Daemons
Chapter 23

Geno felt consciousness slowly returning to him, though his thoughts were still too muddled for him to be coherent. It was a common feeling when he fell asleep for a reason other than fatigue, meaning that something had likely gone wrong. He wasn’t too worried though, knowing from experience that this feeling would pass after some time and he’d recall how he ended up in whatever mess he was in. Any thoughts of him being dead were quickly chased away by a burning ache that radiated from his soul and his arms, alerting him to the fact that he was very much alive. His sense of pain was always the first thing to truly come back online, which helped assure him that he really was waking up.

With no way to know how much time was passing while he was in a semi-conscious state, the frail skeleton simply rested in what felt like a bed, eye closed as he gave his body time to fully awaken. There was no sense in opening his eye until he was ready, otherwise he might throw anyone with him into a state of frenzy that he wouldn’t be able to comprehend. Yet again, this was something learned from way too many incidents of a similar nature in the past.

As feeling fully returned to his body, Geno instinctively tested his fingers and toes to make sure he had proper motor control, relieved that his phalanges responded to the instructions. Pretty much on cue, the haze in his mind began to clear, allowing him to recall the moments leading up to his current state.

He’d been with Reaper earlier, the tall skeleton filling the void of his absent friends and family in a way he could never imagine. Sure, he had his suspicions, but his new friend just had a way of breaking down any barrier he stubbornly tried to put up to keep himself guarded. It was strange for him to feel so comfortable with someone he barely knew, recalling how long it had taken to open up to the friends he’d made in college. Most of his questions of this stranger that popped into his life revolved around that strange charm of his, with no end to the theories circulating in his mind. Geno had gone so far as to get a new notebook, one with a jet-black cover, so that he could properly organize his thoughts on the other and try to come to some conclusion.

The charisma and wit the other skeleton possessed wasn’t enough to curb his harmful addiction however, his self-harm continuing despite his autophobia being somewhat under control. The pain was like a drug, and once he started again, it was so impossibly hard to stop. His body craved it as a means of grounding him, proving that he was alive and in control of his life. The scarfed skeleton wasn’t blind to the irony of his need for some semblance of control leaving him at the mercy of such an addition, but that irony wasn’t enough to stop him. Cross was the only one that could help stop him in the past, yet the only person he had now was Reaper who remained blissfully unaware for the most part. Sure, the taller probably had his suspicions as well, but there was no way he could know exactly what Geno did behind the door of his apartment. The dried blood smeared all over his kitchen was a sight he couldn’t bear to let the other see, which was why the smaller refused to let him come over and always made his way over to Reaper’s apartment.

This addiction had reared its head as he’d been over at the other skeleton’s apartment, leaving him tense as he was itching to head home and put the knife to his bones once again. Part of him had cursed himself for not cutting before heading over, but the visit had been such a spontaneous invitation that he hadn’t had the heart to refuse. He truly loved his time with Reaper, but the craving had left the time tainted with a longing the taller skeleton remained unaware of. The moment their time together ended, Geno had all but ran home, controlling himself just barely enough to keep from worrying the other with his speedy retreat. He needed to feel that kiss of steel, feel the heat and pain bloom throughout his cold bones.

The frail skeleton had leaned against the kitchen counter, letting it carrying the bulk of his weight so that he was free to stand without his cane. Normally he took a seat so that he wasn’t worrying about his legs giving out on him, but in his mind, he had no such time. His addiction was calling him to action, forcing him to move faster than normal in order to sate the hunger gnawing at him from the inside. Shaky breaths escaped him as he got the bandages out, making sure that they were accessible from his current position for when the need to hurt was finally sated. His jacket’s sleeves were rolled up tightly to remain out of the way, his scarf carefully adjusted to leave it free of any blood. All this prep was done on instinct, his mind racing too fast for him to comprehend any thoughts flying by. And everything came grinding to a halt the second that first cut was made.

Finally, he was able to breathe again, the familiar pain clearing his head as a shuddering exhale followed. With practiced movements, the knife was immediately passed to his off hand to score the other arm. Geno preferred to use his left hand and treated it as his dominant, though he was just as capable of using his right and possessed a high degree of ambidexterity. While this wasn’t exactly the most ideal use of such a skill, it was proving to be extremely convenient nonetheless as he made matching marks on each arm, slowly working his way up the bones. It was a mindless cycle that required no conscious thought from him, his hands moving without him even looking.

