Work Text:
“Did you hear ‘bout Elliot Builder? They say he just left the family business one day. Just *POOF*!”
“Elliot Builder, abandoning his family? No, that’s not like him!”
“Well have you seen him anywhere ‘round here? Anywhere or even in town?”
Mia tuned them out, focusing on her job. She doesn’t know how Elliot did it, doing all the jobs while dealing with nosy customers. It was annoying, having people speculating about her family while they thought she couldn’t hear them.
Truth be told, she did know what happened to her brother, but she wasn’t going to tell anybody. It was for her family, and her family alone.
It had been a few months since mum died when it started. None of them took it easy, but it seemed Elliot was affected the most. He was the closest to mum, aside from dad of course. She’d notice the changes in her dad first, his reluctance to do much. He was very openly grieving their mother and his wife. The woman who stuck by them through thick and thin, the woman who shaped all of them individually.
Elliot hid how much it affected him till it was far too late.
He was slowly cracking under the pressure, it didn’t help that bastard 007n7 kept coming around and bothering him. Somehow, someway, the two became close. That other guy that 007n7 hung out with, (Noli was it?), was nowhere to be seen.
Mr Builder told Elliot that he was bad news, but Elliot wouldn’t listen. Not anymore. Then came the ramblings about something called the “Voidstar”. It was small at first, just a few comments here and there. But then it spiraled into obsession. Elliot would keep talking about it just about every time he could. He even talked about wanting to start up a movement the moment he got his hands on the Void Star. It scared Mia, but she tuned it out. Gods, she wished she didn’t.
It got so bad that it affected his work.
Soon after that he just stopped coming, which put the business in jeopardy. It got to the point that Mia took on her brother's responsibilities at 14. Yes she was old enough to work, but she was not ready for the amount of stress. It was a really steep learning curve, but she adapted. She had to.
He’d come back eventually…. Right?
She could remember the last day he came by.
The door of Builder Brothers’ chimed, letting in the cold winter breeze. Mia shivered, a little annoyed that someone ignored the ‘closed’ sign she had clearly put up.
“We’re closed, the sign says so. I’m sorry but you need to leave and come back tomorrow.” She says, not turning around.
“Is that how you should greet your brother?” Came the familiar voice behind her.
Mia froze.
“... Elliot?” She slowly turned around, as if she was afraid that she turned too quickly, he wouldn’t be there anymore.
Elliot stood there, a worn smile on his face. He was wearing a red cloak. It didn’t look like he was doing too great…. The most glaring thing though, was the Voidstar floating idly a few inches above his head.
He actually got it.
Before Mia could say anything more, Elliot started talking. Talking about the Voidstar he had finally obtained. Talking about the ‘truths’ he learned about their world just by possessing it. Mia tuned him out, unable or unwilling to hear him out.
“Why? Why are you here after leaving us with no notice?” Mia couldn’t keep the waver out of her voice. Panic and dread slowly started to fill her gut.
“I wanted to say goodbye. I finally started up that movement I talked about, far in the woods away from prying eyes.” Elliot said like it was just a normal Tuesday, like he hadn’t left them in favor of a stupid crown.
“Goodbye!? Elliot you can’t seriously be thinking of doing this! It’s a bad idea and you know it!” Mia protested. She couldn’t lose her older brother, not now.
But no matter how much she begged and reasoned, Elliot wouldn’t listen to her. He insisted that it was what he needed to do.
“Are you sure you don’t want to join me? I care for you Mia, I only want what’s best for you. I just want to make sure you ascend.” Even as he was talking crazy, the care he had for Mia still seeped into every word he spoke.
“No, I don’t want to join you.” She rejected him, she always did.
Elliot just nodded and accepted it quietly.
“Very well.” He didn’t push or seem angry and that was much scarier than him lashing out. No fighting or further convincing, just acceptance.
With a small smile and a wave, Elliot exited the store and Mia’s life.
When she got home, her father had also seemingly been visited by Elliot judging by his expression and demeanour. There was no words exchanged between them, and honestly? No words could really express the grief that the two of them felt. They just cried together, mourning someone that wasn’t dead.
Mia slept in Elliot’s bed that night, craving the comfort he could no longer give. His sheets still smelt like him, Mr Builder hadn’t changed his room once he left. There would be no banter between them, no inside jokes, nothing.
After closing, Mia walked back to their house. Well house was an understatement considering it was practically a mansion. Her father trusted her enough to walk home herself, as it wasn’t really far from Builder Brothers’ anyways. Mia knew that her father wasn’t doing well.
Mr Builder was still grieving, not just his lover but his son now too. But he couldn’t crumble, not now. He still had a daughter to care for and a business to run. But some days it felt like it just wasn’t worth it.
Dinner was a quiet affair, neither of them talking. That was Elliot’s thing. Mr Builder turned in early, Mia did too.
Laying in bed, Mia pulled out a picture of her and Elliot. Even now, Mia still thinks about him. She wonders where he is now.
Placing the photo on her nightstand, she falls into a dreamless sleep.