Chapter Text
“Yomiel?”
“I’m fine, Sissel.” He chose the crutches today, reaching to massage his cat between the ears. “I mean it. I’m ready.”
The kitten twitched his tail nervously, hunching where he clung to Yomiel’s shoulders. “The moment you’re uncomfortable, I’ll know through our link. I can help you get away.”
“Of course. That’s what a service cat does.” He grinned, a tired expression that hasn’t been genuine until today. “But I want to do this, even if it’s uncomfortable.”
They stood at the entrance to Temsik Park, stone columns holding up a sign that hasn’t been properly cleaned in years. He could see down a brick pathway to the fountain in the center, too rough for him to risk his wheels. As is, Sissel will have to check the stones and report back whenever they wobble so Yomiel doesn’t risk a fall. They were supposed to gather at the fountain beneath the broken lamppost. Yomiel tensed instinctively when he saw how the metal pole crumpled like an accordion, buckled under the weight of history.
The Jowds insisted on celebrating his new job together, and Kamila unknowingly begged for them to meet at the park. The detective originally refused, but Yomiel told him it’s fine. If he’s going to live just down the street from his deathbed, he needs to get used to its presence. Yomiel shrugged his shoulder for Sissel to dismount, the cat brushing his belly on the ground as he crept across the pathway.
He just had to get there, then he could sit down and watch the rest unfold. Yomiel followed where the cat walked, stopping at every yowl for attention until Sissel found a new way to cross with a satisfied purr. He wanted to be there first, to go at his own pace and settle mentally for the burden. Yomiel scrunched his shoulders as they gave the crater a wide berth, the meteorite long gone. He didn’t want to risk an accident near it and gain immortality all over again.
“I could just go back in time four minutes and keep that from happening to you.”
Yomiel looked down at the kitten trotting proudly on his leash. “Are you still able to do that?” “I don’t know. I could try.”
“Let’s not, just to be safe.” Yomiel followed the cat that jumped on the basin to the fountain and padded to the other side of the park, leaving Mino’s old home behind with the ruined lamp leaving an ugly shadow that crossed their faces. Yomiel swallowed, his crutch shaking in his grip. Sissel stopped, turning curious eyes to him.
“You okay?”
He’ll be fine. He’s okay. Just take a deep breath. Yomiel pushed his sunglasses up, then thought about it and took them off his nose. He slid the case out of his jacket, putting his glasses away and smoothing out the fabric of his shirt with steadier hands. He can hate Cabanela all he wants, the man picked some nice additions to his wardrobe. His entire outfit is from that shopping trip, although he won’t admit it. A black coat looks good on him, with a brighter shirt to keep him from looking too ghoulish.
Brown eyes scanned the park for landmarks, stopping when they focused on a hill not far from them. He could hear a dog yapping on the other side. Yomiel stepped off the path in that direction.
“Yomiel! Stay on the path!” Sissel yowled, following quickly.
“We’re almost there.” He can make it if he has one final push. Yomiel felt the dirt crumble beneath slip on shoes as he stopped at the crest, nearly tripping and steadying himself before he could fall. He exhaled when he saw who was on the other side.
Cabenela and Jowd had their backs to him, laughing at some joke as they sat on a bench bow-legged and relaxed. Lynne gathered up a pile of golden-brown leaves, hefty sticks set to the side. Alma sat on a gingham blanket with a picnic basket, watching Kamila throw a ball at a barking Missile who raced in the wrong direction to catch it.
Yomiel froze, watching them with wonder. They’re so happy. All of these lives that he meddled with, now content in their monotony because he didn’t have a hatred to consume him. At first, he had that wave of self-loathing, of soul-crushing frustration that he chose a future so vile when his powers twisted him into an obsessed phantom.
Then he took one look at Sissel, who leapt to press his purring body into Yomiel’s leg right on cue, and it trickled away. They had better futures, and every right to exclude him, and yet they chose to involve him anyway. He didn’t ask for forgiveness, since he truly believed he didn’t deserve it. They gave it without expecting something in exchange.
