Archive of Our Own ^beta

Solar knows what he’s experienced isn’t something that can be brushed off. He was thrown into the void of space. Twice. He almost died twice in the span of less than an hour. He had to force his element to awaken prematurely to survive. And, to put the cherry on top, he was in a coma for a whole week.

A week he can’t remember, but his brothers? They remember. He can see it in their eyes, hear it in their voices when they hover over him, fussing with quiet worry. Their hands linger a little longer on his shoulders, as if to keep him from slipping away again. That’s why he doesn’t push back, even when the attention feels suffocating. He doesn’t argue when the Commander orders him to rest. He doesn’t complain when his friends feed him—though every spoonful of porridge feels like another weight added to the pit growing inside him. He lets them. He owes them that, at least.

But inside, Solar is crumbling. He needs space and some silence to piece together the chaos in his head. Every waking moment, his brothers are there, watching over him. He knows they mean well, but it’s too much, too fast.

So, when his brothers and friends get called to a meeting, Solar seizes the opportunity. It’s the first time in days he’s truly alone, and he slips out of the room he shares with Ice, unnoticed. He heads to a place no one would expect him to hide—the kitchen. Sure, he can cook, and he often helps his third brother here, but the kitchen has never been a place for him to think. It’s noisy, chaotic, and that’s exactly why he chooses it now.

He wedges himself in a small space between the fridge and the counter, hidden behind a few boxes. His small frame, once a disadvantage in battle, now works in his favour. He curls up, knees to his chest, and lets the dull sounds of the kitchen wrap around him like a cocoon.

The clatter of pots and pans, the murmur of the chefs—it’s strangely comforting. What used to annoy him now grounds him. The noise feels alive, unlike the dead silence of space. He realises now why he hasn’t minded his brothers’ constant presence. He, the one who used to cherish the quiet, now finds himself seeking out noise.

“There’s no sound in space,” Solar whispers, his voice barely audible. His body trembles as the memories flood back. The crushing silence. The darkness that stretched endlessly in every direction. “What a stupid fear. First the dark, now silence?” He lets out a bitter laugh, but it quickly dies in his throat as tears burn at the corners of his eyes.

The pain in his ribs flares again, a dull ache that never quite leaves. He presses a hand to his chest, wincing. He can still feel the moment Vargoba’s attack threw him into the void, how his bones rattled under the impact. That pirate had no reason to target him. He shouldn’t have been involved at all, but Vargoba had taken a sudden, cruel interest in him, dragging Solar into a fight he wasn’t ready for.

Solar bites his lip, hard enough to draw blood, to keep from sobbing. He presses his forehead to his knees, hiding his face. He hates this. He was supposed to be stronger after awakening his light element, but instead, it nearly broke him. His ribs only healed because of that power, but the strain it put on his body was unbearable. The alternative… well, there was no alternative. It was either that or death.

He bites his lips, not wanting to let out a sob. He still doesn't want to be found by anyone. However, it seems he underestimates his brothers.

A soft voice cuts through his spiralling thoughts. “Peek-a-boo.”

Solar flinches, eyes snapping open in shock. He lifts his head to find soft amber eyes gazing at him from the shadows. His fourth brother smiles gently, crouching down to meet Solar at eye level. “Hey, little buddy. What are you doing hiding down there?”

Solar doesn’t respond. He pulls his knees tighter to his chest, turning his face away. Why does his brother always find him so fast? He’s supposed to be alone. Blaze’s smile falters for a moment, replaced by quiet concern. Gently, he shifts to sit properly on the ground and moves the boxes away from his youngest. "How did you fit under here?" He grumbles, crawling under the table too. "Won't you look at me, little brother?" He tilts his head to be able to see his brother's face. "C'mon, Sol, show me those new silver eyes of yours"

But Solar keeps his face hidden, the tears still threatening to spill.

“Alright, fine,” Blaze chuckles softly, opening his arms. “My way it is.”

Before Solar can protest, he's pulled into a tight hug. His breath hitches, hands coming up to push his brother away, but Blaze just holds him tighter. "What are you doing? Let go." He says, trying to push his brother away.

"Not gonna." Blaze chuckles, pulling his brother even closer. He straightens his legs so his youngest is sitting in between them. "I'm gonna keep holding you. Ah, you're so warm."

"Says the one with the fire element." Solar grumbles. He knows a losing fight. Even though he's not going to admit it, the warmth coming from his fourth brother is comforting. He releases a breath he doesn't realise he's been holding. He shifts slightly, resting his head against Blaze’s chest. He can hear his brother’s heartbeat—steady, constant, alive. It’s grounding in a way that nothing else has been.

