"They're planning something, I know it." Wales frowned, looking at the two younger boys across the room.
"They're playing chess- what's wrong with that?" Julian asked, looking up from his book.
"You may not know Nero as well as I do Luke," Wales said, "But I can tell when they're planning. Or, maybe plotting, in this case."
"Wales, you're over- reacting..." Julian sighed, "Can you just try and enjoy the weekend alone? I mean, it's basically a boy's paradise until Monday!"
Ah, yes. Niether Sophie or Klaus were in the Konzern mansion, both heading off to their home countries to spend time with their fathers on the dreaded days that both the Konzerns and McKandless's hated- Father's Day.
Wales sighed, before glancing up across the living room and at the grandfather clock against the wall. It was almost eleven- thirty.
Wales stood up, stretching, "Alright Luke, I'm gone to bed. Make sure you get in by midnight, got it?"
"Yeah, yeah." Luke waved him off, frowning at the chess board, "I got it."
"Same to you Nero. You got lessons tomorrow." Julian set his book down.
"Okay." Nero answered.
As the duo walked away in seperate directions, their footsteps receding, Nero and Luke looked up at each other.
"Wales has no idea, does he?" Nero drawled.
Luke smirked a little, and shook his head, "Nah. He doesn't."
"Good. Now let's keep it like that until the morning." Nero paused, "Your move, by the way."
Julian needed his coffee. Now. It was too early to be up- six in the morning- and yet here he was, up at an unreasonable hour and heading into the kitchen.
All because his thoughts were racing around the fact that Nero basically had no father to celebrate with today.
Julian blinked as he walked into the kitchen, before quickly stepping behind the doorway and poking part of his face around the doorframe.
Nero and Luke were in the kitchen, the smell of eggs, bacon, coffee- oh, how Julian wanted his coffee now, at the smell of it freshly brewed- and...
Was that blackberry muffins he smelled?
Julian licked his lips, and forced himself to stay where he was, listening to the conversation the two younger brothers were having.
"All I can say is, I hope they like this." Nero was saying, his voice holding a tinge of nervousness to it.
"I'm sure they will." Luke replied.
"And if they ask why we're doing this?"
"Tell them we'll tell them when we want to."
Julian frowned, not liking how cryptic Luke was sounding.
"As smart as they are, they'll probably figure it out before lunch. Speaking of which, what have you got planned for Wales this afternoon?" Nero asked.
"Something I've heard him talking about that I really, kinda wanna do myself." Luke said, before he paused, and asked, "What about you? What have you got planned for Julian?"
"I... really haven't decided yet." Nero sounded unsure, "I haven't been able to think of anything... I know this is gonna sound selfish, but... being the only real father figure I've ever had, I just wanna spend time with him. And... maybe our sister too. I mean, we're all she has, and... Julian's all I have, in the terms of a father figure. The same for you and Wales."
Julian backed away at that, eyes widening a bit. So that was what this was all about? Nero and Luke looked up to their brothers so much that thought them to be their father figures?
Julian turned and walked away from the kitchen, back to his room, his thoughts whirring like crazy.
Coffee could wait until later.
Something was off.
And it wasn't just the surprise- already- made- hot- and- ready breakfast that tipped Wales off.
It was the fact that Julian seemed a bit... out of sorts. He was eating well enough, but he seemed... distracted.
Say what you want, but Wales could tell when something was bothering his best friend from a mile away.
It came with the territory of having an abusive father and a younger brother to always look out for- you learned to see the signs.
But before Wales could even open his mouth to comment on Julian's behaviour, Luke spoke up.
"Wales, I really hope you don't have anything planned for this afternoon." Luke said.
Wales blinked, "Not that I know of... why?"
"Good. As for the why, you'll see. Just... trust me?" Luke asked, looking up in a half- shy way between his bangs.
Wales leaned over and ruffled his brother's hair, "No problem, buddy. I can do that."
"What about you, Julian? You got anything planned?" Nero asked.
"No. I cleared my schedule earlier this week for today." Julian said, before he looked up, "What about you? Have you got anything planned?"
"Um... my lessons-"
"Are hereby canceled for the day. After lunch, I'm taking you somewhere."
Wales saw how Luke and Nero exchanged looks, like something wasn't going according to plan...
Wales frowned. Now he knew something was off.
"Okay." Nero said, finally, "Mind telling me where?"
Finally, Julian cracked a smile, "Now that, is a secret."
"You canceled my lessons to bring me to a hospital?! Are you sick or something?" Nero blinked, looking a little panicked as he was suddenly in Julian's personal space, checking his eyes and then his pulse.
Julian rolled his eyes at his younger brother's antics, "Take a look at the hospital again, Nero."
Nero did so, and his whole demeanor changed. He blinked at the sign, recognizing it, before turning it to Julian, "It's been a few weeks since we've seen her... she's still alive?"
