Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Entering the garage as White felt different, somehow. Of course, he was still dressed like Black, still looked like him, but he wasn’t going to be him anymore. Because Sean had accepted him, had kissed his forehead when White expressed his fear of the others feeling betrayed and hating him. Because White was White and he deserved to be here just as much as Black, no matter what his brother thought.

“I know he challenged me and won but he’s not here right now, Hia. And you said he’s discussing things with Black, right? Black’s reasonable now, he’ll see where I’m coming from, that we need him. So I’m just saving all of us some time by already having him here when they arrive.”

“You fought with Yok?” White hissed at Sean as they walked side by side. Sean just shrugged and averted his eyes. White scowled at him, clicking his tongue. “Sean, he wasn’t the one who did this to you, is he?”

This time, Sean did look at him. His eyes roamed over White’s face as he pressed his lips together. In the end, he shook his head and stuck his hands in his pockets before averting his eyes again.

White felt the anger boiling in him. So he had been right and it had been Black who had been brutal enough to split Sean’s lip, his nose, give him a black eye bad enough that he couldn’t open it anymore, and bruises all over. White knew his brother hated Sean but there was nothing Sean could have done to get that kind of treatment.

“Oh look, they're back.”

The gang was gathered around the table, Gumpa and Gram next to each other on the couch. Yok was sitting on one of the chairs next to a man White didn’t know. White supposed he was the one Yok and Sean basically had a fight over. Gumpa was grinning at them as Yok and the man turned around. Yok raised his hands when he saw Sean.

“Don’t kill me yet,” he said. “I have a good reas- what the fuck happened to your face?”

White fully understood the sentiment, hell, he’d basically thought the exact same thing when he had first seen Sean earlier. Sean shook his head and waved him off before pulling two more chairs over, settling them on the head of the table. He gestured for White to sit down so he did, only shifting a bit uncomfortably. He guessed for now he would still be Black for a while.

Gumpa took one look at Sean’s face and got up from the couch with a sigh and a shake of his head. White paid him little attention, instead, he jerked his chin in the direction of the unknown man and asked, “Who’s he?”

“Dan,” the man answered. He didn’t reach out his hand, White probably wouldn’t have taken it anyway. Dan wasn’t someone Black knew and White wasn’t too sure what was going on here but if Sean didn’t want him here and had a literal fight with Yok over it, there had to be something behind it. So White raised his eyebrows.

“And?”

“He didn’t tell you?” Yok asked, glancing at Sean, at the same time Gumpa came back with a first aid kit. White only huffed in answer and took the offered kit, placing it on the table and looking through it. He could only patch Sean up roughly but roughly was better than not at all.

“Dan is UNAR, the street artist Yok has been going crazy for.” Gram was leaning back against the couch, eyes jumping between Sean and White. “He’s also a cop.”

White felt bad for Gram. After all, he liked Black and thought Black was currently caring about the one person he cared least for before. But White couldn’t pretend that far anymore. He cared about Sean and he would show it.

As White set to cleaning Sean’s face, Gumpa explained, “We need a cop if we want to expose Tawi’s drug trafficking. That cop will be him. Only if you agree, of course.”

White took a short break from focusing on Sean’s wounds to look Dan up and down. A cop. Someone in a similar position White would have found himself in as a diplomat. Someone to take down Tawi. Someone whom Yok obviously trusted.

White turned back to Sean.

“Qualifications?”

“Sub-Lieutenant.”

“Motivation?”

“The world we live in isn’t exactly perfect. I have a chance to take down one of those bastards with my own hands and legally. It’s sort of a no-brainer.”

White hummed. Black would never agree to this. But Black wasn’t here and White was. And as far as he could tell from the conversation before they were noticed, Sean trusted him enough to ask him for advice on something he opposed and was open to changing his mind. It wasn’t a bad idea to have a cop on their side, to be able to handle this legally.

Sitting back and turning to face the other’s again, White nodded as he agreed, “Alright. Welcome to the team.”

