Chapter Text
As the years went on Herobrine found himself forgetting more and more. Especially moments from his childhood. He knew that it would start to happen since he was immortal, a being destined to walk the three realms until he either perished or until he accepted the truth of a greater destiny. It wasn’t like it was an uncommon thing, even most mortals didn’t remember a lot from their childhood. But that didn’t mean that Herobrine wasn’t afraid of losing his good memories.
Part of him still wanted to only remember the people that used to love him in those positive memories. Not the fights, not the shouting, not the cottage that had long become overgrown and cold.
Herobrine could still remember when the Nether felt like a second home. A realm most commonly known as being a blistering hot and miserable place. Where the ground would catch on fire and there were vast seas of lava. A death filled wasteland. While it is a very dangerous place, It has numerous different cultures, creatures, and hybrids living there. It also has various biomes with different plant life and climates.
Herobrine was mostly kept under close watch, however the King was open to the thought of his kingdom knowing of him rather than the Overworld and its Humans.The inhabitants of the Nether respected their King enough to leave his ward alone. While Herobrine was not introduced to the realm as part of the royal family officially, the creatures could still sense that he was a beloved prince in the eyes of their King.
The head of the royal guard, a tall blazeborne woman with dark skin and fiery hair, was assigned to guard him while he stayed at the Nether Fortresses. The Guard could be described as strict and serious about her job, but happened to grow soft when it was just her and Herobrine.
She happily watched him without question since it was hard not to adore the godling. Herobrine affectionately called her ‘Auntie’. Which at first seemed to surprise the Guard, but she quickly took her role as aunt seriously after getting permission from her King.
The King never just fit under the ‘father’ or ‘older brother’ role to Herobrine and he never had to.
Herobrine’s days were spent playing with piglin children from the nearby Bastion with his Auntie watching closely nearby and afternoons were spent curled up in the King’s lap. Herobrine would try but ultimately fail at not distracting the older with his work. The King would ruffle his hair and tell him stories from his many adventures and travels.
Herobrine would always beg to be taken on one of these adventures, but the King would only smile and tell him,
“Maybe someday Herobrine. You are still so young. Just a baby godling. When you are older we will go on so many adventures to wherever you may desire. Just be patient, Starlight.”
Herobrine would always argue how he wasn’t too young and the King would only laugh lightheartedly, his ivory colored long hair bounced like little waterfalls against his chest.
~~{♡♡♡}~~
Waves of pink and yellow painted the land as the sun started to rise from its slumber. A dead zombie hit the ground with a thump! as Hero removed his blade from the now burning corpse. With that last kill he deemed his morning patrol complete. Hero starts to head back to the farmhouse so he can shower and clean his sword before Alex and Steve wake up.
The cool morning breeze kisses Hero’s face as he walks along the now familiar dirt path back to the farm house. His boots tracing over several faded footprints, his friend’s and his alike. The morning sun felt amazing on his skin. Hero couldn’t help but smile in content.
Hero has felt the strongest he has been in a long time. He’s not completely healed, but he’s not constantly plagued with fatigue. Hero could probably start to practice controlling his powers again pretty soon. It had been years since he had been strong enough to use them safely and he couldn’t help but admit that he was really missing using them. Hero would also have to find a place to practice since some of Hero’s powers could be a bit extreme in small spaces, but Alex and Steve would most likely be more than happy to help.
In the meantime, he has successfully convinced Steve to add him to the chore rotation. Steve was a little hesitant since Hero was still healing, but it was obvious that he and Alex really appreciated the help.
Hero has also started to patrol around the perimeter of the farm on his own accord. He patrols before the other two wake up and right before he goes to sleep.
Hero hasn’t directly told them about his patrols. But he could assume they knew. Or at least one of them knew. Judging by the fact that there would sometimes be a warm cup of hot chocolate with way too many marshmallows, sitting innocently on his desk when he got back.