"And more than ready to see us again. She just might be strong enough to beat us up, when does see us, so..." Julian poked Nero in the ribs, causing him to snort back a giggle, "Watch your six, got it?"
"So long as you watch your seven, we'll be fine. Now come on! I wanna see her!"
Nero bolted off through the hospital doors before Julian could even utter a word.
"Wait... Cresthill Cemetery? What are we doing here?" Wales blinked up at the iron wroght gate, before giving Luke a weird look.
"Um, well..." Luke looked sheepish, "I... you've been talking a lot about mom, and well..."
Luke trailed off, looking unsure of himself, and Wales suddenly put the pieces together; the breakfast, the being- nicer- than- usual act all day, and now a trip to their mother's grave...
"I'm pretty much all you have." Wales whispered, realization dawning over his features.
"Um... come again?" Luke blinked up at his brother.
Wales turned to Luke and grabbed him in a bear hug, "Oh, Luke... you could've just said something!"
"I... come again?" Luke repeated.
"Dad wasn't the best person in the world, we both know that," Luke flinched at the mention of their father, "And, you never knew mom except from the stories I tell you about her."
"You make her seem real enough." Luke mumbled.
"I'm... literally all you have left." Wales repeated his earlier words, his voice lowering, "And... you're all I have left. So... I guess it really makes sense-"
"You took care of me when dad didn't." Luke suddenly burst out, "You actually cared about me, loved me, took the time to get to know me, not just treat me like... like... like a-" Luke shook his head, "Listen, it means a lot to me, even when you go on those mood swings of yours and turn all mean and angry-"
"Hey! I don't have mood swings!" Wales protested.
"The point is... you're the father figure in my life." Luke's words had Wales halting in his mental footsteps, "You're the father to me, that... dad never was. And... I appreciate it so, so much."
Wales felt the tears burn at the back of his eyes, one of an emotion he couldn't quite describe...
It didn't matter, Wales thought as he pulled Luke into another hug to hide the fact that he was crying, because he had a little brother that he meant the world to, and god help those who tried to turn that against him.
Actually... God help those that tried to tell him otherwise. Then they'd see just how angry a McKandless could be when protecting one of their own.
After all, family always stuck together.
"Knockity- knock... knock knock- Hey!" Nero scowled as a pillow him him the face, "What was that for?!"
"I haven't seen either one of you in over three freaking weeks! Where have you been?!" A girl with blue eyes sat on a bed, dressed in a hospital gown that looked one size too big for her.
Nero winced as he walked in, "Busy." He paused, then walked over to the girl and ran his hand over her head, "Hey... you've got fuzz growing. Your hair's coming back- YEOW!" Nero winced as he got punched in the ribs, "Jeez, for someone who's lost a lot of her muscle, you pack a good punch, JJ!"
Julia Jenassa Konzern glared up at Nero, "Don't think that just because I'm the younger one, or have cancer, doesn't mean I won't lay you flat your back."
"You probably could." Julian spoke up, and he moved around Julia's bed to sit on her left, "How you doing, little sis?"
Julia's eyes softened as she looked between her two older brothers, "Good, now that you're here. God, I've missed you two so much!" She reached out with both her arms- both her pale, skinny, toneless arms- and wrapped them around each brother's neck, "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me or something."
"We'd never do that to you, JJ." Nero sat on the younger's left, "You know that. It's just... being a Konzern..."
"Is a lot of work, I know." Julia released her brothers, "I just... miss spending time with you. Why can't you come here more?"
"Hey, according to the doctors and how your treatment's coming along, you'll be home in just a month or so. Then you can spend all the time you want with us." Julian said.
"Yeah, we might even join together to get you a Bey." Nero chuckled, and cut off when he saw the glare Julian was giving him.
"Don't give her any ideas." Julian said.
"Too late." Julia said, "I... I'd like to be like you two- respected Bladers."
"I don't know how 'respected' Julian is, after the whole Ziggurat fiasco." Nero snorted, then yelped as Julian punched him the shoulder, "I have enough bruises from Julia!"
"Then put your filter in between that brain and big mouth of yours." Julian snapped.
"Oh, like you don't need one on occasion!"
Before they could get further into their arguement, Julia burst out laughing, only cutting off when it caused her pain.
"What was that about?" Nero asked.
"We haven't heard you laugh since before you were admitted to the hospital." Julian finished.
"You two... you remind me of when I was still in the mansion. Always bickering over the littlest thing." Julia chuckled, "It... it feels like home."
Julian and Nero shared a small smile over Julia's head, before they both wrapped an arm around her shoulders, squeezing in close for a group hug.
"Hey, that's what family is." Julian said.
"Home." Nero finished.
And not a single person in the entire universe would be able to change that.
And when I couldn't sleep at night
Scared things wouldn't turn out right
You would hold my hand and sing to me
Okay, so happy Father's Day! This is something I've been working on for a day or two now. Also, the song lyrics at the end were Miley Cyrus' song "Butterfly Fly Away".
Hope you enjoyed, and please review!