MORE more robiguel childhood step-bros au
bc i'm genuinely so obsessed with this
so flash-forward to high school.
miguel and robby transfer schools at the beginning of sophomore year and have to start over at west valley.
moving just thirty minutes away means leaving behind their friends, their sports teams, and everything they knew.
but they at least have each other right?
they both go out for the soccer and baseball teams and make it ! ...as benchwarmers. but it's a start honestly. in the cafeteria, they try to avoid a group of asshole juniors and instead take interest in an empty table with two sad lonely-looking boys.
they learn the boys' names are eli and demetri, both tragically insecure and loser-esque but robby and miguel genuinely have no problems, a friend is a friend. so they decide to stay there for a bit.
miguel spots a table of beautiful popular girls, one in particular catching his eye, before demetri shuts it down by telling him they're rich and popular, which is never gonna happen for someone of his social status.
robby on the other hand can't keep his eyes off the annoyingly pessimistic boy beside him. is he frustratingly stubborn and set in his ways? oh absolutely. but robby wouldn't mind learning more about him and maybe going to a nearby arcade with him. he's never really thought about anyone like that before but demetri's cute. the last thing he needs, though, is more ammo for miguel to tease him over on the bus ride home from school so he pockets the thought and swears never to tell a soul.
as the year progresses, robby notices miguel becoming more frustrated and short-tempered with everyone (which is odd since that's usually his thing). he doesn't need johnny or carmen to send him a questioning glance to feel the need to get to the bottom of this. miguel's always been great at being there for him, he wants to do the same for his younger brother.
he watches him carefully, as much as he can since they have different schedules, but doesn't notice much out of the ordinary. it isn't until eli and demetri off-handedly mention kyler when robby wonders aloud why miguel's late for the bus after school.
"kyler. you know, brainless brute, about yay tall, always seeking out his nearest victim instead of using his brain cells?" robby hums in thought then glances around worriedly.
"no. i, uh, can't say that i have noticed him much."
"he picks on miguel a lot." eli mumbles, shrinking in on himself when robby whips around to stare at him.
demetri scoffs, "why do you think we eat in the library now? ever since halloween, kyler's been relentless. i tried to warn him, don't try to be a hero. but no one ever listens to me, do they? i don't just talk for myself-"
robby tunes demetri out, a feat considering he normally loves his ramblings. how has miguel been getting picked on for months without robby noticing? and what happened on halloween? and what did demetri mean-
"wait, what do you mean 'don't try to be a hero'? what happened on halloween?"
demetri and eli blink at him as he cut off demetri's rant, then they glance at each other, not sure who should explain now that the cat's out of the bag.
eli awkwardly shifts from foot to foot and explains that, at the halloween dance, they noticed sam larusso (the girl robby had heard A LOT about from miguel) getting in an...uncomfortable situation with her boyfriend kyler. "we told miguel they were probably just arguing but he wanted to defend her. kyler saw us and we- we were scared was gonna chase after us so we ran." eli looks down in shame, like he knows they shouldn't have left miguel (shame is the least they could do since robby could already feel the anger welling up inside him)
demetri continues, "we came back looking for him and they...kicked the crap out of him. we tried taking him home but he begged us not to tell anyone, especially not you guys. so he just said he was sleeping over the for the weekend." demetri, noticing robby's guilt-ridden face, quickly adds on, "most of his bruises were coverable, really hard to notice if you're not looking. honestly. he's been really adamant about not worrying you or telling you. it's not your fault."
even still, robby feels like the worst and most sorry excuse for a brother. when miguel finally meets them so they can get on the bus, robby notices a slight wince every time he takes a step. though he's angry at kyler and the whole situation, he's still plenty mad at miguel for keeping this from him.
in the moment though, all his anger rises to the surface and he huffs and ignores miguel for the remaining bus ride.
robby can only assume demetri and eli told miguel that they told robby about everything when miguel rushes up to him and apologizes for keeping it from him. robby tries to explain that he can help him, he doesn't need to handle it alone, but either robby sucks at comforting and helping people or miguel sucks at receiving comfort and help bc it somehow explodes into another argument.
it ends with miguel saying he can look out for himself and to stop worrying so much, which robby thinks is bullshit coming from mr. "my family's feelings always come first"
the next day at school, while miguel has been avoiding him, demetri, and eli all day, they still bump into each other on the way to the bus stop, which is where kyler catches all of them.
he spews his usual "nerd" "loser" "geek" verbiage that all four of them ignore. it's not until robby hears an ugly word cross kyler's mouth that he even reacts. a word he unfortunately knows all too well from hateful passersby at the store when shopping with rosa, or leaving the park from soccer practice with carmen. a racist word that was so painfully obviously meant for miguel.
