A companion piece to "Here's to Many More," "Dinners and Distractions," and "Leaving the Web."
Thank you for all the love and reviews. You guys make my day!
For horsegirlfangirl.
Please enjoy!
They had a morning routine. It was instilled in them, as though it was the only way a morning could be started. Race would wake up at four forty five in the morning, slide out of bed and clean the kitchen before making breakfast. Charlie would get up at the same time and make lunch. Specs got up to do the laundry and Albert would set out a fresh suit for their guardian while Jack did his best to keep the littles quiet and occupied and the older boys quiet and quick.
Four forty five in the morning was a god awful hour. As far as Jack was concerned, four forty five was the middle of the night for him, as he now worked a normal, nine to five job most days and had no reason to be up any earlier than six thirty.
Still, every boy in that house woke at four forty five in the morning; no alarm clock, no wake up call, just a scared group of kids who didn't know what else to do with themselves.
Racer woke, normally from a nightmare, walking mindlessly into the kitchen and beginning to obsessively clean every last spot he could find while also making a much too small portion of eggs and sausage. Charlie would stop himself from making a ham and cheese sandwich and placing it neatly into lunch pale, instead forcing himself to shakily get some water and sip at it while trying to get Race to stop cleaning while half asleep. Specs would startle himself awake as though he was late for something and get up to start the laundry. Jack would wake up to find the littles wandering into the main room, exhausted and disoriented before Jack would guide them all back to his bed and tuck them in.
It had been nearly a month since the move.
Jack stood in the doorway now, watching his boys tiredly and frustratedly try and find a way to keep themselves busy. Like they had to. He sighed while watching them. By the time six rolled around, Jack just couldn't take any more of this.
He walked towards his boys, Crutchie first as the boy was easily more accessible than the other kids. He scooped the kid up into his arms without warning and carried the boy back to bed, laying on Racer's mattress, wrapping a warm blanket around him as the kid didn't even protest. He just let his eyes grow tired as Jack went to collect the rest of his brothers. Specs and then Race who mumbled some kind of small protest before Jack lay them both down beside Crutchie. The three of them nearly fell asleep immediately.
Jack pulled some more blankets over them before he climbed back into his own bed, minding the room of the littles and Albert who curled into his chest the second he laid back down. Jack rubbed the boy's back as Elmer crawled into his chest.
And for the next hour, the group slept.
It took a month and a half for The Spider's morning routine to slowly wear away. Jack got up every morning and tucked his brothers back into bed. For an hour, he would let them sleep before he got up and made breakfast enough for all of them. Race would eventually drag himself back out of bed to help and Crutchie would slowly wake the littles up for school while Specs and Albert helped get their clothes and school bags ready.
It wasn't perfect, but it was theirs. This was their home. The Spider didn't get a say.
It was two months after the move that Jack woke up to a quiet house, boys asleep in their beds, getting every last minute of shut eye that they could before the chaos of the day began. It was seven in the morning. Jack couldn't help but sit up and look around, a small smile growing on his face.
It was a Saturday. No school. No work. Just them. Just a day to lay around and be together and not worry about anything.
So Jack slipped out of bed, his socks slipping a bit on the wooden floor in the hallway as he closed his bedroom door behind him. He quietly made his way into the kitchen and very slowly and carefully began to make breakfast.
Maybe he wasn't an amazing chef, but one of his old foster parents had taught him a few things.
And he could make some great pancakes.
He quickly put together some batter and began to fry up some bacon before scrambling some eggs and sausage. He set out a place for each and every one of his boys, setting a bottle of orange juice on the table besides the syrup.
Everything looked so clean and homey. He took in the sight with a smile as he heard some shuffling from the bedrooms.
Romeo was the first one up. The little boy rubbed his eyes as he drug his feet towards the sweet smells that met his nose. He yawned, leaving his bedroom door wide open. "Jackie?"
Jack grinned. "Hiya, kid," he greeted, walking over to the child and scooping him up. "Good mornin'!"
Looking around, Romeo's eyes widened as they landed on the table. "Whoa…" he breathed, having never seen such a big breakfast before.
With a small laugh Jack bounced the boy up in his arms. "You hungry, kiddo?" Romeo nodded as he was carried over to his seat at the table, or the two tables that were pushed together in order to fit all of them. "That's good. We got lots of food today," he smiled, serving Romeo two pancakes, a scoop of eggs and two pieces of bacon. He poured some orange juice and drizzled some syrup on his plate.
That's about when Crutchie limped out, Specs and the twins falling close behind and Albert, Elmer and Race trailing out last, all of them lighting up when they found that big breakfast waiting for them.
"Eat up boys," Jack encouraged. "These eggs ain't gonna eat themselves." He ruffled Ike's hair as he rounded the table to his seat. For a long moment, he just sat and watched his boys wake up and eat and start to talk and laugh with each other, not even truly noticing what was so different or special about today.
His brothers passed him some food and poured him a drink while joking around and ruffling each other's hair.
It was completely and utterly messy and wonderful.
And nothing could've made Jack happier.
They had a new morning routine. And it was perfect.
Short and sweet.
As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what you'd change or what you'd improve by leaving me a review! Love ya, fansies!