More often than not, Geno never watched what he was doing, instead relying on feel and experience to know how hard to press the knife. He wanted pain, but had no desire to kill himself, and was quite aware of how the smallest slip-up could land him in a fatal situation. As such, he only pressed the steel just far enough to draw a fine amount of blood. The second he felt the familiar red liquid bloom at the cut, he pulled away, allowing it to drip wherever as he moved onto the next cut.

This time though, for some reason, the frail skeleton looked down in the midst of his session. He could see his reflection in the blood-splattered blade, his hazy eye light staring back at him. For a split second though, his face was gone, his reflection replaced by Reaper’s. He could see the look of pain of the other skeleton’s face, almost as if his actions were hurting the other as well. “You shouldn’t be doing this, my little swan,” the illusion whispered to him, causing Geno’s breath to hitch and body to jerk. Reaper was right, he shouldn’t be doing this, but he just couldn’t stop himself.

Maybe this was his mind telling him to let them other help him get his addiction under control once again. Did he really trust Reaper enough to start letting him into the darkness that lurked deep within himself? What would the real Reaper say in response to such a self-destructive habit? Part of him wanted to ask the manifestation of his psyche, but when he looked back at the blade, only his pale face stared back at him... and red... so much red... too much...

It took him far longer than it should’ve to process what had happened, his mind muddled from the pain and the illusion he’d witnessed. But now, panic was quickly clearing that fog away, leaving him with an acute awareness of the situation. When his body had jerked earlier, the blade had been against his arm. The motion served to drive it deep, cutting far into the bone and causing an alarming amount of blood to rush from the newly created injury. His naturally brittle bones had been all but crushed from the sudden pressure, meaning that this wasn’t an injury he could treat at home. He needed to get to a hospital, and if the rate of blood loss was any indication, he needed to go now.

But how could he get there? Normally Cross was the one to whisk him away to the hospital when required, yet that thought only reminded him of how his brother’s absence was once again making his life extremely difficult. The blood was now dripping from his arm in a steady stream, alerting the skeleton to how an ambulance likely wouldn’t be fast enough despite his relatively close proximity to a hospital. The ambulances had never been faster than Cross in the past, so he held very little faith in them.

Cursing at his own stupid actions, Geno lunged for the bandages sitting on the nearby counter to at least try to stem the flow of blood. If he was gonna rely on an ambulance, then he needed to buy himself as much time as possible. Yet his desperation and shaking arm caused him to miss, instead knocking the roll of gauze over to where it rolled to the back of the counter. Another curse slipped from his mouth as he went to make another move for them, bloody fingers smearing red all over the stained counter. Just as his fingers brushed the bandages though, a sudden wave of dizziness hit him. The blood loss was already taking its toll on his weak body, leaving him struggling to see straight as he fumbled for the blurry white roll in front of him.

In the midst of his struggle, another issue presented itself in the form of his legs. They weren’t used to supporting his weight on their own anymore, and his efforts to deal with all of his other problems meant that he was no longer leaning against the counter. The lack of support left him shaking, his legs doing their best to stay underneath him. But no matter his own stubbornness, Geno wasn’t able to fight against his body’s frailty as his knees buckled and he stumbled to the floor without the precious bandages.

As he collapsed onto his side, his shoulder took the brunt of the impact. That meant that his humerus had likely suffered some damage as well, but he could handle mildly cracked bones. The concern was still his hemorrhaging forearm, his other hand clamping onto the bone to try and lessen the flow. It was a pitiful attempt however, blood seeping between his fingers and drenching them in only a few seconds. Was this... after everything, was this how he was going to die? Alone on the cold floor of his apartment’s kitchen? What would Cross think when he finally came home only to replace his dust soaked in a pile of dried blood? Would Cross ever actually come back? Or would he remain unaware of his adoptive brother’s fate while living out whatever life he’d been living the past few weeks?

As his thoughts swirled over the topic of his death, an alert chimed from his phone. The device had fallen from his pocket when he’d collapsed, and apparently had landed in such a way to activate the voice assistant. The phone was waiting for him to give a command, and to him, this was a chance for him to call for help. But... who could he call? Only one person had been in contact with him in almost a month, and it was someone that he wasn’t still sure if he trusted enough to call friend. But what other choice did he have?

“C... Call...” His own voice sounded so weak and frail to himself, the skeleton swallowing and making an attempt to speak as clearly as possible. “C-Call Reaper.”

