"Brothers"
Setting: Homestuck
Pairing: N/A
Rating: T
Genre: Family
Point of View: Second-person
Warnings: Swearing, attempts at humor, Striders, family fluff, Wise Bro, and possible OOC. Italics are typically flashbacks, thoughts, foreign words, or stressed words.
Further Notes: I'm writing something other than KHR for once. This is the first attempt at Homestuck, so I thought I'd do something short to get a grip on a two of my favorite characters.
When you first see him, it's in a dreambubble. You aren't entirely sure what to think. You just know that he is your older brother from another universe, but it's still weird when he's practically your age. The way he looks in those round shades reminds you of your brother in all the worst ways.
He's not your brother.
But he looks like him and it kills you because it's not the same.
It can't be the same.
He acts just like him, but the poker face isn't the same.
Your Bro had a great poker face.
You can nearly see right passed his.
Your Bro was so many things that he isn't.
You don't waste another minute watching him; you turn and walk away.
Your name is Dirk Strider, and you are kind of disappointed by your reach-around brother, Dave.
The next time you fall asleep, you're standing on a record surrounded by lava, and you're staring into identical pointed shades.
You just know this is Dave's Bro, and your alternate self.
It's like looking into an older, slightly broader, taller, hat-wearing mirror. A sword is resting on your mirror's shoulder, while yours is nowhere to be found.
"You're not me," Your mirror states nonchalantly. His poker face reminds you of your own Bro.
"Not me either," You cross your arms. "Your brother is not my brother. They're completely different."
"Yes," Your alternate self agrees, "They are." You lapse into silence. You aren't quite sure where this is headed.
"...Why are you here?" You find yourself asking.
"I died." He states simply, tapping on his chest absently once. "I ended up here."
"Why?"
"That guy you guys are fighting. With wings or something. I knew what he was up to, so I fought him." Obviously, that didn't go so well, is left unsaid.
"Oh." You say, because there's nothing else to be said. You still don't know why he is here.
"Give Dave a chance," He says, catching you off guard. You blink behind your shades in surprise. You reign it back in a hurry, as if he can see it (it feels like he can, and that unnerves you).
"...He's not him." You almost stubbornly state. It is an automatic response.
"No, but he'll see you as me."
What? "What?"
"He found me after I died. Dave is young, as are you. It still haunts him, I'm sure. No matter how he acts, my death will bother him."
Finally you note your surroundings.
"Is this...?" The place you died? You can't bring yourself to finish the question.
"Yes."
Shit. Shit shit shit shit.
You can't help think how unfair that is. Your Bro died before you even existed. You weren't left with that experience to haunt you. Your not-brother did. He had to deal with alternate-you's death.
"...I will give him a chance," You say at last, and for a brief second, you see him smile.
"Thank you," He says, nearly inaudible under the breeze that passes through.
You feel the tug of you waking and give a nod to the man opposite to you.
"See you." Dave's Bro nods and the dream fades when you finally wake.
The next time you see Dave is when there is a lull in all the action. You fall asleep while others take watch, and you unsurprisingly find yourself watching Dave sitting on the roof of the apartment building that looks like your own (or maybe it was his too, in the other universe). He's on the edge, staring at a setting sun. His Godtier cape is flared out behind him; it makes him look small.
When you silently walk up behind him, you keep a few steps distance and greet, "Sup."
Dave doesn't seem startled (part of that Strider charm), but turns quick enough to nearly portray it. He stands and looks at you with likely wide eyes behind his shades. "Sup?" He returns, trying to act normal.
"So you're Dave. My weird reach-around Bro." Dave nods, stiff. "Dirk Strider." Dave just nods again, as if he's unsure he could say anything at the moment.
You take a few steps closer and watch as he tenses subtly. He freezes more noticeably when you wrap your arms around him.
"Dude, w-what are you doing?" He chokes out.
"I'm not him. I'm sorry." You say. "I can't be him, just like you can't be mine."
"I know." And Dave cracks just like that. "I know you aren't him and you can't be him, but you just-" He shatters. "-just look like him."
"It's okay," You tighten your hold as he finally grips onto the back of your clothes like he doesn't want to let go. Like if he lets go, you'll disappear too. "You haven't mourned him. Just let it go, Dave. You have the right to grieve."
Dave stops stifling his sobs, and just lets them go. His body shakes with each cry, and he buries his head into your shoulder, tears staining your shirt. You hold onto him, unwilling to let him go.
He's not your Bro. You're not his Bro.
But you want to be.
And you will.
Fin.
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