Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“We're here!”

Riku jolted awake at the sound of his step-father's voice, a thin line of drool trailing from the side of his mouth to the corner of the headrest. He quickly wiped it away before Axel could notice and tease him for it. Rubbing his eyes, Riku unbuckled his seat belt and got up out of the car to stretch. Why did car rides always have to make him so sleepy?

“Hey Kuku, give me a hand with this.” Axel called from the back of the car. Riku mumbled a protest to the nickname he knew Axel would never abandon, but went for the trunk anyway. He could get his step-brother back later by calling him 'Lea'.

“Was it really necessary to bring your amplifier?” Riku grumbled when Axel thrust the heavy device into his arms.

“We're gonna be here nearly the whole summer; Demyx will kill me if I don't keep up my guitar skills. He's got his heart set on having Oblivion play in that showcase Labor Day weekend.”

“So I've heard.” Riku grunted, hefting the heavy amp while Axel took several lighter items out of the trunk. Once the redhead had all his band stuff he ducked past Riku, saying he'd meet him in the living room.

'If I can remember where that is, I've only been here once.' Riku thought with a sigh. It was very much like Axel to gloss over little details like that.

The silver-haired teen made it 3/4ths of the way to the door before he stopped for a short break. On his right, a wrought iron fence separated the drive way from the wildly overgrown yard. He took a moment to look it over while he rested his arms, and smiled for the first time since arriving. His mother and he used to live in a little, out of the way place like this when he was little. It wasn't exactly a country house like this one, but there were a lot of woods and parks nearby. The sight of so much green was something he'd really missed since he and his Mom moved to the city after the wedding.

Deciding Axel could wait, Riku fumbled with the gate that was right beside him. When he swung it open the metal hinges protested with a high pitched creek. Something suddenly rustled in the tall grass, and Riku bent down to see what kind of critter he'd startled. A cat slunk into view, hissed at him, then took off.

Disappointed that the animal had run away, Riku straightened and started to turn back, but another movement caught his eye. A small bush covered in bright red berries stuck out from the patch of grass the cat had just exited. The lowest branch shook slightly, and something fell from the branch to the small patch of bare ground beneath the bush.

Riku's eyes widened. It was a boy. A very tiny brunet boy, only a few inches tall, wearing a white jacket and red shirt and shorts. The tiny boy hefted an even tinier tan sack over his shoulder, before running into the grass toward the house where he was lost from view.

Riku stood there, stunned. He'd thought Zack was joking...

“Riku! You coming in with that amp or not?” his step-brother's shout broke him out of his trance.

“Coming!” He finally turned all the way around went back through the gate to grab the heavy equipment. While lugging it up the wooden steps, Riku caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He whipped his head around, trying to catch a glimpse of the strange creature. But all he saw was a grate nestled in the concrete foundation of the house.

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Sora slipped through the grate, and finally allowed himself to relax a little. The brush with the cat was nothing new. That big old tom showed up around the house every now and then, and Sora knew that the branches of the currant bush were too dense for the cat to get through. The appearance of the several new beans had caught him off guard though; it was pretty rare for the Old Vet to get visitors. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise however, since their arrival had also scared off the tom. If they hadn't arrived he might have spent another hour up there before the predator finally lost interest in him and went off to stalk other prey. Now he could get these berries to his Mom and sister, plus warn everyone about the extra beans.

With that thought in mind, Sora leaped down from the grate and raced down the tunnel. When he reached a pile of bricks he squeezed in between a couple and was greeted with the much welcome sight of his family's front door.

“I'm back!” Sora called as he walked through the door. He wound his way through the narrow halls and soon arrived at his parent's bedroom. “Hey Mom, hey Nam.” He greeted to the woman and little girl sitting reclined in the double bed. “Look what I brought!” He set down his bag of currants with a triumphant smile.

“Fresh berries?” Namine asked, her excitement making her already flushed face turn even redder. Sora nodded, then plucked one off the top and tossed it to her. She squeaked in delight and immediately took a huge bite out of it. The mother sighed, and brushed a damp lock of hair out of her daughter's face.

“Careful sweetie, your stomach's going to be sensitive for a while yet.” Namine slumped a little, but obediently slowed down. The mother turned her attention to her son. “Where's your brother? Didn't he want to share with us?”

“Um...” Sora scratched the back of his head bashfully. “He doesn't know about them yet.”

Green eyes widened. “Tell me you didn't go into the yard by yourself again.”

The guilty look on the boy's face was answer enough.