Yok beamed. First at White, then at Dan. Gumpa looked satisfied, Gram somewhat skeptical and Sean, he just looked. At White. And he looked and looked, and White couldn’t tell what he was thinking or feeling. He knew White wasn’t Black. He knew White didn’t really have a say in this, especially not with Black around. He knew it was only a matter of time before the others knew too but he didn’t say anything. Only looked at White, put his hand on his knee and squeezed.

God, this was already hard enough without a random person in their ranks. White would not out himself like this to someone who had absolutely nothing to do with it. So he steeled his nerves and his eyes and said, “Now that that’s done with, I have something to talk to them about. If you could please leave, that would be very much appreciated.”

Yok’s smile immediately fell. He lowered his eyes at White but White was resolute about this. No matter if he was part of the plan or not, Dan had no right to know about this. After all, he wasn’t involved in the whole thing.

“What’s so important that he can’t hear it too?” Yok was defensive and White understood. But this wasn’t a personal attack or anything of the sort.

With a sigh, White leaned forward to look Yok in the eye and convey the importance of his words as he spoke, “It doesn’t have anything to do with the plan and you can trust me when I tell you that he is not even slightly involved in this. So get him out, come back, and you’ll find out why I didn’t want him here.”

Scowling and clenching his jaw, Yok leaned towards White too but before he could say anything, Gumpa knocked on the table.

“Listen to him, Yok. We can talk about the plan tomorrow. If Black says Dan doesn’t have to be here, Dan doesn’t have to be here.”

Yok didn’t let up with his glare but Dan whispered something in his ear and got up. Yok followed shortly after, walking Dan out and returning a while later. He sat down again with a huff and stared at White.

“So,” he started, clearly annoyed, “what’s so important that he couldn’t hear it as well? I thought we were over the whole ‘I’m better than you’ spiel.”

Sighing White shook his head and slumped in his seat. He had never thought he would tell anyone about this and Yok being this defensive from the very beginning probably wasn’t good but he couldn’t drag this out any longer.

Sean still hadn’t taken his hand off of White’s knee and when White looked up at him, their eyes met.

‘It’s okay,’ Sean’s eyes seemed to say, ‘we’ve been through worse.’

White took a deep breath. Only when he was about to speak it occurred to him that he didn’t know what to say. After all, he hadn’t told Sean, he’d found that out himself. He had pieced together that White was Black’s sibling but it didn’t seem like Yok or Gram had any sort of idea. How did one tell people they had been impersonating their twin in order to find out who beat them up so badly they ended up in a coma?

It turned out White wouldn’t have to find an answer to that question as the door opened again and heavy footsteps drew closer to them. A figure could be made out in the dark and before any of the others did, White recognized his brother. Because there was no one in the world White could recognize any better.

“Fuck,” he heard Sean say under his breath and White couldn’t help but agree. Fuck, indeed.

Black came to a stop close to them and it was dead-silent. Gram and Yok were staring at Black. Black was staring at Sean and White. Gumpa was just leaning against the couch with his arms crossed and a smug look on his face. So Sean hadn’t been wrong when he had suspected him of knowing. Good to know that White had screwed up from the start and Gumpa hadn’t said anything.

Black was the first one to move. He took one step closer, two, three, and then he was pulling his arm back with his hand curled into a fist. White reacted before anyone else did, grabbing Sean by the shoulder and pushing him down, Black’s fisting missing him by mere millimeters.

White let go of Sean and grabbed Black’s arm instead, getting up and pushing his brother back.

“What the fuck, P’Black?” he spat. Black’s gaze was fiery, glaring at White. He ripped his arm out of White’s relatively loose hold and bared his teeth at him like a predator.

“I could say the same to you, White. Didn’t I tell you to stay away from my gang? This isn’t. Your. Place.”

White had never thought he would fight against his brother, after all, he had always been the one needing his protection, but he was definitely not going to let that stop all the emotions welling up inside of him. Rage, hurt, disappointment. Sean was the one White had most worried about and he had accepted him, so why wouldn’t the others?

