Okay, as I said before, this chapter may be a little angsty… so much, that not only will Jamie's fan-girls possibly gun me down on-sight, but Jamie may even be pissed enough to throw in some punches- and Coop might crush me with Megas.

…people obviously don't take 'fluff' set-ups so well…

Read on, while I notify my next of kin!

~XLR~

Age 14

Jamie rubbed his arm, from where his father punched him, wincing. All he was doing was watching television when his ol' man stormed in, assaulting him for taking 'his spot', and throwing him out of the house. His mother was pulling up by this point, but didn't say a word- only yakking on her mobile-phone.

Jamie ran down the block, going around the corner to Coop's house. Maybe playing some videogames would help get his mind off his bruised-arm and the fact that his parents were a couple of douche-bags.

"Hey, Coop," Jamie stated as he walked through the back door that lead into the basement, seeing that another kid from school was visiting- Tiny, one of Coop's Auto-Shop friends. "What's up?"

"Not much, we were just heading to the junkyard," Coop replied.

"We're going to practice taking apart and assembling cars… but mostly taking them apart," Tiny said.

"Cool. What's it for, some sort of Auto-Shop project?" Jamie asked.

"Actually it's just practice- we're going to pull a prank on Mr. Zvinsky and take apart his vehicle, and re-build it in the gym!" Coop said, trying to keep in a laugh.

"Wanna come?" Tiny asked. "It'll probably take at least 3 guys to carry everything,"

"Sure," Jamie replied.

They started walking down the street, as Tiny and Coop got into a discussion about their love of cars. Jamie only listened, namely imagining their teacher's face once he'd find his car in the gym- and wondering how many girls will think he's cool for partaking in something so rebellious and daring. He could practically see all the cheerleaders coming towards him, hugging and kissing him for getting back at the teacher who never let them gossip in class and all that stuff…

"Hey, did you hear what happened to Gary Yild? He got beat up this afternoon!" Tiny said. "He got stuck in his locker for 20 minutes before the custodian let him out,"

"Ouch, who beat him up?" Coop asked.

"Ricky Peterson, who else? Something about teasing him for hugging his little brother or something. It was the kid's first day of school and he was upset about something, Gary said- and then Ricky just started picking on him, punched him a couple times, and shoved him in the locker!"

"Just for hugging his brother?" Jamie questioned.

"Yeah, pretty stupid, I know. Maybe if it were a hot girl or something it wouldn't be so bad- but if you're hugging anyone who's not your girlfriend nowadays, almost anyone will pound ya. Heck, my cousin said he got his butt kicked just because someone saw his mom give him a kiss on the cheek!" he shook his head. "I guess some teens just don't know when to stop acting like little kids or save face."

"So what happened to Ricky?" Coop asked.

"What else? Got detention,"

The boys then changed the subject, talking about some new action-movie that would be playing in town, though Jamie once again wasn't paying attention. He was quite a wimp in school, getting harassed daily- though always managed to outrun the bullies. Coop couldn't outrun them, though the bullies hardly messed with him, namely because he knew how to fight back, one reason Jamie was glad they were friends.

He rubbed his arm, wondering what would happen if word got out that his best friend always had to comfort him of his parental issues. No doubt Ricky Peterson would be after him next… and the humiliation they would go through- as if getting picked on for being a weakling or a danger-prone slob wasn't bad enough.

They arrived at the junkyard, and Jamie decided to just focus on their mission at hand, deciding to hold back on telling Coop about his father's assault this one time.

~XLR~

Age 15

Freshmen year was the only year in high school where you had to prove your maturity- prove that you were no longer a childish Middle School teen and were ready to take on the major leagues. Jamie tried to prove his maturity by asking out girl after girl, only to end up getting shot down or dumped before a second-date could be planned. Coop… well, his interests still remained on videogames and cars.

Life at home was the same. His mom always worked, and his dad always drank his beer. Jamie spent more of his time over at Coop's, up to a point where he ended up sleeping over there a few times- namely because the two friends would stay up too late playing videogames or watching monster-movies, and he'd pass out on the couch. He started bringing his homework over after the first few weeks- especially after an incident where his dad spilled beer on his bag and he had to get a new one.

One night, Jamie had to go home, after Coop's mom claimed it was getting late and his parents must be worried that he's hardly home. Jamie only stated that they work late and don't mind, but after Coop's father gave him a look (obviously getting tired of the teen always crashing at their place), he decided to head home, promising to hang out with Coop later that weekend.

