I wrote this a little while ago and decided to post it. I've only seen the movie once, but I've been reading a lot of fanfic when I can. I hope you all enjoy this.

Disclaimer: Since I'm looking for a job, I obviously don't own them.

It was a quiet time on Tracy Island, one of the few that came their way. He'd long since noticed that John had moved inside from his spot by the water. But not much else had changed. Outside, John had only worn a T-shirt and swim trunks. He still wore the T-shirt, but traded the swim trunks for sweatpants. Outside he stretched out on a lounge chair. Inside he was stretched out on a couch. The bottle of water still rested within easy reach. And the same book was still in his younger brother's hands. Within the family, John was known for this. He was known to find a book and become so engrossed in it that he'd sit in his own solitary silence for hours until it was finished. And when asked what he had been reading, John would noncommittally shrug and answer, "Nothing special."

Being one of his older brothers afforded him certain luxuries that the two youngest missed out on. One of them was patience. While Gordon and Alan didn't have great amounts of it, the three older brothers did. And John had the greatest amount of them all. But that didn't mean that the other two lacked in that area. After all, an impatient person couldn't watch a person read all day. He'd been trained a long time ago to be observant, to watch for things that other people would dismiss as unimportant or trivial, like how John could reach for the water without having to feel for it while his eyes never left the page he was on.

Although John could handle chaos, he preferred quiet. And although he loved his family dearly, that's why he preferred life on Thunderbird Five. It was quiet and it afforded him the opportunity to study his home planet and the stars around him. And he knew the chaos that living on Tracy Island could bring. Four brothers weren't included in the recipe for a life of quiet.

He sat on the floor, hidden by various pieces of furniture. He wanted to watch John for as long as he could without disturbing his younger brother. He wanted to enjoy having the quietest of the Tracy clan home. As he watched, he thought about when Thunderbird Five came into existence. He understood the need for it, and the need for someone to man it, but didn't like it. He didn't like the fact that one of his brothers would be so far away. And he knew it was going to be John. No one else had the disposition to be up there, so far away and alone for so long. He accepted it, but he didn't like it.

John's latest movements caught his attention. He'd put the book down on his lap, open but pages down. He leaned back, his hands behind his head. And he was staring across the room, but not at anything at all. He was thinking again, probably too much.

"I know you're over there," he said, but he didn't move.

A hint of crimson snuck onto his cheeks, a little embarrassed that his little brother had caught him. But it was to be expected, he reminded himself as he slowly stood. John was also known for being observant and for sensing when things were off.

He went over to the couch, and John moved so his legs were curled by his body. He sat down, turned to face his brother. Neither said anything, but he knew that John knew he was going to continue watching. John picked his book back up and continued reading. He read the cover and smiled. It wasn't one of John's intellectual books, but rather one of his BS reads. It was something to relax his brain and to help him from thinking too much. He recognized this tactic.

Although it wasn't that late, he could tell John was getting tired. And before too long, the book almost fell from his hands. But he was there to catch it, to mark the page so John could continue later. He took the blanket from the nearby chair and covered his younger brother with it. He took a step back to admire the calm, peaceful form of his brother, then bent over, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"Love you, little one," he whispered so softly that he was sure wouldn't wake John.