“Who are you to decide that?” White shoved at Black’s shoulder. “Who are you to tell me what’s my place and what isn’t? I’ve been perfectly fine here. I don’t need your protection anymore. I can’t leave it exactly because it’s dangerous. You think they wouldn’t find out? You think I could just go back to being ignorant about everything just because it’s a bit risky to stay like this?”

Black clenched his fist again but he didn’t swing, not yet. Instead he shouted, “You don’t belong here, White! You were never supposed to end up here. You need my protection because you’ve managed to continue to be naive enough to think that you can work out with anyone while doing this shit. You can’t, White. Especially not with someone like Sean.”

White was almost sure he heard a gasp behind him but he didn’t turn to look as he regarded his brother with something akin to caution. Black was shaking, both hands curled into fists at his sides, his eyes blazing. If White was anyone but himself he would probably already be half-dead on the floor.

“Get out of my way,” Black growled. White would have crossed his arms but that would make him more defenseless so he only shook his head.

“No.”

“White. Get out of my way.”

“No. The damage is already done now anyway and it’s your own fault, P’Black.” Black didn’t need to know that White had been about to tell them anyway. “Punch me senseless if you must but they already know now with no way to go back. If I’d just told them, you could’ve played it off as a prank later but now they’ve seen it. Now they know . And I’m not going anywhere.”

Black lowered his eyes at him. Before White could say anything else though, someone put their hand on his shoulder. It was big and warm and White knew that hand. He also knew the voice that spoke, “You wanted me to fight back, didn’t you? Sure, I’ll fight back.”

And then Sean pushed White to the side and took a kick of Black’s head on. That was when the others sprung into action alongside White. Gram and Yok rushed to hold back Black, earning a few punches, bruises and cuts themselves but they managed to pull Black away. Gumpa grabbed Sean as White jumped between the two of them. Because neither would punch White. That much he was sure of.

And while Sean and Black continued glaring at each other, they still calmed down. White was standing between them with his arms out like one of those student mediators back in high school. Not that those ever helped, really.

“What the actual fuck is going on here?” Gram breathed, holding a still seething Black with one arm and feeling his nose with his free hand. Yok shook his head and looked both Black and White up and down.

“That’s what I’d like to know too.”

Chapter Text

They sat in a circle. Black and Sean as far away from each other as possible, Black on the couch, Sean in one of the chairs. Gumpa and White were sitting between them on one side, Gram and Yok on the other. White had his foot touch Sean’s where the others couldn’t see, Gram was openly staring at Black.

Sean had gotten a few punches in before they had managed to get them away from each other but so had Black, so both of their faces didn’t look too good right now. Not that Sean’s had been that neat from the start.

White didn’t want to tell them anymore but they basically already knew now anyway and not explaining it to them would just leave them hanging. So he sighed, dragged a hand over his face and began explaining.

“I’m White. P’Black is my twin brother. A while ago he was beaten up so badly that he ended up in a hospital as a coma patient. I wanted to find out who did it so I pretended to be him. The day we burnt down Tawi’s house was the day I first started. I’m sorry for deceiving all of you until now but it’s not like Hia is completely innocent.” White scowled at Gumpa who was, inexplicably, still grinning. “He knew and he didn’t tell any of you either.”

Gumpa just shrugged as all eyes settled on him, arms crossed, saying, “If you can’t figure it out yourself, it’s your own problem.”

Yok rolled his eyes, White raised an eyebrow and Sean huffed, “Y’know, he’s not wrong. It’s so obvious, looking back on it.”

Gram snorted and shook his head before burying his face in his hands.

“Yeah,” came his voice, muffled, “it couldn’t have been more obvious. And yet all of us still didn’t manage to see anything wrong with it.”

“I did.” Black looked ready to lunge at Sean again at his words. Not that he didn’t look ready before. “I figured he had a sibling and I figured he wasn’t as much of Black as he presented himself to be. I just didn’t think he’d be the sibling. Also,” Sean leaned forward to look at Black, “if you weren’t White’s brother I would beat you into a pulp and throw you off a bridge without hesitation.”

Black snarled.

“The sentiment is mutual, fuckhead.”

White rolled his eyes. How Sean had managed to start liking White when Black and his relationship had been like this, he really didn’t know.

