You're back, Mari

Chapter 1: Coming home and a Sleepover

Hero knew he wouldn't have been able to keep it up. He knew. He knew he would break one day, and yet every time that thought surfaced he pushed it to the back of his mind. He had to push that...itch aside, or else everything he had kept bottled up would flow out uncontrollably, drowning himself and those around him. It was for the best. It had to be.

But there was always something. Something itched at the back of his mind and slowly chipped away at his rationality, little by little. It was easy to smother at first. Hero could overwhelm his mind with other things like–like schoolwork. It wasn't a bad coping skill, because it benefited his future! His parents always encouraged his hard work, and so he continued. He didn't really mind that he had to give up cooking, because every time he tried to cook he could practically hear that soft voice whispering in his ear–

He was perfectly fine. So he would enjoy his summer visit back at home.

...Hero didn't expect to come home to a quiet house. Asking about his brother, his mom quickly relayed the necessary information and before she could even finish, he ran. There was this strange feeling. No, it wasn't anxiety, it was–it was something else. The feeling only grew when he stepped into the clearing hidden in Faraway Park that he was so familiar with.

Hero ran past the cones and dried roots, seeing bright pink, and the bright orange his brother always wore. He heard shouting. Kel was shouting. Hero ran up to him, and Kel pulled at him and pointed to the water, exclaiming that Basil was in the lake. Before Kel could finish speaking Hero jumped in, opening his eyes and searching for the blond.

He noticed Basil pretty quickly and grabbed him, pulling him up and turning to see...Sunny?

Hero lifted Basil out of the water, and Kel quickly hoisted him up, ushering Hero to get Sunny too. Hero couldn't even process the information as he dived down once more, clothes weighing him down. He saw him. Sunny. How long had it been? Was that really Sunny? He looked so...thin. Small. Almost malnourished.

Hero shook his head and grabbed onto that pale hand, lifting Sunny further up until he could safely wrap an arm around his chest. He pulled them both out of the water, and Kel helped him climb onto the dock. It ended up being easy since Sunny was light. Worryingly so.

Kel had Basil propped up, feeling his head for a fever. Hero looked down at Sunny, who he had gently rested on the grass. Hero took a few deep breaths, his brain moving too quickly to comprehend what was going on. He turned to Kel and motioned to bring Basil closer, wanting to check if the blond was okay.

Before Hero could ask about what had happened, or even gather his thoughts, he heard a sharp intake of breath. Hero turned to Sunny, whose eyes trembled, before slowly opening. Sunny stared blankly forward, and Hero's breath caught in his throat. He smiled naturally, hiding the itching in the back of his mind. Sunny really looked like–

Sunny sat up, blinking slowly. He looked around a bit before focusing on Basil, minute changes to his expression showing his worry. Hero turned back to Basil and pulled him from Kel, checking him over. "Hmm...It looks like Basil's breathing is steady...but we need to get him somewhere warm, quickly."

"Yeah...he's had a rough day. Let's get him home as soon as possible." Kel nodded, moving to help Sunny off of the ground. Hero picked Basil up and belatedly thanked his college roommate for making him go weight lifting as a 'bonding exercise'.

"WAIT!" Hero froze, as did Kel and Sunny. "Where do you think you're all going?" Aubrey stared forward with a scowl. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes, though it seemed to be from frustration and not sadness. Surprisingly, Kel snapped back.