Chapter Text
Brock is walking down the hallway where the kids' rooms are, going from the living room to the stairway. The last mission has taken a lot out of him, physically and emotionally. He's tired and moody and wants to go to bed.
Pezzy and Droid come his way from upstairs. "Hello!", Droid smiles at him and he tries to put on a convincing smile, "Hello." The two halt for a second and then he is cornered by them. Pezzy puts his arms up, silently asking to be picked up. Droid is blocking his way up the stairs and he is texting on his phone as Brock tries to gently reject Pezzy.
"Kiddo, I'm sorry but not right now, ok?", he says and Pezzy's eyes turn wide and sad. He knows he is being played right now but gives in anyway and sighs, picking him up. Changing direction he tries going back to the living room but Droid steps in his way again. Frowning slightly, he asks, "What's wrong?" Droid puts his arms around him as well, effectively immobilizing him with hugs. "Guys, what are you doing?", he asks exasperated.
Grizzy's door opens and his head peeks out, eyes finding them. Tugging at Brock, Droid steers them to the door and he lets himself be pulled along, too confused to react any other way. Grizzy holds his door open and he is dragged inside.
Brock takes a moment to look around the room. The crew never enters their kids rooms, giving them the privacy they deserve, and no one has been invited in yet. Yet here he stands, in the middle of Grizzy's room, which is full of all of their stuff and somehow still clean. Brock's hunch from the first few days that they primarily use one room seems to be correct. Even though he is sure that at least Droid and Pezzy sleep in their own rooms more often than not.
"What..", he starts again but Grizzy tips him over and he falls on the couch in the middle of the room. Puffer, who is sitting on it, startles at the sudden movement and gives Grizzy a look but then moves closer and puts Brock's head in his lap.
He's now laying on the couch in Grizzy's room with Pezzy on top of him, nestling into his chest and head in Puffer's lap, who started carding his fingers through his hair. It's so surreal he can't even react for a long time. Droid and Grizzy sit down in front of them, back leaning against the couch, and start playing a game together on their switch.
"Ok, what's going on?", he finally manages to ask and Pezzy looks up at him. "You're upset.", he whispers to him, "The best place to be when upset is next to Puffer." He can see Droid nod his head and Puffer rolls his eyes. "Kids, you don't...", he starts but Grizzy turns his head to him and grins, "You're not escaping anyway. Just deal with it."
Droid laughs and starts imitating a gangster's voice, "We captured him! He's our prisoner. No escaping" The kids start giggling and doing various more expressions along the lines of him being captured.
While it's been a long time since they were scared and tense around the crew and laughing around them isn't rare anymore the atmosphere here in their room is different. More free and silly. Unrestrained. Brock lets himself be infected by it.
"The thing about prisoners is that they can escape when not properly restrained.", he says and closes both arms around Pezzy before gathering momentum and sitting up, swinging over the handrest. Puffer let's him go easily, surprised, but then laughs and grabs after him. "Hey!", Droid shouts and scrambles to his feet, trying to tackle him. Pezzy starts squirming in his arms and as he reaches the door he realizes he won't be able to open it.
"I have my own prisoner now.", he cackles and teleports right outside the door. Keeping a tight grip on a giggling Pezzy he leans against the door, blocking it. He makes eye contact with a startled Jon just as the door bangs, probably Droid trying to open it, and Droid screams, "That's cheating!! Grizzy!"
Knowing he won't stand a chance against Grizzy's strength he steps away from the door and a second later Grizzy and Droid stumble out, falling to the floor. Puffer stands in the door laughing at them before looking up and going after Brock. "Jon! Save yourself!", Brock screams before running down the hall and Puffer's attention diverges to Jon. Grizzy and Droid quickly stand up and Droid helps Puffer corner Jon while Grizzy runs after Brock.
"What?!", is all Brock hears Jon say before he is attacked by the two kids and mercilessly dragged into the room. Pezzy reaches for Grizzy over his shoulder and Grizzy catches his hand and pulls, making Brock stop and nearly fall over backwards.
"No escapees!", Pezzy laughs and Brock let's himself be dragged back into the room by Grizzy. When they reach the threshold he hears Droid cheer and Puffer giggle.
He is shoved back onto the couch, next to a confused Jon, who is currently holding an uncontrollably laughing Puffer to his side, face hidden in Jon's shoulder and Droid is laying across his legs. When Brock falls next to them he stretches to be in both laps, making Pezzy shift to sit beside Brock.
"What's happening?", Jon asks and Brock can only sympathize with his confusion. "We caught you!", Droid exclaims exited, "We got Brock by conning him and you with force!"
"Conning? You dragging him in is not conning him!", Grizzy, who squeezes himself onto the couch next to Brock, Pezzy climbing into his lap, teases him and Puffer dissolves into another fit of giggles. "Yes it is! Pezzy did the puppy eyes!", Droid defends himself and they squabble for a bit. Jon looks at Brock, wanting him to make sense of this but he just grins and starts petting Droid's head.
Sighing, Jon relaxes into the couch, having given up trying to understand all this, and looks around the room. Puffer slowly calms down but stays glued to his side, turning the hold into cuddling. The others calm down as well, adrenaline tapering off.
"Ok. Can someone tell me now what this is about?", he tries again and Droid answers this time, curling up in their laps, "Brock was upset so we tried making it better."
Jon looks at him but he shrugs, signaling to him that he will explain it later. "And it worked.", Puffer pipes up, smiling self satisfied. Brock smiles and reaches over to ruffle his hair, "Yes it did."
"And why am I here?", Jon asks them and Grizzy chuckles, "Collateral." That makes Brock burst out laughing loudly and the kids seem very pleased with that.
Later the two leave the room.
"I can't believe this just happened.", Jon laughs and Brock nods, "I love these kids so much."
Jon's eyes gain an impish glint, "Let's make the others jealous that we were invited in first." Brock grins back at him, all fatigue from earlier forgotten, "I'm game!"