Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Adam was the “dumb one”. 

It was common knowledge among family, friends, and fans. 

That he was on the lower end when compared to his siblings. He was fine with that. It meant less responsibility, more slack. 

Adam was the “dumb one”.

Adam was the “dumb one”, but there were some things he was awfully perceptive of.

~*~

The first instance was on a warm afternoon in September. Training had just ended for the day, the students all retiring to the dorms or scattered around the island for their evening free time.

Adam himself was pretty annoyed. 

Douglas had decided that they needed a family meeting to check up on how the academy was running. So Adam was tasked with locating Chase and bringing him to the lobby area.

He groaned as he made it to the mentor’s quarters. He’d searched every other inch of the island, under literally every rock as his brother was comically small, as he always made sure to remind him. Adam had no idea where he could be. Probably off doing some nerd things somewhere. Finding the somewhere was the issue.

He opened the kitchen cabinets, doing an extra sweep.

Adam sighed as he stood, opening his mouth to call for Chase as he neared the exit. Before he did, he heard muffled voices on the other side.

“Stop it!” It was Chase. He sounded terrified.

“Oh come on, you’re always such a buzzkill. Don’t you like me?”

“Wh- of course, I do! What has g-gotten into you-”

“If you did, you wouldn’t fight this-”

Alarm bells went off in Adam’s head.

He kicked the door down, uncaring of the scolding he’d inevitably receive for doing so, and rushed into the hallway. 

The scene he saw confused him.

Sebastian was standing there casually, hand on Chase’s shoulder. 

He looked fully relaxed, if not bored, juxtaposing Chase’s being paralyzed, stiff as a board in his hold.

Adam furrowed his brow, meeting his little brother’s wide eyes. The closer he examined, the more it appeared Sebastian’s hand was actually around his neck. Like a warning.

“Meeting…” Adam said, still staring at the hand in bewilderment. Sebastian and Chase were friends. He didn’t think a friend should scare another like that. “Uh, Douglas said we have a mentors-only meeting. For progress. And stuff.”

Chase couldn’t seem to get out of Sebastian’s grip fast enough. He hurried over to where Adam stood, and it was like a million pounds fell off his shoulders once there was a buffer between him and Sebastian.

“O-Okay, let’s go,” he said that much too quickly. He was holding his wrist against his chest. Adam could see bluish-purple marks through his fingers in a shape that looked suspiciously like a handprint. 

“Yeah,” Adam replied.

Chase started down the hall.

Adam turned to look at Sebastian one more time through narrowed eyes.

Sebastian simply smiled and waved.

~*~

Neither Douglas nor Bree nor Perry or Leo -who had showed up despite being a student, not like any of them would kick him out anyway- seemed to notice anything amiss.

Adam did.

Chase kept his head dipped, wrist concealed in his lap, and hardly said a word.

The frown Adam had had since earlier deepened.

~*~

The second time was a few weeks later. 

Adam was dozing by the pool, enjoying the day off as Davenport had taken the students to the mainland for some field trip he couldn’t be bothered to remember. At that point, he had mostly forgotten about what happened, save for noticing how much quieter Chase had gotten, and how they gradually saw even less of him.

Adam was on the verge of sleep, with the sun on his face and the sound of water lapping in his ears. The siblings had learned by now that the best way to take advantage of their rare days off was to go to separate corners of the island.

Right as he nodded off, he heard a muffled noise.

He wrote it off, focusing on the comfortable drowsiness instead.

He heard it again. And again.

Chase, shouting his name. 

Adam still ignored it, completely disinterested in whatever it was as it definitely would have something to do with education or labor, both of which he preferred to ignore on the daily.

Again. Louder this time.

Adam groaned, rolling out of his beach chair and dragging himself over to the door that connected the pool area to their living quarters.

“Dude, I know you don’t understand the first thing about beauty sleep but-” he cut himself off as he took in what was before him.

Chase stood in the middle of the room, looking disheveled and trembling profusely. He was once again clutching his wrist to his chest, with a large fresh bruise forming on his cheek and more handprint-shaped ones around his throat.

Anger sparked in Adam’s chest. His first thought was to rip whoever or whatever had done that to his little brother into pieces.

A few feet away, seemingly paused by Adam’s arrival stood Sebastian, yet again. This time there was no smile. He appeared annoyed at the interruption. He held Chase’s uniform jacket in his fist. He wasn’t supposed to have that. He wasn’t even supposed to be there as a student.

He was about the same distance from Chase as Adam.

There was a tense silence, the air heavy and oppressive. No one moved.

Wordlessly, Chase shakily reached his hand out to Adam. He kept glancing between him and Sebastian, looking far more scared than Adam had ever seen him, and much younger than he normally behaved. 

Adam snapped himself out of it, stepping forward and snatching his wrist, yanking him in front of his own body, size difference coming in handy as he was able to fully conceal Chase from Sebastian’s sight. 

“I got something to show you,” he lied.

Adam turned his head as he pushed him towards the exit.

Sebastian glared bitterly, scowling as if Adam had wronged him. 

Adam glared right back, the spark erupting into a flame of rage as he could feel Chase still trembling.

Sebastian dropped the jacket on the floor, walking out the other door.

He should not be allowed to leave.

“A-Adam-”

Chase’s whisper brought him back to the present. He realized he was accidentally gripping his shoulders much tighter than he meant to. Adam released his hold, instead settling an arm around him to guide Chase to the pool deck.

He sat him down in the chair he was previously using and crouched in front of him to see his face better.

The bags under his eyes had gotten much darker. His hair was nowhere near the neatness it normally was. Not to mention all the marks covering him. Marks Adam was pretty sure didn’t come from teaching.

Chase avoided eye contact at all costs like he was ashamed.

Adam frowned again.

He carefully tilted Chase’s chin with his finger to get a look at the bruise that now covered most of his left cheek. It was particularly nasty, and at closer inspection, Adam could see what looked like smeared blood at the corner of his mouth. Someone had hit him hard .

Adam didn’t realize he was gripping the armrest until it snapped clean off. He tossed it aside.

“Chase…” he didn’t know where to start. “What… what happened?”

He opened his mouth to speak and nothing came out. He shook his head weakly.

“Was it Sebastian?”

Chase startled like a deer in headlights.

Adam waited. 

He sighed, posture becoming more and more defeated. When he nodded, Adam clenched his jaw.

He took a breath to steady himself. He could deal with Sebastian later, right now he needed to be a big brother.

“...Why?” he asked. “Aren’t you two friends? Friends don’t do that.”

Chase flinched at the word “friend”.

“Is he, like, bullying you?” Adam rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of how to do this. He ignored the sudden jolt when he accidentally hit the patch of skin over his chip. “Or does he have dirt on you? I can beat him up if you-”
“No!” Chase exclaimed, so suddenly that it made Adam jump. His voice sounded raspy and broken. Adam glared at the marks around his throat. “N-No, no- don’t hurt him-”

“He hurt you ,” Adam scowled.

“I-It was my fault, Adam,” he shook his head. “My fault. Sebastian lo- … cares about me. He… he cares about me.” It sounded like Chase was trying to convince himself.

“Chase-”

“H-He does.”

“Chasey, listen,” Adam took his hand. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d spoken so gently or been so tender with his brother. Chase seemed to have a similar line of thought as his lip wobbled. That was more worrying. Adam was ninety percent sure, or however numbers worked, that he hadn’t seen Chase anywhere near tears since they were toddlers. 

“Someone who cares… they wouldn’t do that,” he knew the two of them as brothers always roughhoused quite a bit, but it was never to the extent of actual injury. Being bionic, they wouldn’t break by being tossed across a room or receiving a super-strength noogie. For him to be bruised so badly, there had to be serious, intentional force behind it. 

“He cares about me, Adam,” Chase curled in on himself like he was trying to become smaller, pulling out of his grip. “I know he does.”

“How long has this been going on?”

“Nothing’s going on.”

“Dude,” Adam gave him a look. “I may be dumb, but I’m not blind. How long?”

“He cares,” Chase repeated to himself, wringing his hands. “He does.”

“Chase-” he cut himself off when he noticed Chase chewing his thumbnail. It was an anxiety habit, as Tasha had explained after seeing it for the first time. Bree and Adam never really noticed, as they’d grown up thinking it was perfectly safe and normal. He didn’t know what Davenport’s excuse was.

The second red started to drip from the nailbed, Adam carefully brought Chase’s hand back down with his own, avoiding mentioning anything about it as they had been taught by their mother so as to not send him spiraling further, and feeling the muscle memory of something he and their other siblings had done what had to be millions of times over the past few years.

He sighed. He didn’t know what else to do. 

Adam stood, grabbing Chase by the back of his shirt. He toted him to the living room, much to Chase’s confusion, and dropped him onto the couch.

He went into the kitchen, reaching into the freezer and taking an ice pack before grabbing a bag of popcorn and a bowl. He popped it with his heat vision, then flopped down on the couch next to the very perplexed boy.

“What are you-”

“We’re watching Leo’s stupid B-movies,” Adam tossed a blanket towards him.

“Adam, you don’t have to waste your day off.” he sounded timid, guilty even. That wasn’t right. Chase had always been obnoxiously opposed to admitting guilt since they were kids, even when he actually did something guilt worthy. Adam didn’t notice he was bouncing his leg until the marble chipped under his heel.

“You kiddin’?” he swallowed down his concern with a handful of popcorn, subtly handing Chase the ice pack for his steadily swelling face. “It’s never a waste to make fun of Leo’s terrible taste.”

Chase smiled at that.

~*~

Adam exhaled as he looked down at his shoulder. Chase had fallen asleep there, several movies and criticizing how unrealistic they were and the logistics of the plots in. His brow was furrowed and the bags under his eyes looked more prominent than normal. Somehow, he managed to look exhausted and stressed even while sleeping.

Adam carefully stood, retrieving Chase’s eyemask and headphones and tucking a pillow under his head.

The door whirred shut, and he took a breath. The fire of outrage roared back to life.

Adam stalked down the hall, ignoring Douglas’s greeting at the lobby and Bree’s asking him to get her a juice in the training area. He had only one thought on his mind.

There he was. In the hallway. Whistling, as if he hadn’t just beaten Adam’s brother hours earlier.

He threw his arm out as Sebastian was about to pass him, fist going right through the wall and effectively stopping Sebastian in his tracks.

“Uh,” he looked at Adam in confusion, all trace of the previous persona gone, leaving just the regular, innocent, nice one in its stead. “Can I help you?”

“Give me one reason,” Adam murmured. “Why I shouldn’t bash your skull in right now.”

“Wh-What?”

“I’m waiting.”

“I… I don’t know what you mean, honest!” Sebastian put his hands up, looking fearful.

“You put your slimy hands on my little brother,” If looks could kill. Well, Adam’s could, actually. He could feel his eyes heat up.

“What are you talking about?”

“Half his face is purple,” he felt the flames grow into a wildfire. “He has fucking choke marks around his neck-”

Sebastian laughed. 

Adam was gobsmacked. He stood silently, losing the rest of his sentence from pure surprise.

He wiped his eye, still chuckling. “Holy- Holy shit, is that what you think they were?”

Adam blinked.

“We were training , man!” Sebastian snorted. “He got those from sparring with me.”

“If you were just sparring, why are the bruises so bad-”

“Oh, we were just testing some new fighting equipment for Douglas while we trained.”

Adam faltered before regaining his composure.

“Why would Chase yell for me then? Why was he so scared?”

“Hey dude, I dunno,” Sebastian shrugged easily, still smiling. “I mean the guy’s practically starving for attention. Maybe he was trying to get it from you.”

“Are you calling him a liar?”

“No,” he shrugged again. “I’m calling this a misunderstanding. Chase is my person, y’know. I’d never do anything like that.”

“I…” Adam trailed off. Chase had said Sebastian cared. And that there was no malicious intent. Was he just misinterpreting the situation? It wouldn’t be the first time.

“If he was actually in danger, wouldn’t Spike have activated?”

He wasn’t wrong. Why didn’t Spike come out? Was there really nothing to it?

“What… what about before?”

“Ah, we were just telling embarrassing stories,” Sebastian waved. “That’s why he wanted to leave so fast so you didn’t hear.”

“Why was his wrist-”

“It got caught in one of his projects.”

That had happened many times before.

“Uh…”

“It’s okay, man,” Sebastian patted his shoulder with his friendly grin. “No need to apologize. Misunderstandings happen. I’ll go talk to Chase now, even.”

With that, he continued down the corridor toward the mentor’s area. 

Adam scratched his head.

~*~

The days continued.

Chase got quieter and quieter, withdrawing from just about everything, mentoring included. 

Adam fell into the drone of routine. He didn’t know what else to do. No one else acted as though anything had changed.

~*~

The betrayal stung. A lot .

Their own students, Sebastian at the head, plotting to end their family and the island in one fell swoop.

Adam couldn’t decide which was worse, the fight for their lives or the aftermath.

They’d spent the past few weeks cleaning up the academy, doing damage control with the press, and trying to maintain some semblance of order among the students.

All four siblings sulked into their living quarters, thoroughly worn down and exhausted.

“I don’t know why Davenport is making us continue nightly patrol even while we’re working our asses off,” Bree hopped onto the counter, Leo leaning against it next to her. “Like, what is he even paying Perry for?”

“Security needs tightening,” Chase spoke, in an occasion rarer and rarer. He looked worse than ever, pale with messy hair and eyes that seemed to have gotten heavier since the reveal. “We had just Perry. And we all know what happened there.”

