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Scott knew he should probably have let Cleo know when he was going out, but he’d been as far from his headspace as he could be when he’d left! But then Pearl had started messing with the powdered snow and he’d gotten upset and now here he was. She’d stopped soon after she started (probably due to the fact that they’d only had one heart left), but it had been enough to cause him to drop, and now he was just wandering the server.
He spotted Joel building what looked like a boat on top of a hill. But that was just silly! Boats go in the water, not on hills. Maybe he should ask, just to be sure. He climbed the hill somewhat uncoordinated, stopping when he reached where Joel was building.
“What’re you buildin’?” he asked, looking up at the build.
“It’s a relationship! ‘Cause me an’ Etho are the Boat Boys!” Joel seemed excited. Was he little too?
Scott giggled, realizing that The Relationship was a pun. “D’ya like bein’ wit’ ‘im?” The words stuck to his tongue when he tried to speak, causing them to come out slurred. He must be slipping younger. He saw Joel nod his head through the haze in his mind.
“Tha’s good,” he mumbled.
The mentally older leaned forward and looked around. Was he going to tell Scott a secret? “Does Cleo know you’re over here?” Oh. Well, that wasn’t as fun as a secret. But he should probably tell him that she didn’t.
“Got small af’er I lef’,” he admitted. He saw Joel grab something out of his pocket and do something with it, but he was getting tired and couldn’t focus his eyes enough to see what he was doing. He looked down at the ground for a second (or was it a few minutes), and Cleo was there when he looked up.
“You wanna go home?” they reached out a hand to pull him up. He took her hand and pulled himself up. “Do you want me to carry you, or can you walk on your own?”
“C’n walk,” he yawned.
“Alright, then.”
They began walking back, stopping every so often when Scott needed a break, and talking about whatever came to his mind.
“D’d y’ know tha’ Jo’l is l’ttle too?” he asked them on one of the breaks.
She raised an eyebrow, bringing out her comm. “Really?”
“Mhm! He g’t r’lly happy wh’n I asked ‘bout his build.”
They typed something out on their comm and put it away. “We’re almost home, let’s head back, okay?”
“Okay!”
~~~
The two had almost made it home when Scott felt a chill travel through his body. He tugged on Cleo’s arm, trying to bring it around him to warm him up.
“You okay, bubs?” her brow furrowed in concern.
“‘M cold,” he shivered miserably. He could see confusion on their face until his body was suddenly alight with pain, and tears began to pour down his face. He let out a small whimper of pain before his chest began heaving with sobs as his breaths sped up.
Cleo whipped out their comm and pulled up a private chat with Pearl in a matter of seconds.
[ZombieCleo] PEARL
[ZombieCleo] Get out of the powdered snow RIGHT NOW
[PearlescentMoon] Did Scott seriously come crying to you?
[ZombieCleo] Pearl, he’s little
[PearlescentMoon] Wait, seriously?
[ZombieCleo] Yes, please get out of the snow
[ZombieCleo] He doesn’t understand what’s happening right now
[PearlescentMoon] Ok, I’m out
[PearlescentMoon] Is he ok?
[ZombieCleo] He will be
[ZombieCleo] Just stay out of the snow for now, please
[PearlescentMoon] Of course, I’ll message Grian so he knows what happened
Cleo shoved her comm away and pulled Scott into a hug. “You’ll be okay, buddy. I got Pearl to stop.”
He looked up at her tearfully. “Y’ d’d…?”
“Of course. I gotta take care of my little guy, don’t I?”
He didn’t respond, just burying his face in their chest and letting a few more tears fall. She picked him up and brought him into his house, taking him to his bed and sitting with him until he fell asleep. Their comm buzzed and they slipped it back out of its pocket and looked at it. There was a message in the world chat from Grian.
[Grian] Due to several regressed people, we’re going to have a surprise break
[ZombieCleo] Thank you Grian
They put her comm down when a knock sounded at the door. She sighed and stood from where they sat with Scott leaning against them. The knock rang out again, more urgently this time. It was loud enough that it roused the little from his sleep and he looked devastated from the loss of his rest.
“I’ll get that, buddy, don’t worry about it,” she walked to the door and opened it to reveal Pearl standing there. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to apologize to Scott. I never would’ve done it if I’d known he was little,” she looked guiltily at Cleo.
They sighed. “Fine. But make it quick, he’s really tired.”
“Thank you,” Pearl stepped into the house and they both went to the bedroom where Scott was still sitting on the bed.
He looked over and saw Pearl standing with Cleo and immediately got up from his spot and walked over to them. He grabbed their hands and dragged them to his bed. “Sleep.”
“I shouldn’t stay too long, I just wanted to say sorry for earlier,” she resisted him.
“No. Stay,” he tugged on her arm. When she didn’t move, he looked at Cleo, his eyes filling up with tears again.
“I don’t think you’re getting out of this one, Pearl,” they laughed softly.
She sighed and complied with the little still pulling on her arm.
They all got comfortable, even with the tensions between Cleo and Pearl. When they woke up, they’d all have a talk about boundaries, but, for now, it was time to sleep. As she drifted off, Pearl felt like she finally belonged to something this season.