Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hero smiled as the summer sun beamed down at him, Othermart growing closer with each step. Now that he was on holiday, Hero had a distinct lack of things to do, free day after free day stacking atop each other. While there were plenty of opportunities to help people out (be that through fixing barbecues or gathering supplies for a pool party), he'd been looking for a job for a while, and one had just opened up at the town bakery.

Daphne and Bowen, two of his classmates at school, had approached him about it after a group assignment they did together. The two were inseparable, seeming more like one entity than two separate beings; they finished each other's sentences, possessed the same deadpan look and manner of speaking, and seemed to tell what the other was thinking at any given time.

They had been… Interesting to work with. Rumours flew through his school like wildfire, and there were plenty about the twins, many of which were less than kind. Even their brother seemed adamant that they were somewhat otherworldly.

Hero remembered when a few months earlier, the two of them had turned April Fools Day into the biggest event of the year. They were master prank-players, and more than one student went home that day with the remnants of a pie atop their head.

Still, they were very smart. Possessing an expansive vocabulary and a determination to complete whatever task they set out to do, Daphne and Bowen were great partners for his science project.

Besides, they'd brought him baskets of bread sometimes, so that was a nice bonus.

"Hero," Daphne had addressed him shortly at their last meeting, dark brown eyes scrutinising him closely. "Bowen and I have been observing your contributions and dedication for a while now, and would like to offer you something."

"Oh– um, thank you! But really, you don't have to give me anything," Hero had replied. "This is a group project!"

"We know," Bowen had nodded. "And you have proven yourself worthy."

"Would you perhaps consider being in the employ of our parents over the extensive period of rest we are about to receive?" Daphne said, sounding slightly hopeful. "Our little brother is… Less than keen to work at the bakery, and it is always good to have a helping hand."

"Of course!" Hero had nodded, surprised but pleased all the same. "I'd love to."

And so here he was, stepping through the glass doors of the shopping centre. The smell of fresh bread was comforting in a way he hadn't expected, Hero navigating his way through the shop with ease.

"Hero!" A voice greeted him, and suddenly the twins were in front of him. They moved fast. "Greetings!"

"Hi, Daphne. Hi, Bowen," he grinned at them. "What's up?"

"Thus far, today has been rather busy," Daphne told him. "As it is a Saturday, we are eager to sell the vast majority of the bread we have now. Our valued customers are aware of the closing of our shop every Sunday, which has led to many purchases this morning."

"I shall teach you how to operate the cash drawer," Bowen offered, leading Hero towards the till. "It is rather easy once one is aware of its functions."

The morning passed without incident, Hero soon growing accustomed to the tasks he was set. They were rather easy, really; things like putting bread in the oven and stacking shelves. He enjoyed the simplicity of it, revelling in the idle occupation his new job and comfortable companionship Daphne and Bowen provided.

He hadn't had the chance to wind down in a while , not with so much schoolwork on. Starting high school had been a huge switch, and while Hero never achieved so much as a B, it was far more difficult and tiring than he'd expected to stay in everyone's good graces at once. Hopefully, that summer would be a chance to take a break, Hero spending some time letting himself rest, duties lifted for a while.

The bakery had been awesome so far, he had to say. Every customer was polite, the air was full of the constant homely scent of bread, and he could help out without getting overworked in the slightest.

"Why doesn't Mikhael like working here?" Hero asked casually during their lunch break, taking a bite of his hero sandwich. "This place is great!"

"We are glad you think so, Hero," Daphne smiled sadly. "Alas, our little brother views the family business as dull, seeking more from life. He takes pride in his flamboyance, confident but rather… Prideful."

"Heh, my brother Kel's a little like that,"  Hero chuckled. "I'm sure they'd get along great!"

"Knowing Mikhael, he us more likely to to declare your brother his mortal enemy," Bowen mused. "Perhaps we have just been starving him of attention, Daphne."

"Perhaps," she replied thoughtfully.

"Why don't you just… Talk to him?" Hero suggested. "See what Mikhael wants?"

The twins paused.

"That is… Not a terrible idea. Thank you, Hero," Daphne grinned at him.

"It's no problem," he assured her, glad to have helped a little.

He liked giving advice, even if he was nowhere near as good at it as Mari was– Mari. The thought of her made his smile brighten further, Hero immensely looking forward to when she would begin work there, too. After a short conversation, the twins had deemed her "worthy" of working in the shop, so Mari was going to begin helping out at the bakery in around a week's time.

Hero wasn't unfamiliar to hard work, not by a long shot. He quite enjoyed the challenge that came with helping people out, any obstacle in his path only serving to make success sweeter. It made Hero happy to see other people happy, so found himself with plenty of odd jobs to occupy his time with.

He was a jack of all trades, master of quite a few– from playing the piano to working out the gross profit of local businessman Mr Jaws, when Hero dedicated himself to doing something, he did it over and over again until he was satisfied with the outcome. Hero learned how to charm people, how to get on others' good sides, how to act in such a manner that he endeared himself to even the most cold-hearted individuals.

There were times when his attempts to assist ended in disaster, or his charm backfired horribly– of course there were! But in the bakery, there was no potential for messing up or failing, only the methodical routine of picking up and dropping off bread.

It was nice to have some time to think for once. The wildness of the world slowed down a little, Hero simply breathing for a while as he let his body do the work. The silence wasn't awkward, the space wasn't too cramped, and every customer they had left with more than what they'd initially intended.

By the end of the day, the bakery had sold all of its slightly stale bread, and Hero felt more relaxed than he had in a long time. He left with a smile on his face, food in his basket and a great deal of optimism for the days to come.

This had to have been his best job yet.

Chapter Text

People say that there are five stages of grief, but Hero had only ever experienced one.

There had been no denial, not when he'd seen the body. Of course, it had been more than initially jarring, Mari being dead seeming completely impossible in their perfect reality. Mari was so bright , her smile as warm as the sun and her personality full to the brim with life.

She was a dedicated worker, possessing a great deal of academic prowess but willing to put in the work to get the top grades. Had her parents finally pushed her too far?

She was a talented pianist and composer, making a duet for herself and her little brother to perform– they were supposed to perform it. Had the pressure of the recital finally made her crack?

She was a loving sister and friend, ready to offer advice and support wherever she could. Had they not been giving her enough in return?

Hero's mind had whirled with questions that could never be answered, every thought laced with poison. His horror had shown clear-as-day on his face, shock certainly present; but not denial. No, never denial. Because the worst part was, this wasn’t entirely unprecedented.

Mari was strong, yes, of course she was. She was Mari , confident and skilled, knowledgeable and friendly. But Hero had known her better than anyone, and it had been Hero she went to when life proved to be too much. He’d always done his best to help her out, but his charm didn’t work and if there was one thing he couldn’t deal with, it was emotions. Comfort was delivered awkwardly on his part, Hero terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing and making it all a thousand times worse.

He’d seen the faults she tried so desperately to hide, the imperfect being she despised so much. Mari longed for flawlessness just as much as Hero did, and not being able to live up to the unreasonably high expectations she set for herself only ever made her feel terrible. She’d grow angry, snapping and shouting at people, the last of her composure hanging on by a tiny thread.

The thread had snapped now, and Hero had done nothing but watch it fray.

Hero had seen the signs. She’d been more than irritable as the recital drew nearer, her reprimands sharp when she and Sunny rehearsed. When Hero enquired as to whether she was okay, she pulled away, glaring at him. This recital was an incredibly big deal for Mari, and the stress must have gotten to her in a way far beyond Hero’s fears.

It was believable , the fact that she’d resort to this. The rope around her neck was undeniable evidence of the fragile mental state Hero hadn’t been careful enough handling, and the crushing realisation that this was all his fault crashed into him quickly.

