Work Text
His Daddy's on death row,
But he'll say it with his chest though
____Back in Georgia, summer of 1987, there was a boy next door. About 16 and full of fury, the town always talked. Been talking for years about the boys and Old Man Seed. Rook was 14, and despite the wishes of every logical adult- and even Old Man Seed himself- they went against em.They were real rural but the walk was nice, closer than the other houses. It was a creepy quiet neck of the woods, but the shade didn't do hardly enough to prevent the hot summer sun beating down on Rook's shoulders.They'd hung around before, sometimes to just watch, sometimes accidentally overhearing and seeing Jacob take the fall for any deeds deemed unacceptable to his father. His mother was usually zoning out on the porch or inside somewhere.Today was a day where Old Man Seed was away, Rook didn't know exactly where he went but it's better than being caught. Their father wasn't much better than Old Man Seed, only difference is that he wanted Rook gone. Never cared if they were missing for a whole weekend.Rook saw the boys at church, Jacob got scolded for witnessing Rook politely waving at them.Approaching the eerie house, Rook picked up the pace to skitter around the back. And there he was, picking at a piece of a branch with a Swiss army knife, leaned up against the back of the house."Jacob!""Hey."Rooks smile faltered, Jacob tilting his head up, making the bruised cut on his cheek more visible. They walked up to him."Are you alright, Jacob?""Yeah, I'm fine. You're lucky the old man ain't here, he'd give you a matching one."Rook rolled their eyes, laughing sarcastically."Uhuh, ain't you just a bundle of joy today, Red. What're you making with that?"Jacob raised up the sharpened little stick lazily in one hand while the other held the knife."Don't really know, guess just making it sharp.""Fair 'nuff, I like sharp things too."Jacob shook his head, grinning."Before you ask, yes Joseph is fine. He's up in his room reading some comics I stole while our father is out.""Wait... you're the one who stole those? Seriously?""Yeah, surprised?""Course not, you're like one of the sneakiest bastards I know right now"They ended up sitting out in the grass together under the sun, Jacob was nice enough to bring out tap water before they turned into raisins. The two talked a bit, Jacob wasn't usually chatty at first glance but neither was Rook. Hell, they were almost put in them Sped classes for not talking enough.But combine the two and you'd be convinced that they were extroverts."How's your house? Still no running water?"Jacob questioned, laying in the grass looking up at clouds next to Rook."Yep, we've been boiling water and washing in the creek. Probably why I smell like a dang rainbow trout.""Yeah, I was boutta say..." Jacob teased, and Rook reached out to shove his shoulder to the side in response."Lord, you are so annoying Jake."Rook giggled, Jacob was just as amused.Only difference was Rooks face was far more flushed this whole time. It's no secret that they've been crushing on the violent kid from the shitty house in town.The redheaded teen pointed up at the sky, pointing out a cloud."That one looks like a dick."Rook's eyes searched for it."Where?- Oh, you ain't lyin', that's hilarious!"It wasn't even that funny looking back on it, but Rook just remembers laughing until their stomach hurt that day. That was the last day they saw Jacob Seed before he had gone to Juvie, at least that's what the ladies at church gossiped about not very long after that summer.Rook loved that kid, wished they could do more for him. But now it's sort of hard to do, now in Montana, soiled and sweaty deputy uniform on Rook and a trail of blood leading to where they lay in the grass, dead cultists and Judge wolves seen in the distance.The boy who snuck comic books and candy to his younger siblings, the one who took beatings for them, was now doing the beating. The boy who read those comics was now a cult leader, crazy like his father. Now he's THE Father.Vision hazy and a dry mouth, it had been a few hours since Jacob was patched up by Rook frantically, it had to have been about 3 in the afternoon now. Jacob woke up groaning in pain after passing out from blood loss earlier."D'you remember that day in-" Rook coughed and swallowed, but all that did was burn while laying by his feet in the grass, in front of the rock that Jacob was slouched on."-That day in summer... '87, I think... we were watching clouds and you found one that really looked like a penis and I couldn't stop laughing?""Fuck, fuck... yeah." They could hear him gritting his teeth as he spoke."Look, it's there again. Dick cloud" Rook pointed to the sky and laughed, half-choking on air from the lack of moisture in their mouth.Jacob just looked up to find it, and though he wanted to stay mad at Rook for not letting him die dramatically for his brother, he laughed. Laughed because out of all the fond memories to bring up on their death beds, it was the dick cloud. He remembers them being so young, both of them. 16 and 14 laying in the grass, but Jacob was the one who really changed. Guess that's why Rook was the only one still laying in the grass."You never changed, did you?"Rook had a little trouble taking deep breaths, broken ribs poking inwards. With a wheezing sound, Rook answered softly."I did, you changed me. Now I got that stupid song stuck in my head.""It's a good one though, only youuuu-" Jacob was such an ass sometimes."Ugh, shut up, or I'll...""You should've let me die, Deputy Rook.""You know I can't do that. I can't let you go so easily, Red." Tears managed to well up from Rook's eyes, and they sobbed, pain from every little movement shocking their nervous system.Jacob shifted his weight, a hand pressed on his abdomen, to move down on the grass next to Rook."Quit crying. No use in doing that.""I love you, you know? I thought you were dead for so damn long and now, now I'm the reason you're going to die!" The words came out all at once, between sniffles and shallow breaths.Jacob moved his hand over to grab Rook's, he was lightheaded now.
"Everyone dies."
There wasn't a guarantee that Jacob would survive his injuries, just that he's forced to be with them for a few hours more. He was a damn good shot, Rook got a bullet in the thigh that's been tied tight, and a few bites from Judge wolves. Rook had lost a lot of blood though, and there's probably some sort of internal bleeding going on from the broken ribs. They didn't feel too good. Jacob had better chances of survival but Rook wasn't ready to admit that.
And to be completely honest with themselves, there's a likely chance that they both want to die in this moment. They both want to be free, to have meaning.
The weak have their purpose,
And they know now. Sat under the sky, watching the clouds go by, exhausted.
When the ground shakes and the collapse comes, they'll still be here. Watching the sky.
____
And it hurts to miss you, but it's worse to know
That I'm the reason you won't come home