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"Oh for fuck's- again?!"
Licorice groaned in annoyance, seeing as he received a note from the landlord, neatly sticking onto his door for it's full view glory. He ripped it off the door and looked over at the eviction notice, seeing whether or not he had enough time to move away from here to somewhere at least.
"I only have until tomorrow to pack up my things and leave… Great." Crumpling the paper using his one free hand and tossing it to a nearby bin tucked around the corner, Licorice then pulled out from his pocket his keys, giving the door hole a good turn before twisting the doorknob. As the door opened, he gave the apartment a long look through before finally settling in the full reality of it all.
This was the fourth apartment complex he had moved in here, albeit his stay within was rather short compared to the others. His first one lasted for a year, the second being six months, and the third being four months. He had only stayed in this place for a mere two months and a half, but due to costs and job complications, he'd have to eventually expect an eviction notice like any other apartment..
Speaking of jobs, Licorice has no idea where to even work at this point. He tried working at a convenience store, but his part-time jobs had to be doubled due to the demanding numbers of tax growing higher and higher, as well as other things that also needed money to keep him around for a day or so. He just got fired a week ago from the two convenience stores that was near this complex, and the other one was bought by another company!
God, why does the world hate him?!
"Tch… I hate everything so much…" he grumbled, although he heard familiar soft meowing and loud barking, his slight frustration and immense worry all faded temporarily when he was jumped at by his really big dog. "Schwarzwälder! You clingy mutt..!" But Licorice didn't mean any anger or ill intent behind it. Rather, he was kind of relieved that he had some form of comfort, albeit being his pets. "Bat-Cat, get over here! I have some canned tuna for you this time." Bat-Cat slowly poked their head out of the blanket, as they quickly jumped down out of the bed and headbutted Licorice with so much speed and force.
"Ack-! Why you-!" Licorice paused when he saw the tilting heads of Schwarzwälder and Bat-Cat. He then suddenly remembered the eviction notice, and soon realized the reason why he was getting kicked out of this place. "... Sometimes, I wish I never had any attachments to animals.." He gravely sighed, although he shook his head as he patted them rather tiredly.
He only has a few things to pack, but he's not sure on whether or not apartment complexes would accept pets..
".. no! I won't let you two stray away from me!" He finally decided, determined that perhaps there will be a miracle. "Ugh… I need to hurry up though.." he mumbled, opening the canned tuna and placing it on a small bowl, placing it near to Bat-Cat as they ate with a satisfied purr. He started to pack up his clothes, some necessities and other things that his bag could carry.
He looked over at Schwarzwälder and Bat-Cat, a tinge of concern blooming within him. He shook it off once again, as he finally completed his task of packing, the small bowl licked off clean by his now satisfied cat.
"Come on, you two.. we're going to be finding another place again." He groaned, although finally having some company isn't so bad.
As Licorice closed the door behind him and dropped off the keys of the room to its mail, he turned around and saw Dark Choco, which made Licorice grimace at the sight of him. "What do you want? Are you here to laugh at how miserable I am?!" Hostility laced in his voice, Dark Choco shook his head as he could only speak in his usual stern but soft voice.
"I'm just here to check on you, Licorice.." Licorice scoffed, laughing a bit from his statement. "Yeah- right- 'check on me' my ass! You're just here to report to that stupid attention-seeking worshipper about how miserable and worthless I am, right?!" He hated saying her name, and he'd absolutely not even scoff it out, not even once. Dark Choco seems to be troubled, but he held his ground as he walked towards him, to which made Licorice's guard high.
His pale amber eyes watched closely at Dark Choco, as he did not want to be made a move onto him unwarranted. "... She told me that you only have one chance to come back.." He muttered. Licorice knew he's referring to Dark Enchantress, but he instead rolled his eyes sarcastically as he scoffed.
"Oh yes, use her as a means for me to return to that place! I've finally gotten away from there, Dark Choco! And I am NOT wasting it!" He growled, as he then picked up his bags and whistled for his two companions to follow him, passing by Dark Choco with a few words left to him.
"Tell the attention whore that she can go fuck herself, and that I know she's lying."
He never felt so angry before, especially when leaving the complex on a sour note.
…
…
…
"I think you drank way too much there, friend."
