Chapter Text
Tip tap, tip tap. There was light tapping, but started to gradually become louder.
“Hey Gray! Happy Birthday, here is your gift.” Stephen was huffing out. He had just ran up the stairs to Gray’s room.
“Huh?” Gray was confused, he knew that Stephen was here and knew his birthday, but he didn’t know that he would gift him something, “Oh, uhm, thank you... Stephen”.
“Open it, I think you’ll like it!”
Gray was handed a weirdly wrapped gift. The gift shape was a rectangle, but the wrapping made it bumpy. As Gray was ripping the paper, he felt content. Stephen’s attitude was slowly rubbing off on him. Although, he didn’t show it.
“Come on-” Stephen was impatient with Gray’s particular ripping. He knew that Gray didn’t want to make a mess, but that didn’t stop him from humorously annoying him.
In the end, the gift was a… stuffed animal? In Gray’s capped hands sat a toy dog. It was similar to a Welsh Springer Spaniel. Oddly, it had a faded scent. Lavender. Perhaps the fragrance was just Stephen’s shampoo or cologne that was lingering. Aside from the scent, it was nothing too special. A simple dog plushie that was a ginger brown with small white patches. The round chocolate plastic eyes weren't as inviting or friendly as Stephen’s.
Looking between the toy and Stephen, “Thank you, this is nice of you Stephen. You didn’t have to get me anything.”
Instead of handling the toy with care, Gray had chucked the animal onto his bed. The dual colored dog flopped onto its side.
Stephen couldn’t contain his laughter, “Gray! It’s just a joke, I have your real gift here.” Stephen held up a bag. It was a medium size bag, but it seemed to be carrying a lot inside. The handles were taut.
Bag in Gray hands now, it was definitely heavy. Inside, there were lots of stationary supplies! A box of colored pens, highlighters, notebooks, and mechanical pencils. All in all, it was all study material that Gray was low on supplies.
“I know that you were drained from those things, so I brought you them. I didn’t know if you wanted all those colors, but it might be helpful in your studying! Although, I might have to pull you away from your desk and mind once in a while.” Stephen had said while giving Gray his bright smile.
“Ah, thank you. I appreciate it,” Gray had given Stephen one of his rare smiles.
What Stephen didn’t know was, Gray was saying thank you for both gifts. Gray was also quite fond of the dog stuffie.
While the gift exchange was over, Stephen still stayed over at Gray home. Finished up a game that Stephen and Gray were playing. In hindsight, Stephen should have picked another game. Gray was defeating him in record time. Yet no thinking about it, picking a different game wouldn’t change a thing.
“Bye Gray! Make sure you have the curtains closed to have maximum sleep potential!” Stephen particularly said. Eyeing the drawn curtains.
“Yes, yes.”
It’s the next day, Gray now deciding where to put the stuffed animal. Not wanting the stuffed animal on his bed or on his study desk, he decides to make the top shelf the home of the plushie. Since Gray is a bit on the shorter side, he takes the route of pulling a chair. Scrambling onto the chair and the dog in hand. The ginger brown, white dog looked pretty sitting on the shelf. Glad with his work, Gray came down and started to use the stationary for his studies.
*.*.*.*.*
“Why?” Gray didn’t understand why. Stephen. Stephen had been taken from the hospital, to get better help. Gray understood that, but why had it been him. Why the up beat, great person Stephen had to be the victim of Bryce Oh’s greed. It didn’t make sense to Gray.
Laying on his bed, he felt nothing in particular. Instead of the soft fabric of the bed sheets. He felt itchy. Instead of the warm feeling that the bed provided once. Gray felt cold.
His eyes burned. Either from the agonizing crying he tried to stop or the screen. The screen where Gray was watching T.V. for the past several days. The days where Gray’s mind went blank. He didn’t remember getting from the bridge to his home. He didn’t even remember getting into his bed.
Tearing his own bloodshot eyes from the screen, he glanced around the bottom of his room. It was the same, thankfully. He didn’t know if he could handle it if there was a mess that he created. Looking above sightly, he saw everything in place. Except his computer, which was still running the shows that he had been mindlessly watching. Then, finally looking around the top of his room. The stuffed Welsh Springer Spaniel. The memories all come flooding in.
Gray wasn’t brave enough or reckless enough to get the toy from the top shelf. He didn’t even believe he could stand up. For that, he just stayed in bed.
“Why,” Gray softly wailed. Head buried into his pillow. It was filled to the brim of sadness, but the word never went up from that volume. It was monotone, but the tone was enough to make Gray cry again. This time, he let himself go. The soft hiccups and whimpers could never be heard from beyond his bedroom.
The stuffed animal saw it all. Even though it is an inanimate object, the stuffed animal had a clear view of the melancholy state of the room. It was no longer a place where Stephen and Gray could smile together.
*.*.*.*.*
Gray is now a hospital released, Eunjang High Schooler. The hospital trip was thanks to Wolf and his broken state of mind then. Even so, he had a bit of closure. During the hospital, he had become a bit better about Stephen and it was for the better.
Now Gray is in his preferred habitat, his room with study material surrounding him. The curtains are closed. Yet, a sliver of sunlight slipped into his room. Unfortunately, the sunlight has landed on his study. Making it difficult to read and focus.
“Oh,” Gray said deflatedly. He didn’t want to get up, but the light was annoying him to no end.
Following where the light was coming from, to see which curtain he had to close. He had a glimpse of the top shelf.
The stuffed animal hadn’t moved since he placed it there. Dust had seemed to accumulate on and around the plushie. Gray was now brave and reckless enough to touch it now. He would be gambling his mental state if he did or didn’t move to hold that dreaded plushie.
“Now or never,” it was the only time where Gray felt confident enough where he would burst into tears if he held the toy.
Getting up from his desk chair and moving it to act as a stepping stool, Gray climbed. Alas, it was now easier to reach the top shelf.
Touching it, it felt soft, but a bit dusty. Having the toy in his hands, he climbed down. Nice. That was the feeling he had. He thought, “It’s not as bad as before. I guess it’s because I have a bit more closure.”
Feeling the urge to squeeze the stuffed animal, he hugged it. Well, more like strangled it, but it’s the thought that counts.
“Huh?”
While Gray was “hugging” the plushie, he thought he heard a noise. To make sure that he wasn’t just hearing things, he squeezed again. This time arms in front of him so he can see the stuffed animal.
“Hey Gray! I just wanted to let you know that I'm proud of you and I love being your best friend! Take care of yourself.”
Instead of breaking down, Gray just squeezed it again and again. After a little while, he was afraid the voice recording would die.
To preserve the voice recording, Gray only squeezed the toy when he felt an extreme emotion. Depending on that emotion, it would either calm him down or let him remain that certain emotion. A lot more effective and efficient than studying.
Even so, he knows that the batteries will die eventually. Yet, he's okay with that. The recording is a fun touch, but the stuffed animal will last him forever.
The new home for his favorite (and only) stuffed animal is on his bed. Occasionally Gray will whisper something.
“Thank you for this gift, Stephen”.