“Sora...” His mother frustratedly ran a hand through her waist length brown hair. The boy was suddenly struck by how strange it was to see his mother without her ubiquitous braid and red bow. He shook off the observation to protest.

“Mom, I'm nearly sixteen. I'm not a little kid anymore, I can handle a quick trip outside. The currant bush isn't even that far!”

“It doesn't matter how experienced you are Sora, you should always have back-up when it comes to borrowing.”

“Dad didn't have any back up when we were little.”

“Your father didn't have a choice.”

“Neither do I lately, with you and Nam cooped up like this.”

His mother looked like she would argue further, but then gave a defeated sigh. “I suppose things have been a little short handed since the fevers started. I just get so worried...”

“I know.” Sora's gut twisted a little at how utterly tired his mother looked. He stepped forward gave her a tight hug. “I'm sorry I scared you. I promise I'll be careful, and I'll tell you when I'm going out.”

“That's all I can ask.”

Sora pulled away, and took heart in the understanding smile his mother wore. He moved the the sack closer to the bed before running out in search of his father. He was going to tell his mother about the visiting beans, but didn't want to stress her too much. She was just starting to show signs of recovery, and he'd already given her a fright.
He was glad she agreed with him in the end. Sora did his best not to complain, but he found the house's small rooms and narrow halls to be a little suffocating. It was safe here, no doubt about that, but even with the inherent dangers he much preferred exploring the yard and climbing inside the walls. It was just a part of who he was. The one time he'd been majorly sick he drove everyone crazy because he refused to stay in bed; he couldn't help it though. He just had to be on the move.

Sora found his father attending a steaming pot in the kitchen. He turned when he heard Sora's pounding footsteps come to a sudden halt; the extra moisture made his father's blonde spikes droop a little.

“Just in time Sora, dinner will be ready soon. Do you know where Roxas is?” The brunette placed a hand on his chin as he thought.

“I think he said he was going to work on that broken pulley, the one brings us up to the living room.” Sora's eyes widened. “Oh man...I need to go get him!”

His father quirked an eyebrow at him. “Dinner will still be a while, it's not that urgent.”

“Yeah, but Roxas doesn't know that there are visitors.”

“What?” His Dad visibly tensed.

“I saw the car arrive just a few minutes ago. There was three beans at least, maybe four.”

“Son of a...”

“I'll go tell him.”

“No, I'll go find him. You stay here with Aerith and Namine and make sure the food doesn't burn.”

Sora nodded, and gave the man a quick hug. “Be safe Dad.”

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Riku helped unpack the rest of the car in a daze. He was so unfocused that he kept bumping into his parents, step-brother, and, on one occasion, the wall. His step-father laughed and asked if Riku was still sleeping, and his mother looked concerned and asked if he was feeling alright. Axel was too busy setting up his sound equipment to bother questioning it.

Riku just couldn't stop thinking about what he'd seen in the yard. He couldn't have actually saw what he thought he saw, right? Maybe he'd dozed off again briefly while taking a break; he tended to do that right after naps. He'd probably just dreamed the whole thing. It wouldn't be that surprising, given the stories his step-father had been spouting on the way up.

Once everything had been moved in, Riku left Axel in the living room to fiddle with the sound system and went to find his parents. They were standing around the kitchen island chatting with his step-uncle Leon, whom he and Axel would be staying with over the summer.

The one time Riku had been in this house had been for the first family reunion after his mother had married his step-father, Zack. That was also the first time he'd met Leon, who terrified him at the time. He'd expected his new uncle to be similar to Zack himself, cheerful, easy going, and rather boisterous. Instead he'd been met with brooding, broad-shouldered, scarred Leon.

The dissonance between his assumption and the reality had caused him to steer clear of Leon during that first visit. However, as years passed and Riku got the opportunity to see him in different times and places, he realized the two brothers weren't as different as he'd originally thought. Despite his intimidating appearance, Leon was generally pretty happy and relaxed. He just didn't show it as exuberantly as Zack did. He wasn't always 'brooding' either, he just took a more serious approach to the problems of life.

Riku liked to think he had a lot in common with Leon.

“Thank you so much for doing this.” His mother was saying as he entered. “I know you value your privacy.”

“It's quite alright Tifa. Like I said, family is the exception to the rule. Besides, I'm sure the boys won't cause too much trouble.”

Just then a loud burst of sound came from the living room. Everyone in the room flinched, even though three of them had become quite familiar with the sound of blaring bass chords. Zack stomped towards the hall to shout at Axel to keep it down, but the chords faded away just as he reached the door. Zack sighed and shook his head, which disheveled his wild black hair, and smirked at his step-son.

