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Beetlejuice didn’t really sleep, not like Breathers do, normally he only did it to pass the time but after what he went through he easily drifted off into a deep slumber. When he awoke the next morning he felt like a rag that’s been rung out too many times. He slowly sat up to stretch, his old bones creaking in protest from the movement, and glanced around the basement he found himself in. There were storage tubs and boxes all around but the only furniture he could see was the broken mirror in the opposite corner, its shards now having been cleaned up and the futon he was currently resting on. Beetlejuice glanced to his side and noticed it was empty.
Damn, he must have been really out of it to dream Lydia crawled into bed with him to cuddle of all things. The demon scratched at his hair with his once again five fingered hand, this sleeping nonsense was far too intense for his tastes.
Beetlejuice decided to try standing and swung his legs over the edge of the futon and slowly raised himself up. He felt an intense rush of vertigo, his still fresh scars and bruised muscles groaned in protest as he fully stood once more on his own two feet and took a few tentative steps. He was definitely sore but the extreme pain he felt every time he moved last night had dissipated. Beetlejuice grinned at his progress before a wave of fatigue hit him and he decided sitting felt much more appealing than standing.
The demon collapsed back onto the futon with a sigh, even though he imagined the whole Lydia sneaking down to snuggle up to him, the entire rest had been worth it. Beetlejuice might not be fully back to his usual self but fuck if he didn’t feel ten times better.
That thought of Lydia made him knit his eyebrows together in thought; where was she? Why did she help him? Why’d she agree to let him stay awhile? Did she actually check up on him while he slept?
There wasn’t a clock down in this basement and frankly if there was it wouldn’t have been much use as time was something irrelevant when you’re dead but it would be the closest clue to learning how long he’d been out. Beetlejuice drummed his fingers against his thigh, the fidgeting helping him focus on what to do next but without Lydia he had no clue. She was definitely the one holding all the aces now, but it didn’t seem her style to just forget about the demon sleeping in her basement, unless maybe he’d been unconscious longer than he thought.
It couldn’t have been that long, right?
Beetlejuice glanced around the room more closely and noticed there were in fact several changes he hadn’t noticed at first. The blanket he was using was different, the other one had been black with webs on it, this one was purple with stars. The storage containers along the opposite wall were definitely in different positions and-
Beetlejuice noticed his clothing he usually wore were folded on top of an old folding chair beside him but the tears from his stabbings were sewn back and the blood stains (as well as others) had been cleaned to moderate success. The demon stared at them in confusion, the amount of work it would take to fix by Breather hand would have taken a considerable amount of time.
Just how long had he been asleep?
~~~~~~~~~
Lydia awoke the next morning feeling oddly content as she snuggled closer into her pillow before remembering it was actually Beetlejuice. She sat up quickly, her face growing red remembering her boldness from last night. It had seemed perfectly reasonable in her half asleep state to just join the demon on the futon but now in the cold light of day that was an incredibly intimate thing to do especially when she really didn’t know Beetlejuice that well, if at all.
Lydia stared down at his sleeping form in thought, he didn’t look much different than how he did last night; his color was returning and his wounds were healing but he clearly wasn’t his usual best. He made a face in his sleep and let out a small whine that made Lydia freeze. Was he having a nightmare? She shook his shoulder gently but the unconscious being on her stepmother’s futon didn’t wake up. She shook harder and still no response. That was weird, he couldn’t be that heavy of sleeper and she continued trying to rouse him. Nothing unfortunately seemed to work; she pinched his nose, tugged his hair, and at one point even yelled his name in his ear but Beetlejuice remained asleep with only the occasional facial movement proving he was still alive or well whatever his version of “alive” was.
