At Least We Have Each Other (SBI AU)

Chapter 14- In The Shadows

Techno POV

Techno took a deep breath, his eyes glued to the small prize. A small loaf of bread. It was barely anything, but it was enough to feed his brothers for a few days. Looking around, he made sure no one was watching him.

He had gotten quite good at stealing, as much as he hated doing it. But he put his brothers above everything. If they needed food then he would find a way to get it, no matter the cost.

Making his way towards the bakery, he tried to look as causal as possible. Looking for the right moment, he snatched the fresh bread before quickly taking off. He thought he was in the clear, that is until he heard an angry voice.

"HEY GET BACK HERE YOU BRAT!"

Techno ran as fast as he could, not daring to look back. He could only hope he would lose the furious man. He didn't want to bring any problems to his brothers. 

Running out of breath, he finally spared a glance behind him. Relief spread through his body when he saw the man far behind him, panting. "I won't forget this!" the man yelled, unable to run anymore.

Techno began running again, his heart pounding. He could only pray the man would forget. The less enemies he made, the better. Making his way to his brothers, he sighed in relief.

They had a small base in a small alley. He had brought everything he could from their old house, trying to make their new home as comfortable as possible. Sadly it wasn't much. Blankets, pillows, and any treasures he could find.

Wilbur stood up as he noticed him, a worried expression on his face. Splitting the loaf in half, he gave one piece to his brother. The brunette eat it hungrily, asking the same question he usually asked. "Where did you get this? It smells fresh."

Techno was quick to think on his feet, not wanting his brother to worry like he knew he would. "Uh the bakery made extra and I managed to grab some." he lied, offering a smile.

Wilbur raised an eyebrow, seeing right through it. "Seems like they've been making extra a lot lately." he commented, looking at the piece of bread with uncertainty.

"It's food, okay? Please just eat it." Techno begged. With daylight falling, he knew he wouldn't be able to steal anything else. Night was the most dangerous time of the day.

Wilbur said nothing, continuing to eat the bread. If he had more to say, he kept his mouth shut. Which Techno was grateful for.

Techno walked towards the back of their base. It was the warmest, mostly because it was where they all slept. He immediately spotted Tommy, dozing off. The blonde had gotten sicker and sicker since they had joined the streets. The poor kid seemed to get weaker and weaker everyday, which terrified Techno to death.

Pressing his hand to the boy's forehead, he bit his lip. He was still burning, worse than before. Techno stood up, not wanting to wake Tommy. The blonde had slept less and less, so every dream was precious. Leaving the bread beside the blonde for when he woke up, he turned back towards the small entrance.

Making his way back to Wilbur, he sighed, running a hand through his unkept hair. He wasn't sure how much longer Tommy could survive like this. 

"He's getting worse." Wilbur spoke up, offering his last bit of bread to the older. He knew Techno wouldn't keep any for himself.

"I know. That's what worries me." Techno pushed the food away, wanting Wilbur to eat it. To take it for himself felt almost selfish. "God, I wish this would have never happened. I wish I had something to stop him from getting worse."

Wilbur placed a hand on Techno's shoulder, forcing Techno to take the bread. "We'll manage, we always do." The brunette moved away before Techno could give the food back.

Soft whimpers arose from behind Techno, making him sigh. Couldn't Tommy go one night without nightmares? Exchanging a glance with Wilbur, they rushed to the blonde's side. 

Tommy whimpered in his sleep, his eyes screwed shut. His face was all scrunched up as he tossed and turned, trying to get away from the nightmares. 

Techno gently shook Tommy awake, relieved when he saw those bright blue eyes. Tommy let out a sob, immediately jumping into Wilbur's arms. He buried his face in the older's chest, clinging to him like his life depended on it. "It's okay Toms, we're here. Shhhhh, shhhh." Wilbur cooed, holding his little brother close.

Techno picked up the larger piece of bread, offering it to the blonde. "You hungry Toms? I got you something."

Tommy glanced at him, his eyes lighting up at the sight of food. He quickly grabbed the bread, chewing it slowly. "Thank you Techno." he said, the sentence ending in a cough.

"Of course Toms." Techno smiled, ruffling the blonde's hair. 

He didn't know how much longer they could last like this. And with Tommy's condition, their time was dwindling. He needed to get Tommy medicine. But the question was, how?

Unaware to all of them, blue eyes watched them with sadness, eager to help. But he had to be cautious. That much was certain.

----------

Hope you liked it!

Hope you have a wonderful day!

-Snowy