The Big Ten
Svenne14
Summary:
Tomorrow, Daniel Diaz turns ten years old. He should be excited, but he's not. Why? Because nobody cares about him. So why would anyone even remember his birthday?
However, he's about to get more surprises than he wished for...
Notes:
Takes place in an AU where Daniel has no powers and Esteban's still alive. Just normal, boring lives.
(See the end of the work for more notes.)
Work Text:
April 10th, 2017 — One day before Daniel Diaz's 10th birthday…
Tomorrow is the day. His day. The big day. Tomorrow, Daniel Diaz turns ten years old. He should feel excited beyond this world, he should feel like he can't wait to wake up tomorrow. Daniel's mind should be on what presents all of his friends will get for him, and what kind of cake his parents will make for him, or maybe, what Sean will give him. That's what his mind should be on.
It should be…
But it isn't…
The mind of Daniel Diaz is on far more depressing thoughts. He won't get any presents from his friends at the party if there even is a party, to begin with. Daniel barely had any real friends, to begin with. Just Noah and his family moved away last year. Since then, Daniel's completely without friends. His parents won't make him a delicious cake either. At best, his dad might buy a cheap one. That is if he can afford it. As for his mother, Daniel's never even met her. Not a single time. He doesn't even know what she looks like. Just her name. Karen.
Fuck you, Karen. Fuck you.
It's not the first time Daniel's been sad. And every time it happens, his brother used to be there for him. Used to. These days, Sean never has time for him. It's like he's just… in the way. Like he's just one, massive problem. And if you scream enough at it, the problem would go away. At least it felt that way. Daniel felt like he… didn't matter. Like nobody cared about him. Dad always worked, and Sean just screams at him.
So he expects nothing. Why should he? Everyone around him sees him as a problem. Not even Sean, his brother, had asked him why his knees were bloody. Of course, he wouldn't notice. Nobody ever does. One push here, one punch there, maybe two. School today was hell, as always. This time, however, Daniel got away easily. Still, he got quite a few scratches on his knees while doing so. Could have been worse. He just doesn't get it. Sean used to do everything with him, and… for him. Everything. What changed? Why did his brother decide to… hate him?
Daniel didn't change, he's certain of that much. He's always looked up to Sean, more than anyone, or anything else in the entire world. He still does. But it's starting to become… difficult. When someone you care so much about just… despises you. Daniel just stays inside his room, holding back his tears. It's too much. Being alone, bullied, Sean not giving a shit. He just sits on the floor for hours, staring into oblivion. He could hear his father come home, and immediately go to bed, because why would he care to say hello? Daniel could hear Sean on the phone, talking to his friends. At least Sean has those. Friends. Daniel's uncertain of how much time has passed. But he's pulled back to the real world when he hears a knock on the door.
"Daniel? Can I come in?" Sean. The brother who never cares.
"Sure…" Daniel doesn't even bother to sound nice. Instead, he put all his pain and hurt in one single word. Apparently, it kinda worked…
"Daniel, is everything… alright?" Sean sounds genuinely worried, Daniel can admit that much. But he's in no mood for talking. Not now, not ever.
"Sure, everything's… great, Sean." Daniel sighed. Obviously, Sean didn't believe him. Sean sits down next to him, placing an arm around him. It felt good. Like he was… safer. His first impulse was to lunge at his brother, hug him, cry into his shoulder, and tell him everything. But at the same time, he's so angry at Sean. Angry and disappointed.
"Enano. You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" It's been so long since he heard that word… Enano.
"It's…" Daniel's quiet for a long time, considering whether to tell Sean or not.
"Nothing, Sean. It's nothing." He decides against it, for reasons he can't quite explain.
"Ok, Daniel. Just remember that, if you wanna talk… I'm here for you, Daniel." One final pat on the shoulder, and Sean gets up. He sounded so… caring. Almost like he used to. Maybe he hasn't forgotten? Daniel decides to ask him.
