Chapter Text
Later could have waited. Later should have waited.
Tech knew it was going to go horribly wrong as soon as he walked into the house after a long day, and he felt the tension from a mile away.
Wrecker found him first. "Techie," He greeted with a tight smile. "You good?"
Tech tilted his head. "Yes," He nodded slowly. "I am, why?"
Wrecker's smile tightened. "Hunter's not happy," He turned towards the kitchen. "He and Cross're havin' an argument again. 'Mega and Echo have already left."
Tech sighed. "Is it just us then?" He asked. Wrecker nodded, a bit disheartened. "Just us." He confirmed. "But s'alright, we'll handle it."
Tech nodded slowly. "As always."
Wrecker chose to ignore the hint of bitterness in Tech's tone. "You wanna wait it out instead?" He asked. Tech sighed, shaking his head.
"I want to actually use our kitchen today," He mumbled. "It's my turn to make dinner."
Wrecker snorted. "Alright, fair." He gestured for them to start walking, and the pair cautiously wandered into the kitchen.
Tech heard Hunter's voice first. "Listen, all I'm saying is that I'd prefer to know things like that. Is it too much to ask to know when my siblings are hurt?"
"We're not in a warzone anymore!" Crosshair snapped back. "For all your attempts to forget. Pretty hypocritical to turn around and play sergeant when it suits you best."
Hunter sighed heavily. "You're being a child." He said firmly.
"They deserve privacy." Crosshair shot back. "Christ, haven't we earned that? A few secrets for once in our lives?"
"There's a difference between keeping a secret and hiding an injury!" Hunter shouted, and Wrecker froze in the doorway. "You know this, Crosshair."
"And there's a difference between being concerned and overbearing." Crosshair folded his arms.
"It's my job to worry about you all–" Hunter said. "I'm the oldest, you're my responsibility—"
Crosshair let out a bitter laugh. "Oh please." His voice rose. "You keep us around as if we're your pity projects! You're no better than our mother!"
A flash of hurt crossed Hunter's face, and he physically flinched back at the words.
Tech too found himself rooted to the spot in shock. Wrecker had no such issues.
"Hey!" Wrecker shouted, hands slamming unintentionally as he flared up. "Leave her out of this. We're nothing like her."
Crosshair rolled his eyes, recovering from Wrecker's outburst. "We're exactly like her!" He yelled. "Down to the last string of DNA in our genes. We're every bit as awful as she is."
The words stung. Tech could see it in their faces, even Crosshair's as he snapped.
"Just– just stop already, Cross." Wrecker bit out. "This has nothing to do with you. Or her. I had an episode and I—"
He hesitated for a long moment, collecting himself with a shaky breath. "I'm the one who gave Tech the bruises. The bumb on my head was him defending himself."
It went eerily quiet. Hunter glanced to Tech, who nodded sheepishly in confirmation. Wrecker pushed forward as Crosshair's mouth opened.
"Echo mentioned seeing someone," He said simply. "I think 'm gonna go for it. So this won't happen again." He glanced to Hunter. "Tech 'n I already made up. You don't have to argue about it anymore."
With that, Wrecker turned on his heel, and fled the kitchen. He stomped up the stairs, and slammed a door shut.
It went quiet again.
Tech's throat closed up as he took in his brothers faces. Crosshair glared at the floor, harsh and unwavering. Hunter stared through them, eyes wide.
They stayed quiet. Wrecker was always better at calming them down. With him having left, disappeared upstairs, that responsibility fell to Tech.
Hunter and Crosshair shared a look, ready to start again. Tech braced himself as Crosshair found offence in Hunter's stare.
The door swung open. "We're back!" Omega called from the front door. "And we brought some company!"
Tech visibly relaxed. Crosshair's mouth shut with an audible click, and Hunter composed himself as Omega ran in.
"Hi Tech!" She greeted as she walked past. Tech forced a smile in return, nervous as Omega greeted the others.
Echo followed Omega in shortly. "How did it go?" He muttered into Tech's ear as they watched Omega talk to Hunter.
Tech shrugged. "Wrecker's upstairs," He informed him, then hesitated. "Crosshair brought up.. her."
It didn't take a genius to know who he meant. "Ouch." Echo sighed. "That's a low blow."
Tech hummed. He brought his hand up to his face, teeth clamping down on the skin beside his fingernail.
He watched the tension begin to build again, and felt his teeth grinding.
"Stop that," Echo swat his hand away. "You're going to bleed."
Tech shrugged, then ducked out of the room. Echo sighed as he watched him go. Tech barrelled up the stairs, skipping steps to get away quicker.
Tech wasn't sure why he didn't stop outside his own room. It was safer in there than anywhere else, yet he skipped past it, skidding to a stop outside Wrecker and Hunter's room.
