A/N: please read the bottom Author's note after reading this Side Story. Thank you!

Etho hummed softly digging quietly into the pillow. Beside him watching him intently, with not nearly as sleepy eyes, laid Beef.
"Etho?" Beef piped up finally, after watching the white-haired boy for almost an hour now.

"Yeah?" The boy asked, his eyes droopy and he dazliy looking up from his pillow safe haven.
In a panic, the young guest blurted, "where's your bathroom?"

Etho smiled and slowly climbed up.
"C'mmon silly, I show you!" The 4-year-old, 1 full day away from being a 5-year-old, declared.
The smaller brunet climbed up taking Etho's hand for support and let the Silver-haired boy lead him out of his room, down the hall, around a corner, across the living room, into a second hall, and to a white, scribbled on, door.

He reached up and forced the door open.
"He'e you go Beefy! Stool there, toilet there, sink there!" Etho toured.
"You' toilet so small!" Beef gawked.
"Wha?" Etho asked.

"I can get onto it wit' no p'oblems! Like Xizumz can!" Beef gawked.
"Oooooooo~!" Etho gawked.
Beef nodded and Etho left the bathroom.
"Don' leave!" Beef immediately protested.

"Not leaving! Just sitting outside so you can have yo' p'ivacy!" Etho assured closing the door leaving a bit of it open to stick his hand in to make sure he wasn't scared and they could talk.
Beef gasped.
"Awe! How considawite!" Beef cooed and Etho grinned, proud of himself.

-----

"Nooooo!" Etho yelled gripping onto Beef for dear life.
Beef got to spend 2 nights with Etho before his Birthday party and 3 whole days! But now his parents were here to pick him up and Etho was unwilling to give up his older but smaller companion.

"I thought he wa' stayin fo'evah!" Etho complained as Beef's mom tried to scoop him up once more.
"He mine! I ma'e a be' fo' him an' everything!" Etho cried.
"Beef has to go home now Etho, with his mommy and daddy, and all his siblings," Etho's mom tried calming him down.

"An me?" Etho asked pointing at himself.
"No sweetpea, you stay here," his mom replied.
"No! He stays! Or I go!" Etho yelled swatting Beef's mom away.
"I no wanna leave!" Beef cried.
"See! He lobe me!" Etho insisted.
"Mooooom! I wanna keep him!" Beef pleaded.

"He isn't a pet darling-" Beef's mom chuckled.
Beef paused, looked between his mom and Etho.
Beef whimpered and Etho hugged him tightly.

"I guess you have ta go..." Etho sniffled.
Beef whined a little more before begrudgingly leaving with his parents.

---

"Etho! Etho!" Beef called running up to Etho's spot in the classroom.
"Yeah?" Etho asked.
Beef kneeled down and held a ringpop up to him.
"Will you marry me?!" He asked, the widest smile if his face.

"You have my cheerios and Marshmallows?" Etho asked.
"Uh.. No...?" Beef replied his smile faltering.

"Then no!" Etho huffed, puffing out his chest and crossing his arms.
Beef frowned and Etho uncrossed his arms and took the ringpop.
He slipped it on his finger and popped it into his mouth.

This made Beef smile and hop back up.
"Later then?" Beef asked.
Etho popped it out of his mouth, licking his lips.
"After I get my Cheerios and Marshmallows, yes," Etho agreed.

Beef grinned and hugged the silver-haired boy.

-----

"Hey, Eth?" Beef spoke up glancing up from his phone to look at his silver-haired boy.
The boy looked up.
"Why's your hair silver?" Beef asked.

Etho paused, confused. He never really thought of his hair before. He knew it was different than others but he didn't think it was too different.
And Beef had never asked before.

"Well... I think.... I don't produce enough melanin? So my hair, like my eyebrows and head hair are whitish blond but I think all of it goes to my eyes? Which is why they have no color but my eyes are a dark brown," Etho scrambled to explain, hoping Beef would understand.

