Space Family

“Helios~!”

Mercury is clingy. And a whiner. She’s running loops around him while she says his name, trying to get closer to him, and it’s making him dizzy. And once she starts, it’s never long before Venus and Terra start to join in. 

Those three are the worst about being his tag-alongs, and the most high-energy siblings a guy could get. Mars gets in on it sometimes, too, and when he does all hell breaks loose, because he’s such a selfish loud-mouth. He doesn’t care if Helios needs some space. He wants to game it with  big-bro, or hang out, or wrestle. 

The other five are better about the whole situation. They stay close, but are rarely cling as much as the inner four do. Jupiter is cool about it, and his twin brother Saturn loves to direct attention away from Helios for a bit when they see he’s going to flare up. They’re irritating little twerps sometimes, but he appreciates it when they get the younger ones to pay attention to something other than him for a while. Taking care of this family is stressful.

Neptune is pretty calm about all the running they do. The younger ones don’t understand it; they think it’s a big game of follow-the-leader. She’s catching on. Helios isn’t sure if Saturn and Jupiter know yet. They’ve been trying to keep the littler ones occupied more often, so it’s possible, but they’ve always loved the attention.

Uranus knows. She’s known for a while, Helios can tell by the way she looks fearfully over her shoulder while they keep moving. It scares her, but she only gets clingly when she’s really freaked out. Helios doesn’t know what to do, what to say to her, so he keeps walking.

But thank the gods for Pluto. Quiet, tiny, little Pluto. He’s known the longest. He hangs at the back, unafraid of the mass of darkness, of the threat of running into another system, erasing their trail. Sometimes he crosses paths with Uranus, comforting her and calming her down. Helios gives him a thankful look. The last thing he needs is all of them to get nightmares like Uranus and come clinging to him in the night. He barely sleeps as it is. 

Helios feels bad for Pluto sometimes. Pluto is the only one who doesn’t come running to Helios every time he’s in the room, but their other siblings ignore him. Uranus is the only one who doesn’t regularly leave Pluto out, and even she can act pretty coldly to him. 

Helios almost trips over Mercury, Venus, Terra, and even Mars, who have started a ring-around-the-rosy game with him at the center. He loses it. 

“Can you guys get away from me for five damn minutes!” he yells. He regrets it instantly. Jupiter and Saturn have stopped pulling pranks on each other to look at him. Terra looks like he’s going to cry. Venus and Mercury have already teared up.

Mars is combative as always. “What’s the big deal? We’re only having a bit of fun. Calm down, Heli.”

Helios doesn’t say anything. He just glares at his younger brother and storms off. Neptune starts to comfort the youngest three, talking them out of their tears, telling them it’s not their fault, that big brother Heli is just tired and cranky today. It takes both Saturn and Jupiter to hold back Mars. Helios almost wished they hadn’t. For once, he could use the fight. 

Pluto leaves Uranus’s side to follow him silently. “Didn’t you get the memo?” Helios says irritably when they’re far enough away from the others that he won’t be heard. “Leave me alone.” 

“You know we can’t,” Pluto says reasonably. “Helios, we can’t lose you too. The kids have already been hurt. Terra still has scars, but thank god he doesn’t remember the last attack.”

“It’s been years. They didn’t even know it was an attack.”

“No,” he says calmly. “The little ones don’t know we’re being attacked. But you do. I do. Uranus can’t shake the feeling she’s being hunted. Her nightmares are getting worse, by the way. She didn’t want me to tell you. She can tell you’re stressing out.”

Helios swallows hard and sits down, cradling his head in his hands. He feels guilty that he can’t help Uranus more. “I don’t know what to tell her. I don’t know how to help her. I don’t know how to take care of kids, Pluto, I’m too hot-headed. Why am I in charge?”

“Because you’re the best one for the job.”

“You’re more level-headed. You’d do better.”

“The little ones won’t mind me. I’m too quiet.” Pluto squats down beside Helios, hugging his knees. “You’re the big brother. You know what to look for in a safe place, when it’s time to move. I can mask us for a bit, or talk Uranus out of her fears for you. You’re the only one who can beat Mars in a fight. Or knock the twins off their high-horses when their pranks get out of control. And the little three? Terra looks up to you like nobody else. Mercury and Venus, too, though they’re a bit…” Pluto laughs nervously. Helios knows they like to tease Pluto about being small. He wishes he’d stopped them earlier, but he’d been too busy.

“You can handle it, Heli. Take your time, but the kids need you, okay? We all do.” Pluto stands up and goes back to Uranus, who has fearfully been watching Mars argue with Jupiter and Saturn. 

After a minute, Helios follows him. He goes to the sniffling Mercury and Venus. Neptune steps back to let him talk to the kids. “I’m sorry I yelled at you,” he tells them. “I shouldn’t have lost my temper. I’ve got a lot to worry about.”

“Is it because you have to take care of all of us?” Venus asks quietly. 

“I know we’re not always good,” Mercury adds, “but please, we’ll be better from now on, we promise.”

“Just don’t go, okay?” Terra finishes from his place clinging to Neptune’s legs.

“Nine kids is a lot,” Helios says. “But you guys are the only people in the whole universe I have to worry about, and I will never leave you guys. I promise. Never, ever.”

Mercury and Venus smile despite their splotchy faces, and hug Helios enthusiastically. Terra runs to join. 

“Group hug!” the twins shout, dragging Neptune and Mars into it with them. Helios looks out at Pluto and Uranus. Both of them have stood up, but waver uncertainly, unsure whether to help their older brother. 

“Well get in here, you two,” Helios calls, and breaks into a smile as they run into it as enthusiastically as the youngest ones had. Nine kids is a lot to handle.

But he wouldn’t trade his family for the universe.