I'm a Healer, But...

14

The world is a soft, pleasant haze as Fundy steps out of the car. Theo stumbles behind him, bumping into Fundy's side, but he doesn't mind. It's clearly just an accident, so it's fine. Everything feels fine right now.His dad is saying something to Grandpa, but it's so quiet to him, and Fundy doesn't process anything he's listening to. Instead, he just waves to Uncle Techno as he grabs Dad and pulls him into the house.Oh, the house. Fundy's tail swishes as he looks it over. It's been a few years since he's been back, but he's missed it. Even his happiness to be home feels a little muted, but it's fine. He steps forward, but Theo stumbles again and he looks back at him.Clay's brother stands there, clutching a white rose- he's had it ever since he touched his dad's throat in the car. 'A healer,' Dad had said. Clay hurt him, he said. Normally Fundy would be stressed, disbelieving, angry, but the haze keeps him cozy, distant, and so he reaches out and takes him by the shoulder, gently guiding him inside.His memories are a bit fuzzy right now, but he remembers when he met Theo. Clay had hyped it up for days, how close he and his little brother were- but it was okay if he and Fundy didn't get along immediately because his brother was difficult, in his rebellious teen years. Fundy didn't see any of that when he met the quiet, awkward teenager.Theo hid behind Clay, and only spoke to Fundy when Clay prompted him to, or the very few times Fundy tried to talk to him first. Clay had apologized profusely afterwards, still calling Theo difficult and rebellious . Fundy had ignored how Theo bit his lip red and looked away, had assumed that he was just embarrassed. He hadn't seen him since, and he was too busy avoiding Clay's attempts to bring up Fundy's own family to even think about him.But now he's here, with Fundy's family instead of Clay, and a tiny, muffled part of him is almost pleased about it. A quick final jab to Clay, who lied and dumped him-And is dead now. The thought cuts through the haze, not dispersing it but still a shock to his system, the first thing he's felt besides the calm haze in hours, and he stumbles a little himself."Hi, Fundy," Grandpa says, his voice quiet. Fundy didn't even realize he'd come closer. "Remember your way to the nest?""Mhm," Fundy hums. How could he forget? It's been in the same room for years, and Fundy used to find his way there a few times a week. When he was little, it was his favorite place in the world, curling up with whatever members of his family weren't busy with 'work'."Good. You and Tommy head there, alright? I'll join you in a bit."Fundy hums again and keeps leading Theo- Tommy? Dad and Grandpa both called him Tommy. He should, too. He leads Tommy to Phil's nest.It's the same as it ever was, lined by one of Uncle Techno's capes and some of Dad's beanies and Grandpa's feathers strewn about- and sunflowers. Not exactly the same, then.Tommy makes his way to the nest, immediately lying down on one side of it, where the most sunflowers are. His eyes close almost instantly. He must be tired after the long drive.Fundy settles in the center, giving Tommy a bit of space, enough for Grandpa to fit between them when he arrives. By the time Grandpa settles in, Tommy is already out like a light.Grandpa pulls Fundy close, running a hand through his hair. 'Preening', he always called it, even though Fundy is a fox like his mom instead of a bird like him and Dad. It's always comforting- not that he needs to be comforted right now, he's fine, but- "Hey mate," Grandpa murmurs. "How are you feeling?""Fine," he says. "I'm fine." And he is, really, but remembering that Clay is dead is making him.... Less. The haze feels less calming, more stifling, like it's pressing down his thoughts and feelings. "I don't...""It's okay if you don't know," Grandpa tells him. "Do you know what Wilbur did?"He helped kill Clay, didn't he? But that's not what he means, is it? His dad- he-"Oh. He used his powers. Didn't he?"When Fundy was barely a teenager, his dad sat him down and told him who he was- who they all were. It made sense, of course- none of them had ever aged, they were busy all the time, they came home injured and claimed they'd 'been mugged' but those weren't injuries you got from mugging-Fundy was terrified. Not because he lived with villains, or because he was related to them, but just because of his dad. The Siren, who could control anyone's emotions, force them into blinding terror or make them so happy it's like they've been drugged.How many times could his dad have used that on him without him knowing? How many memories did he look back on fondly without knowing that he'd been influenced by his dad's powers? He couldn't trust anything, especially not himself.But if this is what it's like- if it's this strong, this overpowering- he doesn't think his father has ever used his powers on him. At least, not until now."He did," Grandpa confirms, still preening his fur. "It's not okay, but he was just worried. He didn't really mean to, he just didn't want to upset you, and, well... Tommy didn't tell us who he was to you until it was too late. I think it scared Wilbur pretty badly.""Grandpa... you killed Clay." As the superpowered haze fades, he clings to the fear and distress he finds underneath. It's awful, to be scared of his own family, but it's something real. He needs something real right now.Grandpa lets his hand drop from Fundy's head, and shifts slightly to play with Tommy's hair instead. "Tommy showed up while Wilbur was visiting you. He offered to trade us a healer if we killed Dream, and... we needed one. We've needed one for a long time. For peace of mind, at least." Fundy hums in acknowledgement- Grandpa and Uncle Techno have always been unaffected when they talk about people who have died, but his dad never is. He probably wanted a healer more than anything. "We didn't realize at the time that Tommy was trading himself. He had been a healer for the Hero Organization."