Beef hummed softly.
"Is it anything like Aury's condition? Where she has malfunctioning melanin that makes her hair an unnaturally bright red?" Beef asked returning back to his phone.

"In a way, I guess," Etho hummed.
Beef smiled and then held out a picture of his older siblings to him.
Within them, the people Etho recognized were; Xisuma who sat top center, Aurylian only because she was a girl in a sea of guys- she sat middle right, Skyzm who sat front left, JoeHills who sat front center, a little to the left, Biffa who sat 2 spaces to the left of Xisuma, and BDoubleO who sat middle center just in front of Xisuma.

Beef pointed to Aurylian with pride.
"See!" He pointed out.
Etho nodded and he turned the picture back around.
He went through his pictures before humming disappointedly.

"Ok so, Keirshar, you've never met him, has what I think is called Vitiligo. It's where patches of skin and hair have no pigment so they're white. So, his entire face, or at least most of it, his right hand, and then huge sections of his legs and torso are just white where as the rest of his skin tone is like -whoooo- almost burnt yellow I'd say. Tan maybe?" Beef hummed.
"He thinks it's funny when I describe him as a chicken that was cooked wrong. Mom says it's mean though," Beef rambled holding up a group picture and zooming in on a the guy with extremely pale skin, black hair and dark, almost black, eyes.

"And then-" Beef pulled it back to go through his pictures again," Red3yz, Xisuma, KingHappy, and TangoTek all have the condition; Unnatural Eyes. Pretty self explanatory,"
Beef held up a picture of Tango who was a few years younger than him playing in a sandbox, his eyes were a deep almost soulless voids of red. There was no difference between his
Irises, pupils, or scleras.

But he seemed so happy none the less.
"I don't think I've met Tango before!" Etho commented.
"Oh no. He's, what, 3?" Beef hummed.
Etho smiled.
"Say, why are you allowed a phone?" Etho asked and Beef grinned.

"I almost burned the house down trying to cook!" Beef clarified.
"You tried to cook? At 9!?" Etho asked.
Beef frowned.
"I can make a mean Ambrosia Salad, and dad says my Chickens and Burgers are baller!" Beef scoffed pouting.

The taller man smiled.
"Ok, whatever you say," Etho chuckled.
Beef smiled.
Etho loved Beef's smile.

-------

"Etho!" Beef cried.
He stopped and stared at Etho's bandaged up face and worry and anxiety bubbled in the silver-haired boy's chest. He was so scared that Beef would be disgusted by it, scared by it. If he lost him then-

No! Beef wouldn't leave him like that! R-right?
He-he wouldn't- wouldn't- right?!

Beef slowly stepped closer to him, like he was some kind of rabid animal. Tears welled up in the corner of Etho's eye.
"A-are you ok?!" Beef asked his voice cracking.
Etho bit his lip before whispering, "he took my eye."

"Th-they're gonna see what they can do to replace it with something working so I can still see but... It won't be the same color.." Etho whimpered.
"You think you'll be able to choose the color?" Beef asked.
"Hmm... Maybe!" Etho replied.
"If you can, choose red."
"Why?"

Beef sat down on Etho's bed by his feet.
"You know that one anime you keep nagging me about? With that character with the white hair, scar, and one red eye?" Beef hinted.
Etho paused before gasping with the widest grin on his face.

"I could perpetually be cosplaying him at all hours!" Etho squealed.
"You wouldn't even need to try!" Beef nodded, proud.
Etho grinned for a moment before pausing. His smile slowly lowered and desperate to keep that smile up Beef joking poked Etho's nose.

"Common silly willy! Don't look so down! We'll get through this, ok?" Beef assured him, a smile on his face.
"Promise you'll stay?" Etho asked.
Beef's heart jumped to his throat and before he could even think his words over he said, "of course I will! You're my world!"

