cockroaches 🌑 bm: bandersnatch (discontinued)

summer

chapter 1
    i hope y'all know that this is a steflin fic but like, with actual consequences
    honestly, you've got a big storm coming honey
    i apologize if this weird mix of third person narration and stefan's sort of self awareness is confusing

June 23, 1985, Stefan stares up at his ceiling tittering the line of going back to sleep and getting out of bed, he rubs his eyes and shifts onto his side. He didn't want to go to work today, it was one of those days where he didn't want to do anything really. Stefan shut his eyes counting to ten, once he got to ten, he thought, hopefully he'd get up.

The ravenette finally pulled himself out off bed, he groggily made his way to the bathroom to shower, once Stefan was done he brushed his teeth and looked in the mirror, sighing he raked his fingers through his still wet hair in a fruitless attempt to make it look nice before giving up and drying his hair.

Getting dressed was boring as always, breakfast was awkward as always, the bus ride to Tuckersoft was tolerable as always, everyday was the exact same. Stefan was beginning to feel like he did before, like he was reliving weeks of his life over and over again yet he knew that wasn't the case because that's just crazy, but it was a nagging feeling in the back of his head. The paranoia. Maybe he'd call Dr. Haynes?

But what good would that do? Stefan knew she was a cunt; she was condescending and was never much help to begin with, most of what she said went through one ear and out the other. Going to her was always a last resort, when things got so bad, as bad as last year. Stefan grimaced, god last year, he wanted to forget that ever happened, he wanted to forget how the paranoia took complete control over his rational thought.

But this loop of: wake up, go to work, go home and go to sleep was getting to him again, the worst part was there weren't many people Stefan could talk to, yeah he made a few friends at work—but none like Colin Ritman, who hasn't been back to work since December. At first everyone thought it was normal, it was like him to do this and maybe he was spending extra time with his wife and daughter?

Then it was February and people were getting worried, nobody said it but the whole damn office could feel it, still, everyone kept optimistic about his return. Then, it was March and Kitty was putting up missing persons flyers. None of them were for Colin, they were for Pearl. Apparently there had been a falling out, a major one, Colin took Pearl and hasn't been seen since. Kitty's been an absolute mess, she misses Pearl so much.

It's summer now and Stefan can't help but worry about Colin, more so Pearl but Colin too. He was Stefan's only friend, kind of, if you didn't count the time he was drugged by him or how he was generally very dismissive towards Stefan. He still cared enough to worry. Stefan shook his head, trying to forget about Colin, to get back to work.

There needed to be a change in Stefan's life, something to break the monotony, something else to worry about while at his desk typing away. Sat on either side of Stefan were two plastic cat kennels, every so often he'd wave his fingers through the holes in one of the carriers or peer inside with a small smile. The bus ride home had been the happiest one yet, in his lap sat a bag full of caned cat food, two harnesses, leashes, collars and four bowls. He'd sort out which of each belonged to who when he got home but for now, Stefan was more then content with his purchases.

Peter wasn't home, which was great, Stefan'd have to break the news to him later but first, getting his new pets acquainted with their new home. Stefan set both kennels down in the living room, before opening either he set up the cats food and water bowls. Stefan's had a cat before, a long time ago. God, no, he didn't want to think about the past. The past is the past and what's now is important, he told himself.

Opening both kennels at once, Stefan sat back to watch his pets come out. The first to pop her head out of her kennel was the small cream furred ragdoll, she mewed softly a few times, even allowed Stefan to pet her before trotting off to explore, taking after her coat, her name would be Cream.

Getting the other cat out took some coaxing from the ravenette, the one eyed bombay was more then cautious, bordering scared to leave his kennel. Stefan was told that the bombay had a previous owner, one that gouged his eye out while experiencing a bad drug trip, which made Stefan want to adopt him more. He didn't have a name for the bombay just yet but he would soon enough.

Stefan was happy, truly happy with his pets, he would love them and take care of them in between his work at Tuckersoft and daily life. He was happy that finally he had a reason to keep working, to keep creating new concepts for bigger, better games, to keep in touch with his colleagues, to join their teams and help bring ideas to their pre-existing projects. He would need to keep working because he had pets to take care of, who depended on him.

There was a loud pounding on the door, the black cat scurried back into his kennel whereas Cream rushed towards the sound, curious to know what it was, Stefan rose to his feet stretching as he walked over to the door, it couldn't have been his dad, he has a key so it must've been someone from work or maybe even Thakur.

Stefan opened the door, shocked he gasps softly taking a step back from the doorway, standing in front of him is the missing man himself. Colin. His eyes are wide, he's barefoot, barely shaven and grinning.

"Stefan."

"Colin—I...what are you—You were gone! For so long—I—Chri—"

"Don't think too much about that, we've got work to do. Where's your bathroom? I gotta shower."