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“Vanessa?” Gregory called out while he peeked inside her room with hesitation, observing to see if the coast was clear. He was carrying Freddy in his arms, hugging the head of the robot close to his chest.
“Gregory? What are you doing here?” Vanessa responded with a raised eyebrow, her head turning towards him, before her confused tone shifted to a slightly more scolding one. “You should be sleeping!”
Gregory let an awkward laugh out in response, pushing the door open to step inside before closing it behind himself. “Well...” He started, hesitating to think of how to phrase his excuse. “I just wanted to check on you.”
Vanessa gave him a questionable look, cleary not believing him. “Yeah right. Why are you really here?” She repeated with suspicion.
“No, really!” Gregory defended himself, his words coming off more desperate and panicked than annoyed.
“I can confirm.” Freddy added in assurance to avoid having the two argue with each other out of a simple misunderstanding.
Vanessa calmed down thanks to Freddy's words, knowing that the bear would never lie. “But why?” She inquired out of curiosity and confusion alike.
“Because... I couldn't sleep before knowing that you can.” He admitted reluctantly, his facial expressions a worried frown.
Vanessa was suprised, though also felt guilty by his worried expression. She wanted to ask why he'd worry about that. Why would he bother? “I'm fine. I can sleep. Don't worry.”
Gregory and Freddy were both quiet by her answer, silently staring at her with a mixed expression. Gregory's specifically turned from a sad frown into a more stubborn frown instead.
“What?” Vanessa asked, her voice unintentionally defensive.
“Don't lie to me.” Gregory demanded with a calm tone but a firm scolding gaze.
“What–?” Vanessa repeated, more confused, though he replied without hesitation this time.
“Don't lie to me.” he repeatedly stated with a strict emphasis that made Vanessa uncomfortable and uneasy. Why did his mood shift..?
She reluctantly sighed, avoiding her gaze in silence. Giving herself a few moments to consider her next words and gather her courage to admit how she truly felt. She inhaled, thankful for Gregory's and Freddy's patient silence, before she spoke. “Fine... I can't. I can't sleep. Happy?” She admitted with softness lacing her tone, even though her phrasing indicated that she originally attempted to sound petty and defensive.
Gregory and Freddy were silent, sharing a brief look with each other before the boy slowly approached the woman's bed to sit down on the edge of it. “Hey... That's okay.” he assured with a soft tone of his own, his expression understanding and kind without judgment. “What prevents you?” He asked to find the root of the problem.
“It's just... My past.” Vanessa answered vaguely, not wanting to burden the child and his comfort bear with her traumatic family history. After all, they endured enough, didn't they?
Gregory thought over Vanessa's brief reasoning, attempting to find anything written on her face. The girl was avoiding his gaze though, looking down at her blanket that was covering her lap while she sat on her bed. She certainly tried to sleep for sure. Her room was dark. But now that he was positioned closer to her...
“Have you cried, Vanessa?” Freddy blurted out which snapped Gregory out of his thoughts and made Vanessa flinch, unintentionally meeting the bears blue eyes.
“What? No–!” She immediately denied, the mixture of panic and anxiety on her face clear, just as much as the sudden tension in her body.
“Are you certain? It seems that–” Freddy couldn't finish, unable to point out how red her eyes were, since she immediately cut him off. “I'M FINE FREDDY!” She shouted out of defense, even though it only made her sound angry. Though it immediately dissolved the second she saw Gregory wince with a flicker of fear in his eyes, Freddy's ears lowered with a frown on his face.
“My apologies... I did not mean to...” The bear didn't finish his sentence, his tone quieter and sadder which made Vanessa swallow the lump in her throat that formed out of anxious guilt, clenching the fabric of the blanket laying on herself. “It's fine.. I didn't mean to– I just–” She couldn't figure out what to say, feeling overwhelmed and at a loss for words.
Thankfully, Gregory managed to recover and calm himself, while Freddy gave Vanessa a small smile out of appreciation for her attempted apology, despite fumbling over her words. “Vanessa.” The boy finally called out, forcing her to meet his gaze with an uneasy expression. “We're here.” He added, his blank expression slowly breaking into a warm comforting smile. “Why ever your past is haunting you... We are here to fight it with you.” He assured with such a certainty and warmth that just made Vanessa feel like crying again.
“Do not worry. You are not alone. If you need us, do not hesitate to inform us. We will not hesitate to offer assistance.” Freddy included with his own kind smile, his sad expression melting into usual optimism.
Vanessa in the meantime, blinked to fight the tears that were forming, chewing on the inside of her cheek. She wanted to say something, anything, desperately, yet couldn't find the words. Unable to form coherent thoughts.
Gregory and Freddy patiently observed her expression, the gratitude on her face, hidden by the overwhelming emotions taking over her.
“Just lay down.” Gregory eventually said, keeping his voice soft and gentle to tread carefully. Moments like this? Yeah, he knew emotions aren't meant to be played with. Especially when someone is already vulnerable.
Vanessa silently nodded when she failed to find her voice to reply, laying back down before turning towards the side to face the wall. Gregory placed Freddy on the nightstand, turned towards them, before laying down beside her.
“What are you...” Vanessa choked out in a whisper, barely audible. Because of the silence in the room, Freddy managed to pick up on it though, while Gregory heard it through their proximity.
“Shh... Don't worry... Just close your eyes...” Gregory whispered gently. Even though the woman was hesitant, she took a breath to mentally steady herself, before closing her eyes. She didn't question anything further, not feeling or hearing anything, the images of her father resurfacing to haunt her...
Before she felt a gentle poke on her skin.
Vanessa felt confused, her anxious expression easing as her focus shifted towards the touch on her back.
A poke... Which began moving, drawing a line... Wait.
Was he...'Connecting' her freckles!?
The bedroom remained completely silent, Vanessa's body slowly relaxing as the minutes passed by. She couldn't deny that it was comforting. He was being so careful and gentle. It felt like light caresses, like a feather... It was soothing... And distracting. Which was what she needed.
The reason why it was so distracting, was because she felt so much curiousity about what exactly he was drawing.
The flashbacks faded, replaced by her imagination attempt it's best to follow Gregory's finger to carve an image of whatever the connected freckles would be resulting in.
She couldn't remember when she fell asleep. Nor if Gregory did. If he fell asleep before or after her... All she knew...
Was that the past was the past.