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Chapter Text

 The night was particularly silent that evening. 

   Maybe it was the looming stress of Dr. Habit staring down each Habitician as they left in their cars. Or maybe it was that the Yowls had decided to migrate for the winter and could not fill the void with their ghost like hoots. Whatever it was, Parsley knew that the silence was going to drive him nuts. 

   He had been the last to pack up his things and he was the last to his car. And the desire to leave that hellish place only grew with each passing minute. His car coming to life with a puff of smoke from the exhaust as he inserted the key into the ignition. It was going to take a moment to heat up seeing as how he hadn't used it in over a month. Had it really been that long? A month at the Habitat. And it seemed to pass by so fast. Parsley shook his head in astonishment, letting out a tired laugh, he was going to pour himself the biggest pity drink when he got back to his apartment.

   It took awhile, but finally the temperature in the car was somewhat bearable, Parsley sat inside and readied himself for the hour long drive. Bag was in the passenger seat, headlights were on, shadowy figure was leaving the gates of the Habitat, mirrors were checked-

huh?

   Parsley squinted into the darkness and saw the small figure exiting the Habitat. It took a moment to recognize who it was. He had only seen him the first time he arrived, but he was sure it was the Garbo kid. He set his car into park, he really wanted to leave, but he felt the need to make sure everyone left safe. And it probably wouldn't hurt to say hi. So he left the sanctuary of his car and stepped back into the night. Trevor seemed to notice this. "Wh-Who goes there?!" He shouted, rather feebly pointing a finger at Parsley.

   Parsley put his hands up. "Uh, Parsley Botch, the uh, the lawyer." He shifted in his shoes.

   Trevor dropped his hand and brought it back to the suitcase he was holding. He stood up straight, speaking again. "Ah, the demon. I should've known with those beady red eyes!"

   Parsley involuntarily shut his eyes again, and grimaced. "Ah, I'm no demon. Do you have a ride kid? It's a bit late to be leaving at this hour."

    Though his vision was failing in the dark, Parsley could see Trevor react to his question. He now had two hands on the suitcase and was holding it close to his chest. "Of course i do! My parents will be here shortly, now begone with you demon!" Trevor's voice had little to no authority as he spoke.

   Parsley shook his head at the name and sighed. "As tired as I am, I'm not going to let a kid wait in the dark. I'll wait here til' your parents come. How's that?"

   Trevor perked up, but quickly subdued his enthusiasm. "Really? I mean- fine, but don't try anything or I'll be forced to use my werewolf powers on you!"

   The lawyer rolled his eyes and sat back into his car, he checked the time. It wasn't that late, it was 9:25, waiting for 30 minutes wasn't going to kill him.

~.~

   It was extremely late.

   Hours had past. Parsley hadn't even noticed until he saw that the moon was nearly at the horizon. Did he fall asleep? His throat was dry, it felt like years had passed. But Trevor was still sitting on that darn park bench. Parsley wanted to leave. He felt sluggish, and could barely keep his eyes open. But when the mysterious noise of shattering glass boomed throughout the habitat, he practically threw himself out of the car. Trevor made no acknowledgement to this though, he looked half dead. But, when Parsley stood before him Trevor slowly rose his head only to jerk back in shock. Trying to gain whatever brave persona he had left. The "werewolf" threw his suitcase in front of him like a shield and retorted "What did I tell you? Don't try anything! Or I-"

   "Are your parents coming or not?"

   "huh?" Trevor looked at him in confusion. "Of course.. they're coming."

   Though his face assured Parsley, his voice said otherwise. The boy's eyes looked glazed over, like he was on the edge of bursting into tears. But he held his own. The wind started to blow more heavily, air biting against skin. Trevor shivered and brought his scarf to his face. Memories began to seep into Parsley's brain, as he had experienced something similar to this a long time ago.

   It was raining, it did that often in his town. Parsley's shoes were caked in mud as he was left without an umbrella. His dad had signed him up for this sport. Parsley had always hated soccer, but it was this or football and he wasn't sure if he'd survive football. But there he sat, cold and muddy, wondering where his dad was. The Memories were vivid. The air smelled of pond water, that damp kind of smell that others seem to love. Parsley hated it. The pavement had been turned to oceans and not even the building he was in front of could save him from just how bad it was pouring, Parsley was sick for a week.

   Parsley was sitting on the park bench now, pushing back the anxiety festering in his chest, he didn't know how to comfort the boy next to him. 

   "You can sit and wait in my car if you want?" Parsley cringed, how creepy could he be? He was becoming what every parent warned their kids about. He was a total stranger!

