Work Text:
Ever since Idia got married to Leona, Ortho had the pleasure of experiencing so many new flavors that life had to offer. He had already experienced so much during his many days at NRC, but now? It felt like a fun adventure every day! He got to go to the park with Leona, collect shells with Idia, and do so much fun family stuff with Idia and Leona! It felt as if he had a second set of cool parents besides mama and papa Shroud! He really loved it here!
… But, sometimes, Ortho wondered if Idia and Leona loved having them there.
He knew that they did love him, but he has an odd feeling scurrying around his data like a pesky bug he couldn't quite fix. It came and went as it pleased, affecting him in ways that plagued his otherwise empty data. Like now, for example. He had been upstairs, working out his latest Barbie plans, until he heard Leona call for him to come downstairs for dinner. As he stood at the top of the stairs, he could see Idia and Leona talking to one another… laughing over dinner as they held hands. They're the perfect image of true love, and Ortho has a very odd feeling that he didn't belong in that picture. They're so happy together with one another, why should he join in and ruin it? Would they still look as happy once he joined in?
Ortho shook his head, descending the stairs and making his way to the dining table. They loved him! He deserved to sit there and dine with them, laugh with them-
“Hello there, Ortho!” Idia waved at him, “Guess what Leona made for dinner!”
“What?” Ortho climbed into his seat, he wondered what they stopped discussing to greet him, “Something yummy?”
“I made Ruggie’s spaghetti recipe.” Leona slid him a plate, “It won’t be as good as when Ruggie makes it, but I tried my best.”
… Ah. A horrible thought passed through Ortho’s mind as he looked at the spaghetti before him. It looked delicious, truly, and Ortho couldn’t wait to dive in, but did he deserve this? Did he deserve this love? This food? This company? Did he really deserve his spot at the table? He is their family, but he’s also- well, a robot. He’s a machine. He has no need for food, or company, or basic human necessities. He craves them, still, and Idia and Leona happily indulge him. But what if he is actually a burden upon them? What if he’s sitting here, unknowingly wasting their time and resources that they could be investing in themselves? In each other? They’re a happily married couple, and Ortho is aware that he had accidentally barged into their private romantic times more than once, merely because he desired company. If he were not here-
“Ortho?” Idia looked at him, the concern on his face nearly making Ortho flinch away, “Are you ok? You’re not sick, are you? Do you need niisan to look for any bugs in your system?”
“No!” Ortho picked up his fork, for some strange reason he didn’t have much of an appetite, “I’m fine, niisan, don’t worry!”
If he were not here, he wondered if Idia and Leona would be happier than they are now.
-🤖-
When a child feels unloved, Ortho assumes that it’s natural to seek the comfort of their parents. Ortho’s situation is… different, though. It’s not like he’s unloved or ignored, and he’s free to seek the comfort of Idia and Leona whenever he wishes, so why did he feel so sad and bitter? Why did he feel alone? Like an obstacle in the bath of their happiness?
They love him, they love him, they love him- Yet, Ortho found himself packing to run away despite knowing that.
What would someone need to run away? Food? Clothes? He had no need for such things. Possessions? Identification? Money? Why did it feel so wrong to take anything at all? It made Ortho feel as if he’s abandoning the people he loved if he took something- like one part of what they’ve shared is more important as a whole. He wished he could take Idia and Leona along with him, but that was merely a selfish wish- and it’d be odd to run away from them with them. This just wouldn’t work out! Perhaps he should just pack small, important things… Like batteries, chargers- anything that’ll keep him alive.
Ortho glanced at his bed, seeking his primary charger, only to face his two teddy bears; Captain Mustache and Lazio. Should he… take them along? He remembered Idia giving him Lazio for his birthday long ago, and he loved the sweet bear dearly. He got Captain Mustache a few years later after that, from Leona, something about his teddy bear needing another friend. The three of them have been together ever since then, huh? He… didn’t want to leave them, they’re precious to him. They’re also memories linked to Idia and Leona, though, and… wouldn’t that make him sad? To remember what he had run away from? Ortho took them anyway; family has to stick together, after all. Hm, should he really be counted as Idia and Leona’s family if he’s running away? Perhaps that’s a complex question that he should leave for later.
