Fan

AN: I heart Broken!!!!

”Catch!” A girl from a few houses down the block tossed a football across the street. Jax giggled as he scampered after it until he stopped short just before a fence. The ball flew above his head and plopped onto the roof of the house, rolling down to settle neatly in a crevice between the chimney and the corner of the roof. “Oh…” The girl frowned. “I’m sorry.” The kids whined amongst themselves at the loss of their toy and end of the game. “Can you get it?” A very small child tugged on their mother’s pant leg. “I’m sorry darling.” She picked them up. “It’s too high up, the ladder won’t reach. We can get a new ball.”

Charlie looked around at the disappointed faces of his friends. “Dad!” He burst through the front door. Broken startled and glanced around. “Huh…?” “We were playing catch and Kasey threw the ball really high and it went onto the roof and we can’t get it down and the ladder won’t reach can you come get it?” Charlie asked in a single breath. “Mhm…” he yawned as he stood up and stretched. “Just… gimmie a second…” he rubbed sleep from his eyes as he wandered around tidying up the living room, tossing out garbage, putting the remote where he’d definitely not lose it this time, and resetting his game from the death screen. Poor old guy fell asleep. Again.

”Wheres the ball to…?” He followed Charlie outside. “Up!” He pointed to the house. Broken sighed and rubbed his face dramatically. “I got half a mind to throw you up there to get it down yourself…” the kids watched very closely as Broken walked up to the house. “Watch my ivy!” The man sitting on the front porch scolded playfully. “That was one time old man…” he purred. He climbed up the side of the house with ease, and even made a show of flipping himself up to the roof instead of just hauling himself up there. “This one…?” He grabbed the football and held it up. “Yeah!” The children cheered. He tossed it down gently and went around the roof looking for anything else he’d have to grab eventually.

Broken sent down a toy stores worth of toys and games that had been lost over the years. Mostly balls, a few dolls, some toy airplanes and even a stuffed cat. He sat on the edge of the roof to catch his breath and watch the kids play with their newly rediscovered toys. “Broken!” The girl who’d thrown the ball up in the first place jumped and waved. “Catch!” “If I fall off here you’d best not laugh…” he teased. “I’m gonna laugh.” She smiled. “Ready?” “‘M ready…” he purred. She hopped back a few steps and launched the ball as hard as she could. It flew a mile a minute across the street, spinning faster and faster as it rose into the air.

Broken reached out and caught it without taking his eyes off the kids down below. “Again!” The kids cheered. He tossed the ball back down but this time he was thrown for a loop. The girl gave it a bit more of a spin the second toss and sent it veering left. Broken scrambled after it, nearly throwing himself off the side of the roof in the process. “Hey!” He threw it back down again. “Don’t try ‘nd make me fall… I c’n do that just fine by meself…” “please don’t!” A doting parent called from somewhere below. “Yeah, yeah…” he flicked his ears. “Can I throw it harder?!” The girl jumped as she asked as if getting closer would make him hear better. “You think you c’n throw harder…?” Broken crouched down on the edge of the roof.

Even from up top he could see a competitive sparkle in her eye. “Hell yeah I can!” She ran off to the other side of the street before she could get scolded. “Are you ready old man?! I’m gonna knock you off that stupid roof and turn you into a cat-shaped pancake!” Broken stood up and made a point of stretching. “Hit me you little punk…!” He held his arms out. She took a hop skip and a jump before tossing the football at him. “What was that…? The breeze pick up…?” He threw the ball back down. “C’mon, hit me like you mean it…” the girl ran back and threw the ball again with a bit more force. Broken caught it but stumbled back a few steps from the momentum. “Are you a fan? Cause all ‘m gettin’ is air…!”