Chapter Text
After stepping through the portal, the three of them took a moment to relax now that they were finally out of danger.
Boyfriend set Soul down on the couch before sitting down next to him, exhausted. The orb closed and fell onto the ground, where Pico picked it up to pocket it with the intention of returning it to its place on BF's dresser later. Mix stood against the wall, arms crossed, taking in a small breath before being the first of the group to speak.
"...Is everyone alright?"
"Alright as we can be. Shit... that was a lot."
"Tch. Saying 'a lot' is one hell of an understatement, Pico."
"I know, B-Mix, I know. You still get what I mean."
"Classic, what about you?"
Boyfriend shrugged, but was quick to respond verbally anyway.
"I... think I'm okay."
"No lasting effects? Damage? Anything?"
"Please. The only thing it could've possibly damaged is still here next to me. ...Sorry, I- We'll be fine. I h-hope."
"Are... are you sure?"
"Mhm... But I should probably just keep an eye on him for a little bit... at least if I don't fall asleep..."
"If you're that tired, Bee, get some rest. We can watch Soul for ya."
"Pico, it's fine, okay? I'm not that tired."
The ginger knew there was no real point in trying to continue arguing with him, and he sighed in defeat.
He could understand why he was so insistent, though. The way he was so distressed once that entity let go of him... he likely already knew that it was trying to kill Soul.
And plus, those two were close enough as it was - he had a feeling they wouldn't be able to spare a moment apart after this.
"...I just... I can't believe it. It really t-tried to..."
"Take a breath, Morse Code. Let's just... focus on the fact that it failed right now. Whether or not it tries to come back and finish the job... you two are safe right now, ya got that?"
Boyfriend nodded.
...But the experience still weighed heavily on his mind.
He still remembered the pain, the floods of anger and grief-induced tears, all the fighting to break free, the pleading for it to stop...
Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked over at Soul, still asleep at his side, having leaned over enough in his sleep to now be resting his head on his shoulder.
And as much as he wanted to stop worrying, he couldn't. There was no way he could.
But, really... how could he not?
His friend was nearly killed.
He almost lost him.
Those thoughts lingered, no matter how much he tried to get it to go away.
The what-ifs, the doubts, they spiraled.
BF found himself trying harder and harder to take deeper breaths - but the feeling of Soul leaning against him was enough to keep him grounded.
Just take a breath.
He's still here.
...Everything's okay now.
"Bee? You really sure he'll be okay?"
"Yeah... that thing isn't around to tamper with our connection anymore, so as long as it stays that way, he can heal. B-But... I don't know how long it'll take him to wake up..."
"I'm sure it won't be long, Bee. If he could hold out as long as he did with all the pain he was in, then I don't have a doubt that he's not gonna be forever. You just... gotta give him time, I guess."
Another nod in response, this time a more understanding one.
"I know... I just want to feel like everything's gonna be alright now. I want to stop- s-suffering in a loop."
"Hey, like I said. You two are still here after all of that. Don't let what it did hold ya back."
Pico had a point with that.
Even with all of the anguish, they'd still made it through. After what felt like forever.
He didn't want to say anything else, however - lest the worries in his mind resurface and find their way out of his mouth before he knew what was even happening.
The silence quickly swallowed the room after.
With the trio at a loss for any other words, Pico decided to voice the question that'd been running through his mind since leaving the Mix universe.
"So do we have any idea what that thing actually is? I don't understand why the hell it wants to keep going after you two. You'd think with the amount of times ya already beat it, it'd stop."
Mix let out a small hum in thought beside him.
"Well, from what I'd gathered, it seems to have some sort of vendetta."
At his statement, Boyfriend immediately perked up.
"Wait, you... you actually talked to it?"
"Briefly. Definitely isn't the talkative type though."
"Did it tell you anything? About why it really did this, about who it was? Did it??"
"Woah, calm down there Classic. Whatever its deal is, it wanted to keep quiet about it. I didn't get much out of it before it ran off. I'm sorry though. I get why you're so desperate to find out."
Boyfriend sighed, sinking back into the couch when before, he had been quick to sit up a bit at Mix's earlier statement.
"It's... not your fault. That thing is the same way with me. It's always leaving me with more questions than answers and it's getting frustrating."
"Hm. Did it maybe tell you anything? While you were in the Mix?"
"Barely- nothing really helpful, honestly. Just being cryptic again. But I... don't really want to talk about it."
His alternate counterpart nodded in understanding, before something came to mind...
"Actually..."
The other two looked over at him, waiting for what he had to say.
"From what it said, its true identity seems really crucial to its plan. Is there anything interesting that it might've told you before?"
"Well... I remember it said the last time I saw it that it was doing all this because we did something to it first. But- that's the problem, I've never seen it before."
"It did mention that it wanted revenge right before it took me down by surprise and got away. That's probably why its identity is so important. If we unveil it, then I'm sure everything will be crystal clear."
Pico groaned in response to that.
"Okay, but you're missing something here, B-Mix. None of us have any fuckin' idea who the hell that thing really is! We've been saying that this whole damn time!"
The rapper remained silent for a moment, thinking.
"...But it already knew who we are. And... I can't shake those familiar feelings I get when it's around."
"Familiar, hm? That's... odd."
"You're telling me."
"Alright- as much as I appreciate all this theorizing, we need to take a real break. A lot of shit happened tonight and I personally think we need one. You especially, Bee."
Letting out a huff, Boyfriend reluctantly agreed.
"Fine..."
He rested his head on top of Soul's cap, his eyes closing as a drained sigh escaped him.
With BF finally back to relaxing for the moment, Pico turned to Mix again.
"So, I take it that you're gonna be stickin' around for a bit?"
"Not very long... I'm just here to make sure that you guys will be okay before I go back and tell my boss about this, in case that thing comes back to our universe."
"Good call. That way we can have more eyes on it the next time it tries something like this."
"Definitely. It roped me into its little game now, and that was a mistake that I will not allow it to forget. If I have a chance to help you and Classic, I will."