Patrolling was his way of protecting his new friends. Hero knew that the mobs were too afraid to attack him unless he fought them first, but they wouldn’t be so merciful towards his two mortal friends. He could feel a new sense of protectiveness rising in his heart. Hero didn’t even want to think of the possibility of Alex or Steve getting hurt.
So he has vowed to do anything in his power to protect them. It wasn’t from a stance of thinking the mortals were weak. He was well aware of how scarily strong they could be. For example, the pair's inhuman strength-, they are able to carry him around the farm without breaking a sweat. Alex’s potions and explosives could be dangerously lethal. They were not the kind of people to mess with.
It was just-
Hero has been feeling so… Happy… While staying with Alex and Steve. A feeling that had become so forein.. A concept that seemed to have only existed during his youth long ago.
Hero knew eventually he would have to leave the farm once he was completely healed. He was still being hunted down after all. Hero didn’t want to disturb the peace that was found here. There was a huge possibility of the farm meeting the same fate his mansion did just because he stayed here.
But Hero found himself not wanting to leave. He didn’t want to leave the place or the people that finally made him feel safe again. Hero didn’t know when he started caring about them, but he did.
It was a scary thought to have. Hero didn’t know if he even had the strength to admit it to them out loud.
When Hero opened the door to his room his nose was met with the sweet scent of hot chocolate. He still had more time before he had to really think about leaving. Right now, he would simply enjoy this hot chocolate…
~~{♡♡♡}~~
Marigold let out a soft bleat as she nudged Hero’s hand demanding more pets. Hero let out a soft laugh and obliged the demand with a smile. The fluffy yellow-orange wool under his fingers reminded him of a sunset.
“You are just a poor baby who isn’t loved at all, aren’t you?” Hero crooned teasingly. Marigold just let out a soft baah and leant against Hero as he continued to pet her.
“That crazy alchemist naming you ‘Piss Sheep’ of all things. Now that is truly evil. Don’t worry I’ll get justice for you. Just you wait.”
“Justice huh? Please do tell me your heroic plans,'' a familiar voice rang out. Hero felt like he had just been doused with icy cold water as he froze in place.
“Speak of the devil…” Hero muttered under his breath as the heat of embarrassment quickly melted away his shock.
“Alex! When did you get here?” Hero said as he nervously turned around to face Alex.
As Alex leaned against the opposite side of the fence, she had a huge grin on her face. Her ginger hair was dancing behind her in the slight breeze. Alex also had a terribly fond look in her eyes that Hero didn’t even want to try to decipher at the moment.
“Do you always talk shit with the animals or is that just a ‘you and Mari’ thing?”
Hero sputtered and scrambled for an answer but Alex just laughed.
“I’m messing with you!” Alex said with another giggle. Hero let out a sigh of relief.
“I see… Well, what do you want?” Hero asked warily. He had been quick to learn the amount of chaos Alex liked to get into.
“I found the perfect place to have a picnic, so we are going to kidnap Steve and have a great time,” Alex chirped as she pulled a picnic basket that Hero had failed to see earlier into view.
“What do you mean we? Why can’t we just go ask him like normal people?” Hero asked, getting up and stretching before walking closer to Alex.
Alex starred at him blankly.
“I mean I get what you mean but still…” Hero whined. Alex rolled her eyes.
“Come on Hero, learn to live a little! Don’t you trust me?” Hero was about to answer but Alex interrupted him.
“Actually don’t answer that… My point is that it will be fun. And a lot more entertaining than hanging out with a sheep all day.”
“Sheep can be plenty entertaining!” Hero retorted.
“Okay old man,” Alex snorted.
“I’m actually considered really young for an immortal.”
“Sure you are buddy, whatever lets you sleep at night.” Hero gave Alex a dirty look and she just laughed.
~~{♡♡♡}~~
“So the plan is simple!-” Alex started in a loud whisper.
