Nocturnal Me (Nameless Ghoul Rain/Water x Reader)

Chapter 2- A little Heart to Heart

     "What's so funny?" Papa's usual smirk returned to his face.

     "Oh, just Fire. And his amazing nickname. He was so flustered when I asked him about it." A deep rumble came from his chest. You felt his smile widen on your hand but falter soon after. He stared down at you with half-lidded eyes. 

     "Are you sure they treated you well? You don't have to lie to me."

     You removed your hand from his face and instead wrapped it around his neck, linking it to your other wrist. His hand that held yours went to join his other on your hips. You stroked the thick hair that peaked from under his hat. He recently got a trim, you noticed. 

     "When I went down there, Multi answered the door..." You recited your whole encounter with the ghouls, making sure not to miss any details. Papa stayed silent as he listened. Halfway through you gushing about how much fun you had, he pulled you to his chest and embraced you softly. You lowered your arms and hugged him back while you rested your head on his breast. You heard the slow thump thump thump of his heart. You've hugged before, like when you would leave after having lunch together, or when you saw each other after a couple of busy days apart, but never like this. Papa wasn't usually this upset. You felt that he was still hiding something... something that scared him enough to change his demeanor.

     "Papa, what are you not telling me?" You knew him well enough to the point where you knew that he wasn't stating the whole truth. Papa rested his chin on the top of your head. He realized he couldn't withhold everything from you.

     "They were surprised about you not being a messenger for a reason, cara," He took in a deep breath. "It's unheard of that members of the convent are sent down there. There... there was a little girl before you that was a messenger... and a couple more before her. All brothers and sisters from the convent that were trusted enough to be allowed in the restricted areas. They've all since outgrown the church and moved out on their own to continue to spread the word of Satan but-" He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "...but the one before you... she was killed by a couple of ghouls that lived here. Her crime was nothing but being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was a very long couple of months following her death. We weren't particularly close, but there was much uncertainty in the church... along with much paperwork to be filled out." He added. His fingers trailed up and down your spine as if to comfort himself. 

     "The convent is now a little more fearful of the ghouls, as they should have been in the first place. They are borderline wild animals, after all. Us humans have just domesticated them for our own companionship. See it like this, cara; You may have raised a lion from its infancy, but it won't hesitate to kill you when it's hungry. Understand?" Papa pulled back from you and looked down with his green and white eyes. 

     You never thought of ghouls that way. You thought they were just like humans in the sense that they walk and talk and have feelings. But lions had feelings too.

     "Yes Papa." He gave you a tired grin.

     "Good girl." Papa pulled you back to him in a tight embrace. His thin lips went to your forehead and gave you a loving kiss. "I'd hate to see you ripped to shreds, amica mea. Who else am I going to bitch to at the end of the day?" You laughed.

     "Papa, I'll always be here. I won't be cocky about it or trust myself fully around them but... I think the ghouls like me a little too much to rearrange my guts." 

     "Errrr..." 

     "Not like that!" You both chuckled.

      You felt safe in Papa's arms. Everyone in the church had by now retired to their rooms, so it was silent throughout the building. You both were cherishing this tender moment, the first of many. 

     "(Y/n)..." You looked up at him after a long pause. His fingers came up to rake themselves through your hair, but paused on the edge of your scalp and instead rested on your temple. Papa's breaths were slow and steady. "I won't stop you from going down there to see them, especially since Aether was kind enough to escort you. I trust you and them enough that they wouldn't put you in harms way, and you won't do anything stupid enough to kill you. I didn't pick them out by hand for nothing. And, do please bring a flashlight with you. I don't need you breaking your neck down those steps." You smiled at him.

     "I'll have to bring a satchel with me next time. Air wouldn't stop talking about how much she loved gushers, so I was thinking of going to get some. I was never allowed to have any growing up, so she said she's going to make me try them. Are they any good?" 

     "Ehh..." Papa grimaced. "...they're very sweet."

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     "So now they're making bets." Papa was explaining what happened during the meeting he was very late to. Apparently the clergy was so fed up with his lousy timing that they were putting their extra pocket change into a jar so that at the end of the week when the meeting came, the person who guessed correctly at what time Papa was going to arrive would win the jackpot. You tried very hard not to laugh, but seeing your quivering lips, he agreed that it was in fact, very amusing. He even told you his plans of rigging it so that he'd win the money somehow.

     "I look forward to you buying me lunch with that jar, Papa. You still owe me." You and Papa's arms were linked at the elbows while he walked you back to your room. 

     "Ehhh, but you still love me, yes?" He avoided your attempt of being paid back by twirling you in his arms.

     "Of course I do, but how am I going to continue to buy you lunch with no money?" His hand went to the small of your back as you continued walking. 

     "No no, I supposed you're right. One day, cara. Just not in the foreseeable future." 

     "Fine by me, as long as you don't drool over my sandwich while you starve." He gasped dramatically. 

     "You wouldn't even split it with me? You're so cruel." The clicks of your shoes echoed in the wide hallways of the convent. They stopped at the entrance of the girl's section and turned to him. 

     "Thank you for walking me back Papa. It was nice to catch up with you." 

     "And same to you, cara mea. It's nice to talk to someone who enjoys my rambling." You pulled him in for one last hug. He held you a little longer than he usually did. You didn't mind. 

     "I'll see you tomorrow then?" He asked. 

     "Always. And if you don't, know that I waved to you in my mind." With one last kiss on the cheek, you strolled down to your room.

     You opened the door quietly. Your roommates were all asleep by now, as it was ten minutes to one. You kicked off your mary janes whilst unbuttoning the fasten that held your collar together and zipping your dress down. Your tights were discarded under your bed, and your night gown was draped over you. You placed your book on your night stand and tucked yourself under the heavy layers of blankets on your bed. It didn't take long for you to fall asleep, the moonlight peaking through the light blue curtains. You dreamed of your next play date with the ghouls.