To Stab the Sky – 7

"Shit, man. Do we have to do this today. I'm fucking exhausted." Dave closed his eyes and leaned his head against the arm of the couch.

"You're always exhausted." Bro ruffled his hair, nimbly dodging as Dave swatted at him. "It's not like this takes effort. Or at least, it shouldn't."

"Let me sleep, asshole."

"Sleep at night."

"I can't."

Bro sighed. "Yeah, I know. Come here." He hook his arm around Dave's shoulders and pulled him closer. "Just one ep, okay?"

"Fine. Whatever." Dave pulled his glasses off. The light hurt his eyes a little, but he had to admit it was more comfortable without the shades always on his face.

"Good brat."

"Why would he wait for them to get dressed."

"Would you want to fight a bunch of guys, dongs flapping in the goddamn wind?"

"Fuck. You're right."

"Then again, it is you…"

"I'll cut you."

Bro snorted. "I'd like to see you try."

"Okay, there are only so many comments about size I can take before my mind goes to—"

"Dicks. Yeah, I know."

"Right. Isn't that sort of—"

"I mean, I know how you are. I know how your mind fucking works, man. Get it?"

"Fuck you. You're such an asshole. Godammit, man." Dave frowned ever so slightly. "Why is TV Bro trying to fight that thing."

"You'd prefer it if he ran?"

"Isn't that the fucking smart thing to do. Live another day."

Bro suddenly pulled Dave into a manly one-armed hug. "Sometimes a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."

"What the hell are you doing, get the fuck off me."

Bro laughed. "Uh huh."

"Seriously, asshole, I don't have the energy to fight your stupid ninja ass today."

"That just makes it more fun." Bro shrugged. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Why the fuck wouldn't I be."

"You look a little pale."

"I fucking told you, I'm exhausted. Fuck, it's cold in this house. What does a guy have to do to get a goddamn blanket around here."

Bro snorted. "Alright, pause it. I'll be right back." He returned moments later, tossing the fuzzy blanket over Dave's head as he pressed the play button.

"Nice. Good going, jerk. I—" But it was a close-up of TV Bro's eyes now. He stopped, mouth slightly open, forgetting what he was going to say. He just stared.

"It looks cool, eh?" Bro said, sitting back down and circling his arm around his little brother's shoulders.

"Does it hurt them when that bigass mech is trying to rip their mech apart. Isn't it just a robot."

"That's up to you to decide."

"That's just an asshole way of saying, 'I don't know', isn't it."

"You're getting smart." Bro grinned.

"Wow. That gorilla guy's screens just had like boobs all over them. I bet he'd make just a great fucking leader. Oh, hey, sarge, there's a war going on. Oh, you're watching porn. Okay, I'll just come back fucking later and oh wait we've just been fucking bombed."

"Maybe he bought his position."

Dave shifted a little on the couch. He was stiffer now, leaning towards the screen ever so slightly. "Is…is TV Bro going to die."

"Why would you think that?"

"They…they're getting beaten pretty badly, man. And he's refusing to run away."

"Would you run away?"

Dave hesitated. He suddenly didn't want to admit the answer he knew was right. Yes, Dave would run away. Because Dave had run away. Every time he used the timetables to go back in time and save his own worthless ass…

Instead, he stared at the screen in stony silence. TV Bro was freaking out. That was an expression he didn't want to see. He had seen that expression before. He had seen it in his friends.

He had seen it in himself.

Bro was watching him carefully now. "Do you want to stop watching?"

"What. No," Dave replied quickly. Fuck. He had forgotten how shitty he was at keeping up the poker face without the shades. He gave everything away and all too fast. "He really trusts the kid."

"Yeah, man. TV Me trusts TV You to the end." Bro stretched a little, then grinned. "Just like reality."

"Yeah…I guess. Is TV Bro really just going to sit there. He's not going to do anything."

"Nope. He trusts TV Dave."

"Wow. They actually won." Dave leaned back, relaxing a little. His heart was beating faster than he had realized. Had he really been worried about a stupid shitty anime? No one ever died in these stupid things anyway.

"Now for a heartfelt post-battle speech."

"Broken by an erupting volcano for some reason, of course."

"Of course. It's a stage fit for men, after all-it fires the fighting spirit."

But Dave wasn't so sure. All he could think of was Lohac. All he could think of was the Beat Mesa.

All he could think of was Bro.