Hero and Alex were currently crouched down as they hid behind a bush. They were watching an unsuspecting Steve who was hard at work. Hero felt dreadfully silly doing this but Alex insisted it was absolutely necessary for her, their plan.
“You will use your devilish good looks and personality to swoon him-”
“My what?” Hero interrupted.
“Your devilish good looks and personality,” Alex said like it was a completely normal thing to say.
“I… Okay?” Hero responded, flabbergasted.
“And while Steve is distracted, I will grab him and then we run with him. Capisce?” Alex handed Hero the basket.
“Yeah, capisce. But won’t he find the basket… Suspicious?”
“If it was me going up to him? Yes. You, however? Steve wont suspect a thing.”
“Alright,” Hero sighed as he got up and approached Steve who had his back to Hero as he was crouched down weeding. He cleared his throat to get Steve’s attention.
“Hard at work I see-”
“Are you going to explain why you and Alex were scheming in a bush of all things?” Steve asked, not looking away from his work. Hero doesn’t respond, stuned.
“You two were louder than you think,” Steve revealed with a soft chuckle, as if he knew what Hero was thinking.
“Alex found a spot for lunch and I’m apparently supposed to make you swoon as she comes up and grabs you,” Hero explained quietly, so Alex couldn’t overhear him.
Steve lets out a surprised laugh, “Oh yeah?”
“Yep..” Hero slightly swayed in place, embarrassed. His hands nervously gripped at the basket’s handle.
“So are you going to attempt now or-”
“Absolutely not.”
Steve turned to Hero with a mischievous grin on his face.
“Really? Why not? You’re breaking my heart, Hero. I’m definitely not going to swoon now-”
“Die.”
Hero’s face was hot at this moment. What was taking Alex so long? As if the heavens or the Nether in this case, heard his call, Alex finally came from nowhere and pounced at Steve. Who in turn let out an ear-piercing shriek.
Alex got up off the ground and threw Steve over her shoulder.
“Hero, save me!” Steve cried and reached out towards the immortal. Hero sadly, knew better than to mess with Alex’s plans lest he wind up being carried by her too.
“I warned you!” Hero shrugged his shoulders as Steve looked at Hero as if he utterly betrayed him.
“Less talking, more walking!” Alex shouted as she started running. Hero was quick to trail behind her. Steve was flailing in Alex’s arms trying to get to freedom.
“Let me down, you ass!” Steve cried out.
“Nope!” Alex responded happily with a laugh.
~~{♡♡♡}~~
After a bit of walking and a lot of playful roughhousing, the trio finally made it to the spot that Alex had found. In the forest nothing could be heard besides the trio's loud songs, laughter, the birdsong, and the slight rustle of leaves.
The spot turned out to be a clearing full of different colorful wildflowers littered everywhere. In the middle of the clearing was a large weeping willow tree with a big mossy rock at the base of it. Some spots of sunlight peeked through the clearing.
Steve and Hero stared at the clearing in awe as Alex looked back at them with a smug grin on her face.
“I’m pretty good at picking out spots, huh?”
“I suppose you are,” Hero smiled and gently patted the top of Alex’s head, who squawked in annoyance.
“Don’t mess with my hair, dickhead!” Alex hissed.
“Alright, alright I won’t!” Hero laughed and lifted his hand trying to avoid being bitten by Alex.
They laid the red and white picnic blanket that had previously been in the basket on the ground near the tree.
Alex had packed ham and cheese sandwiches, mouthwatering chicken drumsticks, and some cookies that had been baked this morning. The trio sat happily eating the meal on the blanket.
“This is so good thank you, Alex,” Steve said after finishing a bite of chicken.
“Yeah I know I’m pretty great,” Alex avoided eye contact bashfully.
“You truly are, this was a great idea,” Hero said before he took another cookie from the basket. Since his stay with Steve and Alex, Hero has been better at eating and they have been helping a lot. Plus it was hard to refuse when they were such good cooks.