Adam clenched his jaw. Yes, they all understood it. The betrayal hurt, everything since took all their energy, and they all felt defeated and demolished by how easily everything collapsed. But Chase refused to drop it. That was all he ever mentioned when he did talk, almost like none of the others had gone through it too. Everything had started because of Chase in the first place.

“We get it,” Adam rolled his eyes, too frustrated and tired to deal with this. “He broke your heart, move on.”

Silence.

Chase muttered something.

“What?”

He whirled around, grabbing Adam’s shirt in his fist, much to his surprise. 

“I know he did!” Chase shouted. “I know he fucking ripped it out and trampled it! I know he used me! I know it was all a lie! You guys don’t have to keep reminding me every fucking day that no one would ever want me without an ulterior motive! I get it!” 

“I understand that I meant nothing! That what we had-” he buried his hands in his hair, pacing. “That I gave everything to a man who never cared! I know he manipulated it all a-and played me like a fiddle! Even though I love-”

All at once, Chase’s face fell. “I-I love- loved-  I…” He dropped into a crouch, putting his head in his hands.

Leo gaped at him, hands on his head in shock. Bree covered her mouth with trembling palms.

Adam was frozen. They were… Sebastian and Chase were… Oh, holy-

Everything clicked. It was not a sensation Adam was used to.

The ringing in his ears cleared enough to realize Chase’s breaths were much shorter and sharper than they should’ve been. He was having a panic attack. Adam reached his hand out.

“Get… get out,” Bree mumbled, eyes glued on Chase. 

“Wh- but-” Leo protested.

“Both of you, get out now!” she yelled, speeding over to where he had curled into a ball.

~*~

“D-Dude,” Leo’s voice broke Adam out of his trance. His head snapped over to the youngest, ready to fight whatever Leo needed him to. “...You’re murdering the floor.”

Adam glanced down. He had indeed worn a hole through the marble with his pacing. He didn’t care in the slightest.

He glanced at the door for the fiftieth time in the past minute. He didn’t know how long it had been, but it felt like an eternity. 

“My freshly mopped floor, bro.”

Adam elected to ignore that, trying to push down the guilt welling in his stomach. He felt as though it would explode.

“It’s not your fault.” Sometimes Leo read him too well. 

Adam sank down next to where he sat against the wall.

“Fuck…” he muttered. “I had- Leo, I had no idea-”

“None of us did big guy,” Leo muttered, putting an arm around his shoulders. “We’ve just gotta be there. And… well I don’t know, mother of goat, what are we gonna do?”

Adam, for the billionth time in his life, had no answers.

~*~

Chase was as good as gone. 

Adam stood next to him during their father’s droning debrief about something or other. It had been two weeks since his outburst. Adam preferred the anger.

Now there was nothing. 

Chase’s eyes stayed glued ahead in space, fully drained of all their hazel colors, now a dark, dingy brown. It looked like he hadn’t slept since. Or eaten. His hair was even more of a rat’s nest, skin nearly paper white. He hadn’t said a word. Never laughed or cried or screamed. Emptiness. 

Adam didn’t know what to do. He and Bree and Leo had had many hushed conversations trying to figure out any plan of action. Nothing worked. They were all drowning in worry. 

Every time Adam tried to inhale, his chest felt tight. He didn’t know if it was worry or guilt or stress, but what he did know was that his brother was fading. Fast. And they couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

All he felt was helpless. He hated feeling helpless. He was the oldest. The strong one. He wasn’t supposed to be helpless.

Adam was brought back to the present by Davenport’s adjourning of the meeting. He didn’t seem to notice anything wrong with his thirdborn.

The island was buzzing with activity. The sun shone, and the waves tossed in the ocean, but Chase Davenport was dead to the world. The sky should be gray and miserable. The birds shouldn’t sing. His brother was destroyed. Broken irreparably. As Adam watched him from a chair, he bitterly thought about how much he actually looked like his robot replica, the one from years ago when they first met Leo. 

He sat rigidly on the couch, unmoving, unblinking, just like he had for days and days. 

Leo was perched in the other chair just as silently, probably hoping alongside Adam that their last hail mary which their sister had gone to fetch would work.

Adam glanced at his watch right as a woosh of wind filled the room. 

Tasha stood in the middle now, a bit rumpled from the superspeed trip but there all the same. 

He waited in tense silence, praying it would work. No one spoke for a heartbeat.

“Mom?” Chase croaked his first word in weeks, blinking as if he was making sure he wasn’t dreaming.

She pulled him to his feet, crushing him in a hug. “I’m so sorry baby. It hurts so badly, doesn’t it?”

A flicker of light came back to his eyes. His brows furrowed before he buried his face into her shoulder and let out a dry sob.

“I’ve got you,” Tasha murmured. Leo wrapped his arms around both of them, Bree doing the same. “We’re gonna get through this.” she was definitely directing that to all of her children, and Adam could see the culmination of all the stress and worry cause tears to fill the other two’s eyes. 

As he stood to take his family into his arms, Adam promised Chase right then and there. 

Never again. No one will ever hurt you again.

—--------

“Ooh! Penny!” Adam exclaimed, physically lifting his sister to grab the coin off the sidewalk.

“Don’t tell me he-” Leo cut himself off as both he and Bree groaned in disgust. “He did.”

“Hey, it’s better than the many gum incidents,” Chase shrugged, phone to his ear as he waited for whoever he was calling to pick up. They made disgusted faces at the reminder. “Statistically coins retain-”

Adam covered his mouth. “I’m on strictly nerd-less business this trip.”

He grinned when Chase rolled his eyes. He pulled Adam’s hand off his face, lighting up as it seemed the call connected. He stepped away to take it.

Adam looked into a shop window, staring at the little dog outfits and considering getting one for Otis the Second. His thirteen-month-and-seven-eighths anniversary of adoption was coming up, anyway.

“So what do you guys think about the city?” Bree passed out the smoothies she’d just collected from what was apparently a frequented spot by the Elite Force, given how many people had waved or pointed at her and Chase since they’d started waiting at the picnic table outside. Adam himself had signed more autographs than he had in a while, even though he’d only arrived a couple of hours ago. This was their first time in Centium City, as normally the family convened at the academy or in Mission Creek when they saw each other.

“It’s loud,” Leo said, probably much more used to the quiet of the island, that he now solely led with his team. Adam was happy he’d come. Of course, because he loved and missed his brother, but also because he knew the kid was seriously swamped with his workload and needed time off.

“True,” Bree shrugged, sipping her strawberry banana smoothie. “But I don’t mind too much. We’re glad you guys are here.” That was probably as affectionate as she’d get.

Adam elected to use her head as an armrest, swinging his stupidly long legs and accidentally clanging them against Leo’s bionic one. He took a swig of his mango smoothie. Bree was right, he did like it.

“I’m glad to be here too,” he hummed. It was true. After they were separated and Adam had decided to go the college route, he’d missed his little siblings a ridiculous amount. It had been a bit over a year. They called often and had seen each other a few times, but it was a rough adjustment going from spending every day together to this.

“Are you guys excited to meet the team again?” Bree tossed Adam’s arm off of her. 

“The Mighty Med people?” Leo asked. 

“That’s them.”

“Yeah, it’ll be nice,” he tilted his head, playing with his straw. “Been a while.”

It had. Adam honestly didn’t remember them that well. There were two guys and a girl. They helped them fight the big glowy guy. He’d heard them in the background of his siblings’ calls and Chase and Bree talked about them a bit, but overall he was blanking on names and faces.

“Okay. Yeah, like half an hour?” Chase approached their table. “Thanks. Love you too. Bye.”

That meant he was probably talking to Tasha. Adam didn’t think he’d ever openly said it to anyone else. The three of them were quite hard-pressed when it came to overt affection. Leo never had a problem with it.

 Chase looked even happier than earlier. Definitely Tasha then. He sat down at his spot, across from Adam and next to Leo, stirring his green smoothie, full of healthy junk. And they thought Adam’s coin and gum commandeering was gross. 

“Pineapple avocado, really?” Chase grimaced at Leo. 

“Yes,” Leo said. “Your unrefined palette is not my problem.”

He ruffled his curls, rolling his eyes with a smile as Leo protested. 

They fell back into their usual banter, and as Adam tossed a straw wrapper at Leo and watched Bree reach over the table and shake Chase for lecturing about their sugar intake, he realized just how much he missed them.

While Chase wiped up a smoothie that had exploded during the chaos that was the Davenport siblings, Leo spoke up. 

“So how far is the tower from here?” he crumpled his napkin into a ball and shot it into the trashcan. “Two points!” he celebrated, Adam hyping him up too. “You gonna speed us there?”

“Absolutely not,” Bree wrinkled her nose, brushing off her shorts as she stood and waving to a group of kids who pointed at her and Chase with gasps. 

When her brothers gave her questioning looks, she scoffed.

“You’re heavy as hell,” she pointed to Adam, then Leo. “You squirm too much. And no to you out of spite.” Chase rolled his eyes at that. He held up his phone. 

“I took care of it already,” he informed. “Any minute now-”

 Right on time, a Davenlimo screeched down the street, making some pedestrians scramble out of the way.

“ Hello, Davenkids!” A boy that looked around his brothers’ age poked his head out of the driver’s window, wearing sunglasses. “Someone order a handsome chauffeur?”

“A handsome chauffeur?” Bree asked, faux excitedly. “Where?”

“Yeah, yeah, fuck you,” he snorted, stepping out of the car and opening his arms for Chase. 

Chase pulled back, grin wider than Adam had ever seen. 

Wait a minute… was that?

“You guys remember-”

“Frank?” Adam tilted his head. 

“No, Adam. Kaz ,” Chase relayed, sliding Adam’s glasses back up his nose with a finger. “That was just a cover.”

“A genius cover,” Frank-Kaz added.

“A stupid cover,” Chase remedied.

Frank-Kaz smiled, pulling him closer. “You’ve hurt my very soul. If you weren’t my favorite person I’d be mad right now.”

“Sure you would.”

“Hey, man,” Leo held his fist out for a bump. Frank-Kaz obliged with a toothy grin. “Long time no see.”

“Heyyy, my roast beef pal! Good to see you.” the three older siblings exchanged uninformed looks. Leo however snickered.

“Not even gonna ask,” Bree put her hands up.

“Not gonna explain,” Kaz-Kaz agreed. He put both of his arms around Chase’s middle. “I missed you.”

Bree retched while Leo shrieked in surprise. Adam didn’t know what at, as he had been extremely preoccupied with a large squirrel running across a shop window.

Leo had leaped back from Kaz and Chase, the latter of who was very red in the face. Leo pointed at each of them in turn, mouth just about hitting the concrete below him. He stayed like that for a second more, before snapping it shut and glaring at Chase. 

“ Mister , you have got some explaining to do.”

Chase faltered. “W-Well, hey- I’m not the only one.” he pointed to Bree. 

She squawked in betrayal, Leo shrieked again, and Kaz chuckled, looking proud.

“Anyway,” Chase said in a very subject-changey way. “Let’s get going.”

He used his magnetism app to steal the keys from Kaz’s pocket.

Kaz stared at him.

“Like I’d ever get in a car with you behind the wheel,” Chase gestured to the skid marks on the street.

“Who are you kidding, you always want me to drive,” Kaz waggled his eyebrows at him. 

Leo gagged.

“Yeah…” Bree said, looking disgusted. “I could’ve died without knowing that.”

Chase looked akin to a tomato.

Adam didn’t particularly understand, nor did he care, as he’d now found a golden butterfly to stare at.

Kaz cackled evilly, scampering to the limo.

Adam climbed into the back of the car with Leo and Bree. Chase and Kaz took the front two seats.

Adam raised an eyebrow as they began driving. He tuned out Bree and Leo’s conversation, focusing on the other two.

Chase had a massive smile on his face. He laughed at everything Kaz said, a permanent pink flush to his cheeks.

As Adam watched, Kaz settled his hand on Chase’s thigh, occasionally dragging his finger around like he was tracing shapes or letters into his leg.

Adam narrowed his eyes.

~*~

Chase gunned it for an abandoned subway tunnel, and instead of crashing into the stone wall and experiencing death by fiery explosion as Leo screamed they would, it moved upward like a garage door. He drove through a series of well-lit tunnels, so many Adam thought his brain would implode. 

Once they got to a cavern-like area with more Davenport vehicles, Chase parked.

Kaz got out first, flying to the other side of the limo to open Chase’s door. He mock-bowed to him which made Chase giggle and roll his eyes. 

“You’re impossible.”

“And you’re beautiful. Checkmate.”

“Eugh, is it always like this?” Leo inquired as Kaz touched down. 

“Every. Damn. Day.” Bree said through gritted teeth. 

Adam frowned. He pulled both his bag and his youngest brother out, carrying said boy like a suitcase too.

“Whatcha doing?” Kaz asked, poking his head over Chase’s shoulder. Chase slipped his phone back into his pocket.

“Letting them know we’re here-” 

Before he finished, there was a flash of pink. 

A girl stood a few feet away from their group. Bree lit up like a lighthouse. She sped right into her arms. The girl caught her easily, meaning she definitely had super strength as anyone without it would be knocked clean over by Bree’s bionics. She was a hero from Leo’s comic books, right? That whole thing confused Adam.

“Hi!” She said excitedly. She flew over to them, letting Bree hang off her like a koala. “How are you guys? It’s been forever!”

Leo stared at her, quickly scrambling out of Adam’s hold. 

“...yeah, I’m never gonna get over the whole heroes being real thing, can I get your autograph?”

“Sure, dude,” she said with a smile.

She seemed cool.

“Skylar,” Chase murmured to Adam. He knew Adam’s memory was about as bad as they come. “Skylar Storm- woah!”

