“We’re fine,” Barrett said, turning his face away as he thumbed at his eyes. “Did y’get lost out there or something?” 

He looked up to see Bennett place  a hand on Niko’s head to keep him from squirming his way into the bag itself, gently steering him back toward the waiting area. A quick glance over his shoulder prompted Barrett to follow. The three found themselves a row of seats with Barrett and Bennett sitting on either side of Niko.  Barrett reclined in his chair after sliding his duffle bag under the street, grateful for the chance to rest his legs and shoulders. He crossed his ankles over one another, propping them up on the empty chair across from them. 

When he opened one eye at hearing a little grunting strain, he glanced down at Niko attempting to stretch his body so that it would be long enough to lie between the two seats. He’d only succeeded in almost sliding off the chair itself, and Barrett huffed amusedly, twisting his finger lazily in the air. A hint of a breeze from nowhere sweeped past him, curling around the waist of his rambunctious nephew to haul him up into the chair. 

Niko blinked widely, looking around then patting at his waist with a little huh. He looked up to his father who’d been in the midst of rummaging through the plastic bag, picking out small toys and treats. When that provided nothing, he turned around again and Barrett closed his eyes when he felt his nephew’s gaze upon him. An insistent patting against the top of his hand “attempted” to wake him but he remained still, nursing a smile and holding back the laughter simmering in his chest. 

“Unkie, wake up,” Niko insisted, and Barrett could hear the squelch of his shoes against the chair like he was trying to stand atop it.

“Sit down before you fall, baby,” cautioned Bennett, his words punctuated with the rustle of plastic.

Barrett opened one eye when Niko’s squelching steps came to a halt and found his nephew occupied by the toys in his lap. He prepared to settle in again, only managing to close his eyes slightly when something heavy landed atop his lap. His eyes opened again, looking down to where the plastic bag Bennett had rested on his thighs. 

“...?” He tossed a quizzical look in his brother’s direction, and was met by a half-hearted shrug and frown.

“Don’t give me that look, Barrett. You need things to live. How’re you going to move halfway across the country with only one bag?” 

Barrett looked away. This was one of the first conversations he’d had with his brother since he was caught leaving their house in the wee hours of the morning. What he thought would have devolved into a shouting match had been a request for him to wait long enough for Niko to get dressed, and Bennett to borrow the car keys. Barrett considered running away at that moment, but the mention of his nephew paralyzed his legs. Not to mention the mistiness in his younger brother’s eyes when the porch light flicked on, revealing him in all his shame.

He’d managed to tamp down the guilt but it all came surging up at once when Bennett talked to him, soft and soothing, like Barrett used to when they were children. It’d been so long, he’d nearly forgotten what it felt like not to have someone clawing down his throat. He wondered if expecting a shouting match was another one of his faults. 

“... Do you have any money to help you out when you get to where you’re going?” Bennett asked, and Barrett sighed with relief at a question he could answer.

“Of course I’ve got money,” he turned back to face his brother and held back a wince at the disbelief on his face. “Alright, not a lot since I transferred most of it to you but—” 

The flicker of anger on Bennett’s face signaled for the explosion, his mouth opening wide like the maw of a dragon until he caught himself. They shared a mutual glance down at Niko lost in his little world of attempting to run his toy car across an invisible bridge between their arm rests. When Barrett glanced up, he saw Bennett pinching the tip of his nose while murmuring something under his breath. 

He felt a familiar agitation itching beneath his skin, but bit down on the inside of his cheek, trying to pour lime where salt threatened to dry out any hope of patience. “Look I’m a grown-up, Netty,” he started, unable to keep from letting his brother’s childhood nickname slip through. The harsh glare in his direction brought a smile to his face. “I can take care of myself, ‘sides you’ve got a whole kid.”

Bennett glanced down at Niko, and Barrett could see the exact moment he’d won at least a foothold in their argument. No matter how much they both loved Niko, feeding him was definitely a fortune atop three other adults. Barrett sucked his teeth at the sour taste on his tongue when the thought crossed his mind. His nephew would have plenty to eat from here on out, and he’d do everything in his power to make sure of it. 

“No adult calls themselves a grown-up,” Bennett said dryly, slumping a little in his seat. 

Barrett huffed, leaning on his arm rest to form a blockade for the next pass of Niko’s car. “Hey Nini,” he said when his nephew glanced up at him, lips puckered in displeasure. “What do you call people like me and your daddy?”

Niko took a hard look at him, then over his shoulder at his father before pushing at Barrett’s arm with all his might to shove it off his track. “Grown-ups,” he sighed, like all the world was on his five-year-old shoulders. 

Barrett snickered, giving Bennett a shit-eating grin over his nephew’s head. His brother rolled his eyes with the tell-tale sign of ‘You’re not funny’ in his eyes. They sat in silence for a moment, the noise from the station melting away. Barrett’s eyes flicked over his brother’s face, taking in the smattering of freckles across his cheeks, the deep bags under his faintly red-rimmed eyes, and the way his brows had a permanent furrow between them. The lines around his mouth once deepened by his glowing smiles had faded somewhat over the years. His stomach turned as he twisted his hands around each other, trying his best not to wring his fingers. 