"Hey, Sean?" Daniel's so nervous his voice is a mere whisper.
"Yeah, Daniel?" Sean turns around, looking him right in his eyes.
"Do you know… what day it is… tomorrow?" Daniel's face looks like a sad puppy. All he wants to hear, need to hear, is that his brother didn't forget him.
"Uh… it's just a regular Tuesday, I guess? Why'd you ask?" Daniel could feel how his heart sank, and with it, the love he had for his older brother.
"Oh… nothing, Sean. It's- it's… stupid. Goodnight." Daniel chokes on his words. He can't stand to look at his brother. In his eyes, he has no brother… not anymore.
"Alright then. Goodnight, Daniel." Sean leaves the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as he does, Daniel goes to his bed and lies down. Then he cries. He cries for a long, long time. Daniel suspected it before, at least then, there was still hope that he was wrong. But he wasn't wrong. It's all true. Daniel Diaz is just an obstacle, a problem, in the way, he's a burden to everyone around him. He cries himself to sleep, realizing that everyone would just be better off if he wasn't around any longer.
The next day…
Another day of school, another day of pain and agony. Isn't life just… great? At least there wasn't any bloodshed this time. But it didn't make him any happier. Today's his birthday. Ten years old. Half a day has already passed, and nobody has wished him a happy birthday. Not a single person. On the outside, you wouldn't be able to see it. On the inside, however, Daniel Diaz is heartbroken. He feels more alone than ever before. The walk home is slow. Daniel's in no hurry to get home to a house where nobody cares about him. Still, it was inevitable that he would eventually get home. The short walk to the house itself is even slower. Daniel sighs heavily as he reaches for the doorknob.
"Happy birthday to me… happy birthday to me…" He sings silently to himself since nobody else will do it. Time to spend the rest of the night alone, in his room, crying out the pain that is his life. Just another day, in an empty house, where nobody gives a shit and-
"SURPRISE!" Poor Daniel's scared shitless as he opens the front door and a bunch of people screams at his face. He didn't even hear what they were saying, just a loud noise. It scared him so much that he fell backward.
"Ow, shit. What the hell is going-" He needed a couple of seconds to realize what was going on. The entire living room had been covered with balloons, and all of those other things Daniel never could remember what they're called, but always were used at birthday parties.
Birthday parties…
… Did they… remember him? Daniel's so caught up he doesn't even realize that he's still sitting on the floor like an idiot. This is where his older brother steps in.
"Happy birthday, Daniel!" Sean smiles at him as he steps forward. Daniel gives him a puzzled look in return.
"You- you remembered me, Sean? You- you really… did?" Daniel's almost whispering. Sean gets down on one knee, looking him in his eyes.
"You're my brother, Daniel. How could I forget about you?" The look on Sean's face told him that he wasn't lying.
"But, what about… last night?" Sean said it's just a regular Tuesday.
"I know what I said, Daniel. We didn't want to spoil the surprise for you, and it really killed me… having to lie to you. Last night… you seemed so… sad. I'm sorry… Enano." There it was. Enano. The nickname Sean's used on him for as long as he can remember, and Daniel never even knew what it meant. That is until he googled it at age seven. Then, he demanded to know why his brother called him a "dwarf". Now, the effect was different. As he now fully realized that his brother genuinely cares, just the word "Enano" was enough. All those bottled-up emotions related to his brother were released simultaneously.
"Asshole, Sean! You're a real asshole, you know that? But you're my brother, and I've… missed you, Sean. So very, very much! Please, Sean… don't leave me." Daniel felt a strange mix of happiness and anger, joy and sadness, love and hatred. All of that he felt as he tackled his brother to the floor, hugging him.
"I know, Daniel. I know, and I'm sorry. We'll talk tomorrow, I swear. Tonight… is about having a good time, bro." The brothers stand up, and Daniel now sees the other people here. Well, both of them. His father and Lyla. Still, it's more than enough.
