May Flowers - Sanders Sides Fanfiction

❁Birds of Paradise - Freedom❁

AU: Super Power AU

TW: Allusions to kidnapping

WC: 719

Date: 5/12/2021

The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, casting a deep red light across the sky, and leaving shadows on the earth. Remus loved this time of night when the world was beginning to fall asleep and the shadows were beginning to wake. It felt like the world was in an in between state, something that Remus understood all too well. He had spent a lot of his life in transition, even now as he sat on the rusted swing set, he was avoiding another transition. This one, he knew, wouldn't be as bad.

He was leaving this town, heading somewhere safer, somewhere where he wouldn't be hunted. His brother believed that a new place would help him process everything. He wasn't sure if it would or not but it felt right. He had gotten to choose where they went; he had chosen how they were going to get there; everything about this trip had been something that he had been involved in. It was a taste of freedom he hadn't had for so long, and it was intoxicating.

Pumping his legs the swing began to slowly rock back and forth, letting out a quiet squeak as he moved.

'You'll never escape, we will always find you.'

Remus scoffed at the memory. "Can't find me if you're dead!" He spat, forcing the swing higher and higher.

Before his brother had found him, before he had been adopted into the fold of misfit friends, before he had known about the world beyond the facility, Remus had faced something so much worse than transition. Stagnation.

He had been stuck in the same state for years, an endless loop of timed tests, specified breaks, and no creativity. Everything had been written for him, told to him, he wasn't supposed to think, just do. He had fought so hard to keep his personality, to find little ways to keep his chaos. It had been hard. When the day finally came, and Remus was staring into his own face, just a bit more handsome, he was completely confused.

He hadn't known he had had a brother. He hadn't known anything. Remus had thought his powers were a curse, thought that the people at the facility were trying to help him. He had been given so many rules, but they weren't rules that protected him, only ones that controlled him.

He wasn't there anymore. The rules that his brother had were more like guidelines, and they were always meant to protect him. Now Remus could jump off this swing if he wanted to, wait until it got to the highest point, and vault himself into the air. He could learn the consequences of his actions and fail on his own. Sure there were people who wanted him to be safe, who would tell him what he should and shouldn't do, but they would never stop him. He had tested that theory a few times, he knew they wouldn't stop him.

"Please be careful." It was almost as if his brother knew when he was thinking about him, knew Remus was about to do something stupid. He just plastered on a wicked smile, throwing himself off of the swing. It didn't squeak as loudly without his weight, and he tumbled along the ground until he landed at his brother's feet, looking up with a pleased smile. The ground had temporarily turned squishy, breaking Remus' fall. He was unhurt, and grinning like a maniac.

His brother just sighed, holding out his hand to help Remus up. Never control, just compassion and love. It was a strange feeling for Remus, but he lived for it.

With a smirk, he stood up before pulling his brother into a hug. The street lamps began to flicker on one by one.

"I finally am going to be free."

There was a moment of hesitance before he felt two strong arms wrap around him, pulling him in tightly. "No one will take away your freedom again bro, I'll make sure of it."

A part of his mind argued that complete protection wasn't possible; argued that he couldn't be protected forever, but Remus ignored that part. Instead, he fell into the warm embrace and the promise of a future.

"I'll hold you to that."