   Trevor looked at Parsley, his eyes narrow. "Very well demon! But only because I'm cold. Don't think I won't hesitate to-"

   "Turn into a werewolf, I know. Now come on kid, you're going to get sick."

   Trevor's eyes seemed to brighten a bit as he hopped off the park bench and walked with Parsley to his car. Trevor shuffled into the passenger seat and gave out a sigh of relief, the car was warm and toasty. Parsley sat in the driver's seat and messed with his hands uncomfortably. "Do you have.. a phone? To call them? It's nearly midnight."

   The boy shook his head, making himself quite comfortable in Parsley's car. "What were you planning to do if they didn't show up?" Parsley pushed on.

  "They ARE coming...but, if they just so happen to NOT show up, I'd," He tapped his fingers against the suitcase. "I'd just have to rely on my expert survival skills! Live off the land and uh.."

   " Eat out of garbage cans?"

   Trevor let out a laugh, and Parsley let one slip out too. He turned on the radio and and searched for a tune before he let the sound of jazz flood the car. His eyelids where tempting him to shut, but he stayed alert. Looking back at the moon he could see that it was officially midnight. Nothing left to do but kick back and wait for some kid's parents to pick him up.

   And so he waited.

Chapter Text

   Parsley woke up like he had just experienced the world's worst hangover. His body ached and he found himself in the most awkward position you could sleep in. Somehow the radio had switched from Jazz to some random news station. "And that has been your Monday morning news! And now for the song of the week." A small little jingle played as Parsley's brain tried to piece together the information.

   He practically jumped in his seat. Monday??? He slept in his car all night! He slammed his head onto the steering wheel and sighed, he should be home right now. But at least the kid got picked up, right? Parsley turned to be greeted by the sight of Trevor, sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat next to him. His whole body froze. Parsley could've sworn his heart stopped. He looked outside, there was no car, nobody. Nobody came for this kid. His whole body filled with anxiety. What if they did come? What if his parents showed up and didn't see him? What if they think he got kidnapped? A million 'what if' questions went through his head. What would be the responsible thing to do?

   Trevor began to stir awake, his eyes peered open and for a moment he almost looked scared. When he was semi awake he noticed that he was still in the car. "Did they come?" He yawned, rubbing his eyes.

   Parsley shook his head slowly. "I don't think they did." 

   Trevor was suddenly VERY awake. Before he had the chance to panic Parsley interrupted him. "But- i, uh, I'm going to take you down to the police station near my town. Maybe your parents got lost, or uh y'know didn't see you."

   The boy relaxed, he sighed and nodded in agreement. "I should've known! They always have been the forgetful types! Very well hellspawn, lets go! I mustn't worry my parents too much."

   Parsley took his car out of park and drove out of the Habitat. Hellspawn? He wasn't a demon, he thought to himself.

oOo

   The drive was taking longer than he expected, traffic was building up with every mile and Parsley was running off of 5 hours of sleep. Trevor wouldn't shut up, he was talking about some Vampire, but Parsley didn't have the willpower to listen. At a red light he finally let his iron grip off the steering wheel and stretched. He glanced at some of the signs, probably another hour til he could get to his hometown, and to any actual police station. There was a sign for a restaurant that was only 4 miles away though. He grimaced as he stomach growled.

   "uhm, Are you by any chance Hungry?" 

   Trevor couldn't of nodded and faster. 

   The restaurant wasn't anything special, just a cute little building on the corner of an intersection. Painted old fashioned, Parsley could hear the 80's tunes from inside. "We're not staying for too long so eat fast ok."

   "Very well." Trevor nodded and took the lead, stepping into the building.

   It smelt like actual heaven. And actual food. A jolly voice rang out from behind the counter "Hey darlin's take a seat wherever you'd like, I'll be there in a minute!" 

   Trevor and Parsley took a seat in a booth, facing across from each other and picked up a menu. "There's so much stuff in here!" Trevor said, amazed by the selection of breakfast foods.

   "Well have fun picking, because I already know what I want."

   "Oh you're like my dad." Trevor replied absentmindedly.  "He always knows what he wants."

   Parsley nodded and looked out the window. It sure seems like your dad doesn't want his child. The whole scenario just seemed strange and he was beginning to grow worried for the boy. His parents didn't seem very competent.

   "Herb man!"

   Parsley whipped his head around at an incredible speed. There was a giant standing in front of their table. "D-Dr. Habit!" Parsley croaked, shivers running up his spine.

