[His eyes ttavel to the noise of the plate against wood and the clink of metal, catching Levi in his peripheral. There's mild distress in his features, quickly being pulled back.]
Sure. Um.
[He pulls the phone off his ear as it once again goes to an automated voicemail.]
[Levi takes a seat beside Barrett, looking at the phone and then back to his brother with concern.]
I heard what happened. [...] I'm sorry.
[He came in here with a plan, and yet now that he's here, he finds himself unsure of what to really say. Can anything he says make Barrett feel better? He doubts it.]
Yeah. [He's trying to redial the number. His fingers shake.]
Yael told me at the game that no one has been able to reach him all day. No one can reach his caretakers. Hani even tried going to his house. There's nothing.
[He swallows, bringing the phone back up to his ear again. The horrible scratching ring in a vacuum. The pickup of an automated voice. Always an automated voice.]
He was supposed to be at the game today. I just... I talked to him last night. I don't know if he ever got on the plane.
[He watches the process. How many times has Barrett done this since he found out? Did he do it the entire drive back to the house too?
It's painful to watch, and yet he doesn't know if stopping him is the right answer. Instead, he lets it continue for the time being, drawing his legs up against himself and hugging them.]
I wish I had any ideas, I really do.
...
It was never supposed to get this bad. W-We were supposed to be able to...
[No. He can't go that route either. Not now. He takes a breath and restarts.]
Sorry. I just...I wish I could say something helpful.
[The gesture makes Levi yelp with a start, but once the surprise passes, he melts under Barrett's touch. It feels a little pathetic, because he's supposed to be the one comforting his little brother, not the other way around. On the other hand...it's good if Barrett is doing this, right? Distraction is good.
He nods slightly, returning his gaze to Barrett.]
You guys did really good out there. I'm glad you got to play, too. [He knows that's not always a guarantee with second string.] Watching you be a human wall was great.
[There's a slight smile in return, a slight crinkle at the eyes despite how red they are.]
Coach said I can take a first half spot in a couple weeks if I practice as well as I played today. [There's some pride in his tone, muddled as it is under the weight of everything.
He carefully pats his older brother on the head.]
I thought you might fry into a lobster under all the sun. I'm glad you didn't.
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[His eyes ttavel to the noise of the plate against wood and the clink of metal, catching Levi in his peripheral. There's mild distress in his features, quickly being pulled back.]
Sure. Um.
[He pulls the phone off his ear as it once again goes to an automated voicemail.]
What did you need, Levi?
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I heard what happened. [...] I'm sorry.
[He came in here with a plan, and yet now that he's here, he finds himself unsure of what to really say. Can anything he says make Barrett feel better? He doubts it.]
Are you...still trying to get a hold of him?
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Yeah. [He's trying to redial the number. His fingers shake.]
Yael told me at the game that no one has been able to reach him all day. No one can reach his caretakers. Hani even tried going to his house. There's nothing.
[He swallows, bringing the phone back up to his ear again. The horrible scratching ring in a vacuum. The pickup of an automated voice. Always an automated voice.]
He was supposed to be at the game today. I just... I talked to him last night. I don't know if he ever got on the plane.
no subject
It's painful to watch, and yet he doesn't know if stopping him is the right answer. Instead, he lets it continue for the time being, drawing his legs up against himself and hugging them.]
I wish I had any ideas, I really do.
...
It was never supposed to get this bad. W-We were supposed to be able to...
[No. He can't go that route either. Not now. He takes a breath and restarts.]
Sorry. I just...I wish I could say something helpful.
no subject
[As the phone is hung up once again, Barrett simply moves one of his hands to the top of Levi's head. Not a ruffle, just a weight and warmth.]
...You're okay.
[He hears that travelling tone, a topic that nearly goes unspoken. He hates that he feels the same odd twist of uncertainty, for a moment.
It hurts, to see Levi like this. So he keeps the phone clenched in his open hand, eyes staying on his brother. ]
Was the game fun to watch?
no subject
He nods slightly, returning his gaze to Barrett.]
You guys did really good out there. I'm glad you got to play, too. [He knows that's not always a guarantee with second string.] Watching you be a human wall was great.
no subject
Coach said I can take a first half spot in a couple weeks if I practice as well as I played today. [There's some pride in his tone, muddled as it is under the weight of everything.
He carefully pats his older brother on the head.]
I thought you might fry into a lobster under all the sun. I'm glad you didn't.