A/N sorry if I got the ages wrong but I had to guess. I hope you enjoy!
Jamie stood looking out of the window in his living room looking out at the midday sun and sighed. In the past this day had been filled with so much love and happiness while the family celebrated. Today Jamie didn't want to celebrate. He just wanted to keep himself locked up in his apartment until tomorrow where it wouldn't matter how old he was. He was pulled from his depressing thoughts when his front door banged open, turning away from the window he sighed knowing one of his family members had arrived to most likely take him to his father's house.
"Happy 27th birthday kid!" yelled Danny entering the room grinning broadly with his arms up in the air as if he was ready to give Jamie a bear hug. Jamie sighed and as Danny advanced towards him, he slowly backed away making sure he stayed half of the rooms distance away from Danny.
Danny's arms dropped to his sides, "What's the matter kid?"
"Nothing. I just don't feel like celebrating today" shrugged Jamie, as he tried to keep his voice neutral.
"That's not like you. Ever since your first birthday you've always been excited" commented Danny frowning.
Jamie shrugged again, "Must have grown out of it"
Danny shook his head, "You've grown out of many things kid, but never this" Danny then took a few steps towards his brother, but Jamie took a few steps back. Danny's frown deepened, he took a step forward and sure enough Jamie took a step back. Looking closer at his younger brother Danny noticed how Jamie avoided any and all eye contact. "Jamie"
"What?" muttered Jamie, still not looking at Danny.
"What's wrong?" asked Danny trying to catch Jamie's gaze without moving forward.
"Nothing" replied Jamie.
"Jamie" warned Danny, "Something is wrong so what is it?"
"Nothing" stressed Jamie. He then looked at Danny and then sighed, "Please Danny I just want to be left alone"
"I'm not leaving you like this" responded Danny looking insulted at the suggestion of leaving his younger brother alone when he was upset.
"I'm not asking you to leave. I'm telling you" snapped Jamie, his eyes flashing with anger.
Danny realizing this was quickly turning into a confrontation chose a different tactic. He smirked as he almost threw himself onto the couch and folding his arms he looked up at Jamie and said, "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong"
"I'm really regretting giving you that key, if I hadn't you wouldn't be sitting here right now" muttered Jamie.
"You would have shut the door in your own brother's face?" exclaimed Danny faking annoyance.
"No. I wouldn't have let you in" responded Jamie glaring down at Danny.
"So what you gonna do about it?" smirked Danny, "There's no way you're getting it back off me"
Jamie knew Danny was only baiting him into a fight or an argument, and today Jamie was not going to fall for it. So instead Jamie said nothing as he grabbed his jacket off the back of a chair and began to leave the room.
"Hey kid! Where you going?" demanded Danny, his arms unfolding as he straightened.
Jamie paused in the doorway of the living room and turned slightly, "If you're not going to leave, then I am" Jamie then continued walking out the room and headed towards the front door.
Danny leapt from his position on the couch and ran out the room catching up to Jamie before Jamie reached the front door. Danny reached out and grasped Jamie's arm and pulled Jamie to a stop, he then spun his younger brother to face him.
"Jamie what is going on with you?!" commanded Danny, his eyes narrowed as he thought of all the reasons why Jamie might be acting like this on his birthday.
"Nothing-"
"This isn't nothing Jamie! I haven't seen you act like this since Joe died" commented Danny, he was then shocked when Jamie flinched. Danny's eyes widened, "Is this about Joe?" Jamie said nothing as he looked at the floor. "It is isn't it?" prompted Danny.
Jamie then began to struggle as he tried to escape Danny's grasp. But Danny tightened his hold and ground out, "No Jamie you're going to tell me what's eating you and what this has got to do with Joe!"
Jamie snapped his head up to look at Danny, seeing the look on Jamie's face caused Danny to take a step back. This made Danny's grip loosen and Jamie took the opportunity and pulled his arm away. He shrugged his jacket on and then left the apartment closing the door with a small slam. The noise altered Danny to Jamie's leaving, he then wrenched the door open and shut the door behind him making sure it was locked before running to the stairwell and charged down the stairs. Knowing Jamie had taken the elevator Danny's only choice was to run down the stairs, he had never been so thankful that Jamie's apartment building didn't have many floors.
As Danny reached the bottom and burst through the stairwell door, he spotted Jamie walking out onto the street. Danny began to run across the lobby, the building owner saw him and called out "hey Danny everything okay?"
"Yeah. Just having a race with Jamie and right now he's winning!" called Danny in return, as he ran out the building he heard the owner laugh in response.
