Tw: Underaged Alcoholism
Viewer discretion advised.
(I SAID IT ONCE, I'LL SAY IT AGAIN. DON'T. FUCKING. DO IT.)
~~~
"The news covered me," Grim grumbled, weakly.
"Of course they did," Gabriel replied, his arm outstretched and flicking through channels on the television. "They're always all over this shit. Drama, murder, scandal! They eat it up."
"It all seems wrong, I guess. I'm a person. My dad was a person. I don't get how they can just... expose everything." Grim shifted on the couch, leaning on one of it's arms. "Everyone knows what happened. Everyone knows what he did- and then what I did."
"Give it a few weeks- someone'll revive their cat again, and the whole multiverse will hear it."
"Why are revivals even banned again?"
"Blah blah- something about mortal-immortal code. Only legal when the council says it won't end the fucking world."
"Just a cat. What's it gonna do? Tell the humans about cat heaven?"
"Ha. Maybe."
Gabriel finally settled on a channel playing The Big Bang Theory and set down the remote. He looked over at Grim.
"I trust the council, I guess. They're the ones keeping everything together," He supposed.
"I'm just glad they didn't fire my sorry ass," Grim chuckled. "All this shit for nothing? Psh."
"I'm glad too. We miss you, at HQ."
"You'd be the only ones."
"Doubt it."
The doorbell rang.
"Pizza, sweet! I'll get it. You payed online, right?"
Grim nodded.
Gabriel rushed to the door to greet the delivery guy.
The ancient TV buzzed for a few seconds before going back to normal. Grim tried to figure out what was happening in the show, to no avail.
Scratching his face, Grim sighed. Gabriel had told him not to, because of the fresh cracks, but he caught himself doing it anyway.
Can't even take care of myself. Grim almost wanted to laugh. Maybe I'll just hide in my house until I destroy myself.
Journal entry prompt: Dying star. I should probably write- process some stuff.
His dad had gotten him a new journal as a peace offering shortly after the reaping ceremony. Grim hadn't worked up the guts to write in it yet.
"Hello? World to Grim?"
When he looked up, Gabriel was setting down the pizza on the coffee table.
"You doing alright?"
"Eh."
Gabriel sighed and sat next to him.
"...Sorry everything sucks right now," He said. "Things will get better. Never like they were, but better."
"Thank you for coming to visit me when everything is scary."
"It's what friends do. Wanna slice?"
Honestly, Grim felt he might throw up any minute.
Gabriel frowned at his lack of response.
"Try to eat, okay?" He handed him a plate.
Grim picked the crust into tiny, tiny bits.
Grim groggily opened his eyes and yawned. Pressing his face into his pillow, he wondered what day is was.
Saturday. Dinner day.
They arranged everything that Thursday. Invited people, figured out what they would eat- he even picked out something to wear.
Gabriel and Immy were over the moon about it all. What with Gabriel's hosting experience and Immy's mere pep, they flew through most of the planning and left Grim to deal with people.
"Y'know, Grim-" Immy had laughed. "You're hella charismatic."
Grim smiled.
"Hm- please never use the phrase 'hella' in my household again," He replied. "But thank you. I sorta have to be to do my job."
And now he had to pretend to have fun in a room filled with people he hated- and probably hated him, too.
Yippee, He resolved.
He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Warm light filtered under the door of his dimly lit room.
Immy's up again. I hope she's alright. He stood.
As he inched closer to the door, he picked up on a tune.
Still groggy, he had to concentrate to figure out what it was.
In the other room, Immy was humming an off-tune Roslyn.
Uh oh. That's not a good sign. Grim chuckled to himself and crept toward the kitchen.
The melody was more sure now, Immy must've figured out where the song was going.
Grim stepped into the strip of light filtering through the kitchen's doorway. He adjusted his eyes and gazed in.
She was cooking again. All Grim could really see was her back, but he deduced from her motions that she was kneading dough.
Sea and the rock below
Cocked to the undertow.
Bones, blood and teeth erode
With every crashing node.
"Wings couldn't help you~"
Immy jumped a little and turned on her heel. She laughed.
Bags sagged under her eyes, but the light in them still shined.
"Jesus H. Christ, Grim!" She giggled, her voice wobbling. "Scared me."
