#*pointing at gumpa* this man has siblings you can't change my mind

[hurlumerlu]

I find it quite simple

a little Not Me fic about Gumpa and Black (sort of) bonding over being older siblings :

It was an evening like many others. Yok and Gram had already left, Sean with one of them, or both of them, or off to one of Namo’s haunts, leaving Gumpa to clean the table like a dissatisfied housewife. Except this time, Black was still here.

"These fuckers, I swear," he said, contemplating the wasteland of dirty plates and empty bottles, unlit cigarette already firmly in mouth. "This is how you can tell they’re all only children."

Gumpa almost pointed out that Black generally didn’t stick around to help either, but decided against it : the kid talking about anything else than their next move was a rare enough occurrence. Better not nip it in the bud.

"I don’t know about that," he mused instead. "My younger brother has three siblings and I don’t think he’s picked up after himself even once in his life."

"That’s what elder siblings are for."

"Ha ! Good thing my sisters didn’t see it that way. I would have gone mad, always taking care of a four-people mess all by myself."

"Aren’t you taking care of a five-people mess right now ?"

"You’re helping me, aren’t you ?"

Black snorted. They’d brought the dishes to the courtyard and set out to clean them. "So, you’re the eldest of four ?"

"Two sisters, one brother. You ?"

"Eldest too, by an hour. He took his sweet time."

"A twin ?"

"You think ?"

"Okay, smartass." He flicked water at him. Black rolled his eyes, but said nothing. The heat of the day had lessened, and the night air was companionably warm – the silence too.

It remained that way until they were back inside, cigarette smoked, dishes stored, table wiped, and Gumpa took two beers from the fridge.

"About what we do," asked Black. "Do your siblings know ?"

Gumpa opened his bottle and swallowed a mouthfull. It gave him some time. "No. No one does. A few years ago, my sister – the oldest – was arrested for helping women get illegal abortions." He tensed despite himself, bracing for the usual comments and questions, but Black didn’t talk. He just kept looking at him with the aggressive focus typically reserved for their plans. "As you can guess, this was a pretty hard time for the family. Harder for her, of course, she’s not done building herself back up, but – if I can save my parents some worries over another child… I have to try, at least."

"But you didn’t tel your sister either. The oldest, I mean."

"Nah." He couldn’t help but smile.  "She’d try to help."

To his surprise, Black was smiling too, and raised his beer in an I’ll-drink-to-that gesture. It seemed as good a time as any to pry.

"And your brother, does he know ?"

The smile vanished like it’d never been there.

"We were separated," Black said, after a long enough moment that Gumpa had wondered if the conversation was over. "When our parents divorced.  Father took one, Mom the other. I tried to write, but I assume they intercepted my letters – don’t ask me why, I won’t answer. And don’t tell me that’s fucked up because I already know."

What was there to reply to that ? Gumpa took another beer and held it out. Black nodded curtly.

"I don’t want him anywhere near all that anyway. He’s not like me, he’s..." He gave a vague handwave, leaving it for Gumpa to figure out. Softer. Fragile. Better, maybe, as in worth more. "It’s ugly here, and it’s only gonna get worse."

There they were.

"Things getting worse, is that why you didn’t leave tonight ?"

"Nothing gets past you."

"Come on, Black."

"My roommate, my – the guy I’m crashing at, I told you about him."

"Todd."

"Hmm. He’s more crooked than I believed, I think. Or exactly as much, but I’m only facing it now."

"Black..."

"I don’t need comfort. I don’t need your input at all. I’ll deal with him if I have to, and that’s the end of it. Understood ?"

"Normally I’d tell you off for bossing me around under my roof, but you get a pass this time. Understood, I won’t meddle."

"Thanks."

"Don’t make me regret it."

"Oh, piss off."

The impulse came, unexpected : to ruffle the younger man’s hair, give him an embarassing hug. He didn’t indulge. They weren’t brothers.

"Gumpa ?"

"Yes ?"

"Can I stay here tonight ? I’ll sleep on the couch, and I’ll be gone first thing in the morning."

You can stay as long as you need, he wanted to say, but he wasn’t sure it would be well received.

"Sean might not even come back tonight. You could sleep in his bed."

"I’d rather gouge my eyes out," replied Black quite genially, and they went back to their drink.

"I met your brother the other day."

Black, of course, doesn’t answer.

"Kid just showed up at your uni, all dressed like you and ready to poke his nose into everything. He’s in over his head, and scared shitless, but he holds on for your sake. You should be proud."

Gumpa sighs. He can’t stay long – it was a bad idea, coming here, but he had to.

"I don’t know who told him about you. And I don’t know how to convince him to trust us. But I’ll look after him, you have my word. I’m trying to make him stay at the garage. Let’s hope he’s less of a loner than you."

He rises. There is nothing more to say, nothing more to do. No point in ruminating his failures. He still looks back before he lets the curtain drop.

"If he does take me up on the offer," he says. "I’ll make him room with Sean. With any luck, that’ll piss you off enough fo you to wake up."