"LYLA!" He runs towards Lyla, hugging her.
"Hi, Daniel! Happy birthday!" Lyla kisses him on the cheek, and he can feel how his entire face turns red. Bad day to have a crush on his brother's best friend. Daniel gives Lyla a smile and giggles in embarrassment.
"Feliz cumpleaños, hijo." His father embraces him, saving him from the embarrassment of having to show his red face.
"Thanks, dad." It felt like he hadn't said that in a very long time. He never really had a reason to.
"… Ok. Now, little brother, it's time to eat something. Isn't it?" Daniel hadn't even thought about it, but he's starving. And obviously, so is Sean. Yeah, dinner sounds good.
"Yeah, Sean. Thanks. For… everything." Daniel feels happier than he has in a long time. People do care about him. His brother cares. Dad cares, he's just… busy. Sean's the more… important one.
Everyone sat down and had dinner together. Daniel had always been… picky when it came to food. He loved any takeout food, but rarely liked anything home-cooked. His dinner? Cheeseburgers and milkshakes. It might not sound as much, but Daniel was baffled when he understood the meaning of it.
Last year, he and Sean had been on a camping trip. It had been somewhat fun at first, and Sean was super-nice to him. Then, Daniel fell into the river. All of his clothes were soaked, and everything just hurt. Their father had to pick them up earlier than expected. As they waited, they grabbed a burger and a milkshake at a local diner. Daniel had never tasted milkshakes in his life. It managed to completely turn his mood around. As they left, he told Sean that "I want milkshakes on my tenth birthday, Sean! Remember that." Sean had promised to, and they both expected him to not live up to it.
But he did.
He did, and Daniel felt overwhelmed. By a milkshake. He felt overwhelmed because he knew now, more than ever, that he is loved, and that he matters.
After finishing off his burgers and shakes, the lights are dimmed, and a large homemade cake is put in front of him. Ten candles are lit. No more, no less. He enjoys this moment. Everyone's looking at him, holding their breath, like they expect him to hold a speech. Daniel loves every second of it, being the center of everyone's attention. He intends to savor every second of it.
"Go ahead, Enano. Make a wish." Why doesn't Sean sound like that more often? It makes Daniel feel so… safe. Like he could do anything. Daniel closes his eyes, focusing only on his one wish.
"I wish that my real brother would come back." He thinks to himself as he moves his lips, making no sound. Then, he blows out every single candle to thunderous applause. He's now treated to the unique experience of Sean and Lyla singing "happy birthday" to him. Neither of them can sing, and they both know it. But it just makes it more fun. Daniel laughs throughout the whole thing. To his ears, it sounded worse than a really pissed-off Nazgûl on crystal meth. To his heart, it felt almost… euphoric.
And then… presents.
Ten pounds of Chock-O-Crisp, courtesy of Lyla. Damn. A lot of damns. And a lot of chocolate. Nice…
His father… actually didn't give him clothes as he always does. He got Daniel the new Minecraft. This day just keeps getting better and better. No, really.
Last, but definitely not least, is Sean. Daniel already knows it's going to be a drawing of sorts, because… it's Sean. But he loves his brother's art.
"Here, Daniel. Happy birthday, little brother. Hope you like it." Daniel opens a large envelope from his brother, and inside lies- you guessed it, a drawing. A drawing depicting Sean and Daniel hugging each other. Both brothers are smiling. In a way, it's a kind of simple drawing compared to Sean's usual work. But he's put many hours into the smaller details here, getting everything right. At the bottom, Sean has written something.
"Daniel. You are many things. You're loved, you're smart, you're entertaining, you're a good person. But you are NOT alone. Never forget that. Happy birthday, Enano. /Sean"
Daniel just stares. He reads it again, and again, and again. He didn't even know what to say. Just a few words… but it did so much to him emotionally.
