Chapter Text
“Until it's time to see the light
I'll make my own with you each night
I'll kidnap all the stars and I will keep them in your eyes
I'll wrap them up in velvet twine
And hang them from a fishing line
So I can see them any time I'd like”
- Darling, Halsey
June 6th 1991, 4 years old
“Marc you’re doing it wrong again!” Steven exclaimed and tried to push himself forward, just to be blocked by Marc as he giggled and grabbed another piece of LEGO. “I’ll fix it, I swear!” he nodded proudly with a smirk and glanced up into the mirror shortly as he placed another piece on the wrong spot, making Steven groan in frustration. Marc decided to ignore him as he tried to squeeze the plastic pieces together more, like they were magically going to change their shape and fit together perfectly. He bit his tongue focused as it peaked out of the side of his mouth.
“Eres una mierda con los Puzles, Marc.” Jakes words made his head snap up instantly.
“Hey!” He exclaimed while taking the two pieces he put on the wrong spot off of the build again. “I bet I could’ve made this fit!” he mumbled defeated and looked at the pile of yet to be used LEGO pieces before groaning in frustration and flopping over to lay on his back and stare at the ceiling dramatically.
“We can make it fit together… Jake and I are better builders anyways so we can help you” Steven nodded while looking at Marc with a smirk as he blew a raspberry in disbelief. “If you’re a better builder than me then I’m tut… tutank… well you know who” he waved off and smiled when he heard Jake and Steven snicker inside the mirror.
“If you want to be a pharaoh you need a pyramid, so let me and Steven build this thing up hermanito”
“Pyramid of Giza” Steven added, nodding in the mirror “mom let me watch a documentary about it just yesterday.”
“Alright!“ Marc shot up into a sitting position again, switching with Steven and watching from the mirror as he happily picked up another beige piece of plastic.
“Where should we put it when it’s done?” Jake sat down on the ground inside their reflection cross legged and tapped his chin with his index finger “it’s Stevens so he chooses.” he says proudly while holding his finger up.
“Then I choose the desk” Steven mumbled extremely focused while looking back and forth between the manual and the half finished pyramid, he huffed and held a piece out to the mirror and swiftly Jake took over control and fixed one of Stevens mistakes so he could place the piece down.
He then retreated again to let Steven continue.
“Ohhhh” Steven nodded as he grabbed another piece excitedly “thanks mate!”
“Who should go to rabbi Yitz today” Marc asked after a long pause, his voice laced with caution as he watched Jake tense besides him.
“I can go” Steven nodded, not noticing the sudden shift in the room. “I never went so it’s only fair”
“I’m going.” Jake said definitively and Marc knew there was no chance arguing with him. Him and Jake had once gotten into a fight because Marc wasn’t able to switch with Jake before going to rabbi Yitz, after that Jake demanded from the both of them that they’d switch out way ahead of time before either of them had important places to be. Marc didn’t really know what the issue was and never understood why it was so important for Jake to be the only one who goes to rabbi Yitz, that day he had cancelled on a short note due to being sick and after that Marc never got another chance to find out what was so great about him again. He didn’t want to argue though, he didn’t want Jake to ignore him for two weeks again.
“Do you really find the lessons so interesting” Steven looked up at Jake interested for a moment. A simple “Yeah” was the only reply he got before Jake pushed Steven to the back gently so that he could front and put a few pieces on the pyramid as well.
“We should play hide and seek” Marc piped up after a while again.
“Marc you plonker! We’re building my pyr-“ Steven cut himself off with big eyes as he slapped a hand over his mouth, making Marc burst out laughing “I don’t even know what a plonker is” Marc nods while laughing and Jake giggles too as he pulls Steven forward again so he can place the last three pieces of the pyramid himself.
Steven finished the building before looking at it with big eyes and picking it up from the ground excitedly “how bloody amazing is this??”
“Yeah and we finished so much faster than the Egyptians” Marc nodded impressed while clapping.
“That’s because we got you to stop helping” Jake smirked besides him, earning him a soft punch to the arm. “That was rude!”
Steven just chuckled as he placed the pyramid on the corner of their desk happily.
“Marc-“ the door to their room opened and Jake immediately went to switch places with Steven, posture straightening and tensing up naturally as he looked over to his mom entering. “Are you ready to drive to rabbi Yitz?” She asked with a smile and Jake just nodded, walking past her slowly and making his way down the stairs.
“Which color shoes?” He asked aloud on the last few steps.
“Take the black ones dear” - “The white ones with the red laces!” Mom and Steven answered simultaneously and he chuckled as he sat down on the ground to put on the red and white shoes, trying to tie them up properly by himself but looking up to Mom for help after a moment.
“So not black after all hm?” She asked whole crouching down to tie up his shoes for him and he shook his head determined “Steven wanted white and red”
“Steven wants a lot of things that you don’t want doesn’t he?” Mom tensed and looked down at him. “no I don’t mind what shoes so I ask Steven.” he nods while getting up from the ground and reaching to try to grab his jacket.
“And what kinda other things does he want sometimes?” She watched him as she gave him his jacket down and put on her own.
“Sometimes?” Jake looked up at her before looking over at Steven in the mirror and shrugging after a moment and looking at mom once more. “He says chocolate cake… Marc wants chocolate cake too” he nods while skipping out of the door not noticing how her face turned into a deep frown.
“Aren’t you Marc dear?” She asked as he ran over to the car he snorted with a chuckle “no mommy. I’m Jake.”
“We laugh until we think we'll die, barefoot on a summer night
Nothing new is sweeter than with you
And in the streets, we run afree, like it's only you and me
Geez, you're something to see
Oh, home, let me come home
Home is whenever I'm with you
Oh, home, let me come home
Home is wherever I'm with you”
- Home, Edith Whiskers