“You might want to change that to 'Riku won't cause too much trouble'.”

“Hmmm, we should probably have a talk with him about that before we leave. The neighbors around here may be further away, but I'm sure their not as used to rowdy neighbors either.” Tifa said, thoughtfully fingering the teardrop earring just visible under her thick, dark hair. Leon chuckled.

“Oh I don't know about that. Old Mrs. Applebee can get pretty wild when she decided to relive her glory days.”

“Okay, please tell me you'll warn me when that happens.” Riku begged.

“I'll try kid, but I can't make any promises.”

“Did you get everything settled, sweetie?” Tifa asked.

“Yeah, everything's out of the car, and we each claimed a guest room upstairs. It was pretty easy to choose; Axel refused to sleep on the side that faces the yard because then he'd 'have the sun waking him up at ungodly hours'.”

“Are we all set to go then?” Zack asked. “I'd love to stay and visit but we'll miss our flight if we stay too long.”

“Well, there was something I wanted to ask you about before you left-” Another guitar riff suddenly blasted through the house. This time it faded much more quickly.

“Whatever you wanted to say, get it out before I'm forced to go steal your brother's amplifier.” Zack growled a little. Tifa smiled and gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

“Well, I think you already explained it in the car, but I was starting to drift off. Did you say that your mother thought there were tiny people living here?” Some of the tension eased out of Zack at the change of topic, but Riku wasn't sure if the look of fond sadness was any better.

“Yeah, Ma moved out here in her golden years. She only stayed in the city for Pa's work, so after he was gone she came back here for comfort. There was more space to garden, and I think that nature made the quiet house more bearable for her. We visited her as much as we could, but she must have gotten lonely if she started dreaming people up. She complained that little things went missing, or ran out faster than they should have. She blamed her old age at first, but after a while she became convinced that there were actually little people living in the floors and walls that snuck out at night to steal from her. We thought about taking her to see a doctor, but always got upset if we brought it up. Eventually we just decided to play along with it.”

Riku frowned in confusion, and Leon decided to elaborate.

“The delusion didn't seem to be hurting her or anyone else, so we didn't see the harm in just letting things be. Actually, talking about the 'little people' made her really happy. She wanted to find a way to make friends with them, so they wouldn't have to hide and sneak around all the time. She talked about wanting to make a little house for them, like a doll's house but having all the comforts of a real home. She got a contractor to draw up plans and everything, and even set some money aside in her will to build the house if she didn't get around to it.”

“It sounds like it was good for her, in a strange way.” Tifa chimed in. “Even if it wasn't real, it gave her something focus on besides the loneliness, and it kept her active.”

“Yeah, she was happy in the end. That's what mattered.” Zack agreed.

Another burst of sound came from the living room. This time, instead of fading away it was abruptly cut off. By the time that happened Zack was already halfway down the hallway, shouting at Axel to cut it out already. Tifa chuckled, and Riku shared a wry grin with Leon.

“Welcome to the rest of the summer Leon, hope you can handle it.”

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Unbeknownst to Axel, he was having an encounter with the 'little people' just as Riku was investigating his own.
When his brother left the living room, Axel had settled into figuring out his uncle's somewhat out of date stereo system. After a minute of familiarizing himself with the controls he turned the volume up, plugged in his amp and guitar, and played a chord. He grinned as the sound vibrated through the air and floor.
Behind the speakers, inside the wall, the effects was met with a grimace rather than a grin.
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Roxas had finally figured out what was catching and jamming the pulley he was working on. Once he got the mechanism back in order he decided to give it a test run. He secured his backpack over his shoulders, and fastened the attached light bulb to his waist. Then he stepped on the bar, grabbed the rope, and hit the switch.

The feeling of rocketing up into the air was one of the best things about being a borrower, in Roxas's opinion.

The pulley system brought him up from the foundation to the raised floor of the living room, where a wooden platform was waiting for him. With practiced ease Roxas stepped from metal bar and onto the wood.

'Perfectly smooth.' Roxas though to himself, brimming with satisfaction and increased adrenaline. It was at that very moment a cacophony broke out from the other side of the wall, making Roxas cry out and cover his ears.

'What the hell is that?!' The blonde internally yelled, desperately searching for the remote his father had pilfered and stashed up here years ago. Normally his father would not have borrowed something that would so obviously be missed, especially since the Old Vet didn't usually play anything that loud. However, a week of baby Nami waking up crying after they'd just gotten her to settle down had made his father a very desperate man.