"Whaddya means too much? I'm perfectly -hic- sober..!"
Vampire drunkenly rebutted back, although it wasn't helping much on his part seeing as he contradicted himself. Sparkling sighed, switching the glass of wine with a glass of water, as he handed it over to the drunk man. Vampire was a little sad to see his precious fermented grape juice go, but he knew that Sparkling really meant what he said.
"Look Vamp, I know you're usually holding it well, but this time it's getting a little bit too much. Maybe you should head home first, since you entered here a little too early than expected." Sparkling does have a point, and Vampire hates it whenever this smiling bartender ever has his point crossed. "-hic- Fii-iiine… I'll be going..!" Vampire hiccuped, as he waved Sparkling goodbye after handing him over his payment.
Sparkling sighed, cleaning the glass as he soon had a thought that appeared way too late.
"... Will he really be alright..?"
Meanwhile, Vampire is barely getting the hang of it. Instead of being irritated, it made him feel a little more carefree and slightly reckless, seeing as he barely even remembered where the path to his house was! Wait, what was the name of the street again..? He shook his head as he noticed someone sitting on a bench a few miles away, with bags placed near to their reach. He could also see a cat and a dog, but he really needed a place to sit, so he stumbled there and finally got his ass to rest.
The stranger seemed to have flinched from the sudden company, and this made Vampire even more amused, despite his drunken state. They seem kind of cute! "Heyyy- you -hic- new around..?" He asked the other, albeit a little slurred with his speech. The stranger eye'd him rather suspiciously, although he was aware of it as he laughed.
"Don't worry! I don't bite.." he hiccuped, his head spinning a little when he tried to take a look at their pets. "Woah.. damn, I must have -hic- drank too hard.." He touched his own forehead to prevent himself from accidentally falling off from the bench, although the quiet stare of the stranger never faltered.
"... Do you even know where your house is..?" The stranger finally spoke, to which made Vampire smile, shrugging his shoulders as he leaned back on the bench rather lightly. "I don't know! But I'll -hic- eventually remember.. where was it again..?" To be honest, Vampire was telling half the truth. He's not the type to just forget for a long period of time, and even if he did, he'd remember it right away (although he may slur it out in different words depending on the level of drunk.)
The other person sitting across fell silent for a moment, before sighing as they got up. "Do you.. need help or something? God, I hate this.." Vampire's face beamed as he hugged them without warning. "Ehh??? For me? -hic- thank you..!" He soon remembered that he hadn't gotten their name, but he'll ask later!
Right now, he REALLY needs to get home, lest he wanted a long lecture from his little sister about his drinking habits again.
"D-Don't get too cocky! I'll still need some directions from you, you drunk skunk!" The other hissed, as they soon aided this drunk man while having the pain to carry their bags. "Bat-Cat! Schwarzwälder! Follow me!" He called out to the two, as they hurriedly rushed over once he started to walk along with the drunk.
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…
"... Is this it..?!" Vampire squinted his eyes for a moment before finally nodding. "Yup! That's my house -hic- this time!" He chuckled, seeing as the poor stranger had to take around maybe twenty houses to determine which one was his home. "How in the world do you not recognize your out-of-this-world house of yours?! It's way deeper in tone, and color coded differently..!" He grumbled in frustration, but wasted no time leading the still somehow drunk man to his doorway.
"Great.. now it's nearing eight..!" Licorice sighed heavily as he and the other entered the place, noticing the huge grandfather clock firsthand. Vampire seemed to have noticed the frustration of the poor unfortunate soul, and they did seem to be having some manners to attend to, judging from those bags they carried…
Vampire looked at them for a moment before offering something.
"Wanna crash in my bed tonight?"
… A long pause.
"... Are you fucking serious?" Licorice laughed in disbelief, glaring at the drunk man with menace. "You expect me to just carry your sorry ass here, waste my time and THEN JUST PITY ME?!" Vampire held his hands up defensively, seeing as this stranger is royally pissed. "Chill! It's just -hic- an offer! Although.. you had the chance to just ignore me there and leave.." Licorice was about to throw another tangent, but paused.
He was right. This drunk bastard was absolutely right.
