Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Stop snoring so loud, Jack! I'm trying to sleep!”

“So am I, but it's difficult with you bothering me, Will!”

“Will you two shut the hell up?”

Jack and William looked over - despite it being so dark they technically couldn't see one another - at their older brother. Joe was sleeping in the other bed alone. Jack and William both shared a bed and they wondered what they would do when their new brother Averell would come into the room. Jack remarked though that Averell still couldn't walk yet, despite most babies being able to do it earlier.

“Sorry, Joe,” they both said. 

“Will's being an ass,” Jack said instantly.

“I don’t care. Just shut the hell up. It’s the middle of the night.”

“Yeah, but Jack can't shut the hell up, that's the point,” William said.

“As if you're so much better than me!” Jack fired back, elbowing his brother, though not enough to cause him pain.

As the two went back and forth, Joe sighed and went out of bed, ignored by the other two who were too busy arguing. Joe frowned when he saw light on the porch.

“Mom?”

He heard a snort. “Am I a woman now?”

Joe gasped when recognizing the voice. “Cousin Bob!”

“The one and only,” Bob said, taking another drag of his cigarette. “It's late. Why are you out of bed, Joey?”

“Jack and Will can't be quiet.”

“Ah, the pain of sharing a room with brothers,” Bob said with a hint of softness in his voice. “Sucks, doesn't it?”

Joe shrugged. “Why are you here?” he asked.

“Can't I go see my favorite cousin?”

“You never come over to see us for no reason,” Joe pointed out and Bob laughed.

“Smart little thing, you are,” he said. “I'm here for your new brother.”

“Oh,” Joe tried to hide the disappointment in his voice. He had hoped Bob would genuinely have come for him, just a little bit.

“What's his name again? David?”

Joe frowned. “His name is Averell.”

“Oh, yeah. Interesting name.”

“He cries a lot,” Joe said. “He's hungry most of the time.”

“That disappears with age, Joey,” Bob said. “You were just like him.”

“No, I wasn't!”

“Yes, you were,” Bob chuckled. “And look at you now! Your brothers follow you with every move.”

“Because they're too stupid to think for themselves,” Joe spat out. 

Bob's smile faded suddenly and Joe almost shrinked under his gaze. “Don't say that. Those brothers are your family, Joe. You should love them for as long as you can. You're their leader. Keep them safe.”

Joe looked down. “It's not my responsil- reponsi-”

“It is your responsibility. You're the oldest.” There was a pause. “Look at me, Joey.”

Joe looked up at his older cousin, his dark eyes with bags underneath them, his gaunt skin. Bob was on his knees so he could look Joe in the eye. If he were a stranger Joe would've been afraid, but this was Bob. Bob, his cousin. The smart one, almost as smart as Bill.

“Those brothers of yours are your family. You're keeping them together, understand? Don't let them go off on their own. Remember what I told you when I left Emmett behind?”

Joe nodded. “He got hurt.”

“Yeah, he did,” Bob said. “Because I wasn't there to protect him. You can't let that happen to your brothers, understand? Protect them. I don't care how you do it, but they rely on you.”

Joe didn't respond. He wanted to get out of here, to not think of what Bob just told him. He feigned a yawn. “I'm tired.”

“Yeah,” Bob whispered. “Go back to bed, Joey.”

“Goodnight, Bob.”

Bob didn't respond back.

“I told you- oh hey, Joe,” Will said when Joe turned the light on, smiling instantly, freezing as his hand had a hold on Jack's hair, who was gripping the other's leg.

“Stop fighting and go to bed,” Joe said. 

“We're not fighting,” William said. Jack nodded instantly.

“Be silent and sleep,” Joe said sternly. He turned off the light and went to the bed, ignoring the annoyed sighs of his brothers.

They were silent this time.

Joe closed his eyes, hoping sleep would take him quickly. Away from this house. Away from anyone. Away from everything that was put on his shoulders.

At least they're quiet now, he thought.

Joe had a few hours of sleep until Averell started crying. His eyes went open instantly.

For fuck's sake.