Normally if it became necessary to turn the volume down with the borrowed remote, they would do it gradually, trying not to make the change too obvious. But as the earsplitting noise rattled Roxas's brain and vibrated up his body, he decided he didn't care about subtlety. He threw all his weight down onto minus sign beneath the word 'volume', sighing in relief as the noise dwindled and was replaced by silence.

The relief was short lived however. Roxas got up and had just reached the pulley when the noise started again. He quickly ran back, jumped on the button again, and hoped the bean would take the hint this time. The blonde groaned in frustration when the noise started again, this time in more complex tones. Throwing a great amount of caution to the wind, Roxas marched over to the wall and slid open the borrower sized panel that allowed them access to the living room.

The boy let out a pained sound and clapped his hands over his ears; the blaring growing louder without the wall as a barrier. He cast his eyes around in search of the plug. Unfortunately it was right next to the speaker. The intense vibrations made Roxas stumble as he approached. Bracing himself, Roxas took his hands off his head and jumped up the catch the cord. He swung his feet up to brace against the wall, then pushed off with all his might. The plug popped out of the socket, and both it and Roxas fell to the floor.
Roxas sat up with a groan. That was going to hurt in the morning, but he couldn't afford to linger. The blonde scrambled up and back to the wall. He'd just slid open the panel when he heard a loud voice growl “What the hell?!”

Having lived in this house all his life, Roxas had grown quite familiar with the bean who resided there; and that was certainly not his voice. Turning around Roxas was able to see part of a face in the gap between electronics; sharp angles, impossibly red hair, and some weird marks beneath the eyes.

A visitor, that explained the strange behavior with the stereo.

“Roxas!” A voice hissed and he was suddenly dragged through the hole in the wall. The panel was slid back into place as soon as he was fully inside.

“I was coming up here to warn you about the visitors.” His father said. “But it looks like you found out for yourself.”

“Sorry Dad. I was just trying to get the noise to stop; I'd have been more careful if I knew it wasn't Old Vet.” His father sighed.

“That was risky even if it was the Old Vet. You can't become complacent just because we're more familiar with him.”

“Right.” Roxas looked down abashedly. The pair tensed when they heard muffled yelling through the wall.

“Alright Rox, let's go.”

“Yeah, I know the drill.” New beans were dangerous. They'd gotten to know Old Vet pretty well; knew his schedule and how he would react to most things. There was no telling what unfamiliar ones might do, so they always went into hiding until they were gone.

Roxas went down first, followed closely by his father.

“Nice job with the pulley by the way. I think it works even better than before.”

Roxas's heart suddenly felt a little lighter.

Chapter Text

“I have come to a conclusion.” Axel announced, turning to look at his uncle with mock seriousness. “Leon, your stereo is haunted.”
Riku raised an eyebrow at him from across the dining table, and Leon snorted so hard he nearly spit out his spaghetti.

“I know this might be hard to accept, but it's the only explanation I can think of. I've had technology pull some weird shit on me, but this was just ridiculous.”

“Maybe to you.” Leon said after he finally got the noodles down. “That thing started acting up a week after I got it.”

“You never got it fixed or replaced it?” Riku asked. Leon shook his head.

“I wasn't raised to throw out anything that got a bit fussy. Besides, if you keep the volume at ten or below it works just fine.”

“Ah, so that's how it is. The entire house is haunted and the ghost doesn't like loud noises.” Axel nodded sagely.

“Maybe it's the little people; there ears are probably pretty sensitive.” Riku was only half joking, and continued twirling the noodles around his fork in an effort to appear casual.

“You know, there are days when I almost think the same thing.” Leon said, a little wistfully. The eyes of both boys widened.

“Really Leon? It's a little early for you to be going the way Granny did.” Axel sniped.

“Oh I'm not saying I believe her, but I get why she would have come up with the story. I've lived in plenty of places, had to move around a lot for the military you know; but I've never had a place where so many things go missing.” The older man shook his head. “I've seen a lot of things over the years. To be honest, the existence of tiny people living under my floor would be one of the easier things I've had to come to terms with.”

There was a few moments of heavy silence. As usual, it was broken by Axel.

“Well, I'm still going with my ghost theory. You got any candles? I might need to perform an exorcism, or maybe a seance.”
Leon chuckled, and both boys broke out relieved grins.

“Well, looks like we've got one paranormal investigator on our hands. You wanna join in on this Riku? You could keep an eye out for the little people for me.”
Riku hesitated, but kept up the smile as he said “Sure, whatever you say Leon.”