"I... really appreciate that."
That earned him a small smile from the hitman, and he gave a soft smile back.
"You know, you're... a lot better than the Pico I knew. ...I'm glad that didn't get in the way as much."
"I know, it's gotta be hard seein' another version of the person that hurt you so long ago, especially with some other version of yourself, huh?"
"A little. It just kinda threw me off that you were there at first, but I continued reminding myself that you aren't the same as my Pico. I always thought of you and Classic being together as a sign that you are better than him, though. Good to know I was right."
"We have basically the same fuckin' job, y'know."
"Okay, and? What point does that prove?"
"...Ya know what- nevermind."
"Haha, gotcha!"
The two laughed a little, before a grim silence fell between them again.
"...So... not that I'm trying to bring attention back to that... thing, but... as far as I've heard, you guys have a history with it?"
Pico nodded.
"And it's always been after those two." He gestured to the two on the couch as he spoke- "I just wish we could know why. Certainly won't stop us from being pissed at it, but it'd be good to know a reason. You said it mentioned revenge, right?"
"It did, when I confronted it- or at least tried to. Yeah."
"What could it possibly be getting revenge for? It's not like those two have ever met it."
"...Maybe they have. They just never knew."
"The hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Well- I noticed that even though it's from your universe, it looks an awful lot like BF, but it also kind of looked like it was a Mix of its own? Maybe whoever it's saying it is, it might be someone else."
"...Huh. That's... an interesting thought."
"Just putting it out there. ...But, if you've got a history of putting a stop to its plans, then I could see why it was pushed to doing... this."
"Yeah, it's just pissed off. With the way it doesn't stop going after them though, you'd think it's obsessed or something."
"Definitely seems like it. Revenge will do that to someone."
"But seriously, this is, without a single doubt, crossing a fucking line. As if the last two times weren't enough, and now it thinks it can just-"
"Wait- what do you mean by 'the last two times'?"
Shit. Slip of the tongue.
He... hadn't meant to say that.
There was no backpedaling on that now, unfortunately.
Pico let out a sigh, deciding to explain, but trying to keep it brief.
"It's gone after Soul specifically before. The first time, it was corrupting him, the second time, locking him away with a copy of himself the Corruption made way back when that he hates with a burning passion. That's only the basics, but I don't really feel like getting into the details. It just seems like all it wants is to keep the two of 'em separated and suffering, but it always takes advantage of Soul to do it every damn time."
"...Almost like it's trying to kill two birds with one stone?"
"What brought ya to that conclusion?"
"From the way you describe things, it doesn't really focus on BF that much, because if it can eliminate Soul as a target, then BF will stay out of the way. At least... with how close those two are, I can imagine taking him out would keep Classic from interfering with whatever it does next. If it even has anything planned after that."
"I can see that. And yeah, you're definitely right. He was devastated enough just a few moments ago when he thought Soul had died... I don't wanna imagine just how much of himself he'd lose if he really kicked the bucket tonight. Gigi's always kinda been telling me that she worries about it every now and then, how we'd probably be the only ones to keep him together... I just hope it'll never have to come to that, even after everything from earlier."
"Well... at least both of them have you guys. If you hadn't been around, who knows how much could've changed."
"How about we don't think about that."
Pico had blurted that out quickly and flatly, but the slight anger in his tone had made his point clear.
"Sorry..."
"You're fine."
"...God- that just makes me realize how confusing its goals are. What's the point of trying to get the two of them out of its way anyways? And why resort to trying to trying to get rid of one of them now? Does it even have something else planned after those two are out of the picture? ...None of it makes any sense."
"Honestly, I don't think it ever will. At least not until we learn its identity or it reveals its true motives. And even then, there's no guarantee that discovering its true identity is gonna clear up anything. Hell, for all we know, it might not even have a true identity at ALL. It's just sending us on some wild goose chase, thinking we're getting somewhere with it."
"That wouldn't explain why BF would say that it feels familiar to him. Has he... talked about that before?"
"Only a little. He knows it's mimicking him, trying to mask its voice. I think most of what he knows, he tells to Soul, though. He's the one that's around him the most, so it makes sense. You'd have to ask him."
"Hm. Hey- by the way, why is it that things are like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like- when I first found out about Soul 'by accident', in his words, he said pretty strictly to me that I shouldn't tell anyone. And if that was before this whole mess, then why did he always keep Soul's existence to just a few people?"
"Mostly because we're people he trusts. That, and it was also an issue with what OUR Daddy Dearest could do once he finds out. He's still out for Bee even though he saved his goddamn life, which really pisses me off. So we're just trying to keep Soul safe from him. Girlfriend especially."
"Yikes. Your DD is worse than my boss."
"Maybe 'cause whoever your DD mixed with made him less of a jackass."
"Fair."
"But- yeah. Now it's less about Gigi's demon parents and more about the fact that, thanks to whatever the hell that thing is, he's got a huge target on his back now. At this point... we don't know what else that thing could do to try and get to him again, or who it could end up using. Not worth the risk."
"Also fair. But, again... at least he's got you guys."
Looking back up at the two, however, another train of thought entered his mind.
"...Do you... think they're gonna be okay? After... everything?"
Pico followed his gaze to the duo, and sighed.
"I think in the end, they'll recover, sooner or later. But... I think for right now... they're gonna have a really hard time being apart like that for a long while. If ya wanna know what I think? They're not meant to be separated like that. Ya just- can't do it. I said this earlier to Soul, but those two have this... weird sixth sense for each other or whatever. Ya wanna split 'em up? They'll find their way back to each other one way or another. It just doesn't last. It's impossible."
"You think it's because of their connection, or...?"
"...Probably a little more complicated than that. I really don't think they're connected just 'cause Soul is Bee's... well, soul. There's something deeper going on there. I'm pretty sure Gigi has the same hunch, honestly, but she won't say anything."
Another long drone of empty silence.
"What are we gonna do about this?"
"Hm?"
