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Cheated couldn’t shake the conversation from her head. Really she couldn’t shake the whole night from her head.
To this day she still doesn’t understand what she did to get on that stab happy lunatic’s radar. She’s just trying to live her life. But no. No, Razor had to show up. Again. To try and kill her. Again.
Inviting a whole group hunters was new though.
She hadn’t been fully paying attention during the fight. She hadn’t noticed the rock. She was too busy dodging Razor.
Everything happened too fast.
She tripped.
Razor went in for the kill that never came.
Hero – sweet, kind, human Hero – was standing between him and Razor. The hunter’s knife was imbedded in Hero’s chest.
Everything fell apart from there.
Most of the others made quick work of the hunters. Para, Cold, and Skeptic were trying to figure out what to do.
Cheated felt entirely useless. All she did was hold her friend’s hand as they bled out.
They were too late.
Hero died.
Panic set in after that. What were they supposed to do?! Hero was dead and Razor got away, and it wasn’t fucking fair!
“We need to tell their parents.” Cold, ever the temperate one, suggested.
“They should know their kid died a hero.” Cheated didn’t even realize she spoke until she noticed everyone else looking at her.
It was a quiet trek to Hero’s home. Her mind was still reeling as she looked back at Stubborn, holding her friend’s corpse. She had to fight the sob trying to crawl up her throat. What was Hero thinking? Why did they have to be such a knight in shining armor? What were any on them even going to tell their parents?
Before long, Hero’s house came into view. They had just reached the door when a desperate gasp and a surprised shout sounded behind her.
Whirling around revealed a quivering Stubborn clutching a very much alive, very confused Hero.
That’s when Hero’s father opened the door.
No one had time to explain. Hero’s parents told them they passed out and sent them off to bed. The injury Hero had was gone. They remembered nothing. Just very confused as to why all of their friends were in near tears.
Once Hero left was when anyone was able to talk. They explained what happened tonight. And Hero’s parents explained what they knew.
Hero had a…condition.
Hero wasn’t as human as they all thought. Their parents didn’t know what Hero was. Everyone knows. Everyone but Hero knows. They’ve been like this their whole life.
Their parents begged the group not to tell Hero. This would destroy them.
No one fully agrees. Not yet. They need to think it over.
Cheated is home in bed. He can’t sleep. Not with all that’s racing through his head.
The others…they don’t think they have the right to tell Hero. Not if their own parents can’t even bring themselves to tell them.
Cheated groans as he climbs out of bed and grabs clothes.
He needs to go see Hero.
***
Hero can’t sleep. Not after they overheard their parents’ secret.
Why didn't their parents tell them that they died? Just how many times have they died and not known a thing about it?
They’re allergic to peanuts. The first time they had to be run to hospital when they were six, had they actually survived that?
Or in the sixth grade when they fell off the monkey bars? They needed stitches. Doctors said they were lucky, but what if that was a lie?
They had a bout of pneumonia in their teenage years. Had that killed them?
Did they ever die without their parents knowing?
Why didn’t they ever tell them? Who else knew? Why did no one tell them? And would their friends now be a part of this group? Or did they already know somehow?
Hero jumped as something struck their window.
Fuck, they thought. Please don’t be the weird forest dad again.
The pelting continued as they got out of bed. Looking out the window revealed…Cheated?
“Cheated?” they quietly called, yelping when they almost got pelted by one of the pebbles she had been throwing. “What are you doing here?” They paused before suspiciously asking, “It is you, right?”
“Yes, it’s me, dummy,” the wolf-dragon said with an eyeroll. “Who else would it be?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” the other snarked back as they leaned on their arms. “Did you forget the forest dad incident that you still like to tease me about?”
“And I will continue to do so until the day one of us dies.” Both froze at that remark. “Anyways…” Cheated stuttered out. “I wanted to talk to you about something.” She held up a bag of snacks. “Come join me?”
In matter of minutes, the two sat on the porch, sharing chips, candies, and soda.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” Hero asked as they cracked open an orange soda. Hero doesn’t remember telling Cheated their favorite soda but Cheated seemed to have a habit of finding out and remembering these details.
Cheated pause at she gathered her thoughts. “What do you remember about tonight?”
Hero tried to keep a straight face. “We were all hanging out at the diner. We got ambushed by those hunters when we left. I saw you fall and…” They shrugged. “I guess I passed out.”
Cheated hummed. “And that’s…all you remember?”
“Yes,” they practically growled out. Why did it matter? It wasn’t like anyone was going to tell them. What was the point of Cheated bringing any of this up?
“Hey…” Cheated put a hand on the other’s shaking shoulder. They hadn’t even realized they been shaking. “Are you ok?”
“Well, it’s not every day you almost see a friend die.”
“Yeah…” Cheated swallows the lump in his throat. “That’s actually what I needed to talk to you about…” Come on. Just spit it out. “I actually do know that feeling…”
Hero listened patiently as Cheated explained the night from the half dragon’s perspective. Throughout it all, Hero could feel themselves shaking. “Why are you telling me all this?” They could barely get the words out.
Cheated looked down at his hands. “I’ve been in your shoes twice now. Didn’t know my dad was a dragon. Didn’t expect to get bitten by a werewolf. I didn’t tell my ma about either cause well…you know.”
Hero did. Being a monster while knowing your mom was a former monster hunter must have been stressful.
“It was hard,” Cheated continued. “I was alone and scared. I didn’t tell anyone for a long time.” Cheated looks up at his friend. “I don’t know what you are or why this is happening, but I wanted to know you aren’t alone. And I got your back.”
That did it. The loud, ugly sobs Hero had been holding back all night finally fell continuously from their mouth.
“Hey. Hey, hey. Shh. It’s ok.” Hero felt arms wrap around their shoulders as Cheated pulled the other into his chest. “I’m sorry. I just thought-.”
“I already know.”
Cheated paused. “You…know?”
“I overheard my parents tonight.”
“Oh Hero…”
The two friends don’t know how long they stayed like that, one sobbing into the other’s chest as she tried to calm them down.
It didn’t matter. Nor did it matter what Hero was or what was going to happen in the near future.
Cheated had Hero’s back.
That’s what mattered.