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“What do you mean we can't go borrowing tonight?!” Sora demanded in a harsh whisper.

“Come on Dad, we know we can do this.” Roxas pleaded alongside his brother.

“On any other night I would agree, but I'm not taking the chance when the Old Vet had visitors so recently.” Their father argued lowly.

The three male borrows all stood around the kitchen table. Dinner had ended hours ago, and it was far past the time that the resident bean always went to sleep. So, as planned, Sora and Roxas had started packing for their first unchaperoned nighttime borrowing. After both of them had come down with the flu they had started to run low on medicine, and now the girls were sick. They couldn't go much longer without ingredients to make more medicine. Of course, then their father had walked in and told them they had to wait. That's what had started the argument, which they all tried to keep quiet so the words didn't reach the master bedroom, where the girls were trying to rest.

“Didn't you already check the driveway and find that the extra car was gone? That means they left right?” Sora asked confusedly. The older blonde sighed.

“Probably, but I don't want to take any chances that-”

“Cloud?” Their mother's voice sounds from the bedroom, followed quickly by Namine's whimpering cry. Cloud turned halfway toward the bedroom, looking torn. Roxas stepped forward.

“Dad, it's okay. We've got this. You get the last of the medicine made, and we'll be back with enough to make more before the night is out.” Sora nodded eagerly behind him. Cloud looked between them, then his shoulders sagged in defeat.

“Fine, but come straight back here after you get everything.”

“Cloud?”

“Coming Aerith.” he called to her, then turned back to the boys. “No risks tonight.”

Both boys saluted.

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It became clear early into their journey that the two borrower boys had different mindsets when it came to nighttime borrowing. Sora raced across the nail steps that lead to the pulley, and then had to wait for Roxas who placed each foot much more carefully and tightly grasped the small light bulb that was their light source. Sora let out a laugh as he was launched up to the kitchen, while Roxas restrained himself and focused on getting his landing right. When the two of them ducked through the hole in the back of the open faced cabinet, they looked around. Sora's gaze swept the room in open curiosity, marveling at the giant scaled chairs, table, and dishes. Roxas's eyes swept the room as well, but it was much more guarded.

Sora was practically bouncing. He'd only ventured into the upper floors a few times, and it was during the day when the bean was out and always with his father. The nighttime made the house feel different. Not being able to see all the walls and corners clearly meant he could imagine the room went on forever, just like the outside did. That idea, coupled with the knowledge that the bean was still around somewhere, sent a thrill through his body.

Roxas was tense. The creaks and groans of the house settling sounded strange in the openness of the room, and he didn't like how exposed this place made him feel. Outside there was always somewhere to hide, even on short notice. The same could not be said of the kitchen. Still, Roxas did his best to shrug off his uneasiness and get the job done. He started by taking off and opening his pack.

“Sora, give me a hand with this.” Roxas whispered to his brother. Sora skipped over and knelt down to help his brother pull out the long rope, which was several pieces of string braided together. Once it was out Sora tugged on it to test it's strength, and Roxas pulled out a fishhook and started to tie it on the end.

“I could probably climb this.” Sora commented, looking at the shelf halfway up the cabinet, the one where the Old Vet kept the herbs that didn't grown in the tangled garden.

“Probably.” Roxas admitted. Scaling walls and shrubs was his brother's favorite pastime. “But you heard Dad, no chances tonight. Plus, if you break your legs there's no way I'm carrying your sorry butt all the way home.”

Sora let out a chuckle that was quickly swallowed by the darkness.

Grappling hook now complete, Roxas stood up and took aim. He kept his eyes on the middle shelf as he twirled the hook faster and faster, then he let it fly with a small grunt. The hook sailed up, landed on the correct shelf, dragged a bit, and then snagged on the grain of the wood. Roxas grabbed the rope and leaned all his weight against it. It held.

“All yours.” He said, and Sora nodded.

The brunette made sure the satchel hanging across his chest was secure, then started to climb. A couple minutes later he was able to pull himself up onto the shelf. After taking a moment to catch his breath the borrower started checking boxes lining the shelf. He didn't know what the herb he was looking for was called, but he knew what it looked and smelled like. The third box he sniffed seemed to have the right scent, and popping the top revealed the dark oval shaped leaves he'd been expecting.

Normally he'd just grab one or two, an amount a bean would never miss. However, the worry of for his mother and sister mixed together with the adrenaline running through his system, and he dared to take several more before scrambling back down.

“Got it.” Sora whispered, hefting his satchel. “What else is on the list?”

“We need to get new stuffing for the pillows. The tissues on the guest bedroom tables would be the easiest borrowing for that.”