They never told Coop's parents about the neglect and abuse Jamie was suffering. He didn't want to get sent into foster-care and probably never see his best friend again. Plus he heard about foster-families- they're only in it to get child-support funds. Not to mention he was in High School now- he had to prove he could deal with the circumstances. Coop understood- he knew his friend needed some way to prove he was strong… though always kept his door open, letting his friend know he was still there to console him.

That night, Jamie got thrown down the stairs, when his dad was in a drunken-rage. The ol' man passed out in the hall exactly one minute later, snoring and drooling everywhere. Jamie lied on the floor, staring at the ceiling, paralyzed for 20 minutes.

Once he found his strength, he went to his room, beginning to pack an overnight bag. It was 10 o'clock- Coop was probably still up, playing videogames as usual. He'd just go through the back, sit down, tell him about the situation, and take in a little comfort before watching his friend conquer one level after another…

He stopped, then. Why did he always decide to run to Coop whenever his dad hurt him? What was he, five? Setting his bag aside, he locked his bedroom door and lied down in bed. No, he wasn't going to run anymore. He had to learn to be strong.

He had to learn to grow up.

~XLR~

Age 18.

Jamie spent all his high school days hanging out with Coop- he was barely home, as his friend always took him out driving, or to hang out with Goat at the junkyard. Whenever he did get home, his father was always passed out while his mother was asleep or working late.

Finally, Graduation came. …Honestly, Jamie was surprised Coop made it considering his grades weren't the best- maybe the teachers were just eager to see him leave after he destroyed the library… and chemistry lab… and teacher's lounge… heck, it was a miracle he didn't get expelled!

After the ceremony, they hung out in the basement, per the norm. "So… what're you gonna do?" Jamie asked.

"Going to work with my dad at the auto-garage. What about you?" Coop replied.

"Probably help Goat around the junkyard,"

"Cool. …Hey, maybe if things work out, we could become business partners or something. You sell me cars that you want fixed,"

"…while you sell us stuff that either stopped working- or that you broke,"

They both had a short laugh, before going back to watching a wrestling tournament on TV. "So… your folks still bugging ya?"

"Huh? …Oh. Not really, no. I mean, Dad hits me now and again, but I'm barely home while he's conscious, so not much."

"Right. Just checking,"

Jamie nodded. Deep down, he wanted his friend to console him- his own parents didn't even show up for his graduation, which didn't surprise him… though you'd think his mother would at least give a call or something, maybe even being proud. But nope. They didn't seem to care.

He often wondered if anyone cared… even his best-friend.

~XLR~

Age 19.

There was an accident at the auto-garage. Apparently a car was leaking oil, and one of the mechanics forgot to put out his cigarette…

Coop's father didn't make it out.

Coop stayed down in the basement for days, and Jamie never left his side. Coop's father, though kinda gruff and stern, was still one heck of a dad- teaching his own kid everything about vehicles so that he could become a mechanic someday, never getting too mad when his grades were low, never complaining [too much] about Jamie staying over on school-nights… He was firm in discipline, but always worked hard and found time for his wife and son.

As if losing his father wasn't enough, the auto-shop burned down so now Coop was jobless- no other shop would hire him, due to his danger-prone history.

He wouldn't play videogames, and barely watched any movies. He just sat on the couch, mourning. Jamie sat beside him every day- often trying to get him to eat something, though unbelievably his friend only had one breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

After a week, Jamie was starting to grow worried about his friend's health, and how to console him. "Dude, look… if there's anything you need…" he whispered. "I mean, you were always there for me… so…"

Coop said nothing.

Jamie frowned. What could he do? What would Coop do whenever he was down?

He sighed, putting his face in his hands. Some friend he was.

"Jamie…"

He looked up. Coop was looking at the ground. "Yeah, bud?"

"W… why don't you go home? I'd like to be alone,"

Jamie looked at his friend, stunned. "No way, dude. You know I can't-"

"Just go! …I just… I don't want to be with anyone right now… you don't know what it feels like…"

Jamie looked to the ground for a while, sighing. "Yeah, I do."

"How?! Your dad's still alive-!"

