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One might find it funny that given everything Lydia Deetz had seen, everything she had faced, everything she had done in the years since becoming best friends with the self-proclaimed Ghost with the Most, Bio-Exorcist Extraordinaire Beetlejuice; final exams were somehow far more daunting and nerve wracking. Sandworms, multiple villains, her friend’s own vices being turned against him, along with an ever expanding cast of body parts that would rebel against him for some perceived sleight. But nope, final exams took the cake in terms of fear inducement. Beetlejuice was frankly insulted by that fact, but Lydia had very little time to worry about his ego when she had tests and grades on the line. So much so that she’d had to send Beetlejuice away for two weeks while she tried to prepare. Endless hours studying, cramming, reviewing. Constantly checking her notes against her study guides, flipping through pages to make sure there weren’t important details she may have overlooked, making and remaking various study guides. It was a lot. For two weeks Lydia did nothing but eat, sleep, and breathe memorization. And while she had once tried to have Beetlejuice there, as a buddy to help quiz her, she’d quickly discovered he did more harm than help. Well, depending on your definition anyways. He encouraged distraction with funny jokes ranging from clever quips to the typical puns and literal translation stuff. It made her feel lighter, but only for a moment, and then she would be overcome with the stress that she was wasting her time finding humor instead of reasserting her knowledge. It wasn’t as though her academic career was in jeopardy if she didn’t do well. But it was her own sense of expectations that had her nervously checking over every last detail.
Lydis wanted to do well, she wanted to excel. She wanted to succeed. But as with all things it came with a cost. She was smart enough not to pull several all nighters in a row, but coffee had become her new drink of choice. Alarms were set, and snoozed at least once. And the darkness in her eyes was more and more a natural feature of her face rather than some dramatic effect of her makeup. She thanked her lucky stars that by the time the exams actually began she had everything organized. Well structured and put in its place, just how Lydia liked it. But it was lonely. She missed talking with her best friend about mundane things, missed the Neitherworld and all her other friends, she missed… missed sleep. She hadn’t slept in what felt like forever, only taking naps to recharge her batteries. But she made it through. Lydia returned to her dorm room and collapsed in a heap upon her bed. The last exam had been a late afternoon one, which meant she had the opportunity to push her departure off until tomorrow, which she fully intended to do. But first, to have some well earned rest.
And that was when Lydia remembered one universal fact: college dorm room beds were perhaps one of the most uncomfortable sleeping places in the entire world. But then, Lydia supposed that was the price of having a bed multiple people used, and, she had to acknowledge, not always for sleeping purposes. The springs in the mattress squeaked and groaned under her weight as it shifted, trying to find a comfortable position and failing. Unsurprisingly, after so long spending late hours up Lydia found herself wide awake despite her exhaustion. Insomnia abounded, and she was growing frustratedly sad about the whole thing. Sleep, all she wanted was sleep. Why was that so difficult?
She tossed and turned and let out groans as she tried to rest. Thankfully she had a single room, no roommate to worry about keeping up or being kept up by. And yet, though the room was tiny it felt impossibly big and empty right now. And Lydia, Lydia felt lonely. Maybe that was why she couldn't sleep, she’d been able to distract herself before because the stress of exams had taken up her mind. But now that it was only there was nothing to keep her thoughts from just how much she missed her friend. Lydia sat up in her bed and caught the dark shadowy reflection of the mirror. The mirror she had brought from home. The mirror that led to… him.
Without even thinking about it Lydia stood, dazedly went and looked at herself. The words that would solve everything fell from her lips,
“Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice,”
In a flash she was in the Neitherworld, right outside the roadhouse, and… still in her pajamas? Strange. Normally she was changed into the leotard and poncho she frequented when she visited the other side. Maybe her insomnia was affecting her power? Lydia knocked on the door and when there was no answer, gently pushed it open. Jacques and Ginger were in the common room watching TV while sitting on the couch.
“Ah, Mizz Lydia!” Jacques exclaimed as the skeleton caught sight of her first, “It 'az been so long since you last paid us a visit mon ami! Entre, entre!”
