Part of my collection of SBI-centric flufftober oneshots. These can all be read as standalone.

Flufftober four: "I'm scared" with bedrockbros

Techno has never stayed in a house where the sound of rain beating down on slanted glass is as bad as it is in Phil's house.

In the grand scheme of literally everything else that makes this home the best foster placement Techno has ever stayed at, the terrible acoustics of Phil's fancy veranda are pretty negligible. He's been living here for close to a month and it never stood out to him. But it has also never rained this badly before. Techno is lying on the couch, on his stomach, and watching the rain outside clinging to the windows. From time to time, a bolt of lightning will tear open the sky and once or twice, Techno swears he can see the little spiderweb of light crack across his vision.

The loud noise isn't nice, but Techno isn't bothered by it so much when he can see the storm raging outside. It soothes him to know where all those sounds are coming from.

He is a little worried about Phil not being home, though.

Phil usually gets back from his job before the sun fully sets. Since it's late autumn, darkness creeps in earlier and earlier, but even then Techno is pretty good at remembering the hands of the clock and he's pretty sure Phil is normally home by this time. He hopes nothing bad has happened.

"Techno?"

Tommy's voice sounds a little smothered coming from the doorway. Techno sits up so he can look over, and sees it's because the younger boy is clutching his stuffed cow plushie closely to his chest, his face half-obscured by the curly fur.

"Yeah?" Techno asks, trying not to bite at the inside of his cheek.

"I'm scared," Tommy mutters.

"Oh…"

Techno kind of sits there, staring at Tommy. He doesn't know what to say, even less what to do.

The thing is that Techno hasn't ever had foster siblings before either. He has needed to interact with other kids, obviously. At school, or at the group homes he stayed at. But that was different. They were just random kids, he could ignore them easily. Most of the time Techno didn't have to do much to make them dislike him. He's pretty weird, according to what he's heard, and they never like it when Techno stims or talks about the wrong things because he thinks it's interesting or when he goes quiet for hours on end. He doesn't play their games right, because Techno only likes games with clear rules and goals and he takes them too seriously. Or sometimes he gets bored halfway through. Or he forgets what he's supposed to be doing, gets distracted, and wanders off. And all of that doesn't mention that Techno prefers to be alone a lot anyway.

For some of those reasons - and maybe some other reasons too - Techno has always been placed in families where he will be the only child. Phil is the first exception. Techno doesn't know why.

Tommy pads over to the couch and crawls onto it next to Techno. Techno sits there very awkwardly, muscles all tense. After a month, he's more or less gotten used to Tommy being around all the time. The boy seems to like Techno fine. He often asks for them to play together.

Techno is just very aware constantly that if he does something to mess that up, Phil might tell him to leave.

"I'm scared," Tommy says again, bottom lip wobbling. Maybe he thinks Techno didn't hear him the first time.

"Of the storm?" Techno asks.

Tommy looks up at him with big, wet eyes. It reminds Techno of a stray cat or something - oddly endearing but in a slightly gross way. He nods.

"Storms aren't scary," Techno says. "They happen when there's a lot of moisture trapped in the air, and pressure builds up. Warm air pushes from below while cold air pushes from the top and-" He stops himself. Tommy keeps looking at him, hugging the cow plushie tighter still. His knuckles are white from how hard he's pressing down. "Never mind."

Techno has no idea how to comfort a scared child. Phil should definitely be home by now. Techno fidgets with his sleeves.

"The rain is pretty cool on the glass, right? Wanna sit here and watch it with me?" he says lamely.

Despite the offer being very lackluster and probably not comforting at all, Tommy nods again. He shifts until he's pretty much pressed against Techno's side, Techno can feel Tommy's body shaking. They watch the violent movements of the trees outside being whipped around by the strong wind tearing off leaves. The sound is really bad, but it's fine. Techno thinks it's fine.

Except then the lightning strikes again, a bright flash of it that makes afterimages burn into his eyes when he blinks. Almost immediately it is followed by a deep, ominous rumbling of thunder. Techno thinks the entire house quivers. As if the storm is right above them, or around them, swallowing them up whole.

