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“Techno! Wilbur!” Phil called from the kitchen. It wasn’t a very big apartment, so they would hear him, no doubt. “Dinner, you two!”
Phil moved to the drawer to get out the utensils, pulling out forks, just three, and setting them at the places. Tommy didn’t need one, he would eat with his fingers anyway.
He faced down the hallway, where none of the doors were open, and there were no sounds at all from the two rooms.
He sighed, pulling a hand through his hair. He only had a few hours until he had to leave for patrol, and he really wanted a family dinner.
“Boys?”
No answer.
“Daddy,” Tommy whined, drawing his attention. “Where Wilby?”
“I’m getting him, Tommy, just hold on a minute, yeah?” Tommy pouted again, but Phil left the room to go down the hall and knock on Wilbur’s door. There was a muffled mumble from inside.
“Wil,” Phil creaked the door open, watching Wilbur laying down on his bed, typing away at his computer, not even paying Phil any mind. “C’mon, Wilbur, it’s dinner.”
“I’m busy, eat without me.”
Phil frowned, his heart sinking. “Wilbur…”
“I’m working on my application,” his stormy eyes looked up from the screen. “I’ll eat when I’m done.”
“You’re not even fifteen yet,” Phil leaned in the doorway. “You know they only accept anyone sixteen and up.”
“Maybe I’ll get in early.” Wilbur’s eyes just went back down. “You never know.”
“Just come have dinner, ok? We’ll talk about it.”
“I’m busy, Dad.” His fingers were stilled over the keyboard, too stuck in his own thoughts to type out his essay.
“Tell me what you’re really thinking.”
Wilbur closed his eyes, putting his head in his hands. “I’m not hungry.”
“You’re never hungry,” Phil walked further into the room, gently closing the laptop screen. “Tommy wants to eat with you.”
Phil didn’t miss the tear that ran down Wilbur’s face, the way he bit his cheek to keep himself from giving any outward sign of any emotions.
“Let’s go eat, Wil,” Phil tugged him off the bed with minimal protest. “Keep an eye on Tommy while I go get Techno.”
He nodded, wiping his eyes as he walked through the door and into the kitchen, where an eagerly awaiting Tommy shouted with joy at his appearance.
“Techno,” Phil gently knocked on his door, hearing absolutely nothing behind it. “We’re going to eat.”
When there was no answer again, Phil cracked open the door, seeing the bed empty, the desk empty. “Techno?”
Phil locked eyes on a form in the corner, huddled with his knees pressed to his chest, a book open on the ground next to him, but he had his eyes closed. His newly dyed pink hair was falling over his face, eyes scrunched up in what looked like pain.
Phil knew the expression well.
“Tech, it’s Dad.” Phil got down on the floor in front of him, “Can you hear me?”
The boy in front of him nodded slightly, letting Phil sigh with relief, just a little bit.
“What are they saying, can you tell me?”
Techno’s expression went a little more pained, shivering softly. “My fault.”
Phil didn’t have to ask what for.
“Techno, I want you to breathe with me, ok?” Phil gently placed a hand on Techno’s arm, preparing in case he twitched away, but he stayed firm. “In, 1, 2, 3…”
This was a common occurrence for the Craft household, at least for the past three months or so. The wounds were still healing, or… there wasn’t a ton more healing to be done. Phil didn’t think anyone would be recovering much anymore. At least not anytime soon.
Tommy was the most put-together out of all of them, and he still cried for his mother every so often. He just didn’t understand that she was gone.
None of them knew why .
Techno lifted his head after a few minutes, his eyes laced with tears. It was frighteningly scary to see Techno, the strong man of the family, so vulnerable.
“Are you with me?” Techno pursed his lips, but he nodded slightly, a far-off look in his eyes. “Can you come join us for dinner? The food might be cold, but-”
“Are you ok?” Techno’s voice was scratchy, harsh, but it hit Phil like a train. “You never give yourself a break.”
Phil didn’t have time for a break. He had already taken all of his off days for… the aftermath. He couldn’t take a break, he didn’t need real sleep. Sure, he was a little slower, a little less lively on his feet, but he was there. He was doing just fine.
His regular work during the day would drop anyway, he’d be taking up a new trainee in two weeks.
“I’m alright,” Phil smiled, but it felt forced. “I’ll get by.”
“I haven’t seen you cry,” Techno pushed, even if he was rather resigned. “You’ve got to be hurting just as much as we are.”
Phil wouldn’t admit to sitting on the edge of rooftops during patrols, just giving himself a few seconds to rest as he let the wind flow through his feathers. He’d let himself go for just a minute, curl up in his soul and let out whatever was pent up.
“I am,” he admitted. “But I’m strong for you guys.”
Techno held himself a little higher. “You don’t have to. We can do things… sort of.”
Phil smiled, “I know you can, but I’m here so I might as well do my job.”
Techno took the outstretched hand, pulling himself to his feet.
“Dinner time,” Phil tugged him in the direction of the door, and Techno followed.
Wilbur’s eyes widened when they stepped into the kitchen, relaxing slightly as he picked at the food on his plate. Tommy shouted Techno’s name when he walked in, his hands already dirtied with the food Phil had laid out for him.
“We started eating without you,” Wilbur said softly. “Hope you don’t mind.”
“It’s not a problem,” Phil sat down at the table, looking at the formerly warm meal he had made for them. Finally, a family meal.
Things would go back to normal. They would.