He rose from the couch and with a rattle of his bones that was like a familiar lullaby he lightly jogged over to her. The comforting sound was so soothing. Lydia swayed a little on her feet, falling against the skeleton as he immediately caught her. That new bone bond could work wonders when not trying to combat Beetlejuice’s pranks.
“Sacre bleu Mizz Lydia,” Jaques exclaimed as he caught her, “Are you alright?”
“Yea hon,” Ginger added as her shoes clicked against the wooden floor, “Ya look dead on your feet!”
“And you would know a lot about that, wouldn’tcha Ging?” came a third voice, sounding far more irritable than he normally did. Lydia managed to catch a glimpse of him over Jaques shoulder. He’d changed his clothes for once, well, sort of. She hadn’t seen that dirty trench coat and hat of his since they day they’d first met. Was he going out?
“Oh back off Beetlejuice,” Ginger groused, “For the past two weeks you’ve been nothin’ but a pain in the thorax,”
“Oui,” Jaques agreed, “At zis point everyone in ze Neitherworld has a bigger bone to pick wiz you zan usual.”
“Big deal,” Beetlejuice rebutted, folding his arms, “Like that’s news,”
“Besides,” Ginger folded her arms, “Ya could stand to be a little nicer, ‘specially when Miss Lydia came all this way t’see yer sorry stripes.”
“Wait what?” Beetlejuice paused mid stride, clearly once intent on heading for the door, “Lyds is… here?”
“Oui,” Jaques began to steady Lydia to her feet, “‘ere she is. Though, I must admit she doesn’t look too good,”
“Yeah well, neither does your hat Bonebreath,” Beetlejuice shouldered the other man aside, inadvertently scrambling him into a pile of bones to be put back together as he rushed to get a look at her. The cold hands at her upper arms felt nice. And was she imagining the slight spirals behind her friends? “Lydia! Babes!” he exclaimed before apparently thinking that came across as too desperate, letting her go and sending her wobbling again. “I mean uh… what brings you by babes? Thought you had all those,” and here he imitated her voice, “‘Big important tests’ t’study for,”
“Good to see you too Beetlejuice,” Lydia tried to maintain her sense of humor as she steadied herself against the door frame, “And I’m fine. Just a little dizzy I suppose,”
“Well ya shouldn’t be on yer feet if yer not feelin’ well,” Ginger tutted, “C’mon in hon, sit, sit,”
She took Lydia by the hand and walked her into the common room, sitting her down on the couch while Jaques put himself back together. A spindly spider arm came against Lydia’s forehead, checking her temperature.
“Hmm,” Ginger hummed, “Yer warm, but I’ll chalk that up t’being a living girl. You feelin’ okay?”
“I’m alright,” Lydia tried to reassure them, “Exams just… took a lot out of me. But I was so excited to be done I couldn’t wait to come back,”
“Mizz Lydia,” Jaques said as he put the last piece back into place and joined her, “‘ave you been sleeping lately? You look tre exhausted,”
“Of course I have!” Lydia giggled nervously, when the other three stared at her blankly she sighed, “Alright, maybe not as much as I should have.”
“Honey you should be restin’ then, not here with us,” Ginger clucked at her.
“Lighten up Ginger,” Beetlejuice snipped at the spider, head turning into a lightbulb thanks to his literal translation ability. The brightness of the bulb caused Lydia to close her eyes in an attempt not to be blinded. With a poof, Lydia opened her eyes and saw his head was back to normal. Beetlejuice was dusting himself off, or up, hard to tell, and added, “Anyways, if Lyds wants t’make up fer ditching us, why not let her?”
“Y’don’t have t’be such a beetlejerk Beetlejuice,” Ginger shot back at him, “Jus’ because you were in a bad mood because Lydia had somethin’ more important t’do than spend time with you doesn’t mean you should encouraging bad habits like this.”
“Oui oui,” Jaques nodded in agreement, “You may be dead, but there is no need to be so ‘eartless. Besides, knowing you, zat is exactly why she ‘ad to send you away in ze first place.”
