#Local Hero | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

narrans · 10 months

Text

Everyone Needs A Little Hero | Hero Rising

Hero was shaking in his borrowing boots. It took him twenty minutes alone to lace up one shoe. It took even longer to pack his borrowing bag and load it with his essentials. His door was firmly locked for most of the morning. For some reason, keeping it locked seemed to keep out the looming feeling of the outside world.

It didn’t make sense, but it was what he was going to do until the last possible moment.

Something about what Rey said to him stuck out like a sore thumb. It was an itch he couldn’t quite scratch and a feeling he couldn’t quite shake.

Rey had said a lot of things, and some of them felt unjustified. It wasn’t him who was locked in a box. It wasn’t him who had been grabbed and pinched. His entire world view hadn’t come crashing down on him all at once.

At the same time, what Rey said made perfect sense.

Hero couldn’t hide in his room forever.

Hero couldn’t deny that it was his Borrower and human friends who had come together to save him.

Despite how terrible it was, Rey was right that it might have been the first time in their history that Borrower and human worked together toward a common goal and had not been afraid of being captured or harmed by the ones they stood beside.

Hero had done that. It was terrible, but he helped bring them together.

Now, after everything, Hero felt like he needed to do at least one thing. If he never saw another human again, he needed to go and see his best friend - Sam - and thank him.

Yes. Hero at the very least needed to see Sam.

So, after an agonizing hour, Hero dared to glimpse at his reflection in the mirror. The same brightness wasn’t there in his eyes. He looked tired and scared - like so many other Borrowers he knew.

Had he really been changed so much? He felt like it, but he didn’t think he looked it too.

Realizing that what he needed to do wasn’t going to get any easier if he just stood there staring blankly at his reflection, he chose to act.

He stepped out of his room and immediately saw his parents sitting at the kitchen table and all of his siblings in the main living area. It took only a fraction of a moment for them to all turn their eyes onto him.

“Hero, I’m glad you’re up sweetie. How are you feeling?” asked his mother, cautiously approaching and giving her son an affectionate peck on the crown of his head.

“I’m okay. H-how are you?” Hero muttered. He still couldn’t bring himself to look into the faces of his parents. He was terrified of absorbing the full force of their disappointment.

“Better now that you’re here,” smiled his mother affectionately. “Are you hungry? You look a little pale.”

“Hero,” said Atlas, who immediately stood and observed his brother’s apparel. “Where are you going?” The words hung in the air for several seconds as his family slowly noticed his attire as well. They saw his hook and his borrowing bag on his back. They also saw he was dressed for borrowing out, not just going out into the community.

“I… have some erra-”

“No. No you don’t!” Atlas scolded. “Hero, this is exactly the kind of thing you used to say when you went out to go visit your so-called human friends. Be specific. What are you doing? Where are you going? Who are you going to go see?”

“Atlas,” muttered Casper. The eldest Rafter son whipped around to look at his father in disbelief.

“You can’t be serious, dad,” said Atlas. “We are on the brink of losing the entire community. We’ve certainly lost their trust, and for what? For Hero to go and play grab-and-go with some humans? This all started when Soren and his brothers mo-”

“No, it didn’t!” Hero interjected, feeling his voice constrict and waver as he crumpled in on himself, shoulders drawing in toward his body into a hunched position. “I started helping the humans before they came; and yeah, I started talking to them before Soren and Rey and Dorian. So, don’t blame them. Th-th…” Hero’s body shuddered as his shoulders began trembling, ejecting tear after tear from his eyes. He couldn’t bring himself to continue, but he had to at least defend his friend and his family.

Everyone stood tensely for several minutes as Hero continued to suppress his sobs, failing miserably with each breath he tried to take.

He felt just as miserable as he knew he looked. Hero wanted to go back to his room and hide, but he knew he needed to face this. There was no way he could live up to his name if he kept hiding like a coward.

Hero managed to compose himself to sputter, “I’m so sorry. I… I-I-I n-ne-ver m-m-mea-nt for…”

At this, Hero’s mother stepped forward and pulled her son in close, hugging him tightly.

“Hero, I know you didn’t mean for it to happen,” said Prim. “It was one of those hard learned lessons, and I’m sorry you had to learn it that way.”

“Hero, I know this is hard for you,” said Casper, standing and stepping beside his wife to place his hand onto her shoulder. “But your mother is right. It was a hard lesson to learn.”

Hero hiccuped and wiped his tears on the back of his hand.

This was a mistake.

It was a horrible mistake.

He should’ve just stayed in his room.