"Sorry," Grim apologized. "Roslyn, huh?"
"Yeah, uh- I've had it stuck in my head since we watched New Moon yesterday." Her face lit up. "Hey, wait-" She grinned. "You sang for me!"
"Psh. Doesn't count."
"No- you totally did!" Immy rejoiced. "Finally! You really are good at it-"
"Nope. No compliments."
"Compliments all day, every day. This is cause for celebration."
"Well, good thing there's a party!"
Immy's face dropped.
"Shit, the party!" She groaned, throwing her head back.
"What? I thought you were excited," Grim said. After all, half the point of the party was to cheer her up. What was the point?
"I am," She pouted. "I'll be super tired for it! Ugh!"
Grim smirked and tilted his head.
"I'm an expert on sleep deprivation. It'll be okay. Have a nap and drink a coffee, later. For now-" He suggested, gliding to a chair at the kitchen table. His amusement gave way to his worry. "-Sit with me...please."
Immy sighed and did as he had asked. Plopping down in the chair beside him, she looked at her hands.
"I should probably wash my hands," She laughed nervously, holding them up to show the flour coating them.
"Talk to me first?"
Immy huffed. It was apparent she knew what he would say.
"Please?" Grim pleaded, leaning a bit towards her.
She sighed again and nodded. She brought her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them.
"...Are you sure you're doing okay? I know you're tired of me asking- but I'm concerned."
"Pff. You sound like the parent of an angsty teen."
"We're both sorta angsty teens. We can take care of each other." Grim's face heated up. "You've done your part, Immalyn. Let me take care of you."
The humor in her face vanished. She stared at him, glassy eyed.
Grim gazed back. In that moment, he swore he saw the multiverse behind her eyes. A million moments, lifetimes, emotions- compiled into the deep pool of green. He saw hope. Despair. Joy. Grief. Longing.
Love.
"I-" Her attempt to speak came out unfinished. She turned her gaze to the ground. Hoping to offer some form of support, he held out a gloved hand.
Immy hesitated for a moment, glancing down at her own, flour covered hands. She looked back to his eyes.
Grim nodded in approval.
Slowly, she intertwined their hands together. Her face flushed pink with warmth.
Shakily, she pulled his hand up, so it's back was against her cheek while their hands were still together.
The silence of the room was deafening as Grim waited for something to happen. He wondered if she was doing the same.
Her soft features were frozen in a tragically beautiful stare, her full lips parted slightly.
Grim almost went off the rails. His hand, her hand- his lips, her lips; he could imagine it so clearly.
He'd press his lips to hers, and they'd be impeccably soft. She'd taste of honey- maybe even cinnamon- and he'd close his eyes and bathe in her divine presence. Intertwine his hands in her hair and press harder, firmer. Trail bare hands up and down her body, following with his lips. He'd desperately kiss anywhere he could- anywhere he could get exposed.
And the scene would unfold beautifully. Rosy skin, messy hair, hands everywhere-
But then he was back in the kitchen, gazing at a marvel of a woman.
Her face was just as red as his was purple, and he looked back into her eyes.
Realizing how long he was staring, he grew even hotter.
He could feel her face do the same through his gloves.
He longed to touch her. To feel her bare skin. He'd burn the world to ashes if it meant he could show her just how much he felt.
Out of nowhere, Immy broke the silence.
"Does it kill you, too?" She murmured the words.
Shocked, Grim nodded slowly. No words could convey how much. He tried his best.
"It wrecks me, baby."
He wished almost immediately that he could shove the word back into his mouth. He hated that he said it. Despite that, he loved the way it felt on his tongue. Baby. The cliche pet name should've made him cringe.
But he knew he would say it over and over again if he could. Something to make her his. He knew it was wrong to want to stake a claim on someone he could never make happy. Still, baby. The word reverberated through his whole body until every part of him ached with desire.
He wanted to kneel and pray to her. To beg and plead for her to touch him.
Grim could hear Immy's breathing hitch in the silence of the room.
She kept staring, her expression of solemn awe.
After a few moments, she inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. Her face turned, slightly towards their hands.
Immy's face went impossibly warmer as she took another deep breath.
Grim, confused, tilted his head.
"What are you thinking?" He wondered aloud.