“Well, excuse me if I think friendship is a bit more important than some stupid piece of paper with a meaningless number on it,” Beetlejuice put his hands on his hips and glared at them, “Like grades meant anything here,”
“But Lydia doesn’t go to school here,” Ginger countered, “She goes in the living world. Where that kinda stuff matters. And if you really were her friend you wouldda understood that.”
“Ginger it’s alright,” Lydia softly stopped the spider, “I can handle myself,” turning to her friend she said, “Beetlejuice, I get that you’re upset with me. But I really needed to concentrate on these exams. And now,” Lydia yawned, “I’m done with them, I came back, can we please not fight over this?”
“N if ya’d let me stick around we wouldn’t be in this mess now would we?” Beetlejuice asked her as he folded his arms and some junk fell around him from out of nowhere.
Lydia rolled her eyes, “I’m here now aren’t I? Aren’t you happy about that?”
“Oh yeah,” Beetlejuice groused, “I’m over the moon -whoa!” he exclaimed as he shot out of the roadhouse and circled over the moon before crash landing in a heap back in the common room. He immediately hopped to his feet and dusted himself off, “Well… y’get the idea,”
“Your sarcasm is coming through loud and clear,” Lydia folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at him.
“Hmph,” Beetlejuice kept his arms folded and turned his head away from her.
Jaques and Ginger looked at each other helplessly, then looked to Lydia, who was frowning at him. But she sighed, too overtired to want to fight. It was clear that he was still mad at her, and that even saying she was sorry wouldn’t be enough. Then again, why would she apologize when he’d forced her to keep him away so she could focus. She loved Beetlejuice, he was her best friend in this world and the next, but she had needed to focus and he’d kept distracting her.
Though, if she was being honest with herself, he’d been a distraction even when she’d forced them to be apart. She couldn’t help but missing him. But she’d also known that if she would have called on him she would have never gotten all her studying done. Either way it seemed as though they would have ended up in a fight. And it hurt. Lydia could feel tears welling in her eyes. It wasn’t his fault, how many times had they fought to stay together, broken every rule in order to be with each other? Yes, she’d had to be apart from him, but didn’t it say a lot that one of the first things she wanted to do besides sleep was see him again? Lydia didn’t care anymore. She was too tired and her emotions were all over the place. Maybe she could cry herself to sleep back in her cold and lonely dorm room.
“Fine,” she sniffed, “I can see when I’m not wanted,” slowly she rose to her feet and brushed down her pajamas, “I’ll just go then. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Be-”
A cold hand at her mouth stopped her. It belonged to the ghost in question. And there was a sort of sudden franticness to his gaze that halted any and all thought of trying to finish the incantation that would send her home as she saw it. But just as quickly as it had appeared it’d vanished. And he let out a chagrined sigh,
“Alright, alright, I get it,” he was grumbling, but while she may have been overtired she thought it sounded a little forced. Like he was trying to uphold some sort of guise. Which Lydia didn’t understand. But before she could truly wonder what he meant by all of it, he tugged her close to him and immediately picked her up. She couldn’t remember the last time he’d carried her like this, maybe that episode with Doctor Void to restore his memories?
“Where are you taking ‘er?” Jaques called as Beetlejuice lifted them both off the ground and began to float away.
“Lydia needs some sleep, and she ain’t gonna get it with you deadbeats hanging around!” Beetlejuice called back over his shoulder, smirking to himself as magically Ginger and Jaques were now hanging from the ceiling. At the very least, the little metaphorical mishap would keep them from being busybones and bugs for the time being.
“Beej?” Lydia questioned through a drawn out yawn. She felt so tired, too warm even in the light clothes. But the ghostly chill provided a soothing numbness that increased the fog of exhaustion hanging over her brain, “Are you really unhappy to see me? Are you… are you really mad at me?”
“What?” he seemed shocked that she would ask as he floated them into his room and settled her inside his coffin bed, tucking up blankets around her, “Course not babes. Even when I’m mad at’cha I’m never not happy t’see ya,”
“But… in the living room-” Lydia attempted to point out, barely managing to be coherent through the steady stream of yawns escaping her.