“Yeah, yeah,” Alex mumbled. She seemed distracted. Steve was distracted in another sense as he was busy enjoying his meal. Hero watched as Alex cleaned her hands and looked off into the distance and then looked back at him. He raised a brow in confusion. Hero wasn’t sure what was on her mind.
Alex then mumbled something else but Hero didn’t quite hear it.
“Pardon?”
“Could I um..” She started again and looked at him again and vaguely gestured, but that only furthered Hero’s confusion.
“I uh, can’t read minds, believe it or not. Do you need something?” Hero awkwardly laughed.
“Your hair.” Alex said hesitantly.
“My hair? What about it?” Hero asked warily. From her body language she seemed nervous. What about his hair did Alex want to talk about?
Seeing Alex this way was starting to make Hero anxious. Was she going to say what she really thought about it? Hero wasn’t one to be self conscious about his looks, but part of him would be devastated if Alex really didn’t like his hair.
Which was foolish but Hero genuinely valued Alex’s opinion. However, if she truly didn’t like his hair, he wouldn’t ever allow her to know that she hurt his feelings. He couldn't allow himself to show that amount of weakness.
“Would it be ok if I braided your hair?” Alex finally said, looking embarrassed.
Oh.
That was so much different then what Hero was thinking. And it sent him in a whole different spiral of thoughts.
“I could put some flowers in it and I think it would look really nice, but it’s totally alright if not,” Alex rambled on with her hands up in mock defense.
Was Hero ok with it? Braiding hair was a pretty intimate thing you did with people you trusted. Hero did trust Alex despite the jokes, but could he trust her with something so important to him?
He looked back at Alex. Her eyes anxiously waited for a response, he could see nothing but her good intentions. He didn’t know if it would be a mistake but at that moment he was willing to take up any consequence he would get for trusting her.
“Um. Sure I wouldn’t mind.” His voice almost broke and he coughed to cover it up.
Alex’s eyes lit up in excitement.
“Awesome!” She hopped up from where she had been sitting and started looking for some suitable flowers.
Hero turned to Steve who had been quiet for a bit too long. Steve looked like he was going to pass out any moment. Eyes seconds away from dropping.
“Tired huh?”
Steve just let out a noncommittal sound. He must have been tired from all that working. Now that Hero thought about it, Steve didn’t have long hair but it was long enough to make two braids and tie it up in the back. Suddenly feeling brave, Hero decided to take a risk and ask.
“Could I braid your hair while Alex is off collecting flowers?”
“Huh? Sure,” Steve slowly slumped so that he was sitting in front of Hero.
Hero took out the clips and hair tie Steve already had in his hair and brushed Steve’s scalp with his fingers. Steve sighed in contentment and Hero got to work gently weaving the short strands of hair into two small braids with a small hum.
“It’s alright if you fall asleep, I have a feeling we’ll be here awhile.” Steve fell lax against Hero. A welcome weight. Steve’s hair wasn’t the softest but it felt nice under Hero’s fingers. If he really thought about it, Steve smelled like pine, honey, and fresh dirt.
Hero then tied the two braids together making a small pony tail out of the remaining tuft of hair. Hero smiled as he admired his handiwork.
Steve had long since fallen asleep but Hero didn’t mind. Alex finally returned with her flowers.
“Are you sure that you are ok with this?” Alex checked with him one more time. Herobrine nodded before sputtering a response,
“Yes I uh. I’m alright with it. Get on with it before I change my mind,” Herobrine jokes, trying to lighten the mood.
He pulls his hair out of the ponytail and gives the black ribbon over to Alex. She sets the flower pile down and grabs it before sitting behind Hero.
Gentle hands make their way into Hero’s hair. Alex is a lot more careful with Hero’s hair than he would have thought.
She made sure to not tug too hard and asked if she was hurting him as she brushed out some stubborn knots with her fingers. Alex started to make smaller braids and then wove them into a bigger more intricate braid.