Immy locked her eyes to his again, looking resolved. Silently, she pressed her lips to the back of his hand.
Not a kiss. Grim convinced himself. Just... almost.
Still, he held in the tears that tugged at his eyes. His phantom heart ran a mile a minute.
Still silent, Immy began shaking.
Her tears soaked through Grim's gloves.
***
"Do you think we have everything?" Gabriel asked, adjusting the tablecloth for what seemed like the millionth time.
"I'm pretty sure!" Immy responded before taking a swig of her fourth latte of the day. "I need to make a checklist. We set the table, made food, dessert-"
"-Did we remember to put out drinks?" Grim asked. He picked a lighter out of the drawer he was rummaging through and turned back to the kitchen table.
"Yes. Also, Luke vaguely told me he was gonna bring something, so be prepared," Gabriel huffed.
"Oh my god," Grim groaned.
"Let's hope he didn't spike it," Immy laughed. She grimaced at the guys' expressions. "...Too far?"
"A bit," Gabriel suggested. "I'm already assuming things. Don't wanna get more paranoid."
"I only invited Lucy!" Grim muttered.
"Yes, but you know they're a package deal," Gabriel explained. "No getting out of having him around unless we drop Luce- and this whole situation in general. That's beyond us, at this point."
Grim sighed. "You're right. We can't just pretend like everything's fine."
"Always am," Gabriel boasted. "People will show up soon. For now-" He stretched his arms. "-We can relax."
"That's impossible for some people..." Immy grinned and shot Grim an amused glance. He groaned.
"-Well, fuck you too, Immy," He jabbed. "Surprised even you can, with all the cinnamon dolce latte in your bloodstream-"
"-You were the one who told me to drink a bunch of coffee!"
"Yeah! Drink it, not make it 50 percent of your blood content," Grim cackled.
Immy scoffed at him.
"Ahem-" Gabriel faked clearing his throat. "Cool it, dumbasses one and two. C'mon." He proceeded out of the kitchen and into the living room.
Immy grabbed her coffee from the table and stuck her tongue out at Grim. He laughed.
"Real mature," He chuckled, following her out of the room.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
"Ooo! Let me get it~" Immy sang. She practically skipped to the doorway. As she opened the door, Grim craned his head to see the visitors.
"Hi! You must be Immy. I've heard lots." Axel's voice almost startled Grim. He barely noticed the tall figure next to them.
"Mhm! All good things, I hope?"
"Of course. I'm Axel, this is Dallas." They gestured to the man next to them.
"Hey!" Dallas greeted, grinning nonchalantly. "Call me Dally."
"It's very nice to meet you, Axel and Dally. C'mon in!"
Immy moved out of the way to let the pair inside and shut the door behind them.
"Well, if it isn't Mr. Grim Skeleton!" Dally exclaimed, leaning on the back of the couch.
"The notorious," Grim laughed. "Mr. Dallas Dunlap, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"A charming phone call~" He answered, grinning. "...I've missed you, asshole."
"Missed you too, Dal."
Axel walked over to him.
"...Hey. How're you holding up?" They mumbled, smiling awkwardly.
"Not exactly well, but I've been okay," Grim sighed. "Things are good right now."
"GRIM!" Suddenly, Immy was bolting towards him. She froze in front of him and dropped her voice. "Why didn't you tell me Gabriel had a crush on Lucy?" She hushed.
"Oh. He told you?" Grim cocked his head to the side.
"Shhhhh!" Gabriel interjected, appearing out of nowhere. "Quiet!"
There was a very loud and exasperated sigh. They all turned to the source, Dally.
"Everyone knows that you've liked her since kindergarten, Gabriel. It's painfully obvious."
Immy gasped.
"Awwww! Kindergarten?" She swooned.
"Yup," Dally laughed. "They had a recess wedding. I was a bridesmaid back in ye olde Danielle days."
Immy tilted her head at him, puzzled.
"-Before I transitioned." He answered her unasked question.
"-Ah. Okay," Immy remarked. "Anyway- a wedding? That's fucking adorable!"
"-I proposed with a ring pop and everything," Gabriel murmured, smiling at the ground.
Immy looked at him and squealed. "Oh my god! I can't-" She clasped her hand over her mouth.
Grim laughed at the two of them.