The second he finished speaking, he was yanked into a hug. These people seemed extremely physically affectionate from what Adam had seen. “Did you tear shit up and tell your mom hi like I said to?”

“Skylar, we were gone for twelve hours.”

She waited.

“Yes, yes we did,” Chase snickered.

“That’s my boy!” Skylar set him down, still holding onto Bree.

“Did you guys get everything done?” Chase asked as Kaz tugged him back to his side by his belt loops.

“Sure did.” Skylar set Bree down.

Kaz settled his cheek on his shoulder, nuzzling into the fabric of his sweater. “We got rooms ready and stocked the fridge and-”

“ We is relative,” a wheezy voice interjected. A blonde boy, stumbling into Chase and Kaz when he landed from his flight, neither of whom reacted as though it was a normal occurrence. It was Other Frank who apparently wasn’t actually Frank. He put his hands on his knees, breathing heavily “ How are you so fast?”

Skylar smirked at him.

“Anyways I did that, you freeloaders,” he pointed to her and Kaz. “ She only helped carry some of the groceries and you added more stuff to the list.”

“You’re so welcome, my darling Oli-Pop,” Kaz nodded sagely.

Well, that was a strange name. Leo nudged Bree, subtly gesturing at him. Bree made a face more disgusted than Adam had ever seen, before pointing to Skylar instead. Leo nodded, making his “ohh” face.

“And neither of you has made a bed in your lives,” he continued, ignoring Kaz. “ Anyway . Adam, Leo, good to see you guys. How was the trip?”

“We’re good,” Leo answered, giving and receiving another fist bump. “Jetlagged beyond belief though.”

“Let’s get the little guy to bed, then,” Chase ruffled his hair.

“Dude, I’m like a foot taller than you-”

“Four inches. Bad place to rehash this when my laser cutters are in close proximity.”

Adam was dragged from the conversation by his sister. 

“You okay?” she whispered. “You seem really quiet.”

“Yeah…” he hadn’t stopped staring at Chase and Kaz. Kaz had his arm around his waist. 

Adam narrowed his eyes again, chewing the strings of his Mission Creek University hoodie.

Bree frowned at him. Damned sister intuition.

“So all of you have powers now?” Leo adjusted his bag.

“Yup,” Kaz’s free hand burst into flames. 

“Don’t you set off the sprinklers again,” Chase warned.

“That a challenge?” he smirked.

A pool of water levitated over to him, splashing onto his fist and extinguishing the fire. 

“Killjoy.”

Oli-Pop stuck his tongue out at him with a grin.

“Cool,” Leo said.

“Alright, alright,” Chase put a hand on their backs, pushing the three along with his steps. “Let’s get going before you wreck our dad’s billion-dollar technology. Again. ”

Adam followed them through more tunnels, not listening to his brother’s tour, keeping his focus on him and Kaz. 

They made it to a large room with a few cyberdesks scattered about. Their control center, apparently.

“And here’s the hyperlift,” Chase gestured to an elevator-type thing. “Kind of like the one at the island, but it’ll take us to the apartment.”

With that, all seven of them piled in.

They came to the penthouse. It was large, with a kitchen and five-seat table to the right, terrace doors to a balcony, and a big living area to the left with a staircase partially hidden. 

It was mostly marble and steel, and would’ve looked impersonal if it weren’t for the fridge covered in notes and chore lists and photographs, more pictures of the five, some of the Davenport family, a few with the man from the hospital and his screechy nephew, and some with the superhero trio alongside a blonde girl and small boy Adam had never seen before hanging around the room.

Books slightly off center on the coffee table, a half-eaten pretzel bowl on the couch, a blanket of some comic hero draped over its edge. There was a sleek black cat curled in the corner.

A different fluffier cat nuzzled his leg. If Adam hadn’t been laser-focused, he’d have scooped it up right away, what with animals being his favorite things to exist. 

“C’mon,” Skylar floated a few inches off the floor. “You can put your stuff back here.” She flew up the staircase, carrying one of Leo’s bags that he’d dropped on the walk. Bree and Leo followed, the latter going slow to take in the new space.

Kaz took Chase’s hand, guiding him to the steps. 

Oli-Pop started too before Adam stopped him with a hold on the back of his pullover.

“Um… what’s up?”

“Are they together?” 

“Who, Bree and Sky? Yeah.”

“Bree and-” Adam spluttered. “I- no, no,” he shelved that information for later. “Chase and Fr- Kaz.”

“Oh, yeah,” Oli-Pop said. “For a while. Why?”

“How long?”

“Uh,” he wrinkled his nose like he was trying to recall. “A few months? Seven? Hell, I dunno. But they’ve been crazy about each other since like the day they met. They got together before the girls. I tell you man, being in a house with two couples is an experience . PDA everywhere.” he shuddered.

So they were in a relationship.

Adam scowled, feeling the familiar spark in his chest.

Chapter Text

Kaz had a predicament. 

The name of said predicament?

Adam Davenport.

He was pretty sure, in the three hours he’d known him, that Adam didn’t like him.

Pretty sure, as the man glared from the chair across from him, like he had since they sat down. He didn’t know why. Maybe he’d said something? That didn’t sound right. From what Kaz remembered from their brief time together before, Adam was far more laid back than the rest of his siblings. Or maybe he was misreading things?

As Kaz sat on the couch, sandwiched between Leo and Chase, he wracked his brain for something he could’ve done wrong.

Leo stood up so suddenly that Kaz and Oliver’s heads nearly crashed together, going off in search of the bathroom. Georgiano followed, the cat having taken a quick liking to him, which was shocking as the pet was fundamentally an asshole.

Kaz took advantage of the new space, kicking Oliver, quite literally, to the end of the couch and settling his head on Chase’s lap. Said boyfriend immediately began combing his hand through Kaz’s hair out of habit.

Bree huffed in annoyance. She hadn’t been all that bothered by the space issue, having claimed half of the couch for herself. She was however miffed that her footrest was now occupied by Kaz.

“Get your feet outta my face,” Kaz said.

“You think I want your crusty face anywhere near my feet?” she nudged his head with her toe. 

They began scuffling for the position.

Chase fixed the issue, shoving both of them off of his lap, Kaz almost falling off the couch, saved by Oliver grabbing his shirt.

Chase stood, setting his book on the coffee table. “Behave.” he pointed to his sister and boyfriend respectively before going to join Skylar on the terrace.

Bree rolled her eyes while Kaz smirked, as anyone who knew him knew he’d absolutely do the opposite. Oliver released the hold on his shirt, allowing him to careen to the floor.

“Payback.”

“I hate you.”

Oliver smiled sweetly, patting his head before floating over to the balcony too. Kaz followed, not particularly wanting to feel like an intruder among the siblings. Especially when he could still feel Adam’s eyes on his back.

“So we could get stuff from there,” Skylar was saying, showing Chase her phone. “Do they like Italian food?”

“Skylar, my brothers are like black holes when it comes to food,” his smile was a mix of exasperation and fondness. “They’d eat anything you slap on a plate. Or the floor.”

Kaz would get along with them great in that case.

“Boo,” he said, coming up behind Chase.

“Oh no, you got me,” Chase snickered. “I totally didn’t hear you guys coming with my bionic hearing.”

“Sweet, score for Kaz!” he cheered, slinging his arm over his shoulders. 

“I flew into a black hole once,” Skylar mused. “Tell you what, it’s not as fun as they say.”

“No one says that,” the three boys said in unison.

“Exactly, my point,” she nodded as if it made sense.

They exchanged eye rolls while she smirked proudly.

“Where are we getting food?” Oliver asked.

Skylar showed him her screen. “That place on 5th and Bradbury. I already put all of our usuals in. I'll go ask-”

“Oh, I know what they’d want,” Chase took the phone when she offered it. “Just a second.”

Kaz watched him as he scrolled. He had the cute little nose wrinkle that he always did when he was thinking, and his eyes looked so pretty in the evening light, and wow was Kaz hopeless.

He saw in the corner of his vision Skylar nudging Oliver and pointing at Kaz who was most definitely making googly eyes at Chase. Both of them snickered quietly and Kaz flipped his obnoxious best friends off before going back to boyfriend-watching.

“Alright,” Chase handed the phone back. “I also rewrote all the code on their website to make it less shitty, as a treat.”

Kaz smiled, because of course he did that.

“It’ll be ready for pickup soon,” Skylar read. “One of you needs to help me carry it.”

“Not it!” Kaz exclaimed.

“Not- oh for the love of-” Oliver threw his hands up. “No! I did everything around the house! You-”

She was dragging him over the railing as he continued complaining. 

Kaz waggled his fingers at Oliver with a shit-eating grin, making him squawk in indignation.

He cackled, settling his arm around Chase as they watched them fly off.

“You’re evil,” Chase laughed, relaxing into his side. 

“Thank you.”

They stood in comfortable silence, observing the birds flying and the city bustling below. 

As the sun began to set, Chase shivered, rubbing his arms. Kaz immediately shed his jacket, putting it around his shoulders. He tugged him closer, increasing his body temperature.

Chase smiled, definitely noticing the gesture, as it’d be difficult not to when your senses were a hundred times stronger than a regular human’s. He pressed a kiss to Kaz’s temple.

“I love you.”

“Love you more, baby.” Kaz kissed his cheek.

“Oh, don’t you start that.”

Kaz chuckled, remembering the first time he had. With both of them being highly competitive and stubborn, they’d egged each other on and on until their housemates kicked them out for an hour to get some peace from the one-upping I love you s.

Chase had his “I’m not actually annoyed at you but I’m going to pretend I am” face on. Kaz smirked back knowingly.

Right as Kaz was about to kiss him for real, the doors slammed open.

Adam stood there, looking disheveled. He glared at Kaz, almost accusingly, before his face melted into a smile. He made his way to the pair, snatching Chase off of the ground, holding him by the sweater like he was a kitten.

“Why.” was all Chase said. He didn't seem too surprised, like it was normal for Adam to just pluck him up on a whim. 

“I uh…” he seemed to be reaching for an explanation. “I don’t understand… uh, things.”

“Well, I could have told you that,” Chase quipped.

“Yeah yeah, just c’mon.”

Adam took Kaz’s jacket and tossed it back to him, going through the doors with brother in tow.

Kaz stepped over the threshold to something that truly disturbed him. 

He looked up after toeing the slightly dented doorstop that they’d been needing to replace for months to see Adam throw Chase across the room.

He crashed into the wall with a yelp.

“Yo, Bionic Brother Toss! It’s back and better than ever! Ten points!” Leo cheered from the couch he and their sister lay on. 

Bree snickered.

Kaz was shocked. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” he demanded. Adam regarded him with confusion. 

Kaz turned away from him, hissing in frustration, putting out the fire that had ignited on his nose.

He reached Chase, lifting him into a sitting position. 

Chase held his head. “Should’ve seen that coming. Adam, you break the walls, you buy them.”

Adam stuck his tongue out at him with a smirk.

Chase rolled his eyes with a smile.

What the hell?

Kaz’s eyes flitted between the two as they continued talking like nothing had happened. He hadn’t let go of Chase, almost protectively.

“So what are we doin’ for food?”

“Italian. From this really good place a mile-ish away.”

“Like you’d know. Ever get anything besides salad?”

“Yeah, yeah, shut up. Sky and Oli are… picking it… uh-”

Chase stopped mid-conversation when he saw Kaz’s face. He made an “oh shit” expression before pulling Kaz into the stairwell to talk. Kaz could see Adam frown as they disappeared around the corner.

The second he stopped walking, Kaz started looking him over for injuries, feeling himself slip into doctor mode. 

Chase stayed still, letting him do what he needed. Kaz breathed a sigh of relief at not finding anything.

“I’m okay-”

“What the actual hell was that?” Kaz demanded.

“I- uh, it’s hard to explain,” Chase exhaled. “I should’ve prepared you for it. We- that’s normal. Adam always does that. It’s his weird Adam way of showing love, and that’s the way our dynamic always has been. Besides, I’m an asshole enough back. He’s not trying to hurt me. He’s never hurt me.”

“Chase-”

“And he never will,” he continued, cupping his cheek as he could tell Kaz was very freaked out by it all. “He’d never want to. He’s my brother. And I’m bionic. I’m not going to break by that. We aren’t made of glass.”

Kaz sighed. He didn’t like it, either way. Before he said anything else, he looked up to see Chase’s eyes, full of worry. Like he was afraid of how Kaz would take this. Kaz sighed again, gently taking his hand off of his face and kissing his knuckles. 

“Okay. Yeah, okay.” He didn’t think it was. But this was Chase’s family. He didn’t want to ruin this for him.

Chase kissed him quickly and took his hand to guide him back to the living area.

Adam stared at them when they came back, somehow managing to look intimidating with a purring puffball in his lap.

Bree and Leo exchanged confused looks between the three, before going back to whatever conversation they were having. 

Kaz and Chase took the opposite couch, Chase squeezing his hand for reassurance one more time before answering Oliver’s texts about order mixups.

Before Kaz could react, Adam snatched Chase up, putting him further down the couch and sitting in between them, flopping down so hard that Kaz bounced up a couple of inches.

“There were two other cushions, Adam,” Chase muttered, still fixing the confusion over food. 

“Yeah, but this one was calling my name. Please, Adam! I’m lonely! ”

Chase snorted.

Kaz scooted further away, so he wasn’t being squished. Adam only moved his legs further apart, like he was trying to make as much distance between Chase and Kaz as possible. He tossed an arm around the back of the couch on his brother’s side.

“Are you just allergic to privacy or what?” Chase said, shifting to hide his screen from Adam who had tried to look at it.

