~Chapter 8-Bickering~

Cuphead was sitting on a tree stump wordlessly, the tree above it shading him and his brother from the sun as Mugman treated his wounds.

Cuphead had a gash on his arm, another on his leg, and a few other pretty bad injuries to be named.

Mugman did his best not to wince at the blood as he wrapped them up the best he could with some gauze.

"Cup?" Mugs asked abruptly, and when his brother didn't answer, he repeated his name once again, except more firmly. "Cuphead!"

"Huh? What?" Cup riposted as he snapped out of his daze, his voice distant. "What were you saying, Mug?"

"I said, lift up your shirt."

Cuphead groaned. "Mugs, do I really have to?"

"Please, Cup. Let me help you."

".…Fine"

The red clad lifted up his shirt as he was told, and Mugman was shocked with an expression of awe as he stared at a bloody gash across Cuphead's chest.

"Golly, Cuphead!" Mugman said, his voice coming out louder and more shaky than he had intended it to. "How'd ya get that?!"

Cuphead merely shrugged. "I dunno. I mean, he just gave me one hard blow or somethin'. Didn't know it'd end up like this."

Mugman huffed, all out of frustration, fear, and relief, and got out a cloth as he knelt down.

Cuphead lifted up his shirt more before finally taking it off completely so it would be easier for his brother.

Plus, he had some other injuries, too.

The older boy kept his gaze averted away from Mug as he treated his wounds.

Mugman used the cloth that he had wet prior and began treating one of Cup's wounds, wiping the blood off.

No matter how much Mugs told his brother to be careful, Cup always came out of battle with some kind of injury. It didn't matter what the injury was-it was always bad. Scratches, cuts, bruises, etc.

But what worried Mug was Cups was getting more gashes than he ever has. Which means he isn't watching his back like he's supposed to be on the battlefield.

/Idiot./ Mug thought as he continued to cleanse the wound.

He couldn't totally blame Cuphead. After all, Cup had a job to protect Mug in battle, too. But still. His brother needed to be more careful. Otherwise…well….

Cuphead secretly stole glances at his brother as he cleansed the wound on his chest.

The red clad bit back a hiss of pain as Mugs wrapped some gauze around his collar bone before going to his leg and cleansing it, wrapping gauze around it, and repeating the actions with his arms.

Cuphead felt a little bad that he got so hurt in the last battle with one of the debtors. A little. Golly, he couldn't help the fact that he was so gosh darn fast! It also wasn't his fault that he failed to dodge a few times.

The debtor could just be so, so fast at times. It distracted the boy, and he found it hard to catch up with him, not to mention protect his brother from getting too hurt at the same time.

Cuphead didn't care what anyone had to think or say about his reckless and foolish actions. He didn't care that he was so hurt, either. He'd rather it be him then Mugman.

Mugs let out a sigh as he finished mending Cuphead's last cut on his back and wrapped it up.

"Y'know, Cuphead, you really outta be more careful." He uttered as said boy slowly and painfully pulled his shirt back on.

"I mean, you got cut up pretty bad this time. It could have been a whole lot more serious."

Cup, being his careless, carefree and laid-back self merely shrugged. "It ain't a big deal, Mugsy. I'm still standing, aren't I? It's fine."

"I-I know, b-but…" Mug sputtered, "This time was different. You could have been really hurt. This needs to stop, Cup."

"...Thanks for wrappin' me up. Now c'mon. We need to go fight the next debtor." Cuphead stated, ignoring his brother, before standing up shakily, but the minute he took a few steps forward, his whole world spun, and Mug's eyes dilated as he rushed to catch him.

"Fight the next debtor!?" Mug repeated in awe. "You can barely stand! Face it, you're too hurt! We need to take a break for a while!"

Cup suddenly glared, pushing himself away from Mug, catching himself before he fell again. "A while!? We don't have a while, Mugman! The contracts are due at Midnight! We've got no time for breaks! We've gotta fight all of 'em and get the contracts no matter what!"

Mug narrowed his eyes in return. "What you've really gotta do is slow it down, Cuphead. You're getting way too carried away. There's been multiple times where you got really hurt or even worse, almost died, and last time I checked, that's too many!"

Cups growled, "Listen, Mugs, this is my fight-"

"Hold up! Your fight…? Cup, your talking like your soul is the only one that got bet! This doesn't just affect you, it affects me, gramps, and all of Inkwell Isle! So stop acting like a gosh darn brat!"

