A Marshmallow's Guide to Loving a Complete Idiot (Inanimate Insanity)(Marshple)

28. Comfort Her in Rough Moments

An imposing cliff. A hitman dead-set on the host. A cold metal box. The fleeting thought of getting rid of the most impermanent of those things.

Fear made Marshmallow's heart pound. Not this dream again.

MePhone5 stood over MePhone4. A metal box sat invitingly open on its side, its thick metal walls yawning like a filter-feeder. Bow stood a little off to the side, discolored and half-insane but still smiling at her. Her legs were wobbly from disuse.

"Hi Marshmallow-!"

A cold metal box was her response. Bow's screams echoed inside, the box shaking with the force of Bow punching its sides and seeking an escape.

Then there was utter silence.

The sense of dread never stopped, whether Marsh experienced it ten times or a hundred. She never failed to be surprised when Bow broke out of the metal box's two-inch-thick walls with a snarl.

Suddenly they were at the cliff. Bow dived off, dragging with her MePhones 4 and 5. There'd be a moment where static danced across the water. Sometimes it'd last seconds, sometimes it'd last minutes.

Then there was a deafening clap of thunder. A little blip of pink was always visible past all the smoke, soaring off to who knew where...

XXX

A crash of thunder filled the room as Marsh woke up with a yelp. The entire TV room reverberated.

She glanced around feverishly. To her relief, there was no box, no crazed Bow, no violent hitmen or gameshow hosts. Outside the big window, there was rain pouring outside.

Another shot of thunder went off, though not as loud as the one to precede it. Marsh startled, heart racing.

'Oh, Marsh. Not thunder.'

Apple snored on beside her, her half of the blanket only half covering her. Marsh hesitated for a second before poking Apple's face. She looked briefly annoyed before blinking fully awake.

"I-I just thought I'd let you know, I'm going to the library." Her tone was terse.

Apple rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, then replied, "Why?"

A boom of thunder served as Marsh's answer. She froze. There was a phantom roar in her head that brought a tear to her eye. "...T-the sound'll be less loud..."

Apple blinked, shocked into silence, before grabbing her hand. "Let's go."

It was just a short trek up Dough's favorite staircase to reach the library, which looked daunting in the darkness, but it felt very long with the broken memories replaying in her head.

There was a period of time where she filled her days with OJ's parties, getting beaten up by Apple, and returning the favor. Looking at how concerned Apple looked then, how closely beside one another they walked...

It was impossible not to feel even more guilty.

'There's no way I deserve this. Not after hurting Apple and Bow...'

Apple shut the door behind them, and stretched her arm far enough to pull the chain on the reading lamp above the chair. It didn't turn on.

Marsh glanced around dubiously, feeling a bit like she was trapped in a box in the tight darkness. Apple put her arms around her and hugged her close without strangling her. "I didn't know you were so scared of thunder."

'Stop that,' Marsh was tempted to say, then grinned tersely and replied, "It's kind of d-dumb. It's just..."

It reminds me of the time I murdered my best friend.

It could fry me, kill me just like it did Bow, and my one goal is not dying again.

I have nightmares about it all the time.

"I have bad memories of it," she finished lamely.

Apple gave her a little squeeze. "Oh no, Marsh! Tell me what'cha want me to do to help and I'll do it!"

'Let me talk and truly listen and understand for once,' Marsh thought. 'Or forgive Bow, because it's messed up that my victim forgives me and I'm still crushing on and dating someone who's continually rude to her.'

"Distract me," Marsh replied quickly.

Without hesitation, Apple carried her to the blue armchair, holding her close so they could both fit. She tossed the blanket over them.

"Better?"

Marsh adjusted herself so she could feel Apple's speeding heartbeat. It was a constant sound that made her thoughts, and what she thought she heard, quieter by comparison.

It brought her back to the present, at least a little.

"T-thanks."

"Um, no problem." Even in the darkness, Marsh could see Apple's blush. "But you still sound like you're gonna cry-"

"I-I don't wanna talk about it. Just... talk about something else."

"Anything?" Marsh hummed affirmatively. "Hm."

It was small talk, but not small talk. Small talk existed as the awkward precursor to friendship, or to never seeing the other person again. It was talking about things that were ultimately meaningless, like the weather. You didn't cuddle someone while having small talk, or have it with someone who already a lot to you.

Most importantly, it didn't lead to any confession of just how deep Marsh's fear went.

It was meaningless trivia.

Apparently Apple had always really liked princess stories. Her favorite color was green. She once found a seven-leafed clover that made her fall in love with the number seven. She absolutely loved it when Marsh relaxed. She suspected that Bow and Dough actually were siblings, and they had a healthy debate about it.

It was less than small talk, but also one of the most relaxing conversations Marsh had ever had. Eventually she smiled, and leaned into Apple's side, listening to the slow, constant beat of her heart.

Maybe Apple would never understand the root cause of her unhappiness... but she sure was good at getting rid of it.