"-And that-" Axel pointed at Gabriel, who was still flustered. "-That dumbass expression is why Luke hates you."
Gabriel scoffed.
"Seriously! You're flustered over a pretend wedding from over a decade ago. That's not a bad thing, but you love her more than he does-"
"-I don't know-"
"-It scares him, Gabriel. You don't treat her like shit, and you have chemistry. You're competition, especially to a small-dicked douchebag like him."
"Pff-" Gabriel snorted. "Is that a compliment?"
"Of course." Axel smiled at him. "You're one of the best people I know."
"Wow," Gabriel chuckled awkwardly. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
Dally cleared his throat. "Sappiness aside, I'm glad we're all on the same page about... him."
"I'm convinced that, like- everyone is," Immy said. "-Except Luce, I guess."
Grim's phone buzzed in his pocket. He got a message from Luke.
"Speak of the devil and he may appear..." He trailed off.
Luke
Love can't come.
She says she's
not feeling well.
Are you still coming?
Yes
"We're fucked," Grim groaned. "Lucy's not coming."
"Shit!" Gabriel cursed. "That was, like- half the point!"
"What?" Immy's brows furrowed. "She was so excited for this... what do you mean 'half the point'?"
Grim sighed in response. "I've been meaning to check in on her for a while now. I need to talk to her alone- ask about her... situation. Make sure she's doing okay." He admitted. "I have reason to believe that something's going on."
"You don't think he's abusing her, do you?" Axel gasped.
"I don't know," He huffed. "I think so, maybe. It'd make sense. All I know for sure is that they aren't exactly a happy couple."
"Why do you think they stay together?" Dally questioned. "I know they live together, but they aren't financially dependent on each other. Lucy could totally move back in with her parents, she's not afraid to rely on them a bit."
"It might not be a financial thing," Gabriel suggested. "Despite everything, Lucy's head over heels for him."
"-And kinda brainwashed," Dally chuckled.
"...Brainwashed," Immy murmured. She shuddered.
"Like I said," Grim butted in, sensing Immy's anxiety. "We don't know anything for sure."
The door rang.
***
Luke was the last person to show up.
The guest list was made mostly of school friends. Axel, Dallas, Queenie, Brock, and Gabriel all went to reaping school with Grim. Bella, Nathan, Andre, Eli, and Lincoln were just friends in highschool. Rose and Fallon, although he couldn't talk to them often due to them being interdimensional, were always great to talk to.
Everyone was gathered at the long table Grim had borrowed for the occasion, talking and laughing. Immy was in the middle of telling Axel and a few others about the Selena concert she and Lucy went to in March when the doorbell rang.
"Ope- I'll get it!" Immy exclaimed, practically jumping from her chair. Axel laughed as she stumbled to the door.
"She's great, isn't she?" Grim smiled. Axel turned their head to him and nodded.
"Mhm. Charismatic, kind, bubbly- I can see why you like her so much."
Grim raised his eyebrows at them.
"Woah there, don't get protective. I'm not interested," They snickered at his expression. "I don't swing that way."
He sighed, relieved. "Bad enough Luke hits on her." He grinned.
"Luke hits on everyone. She's totally his type, though," They supposed. "Ever noticed how similar she and Love look?"
"Sorta. Their facial structure's a bit different." Grim commented. "Luce's features are a bit sunken. Immy's face has more color."
"Even that, though-" Axel continued. "I really think they could pass for sisters, Immy's just-" They paused thinking. "Healthier. I think it's a mental thing."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, neither of them are skinny, but Lucy sometimes looks... malnourished, almost," Axel muttered. "That's not exactly the right word. She's not starving- god I hope not- but..."
"No, I get it," Grim sighed. "She's lost her color. More reasons I really need to talk to her-" He cut himself off, seeing who was at the doorway.
Standing there with a shit-faced grin: Luke.
Axel turned away from Grim to see what he was looking at.
His chest constricting, he pushed his chair out from the table and walked to Immy's side, plastering on a friendly smile.
"Hey, man!" He greeted. "Was wondering when you'd show up."
Luke laughed.
"Hey!" He grinned. "A pleasure, I'm sure."
"Come in."
Grim allowed Luke to enter. He walked past him, to the table. Grim turned to look at Immy.