"I mean- we, or at least you guys, can't just keep going on pretending like none of this ever happened. That entity that's been chasing them, it's nearly taken one of their lives just now. And I get the feeling that if you don't stop it soon, you won't be able to stop it at ALL."
"Yeah, but... it's not like we even CAN stop it. No matter what leads we get on it, they go nowhere. It always vanishes right after trying something big, and the only time Bee ever sees it outside of that is in his nightmares. He said that whatever went on in the Mix didn't help, and it was too painful for him to talk about it, anyway. Ya gotta face it, we're comin' up empty right now, B-Mix."
"You haven't considered outside help?"
"Well, his brother Mike managed to get his fallen angel rival in on this whole thing, and from what I heard, they tried something too... but even they didn't get much out of it. At least not that I know. Gigi can't find anything on it, and neither can her parents, even though she had to give 'em limited information. We're at a dead end, and there's not much we can do about it."
"...At least you're not doing it alone now."
"What?"
"Like I said, you're getting help from my end, too. I was a part of this attack and so was my universe. It's my issue now as well."
"How exactly would your universe be gettin' dragged into this?"
"That thing abused an phenomenon in my world and exploited it with BF in its attempt to kill Soul. Which would make it very much involved now."
The mercenary found himself agreeing with that - his reasoning was solid.
But it brought yet ANOTHER question to his mind, on top of all the ones that they'd discussed already.
"Hey, hey, wait- how the hell would it know how your universe worked like that in the first place?"
"...That's... a good question. Shit."
"I already know from Bee that, with his guesses on being able to corrupt Soul, using that copy against him from a time it wasn't around for it to know about him, it's been watching and observing them for a while now. Enough to know about them and their weaknesses, and... quite possibly about the other universes, too, then."
"Well, that's great. Some entity hellbent on removing these two from its equation knows about our other universes, and will probably try to use those against them? Great! Just great!"
He threw his hands up in the air in disbelief, and crossing them once he stopped speaking.
"Then that makes those other worlds involved too. We might want to consider that."
Mix thought about his suggestion for a moment, before he started to nod.
"Yeah. That... sounds like a good idea. Thanks."
"No problem."
"I'm kind of still concerned about something you said. It's... been watching those two?"
"Learning as much as it can to use against them, I'm sure."
"I would be worried about just how much it already knows, Pico."
"...Yeah, yeah. I know. I gotta figure that out later, though. Too much to be stressed about right now."
"I... guess that's fair."
Being engrossed in the conversation, the two didn't notice Soul beginning to stir on the couch, his eyes fluttering open as he began to notice his surroundings and the discussion unfolding in front of him.
"Let's just- focus on what we can do right now."
He looked over at BF, who'd fallen asleep beside him, and a downcast, concerned expression appeared on his face.
Mostly concerned.
"Alright. Where should we start?"
That was when both sharpshooters saw a flash of white in the corner of their eyes, and just as they heard a slight thump on the couch, they turned to see that Soul was gone, Boyfriend now laying flat across the cushions.
"...Where'd he-?"
"Relax, he's probably back in Bee's mind."
Pico pulled out his phone, beginning to dial a number.
"What are you doing?"
"Calling Girlfriend, and seeing if she can get Mike on call, too. They're as close to the two as I am. ...They deserve to know what happened."
Mix nodded in agreement, and he pressed the call button on GF's contact.
As it started ringing, he brought the phone up to his ear.
Ringing...
Still ringing...
"Hello?"
"Gigi- You're awake?"
"Yeah, I... couldn't sleep, being worried about Boyfriend and all. So I'm at his brother's place right now to see if we can get ahold of him, but so far, nothing."
"Wait. So you're with Mike?"
"Mhm! He's sitting on his couch waiting for me to finish the call right now. Why, did you want to talk to him?"
Pico sucked in air through his teeth, nervous about what he was going to say.
"Listen, Gigi, I... actually want ya to put him on the phone too. I found out what happened with Bee- and he's okay, but... I have something to tell you guys. ...And it's not gonna be pretty."
Inside BF's mind, Soul appeared in a flash of white light, immediately starting to look for his friend.
However... it didn't take very long to find him.
The rapper was sitting in front of the screen, curled into himself, with his back turned to him and his face buried in his knees, his arms crossed over them.
And, over the static of the screen, he could just faintly hear him sobbing.
It broke his heart at the sound of it.
He knew above all else, he needed him, and he needed him badly.
"Boyfriend?"
The person in question perked up at his voice, his sobs stopping, looking behind him to face the source of the sudden voice before standing up.
"Soul...?"
The two stood there for a moment, facing each other, holding a stare that said more than a thousand words without having to speak them.
And then Boyfriend broke the silence and began to run towards him, Soul not hesitating to embrace him once he reached him.
Right now, BF was a mixed bag of negative feelings, and he could feel that - all he wanted to do at the moment was just be there for him. Like he always had been.
It didn’t take long for Boyfriend to start crying into his shoulder, and he only hugged him tighter, letting him release the flow of emotions.
Heavy sobs wracked his body, his breath hitching on his words when he tried to speak.
"I... 魂-"
"Bee, it's okay. I'm here. I'm alive. And I'm not going anywhere."
He felt the other hug him closer, him starting to collapse - and he moved them both to sit on the floor, still holding him as he gently rubbed circles on his back, attempting to help him calm down.
Given that his cries had started to subside, it was working.
After a few minutes, the two still remaining in that embrace all the while, BF finally pulled back, still trying to regain his composure.
"I... I thought I was g-going to lo-"
Soul was quick to place a finger against his lips, stopping him from speaking any further, while his other hand rested on Boyfriend's shoulder.
"Shhh. Just don't think about that right now. Please."
BF nodded, and Soul pulled his hand back, moving it to his other shoulder.
"...Are you okay?"
"Yeah... yeah, I'm fine. What about you? D-Did it hurt you? I-"
"No, no, I'm okay too. P-Promise."
The rapper quickly placed his hands over Soul's, trying to give him what reassurance he could.
But now, it was much easier for the other to feel how much he was shaking.