“Yep,” he popped the “p”. “And to ugly and/or short people. Seems like you fit both of those categories.” He began fake-sneezing.

Kaz frowned.

“Thanks, “dumbest man in the world”, we’ll get back to you at five.”

Bree and Leo snickered.

“Five? That’s like so many feet taller than you.”

“It’s also your intelligence level. Can you count any higher?”

“Oooh,” Leo laughed. “I should’ve recorded that.”

“Got it covered,” Bree waved her phone.

“I love you.”

The balcony doors opened. Oliver and Skylar flew in, arms full of good-smelling food bags.

Oliver touched down very carefully, in comparison to normal, as he never took risks when it came to food. One of the reasons he was Kaz’s best friend. He sighed in relief when he set the bag down successfully on the kitchen counter. 

He turned, just in time to catch Bree who was blurring by to get to the food. 

“Woah there Speedy McGrabbyHands!” Oliver tugged her away. “Patience.”

“You are playing a dangerous game, little man,” Bree warned.

“She’ll actually bite your ankles,” Leo shuddered. “Bionic ankles or not, believe me.”

 “Yeah, no, I believe you,” Oliver dropped the flailing girl.

Skylar dipped down to kiss Bree on the head when she bounced over, pulling out the rest of the boxes and some plates.

“Alright,” Chase said. “ Share the appetizers,” he directed that to pretty much everyone but himself, as they all fought like rabid dogs when it came to communal food. He grimaced at the grease stains on the bags. “And eat some salad, for the love of god.”

Silence.

“Nope!” Leo said as they all made a mad dash toward the counter.

~*~

After a loud and chaotic Monopoly game well into the early morning, featuring a miffed Leo flipping the board at his losing point, it was time for bed. 

Bree and Skylar said quick goodnights to the guys before retiring to their room. Chase walked his brothers to their respective rooms, as he had said they’d definitely get lost on their own. 

Adam spared another glance at Chase and Kaz, almost worried. He crushed Chase in a lighting fast hug, which seemed to surprise him. Before Adam opened his door, Leo piped up.

“Uh-uh, let me get in on this,” he tugged both of his older brothers in. Chase laughed, and the permanent frown Adam had been wearing since he arrived lessened.

“Good night, guys,” Chase walked back to where Kaz was. 

“Make sure you get a lotta beauty rest,” Adam nodded solemnly. “You need it.”

Kaz bit his tongue.

“Same to you,” Chase said, flipping him off with a smile. “Who knows, maybe your brain will grow.”

Adam returned the gesture in kind, before glancing at them one more time, looking hesitant to leave. 

The second Chase turned, the worry gave way to a threatening glare at Kaz.

Kaz simply followed his boyfriend to their room.

~*~

Kaz sighed to himself as he rinsed the shaving cream off of his face. He really wanted to figure out what was going on with the whole Adam thing. Or at the very least try his best, as he figured not getting along with the love of his life’s older brother wouldn’t be nice. He just had no idea what he could’ve done.

“You’re sighing a lot,” Chase pointed out, hopping up on the counter next to him. “What’s up?”

“Nothin’.”

He stared at him.

“No, really, nothing,” Kaz said, putting his razor away. 

“...Yeah,” Chase waved his hand, pulling the excess water from his hair with his molecular kinesis and scrubbing his cheek with the towel around his neck. “Should I pretend to believe that?”

“Yep.”

 Chase shrugged. Kaz noticed the smile he had had since the day started. It made his heart warm, of course, as Chase being happy made him happy.

“You missed them a lot, huh?” Kaz knew the answer to this, as he’d heard Chase say it many times and seen how depressed he and Bree would get some days, spending every waking moment together as if they were grieving being apart from their siblings.

“Yeah,” his smile widened. “It’s been a long time. It’s awesome to be together again. Thanks.” he nudged his arm with his sock.

Kaz looked at him in confusion.

“Thanks for putting up with them,” Chase explained. “Trust me, I know my brothers can be a lot.”

Kaz snorted. If Chase thought that was chaotic, he’d never last at Kaz’s house.

House, not home. 

A house was full of shouting family, arguing and mean or indifferent older siblings, helpless younger siblings who had been shoved into his care, and neglectful parents who probably didn’t even remember his name and would burn him at the stake for being who he was.

Since fourteen, home was always pictured in his mind as a hospital full of fantastical heroes, terrifyingly awesome adventures, and most of all, Oliver, Skylar, Horace, and even Alan in the center. Nowadays, there were two more faces added to that roster. One of which was looking at Kaz with more love than he’d ever deserved.

“Of course,” Kaz pushed down the bubbling concern he’d had about earlier, instead focusing on what was in front of him. “They’re your family, Smarties. And I’m more than happy for you and Bree.” he settled his arms on either side of Chase, who was still perched on the counter.

Chase smiled, taking the towel from around his neck to wrap it around Kaz’s and pull him into a kiss. Kaz tugged him closer, deepening the kiss and smiling when Chase made a little surprised noise. To be fair, he’d been all but yanked off the countertop, mostly supported by Kaz himself. 

Said boy pulled away, kissing the corner of Chase’s mouth, then to his jawline, finally reaching his neck. 

Chase squeaked when Kaz started pressing kisses all over the highly sensitive skin, as it was the closest to his body’s mainframe. Kaz smirked into the crook of his neck, trying to hide his smugness as he knew exactly what he was doing.

“K-Kaz,” Chase tried as he reached his collarbone, tugging his t-shirt down for more access. “We- a-ah!”

He cut himself off when Kaz gently bit down on a spot he knew worked wonders for his boyfriend.

Kaz snickered against his shoulder, holding him impossibly closer.

“Cool it, Fireboy,” Chase lightly tugged on his hair, making Kaz pull away. He smiled, innocently batting his eyelashes. 

Chase rolled his eyes, pecking his forehead and moving the cloth up to Kaz’s still damp hair, toweling it off. “You’d think it would kill you to dry your hair properly.”

Kaz grinned. “To be fair, you use your bionics. That’s cheating.”

“I know what’s actually going to end in death,” Chase continued. “Me using more of Bree’s concealer. I don’t know which of us she’ll kill first,” he gestured to the fresh mark on his neck. “But what I- K-Kaz!”

Kaz had stopped his talking by sucking on the spot again. He pinned Chase against him with one arm, using the other hand to comb through his hair, gently pulling and making Chase whine. He followed it up with a nip to the underside of his jaw, then attached himself to Chase’s throat.

“Motherfu-” Chase gasped as Kaz brushed his thumb over the skin covering his chip, sending a jolt through him.

Kaz was interrupted by Chase’s fingers jabbing his ribs. The highly-ticklish boy flailed away with a shriek. Chase smiled proudly. “I win.”

Before Kaz could protest how unsportsmanly that move was, Chase kissed him again. “C’mon.”

Kaz grabbed the burn cream from a drawer, following him into their room. Thankfully just theirs that night, as Oliver had passed out on the couch downstairs. Not like either of them would wake him up, happy for the rare chance of alone time.

He sat behind Chase on his bed, gently pulling his shirt over his head. He set it aside, lightly tracing the starbursts of damaged skin on Chase’s shoulders. They seemed to be getting better. 

Kaz had been appalled when he’d first found out both the cause of the scars and that Chase had never treated them or been treated. 

He’d gotten them when he was around sixteen. Bree had apparently been torn up over Mr. Davenport not giving her any freedom - rightfully, in Kaz’s opinion- , so she destroyed her chip. Later Adam and Chase went on a mission without her. There was an explosion, and since they didn’t have her superspeed to escape, Chase tried to protect Adam with his forcefield and Adam tried to protect Chase at the same time. They both got burnt pretty badly. Adam’s scars were a bit more noticeable, spreading over his neck as well. He’d taken the brunt of it, thankfully, as he was built more durably than Chase, but Chase still was hurt so badly that he was in a coma for two days. Bree had felt horrible after that. She’d decided to rejoin the team as quickly as she could.

Kaz hadn’t been able to look at Davenport without curling his lip since then. It was unbelievably fucked up to make her choose between seeing her brothers get hurt and having freedom. Bree also meant a lot to Kaz, and he was incredibly protective of the people he cared about. It was a miracle Davenport hadn’t walked away with a bloody nose the first time he saw him after finding out. Though, it’d probably be bad to punch his boyfriend’s dad/employer of him and his best friends in the face. Apparently, Davenport never treated either of his son’s scars after the fact. Chase had thought that was alright until Kaz told him it absolutely wasn’t, which concerned Kaz further.

“Are you okay?” Chase’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. 

Kaz nodded, unpausing his movements and leaning forward to press a kiss against the scars. He carefully massaged the moisturizer into the old burns. This time every night was probably Kaz’s favorite. Besides it being basic human decency to do this for him, let alone his job as a doctor, it felt so intimate, solidifying that Chase was willing to show Kaz his scars, and Kaz would do the same.

He finished, taking an extra minute to rub out some of the ever-present knots in his back.

He set the jar aside, tossing Chase one of his hoodies in favor of his shirt, as he most definitely wanted to see him swamped in the fabric.

“Subtle,” Chase snickered.

“I have no ulterior motive whatsoever, how dare you insinuate that.”

He rolled his eyes, putting the jacket on. Right as he was about to get up, Kaz grabbed him. He manhandled his back to his chest, rolling both of them over so Chase was trapped between him and the wall. He tossed the Tecton comforter over them. 

“No capsule,” Kaz suggested, in a way that was not a suggestion. “Cuddles.”

Chase sighed in faux exasperation. He didn’t seem all that opposed, given how fast he relaxed in Kaz’s hold.

They fell into a cozy silence. Kaz shifted, one arm around Chase’s middle and the other tangled loosely with his hand. Chase laid his free hand on his bicep, gently squeezing. 

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

“Thank you for getting along with my brothers. It means the world, Kaz, honestly. I love you.”

Kaz swallowed his growing guilt at that. “Love you too. Get some rest, babe.”

~*~ 

Kaz walked into the hallway with a yawn. He’d already had a pretty eventful morning. He had woken up to an empty room, then unintentionally became a pro ice skater, tripping on one of his many piles of clothes on the floor that drove his neat-freak roommates insane.

He shot finger guns at Skylar and Leo who were sitting on the sofa, discussing the accuracy of her comic books. They returned them in kind.

He found Oliver, giving him a good morning fist bump. 

“Jordan and Gus called,” Oliver informed. “We’re all gonna meet up next month.”

“Cool,” Kaz yawned again, messing up Oliver’s hair because he could. Oliver began to fix it when his toast flew out of his hand. He squawked in annoyance. 

Bree shimmered into existence, looking proud.

“Kaz called you toast thief one time!” 

“I know,” she took a bite. “But other people’s food tastes so much better. You have more toasting right now, you’re welcome.”

“Why did you need to take mine then-”

“Mornin’ asshole,” Kaz interrupted. 

“Salutations, my good bitch,” Bree didn’t miss a beat, flicking Kaz in the face before speeding over to where her brother and girlfriend sat, presenting her toast trophy.

Oliver scoffed, going back to the toaster.

Kaz turned the corner, smiling when he saw Chase reaching into a cabinet, most likely for coffee as that was seventy-five percent of his diet. 

Kaz tip-toed up behind him, pressing a quick kiss to his nape where his chip was.

Chase shrieked, tossing the bag of coffee beans he had acquired and flailing around. Success! Another score for Kaz! Chase caught the bag with his molecular kinesis. 

“Holy-” he put a hand to his chest. “You’re going to be the cause of all my gray hairs.”

“Nah,” Kaz cackled, gently taking his arms and giving him a peck. “That’s AJ’s job.”

The rest of the Elite Force often joked about how Chase was the kid’s parent, but Kaz would be lying through his teeth if he claimed that seeing him interact with AJ didn’t make him feel some type of way.

“Great, more gray hair causers.”

Adam appeared around the corner, looking flushed. He was in workout clothes, like he’d run all the way from their gym into the kitchen.

“Speak of the devil and he shall arrive,” Chase snickered to Kaz. “Morning Ada-”

He was cut off by Adam yanking him towards himself by his shoulders.

“I heard you shout,” he glared accusingly at Kaz. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Chase waved him off. “But holy hell,” he fanned his nose. “Go shower, the sweat smell is traveling.”

Adam stood there for a moment, still staring at Kaz. He then sighed, bapping Chase in the face with his sweaty palm. 

Chase exclaimed in disgust as Adam scurried off with a laugh.

Kaz exhaled. So he was still on Adam’s shit list. Awesome.

Nope, he told himself. Get along with him. For Chase.

Chase wiped off his face with a clean rag, grabbing his mug when the coffee maker beeped. He started walking away after filling it, stopped by Kaz snatching the back of his sweater vest. 

“Uh-uh,” he said, taking his apron from the closet. “You’re eating a proper breakfast today.”

  Chase groaned.

~*~

Things continued like that for a while.

Overall, Kaz wasn’t sure how thrilled he was with the visit. He loved being around Leo as they clicked immediately, so well Chase had begun keeping a first aid kit on standby, alongside the fire extinguisher he always had near because Kaz was Kaz. 

Adam however was a different story.

Not a day went by without dirty looks and intentional buffering between Chase and Kaz, sometimes literally stepping or sitting between them. Kaz didn’t know why. Adam got along great with both Skylar and Oliver. What was this guy’s problem with him?

Kaz had run the options in his head a million times over. This seemed like way more than just the overprotective older brother type. No one else reacted though. Maybe Kaz was losing it.

“Aw, yeah!” Skylar cheered. “First!”  

“Damn, Oli,” Kaz teased from his second place spot. “Seventh? You wanna talk about it?”