And yet, there was no anger. He didn’t hurl accusations at her body, or curse the fates, or grow to resent everyone. He understood why she’d done it, and couldn’t fault her for such a decision when it was his fault that she’d felt that she had no-one to turn to. If anyone, Hero should have been angry at himself, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth to know that he wasn’t.

Anger seemed impossible when faced with such a devastating loss. All he could think about was Mari, and feel a nauseating mixture of disappointment and disgust at his failures. Hero wasn’t angry. He was just numb.

He was only numb until Kel broke Hero’s own thread, Hero snapping completely thereafter and having a breakdown in his room. Kel had only mentioned her name, and that had been enough for Hero to scream at him. His little brother, who hadn’t done anything wrong, who Hero had gotten so angry at that Kel had cried. All Hero did was hurt people. He hurt Mari. He hurt Kel. This was all his fault.

He didn’t bargain, either. There was no point. Death was permanent, there was no moving back time. Hero could only know that Mari was gone forever and do his best to live with it. Still, living seemed absurd without Mari, so he locked himself in his bed like a coward and withered away for a year.

The idea of retribution was familiar to Hero– ‘an eye for an eye’, so to speak. He had stolen Mari’s life. It was only fair that he didn’t get to live, either.

The same four, bleak walls surrounding him had felt suffocating after a while, the dullness of his existence affecting Hero far more than he’d anticipated. Before she died, he’d been constantly on the move, meeting new people and helping out with problems. Afterwards, all he seemed to do was sleep and think.

Hero hated thinking. His thoughts never failed to lead back to her , to how this was his fault and Hero deserved to die for it. In the quiet darkness, the only company Hero allowed himself was that of his own mind, and the voice inside his head was far from a pleasant companion. The whispers of blame and revolted insults remained ever-present, reverberating around Hero’s head in a twisted loop.

If he’d stayed there, he would have wasted away completely. Hero didn’t want to call his argument with Kel a relief , not when it had clearly hurt his brother deeply and was yet another reminder of just how much of a failure he was– but it managed to get him out of bed. Bottling emotions up had been his coping method for a long time, and Kel smashing those bottles had been both frightening and freeing all at once.

Hero hated himself, that much he knew without a doubt. How couldn’t he, when if he’d done better, Mari might still have been alive? He failed her, failed everyone, and he was only failing them more by staying in bed but– but he couldn’t carry on, he was selfish , Hero was terrified of trying to live without Mari. They’d done everything together.

Because as much as he pretended, Hero couldn’t truly accept that Mari was gone. He had proof that she was dead, no doubt about it, but the idea that his best friend was gone , just like that, forever, was unfathomable. After he left his bed, it was a struggle readjusting to everyday life, the pitying glances and murmurs on the street hardly doing anything to help Hero fit back in.

His dark eyebags and dead eyes stuck out like a sore thumb in such a small, happy community, and everyone knew about Mari’s suicide. It had been huge, word spreading fast, and Hero had known a lot of people. Kel had tried to give Hero the ’sorry for your loss’ gifts sent to him by old associates when he was still trapped in that room. Hero had ignored them.

In a way, Hero’s self-imposed isolation wasn’t just a punishment, but a way of protecting himself. When he was alone there was nobody more he could hurt. If he took away everything, he would have nothing left to lose.

He still felt as cold as Mari’s body was, freezing ice spilling into his insides and filling him with a dull numbness. He avoided making new friends, avoided ‘free days’ to rest on, and avoided the church.

New friends gave him others to fail, to hurt. They didn’t deserve that. Resting let his brain slow down enough for the dreaded thoughts to come back. Clammy sweat formed on his palms at the very notion. The church contained Mari’s grave. Hero couldn’t go to see it.

He should have. His parents encouraged it, saying it would ‘give him closure’. Hero didn’t need closure, he knew that Mari was dead. He just… He couldn’t accept that she was gone.

It was ridiculous, he knew. Hero was just being stupid and selfish again. And yet, the thought remained that seeing it again– her now-closed, dark casket– would ruin him. One could have mistook her for simply being asleep at her funeral, eyes shut and mouth a tranquil half-frown on her porcelain face as she lay among white egret orchids. A year had passed by that point, and Hero’s mind tormented him with visions of what she might look like now. Her skin would be rotting away, bones sticking out of their useless container, bugs gnawing away at her beautiful face as her perfect smile became a hollow, distressed gape.

It was more than improbable, he knew, that she’d look that way. Hero knew that, just as he knew that she was dead. But it appeared that his mind worked in ways far beyond his control, and Hero could only clench his fists when it started to torture him again, nails digging tiny crescents into his palms.

Depression was another of the stages of grief, Hero knew. It was supposed to be one of the last, but it was all he had felt since he saw Mari’s corpse.

It was a dull, incurable pain that throbbed through him, it was a searing, blank numbness that led to hours of staring into nothing, it was a bone-deep sadness that weighed on him like a ton of bricks. When he spent a year in bed, he’d been rendered immobile and silent, not without his senses. He saw the worried, guilt-ridden looks his parents shot at him when their comforts couldn’t help Hero just feel better. He heard the flick of pages at night, pages that were within thick psychology books Kel bought in an attempt to understand how his brother was feeling. He knew that he should just get over it and stop hurting people.

Forcing himself out of bed each day was a struggle, his only real motivator being fear. He didn’t want to spend another year slowly losing his mind, or cause so much stress to his family that he damaged them irreparably. Hero wished that he could do more to his depression than simply warding it away, but self-help guides didn’t help in the slightest and he refused to waste his parents’ money on a therapist.

He caused his own problems, so Hero should deal with them. There was nothing wrong with him, and any issues he could fix himself. He could manage.

So Hero did what he always did. He took his thoughts, his feelings, his everything , and stored it away. He pushed down lumps that arose in his throat (and cried silently in the bathroom later), kept panic attacks away by sheer force of will (or ran away when that proved to be impossible), ignored his feelings in the only way he knew how.

Grief was pointless, after all. Mari was dead, and it was all Hero’s fault.

Chapter Text

For as long as Hero could remember, he'd always strived for perfection.

He had to have the brightest smiles, the highest grades, the friendliest greetings. Hero offered help wherever he could, thriving on others’ praise and revelling in the feeling of being liked. He learned how to charm people, figuring them out with ease and managing to form a bond with them without even having to try.

It made life a whole lot easier, being popular and good-looking. His fellow students– and even some teachers– vyed for his attention, and as he built an image of perfection around himself, Hero became practically untouchable. The jocks liked him despite his lack of physical prowess, the smarter kids appreciated his intelligence, the plain Janes and Johns loved it when he said ‘hello’. Hero was perfect, everything was perfect, and he intended for it to stay that way.

Not only was such a reputation important to Hero, but to his family, as well. His parents took great pride in being able to share his achievements and boast about his empathy, placing each of his awards proudly on display. He couldn’t disappoint them, not when they were so happy. It was his job to set a good standard for his little brother and be a good role model, no matter how much Hero wished they wouldn’t compare him and Kel so much.

Where Hero was an organised sort of endearment, Kel was a messy form of disorder. Kel was loud and boisterous and had no brain-to-mouth filter, always confident and brash and willing to speak his mind. Hero was quiet and pleasant and every word he said was measured, always even-tempered and amiable and willing to please. In a way, Hero envied his little brother; Kel was allowed to do or say whatever he wanted. Hero didn’t get that kind of freedom.

Upholding an ideal was tricky, but he managed it. Hero worked hard to ensure he was admired by all, determined to prove himself and adoring every opportunity to help out. His tiredness was balanced out by satisfaction, the image of perfection his main priority in life.