“Calling Reaper...”

The sound of his phone ringing echoed out through the otherwise silent apartment, Geno even holding his breath as he waited through the tense silence. Every ounce of his will was praying for the other skeleton to answer, hoping that he was nearby even if it seemed like such an impossibility for him to reach his savior in such a state. They’d just seen each other, so why would Reaper answer a call from him so shortly after he left? Surely, the taller had to be busy doing something, even if he was just out for a walk.

All his fears and doubt were proven wrong though as Reaper’s voice came through the phone, his typical flirty tone greeting him. Such overwhelming relief hit the frail skeleton, a smile on his face despite the pain and panic he was enduring. He couldn’t even replace it in himself to be annoyed by his words, simply grateful to hear his voice.

The skeleton on the other end of the call seemed to somehow pick up that something was wrong, prompting the smaller to ask him to come to his aid. His vision was blurring by this point, his grip on his consciousness slipping from the growing pool of crimson that he was laying in. By this point, his words were hard to recall, though he could at least remember Reaper’s instant promise to come to his aid. As much as he wanted to respond to the other, his mouth was unable to do anything but take in air. Each breath seemed harder than the last, his waning strength now completely devoted to the task as his eye fell shut.

His semi-conscious mind maintained a certain degree of awareness, even if he lacked the strength to react to anything. There was the sound of glass shattering, following immediately by Reaper frantically calling out to him. The general direction of the sounds meant that his savior had come through the window instead of the door, which was good since the door was locked, but... how could he break through a third-story window?

Lacking the strength and awareness to truly ponder the question at the time, Geno instead had his focus stolen by the presence of another next to him, manipulating his limp body. There was some sort of pressure against the deep wound on his arm, and then he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around him, but it was hard to tell exactly what was going on. Something was off about the arms though, the fingers curling around his bones being too sharp to truly belong to Reaper. Yet at the same time, the voice was clearly his, and there was the same familiar sense of comfort he felt whenever around the idiot, so it had to be him.

The last thing he was able to process before truly losing consciousness confused him the most at the time, recalling the feel of the cool night air against his face. And then he was falling, before the sound of flapping could be heard and he felt his body rising far past its initial height. The only feeling he could liken it to was flying, but that couldn’t be possible. At least, that’s what his barely conscious mind had assumed, that last flicker of strength vanishing as his mind shut down to save what little energy he had left for his soul.

The memories were a bit hazy to him as he felt himself laying in what was most likely a hospital bed, but they were clear enough for him to know exactly what had happened. Reaper really had saved him, just as he’d promised to. And now he was resting in a hospital, recovering from his latest brush with death. His doctor would likely tear him a new one when he saw her for landing himself in here so soon after his last time, but that didn’t matter right now. All he could think of was the familiar comfort of a nearby presence that he’d been relying on recently, replaceing himself finally opening his eye once he was lucid enough to properly take in his environment.

Sure enough, all he had to do was turn his head enough to look at his side, and there was Reaper. He was sitting in one of the hospital chairs in his room, one leg crossed over the other. In one hand was a cup of coffee from Starbucks, and in the other was a book, though he didn’t seem to be particularly focused on it. It was a bit strange to see him here considering that his frail health usually had him in isolation until a doctor approved visitors, but the taller was so relaxed and clearly had no fear of being thrown out. Not even Cross was allowed in right away, though CC would often check in on him, so he was quite curious how the hooded skeleton was allowed entry to his room.

Only one way to replace out the answer to that question, the smaller hoping that his voice would cooperate. “R... Rea...” Unfortunately for him, everything felt as dry as a desert. It was to be expected after being unconscious for who knows how long and unable to take a drink, but that didn’t make it any less frustrating.

Lucky for him, that faint attempt at speaking seemed to be all he needed to get Reaper’s attention, the other skeleton perking up before looking over with a soft smile. “Hey there, sleeping beauty. You feeling better?” He asked, setting the items in his hands down on a nearby surface before scooting his chair closer. “Had me pretty damn scared for a while there, so I’ll admit that you’ve taken quite a weight off my soul just from opening that pretty eye of yours~”

“Y-You...” He tried to snap at the taller for his flirty comment, though the attempt only irritated his dry mouth. Despite being a skeleton sustained by magic, water always helped to soothe his internal magic and keep everything moving smoothly. Skeletons didn’t need water in the same way as humans, but there was a certain amount of it used to support ecto and blood in the body. Even if he could feel the IV drip plunged into the back of his one hand, it was likely just for blood or magic and wasn’t doing anything to restore any water his body might’ve been storing.

