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It'd only been a few months since Abolish had last visited Oakhurst. He'd found himself visiting more often recently; usually, he only visited once a year at most, but he'd visited twice this year already. This would be his third visit.
He wasn't exactly sure why he kept getting drawn back there. It wasn't like he liked the town itself at all, nor the memories associated with it. Even just thinking about everything that'd happened there made him feel terrible all over again. On top of that, it was a very long and inconvenient flight over from where he currently lived, given that it was still his job to watch over Scott.
But something about it was worth it, for reasons entirely unknown to Abolish. Pearl and Cleo never seemed to get tired of him visiting - in fact, they welcomed him every time. Perhaps that was it. The fact that he had somewhere to go where he didn't have to worry about work for a little while, able to be around people he actually liked who he wasn't required to be around.
Whatever the reason, he found himself back at Oakhurst again. He'd driven over from the nearest city, where his plane had landed, since Oakhurst was less of a town and more of just where Pearl and Cleo lived alone. He hadn't even seen it on any maps in decades now.
It was a lot less gloomy than it'd been hundreds of years ago. The sun was bright and warm, sky only a little cloudy. The warmth was a little jarring given that it was the middle of December, but not unwelcome. It was pleasant, just warm enough to be comfortable, as if the town had been fixed and made perfect just from Cleo and Pearl living there.
"Abolish!" Abolish was caught off guard by the way Pearl nearly tackled him, hugging him tightly the second he stepped past the gate. He shifted to hug them back, unable to stop the smile that spread across his face. "What are ya doing back so soon?"
"I just wanted to visit," he said simply, resting his head on her chest. He still couldn't get over how much taller she'd gotten when she'd become a… whatever she was. Werewolf vampire? Werevampire? Vampirewolf?
"Well, I'm happy to have ya, mate." Pearl pulled away, patting him on the head a couple times. "And I'm sure Cleo will be happy too, once she sees ya, but I think she's farming right now." They glanced towards the large building where Abolish knew they and Cleo kept the animals.
"But anyways!" Pearl clapped her hands together, looking back at him with a bright smile. "Let's get you settled in, I can help carry your stuff if ya need it."
"I'm fine," Abolish said as he picked up the suitcase he'd dropped. "I mean, I have more in the car, but I've got it."
"No, let me help," Pearl huffed, rolling their eyes and walking over to where Abolish had parked its car. "You just go set your stuff down inside!"
Abolish hesitated for a moment, watching them reach in and grab another suitcase, before sighing and heading into the remnants of the town. There was no use arguing with them when they set their mind on something. She was far too friendly for her own good.
There wasn't much left in the town, after the two had cleared out most of the rubble and old buildings. They'd built up a few new buildings, decorated a lot more, with plenty of new flowers and trees. Their house had been remodeled countless times by now - Abolish could only assume how bored the two got living out here alone - and was currently painted a dark green with an ornate white door. Abolish pushed it open and took a look around.
Really, not much had changed since he'd last been here, aside from a few new decorations on the bookshelves and tables. There was a small flower pot with a wither rose in it, set on the middle of the coffee table and surrounded by several papers and books.
He set his suitcase next to the couch, standing there awkwardly for just a few moments before the door swung open again. Pearl looked over at him and flashed him a bright, fanged grin.
"I ran into Cleo and they said they'll be back in just a minute," she said, setting the two other suitcases Abolish had brought on the couch. "Why don't I cook up something for ya, mate? Have ya eaten anything today?"
"No, not yet," Abolish said slowly, sitting down on the couch. Pearl's tail waved behind her as she headed to the kitchen.
"It's almost noon," she said with a small laugh, opening up the fridge and pulling out a decent slab of meat covered with paper. "Sometimes I wonder if ya ever eat, little raven." Little raven. It was so easy to forget that nickname until Abolish was suddenly punched directly in the stomach with it.
"I do, just… I was busy, trying to get here and all." He stumbled over his words for a few moments before he regained his composure. "Thank you, though. You really don't have to."
"Abolish, you're staying at my house, I'm not gonna let ya starve." She gave a little shake of her head as she worked. "You can just sit back and relax for a little while, alright?"
Abolish opened its mouth to speak, until it quickly shut its mouth whenever the door opened again and Cleo walked in. It watched quietly as they took off the hat they'd been wearing to protect themself from the sun, setting it on the coat rack, before they turned to Abolish.
"Abolish," she greeted, a smile on her face. "You've been visiting a lot lately. It's good to see you."
"Ah, it's uh, nice to see you too." Abolish felt embarrassed all over again, this time in a much different way, its gaze dropping to the floor as its heart pounded a bit. It wasn't sure why it felt so humiliated at the fact that it'd been stopping by so much. It was just being friendly, right?
"How have you been?" Cleo asked as they pulled the ribbon out of their pale ginger hair, letting it fall against their shoulders. Pearl was humming softly from the kitchen, her furred ears flicking occasionally.
"I've been doing well," Abolish said slowly, clasping his hands together in his lap. "Not much has been going on, really. I've just been working as usual."
"It's good to hear you've been alright." He glanced back up as Cleo spoke. They walked to the kitchen, glancing over Pearl's shoulder briefly. "We've been good here too, Pearl and I have been working on preparing for winter. We still don't like going into any of the cities nearby."
"Last time we went, people kept trying to pet me," Pearl sighed with a dramatic roll of her eyes. "Somehow people are even worse about touching my tail than they are about touching my hair."
