Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

‘College will be fun’ they said. ‘You’ll learn valuable skills’ they said.

Hollow had been hopeful, really. They just…hadn’t wanted to leave home. After their father left…and their older sibling… They just didn’t think out of state would be the best choice for them.

But here they were, going up a rickety elevator in an unknown land.

They checked their room number again. They were told they’d have a roommate, which made the experience worse. They hadn’t lived with someone else in years, not counting their barely-lucid mother.

The elevator stopped with a shudder and a ding. Hollow walked off, and scanned the doors for their room.

When they entered it, they saw that their roommate was already inside, their bags on their recently made bed while they sat at their desk.

Hollow almost sighed with relief. Their roommate looked clean and neat, and relatively normal. They had headphones on, and were scrolling through their phone.

Hollow stood silently for a moment, before walking further into the room to start unpacking. After a couple moments the other person looked up, seemingly having noticed them.

They took off their headphones, giving Hollow some sort of look. “So you’re my roommate.”

“Y-yes,” Their voice was hoarse. They weren’t at all used to talking to people. “My name’s Hollow. They/Them pronouns please.”

“Pebbles, He/Him.”

“Um, w-what classes are you-“

“I don’t have any classes with you.”

Hollow blinked. “Alright.” They looked down, and continued to unpack. They didn’t have a lot; They brought only the necessities.

Their father had taught them that extra possessions were unnecessary.

Every so often Hollow would try to get a better look at Pebbles. He seemed…rude, but first impressions weren’t everything. He wore an orange hoodie and jeans, and a beanie with two yellow pins. He slipped his headphones back on, a look of boredom on his face.

…Alright then.

…

By the end of the day, Hollow was exhausted. Figuring out the campus wasn’t too bad- They had always been good with maps -but its size didn’t make things easier.

Hollow leaned against the hallway wall, staring at their phone. Their half-sister was calling them.

They sighed, readying themself for a headache before answering.

“Hey Hornet-“

“Hollow! Why didn’t you tell me you were going off to college?!”

“I did.”

“Well, you should have told me louder! Now I’m gonna have to work the store all by myself.”

“No, you won’t. There are other employees.”

“But they don’t work hard enough… Anyway, how’s college life?”

“…Stressful.”

“How’s your roomie?”

“Um. Alright, I guess. Not horrible.”

“So he’s evil, but you’ll just deal with it?”

“I never said-“

“Hollow. Listen to me. This is your one chance to make a name for yourself, in a place where no one knew our father.”

“I know. …I gotta go. Remember to stay inside as much as possible, and wear your mask-“

“Quarantine’s nothing new, Hollow. But yeah, I will.”

They hung up, then sighed.

They didn’t want to make a name for themself. They just wanted to…

…

Well, they didn’t know exactly what they wanted, but that didn’t matter-

“Hey, um, are you Pebbles’ roommate?”

Hollow looked up. A stranger was talking to them. “Y-yes?”

“Yikes. Be careful, man. I heard he murdered his sister last year.”

HE DID WHAT-

Hollow was too frozen in shock to even come up with a plea for context before the stranger walked on down the hallway.

…

Well then. College just got more than stressful.

-…-

Pebbles was having a bad day, in a series of bad months, in what was turning out to be a bad year.

Of course people had already heard about Moon. Of course he couldn’t just broaden his education without being called a murderer. He got enough of that from calls from Hara.

When he finally reached the elevator to his dorm floor, he was met with an even worse surprise.

Pebbles’ eyes met Suns’, and both of them shared a small look of horror.

“Hey, um, How are you?” Of course Suns would try to start a conversation.

The elevator doors closed. It was too late to run.

“Fine.” Pebble answered shortly. “And you?”

“Good.”

…

“Look, Suns-“

“I’m sorry for almost double suiciding with you.”

Pebbles frowned. “It was my idea.” And besides, he didn’t deserve apologies after how badly he messed up-

The elevator door opened.

“Can we talk again? Some other time??”

“Maybe…” He mumbled, already trying to get to their room as fast as possible before they started feeling bad.

Pebbles left, going straight to his dorm. Finally, he could avoid people.

He sighed, then turned to see Hollow sitting on their bed, looking like they’d just seen a murderer.

Mm. Right.

“Seems like you had a nice first day.”

“Um, did you- I mean, if you-“

“I’m not a murderer.” Pebbles practically growled the words. “Despite what most people here might say.”

“…Context?”

He hesitated. This wasn’t something he just told people, usually. But he wasn’t usually known as a murderer. “…My sister’s in a coma. There was an accident, and she’s been like that for months now.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

Hollow looked down awkwardly, then stood, running their hand through their long, oddly pale hair. “I don’t know how anyone could just assume their way to murder . But…I know what it’s like to not be trusted because of misunderstandings. So…can we be friends now?”

Pebbles rolled his eyes. “You don’t become my friend just from ‘relating to my struggles’-“ They faltered, blinking. “Dang, how tall are you?”

“I don’t know, tall?”

Great. Now, next to his roommate, he’d look suspicious and short.

“That’s it, friendship’s canceled. We’re officially acquaintances.”

“What? But we’ll live together??”

-…-

Hollow couldn’t sleep.

They didn’t sleep a lot in the first place. They hated being unconscious, after…after they first got sick. But tonight the insomnia had worsened with anxiety.

They found themselves staring at Pebbles’ side of the room.

It was easy to get distracted, staring at the posters and figurines of things they knew nothing about. Like peering into someone else’s world.

…

They wondered what Ghost would think of him.

They didn’t remember them enough to know.

Chapter Text

“So you want to join Drama?”

Hollow stared at the person before them, who looked and sounded like they were cosplaying vampire Shakespeare.

“Should I?” They successfully cut the nervousness out of their voice. That only made them sound confidently indecisive, though.

“Well, I’d say ‘yes’, but my job is kinda to get you to join…”

“Then I’m joining,” They needed friends anyway, they reminded themself. Desperately.

“Great! I’m Grimm by the way,”

“My name’s Hollow.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” He took a bow, to their surprise. “I hope to see you tomorrow at our next meeting.”

“U-um, thanks,”

“Or maybe tonight at my house party?”

Hollow froze.

“Your what?”

“House party? Drinks and fun? Slam Poetry, if provided?”

“O-oh, um…maybe…” They’d never been to a party, unless the ones their father used to throw counted. But that was so long ago…

They shuffled through the crowds of people, looking for an exit to a clearer hallway. Maybe they could get their roommate to go to Grimm’s place with them. Though Pebbles didn’t seem like the ‘party’ type…

When they reached the hallway, they took a deep breath, then went down the list of opinions.

Father wouldn’t allow them to go to a house party, especially not one with alcohol.

But Hornet would be very encouraging, and would yell about how it would be good social experience for them.

Mom would…she wouldn’t care either way.

Ghost…

Well, Ghost had always been one for adventure, so maybe they’d have wanted-

Hollow paused, realizing they’d been subconsciously picking at the patchy scars on their arms. They pulled their sleeves down. If they kept that up, the lasting scars of their sickness would never heal.

Just thinking about it made them feel nauseous all over again. They sunk to the floor, resting against the wall as they ignored the bustling sounds from the main room.

…

“Hello, um, is your roommate named Pebbles by any chance?”

Hollow didn’t even open their eyes this time, but just nodded. Pebbles’ sister must have been really well known for her ‘murder’ to be this widespread-

“Is he going to Grimm’s party?”

Hollow looked up. In front of them was a very nervous looking person with blonde hair put back in a clip.

“Do you know him?”

“Can you just tell me if he’s going?”

“…” If this stranger wanted Pebbles to be there… and Hollow already didn’t want to go alone… “Yes. Definitely. He’ll see you there.”

The stranger sighed with what Hollow assumed to be relief. “Thank you.”

This was probably fine.

-…-

Pebbles was absolutely and completely furious. Higher education was not worth this.

“Why are we even here?” He glared up at Hollow, trying to ignore the stares from random partygoers.

“I-I’m supposed to make friends, I think?”

“You haven’t made friends yet? Wasn’t that, like, your one goal?”

Hollow made a noise that sounded like defeat.

Pebbles sighed. “Okay. You go socialize. I’m going to find a drink.”

Their roommate’s nervousness turned to horror. “Alcohol??”

Pebbles just stared at them blankly for a second, before sighing and heading towards the kitchen.

They poured themselves some Pepsi, and added a socially acceptable amount of alcohol to it.

He took a long sip of it, but nearly choked when he saw who was beside him. Suns was silent, for once.

Pebbles cleared his throat. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you. How have you been?”