   The habiticians were not aware of Habit's plan to steal all their teeth, but that didn't make him any less terrifying. Habit looked as well as he could though. His hair a bit frazzled and his eyes a bit dull, but he still radiated that positive energy. "You wer from the Habi-tat, yes? :-)" He grinned through a thick russian accent, letting Parsley see the unnatural rows of teeth that inhabited his mouth.

   "Y-Yes, Jimo- uh, my dad, worked at the bar."

   The ex dentist nodded and turned to Trevor. "Ah! I kno who u are! You r that Annie May kid, yes??"

   Habit was practically in their booth now. Trevor was giving him a suspicious glare which Habit returned with an uneasy grin. "Ah- may i sit with u?" He asked. "It would be nice 2 chat."

   Now, he was already behind schedule. Parsley had two options. On one hand he could refuse and say no, avoid the stress of a conversation and just go on with his day. On the other hand, he could use this to his advantage, Parsley was already very curious about his current predicament and maybe Boris Habit could help him. With a bit of reluctancy Parsley waved the man into the booth. "Oh! are you three ready to order?" The waitress asked, pencil in hand and a big cheesy grin plastered on her face.

   "Uh yeah, I'll take the eggs and a cup of coffee, oh and uh- can you put that in a paper cup?" Parsley coughed.

   "Certainly! And you sir?"

   "Just a cof-fee 4 me :-)" 

   "Alrighty and what about you darling?" The waitress asked, leaning down at Trevor.

   "Pancakes and scrambled eggs! Oh, and orange juice is ok." He replied, with a big smile plastered on his face.

   The waitress nodded and walked away, stating that their order would be ready in 15 to 20 minutes. "It's been months since i've had a pancake!" He boasted, excitement oozing off of him.

   "Well good for you, but anyways-... oh." Parsley cut himself off, noticing the pay phone located near the front entrance of the restaurant.

   He shoved his hand into his pockets and pulled out 5 dollars worth of change and handed it to Trevor. "There's a pay phone near the door, why don't you try calling your folks? If they don't answer just play one of those arcade games for a minute K?" He asked dropping the change into the boy's hand.

   With some hesitancy Trevor gave Parsley a thumbs up. "Very well then! I will leave you two cryptids to talk in my absence." And with that he was gone.

   Parsley sighed and looked to Boris. "That should give us 10 minutes."

   Parsley opened his eyes, showing the red of his sclera.

   "So Tell me about the Garbo kid."

Chapter Text

   "What would u liek to know?" 

   Boris had backed up against his chair almost immediately. Parsley always seemed threatening when his eyes were open for all the world to see. And now he was staring down Boris. "Do you know who took him to the Habitat?"

  The Dentist tapped his fingers against the table. Not really thinking, but more out of nervousness. "Uhm, his mom and daed.. yes. Why do u ask? <:-/"

  Well that was obvious, Parsley thought. Who else? "You have files on all of us. Every resident that came to visit the Habitat. Yes? You know why I went there, so what about the kid?" He gave a quick glance over the Trevor, who had his ear to the phone worriedly.

  "I must confess, my memary, isn't what it used to bee. But it was some think about his behaviour." Habit nodded, sure of himself.

   "That all?"

   Habit nodded again. He really didn't like this conversation. Parsley could see that much at least. Who would like being prodded for answers? "Sorry, i've just been stuck with this kid all day and it's really taking a toll on me. I haven't been able to get in contact with his folks at all, and it smells rather fishy to me."

   "Yes, dead fish rot. Not a very goud smell :-/" Boris replied, looking out the window. "I actually, wanted to apollo jize about certain things... I was not a very goud doctor to you and the habitat's people."

   Parsley was almost surprised, but Boris always came off as the emotional type, of course he'd be apologizing for something. "Oh, is that why you sat down?"

   Boris nodded. So did Parsley. What even brought him to the Habitat in the first place?

   He was practically screaming. 

   The divorce was not sitting well with poor ol Parsley Botch. It felt as if the whole world were crumbling around him. Martin was supposed to be the one. Why wasn't he. Was Parsley really that draining to be around. Was he boring? He was a lawyer! 

   He was practically sobbing into his computer screen. Barley even aware of what he was looking for. He was supposed to be writing an email to a client. But something just reminded him of  the one he once loved. And now he was a mess, empty glass bottles of something alcoholic peppering his bedroom's floor. Everything strong was gone, and now he was left weak. He was just going to lay there. Alone in the absolute fucking mess he called an apartment. He almost didn't notice the happy go lucky music assaulting his ears. He looked up, eyes red and puffy (If that were possible). There was a pop up add, too colorful not to grab his attention. Advertising something called the Habitat. What was this? Group Therapy? He nearly laughed. But as he kept reading, the more intriguing it became. Maybe it was the booze, or his mind searching for something to fill the void, but Parsley Botch came to the conclusion that it seemed like a good time to take a vacation.