“Then let's go!”

A few handmade ladders later and the two boys were poking their heads out of an old mouse hole underneath one of the guest beds.

“This is that table that Dad has carved handholds into right?” Sora asked his brother.

“Yep, that's how we're getting to the top. Up for another climb?”

Sora grinned. “You know it!”

Sora sprinted to the bedside table and practically flew up the nearest leg. Roxas left the large pack on the ground so he could climb up more easily. By the time he reached the top Sora was bouncing on his feet beside the tissue box. Roxas rolled his eyes as he slowly walked forward, much to Sora's annoyance. The blonde heard a rush of air.

'Strange, Old Vet doesn't usually open the windows up here.'

“Come on Rox.” Sora clambered onto the box, and helped pull the blonde up after him. The brunette ran down to the far end and grabbed one end of the tissue. He looked back and saw Roxas grabbing the other.

“Ready?” His brother nodded “Okay, one, two, three!” The two boys both yanked up together, and pulled one tissue free. Sora stumbled back, but caught himself before he tumbled off the edge and back onto the table. He laughed, and there was another sudden rush of air. The young borrower looked up, and his heart stopped.

The window was not open, and the room was not empty. There, laying under the bed's covers, was a young bean. His silver hair glinted in the moonlight, framing a face full of shock and wonder, and aqua eyes locked with his own.

For several horrible seconds; Sora couldn't remember how to move, how to breathe. Then the bean shifted, turning himself more towards the table. With that, the spell was broken. Sora pulled in a shuddering breath, and dropped down into a crouch on the table top.

He'd been seen Oh God he'd been seen Borrowers weren't supposed to be seen not ever What would happen to him, to his family Had he just doomed them all-
Sora jumped when something brushed his shoulder. He steadied himself when he was faced with Roxas. Sora had never seen such a deadly serious expression on the blonde; had he been seen too?

Roxas put a finger to his lips and pointed to the nearest corner, diagonal from the one they'd climbed up. It took Sora a moment to understand, but he nodded. They crept toward the corner, keeping behind the tissue box as much as they could. Sora tried to take deep breaths, knowing that he needed to calm down. They reached the corner, and Roxas slid down to find the first foothold.

“Hey.”

Both borrowers instantly froze.

“You guys don't have to be afraid. I won't hurt you.”

Sora hadn't thought it was possible for his gut to clench even more, but it did. The bean had seen them both, they were so screwed.

“Did either of you know the woman you used to live here? She liked to tell stories about you.”

Curiosity got the better of him, and Sora turned around. He was met with aqua eyes once again. The bean had only propped himself up on his elbow, but with his incredible height that allowed him to see over the box. The bean shifted, leaning in closer, and that was all the motivation the two borrowers needed. Roxas scrambled down the wooden leg and Sora dove after him.

“No, hey! It's okay!” The bean's soft cries filled the room, but the boys didn't stop. They hit the floor and dashed for the mouse hole, only pausing for Roxas to grab his pack. They didn't stop until they were down on the first floor once again.

The two brothers collapsed against the wall, trying to get their breathing and heart rates back to normal.

“I'm so sorry Roxas.” Sora finally managed to gasp out. “I was so excited about the trip I missed seeing him until it was too late.” Roxas shook his head.

“I heard him breathing before we even made it up on the box, I should have called the whole thing off.”

“Are we going to tell Dad?”

Roxas paused. “We really should...”

“But if we do, he might never let us go borrowing again.” Sora finished the thought. Roxas grimaced, tell the truth and be grounded forever or lie and risk their safety. Neither option was good.

“Maybe, we wouldn't have to lie...” Sora thought aloud. “...we'll just not mention some of it.”

“That could work.” Roxas turned contemplative. “We could tell them that we saw the bean, but not mention that he saw us.”

“Yeah, that way everyone will know to lie low until he's gone.”

“And we'll still be let out of the house. That's a good plan.”

Sora made a face. “Maybe we should just tell them everything...”

“Do you want to move?”

“No.” Sora said with a sigh. That's what their father always said would happen if any of the beans got a clear sighting again. Even if they did tell everything they couldn't move until Mom and Nam were feeling better, and by then the whole thing may have blown over.

Besides, they had been seen late at night. Maybe the pretty bean boy wouldn't think the whole thing was a dream.

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Upstairs, Riku dangled off the edge of the bed. He squinted into the darkness beneath, but couldn't see any sign of his little late night visitors. He sighed and pulled himself back into bed, resolving to look for them in the morning. His eyes landed on the pulled out tissue laying on the box.