He’d attempted sports for a while, he and Kel taking part in a couple of athletics competitions. It had only takes fifteen seconds of the long-distance running before Hero was panting– and for the first time in his life, he came last at something. The other players had been good sports about it, and Kel had excelled at sprinting, but Hero couldn’t shake the sick feeling that crept into him upon losing.

He wasn’t sure what it was. Jealousy? Disappointment? That was hardly fair, he knew– those who won had earned that win, and Hero was far from the best athlete there. Still, his grins felt a little unnatural for the rest of the day after that race, Hero firmly deciding that sport was not his thing.

Perfection didn’t have to include sportiness, Hero tried to reason with himself. It was ridiculous to try to be good at everything . And yet, he went for a jog every morning, because perfection meant flawlessness, and failing was a flaw.

Unfortunately, as he continued to maintain the top grades and his impeccable reputation, the standards continued to grow. Great things were expected of Hero, and while he was more than happy to deliver, it occasionally got a little overwhelming trying to keep up with everything. Still, he wasn’t alone ! Mari understood exactly how he felt, and the two of them managed things together.

She always had such good advice, her cheerful motto of ‘practice makes perfect!’ something that Hero reminded himself of daily. Mari knew all about the importance of perfection, striving for it herself in everything she did. She spent endless hours on the piano, preparing for college after school was finished and offering a helping hand to all those who asked. She too was well-liked and polite, the two of them getting along splendidly– the perfect support network.

Sure, sometimes Hero worried over things. Sure, sometimes Mari’s stress cut her down to her last nerve. But they were managing. They were perfect.

Perfect days, perfect life, perfect Hero. Everything was just as it should be, everyone agreed.

Then, she died , and everything went to ruin. Hero was left alone, drowning in his loss and cutting himself away from everyone. Mari had killed herself , the image of perfection surrounding both her and Hero shattering like a glass picture frame when she did. Sharp edges, jagged enough to draw blood, were all that remained in the wake of her death, but Hero made sure that those shards couldn’t reach anyone else.

He didn’t try anymore, not for a year afterwards. He dropped each of his hobbies, never once speaking to someone, face growing pale and gaunt as he spent every miserable hour trapped in his bed. It took an absurd amount of effort to even blink, the idea of getting up seeming impossible as he sank deeper into despair. 

Who was he kidding? Hero wasn’t perfect. He was ruined.

His fight with Kel only proved that. Hero was dangerous , nothing like he was before, the mask that had slipped on so easily when he was younger seeming threadbare after a year of disuse. He struggled to interact with others for a while, focusing on catching up his schoolwork and saving up for college.

When he went to college, he would be able to leave Faraway. He hated living in Faraway by that point, everything within it an agonising reminder of all he’d lost. Mari’s absence left a cold void in her wake, Hero waking up every day feeling like a chunk had been ripped from his heart. He never did manage to visit her grave.

It didn’t help that now, people’s opinion of him had changed entirely. Before, he’d been sensible, charming, helpful Hero; now, he was the broken lover of a girl who committed suicide. People treated him like he was fragile , able to split into pieces with only a tiny push. They weren’t aware of his barely-sealed cracks, but no matter how much Hero tried, he was never able to regain that sense of perfection.

He was all too glad to be rid of the pitying gazes and hushed whispers that plagued him back in Faraway– college was a fresh start, after all. Nobody knew who he was there, or who Mari was. It was the perfect opportunity to start earning others’ approval again.

It was all he had left, really, the facade of perfection he clung to so dearly. He was pathetic , but they didn’t have to know. So he became Hero again, bright and charming and eager to please. He became exactly what they wanted, exactly what he wanted.

He didn’t look at his reflection, at the concealer he applied each morning to the dark shadows under his eyes. At the messy brown hair atop his head, at the exhausted smile that screamed pretence. Hero was fine , getting better every day; college was exactly what he’d needed to begin anew.

And everything was finally, finally going to be perfect again.

Chapter Text

Hero would consider himself quite an amiable person– it took a lot to tick him off, and Hero dealt with problems sensibly and rationally. He was level-headed, responsible and friendly, difficult to faze after years of dealing with strange Headspace monsters and his little siblings’ arguments. He didn’t get angry, he didn’t show panic; Hero’s main priority was to be a good role model, and hatred and irrational fears were far from desired.

However, if there was one thing he did hate, it was undeniably spiders.

Their spindly legs sent shivers down his spine, thin and almost adhesive as they clung to surfaces, spinning sticky webs that Hero dreaded getting stuck within. They were huge , absolutely monstrous beings with razor-sharp fangs and no remorse to speak of. They were unnaturally hairy, looking more than disturbing even when fused with other innocent creatures. They either had seemingly millions of beady eyes, or only one centred in their centres– either way, Hero felt like their steely gazes could rip him apart even without the fangs.

From the most fearsome arachnid to bug bunnies inside Pyrefly Forest, none failed to make his heart quicken to its own rabbit-pace, any semblance of control or dignity Hero might have possessed being ripped away from him upon first sight of the creatures. He hated spiders, the way they made prickly sweat droplets form on his forehead, the searing pain left in the wake of their attacks. Even the thought of them was enough to make him shudder.

Basil, on the other hand, adored them. He said that they got rid of pests, a help to any good gardener– apparently, the spider was far more scared of Hero than he was of it. Unfortunately, when faced with spider cats on his grocery run, he found that a little hard to believe.

“Hero, you can’t keep living like this!” Aubrey told him sternly, crossing her arms as Basil nodded beside her. “If you don’t conquer your fear, it’ll only get worse!”

Hero vaguely recalled Mari saying something along the same lines of that before they had fought King Crawler, her eyebrows knitted together in concern. Aubrey was wearing much of the same look, even if some of her furrows looked rather cross amidst the worry.

“Aubrey’s right, Hero,” Basil said resolutely. “You can’t hide from your fear forever. Besides, spiders can be helpful! I say that we should show you all the ways spiders are good . That might help you get over your fear!”

“No,” Hero shook his head firmly. “You know what they’re like! Those things are dangerous ! I’m not going anywhere near them unless I absolutely have to.”

“Hero, we fought a giant whale from the inside while he tried to digest us,” Aubrey sighed. “And we won. Surely spiders aren’t that bad in comparison?”

Hero shivered, frowning. “I may not have liked Humphrey, but I’d rather face him again than any of those monsters. And I’m afraid there’s nothing– absolutely nothing– that could convince me to–”

The next thing he knew, Aubrey and Basil had convinced him to visit Pyrefly Forest with them.

“Why did I agree to this?” Hero groaned, looking at the oncoming mist uneasily.

“C’mon, Hero, we believe in you!” Aubrey encouraged cheerfully. “You can do this!”

“Yeah! And even if you can’t , we’ll be right here with you every step of the way,” Basil beamed at him. “There’s nothing to be worried about!”

Nothing except the giant spiders . Still, Hero took a deep breath, set his jaw, and stepped into the forest. His shoulders were wound tightly, every muscle tense as his body prepared itself to either run or freeze in place. He looked around warily, keeping his guard up as they trekked through the bushy trees, alert for any sign of danger.

Hero never knew what to expect from Pyrefly. Even the plant pots there had eyes.

The occasional sprout mole was a welcome distraction from the bugs everywhere, Hero feeling the burn of hundreds of stares as he edged deeper within the forest. Aubrey was unperturbed, skipping along happily as Basil chatted to her about the forest's horticulture.

"Aww!" Basil said suddenly, smile brightening even further. "Look, Hero! A spider-bunny! How can you possibly be afraid of that sweet little face?"