Blaze rests his chin on top of Solar's head as he soothingly caresses the brown hair. He doesn't say anything, letting his youngest have his own time. He knows it may become overbearing with how he and the others pester around their youngest, but how can he leave Solar alone after what happened?

“Blaze,” Solar whispers after a while, his voice small, “tell me a story.”

Blaze chuckles, the vibration soothing against Solar’s ear. “Any requests?”

“No,” Solar murmurs. “Just… talk about anything.”

“As you wish,” Blaze hums, the vibration soothing against Solar’s ear. The space between the fridge and counter isn’t exactly comfortable for him, but leaving isn’t an option—not without Solar’s approval. He shifts slightly, adjusting his brother more comfortably against his chest as he begins to tell the story.

“Yesterday, I went on a mission with Fang to this remote planet. We were looking for a power sphere that was supposed to be hidden there, but… false alarm.” Blaze chuckles quietly, the sound rumbling in his chest. “Of course, Fang insisted we crawl through this narrow cave because he was getting a signal. We squeezed through these tiny passages for what felt like hours. I lost count of how many times Fang smacked his head on the ceiling."

He smiles to himself, continuing the gentle motion of stroking Solar’s hair. “When we finally reached the centre of the cave, all we found was a treasure. No power sphere in sight, just piles of gold and jewels. You should’ve seen Fang’s face—he looked ready to blow the whole cave up out of frustration.”

Blaze’s voice softens as he continues recounting his missions from the past few weeks, his stories flowing like a lullaby. Every now and then, he glances down at Solar, watching as the tension in his brother’s face slowly fades. Solar’s breathing becomes slower, deeper, more peaceful.

Blaze tilts his head slightly, looking down at Solar’s peaceful expression, and scoffs softly, his breath a quiet sigh of relief. “Out like a light,” he murmurs. He adjusts Solar gently, carefully shifting him so he’s sitting on Blaze’s lap instead. “Now, how am I supposed to get out of here without waking him up?”

He’s about to attempt to move when a soft voice catches him off guard. “Blaze?”

Blaze blinks, looking toward the source of the voice. From under the table, he can see the familiar light blue pants of his brother kneeling down. “Oh, Ice.”

Ice crouches to peer into the small space, his face etched with a mixture of concern and relief. He lets out a quiet breath, his shoulders visibly relaxing when he sees Solar fast asleep. “So, this is where he’s been hiding,” Ice says softly, shaking his head. “I’ve been looking everywhere. The others are going crazy, running around the base trying to find him.”

Blaze chuckles lightly, still cradling Solar protectively. “The chef gave me a hint. Said he saw Sol sneaking into the kitchen. I figured he might be hiding out somewhere quiet.” He looks down at Solar’s peaceful face, brushing a few strands of hair away from his brother’s forehead. “I guess we became too much for him. He probably needed some space… Somewhere we wouldn’t think to look.”

Ice’s expression softens as he watches Solar sleep, his eyes lingering on the small, fragile form curled up in Blaze’s lap. He nods quietly, guilt flashing across his features. “We did crowd him a bit, didn’t we? Got too close to his personal space.” His voice is heavy with regret.

Blaze nods in agreement, his own gaze never leaving Solar. “Yeah, but… He didn’t push me away.” His voice is low, almost as if he’s still processing the moment. “I thought he would. I thought he’d snap when I found him, or tell me to leave. But instead…” Blaze’s voice softens even more, filled with quiet awe. “He asked me to tell him stories.”

Ice’s aquamarine eyes widen slightly at that. Solar never makes such requests. Normally, if he wanted to tell his youngest brother a story, he’d just start, without waiting for permission. Solar always listens, even if he pretends not to.

“And he didn’t make any comments?” Ice asks, disbelief lacing his voice.

Blaze shakes his head with a grin. “Nope. Look at him now, though—sleeping like a baby.” He gestures toward Solar, who’s still curled up in his arms, oblivious to their conversation.

Ice snorts. "Well, we better move him. His body is still sore, so let's not make it worse."

“True.” Blaze carefully shifts his body in the tight space. “But help me out here—it’s too cramped for me to move him alone.”

Ice leans under the table, and with practised coordination, the twins manage to gently manoeuvre Solar out from his hiding spot without waking him. Ice cradles their youngest for a moment, hesitating as he looks down at Solar’s peaceful face. “Carry him, Aze,” Ice finally says.

Blaze raises an eyebrow. “Why me? He’s already in your arms.” But, he still opens his arms to carry the youngest. 

“I don’t have any concrete proof,” Ice mutters with a dry chuckle, “but I think Sol doesn’t like me.”

