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Tour could be lonely.
Now it wasn't fair of her to say that. But when is life ever truly fair. She did have her lover with her, on the same tour bus and everything. Which was far more than many of the crew could claim. Still. When your lover was Papa, it could be lonely.
It wasn't his fault! Perpetua tried to spend as much time as possible with her. But rehearsals, sound check, interviews, hand written envelopes for fans, makeup and outfits- it left him drained. They would share space together. Share a far too small bed. Yet there was still a distance. His voice saved as much as possible. No longer able to spend every night talking for hours. Conversations sparse due to his allergies acting up, or a sore throat, or even just plain exhaustion.
Which is why she was currently alone. Waiting on the tour bus. The nameless- yet almost all named in some manner by now- ghouls due back any moment. Her Perpetua not due back to the bus until tomorrow morning. Some sort of interview, or something like that. She hadn't bothered to remember more than that he would be gone.
The sheets felt too cold. The bed that she should have found just the right size alone feeling too big. Empty. A void that had latched onto her.
Banging accompanied the return of the ghouls. Temporarily rousing her from her thoughts. Hissing and growling filling the bus with sound as they stumbled past each other. Going to their own bunks or the small lounge. A vital voice missing. No charming teasing for becoming so uncoordinated after the performance, or gently reassuring distressed ghouls who had made mistakes so minor that Perpetua hadn't even noticed.
Normally she would manage the energy to go and join them. To heap praise onto the ghouls herself and let the ghoulettes preen over her affectionately. Pretending that she would allow the ghoulettes to steal her away for their own cuddle pile every few days to tease Perpetua. The ghoulettes attempted to "kidnap" her every few nights now after their first night of success. Aurora using her baby-faced, innocent appearance to lure her into their traps. Such a ghoulette pile now would be nice.
But she just couldn't find the energy. Missing Perpetua taking over every synapse.
Languishing through everyone settling down for the night. The quiet sounds not providing comfort. Unmoored. Distant from everyone. A fading star, all alone in the night as she drowned in her isolation's own gravity. Time escaping her.
Phantom found her laying despondently on the bed. Aching. Missing Perpetua with every breath. A clawing in her chest pinning her down while simultaneously demanding she take action. Wanting to hack into his email and cancel all his future interviews. She wouldn't. Tempting as it was.
Phantom played into her emotions by dropping his own head and kicking shyly at the floor. As if he was a pouting puppy. Light giggles erupted from her, rising up from somewhere that had been weighed down inside of her. The sight too cute and knowingly manipulative in a playful way. Phantom's head snapping up at the noise. Quickly and aggressively flipping her off.
"Sorry," she drawled. "It's just too cute how good you are at getting what you want!"
Patting the empty space next to her in invitation. Able to pretend that she was doing him a favor and he wasn't helping to comfort her. It made everything ache less. Phantom rapidly climbing up onto the bed the moment her hand moved. Flopping down face first. Narrowly missing colliding with her.
When she made no moves to grab him, he took matters into his own hands. Wiggling closer until their bodies were glued together. Yanking her into his chest. Legs wrapping around her. A Phantom kola clinging to his human teddy bear.
Steady rumbling purr calming her into melting cream. The ghoul's purr was not very similar to a cat's. However it was the only term that fit for the almost inaudible vibrations that the ghouls could make. Ones they used to stuff even more emotions into their instruments and actions.
Basking in the comfortable weight of Phantom's body against her own. Minutes later- or possibly hours, time was still escaping her- she gathered up the energy to speak.
"Don't tell the others but I think you're my absolute favorite."
She could feel the ego growing in the quintessence ghoul. Retaliating by shoving him in faux exasperation. Phantom dramatically rolling away from her betrayal before clutching his chest. Heartbroken by her "abuse".
"Your ego was trying to suffocate me, Phantom," she teased.
A cute little huff being his only response for a few minutes. Before suddenly she had a Phantom shaped weighted blanket on top of her. Taking the idea of "suffocating" her literally. Cool to the touch mask pressed against her forehead. Horns carefully kept from tangling in her hair now that they were no longer covered by the hat Phantom hung on the bed's hat hook during his dramatic actions.
Instinctively she pressed her own forehead into his affectionately. The steady hum of quintessences flowing even stronger between them. A promise that Perpetua would return, but until then Phantom would haunt her every move if she wished it.
Finally taking the plunge to reach back physically. Hands wrapping around his body. Clinging desperately. No longer alone. Anchored by Phantom to reality, her hellish Northern Star.
It was tangled together that Perpetua found them the next morning. Softly brushing through both of their hair with his bare hands.
"My love," he spoke softly.
Daring not whisper per his vocal coaches clear instructions, but trying to maintain the peace of the early morning. Phantom stirring enough to raise his head at the pause in what was essentially affectionate petting. Making a sleepy noise of protest when he assumed that he was being kicked out of the bed he was still sleeping in.
Perpetua looked fondly down at the two of them. Greeting her so that she knew that she was even less alone than before. Her guiding light, her starlight back within reach. Able to orbit each other again. Content continuing to cuddle with her favorite ghoul for now, she gently tightened her grip on Phantom.
Voice tinted with amusement as he took both of their silent messages to heart, "and my ghoul. You have a few more hours to sleep if you wish, it's still early."