Pebbles gave them a look, then looked back towards the crowds.

“We’re worried about you, you know.”

“Wow, really? You guys sure sounded worried last time we chatted.” He took another long drink. “Look, Suns, I know you think you’re being a good person by not hating me, but you’re not. You can’t fix this.

Besides, he deserved this. Accepting that was a good thing, and something Suns should’ve done too.

“I can at least help you be less alone?” They said it like an offer, as if waiting for Pebbles to refuse.

He didn’t.

“Is…” Pebbles hesitated, then internally berated himself for doing so. “Is Hara still-“

“Yes. …I’m sure they still care about you. I mean, I’m here.”

Pebbles ignored the warm feeling rising in his chest. Drinking was supposed to make him feel better, so why did he feel worse?

“I’m sorry for blocking you.” He mumbled eventually.

“T-thank you for apologizing?” Suns sounded surprised.

Pebbles turned to see their face. That was his first mistake. He didn’t even notice as he moved his hand to move aside Sun’s stray bangs, to make their dark eyes more visible.

He stumbled, though, his legs suddenly unsteady under him. Suns held him up.

“Well, aren’t you the lightweight.”

“S-Shut-“ His words faded to nothing when he met Suns’s dark chocolate eyes again. He stuttered for a moment, then decided to just spew the classic “I hate you.”

“Sure you do, Pebs.”

-…-

“So, where are you from?”

Hollow had been talking to Grimm for a while, but this question was the first to bring them pause.

“Um, I’m from the City of Tears.” They mumbled. It felt wrong to be speaking so loud, to make it over the other partygoers. It felt wrong to be speaking at all, when silence was supposed to be the better option.

“Oh, I’ve heard of that place.” Grimm’s face shifted to concern. “Didn’t the city get, like, a crazy plague?”

“Y-yeah…” They tried not to think of the nausea those memories gave them, and skipped the subject. “And where are you from?”

“Everywhere. My family travels a lot. My hometown, however, would be a place of your nightmares.”

Hollow wanted to mutter try me , but decided not to. They had enough nightmare hometowns anyway.

“How’s college treating you?”

“I’ve barely started…But it’s okay.” Grimm looked like he expected Hollow to say more, so they fished for more things to say. “My roommate, Pebbles, is alright-“

“You share a dorm with him ?”

“Y-yeah. He’s not like they say, though.”

“I’d assume not, since he got into this school. But he’s not exactly an ideal person.”

Hollow sighed, not able to come up with a defense. “Maybe, but-“

Hollow blinked. A stranger- The same stranger from the hallway -had walked up to them , Pebbles leaning against them.

“Hollow, right?” The stranger confirmed. “Can you take Pebbles back to your room-“

“I’m fine,” Their roommate slurred.

“You tried to kiss me a moment ago.”

“I’m sure loads of people do that,”

Hollow caught Grimm giggling, and they gave him a ‘see what I mean?’ look.

“Alright, I’ll take him back. Thanks for keeping him out of trouble.”

…

Hollow breathed in the silence of the empty hallways, staying close to Pebbles despite him insisting on his soberness.

Questions swam across Hollow’s mind, but they didn’t dare voice them. Silence was a virtue people liked-

“So, you’re into theatre?” Pebbles asked as they neared their dorm.

“Um, I think so. Grimm convinced me-“

“Why do you always do what people tell you?”

Hollow stared at him for a moment, but only found the same glare as always.

“…It’s the polite thing to do? Do you not like that?”

“Of course I don’t. It’s creepy.” Pebbles fell onto his bed, but kept his eyes on Hollow. “I told you about my sister. Tell me your ‘misunderstanding’. To keep it fair.”

Why had they ever told Pebbles that? Did it even matter if anything happened to them? W-what would their siblings do in this situation? Tell the truth??

“…My dad was a doctor,” Hollow started, though the words felt wrong. “A really bad illness started spreading around our area, and he was looking for a cure He thought he’d found one…but he didn’t. A lot of people back home blamed our family.”

“How was that your fault?”

Hollow wanted to explain, but…they didn’t really know how. Not without going through everything else.

It ended up they didn’t have to anyway, since Pebbles fell asleep shortly afterwards.

After a couple hours of failing to do the same, they settled on staring out the window. It was raining hard outside, the downpour threatening to turn into a storm.

It never did.

-…-

Pebbles felt awful. That was to be expected, though.

He woke up to his second alarm- He’s not an idiot, he prepares for such things -and was immediately greeted with his phone going off.

Pebbles begrudgingly picked it up, and fumbled to answer Hara.

“H-“

“Good. You’re awake. What have you been doing all week? I’ve been trying to call you nonstop-“

“I’ve noticed.” Pebbles took a quick look around, to make sure Hollow was gone. They were probably off doing drama whatnot. “What’d I do now?”

“For once, it’s not about you.” Rude. “Moon woke up-“

…

Holy sh-

Pebbles was speechless. Hara didn’t seem to notice.

“-Thanks to the treatments I’ve been paying for. So you better not-“

“I have to go see her.”

“No! Jeez, Pebs, haven’t you done enough already?”

…Maybe he had. Besides, he wasn’t exactly in a state to see his sister again. And Moon…well, she definitely wouldn’t want to see him…

“Fine. Thanks for telling me.”

“…Okay.”

Hara hung up.

Pebbles sighed, stretched, then finally got up. As he got ready for what would hopefully be an uneventful day, he checked his messages. There were multiple from Suns, asking if he got to his room safe.

Pebbles didn’t answer them.

Chapter Text

“ Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice, ”

“See, I told you you’d get it!”

Hollow looked over the passage again. The packet in their hands was an amalgamation of famous plays. They were seriously doubting their ability to ‘get it’.

“That line kinda reminds me of you,” Grimm continued. “Since you’re an amazing listener.”

A twisted feeling tugged at Hollow’s heart. “I don’t think so. I mean, I feel like I’ve been talking too much-“

“That’s one of the main parts of theatre. Show, and tell . Besides, I think you have a lovely voice.”

…Huh.

“I think we’re going to do a version of Hamlet for this year’s play,” Grimm’s voice was electric with excitement, their eyes shining like stage lights. “Madness and murder make the best of stories.”

Hollow bit back a remark at their distaste for madness. They’d seen enough people go insane from the sickness at their home.

“Have you always liked theatre?” They asked instead.

“Yes. It’s my lifeblood. I can’t wait to be in front of a crowd again. But first, we’re going to have to teach you how to speak.”

“I thought you said I sounded good-“

“I mean, yes. But you’ll need more than a pretty voice and a pleasant face. You’ll need practice, and confidence.”

“Confidence?”

“Come on, I’ll teach you how to stare into the abyss with a smile!”

…

After a couple hours of practicing, Hollow was completely enthralled. But not by the lines of dialogue or fluent emotions, but by Grimm himself.

He seemed to fit into scenarios like he was their missing piece. Seeing him so alight with passion- It was unlike anything Hollow had seen before.

It made them want to be someone new, and never look back till the curtain’s fell.

When they left the auditorium, they were almost in a daze, like waking up from a dream.

Then they remembered they were a college student. With actual classes, and a mountain of homework they barely remembered how to do.

…

Pebbles seemed smart. Either that, or he was completely full of himself. But it was better than nothing.

Hollow called him, and requested an emergency study session.

-…-

“It’s very simple.” Pebbles reminded their roommate.

“Is it?” They mumbled, squinting at the equations again. “This is why I prefer science.”

“Math and science are impossibly connected, Hollow.” Pebbles sighed, his head already starting to hurt from not even an hour of teaching.

It wasn’t Hollow’s fault, he had to admit. They had gotten through everything else with ease. Pebbles just…wasn’t used to this.

“How’d you get too be so good at this? My dad was a doctor, yet you’re the pretentious one.”

“My family was very…nonsensical.” Pebbles frowned as he remembered the Cult’s odd belief in Karma and rebirth. Their rules and values were still engraved in his mind. “I like things that are real, and intellectual.”

Hollow nodded, a response that was becoming less infuriating. To Pebbles’ surprise, though, they moved on to a question. “What are your parents like?”

“Oh, um, they’re dead.” Pebbles’ face was even, though inwardly he was almost happy thinking of those hypocrites’ religious demise. “Very dead.”

“Sorry for your loss.”

“Don’t be. I didn’t care much for them.”

They never cared much- Scratch that, at all for him anyway.

By Hollow’s expression, he gathered they didn’t understand that statement.

“They were cruel and ignorant.” He explained. “They forced their religious beliefs on everyone they could, then died.”

“…So you’re an orphan?”

“Well, I have my sister. She’s all I needed.”

