... another door opens.
Chapter Warnings: Mild blood (marrow), depression, death ideation, swearing (?)
***
Lotus groaned, the feeling of someone touching him bringing him back to consciousness. A dull red eye light formed, taking in the sight of... a green couch?
"About time you finally decided to wake up. Your broken ass was asleep for two days."
The small skeleton's skull lolled toward the voice on his left, surprised to find another skeleton in green, gold, and black military-style dress staring right back at him. Behind them on the table was a small white box containing various first-aid supplies.
Glancing down, Lotus was slightly embarrassed to find he was lacking his shirt, scarf, cloak, and shoes... though he was more concerned with the multitude of cracks and scars that were clearly visible without his clothing to cover them.
"So, you got a name?" the monster questioned, quirking a socket as he resumed changing a bandage on one of the smaller's ribs.
"Lotus," he croaked, warily voicing a question of his own, "Why are you helping me?"
"I just felt like it," the other shrugged, then added, "Also, I was curious why you were laughing before you passed out. Most monsters wouldn't laugh after getting the shit beat out of them. Can't really answer if you're dead, though, so I patched you up. So, why were you laughing?"
Lotus smiled sadly, looking away as he scoffed, "Because my existence is one big damn joke. I'm the sad-sack, worthless, waste of magic pansy my parents always said I was, and my attempt to prove them wrong only served to drive home how right they were. I was just getting my comeuppance in that alley and I found it poetic."
The bandaged skeleton continued bitterly, oblivious to his savior's grim expression, " I honestly believed you were trashing those goons just so you could be the one to finish me off instead. Collect the free experience and all that shit.
"And on top of all that... in what I thought were my last moments, all I could think about was how amazing your eyes looked in that lighting instead of something more practical or life-saving because I'm a stars damned idiot! That's why I laughed."
The other skeleton went back to changing the marrow-stained bandages around his ribs without a word of response. Lotus assumed the conversation was over, turning his skull away to stare at the dark green cushions lining the back of the couch.
It makes sense, I said something really sappy and depressing... and perhaps creepy now that I think about it. Even if those thoughts were a coping mechanism, this guy probably doesn't know what to do with that information.
He wasn't expecting it when the monster said, "I had no intention of killing you back there. It's more pathetic to strike at a target that can't fight back, there's no challenge. They were scum ganging up on a single weakened target, so I taught them a lesson... that's all."
Lotus turned back to the skeleton as he stood with the first-aid box in his hands, walking off to another room.
The taller skeleton eventually returned without the box, posing another question, "So... do you have someone I can call to pick you up? A name, a number?"
The smaller snorted, immediately regretting the action when it jarred his injuries. Once the pain subsided, he answered, "The only ones would be my parents... and after being gone for four days, they've probably already given me up for dust by now.
"Even if I did call, they probably don't give two shits about me returning outside of getting their punching bag back and crowing about how they were right. I ran away from that hellhole and I'm never going back... I'd rather dust."
Lotus shifted himself, shakily propping himself up on his elbows in an attempt to reach a sitting position.
"What are you doing?" the taller skeleton questioned bluntly.
"What does it look like?" the bandaged monster bit out, catching himself before he fell backward, "I'm getting up and leaving. There's no sense beating around the bush. You want me gone and no one's going to come for me, so I might as well get out before I'm thrown out."
"Where will you go?" the skeleton inquired.
"Somewhere. I'll figure it out," Lotus huffed. Just as he nearly managed to achieve his goal of sitting up, a boney hand easily shoved him back into the pillows that had been propping him up.
The owner growled, "Don't be a dumbass. You can barely even move, much less walk. You're practically asking for death, and I'm not going to let you waste my supplies and goodwill by getting yourself dusted as soon as you step foot outside."
His tone then took on a more playful note, "Just lay your ass down and stay there while I make us some lunch. Who knows, it might even be edible if you're lucky."
As the gruff skeleton turned and walked toward what looked like a kitchen, he paused to add, "The name's Rurik, by the way... in case you were wondering."