There was no wa-…

“But, I learned a hard lesson too,” muttered Casper. “Hero, we couldn’t have saved you without the help of those humans you befriended. If not for Ashlynn and Sam and Eliza, we would not have had the time or ability to get you back. We needed them, and I am not one to easily admit when I was wrong about something as important as this.”

“Dad,” Cali scolded. “You can’t be serious.”

“Yeah, Dad. They’re humans. They’re bound to want something. We’re lucky they haven’t come looking for us, saying we owe them favors,” chimed in Cali. Tiron didn’t say anything, and instead looked to Hero and his parents. There was something lingering in the back of his eyes, but Hero couldn’t tell what his older brother was thinking.

“I am serious. I don’t like it, but the facts stand,” stated Casper. “Now, Hero. Answer me honestly. Were you going to go see one of your human friends?” Hero looked up into his father’s eyes.

Yes, there was disappointment, but there was also resolve and reassurance. Hero, for once, felt a mild relief as he realized he could tell the whole truth and not have to keep everything he believed a secret.

“Yes,” Hero muttered. Atlas and Cali moved to say something, but Casper held up a single finger.

“Which one?” he asked quietly.

“S-s-sam,” mumbled Hero. “I just wanted to tell him thank you for saving me. If… if I never saw him again, I wanted to thank him at the very least.” Casper sighed and nodded, looking back to his children and then to Hero.

“Do you want me to go with you?”

“WHAT?” demanded Atlas. “Dad, you can’t be serious!”

“It is the courteous thing to do when someone saves your life, regardless of whether or not they are human. Hero, I expect you to come right back and to not take any detours. Do you understand?”

Hero couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He nodded.

“I promise I’ll be right back,” said Hero, wiping his eyes once more.

“Dad!” Cali scolded.

“Cali, Atlas, Tiron, I know what you’re thinking, but the fact of the matter is that a number of humans know about us now. If they wanted to keep us or capture each and every one of us, they would have done so by now. It has been enough time. I can only believe that these humans are willing to protect us and keep our secret, regardless of circumstance. A friendship like that is not something you disregard easily. If it were a Borrower, we would not think twice about going to thank them or invite them to take part in a meal. The same is true for these humans. If it were one of you, I wouldn’t hesitate to reveal myself again to save you, especially if it were to these humans. They’ve earned my trust, and they should have earned yours now as well.”

Casper’s words hung in the air like a still summer breeze. The tension was tangible, but the siblings didn’t utter another word. Instead, Hero dared to hug his mother again and take a bold step toward the door. He spun on his heel and looked into his parents’ eyes.

“I… I don’t know what to say. I… I’m sorry, but… thank you….”