Aubrey giggled at that, though her expression lightened too at the sight. She always did have a love for bunnies.

Reluctantly, Hero let them drag him over to the creature, observing its placid smile. He froze, anticipating an attack, only for none to arrive. He waited nervously with cold, clammy hands, but the creature only looked up at him happily, seeming to be without a care in the world.

Happiness was a good sign, right? It wasn't hurting him, only… Smiling. Maybe spiders weren't so ba–

As the bug bunny launched at him, Hero took back everything. An embarrassingly high-pitched scream tore from his throat as he stumbled backwards, desperately prying at the being attaching itself to his face.

"Get it off get it off get it off," he chanted incoherently, every nerve alight with adrenaline.

Easily, as though that thing wasn't evil epitomised , Basil lifted the spider off of Hero, placing it back on the ground and letting it scuttle away. Hero gaped at him, breaths still quick and shallow as Basil looked at him apologetically.

"Maybe… Um… Maybe it was just being friendly?" Basil suggested weakly.

"Mmhm! It liked you so much that it tried to give you a hug!" Aubrey said bubbly, another laugh escaping her as she finished with, "on your face."

"I hate this," Hero placed his head in his hands, scrubbing at the spots where spindly legs had clung to his skin. "What's even the point in spiders?"

And Basil began rambling again. Hero sighed fondly as the boy listed off facts with a sort of enthusiasm he could only dream of possessing, Aubrey listening with rapt withal to every word. He didn't want to be scared of spiders, of course he didn't! They were just so… So worthy of being 

scared of.

"–so that means there's a smaller chance everything will get eaten!" Basil informed them excitedly. "So it's always good to– is that Mewo?!"

Hero paused in confusion, scanning the area for any sign of Mari's cat as Basil buried forwards. Aubrey looked uneasy for a few seconds before comprehension dawned on her face and she opened her mouth in alarm.

Hero realised what the problem was just a little too late.

'Mewo' sprouted absurdly long legs, letting out an unpleasant, warbling screech as it crawled towards them swiftly. It was horrifyingly fast, dangerously strong, and none of them had a chance to fight back as they were wrapped in unyielding white threads.

Hero couldn't stop the tears that sprung into his eyes as the beast looked him face-to-face, leering down with a sharp-toothed smirk. He was dragged to an even stronger web, Aubrey and Basil's yells ringing out beside him.

The string felt suffocatingly tight, stealing the air from his lungs and preventing any large movements as he shook silently in place. They needed to get out, fast , only…

The only way to cut through webs was with a knife, and Omori wasn't with them just then. Hero's stomach dropped, veins filling with ice as his struggles grew increasingly frantic.

"Woah– Hero, are you alright?" Aubrey called out worriedly. He was supposed to be the one worrying about her !

"I'm fine," he squeaked out, completely unconvincingly. "Do– do either of you have any way to get out of here?"

The thing that had taken them had vanished for now, but Hero had no clue when it would be back or where it had gone. With his neck fixated in place, for all he knew, the spider cat could be standing just behind him, preparing to sink its lethal fangs into his neck.

"Aha! I've got my garden shears!" Basil declared proudly. "Give me one minute…"

Hero chewed at his lip anxiously as Basil squirmed around. "Be careful, Basil! Those shears are sharp."

"I know," Basil replied, voice strained with effort. "Thanks, Hero! …And got it!"

Basil began sawing away at his restraints with a sort of fierce determination that Hero didn't often see from him. Basil was certainly resilient, yes, always looking on the bright side of things and living by the rule 'everything is going to be okay in the end', but he never really had any reason to be fierce.

And yet, he was the one who saved them, his shears hacking away at the sticky web carefully. Hero collapsed to the ground in a heap, still shaking slightly as he took a few more deep breaths.

"I– I think we've had enough of Pyrefly for one day," Hero said, desperate to wash off the bits of Web that still lingered on him. Neither Aubrey nor Basil raised any objection.

Over the next few days, the two of them tried surprising him with spiders around Headspace. In the middle of a fight at Dino’s Dig, when he was cleaning up Neighbour’s Room, in the midst of a chat with Captain Spaceboy. He had to be wary of spiders in his frying pan, spiders in his desk drawers at the Last Resort, spiders lying in wait at a picnic.

Every time, Hero responded with that same scream of terror. It was humiliating. Nothing else got to him like that, and he found his resentment of spiders only growing more by the minute. He couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, needing to check every crevice for hidden arachnids before doing so much as sit down.

Eventually, he'd had enough.

"Aubrey, Basil, look," he said seriously, looking them in the eye one after the other. "I know that you're only trying to help. But you can't just keep dropping spiders on me when I don't want you to."

"It's desensitisation therapy!" Basil chirped. "I read about it once!"

"Did you consider that maybe spiders hiding in every spot I go to could cause a little bit of paranoia?" Hero replied, grimacing as he thought of the one he'd found in his cooking apron.

"Hm. No, we didn't," Aubrey frowned. "But shouldn't you just… Y'know, get used to them? They're not gonna go away."

"I know," Hero admitted, wishing beyond all wishes that they could. "But that doesn't mean I have to like them. I've tried to stop being scared of them, but it's just– well, it's not working. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry," Basil responded earnestly. "You're right. We know you don't like spiders, and I'm sorry about following you around with them. It was mean."

"Yeah," Aubrey agreed guiltily. "We were being like Kel !"

"Hey, don't worry about it!" Hero grinned at them, deciding to let Aubrey's comment slide. "You meant well. Just try to think ahead a little, okay?"

"Okay!"

In the end, they decided it was for the best that they left the matter alone. Hero breathed a heavy sigh of relief, deciding that avoidance was the best coping method he'd ever used.

Chapter Text

Hero didn't want to do this.

He could feel himself shaking behind the curtain, hands clammy with nervous sweat as he struggled to keep his breaths at a normal rate. Bright lights glared obnoxiously at him through the cracks in deep red fabric, one of the only things in the place that didn't seem to be entirely an attention-demanding shade of pink.

He wasn't an actor, not by any means. Yes, he knew how to perform, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it. For once, this wasn't a situation in which he wanted to be charming– but at the rate this was going, it didn't seem like he was going to have any choice.

It had begun fine, Hero being designated the last slot in attempting to court Sweetheart, and he was looking forward to seeing just how the show worked. It was clearly a big deal, and surely nothing was going to go too wrong.

So, he told the helper moles about his hobbies, let them write it all down on tiny clipboards, and waited while Sprout Mole Mike cleared everything up.

"Please give a warm welcome to our new Contestant #3, hailing all the way from Vast Forest– it's our hero in shining armour!" Mike announced smoothly, not a hint of nerves to be found.

A round of applause rang out, Hero startling at the sheer volume of it. Lots of clapping meant lots of people– and he had no clue what any of them wanted. Hero peered tentatively around the pinkish red curtains, eyes widening as he stumbled backwards.

He'd been right. The audience there was huge – even bigger than he remembered from his newfound position on the stage– and they were all looking at him . Hero was no stranger to putting on a show, but something about this felt so wrong in a way that charming strangers didn't.

He took a deep, shaky breath to compose himself before striding onstage, his pace a little too quick to be natural. The blaring spotlights blinded him, Hero blinking rapidly in an attempt to adjust. Once his vision got back to normal, Hero felt his next inhale catch in his throat, an uncontrollable shake overcoming him. He could do this. He had to .

"Get this, guys. Hero's a real hunk, standing at a whopping 5'7"!" Mike shares dramatically, the crowd gasping and chattering amongst themselves. Hero felt his face burn, feeling oddly embarrassed as Mike went on about what made him desirable. "His passions include baking, cooking and cleaning– and if that doesn't sound like the perfect man, check out his killer smile and mild personality."