He wasn't sure what came over him, but he knocked on the door.
Wrecker's grunt of acknowledgement was all he needed to push into the dark room, shutting the door quickly. Wrecker was curled up on his bed, knees drawn to his chest. He caught sight of Tech and startled.
"Hi," He sniffed, surprised. Tech nodded awkwardly. "You wanna sit?"
Tech watched himself clamber into bed beside his brother from somewhere else, back pressed against the cold wall. It helped, the cold grounding him.
They sat in silence as conversation turned sour downstairs.
"We're not like her." Wrecker told him, but it sounded like a question. A plea for confirmation.
Tech nodded slowly. "I know." He mumbled, his own knees drew up, mirroring his brother.
"Why did he say that?" Wrecker asked, gripping his arms tight.
Tech took a monent to flounder for the right words. They didnt come.
"I don't know." Tech's answer was despondent, unsure as he avoided looking at his brother.
The voices downstairs rose in volume, moving through the main hall.
"I wouldn't hurt you guys," Wrecker whispered into the dim room. "Not like she did. Not ever. I'm different– I'm not like her."
Tech felt his hand trace a surgical scar he did not receive from a real doctor. "I know."
"Do you?" Wrecker's voice sounded wet. "Because that's exactly what I did."
Tech winced. His fingers dug into the scar, hip twitching as it always did, some nerve damage acting up with the poorly stitched wound. "I do know." He mumbled after a long moment.
"How?" Wrecker asked.
"Because– I just do." Tech shrugged. "You're not cruel like she was."
Wrecker sat in a stunned silence for a moment. "Is," He corrected softly, once he had recovered. "I'm better than she is."
"I know." Tech felt silly repeating himself.
Wrecker considered him for a while. "You're not like her, either." He told him quietly. "You know that too, don't you?"
Tech could not find it in him to answer.
"You're smarter than her," Wrecker listed. "And a better cook. You're a lot nicer, too."
Tech kept his mouth firmly shut as his eyes began to mist.
"You're a better person that she ever would've been." Wrecker told him. Told himself, hugging his little brother close. "She deserves every last moment of pain for what she did. For what she's doing."
Tech nodded, feeling a tear slide down his face. He was quick to wipe it away, stubborn in his hidden pain. Wrecker caught his hand, tears of his own filling his eyes.
"We're not like her." He repeated. "Right?"
Tech wasnt sure where the strength to speak had come from. "Right." He confirmed.
It went quiet again. The sounds of disagreement silenced by the front door closing. Tech watched Wrecker as his face pinched, agitated.
"Are you angry at them?" He found himself asking, startling himself as his shaky voice carried in the now silent house.
Wrecker jumped, too, and thought about it long and hard. "A little," He finally admitted. "Are you?"
Tech shrugged. "It's so stupid–" Wrecker huffed. "–s'stupid that they fight all the time. Over what? Stupid– dumb things that don't even matter!"
Tech hesitated. "I don't think all they fight about is stupid." He mumbled after a second. "Things are bad, Wrecker. It's not easy to forget what happened."
Wrecker paused. He sighed, draping an arm around his little brother. "I know," He muttered. "Doesn't make their arguments any more bearable."
"No," Tech agreed. "But I understand them."
They heard a car door slamming, and tires screeching. Crosshair's loud complaints joined as the front door slammed again.
"How come they never fight about themselves?" Wrecker asked, bitter. "Why's it always us?"
Tech shrugged. "They love us," He offered. "They worry, they show it in their own ways."
Wrecker's face pinched again. "Crosshair's just argumentative." He said with a huff. "He doesn't actually—"
Tech felt something uncomfortable curl up his spine. "Don't say that." He snapped, mouth moving before his mind caught up. Wrecker jumped, muttering an apology.
The feeling began to fester. "Crosshair cares a considerable amount," Tech explained. Wrecker hufffed.
"He always has." Tech stared at a blank spot on the wall. "It's just because of the years we've all spent not being able to– you know, do things we actually want to do, or see each other unless we were under certain circumstances, that has caused a bit of.. disconnect." He finished with a bit of a sigh.
"Hunter and Crosshair care about us." Tech said, as if reaffirming that fact would somehow make everything okay again. "They just don't always agree on how to care. That will come with time."
Wrecker went quiet, thinking over Tech's words. He eventually frowned, collecting himself before sighing, long and weary as he pulled his brother close again, resting his head on Tech's.
"You're too smart sometimes," He mumbled. "Got everything figured out. S'that why you don't mind so much?"
Tech stilled. "Understandin' people s'fine 'n all," Wrecker continued, voice growing soft until he was only whispering. "But that doesn't mean it didn't– doesn't, hurt us too. Feelin's as good as gettin', you know?"