With everything ready and packed away in his unicorn backpack, Ortho was ready to run away. He didn’t want to, but it was a necessary sacrifice… all so that Idia and Leona could be happy together without him ruining everything. This is for the best… right? There’s no point in hesitating when he’s so close to solving their problem and making everything better. Ortho, ever so carefully, opened his window…
… And the world outside seemed so dark and scary compared to the warmth of home.
“You can do this!” Ortho carefully crawled out of his window, hovering just out of reach of home once he made it outside, “It’ll be ok!”
He closed the window behind him, so that he wouldn't increase their heating bill with the open window, then sped off into the night. Alone. It’s odd to be out here in the streets of his neighborhood at night. He’d usually wander them in the morning, with Leona, during a walk for fun or a trip to the park. He practically knew this area like the back of his hand, but the knowledge didn’t comfort him one bit. It’s so dark and scary… like the night would swallow him whole… and it probably would, huh?
It’s not uncommon for kids like him to be killed or kidnapped… sold far, far away… ugh, that gave him the shivers! He could destroy any baddies with his cannon, but what if he was attacked while he was low battery and weakened?! He couldn’t stay out on the streets forever! What should he do?! Wander and die, or- or… he could go to someone? For shelter? But then he’d be troubling someone else instead of Idia and Leona! Well, at least he wouldn’t be getting in the way of any romance… but he had to figure out who to go to.
In terms of help, Ruggie would be a good choice. He’s very nice and resourceful, but he’d tell on him! Report him back to Idia and leona! He couldn’t have that! The same would go for Farena and Sarabi, so… his only choice left might be Jack! He didn’t want to bother Jack at this hour of the night, since he sleeps super early, but Jack is the only one who could house him and not tell on him since he’s nice and loyal! He’s the only choice Ortho has left to survive that doesn’t include getting kidnapped off the streets!
“Ok!” Ortho tried hyping himself up as he floated off into the darkness of the night, far away from the safety of the place he called home, “C’mon, Ortho! You can do it! You can make it to Jack!”
Ortho didn’t dare to look back once. He knew that if he did, he’d want to run right back home and into the arms of Idia and Leona.
-🤖-
It took Ortho a long, long time to fly to Jack’s place, but he’s here now… standing at Jack’s front door. Is it ok for him to really be here? He didn’t have anywhere else to go, and he didn’t want to be kidnapped, so… Ortho knocked on the door politely. Then rapidly. Then hurriedly rang Jack’s doorbell several dozen times. He did not want to be out here any longer, he swore he just saw some shadow thing move in the corner of his eye!
Thankfully, Jack opened the door before the shadows he saw could take him, “Ortho..? What are you doing out here at this hour?”
“I… um… I wanted to have a sleepover!” Ortho hoped this little lie couldn’t be sniffed out by Jack, “So I’m here! Can I stay with you tonight? Pretty please?!”
Jack looked at him strangely, as if he truly knew Ortho was lying, but nodded as he stepped aside, “Sure, come in. Do you want some hot chocolate?”
“Yes please!”
Yes! His lie was a real good lie! Now he won’t be alone on the streets anymore! While he’s sheltering in Jack's place tonight, maybe he can rest… or think up a plan of where to go next. He couldn’t stay at Jack’s place forever, right? He had to leave eventually… but where would he go? He… didn’t really want to go away from the Sunset Savanna.
Ortho settled down in the kitchen with Jack, sitting on one of the barstools. He put down his backpack to take out Lazio and Captain Mustache, putting them in the seat right next to him. There! Now they won’t be in the dark, stuffy backpack anymore!
Jack slid him a cup of hot chocolate across the counter before grabbing his own, “Are you really here for a sleepover, Ortho?”
Oh no.
“Yeah I am!” Ortho quickly grabbed his hot chocolate to look at, he didn’t want to face Jack right now, “Why else would I be here?”
“It’s just that… I didn’t see Leona or Idia outside. They always wait for you to come inside before leaving.”
“They had to rush home to snuggle! They’re just so sleepy!”
“... Right.”
Jack didn’t ask any other questions after that, leaving the two of them to stay there in silence with their cups of hot chocolate. This… didn’t feel good. It didn’t feel good to lie at all, and the glass of hot chocolate just didn’t taste as good as usual. Is this because Ortho feels a little guilty about running away? No, that couldn’t be right… this is for the benefit of his most favorite people ever. He should be happy to make this sacrifice!