“Mhm. I wonder if our sister’s would like each other.”

“Moon can get along with anyone.” He felt like thinking about her more would lead him closer to drowning in the thoughts and memories he didn’t want to even touch. So he scrolled down a page on Hollow’s virtual textbook, and brought their attention back to the problems at hand. “We should get back to work. We don’t have all evening.”

-…-

Hollow was on fire.

They felt numb all over. A familiar feeling itched beneath their skin, willing them to tear themself apart.

They could feel the sweat running down their textured, scarred skin as they squeezed their eyes to ignore the pressure building in their head.

They were fine.

This was all for the cure.

They pulled their blanket off from their head, and groaned as the pounding in their head got louder-

No. Someone was knocking on their door.

“…don’t…enter,” They managed, before going into a coughing fit. The sickly orange that trailed from their lips now had traces of blood.

“…I miss you.”

It was someone familiar’s voice. Maybe Hornet, or…Ghost.

In a sudden burst of energy, Hollow crawled to their bedroom floor, stepping over notebooks and the few science textbooks their father had given them.

By the time they reached the door, they were exhausted again. They held their breath and placed their head against the door, ignoring the scratchy feeling in their throat.

“D-don’t…leave…”

…

There was no response.

Hollow’s tears fell hot on their face.

-…-

“Jeez, is this what studying does to you??”

Pebbles continued trying to shake Hollow awake. They looked unwell; their face was pale, and their breath kept catching in their throat.

“Hollow, if you die on me, I’ll really be accused of murder. Do you want that? Is that your master plan?”

“Don’t…” Hollow’s voice was frail and drowsy. “Don’t leave me…”

…

“That’s it. I’m not dealing with whatever this is.”

He then took Hollow’s pillow- They only had one?? -and slapped them across the face with it.

Hollow woke up with a choked gasp, their eyes wide, with hints of tears.

“Are you okay?”

“Mm…y-yes?” Their voice was hoarse. They went into a coughing fit immediately, which Pebbles quickly distanced himself from.

“I think you’re supposed to tell me if you sometimes choke in your sleep.” Pebbles remarked, though worry was starting to grow inside him. “Should I take you to a nurse, or-“

“I’m fine.” Hollow assured. “I just…had a bad dream.”

Pebbles winced, almost wanting to take another step away. “…Do you want to talk about it?”

Hollow shook their head.

Oh thank Karma, he didn’t have the first idea how to console someone. “Alright then. Maybe get ready for the day, though. Classes are in less than an hour-“

“What?!”

Chapter Text

Pebbles ignored the person sitting beside him. He didn’t need to talk to his project partners to get work done.

Especially if one of them was Suns.

“Would it be crazy to suggest we’d do better on this project if we talked?”

Pebbles looked up at the stranger that had spoken, the poor third member of their group. He thought his name was Quilly or Quarrel or something.

“Yes.” He answered. “If it’d make you feel better, I could make a list of tasks you could do.”

“Talking would be nice.” Suns smiled at Q-something. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before, Quirrel. Where are you from?”

“Originally, the City of Tears, but I left a bit before things got too bad. I traveled with a close friend of mine for a while, before deciding to continue school.”

This got Pebbles’ interest. “The City of Tears? I think my roommate’s from there. Do you know someone named Hollow?”

Quirrel paused in thought. “No, I’ve never heard of them.”

“Alright then. Back to work.” Pebbles looked back to his papers.

“Aw, can’t you spare a while longer talking?” Suns pressed. “I mean, the three of us could probably finish this today if we wanted. The least you could do is make friends.”

“Why would I need more friends, when I already have you,” He grumbled.

“So I’m your friend now?”

Pebbles glared at his paper more, ignoring Suns’ teasing. “We’re never going to finish this…”

He felt Suns’ hand gently hold his chin, and turn his face towards them.

“What was that, Pebs?”

Pebbles avoided his eyes, keeping his gaze on their smug smile. “You’re awful.”

“Hey, um, I have some questions on the second page-“ Quirrel pipped up somewhere distant.

“If I’m so awful, why are you smiling?” Suns continued.

“I-I’m not-“ He faltered. “If you keep this up, you’ll regret it.”

“I don’t regret any time I spend with you.”

“Hello? Team?” Quirrel moved his chair closer, and pulled Suns hand away from Pebbles.

Pebbles hated how he still leaned towards them.

“Project, right.” He nodded, fumbling to grab his pencil.

He managed to make it through the class without looking back at them, though that didn’t mean he wasn’t annoyingly distracted.

…

Once they left, Pebbles practically dragged Suns into an empty hallway.

“What are you doing?” He hissed. “Do you want us to fail??”

“No, I just…” They hesitated. “…I’ve missed you, Pebs.”

Pebble stared up at him for a moment, debating with himself if he should make the right, sane choice, or the obviously wrong one.

He didn’t need to debate long before leaning up and kissing them.

-…-

It was only a matter of time before Grimm introduced Hollow to the rest of the theatre club. They just didn’t want expect that first meeting to be at one of the campus’s coffee shops.

“You can get introduced to the group.” Grimm suggested, their eyes alight with excitement. “I’ll order us something.”

While they made their way to the counter, Hollow found a seat at a somewhat crowded table. The sounds of talking and energy filled the area more than the people.

Hollow sat in an empty seat, and mumbled a greeting that quickly got lost in conversation. They tried to find comfort in the groups conversations, which were hard to follow but interesting.

That comfort disappeared when attentions finally turned to them.

“So, Hollow, have you ever done theatre before?” A woman with short hair and a sweet smile asked.

“Um, no.” They looked down.

“I’m sure you’ll feel right at home here regardless. My name is Divine, and my companion here is Brumm. Including Grimm, the three of us run everything. If you have any questions, you can come to us.”

“You’ve never been in drama or anything?” Brumm spoke up. “Wow, you’ve really jumped off the deep end joining this.”

“Oh, shush.” Divine scolded. “If Grimm thinks they can do it, they’ll be fine.”

“I’ve got our drinks!” Grimm called as they rejoined the table. “I used a bit of intuition on your order Hollow, so tell me what you think.”

Hollow reached for their drink. They’d never had coffee before, since their father thought it would endanger their health. Even after his death, they’d never considered trying it.

They took of hesitant sip. It tasted…sweet. Not at all as bad as they expected, though. “What is this?”

“A Venti White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino with no whipped cream, extra mocha drizzle, two pumps of hazelnut syrup, one pump of peppermint syrup, made with half coconut milk and half soy milk, and topped with a sprinkle of dark chocolate shavings.”

Hollow stared for a moment, wondering how someone could possibly think of such a specific order, just for them.

If it was up to them, they would just drink their frappe-something and listen to the group bicker about what projects they had time for.

But instead, the conversation was still directed at them.

“I’ve heard you’re from the City of Tears. I’ve heard it was a nice place, really pretty. Do people still live there?”

“Yes,” Hollow answered quietly. “My family’s still there.” They nearly winced thinking about their mother, pale and beautiful in her garden, oblivious to the world outside it. “You might’ve heard of my father, Dr. Wyrm-“

Brumm suddenly stood, his formerly bored expression changing to shocked. “Dr. Wyrm?! Like, the one that tried to cure the City’s plague?? He’s your dad?”

“Y-yeah,” Hollow shrunk into themself.

“…Oh. Right. He…died.” The other student sat down, while Divine gave him a look. “What was it like having him for a father?”

Hollow, who had been miraculously still, now couldn’t help but pick at the skin near their knuckles. They felt the memory of burning sickness in their skin, dulling their senses. “It was…fine. He took care of us, and the City.”

They finally looked up, and saw Grimm eyeing their fidgeting with a frown. They immediately put their hands away.

“…Those are plague scars, right?” His eyes met Hollow’s. “Sorry if that’s rude.”

“It’s fine.” They were a bit surprised he even pointed them out. Most people already knew their meaning, and kept their thoughts to themselves. “You’re right, I got very sick with it for a couple-“ They caught themself “For a while.”

They didn’t think the others would react well if they knew about his years of sickness, prolonged by his father. They definitely wouldn’t understand its importance.

“Well, I’m glad you’re better now.” Divine commented. “And out of that drenched City! I bet there weren’t any quant places like this along it’s streets,”

“There weren’t.” Hollow stared back down at their drink. They were happier here, for once. They still weren’t fully convinced that they deserved it, though.

…Wait. This means they completed their goal of making friends.

They’d have to tell Hornet when she visited.

-…-

Pebbles blinked slowly, adjusting his eyes to the lack of light. He sat up, ignoring the resting body beside him.