On the other hand, maybe he could get them to come to him.

Chapter Text

Cloud took news of the beans about as well as could be expected. The father had met Sora and Roxas at the door, eager to get the herbs and start mixing them into medicine. He started a pot boiling, which was really a thimble, and asked how the borrowing had gone. They told the story slowly and haltingly, which confused Cloud. The two of them had been so eager for their first unsupervised borrowing that he'd expected a bit more enthusiasm in the retelling. Perhaps the trip had been more nerve wracking than they'd anticipated.

“We...ah...we couldn't get the tissues though. It was too risky.” Sora said.

“Risky?” Cloud questioned, starting to stir the concoction with a thick metal pin. Roxas answered him.

“There was a bean sleeping in the room we usually borrow them from.”

Cloud nearly lost the pin in the pot.

“What?! What happened? Did they see you?” He asked, whirling around to face the boys. The brothers glanced at each other nervously before answering.

“Ah...n-no we d-don't think so.” Sora stammered.

“He was asleep when we saw him.” Roxas added. Cloud slumped in obvious relief.

“Good, that's good. That was still too close though.”

“We know.” Sora assured him. “We got out of there as soon as we realized something was wrong.”

“Good, that's exactly what you should have done.” Cloud turned back to the bubbling thimble, missing the flinch from Sora and the subtle elbow jab Roxas gave his brother.

“Unfortunately, that also means we have no idea how many additional beans are staying here, or for how long.”

“Well, maybe we could figure that out.” Sora suggested.

“You want to go out there again right after the close call we had tonight?” Roxas demanded.

“I didn't mean go out borrowing.” Sora protested. “We could just...watch them or something.”

“Sora's idea is a good one.” Their father interjected before Roxas could reply. “We need information. If there are more beans, or if they are staying here for a long time, we'll have to adjust how we use our supplies. If we ration things right we can make our stockpile last longer than it would normally. If the beans are staying longer than that, then we'll need to know the new beans' habits, so we'll know when and where we can safely borrow.”

“How do we figure all of that out without being caught though?” Roxas challenged. Cloud hummed in thought, and drained the excess water out his brew before answering.

“I'll go with you in the morning. Hopefully we can figure out what the story is by their conversation, and we can make a plan from there.” Cloud looked down the hall that lead to the main bedroom. “I just hope we can spare one person to stay here with the Aerith and Namine.”

It was clear that was the final word from Cloud for the night. He sent the boys to their rooms, saying they would need their sleep for the reconnaissance mission tomorrow and assuring them that he would also go to bed once he was done with the medicine.

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

There was a lookout point that Cloud had brought the boys to only once. After showing them where it was he had told them never to visit it unless he'd given permission. This was where their father brought them for the first phase of reconnaissance.

The lookout was situated alongside the fan and light fixture that hung above the dining room table. There were a couple of reasons it was off limits unless absolutely necessary. For starters, the dining room in general was to be avoided since that's where the Old Vet ate and worked; which seemed to take up most of his time inside the house. Another reason was that the borrower family didn't like going beneath floors, which is technically what they would be doing when they went to the fan lookout. The wood above their heads would be the floor of the second story. Cloud had only made a couple of opening that required going beneath floor boards when he first moved in with Aerith, and neither parent had expanded the number since. Roxas suspected it was related to borrowers' innate fear of being stepped on that made them stick to the walls. Sora just knew how unsettling it was to have the wood above one's head quake and creak under the heavy weight of the Old Vet's footsteps. The last reason why it was off limits to the boys was that their father didn't like the idea of his sons being so close to the electrical wires necessary for the fixture to function,. That reason made both boys role their eyes a bit. They were old enough now that they knew how to be safe around wires, there were plenty in the walls after all, and to show it they were extra cautious around the wires as their father shifted around bits of wood to create and opening.

Once Cloud was done each borrower took a turn glancing through the hole before pulling back. There were three beans gathered for breakfast, Old Vet and two newcomers. Sora's heart had sped up when he noticed the silver haired boy, remembering his vibrant eyes and hushed voice. Sora pulled back quickly, hoping no recognition showed on his face. When Roxas looked he couldn't help scowling at the red head that had tried to deafen him the previous day. Figures that bean had stayed too.
After the quick observation the borrower trio sat back to listen. It was strange, Cloud thought, to hear the Old Vet's voice so frequently in such a short span of time. The oldest bean wasn't the type to talk to himself often, and when he had visitors he was usually the quiet one. Something about these two young beans made the Old Vet speak up though, which allowed the eavesdropping borrowers to learn several things.

