Rating: T / PG-13 / FRT
Pairing: No particular pairing
Word Count: 541
Authors Note: In the same plot line as Happinessand Fear. Sorry SlashFan69, it's Tyler's turn ;)
Weakness
"Hey."
"Hey, Tyler, we were just talkin' about you."
Tyler straddled the wooden bench, swinging his bag over his shoulder and letting it fall with a heavy thud to the table. He was in a good mood; the sun was shining, the work from class was easy and he was about to have lunch with his brothers. Life was good.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah," Reid said, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "We're goin' to Nicky's tonight. You coming?"
"Sounds good." He answered, making a face as he dipped a hand into his bag to find something. "Just hope Aaron's not there."
"Aww, don't worry baby boy." Reid said sarcastically, "We'll save you from mean ol' Abbot."
"Fuck you, Reid." Tyler rolled his eyes at the blond, "I can take care of myself."
"Sure you can." Pouge threw in.
Tyler frowned at him, "What is this, pick on Tyler day?"
The older boy lifted his hands in a defensive gesture. "Hey man, I'm just sayin' you're the youngest."
"So?"
"So," Reid took over, "It means you're the weakest, baby boy."
Tyler blinked, "Excuse me?"
"The youngest is always the weakest link in the chain, Ty, you know that."
Tyler forgot how to breathe. How could they say that? He wasn't weak...was he? He swallowed and turned to Pogue as he chuckled.
"Hey, baby boy, maybe you should just stay in the dorms tonight." He said cruelly as he stood. "Then you won't get into any trouble."
Reid laughed and followed suit, standing and grabbing his bag. Tyler turned shocked eyes on the oldest as he stood also, picking up his bag and giving Tyler a sympathetic look.
"Pogue's right." He said softly, "We're just looking out for you."
Tyler watched, stunned, as his brothers left him. His stomach dropped and he suddenly felt sick. Was that how they saw him? As the younger, weaker member of the Covenant, as a child not fit to have the same Power they had. Hot tears stung his eyes and he blinked rapidly to keep them from falling. Shame and insecurity flooded him; a rising tide that threatened to drown him. This wasn't right...he wasn't weak. Why did they think that?
"Poor baby Tyler." Someone sat behind him, straddling the bench and pressing close to his back. Tyler shivered; the urge to be sick growing with every passing second. "That's all they'll ever see you as, you know? The youngest. The weakest. The most vulnerable to attack. The one most likely to get them killed." Lips moved further towards his ear. "A liability."
He whimpered, this time unable to stop the tears that fell silently down his cheeks.
"One day they're just going to leave you." The voice carried on. "They'll decide they don't want you around any more and then they'll drop you like an old toy."
The person moved back and stood, but Tyler didn't turn around. Didn't want to face the man that he knew was behind him.
"I'm sorry, baby boy." he said, not sounding in the least bit apologetic. "You can't escape it. It's inevitable."
Tyler curled into a ball under his bed covers and cried silently, muffling the sound of his sobs with his pillow.
He knew it wouldn't last.