Tommy whimpers, curling against him. His blue eyes are squeezed shut in fear.

Ah man, Techno is totally screwing up that 'big brother' thing, isn't he? Phil will definitely kick him out.

"You're still scared?" Techno asks, trying not to sigh. Bad weather is nothing to be frightened of, especially not when you're inside. Even if a tree were to fall on the house, which is very unlikely to happen, they'd probably be fine. He doesn't say that out loud.

Some heat comes to Tommy's cheeks at the question. "Fuck you. I should never have told you." No matter how angrily he says it, the statement is somewhat undercut by the way he keeps leaning into Techno as if he's trying to hide inside him.

And Techno allows it to happen. "What did you expect me to do?"

"I don't know," Tommy mumbles, looking away again.

"What do you usually do when you're scared?" Techno asks instead.

"I don't know," Tommy repeats, growing a bit more frustrated. Techno guesses he shouldn't expect a child to express his emotions perfectly. But it's not as if Techno is any better at this sort of stuff. If Tommy can't tell him what to do, how the heck is he supposed to know? "Phil is usually around," Tommy adds.

"He'll be home soon," Techno says. He really hopes that's true, for both their sakes at this point. But if Techno starts to worry, that'll only make Tommy worry more in turn.

There's silence between them for a beat, the storm continues unleashing its wrath outside. Techno's eyes stay stuck on it, following the droplets that slide along the glass. The sounds make his hands sweaty, make him dig his nails into the couch cushions. They hurt his brain. But when he can see it, it's not as bad. He knows where the noises are coming from.

"Sometimes I hide beneath the covers of my bed," Tommy admits suddenly. "I feel safe there."

Techno frowns at himself. "Go do that, then?"

"I don't want to be alone."

Swallowing thickly, Techno stays quiet. Tommy doesn't want to be alone but he doesn't want to sit on the couch with Techno and he doesn't want to be scared and Techno should be helping him or else Phil might be disappointed in him and-

A sharp, little inhale escapes from beside him. Techno thinks it's close to a sob. Like Tommy is going to cry but is forcing himself not to. The sound stabs into his brain almost as thoroughly as the storm, finding soft matter there to dig into and make him feel bad.

"Come on," Techno says, getting up from the couch. Tommy blinks at him, tears stuck in his lashes - definitely unshed. Techno holds out his hand and nods his head, somehow urging Tommy to take it. This is already hard enough without Tommy making him feel all dumb and clumsy about it. After a moment, Tommy does take his hand. Techno pulls him upright.

They go up the stairs to Tommy's room. Techno looks at the bed, but it's pretty much next to a window and also Tommy hasn't made it so it's kind of messy. Yes, Techno does want to comfort Tommy, but he doesn't want to hide beneath Tommy's covers. His skin itches at the very thought.

His gaze falls on the closet.

"Stay here for a bit." Techno drops Tommy's hand, ignoring how the boy looks at him when he does, apprehensive. As if he doesn't want Techno to leave. They've only known each other for a month but it's weird to see Tommy so subdued. He's usually very loud and cheerful.

Quickly entering his own room, Techno gathers up all the pillows and blankets he can find. He drops them off at Tommy's feet before doing the same with the pillows and blankets from Phil's room. At this point Tommy has caught on to what he's doing, adding a few more of his stuffed animals to the pile. Opening the closet, Techno shoves the cloth hangers aside so they can build a sort of hidey-hole-nest place. It honestly looks pretty snug when they're done, softer and cozier and better than anything Techno used to build when he lived with his parents.

"It's like a little cave," Tommy says. He sounds impressed or something, which makes Techno hesitate.

"It's just a bunch of blankets in a closet." He tries to make his voice sound casual, kneeling down so he can crawl inside. Tommy follows him by pretty much throwing himself onto Techno's body, knocking the air out of him. Since it's a tight fit, Techno can't really push him off. He leans over Tommy's head to pull the little panel doors shut. Tommy turns around, elbow shoving into Techno's stomach. But then he squeezes himself so he's sitting in Techno's lap properly, his back pressed against Techno's chest. Techno drops his arms, pulling one of the blankets around his shoulders.