------

Etho grumbled pulling on his bottom eyelid. Beef was reading on the floor below Etho when he decided he wanted to see their size differences now.
Beef had grown over the summer while he was at camp, Etho had barely seen him at all. Now they were sharing eachother's company in Etho's room and he couldn't help thinking about how much larger the older male had gotten.

"Up up!" Etho declared getting up and rushing to the middle of his room.
Beef looked up from his book.
"Come on! I wanna see what changed!" Etho beamed.

Beef stood up and walked to the center.
And sure enough the boy who had previously been almost an entire foot shorter than Etho and had been, although slightly chubby, smaller in general than Etho, now stood 4 inches above him and was now scarily muscular.
He was still plump, but more in the way of; I'm a pillow but I could punch straight through your skull if I wanted to.

Etho on the other hand had lost a few pounds, more by unhealthy eating habits and anxiety then actually trying, was now shorter than the large man, and had thighs of steel. Though he had most of those traits before Beef left.

Beef blushed and grinned. Etho blew a raspberry and climbed onto his bed to be over the now larger boy.
This only resulted in Beef blushing harder and staring at his lower body curves.

His staring didn't go unnoticed and Etho lightly kicked Beef's shoulder.
"Sorry," Beef laughed, no longer with his low confidence squeaks and embarrassed avoidance.
He was more confident. It was new.... Etho liked it.

------

"If I came out as gay what would you do?" Etho asked.
Beef nearly choked on his fry before pulling himself together and smoothly replied with,"try to get with you and your hips as soon as possible!"

He laughed as Etho spuddered.
"Dude! Epicly smooth!" Etho laughed.
Beef grinned popping another fry into his mouth.
"You know, I'd be totally down for that~ you did ask if I'd marry you so long ago~" Etho hummed teasingly, nudging Beef's arm.

Beef laughed.
Sure. . .

He had enough confidence to say he'd do it, but if it were true he wouldn't be downing a bunch of fries, angry at himself for saying such a thing to his best friend.

-----

"Hey Etho?" Beef stammered.
Etho looked up from his conversation with a girl, Amelia he's pretty sure.
"Yeah dude?" Etho asked admiring how Beef's masculine body blocked the light just right for him to look like an angel.

"Wanna go to the dance with me?" Beef asked.
They were both sure it was going to be lame but...
"Sure!" Etho agreed without hesitation
Beef grinned, the pretties thing Etho had ever seen.

"Yay! Thanks babe!" Beef cheered ruffling Etho's hair and rushing away.
"Are you 2 dating?" Amelia asked.
"No.." Etho hummed fondly.
"You're not?!" She asked, surprised.
"No.." Etho repeated, higher pitched.
"You should be!" She laughed and Etho bit his lip.

"Yeah.." Etho hummed watching him as he explained his accomplishment to his siblings.

------

Etho fumbled with his waistcoat.
"You look wonderful!" His mom cheered.
"Awwww, my babies going to the dance!" She cheered.
"And with Beef of all people! Man, I knew you'd get married considering his multiple attempts to propose to you in PreK to 4th, but so soon!" his father added on.

Etho blushed.
"This isn't even a "we're dating" kinda thing! It's more like him asking a bro to go with him!" Etho assured.
Both gave him a look of disbelief.

"I'm just saying!" Etho huffed.
His dad gave him a bouquet of flowers, mostly red and blue.
"D-dad! He isn't a girl!" Etho insisted his face turning red.
"But he is Beef, and you know he'd be excited!" His mother cut in.
Etho hid within the flowers, trying hard not to break any of the flowers.

It didn't take long for a knock to come in contact with the front door.
Etho yelped and sunk further into the flowers.
He messed his hair up a little bit, hiding his red eye with his white hair.

He sighed and hid the flowers behind his back as the door opened and his father ushered Beef in.
Etho sighed and smiled up at the ravenette.
"Etho! You look- heh... Well..." Beef stammered.
"Awful?" Etho teased.
"If it's opposite day!" Beef laughed and Etho smiled.