Hero gulped, the weight of so many gazes seeming to crush him as another shiver overwhelmed him. He could feel his hands trembling uncontrollably, palms slick with sweat, clenching and unclenching his fists all the while. 

Sweetheart’s entrance was dramatised by the dimming of lights and drumroll in the background, a haughty laugh sounding out as she appeared behind the curtain. Hero wondered how long she'd been waiting there.

She laughed again as the lights brightened once more, then again, and again, each bout higher and louder than the last. Hero winced as the noise grated on his ears, Mike's compliments offering him a brief respite before another cacophony of applause began, this time longer and more thunderous than any other.

"Ahhhh, yes," she crowed, tossing a pink ponytail over her shoulder. "It is me!"

The rest of what she said was, disappointingly, only an excessive amount of confident narcissism (only backed by her 'stupid, adoring fans'). Sweetheart was evidently not the kindest person around, but Hero decided that he should at least try to be civil with her. Even if her sweeping stare made Hero's skin crawl, he figured that first impressions were often wrong–

Then came the line "one thing Sweetheart values most in a companion is complete and absolute obedience", and Hero felt like he'd been doused in a bucket of freezing water. That did not bode well for him, and all of a sudden, his situation seemed significantly more dangerous.

First of all, 'companion' seemed like an odd term to use– Sweetheart was looking for a partner, after all. Wasn't she? And then there was the matter of obedience , the hundreds of alarm bells that set off in Hero's head, because obedience meant helplessness , and he couldn't afford to end up at her mercy.

He'd have to be careful here, he knew. One wrong step could result in– well. He didn't want to think too deeply into it, lest it caused his increasingly quickening breaths to reach the point of hyperventilation. The last thing he wanted to do was panic on Sweetheart's stage.

The first contestant was clearly hesitant about agreeing to such a thing, which Hero thought was perfectly reasonable. But then Mike spun it as the sprout mole "playing hard to get", and Hero had heard that line far too much in his life for it to do anything other than make him feel sick, and– and–

And Sweetheart ordered that Contestant #1 be taken to the dungeons. The first contestant was imprisoned for their height of all things, and Sweetheart was so clearly a bad person that it made her fans' love of her seem absurd.

Guards dragged the sprout mole off as he screamed, terror lacing every word as he struggled fruitlessly, but Sweetheart didn't care in the slightest. Hero watched in silence, face paling more by the second as the performance progressed. 

This wasn't okay. This so wasn't okay. He could see the worry lines creasing on Aubrey's young face from where his feet remained planted on the stage, and it dawned on him just how much danger he was actually in.

The next couple of minutes passed in a blur, Hero staring in horrified silence at the place where Contestant #1 had once been. The next thing he knew, Mike was saying that he was the 'last one standing' and Hero didn't want to do this.

"Do you, Hero, agree to pledge your allegiance to Sweetheart for the rest of your life?" Mike asked casually, a lazy grin spread across his features like he already knew the answer and was looking forward to the outcome.

'No' is what Hero tried to say, but the word got lodged in his throat, only a wheezing croak escaping him as he backed up slightly. The terrible feeling of being cornered hit him like a ton of bricks, Hero’s panic bordering more on hysteria by the second.

“Hero?” Mike pressed, looking at him expectantly, and there were far, far too many people burning holes into him, and Hero couldn’t breathe.

“My word,” Sweetheart cut in, sounding detached and delighted from somewhere above the surface of the fear Hero was drowning in. “My, this one– he’s absolutely immaculate! Could it be? Is Sweetheart… In love?”

His body wracked with tremors, Hero focused wild eyes on the woman. She was clearly unperturbed by his reaction, taking a step closer and looking over him carefully, a shade of pink only a little lighter than her hair dusting her cheeks.

“What did you say your name was?” She enquired, voice sickly sweet.

The world was spinning, spots of light dotting around Hero’s vision as his chest throbbed. His throat closed up, he could barely choke out a single sound. “I–”

“Not one for words, I see,” she chuckled, that pretentious ‘ohoho!’ sounding miles away from him. “That is quite alright, my dear, you needn’t do anything but stand there and look pretty, mm?”

The crowd laughed on cue like she’d made some sort of fabulous joke, Hero being the butt of it as he stayed illuminated in dizzying white. He was going to be sick. He was going to be sick and Sweetheart was going to send him to the dungeon and she was going to send his kids to the dungeon and they were never ever going to leave or save Basil because he’d failed them and–

“Come now, darling, my bedchambers await!” Sweetheart told him, and Hero was not going to think about that. He wasn’t staying here, he couldn’t , not with her, not like this. “Guards! I have chosen my suitor! Take him away!”

“You leave Hero alone!” 

Hero froze as he slowly turned his head, gaze landing on an extremely angry Aubrey. Her dark eyes were burning with outrage, hands balled into fists and quaking from the effort of keeping them by her sides, expression twisted into a protective, defiant glare that made Hero’s heart melt and stop all at once. She was putting herself in danger. She was helping him.

“Hero, hm? That is a fitting name for my beloved,” Sweetheart mused, tracing a hand up his arm. She didn’t stop when Hero flinched away from her, his lungs burning from the effort to keep taking in oxygen and skin prickling with anxious sweat. “And who are you? One of Hero’s fans? Well, I’ll have you know that this is my show, Hero fan! How dare you try to ruin it?!”

“Who cares?!” Aubrey yelled, crossing her arms. Usually, Hero would have reprimanded her for being rude, but here, he couldn’t blame her. He just really, really wanted Sweetheart to get out of his space and let him breathe . “Hero doesn’t like you! Get away from him!”

“Doesn’t like me?” Sweetheart echoed, appalled. “What nonsense! I’ve never heard anything sillier, you ridiculous peon. Now leave , before I have you escorted out by my guards!”

“Nuh-uh!” Kel joined in, shaking his head. “We’re not leaving without Hero!”

“Well then,” Sweetheart’s face turned cold, the abrupt switch making Hero’s heart leap further. “I suppose you aren’t leaving then.”

“It’s true!” Hero burst out, panic lacing every word as he kept his eyes fixated on his little siblings. Kel, who looked uncharacteristically serious. Aubrey, who had her bat out in preparation for a fight. Omori, who looked as stoic as ever but was shooting Sweetheart the most lethal stare Hero had ever witnessed. “I… Don’t… Like you, Sweetheart.”

“Your fans are getting in your head, my Hero,” Sweetheart hissed, and it felt like all the sprout moles watching disappeared as they locked gazes. “They clearly aren’t good for you. Stop this ridiculousness and be quiet. ”

“You heard what he said,” Kel stuck his chin up heatedly. “And we’re not leaving him behind.”

Hero nodded, throat too crackly to even attempt saying more. Sweetheart’s lip curled as the grip around her parasol whitened. 

“I see,” she said coolly. “Then perhaps, my Hero, you ought to spend some time learning what happens when you defy me alongside them. Guards!”

Dozens were pouring through the doors in a matter of seconds, sabres on their heads and bows and arrows in their hands. Some even appeared to be wizards, wands pointed threateningly at Hero and his kids as the lights went out.

“You’ll come around eventually, my prince,” Sweetheart’s voice whispered from within it, far too close to his face as her breath tickled his ear, sending chills down Hero’s spine. “It’s only a matter of time.”

And so, they were taken to the dungeon, thrown unceremoniously inside a cell, the door slamming shut after them. But Hero could finally breathe a little easier, because while they may have been trapped…

At least they were trapped together.