   Thats why. Jeez he was a wreck back then, if his emotions hadn't taken the toll it did, maybe he wouldn't of been in this situation right now. Maybe he should lay off the drinking. "Ok, good news and bad news," Trevor was back, "Bad news, my parents didn't pick up. Ha,,, probably a wrong number on my part. Good news, I got this key chain."

   Parsley looked at the cheap key chain being practically shoved into his face. It was a little badly painted UFO. "Nothing? At all? Jeez." Parsley put his face in his hands and sighed.

   These parents were going to make him pop a blood vessel. "Here's your food darlins', sorry for the wait!" The waitress sang, placing their food in their respective spots.

   Parsley quite literally tore into his meal, eggs gone in seconds. Coffee and cup gone. It was quite the sight. He was done before anyone. Trevor just stared at him in amazement. "You don't get sick while eating that stuff! Perhaps I was wrong about you being a demon! Goat fits you better!" He laughed

   Parsley was still too mad to laugh. He was too busy trying to convert the food he just ate into usable brain cells to figure out the problem he was faced with. Trevor's parents brought him to the Habitat to deal with his behavior. But having spent nearly the last 12 hours with the boy in a heated car, the only thing wrong with this kid was that he was mildly annoying. What kid isn't, Trevor was young too, no good parent would just leave a kid in the hands of a shady monstrous dentist. And since they had failed to pick Trevor up, and failed to answer his calls, it painted a very bad image in Parsley's eyes. But maybe he needed more info.

   Trevor had finished his eggs, pancakes and was currently working at his juice. Boris was talking his ear off.  And Parsley was beside himself. He stood, checked his wallet and walked to the jukebox. Inserted the appropriate change and selected a song. He then, walked back to the table and placed down the menu. As music filled the diner, he recognized his song, the one he had used so many times when working on cases. 

   "I know it isn't tradition, but how about some dessert?" 

Chapter Text

  He didn't like to brag, but Parsley Botch was pretty good at what he did. He was a nervous wreck most of the time, often too awkward to strike up any meaningful conversation. But when he was working, he really did shine. He had the confidence to speak, using logic as a drive to do so. When he was in a courtroom he made sure that all eyes and ears were focused on him. He was a good lawyer. He dabbled in quite literally everything. He had won many cases. So this shouldn't be too hard right? 

   He had removed his business coat, now stuffed to the side of the booth. Indeed, they were still in the diner. He couldn't leave just yet, too many thoughts still lingered in the air. They had to be written down, or else he'd forget and he'd have nothing. Pen set fire to his notebook, as he was writing down the information he had with great speed. Unintelligible to anyone else. Parsley was indeed making a case, whether he went through with it, was another thing.

<~>

   It was now a little later into the afternoon. It wasn't dark, but the sky was beginning to turn orange. Trevor and Boris had taken up his offer of dessert, and they were now chatting away, ever so often bugging Parsley to ask what he was doing. Boris had finally gotten his attention. "I must go now, i have much 2 due." He smiled sheepishly.

  "Oh crap, i mean- Yeah sorry. I didn't mean to keep you here so long," Botch looked at his notes, mumbling. "I think I'd better be off as well."

   "I'll walk u out den."

   The wind was crisp, fall was coming soon. They exited the diner and stood in front for a moment. "I'm sorree i did not have the answers you wer looking 4 :(. But may-be my assistant, could know something, he did most of the, what do you call? Paper work?" Boris nodded, pulling out a pen. 

   He took the notebook from Parsley's hands and scribbled Kamal's email address inside. "U know Kamal, he is good. Good friend, he will help." Habit Smiled.

  "Thank you Dr. Habit" Parsley sighed, giving him one of those closed mouth smiles.

   "Just Boris now, Goodday herb man, and you too Trevor." The ex doctor waved, walking away.

   It was just the two now. Trevor and Parsley. Trevor was being more silent than usual. "Sorry about making you wait, maybe if i speed we can make it to the police station before 9." Botch said, "I shouldn't hold you hostage for any longer, I don't need a case built against me."

   Trevor snapped from his daze and agreed. "Yeah, but if you speed we might have more than one problem. Let's go, my parents MUST be worried!" He was enthusiastic again.