The young beans call Old Vet 'uncle' so they were all family. The two new beans were the only new residents to the house, and they would be staying until the end of summer when 'school' started. Most importantly, the presence of the young borrowers was going to change the behavior of the Old Vet as well.

“Hey, Uncle Leon, could you drive me into town today? There's a couple of things I'd like to get.” The silver haired bean asked. The brunnet nodded.

“We can go right after breakfast is cleaned up; there's a few errands I can run in town today. Normally I'd save them for later in the week, but might as well get them done now. You coming Axel?” The Old Vet asked the red head.

“Nah, I think I'll make the most of having the house to myself for a while.” Axel said with a smirk. Roxas didn't like the sound of that.

Shortly after that the group began to disperse. Cloud quickly hid the hole and addressed his sons.

“Alright, here's the plan for today. Roxas, you go back home and keep the girls company. Sora you keep watch for when the other two return. I'll tail the read head for now, once the others return I'll switch to Old Vet. Then Rox can take my place with Redhead and and Sora can watch Silver. Got it?”

The boys nodded.

“Good. Let's get to work.”

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

Sora was glad his father had given him the lookout position. He loved his Mom and little Nami to bits, but he would have started going crazy at the possibility of staying inside all day with everything he had on his mind. He'd chosen his lookout position to be the outer foundation of the house by the grate. It allowed him to see and hear what was going on near the entrance while still giving him room to run around and clear his mind.

He'd used this space to create various obstacle courses over the years, something to entertain him when weather, beans, or other circumstances didn't allow him to be outside. He set this one up so that each loop brought him by the grate, so he could look outside frequently. He hopped on pebbles, wove between boards, and jumped hurtles made of twigs as he thought about everything that had happened within the last couple of days. He still couldn't believe he'd been spotted by a bean and lived to talk about it, not that he would to anyone but Roxas. Not to mention that it was a young been they'd escaped form. Mom had once told Sora and his siblings that when it came to beans the children were worse than the adults, more willing to believe and thus more willing to follow up on their malicious curiosity.

The bean that saw them hadn't seemed so malicious though. He hadn't yelled or tried to grab them or anything. He'd just looked, talked, promised not to hurt them. Had that been a ruse? An attempt to lure them into a false sense of security? The young bean looked like he was around Sora and Roxas's age. Did being closer to an adult make him better than the children his mother warned him about, or did it make him doubly dangerous?

Sora was so absorbed in these thoughts that he didn't notice when noises started drifting in from beyond the grate. As he ran towards the grate for another pass the sunlight was suddenly blocked out by a massive shadow. The borrower skidded to a halt just in time, staying to the side of the grate. He was still close to the opening though, too close. He pressed himself against the wall of brick foundation, and tried to quiet his breathing. From his position, something tan took up half of his view outside. Was that a bean's leg? Sora's suspicion was confirmed when the tan thing moved and became a knee that blocked out the rest of the view. The borrower's heart nearly stopped when a giant hand descend from above the grate.

The hand was holding something, something that crinkled as it was placed just outside the grate's metal slates. The hand retreated then, and it sounded like the bean muttered something. There was a moment's pause, and then the shadow and bean were gone. The lumbering footsteps became distant, and the front door open and shut. Sora remained motionless for several seconds afterward, hardly daring to breath after another close encounter. Slowly, his heartbeat and respiration returned to normal. Sora peeled himself away from the brick and cautiously approached the object outside the grate. Was it some kind of trap? He had come in through this grate when he first saw the strangers, had he been seen then too? Now Sora felt like even more of an idiot.

Sora slipped through the metal slats and kneeled to examine the object. It was kinda shiny, covered in thin, colorful plastic like some of the Old Vet's food. Was the bean trying to lure him out with food then? Sora looked around nervously, but only saw the usual plants and shrubs. No one was watching him. He looked back at the object; there was an unfamiliar word written on the package: 'Kleenex'. He poked and prodded the package, and discovered that there was a flap of plastic that could be pulled back. Sora grabbed it and pulled, and the package opened. He felt the white things inside, and it clicked. These were tissues, tightly packed and thicker than he was used to, but definitely tissues. Sora started to lay the plastic back down when something caught his eye. On the underside of the flap were neatly printed black letters.

“I thought you might need these.”

Dread resurfaced as he read the words. The silver haired bean was obviously still thinking about them.
He couldn't brush it off this time. Dad had to know how much danger everyone was in. Sora groaned. He and Roxas were going to be in so much trouble.