"Thanks, Sean. So much!" Daniel hugs his brother, wiping off a few tears in the process. Tears of joy. Nothing could ruin this day. Absolutely nothing.
"Daniel, Hijo? This- this came in the mail for you today." His father sounds… off, somehow. Almost like he's nervous. Daniel doesn't see the worried looks that Esteban and Lyla exchanged with each other.
"Oh, that's cool. Wait- Arizona? I don't know anyone in Arizona." It's true, he doesn't. But the envelope in his hand is clearly from Arizona. And he doesn't recognize the handwriting. Do people even still… write letters? Apparently, they do. Daniel opens it.
He was not prepared.
"Hello, Daniel. I just want to wish you a happy birthday. I wish I could be there to celebrate it with you. Love /Mom" There's money taped on the bottom of the letter. Daniel counts it to ten one-hundred-dollar bills. He's completely stunned. In a state of massive shock.
No, not because he just got a thousand dollars. It's because of… her. Karen. His… mom. He reads it, over and over again. Slowly, his father, Lyla, and Sean, all stood behind him, curious to know what was going on. Daniel never heard the quiet gasp from Sean. Nor did he notice Esteban silencing him. He doesn't know how to react. For ten years, all he ever wanted was to get in touch with his mom. Or at the very least, a sign that she still cared. Now when he got one, he's not sure how to feel.
"Daniel…? Is everything alright?" Lyla asked a dumb question as she made a dumb move by placing a hand on Daniel's shoulder. He snapped out of his trance, and instead…
He just snapped…
Daniel screamed as loud as he possibly could. He was angry, heartbroken, and disappointed. He scared the shit out of Lyla and then continued to flip the small dining table over, breaking glass and ruining the cake in the process. Daniel then ran to his room, slamming the door shut. As soon as he got inside, he just sat down on the floor and cried.
The party is ruined.
His birthday is ruined.
Everything is ruined.
Because of her.
Fucking EVERYTHING!
Who the fuck does she think she is? She's never shown her face here, for as long as Daniel can remember. Now, she believes that she can buy his love? For one thousand dollars? Daniel Felipe Diaz might be many things, but cheap ain't one of them. Sean was right about her. Sean's always right.
Daniel looks down at his hands. His left hand holds the letter from his mom, while his right-hand holds the drawing Sean made for him. The latter of those is crumbled and ruined. Great. Just… great. " But you are NOT alone. Never forget that." Right now, Daniel felt more alone than ever before. He just sits there, thinking, and crying. Thinking about where things went wrong. Why his mom wanted to leave in the first place. Probably because of him. Why else? He sighs heavily.
"Fuck my life…" Another deep sigh. Then he hears a knock on the door.
"Daniel? Can I come in?" It's Sean. His big brother. Daniel doesn't know why, but his lips formed a slight smile for less than a second. His mood didn't change though.
"Mhm…" Daniel mumbles quietly. The door opens and Sean comes in. he carefully closes the door, and then continues to sit down on the floor next to his little brother. Sean wrapped his arm around his shoulder, and they just sat like that. In complete silence, for a good ten minutes. Daniel noticed how Sean's eyes were red, meaning he'd definitely cried before entering the room.
"So… do you wanna talk about it, Enano?" Actually… he's not sure. It would feel easier… not to talk about it. Just put it in a box, put the box under a rug, use a nail gun to make sure the rug never moves, and finally, set the house on fire. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Sean did it with his bad memories, and he's fine.
"I don't know, Sean. I- I really don't… know." He's never felt so lost before.
"Daniel, you really should talk about it. Trust me… I know." Sean's voice almost sounded… painful.
"What- what do you mean, Sean? You never talk about it, and you're fine, right? Right?" Sean takes a deep breath.