Maybe this was part of his healing process? Lydia didn’t exactly have a demonic health book at hand but if he was this deeply asleep it had to be because of his injuries, she just hoped it meant he was actually improving and not getting worse. The goth pulled back the blanket slightly and studied him closely. There wasn’t any black liquid staining the bandages when she peaked under his shirt and his fingers were much more straight and with the start of new blackened nails growing in while the pinky that was missing was now an entire finger joint. Lydia covered him back up as carefully as possible despite knowing he wouldn’t wake up regardless and sighed in reljef. All these improvements have to be proof he’s doing better and not worsening.
A large part of Lydia didn’t want to leave him alone in case he woke up but the other part knew she needed to eat and get to her classes if she didn’t want to explain the very complex situation that had taken refuge in the basement.
Lydia got up and slowly made her way to the stairs before turning around to say, “I’ll be back soon.” to Beetlejuice’s unconscious form.
It was silly, she knew he couldn’t hear her but it made it seem more real that he was in fact here again inside her house and she closed the basement door behind herself hoping that maybe it could stay that way in the future even when he was better.
~~~~~~~~~
She couldn’t focus during any of her classes and practically sprinted out of her last lecture to get home as soon as possible. Lydia couldn’t help it, all she kept picturing was Beetlejuice awake and alone in her grubby basement and looking around dejectedly when he realized she wasn’t there. She couldn’t let that happen, she didn’t want him to think she didn’t care or wasn’t grateful for what he did and most importantly she didn’t want him to leave again.
That realization shocked her but it was completely true, in those almost two years apart she continually felt like she was missing something. Originally she chalked it up to her missing her mom and while she definitely did, that thrum of energy between her and Beetlejuice zinged to life once more and she remembered how it felt to be around him again.
Those three days with him were chaos incarnate and Lydia had loved every minute. Maybe she went a little power hungry and dark there for a bit but during that time she had been well and truly free. Beetlejuice was the one person Lydia didn’t have to hide a single piece of herself from; he'd just accept it with a grin. No matter how melancholic, or macabre, or even whimsical she got around him he never said anything beyond, “Didn’t know ya had it in ya, babes!”
Lydia unlocked her front door and hoped that she hadn’t missed Beetlejuice waking up and more importantly that no one else had decided to visit the basement. At least on the latter part she was fairly certain she was okay as there were no set of parents alive or otherwise to greet her when she stepped into the living room with frowns and questions for her she didn’t feel like answering at the moment.
Which really what could she have done differently? He was bleeding all over the basement floor and could barely stand, what did they want her to do? Drag his larger frame up a flight of stairs and shove him out with the trash cans? That was ridiculous! And even if she had called for help like he was a real living person, Lydia couldn’t imagine what an EMS worker would say or do to a man leaking black fluid with pulsating something just under his skin. There simply wasn’t a different solution to his reintroduction to the house that didn’t involve helping Beetlejuice.
Lydia quickly slipped down the basement stairs, shutting the door quietly behind herself; she would tell everyone else soon but right now she just needed to know her demonic patient was okay. She couldn’t help but sigh in relief when his lumpy form looked the exact same way it had this morning. It still made her cheeks burn when she remembered she actually climbed into bed with him on her own accord last night. It was completely uncharacteristic for her and yet Lydia didn’t feel regret or even shame for what she did. She had been worried, and truthfully still was for Beetlejuice and pressing herself to his sleeping form was the only way to put those fears to bed literally.
Lydia walked along the cool cement floor towards the sleeping beauty in her stockinged feet, noticing how quiet it was down here beyond the occasional thrum of the heat kicking on. Speaking of, despite the furnace in the corner, she could also feel the cold seeping into her tights and frowned; was it warm enough down here? It was probably a silly thought, he was dead, something as simple as temperature doubtfully would affect him and yet Lydia couldn’t help the nagging feeling to ensure he was as comfortable as possible.
She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep again if she didn’t grab another blanket and turned around to run upstairs to collect another. Lydia had hoped to grab her spare comforter and run back to the basement as fast as possible but as she closed the linen closet Adam and Barbara were suddenly right behind her.
“Shit!” Lydia exclaimed, quite startled by the ghostly couple just appearing from thin air.