Thankfully, his companion seemed to know exactly what he needed, temporarily removing his oxygen mask and bringing a cup to his mouth. “Here sweetheart, have a drink. I figured that you’d be thirsty, so I picked something up for when you woke up. Sorry it’s not cold, had no idea that it would be stuck sitting out so long.” The temperature didn’t matter, Geno simply enjoying the soothing feeling of fresh water sliding down his throat. The cup was empty before he knew it, and while the smaller still could use some more, there wasn’t the unbearable thirst overwhelming him now.

“M-Much better... thanks.” His genuine gratitude had the taller smiling as he set the cup next to his supplies before returning to the chair beside him. In that small timeframe, the frail skeleton decided to look at his reason for being here, sighing at the layers of bandages wrapped around both arms. “I don’t know who’s gonna kill me for this first, my doctor or my brother.”

“Neither,” Reaper announced with absolute finality, taking a gentle hold of his hand nearest him. “I’m sure you had your reasons for doing what you did, and I know that you weren’t trying to end your life or anything, so there’s no way I’m gonna let anyone berate you for a simple accident. That’d be like if you stumbled down the stairs and broke your leg or something, and nobody would yell at you for that.”

While the other skeleton was true in his analysis of this being an accident, Geno could only shake his head as he pulled his hand from his grasp. “I appreciate the sentiment, but this is more than an accident and you know it. True, I never intended to cut so deep, but I was still cutting myself. I even promised my brother that I’d never do it again, and yet what do I do the second things get hard? Go right back to the most destructive habit I’ve ever had. My brother will be pissed that I broke my promise to him, and my doctor will be pissed that I so recklessly endangered my own life after all the work she’s done over the years trying to keep me alive.”

“Well, that’s bullshit!” The taller snapped, startling the other and eliciting an apology for the sudden change in volume before he continued. “Look, I’ve been able to read between the lines of what you’ve told me, and I can tell that your brother is important to you... even though you never once told me his name.”

“Seriously? I never once said it?” The frail skeleton asked, baffled that he’d yet to include such a detail and had simply referred to Cross as “his brother” this whole time. It was them meeting all over again. “His name is Cross for the record.”

A moment of shock flashed across Reaper’s face for a second, but before he could comment on it, the look was replaced with his earlier frustration. “Okay, name aside, Cross is clearly important to you. And given your health problems and overall physical weakness, it’s safe to say that normally he takes care of you. So why, in the entire time that we’ve known each other, have I not once seen him? For the past week, I’ve been feeding you, helping you with various things, and overall watching over you. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve absolutely loved spending so much time with you, but with the amount of time we’ve spent together, I should’ve seen him at some point! Which leads me to believe he’s all but abandoned you.”

To hear it put so bluntly, even if he knew it to be true, hurt him right to his soul. For a solid week he’d battled with his phobia and his health while trying desperately to get into contact with Cross, only for his brother to completely ghost him. It was so unlike him that it had sucked all the fight out of him, leaving him unable to keep searching when he found it utterly pointless. “You’re... you’re right, he did abandon me. When I came out of the hospital last time, I was expecting him to be there for me, but I... I c-couldn’t replace him. I-I tried everything I could think of! Even hacking his phone! B-But it was off, meaning that he n-never got all my texts o-or my calls... I don’t even know what happened to him... He p-promised me he’d always b-be there for me, a-and he’s not the kind to b-break important promises, so what happened to him?!” By the end of his spiel, Geno was crying, desperately missing his brother and praying that nothing bad had happened to him while he was gone. If something had happened, something that the scarfed skeleton could’ve prevented had he been there, then he would never forgive himself.

Before he could lose himself in despair over his brother’s potential fate, a set of arms wrapped gently around his shaking frame. The smaller skeleton instantly leaned into Reaper’s hold, quietly sobbing as his companion moved closer to sit on the edge of his bed. “I’m sure he’s fine,” the taller whispered, rubbing his back to help soothe him. “I’m sure that there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for why he’s not here. Even if there’s not though, you can’t let yourself be weighed down by what-ifs and guilt. You were in the hospital, and Cross seems more than capable of taking care of himself, so whatever happened cannot be on you. We both know that the extra stress isn’t good for you at all, especially not while you’re here recovering your strength. Just... please, focus on yourself for now.” An unsure look crossed Reaper’s face as the crying skeleton glanced up, though the second they locked eyes it was replaced with a calm smile. “If it helps make you feel better, I can go look for him for you. If he’s in trouble, then I’ll give him a hand, and if not, I’ll just make sure the idiot lets you know that he’s okay. Does that sound good at all?”

