A/N: And suddenly I realize how hard it is to write for Scout xD He's a hard character to keep IC, I think. As the story goes on, I should get better at it though. And yes, Vincent Norwood is the name I chose for Scout. At the beginning of each chapter I'll post the names of the characters to remind you guys. If I forget, just remind me!
Please review/favorite if you like the story!
Warning: (for this chapter) Mild language
War wasn't something Vincent was scared of. He'd seen it on TV and in movies. He'd read about it in books and in the letters his brothers sent home. It wasn't fun, but it was exciting and it was something he'd dreamed about since he was a child. The sounds of guns going off, the rush of adrenaline through his veins as he dodged enemy fire... it was what he wanted. But it wasn't what his mother wanted. At least, not anymore.
When he had been a child, hardly older than eight, his oldest brother went off to war. Robert had signed up the day he turned eighteen and was drafted the day after he graduated high school. He died a month later when the enemy bombed the base he was stationed at.
Vincent's mother was devastated to say the least. She spent most of the first few months crying nonstop. Vincent was upset too, as were the rest of the boys, but that didn't stop them from continuing on like normal. Two years later, the third oldest brother, Jack, was drafted as well. It was a tearful goodbye but he promised to avenge Robert's death.
Things were alright for the next few years. Jack sent monthly letters and called whenever he could. Vincent loved to listen to his stories about the war and Jack was more than happy to tell the youngest boy all about it. It helped him, he said. Vincent didn't understand why, but it didn't matter. Jack was happy and so was he.
One day though, the calls just stopped. It was Vincent's sixteenth birthday and he skipped school just to wait by the phone for a call. It never came. All day he waited and all night he waited. Maybe Jack was busy. Or maybe he'd been moved again and didn't have access to a phone. Vincent was sure he'd call eventually. He had to!
A week passed and there was still no call. The boys could tell it was worrying their mother, even though she tried hard not to show it. Then, a letter. It wasn't from Jack, but it was from the base he had last been stationed at.
That morning, all the boys awoke to sound of their mother crying, just like when Robert had died. Too tearful to respond to their questions about what was wrong, she'd simply shoved the letter into Vincent's hands and scurried off to her room.
Jack had disappeared. There was no explanation as to why or how, just that he'd gone missing during a battle. If he had been killed, there was no body found. None of his friends knew where he'd gone and no one had seen what had happened to him. As far as the army was concerned, he was MIA. Missing in Action.
Vincent didn't understand why his mother was so upset. Jack might still be alive! He had to be! If they couldn't find his body, then surely he couldn't have been killed! When he'd told her that though, she'd simply sobbed out that he could have been captured. Her baby was being tortured, maybe even killed, by his enemies.
From that day on, no one spoke about him. Anytime Vincent asked if there had been an updated letter or a phone call, they'd glare at him and tell him to shut his mouth. He didn't understand why. Didn't they understand that their brother might still be alive? He didn't have to be dead!
But a year passed and there was no call, no letter, nothing. Vincent had long since grew to miss his older brother. His laugh, the way he spoke about the war, everything. Many nights passed where Vincent would just sit by the phone, praying for a call. It didn't have to be from Jack. It could have been from his captors, or a friend who had found him. Hell, if a call from his captors had come through, Vincent would have hopped on the first plane over there and given them what they wanted. Anything to have his brother back.
The night before his eighteenth birthday was no different. It was midnight and Vincent was dozing off next to the phone when it rang. It scared him awake, but he was quick to answer it. If his mom or brothers knew he was still awake, especially for this reason... hell, he didn't want to think about that.
"Hello?" His voice was soft, still groggy from sleep.
"Hey, kiddo. How's it going?"
Vincent could have cried. It was Jack! His brother was calling! He was alive! He was okay!
"Jack!" He cheered, jumping up from his seat. "Fuck bro, where have you been? We've been worried sick about ya'!"
There was a soft chuckle, followed by a sigh. "It's a long story, kid. Listen, try to keep your voice down, okay? It's gotta be late there, I know. I don't have long to talk about I want you to promise me something, okay?"
"Yeah, sure bro! What is it?" Was he shaking? Probably, but he couldn't help it! Jack was back. He was alive and okay and he'd probably come home and explain everything! It was going to be okay. Mom and Simon and Tomas and Tim and Caleb and Jay, they'd be so happy! "Anything, I promise!"
"Don't tell anyone we talked, okay? Don't tell mom or our brothers. They can't know. As far as they're concerned, this call never happened. Okay?"
