(Untitled)

[growing_roots]

Characters: Fletcher Tringham, Russell Tringham
When: Shorty after Russell is brought back
Where: Random warehouse that Russell is in
Rating: No more than PG-13
Summary: Russell's back. Fletcher's emotional.

Comments

[notthatshort]

Russell leaned back against one of the walls of the warehouse, fiddling with his PCD--that's what Sasuke had called it, right... ?--nervously while he waited for Fletcher. What was that... his little brother was coming to get him? But then, he barely even understood where he was, so... Russell sighed and shoved the device back into his pocket; God knows he'd break the strange thing if he played with it too much. And if he woke up with it on his body and so many other people seemed to have one, it had to be important, right? It was best to leave it be for the moment.

ssell didn't have to keep himself occupied much longer before he saw a sliver of light breaking through the dreariness of the warehouse, his head whipping around right away toward the doorway.

"Fletcher?" he said, his eyes adjusting to the brighter light. "Fletcher!" All he knows is that people were telling him that the boy was upset and had missed him, so he doesn't hesitate at all before rushing over to his brother.

[growing_roots]

Fletcher actually took a step back as Russell came over to him, still looking stricken.

When his brother was standing in front of him, Fletcher reached out with a shaky hand and grasped onto his wrist, squeezing it tightly, as if testing to see if he really was there.

And then his other hand came forward in a fist, thumping hard against Russell's stomach as he started to cry.

"You... you jerk!!" Fletcher started repeatedly beating his small fists against his brother as he continued to cry. "You stupid jerk, you left, why did, how could, you left me here and you were gone for a week and you won't remember anything now and you're back..."

The boy finally stopped his barrage and clung to his brother's shirt instead, plastering himself to Russell and pressing his face against Russell's chest as he dissolved into sobs. "You're back, you're back, you're back..." he repeated over and over, body shaking.

[notthatshort]

"Flet-- ?"

Russell barely had enough time to form the question before he felt his brother's fists hitting him and heard a torrent of words and sobbing coming from his brother. That was much worse than what he'd expected from the expression on Fletcher's face and what people on the PCD Network had told him. He'd expected a hug and relief on his brother's part that he was back--'back', that he still didn't understand--, not being hit and called a jerk.

But before Russell could even ask why that was even happening, the reaction he had expected was happening, and he just breathed out a quiet sigh and sank to his knees.

"I'm here," he whispered, wrapping his arms around Fletcher and pulling him into a tight hug. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere, don't worry."

[growing_roots]

When Russell sank down to his knees, Fletcher flung his arms around his neck, clinging to him tightly as he continued to cry, letting out all the emotions he'd been holding back, letting go of all the tears he'd kept inside.

His brother was back. Things would be okay again.

Dart was used to seeing Russell around so he made no move to attack the newcomer but the dragonhawk looked concerned as it hovered nearby, making anxious sounds as it watched Fletcher.

[notthatshort]

Russell's eyes flitted up to rest on the dragonhawk for a moment; yet another confusing thing in all of this. What was that thing? And where exactly was he? All Sasuke had told him was that it was called Adstringendum, and said that others would be able to explain it better. Maybe he could ask Fletcher later, once he'd calmed down a bit. He certainly couldn't ask the boy now while he was sobbing like that.

"It's okay," he whispered, running a hand through Fletcher's hair, his fingers catching on the boy's hat for a moment. "Come on, we can't stay here like this, we should go home. Tell me what our house is like here, hm?" Russell pulled back a little and wiped away Fletcher's tears, smiling gently.

[growing_roots]

Fletcher was letting out sniffles and the occasional hiccup now, smiling shakily when Russell wiped his tears away.

"Oh, this is Dart," he explained, holding an arm out to the dragonhawk. Dart circled around him and landed in a familiar perch on his shoulder. "I found him in... September!" Fletcher paused in surprise. "I have you for almost six months now, Dart! Wow..." He'd certainly been here awhile...

Fletcher beamed when Russell asked about the house. "You built it for us! It's right next to our greenhouse and I've been taking care of it while you've been away! We help grow food for other people to eat here!" Fletcher considered taking care of the greenhouse very important for that reason. "And I have a little flower garden in there too. Some of the plants almost died in a blizzard we had not so long ago, but I used alchemy to keep most of them alive so there wasn't a lot of loss." He looked up at Russell brightly and almost expectantly, thinking that his brother would be proud he took care of the greenhouse.