Thunderstorm thought she knew what she was doing before, but everything she was taught for the past decade proved to be a load of bull. After losing to Ice for three weeks straight in training, Thunderstorm proceeded to sulk in the kitchen while drowning herself in strawberry smoothies.
With Thunderstorm confirmed to be staying with them for a long period of time, Solar and Quake argued for three hours trying to decide what type of bed Thunderstorm needed. Would she need a heater like Ice's? Does she need spine support? Only god would know.
"She's a close-ranged fighter. It has to be firm!" Quake snapped, shoving the picture of a bed from IKEA.
"You don't know that! She's only starting to retrain her powers. Judging by her powers, it needs to be a bedding that has more cotton than springs," Solar vamped, dropping a stack of papers from his file.
As the two continued glaring at each other, Ice and Thunderstorm sat across the table being side characters. Ice calmly sipped at her chocolate smoothie, and didn't bat an eyelid when they brought romantic company into the conversation for sore points.
Thunderstorm blinked, unsure of the definition of romance.
In the end, Quake won the argument like always. Two days later, a huge box was delivered to their apartment just like she ordered.
"Does anyone know how to build it?"
Everyone looked at each other after Cyclone had the audacity to ask.
Nobody knew how to. So they moved the dining table and couch and laid the parts out on the floor. Solar studied the instruction manuals and volunteered to go first, but he ended up building a catapult that could automatically reload cupcake batter.
"What?" Solar asked when everyone stared at him and his creation. He brought back the blueprint and frowned. "Oh. I missed a few steps."
"How do you even—" Cyclone's brain.exe crashed. Try again later.
They took apart the impromptu catapult and rebuilt it, though this time, it was Quake who tried. When she was finished, it fell apart the moment she took her hands off it.
"What happened?" Quake demanded, snatching the blueprint from Ice. "I followed every step! This doesn't make sense."
Cyclone dug into the box, then held it upside down and shook the latter. A plastic bag of screws fell out.
"You need screws?" Quake seethed.
Thunderstorm was barely able to understand the blueprint, as she'd missed most of her education. Ice helped her through each one, explaining with the utmost patience. So they were completely ignorant towards the chaos, which involved high velocity pineapples and flying power tools.
Finally, the bed was finished. The wooden structure was a bit scratched up, but Thunderstorm didn't mind.
When Thunderstorm asked about the cost, Quake told her she needn't worry. Despite being tight with money, they made plenty of cash with their questionable activities.
"I'm using the cash some villain bribed us with to spare his life." Quake held her thumb out to assure her. "Turns out he was stinking rich because he blackmailed women by taking their naked pictures. We killed him slow and painfully."
Thunderstorm began to sweat. She'd almost forgotten they were all murderous villains that wouldn't hesitate to get their hands dirty.
From downstairs, Solar's voice boomed: "QUAKE, ICE JUMPED OFF THE BALCONY—"
Quake rushed downstairs. "WHO PLAYED MILO RICARDO IN FRONT OF HER?"
"THANKS, I HATE IT," Ice shouted, but her voice was fading as she plummeted down forty floors. "REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—"
"I'm coming—" Cyclone ran past Thunderstorm down the stairs, in his pajamas and a toothbrush sticking out from his mouth.
Thunderstorm's bed was put between Quake's and Ice's, which was just enough space so the three beds were connected. The dresser was moved to the corner, but Quake forgot about it and stubbed her toe later in the night.
At night, Thunderstorm felt odd as she slept. They'd gotten her new clothes, but none of them were dresses. They were all gender-neutral clothes like shorts and shirts, of which were dark themed colors.
"They're so dark I almost forgot you're not dead inside," Ice muttered, making room in the wardrobe for Thunderstorm's clothes. Compared to Ice and Quake's clothes, Thunderstorm's clothes looked like a toddler in an adult's wardrobe.
Thunderstorm felt guilty through all of this, as they were spending a lot of money on her. She still can't step out of the house, which meant they were supporting her.
Just by thinking of it made her want to cry. Why would they be so kind to her? Why would they be so quick to accept her as who she was, flaws and all? Why would they care for someone like her?
It didn't feel right. It felt too good to be true. They weren't demanding anything back from her. They were treating her as if they didn't expect anything abnormal from her. They treated her normally, almost like a family.
Family, she thought. What does that mean? Is this the meaning of family? Where people care for you without expecting anything in return? Where everyone had each other's backs?
Where bonds lasted forever?
That night, Thunderstorm laid in her bed, the soft breaths of Ice and Quake resonating by her sides. She shared a blanket with Ice, though the ice elemental had given her most of it as she didn't need it.
She couldn't sleep, her eyes wide open and awake. She stared at Ice's back, moving as she breathed evenly.
She didn't want to be a burden. Not in somewhere that everyone accepted her.
Quake's bed shuffled, and she tensed, but she quickly relaxed as she remembered she was already asleep.
Thunderstorm wanted to be useful. She can prove herself, and that's starting with being stronger for them.
Waking from her bed gently, she quietly changed and walked out of the room, then took off to the tunnel that led her towards the training forest.
Quake held her blanket tighter, hoping that Thunderstorm didn't notice she was still awake.
You already proved yourself.
YOU ARE READING
How To Be Me (boboiboy galaxy)
Fanfiction"You say you want to save people, but you can't even save yourself." Thunderstorm looked down to her hands, but all she could see was red.