“I like my reputation rotten, ‘f ya know what I mean,” Beetlejuice reminded her, “‘Sides, what’s a couple weeks apart when we got a whole summer t’spend together? C’mon, we can go camping in the Neitherwoods, it’ll be jus’ like old times!”
Lydia smiled blearily, “I’d like that,” she said quietly, snuggling deeper into the covers.
Beetlejuice patted her gently on the head, snapping the elastic that kept her hair in its half updo out with a bit of juice so she wouldn’t get a headache. But as he turned to leave he felt a slight tugging at one of his sleeves.
“Lyds?” he questioned, voice as close to a whisper as he got.
Lydia looked somewhat embarrassed as she let go and fiddled with her fingers a moment, “It’s just… it’s been so long since I’ve seen you, could you maybe… could you stay with me until I fall asleep?”
“I’d love to Lyds,” he began, “But my coffin ain’t big enough for two,”
“It is if we squeeze together,” Lydia pointed out, slowly blinking big, sleepy eyes at him, “Please?”
He stiffened, impressive considering he was already a stiff. But looking at Lydia melted him. Damn himself for being so soft on her. He couldn’t even stay mad when she’d ditched him for two weeks, not when the first thing she’d done was come back. How was he supposed to be mad about that? The thing that had tethered his anger was the fact that she looked like she was about ready to permanently join everyone in the Neitherworld and knowing her, she’d been looking like that since she’d sent him away. Did she not realize how precious her life was? He was mad because she thought getting some stupid good grade was more important than her health, than her life. He was mad at her, but he could never tell her that, not when she’d asked sounding so sad. He would do anything to make Lydia smile. Anything except, sharing a coffin with her. Because what the last two weeks had taught him, especially as he had been frequenting Dante’s and getting asked the same damn question of, “Who’s Lydia?”, was that he couldn’t be without his babes. And with that question, a lot of other things began to make sense too. His jealousy over Vince and Boris and every damn bootlicker who had come onto her. He… he loved Lydia. He loved her, but he couldn’t have her, not until he manned up and told her about it. But looking at her now, how could he?
Lydia had just separated them for the greater good, allegedly. If she became his? There was no way he would allow her to send him away for any reason. And she certainly wouldn’t have to worry herself about something as stupid as school. But right now, right now wasn’t the time for it. Being a con meant he knew a thing or two about timing, but he couldn’t say he’d be able to resist if she invited him to share a bed with her. Beetlejuice prided himself on being able to scare anyone, but he was scared of himself in this moment in time. Scared that he would do something he wouldn’t be able to take back, that Lydia would reject him, and they wouldn’t be together at all anymore. Two weeks away from her had been hell, eternity was unthinkable. But so was saying no to her when she looked at him with those eyes.
“I…” he sighed, he was such a sap. And thank the stars he hadn’t said that out loud because he was in no position to explain turning into tree sap in front of her away, “Sure Lyds,”
Lydia shifted to the far edge of the coffin and turned her back, curving so he could fit in with her. She heard the fixture creak as he maneuvered himself in to fit with her. A cold hand hovered over her before hesitantly slipping around her, laying over the curve of her waist with the hand resting gently on her stomach. Lydia felt tiny, but then he’d always been big. Larger than life, so full of energy that it wasn’t surprising to her he took up all the space. It explained why she’d felt so empty and lonely since she’d forced him to stay away. But this, this felt nice. It felt… right. Like they weren’t meant to be separated like that. She wondered what that meant, or rather, she would have had exhaustion not immediately been soothed by his presence and the close proximity of it. Her breathing began to even out immediately, and consciousness was a slippery thing she had more and more a tenuous hold on. But she shouldn’t be rude, Beetlejuice was being so considerate, just like he always was.
“Thanks BJ,” she managed to slur out as blackness seeped in from the corners of her eyes, “You’re m’bes frien,”
“Anytime Lyds,” Beetlejuice whispered back, and when he was sure the even cadence of her breathing meant she was fully asleep he nuzzled into her hair and let himself whisper his confession, “G’night babes, love you.”
And then he too fell asleep. Hard not to with a bit of sugar in your coffin.