This was not how he wanted to spend his evening.

…Okay, maybe that was a lie, but this still wasn’t how he should be spending his time.

Either way, he took a moment to look at Suns’ sleeping form as his vision cleared. Each new detail dug more guilt into him. He didn’t deserve them. Suns was just too loving to see that.

Pebbles looked away, then groaned into his hands. He’d promised himself this wouldn’t happen again. But he’d thought that last time too, hadn’t he?

It was Suns’ stupid fault. They were always trying to charm him, to make him feel better than he deserved.

Exasperated, Pebbles reached blindly for the nightstand, grabbing hold of his phone. He checked his messages with the empty hope that his sister had said…anything. Maybe that would remind him of the awful person he really was.

He got his reminder, though in a worse form. Somehow Quirrel had gotten his number, and had been worryingly asking him if he’d done his part of the project. The messages were hours old.

He leaned back against Suns’ far too big pillows, face flushing again. “Suns, we messed up.”

“No, Hollywood says sleeping with your Ex is fine,” Suns mumbled into his pillow.

“No, that’s- We haven’t even started that project thing.”

Suns immediately sat up, his golden hair a mess spilling over his shoulders. “Oh no.”

“There’s still time, right?” Pebbles checked his phone’s time. It was nearly midnight. “What?! God, Hollow’s probably wondering where I am…”

“You should tell them you’ll be heading back to your room now.” Suns suggested. “ Or… You could stay the night here?” They smiled sheepishly.

So it was either walking all the way back to his dorm, looking like, frankly, a mess, or staying here in Suns’ arms without a care in the world, therefore losing all dignity.

“Give me a moment, I’ll call and tell them I’m staying.”

He got up before Suns’ smile could get goofier, though he couldn’t deny his own permanent smirk.

-…-

Hollow sat on their dorm room’s floor, staring at their phone. When they’d arrived, Pebbles wasn’t there. They hadn’t been too worried…but now that classes were over, and he still wasn’t back, their anxiety had skyrocketed.

Their worrying was interrupted by loud, banging knocking on the door.

Hollow stood, and mentally prepared themself for their half-sister.

Hornet was waiting with a glare her eyes bright with energy. She wore a loose dark red sweater, that only gave the illusion of a calm, chill person. Her black mask possibly concealed a frown, though they could never tell.

“Your stupid College’s elevator is crowded. I had to use the stairs.”

“I bet you prefer walking anyway.” Hollow nodded, stepping outside. “It’s good to see you,” They began to close the door.

Hornet held it open, leaning to peer inside. “Aren’t you gonna introduce me to your evil roommate?”

“He’s not here right now.” Hornet stared for a moment, though the only explanation Hollow gave her was a shrug.

She sighed, then let him close the door. “Off being rude to more strangers, I bet.” She shook her head, her dark bangs swaying. “Okay, just show me around then.”

…

“Is this what a real town is? Antique stores and cafes?” Hornet laughed, her eyes going from building to building as she and Hollow walked. “Lemm would love this.”

“Speaking of him, how’s the shop doing?”

“You’d think the town’s abandoned, with how little customers we get.” She kicked a rock on the path, and watched it tumble into the grass. “When I’m not there, I’m caring for your mom. She’s still obsessed with her garden. It’s like she hasn’t left the place since the gardener was laid off.”

“At least she’s well.” Hollow couldn’t imagine what they’d do if…No, they couldn’t think like that.

Instead, they looked above the street to the sky. Everything but the horizon was the black. The bright orange line in the distance carrying the sun out of sight made Hollow sick. Even the sky battled an orange light…

“Ah, a bench.” Hornet pulled them out of their thoughts, pulling them onto an old seat. “Just like from back home, but not soaking wet. Now, tell me about your social life? Have you made any enemies?”

“No? I actually made friends with the heads of the school’s theatre club. They’re all really nice, if a bit expressive.”

“Wow.” His sister froze in shock for a moment, before fixing her reaction. “I mean, good for you! I knew you could do it,”

They smiled, still surprised by their own success. Then again, it would have been hard not to befriend Grimm.

“I also…think I’m friends with my roommate now. He’s far from perfect, but we get along now. He even helps me with my work sometimes.”

“I still want to judge him when we see him again. And if you ever catch him being rude, you can just call me. I’d come all this way to tell him off.”

“…Huh. I thought you’d go straight to violence.”

“You’re not the only one who’s improving.” She leaned her head back, and Hollow did the same. Stars flickered in and out of view behind the clouds.

…Hollow’s phone buzzed, and they immediately grabbed it out of their jacket pocket. Pebbles had texted them. Hollow didn’t even read it before video calling them, their heart racing.

Whether he’d made it back to their room or not, it was probably good to show him their sister, and where they’d been, right?

It took a moment for him to answer. When he did, he was in dark room, his back to a wall with chipped paint. A dorm room, probably. He looked rather disheveled, which was very unlike the Pebbles Hollow knew.

“Are you alright?” They blurted out, ever aware of Hornet looking over their shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Who’s that with you?”

“Um, this is my sister, Hornet.” Hollow glanced at her expectingly.

“Salutations.” Her voice was slow and wary. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Yeah, I bet.” Pebbles dismissed, running his fingers through his unusually unkempt hair. “Look, I just wanted to say I won’t be at our dorm tonight,”

“Why? Where are you?” Their roommates words did nothing to ease their worry.

“I have a life outside whatever you do, you know.” He answered, defensively. Evasively. “Anyway, it’s pretty late, so I’ll leave you to your sibling bonding.”

“You didn’t answer my-“

He ended the call.

Suns took a breath, not wanting their anxiety to turn to frustration. At least Pebbles had confirmed he was okay.

“That was suspicious.” Hornet voiced. “I’d say ‘evil’ is still on the table.”

Hollow didn’t argue, instead calming their nerves with familiar silence.

Chapter Text

Pebbles was already on a bad-decisions streak, so he didn’t think before leaving campus late in the afternoon.

He couldn’t keep ignoring his mistakes while making new ones. He had to at least try to even it out.

The hospital was a long, anxiety-ridden walk from campus. The air seemed to thin as he walked closer to the building.

If he was lucky, Moon would be asleep already. If his life was, as he theorized, actual hell, she would denounce him as her brother.

After getting her room number, he reevaluated his flimsy plan. He’d let her yell first for a bit, then get in as many apologies as he could before she shut them down.

He took a deep breath, then opened the door.

…

Moon immediately looked up at him. She appeared almost the same as before, like she had just woken up from a bad dream. Her eyes were bright and awake, though she still carried some weariness in her face. Her attentive position masked it, though.

“Pebbles?”

…He froze. He didn’t know what to do. He hadn’t expected it to be this…silent. Should he apologize now? Was she still forming her angry speech?

“I-“

“What happened to you?” Her voice was strained, either from worry or disuse. Probably disuse. “You look…worse for wear.”

Huh. He didn’t think he looked different, he just felt…worse. Constantly worse. He deserved that, though.

Maybe that was what she was doing. Pointing out how lost he was without her, just to turn around and abandon him.

Well, he expected as much.

“I’m sorry for not visiting sooner.” He began. “Are you…doing alright?”

“I’m fine,” Moon assured. “I mean, I’ll still be here for a while, but…nothing’s permanently damaged.”

…

He willed himself to speak, to say anything. To tell her more apologies, or maybe to beg for forgiveness. But he just…couldn’t.

Pathetic. Just like Hara had always said. He hadn’t changed at all since the accident. He still couldn’t admit that, no matter how much Moon pushed aside and fixed his mistakes, he would always break things again.

He should be the one to leave. For his sister’s sake.

“Moon-“

“Can we not talk about this now?” The brightness in her eyes dimmed. “We don’t have to…go over it all just yet. Just know that I forgive you.”

…

That…couldn’t be right. He must have heard her wrong. Or maybe this whole exchange was some twisted nightmare. She couldn’t possibly forgive him.

He didn’t deserve that.

He took in a shaky breath, his vision getting blurry. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do. ‘Course, that could be the concussion talking.” She laughed to herself.

He felt sick. He could quite possibly throw up. What kind of cruel joke was this? How was she laughing like nothing was wrong?

“You know,” She continued, “Hara told me you’d gotten worse in my absence, but they definitely over exaggerated-“

“I should get going.” He interrupted, keeping his tone sharp to avoid shaking. “Just try to get some rest.”

“Okay…” She frowned. “Well, if you ever need me just call.”

He nodded, then made his escape out the door.