Blaze frowns, his eyes narrowing in confusion. “What are you talking about? He always looks for you first whenever he comes into the common room.”

“Yeah, but that’s all,” Ice replies, his voice laced with quiet frustration. “Every time I touch his hand or his shoulder, he flinches. He tries to be discreet about it, but… He pulls away.” Ice pauses, his gaze distant as he walks past his brother. “He used to let me cuddle him without a second thought, but now… He tenses up if I get too close.”

Blaze frowns before following his twin. "You're not going to ask him?"

Ice shakes his head, his voice resigned. “And risk pushing him further away? No, thanks.”

Blaze walks alongside him, casting a sidelong glance at his twin. “So that’s why you’ve been keeping your distance,” he realises, a note of understanding in his voice.

“I’d rather not make him more uncomfortable,” Ice says softly, his expression sad but resigned. His smile is faint, but the pain behind it is unmistakable.

“I really doubt Solar dislikes you. There must be a reason for his reaction,” Blaze counters gently. There’s no way their youngest would suddenly turn away from his fifth brother. Blaze knows that if Solar had to choose among them, it would always be Ice.

Blaze searches for an explanation, any clue that might illuminate Solar’s behaviour. Suddenly, a thought strikes him. “Which hand did you use to hold him?”

“What does that even matter?” Ice replies, confusion furrowing his brow.

“Maybe it’s the cold. Sol had severe hypothermia after Kaizo brought him back. I had to warm him up while the doctors examined his injuries,” Blaze explains, his tone steady but concerned.

Ice halts, a look of realisation washing over his face. What Blaze said makes him realise everything. His youngest asked to raise the room temperature in their room. He even used a double blanket, but not because of the cold. And how Solar covered the small window in the room.

“I’m such an idiot,” Ice sighs, kneeling down and burying his face in his hands, overwhelmed by guilt.

“Hey, the only one allowed to call you that is me. Don’t sell yourself short!” Blaze scolds, his tone firm yet caring as he looks down at his twin.

“I’m his roommate, and I missed all the signs! I deserve to be called an idiot,” Ice groans, frustration mingling with self-reproach.

“So, it’s the cold then?” Blaze presses gently.

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s not just the dark he’s afraid of. Everything that reminds him of space terrifies him. He probably asked you to tell him stories to fill the silence. You can’t hear anything out there; it’s completely soundless.”

Amber eyes blink as Blaze tightens his hold on his youngest brother. It all starts to make sense now. He had noticed some of Solar’s behaviour but never fully connected the dots. "Let's..." He pauses, sighing, "Let's not do all of this at once. I think what's top priority right now is to let Solar have his space. We can play some instrumental songs in your room or something."

Ice nods in agreement, a hint of relief in his voice. “Okay, that’s a good start.” He stands up, and they begin walking again. “Aze,” he calls, prompting a hum from Blaze. “What if we go to Earth?”

Blaze raises an eyebrow, surprised. “That came out of nowhere.”

“Well,” Ice explains, “we haven’t been home since the whole Vargoba incident. I was thinking maybe a change of scenery could help Solar recover. Being at home might feel safer for him than being cooped up here.”

Blaze hums in thinking. "Not all of us, though. Sol would feel guilty if all six of us left the base to accompany him." Ice continues. "And, we did agree to give him his personal space."

"Okay, yeah, we can do that." Blaze nods his head. "I'll talk it with the rest. You stay with him."

“Wait, no,” Ice says, gripping his twin’s shoulder. “Just because I understand why Solar pulled away doesn’t mean I’m ready to confront him about it.”

“Well, you have to,” Blaze insists as they reach Solar’s room. “You both need this.” He gently lays the youngest on the bed.

Ice sighs in defeat. He goes to the wardrobe, digging through his attire to look for one object. "What are you doing?" Blaze asks once he's tucked Solar in.

"Looking for a glove." Ice grunts.

Blaze blinks before breaking into a grin. “Always prepared, huh? Well then, see you. I’ll talk with the others about this.” He playfully snatches the blue hat off Ice’s head and ruffles his hair.

“Hey!” Ice yelps, swatting his brother’s hand away. “Get out!” he whisper-yells, a mix of annoyance and affection in his tone.

Blaze chuckles, throwing the hat to his twin's bed. "Bye~." He waves his hand, leaving the room.

Ice grumbles, tidying his hair. He puts on his glove and goes to sit on the edge of Solar's bed. Hesitantly, he reaches out his hand to hold his brother's. He sighs in relief when Solar doesn't flinch.

"Don't worry, Buddy, we'll get through this." He murmurs, kissing his brother's hand.

~~~