"... My fucking god.." Licorice covered his face in embarrassment, although he felt rather stressed out when he still remembered his predicament. ".. Fine. I'll stay just for the night. Don't you dare get any more sick ideas!" Vampire half-heartedly chuckled as he headed over to the couch, plopping comfortably on it as he rested. "If ya want, you can take a shower!"
Licorice shrugged, setting down his bags as he was about to head to the said showers but..
"I don't even know where it is!'
"Haha, exactly~!"
…
…
…
Finally having taken a shower and a change of clothes, Licorice followed the now sober man to his bedroom, as they soon stopped in front of a door. It took some tries since it was locked, but the moment he unlocked it, Licorice looked at the room in awe.
It was simple, but has a touch of elegance to it. Everything looked so comfy…
Licorice shook his head, as he reminded himself that this will only be a short lived stay. He has to make sure that he could strike a chance with some apartment complexes, if a miracle ever happened. "So, where do I sleep?" He asked, to which the other responded: "On the bed!"
Licorice wouldn't have minded it when he noticed Vampire suddenly lying down rather comfortably on the unusually large bed.. ".. and you're taking the bed too..?" Vampire looked at him in slight confusion, but soon picked up what he meant behind that as he smirked.
"What? Shy of having someone to share a bed with?"
Licorice felt his face heat up for a moment, covering his expression as he sat down rather frustrated. To his surprise, the bed felt so soft, as if he were sitting on a marshmallow.. He let his palm run through the soft fabric of the bed, relishing the touch.
".. not gonna lie, you have a really nice bed…"
"Mm-hmm! The best bed there is!'
Licorice felt rather jealous of this person, seeing as they had it all: a warm home, a part of their family being there with them, a comfy bed with a sense of security…
Licorice never had that.
He shook his head as he noticed himself in clear stupor, although the other person seems to be planning to ask him something.. ".. So, you're moving somewhere?" Licorice was a little taken aback from the question, but nodded nonetheless as he lied down. "Eviction notice and stuff. Apparently pets are a no-no there." Vampire hummed in curiosity, soon looking at the other.
"First time?" Licorice shook his head, laughing rather pitifully to himself. "Nah. It's the fourth apartment complex that I've been evicted from." He couldn't help but feel so miserable, and yet so angry at himself for being miserable.
He hated it so much.
Why do people like this drunk ass get to have a warm home?
Why do people like Pomegranate have it easy, while he doesn't?
Why was he dropped off from house to house, unwanted by many foster families?
Why did he have to suffer?
"..."
".. Hey.. you okay?"
He could feel warm tears running down from his eyes, as he blinked momentarily before suddenly getting up, trying to wipe them away in an attempt to keep his only last bit of pride left in him. "I-I'm fine..!" He choked out, but his tears couldn't stop. His voice had betrayed him, and everything felt like a mess.
He's a mess.
"Damn it… look at me.." He pitifully laughed out between the tears. "Ha… Tearing up in front of a total stranger.. having to probably become homeless… how pathetic I truly am.." He could subconsciously hear the demented words of Pomegranate in his head, but the ones that hurt him the most were that of Dark Enchantress.
The only one who took him under her wing, her care.
You are useless.
Your worth is that of a bug.
Even a child has more worth than you.
"... She's right.. I truly am pathetic.. worthless.." Licorice must have forgotten the other person existed, seeing as he is emotionally distressed. Vampire fell silent for a moment, contemplating on what to do.
He doesn't know this guy very well, but judging from those words, he must have had some problems at home. Even though it's none of his business, he couldn't help but feel drawn towards him…
"... She's wrong."
"W.. what..?"
"I said, she's wrong."
Licorice stared at him in silence, as Vampire proceeded despite his mind yelling at him to shut his trap.
He doesn't know this person. He shouldn't be telling them things.
But.. it'd be a lie if he were to say he wouldn't try to comfort the poor weeping guy at least.
"So what if she says you're worthless? She's probably blind as a bat, and let me tell you: that's high praise coming from someone who vibes with the theme." He said in sarcasm, but that didn't falter his original statement moving on. "I may not know what's going on with your life, but you're not completely useless. Hell, you're probably one of the most useful people I've ever encountered! You could have left me there, all drunk as a skunk, but you decided to help me! You even went through a hundred houses or something just to get the right one!"