They can still hear the storm, but it's distant and muffled now. Like when you try to listen to something while underwater.

"What now?" Tommy whispers into the dark.

Techno scoots until he can feel the solid weight of the closet against him. Tommy pulls on the edges of the blanket too, enveloping both of them. Techno automatically ends up hugging him close, but maybe that was Tommy's intention. He clears his throat. "You're asking me?"

"This was your idea," Tommy accuses.

"It's just something I used to do when I was scared," Techno says.

It's not entirely a lie, though it's not the truth either. Techno didn't hide in his closet when he was five years old because he was scared of storms. He didn't even hide there because he was scared of his dad - though he definitely was. Techno hid in the closet because kids are stupid and they think hiding means they won't be found.

Though, after a few times Techno's dad knew exactly where to find him and often punished him twice as hard because Techno was trying to avoid him. Yet he kept doing it regardless. Funny, that.

"You used to get scared?" Tommy asks, awed. As if Techno is making a confession.

"Sure," Techno answers. His chin comes to rest on Tommy's head. "Everybody gets scared. It's a hormonal stress reaction."

Tommy laughs, making his entire body tremble. It's miles better than the shaking from earlier, Techno decides. "You're so weird," Tommy says. Techno scrunches up his nose. He's been called weird a lot, it's never sounded so… non-insulting before.

"Weirder than you are for thinking I don't get scared?" Techno asks flatly.

"You're, like, the bravest person I know," Tommy insists. "Remember when that big spider got on the wall in the kitchen and you picked it up with your bare hands to put it outside?"

"Spiders aren't scary."

"Still…" Tommy cranes his head back to look up at Techno. "I'm not as scared when you're around."

Ill at ease with the amount of sincerity being expressed there, Techno pulls his eyes away to stare at some indeterminate point hidden within the darkness and shrugs. Tommy doesn't continue poking at the issue, so that's something at least. He rocks back and forth slightly against Techno, squeezing the cow plush still. The storm continues, vague and far away.

In fact, all Techno really hears at this point is the sound of their breathing.

He brings up his hand and clasps it over his mouth like he used to, trying to smother those noises. It's silly, but it all reminds him too much of being little. The small space he's confined to and the straining to hear anything and how hard it is to see. The blanket tugged over his shoulder has already started to feel the same as his clothes did back when Techno hastily pushed them aside to hide.

The waiting was always the worst part.

A loud thud makes him flinch. The front door just got thrown open. Then footsteps hurry up the stairs. They're heavy, stumbling. Maybe his dad has been drinking again. The punishments are always worse after the man has alcohol in his system. And Techno's mom isn't home - she's never home. She said she'd protect him but all she does is make sure she's not around so it's not her getting beat instead.

Tommy moves, trying to get up. Techno winds his arms around the boy, tighter, pulling him against his chest. When Tommy tries to say something, Techno closes his hand over a half-open mouth and shushes him.

They need to be quiet. Maybe Dad won't find them. Maybe he's wasted enough that he'll not bother today, and he'll just collapse onto his bed and fall into a drunken stupor.

Tommy struggles. Techno doesn't understand why, he's trying not to panic more when Dad starts to call their names. Oh, he's definitely searching for them. He must be in a terrible mood. He sounds agitated. Techno has never heard him sound like that before.

Tommy's arm knocks into his chin, pushing him away and Techno winces when it smacks his head into the back of the closet. Then Tommy starts to yell and Techno doesn't really understand what he's saying, since before he can parse it the closet door is wrenched open. And all Techno can do is hunch in on himself.

Dad pulls Tommy out of the closet, or maybe Tommy gets out by himself. Because then the punishment will be more lenient? Techno doesn't know, he can only concentrate on tucking in his head to protect it from the blows that will surely follow. His breathing is coming short and gasping, painful. Stabs of hurt deep in his chest when he hyperventilates.

Tommy was wrong in calling Techno brave. If he was really brave, he wouldn't let his little brother catch the worst of his dad's abuse while he cowers like a child.

