Backdated to earlier this morning

[callbacks]

dave this is future you
youre not going to school today
dont bother trying to call in sick it wont work
theres nothing i can do for you
im sorry
honestly
you have no idea how sincere im being right now
the best you can do is probably turn off your phone and try not to talk to anyone but we both know thats not happening
im leaving now though im not prolonging this bullshit any longer for either of us than i have to
just wanted to warn you man
later

Comments

[callbacks]

no
fuck

[brotimaeus]

get over here.

[callbacks]

promise not to ask me anything

[brotimaeus]

i promise.

[callbacks]

ok

[Knock. It's basically almost immediate, and possible that no time powers were involved in the convenient timing of this exchange. You know, like he was waiting.]

[brotimaeus]

[Maybe he was waiting, maybe he wasn't, Bro doesn't much care but he's on that door in a single flashstep and pulling it open, looking down at his little brother.]

.. Yo.

[callbacks]

Hey.

[He's lucky he's only got level 2 honesty and not 3, or there'd be an endless spew here about how weird it is that he can do this and Bro is here for him to do this and he's so glad and it means so much to him even if at the same time it hurts knowing it's temporary, it shouldn't really be happening, he's going to lose him again and maybe not even know, if Dave's the one who goes back to the timeline first.

But he doesn't say anything. Just stands there, wiped out.]

[brotimaeus]

[He promised he wouldn't ask him anything. He promised that, and he isn't going to break that promise, but fuck if Bro's actions weren't always more telling than his words and he ushers Dave into the apartment, shutting the door and then just..]

C'mere.

[.. pulls him into a hug.

Yeah, Dave. He saw what you said to Dirk.]

[callbacks]

[God. He should be too old for hugs.

But we're being honest here.

He doesn't cling but he doesn't let go. He's really worn down, after everything that happened, and it's just nice to be hugged by the one person who, against all odds, makes him feel safe.]

Hope your shit went better than mine.

[brotimaeus]

[Bro rests his chin against the top of Dave's head and shuts his eyes and just enjoys the feeling of being needed by the only person in the world who's ever really needed him.

He never, ever wants Dave to be too old for that.]

Embarrassing as fuck but it ain't anything I can't handle.

[One hand rubs lightly over Dave's shoulder.]

I got ice cream, soda, and video games. What do you say?

[callbacks]

[Dave perks up a little bit. There is a time in a young man's life for junk food and video games, and the time is always now.]

Hell yeah, sure. No bowls, only spoons.

[brotimaeus]

You got it.

[He takes his cap off, scuffs up his hair, then fits the hat onto Dave's head. He'll want that back.]

Sit down and pick the game you want, yeah?

[callbacks]

[These gestures are sort of unfair on a kid who's so used to clinging to the line between truth and irony that bare-faced sincerity blows him away. He takes the brim of Bro's cap, pulls it low down over his eyes, clears his throat, and nods.]

Yeah.

[He goes to shuffle through the games, and then picks the most familiarly shitty one he can find.]

[brotimaeus]

[In the end, it's easier just to let it happen. Resisting this urge to express himself honestly to his little bro would only end in difficulties for the both of them and he wouldn't trust anyone but Dave to see him like this.

It's not long before he returns, with a large tub of ice cream, two spoons and some soda. He drops onto the couch and regards Dave thoughtfully, drawing breath as if to speak onto to let it out silently. Nope, he'd said he wouldn't ask any questions. Normally he'd take any opportunity to mess with the kid but it could come back just as badly on him.]

Get a move on, kid.

[callbacks]

Yeah, yeah.

[He gets up to slide the disk into the console and turns it on before sprawling in his seat again, one leg up over the armrest. While it boots up, though, he's just going to take his spoon and scoop out the biggest glob of ice cream he can lever out of the tub, though.

Yeah it was that kind of day.

Spoon in his mouth, he reaches down and hands a controller up to Bro.]

Player one, right.

[brotimaeus]

Damn straight.

[He sprawls himself out on the sofa with one knee bent and the other foot flat on the floor, putting himself in prime position to prod Dave in the ribs or the side of his head with his toes the moment it looks like he might be winning.

Or losing.

Or just when he feels like it.

Bro curls his fingers around the controller, rotates his thumbs and cracks the joints, then nods.]

Game on.

[callbacks]

[It's a game about skateboarding. Skateboarding with dragons. Someone ripped off the skateboarding minigame from Spyro 3 and replaced everything good with jpeg artifacts, crappy music, and terrible glitches.

It's Dave's favorite.

He pauses time briefly to stuff another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth and decides to hell with actually trying to win. It's time to just toast Bro's dragon avatar with fire every chance he gets.]

[brotimaeus]

[It takes Bro a moment, but he recognises this kind of editing. Dave gets a long, silent look at that point, hidden behind dark shades as the older man realises that either Dave altered it to mimic his style, or it was his, from when he was here before. Both options are equally disturbing in their own way, and he doesn't question it, quite sure that he doesn't want to hear the answer.

He just gives Dave a light poke in the side of his head.

It's not forgotten, but it goes to the back of his mind as they play. Winning wasn't really on his mind, either. He's just.. content.. with how normal this feels.]

You're gonna give yourself brain freeze.

[He prods his toes against Dave's ribs, smirking at him.]

[callbacks]

[Dave jerks a little and leans away from the foot, tucking his arms in to try to protect his vulnerable spots so that he ends up playing with his controller practically jammed against his chest.

He has to talk incoherently around the spoon in his mouth.]

Gooh', mayhe 'en I'll stah' tallin'.

[He takes a quick moment to drop the spoon somewhere and then mashes the "fire" button viciously.]

[brotimaeus]

English. Use your fuckin' words.

[Prod poke.

Bro lets Dave think he's winning for a few moments longer, then pulls out his character's deus ex machina move, filling the screen with pixelated fire and jpeg artefacts.]

[callbacks]

Aw, c'mon--Bro--man.

[He jabs at the buttons uselessly for a little while longer and then slumps down more in his seat with a long-suffering huff of breath. Because of the way he's half-slung over the armrest he ends up sliding closer to Bro's foot, but whatever. He picks up the whole ice cream tub and scoops spoonfuls idly into his mouth while his dragon makes horrible dying noises.]

You really have to do that?