Work Text:
Isaac was 10 years old the first time Camden shipped out. His big brother was a soldier, someone who saved people. Camden was his best friend, the one who taught him about the stars and the moon. He was the reason Isaac loved to be outside.
Camden’s first tour was relatively short. Just fourteen months in Iraq and he was home before Isaac’s 12th birthday. But as is standard, They serve 4 years at a time, so Cam wasn’t home for good. He had 6 months until his next tour. And in those 6 months, Isaac and Camden were inseparable. Camden would lay in the backyard with Isaac, help him learn the names of each and every constellation in the sky. Camden’s favorite was Orion. For obvious reasons of course. Orion was the Hunter. The one who protected and it fit Camden to a T.
Isaac’s favorite star was in that constellation. Rigel. Orion’s Beta star. The brightest star in the Hunter.
In later years, Isaac would laugh at this.
From there, they learned out. The Winter Hexagon was easy to star with, from Orion to Taurus and so on and so forth. By Yule, Isaac could name just about every constellation he could see. (He still can)
January 17th was the day Camden shipped out for the second time. This time though, he was headed for Afghanistan. The night before, Camden took Isaac to the back yard one last time.
"Name them for me? Start with Betelgeuse." Camden said. And Isaac did. And they stayed like that for 3 hours. It was well after midnight when they stood up to go back inside. Isaac was walking to the back door when He noticed Camden wasn’t following him.
"Come on Cam. It’s cold out here." Isaac walked back over to his brother, following the path of his eyes to the Hunter.
"Isaac, I need you to promise me something." Camden’s voice was low, pitched so that his words went only to Isaac. It scared him. Camden was never quiet, never once had he heard his big brother whisper. Isaac did the only thing he could, he leaned against Camden's side, fingers holding tight to his big brother. "Anything..."
"Promise me that, no matter what happens, you’ll remember that I love you. And I will always be with you. No matter how far away I go, all you have to do is find Rigel and you’ll know that I’ll find it too. Remember that, no matter what, I am under these same stars. Every time you miss me, just look up there and know that I am always here and I am thinking of you."
The first dry sob that came out of Isaac startled him. But he was Isaac's hero for a reason. Camden reached over and tugged him into his chest. Holding him close as he sobbed, begging Camden not to go. Not to leave him. It was futile and Cam didn't bother to hide the tears that slid down his own cheeks. He didn't want to leave either, didn't want to leave his little brother with the father that was slowly but surely sliding into a drunken stupor. He wanted to protect Isaac. But how could he do that from so far away? He'd just have to make it better when he got home.
They stayed out there until Isaac fell asleep in Camden's arms. He brought him into the house and tucked him into bed. Camden sat by Isaac's bed for hours, just watching him sleep. He didn't know it then, but it was the last time he would ever see his baby brother.
Camden died 8 months later, 6 days before he was supposed to come home. A roadside bomb. Camden fought hard for hours, dying on the table 3 times before they gave his time of death. No one but the doctors know that the last words he spoke were for his little brother. Telling him to be strong and watch the sky. Isaac wears his big brother's dog tags to this day.
Isaac still watches the stars and sometimes, he thinks that if Rigel is shining just a bit brighter. Well, it’s just Camden telling him that he’s still there, watching over him.