Chapter Text

If there was one word Hero would associate with his little brother, it would be 'resilient'. Kel was a smart kid, able to adapt to problems and move past them with a smile. He was stubborn in the best way possible, able to offer positivity where needed and making light of bad situations. Kel was bright and enthusiastic and confident, constantly ready to share his thoughts and opinions.

If there was one thing Kel wasn't , it would be quiet . The word went against everything Kel was; silence was an unknown living alongside him, but Hero didn’t mind. Kel’s volume was one of the many things Hero loved about his little brother, the energy and excitement Kel brought everywhere with him a wonderful contrast to his own silence.

Mari’s death had been… Hard, for both of them. However well Kel seemed to have bounced back from it, Hero could tell he was still hurting, and that the latter’s year stuck in bed had done nothing to help relieve that pain. Hero should have supported his brother better, he knew, and made it his mission to do so now that he was up and about again.

They had a routine: Hero would wake him up for school while breakfast cooked downstairs, the two of them would take the bus to school together, and they’d meet up again after it finished, Hero helping Kel with his homework on the ride back. It was comforting, providing a warm blanket of familiarity and predictableness amongst the uncertainty of returning to school. Hero had been terrified of going back, but Kel had made everything so, so much easier.

“It’s just a place full of kids you go to to learn math and stuff,” Kel had shrugged, a grin tugging at his lips as Hero lingered by the doorway. “Don’t worry, Hero, you’re way smarter than everyone else there! You’ll catch up in no time!”

But it hadn’t been the catching up on schoolwork that Hero was worried about. 

Studying was simple, all he had to do was focus. It was getting back into the habit of talking to people that Hero was concerned about– for all he knew, he could have lost all and any ability to communicate effectively during his year of self-imposed isolation. And yet, old habits died hard, and slipping back into his charming persona was shockingly easy.

He remained, as ever, responsible, reliable Hero, amiable and open, friends with everyone. His effortless smiles and approachable gaze made endearing himself to his peers incredibly straightforward. All he had to do was offer a greeting in the hallway and a compliment to those he passed and he was liked by everyone. It was… Disconcerting, he had to admit, especially when the voice inside of his head whispered incessantly about how it was entirely undeserved, but being popular sure made high school a lot less difficult.

He’d presumed that Kel was managing just as fine as he was. As unruly as Kel could be, he had a good heart, and never meant to be insensitive. He was a jokester with no bad intentions, only a tendency to cause trouble and a talent for basketball. Hero would have thought Kel’s classmates would love him.

And for a while, he believed that they did.

The two of them chatted about school, Kel mentioning his friends on the team and a girl named Mincy, Hero obliviously pleased about how well Kel had managed to adjust to life without Mari. His brother was easygoing, taking everything in his stride and– however unhealthy Hero thought it was– showing no despair no matter how bad things got.

Then, Kel met him on the bus one day, and that cheerful persona was nowhere to be found. Worry lines dug into his forehead, Kel kept tapping his fingers against his side, looking a mixture of agitated and upset. His signature grin had become a tiny frown, the downward quirk of his mouth betraying his sadness.

“Kel?” Hero asked, trying to keep enough concern out of his voice that he’d sound casual. “Are you okay?”

“Hm?” Kel startled, eyes darting towards him as his face relaxed, grin reappearing immediately. The seamless display made something in Hero’s gut churn with the sense that this was very much not right. “Oh, yeah, I’m doing great! How about you? Did you get any sleep last night?”

“A couple of hours, yes,” Hero nodded, scanning Kel’s face attentively for any signs of dismay. “How’d the math test go?”

At that, Kel laughed, something distinctly off about the chuckle. It felt plastic in a way that Hero had never heard before. “Same as always. You know me, Hero, always screwing up. At most, I got a C.”

“What?” Hero’s eyes widened with worry. “What makes you say that? You spent ages revising for this.”

“And remembered pretty much nothing,” the shorter boy replied. “As usual. I know this might be a little hard for you to understand, but other people can’t usually memorise dozens of textbooks.”

“I know that!” Hero said, wincing at how defensive he sounded afterwards. “Wait– I just– Kel, you know you’re not a screw-up, right? You don’t need to get good grades to be a good person.”

“Just drop it, okay, Hero?” Kel sighed, looking far too tired as he hefted his bag onto his lap. “I’m not in the mood.”

“But–”

“I said drop it,” Kel repeated, almost snapping at him . That only solidified Hero’s knowledge that something was terribly wrong. Kel never snapped at anyone – least of all Hero , and the shift in his attitude was jarring.

The rest of the bus ride was spent in silence, Hero feeling a guilty sort of relief when they got off. Kel went up to their room without greeting their parents, moving with the sort of speed Hero could only dream of possessing. Considering Kel’s strange behaviour, he decided to speak to his mom about it and see what her thoughts on it were.

“Mom?” He called out, walking into the kitchen where she was organising their new plates. 

“Hero!” She greeted warmly, turning to him. “How was your day?”

“It was fine,” Hero smiled back at her, the action feeling forced on his face as he continued, “I was wondering, had Kel seemed a little… Off to you lately?”

“What do you mean, honey?” His mom enquired, tilting her head.

“He seemed pretty upset about something on the bus ride back,” Hero informed her. “I’m worried about him. He was acting really odd earlier.”

“Oh, don’t you worry about Kel,” his mother hugged him, the embrace feeling far too suffocating in a way Hero had grown accustomed to. After a year of no verbal or physical contact with him, she tended to be a little more touchy than Hero would have liked. Still, it wasn’t like he had a right to complain, not when he owed it to her so much. “He’s a growing boy– I’m sure that he just needs some good food and time off devices! Why don’t the two of you go on a walk after dinner? It’s lovely that you worry, sweetie, but he’s a teenage boy. He’s not going to be happy all the time.”

“I guess so,” Hero nodded uncertainly. “Thanks, mom.”

“Any time, Hero,” his mom beamed at him. “Now why don’t you give me a hand with these plates, hm?”

The rest of the evening, Hero spent cooking and cleaning– tasks which would have been a bore to most other teenagers (Kel included), but provided Hero with a sort of relaxation he didn’t often feel anymore. There was something so mindlessly simple about cleaning, being able to do a perfect job and get wrapped up in making everything spotless, his mind drifting as he unwound for a bit. 

He and Kel didn’t go on a walk that evening. Kel didn’t feel like it. Hero’s worry only increased.

The next day, after yet another silent bus ride, Hero decided that he would seek out his little brother during lunch and check up on him. Maybe it would be a bit embarrassing for Kel, but Hero didn’t mind him getting a little annoyed if it offered him knowledge that nothing was wrong. Besides, Hero had a horrible feeling that what he was going to find would be far, far more than ‘nothing’.

He was distracted all morning, chemistry seeming to drag on forever until the bell rang and he began searching around school. It took a while, but he eventually discovered Kel inside of one of the music classrooms, four other boys stood in front of him– blocking Kel’s route to the exit. Hero’s stomach dropped.

“How come you’re so dumb?” One of them asked, phrasing the question like an innocent query even as venom lingered underneath. “Isn’t your brother, like, a genius?”

“Didn’t you know?” Another one of them laughed, a cruel, twisted thing that grated on Hero’s ears like nails down a chalkboard. “He’s the screw-up. It’s no wonder everyone likes his brother better when he freaks out over a piano. ”

Kel’s eyes were rooted to the floor, expression uncharacteristically blank in a way that looked foreign on his face. He was just… Standing there, raising no opposition to the words, clenched hands trembling almost unnoticeably at his sides. Kel looked ashamed , pain and exhaustion and acceptance in his eyes as his mouth remained shut. For once, Kel was absolutely silent, and that was what worried Hero most of all.

