Chapter Text
Bruce sighed as he wiped the sweat from his brow, the heat on Vacay island was amazing but just before rain it got sticky, looking around as the last of the guests filtered out.
A few of his thirteen kids, were spattered around the room his eldest was watching over the youngest while he was working, and he had enlisted the help of the surf and rock club, the science clubs and the politicians of the future group, that confused him slightly but LaBreezy was excited and that was all that mattered to him, to help take the middle of his children.
He loved his kids but it took both him and his wife to round them up.
‘Bro’ a voice called from behind him as he closed up, he really wasn’t in the mood to entertain his older brother right now when he had so much to do, supper needed to be cooked and his beachcombers put to bed and the kitchen cleaned to his loves standards ready for the kitchen staff next day.
Closing his eyes, Bruce took a deep breath forcing a smile on his face, before turning around, ‘Hey guys’ voice trailing off as he saw all four of his brothers staring back.
Branch and Floyd were looking at him worried, as Clay was searching his face, most likely seeing the stress lined on his face.
John however looked at him, the smile on his face dimming slightly as a all too familiar look crossed his eyes before going soft.
Bruce was brought out of his thoughts when a familiar hand clap had his spine straightening slightly, as a bit of the heavy feeling lifted from his shoulders, his big brother was here and ready to help him.
‘okay boys, looks like we need a hand, Clay, Branch’ the look of determination took over the blue and green haired brothers, John pointed to the room, ‘dishes together, then Branch and I will be on Food and clean up duty, Clay CPA and resident serious man’ Bruce saw the proud light and smile flitted across the line haired troll, as he popped the collar of his new shirt, ‘Can you do the tills and cash out’
A calculator and note pad appeared in his direct youngest brothers hands, ‘ill even throw in a Tax check’ Bruce rubbed his head that needed doing as well.
‘Floyd, Bruce’ eyes darted to John Dory ‘ go collect the niblings, take Rhonda’ Bruce automatically catching the keys, ‘let them run her around and burn off some more energy, any allergies’.
Bruce felt his eyes widen shocked as he shook his head, ready to speak, ‘good comfort food and Grandma’s mac’n’cheese and some pie for dessert should do’ the oldests hands clapping together palms rubbing together, ‘Floyd can you handle bed time, you were always the best with Baby Branch, and Clay if you finish could you help’
Bruce felt his head spinning slightly, he went to speak, when two hands hit his shoulders and was pulled into a tight hug, which turned into a full group hug with him in the centre, his own hands finding Johns jacket as he clung to his big brother, ‘You need a break, and we can help, let us’ nodding Bruce pulled back as a hand brushed his face, and another offered a tissue.
Laughing, ‘thanks Bro’s’ the hug was around him again, his ears pricked when he heard it, the soft clicks and the light hum, it was their old song.
The older four harmonising together when they realised the youngest was completely clueless, as he would have been too little to remember, so they changed the tune to the song they did for the family harmony, the soft flickering around them showing they were together.
The light dimming as they stopped, ‘change of plan’ an arm was slung around Bruce’s shoulders as he pulled into a side hug, but his big brother, ‘Floyd can you take Rhonda and the niblings, while Papa Bear here puts his feet up and has well deserved sit down and’ a John pulled a flask from his hair, shaking it next to his ear a small sloshing sound on the side of the bottle, ‘has some of the finest Lonesome Flats has to offer’.
Bruce starting to stutter he couldn’t let everyone do his jobs, and the check list which was taken from him by Clay, who had Branch looking over his shoulder and taking the Kitchen list before the pair scurried away.
Bruce watched the two as they bonded and swapped jobs between them, when the keys to Rhonda were tiles back and a glass pressed into his hands, ‘Go take a break let us help’ John smiling softly at him.
Sniffing the amber liquid Bruce felt his eyes burned slightly, ‘are you sure this is safe?’.
‘Sip slowly’ the laughing voice of his pink and white-haired brother piped up, Floyds magenta eyes glittered with mirth over his shoulder, snagging the keys from Johns fingers, and running out the cantina main doors with a laugh.
Larger hands hit his shoulders, as Bruce was steered to his overlook, and settled into a seat, ‘Let me take care of this okay, and relax, you’ve earned it, and we want to’ familiar glasses were slipped over Bruce’s nose and he was left alone to his thoughts and the unfamiliar but welcomed quiet moment.