Vincent froze. "W-what? Why?" But they were supposed to know! They would be happy... just like Vincent was. They'd stop mocking him and bullying him for believing that their brother was alive and well!
"Promise me, okay? Then I'll tell you why." There was a nervous tone to Jack's voice, one Vincent didn't like.
But he wanted to know why his brother had disappeared and what had happened... so he agreed. "I promise. It'll be our secret! Yeah, that's good! Our little secret!" He forced a smile and a happy tone even though on the inside he wanted to cry.
"Thanks, kiddo. Look, I can't talk to you for long, but basically I did something really bad. Me and one of my buddies... we killed someone. Someone on our team. On purpose. It was our general. It's a long story but we had to run away. They'd know that it was us if we stayed so we left."
"I... what? Why? W-was he bad guy or something?" Vincent had to fight to keep his voice down. Hell, if mom found out about this, all hell would break lose!
"No... fuck, look, I gotta go. I can't take this. Just don't tell anyone, okay? I love you, kiddo. And I love mom too and all our brothers. I'm sorry for worrying you guys but it's something I had to do. I'm sorry, fuck, I'm so sorry for everything." There was a small noise, like a sob. Was Jack... crying? Big, strong Jack who stood at six foot five and was the biggest guy on the football team was actually crying?
"Jack... Jack what's going on? Come on, bro! You can trust me!" He pleaded, tears prickling at his own eyes. "Bro! Come on, man! Talk to me!"
Another sob, this one louder. "I can't! I just fuckin' can't! I just... I can't tell you. Not yet, at least. I ain't right... I need some time to think about this shit." There was a pause and a soft sniffle. "Happy birthday, okay? And happy birthday times ten to make up for all the ones I missed and all the ones I might miss. I love you, Vin. Do me one last favor, okay?"
He didn't know if he could handle another promise, but he choked back a sob and nodded. "W-what?"
"Don't cry for me. I'm not worth it. I did a bad thing and now all of you guys are suffering for it. I'm sorry. I really am."
Vincent almost broke that promise right then and there. He wasn't a crier, he really wasn't! But fuck... here he was talking to the brother everyone thought was long gone and there were all these stupid promises he was making...
"Kid? Ya still there?" Jack's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and Vincent nodded, knowing full well he couldn't see it.
"Y-yeah, I'm here..."
"Good. I'm gonna go, alright? I might call again some other time, if I can, but for now consider this our last talk." Vincent didn't want to do that. He wanted to listen to his brother talk like how they used to. He wanted to beg and plead for him to not go, to keep talking. To hell with anyone who got mad at him or mocked him! This was his brother! He deserved to talk to him.
But he just mumbled a small, "okay" and sniffled.
"Come on now, don't cry. You're a good kid, I know you are. No matter what you do, you'll make me proud. I love you, Vinny. You've always been my favorite little brother."
Before Vincent could thank him or even ask something else, Jack hung up. For a moment, the boy just stood there, shocked that this conversation had actually happened. Then the anger came. He didn't know why he was mad, but he knew he was. He was mad at Jack for not telling him everything, he was mad at whoever Jack had killed for doing whatever got them killed, and he was mad at Jack (again) for being stupid enough to kill a teammate!
He slammed the phone down and rushed upstairs, fighting back tears the entire way. He wouldn't break this promise! He couldn't!
Hell, Vincent was even mad at himself for making those stupid promises in the first place! How could Jack tell him something like that and then expect him not to tell anyone else? And how could he go missing, not tell anyone where he was, and then expect Vincent not to be upset? It was so fucking stupid!
The boy curled up on his bed, hugging his pillow to his chest. Tears stung his eyes and he bit his tongue, refusing to cry. He couldn't do this. He just couldn't do it. He had to tell someone! It was his family he was talking about here! They deserved to know!
… Or did they? For a moment, Vincent stopped and thought about it. Yes, they deserved to know, but could they handle it? Mom would cry her heart out and demand that Jack be found. Even if he was sent to jail, at least she'd know he was okay. Jack would go to jail if Vincent told their mother, so he couldn't tell her. As for the rest of his brothers... Simon disagreed with war. He hated blood and gore and he thought it was senseless murder. Telling him would result in the same thing. Tim and Tomas, the twins, they were... weird. They'd probably want to go on an adventure looking for him! That'd be no good, so they were out.