   Right, worried. Parsley got in the car, once again. His trip was coming to an end, but the issue would only continue to grow. He didn't plan on building a case on two people he had yet to even meet. But this was the rational thing to do right? He could call CPS if all else failed right? This was child endangerment! Not that Parsley was dangerous, but what if he was? Then what would have happened? Trevor was fortunate, to say the very least. The duo pulled out of the diner parking lot and slowly made their way back onto the road. He decided not to speed, but his foot was definitely ready to do so. Parsley felt like jumping out of his skin, rolling down the window and throwing himself out. He needed a drink. No, he needed two.

   The lawyer shook his head, that's no mentality to have while driving, especially with a kid in the passenger seat. Oh yeah! He should talk to Trevor, the kid must be feeling awful. Trevor looked that way anyways. "Once again i am sorry, for, uh, kidnapping you. You should be at the police station by now." Botch mumbled.

   "You're a very nervous person," Trevor grinned, "If this were a kidnapping I would've had to go werewolf on you! But, i uh, I didn't! Demons and werewolves are like,, 2nd cousins or something, so we're cool." 

   Parsley chucked. "What's with you and the supernatural?" 

   Trevor shrank back a bit, seemingly out of habit. "Sorry, i must be talking your ear off, it- it's just a passion of mine.."

   "What? No, you aren't! Well, maybe you can dial it back a bit, but there's nothing wrong with talking about your interests." Parsley nodded, glancing over at Trevor, but making sure he stayed on the road.

  Trevor regained his spark, but did indeed, dial it back. "So 'Parsley Botch the Lawyer' what are your interests. I see it's only fair we talk about you. You know enough about me!"

   "Well i am a lawyer, that's my thing. I don't know what else there is to it."

   "I saw you eat your paper cup dude, there's more to you than what meets the eye. You're a cryptid! AN ANOMALY!" Trevor guffawed, throwing his hands in the air as if he had made a groundbreaking discovery.

   "What about it? Everyone eats paper sometimes." Parsley coughed into his fist.

   Trevor gave him a look. "I think can speak for everyone when I say, no, nobody does. Come on! You don't have any stories or mildy interesting water cooler banter to keep me entertained?"

   "Water cooler banter? Aren't you like, 8? Or something?" Parsley squinted, making a turn.

   " 12 actually."

"Jeez, alright. Let me think of something. All my stories are pretty boring. I can bore you with my lawyer adventures how bout' that?" 

   "Perfecto." 

   And so that's what he did. Parsley spoke vividly about some of his most peculiar cases. Settling who got to keep all the fridge magnets after a nasty divorce. A man attacking his pizza delivery boy in full metal armor claiming he was trespassing. Custody battle over a 100 year old turtle. And his favorite, his very first murder case. Parsley was a jack of all trades in the world of law. 

   He enjoyed seeing Trevor's laughter. The complete awe and fascination. It was the first time in a while where Parsley enjoyed talking to someone. It was the first time someone had listened to him so intently. And it seemed to have burned time. Because they were already in front of the Police station by then. "Oh, time flies huh?" Parsley rubbed his tired eyes and turned to see Trevor. The laughter had died down.

   The boy was staring at the station, clutching his suitcase close to his chest. He looked to be thinking hard. Trevor turned to face Parsley and spoke. "I don't think they're going to come get me. When, when they left me at the Habitat they- I didn't want to believe it but-" He sounded serious. He presented a brave front but he was only a kid.

   Deep down, Parsley knew that. But he didn't need this kid with him. He didn't need the extra stress. What Parsley needed was to drop this kid off and build the case, submit it, and move on. Parsley Botch did not need this.

But yet... Staring into the eyes of a frightened child, dragged years of repressed childhood memories to the center of Parsley's brain. The fact that Trevor was confiding in him, now of all places, told Botch everything he needed to know. 

   The Lawyer gripped the steering wheel, squeezed his eyes shut and opened his mouth, to say those god forsaken words. 

   "Do you want to leave?"

   And with that, they pulled out of the police station.

Chapter Text

   What The HELL am i doing?!

   This seemed to be an recurring theme for Parsley. Constantly doubting his choices. Now he was actually a kidnapper. He let his feelings get the better of him. His empathy was twisting his arm. But Trevor looked more at ease? At least Parsley thought so. They hadn't exchanged a word since leaving the police station. And maybe it was for the better, the lawyer wasn't equipped to handle a conversation at that moment. I'm a criminal, a no good delinquent, this is someone's kid! He paused. This Someone didn't care about their kid. I'm doing the right thing.