As soon as Ortho swore that, it started raining outside. Hard. He’s lucky he didn’t get caught up in the rain, but… is this a sign from above? That he’s wrong in his actions of running away. It really made the already somber mood feel worse for some reason.
“We should head to bed.” Jack put his finished cup in the sink, “Are you done with your hot chocolate yet?”
Ortho shook his head, “Not yet. Sorry I’m being a little slow…”
“It’s fine, Ortho.” Jack ruffled his hair, “Maybe we can put something on the TV while-” Something buzzed loudly, and Jack hurried to pull his phone out of his pocket, “Sorry, Ortho. Give me a second I got a call…”
Jack answered his phone, and what came out of the loudspeaker was… Loud, mournful sobbing. Not just any crying- that’s his niisan! His niisan is crying on the phone! Why is he crying?! Orth didn’t get it! His niisan had no reason to cry! He sounded so sad, like… like when they were very young. Back in the days where Idia used to cry, alone, over their deceased brother. Why would he cry like he’s experienced such loss once more?
“Jack..?” Leona’s voice came out through the phone, he sounded so… anxious and tired, “We’re running out of leads here, but… have you seen Ortho?”
Jack looked at him, curious, and Ortho shook his head. Jack has always been a honest guy, so he probably wouldn’t lie to Leona, but-
“No, I haven’t.” Jack gritted his teeth, frustrated with either himself or Ortho based on his expression, “What’s going on?”
“He’s gone!” Wailed his brother loudly, his voice crackling with grief, “Somebody took him! Somebody kidnapped my baby brother!”
“Kidnapped?” Jack looked at him harder, “What makes you think he was kidnapped?”
“His window was unlocked…” Replied Leona between barely audible murmurs, perhaps he’s trying to comfort Idia right now, “And all the alarms in the house were disabled. Idia thinks someone disabled them and took Ortho- we don’t know who though, since the security cameras were turned off as well…” Another wail, then Leona continued, “We… Just wanted to check if you knew anything, Jack, but you don’t have to go out and look. My brother and sister-in-law said they’d send some troops out… to search. I gotta go now, since I need to see if Ruggie saw him, but… keep in touch?”
“Yeah,” Spoke Jack grimly, “I’ll keep in touch. Can you keep me updated?”
“I will.”
The call ended, and so did the heartbreaking cries of his brother. Now it’s just the two of them again, in the kitchen, with the rain clattering loudly against the roof of Jack’s home.
“Why did you lie for me?” Ortho couldn’t understand why Jack would go against the noble principles he held so dear, “I… I thought you’d tell them…”
“I didn’t want to lie, but it didn’t seem like you wanted to tell the truth.” It felt as if Jack’s gaze would burn him if he looked away, “Ortho… this isn’t a sleepover, is it?”
“... No.” Why did he feel so sad and shameful?
“Why did you lie to me?”
“I-I didn’t want to!” Those words weren’t true, but he had no other way of justifying his actions, “But I had no choice!”
“Why?” Jack had every right to be mad, but he didn’t look mad at all, “Why didn’t you have a choice?”
“It’s because… I ran away from home.”
It did not feel good to say those words out loud. The idea of running away sounded perfect in his head, but after everything- from the darkness to the call, it felt… horrible. Jack kept staring at him, even after his confession, and his gaze didn’t help one but to rid Ortho of this awful, icky feeling that clung to his system.
“You need to tell them the truth, Ortho.” Spoke Jack softly, “You… You need to tell them you’re here. You need to also tell them why you ran away!”
“But-!” Ortho’s protest died quickly in his mouth as Jack’s phone buzzed once more. It’s not another call from Leona, is it?
Jack did not dare to look away from him as he answered the call, “What is it, Ruggie?”
“You heard the news, right?!” For some reason, Ruggie sounded awfully worried, “Their little boy! Kidnapped!”
“Yeah.” Jack tapped a claw idly against the countertop, “Have you found any clues?”