The ground was spinning, and his vision was blurry. He rubbed his eyes, only to find them wet. Had he started crying? Why was he the one crying? Pathetic, pathetic, pa-

He looked up to see a glaring figure across the hallway.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Hara said furiously, storming towards him.

His theory was correct, then. He was undoubtedly in hell.

-…-

Hollow watched from their apartment as their roommate left campus in a hurry.

They were already suspicious of the other student after whatever they did the night before. They tried to stay logical, though. Maybe they were just…going shopping or something? Getting more odd video game figurines?

They could be reasonable. They could just ignore it.

… Or they could ask someone who probably knew Pebbles better than they did.

The blonde wasn’t hard to find. Their dorm wasn’t far, though to Hollow’s dismay there was already some form of questioning happening inside.

They kept their distance, as if that would stop them from snooping. It didn’t take long for one of the argument’s participants to storm out into the hall.

“I’ve had enough of this!” A lean boy in a dark teal hoodie yelled at the blonde. “You can’t just keep doing- whatever this is, while some of us are actually living our lives!”

“Tiso, stop-“ The blonde followed him to the doorway. “Stop yelling, you just don’t understand- Where are you even going?”

“Somewhere where people actually have sense.” The smaller student continued off down the hall.

…

Well then. They were obviously too busy to interrogate. It was probably for the best, Hollow didn’t need to know about every strange occurrence on campus.

…That didn’t stop their curiosity, though. They’d hardly been allowed social interaction in their life, and now they couldn’t help but wonder how people so easily held secrets, and more so yelled grievances.

They had their own issues, of course, but they liked to think of them only as a distant, fading dream. One that, if told, would still sound like a lie.

-…-

“I said, what are you doing here?”

Pebbles stared at them for a moment, then swallowed. He managed to just match the other’s glare. “I was visiting my sister.”

“Oh, really? Do you think that’s what she needs right now?” Their voice started to raise, startling the nearby nurses. “You’re the reason she’s been like this. Hell, you’re the reason she’s always been overworking herself, sacrificing her time-“

“I get it, okay?” He felt his own anger rise, and didn’t try to stop it. “I’m the one in the wrong, and Moon’s paying the price.”

“You have no idea how hard it’s been. Me and Gray helped pick up the pieces, while you- you leeched off her kindness like a fucking parasite!”

He deserved it. He deserved all of this.

“I-I’m sorry-“

“Did you tell Moon that?” Hara’s snarl turned to a cold smile. “She probably already forgave you, right? She acts like you can do no wrong, even after this. Did you apologize at least?”

He had, hadn’t he? He’d tried to. That still counted…right?

He’d frozen for too long, allowing Hara to chuckle at his expression. “I hate you. I know no one else does, but I do. I’m not going to stand by while you hurt the people I care about.” They paused, then stepped to the side. “Leave. It’s the only good thing you’ve done.”

“…Okay.”

Pebbles moved to the exit, feeling…empty? Some state beyond that. If he’d been a shell of himself before, now he was close to nonexistence. Close to what everyone wanted.

He opened his mouth for a moment, stupidly thinking of suggesting some way he could pay Hara back. But it was too late for that now. Hara had been the one to pay for Moon’s treatments. Everyone else had probably helped in some way, or visited long before he had.

Everyone was there for her, while he just…hid.

So he left silently, letting the guilt sink in and fill his hollowness.

…

By the time Pebbles returned to his dorm, Hollow was asleep. He winced remembered the time they’d had that nightmare, that left them twitching and mumbling nonsense.

Had he been the cause of that? Did his roommate, deep down, see him as the monster everyone else here did?

Pebbles let the thought cling to him as he prepared for evening, up until he laid down on his bed.

Maybe…maybe he could just leave. It would be better for everyone here-

His mind went to Moon. Maybe even Suns. They wanted him to get better, if that was even possible.

He rolled onto his side, staring at the bland paint on the wall.

What did he want?

…He didn’t want to do anything. He wanted to rot , till there was nothing left to hate or care for.

He decided then and there that he wouldn’t leave his bed.

…

When his alarm went off, he was still awake. Despite his best efforts he got up, dressed, and left to face his classes.

Pathetic.

-…-

Pebbles was a very difficult to find, Hollows had figured out. The man was short enough to hide between crowds, and had, maybe purposefully, hidden much of his schedule from them.

So they were left to wander between lectures to no avail. Eventually they found themself outside. Not because Pebbles would go outside often, or at all really. But some fresh air wouldn’t hurt. If they were lucky they’d catch him sneaking off campus again.

Instead, they heard a familiar yell.

Hollow looked out onto the rugby field to see a crowd of players gathering around one they could swear they’d seen before…

Oh. The arguing roommate. Tiso, if they remembered right.

Out of concern and curiosity, they ran over to the group. Amidst the yelling, they could still make out Tiso’s voice.

“I’m fine, really,” He responded defensively. “It doesn’t even look that bad-“ His glare shifted onto Hollow. “Who are you?”

The man’s arm was twisted, bent unnaturally in the wrong direction. Yikes, sports really were dangerous…

Without thinking they knelt beside the player, and hesitantly felt their shoulder.

“Ack-“ So it was bruised. Definitely dislocated then, “What are you doing??”

What were they doing? Surely they weren’t being rude, since they were helping. They wanted to open their mouth and explain themself, but-

I don’t speak while working, Hollow. It’s dangerous, and doesn’t help my focus-

They blinked back the memory, and tried to focus. They were supposed to help people, that was their purpose. They’d strayed from it for a while, but deep down that was who they-

“ Dammit! ”

Who they were.

There. Relocated.

They immediately pulled their hands away. “Sorry.”

Tiso looked ready to curse more, but then paused. He moved his shoulder, slowly, then grumbled a “Thanks.”

“Hey, you.” It took a moment for Hollow to realize one of the other players was talking to them. “If you think you’re a medic, why don’t you walk him to the nurse?”

“What?” Tiso piped up angrily. “I’m fine!”

Hollow followed the player’s instruction, helping Tiso up by his good arm.

They walked with him off the field while he muttered indignantly all the way.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

They kinda did. At least, they felt like they did. “You needed me.”

Tiso frowned. “Who even are you?”

“My name’s Hollow.”

The man’s eyes widened, his frown turning back to a glare. “You’re Pebbles’ roommate.”

“You know him?”

“Of course I do! He’s-“

“Not a murderer.” Those rumors had started to die out, but they might as well affirm his innocence.

“Of course not.” Tiso rolled his eyes. “But he is a manipulative shit.”

Manipulative? From what Hollow had seen, he hardly socialized. “Why do you say that?”

“He has a hold on my roomie.” He explained. “Suns. They were completely fine until he came along. Now they’re worried and stressed, and always going on about him.”

“I don’t see how-“

“And then he manipulated the fool into sleeping with him!”

Hollow stopped walking.

Then continued, pointedly avoiding Tiso’s eyes. “Impossible. Pebbles doesn’t…do that.”

“You’re wrong, but I can’t blame you for your ignorance.”

Chapter Text

The campus was a lot larger than Pebbles had first anticipated.

It didn’t take long for him to lose Hollow, and eventually get lost himself. He didn’t care, though.

Maybe he could fade into these walls and become nothing. That would be nice.

…

Of course, he was found eventually. He was never allowed to just wallow in peace.

He didn’t meet Suns’ eyes, though. Maybe if he ignored them long enough, they’d go away too.

“Did something happen?”

…

“Do you want me to-“

“Shut up.” He took in a shaky breath. “Just stop, okay? You don’t have to do anything for me.”

“…I want to, though.” Suns shifted on their feet awkwardly. “I want to help you. And…you look like you need someone right now.”

Pebbles was too tired to argue. He begrudgingly accepted Suns’…pity? That was the opposite of what he needed, but he didn’t have many other options.

“How about we go to that coffee shop?” Suns suggested hopefully. “You can talk about what’s bothering you over tea.”

“I don’t drink tea.” Pebbles grumbled, his legs feeling numb. He walked anyway. “I guess I can buy some soda there, though.”

Suns made a face of disapproval. “You can’t just- …Whatever. I’m not going to judge your decisions right now.”

If they were implying only depressed people buy soda at cafes, they were probably right.

His eyes stayed trained to the floor as they made their way outside. He was stuck between knowing he didn’t deserve Suns’ company, but also recognizing that maybe Suns was another punishment from the universe. They did tend to make him feel incredibly guilty.

“I don’t want to force you to say anything,” Suns lied, probably, “but I have a feeling this is because you visited Moon. And it, as far as I can tell, didn’t go well.”

“…She forgives me.” He confirmed without thinking. “Which…she shouldn’t.”

“As I shouldn’t.” Suns nodded. “I’m sensing a theme.”