Her expression was difficult to read.
"You okay?"
"Yeah- yeah! He's just..." She hesitated. "A bit too comfortable saying things."
"Oh god," Grim grumbled. "What'd he say?"
"Eh-" Immy grimaced. "...He made an offhand comment on my tits-"
"-Fuck, I might kill him."
"I might encourage you."
"Defend me in court, please."
"Ahem, 'But, your honor! We caught him lacking!'"
"I fucking love you."
"If you want a more serious approach, I can just tell them to look through his computer."
"Nobody'd be willing to look through that shit."
Immy snorted.
He smiled at her and sighed.
Now for the hard part.
"Okay- work mode..." He muttered to himself.
"Grim," Immy groaned. "It's a party! Have some fun!"
"-I will, but I need info first," Grim defended. "You made that entire table fall in love with you. Go talk to them; I'll make sure whatever the hell Luke brought isn't spiked." He grinned reassuringly.
She rolled her eyes at him in a teasing manner.
"Fine. Tell me if you need a vacuum~" She wiggled her eyebrows. Grim laughed and shooed her away.
He hesitated before walking over to Luke.
Luke barely glanced at him before he gestured him to the hallway.
Grim, slightly dumbfounded, followed him.
They stood in the dark hall for a good minute before either of them said anything.
"...What is it?" Grim inquired, his uneasiness spilling with his words.
"I believe I owe you an apology," Luke uttered. "I shouldn't have told Xen."
"Then why did you?"
He sighed and mumbled something Grim couldn't hear, then dipped into Grim's bedroom. Even more concerned, Grim went after him and shut the door.
"We had a misunderstanding," Luke continued. "I'd never want you to believe I... did anything. Not to Immy, or Love- whoever the fuck you were talking about. I was confused, and I told Xen."
Grim sighed in relief.
"Oh thank god." He paused to chuckle nervously. "I've been worried sick."
"Mhm." Luke looked at him with a strange expression. "Why would you ever think that of me?"
"I just-" He sighed. "...I just know you and Lucy have been getting into fights lately. She hasn't been doing well. She's not been herself-"
"I know, Grim. I'm worried too," He agreed. "It's terrifying, really. I don't know what's going on. It makes me upset, and we argue- it just keeps getting worse. I'm trying to help her, I promise."
Grim sighed again.
"Okay."
"Good. Now that's out of the way-" He smiled, rummaging through his large bag and pulling out a bottle of vodka. "I have something for you."
Grim's breath caught, gazing at the bottle.
Chopin. Of course he remembered. He thought to himself. Jesus Christ- that's expensive.
"Luke- let me pay you."
"No. Think of it as a peace offering."
"Luke."
Luke stared at him, his eyes almost taunting.
I can't. I won't take it, he can't make me.
I need it.
No. This is wrong. All wrong.
Teens drink all the time, it's not an immoral thing.
It totally is an immoral thing, this affects my job, and Immy-
Is it so wrong to escape for a bit? They don't understand what I've been through. It's my only way out.
No.
I need it.
I can't.
Please-
His face maintained the same expression despite Grim's silence.
He spent so much money on it, too. Please-
"Take the fucking bottle, Grim."
The command breaking the moral voice in his head, he took it.
Luke smiled.
***
After the party, when everyone was gone-
Immy was sleeping upstairs, the entire house was quiet-
Grim broke for what seemed like the thousandth time.
He tried to come to terms with the coming years.
Seizing every moment with Immy that he could, making sure he wouldn't be able to think about it.
He could drown himself in work, booze, and her presence.
And when she was gone, he would burn down his house.
He would run away to some far off dimension.
And- god forbid- if he was the one who killed her?
He would put himself through the worst hell he could make.
A switch flipped inside Grim.
He went numb.
~~~
HOLY FUCK HOLY SHIT OKAY
THIS CHAPTER IS SO LONG
ANDDDD
IT'S THE FINALE FOR ACT 1!! SO HAPPY
AND SAD
THE ENDING MAKES ME WANNA CRY
AAAAA
GUYS GUYS GUYS
I LOVE THE NEW COVER
I LOVE YOU
I LOVE ANGST
Please take care of yourselves! I know the holidays can be hard for people, so stay strong!
-Alice/Craz <3