"5 more." The clipped voice commanded Will as his brother breathless followed suit. Both boys pushing a hard number on their crunches. Thomas, who wanted to make the notion that he felt like dying clear, stayed silent anyways.

Bill Grayson was a lawyer who worked in a firm the next town over. He spends his time taking extra work. Staying there late. And making sure he had a perfect family model to show for it. A gorgeous wife, a firm and well-maintained husband, and two perfectly groomed and cleaned up teenage boys.

As for them actually being a family was wholly different... Since the start of this all, that actually all fell of Will's shoulders to seem... right.

Bill wasn't a conversationalist. Will never felt like he ever could talk to his father. He felt more like a stay at home teacher than a Dad. It's what made the boy look elsewhere to others, different guidance and affections. All his father could do for him was give orders, snide remarks, and punishments.

Thomas never liked the guy very much. His stepbrother never blamed him.

"I said 5, Henry." He spoke bitterly, his own rep finished without so much as a sweat. Thomas began glaring at him as he tried to gain a breath before he pushed out his last two. Will, having already finished, laid on his back in exhaustion.

"Alright. Now a cold shower, the both of you. Better for your skin and your overheating muscles." Bill said like clockwork. Things Will heard every time he demanded they get into shape. Thomas felt like death. Not at all imagining this again when Will said he took the day off to spend time with them.

Bill stood up. Helping both boys up to their feet, Will just in mild assistance while practically dragging Tom to stand.

"Remember-" Will felt like he could mouth along to his Dad's motto as it dripped out of his mouth. The same thing every time. Repeat repeat repeat. "-You need to break down the old to build up the new. That's why it hurts."

"We know," Will muttered as Thomas have a bitchy whine. Both boys shuffling out of their little garage gym to their respective rooms. Tempted to just collapse where ever rather than actually work towards laying in a clean bed.

The Grayson boy stepped into his shower, still in his workout pants that he barely felt he had the energy to strip off. He turned on the water. The icy blast hitting him as he swore steam rose off his skin.

As for his stepbrother, he did something else, actually bothering with the extra step to strip down first, and then dropping into the cold bath he ran that morning but never got to use. The used to be warm water as cold as the tile floor by this time of day. The house was pretty, but a bit older, so the outside cold always manages to creep in.

Bill stayed in the gym for a few more hours as the boys soaked themselves till they felt their tense muscles relax.

Will went to make dinner, Thomas crawling out of his room and coming along for emotional support. Simply sitting and watching his brother bustle about from his seat on the kitchen island. Wondering just how long he's been cooking, and who the hell showed him to.

"I gotta go to work, Tom. So don't mess around after dinner. Please." Will muttered tiredly. Tossing whatever was in the pan around a few times as he did something Thomas only ever saw on Food Network.

"Whatever. I'm too tired to get up from this seat to help you, much else wreak havoc. I don't know how the hell you're going to work after that. It's been all day with your Dad barking at us and working us like slaves." Thomas pressed his face against the cool marble of the counter.

"I need money. I work. You've literally been bleeding me dry, so I can't afford to be tired." William scolded like a single mother. Dropping what looked almost like stirfry into three bowls. Gwen wasn't joining them tonight.

"Doesn't stepdaddy give you anything?"

Will looked over to him with a tilt of his head.

"Stupid question." Thomas raised his hands in retaliation. Will slid his bowl over to him with a sigh. "You'd think with all that cash though-"

"Just eat." Will sighed, pushing a fork his way as he picked up his own bowl. Both boys eating in silence in the kitchen, not finding a reason to go to the scarcely used dining table. The third bowl going untouched.

•••

Will stood in front of the back doors to the movie theater for a second. Fiddling with the collar of his uniform. A simple black button-up with matching slacks, a red vest with a little name tag right over his left.

He pushed inside, clocking in as one would and scaring the absolute hell out of the manager as she rounded a corner. Mostly by accident, she was reasonably jumpy thanks to the happenings around town. He apologized sheepishly, trying to get her to be a little reasonable as she grew rather prissy about it. But like always he brought her down from the fit. Nothing a good joke couldn't fix.

"If you didn't make me laugh I would totally kick your ass..." She reassured him through her giggles.

"No you wouldn't it's too perfect, you'd feel guilty for damaging it." He said with a grin, demonstrating it through a little goofy twirl that sent her into another fit of giggles.

"Alright, Alright, enough. You're ushering today, go tell the other kid he can go home early. You showed up an hour before you had to you know." She said with a twirl of her finger, pointing towards the entrance into the actual theater in a commanding fashion.

"I need the cash, Bee." He used the nickname she hated as he followed her direction. Earning a scold before he waved playfully her way before stepping into his little work world. Ticket taking today. Not too hard. Perfect really since he didn't want to do anything labor-intensive, his legs were already screaming at him that he was an idiot for using them.

"Hey, John, Beatrice said you're good for the day." He patted the bored-looking kid at the little stand on the shoulder. Definitely not arguing about leaving as he left without question.

William huffed lightly. Looking briefly at his watch with a disinterested gaze before looking back up. The place was a little empty today, surprising for a Friday. But when he thought about it, it made sense. The curfew was screwing with this place too. Just like everywhere else. Not too many late-night showings now.

He looked down at the movie lists for the day. Scrunching his nose up as he saw that they were seating for The Nun soon. Will was a little disappointed in the movie, to say the least. Which he didn't hesitate to call a shameless money grab.

"Will? I almost forgot you actually work here now." He looked up to meet Sierra's eyes. His brows furrowed as she leaned forward, devilish smile perched on her lips as her hands rested on the sides of the podium he stood behind.

"O-Oh, yeah, I thought that was you the last time you came. I didn't think you noticed it was me." Will said sheepishly. Looking at the movie ticket in her hand, holding out his palm to see if she wanted him to take it already. She did so, taking the hint, but her hand lingered for a second over his.

"Oh, I did. How could I ignore the lucky little superhero-?"

"Lucky-?" He ripped the stub, trying to hand it back to her as she took a sip of her soda. An evil little smirk playing at her lips as her perfectly manicured nails went forward towards it, before pulling back to tap at his head.

"I was at your party Will, remember? By the way, I was thinking... does that little incident mean you and Victor are an item now?" She tilted her head. Watching curiously as a blush crept up the boy's cheeks, reaching the tips of his ears as the night flashed through his head again. Stuttering for something to reply. Literally, anything as his mind scrambled.

"I'll take that as a yes. Theater 5, right?" She snatched the small paper from his hand as she strode off. An accomplished grin on her face as Will seemed to mildly freeze for a second. Flustered and confused.

•••

Looking at the school newspaper the following Monday, laced with gossip and nonsense, he realized that maybe being early that day was not in his best interest.