“We thought we heard you come home but couldn’t find you anywhere!” Barbara sighed in relief before taking on a somewhat stressed face, “Were- were you in the basement?”
She had almost forgotten that about Adam and Barbara; they had died in the basement. That twenty foot fall came from the rotted subflooring giving out and sending the couple into the basement below which had killed them both on impact. It was a macabre fact she tried not to dwell on; but now that she was maybe it was so cold down there because it’s their place of death? Lydia shook her head to focus, regardless it was the one place the husband and wife duo never entered
“Yeah I was- ” Ah fuck it, she needed to come clean eventually an unconscious demon in your cellar couldn’t exactly remain a secret for long, “I- I need to tell you guys something, but you can’t freak out?”
Adam appraised her suspiciously, “Why would we freak out?”
“Because uh- ” Lydia winced as the rest of the following sentences fell rapidly out of her mouth, “Beetlejuice came back and he was like bleeding everywhere because they whoever they are punished him for breaking the rules even though it was me who jumped in the Netherworld and he was protecting me from his mom. And I don’t know how bad is bad for a dead guy but it’s bad and now he’s like in a coma and so he’s still in the basement and I know you have a weird history together but he needs help. He might be dying or becoming more dead but in a bad way? I don’t know and I’m kinda scared because he got hurt when he was only protecting me and that’s crazy but I can’t ask him anything more because he’s like I mentioned in a coma. So basically I’m freaking out and I don’t know what I should do beyond making him comfortable.”
Both of the Maitlands literally had their jaws hanging open in shock.
“Beetlejuice- the Beetlejuice that haunted this house, forced you into marriage, and rode a sandworm through the living room? That Beetlejuice?!” Barbara asked in shock.
“Look, it’s a lot and you have every reason to hate him but he’s really not doing good.” Lydia pleaded, hoping to prey on their bleeding hearts both spouses possessed.
Adam piped up after a moment, “I’m sorry, Lydia, but he-“
“He can stay.”
The ghostly man’s head whipped to his wife’s with such force she felt it would’ve broken his neck if he was alive.
Barbara shot her husband a look before turning back to Lydia, “We trust you and your judgment but just don’t forget what you’re dealing with here.”
Lydia knew her paranormal adoptive mother meant it as a warning but a part of her couldn’t really imagine a scenario in which Beetlejuice would be anything to really worry about. Sure their big fight at the exorcism had made her feel angry and betrayed but she never truly felt she was in any danger around him. Maybe she should but to her Beetlejuice was no more threatening than a feral tomcat.
“I won’t.” Lydia turned to Adam, “I know you still think he needs to go but please if you just look at him you’ll see what I mean, and he took that full punishment just so I didn’t have to.”
The older man sighed before giving her a small smile, “Look, I believe in second chances and if he helped you like you’re saying he did maybe he deserves one it’s just-” Adam trailed off while folding his arms, “I don’t like lying to your father.”
Shit.
Lydia knew she had to tell her dad, she just really didn’t want to. It wasn’t that she was afraid of his answer, Charles would never toss someone (even Beetlejuice) out when they so clearly needed help. It was something surprising about her dad Lydia loved, he had a big heart it was just getting through to it from the icy cage he kept it in. It was just the fact it involved rehashing the past which neither of them enjoyed. Their relationship was miserable back then and that breakdown between them led to this whole mess they were currently in. Lydia knew her father still liked to believe Beetlejuice caused all the issues after they first moved here all while neglecting the fact she was the one that summoned him in the first place.
“I’m going to tell him tonight, at dinner.” Lydia reassured. The band aid needed to come off sooner than later and it was better if it was from her rather than accidental discovery.
~~~~~~~~~
“How was your day, Lydia?” Her father asked while cutting up his tofu chicken Delia had prepared to moderate success.
It was the best opening she could ask for, “Well, I need to tell you- ”
“LYDIA IS KEEPING BEETLEJUICE IN THE BASEMENT.” Delia interrupted in a loud rush of words before clasping her hands over her mouth.
