This was originally started for gaviiadastra but I'm slow and took about a week to finish it. I hope you enjoy it anyway ::hugs::
Many thanks to onereyofstarlight janetm74 tsarinatorment and scribbles97 who all fielded my doubts at various times. Your support, as always, is amazing ::hugs you all::
This is based in the Kermadec AU, shortly before the incomplete Minerva. It can be read without it, but there are a few very subtle bits and pieces related to that series embedded in it.
Anyways, have 1300 words of Scott, Gordon and a mostly non-verbal Virgil :D
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"He's restless."
Scott bit his lip. He couldn't help but agree.
Virgil shifted in his sleep and his face scrunched up, probably in pain.
Grandma had him on the good stuff, but as always pain medication was a dance with Virgil.
"I hate this."
Gordon stood beside him in the infirmary, eyes fixed on his injured brother. Injury was a common thing in this family, but this time was a little worse than usual. A slip during a rescue saw Virgil fall from a height the human body wasn't supposed to survive. Being Virgil and safety-neurotic, he had a backup line in place. It had been enough to save his life, but not to prevent Virgil from breaking both his legs.
Scott hadn't been there at the time. Gordon was the one to pick their brother off the floor of the canyon.
And had been hovering ever since.
"Can't you do something? Don't you have magic fingers or something?"
Scott stared at his little brother. "What?"
"You always know how to settle Virgil. I've seen you do it." Brown eyes glared up at him, but there was hope in their depths. This incident had hit Gordon hard.
Understandably.
Virgil muttered in his sleep.
Gordon sighed. "You know, the hair thing. Magic fingers."
How the hell did Gordon know about that? "Gordon-"
"Please? I've tried everything I know and he won't respond to me." There was something desperate in those carnelian eyes.
Scott shut his mouth and didn't answer, instead turning to the bed.
Virgil was healing. They had pulled him out of hospital as soon as they could, knowing they had Grandma in an emergency and they had all the equipment. Hospitals were not the best place for recuperating. Home was where healing happened. So they hauled him back on Two and gave Virgil a corner of the infirmary while he complained it wasn't his room.
Grandma put an end to that with a sharp word.
Virgil acquiesced readily after that.
He was definitely on the mend, but still on pain medication and medication messed with him.
Scott reached out and touched his brother's temple with the tips of his fingers.
Virgil's reaction was immediate. He frowned, mumbling, and leant into Scott's touch.
Encouraged, Scott gently brushed his fingers into his brother's dark hair.
Virgil responded with an exhausted sigh, relaxing into the bed.
It was an odd quirk Scott had discovered a long time ago. Combing Virgil's hair while he was asleep fought off nightmares and disturbances, releasing his brother into a deeper more restful sleep.
There had been enough late night vigils in Scott's past to prove the technique worked.
How the hell Gordon had found out about it, he had no idea.
In any case, it was encouraging to see his brother relaxing at his touch.
Until he wasn't.
Scott frowned as Virgil's rest unsettled again, unintelligible words along with Scott's and then Gordon's names. His brother's hair slipped out of Scott's fingers as he turned his head away.
Reaching, Scott brushed his fingers through dark curls again, but Virgil didn't accept it this time at all. Scott's name was a worried whisper on his brother's breath.
"It's not working." There was surprise in Gordon's voice as much as there was worry in Scott's thoughts.
Regardless, Virgil was still tossing his head about. Still asleep, but fretting about something.
And Scott was suddenly out of ideas. The hair thing had always worked in the past. What had changed?
"What about music? He uses that to relax." Gordon frowned. "I've seen him fall asleep at his keyboard." It was obvious Gordon found that concept bizarre.
Scott bit his lip thinking. Sure, they had recordings and Virgil definitely had his favourites...
A blink and Scott was reminded of one of those incidents where Virgil had fallen asleep at his keyboard. Granted the man had been ill at the time, but then Scott had fallen asleep, too. Which had been Virgil's entire plan and Scott had to admit that he had succumbed voluntarily.
There was something precious about his brother playing for him.
He sat up a little straighter as a possibility occurred to him.
He held up a hand. "Wait here."
Gordon stared at him as Scott shot to his feet and darted out of the room. It took a moment or two for him to locate the equipment needed. Honestly, he really didn't think Virgil would mind him borrowing his stuff. In fact, Scott would likely have to dodge his musical brother after this.
He returned to the infirmary with his arms full of Virgil's keyboard. The thing was heavy.
Gordon stared at him. "You're kidding, aren't you?"
Scott levelled a glare at him. "I can manage the basics. I do have the training, you know."
"You do?"
Scott frowned as he set up the instrument. "You do realise I'm older than Virgil, don't you? Mom didn't confine her teaching to just Virgil."
"No, I didn't. You never play!"
That his brother knew of. The soundproofing of the villa was a blessing and the guitar at the back of his closet never left his rooms.
"I'm no Virgil, but I can hold my own."
Gordon stared at him. If Virgil hadn't moaned on the bed at that very moment, there would have been so many more words...and there were likely to be many more later on.
Scott shot worried eyes at his injured brother. Grabbing a chair, he sat down in front of the keyboard and turned on the power. This was where he hoped his bold words to Gordon were more than just bold words.
It had been a while.
But the Mom at the back of his head smiled and chanted off posture and position.
His back straightened automatically at the long ago, long rusty reflexes came into play.
He flexed his fingers, checked the volume and lowered it to a soft key.
And began to play.
A simple warm up exercise.
He needed it.
On the bed, Virgil stilled.
Scott's fingers danced across ancient knowledge. The result was definitely not to Virgil standards and as he switched into a simple lullaby their mother had taught them both twenty years ago, there was a great deal of luck that his fingers were hitting the right keys relying on unpractised and old reflex.
"Mom." Virgil exhaled the single word as he melted slowly into the bed.
Gordon darted a glance between Scott and Virgil, curiosity replaced by hope.
Perhaps Scott wouldn't suffer for this for the next century.
He continued to play softly and Virgil quietened down, finally drifting off into a deeper, more peaceful sleep.
"Thank god." It was barely heard, but it came from Gordon. "You do have magic fingers."
Scott kept playing, hesitant to stop and yet fearing a discordant misstep would ruin everything. The music drew him back to his childhood, his mom sitting beside him with little Virgil on her knee. The simple tune was written into who he was, and it was for this reason he could pick it up having ignored it for so long.
On the bed Virgil began to snore.
Scott couldn't help it, the familiar sound brought a true smile to his face.
"Well, that's proof you've done it, if anything." Whispered and barely heard. Gordon's hand landed lightly on his shoulder and squeezed ever so gently as to not disturb his playing. Then a sparkle lit up his eyes. "You do realise keeping a talent hidden like that makes you something like the Phantom of the Villa? Phantom of the Thunderbirds? The hangars?"
Scott glared at him as his fingers segued into starting the tune again. Gordon was only stirring. If Scott knew one thing about his little fish brother, it was that he could trust him when it counted.
This definitely counted.
Virgil's snoring stepped up a note.
Mischievous brown eyes glittered and Gordon smiled. "Magic fingers, bro. Magic fingers."
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