   It took maybe 10 more minutes to get to his apartment. Rain was beginning to pour, staining the concrete and blurring our duo's vision. Parsley led Trevor up the several flights of stairs. His apartment was slightly higher up, the quality was too. Perks of working in law. When he pushed open the doors he soon realised how long it had been since he had lived there. His apartment had 4 rooms (Fancy i know), The main room (Which they had just entered), a bathroom, Parsley's room and a smaller guest bedroom. Across from the entrance there was a fairly sized window, overlooking the town. His kitchen was in the main room ,as well as a small living room, but the thing that bothered Parsley so much was the absolute mess it had become. Oh yeah, I didn't even clean before i left... There were bags, trash, cans, booze bottles, anything you could think of. Unopened mail, the whole sha-bang. "Well,,, this is it." Parsley gestured to the mess in front of them with no confidence whatsoever.

   "Holy smokes you're rich!" Trevor overlooked the trash and rushed straight to the window.

   At least he was enthused again. "You can see from so high up, you have a bird's eye view! I should have expected as much," He gave a grin, "Demon, Lawyer, and now, rich!"

   Back with the demon nickname. Parsley almost rolled his eyes. But he was ready for the day to end. "That over there is the spare bedroom. It's kinda small but you can set your stuff in there for the time being." He pointed.

   Trevor nodded and walked away as Parsley began to pick up. There was so much trash. He threw most of the cans and bottles away, but most had to be put in a separate trash bag since the trash can was overflowing. The kitchen was at least decent. Come to think of it, Parsley rarely ate before he went to the Habitat. His stomach grumbled. He had only eaten eggs and a paper cup that day after all. Should he cook? He opened up his cabinet, he had one pot, and two pans and a roll of foil. He didn't even have proper plates, just leftover paper ones from his birthday. What was in his fridge? Pack of beer, and a half empty container of margarita mix. And of course, a full shelf of sauces. God, his life was trash.

"Do you want pizza?"

   Parsley poked his head into the guest bedroom. Trevor was sifting through his suitcase. "Oh, sure! I am a little hungry."

   Thank god. "Toppings? I'm getting pineapple, I'll order a seperate for you."

   The look of disgust on Trevor's face was fairly noticeable. "Uh just pepperoni for me thank you."

   Parsley nodded and walked out of the room picking up his phone to order.

   They sat on the floor to eat, Parsley didn't have table. He was always eating at his office desk anyways. They ate in silence. It was beginning to become apparent just how awkward this situation was. He'd only know Trevor for at least a day and now he was eating pizza on his apartment floor, probably miles away from his birth parents. Parsley grinded the pizza crust between his teeth, avoiding eye contact. Should he fill the void? "I know it's not my place to ask, but where do you live? Maybe in the morning I can try and drive you to your house? I know you said they weren't coming, but if there's any chance..." He swallowed. He didn't even know why he was still pressing to return this kid.

   Trevor looked at him. "Uh, that's the thing, we- my parents never really had a set place. We lived in a lot of motels. We were never in one place for too long. That's why it was cool when i got to stay at the Habitat, it was a good home for awhile. Maybe my parents left me there because, well maybe they thought it would be a better home than what I originally had." His voice dulled to an uncharacteristically quiet tone.

   He hadn't thought of it like that. Parsley considered the idea, maybe he was abandoned for a,.. good reason? That still didn't sound right to him, but if it helped him sleep at night then he was going with it.

   The pizza boxes were cold between them. Parsley put away what they didn't eat and threw out the rest of the trash. He even pulled out an old quilt from the closet to add to Trevor's bed. He made sure Trevor got a shower and brushed his teeth with a spare toothbrush. And when the kid's hair was dry he sent him to bed, but not before saying a really awkward goodnight. Parsley sat on the edge of the guest bed and attempted a comforting approach. "I know i keep apologizing and it's probably getting annoying, but sorry again for all of this. You're a good kid, for putting up with it like you did. I know i'm not technically a stranger since we both lived at the Habitat, but it's not like you knew me very well so thank you for trusting me I guess."

   Trevor was already under the covers. "You're a really weird demon. Thank you for letting me stay. You've actually been really nice for a random man i've barely just met. So unless you try to murder me in my sleep i don't see why you have to apologize."

   True? Parsley grimaced and stood up. "yeah, well uh, get some rest. And don't worry about sleeping in."

   And with that, he was free. Parsley shut the bedroom door and made a b line for the fridge. It wasn't a responsible thing, to drink when children were around, but since when had he been responsible? Parsley grabbed the case of beer (an 8 pack) and shuffled back to his own room. Carefully shutting the door behind him. He wanted to drink and scream into his pillow. But he could only do 1 of those things.

   He was stressed out of his mind, his palms were shaking, he throat was burning- He ran his fingers through his hair and tried to pull it back out of his face. The situation brought up past endeavors he wished to have forgotten.

   He really needed a drink.