Geno offered a nod as he tried his best to stop the flow of tears. He couldn’t believe that Reaper was willing to go to such lengths for him, to look for someone he didn’t even know. The flow of comfort didn’t stop until his emotions calmed down, the taller only retreating after being assured that the frail skeleton was okay. With Reaper back in his chair, drink in hand, Geno couldn’t help but send him a smile. No matter what he’d done to keep the flirty bastard out, here he was, by his bedside and providing him with the company he craved. It was so... easy to let his walls drop around him... too easy.

He’d had his theories before, recalling the various thoughts he’d been trying to connect to explain how a stranger had waltzed into his life and become so close to him in only a week. Between his observations, the foggy memories leading up to his hospitalization, and the way he was acting now, Geno was certain that he finally had his answer. “You know, you really aren’t like anyone else I’ve met before. You’ve been there for me whenever I needed, you kept me happy and optimistic instead of in the depths of depression, and you put up with me being such a grump and trying to push you away. Most people get the hint to leave me alone, but... you never did. You were so set on getting close to me that you tolerated everything I did to try to push you away. Normal people would’ve given up at the bookstore, but you really aren’t normal... isn’t that right, daemon?”

Reaper had just taken a sip of his drink as the smaller said that, resulting in a series noises as he choked on what appeared to be coffee. Some of the dark liquid spilled onto his hand as his body jerked, steam rising from it to indicate that it was still very much hot. The cup was set aside before more could spill, the hooded skeleton still coughing for a bit before he got his breathing under control. “D... Demon? Heh, Gen... I-I don’t exactly have any p-pointy horns under this hood,” he joked, still wheezing a bit while tending to the light burn on his hand.

The frail skeleton wasn’t surprised by the response, a smirk on his face as he regarded the barely hidden panic in his expression. Most would miss it, but Geno fancied himself quite good at ‘reading between the lines’ as Reaper had called it. “We both know I’m not talking about biblical demons, Reap. No, you and I both know that you’re an ancestral daemon, a rare subspecies of monster almost forgotten about after the war and subsequent hunting of your kind almost drove it to extinction. In fact, though my memories were extremely hazy and muddled, I was still aware of things enough to feel... claws or something similar grabbing me when you came to my rescue. Combine that with the sensation of flight I experienced, and I can only assume that your ancestral animal is a bird of some kind.”

For a moment, Reaper was completely dumfounded, staring at the bedridden skeleton as if he’d just grown a second head. “H-How?” Was the first thing he could say, his arms moving in front of himself as if to guard from an incoming attack. “How do you even know what a daemon is? Like you said, they’ve been all but forgotten by society thanks to humanity.”

While the defensive position spoke to instant suspicion, Geno couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re assuming that I’m with the hunters, aren’t you?” The second he mentioned the hunters, Reaper’s body tensed, his fingers clenching into fists. It wasn’t uncommon for rare monsters like Reaper to react in such a way to the mere mention of hunters, so he paid it no mind as he felt that he was in no danger of being attacked. “Relax genius, do I really look like someone that would work with those assholes?” To accentuate his point, he let his glitches destabilize a bit, offering a smile as the glitch cloud covering his right socket jumped to life. He knew that Error was both a glitch and a daemon, and it was highly likely that Error and Reaper knew each other in some form, so odds were that he’d get his message across this way.

“You’re a glitch,” the other blurted out, the tension slowly evaporating from his body.

“No shit, Sherlock,” Geno chuckled, sighing as his body stabilized. A small ache ran through him from destabilizing, but it was easier to deal with mild pain than try to explain things in a way that would keep the daemon from freaking out.

Reaper shook his head, clearing the dumbfounded look from his face in the process as he scooted the chair that he was using a bit closer. “Okay, guess that explains some things, and I guess it’s possible for a glitch to know of other rare monsters, but I have a feeling that there’s another reason for you knowing that I’m a daemon.”