Celeb was stupid. He wouldn't understand or if he did, he'd throw a fit over it and get mad at Vincent for some stupid reason. The two of them had never gotten along so he was a no go.
As for Jay... well he was a cop and telling a cop that his brother was a murderer was probably the stupidest thought ever. Either he'd go out and try to track him down to bring him to justice, or he'd go crazy trying to decide whether or not to and kill himself. Knowing how bipolar he could be, Vincent figured it'd be the last one.
No wonder Jack didn't want anyone knowing he was alive. His family was fucking insane! The thought made Vincent smile just a bit. His family was insane, they always had been. But he'd always assumed it was a good kind of insane, a happy kind. Maybe not. Now it seemed like they all belong in a nuthouse or something!
Rolling over, he sighed and combed a hand through his hair. It was late. He should have been asleep hours ago! It was the eve of his eighteenth birthday. Tomorrow mom would make him get up early for his birthday breakfast and then kick him out of the house so she could get things ready for his birthday party. Usually Vincent would have been excited for it. And he was, to a degree. But he also dreaded it for some reason. He didn't want to face his family and have to hold back that damn secret! He had to though, he knew that.
With a yawn, he closed his eyes. Maybe sleep would be good. He was tired after all. Very, very tired. The last thoughts of Jack and what had just happened faded as he dozed off, ready for the night to be over but not ready for tomorrow.
Eight am rolled around faster than he thought it would and soon his mother was banging on his door, demanding he get up.
"Sweetie~" She cooed, sticking her head in. "Happy Birthday!"
There was a groan and Vincent rolled over, burying his head under the pillow. "Mooom!" he whined. "I'm sleeping!"
"Oh come on, Mr. Sleepyhead! Get up! I made bacon and waffles~"
Oooh, food! If there was one thing Vincent loved more than sleep, it was food. Slowly, he peaked up at his mom and frowned. Ugh, no one should be this cheerful in the morning. But there was food downstairs and he could smell it, so Vincent rolled out of bed anyway. "Fine! I'm up, I'm up. Let me change and I'll be down in ten."
She cheered happily and hurried back downstairs. At least she hadn't sent Celeb or Simon to wake him up. That really would have been hell.
Stretching, Vincent stood and walked to the bathroom. Damn he looked like shit. Bags under his slightly red eyes, messy hair... yep, he officially looked worse than ever. For a moment he just stood there, confused as to why he looked so bad.
… Oh, right. Jack. Yeah... that was an issue he was too tired to care about at the moment. He might have been upset last night, but right now his emotions were still asleep, save for hunger that is. It was always awake.
Vincent washed his face, attempted to de-scruff his hair, and changed into a t-shirt and shorts, his normal summer clothes. At least he looked a bit better washed up and in normal clothes.
Walking down the stairs, he was a bit annoyed to find that his two older brothers were already eating. He considered himself lucky that there was anything left, considering Celeb was home again.
"Look who finally woke up!" The elder sneered through a mouthful of food.
Simon smiled at his younger brother and kicked Celeb, causing him to spit out part of the food as he yelped. "Celeb, don't talk with your mouth full. It's gross."
"Fuck you! You're not my mom!"
Their mother cut in, smacking Celeb with a spoon. "Well I am and I'm going to agree with your brother. Don't talk with your mouth full. It's gross. Also would you please stop using that language around me? You know I don't like it!"
Simon puffed out his chest and smirked, causing the younger to flip him off and mutter something about Simon "needing to stop being a goody-two-shoes".
Vincent merely chuckled and made himself plate, sitting next to the elder of the two. It was a wonder his mom even let Celeb stay here. Half the time he was out partying, getting drunk, and/or getting high in some random alleyway. He'd never been a good kid but lately it seemed to be even worse. Sometimes Vincent worried for his mom's safety around him, but in the back of his mind, he knew Celeb would never hurt her. Well, he hoped he wouldn't that is.
Simon, on the other hand, only stayed at home because he was in college studying to be a shrink, or a psychologist as he called it. He didn't have the money to afford a dorm or apartment so his mom had been kind enough to let him stay there instead. He was the second oldest and had always been the nerdiest of the bunch. But he was nicer than most of the other brothers, even if he'd always refused to help Vincent with his homework.