His parents nodded slowly and, without another word, Hero turned and headed out of the front door.

~~~^*^*^~~~

It took a little longer than Hero thought to make it to Sam’s home. Was it because he was still in shock from what his father said? Was it because he was feeling the weight, literally, of what he was about to do?

He remembered how excited he was when he first became friends with Sam. It felt like a lifetime ago.

It didn’t matter now. What mattered was what he was going to do when he saw Sam. Hero felt ashamed and embarrassed the last time he was near Sam because he flinched and coward away at the hand that once saved his life when his belaying line broke.

Hero didn’t even realize he had stopped walking. The familiar trim crack was directly in front of him, but the Borrower teen didn’t even register it until he heard Sam’s familiar voice from the other side of the wall.

“Don’t worry mom. I’ll get it done before bed,” said Sam.

Just hearing a human’s voice so close made Hero shudder and want to retreat back into the walls. All he could hear was Lily’s voice asking him questions before prodding his body. Hero shuddered. His ribs had only now begun to recover, and the bruises were barely visible now.

Hero took a half of a step back when he heard Rey’s voice in his head once more. Then, that little voice that once encouraged him piped up for the first time.

Sam is your friend.

You can trust him. You’ve trusted him for so long. Don’t lose your best friend now because you’re scared. If you leave now, you might as well never see another human again.

Hero took a deep breath and held his ground, taking that half step forward once more.

For Sam.

Hero carefully pulled at the trim piece and peered outside, taking care to check his surroundings before lowering himself to the dresser top. He crouched low, feeling his hands shake as he clutched his hook close to his hip. His heart pounded dangerously fast against his chest.

This was it.

Sam would be the first human Hero had seen since the incident.

With caution, Hero peered over the edge of the dresser and glanced down to the desk and then to the bed where, sure enough, Sam was sitting there working on his homework. He had one book in his lap, one in his hand, and one more book with lined paper and a pencil as he wrote on the pages. He seemed to be deep in thought, and Hero wondered if now was a good time to say anything when Sam sighed and, as the fates would have it, looked up longingly at the piece of trim that Hero had just used.

Hero had closed it behind him, but it didn’t stop Hero from recognizing the sad look Sam gave it. The boy’s shoulders visibly sagged as he looked at the trim. He was sad. Hero saw it in a flash.

Sam missed him.

Still shaking in his boots, Hero knew what he needed to do. With all of the courage he could summon, Hero pushed himself to his feet and stood at his full height in a place where Sam could see him.

It took no time at all for the young boy’s eyes to see the Borrower standing on top of his cabinet. All at once, his eyes widened and a massive grin spread across his face.

“Hero!” Sam said, keeping his enthusiasm at a hushed whisper as he made to move. Then, in that same instant, Sam froze. Hero saw it immediately. Sam didn’t want to startle him by standing too quickly. He was being careful.

He cared.

Just the thought brought tears to Hero’s eyes, but he managed to choke them back as he dared to force the slightest smile.

“Hello Sam,” said Hero bashfully. Hands still shaking violently, he managed to place his hook back on his hip before looking back to Sam. Sam, moving with the utmost caution, dared to slip his legs out from under his books at a snail’s pace and crouched on his knees, not daring to move any closer or faster.

“I… thought I wouldn’t see you again. I was really worried about you,” said Sam as he looked into Hero’s once bright green eyes. “Are you okay?”

Hero dared to nod.

“Yeah… I… well… I’m okay, I guess,” muttered Hero. Sam obviously had a hard time hearing, tilting his head and straining his ears to hear Hero’s small voice.

“Just okay? What’s up?” asked Sam. Hero felt himself shivering all over. His throat constricted. Every part of him hurt, but not physically. The Borrower teen choked on his own breath as he tried to take in a single, normal breath. Hero didn’t want to cry again today, but the burning in his eyes told him that salty tears were on the way.

“Oh… oh no! Hero, I’m sorry. I didn’t….”

“It’s… not… you…” choked out Hero. “It’s me…” Hero raised his hands and wiped his eyes with the heel of his palms.

“Hero, could… I stand? I don’t want to scare you, but…” Sam didn’t quite finish. Hero suspected that Sam wanted to get close because he couldn’t hear and because he wanted to make sure Hero was okay.

Even now, his friend was looking out for him.

As thoughtful and caring as the gesture was, the thought of getting close enough for Sam to touch him made Hero curl in on himself.

Still, Hero didn’t come here to cower. He came here to confront his fears and talk to Sam. He took in several more deep breaths before, with all of his willpower, nodding, signaling to Sam that he could stand.

Sam, as cautiously as he could, rose to his feet while balancing on the bed. He stepped over his books and was now at eye-level with the Borrower teen. Even though he was a foot away, he could see Hero trembling. Suddenly, it didn’t seem like a good idea to stand near Hero. He seemed so scared. His heart ached for his friend, and he waited for nearly a minute before daring to break the silence.

“H-hero? Do… you want me to sit? I don’t want to scare you,” muttered Sam. Hero whimpered and shook his head, but he didn’t meet Sam’s gaze.

“N-no. Y-y-yo-you’re fine,” stated Hero, barely managing to spit out the words. Hero hadn’t anticipated this. He spent most of the morning and the days leading up to this planning what he would say and how he would say it.

Things like this were always easier in your head to figure out.

“Well, you don’t seem fine,” Sam muttered. Sam’s features fell as he watched how Hero flinched at his voice and turned away. Still, Hero hadn’t taken a step back. He hadn’t retreated. A sudden thought occurred to the boy, and it was enough to send a pang of sadness through him like an electric current.