“Well, I didn’t hurt you.” He retorted. “Not physically at least. But she was in the hospital, literally unable to walk, but still…worried. About me. ”

Suns didn’t look at all surprised. “Moon’s been recovering, thanks to the others, and medical care. You’re the only one still worried about the incident.”

“Not the only one. Hara’s still…upset.” He felt sick just thinking back on their argument.

“Screw what Hara thinks.” Suns smiled down on him weakly.

But…Pebbles agreed with Hara. He was a detriment to those around him. Time and time again people had suffered just because of his lack of care, or foresight, or whatever else.

“I can’t argue with their logic.” He insisted. “I don’t deserve forgiveness. I don’t deserve anything. I-“

Suns held his shoulder, keeping him from stumbling. “Let’s not go there. Look, we’ve arrived.”

They had made it to the doors of the rather quaint coffee shop.

…Pebbles felt like he could fall at any time, as if he was on the verge of withering away.

He leaned against Suns as they stepped inside.

Once in, he was surprised to see Hollow sitting at a table with a group of fashionable strangers.

He was even more surprised to see what he thought was disappointment of their face.

Huh. He must have upset them on accident at some point. He didn’t remember any falling out, but he didn’t doubt his ability to screw up a friendship without knowing it.

…The strangers had the same look, though…

“Suns?” Pebbles muttered, not letting his eyes leave Hollow’s group. “I think we should call this off and leave, now.”

“We can’t call off our mental health meetup just because of them.” Suns answered. “Come on, if we’re lucky we’ll find a real drink you’ll like.”

Pebbles sighed, then kept his eyes to the floor as they walked past them and ordered their drinks. He still got a Pepsi, since he didn’t feel like stepping out of his comfort zone twice in one day.

It was after grabbing his drink that Hollow confronted him.

Pebbles was almost relieved. Rarely did someone else make the first move in confronting his mistakes.

“Hey, I’ve been trying to talk to you for a while.” Hollow started, fidgeting with their fingers. So far so good. “I just…I heard something about you yesterday.”

Pebbles nodded calmly, taking a sip of his drink. This was a good thing. Confrontation had always ended well for him.

“You’re not a manipulator, right?”

He raised a brow. “I could be, I guess. I’m not the best person,” But he was trying to get better. He didn’t need to say that, though. Only good people could justify their actions like that.

“But you wouldn’t, like, manipulate Suns, right?”

He froze.

He wouldn’t- He hadn’t been. Sure, their relationship was complicated at best, toxic at worst, but that had never been his fault. Suns just had a random, very odd obsession with helping him.

…Had he manipulated them into that obsession?

Oh god, did Suns even want to do this?

He stood there, thinking over his life choices for a long moment.

“Sorry, that was rude to assume.” Hollow backtracked. “I just heard that from Suns’ roommate, and- Are you okay?”

…

He remembered to breathe, taking a shaky inhale and a step back.

“I-“ He swallowed.

He couldn’t say he wasn’t in the wrong. He couldn’t even say for sure that he hadn’t manipulated Suns into caring about him.

Before he could make up an answer, Suns stepped in front of him.

“I’m not being manipulated, or whatever else Tiso claims.” They sounded incredibly offended. “I care about Pebbles, enough to look after him more than his own roommate. You were right Pebs, we should go-“

By the time they turned around, he was already gone.

-…-

Hollow had messed up. They felt a chill run through them as they realized their roommate had left.

How had they messed up so badly? They didn’t even believe the nonsense Tiso had told them, at least not fully. But they still asked, and now Pebbles was upset, and Suns was upset, and-

Amidst their panic, Grimm stood. “Now that he’s gone, you can tell us the truth.” He walked calmly up to Suns. “Have anything to share-“

“Are you all insane?!” Suns seethed. “How could you think Pebbles would do that??”

“I mean, we already know he put his own sister into a coma. Right?” Grimm looked to Hollow for confirmation.

Hollow was too busy trying to breathe. They couldn’t breathe, which made them think of the plague filling their lungs, which only made things worse-

“That was an accident!” Suns interjected. “Hollow, Pebbles explained that to you, right?”

…

They had to find their roommate.

They left the cafe, ending the argument. The streets outside looked blurry and dim despite the bright sun.

They searched frantically, till they saw him stumbling back towards the campus.

They needed to apologize to him. They needed to make things right. They needed to ignore how the Suns’s heat felt like a fever, and air around them felt too thin.

They reached him, and quickly moved to face him.

“I’m s-“

“Don’t talk to me.” Pebbles interrupted coldly. “Just go back to your friends.”

“You’re my friend!” Talking felt- was wrong. They held their hands together as if to beg, willing them to stop shaking.

“Am I?” He scoffed. “You don’t even trust me, or think I’m a good person! …You were right not to trust me, though. I’m manipulative, and hurtful, and pathetic .” He paused, as if waiting for Hollow’s response. Hollow tried to argue, but they couldn’t-

“I’m not the only pathetic one here, though,” He continued. “So don’t talk to me. ”

They couldn’t talk they-

They weren’t allowed to. They weren’t allowed they couldn’t-

Breathe they were supposed to breathe they couldn’t-

They made a pained noise, before the world swirled beneath them.

They fell hard onto the sidewalk.

-…-

“They couldn’t have gotten far, right?”

“Pebbles definitely couldn’t.” Suns said shortly. Grimm kept with their pace, his own worry growing.

Hollow couldn’t be in danger, right? The student was more than capable of fleeing a bad encounter with, as far as Grimm was aware, a “manipulative shit”. Though he could never be too certain. They tended to freeze up when stressed.

They both should have just stayed out of it. Hollow had suggested as much when they told the troupe about Tiso’s allegations, but Grimm, ever the man for confrontation, had suggested an eventual conversation.

But not so soon. There wasn’t any changing the past, though. All he could do was stop the future from being further tainted by such an argument.

He heard Pebbles before he saw him, a sharp shriek followed by mumbled yells.

Once he found them, though, he was…how could he put this…horrified.

Hollow hung limp in the smaller student’s arms. Pebbles struggled to keep them upright, his face pale and aghast.

“What are you standing there for?!” Pebbles’ voice was hoarse. “Get a car or something!”

Hollow was…unconscious. But uninjured. No reason to get too dumbstruck.

“I have a car.” They answered, more calmly than they felt. “Just make sure they breathe well while I get it.”

He ran back to his vehicle, parked by the coffee shop. He tried to imagine this was all just…a scripted production. Planned and practiced.

All he had to do was drive Hollow to the hospital. Then the act would be over, and they’d all go back to normal.

…

He had to admit, he might have been a tad too brisk on the way there. He did tend to speed through a show when he was anxious-

Which he wasn’t. His wide eyes and frantic calls to the hospital’s attendants were just parts of whatever vile script he was forced to follow.

If his world was a stage, the spotlights were too cold and blindingly bright. Everyone was too silent, their lines practically forgotten by the foreboding atmosphere.

Hollow was taken offstage, to recover from the limelight.

And, after a moment of acceptance, Grimm leaned back into a lobby chair and let the curtains close.

…

He opened his eyes to the hospital ceiling.

What happened that brought Hollow to unconsciousness? Had Pebbles done something to him?

If he had, Grimm would have to confront the bastard. He wasn’t a violent person, but when tragedy strikes natures change.

The man had disappeared after Hollow’s admission. He probably knew Grimm would stick around, and wanted to avoid a fight. What a coward.

After enough time spent looking up, Grimm finally checked his phone. As expected, the troupe had flooded his messages with a barrage of questions, all he was unwilling to answer.

He loved them, and hated that he’d led them to worry. But some dialogue could wait for a better time and place.

He stared at his screen for a moment longer, hoping the situation would eventually fully sink in.

Hollow was an anxious person. From what Grimm could glean, that trait came from a rough past. One Grimm made sure to avoid talking about, as not to upset them.

But they were already upset. And it would help them both if Grimm could understand why.

They finally decided to search “The City of Tears Plague”.

The results weren’t pretty. Immediately he was met with symptoms, lists of ailments and unsettling images. Grimm didn’t dare look away. He had to respect this as something Hollow had struggled with, and the highest form of respect was unwavering attention.

He read what he could, then moved on to the cure.

…There was no cure. Though, there was a considerable amount of articles depicting an attempt at a cure.

Dr. Wyrm- Hollow’s father -had attempted a to make a vaccine. His research and experiments lasted nearly four years, and consisted of…purposefully infecting a patient with the plague, and documenting their every change.

Then testing every possible cure on them as they were considered.

For three years, and ten months straight.