Breakfast was quiet, save for a little bit of bickering between Vincent and Celeb over the syrup. Vincent didn't mind though. The quiet gave him a chance to think about the questions he knew his mom and oldest brother were going to ask him soon. It was the same questions they always asked the boys when they turned eighteen. Are you going to college? What are you going to study? Are you going to stay here or move out? Any girlfriends yet? When are you going to marry them? The last three usually came from Mom, although Simon had asked the third one once or twice. Hell, he'd practically pressured Celeb to move out! Vincent wasn't surprised though and didn't blame him in the least.
Even as they cleaned the table, the room stayed silent. Nerves began to well up inside of Vincent. Had they overheard the conversation last night? If so, when were they going to start asking about it?
"So..." Vincent froze to look at Simon, who was helping him wash down the table. "Are you going to college?"
The younger boy relaxed a bit. Maybe they hadn't heard the phone call. But the question still made his stomach flip nervously. He'd thought about this and he knew they wouldn't like his answer.
"No, I'm not." He started, causing the elder to frown. Celeb paused as well, making an odd face. "I think I want to go into the army, like Jack and Robert did."
The silence that filled the room was mirrored by startled looks and frowns. Vincent forced himself to stay steady, meeting their gazes with his own frown. "I'm serious."
Simon glanced away first, coughing awkwardly. "I... you know how I feel about this..."
"You're not my mom, Simon. I know you're the smart one here, but really. I want to join. I've wanted to since I was a freakin' kid!"
There was the sound of a pan slamming down and all three boys jumped. They turned to look at their mother, who was holding back tears. "Well I am your mother and I say no. You can't join. I won't loose another baby!"
Celeb and Simon both backed out, one muttering about having to use the bathroom and the other about a class he needed to work on. Vincent was stubborn, they knew that. This wouldn't end well.
"Well guess what, Mom? I'm eighteen. I can join if I want. I don't need your permission!" He kept a steady voice. Shouting would make this worse. The same thing had happened when Jack said he wanted to join after Robert died. "Look, I won't die. Trust me-"
"You know you will! Robert did, Jack did, you will too! How many more children will I have to loose before you understand that war means death!" She snapped, tears already starting to trickle down her cheeks.
"Jack isn't dead!" The words slipped out before he could stop them. She blinked and he quickly backtracked. "You have no proof he is! He could have deserted the army for some reason! He's alive. I know he is!"
"Where's your proof?" Oh god, he hated that tone. That angry, soft tone moms used when they were especially pissed off. "He's dead. MIA is just a nice way of saying "We have no proof but he's probably dead"."
"That's not what it fucking means!" He snapped, biting his tongue. Shit, Mom hated it when the boys shouted at her. She bowed up, drawing back as if to slap him. Vincent braced himself and raised his own hand, ready to block it and scurry back if he had to. "MIA means Missing In Action! It means that they don't know what happened to him! They don't have a body, they don't have proof he's dead! No one saw him die and no one saw him get captured! So he's alive, by default."
For a moment, he saw her gaze waver. Slowly, her hand went down and she turned away from him. "You're not going to go. I won't let you."
Vincent had to fight back a laugh. Wouldn't let him? What was she going to do, chain him to the bed and refuse to let him go until he promised her he wouldn't join the army? Actually, knowing her, she just might.
"I said this before and I'll say it again. I'm eighteen. You. Can't. Stop. Me. I'm my own person now, whether you like it or not. I can do what I want now. My life doesn't need your approval. End of discussion, okay?" He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, I'm just gonna go. I'll be back in a few hours for the party. If it makes you feel better, I'll think about this and tell you when I get back."
He didn't wait for an answer before hurrying outside. God, she was so overprotective sometimes! Why couldn't he just live his life instead of the one she wanted him to live? In the back of his mind, he knew she was just trying to protect him but seriously? He was eighteen! A freakin' adult now! She couldn't stop him from joining the army. He wouldn't let her.
As he walked down the road, his anger started to fade. She meant well, she really did. Maybe he should rethink his decision. Maybe she was right. He'd probably die anyways! They did say moms know best, after all!
Groaning, he flopped down on a bench and looked around. Why did he even want to join the army anyway? He'd die out there! He wasn't big and strong like Jack and he wasn't quick minded like Robert had been. Vincent was fast but he didn't know how to shoot a gun, much less how to kill someone without getting killed!
He needed someone to talk to, someone who was neutral and whether he stayed or went was of no concern to them. Ugh, it sounded like he needed a shrink!
… Or maybe he needed more time to think this over. Maybe he could do something else, like get a normal job or travel around a bit. Traveling sounded fun, but he didn't have a lot of money so that was out. At least for the moment.
