reluctant heroes (i wanna be brave like you)

tee + johnny

edited: 8/6/19

sexual assault implications, i briefly touched upon it in the old version of this however there's a bit more depth this time

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chapter summary - 'i will always be here. no matter what.'

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ryan was awfully similar to johnny when it came to quirks and habits. in fact, underneath the scheming and plotting, the boy was almost johnny's replica. tee had always deemed it an odd comfort, a frequent reminder that her brother was still out there.

the first time she realised their similarities was the day johnny began packing for the army.

a few of the residents had been doing their part, albeit half heartedly, however tee believed their help wasn't entirely welcome. she knew her brother after all, and he didn't look to pleased but couldn't refuse the kind gesture.

her brother was rather particular about his possessions, although not as much as gus; he merely preferred to instil a strict placement of his belongings. tee wished she could find annoyance in the nervous habit, however she knew that johnny hadn't developed it purposefully.

before they were whisked into care, the siblings had lived with their mother and abusive step-father, keith. tee would never call herself lucky but keith rarely hurt her badly, a harsh slap at most. johnny was his target, the boy constantly antagonising the man with the intention of protecting his family. for that, tee and her mother were forever indebted to him.

keith would constantly reprimand johnny about trivial things, however most of her more prominent memories consisted of the man blaming her brother for all the mess in their house. if there was even a speck of mud on the carpet or a touch of mould on the windowsill then it would soon be known to the entire household. from a young age, keith had drilled into johnny's head that everything had to be perfect or else the consequences would be dire. even after their step father was thrown behind bars, johnny never fully recovered from the events. his constant attention to order and cleanliness was merely another way which proved it.

tee decided they were packing too slowly and set out to find other residents who may help. she didn't think the little ones would be of use, they would end up annoying johnny in the end and she didn't want him to leave with unsettled arguments on his mind.

she didn't see any point in asking bailey, her brother had always butted heads with the football maniac and it would only leave the two in a bad mood. she wanted johnny to have a good last day; it was the least she could do for him.

tee wandered the top floor aimlessly, hoping to find a willing (older) resident when someone caught her eye. ryan was sitting on his bed with a ukulele in hand, strumming gently to the tune of 'can't help falling in love'.

she grinned lightly. it was kind of adorable, the normally apathetic boy exposing a softer side to himself (not that he knew that, of course). her eyes unconsciously flickered around his bedroom as the gentle thrum of the music lulled her into her thoughts.

admittedly, her wandering eyes strayed far too quickly to truly take anything in, however one thought in particular seemed to stand out among the myriad of others. ryan's room was exceptionally clean, spotless even. tee's limited eyesight allowed her to see enough of the room and determine that, if any visitors were to mistakenly walk inside, they would deem it nothing but an oddly placed showroom. 

'much like johnny's', a snide voice in her head growled. no, she refused to delve any further into those dark thoughts. ryan was too young to have experienced what the siblings had.