"Thanks..."
Beef moved closer. He swiped the white hair our of his face and smiled.
"You're lovely," Beef hummed, his eyes almost glazed over.
"Of course you'd say that!" Etho laughed.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Beef stammered.

Etho chuckled and pulled the flowers out from behind his back.
Beef paused to look at them with curiosity before his eyes lit up and his smile was his most defining feature.
"For me?!" Beef asked.
"No for my dad," Etho deadpanned.

"Oh."
"Yes for you! Idiot!" Etho scoffed rolling his eyes and laughing.
"Oh!"
Beef happily took the bouquet and held them up proudly, as if showing the world what his date to the dance had given him.

Etho couldn't help but smile.

-----

"You're more love sick than Mumbo is," Doc teased, BDubs chuckled but didn't look up from his and Wels' book.
"I am not!" Beef insisted, hitting the cyborg's non-robotic arm.

Wels yawned softly from his spot deep within the couch.
Beef grumbled sinking back into the bouquet of flowers Etho had given him 3 days ago for prom.

Ok yeah... He was a little lovesick.

--------

"Hey Etho...." Beef hummed quietly trying to ignore the aching feeling in his chest that he shouldn't be asking and that it'd only end badly for him and his feelings.

"Do you- uh- would you wanna go on a date with me?" Beef asked, stopping his self doubting thoughts.
He didn't get a response.
He waited a couple minutes and he sunk slightly when he still got nothing.

The door opened to the room and in walked Etho was was laughing on the phone.
He waved at Beef before saying, "ill see you then then~! Bye!"
The call ended and Etho shut the door and rushed to Beef's side.

"Beefers! You will not believe who just asked me out!" Etho squealed.
"Oh? Who?" Beef asked disappointment high in his chest.
"Anna K! Isn't that wonderful?!" Etho squealed pressing against the bed.

Of course, Etho wasn't gay! Of course!
G*d Beef, you knew this! You know he's had a crush on Anna for forever! He's getting what he's wanted since forever!
He's happy....
And that's all you ever wanted for him.

"Really?! Haven't you had a crush on her since, dear lord, what was it 5th grade?" Beef chuckled.
Etho's cheeks grew red and he chuckled nervously.
"Yeeeeaaaah....." Etho chuckled.
"Isn't it great!? Oh, I can't believe it's actually happening! Me! With Anna!?" Etho swooned.

Beef just laughed.

-------

Beef puked into the toilet bowl. The door handle jiggled in worry and Beef pressed his back to it.
"Beef?" XBC called.
"Uh, yeah?" Beef asked, his voice surprisingly even for having been crying for 4 hours straight.

He needed water...

"Are you ok?" XBC asked.
"Uh I'm not feeling too good, I think I caught something," Beef half lied.
"Oh no! What's your symptoms?" Crafted asked.

Heartbroken.
Not worthy.
Useless.
Broken.
In love.

"Oh I've been vomiting and I have an awful headache but other than that-" Beef replied.
"Awe, ok. I'll let mom know. I'll get someone to bring you some water, you try to sleep and stay hydrated, ok?" Crafted assured.
"Ok," Beef replied.

------

"Hey Beef...." Zed hummed softly.
Beef tried whipping away the tears.
"Does it hurt that much?" Zed asked.
Zed didn't wait for an answer.
He placed 2 water bottles on the bedside table and held something out to Beef for him to take.
"We don't have anything to help with the vomiting but this should help with your headaches," Zadaph told him softly handing him 2 pills.

Beef drank a bit of the water and popped the pills into his mouth one at time.
He had to force himself to down the pills, tears spilling past his eyes.

Zed's brows arched in worry and he whiped at Beef's cheeks.
"Etho wants to see you, he's worried," Zed commented.
Beef's eyes widened.
"No! No please, I can't let him see me like this," Beef pleaded, his voice catching in his sore throat.