"Well goody for you, I wasn't," Lotus mumbled sarcastically, earning a bark of laughter as the monster, Rurik, disappeared into the kitchen.
He left the small skeleton staring in disbelief at the empty doorway, slowly processing the exchange.
So this guy... Rurik... he's genuinely being nice? He's letting me stay, no strings attached? In a world of kill or be killed, someone is actually extending a helping hand towards a weakling like me?
No... no, there has to be a catch... things aren't that simple...
He could feel his soul squeezing, but he had no idea how to make it stop.
"Stupid... I'm... so stupid," Lotus murmured, reaching up a shaky hand to scrub away the tears he couldn't hold back, "Sixteen years... sixteen years of abuse, and I... I seriously think, even for a moment... things are going to ch... change that easily? Nothing ever gets better... it's... it's only a matter of time... before he sees m... me for the waste of s... space I am, b... before he discards me... just like... everyone else."
He pressed his holed palms against his sockets, willing away the tears that refused to dry as he whispered, "He should have... should have let me die. It would have been a mercy..."
"Lotus?"
He jumped at the voice. The startled skeleton looked up, puzzled when he found an empty room instead of Rurik like he'd been expecting.
"Lotus, wake up!"
Wake up? What the hell, I'm already-
The room began to shift and spin around him as an invisible force roughly shook him. He gasped as pain jolted through his skull, clenching his sockets shut.
"Lotus!"
His sockets shot open, his soul thudding against his ribs. The first thing his eye light took in was the sight of Rurik, leaning over the back of the couch above Lotus with one arm extended toward the smaller's shoulder.
His face... is he worried?
"You okay? I came out to borrow the book you were reading, but I found you out here on the couch, moaning in your sleep. Then again... it was kind of hot. Were you dreaming about something naughty? We can continue where it left off if you want," the skeleton added with a sly grin.
Lotus had been observing his surroundings as Rurik spoke, noticing that he was laying on the same dark green couch, fully clothed with a self-help book laying against his chest.
At least, he was until the last comment registered. The small skeleton blushed a furious purple.
"I wasn't dreaming about anything gross, you sick shit! I was dreaming about-!" Lotus yelled indignantly, pausing as his words caught up with him. His blush faded as he finished his sentence in a much more subdued tone, "... about the alley... and the day we first met."
The hooded skeleton averted his gaze as the other's sockets narrowed, a heavy silence falling over the living room.
Lotus was so focused on not looking at Rurik, he didn't notice when the taller reached down, swiftly pulling him up into their arms. The book fell out of his lap as he squirmed, bouncing off the couch and onto the hardwood floor.
"W... what are you- AH!" he squawked, cut off when Rurik tipped himself over the edge of the couch, bringing the smaller crashing down with him.
The pair landed on the cushions with Rurik on the bottom, his feet dangling over the back and his hat slipping off to join the book on the ground. He was far more focused on the skeleton laying on his chest, peppering Lotus' cheeks and neck with sultry kisses.
"W... why are... y... you...?" the smaller gasped, face flush from the fall and the sudden attention.
"I'm distracting you from stupid thoughts," he replied in between kisses, "Also, proving things are better, and you're not a waste of space. Not to me."
Lotus felt touched... until he noticed the wording.
"Wait... that's... back then, you heard me? You bastard, why didn't you ever say anything?!" the small skeleton screeched in mortification, swatting at the monster under him.
Rurik laughed at his partner's antics, the blows against his chest being all flash and no substance, catching his breath and softly purring, "There's the sassy skeleton I fell for."
Lotus' blush returned full force as he was pulled in closer.
Rurik continued, "Whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me because I'm not planning on letting you go anytime soon. I said I was going to try to do better by you, and I meant it."
"Ugh... whatever," Lotus groused, pouting as he flopped his skull onto his left arm, his face burning as Rurik's chest bounced in laughter.
All the while, he fought the smile trying to force its way onto his face, secretly taking solace in the fact that after so many years of abuse, things could and did change after all.
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Word Count: 1,659