Lab Rats: Glitching Hearts (Chase x Adam)

Unexpected Company

The bionic island hummed with a quiet ambience. Mr. Davenport had taken the students out on a field trip, with Bree agreeing to chaperone if she got to have an extra day off to go back to the mainland for a girls' trip. Leo was back home with his mom and Adam was...who knows where. Chase just knew he was all alone and couldn't be happier for some peace and quiet.

'Finally, I can work on this experiment' alone, he thought. He started to tinker with his latest creation (or as Bree would call it, newest nerd toy), sitting on the couch in the mentor quarters. All was quiet...perf-

"Whatcha got there, Chase?" The voice startled him so much that it took him a moment to recognize the familiar tone. "Adam!" he exclaimed as he jostled on the couch, nearly knocking his tools over.

"What the hell, dude! Why are you here??" Chase asked incredulously. Adam pursed his lips for a moment, appearing to be deep in thought.

"I...live here..?"

Chase rolled his eyes. He knew better than to expect anything from the tall bag of rocks he knew as his older brother Adam.

"I mean....don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Not really.."

Adam looked so deflated it was almost heartbreaking. Almost. Still, Chase softened his expression. He truly felt for his brother. Neither of them had many friends, and while Chase often busied himself with experiments, Adam just...was Adam.

"Wanna hang out then?" he suggested politely. "I can work on this another time."

Adam grinned happily. "Hell yeah! video games?"

Chase sighed inwardly but couldn't resist the genuine excitement in Adam's voice. "Sure, why not?" he replied with a small smile.

As they settled in front of the screen, controllers in hand, Chase couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Adam might not be the brightest bulb in the box, but he was loyal and had a heart of gold. Despite their differences, they were still brothers, and Chase knew he needed to make more of an effort to connect with him, despite him being on the receiving end of the punches.

"So, Adam," Chase started tentatively as they navigated through the virtual world on the screen, "what have you been up to lately?"

Adam shrugged, his attention focused entirely on the game. "Not much, just hanging around here mostly. I'm supposed to be staying out of trouble and be a good role model for the kids, whatever that means."

Chase nodded, knowing that "staying out of trouble" for Adam was a relative concept. "Well, seeing as you haven't punched or thrown me today, I'd say you're doing a good job."

Adam glanced at him with a small smile. "Thanks, Chase. You're a good brother."

Chase felt a warmth spread through him at the simple words, though he was slightly surprised at the sincerity of the reply. Maybe spending time with Adam wasn't such a bad idea after all. They might not have much in common, but they were family, and that had to count for something.