He paced the room. Something was incredibly wrong. So wrong. Why was it that any time he tried to do… do anything he would fail? A-and then his brother would come in and do it and it would be better?! Like-like it was like only his brother could do these things when he would fail. It just. Didn't make any sense.
He tried to fold the sheets. They looked like toddler did it. He tried put away his clothes. They somehow end up piled up in a mess. When he clean the house or the dishes he would either break something or get something stuck in the vacuum cleaner. His cooking has gotten terrible, and he thought he was doing okay with making food!
The young man shuddered at the memories of the shower incidents. The water would be too hot or too cold, and he would slip and fall.
He cursed at his brother for making him take a bath. He wasn't a child god damn it.
He chewed at his lip in irritation. His brother had gotten insufferable ever since these… strange going ons started. Really, it was almost as if he was a child again. Needing his big brother to help him out.
A heavy sigh left him. He didn't even want to live with his brother. He was doing just fine living in his own apartment, to the best of his abilities due to his sickly nature, when the meta protest that was being held on his street turned into a riot. It heavily damaged the apartment building, and while he had gotten away relatively fine, others didn't.
So when his brother had heard what happened… he didn't have much of a choice to move in with his brother.
He needed to move out. Maybe that would help things? If he moved out? Yes. Yes that would help. He could live on his own, o-or get a roommate that wasn't his brother. Maybe they could be friends?
Heat rose up as his mind went down to a more… romantic route. He wasn't entirely sure if he actually wanted to get married, so that would be awkward. But actually going out on dates might be fun…
Wait no, he shouldn't be thinking about dates. Shaking his head, he went back to his original thoughts. Moving out.
Ever since powers started emerging, it was a bit hard to find good housing that wasn't likely to get damaged. But he'll have to deal with it if it came down to it.
He just needed out.
Chuckling froze him in his tracks.
"Where's the fire?" His brother asked.
He frowned. "There's none."
Humming, his brother looked at him with calculating eyes. "Then why were you pacing around?"
He pursed his lips. Should he tell…? Just as he decided to keep it to himself, he spilled the beans. "I want to move out."
Both brothers were taken back by the statement. One in surprise and the other in shock.
He… hadn't meant to say that. Why did he say that?
Of course his brother got his composure back first. "Come on now, why do you want to move out? I thought we agreed that you'd stay for at least a month."
He paused at that. That… was wrong. That was definitely wrong.
"No." He said slowly. "We said I would stay until I found a new apartment."
Of course his brother had to roll his eyes at that. "And that usually takes at least a month."
He pursed his lips again. "While that might be true, I found a place to stay." He lied. You know, like a liar.
"Oh?" His brother raised an eyebrow. "And where that might be?"
"I'm not telling you right now."
"And why's that?"
"Because I know you'll criticize it to hell!" That was true enough. It was hard just getting into his old apartment. "Listen, you can't take care of me forever, I'm an adult! Let me just have my own place."
He stopped. W-why did the room's temperature plummeted? As if-as if it had suddenly turned into winter?
An intense fear grappled him. Wha-what was going on?
Footsteps seemed to echo as his brother walked slowly closer to his shaking form. He… why did his brother look absolutely frightening?
The hand that fell onto his shoulder did not feel warm. In fact, it was colder than the room itself.
"My dear, precious, little brother." The older's voice suffocated him like smoke. "I only want what's best for you. And I think that since clearly that meta human riot shook you up, it's only natural that I help you in any way I can."
He-he couldn't speak. Something was stopping him from opening his mouth. And his brother… his brother looked like a villain from his comics…
Wa-was his brother a villain? His heart stuttered at that. Oh god. What-how-when-
"Oh dear, you feel cold to the touch. Let big brother take care of that. I'm sure I have a portable heater around here somewhere." His brother's voice sliced through his scattered thoughts.
Then out of nowhere his brother picked him up as if he was a small child!
"Wh-wha-what a-are yo-u do-doing?" He tried to get through chattering teeth. He was so cold .
"Taking you to your room." His brother hummed. "I think you might need more blankets than what we have, however."
He was somehow able to flush at that.
Too cold, too weak, to get out of his brother's hold, he let his brother take care of him. At that moment he knew. That somehow his brother was behind all of it.
He needed to get out. And fast.
A few weeks passed, and his brother was worse. He was home for most of the time. Hardly going out for work. Nearly every moment of the day he was just right there and it was just stifling! Even when he would go to bed his brother was either watching him go to sleep or was right outside the door. It was… creepy.
But he had a plan. When his brother was either gone to work or was asleep, he would leave.
It didn't matter if all he could leave was with the clothes on his back. He just needed to go.
Then one night, it actually happened. His brother had to leave for work and was. Gone.
He couldn't believe his luck. Quickly, he changed out of his pajamas and into his clothes. He debated for a brief moment of taking more of his stuff, but he didn't really have much time. His brother could be back at any moment.
Slowly, he walked over to his bedroom door. It was the type that had no lock, but for a second fear speared through his heart. He shook his head at that. There was no way his brother would manage to lock his door… right? Right.
So he opened the door. And it opened.
A small sigh of relief let itself out. Good. Good. That was good.
Now all he needed to do was actually get out of the apartment.
He crept through the halls. Not a single squeak emenited from the floorboards. All the curtains were closed. Nothing to be heard from other rooms other than the hum from the refrigerator within the kitchen.
Heart pounding, he reached the front door. A bead of sweat rolled down from his forehead. He could do it. He could do it. He could leave.
The door opened. The cool night air blew in.
He stepped out of the apartment.
The lights of the city glistened in his eyes.
He was free.
He was free.
He closed the door.
And he walked away.
By the time his brother got home, he would be far enough away that he could hide without much effort. He would not see the anger his brother would express. No, instead he would slowly come to find out the horrors his brother had done while he was locked up in his gilded cage.
He had to help somehow. Maybe he could talk to his brother, if his brother would even listen to him.
His brother was a villain.
And heroes always win. Even it was eventually.
And one day, there would no longer be All For One and One For All. One day, a pair of brothers would finally be laid to rest, their ghosts gone.
But that was far to the future.
For now, while he walked within the sea of land stars, he was free from a controlling brother's grasp.
Me: I wanna hurt First and only First today.
Me: time to actually do it.
In other news I'm continuously horrible to characters. And yes, afo is the reason why the riot damaged First's apartment building.
(Also on AO3 and Wattpad)