Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Jesus, Theo, where the hell have you been?" The minute Theo limped heavily through his front door at 2 in the morning, his brother engulfed him in a tight hug. A groan of pain left his lips as Franky's arm pressed against the bruise spreading across his ribs.
"I'm fine, Franky. I just need some sleep," He mumbled, too tired to think coherently as he leaned his full body weight against his brother.
"Theo, you look awful," Franky said, setting him down gently on the couch. His blonde hair was in disarray, his teeth were all bloody from when he faceplanted on the sidewalk and all the color in his face had been drained. "Tell me where you were," Franky ordered after getting him a cup of water from the kitchen and dabbing his split lip with a towel.
Theo winced at that tone, one that Franky hadn't used since they were little. He took a deep breath before mumbling, "There were some guys who were selling these weapons and I followed them..." He trailed off as Franky scrunched his eyes shut and rested his head in his palms.
"Theo... you promised that you wouldn't use your powers to do stuff like this," His voice was strained and tired.
"No, these weapons are strong! I think it's combined with alien tech-"
"I don't care!" Franky didn't raise his voice much because Bia was sleeping down the hall, but to Theo, it sounded like a scream. "If you go and get yourself hurt, I wouldn't be able to live with myself." He was standing now, his eyes wide and desperate.
"You're everything to me, Theo. I'm not strong like you, and I can't be no matter how hard I try. You've been the big brother that I have failed to be, and I can't lose you, too," That was all it took before Theo stood and wrapped his brother in his arms despite his body screaming in protest. He felt tears seeping through his hair and just held him closer.
"You haven't failed, Franky," Theo said quietly, his lip trembling, "You were only 15 when I was born, remember? You had to give up getting into college early to raise me." The brothers held each other close, reminiscing their dark childhood. "And when... m-mum and dad weren't there, who took care of me, huh?"
"Where's mum?" A six-year-old Theodore Clarke asked as he clutched his brother's pant leg. Little Bianca was tucked away in his arms, sucking merrily on her pacifier. Franky quickly shut the door to their parents' room, hiding the sight of their unconscious bodies from the young boy.
"They're just resting, Theo, don't worry. They took too much of their grown-up medicine again, that's all," The familiar lie slid off of his tongue effortlessly.
"But you said that yesterday!" The boy pouted, his lower lip jutting out. Franky simply ruffled his brother's hair and smiled sadly, "Sorry, buddy. Let's go to the park or something, yeah?"
"You were always there for me, Franky. Even when you d-didn't understand what was happening to me," Theo said airily as he rubbed his brother's back, his spine prominent through his shirt.