“His old friend killed herself, you know,” Another one of the boys cut in, and Hero couldn’t help his flinch at the unexpected mention of Mari. He didn’t miss the way Kel flinched alongside him. “I can see why.”

Hero had heard enough. Far, far more than enough. His breaths were uneven and ragged, vision tinged with red as his eyebrows  turned sharply downwards. Nobody treated his little brother like that.

“What’s going on here?” He asked sharply, surprising even himself with the growl behind his words.

The group jumped, heads turning to look at him. Panic flashed across a couple of their faces as they recognised him. Good.

“Oh, nothing,” the first of the boys stepped forwards, a silky smirk on his face. “We were just asking the screw-up why he’s so scared of pianos. It’s pretty freaky.”

Hero’s blood boiled, the glare he shot at the one who had spoken making the kid step back again in alarm. “Leave my brother alone.”

“Your brother ?” Another one of them, a blonde kid with eyes the colour of mud, feigned surprise. “Yeesh. I feel sorry for you, man. Must be hard living with such a screw-u–”

Hero acted before he had any time to realise what he was doing, but the next thing he knew, his fist was throbbing and the blonde kid’s nose was spouting a stream of red. Hero blinked a little in shock, but stood his ground. He didn’t regret it.

Hero wasn’t a violent person, not by any means! He far preferred to solve problems with his words than his fists– but these were people who indulged in everything Hero despised. They’d hurt his brother , and that meant all reasoning was completely out of the question.

“Anyone else feel like making any comments?” Hero queried icily, eyeing each of them one by one. None of them replied, frozen in place. “It’s pathetic . Kel is ten times the person any of you are– if you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave him the hell alone.”

“He started it!” One of them blurted out. “With his weird freak-out in class! Besides, everyone knows he’s an idiot, they just don’t say so because–”

“Shut up, Johnny,” A different boy hissed, scowling.

“Kel is the best person I know,” Hero said coldly. “And he’s the only reason why none of you haven’t gotten hurt before now. But as you can see–” Hero nodded at the blonde kid, who looked torn between glaring at him and shrinking back in fear. “I don’t share that sentiment. I suggest you leave now, and don’t bother him again.”

They scarpered pretty quickly after that. Hero let out a deep exhale once they were out of sight, deflating a little. He had just punched someone. He’d punched a kid. He’d threatened them, acted so– so angry , and Kel– Kel was–

Kel was crying. Hero’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt as he stared uncomprehendingly at the sight before him, everything seeming to freeze as his mouth dropped open. The last time Kel cried was when Hero had… Had…

Hero had messed up. He’d let his anger get the best of him again and Kel was suffering for it. He’d made everything a hundred times worse, and now Kel was going to–

“Thank you,” Kel said, sounding completely sincere, and the next thing Hero knew, his brother was barreling into him for a hug.

Hero froze in place for a moment, blinking bewilderedly before wrapping his arms tightly around Kel’s shoulders. His little brother’s body was shaking slightly with silent sobs– why were they so quiet ?!– as he clung to Hero like a lifeline, and Hero wondered with a terrifying sort of dread how long Kel had needed to get this out for.

“You’re okay,” he murmured into his brother’s hair, any disgust at himself vanishing in place of concern for Kel. “They can’t hurt you anymore.”

The seconds ticked past, the two sinking to the floor as Kel cried, Hero staying beside him all the while. It didn’t matter that they were still there when the bell went, or that Hero was undoubtedly going to be in a whole lot of trouble for punching a child , because Kel was upset. And that was far, far more important than any punishment Hero might face.

“They didn’t attack you physically, did they?” Hero asked eventually, voice wrought with anxiety. “Kel?”

“No. No, they just– said stuff,” Kel replied in scratchy tones, practically a whisper in comparison to his usual loudness. “But I don’t think they’re going to do that anymore.”

Hero cringed in on himself a little. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t even consider asking you what–”

“Sh,” Kel shushed him firmly, looking up at him with red-rimmed, resolute eyes. “You did good, Hero. Really, thank you .”

“They were wrong,” Hero said, no room for argument in his tone. “About you. You’re smarter than anyone gives you credit for, and you don’t need some dumb math test to prove it. And you will never, ever be a screw-up. You’re kind and honest and strong and amazing and they have no idea what they’re talking about. Okay?”

Kel choked a wet laugh at that. “Okay.”

They waited in comfortable silence for a couple minutes more before Kel spoke again.

“...We should probably get going,” he said reluctantly. “But seriously, Hero, that was awesome! ”

Hero chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I shouldn’t have. It’s bad to hit people.”

“Still awesome,” Kel shrugged, unperturbed, and Hero raised no further objections. Because Kel looked genuinely happy in a way he hadn’t for far too long.

“You know what? You deserve a break,” Hero decided. “And we have a whole room full of instruments here.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Kel asked slowly, grin widening. Hero grinned right back at him.

And together, the two of them set about finding a kazoo.

Chapter Text

Hero didn't know what to expect when he arrived back at Faraway. It was like revisiting a bittersweet old memory, everything frozen the exact same way it had been when he was younger. Hero hadn't been gone for long, but returning still felt surreal.

College was great– he had so much freedom , and no bad memories lingered around his campus. It was a completely fresh start, nobody knowing who he was and Hero possessing no prior reputation to speak of. The place was as sophisticated as a college could be, Hero having worked hard to get in and receiving a high-quality education– his course was rather interesting, he had to admit, even if it wasn’t one he himself had chosen.

When first starting at college, he’d been miserable. The shift from living with his family to being all alone had been jarring, Hero struggling to cope with the sudden isolation. His family called him every day to help, though, so Hero was able to keep up with them easily and start adjusting to life on his own. After a couple of months, he got a roommate, and the two of them became friends; while they weren’t the closest acquaintances, Hero enjoyed the other’s company, and found that it was nice to have someone to just… Talk to.

His studies had been going brilliantly, Hero acing his Biology and Chemistry papers. His social life was a little rough, yes, but that left plenty of time for studying! His work provided a constant distraction from any doubts about his decisions, Hero taking upon himself a part-time job in a cafe to earn money for his apartment.

All in all, life was going well for him. College was nice, his roommate was nice, his workplace was nice. It was also nice to have the opportunity to take a break, arranging a couple of weeks in the holiday to come visit his parents and siblings. In a strange sort of way, he missed Faraway– as many negative memories as it had attached to it, it was where he had grown up, and plenty of wonderful ones resided there too.

Besides, he was looking forward to seeing Kel and Sally again. It wasn’t quite the same speaking to his brother on the phone as it was to converse in-person.

He arrived late in the evening, his parents greeting him warmly, and he they. Apparently, Kel was out looking for Basil, who had gone missing. According to Hero’s mom, there had been a bit of an ordeal the day before with Aubrey and her new friends picking on him, so Kel had decided to go out searching. 

And now, Hero was going out searching for Kel.

He found him in the old hangout spot, something that looked like a bruise on his cheek as he glared at a girl with pink hair. She was familiar in a way that Hero couldn’t quite place, though he was sure he’d never met anyone with eyes so furious, or that bright shade of teal. Hero approached quickly, not liking how close Basil was to the edge of the lake, considering the blonde’s inability to swim.

“Kel?” Hero called out, and whatever had been going on with the three of them stopped as they turned to face him in an almost comedic form of perfect unison. “Is everything alright?”

“Hero!” His brother greeted enthusiastically, beaming at him. “Yeah, it’s all cool. Just trying to convince Aubrey not to keep messing with Basil.”

“Wh– Aubrey?” Hero spluttered, eyes widening as he looked the pink-haired girl over once again. That was Mari’s old bow in her hair, and that alongside the girl’s pointed chin and quickly reddening face was enough evidence that this was, in fact, Aubrey.