“Hero? Did… did you come here to say good-bye? That… you won’t be coming back to see me or help?” asked Sam.

Hero clutched at his heart as a similar pang shot through it. No. This wasn’t supposed to be good-bye. He wasn’t supposed to be this upset. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. He needed to reassure Sam. He needed to let his friend know how much he cared about him.

The Borrower teen raised his once bright green eyes to look into Sam’s face. His mouth was dry. Every part of him screamed to run back into the walls, but he stood firmly to his spot. Finally composed enough, Hero managed to talk once more.

“N-no, Sam. No. I… I d-didn’t come to s-say good-bye,” said Hero, voice involuntarily stammering as he controlled each and every breath. “I… I came to ap-po… apologize.” Sam’s features softened as he looked at Hero, a bit of confusion lingering in his eyes.

“Apologize? For what?” asked Sam. “Hero, you have nothing to apologize for.”

“B-but I d-do,” Hero mumbled as he wiped his eyes again. The words came pouring out of him like a fountain. Everything he felt sorry for swelled in his mind and cascaded over the edge of the mental barrier he had been fighting against for so long. He even managed to not stammer or stumble over a single word. “I’m sorry for making you worry. I’m sorry I got you involved and that you had to rescue me. I’m sorry I flinched away when you saved Rey and I from being outside. I should have been more careful. I should have listened to my friends and family. I should have come to see you sooner because you’re my friend and not letting you know how I was feeling probably made you even more worried about me. I’m just so sorry.”

Hero curled in on himself once again and averted his eyes. How was he going to manage to get through this conversation if he couldn’t keep it together for more than a few seconds?

“Hero,” breathed Sam. Then, slowly, Hero watched as Sam raised his hand and set it on top of the dresser about six inches away. Seeing the digits crest over the edge forced Hero to catch a shriek of fear from escaping. Every nerve in his body was screaming to run. Hero could see Sam’s thumb and forefinger pinching his body, squeezing the air out of him like some kind of squeaky toy. He could feel the heat of Sam’s hands smothering him as he squirmed for freedom.

Sam rotated his hand to reveal his palm, but didn’t get any closer. Hero could just make out the swirls of Sam’s fingerprint from where his hand rested.

“Hero,” Sam breathed again. “It’s okay. You don’t need to be sorry. I mean… sure… I was worried about you. I’m so relieved that we were able to save you, and I’m so grateful that I was able to help. You’ve done so much to help me that it was the least I could do.”

“B-bu… but…”

“Hero, we’re friends. Friends help each other, no matter what. I would never do anything to make you uncomfortable or scared. At least… not on purpose,” Sam smiled. Hero looked up into Sam’s face and saw that there were some tears gathering in the corners of the boy’s eyes. “If you need time, then take all the time you need. If this is good-bye, that’s okay too. I don’t want it to be. I just want you to know that we’re good. But… know that you don’t have to be afraid of me. I’ll never hurt you, and that’s a promise.”

Hero felt himself shiver as relief came over him. It was then that Hero realized why he had been so nervous.

He was afraid Sam wouldn’t understand. He thought Sam might be angry that Hero hadn’t come sooner to talk to him. Hero was afraid Sam wouldn’t understand that he needed time to get back to the way things were before.

Hero glanced at Sam’s hand and then back to his friend.

Only now did he suddenly feel the first urge he had had in a while to hug his friend. Hero’s body shuddered involuntarily as the thought of getting close to another human hand was a bit unnerving, but it didn’t overrule his instinctual desire.

With his swelling courage, Hero slowly stepped up to Sam’s hand and, taking a few deep breaths, leaned forward and hugged Sam’s hand, wrapping his left arm between Sam’s index and middle finger while throwing his other arm over the top. Sam didn’t flinch. He didn’t dare move to frighten his friend.

Hero shuddered and held his friend’s finger as tight as he could, burring his face into the crook of the finger. Hero felt a gentle brush of Sam’s middle finger as it slowly bent and rubbed against his back.

After a minute or so, Hero pulled away and looked into Sam’s face. The young boy was smiling at him. For the first time in what felt like an age, Hero felt like he was smiling at a friend – an equal. His size didn’t matter. What happened didn’t pull them apart. He smiled up at his friend, who smiled back after wiping his own eyes with the heel of his palm. After a moment, Sam glanced down at the bed and all of his books.

“Do you want to help me do some homework before dinner?” asked Sam. “You can say no if you want, but we could hang out on the bed for a little bit before you have to go.”

Hero nodded and pulled his arms free from Sam’s fingers.

“Yes, I… I think I’d like that,” smiled Hero. With the utmost care, Sam turned his hand palm up so Hero could step on. It took a moment, but Hero managed to step onto those wonderful hands that had saved him and comforted him, never reaching to hurt.

Once on and crouched, Sam carefully knelt and sat down on the bed, making a nice spot for Hero to sit using blankets and some pillows propped up so Hero was nearly at eye-level with Sam. They worked together for only twenty or so minutes, but the time was well spent and much needed.

The two were friends.

Hero had once again experienced a good interaction with a human.

His resolve hadn’t failed him, but Hero certainly knew he would be cautious from now on. Helping people was at his core, and the fence between him and Sam was mended.

He would go and see Rey in a few days to take him up on his offer to go back to helping humans. Hero knew better now that humans were dangerous, and it wouldn’t be the same, but maybe… just maybe… that was a good thing.

After all, a hero was supposed to be anonymous and do good deeds without seeking thanks; and now, more than ever, people needed to be shown a little kindness now and then.

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

Continue

Beginning

Prompt

ASK ME ANYTHING

21 notes · View notes