Bennett sighed, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his bent knees. His head hung low, the swell of his hair tipping forward, but Barrett figured he could handle the weight. So much had been put on his shoulders already.

In contrast, Barrett leant his head back, letting his arm drape across the back of Niko’s chair as his nephew switched from using the arm rests as his tracks to running the car along Barrett’s thigh. Hearing the sputtering noises of Niko’s attempt at imitating an engine brought back the familiar yearning, but he willed it away.  

He had to.

“How do I stop you from leaving, Bear?” asked Bennett in a low, mournful voice.

Barrett closed his eyes, unable to stop the words knocking at the back of his teeth before they springboarded over his tongue, “Is that why you brought him here with you?”

Like a spring pulled taut,  once loosened Bennett sprang up with indignation burning in his eyes. He turned on Barrett, and as Barrett opened his eyes to meet the heatedness  of his brother’s gaze head on - they clashed in a battle of wills that was short-lived. Soon, Bennett’s face crumpled as he shook his head.  “Gods no. Barrett, you’re his uncle. And don’t tell me you’re just one of the few, you’re his uncle. if you just upped and vanished one day without saying anything he’d worry. I’d worry. What about that don’t you get?”

A squeezing sensation pulled at Barrett’s insides as he stared at his distraught brother, unsure of what to say. There wasn’t any time to think about it as the three-toned chime of the station’s intercom sounded, and an automated voice called out for the passengers of Gate S7 to start boarding. Unconsciously, Barrett turned to Niko and saw his nephew’s face fall. The car fell from his hands, landing somewhere between Barrett’s feet as his nephew clambered in his lap with fresh tears wetting his cheeks. 

He hugged him tight, leaning down to pick up the car and pull out his dufflebag. Once it was situated on his shoulder and Niko was properly holstered on his hip, Barrett went to kneel in front of Bennett. His brother wouldn’t look at him, face buried in his palms, still as a statue. And that was all they were, three rocks sitting in the midst of a flowing river of bodies stepping out to board the plane that would separate them for what felt like an eternity.

Barrett reached up to smooth his hand over the side of Bennett’s head, feeling him tremble under his fingertips as he wrapped his arm around his brother’s shoulders and tugged him into a hug. 

“I’m gonna stack as many monster parts as needed, sell them off to whoever wants ‘em, and get a place for you two. In the meantime, I just need you to hang on and be there for each other…” He hooked his chin over Bennett’s shoulder, and rubbed his hand through Niko’s hair. “I love you.”

The answering squeeze of his nephew’s hands in his shirt, and his brother’s splayed across his back was enough to push a tear down Barrett’s cheek.

Once they untangled from each other, Barrett handed Niko to Bennett with a kiss to the boy’s head. Niko took one look at the toy car when Barrett offered it to him and shook his head, pushing it back toward him. “Unkie, keep it,” he said, wrapping his arms around his father’s neck as he watched Barrett tuck it in the breast pocket of his flannel. The front wheels protruded from the top of his pocket awkwardly but Barrett gave them a little spin as though saying ‘goodbye’.

Niko gave a small, watery smile and sniffled as he waved back. Bennett’s eyes remained damp, briefly closing when Barrett squeezed his shoulder then gave his cheek a light nudge with his knuckles. They shared a little laugh which puttered out into amiable silence before Barrett turned around to head toward his gate. The receptionist greeted him with a commiserating smile, and he wondered if she was used to seeing tearful farewells. 

“I hope you have a safe flight,” she said with a slight bow and Barrett returned it curtly before following the ambling passengers ahead of him. He stole a quick look over his shoulder, watching as Niko and Bennett were swallowed up by the silhouettes of others boarding behind him. 

Once he’d found his seat, Barrett leaned his head against the window and rifled through the smaller pockets of his duffle bag for his headphones and a thin, black container about the size of his palm. His headphones slid onto his ears with a bit of tousling to keep his hair from catching in the hinges. A few taps on his phone began to play an old recording that he settled into listening to as he fiddled with the top of his container.

“Hey Bear! You’ll be making your way to this side later this evening, so I wanted to give out a few tips. First off, I’m so excited that you’re coming! You wouldn’t believe how much is out here when it comes to the Guild and support services. If you want to go back to s— well, we can talk about that later. Did you pack everything you need? If you need to send anything to our place, here’s the address—” 

A small pill slid out of the container and into his open palm. In the light of the cabin, it reflected numerous colors but Barrett paid no mind to them as he popped it in his mouth. He was used to the bitterness of the first bite, and the sweetness as the pill dissolved on his tongue. He slid down the shade over the window, then closed his eyes, resting his head against the cabin wall. 

As the excited speaker continued to talk, he felt himself beginning to drift away with sleep pressing down on all sides of him. That lively, deep voice exclaiming and talking about everything and nothing carried him with the ebb and flow of conversation. Not once did he feel the need to interrupt, nor could he. And with his eyes shut, it felt as if he wasn’t alone at all.