“What do you want, Hero?” She crossed her arms, bat hanging down from a firm, one-handed grip. “We’re kind of in the middle of something here.”

“I was just looking for Kel,” Hero shrugged, looking at his brother pointedly. “Mom said he was looking for Basil.”

“Yep!” Kel nodded, popping the ‘p’ casually. “And here he is! Ta-da!”

“I see,” Hero smiled, making his way closer to them and focusing on Basil. “Hey, Basil. You good?”

Basil nodded, looking a little surprised and uneasy. “I’m– I’m fine, thank you.”

Aubrey scoffed then, a loud, derisive thing that quickly recaptured Hero’s attention. “Is that all? We’re kind of in the middle of something here.”

“Aubrey,” Hero’s eyes softened, seeming to catch her off-guard for a second. “Are you okay? I’ve been hearing some things… But I just want to hear it from you. Can you tell me what’s been happening recently?”

“ Kel’s the one who’s been going around acting like he’s better than everyone,” she hissed, gaze downcast.

“Well, you’re the one who’s been going around bullying Basil and stealing his stuff!” Kel retorted angrily.

“Stop talking like you know anything about that!” Aubrey yelled at him, eyes looking slightly tearful. Hero felt his heart catch inside of his chest. “I keep telling you that it’s none of your business.”

During the exchange, Basil had shrunk back, alarmingly close to the edge of the lake, so Hero decided to cut in before things got too heated.

“Okay, everyone, let’s take a few steps away from the lake, okay?” Hero said calmly, demonstrating. “We don’t want anybody to fall in.”

Begrudgingly, they complied, standing closer to the bright blue picnic basket that laid on the floor.

“I don’t think that shouting at each other’s going to help anything,” Hero told them reasonably. “Aubrey, why don’t you share your version of the story first?”

“Fine,” she spat. “I found that creep –” Hero didn’t miss the way Basil flinched at that. “–with our old photo album, and you know what he did? He took all the photos with Mari in, and he scribbled over them. He ruined them!”

“I– I didn’–” Basil protested quietly, but Aubrey’s tirade quickly drowned him out.

“I thought I might actually have a friend left after Mari died,” Aubrey choked out a bitter laugh, knuckles white around her bat. “But he just had to turn out to be some sort of psychopath ! I didn’t steal his photo album, I’m protecting it.”

“Basil?” Hero coaxed, looking questioningly at the boy.

“I don’t…” Basil looked conflicted for a second, before resignation crossed his face and he slumped a little. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

His voice sounded empty, hollow. Hero found himself doubting that Basil had actually done such a thing.

“Did you?” He enquired gently.

Basil’s hesitation was more than telling.

“Of course he did,” Aubrey frowned deeply. “Who else could’ve?”

“Sunny,” Basil mumbled. “He… Um… He didn’t want to remember. Gave me the photo album, um… Like that. I didn’t think it was worth… Making him seem like a bad person when we haven’t… We haven’t seen him in years. ”

The fury in Aubrey’s eyes seemed to shatter. “What?”

There was a pause after that, one which Hero let lie for a moment before breaking the tense quiet.

“Aubrey, I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you after Mari’s death– I’m sorry to all of you,” Hero said sincerely, desperately holding down the lump rising in his throat. “You deserved better. But I’m here now, and it’s about time we… Talked about this. Don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” Kel was the next to speak, tone a lot more subdued than usual. “You’re right, Hero. It’s been four years. And, um– I’m sorry too, Aubrey. We didn’t mean to… Leave you behind.”

“I don’t…” Aubrey seemed at a loss for words, hands trembling. “We– this isn’t…”

“We can talk tomorrow, if everyone’s comfortable with it?” Hero suggested. “It’s getting late.”

Aubrey nodded curtly, shakily taking a step towards the exit. “I– I need some time to think over this. I’ll be here at noon.”

It was only seconds before she was gone, the others watching her go before making their own way home. Hero offered to walk Basil home, but he declined, forcing a smile and saying that Hero ought to be with his family now that he was back. Hero did get him to agree to meet back up at the hangout spot the next day, though, so he considered that a win.

Hero slept fitfully that night, dreams riddled as always with hanging limbs and haunting music, and waking up was a relief. He went on his morning job, helped his mom prepare breakfast, and listened to Kel’s tale about the day before. He said that Aubrey’s friends had tried to beat him up , explaining the mark on his face and all that he’d done the day before. It was a lot to get his head around, but hero managed, forming a bit of a timeline inside of his head.

“It’s lucky mom always makes us carry around pepper spray when we’re out alone, huh?” Kel joked through a mouthful of egg, and Hero had laughed half-heartedly alongside him.

They all met up by the lake, and talked things through. Aubrey let out some of the pain she’d been feeling for a long, long time in a way that didn’t involve shouting in rage. Basil talked about how alone he’d felt after Sunny shut himself away and about his grandma’s condition, Hero feeling like he was still hiding something from them but choosing not to push. Kel admitted that Mari’s death had hit him hard too, able to drop his smile and talk about his own grief for once.

They visited Mari’s grave together, placing flowers atop it. Hero cried. He wasn’t the only one.

For the first time in a long while, the tears running down his face didn’t burn as they fell.

That afternoon, Basil’s grandmother died, and he returned from the hospital with red-rimmed eyes and an unspeakable weight on his shoulders, refusing to speak to anyone and shutting himself in his room. Hero asked Polly if they could stay the night, incredibly grateful when she agreed– she was clearly upset, and wanted the best for Basil, so he did his best to comfort her.

That night, Basil tried to kill himself. Hero only caught him because he hadn’t been sleeping, too busy mulling over all that had happened and all that had been said to even try. The pressure that had been crushing his lungs for four years had lightened significantly, and Hero would be lying if he said he wasn’t revelling in the feeling.

Familiar freezing dread washed back over him after finding Basil in his bedroom, going upstairs to wipe the dried tears off his cheeks in the bathroom and attempt to get some rest afterwards. He’d heard sobs from the room next to it, cautiously opening the door and feeling his heart stop at the position of Basil’s shears.

Basil had sobbed that night, voice wrought with misery as he rambled incoherently about how everyone kept dying. He kept saying that it was his fault, face soaking Hero’s shirt with tears as he released some of his endless misery through words. Hero had awoken everyone, alerting them of the situation, and done his best to help Basil understand that life was still very much worth living. They all did.

And after that night, they all started to heal. Polly became Basil’s legal guardian, the boy’s parents giving up custody of him heartbreakingly easily. It was a struggle, but Hero managed to get Aubrey out of her horrible house– one look at the place was enough to deem it an unfit environment. She stayed at her friend Kim’s house while more permanent arrangements were sorted out, and Hero wasn’t surprised when the two of them started dating a month later.

Basil and Aubrey started seeing therapists, Hero putting aside some of his pay to contribute to the latter’s fee and beginning to see one himself the following year. He had to admit, it was… Relieving, to discuss what he was feeling. The pressure on his chest lifted more each day, and Hero found himself able to think of Mari without dissolving into despair.

He still missed her, yes, of course he did. But he’d accepted that she was gone, and was healing more by the day. Kel started dropping his facade of constant stability in front of Hero more and more, speaking to their parents about his emotions, too. They were finally getting better, and Hero couldn’t be more grateful.

The next summer, when Hero returned to Faraway, they all met up in the hangout spot once again. The sun was warm on their backs, lake clear and sparkling, an assortment of food Hero had brought laid out on the blue picnic blanket, nostalgia surrounding them as they talked about nothing. Then, Basil looked at each of them with a sort of firm determination, stare unwavering even as fear lingered in his eyes, and Hero waited.

“I have to tell you something.”