“No, not yet-” Ruggie paused, followed by a clatter, “I’m over at their place, Leona is worried sick and Idia won’t stop crying his eyes out. Do you think boiling five bags of sleepy time tea will knock ‘em out? I’m afraid Idia is gonna cry his eyeballs out at this rate- and I’m pretty sure I saw Leona planning a very elaborate way to kill a man legally.”
“I don’t think it will, but you can try.” Jack squinted at him, “Need me to drive over?”
“No! I’m all good, pal, I can handle them. Can you maybe go outside and sniff around your area, though? I’m hanging around Leona’s laptop for updates from the guards, and I think one of ‘em found a partially burnt bush near your neighborhood. Ortho might be nearby.”
Oh… Right. He might’ve beamed a bush on his way here because it looked very creepy in the dark and he was scared…
“Sure, I’ll take a look. Make sure they don’t do anything rash, alright?”
“I know that, dude! Don’t worry! Sleepy time tea has to work- maybe. Call ya later.”
The call ended with a beep, and Jack placed his phone on the counter within Ortho’s reach, “Did ya hear that, Ortho?”
“Yeah…” Ortho nodded, “They're…”
“They’re worried sick about you, Ortho. Why did you run away?”
“I-I wanted them to be happy!” The weirdly broken voice that left his mouth didn’t sound right, and the way his vision blurred felt awfully abnormal, “Is it wrong for me to want the people I love to be happy?!”
“How does running away make them happy?”
“Because I won’t be bothering them anymore! I won’t take up their resources or their time- and I won’t accidentally walk in and ruin their romantic moments- they’ll be free of me! They can be happy together!” He says this, but he just knows that what he heard on the phone wasn’t joy, it was grief, “I… I don’t wanna be a waste of space anymore, Jack. I want them to be happy…”
“They don’t seem happy without you, Ortho.” Jack slid his phone closer, “Please… If you really love them, Ortho, you have to call them. Tell them you’re here, and not being kidnapped out there. You have to tell them everything, Ortho.”
“But I- But I don’t want to get in the way again!”
“Did you ever ask them if you were getting in the way?”
“Well… no…”
“Call them, ok?” Jack patted his shoulder briefly, “You know that it’s the right thing to do.”
The right thing to do, huh..? Was it really? He’d have to admit that he ran away to make him happy, but they don’t sound happy at all! And he didn’t want to cause trouble either, that’s why he ran away in the darkness of the night in the first place! He longed to be loved, but not missed! He didn’t want his niisan to cry, and he didn’t want Leona to plan some made up murder! Aren't there guards out there too?! This is so much effort for someone like him who just keeps getting in the way- is he wrong in choosing this path? Or is he right, but his methodology is just incorrect? He didn’t have a clue! What’s the truth? What should he do?!
In the emptiness of the kitchen, Jack’s phone rang, displaying Ruggie’s name. He should answer that, right? There was no point in delaying what he has to do now. He… he needed to call them, even if he didn’t want to, because it’s the right thing to do.
Ortho picked up the phone, cradling it gently in his hands as he answered the call, “Ruggie..?”
“Jack- Listen, I-” Ruggie stopped abruptly, his panicked voice switching to something close to relief, “Hey- Hey, Ortho? Is that you, Ortho?!”
“Yeah…” He nodded along, even if Ruggie couldn’t see him right now, “Hi…”
“Oh great sevens- are you with Jack right now? Are you ok?!”
“Uh huh…”
“I’m so happy to hear you- what happened?!” Ruggie mumbled something inaudible, followed by the sound of footsteps over the phone, “Did you- Did you get kidnapped or something? You totally beamed the baddy and ran to Jack, right?”
“No, I…” Ortho didn’t know if he wanted to admit this out loud, but he had to- it’s the right thing to do, “I… ran away…”
“You ran away?!”
“I ran away from home… Jack found me.” Admitting that out loud somehow made himself feel worse about the situation despite doing something good for Idia and Leona.
“Why did you run away?” Questioned Ruggie hesitantly, “Leona isn’t being super mean to you, is he? Is that the reason why you ran away?”
“No! Nothing like that! Leona is super nice to me, but…” He didn’t have the heart to just tell Ruggie all the thoughts in his head over the phone- it felt so empty and lonely, “Can you drive everyone over to Jack’s place..? I… I promise I’ll explain everything there.”
