Work Text:
Canvas Town is a completely different place than when they first got here. Remlin’s show somehow managed to completely change the atmosphere, with people clambering in the streets and shouting and new art appearing by the second. Rudo can barely see through the maze of people that’s formed around them, but he finds himself staring in awe.
Just a bit ago people were bummed out, Remlin herself brought to tears, not a smile to be seen, but now? It made no sense, such a stark contrast to the way things were before. The lights that had burst in the sky, ‘They’re fireworks!’ Enjin had supplied at his bewildered expression, were still going, their booming sound drowned out by the bustling crowd around them.
Rudo finds his eyes drifting back to them, watching as colors paint the air, fading and then immediately another takes its place. It’s beautiful, and he realizes he’s never seen anything like it. The sphere was a dull mix of browns and whites, what others deemed his trash was the brightest thing there. The other side of the gate was white, but it was blinding to look at; at least in the slums he could stand the sight of the environment around him.
These were bright, but in a way his mind couldn’t comprehend. It reminded him of something, of a time when things weren’t so complicated. Where his days consisted of fixing trash the others threw out, Regto’s teasing, and Chiwa’s smile. He doesn’t know what to do right now, the rest of the group seemed to be talking, but he couldn’t hear anything over the lively voices around him and the distant thunder that echoed after each burst.
Then there’s a tattooed hand on his shoulder, and he jolts, body going rigid, reality snapping back into place around him, but it’s not clear anymore, blurry and unfocused.
“Hey there,” comes a familiar voice, Enjin staring down at him. There’s a look in his eye he can’t place, but the man looks away a second later, seemingly scanning the environment around them. There’s a spark of fear in his chest at that. Enjin had said no one with bad intentions can get in here, but Rudo can’t help that sinking feeling in his gut. His mouth cracks open, going to ask what’s wrong, but Enjin nods, before he’s abruptly grabbed, two hands on his shoulders now, pushing him forwards.
“Hey-!” That's all he manages to get out as they reach an alley that’s somehow not crawling with artists. He jumps away, scowling at the man before him.
“What’s your problem?” He snaps, and Enjin only raises an eyebrow at him.
“My problem?” he asks, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Why’d you drag me back here?” Enjin huffs, crossing his arms, and he’s looking at him again, with that stupid expression he can’t decipher, different from the unbothered smile he tended to wear.
“I figured you needed the space; you weren’t reacting to anyone calling your name.” Rudo goes to retort, but Enjin uncrosses one of his arms and points at his face before nodding at him. Rudo blinks, bringing a hand up to his cheek. His glove comes back with a sheen that wasn’t there before. It takes him longer than it should have to realize why, and he’s scrubbing at his face a moment later, wiping away the tears that stained his cheeks.
“Who were you thinking about?” Rudo pauses his assault on his cheeks, lowering his arm just enough to look up at Enjin. He’s not looking at him this time, his eyes drawn towards some loud shouting that erupted back on the street. Rudo feels his mouth open, but the name feels like it’s stuck in his throat. He can’t say it, not without that familiar sting in his eyes returning, not without that knot of feelings Regto always told him about growing agonizingly tight.
His silent agony draws Enjin’s gaze once more, curious, but then there’s an understanding in those yellow eyes.
“You don’t hafta tell me, but you don’t have to wipe those away either,” he says, motioning to the damp spots on his gloves. Rudo can’t help but stay silent, his voice useless.
“There’s no shame in mourning. Don’t want to let it grow into something nasty if you can help it, so relax, let some of it out.” He bites his lip, his head dropping. He wishes it were that easy, to just let out whatever he was feeling, but his feelings aren’t like that. They’re always accompanied by it, that all-consuming rage that threatens to spill over every chance it gets.
“It’s… not that easy,” he manages, almost impressed with himself that he got those words out.
“Hm,” Enjin hums thoughtfully, before huffing, and then he looks up as another splash of color paints the sky.
“Would he have liked the fireworks?” It feels like a punch to the gut, hitting harder than anything he’s felt down here on the ground. A trash beast breaking his bones might have been less painful, because at least physical pain isn’t accompanied by the fact that Regto’s not here. That Regto died up on the sphere; that Regto was the closest thing to a family he ever had up there, and now he’s gone.
Nothing hurts more than the thought that yeah, Regto would’ve loved the fireworks.
