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“what do you mean?” despite being a corpse, michael cocked an eyebrow in confusion. “you know what i mean, michael.” a look of genuine stupidity painted the corpse’s face, completely clueless as to what his little brother meant. “i really don’t ev.”
the small ghost sighed and exaggeratedly threw his hands in the air. “this is exactly what i mean! you’re still stupid, clueless, unaware of your own actions that ultimately screw you over in the end! i’ve spent decades trapped in that prison, rethinking life and what i could’ve fulfilled if it weren’t for my brother murdering me all those years ago. you are and always have been nothing but a clueless idiot!” years of growing anger and hatred finally spilled, allowing the ghost to let out what he kept inside for so long. he could finally speak the words he had been wanting to say for decades, he could finally confront his brother, he could finally tell him how he felt.
michael was stood in shock, a blank expression on his face as he looked down at the ground, presumably processing evan’s words. “i know.” was all he could muster, coming out with a crack just barely above a whisper. “i know i’m an idiot ev. i don’t need you to tell me. i’ve spent those decades isolating myself from society because of what i did. after liz died, i grew up and tried to fix the shit father did. during that period of my life, locked away in my room, i reflected on myself twenty-four-seven. all of my thoughts revolved around my stupidity and my actions, how much i regretted them and finally realizing how much of an ass i was.”
michael took a staggered breath and shut his eyes, trying to avoid his gaze towards his brother to make things easier. “i wanted to kill myself, ev. everyday i spent in my room, i contemplated just doing it. what difference would it have made? father wouldn’t have cared, elizabeth would have– but she’d die not too long after. i fully believed that i didn’t deserve to live, that a kid who took another kid’s life didn’t deserve to breathe. you should’ve been the one alive, i should’ve been the one to suffer for my actions. if i could, i would have given you my life without a split second of hesitation. i say i believed but deep down, in some aspects, i still do. i still believe that i didn’t deserve to live then. in all honesty, i wish michael killed himself, i wish he made himself go through the pain his little brother went through because of his actions. i wish i killed myself, but now it’s too late. now i’m dead, but i’m alive, and no matter what i do, i just keep. coming. back.”
as the last few words escaped his lips, he fell to the floor pathetically, tears spilling impossibly faster. his body racked with sobs, shoulders heaving rapidly and harsh breaths in and out. at one point, gregory and freddy had decided to let the two siblings have their moment alone and went off to god knows where for the time being.
evan stared at his pathetic brother from where he stood, and soon lowered himself in front of michael, hands on his knees. “you’re stupid michael. you were stupid and you still are. that hasn’t changed at all, no matter what you do, you’ll always be stupid. but just because your stupidity didn’t change, that doesn’t mean your behavior hasn’t.” michael lifted his head at his younger brother’s words, teary eyes locking with dull ones. “stop looking at me like that, you know what i mean.” michael continued to stare in utter confusion and earned a sigh from the boy.
“i don’t know how many times i’m gonna say this today, but you’re so stupid mikey. you’ve changed, and for the better. you’re always going to be the stupid, reckless, frantic teenage michael i knew in my eyes, but you’ll also be the mature, grown up, caring… corpse… michael. the time i spent locked away was time spent isolated. i didn’t know anything that was happening outside in the world, i didn’t know that you had, quite literally, sacrificed your life to make up for daddy’s wrongdoings. when i say you’ve changed, i mean it for the better. you’ve matured, you’ve grown up and you’ve realized your mistakes, and you’re actively trying to make up for them. i’ll always hold that small little grudge towards you deep down in my chest, no matter how big or small, but i’ll also hold that brotherly connection above it. i love you too michael, i never thought i’d say those words ever again, but here we are.”
that was michael’s peak. he broke down completely, not even his knees being able to support his weight. he let himself lay on the ground, one hand covering his mouth as loud sobs muffled through.
he had been needing to hear that for so many fucking years. he spent so many years all alone, with no one around him to love or console him. he spent years suffering through trauma and depression alone. he needed to hear someone truly say that they loved him, and that they recognized his efforts in trying to change. he needed someone to acknowledge his improvements, make him feel at least a little better about himself; and he did. he got that, he got that by the one person he least expected to say it.
“i-i wish i c-could hug you–” he stuttered, barely speaking through cries. “who says you can’t?” without allowing michael to respond, evan slipped himself into michael’s arms, somehow miraculously solidifying himself in some odd, weird, dead ability. evan himself wasn’t even sure how the fuck he could do that, but he wasn’t complaining. michael didn’t take a second before he grabbed onto evan tightly, pulling him close to his chest and burying his face into the crook of his neck, trapping him in some type of bear hug. evan was thankful he didn’t need to breathe, because if he did, no way would he be able to at this point.
evan wrapped his arms around michael’s neck in return, for the first time in years, feeling safe in someone’s warm and comforting arms. michael was a corpse, yet he radiated body heat instead of cold, dead skin.
“do you remember the last words you ever said to me?”
“...yeah..”
“can you hear me…? i don’t know if you can still hear me. i’m sorry.”