Work Text:
Shin's eyes are blurry as he stares at Kai’s computer.
The edges of his vision are tinted with red, and a green haired ghost with a familiar scarf taunts him. His hands shake as they glide across the keyboard, typing lines of code long since memorized.
He hears the click of his door opening, and freezes.
Kanna already fell asleep in her room hours ago, so who could it be?
“Hey…” a voice comes from a little behind him. “I know we like- hate each other or whatever but can I sit in here for a bit?”
He turns around to find the sleep deprived, tear stained face of Sara Chidouin.
As soon as their eyes meet, she curses.
“Fuck- this was a mistake I’m- I’ll just-“
“You can sit in here if you want. I don’t care.” He turns back to his computer, feeling her eyes piercing into the back of his head.
“Oh...thanks I guess..”
She walks over, sliding down on the wall next to his bed and pulling her legs to her chest weakly. The positively distraught expression on her face flares a fatherly sense of protectiveness in him. He dampens it, but is unable to fully shake her state from his mind. Somehow, amidst his jumbled thoughts the words
“I don’t hate you.”
slip from his lips. He tries to remove their weight by adding
“Don’t be so self centered Miss Sara, I’m just trying to get out of this alive.”
Of course, they’re still true. Maybe a couple days ago they weren’t, but after spending so much time taunting her he’s realized something;
she’s just a normal teenager.
Behind the commanding persona she’s a scared girl looking for a way to cope with everything she’s been through.
The only terrifying thing about her anymore is how strong she is. In situations where anyone else would fold, she takes the lead and carries everyone’s burdens for them. A goddamn kid is carrying everyone through this.
“It’s good to know, Sou.”
He huffs, saving his code and shutting his computer.
“Why are you here? We aren’t exactly best buds, so why come to me? Wouldn’t your policeman hunk be a better fit?”
She eyes him wearily, but seemingly deciding that he didn’t have any ill intent begins to talk.
“No one else was up. They all deserve to get a good night of sleep. I saw the lamp on in your room and came in. Misery loves company, and you always seem miserable, so I figured you wouldn’t mind.”
He blinks at her “Well I guess you aren’t too far off.”
“As for why I came in here…” her eyes clench shut “you probably know why.”
He slides down onto the floor next to her.
“I’m sorry.”
Simple platitudes. They won’t bring him back.
Sara clenches the hem of her skirt “I can’t even remember who he really was. My memory of him has been so twisted and garbled...what kind of terrible girlfriend am I..” she trails off, eyes unfocused.
She must deal with them too.
Phantoms of people they cared for stained red, taunting mercilessly every hour of the night.
At least Joe was a good person in reality, something he can’t say about the real Sou.
He can still feel the sting of his gaze.
Lips twisted into a sadistic grin as he backed Shin against the wall.
Eyes still empty when he dug his fingernails into Shin’s collarbone and ripped his jacket off.
Hands cold and demanding as he-
“Are you alright Sou? You look scared..”
He is pulled out of his memories by Sara’s stern voice.
“I’m the one who’s supposed to be worried about you Miss Sara, not the other way around.”
She peers at him.
“You look like you need to be worried about.”
“So do you.”
Sou crosses his arms, puffing his cheeks out.
“Well I guess we both get to be worried then.”
They stare at each other for a moment, then burst into laughter.
“We’re ridiculous. Fighting one moment and talking like friends the next. I can’t even remember why we began to quarrel in the first place..”
“I started it, if that gives you any closure. Also ‘quarrel?’ You sound like an old language teacher.”
“I’m seventeen thank you very much.” She huffs, rolling her eyes. “And why did you seem so distrustful of me when we met? Am I really so intimidating?”
She wasn’t intimidating, it was the number by her name that had scared him.
A 15.5% to his 0.0%
Of course, the intimidation of the numbers had worn off, and now he was just tired. Tired of hating everyone, and tired of them hating him in return.
He sighs dramatically “You’re terrifying really, Miss Sara. I shiver just thinking about your idiotic face.”
“And I retch when I see your terribly coordinated outfits.”
“Touché.”
God, since when had they acted like siblings bickering? Last time he checked they were enemies.
“Don’t be so full of yourself Sou, we were never enemies.”
It seems as if he had said that out loud.
Whoops.
“Yeah, Yeah sure..”
They sit in silence for a moment.
“So, do you want to tell me why you looked so scared? It’s only fair, since I told you why I freaked out earlier.”
“No, I don’t want to, thanks.”
She furrows her eyebrows “alright but if…”
“No.”
“Okay, fine, but you can talk to me if you want, y’know.”
He tilts his head, looking at her through the corner of his eye “Thanks, kid.”
“You’re like twenty, you don’t get to call me kid.”
“I’m flattered you think I’m so young (Sara laughs at that) but I’m twenty four. I can call you kid all I want.”
“That’s only like..” she pauses, doing the math in her head “okay maybe you’re a lot older than me, but still!! That doesn’t mean I’m a kid..”
Her demeanor has noticeably improved, and she doesn’t look so sad anymore. A distraction is always nice when you’re dealing with something, and he’s happy to annoy her (for her own good, of course)
“Stay a kid as long as you can, being an adult sucks…”
“For someone like you, I’m sure it does..”
“Hey! What is that supposed to mean…”