"Probably because they think your tail is fake," Cleo snorted, opening the fridge. "Which is for the best, but I'd still appreciate if they didn't keep trying to touch you. Especially after I've already snapped at people several times."
Abolish frowned slightly, leaning back against the couch. "I mean, if you ever needed me to go get something, I'd be more than happy to."
"Oh, no, you don't have to," Pearl said, waving her hand. "We've got almost everything we need here."
"If you're sure."
Cleo grabbed a glass bottle of water and opened it up, taking a drink. They looked a bit burnt up from being outside, their skin a bit reddish and raw. Abolish knew she'd heal quickly, as all vampires did, but he could only imagine how uncomfortable that was. It almost made him wish he could stay here all the time to help. Somehow, that sounded far more appealing than his current job, but maybe it was a case of the grass appearing greener on the other side.
"How long do you plan on staying?" Cleo asked as she walked over, sitting beside him. He shifted a bit, his gaze settling on the wooden floor again.
"A few days, probably," he said after a few moments. "I do have work to get back to later."
"That's no fun," Pearl said from the kitchen, her pout clear in her voice. "Surely you can stay a little longer. We've missed ya, mate."
Missed him? Abolish really couldn't see how that was possible, not when he'd already visited so recently. Although he'd missed the two of them, so maybe it had a bit of truth to it, but he still doubted they missed him all that much. They had plenty to do besides think about him.
"You're doing the thing again." Pearl said it with a quiet laugh, making him look up. "Convincin' yourself that we don't like you, huh? Well, I can promise ya that we do. You're wonderful."
"Pearl, be nice," Cleo scolded, while Abolish's face suddenly felt very hot. He ran a hand through his hair and ducked his head as Pearl scoffed.
"I'm being so nice, Cleo. How is me complimenting him not nice? I'm just telling the truth." Abolish finally just buried its face in its hands. It knew it must be bright red at this point. "Awwww! I knew I could getcha to blush. What a cutie."
Cleo sighed, but reached over and patted Abolish on the back without saying anything else. It felt like it was dying a little bit. It slowly moved its hands to run them through its hair as a distraction, taking a deep breath.
"We really do care about ya, mate," Pearl added a bit softer. "I don't want you to ever think we don't, alright?"
Abolish paused for a few moments, glancing up at Cleo. When he did, the older person said, "She's right about that, even if she's being mean about it." They said that with a smile, only grinning more when Pearl scoffed again.
"Thank… thank you?" he mumbled slowly, sitting up properly again. "I…" He trailed off, taking another deep breath, and then saying, "I care about you both too."
"We know, raven," Pearl said, grinning at him. "I mean, you've been visiting all the time for a reason, haven't ya?" Her ears suddenly perked up. "Oh! I almost forgot, we were meanin' to give ya a gift but weren't sure if you'd be here in time for Christmas."
"Right, let me go get it," Cleo said, setting her drink down and standing up. It took several seconds for Abolish to process that.
"A gift?" he said slowly as Cleo hurried to another room. "You two didn't have to get me anything. I- I didn't bring anything for you, sorry."
"Oh, no, you don't need to." Pearl waved a hand. "It's a gift, Abolish, you don't need to get us anything in return."
"I know it's a gift, but-" He cut himself off when Cleo walked over carrying a box wrapped in green and red paper, which looked handmade.
"Here you go." They set the box down in his lap. It was decently sized, and felt a bit heavy. "You can open it right now if you want, or wait til later, whatever you want."
Slowly running his hand across it to find a place to tear the paper, he softly said, "Thank you. Both of you."
"You don't need to thank us, Abolish. Just being here is enough thanks." Cleo's voice was softer than it usually was, and Abolish did his best to ignore the fuzzy feeling in his chest as he carefully tore the paper off the package.
"Yup!" Pearl said as he gently ripped the box open. "Also, your food's almost ready, what d'ya want to drink? Milk, water…?"
"Water is fine," Abolish said, before falling silent when he saw what was in the box. There were three books, hardcover, which explained why it'd been so heavy. There were also two stuffed animals - a black cat with dark brown eyes, and a raven. A dark green envelope had been placed halfway under one of the books, which he carefully pulled out.
Popping open the envelope, he pulled out the letter. Tucked into it were a few pictures of the two of them. He slid them back into the envelope and read through the letter.
Dear Abolish,
I don't know if you'll get this in time for Christmas, but I hope you have (or had) a great Christmas anyways. You've been wonderful to be around and I'm so glad you've visited more this year. I understand you're busy all the time with work but I wish you could stop by more often. I'm not going to make this too long, since I want you to enjoy your presents, but we both love you and hope next year is your best year yet!
Love,
Pearl and Cleo
Abolish set down the letter and carefully picked up the raven plushie, pulling it to his chest. Cleo watched him silently for a few moments. The stuffed animal was soft, the perfect size to hug. How the two of them had known he liked stuffed animals, he had no idea, but he was incredibly happy nonetheless.
"Thank you," it murmured, pressing its face against the plushie for a few moments. Then some of the phrasing in the letter registered in its head. "What… what exactly do you mean by love, though?"
"I'm sure you can guess," Cleo said with a laugh, shaking their head slightly.
"You are so oblivious," Pearl laughed. "We love ya, Abolish, did ya not realize that until now? Even after I kissed you last time you were here?" She set a plate of food down on the table. "And also your food's ready."
"What?"
"Come here, eat your food, you can have a crisis later!"