“Yeah, sure- ok.” Ruggie could be heard opening a door, followed by the sound of muffled sobbing, “I’ll see you there, kid. Please, don’t run away from us again.”
“Okay… I promise…”
The call ended there, and the rainfall outside quickly filled up the space where Ruggie’s voice used to be. He promised he’d stay, but what should he tell them? What could he say to Idia and Leona that could justify his actions? Justify the tears his niisan shed over him? There is nothing he could say here- he already ruined it all! He made it worse! Is that all he’s good at? Barging into things? Making things worse? Leaving no happy ending behind? Even before he could truly become “himself”, he was a poor imitation of the older brother he had never met. Is the meaning of his life to be a source of grief till the end for Idia? His beloved niisan?
At this point, his thirst for hot chocolate had dwindled, once seeked warmth now replaced with heavy stones that seemed to weigh Ortho down from inside. Logically, he knew nothing could weigh him down, for his body is made with nearly perfected calculations from the smartest man he knows, but still- this irrational emotion that clung to his “heart” like a stubborn piece of caramel could not be plucked off with ease. It made him feel heavy, barely allowing him to float to Jack’s living room before flopping lifelessly upon the closest couch he could find. Whatever happened efter that wasn’t worth recording into his memory- it was a long stretch of silence, muddled by the anxiety of his wait and the rain outside. What was he supposed to do in a situation like this? What could he even say? His only moment of solace was when Jack came back from his hunt, offering him a blanket for comfort. It felt wonderfully soft, but also… offputting. He didn’t deserve such a delightful comfort after dragging everyone into his mess. With enough time, their shared silence was broken by a doorbell, frantic steps, and-
Idia and Leona…
They stared at him, in shock, both drenched from head to toe. Did they forget umbrellas on their way here? Did they so urgently need to see him of all people that they forgot to take care of themselves? Why?
“I-It’s you..!” Idia broke out into another sob as he rushed over, grabbing Ortho into his arms and hugging him like the world is moments from ending, he felt cold, “You’re here! You’re ok! N-Niisan is so sorry he couldn’t-” Another sob, louder and more heart wrenching than before, “I didn’t want to fail again… I-I was so afraid I-”
Leona came over, wrapping his arms around the two of them and shushing Idia with gentle kisses, “You didn’t fail a thing, Idia. Our kid is fine and safe.” Leona looked at him for a moment, and even if he didn’t cry Ortho could see his eyes gleam with a sort of hidden wetness, “Not a scratch on him at all… you already did a great job of protecting Ortho by making sure he could protect himself.”
“But I didn’t do enough!” Weeped Idia, his hours of crying made him sound oddly broken in a way Ortho wasn’t sure he could fix, “I thought the security system I designed was good, but it still got hacked and then Ortho got-”
“Niisan, wait!” He just couldn’t bear to listen to his brother rake himself over hot coals for something he did, “I wasn’t kidnapped! Also, I-I was the one who hacked in and turned off the system in the first place with the emergency keys you left in your computer…”
Idia’s look of disbelief over his deception hurt in a way he couldn’t describe, but it felt as if he had been momentarily zapped by his sins as the once forgiving stars looked away, “You-You ran away from home?”
He asked that, but in Idia’s eyes Ortho could see a different question; you ran away from me? From us?
“Why?” Leona had never been one to outwardly show weakness, but the hesitation in his eyes and the pause of his lips was enough to show that this situation meant something to him, that Ortho’s choice had laid a burden on his shoulders, “Are you not happy with us at home..?”
“No!” This whole situation felt like so much upon Ortho, the consequences of his actions gripping him tightly without remorse, “I love being at home! I’m so happy at home! Every day is so fun and- and I just wanna play more and more! It’s just that I… I-” His vision blurred quickly, accompanied by a rather unsatisfactory feeling of wetness that Idia and Leona were quick to try and brush away, “I wanted you two to be happy too… that’s why I ran away.”
“You ran away to make us happy?” Questioned Leona with disbelief, “Why would you think that’d make us happy, Ortho?”
He did not wish to face this question, but he had no choice but to answer underneath the gaze of the ones he loves so dearly, “Because… I keep-I keep getting in the way…”
“Of what?”
