Just think about how cool it’ll be when Reuben dies. We get to have all of these ideas in our heads. about his death.
Imagine instead of killing him all the way, Chip rips out Shadowbeard’s eye and leaves Reuben there to bleed out.
Disclaimer. real long thingy with paragraphs and dialogue coming up. I. really like Reuben and Chip being brothers and sad and mean.
Imagine Reuben taunting Chip, “Come little brother, it’s easy, you’ve done it before haven’t you? Kill me, just like you killed my right hand. Here, I’ll help you out. Go ahead and take the first hit.” and then the look of shock on his face when Chip actually does. Imagine Chip running him through with his sword, sobbing, as Reuben coughs up blood onto his shoulder. Reuben, who wraps his arms around Chip, determined to make this moment stick, to hurt Chip as much as possible before he goes. “knew you had it in you, little brother. I’m so proud. Sure your little black rose pirates would be proud too.” He’s squeezing Chip, trying to stain the boy’s clothes red, coughing and spitting out blood.
And Chip is clinging on just as tightly as what he just did sinks in, apologizing between gasps “Reuben, Reuben I’m sorry, I’m so so- Gods what have I- Sorry, I’m so sorry, Reuben, fuck.” Reuben’s breathing slowly gets rougher, but his eyes are still rage filled as he comforts Chip in that mocking, sing song tone. “You did such a good job, little brother, it’s okay, you’re okay, see? You did it, I’m dying, you’re alright.”
The others haven’t stepped in yet, but they are watching. Jay especially is paying attention, waiting for the smallest hint that Price might try something so she can pull the trigger and speed up that manipulative asshole’s death. Gillion and Aurora and whoever else might be there are healing each other, regrouping after the fight, and letting Chip have this moment. No matter how much they want to drag him away, to comfort him themselves, reassure him that Price is a piece of shit and nothing he is saying is true, they won’t. Chip hasn’t said much about Price, Jay and Gillion barely got any details after he split off from them in Allport, but they know the two must have been close, and whatever happened was bad enough to warrant a confrontation like this one.
Eventually Reuben is too weak to stand, and he falls to the ground. Chip falls with him. Reuben’s breath is ragged, false reassurances broken by harsh gasping for air, as his grip weakens. Chip is still crying into his shoulder. A hand brushes through his hair. “It’s gotten longer.” Reuben says as he gathers Chip’s hair to his left side, parting it into three “You used to wear it in a little braid, wanted to be just like that Captain Rose.”
Chip has quieted down now, still holding on to the man that used to be his brother, ignoring the warm blood coating absolutely everything and the blade sticking out of Reuben’s back. “Wanted to look like you.”
The hands in Chip’s hair freeze, and Reuben remembers a time when they really were brothers, when his gang had only just started to grow and he decided to take this scruffy little pirate boy under his wing. He remembers teaching Chip how to pick a lock and how to mislead and lie and cheat, but he also remembers how Chip would sneak into the meeting room when he had a nightmare, and how he would sit silently and Reuben’s side until he fell asleep. He remembers pushing Chip into a crowded room of other street kids, trying to get a few new recruits and trying to get the boy to hang out with someone his age. He remembers pacing in front of Chip, venting his frustration whenever a plan went south. Reuben remembers laughing and sitting on rooftops and ruffling his hair.
Reuben stops talking, stops shaking. His eyes stare vacantly into the distance, the shock turning to grief that fades into nothing. The two sit there until well after Reuben’s grip loosens and his body grows cold. They were brothers once, maybe they could have been again, if things were different, but now they never will.