“I loathe you both,” Oliver tossed his game controller onto the table in defeat, slumping against the couch in a sulk.

“All I’m hearing is that I kicked both your asses!” Skylar took the boy on either side into a headlock, ruffling their hair as all three of them laughed.

Yeah, Kaz should try to focus on other things. Like shoving pretzels into Oliver’s unsuspecting face, as he hated them with a passion. The important stuff.

~*~

The alarm went off. 

Adam snapped awake from the dozing pile containing three-fifths of the Davenport siblings. 

Across the room, Chase stopped braiding Skylar’s hair. 

“That’s a Mission Alert,” He shot up. “C’mon!”

The Elite Force changed quickly, rushing to the balcony.

“Do you need our help?” Leo asked, he and Adam walking over.

“No,” Chase said, putting on his visor. “Run of the mill bank robbery.”

“Aren’t there police for that?”

“Welcome to Centium City,” Bree rolled her eyes, tightening her ponytail. The rest of the team shared a collective annoyed sigh that Adam and Leo weren’t quite privy to, context-wise.

With that, Skylar and Kaz scooped up their respective partners, and all five took off into the air.

~*~

Adam sat cross-legged on the carpet, arms full of puffball. The purring cat nuzzled into his chest, and Adam couldn’t help the constant grin on his face. Leo lay on the couch with the second cat curled up on his stomach, reading some of the comic books Oliver and Kaz had lent to him as they waited for the team to return. 

It had been almost an hour. In the back of his mind, Adam acknowledged that was a long time for a simple apprehension of thieves.

Right as he was about to suggest to his brother that they vandalize Davenport’s personal suite, the door burst open.

Adam could’ve sworn his heart stopped.

Kaz rushed in, Chase in his arms. The rest of the team was on his heels. 

Kaz put him down on one of the chairs, tearing off his gas mask and swearing under his breath. 

“Oliver-”

“On it!” Oliver shot to the hyperlift doors.

Kaz turned back to Chase, pulling off his mostly ruined boot and tearing off his tattered pant leg below the knee. 

Adam felt the blood drain to his feet. 

Chase’s right leg was covered in a horrifically nasty burn. His face was screwed up in pain, clammy and pale. He winced, grabbing Kaz’s shoulder when Kaz tried to get a better view of the injury. 

“I know baby,” Kaz’s voice was shaky. “I’ve got to touch. Just bear with me.”

  Fuck.  

Adam and Leo stepped towards the commotion. Skylar stopped them with a hand on each of their chests. “Hold on.”

“Are you kidding me?” Adam demanded, feeling his fear grow. “Move!”

Bree had her hands in her hair as she was superspeed pacing. Adam was pretty sure she was the only one who could understand the primal panic he was feeling. 

All that played in his mind was that stupid sterile lab. The sheet. The metal slab of a table. Their little brother’s corpse on it.

Adam pushed past Skylar.

Chase opened his squinted eyes, seeming to notice the state of his older siblings through the pained haze.

“I- I’m fine,” he choked out through gritted teeth, trying to comfort them.

Skylar gently took Adam’s arm, wrapping her other one around her girlfriend and guiding them both back to give Kaz space to work.

The hyperlift whirred open. Oliver flew in with two duffel bags, one having his name on it and the other Kaz’s.

He touched down next to Kaz, crouching and opening the bags, pulling out various medical supplies.

There was a tense, horrible silence, save for Kaz and Oliver muttering to each other as they worked and Chase’s pained whimpers.

Adam felt Leo and Bree lean into him on either side, and he gladly took them under his arms. It was a comfort for him and them.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Oliver and Kaz gave twin sighs.

“That should do it,” Oliver sat back, wiping his brow. “Sky, go get him some water.”

She nodded, gliding off to the kitchen. 

Kaz stared at the now bandaged leg. 

Adam, Bree, and Leo all rushed forward, bombarding Chase with questions.

“Are you okay?”

“How many fingers am I holding up?”

“What the hell happened?”

“Woah guys,” Oliver said. “Give him a second to breathe.”

They backed off a bit as Skylar came back.

Oliver took a bottle of painkillers, handing a couple to Chase to take.

“I…” he took a shaky breath. “I’m okay.”

He said it with his jaw clenched and fingers digging into the cushion below him, meaning he most certainly was not okay.

A hush fell over the room.

“I-It’s,” Kaz broke it, still staring wide-eyed at Chase’s leg. “Fuck, it’s all my fault-”

Chase took his trembling hand in his own, clearly too weak to provide verbal reassurance. Adam however snapped towards him.

“What do you mean?” he demanded, flames sparking to life in his chest. “What the fuck did you do?”

Kaz swallowed, looking paler and paler.

“A-Adam-” Chase tried.

“Answer me, godammit!” Adam’s fist slammed through the table, the sudden influx of noise making Chase flinch, Oliver quickly covering his ears. 

“Step back,” Skylar put herself in between him and Kaz. Her eyes started glowing and she glared at Adam something fierce. “ Now. ”

 He stayed in standoff with her for a moment, before Bree and Leo each took an arm and pulled him away.

Skylar turned to Kaz, putting a gentle hand on his back. “Kaz-”

“If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine,” Oliver shook his head, looking ashamed. “I let my guard down.”

“It’s no one’s fault,” Chase managed. “But the machine’s.”

Adam and Leo exchanged perplexed looks.

“Blame doesn’t matter right now,” Skylar said definitively. “What does is getting you to bed.”

Oliver carefully picked Chase up, watchful of his leg. Bree and Kaz followed them to the staircase.

Adam grabbed Skylar’s arm. “ What happened?”

Leo rubbed his bionic arm as he did when he was anxious, waiting for the answer.

Skylar sighed.

“The mission was going fine at first. We only had a few more lowlives to catch, but one of them pointed a gun at Oliver when he turned his back.” she took her visor off, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Thankfully Chase put a forcefield up by the time the trigger was pulled, but Kaz shot fire at the guy at the same time. The concentrator on his arm had gotten damaged, so it swiveled and turned the flames on Chase instead. Bree managed to speed over and somewhat pull him out of the way, but his leg got caught.” she massaged her temples and sighed again. “Even a second later and it could’ve been much worse.”

Leo stared at the floor. Adam clenched his fists. 

“Go sit down,” Skylar squeezed each of their shoulders. “It’s a lot, I know. And don’t blame Kaz. It wasn’t his fault.”

She went down the hall, likely to find Bree who most definitely would be losing her shit at the moment.

~*~

“Kaz, look at me.”

Adam paused his door barging down to check on his brother, instead slightly opening it.

Chase lay looking pale and miserable on one of the two beds. It had a superhero blanket -Techman? Was that his name? He was one of Leo’s favorites.- and a nightstand covered in comics, action figures, and school papers. A softly glowing lamp gave the room light. Likely just that to not overwhelm Chase’s eyes.

Kaz had dragged up a chair to the bed, still in his mission suit as it seemed he hadn’t left Chase’s side for a second, despite getting back a few hours ago. 

“Kaz, please.”

He shook his head. 

Chase reached out his hand. Kaz fumbled away, white as a ghost.

“D-Don’t,” he stammered, breathing in and out quickly. “Don’t, don’t t-touch me. I don’t want to- I’m gonna h-hurt you again-”

Adam could see Chase’s heart break a little.

“Kaz,” he said gently. “Come here.”

Kaz took a couple of tentative steps forward. 

Chase beckoned him closer. The second he was within distance, Chase snatched his wrist, putting Kaz’s palm on his chest. Kaz weakly tried to pull away, clearly wanting to be further but also afraid of hurting Chase in the process of escape.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Chase repeated, voice steady. “You’d never hurt me intentionally or accidentally. It was the stupid device. Try and match my breathing, Kaz.”

Kaz bit the inside of his cheek, before trying to calm his breaths. 

Chase reached his free hand up, brushing under Kaz’s eye with his thumb. 

Kaz sniffled, burying his face in Chase’s chest. 

“It’s okay,” Chase soothed, running his hand through his hair. “ I’m okay.”

Adam gently closed the door.

The fire dimmed.

He scratched his head.

~*~

Kaz blinked stinging eyes open. His head hurt.

As his senses awakened more, he realized there was a hand in his hair. He glanced up to see Chase looking at him with more love than he deserved, especially after what he did. 

Chase pulled him up into a kiss.

“Shut up,” he ordered. 

“What?”

“I can practically hear you talking shit about yourself.”

Kaz blinked.

He huffed out a laugh, hiding his face in Chase’s shoulder and pressing a small kiss there. “What time is it?”

“Almost noon,” Chase curled his fingers into the hair at the base of his skull. 

Kaz lazily gazed at his pretty eyes, feeling exhausted despite sleeping over twelve hours. 

“They’re worried about you,” Chase continued. “You should probably prove you’re alive before Oliver has a heart attack.”

Kaz snorted. Chase began rubbing a spot in his neck that Kaz didn’t even realize was sore from his awkward sleeping position. 

“Go clean yourself up and change.” 

Oh. He was still in his mission suit. 

Kaz dragged himself to his feet, looking back at his boyfriend reluctantly.

“I’m not going to vanish while you’re gone,” Chase promised. 

Kaz sighed, leaning over him to press a kiss to his lips. He gave him an extra peck before heading for the bathroom.

~*~

Adam and Leo extended their visit while Chase was healing.

Douglas had dropped by to check on him and by extension the others after a few days. 

“Well, what the fuck did you do this time, kid?” their uncle whistled through his teeth.

“Excuse you, I didn’t do anything,” Chase rolled his eyes as Adam set him down in a chair, more gentle than he ever was with anything, barring animals of course. Chase balked when Oliver and Kaz both looked away, ashamed. “ No one did anything,” he added.

Douglas raised a confused eyebrow, then gave up with a shrug.

 He unwrapped the bandages, looking over the injury. He briefly conversed with Kaz and Oliver, probably about treatment things, before redoing the gauze. 

“It looks like it's on its way to healing. With your bionics, you'll heal faster than a regular person,” Douglas mused. He stood, ruffling Chase’s hair. “Next time, let’s not have ‘no one do anything’.”

“Noted.”

Douglas pulled Adam and Leo aside, assuring Leo that he and Logan and Taylor had the island covered for as long as he needed, and telling Adam he’d called his professors and filled them in on the situation.

He then ruffled their hair as well, having to stand on his toes, at which they promptly opened their mouths to make fun of him for (“Uh uh, shut it. I can change your heights in the quickest and slightly malpractice-y way.”), then ruffling Bree’s from where she perched next to Chase, having immediately put her arms around his shoulders and pulled him against her in a silent admission of both worry and care, neither of which she’d ever admit out loud.

“I gotta head out,” Douglas started to the balcony where a DavenJet hovered. He’d taken Chase’s mission suit to repair the damage, and left his world-famous danishes in return. “You kids stay out of trouble. Or if you get in trouble, at least make it entertaining.”

~*~

“Baby, let me carry you.”

“No,” Chase said through gritted teeth. It had been a week since he was burned, and he was determined to get around on crutches now, mostly having been carried by Adam, Oliver, Skylar, or Kaz himself. “I’ve got it.”

Kaz was doing his best to be supportive, but his anxiety always spiked when they were on the staircase. He hovered close enough behind him to respect his autonomy, but also to be able to catch him if he fell.

Chase did surprisingly well until the last step. His good foot slipped, and Kaz dove forward, grabbing his middle and pulling him back against his chest. They sat still for a second before Chase spoke.

“I’m calling that a victory.”

Kaz released the breath he’d been holding in a laugh. He hoisted Chase to his feet with one arm, grabbing his crutches with the other. He kissed the back of his ear when he handed them to him. 

They made their way into the living room.

Adam frowned the second he saw Kaz. He’d even gotten colder to him, though this time Kaz figured it was justified.

Adam shook the scowl off his face when Chase looked up from his crutch getting caught on the corner.

“Hello, dork,” Adam greeted from the couch. “Nice hair. Did the barber use a weedwhacker?”

Kaz did his best to ignore that.

“Hi Adam,” Chase said, coming behind his brother. “Nice glasses. It’d be a shame if-” he cut himself off by smacking his palm on his face, causing the glasses to smash into his nose.

They started wrestling over the back of the couch, half-heartedly on Adam’s end as he was mindful of his leg.

“Yeesh,” Bree grumbled from her spot on the same couch which was now being jostled. “Would it kill you to take your brotherly annihilation somewhere else?” 

“He started it!” They both said.

“Boys,” came a stern voice from her phone. 

“Sorry Tasha,” they echoed in unison, almost habitually.

“Wait, Tasha?” Chase blinked. Kaz snickered.

He watched him light up when Bree moved the screen to show their mother’s visage. She was holding the youngest Davenport sibling in her arms. Chase always seemed more playful and childlike around her, like he was able to shed the weight of all his responsibilities for a brief reprieve. Kaz was glad she had that effect on him.

“Hi, sweetie,” Tasha waggled her fingers. “How are you feeling?”

“I made it down the stairs today,” he waved his crutch. “Only tripped and nearly broke my face open once.”

There was silence.

“Jeez, you kids are the cause for all my gray hairs,” she laughed, reiterating Chase’s earlier thought. “Oh, is that Kaz back there?”

“Hey, Mrs. D,” he took the cue, coming up next to Chase and settling an arm around his waist to support him. “Hi, Naomi. How’s it going?”

“We’re great, honey,” Tasha smiled at him. Kaz felt fuzzy and warm as he normally did when she talked to him. He understood why Chase and Bree always spoke so highly of her. This woman was a walking causer of mommy issues. “Are you taking good care of our little handful?”

Chase squawked indignantly at being referred to as that.