The frail skeleton nodded, confirming the taller’s suspicions. “You really can read between the lines, can’t you?” He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts in order to best explain himself. “I’m also blood-kin; my father was a daemon, so I grew up around your kind. Made it pretty easy for me to figure out why you’ve been so clingy with me too... I’m your soulmate, aren’t I?”

Once again, he managed to render the hooded skeleton speechless, a look of utter disbelief on his face for a solid three seconds. A soft chuckle escaped the taller once he’d apparently processed the question, a smirk on his face as his eyes closed. “I’m so used to being the smartest person in the room that I forget what it’s like to be caught off guard, but it seems that my little soulmate is just as clever as I am.” Following his words, Geno watched in awe as shadows moved from behind the other skeleton, those shadows growing large enough for him to notice that they were wings. Jet-black wings unfurled from Reaper’s back, each wing spreading out as wide as Reaper was tall. His wingspan was massive, enough to make them almost immediately fold back to rest along his back in order to avoid disturbing hospital equipment. While this change was happening, another one was also noticeable from Geno’s current position. His hands were morphing as well, fingers elongating and sharpening to form curved claws. The sound of scratching along the floor indicated that a similar change had happened with his feet, though he was unable to peer over the edge of the bed enough to glance at them.

When the change was seemingly complete, Reaper opened his eyes to catch the obvious wonder on Geno’s face. His clawed hands reached forward once again, gingerly taking hold of one the smaller’s hands. Despite how sharp they looked, none of the claws scratched his delicate bones even a bit, making it clear just how much care the other was taking not to hurt him. “Guess you caught me, huh?” The daemon snickered, gently rubbing the back of Geno’s hand with the side of a clawed thumb. “Yeah, you’re my soulmate, which is why I refused to take your many obvious hints to leave you alone. It never was an option for me, plain and simple.”

It was still hard for the glitch to process the gravity of those words, even if he knew deep down just what they meant. While he hadn’t been born a daemon, he’d asked his father all sorts of questions as a kid about what it was like to be one. He understood the devotion that daemons experienced for their soulmates, how there was no greater feeling for them than to provide their mate with whatever they needed or wanted. To keep them happy, healthy, and safe was a daemon’s ultimate goal once they found them, though this meant one specific thing to the small skeleton at this moment. “You mean... I’ll never be alone again?”

“Quoth the raven ‘Nevermore’,” Reaper said, offering a slight bow and grinning. Any trace of sadness that might’ve threatened to envelop him due to memories of isolation immediately vanished upon hearing the daemon quoting Edgar Allen Poe, the quote allowing him to draw the conclusion that Reaper’s animal traits were from a raven.

With that conclusion made, he was left laughing and giggling at the joke, shaking his head as he saw Reaper’s grin growing. “You’re so dumb!” he wheezed, the other joining in on the laughter for a moment as well.

The end of their laughing fit was quite well-timed, as neither were able to say anything before someone could be heard at the door. Both froze at the sound, Geno’s mind immediately scrambling to come up with an explanation as to how he had a visitor when he shouldn’t... come to think of it, even he didn’t know how Reaper had gotten into his room, but there was no time to ask. He turned to look at the taller, hoping that maybe he could squeeze under the bed or something, but he was already gone. Even his drink and book had vanished, leaving him more confused than anything. There wasn’t any time to call out to the hooded skeleton to figure out where he’d gone, as the door swung open at that moment.

“Hello Geno,” greeted his personal doctor, Dr. Michelle Lang. She was a thin woman of Asian descent, her black hair tied up into a bun behind her head. Normally, Dr. Lang was a lovely woman to work with due to Geno’s long personal history with her, though her adjustment of her glasses drew attention to the prominent frown on her face. “I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting to see you hospitalized again so soon, especially not from something of your own doing,” she lectured, the small skeleton flinching at the harsh tone of her words. “Considering how hard it is to keep you out of here, I wouldn’t expect you to do something so foolish as to resume self harm. You’re smart enough to know how detrimental it can be on your health, with this serving as the perfect example.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Geno meekly muttered, rubbing at one of his bandaged wrists as he avoided her glare. Before he could even try to explain himself, she cut him off with an exasperated sigh.

“Sorry won’t keep you from falling apart now, will it? Honestly, I’m more surprised that you were able to do this for what is evidently more than just a handful of days. I can’t believe that you managed to hide this from both Cross and CC... come to think of it, why wasn’t Cross the one that brought you in? According to the staff here, some random guy without shoes brought you in, then got all upset when he was told he couldn’t see you.”