Chapter Text

   The alcohol was bitter. If he were sober he would've found it almost symbolic. Maybe even poetic. But at the moment, his brain was far from functional. Parsley didn't know why his throat burned, or why his eyes were blurry, or why his lungs seemed to cease working. But Parsley did know that the liquor made it better. And so he drank the night away. Bottling up his emotions until they spilt over, washing him away like a tsunami. 

   He was face down on this pillow. Not sobbing, but just sitting there. He never realized how hard it was to breath when you lay on your chest. He could suffocate if he really tried. But no, there was still a kid in the house. He may be irresponsible, but he had standards. 

   While gulping down the second to last can of beer, Parsley's mind drifted. Another memory.

   Jimothy Botch. His dad. A man whose peers would treat with respect. Jimothy liked to project onto young Parsley. And Parsley did not particularly like that one bit. It started with the soccer game. Parsley left alone and wet, waiting for his dad. He had to walk home that day. His mom yelled at him for tracking mud into the house. Being sick for the rest of the week was not worth it. 

  It started with his nails. Parsley never liked them. He bit them a lot, a nervous habit. But he liked how his mother's nails glistened. They were always a pretty red. Parsley recalled stealing a bottle of nail polish from her. Ebony. He only painted his pinky fingers, he always thought of them as unnecessary. But of course Jimothy found out. He chewed him out. It wasn't manly.

   It started when he fell in love with Martin. Jimothy never liked him. That was probably the most right he had ever been. But it still hurt when he told Parsley to dump him. It hurt when he said he was making the wrong mistake by marrying him. But Parsley was young and dumb, and maybe the thought of betraying his dad felt good. 

   He thought it ended at the Habitat. Him and Jimothy drank together. He cooked his favorite meals. He felt remorse, his dad. But Parsley wondered if he felt bad for all of it. 
  

   Parsley.. loved his dad, as much as a son could. But was it the love a child learns to have, or something that Jimothy earned.

   Parsley stared at the ceiling. It was spinning slowly. He downed the last drop of his beer and reached for the final one. He felt like vomiting. He was always a light weight. His hair was slicked back with sweat and his hands were shaky and numb. Was this normal? Why was he so emotional...? 

   The love notes were what kept him there for so long. Martin was always sending him gifts. Always at work too. Flower bouquets, paragraphs of sappy sentences, candies, whatever. It was all so skin deep. When it actually came to love in person, Martin lacked in every department. Rude, gross, horribly offensive and incredibly mean. A completely different person. Parsley would go to sleep, clinging to him. Only to wake up in an empty bed, with a note full of empty love promises. 

   Ah. That's why. 

   Jimothy, his dad. His Mom. Martin. Maybe even the Habitat. His issues weren't truly gone. He still felt empty. He still lacked true affection. And he could never get it from the ones he thought of. 

   He sipped quietly. He should email Flower Kid. Or Kamal, or Boris. Someone that could relate. Someone that could help him.

   Of course, these were only the thoughts of a drunk man. Whether he acted on them in the morning was a different story.

   He crushed the beer can, throwing it into the box. Not bothering to change into PJs, Parley took one end of his bed sheets and twisted until he was nothing but a Cocoon if misery and regrets. He wiped his misty eyes and suppressed the urge to vomit his guts out. There was no point to this.

He was a mess. And he probably would continue to be.

But as the alcohol started to send him to sleep, a small thought creeped into the back of his mind.

"I'll paint my nails tomorrow."

Chapter Text

   Parsley woke up to the thundering of his own skull. A painful headache coursed through the side of his head, which made him wince as his eyes fluttered open. Immediately being blinded from the sun that was shining arrogantly through his open blinds. He groaned, sitting up at the edge of his bed. He had forgotten most of the events after putting Trevor to sleep.

            Taking a moment to let his brain catch up with him, the lawyer glanced to his nightstand clock. It was 9:34 in the morning. Not the latest he had slept in, but he was thankful he was still using his vacation days.

            After a few minutes of grumbling, and popping an ibuprofen, Parsley started a shower for himself. His eyes felt like shutting as he made his way to the bathroom, but the feeling of his sweat drenched body was enough of a motivator to continue. Steaming hot water on his face felt nice, and it was enough to shake the rest of his fatigue. Though the hangover was still not kind to him. “What is there to do…” He mumbled, scrubbing some conditioner into his scalp.