He clenched his fists. "I don't HAVE a dad, alright?! Dads are supposed to take care of their kids- that piece of shit at my house would rather have me dead than be a father!" he shook his head, wincing. "Your ol' man… he was the kind of dad I wanted. Okay, sure, I pissed him off now and again… but every time I came over, he treated me the same way he treated you- he took us both out for ice-cream as kids, he picked us both up from school, he'd chew us both out whenever we fucked something up… Heck, he even gave me 'the talk' when I was twelve when I told him my ol' man wouldn't!"

Coop looked at his friend, only listening, tears still on the brim of his eyes.

"I know I wasn't really the kind of kid he'd want you hanging out with… but he still taught me a few things like he was teaching you- like we were brothers or something. I dunno, maybe he just figured I should wise-up if I was going to be hanging around you…" he paused, sighing. "So… yeah. I miss him too, Coop. And I'm not leaving you alone… because I know you don't want to be alone… because I don't…" he was tearing up now, shutting his eyes to try to keep them in.

An arm draped around his shoulders then, as his friend pulled him into a hug, lightly sobbing. Jamie only returned the embrace. It had been a while since they actually hugged- ever since Jamie decided it was too 'sissified' and didn't want to be labeled as a bigger wimp than he already was. But right now, he didn't think about what others would think- this was a special case.

Just like his grandma's funeral.

They pulled out of the hug a minute later, wiping away their tears. "So… what now?" Coop asked.

"I dunno… maybe get out of the house for a while, maybe see how Goat's doing?"

Coop nodded, and they walked out. "So… you going to go home later, or stick around?"

"What do you think? I'm sticking around, bud."

~XLR~

Age 21

Coop drove down the street, a little faster than the speed limit permitted- and his mom would no doubt kill him if she knew he was breaking a few road-rules in her van. He hadn't seen Jamie for almost a whole weekend, and was searching all over the city for any trace of him.

…Okay, so normal people wouldn't run all over to search for someone if they hadn't seen each other or called for only a couple days- but then again, most people didn't have the bond Coop and Jamie had, meaning that if either one of them hadn't shown up or called in over 24 hours, something was seriously off.

He wasn't at his house- he never went to his house during the day anymore, unless his dad was passed out; He wasn't at the mall- he hated the mall, only going there if he were desperate to pick up chicks; he wasn't at the arcade, junkyard, movies, or trying to get into a 'gentleman's club' (he kept getting his ass kicked anyway, always being way to short on cash).

Coop decided to head back to his house- maybe Jamie was on his way there. He drove down the street, forcing to stop when the traffic slowed at a red-light. He gripped the wheel, grinding his teeth- he hated being stuck in traffic more than anyone else on the planet. He looked out the window at the rain, noticing a new shop had opened, a few people walking, some scrawny dude slumped down in the alley, a new Chevy driving by, couple stray dogs running after a cat…

He squinted, suddenly noticing the scrawny figure looked all-too familiar. "Jamie?" he wondered, then pulled out of his lane and parked by the curb, stepping out and walking to the alley, seeing his friend slumped to the ground, with a black eye and swollen cheek. "Dude! What happened? You get into a fight or something?"

Jamie only groaned, his vision unfocused, his cheeks having a red tint to them, and his breath reeked of alcohol. "Oohhhhh… heya, Coop, wazzup?" he slurred.

"Geez, don't tell me you're drunk…" Coop hoisted his friend onto his feet, walking him to the car. "C'mon, bud, lets get you outta here before someone else beats the crap out of you,"

"Whatever…" Jamie allowed Coop to strap him into the back-seat. "Ugh… Coop… you know I hate riding in the back-seat…"

"Just try not to throw up!" Coop pulled onto the street and sped through a yellow light, wanting to get back to his house as quick as the laws of physics would allow.

"Where're ya takin' me?"

"Home, we need to sober you up-"

Jamie's eyes widened in horror. "NO! Don't take me to my house! No!" he then opened up the back door and rolled out, a car swerving to avoid missing him, as he stumbled across the freeway!

"JAMIE!" Coop made an emergency stop- getting fender-bent by a car behind him. "Dammit, Mom's gonna kill me!" he quickly turned on the emergency lights and took off after his drunken friend, regardless of what highway patrol was going to do to him or the vehicle. He caught up to Jamie, who was trying to climb over the railing. "Dude, stop! What the fuck are you doing?!"

"I… I can't do it anymore, Coop…" Jamie said, then took out a knife from his pocket. "Goodbye…" he raised it to his throat.