Hero melted with the amount of human contact he was getting with Steve sleeping soundly on top of him and Alex’s fingers moving rhythmically though his hair. At this moment he couldn’t help but feel safe.
“We should bring a brush next time, your hair is so long,” Alex mused. Hero hummed in response.
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Not at all,” Alex replied softly.
“Though I have been wondering if there is a reason you keep it so long?”
“Well my…”
Brother? Father? He never knew what to call the King even now. Especially after the war. Hero blinked away the burning from his eyes. It’s best not to think about this now.
“Mentor,” The word he settled for felt like ash on his tongue.
“Used to say that all respected warriors had long hair. It was a symbol of one’s power and self respect.
In official battles the losers would often had their hair cut after they lost as the ultimate consequence and disgrace for losing.
My uh.. Hair also tends to grow really fast. It’s a trait I share with my creator, Ahana.”
Alex had finished braiding Hero’s hair. She then started weaving flowers into the braids.
“Ahana, as in the goddess of the sky, and fortune?” Alex seemed surprised.
“You’re a son of Ahana?”
“In title I suppose. Ahana might have created me but she did not raise me. I don’t consider her as my mother,” Hero muttered.
“I can relate to that. My older sister and I had a pretty big age gap, so at times it felt like she was more my mom than my actual mother was. Her boys felt like my little brothers.”
There was something bittersweet about how she talked about her family. Like they were no longer around. Another thing they had in common despite the different situations.
“Was?” Hero asked.
“They are unfortunately no longer with us,” Alex’s tone now seemed a bit sad.
“I’m sorry for your loss, I shouldn’t have pressed, that was rude of me ” Hero said softly.
“It’s quite alright. It’s been years since they passed so it’s not as hard to think about them,” Alex said as she finished up with Hero’s hair.
“My sister is the reason I know how to braid. It would be days like these where she would take us out to the garden to teach me.”
“Well her teaching seems to have been effective, this is beautiful, thank you Alex,” Hero said admiring the braid from what he could see.
“You’re very welcome. Now you can pay me back by braiding my hair too.” Alex gently moved Steve to the side and took his place in front of Hero.
Hero huffed in amusement but got straight to work.
~~{♡♡♡}~~
While it was barely noticeable by the common person, Alex definitely had an accent.
The more Hero spoke to Alex, the more he started to realize where exactly he recognized the accent from.
It was an accent from the long-lost Norra Empire.
Specifically, Alex’s accent was nearly identical to how the locals from Norra’s Capital city Lusterwen, or even the royal family spoke.
Which sparked a bunch of questions in his mind.
The Norra Empire falling had been one of the many tragedies of the war. The Wither’s Army had been seeking refuge in the Norra Empire because the Emperor owed the Wither a favor. However, once the Ender Dragon found out where they were hiding, she sent out a devastating attack and the empire was caught in the crossfire.
Lusterwen was one of the cities in the brunt of the attack, leaving very few local survivors. The Norra royal family were all killed, the favor leading to their doom.
The Norrian language wasn’t forgotten, but Common was used more often as of late. Alex appeared to be in her 20’s so she would have been a child when the Empire fell? Maybe that’s why her accent was so faint. Hero thought about it, and remembered that when Alex got stressed or angry her accent got a lot thicker.
He decided to just ask her one day while they were hanging out in the living room.
Hero was on the couch knitting a sweater with some red dyed wool he was given by Steve. He had one of the parody decorative pillows tucked at his side that said ‘Home Is Where Them Fucker’s Aint’ in the same stupid cutesy font as the rest.
Alex was on the recliner reading what looked to be a handmade potion encyclopedia, occasionally muttering to herself and writing some notes on the pages.
“Alex, I’ve been wondering… Are you from the Norra Empire? Or at the very least of Norrian descent?” Hero asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
Silence filled the room once more. Hero didn’t want to look up from his project, scared of what the look on Alex's face could be. But after a few more seconds of silence he gave in and looked up.