"I ain't bein' no brat! I'm just sayin', maybe I don't give a dang that I'm gettin' this hurt! I'm tellin' ya, it ain't that big a' deal! Now c'mon, let's go fight some more!"

"No." Mug said firmly. "I'm not gonna let you get more hurt Cup. That's not gonna happen. 'Cause I won't let it."

"Outta the way, Mugman." Cups hissed. "If ya didn't wanna see this, ya shouldn't of come along in the first place."

"What was I supposed to do!?" Mugman exclaimed angrily. "Stay home and watch you die!? Cups, if I weren't with ya, you'd be twice as hurt as ya are now!"

"Well maybe I don't care!" Cuphead exclaimed just as angry in return. "Maybe I don't care what you did or didn't do, Mugman! Maybe I don't care how hurt I am or how hurt I would be! Or what happens to me! And maybe you should have just stayed home so I can handle this on my own! I don't need you here, Mug! I wish you'd just leave!"

Mugman finally exploded. "You know what, Cuphead!? You are so damn immature and childish sometimes! Not only that, you're greedy and selfish! I'm always getting dragged into your messes, including this stupid bet! Do you realize if it hadn't been for you, we could be playing at home?! No, of course you don't! SOMETIMES I WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN AND I NEVER HAD A BROTHER TO BEGIN WITH! THAT WAY I WOULDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOU ALWAYS MESSING UP MY LIFE!"

The minute those words left Mug's mouth, his eyes widened and his heart pounded. He began to panic. What did he just say!? He gradually looked up at his brother, hoping he knew he didn't mean it.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

Cup looked like he had just been punched, or like someone had just taken an arrow and shot it right through his heart. His heart ached the more and more his brother's words processed in his brain, echoing.

The more and more the pain became unbearable.

The older boy swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat.

He was unsuccessful in doing so, and he began to shake, choking sounds escaping his throat as tears abruptly filled his eyes, and his chest began to heave as he gasped.

Cups fell to his knees, hiding his face in his gloved hands as he sobbed loudly and uncontrollably, choking and gasping, his chest heaving shakily, heavily and rapidly up and down as each shaky, uneven breath and gasp came out, his shoulders violently wrenching at the intensity of his sobs.

Mugman watched with sorrow, not to mention guilt and shame. Seeing Cup cry, something he barely ever did in his whole life, was just enough to make his heart hurt. Especially if it was because of him.

"C-Cups…" Mugs stammered, feeling bad. "C-C'mon bro… you know I didn't mean it…don't you? Don't cry, Cuphead. Please? I was wrong. I never should've said any of that."

"N-No…" Cuphead sobbed. "Y-You're right. A-About everything. I'm always d-doing st-stupid t-things,

a-and y-you a-always get d-dragged a-along. I-It w-would have been better if I w-were n-never b-born…" He choked out and continued to bawl.

Mug gaped at his brother's words. "N-No, Cuppy! Don't say that!" He whimpered before running over and kneeling down next to his brother.

"Cuphead…." Mug murmured before reaching out and rubbing his brother's trembling back. "You're wrong. I would never wish for you not to be born and mean it. You know that. I could never be happy if you weren't my brother. I have a whole lot of fun with you. You're always looking out for me. You're always there for me too. You're a really good friend and a really good brother. I wouldn't trade you for the whole world. Besides, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have any fun in my life. You're really fun to be around, and I enjoy having you around, and I'm sorry that I don't mention it a lot. But it's true. I'm serious, Cup. I really love ya." He finished with a grin.

Cuphead's sobs had died down into small whimpers, and he sniffled, looking at the younger boy, some tears still spilling from his eyes.

"Y-Ya r-really m-mean that, M-Mugsy?" He croaked, throat hoarse from crying, and his eyes red-rimmed.

Mugman wrapped his older brother in a tight hug, startling the latter. "'Course I do, dummy, why wouldn't I? You're my brother. I love ya. And I'll never stop loving ya. I'm also sorry for hurting you. But just know whatever I say when I'm mad doesn't matter, because no matter what I say doesn't mean I don't care about ya."

Cups sniffled one last time before gradually wiping his eyes with the back of his hands and gave a tearful grin, hugging the blue clad and burying his face in his shoulder.

"Thanks, Mugs. I forgive ya…and I love ya too" He murmured tiredly.

Mugman grinned and relief and heaved a huge sigh he hadn't realized he had been holding in, snuggling up to his brother even more with a big smile.