Chapter Text
Yells, bam! and then angry footsteps, Jeff blinked when he heard all of this as soon as he get back from under the car he was trying to examine. Today was his second and final day of testing, if he was good enough to work for X-racers.
Charlie brought him in, even if they both decide that they shouldn't be seen as a package deal. After all, Charlie was here before Jeff and he was the new Pit Babe boy - Jeff didn't get why this title needed the capital letters, but he wasn't the one to argue. If his brother was happy, he was happy too.
But the case was that Charlie wasn't happy at this moment. No.
Jeff didn't know what happened, but he can smell his brother's distress and agitation.
Which makes him stressed and agitated himself. That's why he hasn't even stopped to think, before he gets up from his place on the garage floor and move closer to Charlie. His brother face hasn't betrayed much, but his hands closed into fists were more reveling of the state his brother emotions.
Without the second thought, Jeff clasped his fingers on his Phi's t-shirt sleeve like he would if he was five year old again and whined his distress out. Charlie's eyes automatically focused on his own and just like that, he loosened his hands to more relaxed stance.
"P'Charlie" Charlie moved his arm to put it over Jeff's shoulder, careful to not touch any naked skin. They didn't need to trigger a vision above all that happened.
"Shh, little one, everything is fine" Jeff moved his eyes to the direction of the corridor where Babe disappeared a minute ago and back to the Charlie's face.
Nothing was fine and he was able to say it just by the look in the eyes of his otherwise calm brother.
Nothing was fine and they need to leave before Jeff do something they didn't want to - like put out a tantrum for example. He wasn't a child anymore, he won't get anything from Charlie, just because he wanted it.
And right now Jeff wanted to get his brother home, make them a nest and cuddle his brother, until all this distressed smell disappear from his skin.
His brother was mad. Jeff didn't know, what Babe had told him before leaving, but it was something bad enough that makes his brother mad. And Jeff hated it.
His brother shouldn't get mad.
Bad things happen when Charlie gets mad.
Not just mad, sad and it was something that Jeff couldn't forgive.
"Ekhem" Alan, the boss of the garage, made a sound to catch their attention. Jeff gets to liking him, he wasn't as invasive as the rest of the crew. He left him space. Jeff could respect a person who understand, that he doesn't need a human contact to be good at his job.
"So, what's going on here? You know each other?" Jeff couldn't decipher why Khun Alan sounds so... weird over the question. He didn't understand the sad smell lingering in the air around the man, but apparently his brother was wiser than him. Ha saw Charlie smirking despite his own distress and moved Jeff's even closer to himself.
"Nu Jeff is my brother" The relief emanating from his new almost boss was palpable, but Charlie hasn't let him say a word between his saying. "We didn't want to tell you, cause Jeff wanted to prove himself first and I hasn't wanted to put any of us in the position to make you hire him cause I'm involve with..." Charlie looks sadly in the direction of the empty corridor where Babe disappeared. "But apparently it didn't matter much in the end..." He smelled sad again and Jeff wanted nothing more than put him under protective umbrella of good emotions, the same one, that Charlie had put above his head since the day one.
"C'mon Jeff, I'll take you home" Jeff puts his feet into motion, trying to keep the pace with Charlie as his fingers hasn't left theirs grip on Charlie's t-shirt sleeve. His only thought was to find a place, where they could hide from the world and all bad feelings, no matter how far they needed to go.
"Hey, but...!" Alan stopped them, moving in their way. His moves tense, aura radiating of uncertainty. "I mean... He got the job! Jeff's good mechanic and I want him here. Of course, if Jeff wants that too" Alan said, his hand roaming on the back of his head nervously. Jeff looks up at his brother, but Charlie just shook his head, leaving a decision in his hands.
"I'll think about it, Khun Alan" Jeff said only just above the whisper and not looking up from under his bangs, he yanks at his brother sleeve making him move in the direction of Jeff's car. He could think about his job tomorrow, right now, he needed to thin about his brother.