They wanted him around.
Yomiel cleared his throat. “Uh, Jowd?”
Cabanela and Jowd stopped talking, turning to look at him in sync. Cabanela looked him over with a smile creeping up his face, while Jowd raised an eyebrow at his position. “I thought you’d take the path,” Jowd rumbled.
“Yeah, but I wanted to see the view.” Yomiel fuddled with his crutch for a moment. “Now I’m not sure how I’m going to get downhill, though. Don’t want to risk anything that would sour the mood.”
He started to stand with a groan, only for Cabanela to make him sit and round the bench instead. “We all knoooooow you have a bad kneeeeeee. Let me heeeelp.” He blinked, only then realizing what he was saying with an embarrassed glance upward. “If you’re okaaay with that.”
“Cats don’t choose which firemen remove them from the tree.” Yomiel shrugged, moving his crutches to be in only one hand so he could reach out the other for support. Cabanela hiked his legs up the incline and offered a thin shoulder. Yomiel hopped close, tucking his fingers into Cabanela’s hip. The other man moved carefully to slide them down to the bottom. Not having the fountain in his view did wonders for Yomiel’s anxiety. Actually, this park may not be so bad as long as no shadows hover over him.
Shadows like the one who was moving them like glass sculptures in tentative steps downward. Yomiel chewed his cheek before he decided to say something.
“Thank you for the job opportunity.”
Cabanela startled, his face trapped between a smile and a grimace. “It’s no issueeee. I was just doing what my jooooob needed me tooooo.”
“But you didn’t have to bring me in to fix up the system. Or task Lynne with being my attack dog on making sure they take me seriously.”
“She’s always been sweeeeeeeeeet on you. I don’t think she’d leeeeet me give the job to Rindge eeeeeeeeven if I wanted tooooooo.”
If Rindge was the one who met him at the door, Yomiel is grateful for her passionate defense all the more. “Yet, you’re the one who helped me get my life squared again.” He picked his next words carefully, stopping at the foot of the hill with the bench only an arm’s reach away. “I’d consider us even.”
Cabanela tipped his head, hands sliding away from him and towards his own pockets. “I could never fiiiiiiix what happened, Yooooomiel. I wouldn’t dare tryyyy.”
“And that’s exactly why I forgive you.” Yomiel felt Jowd’s gaze pricking into his back, angling himself so he could lean on the bench back and watch Cabanela. “You did something you could never take back, and can never make right. I was the same, and you could’ve used me as a scapegoat. You didn’t. You worked to help me anyway, whether it’s getting Sissel certified, helping me carry things, or letting Lynne run loose on her own little quest. So.” He held his hand out in offering. “I forgive you. You don’t have to do any more for me.”
Cabanela blinked, then took his hand in a clasp. For such a limber man, he’s strong, squeezing stiff fingers that were long used to triggers. “Your debt was already paaaaaid, Yomiel. You don’t need to hear that from meeeee.”
“No, but you didn’t go to jail for your crimes, so I wanted to tell you anyway.” Yomiel felt a weight shift from his throat, already long removed from his heart. He heard Sissel’s proud chirp as the kitten jumped onto the bench.
“Proud of you for that. You really didn’t have to.”
No, but if he kept holding on to what Cabanela owed him, he’d just be reminded what he felt he needed to do for someone like Kamila or Lynne. It’s no good to keep himself in eternal debt to a child who doesn’t remember his wrongdoing or an adult who hates when he brings up the whole incident. If he wants to truly feel he’s starting over, then he needs to put that behind him. Besides, seeing someone every day who treats him like a walking cautionary tale would get distracting from his work.
He served his time. He doesn’t want to be the revenge-fueled person he used to be. It’s best to turn over a new leaf and clear out everything that made him feel so rotten inside.
“Yomi!”
He turned, moving so he’s not blocked by the bench as Kamila and Missile came running. Jowd held out his arm to stop the oncoming child stampede before he could get bowled over. “Kamila. We don’t mess with Yomi’s balance, remember? Let him have his own space.”
