Work Text:
Casper did not deserve this. Sure he was a little proud. But nobody deserved what happened to the co captain. Odward felt sick, every conversation ran through his head.
“Im just tired of you judging everyone.”
“I am really tired of your gigantic ego.”
“Let’s see how the team does without me.”
If Odward hadnt left none of this would have happened. Casper would have never been burned, Key would have never lost control of his tama. More importantly if he had not left the knights would never have formed. Key would have just been a regular student who never would set foot in the golden cage. Syelle and Ameline would have probably joined the roses. And Milo, he would have made normal friends who wouldnt encourage him to go looking for trouble. If he had not left he wouldnt be in a nurse station sitting next to his ex.
“Why couldn’t you have just been loyal?” Callista growled.
Odward could not answer. Why didnt he just talk to Casper. Its not like their break up had come out of nowhere. There were signs even before tryouts, like after the exhibition game when Odward got mad at Casper for letting him get hit by Odine’s water canon.
“Oddie,” Casper pleaded, “it was just water.”
“It still hurt and it ruined my hair,” Odward argued.
Then there was less than a week later when Odward swore that Casper was flirting with the waiter at an eatery.
“He’s taken buddy,” Odward snapped.
“Stop it,” Casper scolded, “he was just offering me a refill.”
And then there was the night before the try outs. Odward was lying in bed with Casper next to him. The conversation landed on what kind of first years they would get.
“Better be someone who is used to being in the background.”
Odward’s ears perked up at that phrase.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Odward asked.
“Im just saying that our fans come to see me and my tama.”
“Are you saying I’m a background character?” Odward snapped.
This lead to an argument that went on for the rest of the night and had woken up the neighbors. The next day, Casper acted like absolutely nothing happened. And the way he spoke about his brother was the last straw.
Odward tried to tell himself it was not all bad, Casper was sweet. There were days where Casper would cheer Odward on in his hard days. There were days Odward would find a little trinket that he knew Casper would like. But right now all he could focus on were the negative parts. And all Odward could think was that they were his own fault.
“Why don’t you say something traitor,” Callista snapped.
“Both of you out,” Nurse Volgora ordered, “I need to work.”
Odward left the room but he didnt leave the waiting area. Callista sat across from him, glaring daggers. At somepoint Volgora came out, she informed them that he needed to rest so the medicine could do its job. So she sat at her desk looking for any emergency contacts.
The next day Volgora said that they could sit at Casper’s side. An hour in Callista sat outside to wait for their dad. Then Volgora walked in to hand Odward a note. Apparently Milo came in to tell him something. On the note, it was detailed that Key was both suspended and barred from the next game.
“Too light of a punishment,” Odward whispered to himself.
“What is?” A horse voice asked.
Odward almost jumped out of his seat. Looking over at him was Casper, rather the side of him that was not wrapped in bandages. He looked like he was about to get up, Odward immediately moved to stop him.
“Don’t get up I’ll get -,” Odward began.
“No,” Casper interrupted, “don’t leave.”
Odward went to sit down, he faced his ex as best as he could. It was like looking at the sun, you didnt want to look that long in fear you may lose your vision. There was an awkward silence, but could you blame them?
“I never should have left,” Odward began.
“And I never should have been such a jerk.”
Odward could not believe his ear, Casper was never somebody who would admit he was wrong.
“Not just about the break up,” Casper continued.
Casper was not just admitting regret for his treatment towards Odward. He was admitting regret for everything, for his treatment of Milo and Syelle. Most importantly he regreted his treatment of Key.
“I almost became a murderer out of loyalty to a terrible person.”
“Almost,” Odward emphasized.
“I let my pride and somebody else’s words control me.”
“But that doesnt excuse what happened to you.”
“No,” Casper agreed, “but nearly killimg someone because somebody told me to is not an excuse either.”
Before Odward could interject, the door opened. Standing at the entrance was nurse Volgora, next to her was Callista and the twin’s father. Odward took that as his que to leave, there was probably alot Casper wanted to say to his family.
Odward sat in the waiting area. About an hour later the door slammed open, and out came an angry looking Callista. She looked at Odward and stormed off, the twin’s.father poked his head out and called Odward in. Sitting up was Casper, he had a solemn but content look on his face.
“Casper has something he would like to say to you.”
Casper took a breathe in and breathed out.
“I’m sorry for everything that I’ve done,” Casper began, “and I know saying sorry doesnt make it right for you or your team, but I also can’t do thia anymore.”
“What are you saying?” Odward asked, his voice laced with worry.
“For a long time I’ve been doing things with pride and blind faith as my goal.”
Casper looked directly at Odward.
“I love goratama which is why I am not all out quiting.”
“What does that mean?”
“I am gonna finish this week.”
“But what will happen afterwards?”
“I can answer that,” Their father interrupted.
Odward looked at the powerful man, apparently before Callista got their dad, he had spoken with the Goyens. They had come to an agreement that Casper could finish his schooling remotely while he healed.
“In the mean time I will try to find a different type of motivation,” Casper finished.
“But how long will that take?” Odward asked in desperation.
“I don’t know but I need a break from goratama and my dad needs a new assistant.”
Odward wanted to argue, but he couldnt. Instead he nodded in understanding and left, promising to visit the next day. After along time be went to his room where Milo was sitting. Next to him was a bucket of jelly, instead of going to his own bed, Milo sat next tohis brother and leaned in. Odward had never been good with words, specifically heartfelt ones. Milo still understood and wrapped an arm around his brother in quiet understanding.
The next day Pregrina had joined the team much to Odward’s surprise. But he was not complaining, even with out the diadem Pregrina had skill. Casper had been discharged but seemed to avoid everyone, busy trying to finish what he could before switching to remote learning.
Callista was angrier than she had ever been before. And when Pregrina joined the team that anger grew ten fold. This led to some altercations and one of them caused a food fight. And because of this the team would visit his mother every night to cook dinner together. Then Key returned, with a clear head and a paint set.
That evening the team were in his mother’s kitchen. That was when his mother came in with a photo album. Ready to show the team his and Milo’s baby pictures.