Corpse | Corpse Husband

2

She could hear Corpse's slippers scrape against the floor from the other side and grew excited. She enjoyed talking to him the day they first officially met. There wasn't much to learn about him, but he was a great listener and that was something Aspyn liked a lot.

Most people can hear you, but it's rare that they actually listen.

She'd bet that if she were to ask Corpse anything from their conversation days before, he'd be able to answer them all without hesitation.

When he opened the door, Corpse smiled. His new friend looked all giddy and happy, her cheerful attitude rubbing off on him instantly. He had a bad morning — of course the cause being the same old nightmare — and seeing her made him feel a hell of a lot better.

An optimistic soul in his life was something he needed. He didn't have anyone else, so to see there was someone who was so delighted to see him made him feel good. It was a foreign feeling, but amazing nonetheless.

The wide smile on her face was adorable and free of any worries, something Corpse envied a lot. Her eyes crinkled from how big her smile was and she bounced on her feet while holding the bread out to him, "Hi, Corpse! I baked cinnamon bread this morning and thought you'd like some!" Aspyn chirped. "It's still warm too!"

"Thank you, Aspyn," Corpse thanked her while grabbing the bag. "Could you — eat with me?"

Although she was shocked, Aspyn nodded and followed Corpse inside. She giggled lowly behind him as she caught sight of his iron man slippers. He turned around and his face reddened as his eyes trailed down to his slippers, "Hey, stop laughing."

Holding her arms up in surrender, Aspyn stifled a laugh and spoke, "They're adorable!"

Corpse rolled his eyes and plopped on the couch as they finally entered his living room. He was glad they were comfortable around each other and things weren't awkward, because if she were anyone else, he'd be sitting on the edge of the couch with his back uncomfortably straight and his fingers anxiously fumbling with his nails.

Aspyn followed suit shortly after, kicking her socked feet up on his coffee table as he'd done. He noticed her shiver and handed her the blanket from the back of the couch before tearing open the bag of bread. His house was cold and her thin long-sleeve did little to nothing to keep her warm.

She wasn't planning on entering his home, or else she'd have worn something warmer. His house was ice cold the last time she was there too, but he didn't seem disturbed in the slightest.

"I'm sorry it's so cold... I think the heat's broken," Corpse apologized. "It doesn't really bother me so I haven't rushed to get it fixed."

"It's fine," Aspyn reassured him. "These houses are pretty old. Mine needed a lot of TLC when I first moved in too, but luckily my best friend's a handyman. He can come to check it out if you'd like."

"Oh, sure..." Corpse nodded while taking a bite out of the bread. "This is really good!"

"Thank you. I've been into baking a lot lately. Maybe you can be my taste tester!"

"If it means I get more stuff like this, count me in!"

"Did you sleep well last night?"

Corpse was taken back by her question. Although it was a pretty normal question, he couldn't help but think she knew of his sleeping problems — and in all honesty, he was a bit creeped out.

Shaking his thoughts away, Corpse lied with a nod, "I slept well."

Aware of his lies, Aspyn simply nodded and snuggled into the blanket. It wasn't her place to push, but she couldn't help but still feel a bit worried, "So, Are you from here, or did you move here? Any family here or anything?"

"I just moved here for a change of scenery. My family's still in California." Corpse responded. He didn't have a family or friends, but he wasn't comfortable telling her that yet. He knew he'd be embarrassed.

His parents were long gone, having dropped all contact with him when they saw he couldn't afford to pay their bills and moved on to his sister.

His sister never wanted anything to do with him since they were children. Some would say she was bitter, but she wasn't. She just couldn't stand to see the person she was constantly compared to as children, not to mention how he'd sometimes let his ego take over and brag about his accomplishments.

He was always the promising sibling, hence his parent's attachment to him. He went to school to be a doctor, and they were so certain he'd succeed and be able to support them. They didn't pay attention to his sister much because of her "mediocre dream" of becoming a fashion designer.

It was ironic though because after watching their golden child deal with depression and drop out of college, Corpse's parents started showing affection to his sister and began mooching off of her. She was more successful than they ever expected Corpse to be, her fashion brand becoming a luxury and incredibly popular amongst A-list celebrities.

After hearing that he indeed had no one there for him, Aspyn decided she'd be that person. She'd always be there to check on him, feed him, and if he were to ever confide in her about his trouble sleeping, she'd be there to comfort him.

Written Nov. 2nd 2021