Chapter Text
“Ugh, you are insufferable!”
Hugo winked. “Right back at ya, Goggles.”
Varian groaned, putting his goggles back on over his eyes, which hopefully hid most of the blush creeping up his cheeks. Why did Hugo have to be such a pain?
“I’m trying to get some work done here. Could you at least give me some peace and quiet?”
Hugo thought for a moment, tapping his chin. “Hmmm…” he hummed. “Nah. Whatcha workin’ on this time?”
Varian rolled his eyes. “I’m trying to get a reaction out of these two chemicals, but it’s hard to focus when you keep blabbering in my ear.” Plus, did Hugo have to be right there?
“Well, Sparkles despises me, and she's out anyway—and as much as I love a little chaos, the lil’ firecracker seems keen on talking about feelings, so I’d much rather bug you, thanks.” Hugo said, rolling a coin between his knuckles. He leaned in closer. “Plus, you like having me around.”
Varian narrowed his eyes. “Do I need to remind you that you forced your way into this team?”
Hugo sighed dramatically. “Sure, yet somehow you trust Sparkles more than me, even though I’ve been here longer.”
“I don’t trust her any more than I trust you—but at least I can have a real conversation with her.” Varian sighed. “Seriously Hugo, I need to work in case we need something more powerful for the next trial.”
“Whatever you say, Sweet Cheeks.”
Varian blushed. “I told you not to call me that.”
Hugo snorted, pushing off the wall. “Since when do I listen, Sweet Cheeks?” He walked out of the caravan, presumably to go bother Nuru or help Yong with whatever he was up to.
Varian shook his head fondly in annoyance. He knew Yong wanted him and Hugo to get along, but it was hard when Hugo was just so…
It was especially hard now that Varian had to reprimand him almost every day for every fight he started with Nuru. Yong wanted all of them to get along, and Varian had to stop himself from thinking it to be a childish hope. They could get along—well, maybe not Nuru and Hugo, but those two could at least be civil. And him and Hugo did get along sometimes.
Nuru walked into the cabin, basket in hand. Oh right, Varian had forgotten she'd gone to the market. He gave a tired smile. “Hey Nuru.”
Nuru smiled. “Hello, Varian.” She studied him. “What are you thinking about? You look like you have something on your mind.”
Varian shook his head, huffing a laugh. “No, just Hugo being Hugo is all.”
Nuru shook her head. “I'm telling you, I don't trust him. He's shady.”
“He's just…him. But he does care, I know that much.” Varian took his gloves off and lifted his goggles off his eyes. He supposed he should go check on Prometheus. He could finish working later. He couldn't focus right now anyways. “He hates showing it, apparently, but he does care.”
Nuru raised an eyebrow. “Somehow I doubt it.” She paused, hesitating. “Varian…I don't mean to speculate, but I think he might be working for someone.”
“What?” Varian knew Hugo acted weirdly sometimes, but they all had their days. “Nuru, c'mon. I know you guys don't like each other but why would he—”
“Why's he the one who suggests where we stop? And why does he disappear every time?” Nuru reasoned. “He could be meeting someone.”
Varian hesitated. She had a good point, but… “Nuru, I really don't think so.” Hugo, while irritating and sure, maybe there were times where he seemed too keen on getting information or knowing what Varian was up to or where exactly the next trial would be—but those were all reasonable! Well, not the being irritating, but he was allowed to be curious. And they’d all saved each other more times than any of them could count. Hugo was annoying and cocky and arrogant—Varian could sympathize with Nuru on that front. But he also knew that that wasn’t all there was to Hugo. Varian knew that best. The rare times he could get Hugo to open up (which Varian remembered with a soft smile—and once he realized he was smiling, he promptly schooled his expression), he was…well, he was different. The way Hugo had grown up wasn’t easy. Orphaned, alone, and forced to fend for himself. And yeah, Varian could admit he’d been a little harsh when it came to Hugo’s instinct to steal, and it was wrong, Varian wouldn’t ever let up on that, but to him, that was a survival instinct. And he’d gotten better. He hadn’t stolen anything from the last couple of villages they’d stopped in, at least to Varian’s knowledge. And there were other times, too, where Hugo’d admitted that he was scared of what the others thought of him, that he was scared that Nuru hated him and as much as he didn’t like her, they were still sort-of friends, and that he was scared what Yong thought, because sometimes it felt like the kid was disappointed in him. Varian could sympathize with that. But he also knew that he was the only one who knew that side of Hugo.
(Varian couldn’t help but remember what Hugo had said when he’d asked why he wasn’t worried about what Varian thought of him. Hugo had answered that that’s what worried him the most, and that as much as he bugged him, he was glad they were friends and he valued that friendship. Varian had blushed, which had earned him Hugo’s trademark smirk and the regular teasing. They’d ended up falling asleep together on Hugo’s cot.)