“Of you two!” Was that answer not obvious enough?! It’s why he had to go! To leave!
“You don’t get in the way of us at all-”
“I do!” The rain kept pouring, and so did Ortho’s tears, “I get in the way of your romantic dinners and cuddles, and I keep coming in at night and snuggling between you two because I like it there, and I’m pretty sure I’ve ruined the time you two share more than once! I’m just a bother! A waste of space! I-I’m stopping you both from being really happy and romantic together just because I exist like a burden!”
“Ortho…” Idia reached out to grip his face, “Ortho… Why would you…” He looked like he wanted to start crying again, “You really think all this?”
Ortho nodded, there was no point in lying after all.
“I love you, Ortho. I love having you here at home with us, I wouldn’t trade what we have for anything in the world!” Idia bit his lip for a moment, his usually bright hair now flickering dimly with sorrow, “Niisan didn’t create you to be a burden… and do you remember that day years ago? During our fun winter break with Leona? I asked you to stay by me because I want you here, we pinkie promised and everything. You make me happy! Not a bother at all! And- And you have never been a barrier in my happiness or in my romance, can’t you understand that I love you? That I’m so unbelievably happy to have you here with me and Leona?”
“I also love you too, Ortho.” Leona scratched the back of his head, his damp hair moving slowly like seaweed in murky waters, “I know I don’t say that a whole lot, but you’re pretty fucking stupid to think otherwise.” He hissed as Idia punched him lightly, unable to dodge that jab or the slippers Jack and Ruggie hurled at him from the doorway of the living room, “Look, I complain sometimes when you squeeze in between Idia and I, but I really don’t mind at all. Idia and I have time for one another, and we also have time for you. You’re not ruinin’ anything at all, kid. We’re happy to have you here, not sad. All this… running away business is solving shit that doesn’t exist, ya get me?”
Hearing this all made Ortho feel oddly restless, as if he wanted to move- to do something more than stay here in this huddle. It felt wrong of him to dine on this banquet of confessions alone, to be the one comforted by the people he had left behind. But what could he say? Or do? He couldn’t come up with an answer that’ll make everything right again. Hearing this all made him feel relieved, that his haunting thoughts are no more than ghosts after all, but… great seven, this could’ve all been avoided if he had not listened to such traitorous thoughts in the first place! It’s too late for that, though, so… Ortho decided to communicate in the only way he knew how to.
He tried to hug Idia and Leona, grabbing fistfuls of wet clothing, snuggling as close as he can to them. They wouldn’t disappear underneath his grasp, right? Would they understand that he’s sorry for this mess? That he knows that he is loved? That he knows he is not what his thoughts whispered? He had run away from a problem that didn’t exist, and he regrets it… and he’s happy to know that he’s loved and wanted by the people that matters most to him.
Idia and Leona probably understood what he meant with his silence, pulling him closer into their embrace as well. They kissed the top of his head, over and over, muttering lines of ‘I love you’ and several words of comfort. Ortho had never admitted this out loud to anybody but his teddies, but he truly adored being tucked between Idia and Leona. He felt like the safest, most beloved person in the world like that. So, to be cradled and loved between them, it really meant so much. It got him crying, then it got his niisan crying too. They all stayed there together like that until he and his niisan had stopped crying, until they’re able to look at one another in the eye again.
They’re fine.They’re together again, whole. Family. Ortho could hardly believe that he had almost torn them all apart.
There wasn’t much to do after that. Jack made sure to flatten Idia and Leona down with fluffy towels, and barely managed to settle them in the guest bedroom as the darkened sky began to bleed light upon the land. Had they really all been awake for that long? It didn’t matter. He was snuggled in bed between the two people that meant the world to him, all cozy and comfortable. As Ortho closed his eyes, he could hear his niisan humming a greek lullaby as Leona muttered some words to him in swahili. He wished to translate what Leona said, but he’s much too tired now to pull up his translator.
Ortho let all the words they spoke wash over him as he slipped into a deep slumber, letting the sound of their voices push away all the bad, bad thoughts he had. When they all wake up later, they can go home together, happy as a family. He couldn’t wait to keep spending every day with them, knowing that he is so loved and not a burden in the slightest. To himself, he swore to protect this happiness; he knows what’s truly important now, after all.