Work Text:
“Blaine, I swear if you’re in my room I’m gonna punch you!”
Cooper was not in a good mood. He’d had a test in pre-calc and he just didn’t understand math. Then he’d tried to talk to Jenna Henderson during lunch but she’d blown him off to sit with that stupid Freddie McAllister. What the heck was so great about Freddie, anyway? Cooper had much better hair, and was way taller. Needless to say, the 15-year-old was not looking forward to coming home to a clingy baby brother that loved to follow him around and get into all his stuff. What he wanted to do was play some Super Mario and pretend that every shell he stomped on was Freddie McAllister’s face.
That was, until he opened the door to his bedroom.
Inside he saw little Blaine, his hair a mess of curls from a day of playing, curled up on his bed surrounded by all of Cooper’s Captain America and Avengers comics, clutching Cooper’s Cap action figure to his chest like a security blanket as he slept soundly, a smile on his little face.
Cooper, who had been fuming just moments before, felt his heart melting.
“Hey, Blainey,” he whispered, sitting down gently next to his brother on the bed. “Wake up, Squirt.”
Blaine’s eyes blinked open, his smile growing when he caught sight of his brother.
“Coop! You’re home!”
Cooper laughed. “Yep. What have ou been doing all day?”
Blaine looked a little bashful. “Sorry I messed with your stuff. But I saw you readin’ this yesterday and it looked so cool! He…he’s got a shield and he’s wearing my fav’rite colors and he’s the best hero ever!”
“Who, Captain America?”
“Yeah!” Blaine bounced in place, still clutching the action figure.
“I don’t know, Blaine,” Cooper teased, “Iron Man is a much cooler Avenger. Or Thor.”
“No way!” Blaine was indignant, his determination clear on his young face. “Cap’n ‘Merica is the best, Coop. He’s the bestest and the strongest and the nicest and he’s like a soldier but he’s so good! He’s like Superman but not an alien!”
Cooper laughed, remembering Blaine’s little obsession with Superman a few months before when he’d discovered the Animated Series.
“Are you sure, Blaine?”
“Yeah! I know, I looked at all your comics, Coop. Cap’n ‘Merica is the greatest hero ever. He’s so cool and smart and good and pretty.”
Cooper blinked, watching as his brother smiled down at the pile of comics at his feet, not missing what he said or the clear adoration on his face. Huh, he thought.
“Well then, Blainey, you’re obviously the expert. Wanna show me some of your favorite parts?”
Blaine looked up at his brother, his smiling face shining like the sun.
“Really?!”
“Yeah, Squirt. Show me what’s so great about Captain America.”
“His name’s Steve.” Blaine explained. “And he’s the bestest.”
Cooper and Blaine sat together on Cooper’s bed until their mother came to get them for dinner, her numerous calls ignored in favor of re-reading all of Cooper’s Cap-related comics. Blaine didn’t let go of the action figure for the rest of the night, and he began carrying it around with him throughout the day. For once, Cooper didn’t mind his younger brother stealing one of his old toys.
And years later, when Cooper found the Chris Evans poster in his teenage brother’s room, or the framed vintage Captain America issues in his New York apartment, he had to smile as he remembered the small boy on his bed, vibrating with joy and the rush of his first crush.