“DELIA!” Adam scolded.
“Sorry!”
“You told her?!” Lydia and Barbara asked in shocked annoyance.
The ghostly man looked at his folded hands in embarrassment, “I told you I hate keeping secrets..”
“You betrayed Lydia’s confidence!” His wife chastised with a frown.
“I know! I just couldn’t-“
Charles loudly cleared his throat, “Can someone please explain why and I quote ‘Lydia is keeping Beetlejuice in the basement?’”
Delia at least had the decency to be as red in the face as she was her hair, “I don’t actually know, I just couldn’t hold it in anymore.”
Lydia took a deep breath, “So don’t be mad but-”
She explained the full tale starting with last night all the way to today’s awkward dinner only omitting her sleeping arrangements last night. She heavily emphasized he was only hurt because of her and how he couldn’t be moved even if they wanted to because he was so injured. Charles oddly enough just listened, his face neutral like he was simply hearing a business proposition instead of his daughter pleading for a demon to be allowed to bunk in their basement for the foreseeable future.
When she finished, Lydia’s father was silent for a moment before speaking, “Do you think he told you the truth?”
Lydia looked her dad right in the eyes, “Yes.”
“Okay, then.”
Just like that the middle aged man returned to eating.
She genuinely felt like she was hallucinating, “Okay?!”
“Is that not what you want to hear?”
“No, no! I mean yeah I just thought you’d need more convincing.” Lydia admitted with a shrug.
Charles put his silverware down and steepled his fingers as he gave her a somewhat weary look, “Lydia, you’re an adult now and it would be a poor reflection of my own parenting to think you incapable of making decisions for yourself. I do not trust nor like Beetlejuice but it’s not my judgment you’re asking for, simply my permission. So you have it, Beetlejuice can stay as long as he doesn’t endanger anyone who resides here.”
Her father softened as he gave her a smile, “Besides, if there is one thing I know about my daughter is that you are the most determined woman I’ve ever met, even if I said no would you truly have listened?”
She couldn’t help but laugh, “Probably not.”
Charles chuckled, “Then I’ll just be glad you decided to entertain the idea I had a choice to refuse.”
Barbara interjected, “So you’re just okay with all of this?”
The older man snorted, “Of course not, but that was never the question.” He once again picked up his silverware to resume his meal, “If being so close to death these past few years has taught me anything it’s that life is too short to dwell on other people’s relationships.”
Delia beamed at her husband and patted his hand wordlessly while the Maitlands laughed softly at his words, but Lydia couldn’t help but dwell on the word he used: relationship.
~~~~~~~~~
Very quickly Lydia fell into a schedule; wake up, check on Beetlejuice, go to her college classes, check on Beetlejuice, eat dinner, check on Beetlejuice, and repeat. It wasn’t like anything changed on his condition to make her worry but she also couldn’t simply stay away either like the demon in her basement was just a box in storage. So mostly she’d just go down there while she wrote her papers or ate her lunch or breakfast. In fact she recently had started passing the time by cleaning his disgusting suit and attempting to sew up the rips from him being stabbed. The cleaning was going subpar as all the products in the world would never get the caked in grime out but Lydia’s needle work she thought at least looked decent.
The dark brunette would prattle while she worked or ate about everything and nothing but it was almost cathartic to just talk uninterrupted to someone even if they weren’t actually listening but then again Beetlejuice was always good for that.
The memory made her laugh as she remembered telling him about her mom’s death and her dad being a jerk while they haunted the house together and he just nodded his head occasionally while taking bites of different food that had been left behind by the disastrous dinner party he had ruined. It was what made him oddly endearing, Beetlejuice had the ability to care to an extreme amount while appearing to not care at all. Lydia had learned that the hard way with the whole exorcism ordeal but it didn’t make her hate him, it simply made her realize she had summed him up much simpler than he actually was.
