Chapter Text
Charlie had just enough of Tori's back seat cooking (if that even was a thing) as Charlie leaned over the hot pans flipping another pancake over. "Do we even have syrup?" Tori questioned. Charlie raced to the fridge looking over the shelves muttering curses until he spotted it behind an expired jug of milk that wasn't even opened. "We should probably do some shopping later." Charlie hummed clutching the sticky bottle in relief. Tori agreed pressing a strawberry to her lips. "Those are for the pancakes Tori." Charlie said, he said it with no tone but his eyes were screaming at his sister. "I said you didn't have to help." Charlie groaned Tori chirped back instantly "I'm not helping, I am simple observing." she said from her seat on the counter. "Can you observe more quietly." Charlie muttered flipping the pancake after a good long minute of staring at it. "What was that, eat all the strawberries you said?" After Charlie quickly kicked his sister out of their much to small kitchen keeping the strawberries safe from Tori's hungry hands. He heard footsteps and another wash of panic started to settle over him until he saw his brothers curly mop of hair. "Jesus you scared me, I thought you were Dad." Olly smiled a sleepy smile at him brushing Charlie's comment off and popping a strawberry in his mouth. "If you keep all the noise up, you're bound to wake Dad up." he softly stepped over to the cabinets pulling out a cup and popping over to the fridge to make him a juice. "Are you making a juice, can you make me one to?" Tori called from the sitting room where Charlie had banished her to. Olly mumbled a reply before of course making her a juice as well. Charlie worked quicker knowing once Olly was fully up and back to his sunshine like ways Dad was surely going to wake up. After Charlie had finished and Tori decided to actually be helpful and set the table they all waited eagerly for their father to greet them. He didn't. After a good thirty minutes of waiting Charlie reheated the pancakes and Tori, Olly, and Charlie ate breakfast. Their dad still didn't join them and It was getting much closer to brunch then anything so Charlie packed his breakfast up for him. He had spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning. The house now that he got a good look at it was a disaster so he happily cleaned the mess away with Olly's help as Tori got the shopping done. It reminded him of his Mum's spring cleaning- It took his mind off his Dad who still had not come down or made a noise. He zoned out and had cleaned up the whole house within the day.
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Charlie wouldn't lie and say he hadn't cracked the door and peeked even to just see the comforting rise and fall of his father's chest- he did it multiple times in the evening and at night and swallowed tears at the sight of his father's room. He hadn't touched it at all but it was still perfectly clean- maybe even cleaner then he has expected. His Mum's side of the bed left untouched all her things kept exactly as she liked them- a glass of water on the night stand- he was sure his mother had placed it there, because the glass has a tint of a pale pink he knows to well. He climbed down the steps for the last time that night. Slowly making his way to the sitting room way past day light hours. "Charlie?' Olly called out. "Yeah?" "Is he up yet?" Charlies head fell a little as he mumbled the soft no, he didn't want to worry so much but his anxiety was getting the best of him. "He's still sleeping." Charlie whispered back. "Oh." was all he heard as he sat in the middle of Tori and Olly. "The house doesn't feel the same with out he-" Olly tried to say as a soft sob fell from his lips. He hugged his brother tightly pressing his head into Olly's curls, just like he used to. "I know." Tori said. Charlie could feel new tears pull at the back of his eyes and he swallowed the lump in his throat. "It's okay, I've got you." That only make Olly cry harder gripping on to his much older brother. "I miss her so much." he cried into Charlie's chest- Charlie rocked them back and forth until Olly had stopped crying but he didn't let go until he heard his soft even breaths. Charlie peeled away to look at Tori- who was also sleeping leaning onto Charlies back. He carefully moved her so she was leaning against the couch arm and found his eyes also grew heavy and longed to close.
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Julio later came down far later then he knows he should, have last night was hard. He had cried harder then he ever did in his life, and for the fist time in almost 30 something years. As he quietly made his way down the steps of his home he noticed no sounds at all. Did his kids leave? It was the first thing that came to mind that had him racing down the rest of the steps. He saw his kids cuddled on the couch sound asleep- what time was it again? His stomach growled angrily and he tumbled his way into the kitchen- a note on the counter. "pancakes are in the fridge, love you." It was Charlie's handwriting and he was very thankful to not have to cook, even though his life this past week consisted of take away and Olly. He was so grateful To have Tori and Charlie here. He opened the fridge, reheated the pancakes and ate them standing above the stove where the blinking timer read six. As he took in the sight of his kiddos snuggled on the couch- like they used to do after a long Christmas day he took in the sight of his clean home, the smell of the cleaner still fresh in the air- and guilt crawled from his stomach to his throat. He wasn't being a very good Dad. Shutting himself in his room, waking up just to turn right back to sleep. Not taking care of himself- not taking care of his kids. They all just lost their Mum, and he has the nerve to shut down like that. It was unacceptable, he needed to get himself together for his kids- for Olly who still lives here and still needs his Dad. He felt the food he pushed down start to rise up and he swallowed to keep it down. Tears crept out of his eyes as he walked over to his sleeping kids, sat down and cuddled into them. They needed him- as much as he needed them. Olly's eyes blinked up at him "Dad." he said sleepily "I'm here Olly." he replied back smoothing his youngest kids curls. "We cleaned up a bit- I hope that was okay, we missed you at breakfast." Olly replied much faster much more awake knowing that his father was okay. "Yeah thank you, you guys didn't have to that." Julio's reply was so soft even to his own ears. "I know, we wanted to." Julio swallowed more tears as he hugged Olly. "I'm so lucky to have you." He heard Olly's soft cries against his chest and his his heart felt like it was going to explode. He quickly pulled Olly up and take him into the kitchen. "Juice?" Olly nodded into his chest and he pulled Olly along breaking the embrace to make his son a cup of juice. "Thank you." Olly murmured taking the cup with unsettled hands and gulping the liquid down. "Let's get you to bed kiddo yeah?" Olly nodded and followed his father up the steps- he didn't need to be tucked in those years came and went before Julio could even blink- he still found himself tucking the covers over his sons body anyway- wanting to show him in some little way that everything he did today wasn't needed- that he was the adult and Olly was still the child. He kissed the top of Olly's curls. "Goodnight Olly, get some sleep yeah?" Olly nodded and even though he new Olly wasn't afraid of the dark anymore- he cracked the door anyway. He had a lot to think about even with his house filled with loved ones- he still felt alone.