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Everything felt different. Once Skeppy got freed from the egg he didn’t feel like himself. He didn’t know why, but the nights always felt different. He would wake up and he would feel out of body. As if he had died.
There was one particular night. Skeppy had gone to sleep. When he startled awake, he felt as if he was being crushed. He took note of his surroundings. Everything was red, and it looked like blood . Suddenly, he remembered where he was. He was in the egg.
Skeppy had no recollection of going back into the egg, but he was afraid of what it would do to him now that he was back in it. It could sprout the vines and put them straight back into his brain and possess him once again. It could keep telling him those horrible things in hopes of crushing his self esteem. It could force him to watch everything he loved be destroyed with no control over how it happened.
Skeppy took a moment to think, Bad had helped him escape and get back to normal. Yet he was still in the egg now. Still waiting, begging for someone to save him.
“Bad?” He yelled. “Bad!”
Skeppy awoke in a cold sweat grasping at the sheets on his bed, hands shaking at his shoulders.
“G’eppy?! Are you okay?” Bad whispered into the darkness, voice frantic and obviously concerned.
Skeppy shakes his head, his hands and full body shaking violently. He couldn’t see Bad in front of him, his eyes blurring as he tries to focus on his friend. He couldn’t breathe.
“Bad….Bad I can’t-I can’t breathe I can’t-“ Skeppy gasps.
“Skeppy.” Bad Pauses. “follow my breathing, okay?”
Skeppy watches as Bad breathes in and out seamlessly. “Bad it’s- it’s there it’s in me it’s...it’s controlling me Bad you’re not...you’re not safe I’m dangerous-I’m unpredictable” he pushes weakly at the olders chest.
“But- I got rid of the egg, you’re safe Skeppy. You’re safe” Bad places his hands on his shoulders. “You’re safe.” He repeats again.
Skeppy looks up into Bad’s eyes, the fear in them slowly fading. “Okay” he breathes. “Okay.”
He reaches out and grabs onto Bad’s shirt, clinging to him.
Bad reaches his arms around the younger, holding him impossibly close. “It’s okay, I’m right here,” Bad mumbles into his hair.
Skeppy breathes in Bad’s scent. Seawater and flowers.
His mind drifts. I couldn’t smell him in the egg. He wasn’t with me in the egg. I was alone in the egg. I-
“Skeppy?” Bad asks, pulling away. Skeppy hadn’t even realized his breathing had sped up again.
Skeppy takes a deep breath. In for four, hold for seven, out for eight, pulling himself back into Bad, his face nuzzling into his shirt. He was safe. Safe here. With Bad. He took a moment to realize what he had thought. With Bad.
Bad was here. Bad was warm. Bad was safe. And he was holding him. He was okay. He was safe.
“You’re okay now, you’re okay,” Bad repeats.
“I know I am. Especially when I’m with you.” Skeppy leans back to look up at Bad. His cheeks are red from a small blush that’s coloring his cheeks.
Bad smiles softly. “You know I love you, you Muffin.” He runs a hand through Skeppy’s curls.
Skeppy hugs him tighter. “I love you too.”
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Once Skeppy had calmed down fully Bad stood up, turning to walk out of the room when Skeppy suddenly reached out, grabbing hold of his hand.
“Don’t go, please.” Skeppy pleaded, hating how he sounded but wanting him to stay nonetheless.
“Do you want me to sleep in here tonight?” Bad smiled softly walking back closer to Skeppy.
Skeppy nodded silently, embarrassed.
“Then scoot over fatty,” he laughed pushing the shorter over lightly.
Skeppy smiled and happily complied. This felt natural. This felt normal. This felt safe.