“I am… But what about me made you think so?” Alex asked after a moment breaking the silence. Hesitation filled her voice. She looked up from her book, her face not betraying any one expression, despite the earlier hesitation.
“I noticed your accent. I wouldn’t have caught it if I didn’t know some Norrian myself. Not many people speak it anymore.” Hero replied awkwardly, continuing to work on the sweater again.
“You know Norrian?” Alex asked curiously.
It took Hero a moment to realize what she was saying but then nodded.
“Can.. Understand, but terrible at speaking,” Hero nervously laughed.
“Well understanding is a good start! Maybe Steve and I could help you practice? Steve is also learning,” Alex offered with a huge smile.
“That would be very kind- Steve knows Norrian?” Hero asked, surprised.
Hero wasn’t expecting Steve of all people to know Norrian, since he was kind of a hermit if Alex and Hero didn’t live with him. But then again, he had mentioned being a traveler.
“He isn’t perfect but he knows quite a lot. It was a good thing too, because when we met I knew very little Common. He had to teach me since most villages nearby mostly use common.”
“How did you and Steve meet?”
“Steve found me injured in the forest and he brought me back here and nursed me back to health just like you,” Alex laughed lightheartedly.
“He just hasn’t been able to get rid of me ever since then.” She said with a cheeky smile.
“Steve has a problem with picking up strays, huh…” Hero said with a smile.
“It’s his bleeding-heart. He sees some half dead idiots and goes, ‘I can fix them’,” Alex clasped her hands in front of her face while saying this, acting out the part.
Hero let out a loud boisterous laugh and Alex couldn’t help but join him. Their previous engagements were left abandoned. They started telling each other stories about their favorite experiences or places they had been in the Norra Empire.
“…During the war I befriended the second born princess of the Norra Empire,” Hero started.
Alex nodded as if she was telling him to continue.
“What was she like?” She asked hesitantly, not meeting his eyes.
Hero didn’t often think too much about it... In the short time he knew the Princess, they had grown to be close friends. In fact, she had been his first ever friend.. However he couldn’t seem to remember her name anymore. Whenever he tried to, it would slip from mind like warm grains of sand seeping between his fingers.
The Princess had been someone who had treated him with kindness and had paid the ultimate price for it…
“She was as bright as the sun. You could never predict what she would do next, but you just knew there would be some chaotic fun wherever she went,”
“She was also a very caring and gentle woman but she would have had my head if she ever heard me say that to her face,” Hero laughed.
“She sounds like a lovely person..” Alex said quietly.
“You kind of remind me of her sometimes,” Hero replied.
“Oh?” Alex had an odd look on her face. Hero couldn’t quite decipher it.
“You have the same laugh. If there is anything I will never forget is that laugh of hers. It’s like a sweet song on a cool summer day,” Hero mused, with a fond look on his face.
Alex’s ears appeared to be burning red. “Oh um thank you?”
Realization hit and Hero instantly back tracked.
“Oh Gods- That was a weird thing to say, I am so Sorry- You have a nice laugh..”
Alex’s giggles interrupted Hero’s flustered rambling.
“It’s quite alright. Thank you,” She smiled.
The conversation continued on as it did but Hero couldn’t help but be distracted by his thoughts.
During dinner later that night, everyone was as lively as usual. Everything seemed as usual minus the fact that Hero didn’t participate in the conversations as much as he normally would.
The food felt like ash in his mouth as he stewed quietly.
If Alex was most likely from Lusterwen that could only mean one thing…
~~{♡♡♡}~~
The rattle of bones broke Hero from his thoughts. An arrow whizzed past him, leaving a small cut on his face. Not that he could feel it, but it started to bleed meaning he would have to clean it up later.
