Characters: Little tiny baby versions of Elmer, Romeo, and Skittery
Warnings: Heights, mild mentions of death
Word Count: 1.2k
The ground swam hazily at what felt like a million miles below, and fragments of roof tile fractured beneath feet, crumbling to the floor.
Elmer took a few hasty steps away from the edge of the roof, his stomach churning at the thought of the sudden drop, hands clammy and beads of sweat starting to dampen his forehead.
“C’mon!” Romeo called, standing right on the edge, looking back at Elmer with a bright grin.
“I can give ya a push if ya want.”
Elmer shook his head violently, pushing himself further away from the edge and from Romeo’s ready-to-push hands.
“N- No!” he stammered quickly, looking away when Romeo shot him a confused look.
“It’s just- it’s really high up! What if we get hurt?” he fidgeted with his fingers nervously as Romeo’s look of confusion morphed into a teasing smirk
“What?” He asked playfully. “Ya not scared are ya?”
“No!” Elmer snapped, almost too quickly,
“Of course not!”
He was honestly a little offended that Romeo would even ask that! Elmer was a big-kid now! A big, strong, tough kid of almost seven years old! He did not get scared!
Especially not of really… really… dangerous-looking heights.
Elmer swallowed thickly, even the rooftop seemed to be out of focus now.
“Then why don’t ya come to the edge?” Romeo smiled mischievously, cocking his head.
Elmer bit the inside of his cheek hesitantly, and Romeo’s smile softened. “It’s okay, y’know?” he said. “We’ll be safe.” Elmer frowned at him, not at all convinced by the other boy’s gentle words.
“Yeah? And how do ya know that?”
“Cause ya brain don’t want ya to get hurt, see?” Romeo explained, placing his hands on his hips. “So instead of goin’ ker-splat, ya magic kicks in and catches ya!”
Elmer glanced up at him nervously, then looked away again as he tossed Romeo’s words around his head. They sounded true enough.
“Oh yeah?” He retorted a little suspiciously. “And who told ya that?”
“Race,” Romeo replied smugly.
“And he’s twelve, he knows everything.”
That was true. Elmer mulled it over a little more before finally taking a deep breath and replying.
Still a little tentatively, he stuck his arms out to balance himself as he made his way to the edge, slowly placing one shaky foot in front of the other shaky foot.
After what felt like hours, he was finally at the edge, staring down at the landscape below. He took another deep breath, trying to calm his nerves, and squinted down.
If he really tried, he could pretend that he was just very tall, and the jump before him was just one big giant step and not a jump at all.
His mouth felt dry and his stomach was tying itself in knots, when he felt a small hand on his shoulder. He looked to his left and met Romeo’s gaze, the other boy giving him a small, affirming nod.
“Ya ready?” he asked quietly. Elmer nodded, not trusting his voice. “On three.” He balled his hands into fists, feeling his nails dig into his palms.
Elmer looked down again- he really had to stop doing that- and fought back a small whine as his heart hammered in his throat.
His legs were shaking violently now, knees beginning to buckle under him. He was silently thankful for Romeo’s hand on his shoulder, helping keep him upright.
This was it, no going back.
Either his mind kicked in and his still hidden abilities saved him, or he splattered onto the ground below. Elmer held his breath.
His legs bunched beneath him as he pushed himself off the roof, springing forward through the air. Elmer’s heart stopped as he watched the ground hurtle toward him, panic rising in his chest, what happened to his brain not wanting him to get hurt!?
Just as his mind began to race and tears prick at eyes, he came to a sudden, cushioned stop. He paused, mind trying to catch up with what just happened.
Elmer’s jaw slackened as he turned to face Romeo, hovering beside him. “I- I did it, Ro!” he exclaimed in shock. “I made the air catch me!” but Romeo wasn’t smiling. In fact, he wasn’t even looking at him. “Romeo?” Elmer frowned. “Did ya hear me? I said-”
“And just what on Earth do ya think you’re doin’?”
Elmer felt himself pale, a jolt of nervousness flushing through him. He swallowed, throat dry as he slowly turned around.
Skittery, the only other aerokinetic besides Romeo, stood a short distance away from them, jaw set, and arms outstretched in Elmer’s direction.
“I- We-” Elmer stammered, looking frantically between Romeo and Skittery.
“Romeo made me do it!” he blurted, a cry of protest coming from the accused.
Skittery turned to Romeo, fixing him with a waiting stare. “Race said it would work…” he grumbled, arms folded across his chest and face screwed up in a pout.
The older boy sighed.
“Why am I not surprised…”
Slowly lowering his arms, Skittery gently set Elmer down, walking the gap between them to dust him off and check him over for any injuries. Once given the all-clear, Elmer watched as Romeo dropped himself to the ground, receiving the same treatment Skittery gave Elmer a few seconds before.
He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pain in his chest. For a second there, joy had flooded him, a bright euphoria that zapped through his body and made Elmer’s hands all tingly. For a second there, he thought he’d finally found his powers, and now here he was back at square one. That euphoria now replaced with dull disappointment. No matter how dangerous it was, it had still felt amazing to have thought he’d finally unlocked a part of himself.
He sighed quietly, as Romeo slouched over to him, still pouting.
“Well,” Skittery began, running his hands through his hair as he turned to them.
“At least now you two know that it’s not safe to jump off rooves.”
He fixed Elmer with a stern look.
“Elmer, ya shouldn’t always listen to what Romeo- or Race-” He added as Elmer opened his mouth to protest. “says. Ya could’ve gotten seriously hurt, ya know.” Skittery spun on his heel to face Romeo, giving him the same stern look.
“And you,” His gaze morphed into an older-brother-type look, one that read I’m not mad, just disappointed, (which Elmer would argue was even worse than being mad).
“just because ya can catch yourself now does not mean ya can go jumpin’ off whatever ya feel like, or getting your friends to join ya, okay?”
The two younger boys muttered their sullen agreements as Skittery adjusted the bottom of his shirt.
“Now, I’m off to find Race to tell him to use his brain for once. You two head inside now, ya hear?” with a quietly mumbled ‘okay’ and ‘yeah, sure’, the pair turned around and marched sulkily toward the large building across from where they’d jumped from.
“Oh, and El!” Skittery called, stepping towards him as Elmer paused to look back. “Your magic will reveal itself in time, trust me.” He shot Elmer a smile- which was returned half-heartedly- and reached out to ruffle the younger boy’s hair affectionately. Elmer sighed and as he turned to follow his friend, he looked down at his hands.
He really hoped Skittery was right.