Tech nodded minutely. He didn't trust his voice anymore.
Wrecker leaned back again, taking Tech with him. They waited until Crosshair stopped complaining, loud voice mixed with Echo's calming tones until they both faded to a softer quiet.
"Wanna watch a movie?" Wrecker suggested. "We can raid the fridge and just skip dessert."
Tech found himself smiling. "Okay."
They moved as a unit downstairs, carrying hoards of blankets and pillows. Tech set the living room up, methodical and precise in his movement.
Wrecker was equally careful, yet indulged, spoiling him and his brother just a tad after the last few hours.
They curled up under the blankets and started the battle of picking a movie. Tech was so engrossed in the decision making, he missed Crosshair's shuffling feet as he came in.
Wrecker noticed him first, as the opening scene of some rom-com played in the background. "Uh," He started, feeling caught. "Hey, Cross."
Crosshair looked like he felt the same. "Hi." He muttered, watching the movie, and his brothers, from the door. Wrecker was tense beside Tech.
Tech waited until he caught the guilty stance Crosshair held himself with to speak. "Would you like to sit?" He asked, voice calm. Wrecker let one of his hands close over Tech's trembling one.
Crosshair only paused so he didn't come across as desperate. "Sure." He took a seat beside the lump of blankets, firmly separating them with the mountain.
Tech pretended not to notice Wrecker's hesitation as they went back to watching.
One movie bled into another, and their food supply dwindled. Wrecker leaned back, eyes shut as he listened to the dialogue of the movie.
Crosshair cleared his throat. "Wrecker?"
Tech kept his eyes firmly forward as Wrecker hummed. Crosshair bit the inside of his cheek hard, and gripped his hands tight on his lap.
"I'm–" He blew out a long breath. "I'm sorry about what I said. About her– you're not..."
Wrecker was too stunned to interrupt. "You're nothing like her," Crosshair muttered. "I'm sorry I ever thought you were."
Wrecker smiled, a little sad, then let go of Tech's hand to reach over, tugging his brother close enough to hug as Tech hunched forward to give them room.
"S'alright, Cross," Wrecker told him. "I get it."
Crosshair nodded, though he gripped Wrecker's arm a little tighter.
"You're not a pity-project." Crosshair said, moving to grip Tech's shoulder, too. "None of us are."
Tech nodded with a small smile, and Wrecker responded. "We know." For him.
"We know you care, too." Wrecker watched Crosshair's head snap up. "We know s'not always easy to show it. But we know, don't we?"
He gave Tech a little nudge. "Yeah–" Tech forced the words out, around his rapidly shutting throat. "We understand."
Crosshair smiled softly, leaning forward to press his forehead against Tech's. Then, he moved to Wrecker, pressing close as Wrecker whispered, "Love you," into the space between them.
Crosshair snorted as he pulled away. "Yeah, yeah," Then, when Wrecker turned his attention away, he added. "Love you too." Though, Tech had to strain to hear it.
He smiled knowingly. Crosshair rolled his eyes and pulled him back so he sat straight. "That's not good for your back," He muttered. "And you've done enough damage to your back."
Tech nodded, opening up the blanket and hissing with the cold before Crosshair slid in, and they huddled up. They watched the movie for a while longer.
"This is boring." Crosshair commented. Wrecker nodded, faking a yawn. Tech snorted into his hands as Crosshair grinned, reaching for the remote.
They changed the movie, but no one paid any real attention to it. Tech leaned back, sighing softly as his back stopped protesting. Crosshair had an arm wrapped around him, watching the window with a look.
Wrecker noticed. "Are you waiting for Hunter?" He asked. Crosshair shook his head. "It's raining," He muttered, turning back around. "And he drives crazy when he's angry. Gonna hit some poor shmuck."
Wrecker snorted. "He's not that bad." He assured. Tech was quick to jump in. "He hit that lamppost once," He told Wrecker. "Remember? Crosshair broke his nose–"
"I remember." Crosshair interrupted. "And I hope for his sake he calms down before he skids."
"D'aw," Wrecker cooed. "You do care."
Crosshair scoffed. Tech leaned back again, listening to the rain as he settled. Wrecker went back to watching, and Crosshair kept his eye on the window.
Hunter was careful, this time. He didn't acknowledge them beyond a short wave and nod to Wrecker and Tech, and a careful avoidance of Crosshair's eye.
He leaves them, muttering to Echo as Omega follows him. Tech watches only for another moment before Crosshair is pulling his attention forward again.
They watched the rest in silence, hoping privately that maybe things will pick up again soon.
It's wishful thinking, but as Crosshair presses up against him to grab another handful of the popcorn sitting on his lap, Tech lets himself believe that maybe things will be alright.