“Right.” She nodded dutifully, tucking her hands behind her as she looked up at him. Missile stopped with her, tail wagging as he watched the ball. “I’m glad you made it.”
“Happy to be here.” Yomiel reached out to let her have a high-five, since she couldn’t grab him in the hug she went for originally. “What’d your teacher think of your physics project?”
“She said I should enter it in a competition!”
“I know you’ll do great, Kami. If you want, we can find ways to improve it tomorrow.”
She looked at her father pleadingly. He laughed and nodded. “As long as you get your work from your other classes done.”
Missile barked, dropping his forelegs with his tongue lolling. Kamila turned her attention back to him, crouching with the ball in hand and teasing him with it. Yomiel watched them run off again in joyous skips before setting his crutches next to the bench. “Any chance you can watch these for me?” He asked Jowd.
The detective nodded, setting one arm on them to keep them upright as he turned back to a settled down Cabanela. Yomiel can make a few steps by himself, and he was mainly planning to stick to Lynne. He wobbled over to where she set up her leaves on the pavement, taking a moment to sit in the dry grass. She whipped around quickly at the sound of his shuffling, relaxing again when she saw who it was. Trusting him like that made his heart sing.
“What is this?”
“You never cooked sweet potatoes with leaves as a kid?”
“No.” A faint memory came back to him, making him scratch the back of his head. “I think someone would put their truck outside the school selling sweet potatoes, but we never thought to cook them ourselves.”
“Well, you need concrete, firewood, leaves, wet newspaper, aluminum foil…and sweet potatoes. This park always had the best wood, and you can pull up the path to make into an oven.” She pointed to the loose bricks tugged out of the ground with dark pits in the road, then to where she stacked them and covered them in crispy foliage. “You just light it up, and twenty minutes later, bam! Perfect sweet potato.”
“Isn’t it better to cook in an oven?”
“Probably.” She shrugged, taking a stick and prodding the new fire. “We’ll know it’s ready when the potato’s all soft when you poke it.”
Yomiel nodded, leaning forward to watch the flame dance. After so long of only seeing blue embers flickering in the ghost world, the warm orange of reality was comforting. “Is this what you were doing with the leaves…”
“...Yeah.” She bit her lip. “I haven’t tried this since then.”
“I appreciate you teaching me.” He took one of the sticks and shifted the leaves around up top, letting a plume of smoke billow out with a crackle. “But if you don’t want to, I can watch the potatoes. You make sure Kamila and Missile are having fun.”
“Nah. I missed talking to you when you got out.” She nudged him. “You were the only one who didn’t treat me with kid gloves after the incident. I appreciated that.”
“I’m sorry that you needed the guy in the jail cell to take you seriously when no one else would.”
“Hey, not like you could tell them off. Besides, I repaid you plenty with the whole Justice Minister thing, right?”
“You never had to repay me. None of you did.” Yomiel let Sissel jump into his lap, rolling onto his back with a stretch. “I’m just happy I didn’t ruin all of your lives with that.”
“Aw, please! We can move on. As long as we’re living, we’re living, you know?”
“I guess I do.” Yomiel felt something hit him in the shoulder blade, small and round. He turned to the ball rolling away, grabbing it in pale fingers. Missile barked, drowning out Kamila’s shouted apology. He grinned and threw it as hard as he could. They stumbled in the yellowed grass to follow it.
Sissel’s purrs were loud as an engine as he stood, Yomiel scooping him to press dark fur into his face. “Feeling better?”
“Of course,” Yomiel muttered into his pelt. He’s out of the house, talking to other people with a job lined up that he’s good at. He can get around the city pretty well, and when his surroundings don’t cut it, he has friends to help.
And they forgave him. They’re okay with him. They like him. His cat mewed his agreement, a partner for as long as his new life allows it. This is as perfect a future as he could ask for.
He just needed to take those steps.