How unsteady he still was.
"...Are you sure?"
For just a moment, he remained silent, before slowly starting to shake his head.
The tears threatened to flow once more, but he held them back.
"I-I... I didn't th-think it would try to-"
"I know... I know."
He could understand why words were failing him at the moment - they were both so shaken by what had happened, and honestly, how the hell were they supposed to express it with anything else other than their feelings?
Carefully, he'd placed his hands on his cheeks in an attempt to comfort him.
But to his slight surprise, it just allowed the sobs that Boyfriend had been trying to repress to burst out of him, causing Soul to pull back slightly in regret as BF ended up crying his heart out again.
It took him a bit to calm down, at least enough to be able to coherently speak.
"F-Fuck- I didn't mean to- I..."
"...Bee-"
"D-Don't... worry about it, I j-just... I didn't think I-I'd..."
He trailed off, but it was enough for Soul to put the pieces together.
Some part of him had fully expected to never be able to feel his comfort, that reassuring touch, ever again.
And to feel it now was... overwhelming in a way.
But he knew as well as anyone it meant he was still here for him.
That was a good thing, wasn't it?
He'd stopped crying, for now. It was an improvement in some form, so...
Soul let out a deep breath, one of his hands resorting to gently rubbing his arm. Boyfriend wasn't shrinking back from the contact at all - rather leaning into it - so he took it as a non-verbal OK from him.
It appeared to be helping him relax a little, too. So, a bit of benefit there, he supposed.
"これが夢でないと言ってくれ..." [Please tell me this isn't a dream...]
"夢を見ていない." [You're not dreaming.]
"Why w-wouldn't I be...?"
Soul wasn't sure where exactly this was coming from. Was BF so wrapped up in grief that he'd been refusing to believe that this reunion was truly happening...?
Or was it something else?
Gently, he brought a hand up to run through the rapper's hair for a moment, before setting it on his shoulder.
"What makes you think that you're dreaming?"
"I... this just- d-doesn't... f-feel real... like another illusion, l-like... everything's about to just f-fall apart again...!"
"This is real, Bee. I promise. I'm sure if it weren't, you'd have woken up to something different a while before now."
"How do you know?"
"Just trust me, okay?"
He felt Boyfriend relaxing into his touch, starting to take deeper breaths.
Trying to convince himself that this wasn't fake.
That this was really happening, that they'd made it.
He was still here, and so was Soul.
It was only once he'd released a final deep breath, the tension in him gone, that Soul finally spoke.
"...Do you believe me now?"
"M-Mhm."
"Feel a little better?"
BF nodded back at him, noticeably relieved.
...Well, he would be, if it weren't for his thoughts constantly returning to the events that had just transpired.
Now that he had the time to think over it with a clear head, it was hitting him hard.
He'd felt so powerless just a few moments ago, and now that it appeared that things were finally alright...
It seemed almost wrong.
Like all of it had been his fault and his fault alone.
Meanwhile, Soul was going to ask if something was wrong (because, dammit, he needed to tell him if there was) once the rapper began holding back tears again. He'd tried for some break from the melancholia of their conversation, but obviously that was only going to keep back the despair for so long.
And it was clear from what he was sensing from the other that there was a completely different feeling that was ravaging him now.
He was about to call his name in concern, but Boyfriend beat him to the punch.
"Soul... I... I-I'm sor-"
BF had placed his hands over his mouth in guilt, the tears flooding his eyes again as Soul gently grabbed his arms.
"Bee, don't. It's okay-"
"It's NOT okay! I almost l-lost you for real- I wasn't dreaming this time- and all I did was j-just... stand there and watch! I couldn't even do anything to save you, and- i-it's not fair!!"
The other watched with sympathy as the rapper slowly lost himself to his emotions again - and he very much understood how he felt.
Carefully, he took one of his hands in his own in an attempt to console him.
Just to remind him that he was still here.
It seemed to work for the moment, as Boyfriend's cries were reduced to sniffles, and he spoke softly, looking down at the floor.
"All this time, and... we thought i-it'd never happen... and now I d-don't know what to do..."
He trailed off in a whimper, his frame starting to shake.
Soul held his arms out, and BF quickly embraced him once more as he released a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
"Boyfriend..."
And that was when he looked up at him, his tearful eyes showing the same pain his voice did as he spoke-
"I just don't wanna watch you fade away again..."
Internally, Soul winced. Because OW, that had been a horribly painful tug at his heartstrings.
Still, he looked down at BF with warmth and compassion, bringing a hand up again to cup his cheek, his thumb wiping away the tears that fell down his face - gently as if he were glass that he was scared of breaking.
This time Boyfriend refrained from falling apart under his touch, his breath hitching slightly but still slow and deep as his head rested on Soul’s chest.
"You won't. ...I promise you, you won't."
"Y-You can't... p-promise that..."
"...I can sure as hell try."
Just the strength of will in his statement alone was enough to convince BF that there was no swaying him from that belief.
So he didn't try to.
...However, he couldn't ignore why he was saying that. Why he seemed so sure of it.
And, in some way, it hurt all over again.
"...But... what if it goes after you? I d-don't want to see you get hurt again, Soul, I c-can't-"
"You're not going to. ...I already promised you once you'd never lose me. I'm not breaking that promise."
BF opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but closed it a few seconds later, letting himself relax into his hold.
"Actually- no. You know what? If that thing REALLY wants to take me from you, then it's going to have to try a lot harder than that. My job is still to protect you, and it's NOT going to get in the way of that again."
"But- its entire plan this time revolved around you wanting to protect me! It practically lured you to me using your worry, and because of that, you almost-!"
He choked up, unable to bring himself to finish that sentence.
"Yeah, but maybe things could've been different. If I'd just gone with you, then... maybe in the end nothing would've happened to you- to us."
"...Maybe..."
He could still sense the uncertainty in him as he pulled away, avoiding eye contact with him.
"Boyfriend, come on, look at me, okay? Yeah, it happened. And yet we're still here, aren't we?"