"Are you sure? He used to always cheer you up when you were sick," Zed asked.
"N-no, please. Besides, pretty sure he has a date! Just tell him I'll be fine," Beef assured croakily.

"A date?" Zed asked.
Beef nodded and yawned.
Zed didn't question it again, instead he sighed, got up, and left.
Beef laid down on his side to fall asleep once more. But as Zed got to the door he heard Beef cough and then gag.

He rushed back to his side making sure he had a trashcan.
Just in time too because moments later he puked into the bin.
Zed rubbed his back as he puked, tears streaming down his face.

-------

"Feeling any better?" Etho asked a soft lopsided gentle smile and squinting eyes reflecting a face of that who thought he was unworthy.

You don't love him.

"A bit," Beef smiled down at him.
Etho let out a soft sigh and pulled his white locks back. His soft pink lips tugged awkwardly, like he didn't believe him.

Stop looking at his lips.

"Good, I missed you!" Etho chirped.
His voice cracked. His lips split back into a wide smile and he popped up.
"I missed you too!" Beef replied swiftly with a side smile.

He's happy without you.

He's ok.

You're ok.

This is ok.

Etho grinned and pulled the older male into a swift tight hug, his white hair brushing against Beef's chin and lips. He couldn't help but laugh and hug back.

He's happy.

He's taken.

He's happy.

You don't love him like that.

He's happy.

Look at him.

He's happy.

And so are you....

--------

Beef took ahold of the dusty fabric covering the window and yanked it out of it's place.
It filled the room with dust and he coughed instinctively.
But it flooded the room in shades of gold, and it looked wonderful.

"Look at this place! It's everything!" Beef proclaimed to himself, him being the only one in the room, in the entire building in fact.
He could make this work....

The entire place was abandoned, in fact it used to be a beach town but now consisted of primarily broken down buildings, cobwebs, and dirty pools.

It was most certainly a hotspot at some point.
Beef didn't even have to close his eyes to imagine all the people rushing around on the shore, playing in the sand, mothers calling for their children, kids in floaties, sand castles, vendors, life!
He wanted to bring all that back.

For now he just about had enough money to renovate one of the smaller beach houses.
But that was fine.
Working 4 jobs, taking college classes, and actively trying to fix this place up was going to be too much anyways.
For now, he owned the land.
The beach and the surrounding 50 acres or so of forest.
He could work with this.

-------

"You ok?" Etho asked his hand pressing softly against Beef's forehead.
Anna smiled softly from behind.

"Just a bit overworked, I'm fine. Oh! Have I shown you what I'm working on? It's not much but-" Beef began excitement building up.
"Uh actually, we were about to go on a date.... Can you show me later?!" Etho cut in.

D*mn it!

"Oh yeah! Of course, whenever we're both free!" Beef agreed.

D*mn it!

"Of course, I'll see you soon then! Come on Anna!" Etho chirped spinning around and scurrying away with his girlfriend.

D*MN IT!

Why'd you let them leave?!

You've wanted to show him your dreams since you bought the place!

But....

Calm down Beef...

He's happy.

Calm down.

He's happy.

So you're happy!

--------

Beef tucked his feet underneath himself the eraser half of his pencil tapped thoughtfully against the paper as he imagined what he wanted to do for the hacienda.
It was gorgeous already but it was falling apart and was missing pieces of pillars, or entire windows, or even pieces of the roof.
Even the courtyard was a complete wreck.

Besides, he needed to get rid of all the graffiti.
What an awful thing to do to such a lovely place, truly it was.

Beef gasped quietly as an idea came to mind and he began to sketch.
Erasing what he thought didn't fit and adding what he thought would.

He was sketching out the structure of the second floor when he got a phone call.
He picked the phone up swiftly and without looking at the caller ID.