"I never talk about it because… because it's too painful, Daniel. I've never talked about it. Not with you, not with dad, not with Lyla, not with anyone. I've been right where you are now, Daniel. Right there. I know what it feels like. Parts of it, at least. You're angry because she never cared, and you're overjoyed that she cared now. You're wondering… why she left-" Sean's giving him an impressive, honest, heart-to-heart, he'll give him that. But the last part, Daniel's already figured out.
"I already know why she left, Sean," Daniel says bitterly.
"You do, huh?" Sean sounds almost amused. But the look in his eyes is something Daniel's never seen in his brother before. It's the look of pain, suffering, sleepless nights, and… recognition. Each brother, recognizing himself in the other, to a point where it almost got scary.
"Yeah, Sean. I do." Daniel sighs heavily.
"It's not you, Daniel." Wait, what?
"Uh… Sean?" How did he know?
"She didn't leave because of you, Daniel. And she didn't leave because of me either. I know because…" Sean looked away.
"Because of what, Sean? You hate her more than anyone, right? I mean- you never even… talk about her." Daniel felt like he was on thin ice right now. He could see how Sean was struggling to keep it together, barely making it.
"When she left us, nine years ago… I was… so sad. I felt broken, Daniel." He had never heard his older brother speak about this time in their lives. Daniel listened in silence.
"At first, all I wanted was for her to come back. I cried myself to sleep, praying that she would be back the next morning. But she never came back. Eventually, I just… kinda lost hope, I guess. I realized that she would never return, and instead… I got angry. Very… angry." Yeah. Daniel can sort of vouch for that one being true.
"I was about your age, Daniel. I felt that something had to be the reason for her leaving. Or someone…" Wait, what's he talking about?
"Sean? What do you mean? You just said that we weren't the reason, right?" He didn't blame dad, did he?
"I know that now, Enano. Back then, I didn't. So… I blamed myself for everything. By the time I realized it wasn't my fault, it was too late. I was already too angry, too sad, too bitter, and… broken." Holy shit. Daniel had no idea that his brother had been living with this much pain.
"Sean, you're- you're not… broken. You're my brother. I- I love you…" Daniel tries to stay strong, but fails miserably, becoming a sobbing mess instead.
"I love you too, Enano. That's why I'm telling you this." Daniel doesn't get it, and turns away from Sean, attempting to hide his tears.
"That makes no sense, Sean." I love you, so I'm gonna tell you how miserable I really am. Yeah, pure logic.
"Daniel, the reason I'm telling you is… is, so you won't become so much like… me." What the hell?! Daniel turns to look at his brother. This time, Sean's the one to turn away in shame.
"Sean! Don't even say that, please! Why wouldn't I- what- I mean-" Daniel came to a stop. He knew what he wanted to say, but it just sounded… weird. But it's true, they both knew it. To be fair, a lot of other people probably knew as well. But seriously, Daniel's ten, Sean's seventeen. For his entire life, Sean's been like a larger-than-life character. He has to say it.
"I just don't want you to become an angry and bitter loser like your brother. That's it, Daniel." Why, Sean? Why? Daniel puts his arm around Sean's waist, or at least as far as he can reach.
"Sean, you're not a loser. Sure, you get angry sometimes, but so do I. And we have all the right in the world to be bitter at… her. I mean, she did leave us, Sean. But you're not a loser, you dumbass." Daniel giggled a little after finishing his speech by calling Sean a dumbass. But that wasn't what he really wanted to say…
"To be honest, Sean… I- I never told you this, but…" Why is this so awkward? It's his brother.
"You- you can't be a loser, because I- I really… I- I-" Aw, for fuck's sake! Get it together, man! Usually, this is the part where Sean would tell him to just… breathe, Enano… breathe. However, Sean seems to be in a world of his own, stuck in memories from the past.
"You can't be a loser, because I really… look up to you, Sean. Actually, I look up to you a lot. More than anyone in the entire world." For a few seconds, the room was silent, and Sean wasn't moving. It felt like a small eternity. Daniel made a mistake, telling Sean all of this. It just sounded… dumb. Like him. Daniel, that is.