Kaz laughed, pulling him closer and kissing his temple. “Always.”

“I beg your pardon?” Chase was faux-offended, as everyone in the room knew he’d never actually been able to stay upset at her. “I’m the least handful-y of your kids.”

“Here here,” Bree and Adam agreed. They were chaos-causers on purpose. And proud of it.

“And yet you tried going down stairs with a charcoal leg,” Tasha laughed. Kaz swallowed the guilt bubbling to the surface. 

“That’s neither here nor there,” Chase argued. “Slander and defamation.”

She rolled her eyes fondly.

Before she could reply, the alarm sounded again. 

“Shit,” Bree muttered. “Sorry mom, gotta go.”

Tasha nodded in understanding. Quick “I love yous” were exchanged before the call ended. 

Chase moved as if to get his mission suit.

“Uh uh,” Bree put her arm on his chest. “You are benched, mister.”

Chase tried to protest, but his sister and boyfriend fixed him with looks.

“Fine,” he grumbled, pulling an earpiece from a near drawer with his molecular kinesis. “I’ll walk you through.”

~*~

Adam followed Chase to the hyperlift. 

He picked him up a few inches off the floor, as he figured the sudden landing jolt wouldn’t do good for his leg.

Chase made it to the cyberdesk, pulling up a graphic of the mission site. Leo walked up in confusion, having been exploring the tunnels.

“Alright,” Chase adjusted the mic. “Fairly straightforward. Just a simple gas leak.”

Adam and Leo snorted.

“Kaz, Oli, quit laughing,” Chase rolled his eyes with a smile. “Thank you, Skylar. Hit them harder next time.” He himself whacked both of his brothers in the chest.

“Okay. Bree, go check the pipeline for more leaks- Kaz, I swear-,” Adam examined the site closer, feeling a bit of nostalgia. This mission was pretty similar to the one that launched him and his siblings into the limelight. 

“Oliver, freeze the laceration. Skylar, once he’s done, start melting the metal together to seal it. Kaz, help her with that. Just heat up your hands, your gloves should protect you. Don’t use your flames, the chemicals are highly flammable.” More nostalgia.

Chase gave a few more instructions. After about fifteen minutes, he sat back. “Great job, guys. Come on home.”

He took the earpiece out, turning. As he did, his elbow hit a tablet. The device hit his leg, and he cried out in pain, seizing Adam’s arm and clenching his jaw. Adam realized he did that as the strength of his grip would’ve probably hurt Leo. 

“F-Fuck,” he choked, waving his brothers off. “I’m okay. Just clumsy.”

Leo laughed nervously at that. Adam however glared at the red blip on the map, the cause of his pain. The sparks grew.

~*~

Things had gotten worse. Kaz felt like an intruder in his own home. It had been a bit over two weeks since the burn incident, and gradually being around Adam was becoming unbearable.

He was trying everything in his power to put up with him for Chase’s sake, especially since he didn’t want to stress him out while he was recovering. But Kaz wasn’t sure he could put up with the nonsense much longer.

Things had progressed from looks and subtle separation to active antagonization and isolating Chase from Kaz at any time he could. 

Kaz was fed up. As much as he hated to do it, he had to tell Chase.

He walked over, with Adam’s eyes very much on him, to where Chase was working on his laptop at the desk in the living area. Normally, he’d be doing so in Mission Command, but he wasn’t really willing to jostle his leg every time he took the hyperlift. 

Chase sat in the chair, nose thinking-crinkle in full force and looking very cozy in his sweater and the blanket around his shoulders. Ordinarily, Kaz would scoop his adorable boyfriend up and kiss his pretty face, but Kaz needed to say his piece before he psyched himself out, again .

“Hey, babe?”

“Hi.”

“Hello. Can I talk to you for a sec?”

Chase shut his computer and swiveled around in his chair. Kaz tried to ignore the pang of guilt in his chest at seeing his right leg positioned awkwardly.

He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to figure out the best way to go about this.

“I… uh,” he sighed, best to just rip the bandaid off. “I’m pretty sure your brother hates me.”

“Leo? That’s-” 

“No, Adam.”

Chase raised his eyebrow with a smile. “Are you kidding? I’m pretty sure Adam is physically incapable of disliking…”

He trailed off when Kaz nodded behind him. Adam was sitting there, watching them with suspicion written on his face and “reading” a book upside down. 

Chase frowned.

He balanced himself on the table to stand, putting his other hand on Kaz’s chest. 

“I’ll go talk to him,” he pressed a kiss to his lips, most definitely since he noticed Kaz staring at his leg.

So Chase believed him. Thank god.

Kaz sat down in the chair, idly spinning around as he watched Adam and Chase from the corner of his eye. It had been a few minutes, full of back and forth. Adam kept nodding, like he was retaining what he was being told. The conversation ended with him putting Chase in a headlock and ruffling his hair.

Kaz released the breath he’d been holding. Seemed like that went well.

Chase made his way back to Kaz, leaning his crutches against the desk.

“He said he didn’t realize he was being rude and that he’ll try to pick up on it,” he explained. “You should’ve seen the first time Bree brought a boy over.”

Kaz shuddered.

“Tell me if it happens again,” he cupped his cheek, receiving a nod.

Chase reached out to pull a second chair over. Kaz did him one better, manhandling -mindfully, of course- Chase into his lap.

He raised his eyebrows at him with a grin. 

Chase scoffed fondly, grabbing his laptop and getting back to work. Kaz rocked and spun them whenever his ADHD demanded, feeling lighter already. 

Things would be okay now.

He spared a glance to where a certain someone was still staring at him.

Oh, for fucks sake.

~*~

Things were decidedly not better. No, far worse in fact.

And Kaz didn’t know what to do. It had been days since Chase confronted Adam, and things had only gone downhill. More secretly, to avoid being detected by Chase, but still being downright nasty to Kaz.

He didn’t want to ask Chase about it again. His boyfriend was stressed to high hell with figuring out some prototypes for a big presentation Davenport was having, which Kaz honestly thought the billion-dollar tech mogul should be able to handle on his own. But ultimately, he didn’t want to add more to Chase’s very full plate.

Adam and Leo were leaving tomorrow. 

He just had to hang on until then.

“Here,” Chase passed him his flame concentrator in the hall. He was still walking with a limp, but at least he could get around without crutches now. “Fixed it.”

“Thanks,” Kaz said. “You’re the best.”

Chase pulled him into a kiss, as they hadn’t had much together time in recent days with how busy he was. 

Kaz deepened the kiss, hiking Chase up so his back was against the wall and his legs were around Kaz’s waist. Chase wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him impossibly closer. Kaz focused on the warm, light feeling he always got with Chase, trying to release some of his own pent-up stress over the whole Adam situation. 

They stayed like that for a bit, until Chase pulled away. 

“I love you, but I’ve really got to get back to work,” Kaz nodded, tenderly setting him down. Probably best to not make out in a public hall where one of Chase’s siblings or Kaz’s best friends could walk in on them, anyway. Chase pecked him on the lips one more time, before continuing down the corridor. 

Kaz sighed when he was out of view.

Just one more day . He told himself.

“Uh, what the hell are you doing?”

“What?”

Skylar scowled. “That is an eight-hundred-pound weight Kazimieras.”

Oh. So it was. Maybe he was trying to exercise the stress away, having beelined for the gym. Maybe. 

She lifted it away from him. 

Kaz tried to avoid her gaze, but he knew she knew because Skylar could read him and Oliver like books.

“What’s up?”

“The ceiling,” Kaz automatically replied.

“Yeah, that’s funny every time.”

“Thanks.”

She sighed. “What’s wrong, Kaz, seriously?”

“Nothing.”

Stare.

“I…” maybe telling someone would help. Get it off his chest or whatever his therapist had said. “Fine.”

~*~

Chase clenched his fists.

“And I know he’s Chase’s brother,” Kaz was saying. “But honestly I don’t know how much longer I can take this. I’m trying for him, but-”

“Kaz, you need to tell him this,” Skylar interjected. “You can’t just ignore-”

“Sky, he’s stressed as hell right now,” Kaz sighed. “I’ll put up with it.”

Chase turned from the gym door. He hadn’t been trying to eavesdrop on his boyfriend, but it was difficult not to with super hearing. He ground his teeth at how defeated Kaz sounded, stalking down the hall.

He and Adam were going to have a talk.

~*~

Adam was stretched out on the couch in their game room, enjoying his time with the two cats that napped on him. Across the room, Leo and Oliver debated hero stats while Bree let them know they were nerds and painted their nails.

The peace was interrupted when the door crashed open. The cats scattered while the humans all jumped, preparing to fight if they were being attacked.

It was Chase who had evidently kicked the door down, injury and all. He stormed in, angrier than Adam had seen in a while.

“Adam Charles Davenport, you MASSIVE- FUCKING- ASSHOLE!”

“Nope,” Leo decided, he and Bree dragged confused Oliver out of the room, preferring finding a new nail painting spot than incurring their brother’s fury.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Adam frowned, sitting back down on the sofa.

“Don’t you play dumb with me!” Chase shouted, grabbing him by the shirt. “I heard everything !”

“Huh?”

“That you-” he yanked his collar so they were face to face. “Have been treating my boyfriend like shit behind my back, un-fucking-provoked!”

Adam scowled.

“And you lied to my face, saying it was unintentional! You said you were going to be better! And if I’d known just how awful you were being, I would’ve-”

“Oh, so you’re taking his side-”

“No, Adam,” Chase released him, slamming his hands down on the table. “I don’t take “sides”, because I’m not a fucking child! But I’ve been there for every interaction you two have had, and Kaz hasn’t done a damn thing to you! I wasn’t ever going to find out, right? That was your intention? He didn’t even tell me because he was putting up with your shit for me ! I heard him talking to Skylar about it- for god’s sake, Adam, you’re the adult in the situation, and he’s being far more mature! What have you got to say for yourself?”

“You don’t understand,” Adam gritted his teeth. He didn’t. Chase couldn’t see that this was all for his protection.

“ What don’t I understand?” Chase threw his hands up.

Adam bit the inside of his cheek. He couldn’t tell him.

“What?” he demanded. “Can’t tell me? Like I’ve never heard that before! I thought we were getting better, Adam. I thought all that counseling was working. I thought we were getting somewhere. You’ve been acting so weird these past couple of months, even before all of this nonsense! Distant, cold, it’s like you don’t even care anymore!”

It was the opposite. He cared far too much.

“Chase-”

“ Why won’t you talk to me?” Chase grabbed his shirt again, this time with trembling hands. “Do you not trust me?” the hurt on his face broke Adam’s heart. “Why are you taking any of this out on Kaz? If you’re angry, at least direct it at me ! Why, Adam?”

I don’t want to lose you again . That’s what Adam should’ve said. I don’t want you to be hurt anymore. I want to protect you.

All Adam did, however, was turn away. 

Silence. 

Chase took a shaky breath. Wordlessly, he walked to the door.

“...You know,” he muttered. “I thought it’d be great to have my big brother around again. Now I’m not so sure.”

Adam stared at his hands as the door clicked shut.

Fuck.

~*~

Kaz nervously bounced his knee.

He’d been worried when he’d gone down to an empty Mission Command. Oliver had stopped him in the hall, explaining the confrontation Chase and Adam had started. He told him it was probably best to not get involved.

So now here he was in their room, waiting for something . He had the nagging feeling that Chase had heard his conversation with Skylar.

“I wouldn’t get too worried,” Oliver tried for the third time in the past hour. “It’s- I mean- it’s probably nothing.”

Kaz stared at him like he had three heads, which to be fair, on Skylar’s planet it’d be normal.

“Yeah I know,” he sighed, flopping onto his white duvet. “I’m doing my best.” 

Before Kaz could reply the door opened.

Chase walked in, face hidden by his hair.

Kaz blinked in surprise, before hurrying over. “Are you okay? What hap-”

He noticed how hard Chase was shaking. 

“Oh shit, you’re not okay-” 

Oliver took the cue, slipping out so they could have some privacy. 

“Wh- is touching alright?” Kaz tried to steady himself. 

Chase shook his head, staring at the ground with wide eyes.

“Okay,” he said. “Come sit down, baby. Your leg.”

He stumbled to the bed. Kaz sat down next to him. Chase was hyperventilating. 

“Okay,” Kaz repeated. “Chase, I need you to try and match my breathing.”

It was a trick they used for each other, unfortunately often. Even though Chase was normally heavily averted to touch in this state, he could still follow the breathing with his bionic hearing.

Chase took a breath. He coughed and spluttered as he tried to calm down.

“You’re doing great,” Kaz soothed. “Keep going.”

After what felt like hours, Chase began to breathe normally. 

“Good,” Kaz murmured. “Do you want to talk about it? You don’t have t-”

“I don’t know w-what to do,” he croaked,  putting his head in his hands and rocking back and forth. “I don’t know why he’s being like this. Fuck, I have so much work to do-”

“Hey,” Kaz gently interrupted. “We’re taking care of Chase right now. That can come later.” 

“I don’t know what’s wrong with Adam lately,” he leaned into Kaz’s side, still hiding his face. “I don’t know what to do. I-” he coughed again.

Kaz raised his hands, going slow to give Chase ample time to refuse his touch. When no such refusal occurred, he wrapped his arms around him. Chase practically collapsed in his hold. Kaz hated how small he felt.

“A-And he was taking it out on you- I-I don’t know what to do- I always know what to do- I-”

“Shh,” Kaz stroked his hair, tightening his embrace. “I’ve got you, baby. We’re gonna figure this out.”

~*~

Kaz shifted. 

Chase had passed out in his arms, likely from the culmination of stress and influx of anxiety he’d had to deal with.