Hero quickly struck the skeleton down before it could actually get a lucky shot. He had gone out on patrol looking for a distraction but it wasn’t quite working.
Guilt was eating up his insides.
Alex had a family. She had an older sister and two nephews. And they were dead because of him. Hero might not have been the one who killed them, but Lusterwen had been attacked just because the Wither’s army was there.
If only Hero had been more insistent on leaving sooner. Or had been able to convince the King to leave the Norra Empire alone. Then maybe they would still be alive…
‘Would he have listened to him?’ A small traitorous voice asks.
Hero doesn’t know.
But Alex would be happy with her family!
And maybe the Princess would still be alive. Hero wonders what their life would have been like if he had only accepted her plea to run away together that night in the garden.
“We can be free! Just me and you against the world, Herobrine! It’s not like there is anything holding us back, right?” he can’t remember what her face looked like. Her fingers gripped desperately on his sleeve.
Herobrine hadn’t given her an answer. But his face betrayed his guilt and hesitance.
“Right?” her voice had wavered.
Would the Wither and Ender Dragon have ended the war because he left? Or would they have continued to fight until there was nowhere left to fight on?
Perhaps they would have hunted him down for abandoning them?
Or maybe Hero could have had a quiet- well maybe not quiet, life with the Princess? Days full of laughter and adventures. Traveling around the world to make up for being locked up for all their lives.
Hero thinks it would have been like what he has here with Alex and Steve.
But this wasn’t permanent was it? Hero had to leave eventually. He didn’t deserve this safety.
Small drops of rain seemed to fall to the dirt. Warm streams ran down his face, leaving his eyes to burn. Hero braced himself against a tree, as his limbs suddenly felt too heavy. He sank to his knees and let his sword fall to the ground.
The streams turned to waterfalls and he could distantly hear an animal let out a strange ugly wail.
Oh.
That was him. Shame greeted Hero like an old friend as his body shook.
Hero cried for how unfair this all was. He cried for the people he once loved. He cried for himself.
Hero knew he didn’t deserve safety. He knew he was a monster. But was it so evil to want to be safe? To live without knowing the fear of meeting death? To want to love and be loved?
It was going to be so hard to leave. Hero didn’t want to. Especially with how close he was getting with the two. Hero would have to start to distance himself from them if he wanted to hope to leave.
The rough bark against his skin helped bring Hero back to the present. The sun had long gone to bed and the stars had begun their dance in the night sky. Picking up his sword, Hero weakly rose up.
Hero finished his patrol feeling worse than he did when he started. I.e. he felt like shit. All that crying had drained any remaining energy Hero had. And he was looking forward to a good night’s rest.
Hero quickly ushered himself to the bathroom so he could take a shower and then treat any wounds he missed.
A soft knock rang against the bathroom door as Hero was finishing up. Hero opened the door to reveal Steve.
“Hey! Alex and I were thinking about staying up a little later tonight to play some games and make some snacks if you are interested in joining?”
That- Honestly sounded like so much fun. But Hero had already decided that he had to start distancing himself from them. As much as he wanted to hang out with them, Hero knew that this was a good place to start.
“I.. Was actually thinking about turning in for tonight. I’m not feeling the best,” Hero technically didn’t lie but that didn’t make him feel any better about it.
Steve’s face shifted into a look of worry.
“Is everything alright? Is the wound acting up? Do you need any-”
“No! No it’s not that. I probably just need some sleep. Thank you for the invite though, it sounded like it would have been really fun. Don’t let me stop you guys from having fun, have a good night.”
Hero gently pushed past Steve and headed towards his room.
“Oh ok. I hope you feel better tomorrow, goodnight Hero.”
Hero could hear their laughter throughout that night. He was sure that they would have gladly let him join them at any time but he never did.
Hero just lay on top of his comforter, tears blinding him until his eyes stung and his head started to hurt. Hero’s thoughts once again chained him down and tormented him in the dark.
He didn’t get much sleep that night.