He wasn't given a response. BF just stared, seeming to be processing his words.
"So- let's just focus on the bigger picture here. Obviously that thing is just going to keep coming after us no matter what. We've got to put a stop to it and-"
"S-Stop it. Stop d-doing that."
"...What?"
"Stop avoiding it! And trying to act like everything's fine now j-just because we survived. I-It's deeper than that this time and you know it-"
"Bee... we'll get to that, okay? I'm just trying to figure out what to do next."
The unease in him was growing plain obvious now.
He was hiding it - or, well, trying to.
And Boyfriend could tell.
"魂..."
"That thing was the cause of all this, wasn't it? If we can get rid of it, then it can't keep hurting us."
He was still grasping at straws.
"Soul."
"I mean, at least if we take care of it, we won't have to worry about it anymore, ri-?"
"Soul!"
With that shout, BF swiftly grabbed his friend by the arms, taking him by surprise.
"Could you just drop the strong front for two goddamn seconds?!"
The sudden frustration from the rapper left Soul rather shocked, neither of them saying anything for a small moment as a result.
At least, until Boyfriend sighed, letting go of him.
"Look, I know you're trying not to bring it up for my sake, but please, I'd rather you let yourself be vulnerable for once! Seriously, you almost died just now! Doesn't that bother you??"
He took in a few breaths, trying to calm down after his little tirade. The silence took over once more...
...Until he heard the other begin to laugh.
But it came out practically forced, almost humorless.
The tears starting to build in the corner of his eye told a different story, though.
"Why the hell wouldn't I be? I know I almost died, that that thing nearly killed me- and to be honest, I'm fucking TERRIFIED right now, Bee! I don't know if it'll try to come back and finish the job, or do something worse, or-! ...God- I don't know. I just... I didn't want that to be the end. How I went out after all this time. ...And... I wasn't- ready to leave you, either."
BF was rendered silent this time.
He DID say he'd wanted him to be vulnerable... but Boyfriend had to admit that this wasn't exactly what he had in mind.
With both of them nearly in tears, trying to desperately cling onto each other's mere presence for comfort.
But at least he was letting it all out.
Soul let out a shaky sigh, wiping his tears away, his arms retreating to hugging himself after.
"I... didn't want to make you worry about me more than you already were, I guess? It's complicated. I'm scared, and I honestly have no idea what to do either... so I just want to focus on anything that would distract me from the fact that you could've lost me tonight. It's easier than trying to go back and relive everything just to admit to myself that everything ISN'T as fine as I wanted it to be. That I was about to... well..."
Either way, Boyfriend found himself almost guiltily agreeing.
He'd wanted to avoid this conversation for a while, too, and look where they were now.
"...You know I'm going to worry about you anyway, don't you?"
"Heh... yeah, I know."
"It's funny... I still don't want to think about it either. I wanted to focus on the fact that you're here now, too, but I can't. Not when I've just lived through the hell that was watching you almost disappear from my life again. We don't- have to know how to fix everything right now. I just wanted us to talk about it. Like we did before, all those other times."
Soul had to admit, BF had a point there - it did feel a bit better to let all that go.
And it really was just as hard to ignore his brush with death as it was to readily accept that the two were still standing, together.
Boyfriend watched him carefully, but not really expecting an answer.
This was definitely a more difficult battle to face head-on when it was the one that's hit them both the hardest so far.
"We can't just move on and pretend it never happened this time. But- I'm still glad to not have lost you."
"I know you are. And I know we can't. ...I'm glad I didn't lose you, too, though."
He gave him a small smile, but it just as quickly faded.
"...So... I already asked you this, but... are you sure you're okay? I remember B-Mix said something about you being in a lot of pain when you guys finally found me... and I can only imagine with how much of it I was feeling from you that it wasn't exactly the most bearable."
The entity in front of him shrunk back slightly at that question, and the regret filled BF immediately.
"S-Sorry! I just wanted to know if you n-needed me to comfort y-"
He cut himself off as Soul suddenly reached a hand out to him, and his tail began wrapping around his arm when it had been content to rest against the floor earlier.
It was an instant realization of what he was trying to say.
"...Just- be gentle. Please."
BF gave him a warm smile as he took his hand to hold it in his own.
Made sense - he'd just been in a ton of agony not too long ago, he didn't want to overload him.
"I will."
Carefully, he slid his hand out of Soul's to trail it up his arm and onto his shoulder, where he leaned into the touch - he placed his free hand on his other shoulder, and once again, the other leaned into it even more.
And when Soul placed a hand on one of his arms, slightly tugging the rapper towards him, Boyfriend was quick to respond and he pulled him into a hug.
His head was now resting on his chest while the two had their arms wrapped around each other, Soul's tail having unwrapped from around BF's arm and now coiling loosely around his waist to keep him close.
"...この方がいいのか?" [...Is this better?]
Soul nodded, letting himself melt into the embrace.
He didn't want to admit it, but this was exactly what he needed right now.
For a while, both of them could just forget all the danger that they'd just been in, about what more could be lying in wait on the outside.
All they had in this moment was each other.
It was something they were grateful for now more than ever.
"...Hey."
"Hm?"
"What you said earlier... about still wanting to protect me?"
"Yeah... what about it?"
"...Then let me do the same for you."
He heard a slight chuckle come from the other - but it was fond, amused almost.
"Boyfriend..."
"I mean it though! If that thing keeps coming after you, I don't want to be forced to the sidelines, unable to do anything. You're my friend as much as you are my soul, and I want you to be safe and I wanna protect you too. Just- consider it payback for you always keeping me safe."
Another laugh escaped him, and he tightened his hold on BF just a tiny bit.
"God- I can't go a single one of these kinds of moments without you getting sappy on me, can I? I'm flattered."
"Eheh... I have a right to be sentimental right now and you know it. Come on, you can't stop me from also trying to protect you either way."
"Pfft- yeah, I guess I can't."
"Nice to know I was able to flatter you for once though."
"...Dork."
