Fred is just reading a comic book in the living room, Todd was bored, so he flopped onto Fred’s belly.
“I’m bored-” He pouts
“I can see that.” He says, turning the page
“Everyone keeps ignoring me.” Todd turns his head to Fred, keeping the side of his face against him.
He puts his comic book on the ground next to him. “What did you want to tell everyone about? Any new interests?”
Todd pushes himself up and smiles, “I’m glad you asked!”
Lance sighs as he walks in, glancing across the room, then at the two boys, and then turns around to walk back out.
“What’s with your attitude?” Todd calls to him, “You’ve been a jerk for no reason since Mystique ditched us.”
“Just leave me be, you two. I’m getting tired.” Lance sighs.
“Tired of what? Homework and not going out with Kitty?” Todd teases. They always teased him, so he didn’t see why it would be a problem. But Lance visibly tenses up at the words.
Fred instinctively puts an arm around Todd as a shield, in case he gets hit.
“That’s all you think I do?” He said quietly, but his voice gradually took on an angrier tone, “That’s it?? Maybe I’m tired from fixing the car you fucking broke!? Maybe I had to clean out the garage so I could find scraps to fix up this stupid ghost house Mystique put us in!”
“Lance, don’t get physical,” Fred warns
“Fine, you know what?” Lance storms off. He returns in his uniform holding a duffel bag that looks as if it was packed without a thought, “Good luck handling yourselves!”
He leaves, slamming the door. Todd flinches at the sound, covering his ears.
After taking a second to process, Todd stares at the door with an expression of utter confusion. He repeatedly pats Fred to get his attention, “Was… was I being rude? I thought he was just grumpy like usual.”
“No, it’s fine. He looked pissed but he just needs a bit to cool off.” Fred says, patting him back as a way to calm him.
Tabitha comes down the stairs, “Why is Lance leaving?
“Leaving??” Todd shouts,
“Ya, he packed up.” She shrugs
Fred sits himself up and wraps an arm around Todd’s shoulder, “ It’s alright, Dude. You didn’t do anything.”
“What-w-why did he just leave us like that?? He didn’t even say goodbye!!”
“Look, I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Fred says, trying to calm them down.
Tabitha scoffs, “Todd, it’s Lance. He’ll be back, tomorrow you clingy ass frog,” she teases, making her way to the kitchen.
Fred, being more understanding, hugs Todd a little closer, “We’ll see him tomorrow at school.”
“But now I have to get used to that!” Todd yells, very obviously upset.
“Give it two days. Three if he’s really trying.” Fred giggles. He stands up and puts Toad on his shoulders.
He hops off his shoulders before he walks to his room. Jumping on the walls instead of the ground like a normal person.
Fred shakes his head and sighs, “This is going to be a long day.”
~~~
A while later, Fred is treating himself to a late-night snack when Todd walks out of his room.
“What are you doing up?” Fred asks
“I’m going to fix the cabinets,” Todd replies
“Do you even know how?” Fred laughs, not even looking up.
“..... It shouldn’t be that hard.”
As Fred opens his mouth to tell Todd what a horrible idea it is, the microwave beeps. He chuckles and decides to just let him learn. Late-night nachos are more important.
Todd begins tinkering with the hinge in a way that shows his obvious lack of skill for this. Fred leans up against the counter to watch as he eats his nachos. Just making sure he doesn’t break anything. Todd groans in frustration and throws the screwdriver. “Damn this thing!”
“Dude, you’re usually good with this. You might be tired. Just go to bed.” Fred says gently
“I’m fine, Blubberhead.” Todd scowls
“I 100% believe that, Greasy.” Fred jokes, rolling his eyes. Todd is the only one he allows to name-call like that: “You have five minutes.”
“Man!” Todd whines, grabbing the screwdriver he threw with his tongue
Fred gives Todd his few minutes of tinkering. He barely got one cabinet done before Fred could feel the overtired tears coming.
Fred chuckles, “Come on, it’s late.” He picks Todd up as he screams out objections.
“Put me down! I’m not a baby, I can make my own decisions!” Fred puts him on the couch, pointing at him like a tired dad, “Lie down.”
“No!” Todd protests.
“Frog, I’m not playin’,” Fred warns as he gently pushes Toad’s head onto the arm of the chair.
“Fine!” He pouts as Fred puts the weighted blanket on him.
Fred pats his head, “Goodnight. If you even try to get up, I swear.” He teases, making his way to the stairs.
~~~~
Tabitha walks down the stairs quietly. She squats down in the archway to the living room and rolls a little ball of energy near the sleeping Todd. He looks so peaceful before the explosion goes off. He screams and tosses the blanket off himself in fear.
Pietro pops his head in when he hears it, “Tabitha! Don’t wreck the house! We’ll be killed.” He sounds too whiny to get anyone to listen.
“Don’t wreck the toad either.” Todd hops off the couch. He then stands up, trying to straighten his posture. He puts his hands in his sweatpants pockets.
Pietro leans against the wall, watching him. He’s silently observing. He feels something is off about him.
