So my boyfriend - aka my Boondock Saints partner-in-crime at the moment - and I have a lot of feels about Connor's relationship with Rocco. We speculated about how Connor felt about Rocco calling him brother and what he would have done if Yakavetta hadn't killed Roc, and this is the result.
Yeah we both sorta kinda have a thing for psycho!possessive!Connor xD Oops?
Don't own. Duffy owns but is currently being an idiot and wasting his ownership rights by NOT making a third movie. Seriously, man, come ON.
Connor has never liked Rocco very much. Part of that is simply because Connor isn't a people person; in the end Murph's the only person he really needs, or wants, in his life, so Connor's never put much effort into making friends.
Murphy is different, though. He's hardly an extrovert, and usually spends most of his time alone with Connor, but he makes friends much more easily. Connor doesn't like sharing, but as long as Murphy is happy, Connor is happy. And, excluding Connor himself, Rocco is the best friend Murph's ever had.
So Connor tolerates him, because he won't ever say anything against someone who makes his brother happy. He rarely enjoys the Italian's company, but he does enjoy seeing Murphy's smile. He puts up with seeing Rocco touch and hug and wrestle with his brother, because Murph's happiness is his top priority.
But sometimes all Connor wants to do is punch Rocco in the face.
He's reluctant to bring Rocco in on the whole mission from God thing, but Murphy's insistent, and Connor has always had trouble denying Murph anything. It grates on his nerves to have Rocco around all the time, never getting a moment alone with Murphy, but Connor puts up with it. Although he's very tempted to skin Rocco alive for that stupid fucking accident with the cat - a few feet over and Murph would have been directly in the line of fire - but Murphy forces him to cool it.
After the fucking ambush by the guy with all the guns, Connor is ready to drop a toilet on Roc's head. It's his fault they were there, it's his fault Murphy is now sporting a brand new bullet wound on his upper arm. This time, Murphy's pissed too, but that's mostly because Connor can't walk without limping. Still, apart from the shouting match, nothing happens.
Connor can feel himself coming close to blowing up, though.
And then Rocco crosses the line.
Murphy's not there when it happens. It's fast - a normal person wouldn't even notice it - but Connor is all-too-aware that Rocco has just called him "brother", and that condemns him. Because to call Connor brother is to call Murphy brother, and if there is one thing Connor absolutely does not share with anyone, it's that privilege. It's happened once before - one of their friends in high school once committed the same offense. Connor had gotten him alone, beaten the shit out of him, and left him unconscious in an alley.
If Murph knew, he never said anything.
Connor's pretty sure that was because Murphy would have done the same thing.
He's tempted to blow Rocco's head off right there, his finger is twitching on the trigger, but he can't bring himself to shoot someone in cold blood in a church, even for this. Rocco's cocky, "You won't do it, you love me, man," tests his willpower, though.
He isn't going to let Rocco get away with it. Murphy will be pissed, sure, but Connor can easily recall the time Murph went after one of their own cousins with a beer bottle simply for saying he thought of the twins as his own siblings. Murphy is in absolutely no position to judge.
Connor will have to wait until Murph's not around, though, that's a definite. Unfortunately this is easier said than done - Connor hasn't been alone with Rocco since the morning after the Copley Plaza incident. He'll have to be patient, which is something Connor is not good at doing, especially where Murphy is concerned.
The most infuriating part is watching Rocco kidding around with Murph like nothing is wrong, and knowing that, all the while, Rocco is thinking of them as his own brothers. Thinking of Murphy as his own brother. Connor tries not to glare at them while he's on the phone with Smecker, tries to keep his lip from curling as he watches them sharing a pack of cigarettes. He's unable to keep from snapping at Roc has they walk away from the phone, and Murphy shoots him a questioning glance but otherwise doesn't react.
At some point, things go very, very wrong, and Connor's desire to make Rocco pay is temporarily overshadowed by the fact that they're all cuffed to chairs in Yakavetta's basement and someone is beating the crap out of Murphy and Yakavetta is waving around a loaded gun.
When Yakavetta shoots off Rocco's remaining pinky finger, Connor feels very little anger. The anger he does feel is more on Murphy's behalf than anything, because his brother shouldn't have to hear his friend screaming like that.
Murphy is trying to calm Roc down as Yakavetta leaves, and when Connor hears the concern in his twin's voice he's tempted to reconsider Rocco's death sentence. But Murph didn't hear what Rocco said. If he had, he'd be acting differently.
Connor's decision stands.
Murphy manages to maneuver his chair in front of Connor's, and once again Rocco is momentarily forgotten as Connor realizes what Murph wants him to do. "No," Connor says firmly. He'd rather die than hurt his brother.
Murphy glares back at him over his shoulder, and Connor knows it's pointless to argue. He grits his teeth as he works his foot free, wishing it was the other way around, because this is going to be agony for the both of them. Murphy has to shout at him twice before Connor can work up the courage to bring his foot down on his brother's wrist, once, twice, three times. The unmistakeable crack as the bone breaks makes Connor feel sick. It should be Rocco's wrist breaking beneath Connor's boot, not Murph's.
Things get a little surreal after that. Murphy takes out the thug who comes in to finish the job, then works on getting the others out of their handcuffs. He's halfway through with getting Rocco free when the six-gunned man from the ambush steps into the room. Next thing Connor knows, he and Murph are being embraced by Noah MacManus and Rocco is complaining about how he's bleeding to death and Connor is dimly aware of his plans for the Italian, but is more focused on Murphy's broken wrist than anything else. Roc can be dealt with later.
Connor bides his time, waiting until he and Murphy are home and Murphy is bandaged up and sleeping soundly, then finally grabs his gun and sneaks out of the flat, heading for Rocco's apartment.
Roc's drunk himself into a stupor and is barely conscious when Connor get there. He gives a confused grin as Connor holds up the gun. "S'matter, man?" Connor says nothing, merely moves closer. "Hey, what's with the gun, brother?" Rocco slurs.
That word again. That name only Murphy is allowed to called Connor, and vice versa. Nobody else will ever have that right, not ever.
"M'sorry about this, Roc." Connor honestly is. He won't miss Rocco, but he knows Murphy will, and that's enough to make him feel a slight twinge of regret. He can't back down, though. Especially now that Rocco has once again called himself their sibling. "But...I only have one brother. And he's my brother, not anyone else's. Nobody else gets to call him that but me, and nobody gets to call me that but him. Because I don't fuckin' share." He does the Sign of the Cross as he presses the gun to Rocco's temple. "M'sorry."
Before Rocco can even blink, Connor has finished the job.
Murphy is waiting for him when he gets home.
Neither of them says anything as Connor puts down the gun and lights himself a cigarette. He sits down on the mattress across from his twin's, taking a long drag.
"Where were ya?" Murphy finally asks, and Connor can instantly tell by his tone that he knows.
There's a long silence, then Connor says quietly, "He called me 'brother'. Means he called you 'brother'." He bows his head and closes his eyes. "Twice."
He tenses, waiting for Murphy's reaction. He hears Murph get up, then feels him settle down on the mattress next to him. A hand rests lightly on the back of his neck, massaging the muscles there. Connor opens his eyes, looking over at Murphy, who is watching him with sad eyes. "M'sorry," Connor whispers. "I had to."
Murphy leans forward, touches his forehead to Connor's, and sighs. "I know. Suppose I should be fuckin' furious with ya, but...I know. Reckon I'd've done the same."
He presses a kiss to Connor's lips, and Connor knows he's forgiven.
There is one thing the MacManus brothers will never share with anyone else, and that's each other.