…

The article continued, with high regard for its subject, to state that Dr. Wyrm bravely offered up his own child for this experiment.

…So this was why…

…

Well, he now had his reason to be dumbstruck.

How could a father do that? How could a human, a being with a soul, let his child be sick and experimented on? For years?

Why hadn’t Hollow said anything?

This was a true tragedy, with an utterly detestable villain. Grimm was glad the man had died.

After Hollow recovered, Grimm would make sure they’d never have to remember the hell they’d gone through.

All they had to do was make it through this.

Chapter Text

Moon was a patient person.

She’d been raised that way, to await miracles or the end of days or whatever else her parents told her existed.

She could wait to be well enough to walk. And, more importantly, she could wait for her brother to visit her again.

She was worried about him, as always. Something had changed about him, either after their parent’s deaths or Sliver’s.

Moon recovered quickly after both. She had people to take care of, and a new life to forge.

Her brother…not so much.

But he’d been improving! She’d seen him getting better, before her coma. And now, after being unconscious for so long…

…She’d missed a lot. That was the only thing that still hurt. The fact that she hadn’t been there for the people she cared about.

She couldn’t dwell on that, though. She could look out for them now, since she’s awake.

Especially Pebbles. It looked like college had done a number on him-

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of yelling from outside her room. It wasn’t too uncommon to hear that in the hospital.

What was uncommon was the sound reaching her room, then barging inside.

“Holl-“ A young woman in red swung open the door, then froze when her eyes caught Moon.

Her eyes were dark, and alive with energy. Despite her mouth being covered by a black mask, she looked…rather angry.

That rage died down into a confused “Oh. I-is this not...”

“This is room 127.” Moon spoke calmly, her eyes flickering from the woman to the open door behind her. “You look stressed. Is someone hurt?”

“Y-yes- Well, probably.” She sighed, her frustration seemingly returning. “Sorry for bothering you, miss.”

“Oh, you don’t need to apologize. I don’t mind your company.” She felt an unfamiliar pang of loneliness, sharp in her heart. She was so used to being around friends, her newfound solitude was…

…Fine. She could manage. Though her smile fell. The stranger seemed to notice.

“What are you in here for?” The stranger asked, her eyes searching Moon for a sign of illness.

She hoped she didn’t look too unwell. Besides her unkempt hair, she felt well rested. “I was in a coma for a bit. Nothing major, just an accident.”

“A coma?” The other woman’s brows creased with concern. “That doesn’t sound like nothing. How’d that happen?”

Moon paused in thought. Her memory of the event was very fuzzy. Trying to remember anything felt out of reach. Hara had told her it was Pebbles’ fault, and…she couldn’t exactly say she didn’t believe them. “Someone close to me made a mistake. But, really, I’m fine.” She was fine. No one was hurt. “You should probably get going.”

“…Y-yeah, I…I’ll get to that.” The stranger looked conflicted for a moment, before rummaging through one of her pockets before presenting a pen.

“You’re far too nice to be getting into comas.” She announced, a hint of anger in her voice. Moon was tempted to tell her she had already forgiven the person who caused her injury, but held back.

She watched as the other woman jotted down her number on the back of a card Hara had sent her.

“My name’s Hornet. If you need someone to defend you, I’ll be there.”

…Well alright then.

Moon blinked away her surprise, nodding to Hornet. “Or maybe we could just see each other again, no danger necessary.”

“Fine by me.” She looked Moon over for another moment, before leaving to whatever patient she’d been searching for.

…

Moon stared at the number for a moment.

As her room fell back into silence, she returned to her thoughts.

From what she could remember, this was maybe her second time ever being in a hospital, though the last time was definitely shorter. Were they usually this…friendly?

She didn’t need someone to protect her from her own brother, but she could always use a distraction.

-…-

“Bury the knight…with her broken nail…bury the lady…lovely and pale…”

“Stop that.” Father- No, Dr. Wyrm, ordered. His mask, as always, hid his frown. But Hollow could tell he was angry today. Why else would he be talking to them?

Hollow watched as the Doctor drew their blood. They’d learned not to flinch months ago, but they still felt squeamish. Watching the process helped, but a distraction would help more.

In a rare moment of rebellion, they continued to talk. “Ghost’s new friend taught me that song. Some of it at least-“

Their Doctor suddenly grabbed their mouth, covering it with the a gloved hand. “I said be silent. ”

Hollow stared into his cold eyes, shining behind his pale bangs. He looked a lot like their sibling, Ghost. Hollow had always looked like their mother, though.

The two must have changed by now. While they were stuck here, their family was becoming unrecognizable.

All but their Doctor. He never changed.

Dr. Wyrm’s eyes drifted to the syringe. It had fallen to Hollow’s admittedly messy bedroom floor. “…I’ll have to start over.” He removed his hand, stepping away. He wasn’t very tall, but he still looked intimidating, at least to Hollow.

They watched him carefully pick up the syringe, before turning to leave. “Don’t get into trouble while I’m gone. …Actually,” They reached for Hollow’s shelf, and brought out a faded textbook. “You can read this while you wait. If you can memorize a child’s song, you can memorize something useful.”

Then he left.

Hollow stared at the book in their hands. They opened it, expecting rows of things they were supposed to know, but could never quite remember.

Instead, they saw blank pages, faded and orange.

That wasn’t right.

Before they could ponder the lack of writing further, something fell onto the page. A bright orange moth, blurry and glowing.

Hollow frowned. Bugs weren’t supposed to get into their room. Especially not one so big.

They reached out their hand to touch it, and felt nothing.

The moth didn’t move. It simply waited as more of its kind materialized into the small bedroom, landing on Hollow’s skin.

This wasn’t right at all. It was too early on in their sickness for hallucinations this detailed. These wouldn’t start till a couple weeks later-

…What were they thinking? Why would they know that?

“This is all your fault.” Hollow whispered to the moths. “You’ve messed with my head.”

The moths were silent. Like Hollow was supposed to be.

“Myla has it too, right?” They continued. “That’s why Ghost has been so upset. Is going to be so upset.”

They paused.

“Or…is she…already dead?”

And it was all their fault. There would be a vaccine by now if they were just a better subject, a better child. They had ruined everything-

Hands. Hands had grabbed their wrists, and their skin had burst into bright orange stars-

They looked down at their arms. They were littered with scars and scabs, patches of discoloration.

…They weren’t a child. They weren’t a subject.

They were asleep. Dreaming.

If only their dreams were less bright…

…

Waking up took a considerable amount of effort. Once Hollow’s eyes were open, though, their mind started to rebuild itself.

They were in a blank room. Panic crept into them, only worsening when they realized they were in a hospital. How had they gotten here? And why-

Had their illness resurfaced?

Hollow sat up, wincing as the world spun. They frantically checked their arms, finding their scars visible to the world.

No new marks. They didn’t feel a fever either. So…

They looked up, and, standing a good distance from the bed, was their roommate.

“…Sorry.” They mumbled, not sure what else to say.

“No, you shouldn’t be the one apologizing.” Pebbles sounded frustrated, but no longer angry. “I’m here to say that I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

Hollow was…surprised, to say the least. They hadn’t expected the other student to admit he was wrong. Then again, maybe they still thought too lowly of him.

“I’m not supposed to be here, so I can’t stay long.” He continued. “But I want you to know that I’ll make it up to you. Or at least try to.”

“You don’t have to do that.” They didn’t need Pebbles to “make it up to them”. They were concerned that he had even suggested it, more so by the desperation in his eyes. “I’m fine-“

“I’ll do it anyway.” Pebbles interrupted. “I-“ His eyes darted to the door. “Darn. Um, get well soon Hollow.”

He left, seemingly on a hurry. Hollow barely had time to process what he’d said before another visitor entered.

-…-

Hornet stormed through the hospital’s halls, her eyes darting to each door and its number. 172, 172…Of course she had stumbled into the wrong room. Hospitals always made her more anxious thanks to her good for nothing father-

Good for something, maybe. She still had to find Hollow.

They wouldn’t be mad at her for staying to chat with a random stranger, right?

The patient she had met was just so…distant. Comas probably did that to people, though she was also annoyingly calm and understanding.

How could someone be so calm after a coma? If that had happened to Hornet, she’d be seeking revenge immediately.

…The woman looked lonely. Spending time with people was never Hornet’s strong suit, though. She hoped she didn’t screw this up…

Room 172. Finally.

To her surprise, someone was already leaving the room. It was probably one of Hollow’s supposed many friends. She’d have to question them on it.

She entered the room, and had to work to keep her expression stern. It just…didn’t look right to see Hollow in a hospital bed. But, thankfully, they didn’t look injured.

