Out Of Reach

19: Work

"Nice view."

Luis nearly dropped the hammer he was holding. He turned to find Lance sat on the chimney looking out over the sea.

For once he looked well rested.

Luis smiled. "Yeah, it's good to be back here, hearing the sea is like coming home."

Lance smiled his eyes flickering over the horizon. "I get that feeling too."

Luis chuckled. "How did you get up here?"

"I like climbing." Lance grinned.

"You haven't changed." Luis noted as he patted Lance's knee. "You up here to help?"

"What are we fixing?" Lance asked.

"Tiles." Luis glanced across the roof. "Any that are cracked or damaged we're replacing."

"Cool." Lance nodded. "How exactly?"

"I'll show you."

~~~

"I guess you guys have a lot of skills that I've missed out on." Lance mused as he watched a passing grey cloud.

They had finished the roof a while ago, the rain had come creating a soft sound that Luis could almost fall asleep to.

Especially now as they watched the sea tides change, it was dragging itself out to sea now.

"I guess, but a lot of it we learned before the war, when you were still little." Luis explained softly. "And you were so little."

Lance elbowed him.

"You were!" Luis defended. "You were smaller than Silvio at his age and so skinny." He tilted his head at Lance with a small smile. "For a long time we thought that Rachel had been stealing your food."

Lance rolled his eyes. "Like I'd let her."

"She'd try anything." Luis reminded. He sighed his gaze falling back to the sea. "We honestly didn't think the Galran's would ever invade."

Lance hummed. "That's my fault."

"No." Luis nudged him again. "It wasn't you."

Lance sighed, he shook his head and Luis knew he didn't believe him. "It's been a long story, huh?"

Luis nodded. The things that had happened, the stories yet to be told, the scars yet to be identified. It all made them who they were.

"Lance?"

"Hmm?"

"When you all first arrived," Luis traced the grain of the wood in front of him. "Why didn't you tell us who you were?"

Lance sighed, this time much heavier than before. "I was scared." He admitted into the soft breeze. "I got dad hurt, there's no denying that. And I was... I was afraid that you'd all blame me."

"You were a kid."

Lance's eyes had closed. "I still irritated the Galran's enough to invade."

"Nah, they invaded when we refused to give them anything." Luis smiled slightly. "We wouldn't give up anything until they bought you back."

"You didn't have to do that." Lance whispered. "You could have just lived, let things stay as they were."

"You're my little brother." Luis said shaking his head. "We were going to do anything to get you back."

"Even get yourselves hurt?" Lance asked meeting his gaze.

Luis sat forward. "What's a few extra scars? You're home."