"Do you… really mean that, Daniel?" Sean asks him. He's never heard his brother like this. So fragile, so sad, so… broken?
"Yes, Sean. I do. I would never lie about that." Sean turns to look him right in the eyes.
"So, you really… look up to… me?" This was a Sean he'd never met before. Zero confidence, no hope, full of self-hate. Daniel felt sorry for his brother as he could see Sean's eyes begging for it to be true. If he had lied, he would have broken Sean for good. Luckily, he did not…
"Yeas, Sean. You're my brother. Sometimes, you can be a dick to me, and that sucks. But when I really need something… I know I can always count on you, my big brother. You've always been there for me, Sean. Always. When that flu almost killed me, you stayed with me at the hospital for like, three weeks. If I need to talk, I can always talk to you. When I'm sad, like really sad, you'll always cheer me up. You even let me hang out with your friends, instead of just kicking me out. I love it when we stay up late, watching movies, just the two of us. Or playing video games. Oh, and your art is cool too… I guess." Weird. He meant to just talk about Sean's art. But as soon as he opened his mouth, words just came out flying.
"You're not just my brother, Sean. You're kinda like… a hero to me. Like an idol." Daniel just felt his entire face turning red. There. He said it.
"Wow…" Daniel hoped for a reaction that was more… more!
"H- hero? Idol?" Before he knew what hit him, Daniel had two arms around him, crushing him in a hug.
"Thank you, Daniel. Thank you, so much! I love you, Enano!" Sean cried, but it wasn't because he was sad. Sean felt proud, in more ways than one. Proud of his little brother, for growing into such a smart and caring person. Proud of himself, because if Daniel, the sweetest kid on earth looked up to him, he couldn't be a loser, right?
The brothers sat there for a long time, both of them forgetting how they ended up here in the first place. Lyla had gone home a long time ago, and their father was working down in the garage. Hopefully, someone had cleaned up the mess Daniel made earlier.
"So, are we ready to get out of here, Daniel?" Sean smiled at him. He was still bitter at Karen, maybe that pain would never truly go away. Still, he could understand now, what Sean tried to tell him earlier. Don't get too angry, dude. It will eat you up, from the inside. Still, it didn't change the fact that Daniel Diaz had no clue on how to process it.
So, he did what he meant to do from the beginning.
Daniel took all the memories related to his mother, and put them inside a metaphorical box, deep inside his young brain. He then locked the box, throwing away the key. He placed the box under the carpet inside a room, along with all of his worst memories and experiences. The carpet is nailed shut, with a metaphorical nail gun. Then, Daniel Diaz exits the room, locks it, throws away the key, and exits the house. And finally, just to be extra-super-safe, he burns down the house. Again, metaphorically.
There. Now he won't ever be bothered by Karen, Karen Reynolds, Karen Diaz, mom, or whateverthefuck you want to call her.
Right?
Right?
"Ok, Sean. Let's go." The brothers walk out to the living room. Daniel's hit with a pang of guilt as he sees the small war zone, created by him. The cake's still on the floor, completely ruined. He never even got to taste it.
"It's ok, Enano. Don't think about it. Me and dad are gonna clean it up in the morning." Daniel tries to focus on something else, but it's not… going well.
"Daniel, why don't you… sit down for a while?" Sean points to the couch. He's got a certain look on his face. It makes Daniel curious, so he plays along.
"Ok, Sean." Daniel lies down on the couch, feet on the table. He can hear how Sean's doing… something. Whatever it is, it makes a lot of noise. He kinda wants to take a peek but decides against it.
"Ok, Daniel. I couldn't save your cake. So I'm afraid you get this instead, little bro." Sean said with the widest grin on his face, simultaneously placing a massive bowl with Chock-O-Crisp in front of him. Daniel almost jumped up.