Kaz carefully removed his shoes and belt, undoing the first few buttons of his collared shirt and tenderly laying Chase down.

He frowned at the crease in Chase’s brow. How did he always manage to look so exhausted and stressed, even asleep? 

Kaz smoothed it out with his thumb, brushing under his eye after. There were no tears, of course. Kaz sighed, leaning over him to kiss the circles under his swollen eyes. He pressed another to his lips, quietly leaving the room.

Kaz strode down the dark hall, feeling fire flicker on his arms. 

It was one thing for Adam to be making Kaz’s life miserable. He could take it, in favor of doing it for Chase. But for this fucking guy to tear his boyfriend up inside like this? That was a whole other ballgame.

He reached Adam’s door, raising his fist to pound on it and demand entry so he could kick his ass.

Right before it hit the metal, Kaz paused.

Shit. 

He couldn’t do that.

All another fight would do was cause Chase more pain. 

He took a breath, glaring at the door once more before swiveling on his heel.

Kaz scrubbed a hand down his face, going to the kitchen. The clock read three. Awesome. 

He poured himself a glass of juice, sitting at the island and idly scrolling through his phone, trying to calm down.

He jolted when he heard heavy footsteps approach. 

Fucking spectacular.

Adam paused his steps when he noticed Kaz, before looking away and continuing forward. Kaz sighed, shifting to get up.

“‘S your kitchen,” Adam grumbled, pulling a water from the fridge. He looked like he hadn’t been able to fall asleep yet. Good. He shouldn’t be able to.

Kaz ignored him.

Right before Adam made it to the stairs, Kaz spoke.

“Just so you know,” he didn’t bother to look at Adam. “I’m not going to stop seeing your brother just because you don’t like it. I don’t care about whatever vendetta you have against me. He’s the love of my life, and nothing you do is going to change that.”

Adam sighed defeatedly, like he knew that already. 

“Just…”

Kaz turned.

“Just don’t break his heart.” He looked so tired.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

With that, Adam disappeared up the stairs.

~*~

The next morning was bittersweet. 

Adam and Leo shouldered their bags, prepared to leave in the DavenJet idling on the roof.

The Elite Force had gathered there to say goodbye. Kaz hated how much pain was written across Chase and Bree’s faces. They knew it could be a very long time before they were together again.

Leo and Adam said their farewells to the rest of the team before turning to their siblings. 

Leo yanked Chase into a hug.

“Hey,” Chase patted his back. “We’ll see each other again before you know it. And call every minute before.”

He dabbed up the tears that had slipped down his little brother’s cheeks with his sleeve. 

Leo tried for a smile, before turning to hug Bree, who had just let go of Adam.

Adam and Chase stared at each other, neither knowing what to do in lieu of the previous night. 

“Bye Adam,” he turned. 

“Bye.”

Kaz put his arm around Chase when they rejoined them. Skylar squeezed Bree’s hand as the girl furiously scrubbed her eyes. Oliver handed her a tissue.

They waved as the plane took off.

There was a beat of silence.

“Let’s go,” Chase said.

As Kaz followed his team back into their penthouse, he wished he could do something.

Chapter Text

Rain pounded against the terrace doors.

Kaz sat on the couch, taking in the gray gloominess washing over the room. It felt about right for how things were going.

He felt a weight on his shoulder. Kaz glanced to his side, seeing Chase leaned against it. 

He adjusted his position to put his arm around him, both of them releasing sighs. 

Kaz looked half-heartedly around the rest of the room. Oliver sat cross-legged on the floor, seemingly too exhausted to make it to the furniture. Skylar glared by the balcony doors, standing ready for the glass to explode and a new foe to attack. Kaz could relate to both of them a bit too much.

 They stayed in a wordless agreement of being far too drained to interact, like it had been for days now. Kaz couldn’t remember the last time any of them had smiled or laughed.

He brushed his thumb over the much darker circles beneath Chase’s eyes. He probably had some of his own now, given the rest of the team did too.

Rightfully so. It’d be hard not to since what happened a couple of months back. 

Missions got harder and more frequent. Gradually more innocents lost their lives. Their enemies were always a step ahead, perfectly orchestrating the propaganda against the Elite Force, who were now booed or straight-up attacked in public by the very people they were risking their asses to protect.

From there being anti-Elite Force protests on some channels, people on the news screaming back and forth, some about how they were glorified killers, some about how vigilantism was wrong and should be left to the -worthless- police, some in defense of their team, some pitying how they were so young.

Davenport was trying hard to do damage control and fix the tarnish on their name. None of them really left the penthouse anymore, save for the impossible missions and following pointless leads on their enemies. 

Kaz had never been in more pain. It was like every bone in his body was begging for him to just slow down and rest, but he didn’t have that choice. None of them did. 

The back of his skull continuously felt pinched, with stress and exhaustion culminating in a miserable 24/7 headache. He didn’t want to think about how Chase felt with his senses amplified.

He pulled said boyfriend closer, kissing the crown of his head and tenderly rubbing his tense shoulders. Chase leaned up, kissing him for real and trying for a smile. It looked so pained that Kaz simply tugged him even closer, trying to provide any comfort he could muster.

The four stayed in a very weary silence.

Until Chase jumped so hard that he almost banged his head against Kaz’s chin.

Kaz, Oliver, and Skylar immediately snapped towards him, as he had clearly heard something they couldn’t. Kaz took a stilted breath, preparing to fight whatever it was.

Chase stayed still for a beat, listening. He then exhaled, waving them off.

False alarm.

The hyperlift doors opened. Bree walked out, surprisingly looking somewhat upbeat. Kaz couldn’t imagine how. Every time he looked down he could see blood on his hands no matter how many times he washed them, and heard the screams of an eviscerated city block, full of families they were sworn to protect. He’d collected too many mutilated bodies that day. Too many that were far too small to have seen such horror. He didn’t know if the dark red stains would ever come out of their suits.

Bree cleared her throat. It felt weird to hear someone talk. “Hey, come down to Mission Command.”

Chase, who was being primarily addressed, raised his eyebrow. “Uh… why?”

Kaz wondered for a second if he thought it was a trap. He did the exact same thing the other three did, looking her up and down for any non-Bree behaviors, wary of her possibly being a shape-shifting intruder.

Bree sighed but nodded in understanding.

“Breanna Adeline Davenport. Favorite color is orange. I steal people’s food, toast primarily. Had a stuffed unicorn named Uni growing up, until Adam used it for target practice.”

That last one seemed to confirm it for Chase. 

He sighed, sounding uncannily similar to his sister. “What’s up?”

“Just c’mon,” she took his wrist. “All of you.”

As they started making their way to the hyperlift, Kaz exchanged looks with his friends. Both of them shrugged, following.

They walked into their headquarters, waiting in front of the left stone wall as Bree directed. 

It raised, and Kaz honestly couldn’t have been more opposed.

Adam and Leo stood on the other side. 

Leo launched forward, yanking Chase into a hug. 

“Wh-”

“It’s a late gift for your birthday dude,” Bree explained. “And it’s been a while.”

That wasn’t the full reason, Kaz suspected. It was an open secret to those associated with it that the Davenport family was crumbling apart, mostly on behalf of its patriarch, so it would make sense for Bree to bring their brothers around to maintain some semblance of togetherness.

However, she didn’t know about the last time, what had happened between Adam and Chase and Kaz. How could she? Chase and Kaz never got the opportunity to tell her as everything went to shit soon after. They probably never would’ve told her anyway. The only one who knew besides them was Skylar.

Leo pulled back with a big grin. He was probably relieved to take a break, what with the island being swamped with disaster relief calls.

Adam avoided eye contact with Chase.

Chase shot Kaz a panicked “I’m sorry” look.

Kaz waved him off. It wasn’t his fault, clearly he had no idea that Bree was planning this. He couldn’t stop the way he gritted his teeth when Adam curled his lip at him.

Oh, this asshole was not going to start shit and get away with it again, not this time.

Bree’s eyes bounced between the three of them in confusion.

Skylar set her hand on Kaz’s shoulder protectively. “Hi, guys. Didn’t know you were showing up.”

The tone she used made the tense hush tenser.

Leo cut through it, gently moving Chase’s hand from his mouth where he was biting his thumbnail. 

“Yeesh, it’s about time,” he slung one arm around Skylar and Kaz and the other around Oliver, turning them and starting to the hyperlift. “We’re here for fun together time, ‘cause I can guess y’all kids have not been having fun.”

“Understatement of the century , dude,” Oliver sighed. 

Leo glanced back at his older siblings. Bree gestured for him to go up, looking like she was about to pester the other two into telling her what was up. Awesome.

~*~

Kaz looked up as the hyperlift whirred. Leo cut off his story about having to pry Logan’s head from the air fryer, as he’d been telling the trio all the absurd things he’d been up to since the last visit to cheer them up. Though their reactions were muted, Kaz greatly appreciated it, and he knew Skylar and Oliver did too.

Chase sat down on Kaz’s side of the table, looking even paler than earlier. 

Kaz frowned.

Are you okay? He tapped into his knee.

Chase chewed his lip before averting his eyes and nodding. 

The frown deepened. Kaz gently squeezed his leg in a silent “I’ll fly you out of here the second you say the word”. Chase put his hand on Kaz’s, squeezing back.

Bree and Adam made their way over, the latter taking the chair on Chase’s other side much to Kaz’s chagrin. He wrinkled his nose at Kaz.

Bree sat next to her girlfriend and across from Adam.

Kaz saw her superspeed kick him in the shin.

He scowled at her. She glared right back. He huffed, sliding down in his chair.

“...Anyway,” Leo continued. “When I tell you I’ve never used more olive oil in my life-”

Kaz tuned him out, matching Adam’s angry stare. 

Not this time. Kaz was done being nice. He’d been through far too much lately to put up with this shit. 

“And Tay didn’t help. She just filmed and laughed. So then we had to get Perry, who thought it’d be funny to turn on the air fryer-”

“Got a staring problem?” Adam interrupted, raising an eyebrow at Kaz.

“I could ask you the same.”

Chase tensed between them. Skylar narrowed her eyes at Adam while Bree facepalmed. Leo and Oliver exchanged equally uninformed looks.

“Are you tryin’ to start shit?” Adam stood.

“I’ll finish it,” Kaz stood as well.

“Guys-” Adam pushed Chase out from in between them, making him smack the back of his head on the wall with a yelp. 

Kaz felt fire ignite on his arms and hair. He’d sooner melt his face off than stand for Adam being physical with his boyfriend again, normal for them or not.

“You piece of-”

“Kazzy-” Oliver tried. 

Before either of them could react, Kaz felt a sharp pain in his jaw. He stumbled, falling back into his seat. Adam did the same.

“Cool it,” Bree ordered. “Or I’ll use more painful pressure points next time.”

She walked over to pull Chase to his feet. She tenderly touched the back of her brother’s head, concern written on her face. He gently grabbed her hand. “I’m fine.”

Once Chase sat back down, Skylar tapped the table.

“Why don’t one of you switch places with me?” she suggested. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” Adam put an arm around Chase’s chair, pulling it closer to him than Kaz.

“Neither am I,” Kaz pulled it back by the armrest.

Chase shoved both of their arms away, glowering in warning. Once they faced forward, Leo coughed awkwardly.

“So…” he turned to Oliver. “I could eat. ‘Bout that KBBQ place you mentioned-”

~*~

“Well, pal ,” Kaz said. “I’m sure you can handle it. Mr. I’m So Big And Strong But Can’t Deal With A High School Kid Sitting Near Me.”

“Listen, buddy ,” Adam smiled, leaning over. “It’s not my fault you’re a puny weakling. Your jealousy is showing.”

“Like I’d ever want to be anything like you ,” Kaz laughed, moving closer too. “Not that desperate.”

Chase sat in between them, chin resting on his palm and looking about five seconds from killing both. 

Across the table, Oliver fidgeted uncomfortably. Leo awkwardly sipped his water. Skylar folded her arms and rolled her eyes at the non-stop passive-aggressive comments that had been happening for the past two hours, while Bree superspeed bounced her leg.

“Well, actually, friend,” Kaz leaned further, pressing into Chase with his fake smile fixed on Adam. “I think I could kick your ass, right now.”

“Please,” Adam did the same, Chase now being squished between them. “I’d like to see you try. Can you even reach it?”

“Do you want to find out?” 

Chase was crushed underneath further.

“Yeah, why don’t w-”

Adam was cut off by Chase surging up, slamming his hands on the table.

Both he and Kaz had jumped away a bit so their chins didn’t collide with Chase’s skull.

There was a heavy silence.

“Adam, Kaz,” Chase’s voice was hardly above a whisper. “Mission Command. Now .”

“Why?” Kaz asked.

“I’m not goin’ anywhere with this guy,” Adam said jabbing his thumb at Kaz.

Chase clenched his fists. 

He swiveled on his heel, and Kaz felt his body be yanked along.

“Wh- babe, c’mon!” he protested as he and Adam were dragged to the hyperlift by molecular kinesis.

“Uh…” Oliver said when the doors opened. “Should we help them?”

“Nope,” Bree popped the p . “They’re doomed.”

“Lesson one amigo,” Leo put an arm around his shoulders. “You piss off Chase to that extent, you’re a lost cause.”

“Yikes.” 

~*~

“Sit down,” Chase ordered, releasing his hold. “Now.”

Adam took a chair at one head of the cyberdesk, Kaz taking one at the opposite end. Chase folded his arms, standing in the middle.

No one spoke.

“Uh…” Kaz started. “Why are we here?”