With a sigh, Vincent stood up and began to walk down the street. He looked at stories and cafes to see if they were hiring. None of them were and to be honest, he really didn't want to spend his time stacking boxes or washing dishes for minimum wage. It was dull and if anything, it would only further his decision to join the army.
Finally, he stumbled across a window with a sign in it. It said the place was hiring... but you had to have a bachelor's degree to apply. With a frustrated noise, Vincent drew back and punched the window, creating a dull boom. Something moved inside and he squinted, peering in at the woman behind the desk who was now staring at him.
Oh, well, this was awkward. Vincent smiled weakly and waved at her. Much to his surprise, she waved back and motioned for him to come inside. Perfect. He was going to get a lecture about punching windows. This day was just getting better and better. Groaning, he stepped inside.
"Look, before you say anything, I'm sorry for punching the freakin' window-"
A wave of her hand cut him off. "It's no problem, darling. It's not the first time it's happened. I'm assuming you're looking for a job?" She was a sweet old lady, he'd give her that.
"Uh, yeah. How'd you know?" He frowned a bit and tilted his head. Was she a mind reader or something?
Chuckling, she sat back and pointed at the sign above her head. 'Boston Employment Office'... oh. That was convenient. "Usually when people punch the window, it's because they read that sign and then get mad that they're not qualified." Sitting up, she flipped through some paperwork. "Sit down. Tell me, what are you interested in? I might be able to help you!"
"Nah, it's fine. I think I'll stand..." he was a bit nervous about sitting down for some reason. This just seemed too perfect. "And I want to join the army. My mom doesn't want me to and neither do my brothers. Two have already joined and one is dead while the other's MIA. I'm old enough to join as of today, but Mom says she won't let me. I figured I'd get a summer job or something, you know, think it over a bit and then decide. Or if you have any advice as far as what I should do, that'd be great!"
The woman frowned a bit, folding her hands and staring at him for a moment. "Well... why do you want to join the army? I can give you some advice but sadly I can't force your mother to let you go. She can't hold you back or force you not to go, at least, not without good reason obtained in the court of law, but I do sympathize with her. Losing a child is hard. Losing two and then risking losing a third would be a nightmare for any mother!"
He groaned, rolling his eyes. "I know, I know! I mean, I understand why but... I don't know. I have my reasons... I want to find out what happened to my older brother, the one that's missing. I feel like joining would be a great way to do that! But... I don't know. I don't want to upset Mom and... to be honest, I don't want to die. I know I probably will. I'm not that smart and I'm not that strong. I'm fast but..."
Sighing, he took offer of the seat and plopped down, crossing his arms and glancing away. "I'm mainly scared of death. Hell, I don't even have a good reason other than trying to find out what happened to Jack! I probably won't go to the same base as he did and I'll get killed the moment I step out on the battlefield. I don't even like America enough to risk my life for it," he huffed softly. The more he thought about it, the more he was leaning towards staying.
"... On the other hand, it's been my childhood dream, ever since Robert, my oldest brother, went off to war. I love the thought of being in battle! I really do, but I know that I'd be no good at staying alive." Vincent chuckled weakly, leaning back in his chair a bit. Staying alive was important, after all.
The woman listened to him, a thoughtful look on her face. "Is death the main reason you don't want to go? Besides upstaging your mother, that is."
Slowly, Vincent nodded. "Yeah, I think it is."
She smiled and leafed through some papers. "Here, you'll have to travel a bit for this job, but I think you'll like it. It's like war, but it's different. If you die... well let's just say you don't stay dead for very long."
She handed him a paper, which he happily took. "Mann Co.?" He tilted his head. "What's so special about it?"
She shrugged and folded her hands again. "I don't know. All I was told when I received the packet of information from them was that they needed a mercenary, someone with war experience or who was looking at being in the war. They gave me nine different types of people to look for. You fit one of the categories. Fast, not afraid of war or killing people, quick witted..."
He fought back a laugh. Okay, maybe he was smarter than he gave himself credit for. "Thanks, lady. Real sweet of you to give me this!"
"It's no problem. The deadline for applying is next week though and the job is down in New Mexico, so you may want to hurry up and get down there." Her smile didn't falter, although she did give him a bit of a glare for calling her "lady". Hey, at least he didn't call her a bitch.
"Wait, New Mexico?" Oh... that was a travel.
"Yes, Teufort, if I remember correctly. It's printed at the bottom."
