Work Text:
Zer0 was very, very bad at being cool. Being locked in the basement of the Walter Manor did that to a person.
But he knew someone who was cool. Someone who hadn’t been locked in a basement for most of their life. This someone was a too-suave, silver robot by the name of The Spine.
Zer0 and The Spine had gotten along well. Why wouldn’t they? They were brothers, fated to be close and connected and perhaps occasionally annoying towards their respective older sister. Zer0 looked up to The Spine, in a way. He looked to the bot for a baseline, a general concept of the way he “should” act.
The Spine was arguably a fan favorite. He was endearing and relatable, even if he was more collected and reserved than his siblings. Zer0 took note of this. He wanted to be a fan favorite, too.
So he took up everything the silver bot did. He got himself interested in the cosmos, bought himself a pair of those fancy red shutter-shade sunglasses, and more often than not took his dinosaurs and maybe the occasional cowboy hat. Zer0 was finding his own interests and hobbies, and was playing it safe in the process.
Sometimes, though, when The Spine came to take his dinosaurs back, there would be the tiniest hint of acknowledgement in his eyes; it was like he knew was Zer0 was doing and didn’t mind. He never brought it up, though.
Zer0 appreciated that. He wasn’t good at confrontation.
Today wasn’t a confrontation, however. It was more like an acknowledgement.
Zer0 was sitting on one of the couches that were scattered about the Walter Manor, one closest to his room. In his hands he held a brachiosaurus—The Spine’s brachiosaurus—and was absentmindedly making it run across the arms and cushions of the couch.
Down the hallway he heard heavy, measured footsteps. He looked up from his dinosaur and watched The Spine make his way down the hallway towards him.
“Hi, The Spine!” Zer0 greeted, smiling at his silver brother. The Spine sat down on the couch next to Zer0 and looked at him by turning his neck in a way that seemed to counter the natural curve of his body.
“You have my brachiosaurus again,” he said simply, gesturing with his eyes towards the dinosaur in Zer0’s hands.
“Yeah. Do you want it back?” Zer0 asked, nodding once. The Spine was quiet for a while before he responded.
“No, you can have it,” he said.
“I can?”
“Sure.”
Zer0 looked down at the brachiosaurus in his hands. It seemed more special now, now that it was his and not his brother’s. He ran his fingers across its back gently, like it was something special and not a factory-made piece of plastic. He turned back to look at The Spine.
“Why?”
“You like it more than I do, I think,” The Spine replied. He looked down at the dinosaur himself.
“Well, thank you,” Zer0 said, nodding in response, animatedly. The Spine just nodded. It made Zer0 wonder if he was being too energetic.
“You know, I don’t really mind it when you borrow my things,” the other began. He gestured with a hand to the dinosaur as he met his brother’s gaze again. “As long as you bring them back.”
“But you always tell me you don’t like it,” Zer0 argued, cocking his head slightly. He laid a hand on his knee and subconsciously began to tap out a mindless, staccato rhythm.
“I know, but I don’t really care.”
Zer0 took a few breaths before he spoke again. He tried to figure out if The Spine was implying something, or maybe digging for something, but he couldn’t seem to figure out the secret patterns his brother had embedded in his words. “That’s nice, The Spine. I’m glad it doesn’t bother you,” he said instead of pondering furthermore.
“You don’t bother me at all, Zer0,” the other stated. It made Zer0 feel better about himself, but it also only made him worry more that his brother was trying to imply something he couldn’t quite pick up.
“Thank you, The Spine,” he said as he smiled again. It was apparent—to anyone who knew him—that his smile was hiding feelings that the bot didn’t want to acknowledge.
“I mean it, Zer0,” The Spine repeated. He turned to face his brother head on.
The Spine extended a hand towards Zer0. It looked like he wanted to hug him or pat his back or hold his hand to comfort him. Zer0 watched him hesitate.
“I know.”
“But I really mean it. You don’t bother me…or Rabbit, or VI, or anyone. We love you, Zer0. Okay?”
Zer0 was quiet for a little bit after that. The words impacted him a little bit more than he wished they did. He just nodded again. The Spine looked disappointed with his lack of response.
“And…you can take my dinosaurs whenever you want, alright? Just bring them back,” he said. The Spine gingerly laid a hand on his brother’s shoulder and once more gestured with his head to brachiosaurus in Zer0’s hands.
“I will,” Zer0 promised. He smiled again; it was a little bit more genuine this time.
The two of them sat in silence together. The Spine didn’t lift his hand off of Zer0’s shoulder. That surprised him. Physical contact was something The Spine rarely enjoyed, much less actively engaged in.
When the silence was finally broken, it was The Spine who broke it. He took his hand off of his younger brother’s shoulder and straightened his body again. He sighed under his breath.
“I’m going to go to my room again now,” he started, his voice now casual in a way that seemed out of place, considering the depth of their prior conversation.
“Okay. I’ll go…feed my dinosaur,” Zer0 decided, once again running a hand affectionately across his newly gifted brachiosaurus’ back.
“Sounds alright, then,” The Spine nodded. The surface level at which they were speaking at was near awkward.
“Thank you, The Spine.”
“You’re welcome, Zer0.”
And then The Spine stood up and walked off again, his measured footsteps fading off into the ambience of the Walter Manor. Zer0 felt a little bit better about himself. And his dinosaur.