There was that stirring in her chest again at the thought of her dismissing him so carelessly only for him to save her repeatedly; Lydia didn’t have a word for it she just desperately wanted him to wake up so she could say all these thoughts she’d been having this past month and maybe figure out what she was feeling.
Grateful?
Ashamed?
Endeared?
She truly didn’t know, maybe a combination of all three?
It didn’t matter at the moment, Beetlejuice was still unconscious and Lydia doubted that would change anytime soon. She opened the basement door with some difficulty as she juggled today’s lunch which consisted of a bologna sandwich with a can of soda, and trudged down the basement stairs.
“Hey, Beej.” Lydia called out in greeting like she did everyday for the past month.
“Hey, babes!” Came a cheerful but raspy reply.
Her heart nearly lept out of her chest as she practically ran down the last steps to get a look at the demon, to ensure she wasn’t dreaming.
Beetlejuice was sitting at the edge of the futon bed in the same paint splattered shirt and sweats she gave him and Lydia couldn’t help but stare. Her heart still hadn’t slowed down and seemed to beat even faster when he spoke again.
“Uh, ya don’t suppose I could get that sandwich from ya?”
The question pulled her out of her stupor as she remembered her lunch in her hands, “Oh yeah uh of course.”
Beetlejuice took both items gratefully, “Thanks.”
Lydia couldn’t help but stare as she watched him eat her sandwich in four large bites before chugging the can of cola without stopping for air once.
The demon let out a very large belch, “Shit, did I need that!”
She must not have reacted accordingly as he furrowed his brows worriedly at her, “You good, babes?”
In a quick sprint Lydia launched herself at Beetlejuice, hugging him as tightly as humanly possible because he was the first person she’d never have to worry about physically hurting.
“Woah! Woah! Easy girl!” He patted her back gently, “It’s okay!”
Her cheeks were hot and suddenly felt wet too as she began sobbing, “No, it’s not okay.”
Lydia’s throat felt constricted as she choked out, “You- you almost died b-because of me!”
Beetlejuice was rubbing her shoulder blades ever so softly and replied in a voice softer than she thought him capable of, “Already dead, remember? But I get whatcha mean, I- I’m fine now though so turn off the waterworks before I start going too”
She couldn’t imagine the demon crying but let out a breathy laugh anyway as Lydia leaned back to get a look at his face, “Just- why?”
“Why?”
“Why did you do that, all of it, just for me?”
It’s the first question that had been rattling around her brain for the past several weeks. It kept her up sometimes, it ate at her insides like a poison, constantly reminding her that she was to blame for the conman’s decrepit state
Beetlejuice scrunched his face before relaxing with a sigh, “Fuck it, I mean I almost punched my ticket and maybe immortality ain’t as forever as one might hope.”
A serious expression came across his face, “I did it, all of it, because I care about you. And no don’t ask me to explain it because fuck if I know, you’re just-“ Beetlejuice closed his eyes with a frown, “You are something special, at least to me, and I can’t let you get hurt and lose that.”
His eyes opened once more, the golden color reminding her of a jar of honey, “I’ve lost anything and everything that has ever mattered shit to me but you.” Beetlejuice grabbed her hands that had fallen to hang uselessly by her side, “I couldn’t lose you.”
Beetlejuice watched her for a response, his Adam’s apple dipping as he harshly swallowed and a certain clarity came over Lydia; she felt the same exact way. All these weeks of obsessing over him were because she couldn’t lose him either, Beetlejuice was special to her the same way she was to him.
It was a simple decision for what she should do next and Lydia quickly pressed her lips to his. Beetlejuice made a surprised sound in his throat before returning the embrace almost delicately like he couldn’t be sure this was all real.
When they parted Lydia couldn’t help but laugh, “Maybe next time I kiss you it should be before I give you a bologna sandwich.”
Beetlejuice looked up in thought before grinning at her, “Only if I then get two sandwiches afterwards.”
Lydia crawled into his lap with a chuckle, glad he was finally back, “It’s a deal.”