            He grounded himself, going over the list of things he needed to do. He needed to cook breakfast after, make sure Trevor was alright too. The anxiety of the boy living in his home returned, but not as extreme as the night before. Boris had mentioned Kamal and his more extensive knowledge on the participants of the Habitat. He could shoot him an email and ask about the situation. Parsley’s priority was making sure Trevor could end up in a safe environment. Whether that be with his actual parents, or another family. There was only so much the Lawyer could do for the boy, he could house him for the time being, but he was in no shape to raise a kid full time.

            Parsley turned the knob to the shower and the water ceased to pour. He stood there for a moment, soaking in the leftover steam. The day’s plan was set, it was going to be normal.

            Following the man’s daily routine, Parsley resisted the urge to dress too casually. Instead, settling for a white button up and some semi high waisted pants. His body still felt like crap but, aside from the eyebags, his appearance suggested otherwise.

            When he emerged from his room, he was surprised to see Trevor sitting on the couch watching the TV intently. “Hey kid, you sleep well?” Parsley asked, surprised that the boy could figure out the remote.

            Trevor flinched, as if not realizing Parsley had walked in. “W- oh! Yeah! Best sleep I’ve ever gotten in fact!” He proclaimed, giving the lawyer a thumbs up and a beaming grin. “Did you?”

            “Slept like log.” Parsley replied. “I’m going to make breakfast. How long have you been up?”

            “Ehhhh, like an hour or so. I figured out your TV so I’ve been watching that.  Hope you don’t mind.”

   “Go wild, I hardly watch that thing anyways, just don’t buy any movies alright. I hope you like plain toast cause that’s all I’ve got right now.”

    Trevor gave another thumbs up, before promptly getting immersed back into his show. It was a documentary about aliens. Of course…

    Parsley popped 4 slices of bread into his toaster and decided to multitask. Bringing out his laptop from his bedroom, he stood at the kitchen counter and opened up his ‘petalmail’ account. Might as well contact Kamal while he had the chance.

   The mail address Boris had given him was written quickly, and it took Botch a few moments to decipher it. Finally, he had it: [email protected], Kamal’s email. Kind of an odd name, but then again, not everyone had a job that required professionalism. It felt nice to contact a familiar face, the two did not interact much, but Parsley usually enjoyed the company of the frantic dental assistant. Writing to him would be a breeze. So, Parsley continued to write the following message:

Hello,

            It’s been a while huh? Well- not like, AWHILE, but it’s been a minute. Ever since the doctor stole your toothbrush you just isolated yourself up on the roof, and none of us ever got the chance to speak to you. I’d like to ask how things have been, but I actually need some help with something in particular. Do you know the Garbo kid? Trevor Garbo, the conspiracy kid that used to wander in that weird pipe room. I had to take him with me because nobody showed to pick up the sorry kid when we all left the Habitat. Him and I have attempted to contact his folks, but to no avail. I spoke with Mr. Habit the other day and he mentioned that you did most of the paperwork for all the Habiticians. I was wondering if you could let me have a look at his file, because at this point, I am considering opening up a case if we can’t locate a home for him. Sorry for laying all of this on you, but it would really help me out a bunch if you could respond. If you don’t know, I completely understand.

   Sincerely,

   Parsley Botch, The Lawyer

   P.s I hope you got your teeth situation figured out.

   Parsley was a quick typer, by the time he finished the letter, the toast was already done. Hitting send, he averted his attention to the breakfast, placing the toast on a napkin and handing 2 pieces to Trevor, who graciously accepted. He took a seat near Trevor, half mindedly paying attention to what the boy was watching. Despite how dry the toast was without any toppings; both ate without complaints. Parsley noted that he should probably get groceries. “How many pairs of clothes do you have?” Botch asked, crumbling up his napkin, promptly chewing on it.

   “I have what I wore yesterday, and 2 more set outfits.” Trevor said, coughing on the dryness of the toast.

   “I’ll take you to the laundromat later to wash yesterday’s clothes then. Also, I decided to email Kamal about locating your Habitat file, just so I can see if there’s any useful information regarding your folks.”

   “Yeah, okay that’s good!” Trevor smiled “NOW SHUT UP! THE BEST PART’S COMING UP!”

   Trevor shook Parsley’s arm to direct his full attention to the TV, it displayed an Alien on an operating table, slowly being dissected. It was painfully obvious that it was fake. Parsley cringed at the prop guts and blood, but when he looked over to Trevor, all he saw was a little kid with the widest most fascinated eyes. Trevor looked back to Parsley, “Isn’t that so cool?! The idea that there’s life just EXISTING up in space! We’ve found one alien, who knows what other kind of freaky cryptid monsters are living among us!?”

   Parsley said nothing, he simply grinned and nodded along. Despite the fake alien, Trevor was right. There’s a lot in this world that we simply don’t know about.