"Yeah, maybe, but you're stuck with this dork."
Soul rolled his eyes - however, the smile that remained on his face made it clear that he wouldn't have it any other way.
And, based on the smug smile that was on Boyfriend's face, he could probably tell that was what he was thinking.
"You wouldn't change a thing about that, would you?"
"Oh my god- shut up."
He playfully pushed him away, getting a laugh out of the rapper, breaking from his hold in the process and now sitting to face him directly.
"Are you sure you want me to?"
"意地悪." [Mean.]
BF failed to suppress a giggle in response.
"そんなに意地悪じゃないよ~" [I'm not that mean~]
"Oh, I beg to differ."
"So is that a no?"
"You're lucky we're friends and this kind of banter is normal for us, you know that?"
"Mm, I could stop messing with you, buuuut something tells me you wouldn't really want me to do that~"
"I- Hey, I'm supposed to be the one teasing you like this. This isn't fair."
"This is very fair, buddy."
Soul stuttered for a moment, before finally sighing again and settling for a not-very-serious "I hate you" as a response.
Boyfriend feigned a dramatic offended gasp at that, even placing a hand over his chest to add to his theatrics.
"You take that back!"
"Hm... and what if I don't want to?"
"Well- I-I'll just make you!"
"Then I'd like to see you try~"
There was a brief pause, before the two of them started to laugh.
With all the dejection in their talk just moments ago now out of the way, he definitely missed messing around with Soul like this.
It felt like far too long in general that they were able to have such carefree moments such as this one anyway.
Plus... it was a nice break from the hopelessness from earlier.
After some time had passed, their laughter died down, and Boyfriend spoke as he gently nudged Soul's shoulder with his own.
"It's whatever, man. Besides, we both know you love me~"
His tone was teasing and playful, his statement lighthearted, and Soul easily matched it.
"Yup, you're still a dork. A sentimental dork that I'm stuck with forever."
"Well, if I'm a dork, then so are you."
"...Fiiiiine... we're BOTH dorks then."
Both of them couldn't help but laugh a little again.
It was obvious that they were more than glad to still be "stuck with" each other.
Finally, after they'd calmed down, Soul let out a small sigh.
"We... aren't going to be able to spend a while apart after this, huh?"
"I... no. God- no, we definitely aren't. I already feel like if I lost sight of you for any more than 5 seconds, I'd freak out, not knowing if you're in danger."
"Even though you can tell whether I am or not by feeling it?"
"I know... I just don't want to lose you again."
"Like I said..." He briefly paused, taking Boyfriend's hand in his- "You won't. I'm not gonna let it happen, you got that?"
BF nodded.
"...I won't let you lose me either."
His heart warmed at how Soul smiled a bit at the reassurance.
But it just as quickly faded, that heavy air of despondency trying to claw its way back.
"...You've noticed it, though, right? That feeling that nothing will ever be the same again after this?"
Boyfriend nodded again.
His now restless mind went back to the entity that had started the whole mess.
The one to blame for everything.
"...I hate it. God, I hate it so fucking much."
It'd gone from invading his dreams to... now...
"I know."
...Right. His dreams.
Just before they tried to get more information with Armaros, he'd started dreaming about watching him die again.
Now he knew why.
It was really no wonder why that being's taunts seemed to be more ominous when that started happening.
"...Heh... at least now I get why I started having dreams of this again... I guess it did decide to warn me. And it knew I wouldn't realize."
Soul looked at him for a moment, taking in his words.
Weirdly enough, what he said made total sense.
So was he... convinced that it was his fault? Because he didn't notice it sooner?
"...I hate it even more for that."
Ah.
Relieved, he let out a slight laugh, before humming in agreement.
BF paused for a moment, before chuckling a little at what he was going to say next.
"...Would it- be too out of place to say that I missed you?"
And finally, Soul smiled at him, and god did he need it because seeing that warm smile after EVERYTHING that happened was just so... relieving.
"Never."
The "I missed you too" was implied, but BF had picked up on it easily.
A perk from just how well he knew his friend, he supposed.
"...At least we can have one thing still be the same."
"Hm?"
"I still have you."
As he said that, he leaned in to rest his head on Soul's shoulder, the other responding by wrapping his arms around him in return.
"...And you still have me."
"Yeah... I'm glad it's still that way, even after everything."
Boyfriend nodded in agreement.
Plus, if their banter earlier was any indication, then... they could still bounce back.
It was just... going to be more difficult this time.
"Guess you were right, then, huh? That thing really is going to have to try harder if it REALLY wants to get rid of you."
A lingering sense of guilt still weighed on him.
BF ignored it.
"Damn right it does."
He laughed again at the playful bite in his sentence, how his hold on him had tightened slightly.
"I know we talked about this earlier, but... do you think we're going to be okay after all this?"
Soul thought about the question for a bit - he'd be lying if he said that there wasn't some part of him that wanted to say no to that.
But, on the other hand... they'd just been messing with each other just a few minutes ago, hadn't they?
Didn't that mean that they still had the chance to heal?
"...I think that as long as we keep refusing to let each other go, everything's going to be alright. It worked before, didn't it? Besides, with the whole vowing to protect each other and all that, it's going to take a LOT to separate us again. Even without us not wanting to be apart."
"Heh... yeah, you've got a point there."
"But... I can't help but feel sorry? I told you all those times before that this wasn't going to happen, and now that it almost has, I just... feel like I was lying to you without really knowing. Breaking a promise I tried to say I didn't break."
"魂, come on, you know that isn't your fault. I don't want you to blame yourself for this either. Gigi said it's not easy to learn how to use our connection to do that, so, sure, the fact that it figured out how is scary, but there was no way we could've known that was ever going to happen." He pulled away a tiny bit to rest a hand on the other's shoulder as he continued- "In the end, I didn't lose you, and that's what matters... at least to me. Okay?"
After a few seconds, Soul let out a sigh, a smile growing on his face.
He could've sworn he saw BF's smile waver for a split second, but he shrugged it off.
