Techno arrived back at Phil's just as the sun was rising unfortunately. He had to speedrun cleaning himself up. Sneaking through the unlocked door he quickly went to the sink and washed his bloodied hands. Thankfully he hadn't gotten a bruise on his face, Wilbur was hard to hide things from. It was a task even hiding his emotions around the younger. He just hoped no one had noticed his disappearance. He went to Phil's room first seeing the adult had not moved an inch since Techno was last there.

Feeling confident he went to check on his brothers finding them both chaotically lying on the mattress. He shook his head knowing they would feel that later. He decided to just grab his book again and sit on the couch like he was when they went to bed. He carefully tucked the cash he had earnt into a random page in his book to attempt to hide it. And it was a good amount of the stuff.

Tommy had woken up first and stretched like a lazy cat on the bed. He soon realised the odd position he was lying in and chuckled to himself. Pleasant. Just pleasant. He got up and stretched again going to wake up Wilbur, yet he stopped himself. The second eldest's face was contorted in a frown as he muttered quiet nothings. Tommy tilted his head at this and frowned. He didn't like seeing his brother like this and he always wanted to help but never could for some reason. It was partly Wilbur's fault because he refuses to share information, but he still felt guilty.

He decided to let him rest and went downstairs to find Techno sat on the couch reading. The elder gave him a nod, not taking his eyes off his book, to show he knew Tommy was here. The blonde proceeded to use all his hype on Techno and leaped onto the eldest. Techno scowled in annoyance, but no one would ever know how much he enjoyed the energy of the youngest. He ruffled Tommy's hair in a playful mood. The two then proceeded to play around. Too early in the morning.

They were playing hide and seek, and Tommy was hiding in a pantry like a gremlin. God knows how he got in there without knocking over the glasses. Techno had looked literally everywhere for the child. He had looked under neath the guest bed and awoken the sleep deprived Wilbur he didn't want to wake. Just as he was about to give up, he went looking in the kitchen. He found Tommy easily due to the cackling coming from one pantry.

Wilbur sat down lazily on the couch closing his eyes as if he wanted to go back to sleep. Techno was helping Tommy out of the pantry when...

Smash

There goes a glass

Tommy instantly clung to Techno who scooted away from the disaster. Wilbur was up and, in the kitchen, faster than you can say 'oops'. Techno picked Tommy up carefully, so he didn't step on the glass. Wilbur put up his hands to have them both stop moving. It was successful and Wilbur went and grabbed the broom at the door. He noticed something in the corner of his eye. Phil. He stood at the top of the stairs watching with tired eyes.

"Phil~" Wilbur smiled. "Sorry to wake y-"

"I heard a smash?" the adult looked at the other two still standing in the kitchen. Techno cowered from Phil's glare and Tommy felt tears building up in his eyes. But Big Men don't cry so neither would he.

"It's all good!" Wilbur waved him off with a smile. He cursed at the other two's bad poker faces as he proceeded to hide the broom behind him and sneak his way into the kitchen. "Nothing to worry about!" Wilbur should've been watching the floor for he yet out a small yelp. He had stood on a piece of glass. He quickly went back to smiling at Phil but the eldest had already figured it out.

"God damnit..." Phil grumbled making his way over to the kitchen to clean up. He took the broom abruptly from Wilbur as he waved them away. He wasn't pleased with early Sunday morning breakages, but he shouldn't be too mad. The boys sat on the couch waiting patiently and nervously for the lecture they were all very used to. Lets just say, the orphanage wasn't a very moral place. Phil had finished cleaning quickly and stood in front of the boys crossing his arms.

But he softened at the reaction of the 3. Tommy's eyes were watering obviously now, and he looked scared as if being disciplined was the end of the world. Techno fidgeted with his hair even making solid eye contact with Phil as if challenging him to slip up so the eldest child could strike back. Wilbur's legs bounced uncontrollably as he looked at the carpet eyes wide open and flickering from one spot to another.