He got out onto the street and caught a glimpse of Jamie, so he put on a burst of speed and sprinted down the street. He then grabbed Jamie and luckily he had parked his car nearby so he hauled Jamie into the car. And before Jamie could get his bearings Danny was driving away.
"Danny what are you doing?!" glared Jamie.
"I'm finding out what's the matter with you" replied Danny calmly.
"I'm not going to tell you so just stop the damn car!" snapped Jamie.
"No"
"No?"
"Yes, no. You are going to tell me what's wrong" responded Danny.
"No I'm not!" Jamie replied raising his voice.
"Geez acting like that, makes me think you're turning 7 not 27" retorted Danny. He waited for Jamie to say something angrily in response, but there was only silence. Danny snuck a look at his brother and saw Jamie slumped in his seat with his head in his hands. This was when Danny reached his breaking point. He steered the car down an alley and parked on a gravelled area in front of the East River, Jamie realizing the car had stopped reached to open his door. Seeing this Danny hastily locked the car. When Jamie realized what Danny had done he desperately pulled the door handle, but it didn't open to let him escape. Jamie's eyes narrowed in anger and he hit the door.
"Hey! No hitting my car!" ordered Danny,
"Then let me out!" bellowed Jamie while glaring at Danny.
"I will but only when you tell me what's wrong" Danny said looking at his brother expectantly.
"Fine. It is to do with Joe" admitted Jamie.
"I'm not letting you out the car with that. You need to explain a whole lot more" Danny sternly said crossing his arms with his back against the door so he could look at Jamie easier.
Jamie sighed, and instead of looking at Danny he looked out at the river. "I don't want this birthday"
"Why not? Erin and I put a lot of effort into decorating your cake!" interrupted Danny.
"Stop making this about you Danny!" spat Jamie, "It's easy for you and Erin!"
"What is?" asked Danny gently, pleased that Jamie was opening up to him. But part of him didn't like it because the subject was distressing Jamie, and Danny didn't want to put Jamie through what he was feeling more.
"It hit me yesterday, you and Erin were always older than Joe. But next year I'll be the same age as him and the year after that I'll be older than him! In two years I'll be older than the brother who was five years older than me!" said Jamie his voice cracking on the last sentence.
Danny closed his eyes, as everything began to make sense. He reopened his eyes to see Jamie hunched over, so he placed a comforting hand on Jamie's shoulder. "Jamie-"
"Danny please just open the door" murmured Jamie, the defeated tone of Jamie's voice and the way he was staring at his hands made Danny unlock the car. With shaky hands Jamie pulled the handle and pushed the door open and staggered onto the gravel, his vision blurred with unshed tears.
Jamie walked away from the car until he was standing at the edge of the river and he just stood and looked out at the view in front of him. He rubbed a hand across his eyes trying to get rid of the tears, but the tears he got rid of were quickly replaced. And before he knew it tears falling down his cheeks. He felt a sob bubbling its way to the surface and he tried with all his might to stop it. Jamie was startled when a pair of arms wrapped around him and he was engulfed in a tight hug. He turned his head slightly so it wasn't crushed against Danny.
"It'll be okay Jamie" comforted Danny,
"How? I'll be older than Joe and that's just wrong" Jamie spat the last word making Danny hold on tighter to his brother.
"I know. And I'm so sorry that you have to go through this. If I could change it I would" Danny softly murmured.
"Danny I can't do this" choked Jamie, "How can I get older and older than Joe when he will forever be 28"
"You can do this Jamie" assured Danny, he felt Jamie shake his head, "No listen to me. Yes it sucks that you're going to be older than a brother when you have always been the youngest. But you're strong Jamie I know you'll get through this. And I know I have no idea how it feels, but I promise I will always be there for you to help you get through this"
"But Danny-" cried Jamie,
"You're stronger than you think Jamie" interrupted Danny gently, "Trust me I know you'll get through this" Danny then just held his brother when Jamie let his tears fall and cried for the loss of a brother.
Minutes later Danny gently guided Jamie back to the car and said they were going to their dad's house, "You'll feel better with people around you. Sitting in your apartment alone will only make you feel worse" Danny had added, which was the winning argument.
After celebrating with the family for the rest of the day Jamie had felt himself begin to relax, and even enjoy himself like he had done for all his past birthdays. That evening he was sat on his dad's back porch drinking a beer with Danny sat beside him.
"You okay?" checked Danny.
Jamie turned to Danny and grinned, "Yeah. Thanks Danny for helping me today"
Danny smiled, "And I'll be there next year to help you, and every year after that".
The End.