Work Text:
Georgie is fifteen when he beats a guy up for the first time.
He didn’t plan on beating him up. It just… happened. Like how he never planned on joining the high school football team, but it just happened. Some things are destined. And when you’re a boy growing up in Texas, those two things are probably football and beating someone up.
It wasn’t like the guy hadn’t deserved it. No, he deserved it, all right. Every kick and punch was like some sick (awesome, cool, badass) form of karma.
“That’s what you get,” Georgie had said, fist about to land (again!) on the guy’s face, “for picking on a kid half your size!”
“He-“ the guy had wrenched out of Georgie’s grip, ready to give a whole bunch of revenge hits- “-was asking for it!” Duck, dodge, get shoved into a locker.
“He wasn’t asking for anything.” Georgie had put on his best intimidating face once he’d pinned the loser to the wall of lockers. “He’s nine. And what’re you, some wannabe bully? ‘Cause newsflash, man-“ he shoved him into the lockers again- “-only losers try to beat up little kids!”
Then a whole lot happened that Georgie really doesn’t want to remember. Like the string of curse words (Mom would dissolve) or the very low blows he’d given. The crowd that had gathered (the crowd that didn’t want to actually do anything except watch) was full of cheering boys and gasping girls (worth it), and as one thing led to another, Georgie was pulled off the idiot and dragged to the principal’s office.
Which is where he now sits, slouching in one of the chairs, glaring at the secretary.
The secretary doesn’t look all that bothered. Actually, she looks like she’s holding in a laugh. Weirdo.
Georgie’s been sitting in the same chair (would it really cost that much to get better chairs around here?) for a whole minute when the door swings open.
“Looks like the principal will see you now,” the secretary says. Georgie gives her a scowl, but he doesn’t really mean it. (Getting sent here on the first week of school is terrifying, okay?)
”Looks like I’m headin’ in,” Georgie replies, getting up on two feet and sluggishly walking over. Half of his body parts still hurt. For an idiot loser, the guy could pack a punch. (And a kick.)
Georgie goes in. The first thing he sees is the principal, who’s either very pissed or very constipated. Maybe it’s both?
”Sit down, Mr. Cooper,” he says, pointing to the chair in front of his desk. Georgie shrugs and sits.
“I assume you know why you’re here, Mr. Cooper.” The principal says, folding his fingers together like the villain from a movie.
“Okay, first off, I think Mr. Cooper is my dad, so could you call me Georgie?” Georgie says, scooting the chair in. “Oh, and second, I didn’t do anything wrong, so no, I dunno why I’m here.”
”Mr. Cooper,” the principal starts, then stops when Georgie gives a big sigh. (Is it so hard to call someone Georgie?) “Mr. Cooper. You beat your classmate up. It hasn’t even been a week, and you’re already accumulating black marks on your permanent record.”
”That ain’t fair!” Georgie says. It isn’t. How could it be fair? “He was beating up my little brother, I was just giving him what he deserved!” He almost gets out of the chair to dramatically slam his hands on the principal’s desk. (He doesn’t. But it is pretty tempting.)
”According to your… victim, he wasn’t doing anything. He was being insulted and provoked by your brother.”
Georgie nearly turns red hearing that. “What the hell?” He says, actually getting up this time. “What do you mean, he was provoked? How could you be provoked by a nine year old kid?!” Idiot moron loser, getting insulted by someone who couldn’t throw a baseball. Who does he think he is?
”Mr. Cooper, I advise you to sit down, or you’re going to face much harsher consequences than I have planned,” the principal says, voice strained.
“I don’t give a damn!” Georgie shouts, slamming his hands on the desk. (It really is awesome.) “You’re really believing the guy who decided to beat up a little kid over the, I don’t know, actual kid?”
The principal raises his hands in a show of surrender. Or maybe he’s getting ready to fight. Either or. “Calm down! You’re making this much harder than it needs to be!”
”No, I’m making this right.” Georgie sits back down. “My brother might be annoying, he might not know the right things to say, but he does not deserve to get beat up because some loser couldn’t take a little insult.” He crosses his arms, like Dad always does when he wants to show he means business.