The question left a very bitter taste in his mouth, a huff escaping him as all that bitterness and anger bubbled up inside him. “That’s because I haven’t seen Cross in weeks,” he spat, catching the look of surprise cross his doctor’s face. “Ever since I got out of the hospital last time, he’s been fucking gone! And all my friends suddenly ghosted me too, so literally the only people I’ve been able to ask for help is my new neighbor and the fucking delivery guy! Do you have any idea how long I’ve gone without a proper bath? I’ve had to scrub myself with a sponge because I can’t even get in the tub on my own!” He would’ve kept ranting were it not for a lance of pain through his fractured soul, causing him to hiss as he doubled over.

Dr. Lang was by his side in an instant, forcing his back straight and coaching him through the minor episode. It took him a moment to get his breathing back under control, but the pain quickly subsided afterwards. “Okay, not what I was expecting,” Lang sighed, adjusting her glasses once more before stepping back. “Though that does explain... well, everything. I’m gonna guess that your autophobia triggered the self harm?”

“Technically it triggered depression first and both triggered the self harm as a really shitty coping mechanism, but yeah.” There was no point lying to his doctor. She was the only one outside of his brothers to know his past, and she was well aware of the extents of his physical and mental health. He completely trusted her, which was what allowed him to be so blunt about his current situation.

With the added information, Dr. Lang paused for a moment, likely trying to think of how to respond best. “Well... I guess I can understand why you did what you did now, though don’t mistake that for condoning your actions.”

“Heh, I’d be more surprised if you did condone them. I... think it’s out of my system now though, almost dying is a really good means of quitting cold turkey,” he joked a bit, though he was sure that he’d be able to avoid putting a knife to himself in the near future. His time in the hospital wouldn’t allow him to feed that addiction, and he knew that Reaper would also support him as he kicked the habit once again. By the time he got out of here and back home, that need would be gone and he wouldn’t have the loneliness he did before that triggered everything in the first place.

“You are about the only person I know that can joke about almost dying.” The doctor was shaking her head as she pulled a bottle out of her white coat, the container unmarked and filled with bright red pills. A quick glance around the area confirmed that nobody was watching through the door, Lang opening the bottle and pulling two of the pills out. “At least this time wasn’t as bad as the last one, so I think two will suffice.” Her hushed tone spoke to the secret nature of this particular treatment, the frail skeleton nodding as he took the pills from her hand and popped them in his mouth.

The moment he swallowed the pills, a familiar pain surged through his bones. It was somewhat similar to his episodes, yet the pain was more of a burning sensation than a stabbing one. It was like his soul was being set on fire from the inside, the heat quickly spreading to consume his whole body. Just as it always did, his glitched body reacted to the medicine, destabilizing to properly process it. Glitches fizzled and sparked along his entire body, his usual glitch cloud erratic in its movements as the medicine was absorbed by his soul.

Time stretched on indefinitely as the pain consumed him, though he knew that at most a couple minutes had passed. It wasn’t much longer before the pain started to subside, his body no longer feeling like it was on fire as his glitches settled down. He wasn’t completely stable, but that was normal and would take a bit longer to subside. Throughout the entire process, Dr. Lang had watched him with an unreadable expression, keeping tabs on his condition to make sure no anomaly presented itself. Once the skeleton started to relax, she nodded to herself as she tucked the rest of the bottle away. “We’ll check your levels again tomorrow to make sure the dosage was correct, but I’m sure that we’ll start noticing results relatively soon. As usual, try to avoid calling for a nurse until you’re stable, and otherwise get plenty of rest so that I can hopefully kick you out of here soon.”

“Never heard a doctor speak so candidly about kicking out a patient,” Geno joked, hoping to lighten the mood a bit now that he’d received his special treatment and Lang would be leaving to attend to other duties.

His efforts were rewarded with a chuckle, her usual smile returning to her face. “In my defense, I’ve never had a patient quite like you,” she fired back, waving goodbye to him as she left his hospital room.

A moment of silence passed following her departure, the frail skeleton only then remembering that Reaper had been in the room with him before his doctor’s arrival. As if on cue, a flash of movement beside him alerted him to the presence of the daemon, watching him practically fade back into existence in the same chair he’d been sitting in before. The only difference was that this time he was all huddled up on the chair, his taloned feet visible while his wings were wrapped as tightly around himself as possible. The missing book and drink were clutched in Reaper’s hold, likely concealed by whatever had made the raven disappear in the first place. “That’s... an interesting trick,” the smaller muttered, perplexed by how he’d remained essentially invisible.

