Mine - Vance Hopper (The Black Phone)

- Promise kept -

A tear finally falls down the girls cheek as she finally lets her emotion roam wild. Sadness clouding over her entire being as everything hits her like a truck.

She was never going to get to see her brother again.

She didn't even get to say goodbye to his face.

The phone wasn't enough.

No where near enough.

Marilyn thinks back to all the times they fought, all the times she said she hated him to his face. She wishes she could take all of that back. Replace them with something nice. Let him know how much she loves his and how thankful she is— was, to have him in her life.

Sniffling, Marilyns eyes dart back to the floor. Her heart had never been in such pain before. Never had she ever felt so much grief in her entire life.

A warm hand slips its way into Marilyns, their fingers tangling themselves in her own causing the girl to look up immediately.

Vance stood there, staring ahead as he listens to the words her father speaks, not daring to look down at the girl he's decided to comfort.

Marilyn smiles lightly before squeezing his hand and Vance can't help but let his eyes drift down to her. He couldn't help himself, he was like a moth drawn to a flame.

She was his flame.

Looking down into her eyes, he sends her a small smile, something to let her know that he's here. He's here and he's not leaving any time soon.

Marilyn finds an immence amount of comfort in his eyes. It was like staring into the ocean, or a clear sky. The shades of blue mixing together like some sort of perfect art work.

A art work she could happily study for aeons without getting bored for a second.

Squeezing her hand, Vance looks back towards her father as he moves out of the way so the casket can be lowered.

Marilyn let's out a shaky breath, finally paying attention to the scene infront of her.

This was it. He was finally going to be safe. No longer in some pedophiles basement, instead under the grass of a beautiful environment.

Marilyns lip quivers as more tears begins to fall, the faint pain she felt in her abdomen completely faded and shifted to the pain in her heart as it cracked down the middle.

This was all too much.

Too much for a sixteen year old girl to take in during such a short period of time.

Too much for a sixteen year old girl to take in at all.

Vance's jaw clenches as the girl next to him breaks. He didn't like seeing her like this. Sure, he did once upon a time, even made it his life's purpose to torture the girl.

But now?

Now that he's finally come to terms with his feelings?

Now that he's listened to what the old lady has been telling him all this time?

He wants nothing to do with the pain of this girl. He wants to take her crumbling heart and stick it all back together piece by piece. Because seeing her broken makes him break along with her.

Sighing, the boy pulls her hand towards him and before Marilyn could even mutter any sort of protest, Vance's arms wrap around her and he lets his chin rest on the top of her head.

Marilyn doesn't bother to do anything at this point, just relaxing against his body and wrapping her own arms around his waist, digging her face into his chest and letting out a sob as he sways the two of them side to side.

Vance mutters quiet shush's to the girl, rubbing her back softly.

He's never done anything like this before. Not with anyone.

+++

Hours have past since then, now Marilyn sits infront of a familiar name just across from her brothers, picking at the grass.

Her father, had left as soon as everything was finished, not wanting to stay any longer, Gwen and Finney along with him. Vance had disappeared after her father left, she's not sure where.

The girl stares ahead at the name infront of her, letting out a sigh.

"Hey Robin." She mutters.

Before everything, Marilyn wouldn't have dared to speak. But now she knows that they're out there. They're with her, she will speak without feeling alone and stupid.

She doesn't wait for an answer before smiling at her bestfriends grave. The dirt where he was buried was still visible and probably will be for a while before grass finally grows.

"I uh— I brought you this." The girl reaches into the pocket of the jacket a certain blonde boy had handed her throughout the service.

She pulls out the small metal lighter with the initials R.A. engraved on it, placing it infront of his name.

"Figured you might want it back."

Marilyn stares at the name for a few more seconds before feeling her eyes tear up even more. "I kept my promise Robin. I got out." She whispers, looking up at the sky to stop tears from falling.

"I kept my promise." She whispers again.

The wind begins to pick up lightly, the sound of dried leaves blowing around as her hair is pulled from her face.

She feels at peace. She feels calm knowing that two of her boys were now safe.

"I miss you both so much." She mutters, looking down at the grass as tears begin to fall. "Its not fair. You should be here. Not me."

"Don't say that."

Marilyn gasps lightly, her head snapping towards the voice before quickly wiping her tears.

Vance steps forward, kneeling down to her level. He didn't hear anything before she spoke those specific words. But hearing them shattered his heart. He doesn't know what he'd do if she was the one he buried.

He needs her here. With him.

"Please don't say that Mari." He says, placing his hands on her cheeks, wiping the remaining tears she must've missed.

The gesture was foreign for the both of them. The most affection the two have ever shown eachother was that night in the hospital and just a few hours ago. Before then it was all punches and baseballs being launched at eachother. This was odd for both Marilyn and Vance.

But they aren't going to complain.

"C'mon," Vance reaches down and grabs the girls hands, pulling her up. "Lets go cheer you up."

Marilyn didn't feel like protesting so she just listened to his words and let him pull her from the yard of graves.