"Earlier this afternoon, a tragedy took place in Nuwell. A car had lost control and caused..."

The television filtered through the orphanage. Oscar, as if to make sure that the sisters who raised them regretted ever allowing him entry into their 'sanctuary', had sold one of his paintings and renovated the shabby shack into an acceptable building to house thirty-some children, making the news. The damn show off.

Jason clicked his tongue as he cooked the stew for tonight, "Too loud kids! Turn it down some, why are you even watching the news at your age?"

Oscar had been the bad influence on the young ones, that or Heather had snuck home without saying anything and taken over the remote. Five of us had grown up roughly the same age, so we looked out for each other, and made sure to visit around the holidays. Sadly, this meant, as the eldest of the bunch, He was stuck with cooking duty around this time of the year.

He had help from his siblings, but he still had to cook for a bunch of kids and adults, so it was hard work figuring out what was safe for some allergies, healthy for the elder men and women, but also filling for the night. Their pleasing eyes for their 'older brother's cooking' always seemed to cause him to blank out and end up stuck with the duty.

"Jason!" Heather had snuck back without saying anything, as it was her voice that called from the room, "I think something happened to Oscar!"

That caught Jason's attention as he dropped the ladle onto the counter and set it on simmer, "What did he do this time? Please tell me that it's not another one of those broken-hearted fools. I'll tell them the same thing as last time, Oscar gave no signals that he wanted to date them and he's not interested, so fuck off!" Oscar, the cold-hearted fuck, went on being cute and kind to everyone and always ended up with strange bastards flocking to him in order to capture his heart. Not that Oscar gave two shits, denying their words of affection.

The rest of them, Jason and the other kids, knew exactly why he didn't ever get involved with anyone. His cold eyes still lingered in the corner of their eyes sometimes, the chilling smile never straying far in their memories.

Jason flicked one of the kiddo's noses as they giggled at his language before focusing his attention back on Heather. She just silently pointed toward the television.

"...Fortunately, according to reports from the survivors, a brave soul kept going back into the tunnel full of smoke and rescued everyone that was involved in the crash. Most escaped with minor injuries and a few burns, however, an ambulance was seen transporting the young hero."

The female reporter spoke casually as if none of what she was saying had any lasting effects on the people who related to those in the accident. Jason's heart squeezed as scenarios played out in his head, "This is in Nuwell?"

Heather nodded, her pink hair flying with her movements, and her gentle features becoming softer as tears welled up in her dark eyes. She had always looked up to Oscar, his way of handling any of their harassers and never being caught had always been a mystery to Jason, but somehow Heather knew.

The fucker better be alright, knowing him though, he was having the time of his life as some unfortunate soul tried to buy him coffee.

"Jason! We brought the cakes." Percy shouted from the door, his tan skin slightly sweaty as he carried bags of cakes looped around his arms. He shook the snow off his blonde hair, his eyes falling on the sight of us.

Jason had sent him and Gerard to get cakes for the holidays, Percy's strength in his military training would let him be able to carry them and Gerard was always better at the decision-making of the two.

Gerard came in as well, he was closest with Oscar, and his love for writing paired with Oscar's love for art went well together. He ignored the snow on his black hair, and his obsidian eyes searched for Oscar before they landed on Jason with a clear question in his eyes. Where is he?

"What's going on?" Percy asked, taking the bags and bringing them into the kitchen, "And where's Oscar? He's usually here by now. Oh, Lindy said she would be a little late, her secretary accidentally scheduled a meeting for today and she has to reschedule it. Running a business sure is hard, glad I don't have one."

"There's been an accident in Nuwell," Jason admitted once everyone turned their eyes to him. Usually, they deferred to Oscar like this, but when he wasn't around then Jason was the poor sod that they decided to look to for answers.

Gerard quickly whipped out his phone, his fingers rapidly typing as he sent texts to who Jason assumed was Oscar.

"Is he alright?" Percy asked, also pulling out his phone to look at news articles, moving to sit on one of the couches once he finished putting away the cakes, Gerard and Heather joining him.

"We don't know, but if he's not, then I'm beating his ass at the hospital. Damn fool knows better than to worry us," Jason looked at the kids who were staring at us with worry for their older brother, "Come on, kiddos. There's still some daylight left in the day, so go put on your gloves and scarves, and go play."

The children listened, miraculously, and Jason looked at Heather and Gerard, "Have either of you been able to get ahold of him?"

They both shook their heads, and he sighed. The bastard was probably being pampered by some nurse while they looked over a bruise or scrape.

Knock! Knock!

Jason waved away Percy as he got up to answer the door and opened it instead. He was greeted by some sporty-looking male. His eyes, hazel in color, looked as if he had been crying from his girlfriend breaking up with him, and his brown hair seemed as if he just rolled out of bed. In other words, the stranger looked like a damn mess

"Is... this..." The man stuttered and looked like he would break down crying in the next second, "Did you know an Oscar Sharp?"

Jason clenched his jaw and crossed his arms over his apron, was this guy one of those love-sick fools? "Yes, why?"

"I... he wanted to give this to you..." The man held out Oscar's wallet and a flash drive, "He... it was his last wish." The jock's voice was barely a whisper as he said that last sentence.

"...Sorry, could you repeat that?" Jason was pretty sure he misheard him.

"What's going on, Jason?" Percy laid his hand on top of my brown hair, it was naturally messy and his touching it was not helping it any, his eyes locking with Jason's green ones before focusing on the stranger.

"I'm sorry for your lost," The man said, his voice finally louder than the whispers he was giving Jason earlier, "He asked me to deliver that to you... He knew that he wouldn't survive after what he did..."

Jason stood in shock as his words played on repeat in his head, He blanked out and let Percy take control, not sure what was happening. It couldn't be real, right? Any second, someone was going to say it was a mistake and that he meant a different Oscar Sharp.

Jason wasn't sure how Percy broke to new to the others, or how Lindy, who raised them after Oscar got rid of the first matrons of the orphanage, looked when she was told. All he could remember were arms holding him as the days blurred together.

Jason finally blinked himself back to reality after a week passed without a word from Oscar. Thankfully, the others handled the funeral arrangements. Due to the people he saved and their families wanting to pay their respects, it was open for anyone to join.

Jason stared at his reflection in a puddle, his warm skin tone seemed so pale and gaunt, as it rained, and yet they all still sat there in the open. No priest read out how death was just the person reuniting with God, Oscar didn't like them remembering the past, so he made them swear to never bring that shit in during his funeral. He just wanted Heather's music as people remembered the good times.

"I'm sorry, Ozzie," Jason said as everyone was silent instead of talking, "I don't think we can smile when you're gone."

"One of the survivors told me what his last words were," Gerard whispered, he rarely talked if he could get away with it, but it seems Oscar would always be the exception to that rule, "He was glad that everyone got to go home to their families... but what about us? What about us, Oscar?"

A sacrifice of a hero was something expected in most stories, whether it be a friend or something they loved, or even their own death at the end of it all. However, what about the sacrifice of someone in real life? Why... couldn't the chapter just close and be done?

Jason hoped... Oscar could forgive them for not smiling.