"I guess you're right. Sorry, I'm worrying over nothing again, aren't I?"
BF shrugged, moving to hug him again.
"Honestly... I'd probably be concerned for you if you weren't. So I wouldn't say it's over nothing."
Soul rolled his eyes, but still smiled as he returned the hug.
They stayed like that for a moment, until a sudden realization came to the rapper.
"Wait- aren't Pico and B-Mix still out there?"
"They were still at our place when I woke up and came in here to find you. Why, did you want to go back out and talk to them, or-?"
"N-No- not... not yet. I'd rather stay like this for a few more minutes. ...If that's, um- okay with you."
For a moment, Soul was silent, until he shifted slightly to pull the other in closer to him.
His voice warm and gentle as he spoke.
"That's more than okay with me."
BF relaxed into his embrace, letting the comfort finally wash away all the distress.
All they could do now was just be there for each other.
...And that was okay, too.
Pico let out a sigh, the other two on the opposite end of the call having just hung up on him.
"What's the matter?"
He looked over at Mix BF as he pocketed his phone again.
"Nothing, really. Just those two coming over in a rush and there being nothing I can do to stop 'em."
"Then don't. They just learned that someone close to them nearly died, it makes sense that they'd want to come running over to see if he's okay."
"I know, I just... I didn't mean to make 'em freak out like this."
"Pico, it's fine. It only shows how much they care, you know that, right?"
"Yeah... yeah."
Mix nodded, pulling out his own phone and quickly sending a text, and just a few seconds later, a portal back to his own universe appeared behind him.
"I take it you can handle things here in your universe now, correct?"
"Yeah, I should be able to. Why, ya takin' off?"
"For now. I gotta go report this to my boss, and tell my GF what happened. I'll let you know if I find anything useful, okay?"
"Alright, sounds good."
He turned around to enter the portal, but stopped short when he heard Pico speak up again from behind him.
"...Hey."
The hitman looked back at him, and Pico met his eyes.
"Thanks for your help, B-Mix. I... we really appreciate it."
"No problem. You've got my contact, use it whenever you need to. And don't be afraid to speak up when you guys need me next time."
"Got it."
With a smile, Mix stepped through the portal, and it closed behind him.
Pico stared at the spot where he used to be for a few seconds, before turning to stare at the floor while huffing out a heavy sigh.
"Dammit. All this and we're still no closer to finding out anything about ya..."
His hand gripped the handle of his UZI in anger.
"What's your problem with those two, huh? Who are ya to have it out for 'em that badly?"
His free hand clenched into a fist.
"...What the hell's your motive...?"
Alas, he was just left wondering. Digging almost fruitlessly for an answer.
It was quiet in the room for a few more moments before a small noise come from his blue-haired QPP on the couch, and he looked up at him to see his eyes slowly opening, groaning as he lifted himself off of the cushions.
...Before noticing the blanket that Pico had put over him earlier, and clutching it tightly.
One of his hands went to hold his head, and as he sat up fully, Soul appeared in a flash of white sitting next to him.
Pico couldn't have been more relieved at the both of them showing up.
"You two okay?"
They both looked up at him, BF being the one to answer.
"Yeah... I think we're fine."
He looked around the room, confused to only see Pico standing in front of him.
"Where's B-Mix?"
"Ah, went home. Wanted to go report this shit and see if he could figure out anything from his side."
"Oh. ...What for?"
"Just to give us some extra help from his universe. Who knows, maybe they'll find out somethin' else about that... thing that we missed over there, whether it was while we were lookin' for ya or some other shit."
Boyfriend hummed in response, leaning on Soul slightly as he was still trying to wake up fully.
The latter then spoke after a small period of silence.
"So... now what?"
Pico sighed, fidgeting a bit with the jacket he was wearing.
"We just... recover, I guess. Mostly you two. Toll from all that wasn't as heavy on me as it was on the both of ya."
Soul nodded, wrapping an arm around BF to provide comfort.
"...Are ya sure you're gonna be alright?"
"We will be. I... think we just need time right now."
Pico gave a nod in understanding.
Of course, why wouldn't they? Soul had nearly been killed not too long ago and Boyfriend had to witness the entire thing from within the grasp of the very entity who had attempted to do so...
It only made him more angry at the being responsible, and more sorry for the two affected by its actions.
And he was sure that the two shared his vexation.
"So... what exactly did you guys talk about while we were both out?"
The mercenary thought for a moment at BF's inquiry, before starting to explain.
"Mostly just what the hell that thing's problem is. We were tryna figure out whatever we could about it, but we came up empty. Kept hitting dead ends. But I really tried to get somewhere. The more stuff this fucker attempts to do, the more pissed off I get at it. I just want it dealt with."
"...You and me both, Pico. Or- well- you and us two, eheh."
Glad that it was verbally confirmed now that they shared those feelings.
"...Ya wanna talk about what happened with it in there?"
At that question, Boyfriend quickly shook his head, seemingly panicked at the idea.
"No-! No, I-I... I don't want to relive all of th-that again..."
"Alright, alright. I'm not forcin' ya."
With Pico's calm affirmation, he let out a rather relieved sigh, allowing himself to relax once more.
But his troubled reaction alone had only managed to make Pico more concerned about him, if anything.
"Sorry. Didn't think you'd get that anxious when I asked ya that."
"I-It's okay. Really. It's n-not like you knew."
"...I gotta ask about your phone being left in that alley though."
"Tch, why else? ...It's where I got jumped. I dropped it in the struggle."
"Yeah, about that... apparently, B-Mix wasn't the one who sent ya that message in the first place, Bee. It was a lure. How that thing sent it, I got no clue."
"...Of course it was. Ha... it really just can't leave me alone."
He took a few deep breaths as Soul hugged him closer, and Pico spoke up, attempting to change the topic.
"What about you two? What'd ya talk about after Soul went into your head? If ya don't mind me askin', of course."
"Not much. We were... mostly trying to get over everything that just happened. Comforting each other, talking about it a little, that sort of stuff, you know? Nothing else really besides all of that."
