Contact: Sheik

Calling...

Calling...

"This is Sheik speaking. If you're hearing this, leave a message once I've stopped talking. I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

"Hey, Sheik. I'm just calling to see how you're holding up. Call me back when you want to talk." Link sighed and pressed the end call button.

He glanced over at Roy, who was sitting on the bed and staring blankly at the opposite wall.

"You doing okay?" Link asked quietly.

Roy shrugged listlessly.

"We have to get ready to leave. The funeral is at noon."

The redhead just nodded dully, not even looking over at Link.

-/-/-/-

Sheik listened to Link's voicemail almost as soon as he got it. He'd been waiting for the call to go to voicemail anyway.

He didn't want to talk to him right now.

Ever since he'd gotten the news of Robin's suicide, he had hardly been able to think clearly. He'd been spiraling down into a pit of self-loathing.

If only he would have noticed sooner. If only he hadn't been so fucking stupid and realized that Robin was in love with him. God knew he'd given enough hints over the years, but Sheik had been too stupid to realize it. Hell, the songs Robin had written? All the ones the boys had performed with deep lyrics about love being lost or unrequited?

"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." Sheik whispered, hitting his hands against his head with each word.

He might have been crying. He couldn't tell, really. This wasn't the first time he'd kind of just broken down since he got the news, either. Today was worse, though. A lot worse.

Probably because today was his funeral, and he was going to have to step back into the public eye once more. Because of course this funeral was a big deal. And of course every other member of Brawltang would have to be there, because duh.

Nearly the whole gang would be back together again, in Korea just six months after parting ways.

But they'd never really be whole again.

Not now that Robin was dead.

robin is dead

he's dead and it's your fault

your fault your fault your fault

Sheik felt a hand on his back, near his shoulderblades. Almost immediately, he tensed up out of reflex, then relaxed a bit once he heard Corrin's voice.

"Are you going to be well enough to go?" Corrin asked quietly.

The only response he was capable of giving was a halfhearted shrug.

"You don't have to do this if you don't feel up to it."

"I... I have to." Sheik whispered, his voice breaking. "It's the least I can do."

"Okay." A pause, and then Corrin removed his hand from Sheik's back.

he's leaving again

serves him right

why would he waste his time on you

"Wait. Please." Sheik hated how pathetic his voice sounded. He hated how he was afraid of Corrin leaving, even if realistically he wasn't going anywhere. "I need..."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Stay."

pathetic

clingy freak

no wonder he broke up with you in the first place

"Okay."

He felt Corrin sit next to him and then put a hand on the back of his head, running his hand through Sheik's hair in an attempt to calm him down. He felt a little bit like a cat, but that was okay. It felt nice.

"It's my fault he's dead." Sheik whispered after a long moment of silence.

"No. It's not."

"Yes. I was so stupid. I didn't notice anything until it was too late and now he's dead and it's my fault."

good, you're learning

your fault

your fault

your fault

Sheik's hands tightened on the sides of his head, like that could block out the invasive thoughts that threatened to overwhelm him.

Laughable, really. It had never worked before, so why would it work now?

-/-/-/-

Robin's funeral was really, really difficult to get through.

Yeah, it was nice to see the boys again, but other than that? Sheik wasn't having a good time.

He kept a blank face on for the majority of the service, staring straight ahead with a stare so lifeless he almost could've been mistaken for a corpse. Judging by the way he could hear Link trying to get Roy to talk to him, the redhead was similarly not doing well.

Marth and Ike both looked kinda bored. Pit looked upset, but not too sad. Surprisingly, several other idols had showed up. Byleth, Yuri, and Dimitri, along with Lettie (of course). Randomly, Edelgard. Though that was likely because Palutena was here, alongside the rest of 6mix.

So many people.

they're blaming you too

just look at them

they hate you

The little voice in the back of his head that Sheik pictured as the dark thoughts that would likely never really leave him had been mostly silent, which he was thankful for. He didn't really feel like breaking down in public.

And now it was back, because of course.

weak

worthless

couldn't even stop one of your closest friends from offing themselves

Corrin took one of his hands and squeezed it reassuringly. He didn't let go for the rest of the service, which helped calm Sheik down significantly.

Before long, it was over with. People started filing out of the funeral parlor, and each ex-member of the Brawltang Boys headed up to the front, one by one. The urn with Robin's ashes was there, since he'd been cremated as per his instructions in his will.

Each one of the boys said their final farewell to him, though it was more of a formality than anything. Robin couldn't actually hear them anymore, and it was far too late to make a difference.

Sheik was last. There was nobody else here, except for him, Corrin, and the older man who had conducted the service.

Almost like he was in a dream, he walked up to the simple urn and put his hand on the table next to it.

"Hey, Robin. I... I don't think you can hear me now, but... I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I failed you. I failed you so badly and now you're dead and it's my fault. I'm sorry." Sheik's voice trembled, but it didn't break. "I should have realized something sooner. There are a million things I should have done or said and I'm so sorry I didn't do anything. I let you down. If you were worried I would hate you, you shouldn't have been. I can't hate you. Even though you abused me and effectively broke my heart by manipulating Corrin into breaking up with me, I can't hate you."

With his free hand, Sheik wiped his eyes. Somewhere along the line he'd started crying. Again. Jesus, he really needed to get a handle on himself. He took a deep breath and then whispered one last sentence.

"Rest easy, Robin. I sincerely hope you're in a better place now."

THE END.