“What happened.” She walked closer examining their face.

“I just fainted.” Hollow answered. “I’m a bit bruised, but fine. …Sorry for worrying you.”

Hornet finally exhaled, letting her worry show. “I’m glad you’re okay. Just…don’t scare me like that again.” She collected herself for a moment, before leaning against the bed’s edge towards them. “Are you sure everything’s fine?”

They hesitated, only for a moment. “I’m sure. Really.”

She wanted to question them further, but something stopped her. Her sibling was building their own life now, apart from hers. If they thought they could handle it, she should just…trust them.

God, when had she started thinking like that? Hollow had hardly earned her assurance, and today’s event didn’t help.

Right. Faith and reassurance. “If you say so.” She stood up. “Be careful, though.”

She left the room once again keeping her eyes trained to the floor.

Chapter Text

Being a better person was a choice, right? A culmination of better actions and attitude. If that was the case, then Pebbles could at least attempt the former.

The plan was simple, and foolish, and doomed to fail. Its chance of success mirrored his own chance at happiness.

But, hey, how hard could curing a plague be?

He ran the final stretch to the dorm building, disregarding his exhaustion. All he had to do was keep his mind on his goal.

By the time he reached Suns’ room, he couldn’t lift his arms to knock. So he rested his head on the door, and hoped they were there to hear him.

“Suns? Have you got a minute?”

There was a terribly long moment, in which Pebbles had to consider what he’d do if Suns didn’t answer. Would he even be able to do this by himself?

But Suns did answer. He heard a couple muffled words from inside the dorm before they slowly opened the door. Pebbles stood, trying to look relatively okay.

“Is this about Hollow? Are they okay?” They questioned immediately. They were in pajamas already, which made Pebbles wonder if they had an actual sleep schedule. Impossible.

“Yes, this is about them. They’re okay- They’re probably already leaving the hospital by now. But I have something’s my else to discuss with you.” He tried and failed to look over Suns’ shoulder. If Tiso was there, that could pose a problem. “Can I come in?”

“Y-yeah, of course.” Suns let them in. “Are you okay?”

“I’m doing great.” He lied, stumbling for a moment before sitting on Suns’ bed. “I need your help with something.”

“I’m listening.” They sat beside him, looking him over suspiciously.

He took a deep breath. “I’m going to cure the City of Tears plague.”

Suns opened their mouth. Closed it. Then frowned, as if questioning what they’d heard. “…You don’t have medical experience. You don’t even study something close to that. You…you can’t just…Again, are you okay?”

“Again, I’m great. I’m going to do this, and I want your help.”

He needed a reason to be forgiven. He needed a reason to call himself a good person.

Suns continued to stare at him for a moment. “…Fine. You can research the plague here, as long as you don’t do anything crazy-“

Their conversation was interrupted by the door opening, and Tiso walking in. His arm was in a sling.

“What the hell?? ” He hissed, glaring at Pebbles, then at Suns. “Why is he back here?!”

“Tiso.” Suns said smoothly. “Pebbles is staying here tonight. Sorry, this was…decided last minute.”

“You can’t just- Ugh! Both of you better be very quiet, and stay on that side of the room.”

Pebbles watched him walk away. “Did something happen?”

“He got injured in practice.” Suns shrugged. “I can’t blame him for being more irritable.”

“Great.” He grumbled. “Alright, time for research. What do you know about medicine?”

-…-

Each step that drew Hollow closer to campus was easier than the last. It was actually nice walking back with Grimm, despite the brisk air. The silent night helped their mind clear.

They hoped Hornet was okay, driving all the way back to the City. She had felt bad about leaving so soon, but Hollow understood she had work in the morning. They appreciated that she’s visited them at all.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Grimm asked, right at their side. His voice didn’t carry its usual sarcasm and flourish.

“I’m fine.” Hollow smiled weakly. Their soreness was gone, though they still felt guilty for taking up everyone’s time. “Sorry for worrying you all. I guess I’m still…easily startled.”

Grimm frowned. Hollow paled, realizing they must have said the wrong thing. “You don’t need to be concerned.” They added hurriedly. “I’ll get over it eventually-“

“Hollow.” Grimm interrupted, his tone oddly stern. “I…” he swallowed. “I am a man who believes wholeheartedly in the importance of communication. Without it all relationships crumble, and trust fades into a mere fantasy.”

Hollow stopped walking, staring at Grimm. Where was this going?

“It is my duty, as your, presumably, best friend, to show you honesty.” He continued. “So you have to know…I did some research on your past.”

…What?

They completely froze, not even breathing. They didn’t think someone would do that, especially Grimm. They didn’t want him to know about- About everything that had happened.

Instinctively their fingers drew to their arm, feeling the scars hidden under their jacket. Grimm hadn’t seen them, but now he knew they were there. He knew everything.

“I apologize if that was a breach of trust.” Grimm said quietly. “But…I’m glad I know now. Because I want your life to be better than it was.”

“It already is.” Hollow managed, before taking a shaky breath. “Please don’t think of me differently because of…all that.”

“Of course not!” He looked almost offended by the idea. “You’re still Hollow, and I care about you all the same. I just know you a bit better now.”

That…didn’t sound horrible. To be known, as they were and as they are now. No one else really knew them like that but Hornet.

They smiled, then winced as a cold wind tumbled through the street.

Grimm returned their smile, quickening his pace to the nearing dorm building. “It’s getting cold out. Which means Halloween is soon!” His smile grew to a devious grin. “I’m going to have to throw a celebration, a festive gathering,”

Hollow didn’t mention that they’d never celebrated Halloween before, even after their “escape”. They could prepare with Grimm later.

-…-

“This isn’t what I came here for.”

“Well, it’s rare that you chose to spend time with me. I’m just taking advantage of the moment.”

Pebbles had somehow run out of annoyed comments. So, he focused on braiding Suns’ hair. He felt insulted by the whole exchange. He didn’t do this anymore. He thought he never would again.

“You’re good at this.” Suns complimented, keeping their head completely still. “Probably because of those pianist fingers of yours.”

“That was years ago.” His annoyance grew. “I haven’t touched an instrument in forever.” He only learned it for his parent’s religious gatherings. The skill would have to rot with those memories.

“Oh.” Why did they sound sad? “Maybe you should try again someday.”

Pebbles finished off the braid, detesting the small satisfaction he felt in his work. This was all a distraction. A ploy to make him feel better.

Suns stood, and joined Pebbles on their bed. “I guess now we-“

“Why do you do this?”

Suns blinked, startled by the question. “What?”

“Why do you try to make me feel better?” Pebbles frowned, frustrated. “Am I something for you to fix? A problem you’ve worked too hard to give up on?”

“No, of course not!-“ Suns started, before pausing to lower their voice. “You’re not a problem. I…I know I won’t fix you. That’s very clear now.”

Somehow that was…more disappointing. “So…?”

“I just want you to feel better, Pebs. Eventually.” They sighed. “Or maybe you never will. Who cares, I’ll keep trying anyway. You deserve that.”

“I don’t-“

“Stop. Not tonight.” They hesitated, then pulled him into their arms.

Pebbles went still. His thoughts screeched to a halt as he reflexively clung closer to them.

“…Let’s get some sleep.” Their voice softened. “You need it.”

He didn’t argue. He just curled into bed in Suns’ arms, ever aware of how nonsensical they both were.

…

Once he was certain Suns was asleep, Pebbles shifted out of their grasp.

He clumsily fell to the floor, though thankfully they didn’t wake up. He barely felt it anyway. A numbness had crawled through his bones, urging him to his phone.

Of course he’d forgotten to bring his computer. Now all he could do was stare at the small box of light, and scratch out notes in the dark.

He couldn’t tell if his writings were overlapping or not, though he was certain he’d be able to decipher it by morning. He just needed to try.

Making a cure from scratch would be complicated, but maybe a vaccine could work? He’d have to research other studies, and how to get materials. There would probably be supplies in one of the labs, right?

Or he could just ask one of the professors, very vaguely, for help and advice.

It wasn’t likely that they’d answer if they knew what he’d be attempting…

He opened his eyes, realized he’d slipped briefly into unconsciousness. He muttered nonsense in annoyance. He had at least five more articles to push through, and the night wasn’t getting any longer.

He shifted positions, choosing to lay down on the rough carpet. His eyes couldn’t focus on individual words, but he could get the gist of each paragraph. The screen was just so bright .

He couldn’t even concentrate on the time. All he knew was that it was dark, and late, and he wasn’t getting any work done anyway…

…Pathetic…