“Hugo…once you get to know him, he’s not really like that. I mean, he is, but he’s not as shady as you think he is. It’s a defense mechanism.” Varian finally continued. “In fact, he can be really sweet, once you get through all his walls.” He murmured, smiling softly once more.
Nuru was silent, studying Varian. She seemed to realize something, tensing. “Oh no.”
Varian blinked, confused. “What?”
“Varian, you cannot be falling for him!”
Varian blushed. “What? No, no no no no no, I don’t like him, not like that! He’s just—he is nice, when he wants to be. And he is sweet, if you get behind the rough exterior.”
Nuru raised an eyebrow. “Note how you’re the only one who’s managed to do that.”
“That doesn’t mean anything!” Varian protested. “Maybe he just needs someone to talk to sometimes!”
“Well, it’s hard to be that person when he seems to have a vendetta against royalty.” Nuru deadpanned. “And Yong means well, but none of us would burden him with our problems. You’re the only one he would talk to, anyway.”
“Yeah, so there’s no reason that should mean anything else.” Varian replied, glancing away. Nuru was wrong. Even if he did think of Hugo that way, they were all gonna go their separate ways after this. There would be no point in acting on those feelings.
Nuru sighed. “Varian, I hate to break it to you, but most of your interactions with him are quite literally just him flirting with you. I thought that much was obvious.”
Varian only got redder. “He does not flirt with me.”
“He does.” Nuru paused, mouth pressed into a thin line. “...I still don’t think he’s very trustworthy, but I will not interfere if you care for him in that way.” She set the supplies on top of the trunk in the back, then went back outside.
The bad thing was, Varian was afraid she might be right.
* * *
Varian was lying on the roof of the caravan, staring up at the sky.
“What’s goin’ on in that big head of yours, Goggles?”
Varian glanced over. Hugo’s head was poking out of the roof hatch, resting his chin in his hands. Varian rolled his eyes, smiling fondly. “Hey, Hugh.”
Hugo climbed up onto the roof, closing the hatch behind him and laying down next to Varian, hands layered behind his head. He glanced at Varian. “Didn’t answer the question, y’know.”
Varian shrugged. “Dunno. Just tired. And stressed.”
Hugo hummed. “Hard not to be. With all this.”
Varian was silent, watching the clouds as the sun set. He thought about what Nuru had said. He glanced at Hugo. Sure, he could see why she’d think he was up to something, but that didn’t mean he was.
Hugo sighed, glancing away. He sat up. “V…there’s something I have to tell you.”
Varian sat up too, brow furrowing. Hugo didn’t get serious like that, never this randomly. Suddenly, Varian realized that this had happened so many times before. Hugo had gotten serious, almost scared, and had been about to say something, but he was always cut off. Now Varian was nervous. What could be so important that it had Hugo scared?
“...I wanna preface this by saying you aren’t gonna be happy with me. You can hate me, leave me behind, whatever. But I want you to know I quit, I’m not doing it anymore.”
Varian blinked. “What? Hugo, what are you talking ab—”
“I was working for Donella.”
Varian froze. Donella. His mom’s partner. The only person who knew what happened to her. The person who’d been cryptic or silent whenever anyone had asked for more details. For what had really happened to his mother. The person who, as far as Varian knew, couldn’t be any good.
Hugo turned away, not meeting Varian’s gaze. “She’s…she’s my...mom, I guess. She pretends to be.”
Varian thought about this. Everything Hugo had ever mentioned about the woman who’d taken him off the streets…well it wasn’t any good. It was always something that, frankly, sounded horrible that Hugo would always brush off as if it were normal. Still, that didn’t change the fact that he worked for her. And by his expectations of how Varian would react, he assumed it wasn’t any good.
“She wanted me to steal the totems from you.” Hugo explained further, muttering.
“I should’ve listened to Nuru.” Varian mumbled, clenching his fist. “She was right about you. You were just gonna let us do all the work, like at the fire trial, right? Then take everything we’ve worked for, my only chance at meeting my mom, just to make yours happy.”
“That woman isn’t my mother. All she’s ever done is manipulate me and show me affection when she needed something from me because she couldn’t do it herself.” Hugo spat. “And I told you, I quit. I don’t work for her anymore.”
“And I’m supposed to just believe that?” This was ridiculous. Hugo was probably just telling him this in hopes that he’d forgive him, and then he’d trust him more than ever, and then it’d only hurt more when he tore Varian’s heart out.
Hugo’s expression was pained. “Would I be telling you this at all if I didn’t? If I was still working for her, I’d still have to pretend. But I can’t hurt you guys like that, especially you!”
Varian was silent. Should he believe him? He didn’t know what to think. If Hugo was telling the truth, there was no point in being angry. But if he wasn’t…forgiving him would be falling into a trap.
“I need time to think.” He stood up, opening the hatch and going back inside the caravan. He took off his shoes, laying down on his cot. He let out a shaky breath.
Varian hoped this was just a dream.