❥︎ Robby Keene One-Shots ❥︎

Blame

''¡Mierda! Robby, you fool!'' Miguel jeers.

Robby winces at the intrusive noise but Miguel doesn't take any heed to the reaction or make any move to lower his voice. He's well aware of how intensely he's speaking but he also knows that his voice is harsh for entirely different reasons than one might think. Because Miguel wasn't angry at Robby not really at least, Miguel happened to be unnerved. It was just easier to chalk up his concern as anger.

''You stupid fool!'' Miguel reprimands again.

Robby blinks and those marble-green eyes flicker lazily around Miguel's face. Miguel's more than aware of the slight gloss that shines within them, glinting within the dimly lit room. It's most likely from that hit on the head the other had sustained. Luckily enough however the other seemed to just be out of it and hadn't received a concussion. Miguel had made sure.

The brunette grins appearing to have finally processed Miguel's jab.

''Wow, you say the sweetest things, Diaz,'' Robby, his brother retorts dryly. The attempt at humor falls flat between them. Miguel only shakes his head unhappily. Standing up and heading towards where he knows a first aid kit is being kept. ''Such an absolute joy to be around aren't you?''

And Miguel thinks that maybe he hates this more than anything. That he despises Robby's casual small talk that'd become so normalized in the process of patching the other up. Because his brother made it hard to stay angry, had a way of having the anger bleed out of him until all that was left was a deep-rooted concern.

Robby was looking at him, actively speaking and joking with him as if the other hadn't just decided himself to be fit as a human shield. And that's just the thing it was so natural, so easy to fall right back into this typical routine Robby had set for them. Where they ultimately disregarded the obvious issue at hand because it was uncommon territory for them.

And Miguel hated it. Oh, how he loathed that he seemed to only ever be the one who saw anything wrong with this.

''You can't keep doing this you know,'' He admonishes. ''You can't, I won't let you.''

Suddenly Robby looks at him. Not even appearing to of taken his words into an ounce of consideration and promptly snickers.

''No, no, I mean it this time, this isn't funny. It never was,'' Miguel glowers. ''You can laugh it off all you want but I'm serious when I say you've got to stop this.''

Unphased, his brother replies,

''What is it exactly that you think I'm doing here Miguel, yeah sure I got my ass kicked, so what?'' Robby queries nonchalantly. ''It's nothing new. People get their asses kicked all the time. It was bound to happen eventually.''

''Yeah, well not you,'' Miguel directed an accusing look at the other. ''And your sorry ass would've been sparred from a beating if it weren't for the fact that you decided to jump in front of me mid-fight. And you - the problem here is that you didn't even try to defend yourself the second that it was you at stake and not me. You just allowed it to happen so tell me Robby what's really going on here with you?''

''Don't do that, Jeez, don't look at me like that,''

''Look at you like what?''

''Don't go looking at me like there's,'' Miguel watches helplessly as his brother's voice halts. Only to start up once more. ''Like there's something wrong with me, like I need to be fixed. I don't. There's no point in making this into a bigger deal than it has to be or escalating it into something it's not,''

''That's not what that was back there, don't even try and tell me that, that wasn't just a matter of you getting your ass kicked,''

Robby's eyes grow shifty,

''Robby, I'm serious,'' Miguel presses. ''You can't keep taking punches that are meant for me.''

''And why not?''

''Whatever this is, whatever you're hoping to accomplish by putting yourself in harm's way over me isn't right. It's not. Fuck, Robby, this isn't healthy,'' His voice breaks, ''We're - damnit your my brother. We're a team, we fight together or we don't fight at all. Isn't that what you always tell me, Isn't it?''

No response. Growing more desperate he tries again.

''Robby, please, man, listen to me, will you? Don't just shut what I'm saying out like you always do,''

Against all odds, Robby reacts. Giving a slight nod.

''Can I ask you something?'' Miguel starts decisively.

''I'd say no but I know you'd ask anyway,''

''This is,'' A beat of silence and then, ''This is about the school fight. This has to do with our fight, doesn't it? That's the reason that you keep doing this.''

Instantaneously Robby stiffens. Miguel knows he's hit the cause right on the mark. Part of him wishes he hadn't, that he'd been wrong. Miguel doesn't like to think that all of his brother's suffering is because of him.

''What're you talking about? No, stop assuming shit like that, that isn't it,'' Robby flippantly denies.

''Oh, It isn't, or it is and you just don't want to admit it? Ah, right thought so.''

''Cut it out Miguel, I'm sick of your assumptions, quit spewing your bullshit,''

''It's not bullshit. And that's what's making you so uncomfortable isn't it?''

''Stop it, Miguel,''

''You've never been called out on this because nobody else has realized what it is that you're doing yet. And you can't stand somebody knowing because you know that they'll put a stop to it,''

Robby stays silent.

''For what it's worth I don't blame you, you know,'' Robby glances up at him. ''I don't. Okay, sure maybe I did a bit when it'd happened but that's only because I'd been angry, at everything. I'd be lying if I said I'd understood you at the time. I didn't see that it had been an accident. Although I look back on it now and can't imagine blaming you for it anymore,''

''I can,'' Robby conceded quietly. ''It's easy enough. Besides It doesn't matter what I do, say, or how many times I apologize to you it doesn't make up for anything. Not for the things I've done,''

''You're wrong about that,''

''Am I, or are you just too forgiving?'' Robby jabs. ''I nearly killed you accidentally or not, it happened. I don't think you get it, and I don't think I'll ever fully get over that. I can't stop picturing your face you know from the moment you fell. I can't look at you without seeing your goddamned expression. And I know I can't come back from that, it doesn't matter what you say I can't fix that,''

''Robby-''

''So I'm asking you to let me do this Miguel won't you just let me have this?'' Robby says, nearly pleading. Miguel's heart is in pain at just hearing the other sound that distressed. ''I need to do better, be better, want to be able to protect you.''

''No, I can't,'' He denies, ''Look despite what you for some reason believe I don't like seeing you hurt either Robby. It's not exactly a cakewalk to have to watch. And you aren't expendable.
I don't want to be safe if it's at your own expense, Or if it's going to cost you,''

In reply, Robby only sighs. And to Miguel, that's the last response he'll be granted from his brother. He can try and try all he wants to get the other to respond. Which believe him, he does. More than anything.

But Robby Keene is as stubborn as they come, his brother doesn't budge, doesn't give in to his pleas. And Miguel just knows, god does he know that this won't be the last time Robby's injured for his sake.