“Because,” Chase glared at both of them. “You two are going to talk out your differences and get to the root of all this like adults, instead of squabbling like preschoolers.”

“No, I’m not,” Adam stood as if to leave.

Chase’s bionic eye activated. “Yes, you are, actually. Or you’ll sit down here until you rot because I’ve just disabled the hyperlift and tunnels.”

Adam scowled.

Kaz preferred the “until they rot” approach. Maybe if he waited long enough, a mission would be called and they’d have to leave.

“Go on,” Chase prompted as Adam sat back down. 

They glowered at each other for a solid minute.

“...Fine,” Kaz grumbled. “You wanna know the truth?” Both Adam and Chase looked at him, Chase imploringly, Adam in annoyance.

“I can’t fucking stand you,” he leaned forward. “From the minute we reconnected, you’ve been hellbent on making life miserable. And I did my best to put up with your petty, childish, bullshit for the sake of your brother. But you’re still egging on. And I’ve had enough. You’re not going to walk all over me when you have no fucking clue what we’ve been through lately.” 

Blood, twisted skyscraper remains, explosions, Chase holding a bloodied little girl and comforting her mother as she took her last breath, assuring her that her daughter would be okay, only for the girl to die in her sleep that night. 

“I… I have far too much going on to deal with your fucking nonsense.”

Adam rolled his eyes.

Kaz clenched his jaw at that, feeling a vein bulge in his neck. Fire began spreading over his arms and behind his eye sockets. He launched up, smashing his palms onto the table like Chase had done earlier.

“And something you don’t seem to realize, you idiotic asshole, is that the person most affected by this shit is him !” he pointed to Chase. 

“He’s eternally stuck in the middle because you’re making him have to choose! Do you know how much sleep he’s lost over this? Just because you can’t stand the thought of coexisting, not even for your brother! And I’m not going to just let you continue this when all you’re doing is adding more burdens on his shoulders and hurting him!”

Adam quirked his eyebrow up.

Chase furrowed his at Kaz.

“Since we’re on the topic,” he waved his hands with a smile that probably made him look slightly off his rocker. “I don’t care how “normal” you physically assaulting and putting Chase down is at your home, because it’s deplorable and needs to fucking stop before I make you stop. I’ve always wondered why his self-esteem is so godawful. Now I’ve figured it out. You are not going to treat my boyfriend like that, especially when he’s such a good fucking person who doesn’t deserve it.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Adam began to stand, gritting his teeth.

“Adam,” Chase held his hand up. Adam reluctantly sank back down. 

“Is that everything you wanted to say, Kaz?”

Kaz thought for a second before nodding. He actually felt a little lighter now, having said what he had pent up for months. Damn, maybe his therapist was right.

Chase gently put a hand on his shoulder. Kaz took it, gingerly kissing his bruised knuckles, as they always seemed to be that way nowadays. “Okay, Adam?”

“You’re just gonna let him say all that and not-”

“Later,” Chase said, combing his hand through Kaz’s dark spikes as a way to take him down from his heated outburst. “Go on.”

Adam stayed silent.

For a while.

Kaz tapped his fingers on the table as he waited.

He gently took Chase’s arm to look at his watch. 

Adam muttered something, cracking the cyberdesk where he gripped it.

“What?” Chase asked.

“Get your fucking hands off of him!” Adam roared, snapping off the end of the desk.

Both Kaz and Chase jolted, Chase holding his ears.

In a split second, Adam grabbed his brother by the shirt and flung him behind him, sending him crashing into the cyberdesk. Adam wheeled on Kaz, looming over him even from his position a few steps away.

Kaz got into fighting stance instinctually, though he was pretty sure flames wouldn’t do damage to the mass of muscle coming at him.

Adam’s steps broke into the floor. He raised his fist.

“Adam stop!” Chase yelled, getting between them again, only to be shoved behind once more. 

Kaz tried to think of any way to escape without becoming a pile of assorted Kaz on the floor.

Adam’s face was so angry that he looked almost expressionless. That gaze stayed unflinchingly on Kaz, even when Chase jumped on Adam’s back, using his momentum to force him away as much as he could.

Adam simply pulled him off, continuing his path of destruction, uncaringly demolishing the cyberdesks and other machines around him as he walked through them.

He poised his fist again, and Kaz braced himself for his skull to be battered in. 

Adam’s punch connected with a blue wall. He hit it again and again, not tearing his stare away once. He was dead set on harming Kaz, if not killing him. His eyes lit up red.

“Stop!” Chase cried, leveling his shaky hand to keep the forcefield up. He dashed in front of Adam, throwing his arms out to shield Kaz further. Adam’s punch froze, a millimeter from Chase’s face.

“Move.” Adam said.

“N-No.”

Adam put his arm out to sweep Chase to the side, but Chase attached himself to his middle.

“Stop it,” he begged. “Please, Adam, stop !”

“It’s for your own good.”

“Adam, please .”

Kaz could hear the terror in his voice. A flicker of emotion passed on Adam’s face.

“He’s going to hurt you,” Adam pushed forward, but weaker this time. “He grabbed your wrist.”

Kaz blinked in confusion. 

Chase gasped. 

“Oh, Adam-”

“He’s going to hurt you. He’ll hurt you. I’m not gonna stand by and let him. Not again. He’ll hurt you. And then we’ll lose you again,” Adam rambled, staring at Kaz.

“I- We can’t lose you. Not again.”

Adam was stopped when Chase threw his arms around his neck, hanging a few inches off the floor.

Adam’s hands hovered, like he was unsure of what to do with them. 

There was a three-count of silence. 

Tears flooded his eyes. He wrapped his arms around Chase, falling to his knees. 

“I can’t lose you,” Adam whispered. “Not again. Fuck, Chasey,  we- I thought you’d never come back. I thought I lost my little brother. I-I-”

“I’m right here, Adam,” Chase murmured. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

“I knew,” Adam continued mournfully. “I saw all the fucking evidence, a-and I just let him do all that to you- I let that bastard sweet-talk me-”

“I-It’s not your fault.”

“ Yes, it is,” Adam gritted his teeth, the first tear tracing its way down his cheek. “I’m not gonna make that mistake again. I can’t let you go through that again . It’s my job to protect you guys. And I didn’t do a damn thing to stop it!” he shouted that part, slamming his fist into the floor. At the same time, a beam of red shot from his eyes, grazing Chase’s shoulder.

“No, fuck-” Adam gasped, unmistakably looking at the old scar on his brother’s cheek, a million horrified expressions crossing his face. “Not again, dammit!” He covered his eyes, more beams shooting into his palms. 

“I-I’m okay,” Chase said through gritted teeth, holding his shoulder. “Adam, you have to  try and calm down.”

He pulled him closer.

“Don’t!” Adam begged, flinching as another blast hit his hand. 

Chase, very much uncaring about the lasers, only brought him closer. 

“ Why ?” Adam demanded. “Why did I leave you to deal with that? Why wasn’t I there?”

“Adam,” Chase said shakily. “You were there. You protected me when no one else did. You saw what no one else could. Hell, I didn’t even know I needed protection. You’ll never grasp how much that meant. To know I had a safe place to go to.”

Chase held on to his brother as he crumbled into pieces, the secret Adam seemed to have carried for years now spoken.

Kaz put his palm against the shield. Honestly, he was concerned about whatever they were referring to, but seeing Adam, who was this massive, pillar of a man with a constant smile on his face, whittled down to this through his guilt and shame… Kaz related. His anger melted away fully as he watched on.

“Adam,” Chase gently prompted after some time. “You’re- I know you only want to do what’s best for me, but I’m an adult now. I can make my own decisions. I can take care of myself.”

Adam pulled off his glasses, scrubbing his eyes. 

“Kaz is nothing like him ,” Chase continued, pulling out a handkerchief and dabbing at his face. “He’s never raised his voice at me on a whim. He’s never told me I’m worthless. Never lifted a hand to me. He protects me and makes me laugh and-” Chase paused, turning his head towards Kaz with a soft smile.

“He loves me. For real this time. And I love him.”  

Kaz smiled back.

Adam looked back and forth between them.

“And,” Chase shrugged, placing his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. “Obviously if he fucks up you get the first punch.”

That startled a laugh out of both Adam and Kaz.

“Nah,” Adam sniffed, wiping under his eyes one more time. “Bree’d beat me to it.”

Chase laughed, reaching out his hand to help Adam up. He motioned with his other hand and the forcefield around Kaz dissipated.

“Kaz,” he beckoned him forward, gently pushing Adam a bit further with a hand on his chest.

Kaz fidgeted with his bracelet, tossing the options in his head. Sure he wasn’t mad at Adam anymore, but being near murdered would scare anyone shitless. He wasn’t looking to become a Kaz-pancake. Adam however looked almost ashamed, suddenly taking an interest in the floor. It seemed like all the rage drained from him too.

Kaz sighed, maneuvering around their ruined control room.

Immediately, he examined Chase’s shoulder. Thankfully there was only a small cut. Kaz sighed in relief, smoothing his hand down Chase’s back. I’ll stitch it up later.

Chase placed a hand on his shoulder, the other laying on Adam’s upper arm.

“Kaz,” he started. “About what you said, I didn’t explain it well the first time. When we were younger, yes, lines would often be crossed and never addressed. Now though, he and I have been in counseling for about a year to help our relationship.”

“Because our mom lovingly harassed us into doing it,” Adam added.

“Yep,” Chase smiled at the mention of Tasha. “We have a code word for when things go too far, both physically and verbally, which verbal things I was very much involved in too, not just Adam. Every time it has been used, we stop immediately. Believe me, he’s not the one who screwed up my self-esteem so badly. We’re a lot happier now. And healthier.”

He turned to Adam who grinned back. 

"He's one of my best friends, in fact.”

"One of?" Adam sounded offended.

"Yeah. If I say you're my best friend Leo and Bree might kill me. Or you. Actually, Adam, you are my best friend."

"Aw, thanks, man. …Wait-"

All three of them laughed.

“And also, Kaz, I’ve been in … situations that have forced me to be able to recognize abuse and toxic behaviors. Like I said to Adam, I’m grown. I can take care of myself.”

Kaz didn't like the sound of “situations” but he nodded.

“Both of you are really important to me,” Chase resumed. “And it would mean a lot if you could try to get along. I think you’re more alike than you realize.”

Adam rubbed his neck.

Kaz fidgeted with his bracelet once more.

Chase waited.

“...So,” Adam began. “You wanna like… get pizza or something?”

Kaz lit up. “Sure, man. I’ll get the wormhole transporter so we can go somewhere where the people don’t want my head on a spike.”

Adam grinned. “I know the greasiest food in Mission Creek.”

“Aw, hell yeah,” Kaz matched it. “You’re speaking my language!”

Chase smiled.

“I’m proud of you,” he hugged his brother again. 

Adam smiled back, patting his head. He waited a beat before opening his other arm. 

“Alright, bring it in.”

Kaz obliged.

~*~

“Well, someone’s in a good mood,” Bree’s voice seemed to interrupt Chase’s thoughts.

He turned to her as she hopped over the back of the couch, a large smile on his face.

“Yeah,” he said, shifting into a cross-legged position. “I think Kaz and Adam figured things out.”

“Think?” she raised an eyebrow.

“They’re getting pizza in Mission Creek. As long as Adam didn’t lure him there to murder him in an alleyway, I’d say it’s a good sign.”

She snorted.

“Hey,” Bree smiled, curling an arm around his shoulders, noticing one freshly bandaged. “That’s great!”

“Yeah,” Chase breathed. “It really is. I was worried for a while there.”

She waited for him to elaborate.

“I don’t know, Kaz is…” he scratched his head. “I… You’re not gonna drop this, are you?”

“Nope.” Bree was quite intrigued. It was her job as a big sister to rip information about his love life out of him.

“This is so embarrassing,” Chase groaned. “Kaz is…he’s the one, you know? Like in terms of forever. After the war.”

Bree smiled softly, pulling him closer to lean on her shoulder.

“And I just figured being with the… family,” both of them would ignore how bittersweet that word felt at the moment. “It’d be awkward if Adam hated him. And also, I’d prefer my boyfriend didn’t get torn limb from limb.”

“You love him a lot, huh?”

“Yeah,” Chase replied. 

Bree smiled again. Good. She’d seen from day one of the team how Chase would always talk to her about Kaz and how Kaz always looked at him like he hung the stars in the sky. She fully called their relationship from the start and would brag about it until she croaked.

And she fully approved. Bree noticed how soft and gentle Kaz was with him and how he’d always lift Chase up, giving him affirmations and letting him know how special he was.

Chase deserved that after everything he went through. Bree had lectured Adam that morning about not ruining this for him, not after he was so much happier than before. And now, seeing Chase’s dumb little sappy smile, she just felt so much affection for her little brother and how strong he was, how far he’d come.

She pressed a kiss to his head, surprising both of them.

Neither moved for a heartbeat.

“What the actual fu-”

“It’s me showing affection,” Bree spluttered. “Shut the fuck up and take it.”

Chase blinked. 

He then smirked knowingly.

“ Wow , you’re going all soft on us-”

“You little asshat- I’ll show you soft!”

She snatched him in a headlock, noogie-ing him aggressively as he squealed. They rolled off the couch.

Leo appeared from the balcony, not missing a beat and flopping onto the carpet where they were wrestling. 

“One! Two! Three!” he yelled, smacking the floor. “Bree wins!”

“Like always,” she smirked, grabbing her youngest brother too as he shrieked in fear. 

As she tortured them, she could hear Oliver and her beautiful girlfriend come in, probably to place bets on the sibling pile-up.

Beams of sunlight began to poke through the gray clouds.

And for the first time in a while, things felt content.