Licorice didn't have anything to say, but he felt kind of… comforted, in an odd sense. Even if it was small, it felt like it's the first time he's ever had something nice to ever say to him as comfort. ".. Like I said, not here to butt into your personal life, but you're not useless, nor worthless or pathetic." Vampire could tell that this man feel rather mixed, but perhaps it was something much more that made him realize something a little sad.
He must have never had someone as a friend before. Acquaintances maybe, but it would be a hard time for anyone to not have somebody to lean their shoulder on, especially when times are getting tough.
"... Sorry.." Licorice whispered, but Vampire shook his head as he soon pulled Licorice near him.
"What are you-"
"Holding you. It's gonna be much more comfortable sleeping this way, y'know?"
What is Vampire doing?
His mind began to yell at him, screaming for him to stop making this once teary-eyed stranger fit in his arms as they slept on his bed. But no matter how many signals his brain gave him to let go of this total stranger… he didn't.
Something about this man looked like he needed some comfort.. warmth..
God, did this guy even have that?
He noticed how cold he really was, despite the jacket and slightly baggy pants he was wearing when he first encountered him. Was he even wearing something under that jacket earlier? Or did he just persist with just one layer of clothing?
Vampire wouldn't have it any other way.
"... Creep.."
"Aww, you flatter me!"
Licorice grumbled in embarrassment as he slowly closed his eyes, muttering out one last thing before he fully slept.
"... Licorice, by the way…"
Vampire hummed softly, letting his fingers touch the other's dark hair. It felt oddly rough, and yet somewhat soft..
".. that's a pretty name."
He said in a soft voice, watching Licorice sleep soundly, his eyes starting to turn heavy as well as he succumbed to slumber, holding him closer.
…
…
…
The warm morning made Licorice stir awake slowly, his eyes blinking sleepily as he was still too tired to process everything. He was planning to snuggle up closer to the warm and breathing pillow-
Wait.. warm and breathing?
Licorice suddenly pushed himself away from the once slumbering person, although this resulted for Licorice accidentally falling down from the comfy sheets of the bed, hitting hard on the smooth wooden floor. "God fucking-" Vampire yawned loudly before Licorice could even finish his sentence, tiredly looking down at the one that fell. He soon shifted his expression, chuckling at the still shocked Licorice.
"Heh… good morning, sleepy head.."
"Good morning, my ass! Where the hell am I?!"
Vampire raised a brow, although he seemed way more amused than confused for some reason..
"I was the one drunk, and yet I'll be the one telling you what happened?"
"The one drunk? Last night..?"
Licorice's brain stopped functioning for a moment. He and this guy didn't have a one night stand, judging from how fully clothed both of them are..
"Basically, you helped me get here in my own house!" Vampire laughed, although Licorice wasn't too pleased with what he heard. He tried to look around for any indication of a clock, but to no avail, he couldn't find a single one in this room. The only indication of time that he has are the slight rays of sunshine sneakily peeking out of the slits of the curtains, meaning that it's probably around eight or nine in the morning.
He was too distracted with everything going on until he heard Vampire strike up an offer seemingly out of nowhere.
"By the way, wanna be roommates?"
"... What?"
"Roommates!"
Licorice looked at Vampire in disbelief, thinking that maybe he heard him wrong. Because if he didn't hear him wrong, then that would mean many things aside from this complete stranger being a creep.
"You were crying about being homeless last night, so…"
Oh...
Oh that….
Licorice could feel bits of his dignity starting to chip off him, as he slowly felt the second hand embarrassment burn through the very essence of his soul, a sudden warmth on his face started to bloom as he tried to hide it to no avail. How much did he spill last night?! He'd rather have a one night stand than an embarrassing breakdown...
"I see.."
Honestly, Licorice doesn't know whether or not he's going to be mad at this point. I mean, what apartment complex is going to accept him anyway? Even if it may damage his pride just a little bit, he doesn't have much of a choice now, does he? It'd be more plausible for him to save up enough money to move out of this guy's house, so perhaps he'll have to consider it..
"... What's in it for me?"
Vampire's amused grin grew even wider, whereas Licorice felt that things would be much more different, for better or for worse.
God where are Bat-Cat and Schwarzwälder when you need them?