Phil felt a sudden overwhelm of emotions. These kids were expecting him to yell. They were waiting. One was scared of him, the other nervous, and the last protective of the two currently freaking out. He decided he could handle the situation better. He knelt down in front of Wilbur gently grabbing his injured foot. It made the 15-year-old flinch much to Phil's dismay. The shard wasn't deep, but it didn't look comfortable. Phil proceeded to pull it out as gentle as possible, it was only a small sting then small pangs of pain according to Wilbur. He proceeded to give the teenager a tissue to hold on it and stood back up smiling softly.

"Maybe no breaking glasses next time alright?" Phil ruffled Tommy's hair in a friendly way. Techno was still not taking it lightly even though the two younger boys had gotten over it and had bright smiles. Techno wasn't having it. Tommy loved Phil. He adored the man. Wilbur had taken a slow liking to him and was surprisingly excited for Monday to spend more time with him. Techno didn't trust his shady actions, or maybe that was because his father had been different and given him higher standards for a father figure.

But he definitely shouldn't get attached. None of them should. Phil would probably ditch them the first chance he gets. So Techno put his plan into action. Every night he went out and fought in the club. He knew his brothers and Phil would disapprove so he kept it secret. He told them he got a job working at a bar and that's why he was out late and slept during the day. He didn't feel bad lying at all because he was doing it for them.

It was a Wednesday and Tommy had the day off from his shitty newspaper job, so they were both chilling for the day. Techno had a rough night last night. Some bigger men had come to taste The Blade's blood, they claimed. Very wrong they were. Techno had handed their asses to them on a silver platter. But he wasn't without injuries. Seeing as it was a 3v1 he definitely broke something. His chest ached and he was wearing a baggy hoodie to cover his bruises today.

Tommy was feeling smart today damn the 10-year-old's compassion. Techno had passed out on the couch snoring loudly. Tommy decided he would find out why his brother was wearing a hoodie in this weather, because it was perfectly warm inside, and he would be overheating. Before investigating Tommy poked the elder's arm and Techno woke with a grunt.

"What Tommy?" he rubbed his eyes.

"Why are you wearing a hoodie in the warm?" bless his little honest soul, Tommy looked thoughtful as if he were working it out for himself. "Are you cold?"

"Uh," Techno was taken aback. "Yeah." Not a very convincing lie for the gremlin so he poked his arm again.

"Tell meeeeeee!"

"No, bugger off will ya."

"Why do you guys never tell me anything?" Tommy pouted and continued poking thinking he would get somewhere by annoying his sleep deprived brother.

Wrong.

Techno grew angry quick and thoughts blurred his clear thinking. Teach. Lesson. So he did. He shoved Tommy away from him and onto the floor. The child looked frightened and held his hands up shaking repeatedly. Techno immediately went to help him, but Tommy moved away. He had fucked up big time. At that moment in time he remembered what Tommy had gone through. The abuse from the crooks looking for an easy fight on the streets. He felt awful. He shouldn't have done that. He shouldn't have even thought about it.

"Tommy," Techno whispered kneeling down next to the shaky child. "It's okay, shhh, I won't hurt you." The blonde still didn't trust and got up running outside. Techno knew he was gonna get into shit and he paced trying to think of a good excuse. It was soon late, and the sun was setting. His anxiety only rose higher as the door opened and he was met with 3 very different faces. The saddened 10-year-old with stained cheeks. The nervous adult holding said child. And in the front, the angry and concerned face of the 15-year-old he dreaded to see.

"Techno..." Wilbur stood close to the eldest, his height very obvious compared to Techno's. "What. Happened." Techno winced at his voice. He never liked seeing his brother's like this, but it was even worse he had fucked up while they were still with Phil. He felt more embarrassed about that because he had tried to be strong around the adult unlike the younger two.

"We need to leave"

omg i kinda disappeared on this story for a little while oops

anyways, shits gonna go down in the next chapter lmao

im skipping the thanksgiving stuff bc i have no idea what that is and shit so sorry

hopefully new chapter next week if yall desperate??

have a good day/night <3333