....what? "But he's only sixteen." He doesn't know much about heroes, other than what's on TV or what his classmates mention offhand, but surely they don't let teenagers run around healing whatever screwed up injuries their heroes get on duty?"He is," Grandpa sighs. "He hasn't told us how long he worked for them, but... it wasn't good for him. When he ran into Dream last night, Dream threatened to kill him if he didn't come back. Tommy was terrified."Clay loved Theo. He was so excited to introduce Fundy to him, and even if he was a little forceful about trying to make Theo be polite... But 'Theo' wasn't real, was he? It was a lie, an illusion to... to get something out of Fundy. Who knows what it was for, but it was for something, because it can't be a coincidence that Dream just happened to date Siren's son."He... was going to hurt him?""He did hurt Wilbur." Fundy tenses in surprise- he shouldn't be surprised, it was heroes against villains, but the idea of Clay hurting his dad... "You need to be calm when I tell you this.""What..?" Oh, he doesn't like his grandpa telling him to be calm when they're already discussing his boyfriend's death semi-calmly.Grandpa sighs. "We stepped in to help get Tommy away from him, and... Dream was capable of Old Magic. He cursed Wilbur with Withering."Oh. Oh.Fundy has never seen Withering in person. His family always kept the business away from him, and Grandpa especially was careful to avoid Fundy seeing anything about it on TV. His only experience with it was a quick section on it in high school, mostly warning against Wither Roses. Even that nonfatal version of it was horrifying.That happening to his dad- he can't imagine it. He won't."If it wasn't for Tommy, we could have lost him," Grandpa says softly. "I'm sure almost dying last night didn't help Wilbur's mental state today, either."He knows what Grandpa is doing- trying to convince him that his dad didn't mean it. That because it was an 'accident', even if it wasn't really okay, it's something that should be forgiven. Fundy doesn't think he's wrong, but he still doesn't like it. "Yeah. But- are you really sure that that was- I mean, Clay was always so nice to me." Except when he ignored him for 'Gogy', except when his brother was missing, except when Fundy put off Clay meeting the family and he thought Fundy was ashamed of him- "He loved Th-Tommy. He was excited for us to meet, he talked his little brother up so much, and even if Tommy was kind of quiet-""Tommy isn't a quiet person. If he was then... it's probably because Dream made him. He wasn't being treated well with the heroes. I mean, that's obvious, since his first choice of backup was, well, us. If Dream was nice... it was likely just an act." Fundy's expression must show his distress, and Grandpa coos, clearly trying to soothe him. "Oh, mate, I know it's awful, but he's gone now.""No, that's not- Grandpa, I can't just- He treated me well, until- I guess until Theo- Tommy- ran away. Even if Clay wasn't- I can't just accept that my family killed him-" He sits up, letting the anger get to him, letting it wash away the last remnants of his father's powers."It's better than beating yourself up about it," Grandpa says, his voice still calm even though they're talking about a dead man . "Fundy... Wilbur said you were considering eternity? That's the biggest thing you need to think about. Everyone will die someday- everyone but us. Death is going to lose its meaning eventually. The sooner you understand that, the easier it is to accept."That's such a bullshit response that he throws his hands up. "I don't even know if I really want it! I just- it's Dad! He never said it, but I know he wants me to. And he's been trying, you know? He's-" He groans, running his hands through his hair and ruining all the preening Grandpa did. "After- after he finally told me about the... Syndicate... he's been trying so hard to make up for it. It's... it's hard to accept, but- eternity would give me time to, I guess. Time without him freaking out every time I have a birthday or look a little older."Grandpa chuckles quietly at that. "It's a little nerve wracking for him, yes... he just doesn't want to lose you. Wilbur struggles with... temporary things.""I know that- look, Grandpa, I just- this is a lot. Eternity and- Dad using his powers- and the whole- thing-" he waves a hand at the dozing teenager. "I- I'm going to talk to Tommy when he wakes up. I want his side of-"The man himself makes a confused, tired noise before lifting his head, looking at them blearily. "What...? What-" Tommy lets out a sharp gasp and sits up, his eyes wide for a moment before he narrows them in a glare at Grandpa. "What the fu- Why did- he fucking- I didn't do anything!""Tommy?" Grandpa asks, clearly caught off guard."I didn't do anything , he- he wasn't saying anything! Someone had to tell Fundy, he was asking- and the Siren fucking wasn't, so I told him- the whole point was to tell him, right? Why did Siren even take me if I wasn't supposed to fucking-" he gasps again, out of air. "I fucking, I didn't do anything wrong, I had to tell- I-" Tommy gasps again, starting to hyperventilate, and Grandpa reaches out for him.Before his hand can reach him, the door to the room bursts open. "Tommy!" Dad calls. Fundy didn't even hear him approach, was he just... listening to them from outside the door? "Tommy, sunfl-""No!" Tommy screams, reaching up and slamming his hands over his ears, hard enough it must hurt. "Don't, don't, I didn't do anything, I'm sorry, I'm sorry please don't do that don't do it ever- ever again I'm so sorry- "His dad is still near the door, staring at Tommy in shock. "Wh- Tommy-" As soon as he speaks Tommy curls up, pressing harder on his ears."Wil, mate, stop talking, it's scaring him-"His dad shuts up, and Grandpa tries to pull Tommy closer, already cooing and chirping, but he just-Tommy bursts into tears and tries to pull away as hard as he can. The second he breaks free from Grandpa's hand, he falls out of the nest- luckily, it's too soft in here for him to hurt himself- and bolts for the door, just barely avoiding bowling Dad over.Dad is frozen in place, staring at where Tommy just ran, and Grandpa flies to his feet and chases after him, letting out distressed chirps in the process. In the distance, there's a concerned grunt from Techno before heavier footsteps join the chase."I... don't think I'm going to talk to Tommy," Fundy says as he picks up an abandoned white rose.