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Language:
English
Stats:
Published:
2019-03-09
Completed:
2023-05-04
Words:
1,383
Chapters:
2/2
Comments:
4
Kudos:
111
Bookmarks:
8
Hits:
2,148

Keep Your Head Up

Summary:

Chapter 1:
“I want to hate you.”

“You don’t mean that. You’re my brother, you don’t mean that.”

**

Chapter 2:
You can only get so far in life with so little. The brothers only have each other. A flashback to Oswald and Mickey’s childhood in one universe.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Chapter 1: Fight

Chapter Text

 

Why can’t you ever be second for once in your life?

 

Those are clearly tears streaming down his older brother’s face and it’s such a harrowing site that Mickey wants to throw up. He wants to reach out and hug him, but he knows that Oswald wouldn’t let him; it’s a miracle that he’s even letting Mickey stand so close now.

 

“Why do you have to be the one in the spotlight, the one everyone loves .”

 

The word ‘love’ is spit out hideously, it’s pronunciation jarring, like cutting open a wound and rubbing salt in it. Oswald’s voice had caught on the word ‘everyone’. It was an almost minuscule stutter but he knows his brother and so he did catch it. He knows what it means.

 

It means Walt and Ub more than anything, because Oswald had always tried to be someone they wanted him to be.  But apparently, no matter how hard he tried, Oswald had apparently failed and so of course, of course, they had looked to him.

 

The day his father had brushed past his brother, in favor of him, was the day Mickey knew he could do it again. He didn’t. Instead he refused to look his father in the eye when he was declared  the successor.

 

The favorite.

 

(An imposter.)

 

Oswald looks at him the same way he did in those few moments, except there’s no father to rebuke or yell at for being so dense; there’s no room to run to — to run out of — where he can just go and disappear for a few hours. Mickey knows there’s no reassurance between brothers after this, not if he messes this up.

 

Mickey doesn’t know what to do with his hands, so he lets them flop down to his side.

 

“I— I don’t mean to be. I never meant to be.”

 

Oswald scoffs and his magic, blue as the ocean on destiny islands, wraps around him. Electricity arcs the air, a warning — stay away — and Oswald’s fists are clenched so hard that Mickey’s sure he’s going to break the skin.

 

“I want to hate you.” It’s a punch to the gut. Oswald’s eyes are glowing.

 

“You don’t mean that. You’re my brother, you don’t mean that.”

 

Mickey’s green magic flares up defensively, slithering out and into the ground. Wherever it touches down, the color is drained and the surrounding plant life begins to die.

 

He doesn’t strike first. He can’t.

 

“Oswald, we don’t have to fight. Please.”

 

“Says you.” Oswald snaps his fingers and all hell breaks loose.