Coop smacked the knife out of his hand, his friend stumbling and nearly falling over the railing before Coop caught him. By this point, the traffic had slowed to a stop as everyone watched the scene. Jamie began to hyperventilate, slowly becoming sober and realizing what he nearly did… then passed out.

Coop picked up his friend, carrying him to the van and driving back, his friend unconscious in the back-seat.

Twenty minutes later, they were in the basement, Jamie sitting on the couch while Coop sat in the chair across from him. The rain was pouring outside, being the only sound in the still silence. Coop's mother wasn't home, which he was thankful for, as he didn't want her to grow overwhelmed (or chew him out about the van). The TV remained off, which was proof that the situation was too serious to ignore. He only sat there, watching his friend shiver and shake- he was more pale than usual, and looked like he was about to heave up the alcohol he consumed.

Finally, Coop decided to break the silence. "What happened?" he asked, his tone calm but stern- like the way his parents would talk to him whenever he got in trouble.

Jamie was quiet for a moment, still shaking. When he replied, he was trying to keep his voice steady, holding in a sob. "I… I went out drinking this weekend. Dad took me out- he hadn't had a beer in two weeks, so I figured… I dunno… maybe he decided to change- probably after Mom snapped at him for not pulling his weight or something. He said since I turned 21 he would show me the benefits of man-hood…" He paused, wincing. "…He took me to this one bar on the other side of town, claiming I could meet chicks- the first night, we went to a strip-joint, then Dad rented a hotel room… but I got locked out. I would've gone home, except it was 1 AM and I had no fucking idea where we were… The next day, we drove around the city trying to find our way back- he kept calling me useless. We stopped at a bar. He got drunk, I was buzzed… suddenly we're getting kicked out, some guys are after us- I don't remember what happened, I just know that Dad ditched me. Probably ended up in jail for drunk-driving, the way he was swerving- hell, maybe he's dead. …He left me to a couple guys who roughed me up, took the last of my cash, and left me on the curb with nothing but a bottle of beer. I tried to find my way home, but didn't get past the alley, my mind was in a haze… this morning I drank that beer for breakfast, still too buzzed to think… then…" he shut his eyes, hugging his knees tight. "…you know the rest."

Coop only nodded. Before he could speak, Jamie began to sob.

"Why… did I go with him?! I should've known it would've been shit… can't believe I was so stupid… I HOPE THAT ASSHOLE DIED OF ALCOHOL POISONING!"

"Whoa! Dude! Calm down!" Coop said, rushing over and gripping his friend by the shoulders. "Easy… it's alright…"

"No! It's not fucking alright, Coop! I almost died because of that piece of shit!" Jamie tried to pull out of his grip, thrashing like a kid throwing a tantrum. "Let me go!"

"And let you go on a rampage?! No way, man, you're still messed-up in the head- that booze probably hasn't worn off. I can't believe you got drunk…"

"IT'S NOT MY FAULT! He… he fooled me… making me think he changed… bastard probably just wanted to get rid of me!" Jamie gave up struggling- Coop outweighed him a great deal, so it was no use. "You'd think… I wouldn't have given in, since they never cared about me… but for some fucking reason, I just HAD to give him a chance!" He tried hard to hold back the rest of his tears, shoulders shaking. "I'm… I'm going to kill him!"

"No… dude… think!" Coop was starting to panic on the inside- his friend had a wicked look in his eye. "It's done now. You're back here, he's nowhere around… Just. Chi-"

Jamie tore out of his grip, backing away, anger on his face. "Stop treating me like a little kid! Fuck! You always act like you have to watch out for me- keep me at your house, go everywhere with me… you don't even let me play videogames anymore because you think I might break something!"

"Hey, that last part doesn't count- I'm always territorial of my stuff! …And I watch out for you because that's what friends do, you dumbass! Plus, considering your parents give you hell at home, I think you should feel lucky! The only reason I'd treat you like a little kid is when you act like one- like you are now!"

Jamie clenched his fists. "Screw you! I'm out of here!" he stormed to the back door.

Coop wasn't about to let him go, though. No way was he going to let his still-sobering friend wander out into the rain with a mind clouded in anger, grief, and the urge to kill. He grabbed his friend by the arm, yanking him back. Jamie swung a punch, which Coop caught with one hand, while the other clung onto his elbow, both of them struggling. Oh, it was on!

Jamie tried kicking Coop's legs out from underneath him- hey, if Spike Spiegel could do it in Cowboy Bebop, it should be easy for him to do, right? His friend didn't really watch the show much or know any fighting-moves outside of videogames, so maybe he'd have-

Ah, what's the point? It failed epically.