"Figured. Not comin' as a surprise to see just how hard this thing has hit the both of ya this time. I was worried you guys weren't gonna be able to spend a moment apart after this."
"Heh... you want to know the sad part? Gonna be honest, you're probably right. We thought we had a hard time letting each other out of our sights before, well, now..."
"Yeah. This time's different."
He very well understood why.
Losing people was an inevitability, sure. But having them be taken out by someone who's only out for them, you have no idea who they are, or why they're doing it?
That would definitely strike a nerve.
"...Is it bad that I'm just- waiting for it to come back again? For me to pass out, and I wake up to it taunting the hell out of me? I don't want to think about it... but it's all my mind is really going to. Like I'm expecting it to happen. ...It's scary."
Pico could tell that he genuinely didn't want to think about that possibility.
But it'd happened so many times already that he was probably used to it enough to readily accept it by now.
Which was tragic in and of itself.
"I dunno. From what I saw, it seemed pretty damn pissed after it let go of ya. I don't think it'd try to mess with ya when it's just lost for the third time in a row."
Boyfriend just shrugged.
"Hasn't stopped it before. If anything, I'm sure it's just going to direct that aggression at me. For 'ruining its plan' or whatever."
"Bee, it's okay. No matter what happens, I've got you."
"I know you do. ...But thanks."
Soul smiled a little, pulling him in closer.
"And ya got the rest of us. Well, both of ya do."
"Thanks, Guns N' Roses."
Pico then gave a sigh of relief.
"I was getting worried that I was never gonna hear that damn nickname from ya again."
"Pfft- well, I had to stop you guys from making this conversation overly depressed. You needed a little levity."
"See, this is why you're my best friend."
"I know, I'm amazing~"
"...Dork, I take it back."
"Hey, last I recall, you were the dork between the two of us, goofy."
Pico let out a slight laugh at their back-and-forth teasing.
"Glad to see you guys can still joke around even after all this shit. Makes me happy to know you two still have it in ya to bounce back from this."
"Yeah. Let's hope it stays that way, you know?"
The ginger nodded, agreeing, as the two went back at each other, messing around once more.
But his thoughts ended up trailing to more... concerning topics.
Honestly, he couldn't help but worry for the both of them.
What if that being decided to eventually come back and try... this, all over again? And worse, what if it actually succeeded?
They all had no idea what it had in store for them next, and that was the worst part.
He didn't even know what more they needed to be protected from.
It was bugging him.
None of them were any closer to figuring out who that being was, its motives, the reasoning behind its obsession with the two... if it was even the one behind everything or not.
For all they knew, it could just be another puppet on strings.
They didn't even know how long they'd have until it attacked them again, whether it be out of annoyance or malice or something more sinister.
Sure, they were making the best of whatever time they had left right now... but it was obvious that as long as the duo remained standing, that entity would come back and keep having it out for them until there was nothing left in its way.
And who knows what the hell it would try to do then.
Pico didn't even realize how much he'd been spacing out, lost in his thoughts, until Boyfriend called his name, getting him to snap out of it.
"Pico!"
He shook his head slightly and looked up at the two, who were watching him, seemingly concerned.
"You okay?"
"...Y-Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."
"You mean worrying about us."
Damn, was it really that easy for Soul to see right through him?
"Nah- well... okay, fine. Maybe a little. But it's kinda hard not to when one of you almost fuckin' died tonight."
"Mm... don't remind me..."
Pico winced, sharply sucking in a breath through his teeth.
"Sorry, Bee."
"I just... want to move past it right now. It happened, yeah. But we're still here. That's all I really want to think about. I don't give a damn what it tries to do next, as long as it's not doing anything right this minute."
He slumped back into the couch, his arms crossed.
"The more I find out about it, the more I wish I didn't, if I'm being honest."
That part was something that Pico found himself both agreeing and disagreeing with.
Wouldn't it feel better to know who was really doing this, and why?
Still, Pico kept quiet, deciding not to argue with him.
"I definitely needed a break from it anyway."
"Heh... I think we ALL needed one, Bee."
That was when the trio heard a sudden banging against the door. Their guards quickly went up, until they also heard familiar voices overlapping on the other side.
"Pico, it's us, man!"
"Come on, open the door!"
And the ginger in question let out a sigh, muttering under his breath.
"What, those two forget they have keys to this place or somethin'? It's like they're TRYING to wake everyone in this damn building up."
He began walking over to the door to open it.
"Beep B? Gigi? What are they doing here??"
"Right. Forgot to tell ya. While you two were talking, I told them what happened over the phone. Decided to come over and I couldn't stop 'em."
Finally, he turned the knob, letting the two in, and they were frantic and panicked.
BB being the first to speak between them.
"Pico, where's Soul? Is he okay, is he hurt, is he-??"
He cut himself off at the feeling of something clinging to his side, and he looked down to see the very person he'd been asking about now hugging him tightly.
And he was quick to hug him back, with GF shouting in relief as she swiftly did the same.
"Oh, thank god!"
"Dude, I can't believe earlier tonight could've been the last time I ever saw you!"
They stopped for a brief moment when they heard him sniffling in their arms, and their embrace on him tightened.
It was rare for them to see Soul actually crying, so it was clear just how deeply affected he was by what occurred earlier that night.
On the other hand, though, as Boyfriend watched them from the couch, his mind went back to the cause.
The root of all their suffering.
The source of every single one of his problems.
And the anger started anew.
He pulled his mic out of his pocket, slowly crushing the handle in his grip - it was a spare that he didn't mind breaking in his ire - the resulting sound of the feedback immediately attracting everyone else's attention.
"...I don't care anymore."
He stood up from the couch, his eyes trained on the ground, avoiding looking at the other four off to his side.
His words dripped with tranquil fury and a harsh venom.
"I want to find out who the hell that thing is..."
He let go of the broken mic. It fell to the ground, and his fist clenched.
The restrained rage aflame in his tear-filled eyes.
"...And then I want it dead."