"Don't talk about them like that! The fuck's wrong with you?" 

"I didn't! I didn't pass!" The words sound like they hurt. 

Sean frowns, confused. "But they said you weren't seen?" 

"Dad did. Dad saw me. Took one fuckin' step in that room and he was all 'you haven't failed, Desmond'." Desmond kicks at the ground, furious and miserable. 

"Des, that's still huge. You got past everyone else. And Dad's Dad. Even if you never get past him-"

"You got past him!"

"Yeah, last year. When I was 16, Des! You're 13, and you're already better than I was at that age!"

"He was gonna pass me anyway. Even though he saw me." 

Sean flinches. William Miles never does that. For anyone. Sean himself was assessed over and over and over before he made a clean run. 

"Why?"

"He's babying me. Either that or he's trying to be nice so I stop telling everyone what a joke this is!" The last words are yelled to the whole room, though barely anyone looks up to acknowledge it. 

Desmond's frustration is well known by this point. 

"Dad doesn't do that, Des. He's not gonna go easy on you just to be nice. There's gotta be a reason." 

Sean ignores the furl of jealousy in his gut. 

"You tell me what it is then! Because all I know is that all my life I've been trained to fight an enemy which isn't even fucking real! And now, I'm allowed to fuck up!"

"Desmond, shut up. You don't know what you're talking about." 

Desmond shoves himself away from the table, sneering at Sean. "You don't even know if they're real. You just hang on Dad's every word, trying to be the precious perfect son."

"I listen to Dad because he's right! And clearly he should baby you, if this is how you're gonna react after failing an assess!" 

Tears are suddenly bright in Desmond's eyes, and he kicks his chair away and stalks off, leaving his dinner uneaten. 

Sean lets his anger burn hot for a few moments, fuelled by confusion, and jealousy-

-and then lets his breath out in a whoosh, leaning his elbows on the table so he can cradle his head in his hands. 

"Fuck."

"Not your finest work, mijo."

Sean waits for his mother to sit next to him, and then lolls his head onto her shoulder. 

"Mrrrgh."

"I know, I know. He gave me an earful too." 

Solonna pats Sean's head gently. 

He lifts his head to rest his chin on her shoulder. "I get it. Parts of it."

"You were so scared after we showed you my memories. I just didn't want him to be so..."

Sean hugs his mother. "Nah, I get that. But it's not gonna be real for him until he sees." 

"Still sorry we used you as the trial run." She kisses Sean's temple.