"Wow, Sean! THAT. IS. AWESOME…" Daniel couldn't take his eyes off the chocolate. He didn't even notice when Sean started a certain movie on the television. His older brother sat down next to him, grabbing some chocolate on the way.
"Hey! Thabs mibe chocolad, Sean!" Damn. Daniel really needs to learn how to eat slower, and that eating while speaking isn't something you do.
"Oh, shut up, Daniel. You've got more money than I do now. Go buy your own candy, dude." Sean punched him jokingly on the shoulder. Oh, shit. The money. The fucking money!
"Hey, Sean?" He feels a bit stupid for having to ask, but still…
"Yes, Enano?" Sean looks at him, all of his attention directed at his little brother.
"Do I really have a thousand dollars? Like, really?" It's more money than he's seen in his life. What would he even do with it?
"Yes, Daniel. You do." Well then…
"Wow, Sean. I'm richer than you…" Daniel says it as if it were a fact. Actually, it was.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever… eat your chocolate, dude…" Sean turns his focus towards the television.
"Wait, Sean? Is this-" He didn't need to finish the sentence. He already knew it was. Sean had put on The Lord of the Rings. A movie, only seen on Christmas Eve in the Diaz household. At this point, it's an unwritten rule.
"Sean! We only watch Lord of the Rings on Christmas, and you know it." Sean just sat there, smiling at his younger brother. The latter almost felt insulted that Sean had broken the golden rule.
"Well, Daniel… technically, we only watch it on Christmas AND very special occasions. Somehow, I think today qualifies as a special occasion, Daniel." Well, Sean got him there.
"Oh… thanks, Sean. I- I- thank you." Daniel smiled and sat down with his brother to watch the movie.
After about an hour, Daniel's starting to feel exhausted. He leans his head on Sean's shoulder, with the latter wrapping his arm around him.
"Hey, Daniel?" Sean carefully says.
"Hm, what?" Daniel's half asleep, barely hearing what Sean said.
"What did you wish for?" Daniel's still not fully awake.
"Huh? What- what are you talking about, Sean?" He rubs his eyes.
"When you blew the candles out, I told you to make a wish. I could see how you really… thought about it, man. You don't have to tell me, but… what was it? Was it something like world peace, or something more… personal?" Ok, now he gets it.
Holy shit, does he get it?!
Daniel remembers his wish. " I wish that my real brother would come back." He's never been much of a believer, like, in anything. But if he didn't know better, he would say that his wish… came true. Today, Sean's been nothing but kind, caring, loving, supporting, generous, comforting, and- and- just… Sean. The real Sean. Not even their mother would stop Sean from being nice to his little brother today. The way it used to be.
Who cares about ten pounds of chocolate, or a thousand dollars? Daniel now knows, for a fact, that he cares about Sean- NO- he loves Sean, and Sean loves him. As long as his brother cared about him, he didn't need anything else. No matter what happened, Daniel would look after Sean, and he knew Sean would look after him. No matter what.
"It doesn't matter, Sean. But it came true. And I'm so happy that it did, Sean. Really… really… happy… Sean…" The tired mind of Daniel Diaz once again leaned on the shoulder of his older brother as he fell asleep.
"Sleep tight, little bro. Sleep tight."
Notes:
There's been a lack of updates recently. Or at least I feel like it has. I'm kinda starting to... run out of good ideas to write about. I still have a decent list, but if you feel like it, make a suggestion in the comment...
This fic took way too much time to write. It got off to a slow start, and after about half of it, I decided to rewrite it completely. Originally, it had Karen coming to the house and Daniel's reaction was the opposite of what it is now. So that took a long-ass time.
The whole "metaphor" for how Daniel represses his memories might sound a bit overkill. But it's something I tend to use sometimes in real life when people don't want to talk about something. So I just wanted it somewhere...
The way Daniel feels about Sean in this fic is (to some extent) based on my own feelings towards my siblings, both as a kid and as an adult.
Ok, hope you enjoyed the read!