“Mr. Coop- Georgie, I understand you’d want to protect your family, but what happened to your brother hardly warranted what you did to the victim.” The principal starts to pull out a sheet of paper and a pen. Oh boy, punishments. Woop de doo.
“You keep calling him a victim,” Georgie says. “Bully, right, victim? I don’t think so.”
The principal chuckles. “The bruises and busted lip he’s sporting say otherwise.” Then he says something you should never, ever, ever say. “I’ve heard what your brother said to him. Honestly, the kid needs a little hazing if he wants to survive out in the real world.”
What Georgie does next is what gets him suspended on the first week of school.
“I can’t believe you sucker punched the principal!” Missy sounds like she’s trying to be stern, but it comes off as barely held in laughter. “Did Mom and Dad kill you? Are you a ghost?”
Georgie huffs. “Principal deserved it. The idiot moron loser guy deserved it too.”
Missy rolls her eyes. “Right. What did they even do, trip you in the hallway? ‘Cause I heard that you knocked a tooth out.”
”I didn’t!” Georgie says. “Where’d you get that?”
”I have my sources,” Missy says. Then she leaves his room, not so subtly closing the door behind her. She isn’t exactly supposed to be there. When you’re grounded, it’s like you’re a prisoner. A prisoner who didn’t even do anything wrong.
Georgie flops onto his bed and glares at the ceiling.
It would be so much easier if he had a normal little brother.
He slaps himself (actually) as soon as he has that thought. What the hell, Georgie, you can’t think things like that. Stupid, you’re just like the guy you beat up.
Georgie loves his family. His brother included. It’s just, sometimes, it gets hard to protect him, when he doesn’t seem all that concerned with protecting himself.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“Georgie.”
Georgie startles awake. He glances at his window and groans. It’s what, three in the morning? Too early for this. Anything. Ugh.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“Georgie.”
Georgie sits up. “Why not make it three, Sheldon? You already woke up the whole neighborhood.”
”I have no need for three,” says the voice from the other side of the door. “It would be overkill.”
”Yeah, yeah, okay,” Georgie sighs. “Come in.”
The door slowly opens, a little creak the only indication that someone was coming in.
“Hello,” Sheldon says, once he’s closed the door behind him. “You don’t look well rested.”
”That’s ‘cause I just spent an hour getting chewed out by Dad again, and now you.” Georgie says. “What do you want?”
”I want,” Sheldon starts. He glances at the window. “You should shut your blinds. Someone could be spying on you.”
Georgie rolls his eyes. “What do you want, Sheldon.”
”I want,” he starts again. “I want. To say.”
”Say what?” Georgie really wants to go to bed. Really, really.
“Thank you.”
Georgie’s ears perk up at that. (Can ears do that?) “You- you what?”
”I want to say thank you,” Sheldon repeats. “Were you not listening? Did you get hurt on your ears?” He steps forward, fully prepared to fix whatever’s wrong.
Georgie smiles a little. He can’t help it. “Oh.” He stands up. “Well. You’re welcome.”
”You didn’t ask what I’m saying thank you for.” Sheldon says. “I had a monologue planned.”
Georgie rolls his eyes again, more out of brotherly affection than anything else. Of course he did. “Okay then. Say it.”
Sheldon takes a breath, then starts. “I know you’ll be surprised to hear this, but I had some… doubts about enrolling in high school.” Georgie nods. What nine year old, genius or not, wouldn’t? “And when I was cornered, I just… it felt like those doubts were coming to get me. And it felt like I really wasn’t supposed to be there.”
Georgie can tell he’d spent an hour writing this. (Nothing but the best was basically his motto.)
”But, when you confronted him, and when you did all of those insane things for me, to protect me, it felt like,” Sheldon pauses and looks like he’s thinking of something to add. “It felt like I could do anything. Because you were there.”
He looks up, and Georgie looks down. “So I guess, I’m trying to say, thank you. For being there for me.”
Georgie kneels down so they’re at equal heights. “That’s my job,” he says. Then he gives his little brother a hug.
For the first time, Sheldon hugs back.