Nocturnal Me (Nameless Ghoul Rain/Water x Reader)

Chapter 14- Teardrop Tea

     "Anyway, I was made the watchout/scapegoat, if I saw someone coming, I had to warn them. Standing by the surface and waiting for them to come back was one of the most terrifying moments of my life, if someone caught me, I wouldn't be here today. They would've put me in permanent retirement." 

     "Retirement?" You questioned. He shifted his eyes to yours, then to the fire. 

     "You know, uh..." He slid his finger across his clothed neck in a slicing motion to signify what he meant. Your eyes widened in morbidity. 

     "Oh..." 

     "Yeah... there were a couple of times that could've happened... ghouls are expendable." You felt your chest tighten with sympathy. 

     "Good Lord..." You muttered under your breath. Expendable? That must have been a terrifying life to live. It was hard to imagine what the social hierarchy in Hell was like. It sounded like the dark ages down there. 

     "Let's just say that I'm happy to be out of there." Rain almost shuttered from the memory. "Honestly the hardest part about that whole ordeal was the sheer amount of fear I felt watching for anyone who might interfere. I didn't even get to see the aftermath either, it was in the high school and I was in what...? Elementary? They told me it was really funny though, so there's that." He sighed and looked to the fire, taking another drink of his tea. "I'm sure there's a lot worse things I've had to partake in, but that's the first one that comes to mind. I was a pretty wimpy kid." He put his elbows on his knees, leaning on them while fidgeting with the golden fringe that lined the edge of the rug. You frowned. 

     "Wimpy? I don't think anyone would have liked to have been forced into activities that could get them killed." You defended. He tsked. 

     "It wasn't just that, I never did anything fun or dangerous, I was kind of a goody two-shoes." 

     "You're speaking to the ruler of the goody two-shoes. Please, you're worse than me... or uh, better I should say." A glint of amusement shimmered in his brown eyes. 

     "Oh yeah? I didn't think Ms. Pious would have nearly burnt the house down-" You giggled goofily, very lightly tapping Rain's arm with your hand. 

     "Who are you calling pious, Mr. Prude? And it was a controlled environment, there was no chance I could have set the house on fire in the bathroom. There's a source of water on every wall." 

     "Nothing's impossible, you were just lucky." He laughed alongside you.

     Outside the snow continued to fall down, millions upon billions of icy flakes piling up on each other to cover everything they could. The wind had begun to pick up since you came back inside, the surface of the fresh power blowing around made little pitter-patters as they hit the window. The fire continued to warm you, along with the ghoul whom you've now moved closer to. Your hips were snug against each other, and the cream-colored knitted blanket that was once wrapped around your shoulders was around his too. Your head rested on his arm, the soft cloth of his purple crewneck smelled like clean linen. He leaned his head on top of yours, both of you growing increasingly tired. Nearing midnight, this was usually the time where you would slip under your covers, but you had a guest present. There was still so much to talk about too.

     "Your brothers don't seem very nice." You said quietly. Rain let out a small sigh. 

     "They weren't... as much as I want to love them, every day I'm grateful I don't have to go back. I'm having a harder and harder time coming up with reasons defending their actions. I could blame it on juvenile delinquency, older sibling syndrome, or them just going through a rough time, but they haven't changed. Every time I go and visit, it's the same old shit, same teasing, same hurtful jokes and embarrassing stories about myself... but they're my family, I can't not forgive them." The fire was beginning to cool down again, the second and third additional log having already been burned through. You related to his dilemma, as you have often felt the same with your family. You wanted to comfort him.