Fred walks out of his room and yawns, making his way down the stairs.
“The hell are you all doing?” He says as he pokes his head into the living room. He’s not a morning person in the slightest.
“Tabitha is being a bitch again.” Todd has a bored tone.
“Oh no.” Fred rolls his eyes at Todd.
“Fred, I’m taking your noodles,” Tabitha says, opening the fridge
“You leave that box there!” Fred walked into the kitchen, trying to get his precious noodles back.
Todd jumped onto the ceiling so he’d fit in the narrow space. She managed to find a little space and squeezed through. She then flicks an energy ball at them. Fred pulls Todd down and hugs him as the explosion goes off.
“Hussy,” Fred mumbles under his breath as he sets Todd down slowly.
“The one and only!” She laughs as she leaves through the front door.
“So… how do we send her back to the X-Men?” Pietro asks as he pulls his jacket off the back of the couch.
“I think we’re stuck with her.” Fred sighs as he rubs his face in annoyance.
“I’m sure we can learn to make it work.” Todd shrugs
“Frog, what has gotten into you?” Pietro says, crossing his arms
“Just let him be. He’s trying to cope with Lance being gone.” Fred puts a hand on Todd’s shoulder.
“He’s being weird.”
“Don’t call my best friend weird!” Fred gets closer to Pietro. He knows he can be too mean when it comes to protecting the frog. So he tries to give people warnings.
Pietro puts his hands up and takes a step back, “Alright, alright. I take it back.”
Fred takes a deep breath to calm himself down. Todd helps by patting his hand.
Todd walks off, “I’m going to get ready for school. You boys should do the same.”
Once he hears his door shut, Pietro looks at Fred, “That’s the most Lance thing he could say. He’s messing with us.”
“He’s just struggling. Maybe think of others more than yourself? You’ll have a better time.” Fred pushes him out of the way by pushing his face as he goes off to his room. He’s careful to be no more than annoying.
~~~~
After school, Fred and Pietro go back to the house. They have no idea where Tabby went, but they don’t care anymore.
“Toady!” Fred calls, “I’m home, little buddy!”
Pietro heads off to his room. Fred is putting his backpack down when he realizes he didn’t hear a response.
“Todd! I need you to say that you’re alive!” Fred tries again.
Again, there is nothing but silence. Fred goes to the garage. He knows Lance would be there, so most likely, Todd is too.
He sees Todd rummaging through a random box of stuff. He flinches when he hears the door, and he looks up, smiling brightly, when he sees Fred.
“Heya!” He shakes a pack of screws lightly.
“Whatcha doin'?” Fred giggles
“I’m going to fix up this house!” He sounds determined
“Need help? I know you still have homework to do.”
“Someone has to.” Todd shrugs, “Besides, Mystique will be happy!”
“I’m fairly certain she won’t.” Fred stands next to him, “So what are you going to fix next?”
“I was going to fix the cabinets. But then I thought it would be fun to also learn about fixing the knobs on the oven. Maybe even the pot handles” He rambles on. Fred smiles doing his best to keep up with him.
“Aren’t you a tech person anyway? He can’t yell at you if you work on the car.” Fred says pointing at the beat up green jeep.
“You think I could?” Todd says tilting his head as he looks at it.
“Only one way to find out.” Fred chuckles as he watches the gears turning in his head, “I can make sure you don’t die.”
Todd smiles as he jumps over to the creeper. He struggles with it but Fred knows he needs to feel independence. So he lets him.
“DAMN!” He yells
“What is it?” Fred knows trying to look under the car is impossible, so he doesn’t try.
“This twat was using DUCT TAPE ON THE FUCKING CAR!” He’s pissed the person who was holding the household together was that dumb.
“Need any tools?”
“No we just need to find tubes.” He grunts a bit as he slides to a different spot, “At least he didn’t fuck with the wires.”
“Those damn wires.” Fred says in the most sarcastic tone.
Todd kicks his shin lightly, “Don’t be an ass.”
~~~~
Lance goes back home at damn near four in the morning. A few days after he left. As he walked in Todd and Fred were standing at the door. Tabby and Pietro didn’t care much, they stayed in their beds.
“Finally back I see.” Fred scowls with his arms crossed.
“I know, I know. You guys aren’t too happy with me.” Lance says as he puts his duffle bag down and shifts the grocery bag to a more comfortable position.
“That ain’t even the half of it!” Toad stomps his foot.
“Look, I got you guys some things to make it up to you.” Lance says calmly, he pulls out a red bag with a cartoon chicken on it, “Variety pack of dried meal worms.”
“The one from-” Todd tries but is cut off.
“From Tractor Supply yes.”
Todd snatches the bag. He had won over the frog, not it was time for the tall.
“You think a few snacks are going to get you forgiven?” Fred protests, it’s cut short by Lance holding up a bag of chocolate glazed doughnuts, “.... Statement retracted.”
He takes the bag as the both go back to bed. It was Saturday so the no longer had any reason to be awake.