The Question.
“Cuphead?” The smaller, more slim brother gently pushed the others door open, a soft creak echoing around the area.
The other brother turned to see his older sibling standing in his doorway, a worried expression plaguing his features. “Yeah? What’s up, Mugsy? You don’t look.. okay.”
Cuphead turned his body to face him completely, his legs crossed and planted on his bed. He patted the spot next to him, his eyes filled with a brotherly concern he ALWAYS has.
Mugman stared at him, and then slowly pushed the door open even more, slowly moving himself into the room. His eyes looked.. puffy. Was he crying before hand?
Cuphead was surprised he didn’t notice earlier. He immediately lowered his tone, his eyes narrowed. He isn’t upset at his brother, more so he’s upset he didn’t notice any sooner.
“Mugs? What’s goin’ on.”
He asked again, but he said it quietly this time, with a more firm tone then earlier.
Mugman stared at the door, his eyes starting to water again. He wiped those tears away fast. He doesn’t want to cry in front of someone. Especially Cuphead.
“Can I- tell you something?”
There wasn’t anything extra to that sentence. Just simple, short and to the point. Cuphead didn’t appreciate that. He’d much rather hear a throughough explanation of the question or the main point of the whole conversation itself. He liked listening to Mugman rant anyway, so why won’t he do it now?
“Yeah, you can tell me anything..? You’re really startin’ to scare me.”
“I’m not tryin’ to..! It’s - Complicated. You just have to promise you won’t be mad at me.”
The words hung in the air, but shot like a bullet. Cuphead stared at his brother for a long time, almost as if he was completely shut off from that alone. What could this possibly be about..? There’s nothing that hints to what’s going on, or anything that hints to what caused this anyway?? What’s going on?
“Sheesh, Mugs.. did you kill Elder Kettle..?”
“God no! Why would you even think that?!”
“It was a thought! You never ask me things like this, and you never act like this IN GENERAL! You can’t blame me..”
He grumbled, his eyes starting to linger around somewhere else, the wall maybe.
“Sorry for assumin’, just tell me what’s going o-“
“I wanna be a girl.”
Mugman blurted it out faster than he intended he would. His hand clamping over his mouth not long after.
Cuphead sat there, his eyes didn’t have any real emotion behind them at first, but then as minutes passed, he started to beam. He immediately got up and yanked Mugman into a hug, his arms practically breaking the other sibling in half.
“NO WAY! THAT’S AWESOME! Should we go buying you some dresses and makeup? What’s your new name? What’s the plan, silly?”
Mugman blinked, his body went still, that’s it? Just a confession and then his brother has a happiness burst? He felt his eyes watering again, his arms didn’t know what to do.
“H-How are you so okay with this..? I’m asking to be something I’m not..!”
Cuphead flinched, pulling back and holding his brother shoulders tightly. He stared into his eyes with a serious expression, his voice coming out firm and serious again.
“Hey. You wanna be gal! That’s fine with me, you’re still my sister, you’re still family, I’ll embrace it cause it means you’re comfortable in your own skin this way, no matter what I still love you..”
He smiled at his newly figured out sister, his arms wrapping around her not long after.
She stared at her brother as he spoke, finally realizing she’ll be accepted for who she wants to be, her eyes watered and she was already crying all over again, her own arms wrapping around Cuphead.
“You’re the best brother ever, Cups..!”
“I ain’t that great.. now let’s go shopping, we need to get you a whole new wardrobe!”
He pulled away, dragging her out the room with him while laughing. Things are going to get so much better from here on out.
The end.