The world goes blurry again, and his chest feels tight, his legs feel like paper under him, but he doesn’t fall. No, there’s a hand on him again. Guiding him down onto something, his legs useless, and his shoulders shuddering with each staggered breath. Even as he fights for control over his breathing, even as he sucks in the snot that tries to run down his face, that hand never leaves.
A boom echoes in his head, and he looks up, even though the tears he can make it out, that color, its beauty.
“He would’ve.” The words are strained, like it’s all the energy he has to say them, and he sounds like he has the worst cold in the world, but he has to let Enjin know. Has to tell him that his dad would’ve loved it, would’ve loved almost everything he’s discovered down here. He has to know.
He hears Enjin hum again, the grip on his shoulder loosening just a bit, but he never says anything back. Rudo sniffles, wiping at his eyes again.
They sit there; he doesn’t know how long, but it’s quiet. The world around him is loud, but they’re tucked away in this alley, and it feels like they’re in a different plane altogether. His body feels heavy, and it really feels like the first time he’s just sat down for a moment since he fell down here.
“Can’t sleep just yet,” comes Enjin’s voice again, and he jostles him. A scowl finds its way back onto his face. He wasn’t going to sleep!
“I wasn’t gonna.”
“You certainly looked like you were.” He goes to retort, but Enjin ruffles his hair and he squawks at the sudden action.
“You ready to get back out there?” He wants to say yes, wants to get back to the search. There’s a lot of no man’s land to search, endless landfills to scour, but he doesn’t want to. He just wants to sit here for a moment, for just a moment longer. Enjin shifts, leaning heavier on the wall behind them, setting Umbreaker off to the side.
“Heard you loud and clear,” he supplies a second later, and how does he do that? Read people like that? He tried to understand Zanka, and they ended up running through alleys while he flung shit. Rudo sags against the wall at the memory, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. His eyes are heavy, and he can hear Enjin’s voice in his head, harassing him about sleeping, but he can’t find it in himself to care.
—
Rudo feels his eye twitch at the sight next to him. He drifted off, admittedly, but this? Enjin was next to him still, but he’s slumped over, half of his weight on Rudo. He’s full on passed out! And on him! The nerve of this guy! He jabs an elbow into his side, and he sits up straight, going rigid, before he looks down at Rudo with an indignant expression.
“What the hell?!” He snaps, and Rudo stands up, wobbling slightly before pointing at him.
“You said I couldn’t sleep!”
“But you did anyway, so I thought it fair for myself to catch up on some z’s!”
“On me?!”
“But your hair’s so soft, it probably makes for a great pillow.” Rudo jumps, looking over to the entrance of the alley, and Riyo’s standing there with Zanka in tow, a smile on her face.
“Oh hey,” greets their moronic team leader, and he stands, throwing his arms into the air as he stretches and Rudo grumbles when the man ruffles his hair again.
“What were you guys doing back here?” Rudo looks from Zanka to Enjin, but he just shrugs.
“Taking naps, no biggie.”
“In an alley?” mumbles Zanka, and Riyo snickers.
“Don’t have very fond memories of an alley, Zanka?” The cleaner goes from skeptical to bright red in a matter of seconds, and the reaction is met with the other two’s laughter bouncing off the walls so loud that Rudo nearly winces.
“Remlin’s ready for tags!” comes Zanka’s shrill voice as he talks, an obvious distraction from his humiliation, but Enjin takes the bait, perking up at his words.
“Really? You hear that, Rudo? We don’t have to wait to go look for our mysterious woman now.” Zanka nods, turns on his heel, and Riyo follows after him, a teasing tone to her voice as they exit as fast as they arrived. Enjin huffs out a quiet laugh before turning towards Rudo; there’s a questioning look in his eyes.
Ready? said without words. Rudo nods, clenching his fists. Enjin smirks, tucking Unbreaker under his arm.
“Good man.” The cleaner turns to leave, and Rudo falls into step behind him. He realizes the fireworks have finally stopped, and the streets have quieted. People still make their art, dragging pens and spraying paint across the buildings, but it’s calmer now. He pauses, thinking back for a moment, back to the sphere, back to the fireworks and he remembers, just for a second. The sound of a laugh that echoes in his head and a smile he swears he’ll never forget.
Maybe his trash wasn’t the brightest thing up there.