He chewed his lip nervously before nodding. "I've never been to New Mexico before. Heh, this could be fun!" Vincent forced a smile and jumped up, almost falling over the chair as he hurried out. "Thanks, again!"
Her response was cut off as the door swung shut behind him. Wow, wait until he told his mom! He wouldn't have to worry about dying, he could experience battle, and hell, maybe he could find out some information down there! A bit of travel never hurt either!
As he read over the paper though, his heart sank a bit. It stated that family should not be told about this, due to the nature of the work. Applicants were also supposed to be prepared to cut ties with their families, if need be.
Damn, so he would basically be Jack. Well... maybe not. It only said that they had to be prepared, not that they had to! He could still talk to Mom and the other boys! Yeah, this sounded just fine! But what to tell them as far as the work... He knew they wouldn't like the idea of him being a mercenary!
Oh well, he'd think of something. Stuffing the paper in his pocket, he checked his watch. Wow, it was already almost eleven! Usually the party didn't start until noon, but maybe he could use the extra time to think of an excuse.
He slipped back inside without a sound, deciding now would be a good time to apologize for snapping at his mom. When he walked into the kitchen, he found her sitting at the table with Simon, still as tearful as ever. She really needed to stop crying so much. It couldn't be healthy.
"Hey, knock knock," Vincent mumbled, sticking his head inside. They both looked up and Simon frowned, patting their mother's back as she sniffled. "I... uh, I wanted to apologize for earlier. I'm sorry for yelling..."
He trailed off and glanced down, awkwardly rubbing his arm. He hated apologizing but damn, this could be the last time he saw her for a while! He didn't want to leave on a bad note.
Thankfully, she smiled and waved him over, pulling him into a surprisingly tight hug. "It's okay, sweetie. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm just so worried I'm going to lose another one of my babies! You don't understand how hard it's been for me. I know it's hard on you as well, but it's different for a mother to lose her child than it is for a child to lose their brother. You're my baby, you always will be. If you're absolutely certain you can handle yourself... well, there's no way for me to stop you."
She sighed heavily and pulled back, worry written all over her face. Vincent smiled innocently and pecked her cheek. "Don't worry, mom! I did some thinkin' and I decided I'm not going to go off to the army." It broke his heart to see her smile like that. "Well, not yet that is."
Her smile quickly faded, making it clear that she didn't want him to ever go. "What do you mean?"
Vincent chewed his lip again, unsure of how to put this to her. "Well... I thought I need some time to think about this, so I went down to the employment office to look for a summer job or something. I told the lady about wanted to go into the army, but I didn't want to upset you or die. She gave me a flier for a boot camp down in New Mexico."
Boot camp, mercenary work, same thing, right? "Well it's not really a boot camp since the army doesn't run it, but she said that it'd let me get a taste of battle and train me up for the actual boot camp. Kinda like a starter course, you know?"
His mother relaxed and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Simon smile a bit. "I won't be killin' anyone, but they'll do things to make me feel like I'm in battle and like I'm being threatened." Okay, the first part was a lie. He'd be killing people, he knew that much. But Mom and Simon didn't have to know that.
"Well honey, that's great! I mean, I still don't like the thought of you going into the army, but it makes me feel a bit better that you'll be doing this." She sighed softly, patting his arm. "When are you going to leave?"
"Registration ends this week, so probably tonight, after the party." When tears sprung back up into her eyes, he winced and pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry! I'll still be able to call you! I'll keep you updated, I promise!"
Sniffling, his mom pulled back and wiped her eyes. "It just makes me sad to know that after today, I won't be able to see my baby boy again!"
Vincent rolled his eyes. Where all moms this dramatic? "You'll see me! Just not as often. I'm sure I can visit you at Christmas! A-and some other times too!" The last part was quickly added on since she didn't seem pleased with a once a year reunion.
"Come on mom, chill. I'm eighteen, I can handle myself! I promise." He forced a smile and puffed out his chest, causing his brother to stifle a laugh. "Shut up, nerd! At least I'm doing something productive!"
Simon just grinned and leaned back, smirking over at him. "I still don't like this, but it's better than you jumping straight into the army. All I can say is good luck." He stood and patted his brother's shoulder, causing the younger to grin up at him. Having Simon's approval made this whole thing better.
"Thanks, bro," he returned the pat before pulling away. "Now when's the party? I'm freakin' starving! I'll get to eat the cake while I open gifts, right?"