When somebody grabs his shoulder he pretty much stops altogether, brain short-circuiting into static. Techno is helpless to do anything as he's dragged from his hiding place. They shake him slightly, not roughly but trying to force his attention towards them.

"Techno?"

Techno's vision is all blurry and strange, not even because he's trying not to cry - though that's hardly helping. His head hurts, and he blinks slowly.

"Techno, can you hear me?"

His father holds him. Techno can't run away, though he doubts his legs would allow him to without collapsing in the hallway. He nods, trying not to make things worse for himself.

"I need you to breathe, okay? Can you do that for me?"

Another nod. Confusion creeps in alongside the panic, because he doesn't get why his dad would want him to do any of this. Why doesn't he just get to the part where he hurts Techno already? What's the use in drawing it out?

"Try to breathe Techno," his father insists. "We'll do it together, yeah? In for four seconds." The man inhales, exaggerating it to an almost comedic amount. Techno hiccups through a few short gasps.

"Out for eight seconds." He huffs, to show Techno how it is done. All Techno manages is a breathless wheeze.

But they do it again and again and again, until his breathing somehow calms down enough for him to not feel like he's choking. While one of Phil's hands is holding his shoulder, the other cups his face and brushes the hair out of his eyes.

Because it's not his dad. Of course it's not. Techno's dad is in jail. Has been for a while.

"Do you think it's okay for us to go downstairs?" Phil asks.

"Yeah," Techno says, shaky. Phil waits a second longer before pulling away. He seems to consider it, like he wants to pick Techno up and carry him down or something. Stubbornly, Techno walks past him to the bedroom door. Tommy watches him from the bed. He looks as if thinking very hard about something. Maybe about Techno bodily trying to keep Tommy stuck in his arms and almost choking him during it.

Yeah, Techno definitely ruined his foster placement with that tantrum.

Downstairs, Phil makes them sit on the couch. He brings them hot cocoa and Tommy talks about school and it's almost normal. Techno starts to hope they can just… not bring it up. But then Phil sits down in the big armchair across from them with his own cup of tea.

"I'm very sorry for scaring you both," he says. Though he's only looking at Techno. "The storm messed with the phone grid, so I couldn't call you guys to give you a heads up about me being late. And by the time I did get home, the storm was so bad I let my worry get the best of me."

Nobody says anything for a full ten seconds. Techno realizes Phil is waiting for his answer.

"It's no big deal," he says.

Phil shakes his head. "It's a big deal to me, mate."

Techno presses his lips together and stares at his knees.

"We'll have to talk more about this later. For now, it's enough for you to know I'm really sorry for putting you in that shitty position. Even if it was an accident."

Later. So he'll probably not be kicked out?

Techno allows his shoulders to relax a bit, the knowledge that there is a 'later' at all somehow feels like it makes his insides unwind.

"I wasn't scared," Tommy says from next to him. "Because Techno was there. He's been showing me how to be not scared all night." he pushes his plush cow in Techno's face, rubbing the soft fur against Techno's cheek a little. Techno manages not to flinch, offering a weak smile. "Right, Techno?"

"I'm glad," Phil says. "But that doesn't mean it's bad to be scared. It's normal. It's a trick our brain plays on us sometimes."

"Actually," Tommy says, scrunching up his nose and making his voice very haughty. "It's a hormonal stress reaction. Geez, Phil, even I know that." Tommy rolls his eyes, elbowing Techno with an air of 'get a load of this guy'.

Phil blinks, chuckles, then sits back. "Okay, listen here you little shit-"

Tommy starts to laugh loudly before Phil can finish his sentence and Techno can't help but chuckle too. As Tommy leans against him, Techno doesn't push him away.

Later. He'll have to confront exactly what was unearthed inside his head when he was sitting in that cramped closet at some point, later.

But for now, Tommy climbs into his lap again, pushing the cow plush into Techno's face and making it do a little dance. Demanding a second batch of hot chocolate from Phil, otherwise they'll never forgive him for being late. Techno agrees it's the least he can do to beg their forgiveness. Phil rolls his eyes, but complies.

And Techno decides he'll worry about 'later' whenever that arrives, without being scared.