miguel barely has a reaction just sighs and rolls his eyes with his chin tucked into his chest in shame, like he's familiar with this song and dance and has been trained to just take it then walk away to lick his wounds. but robby barely has a second to think before he's sitting on top of kyler, who's laying on the ground with a bloody nose and desperately trying to shield himself as robby mindlessly swings his arms down with as much force as possible.
he doesn't really know what he's saying, he can't hear much over the people clambering around, shouting at him to stop or keep going, and kyler's pleads for him to get off.
he blinks and miguel and demetri are pulling him off kyler before kneeling in front of him with concern etched all over their faces.
they're saying something, they must be, but robby can't hear anything, his mind just focused on how good it felt to knock his brother's tormentor down a peg.
he zones out for an hour or two, and he realizes he's in the principal's office, siting beside eli, who has four backpacks by his feet.
"what, um, happened?" he croaks out.
eli looks at him with wide eyes, shocked before fading into slight admiration. "you kicked kyler's ass."
robby looks down at his hands, slightly bruised but not all that bad considering he didn't actually know how to throw a punch.
"i know you probably feel guilty or scared right now. but i hope they don't expel you. you and miguel are the coolest people to have ever walked these halls."
robby huffs at that, though it's not very humorous.
"it's true. demetri and i, we've just sort of accepted how everything is. lie down and take it. but you and miguel...you're just different. i don't know. i wish i could be like you."
"miguel's different. i just act impulsively apparently."
eli smiles and nods, "yeah, he is." the softness in his voice and the slight blush on his cheeks brings a thought to robby's mind but he doesn't have time to think about it before the door opens and demetri's leaving the office, awkwardly glancing at robby and eli as he moves to sit next to his best friend.
after talking with the principal, robby finds out he's not expelled but suspended for a week, which he can honestly live with. at home, miguel hugs him tight and, as much as he tries to hold it together like he usually does, all it takes is one gentle hand up and down his back for the floodgates to open. after a while, and after moving to the couch, miguel tells robby everything, which is just about everything demetri told him with more details about kyler's comments.
"i'm sorry he called you that. i'm also sorry i didn't notice sooner."
"it's okay. i mean, it's not okay what he did but i know i could've told someone. i just wanted to handle it myself."
"you figured you started it so you should end it, huh?"
"...i don't like that you can read my mind."
"it's not mind-reading, miguel. i know you. you tried to stand against someone and he gave you shit for it. that's not starting something you need to finish, that's just an asshole who needs to learn his lesson."
miguel smiles but watches as robby's expression falls a bit, as it has every time the fight is brought up. his own smiles falls and he sighs. "you don't need to feel bad about the fight by the way."
"i didn't know where i was, miguel. i wasn't in control, it just happened. what happens the next time i get angry at someone and blackout just to come to and realize i've done irreversible damage? that's not something i can just feel better about and move on from."
miguel thinks for a second and shrugs, "i'll still be there for you. believe it or not, you're not some evil sleeper agent waiting to put people in comas." robby rolls his eyes but laughs all the same. "you're okay, robby. a mistake doesn't define you forever. besides, kyler deserved it and you didn't even hurt him that badly. he's just a wimp." robby and miguel laugh a bit at that, recalling the tears in kyler's eyes.
"seriously, though. thank you. i appreciate you sticking up for me. and you just got mad because you care. that's about the least evil thing i can think of."
robby nods and leans into miguel's side.
"i mean, i know you kind of went catatonic for a second there but you had to have enjoyed demetri hanging on your side for an hour, right?"
robby freezes and sits straight up, staring at miguel with wide eyes, which just makes his brother laugh more. "dude, did you seriously think i didn't notice you guys making heart eyes at each other? i'm oblivious but not that oblivious."
after some more teasing, robby shakes his head. "does he really like me, though? i think he likes eli more. if he even is gay."
"he's the mayor of his own pride parade. trust me. he's gay. but he doesn't like eli, not like that at least, i know that for sure."
robby squints critically at miguel then his eyes widen again, "did he tell you something?"
miguel avoids eye contact as he gets up and goes to the freezer to get some fudgesicles.
"fine. but what about you? is there anyone good enough for the miguel diaz? what about that sam girl?"
miguel shrugs, still avoiding eye contact. "i don't know. she's pretty but after talking with her, i think i'd like her better as a friend."
"but you do like someone?" a beat. "can i ask something without you getting embarrassed or upset?"
miguel stays quiet, impatiently biting a chunk from his popsicle.
miguel nervously glances at robby.
"holy shit. alright, that's it. you need to tell him."
"rob, no. what are you- DON'T TEXT HIM-"
so blah blah blah robmetri migeli double dates and such ensue, i picture eli feeling motivated by his relationship with miguel to do the hawk transformation.
did i want more of that robby/eli rivalry? OBVIOUSLY. but it lwk doesn't make sense without hawk or karate. boooo.
