Brozone Brain Rot

When the past meets the present (2)

The next day, the brothers woke up and snuck downstairs, unsure if they were actually in charge of their younger selves.

The youngest four were sleeping while young John Dory was in the kitchen cooking breakfast.

Bruce walks over and gently takes the spatula from the teen to finish cooking.

Kid JD pouts slightly but leans against the counter drinking a cup of coffee.

"Geez John, you started drinking coffee pretty young." Floyd mumbles as he puts the kettle on to boil.

"Yeah well I sometimes spend nights writing songs or taking care of Branch so I had to. They didn't have energy drinks back then. Grandma would have dragged me out of bed by the ear if I wasn't up." John Dory jokes as he pours himself and the older Clay a cup of coffee.

Clay grumbles thankfully as he accepts the cup of coffee.

"Thank god we didn't have energy drinks back then. Could you imagine spazzy over there with all that caffeine and sugar in his system." Bruce teases as he gestures to Clay.

It takes Clay a few moments to process what Bruce says as the coffee enters his system.

"Hey, I was not spazzy. Hyper, yes but not spazzy." Clay grunts, squinting his eyes.

Floyd chuckles as he steeps his tea, looking over at their younger selves.

Spruce had been laying on the other side of the couch from his older brother. Young Clay was halfway under the coffee table, loosely holding Spruce's hand and holding his little brother close as Floyd had cuddled close to him in his sleep. Baby Branch was still in the crib but it was closer to the couch than it had been the night before.

Bruce and JD finished up breakfast, Spruce gently pulled his hand from his yellow haired brother's grasp as he woke up before gently waking up the younger two.

After everyone was awake, breakfast was served.

John immediately noticed Spruce had a small portion of scrambled egg and two strips of bacon.

"That's all you're eating?" John Dory asked.

Spruce froze for a few moments before answering. "Yeah, I need to maintain-"

"No, forget that. You're a growing kid, eat!" John said, grabbing Spruce's plate to pile some more food on it.

Young John Dory looked ready to snap when his older self gave him the older brother stare that said listen to me.

"Trying to fix your fuck-up?" Clay said smugly as he took a bite.

Bruce almost snorted into his coffee.

JD glared at Clay as he answered "Maybe, shut up."

"Don't be like that Clay. None of us know any of the crap we did as kids would affect us so much as adults. You think I like knowing that I'm the reason Floyd is terrified of clowns? Heck no! I could have never predicted it as a kid. We were all doing either what we thought was best or just having fun. If you think a fourteen year old was like 'yeah let me give him an eating disorder' then you're crazy. Right Johnny?" Bruce spoke firmly.

"I have an eating disorder? Because of John?" Spruce said in a small voice.

"Shit!" Bruce swore under his breath. "Kind of. It'll make sense when you get older. He wasn't doing it on purpose."

"Ooo, you swore!" kid Floyd points out with food in his mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Bruce and John Dory speak at the same time.