Why can't I just die?

Nobody, Nobody,

Skull stare down emotionlessly to his two loves, feeling himself want to cry. He had forced himself to hold back tears during the weeks, trying to stay somewhat optimistic for their sake. Perhaps even his own? He knew bad news was sure to happen here in a hospital with a poor unfortunate soul in the room with them. His eyes softly shut as he thinks back to everything before this moment really.

Mask and he had gotten along better than everyone else first because unlike the other two, they had somewhat similar reactions to touch. So as a result, they just knew not to irritate the other and had small bits of talk. Skull remembered the first time he was allowed to touch Mask's things, aka just a game system, and wondered to himself if the gamer still had it after all this time.

Skull found himself getting lost in these happy memories, almost going over them with such a gentle touch even with his rough hands. Army and Aloha, of course, were there watching the beast be lost to the mind he holds, and they just looked to each other to agree to not bothering him in his happy moment. He had been the one to carry Mask here...

Mask and he had shared candy occasionally, springing a bit more of a dynamic between them of sharing junk food. He remembered fondly the reactions he had to sour candy, taking them like a champ while Mask stuck his tongue out at the unhealthy forbidden sugar. That day, Skull made sure to remember Mask was more of a chocolate and chips kinda guy.

He took note of a lot of things like that. Maybe he learned that from Army?
Unfortunately, thinking of Mask can only go so far.

Pills everywhere.
Foamy saliva melting said pills to the cold floor.
A body laying there with blood clinging onto its shorts.
A beat up body that had been neglected but played with like a puppet.

If only he'd been quicker. No, if only they'd been quicker. Quicker to get here, quicker to find him, quicker to notice. I mean, the scent of blood in the kitchen had made him scrunch up his nose, Mask limping slightly. How he barely reacted when the scent got fresher. Like there was more to think about than some glass in his hands. 

Skull's face darkened and so he gritted his teeth behind his bandana with a sickening splat. He'd bitten his tongue hard, and yet he barely realized until he faintly tasted his blood. Stress biting. A habit he'd had as a child but gotten over. I guess until now... He sighed tiredly and reached for a tissue until he realized Army had offered one. Thank god for these angels.

He returned to his life now, aware of the surroundings again. He really had drifted off. Skull took the tissue gently and stuffed it into his mouth to soak up the blood. Once he had, he mumbled a muffled thank you of sorts and laid back once again to hug his boyfriends. Aloha and Army didn't complain much, just taking a leg each to sit on and hug back.

It was going to be fine. Perfectly fine. Mask was going to be okay.

"I love you both."
Army murmured suddenly, catching Aloha and Skull's attention quickly. Aloha gave a brief smile and gave a quick kiss to the other's cheek. Since Skull couldn't speak or give a little kiss for his bloody tongue, Aloha replied for him.
"We love you too, Army."
The pink squid responded in a soft tone before catching a glance at the wilting rose in the hospital bed. He sighed softly and forced his smile up a little longer.
"All three of us."





Mask felt choked out of his mind.

Everything was hazy, throat, lungs, head? Burning. Yet he was too tired to care. He couldn't care. He was numb. He kept feeling like he was falling into nothing, and he could almost swear this was like bungee jumping. With a normal rope. With no slack or stretch, he was sure to snap his neck, spine, and wrists. Maybe for a bonus break his fingers and pull them out of the sockets.

Not a pretty picture, but probably true to what was to happen. 

What could he really say anymore? His mind felt fuzzier every second, and he could barely remember most things he cared about. Whoever those people were before in his head were just blurred images. All really he could say- no think was-

Where's the bottom of this drop?

Mask could almost feel himself begin to fall faster as soon as the thought hit.
And even the strings seemed to agree as he shifted, making them tighten around his throat.

God, what a life.

Army teared up at that, nodding and somewhat smiling somehow at the thought. Aloha quit pretending and gave his own broken smile a chance to finally break from his acting skills. He quickly began to ball his eyes out again with Army, letting the purple beast take his place to hug them tightly. Skull being unable to cry from health conditions, he still knew how they felt as he felt it too. It was awful but... He could give some kind of thought to ease it.
"He wouldn't want to see either of you crying, no matter what he says otherwise."

Aloha looked up, face looking horrible with the tears he spill tearing away more of his happiness he thought he had. He knew Skull was right in that but yet he kept crying waterfalls. He knew he was emotional, so if even Army couldn't hold himself together, how was he meant to!? Didn't Skull understand?! Was it him? Was it really Aloha being emotional if Army was to? Aloha didn't mean to but... Anger filled him after that and he pushed himself out of grasp with Skull with a harsh push to his chest, leaving him stunned.

"A-Aloha?"
Army squeaked, looking up as he has his resident crying shoulder be taken. Aloha stumbled to the floor from the momentum he gave himself to get out of Skull's grasp and so he got on his knees and got up. He whipped around without a word and tried to leave the room.
"Aloha wait! What did we do? W-What's wrong?"

Aloha burst as Army asked that, but his tears had been drained from him, and his red damp face looked angrier from afar. God knows he never meant to but his emotions always got too strong.
"Everything is wrong right now Army! I was having such a nice week before all this happened and now- now Mask is dying in front of us- now neither of you are happy and neither is my team o-or anybody else- a-and you're telling me things I know and-!"
He yelled, emotions just absolutely dousing his voice to the max. Army was even left stunned at this outburst, while Skull just... looked sad from afar. Depressed. Aloha couldn't look at faces like that any longer and ran from the sight, rubbing his eyes often. He needed space- he needed water.

Army and Skull didn't stop him either. Army just checked the clock tiredly and sniffled quietly.
"Our visit is nearly over anyways..."
He mumbled, sore eyes once brilliant with copper drowned out now with a dull bronze. His poor face was just a wreck just like Aloha's, arguably more so from the facepaint melting with hot tears. Skull just hummed in response and sighed, brushing Army's messy hair aside.
"Let's go then."





For once too,




Aloha was probably right in an emotional outburst.




Funny, Right?

Please just take me home already.

I don't want to die!