Yok held a hand up and rubbed at his temples. He sounded exhausted when he asked, “So what you’re saying is, someone hurt Black and you thought the best decision would be to put yourself into immediate danger, defy people whom Black obviously didn’t have that good of a relationship with and get involved with Sean of all people?”

White snorted. “Well, the last one wasn’t as much my intention as the other ones but yes, that’s basically what I’m saying.”

“You were chasing after an anonymous street artist, found out he was a cop and still got involved with him.” Gumpa was still grinning . “I don’t think either of you are particularly smart in that department.”

“All of this is bullshit,” Black grumbled under his breath. “White’s not supposed to be here. Sean fucking- Yok’s got a goddamn cop involved. Hia is standing at the sidelines and enjoying the show. Is Gram the only one here who is still somewhat sane?”

White could swear Gram was blushing. Gram. Blushing. Because of Black. Damn, his brother was oblivious. Well, White hadn’t really been any better, he supposed.

They talked a bit more about what had happened. Black and Sean managed to ignore each other, mostly anyway, only butting heads every so often. Yok and Gram still didn’t seem to be able to wrap their heads around ‘two Blacks’. They kept looking back and forth between Black and White. White thought it wouldn’t be that bad if he just had his own clothes, if he had his glasses.

Eventually though, all of them were too weary to continue talking. Yok headed home first, then Gram. And then White found himself between Black and Sean once again. He was tired too, so he let them argue over his head about where he should stay the night.

“All his stuff is in my room.”

“He can wear mine. He is supposed to be staying here anyway.”

“I don’t care, he’s coming with me.”

“No, he’s staying.”

“He’s my brother.”

“He’s my boyfriend.”

Oh shit. White could barely snap his eyes open and move fast enough to catch Black’s punch. They didn’t need another fight. If they wanted to they could continue tomorrow, when White could observe them and ensure a fair game, but not now. Now was time to sleep and White would probably only fall off a bike if he had to get on one now.

He told the two as much and between his half-closed eyelids, he thought he saw Sean smiling smugly at Black. Black made some sort of noise and pulled White away from Sean to mumble things that went into one ear and out the other. White only nodded and assured Black that everything was fine before weakly pushing him out the door.

Black insulted Sean one last time and promised his return before climbing on his bike and riding off.

Sean lead White to the bathroom to brush his teeth and perform the quickest wash-up ever, before making him climb the ladder.

White had forgotten about the ladder. He didn’t want to climb it. He wanted to curl into a ball and forget any of this ever happened. He kind of wished Black hadn’t woken up so suddenly.

With gentle coaxing that only made him even sleepier, Sean finally got White to climb that goddamn ladder and stumble into their room, into their bed. White curled up immediately, pressing his face into Sean’s neck when the other climbed in after him. Sean placed one arm under White’s head, the other over his waist. White slowly grinned into the warmth.

“So, I’m your boyfriend?”

Sean took so long to respond that White already thought he had fallen asleep when he asked, “Do you want to be?”

White took a deep breath and pressed even closer. His thoughts were too muddled to think about things right now.

“Is that me fulfilling our promise?”

Feeling Sean shake his head, White shuffled away a bit to look up at him. His eyes were glittering even in the dark and White was grateful that he couldn’t make out the wounds on his face and be reminded that his brother had put them there.

“Then what is?” he breathed, lightly dragging his fingertips over Sean’s shoulder. Sean’s breath stopped for a second. Then he leaned his forehead against White’s like he had out on the street and met his gaze in the dark.

“You said I could ask you for anything.” White nodded, drawing hearts on Sean’s skin as the other’s voice shook. “Can I ask you to be with me and stay by my side forever?”

The smile that spread on White’s face was both involuntary and slow. His hand wandered to Sean’s cheek where it settled carefully.

“I’ll be here,” White replied and pressed their foreheads even closer. “I’ll stay with you for as long as you’d like.”

The kiss Sean pressed to the tip of White’s nose could barely count as one, feather-light and barely there. It was a promise of it’s own and White knew he would do anything not to disappoint.