Work Text:
It had been a day since the traffic report, once the Girl was asleep, once the night had become cold, once Ghoul had come up onto the roof to check on them, when Poison finally spoke.
“D’you believe in God?”
“God?”
“Yeah. All powerful being in the sky, controls and sees everything, will punish you if you get mad or something.” They had been crying. Ghoul knew they had been crying. Ghoul had been crying, too.
“I- I dunno. The Phoenix Witch seems pretty real.”
“No,” Poison said, voice thick, “Not her. She wouldn't have let this happen. She brought back Cherri, she could have-” They stopped, sniffling and wiping their nose. “Remember when we were in that settlement? The one with the water tower?”
“Of course.” Ghoul didn't like that settlement. The people were all too willing to believe in some old book that somehow dictated their lives. Brought them all together, they had said. Ghoul found it unnerving.
“A woman there told me- told me that everything happens for a reason. That it was punishment or fate and that it was meant to happen.”
“Are…” Ghoul didn't know how to phrase this. “Are you saying that God is- is preventing- no- is-”
Poison interrupted him. “I don’t know what I'm saying. I just- I just want a reason why. ”
Ghoul was silent. He only scooted a little closer to Poison, putting a hand on their back. He knew that there wasn't a reason. It was an accident, it was a disaster, it was a tragedy. It was surprising that it hadn't happened sooner.
“We’re still here, if that means anything.”
“You know it doesn't.”
“...” Ghoul sighed. “They're safe now. We don't have to worry about them. They're with the Witch, she'll take care of them.” Fuck, he could feel himself getting choked up.
“... It should have been me,” Poison murmured helplessly. Ghoul pulled them a little closer. They scooted away.
“They wouldn't want that.”
They're both quiet for some time.
“We should make sure there's enough water to make it until the next supply run.” Poison stood up, walking back to the ladder to the kitchen door. Ghoul sighed, following close behind.
“It’s late, P.” Poison didn’t turn around, continuing to look through the supply boxes stacked in the diner. “You need to rest.”
“M’fine,” they said, counting the cans of food they had left. They held up a can to the window, trying to read the label in the moonlight. The wind was starting to pick up; Ghoul could faintly see sand swirling up outside. Hopefully there wouldn't be a sandstorm.
He started to reach out towards Poison, to get them to put the can down and go to sleep, but a tumbleweed hit the window, startling them both. Poison dropped the can; it fell to the floor with a quiet thunk. They just stared at it. Just… stared. Zombie-like, they sat down, face blank. Ghoul had never seen them like this.
“They're dead, Ghoul,” Poison said, voice quiet, eyes empty. “They're dead. Kobra’s dead. Jet’s dead. They're gone.”
“I- I know.” Ghoul sat down next to them. “I know.”
“Guys?” A little voice made them both look up. Rubbing her eye, in a shirt far too big, stood the Girl, just outside of what functioned as her bedroom door.
“What is it, sweet pea?” Poison motioned for her to come over, hugging her once she shuffled close enough.
“Bad dream,” she mumbled, reaching out to pull Ghoul into the hug as well.
“Me too, honey, me too.” Poison pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Ghoul wiped his eyes, yawning.
“It's late. We- we should get some sleep,” he said, voice quiet. Poison and the Girl nodded.
The moon dipped below the horizon before any of them had fallen back asleep; the sun wouldn't rise for a while.