"Vintage Beef, what do you need?" Beef responded swiftly continuing to sketch, keeping the phone between his ear and shoulder.

"Xisuma Void, worried for his little brother's health," the familiar voice of Beef's oldest brother broke through the phone.
Beef dropped the pencil and pushed his ideas to the side.

"Ehzuma! You'll never guess what I did! Oh I'm so excited for it!" Beef beamed shooting up from the front steps of the run-down hacienda.
Beef rushed to the beach through a thin layer of trees and he rushed to his temporary beach home.

"What did you do?" X asked, he sounded like he already knew but the mere sound of pure joy and excitement from his little brother again....... He couldn't help but play along.

"Can you like, facetime me? Or even better! You could come down and visit?!" Beef squealed
"Hi Frita! You keeping the beach safe girl? Yes, you are! Good girl!" Beef praised stopping to pet his pink collared beige dog.

Sometimes, when she rolled in the sand too much, she blended perfectly into the hot sand of the beach. She matched the aesthetic, it hadn't even been on purpose.

"Did you.... Get a dog?" X guessed.
"Mmmm, I thought you knew about Frita," Beef pondered.
"No? Did you?!" X asked.
"Oh..... Well, it wasn't what I was going to tell you but yeah! I got a puppy!" Beef chirped.
"Well.... She's not actually a puppy, she's 9 but still a puppy in my eyes!" Beef chuckled as Frita wagged her tail excitedly, not quite sure who he was talking to but sure he was talking.

"Aw," X hummed.
Beef sat in the sand in front of Frita and brushed grains of sand out of her fur as she gladly took residence in his lap.

"Yep! She had an infection in her right ear so she's half deaf but.... I think she understands me," Beef hummed softly pressing loving kisses to the puppy's head, neck, and shoulders, her fur coating his vision.

Feeling the soft loving kisses and making an assumption she was being talked about she began wagging her tail. She wagged it with such force her entire body vibrated with it and Beef burst into laughter.
"She does this thing when she's sure she's being talked about where she wags her tail really really hard. Like enough that her entire body just ~vibrates~!" Beef laughed, X laughed along with him.

"She sounds like a joy!" X laughed.
"She is! I want you to meet her!" Beef encouraged.
"Then you can see what else I bought! I promise you'll be impressed!" Beef encouraged.
"You're almost an entire state away..." X hummed.

"Mmhm!"

"And I do really miss you...."

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmhmmm!"

X let out a soft sigh before replying, "I'll see what I can do but it might take a while."
"Just as long as you come."
"Promise."

Look at that!
He's coming to see you!

Look at that!
Someone actually cares.

Wait!

Beef took a deep breath.
"I'll see you soon then?" Beef offered.
"As soon as I possibly can Beef!" X agreed.
"Ok! See ya sooooooon Ehzuma!" Beef bid his brother farewell.
"Bye!" X laughed.
Click.

Bing!

Etho: hey Beefers! U free today? I can come over

Of course! I'm excited to show you what I've done! ;) :Beef

Etho: well.... Now I'm scared :P

Meet me for lunch? :Beef

Etho: YAAAAAS!

:) :Beef

Etho cares...!

--------

A/N:
Uh whoa, hold up! This is getting long and isn't lining up properly in my mind anymore.....
HOWEVER, this could work as a really nice book.
So here's the idea, comment if you think it's a good one.
•I am going to publish this chapter as a side story still.
•Then I'm going to convert it, elongate it even, so it fits into an entire story (some chapters may be short)
•I'm going to see how I like that story.
•If I like it I'll publish it/•if I don't I might add a part 2 or I'll let you know.
Who knows maybe someone would like to adopt it if I decide against it.

Anyways, I'm going to continue to attempt to write this story even if I so desperately want to skip their honeymoon because I, quite frankly, hate it.

I hope you enjoyed it, let me know what you think.
❤💕❤💕❤💕

Your conflicted sibling,
GFrisk~