He wasn't used to Austin opening up to him. He knew Austin talked to Baker about that kind of stuff and vice versa. "Trust me, you are helping." Dakota replied, stiffly crossing his arms.

"What do you mean?" Austin furrowed his eyebrows glancing down at Dakota, who stared pointedly ahead.

Dakota took his time gathering his thoughts. Likewise, he wasn't one to freely share his feelings either, but he knew in that moment Austin needed to be reassured that he wasn't messing up their lives. "I don't know. Just you being here for them, is helping," Dakota shrugged, "You showed up. I should know since you did the same for me." What he didn't say, was how grateful he was for Austin showing up. Austin and Baker basically saved his life. Dakota had fallen hard into the pit of depression after the car accident and losing their baby siblings, and they pulled him out. The brothers left no one behind.

Austin remained quiet, letting Dakota's words sink in.

"Thanks Kota." Austin finally replied.

"Yeah, sure." Dakota coughed, uncomfortable, and backed up a couple steps turning to leave. "You ready to go? It's almost 7:30." That was the reason why Dakota was looking for Austin in the first place. Austin dropped Dakota off at the construction site on his way to the office every morning. Dakota had his driver's license and a car, he just would rather not be behind the wheel. Too many bad memories.

"Already?" Austin looked at his watch. Sure enough, it was 7:30 right on the dot. "Wow, look at that. Yeah let's go." Austin quietly closed the bedroom door behind him and followed Dakota down the stairs.

🎶Boss makes a dollar, I make a dime. That's why I poop, on company time!🎶

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"America could have chosen any sport as their greatest pastime, and they picked fucking baseball." Dakota scoffed, shaking his head as he climbed up the bleachers to where his siblings were sitting. He had left to use the bathroom a little while ago and then got distracted by Francis and Glen who were messing around on the other side of the field. "Dumb fucks."

"A pleasure as always," was Austin's sarcastic reply.

"I'm a fucking ray of sunshine." Dakota stated. He plopped down on the bleachers next to Hayes, stretching out his legs and leaning back against the next row to get comfortable. Hayes raised her eyebrows, begging to disagree. Excuse you Dakota, she was Sunshine.