Jamie only caused Coop to bring up his leg, losing balance and they both fell on the floor, where his friend caught him in a head-lock, putting all his weight on him. "Coop!" Jamie choked. "You're…crushing… me!"

"You're *mmf* acting like an asshole! And I'm not letting go until you promise me- on the Marvel Comics- that you calm down!" Coop snapped.

"Let me go!"

"PROMISE!"

Jamie struggled more, starting to lose breath, but finally gave in. "Fine… I swear on the Marvel Comics that I'll calm down!"

Coop looked him in the eye, making sure he was sincere, then loosened his grip. He kept a hand on his friend's shoulder though, just in case he tried to storm out again. Thunder rumbled outside, lightening flashing, the sounds mixing to the rhythm of their heavy breathing. Tears were running down Jamie's face again- though it was hard to tell whether it was from his grief, or Coop choking him.

"Sorry… it's just… damn, I feel stupid…" Jamie sighed, rubbing his face.

"S'alright, dude." Coop replied, patting him on the shoulder. There was another pause between them, as he looked out the window. "You're… not going to go back, are you?"

Jamie scoffed, slightly glaring. "What do YOU think?"

"Just asking… Why don't you just, you know, move out?"

Jamie sighed. "It's not that easy… Look, Coop, I appreciate the help, but I gotta deal with this on my own-"

Coop gave him a look. "When have you EVER dealt with anything on your own?"

(We begin to get flashbacks of Jamie and Coop's childhood where Jamie was always asking for help, from building a snow-fort to getting a book off the library shelf-)

"That's what I mean!" Jamie cut in before the flashbacks-within-a-flashback could continue. "I don't want to act like I can't take care of myself- I'm tired of acting like a scared, little kid!"

Coop scoffed. "Dude. I still live with my mother, spend my time either working on cars, playing videogames, or watching monster-movies, and have been fired from 12 jobs in the past three months. You're not the only one who acts like a kid! …And like I said before, I help you out because we're friends. If you think I'm just going to turn my back and let you storm off every time your ol' man gives you grief, think again! I'll just track you down and stay beside you until you cool off… In fact, I think I feel a hug coming on!"

Jamie sighed. "Coop… no. I-I've outgrown hugs-"

"C'mon, we haven't hugged since… well, a while! You know you want to~!"

"No way…" Jamie turned to stand up, but Coop- still having a hand on his shoulder- pulled him back down and trapped him in his arms. "Ack! Coop! Let me go!"

Coop only smirked, squeezing him a little tighter. "Not until you hug back!"

Jamie groaned. "…better pray no one walks in and sees us…" Hesitantly, he draped his arms lazily around his friend's enormous abdomen.

Grinning, the couch-potato rubbed his friend's back. When his hand came across the small, his friend instantly relaxed, like a ragdoll. "Whoa… you still have that reaction?"

"What? …oh, yeah… b-been a while, I guess…" Jamie's mind started to go foggy, forgetting what it felt like being rubbed on the small of his back… feeling secure… He started to shake just then, tears threatening to break through, and he tried to keep them in. It did no good, especially since his friend was still holding him, rubbing in that same spot. "Dammit…" he quietly whispered, burying his face in his friend's shirt, gripping him tight.

Coop relaxed a bit, leaning back against the couch while still holding his friend. It had been a while since he consoled him- all that rage must have been building up since the last time they had a tender-moment. "Better?" he whispered.

"Yeah," Jamie sighed, still leaning against his friend, lying on him like a pillow. All the weight of the horrible weekend, though slipping away slowly, drained him of energy, as he found himself too exhausted (and comfortable, finally) to relax. "…may crash here tonight…"

"Cool with me,"

Barely a minute later, the scrawny young man was snoring softly. Coop picked him up, lying him on the couch and sitting back in the comfy chair, turning on the television to play a few games, while he waited for his friend to get back on his feet once more.

~XLR~

A/N: Sorry for any OOC-ness… but I was up late and in a fluff-mood and wanted to make these two hug again! And yes, I made a 'Spike Spiegel' reference towards Jamie, considering they have the same voice-actor. (…wonder if anyone will ever make a crossover? Hmm…)

Jamie: *off-screen* Where's the nimrod behind this story?!

0_0 Uh… Anyway, if you need me, I'll be hiding! *flees*