Chapter Text
It was 9pm when Ryan heard the very quiet knock on his door. Everyone in the house had gone to bed at least an hour ago, except for maybe Jack and Geoff who were usually up a bit later, more than likely on their respective computers. Of course the only reason Ryan knew they usually stayed up later after all the kids had been tucked away in bed was because the one night Ryan had dared disobey, he had just gotten online, when he heard his door opening. There would be no way he could shut off his monitor and jump into bed, so he merely sat there, staring at the door while his dad, Geoff, peeked in at him.
"Nice try bud, but it's a school night," Geoff said, walking into the room and shoo'ing him from the computer and back into his bed.
"How did you even know? I just got on," Ryan grumbled, climbing back into his bed while Geoff pulled the blankets up.
"Ya, and I know how to use a computer. The router showed someone got on it, and I wonder who's computer in the house goes by Vagabond, hmm?" Geoff smirked, ruffling Ryan's hair, not minding the groan he got from the teen who tried to smack his hands lightly away.
But as of now Ryan was obeying the rules of his curfew, in bed by 9 and asleep by ten. So he could only guess that whoever was knocking could only be one of the younger three in the household. Who were supposed to be asleep half an hour ago.
"Ryan, let me in Ryan," and with the slight accent, Ryan was instantly aware of which younger one it was. As he got out of bed and headed to the door he could hear the heavy breathing, and small whimpers Gavin was letting out, up until he opened the door. Gavin was a blur of green as he rushed inside and behind Ryan, pushing against Ryan and begging him to close the door.
"Gavin, what are you doing? You were supposed to be asleep already," Ryan questioned turning after closing the door to see Gavin looking under his bed before climbing in. "Oh no, Gavin you have your own bed." But Gavin merely stayed there, blankets pulled up to his nose shaking his head.
"There's something under my bed," Gavin whimpered as Ryan took a seat on the bed next to him.
"Gavin there is nothing under your bed, and why not go sleep with Michael or Ray?" Gavin nodded vehemently pure terror in the child's eyes as he looked at Ryan.
"I told them, but they said there was nothing there or Captain would get it." Ryan nodded at him, trying to back their claim, because Captain, being their large St. Bernard, barked at anything that wasn't deemed 'his family' including the young girl who delivered the paper every morning. "No Ryan, it was there. I heard something and when I looked under there was something there!"
"Ok, all right. Well, do you want to go tell Dad and Pop and they can check it out for you?" At this Gavin merely shook his head, looking up at Ryan with those sad doe eyes, the ones he used to get out of trouble with anyone in the household after doing something immensely stupid. It was a trick that everyone knew about, and yet no one was able to resist. Ryan sat there pursed lips looking down at his younger brother, hoping that Gavin would give up if he didn't give in fast enough.
Of course this wasn't the case, and soon Ryan found himself sighing heavily and pushing Gavin over to the other side of the bed. "Fine! But just tonight, tomorrow night you sleep in your own bed, got it?"
"Tops! Thanks Ryan!" Gavin smiled snuggling down into the blankets on the left side of the bed. Trying to give Ryan room enough that he wouldn't get annoyed, but still trying to stay close enough to be safe from whatever the darkness may hold. Ryan merely nodded, crawling under the blankets himself, putting his glasses on the night stand and curling up to get some sleep himself.
It felt like only an hour or two had gone by when he was awoken by the quiet sound of something akin to a shutter noise, and chuckling. When he dared to open his eyes, rubbing them in an attempt to clear his eyesight a bit better, he was awarded with the sight of Geoff and Jack standing next to his bed, Geoff with camera in his hands, still snapping pictures.
"Why are you-," Ryan began until the events of last night returned and he was suddenly aware of the sloth of a child clinging to him like he was a tree branch. Not to mention apparently in the night Gavin had managed to drool a large puddle onto his chest. "Oh Gavin! Ew!" Pushing the younger away and breaking his hold brought the kid awake quite abruptly, sitting up, his hair sticking up everywhere. It took Gavin a moment to come to understand and when he did, he immediately apologized over and over, even as Jack came over to pick him up from the bed. As Jack took Gavin to wake the other two boys up, Geoff was still laughing and had taken a seat at the foot of Ryan's bed.
"Why was Gav in here?" Geoff wiped a few stray tears from his eyes as he sat back, smirking as Ryan grumbled tossing the drool covered shirt in the hamper before going to his closet to pick out his clothes for school that day.
"He came in and said there was something under his bed and was too scared to go back." Ryan grabbed a shirt from his closet before tossing it towards the bed, watching as it nearly hit is dad in the face.
"Hey, watch out," Geoff grumped halfheartedly as he easily dodged the offending shirt. "Why didn't you just bring him to Jack or I?" At his Geoff watched as Ryan stopped mid search for pants. Clearly the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. Surely he could have just dropped him off in their parents room and been done with it. He was brought out of his thoughts as Geoff came up behind him ruffling his hair, a habit Ryan wished he would stop.
"Didn't even cross your mind did it," Geoff smiled as he Ryan looked up at him, one eyebrow raised in clear annoyance at the hair mussing. "You're a good big brother Ryan, those three are lucky to have you," Geoff said as he began to leave Ryan's room, allowing the boy some privacy to change.
"Remember you said that next time I want to do something and you say I'm not responsible enough," Ryan yelled after him, just barely catching the reply.
"Remember what? Sorry, don't know what you're talking about!" Ryan scoffed, but smiled all the same.