Chapter Text
Everyone’s alright by the next morning.
I think.
Well, there’s still no sign of Fear or Creativity, and Logic and Heart are acting… like they usually do.
I’m just glad the next few days go by peacefully.
I wake up to either Heart or Logic knocking on my doors. Logic and I cook most days, and I think I’m getting better. Not-so-subtly, I insist on helping Heart carry leftovers afterwards, and then spend the rest of the day with Logic, Heart, or by myself, in my room. I even told Heart that Creativity’s crazy dreams weren’t letting me sleep at night, and Heart promised to talk to Creativity about it when the Side came out of the Imagination.
I make it a point to visit the Subconsciousness everyday, and thankfully, I haven’t seen Fear fighting anything yet. Hopefully , he’s recovering in his room. Hopefully, he’s not throwing himself in danger for all of us without us knowing. It’s not like I can help him if I knew, but something doesn’t sit right with me when I think about him fighting here, alone.
I frown, as I water Caring. I didn’t know I would miss the noisiness of my first few days here. Logic and Creativity’s bickering in the background, Fear’s blunt remarks, and everyone generally just being… happy , together. Something’s missing, and a lot of things are wrong, but I’m exhausted of thinking, so I haven’t done much of anything yet.
Come to think of it, most problems stem from Heart.
Who’s happily humming beside me as he clips the weeds around Hope.
I can’t stop thinking about it all .
It’s infuriating .
It feels like a storm is rumbling in the background, and I’m just watching it get bigger and bigger .
.
There’s a breeze blowing in the Subconsciousness today.
I’m not sure if that’s possible, or if it makes any sense.
But there it is, and it’s literally damp with secrets. Words whisper in my ears, indistinct and jumbled, and I can feel the weight of them all. There are thoughts and emotions and sensations, all tumbled together, all indecipherable, and a hint of a taste that I can’t distinguish.
I stand at the edge, one foot in the sand and the other in the carpeted hallway, testing the air.
They don’t taste like truths or lies, I don’t think. Not sweet or bitter, but something else. I wonder what Thomas is feeling for the Subconsciousness to be this way.
“What are you— ”
I lose my footing, stumbling forward and falling face-first into the sand.
I sit up immediately, spitting out the grains, glaring at Fear, who looks just as shocked as I feel, who’s looking down at me with wide eyes and hunched shoulders, his hands deep in his hoodie pockets.
There’s a purple bruise on his cheek, and fading red scratches across his forehead. The sight reminds me of the creatures I’d seen him fight, and I suppress a shudder. There has got to be a way to stop Fear from—
His lips quirk upwards. “Usually, I’m the jumpy one.”
I pause, realizing Fear thought this was funny.
“You didn’t just sneak up on me!” I protest.
“I didn’t,” he agrees. “I just walked in to check on the Subconsciousness.”
I glare again, because I know he understood what I meant.
But he just steps past me, and starts walking down the beach. I move to follow him, but the Subconsciousness genuinely terrifies me. So I just settle down on the floor, to wait in the hallway.
Soon, I hear an inhumane roar from the beach, and I cover my ears.
Not again.
.
Fear comes out looking better than he had last time.
But he still stumbles past me, barely sparing me a glance.
I follow after him, feeling helpless, having watched him fight from afar.
I want to help support him, but he looks out of it, and even on his best days it’s not a good idea to try and touch him.
We walk through the hallways silently.
“What were those things?” I ask, because the monsters he’d fought tonight hadn’t looked the same as before. The shadows hadn’t been humanoid, they’d been vague clouds of shapes.
“Nightmares,” he grunts.
Eventually, we reach a black door standing alone in the blank hallway.
Fear walks in and slams his door shut in my face.
I hesitate, wringing my hands. The plate of food Heart had left him sits beside the door, the soup now cold. He hasn’t eaten yet?
“Fear!” I call, knocking. “Everyone’s not worried about you. Can you come eat with us soon?”
He doesn’t give me a reply.
I linger by his door for a while before I leave.
.
I yawn, dragging my feet out of Logic’s room.
We’d stayed up all night reading a book on general Astronomy, so I’d know what he’s talking about the next time he launches into one of his rambles. I should probably get some sleep before breakfast, but I’m craving ice cream. I’m not sure why, and it’s five in the morning, but I’m not going to deny my cravings.
I stumble into the kitchen, but I find the lights already on.
I squint.
Heart doesn’t wake up this early.
Someone dressed head-to-toe in black is putting something in the oven, and I feel the whole mindscape breathe a sigh of relief with me. Or maybe it’s just me.
I grin, leaning over the kitchen counter, and Fear jumps when he straightens up.
“Don’t do that!” He snaps.
“What are you baking?”
“Breakfast,” he says, backing away from me, his eyes not meeting mine.
“So what’s for breakfast?”
“Bread.”
He doesn’t elaborate, and he just goes about mixing something over the stove.
I get the whole tub of strawberry ice cream, and curl up at the table, watching him.
He seems a lot more at ease now, more calm, though he keeps throwing me pointed glances. There’s none of the staggering around or the hunch to his shoulders I’d seen a few days ago. It’s refreshing. I wish he would stay like this.
“What are you doing?” He sighs, finally.
“Not watching you.”
He doesn’t ask for further explanation.
A while later, Heart comes in, Logic behind him.
“Fear!” Heart exclaims, running up to the Side and pulling him into a hug. Fear hesitates, but he hugs him back, almost smiling when Heart can’t see his face.
“Did you finish all of that yourself?” Logic asks, peering over my shoulder.
I look at the empty ice cream box, which might as well have been wiped clean.
Oh.
So I did.
I grin at Logic, who’s giving me a look of silent disapproval.
“That’s terrible for your health.” He says, and I’m inclined to agree, because my stomach is throbbing again. But I know that’s not from the ice cream, so I ignore it.
“You shouldn’t try this some time,” I say. “Maybe not ice cream, but something else you don’t like. It doesn’t make you feel refreshed.”
Logic just shakes his head—
“I can do it!” Heart says, his voice a childish whine that I hadn’t heard in a while.
“Logic!” Fear calls, and he’s glaring at Heart, who’s trying to help, probably. “Can you mix the syrup so I can make some juice to go with this?”
Logic disappears into the kitchen.
“Is this Aunt Patty’s recipe?” He asks.
“Yeah, I found it in the library a few weeks ago,” Fear says. “I wanted to try it out today.”
“Mixing syrup isn’t even hard! Let me help!”
“Go sit with Lying!”
“Fear is correct. I believe you would hurt yourself trying to help.”
“Not you too , Lo.”
I watch, letting myself bask in their warmth.
Now we’re just missing one more.
.
Creativity shows up two days later.
We’re in the middle of another movie night, when he just shows up and throws himself onto the couch between me and Heart.
Heart smiles, and moves over to make some room.
I hesitate, staring at him, and Creativity notices.
“Missed me?” He says, raising his brows, to which I have to scoff.
“Of course,” I say, moving over a little. “Where would we ever be without you?”
He opens his mouth, then closes it again. But then he grins, and throws a pillow at me.
“Whatever, Pants on Fire.” He huffs, settling more comfortably against Heart.
Logic looks up from his book to nod at the scene, and Fear’s already asleep on the floor, leaning back against the couch.
I smile at the TV.
Nothing’s perfect yet.
But at least we’re all together.