Chapter Text
The second Howzer heard, he was off like a bullet toward Gil's house, yelling at anyone who got in his way. When he arrived, panting, he knocked on the door furiously. "Gil! Gil, let me in!" A muffled sob sounded from inside, and Howzer saw red. "Gilthunder!" he screamed, throwing himself at the door and bouncing off with an angry grunt. "It's Howzer! I'm here! Let me in!"
Just as he was preparing to hurl himself at the door again, it suddenly opened. Howzer staggered for a moment, then launched himself at the devastated pink-haired boy with tear tracks to his chin. "Gil, thank god. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry, I just heard," he gasped, wrapping the shaking boy in a hug.
Gil went utterly still at the contact, and when Howzer leaned back to see his expression, he looked wrecked. There was a glassy tint in his eyes, and they were streaming silent tears. His gaze seemed fixed on the top of the building behind them. "It- It's not your fault, Howzer," he said quietly, and Howzer frantically swiped his friend's tears away.
"I'm here, Gil. I'm here. I'm so sorry." Gil still didn't make eye contact, and Howzer hugged him again tightly, trying to communicate as much of his sorrow and anger that anything like this could happen to his best friend. "I know what happened. It's like a curse, isn't it?"
Gil pushed away then, really looking at him for the first time. "Curse? Wait," he said slowly, his eyes widening, "you know?"
"Yeah," Howzer said gently, glad his friend was finally looking at him. "When my mom got sick, I felt the same way. You feel cursed, don't you? I promise, this isn't the end. You have me and my family, and Griamore and his dad," for some reason, Gil flinched at that, "and- and everyone else, I promise. We'll find the people who did this."
"You-" Gil had frozen. "Who do you think did this, Howzer?"
Howzer met his eyes, slightly confused. Had nobody told him? "The Seven Deadly Sins. That's who killed your father."
Gil made a little choking noise and stepped back. "What?"
"I- I'm sorry. That I have to tell you. But it was them." He'd been so angry when his father had told him, and he felt that anger surging back up again. Why did Gil have to be betrayed by his hero?
"No," Gil said, suddenly gripping Howzer's sleeve. "No, it wasn't the Sins. It wasn't- Sir Meliodas would never do anything like that."
"Gil-"
"No, you don't understand-" he insisted, and then froze at the sound of a crow's squawk, eyes flashing with fear.
Howzer whirled to look behind him, but there was nothing but crumbling brick wall and a few swooping birds fluttering outside. "Gil, what-"
"Never mind," Gil said suddenly, and Howzer turned back, surprised. Gil was swallowing hard, swiping away his tears with vigor. "Never mind," he repeated, a little breathlessly. "I was wrong. You- you're right. It must've been- it was the Seven Deadly Sins. Sir Meliodas and the rest. I was definitely wrong."
"Gil," Howzer murmured, reaching out for another hug because he didn't really understand what was going on but suspected his friend needed comforting, "I don't-"
"Sorry, Howzer," said his best friend, stepping back out of reach and smiling slightly. Smiled, a few hours after his father had been murdered by his idol. Howzer felt shaky. Something was... wrong. "What I said before - that doesn't make sense. Of course it was the Seven Deadly Sins who killed him. I know that must be the truth. It's obvious."
"Gil-"
"Thanks for coming to check on me," Gil said, that awful smile never leaving his face, "but I'd like to spend some time alone right now, if that's okay with you."
"Yeah, sure," Howzer began, "but-"
"Thank you," Gil cut him off. "I promise you, I'm fine."
Howzer nodded dumbly, watching as his best friend, still holding that fake grin, closed the door in his face. He was fine. He'd said he was fine.
Gil wasn't fine, and both of them knew that. But Howzer just couldn't understand why he'd lie.