Reaper chuckled as he finally unfolded himself from the ball that he’d turned himself into, looking a lot more comfortable now that he wasn’t a pretzel. “Heh, family trick, handy for avoiding hunters or sudden doctor visits.”

“It’s also how you managed to sneak in here, isn’t it?”

“Nothing gets by you, does it?” The taller laughed as he nodded in agreement, also gesturing to the window. “Though any time after the first has been through the window, way easier than climbing all those stairs.” The joking mood quickly died down though, the hooded skeleton’s brow creasing as he asked a question that Geno knew would be coming. “What was that by the way? Those pills, they didn’t look right, and they seemed to put you through so much pain...”

A sigh left the smaller as he tried to think of how best to explain things, knowing that the truth would freak Reaper out. But there really wasn’t any delicate way to put it, so he just braced himself for the fallout and put it as bluntly and straightforward as possible. “Not surprised that they didn’t sit right with you. Those pills... they were pure determination.”

The reaction was instant, a very panicky daemon at his side and freaking out as he started touching him all over. “Determination?! Ohmygod, why the hell did she give you that?! Are you okay?! Are you melting anywhere?! I swear, I’ll kill her for this!” With two hands squishing his cheeks, there was no way for the frail skeleton to even attempt getting a word in edgewise to calm Reaper down from his panic and murderous rage.

One of those hands pulled away only to grab at the blanket covering his lower half in order to examine it for signs of melting. While Geno was wearing a hospital gown, there wasn’t nearly enough material down there for his comfort, resulting in one of his hands connecting with the raven’s cheek. It probably hurt him more than it hurt Reaper, jarring his injured arm and sending an army of glitches radiating up the length of the bones, but it was enough to stun his soulmate into stopping for a second. “Geez would you let me at least answer your questions before threatening to kill my doctor?!” He snapped, cradling his throbbing and glitching arm to his chest. “God, you won’t even let me say anything or even try to explain!”

“Sorry,” Reaper mumbled as he pulled away, his voice small as he hunched in on himself. A quick glance at the smaller’s arm brought his earlier concern to the forefront, gesturing to the glitching limb. “Does it... hurt?”

“A bit, but I’ve done worse,” Geno sighed, thankful for the space to at least breathe now. “As for your earlier concerns that I knew you would freak out about, I’m fine.” Deciding that Reaper was safe to trust considering that they were soulmates, he used one hand to brush away the manic glitches covering his right socket. Hidden beneath that glitch cloud were evidences of the determination that ran through his system, the socket melted and deformed to the point of permanent blindness in that eye. “As you can see, this isn’t the first time I’ve had DT, and with how my body is, it won’t be the last.”

A set of talons reached out for his melted socket, hesitating just before they made contact until he was given permission. His touch was gentle as he brushed along the deformed bone, feeling the various ridges and dips that the smaller took such care to hide. “But... how? DT is toxic to even the strongest of monsters, none of us can survive having so much.”

“You forget, I’m a glitch,” the frail skeleton reminded, smiling up at Reaper as he leaned his head into the hand cradling the side of his face. “I know you there’s a hybrid in the city that you’re likely associated with, so I’m guessing that you know how my kind works. My trigger... it was when scientists injected pure DT into my soul. My body reacted and glitched out for the first time, adapting fast enough to prevent my body from succumbing to DT poisoning. This socket was already melted and damaged beyond repair, but the rest of me came out unscathed with the power of DT flowing through my magic.”

Reaper seemed to be in disbelief, unable to comprehend the story Geno had told him. Instead of saying anything, he just pulled the smaller into a firm yet gentle hug, nuzzling into his neck as he did so. “I can’t imagine how much pain you must’ve gone through, or how strong you are to have made it out of such a horrible situation.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” he lied, trying to keep the hooded skeleton from freaking out. In reality, that had been one of the most agonizing moments of his life. His entire body had felt like it was simultaneously melting, being pulled apart, and then forced back together. That pain had imprinted itself on his glitched nature, echoes of that torture coming back every time his body was exposed to or used his now natural determination reserves. “Determination has been the only thing keeping me going all this time. Without it, I’m pretty sure I would’ve dusted years ago just from how weak my body is. But with this power, I’ve been able to keep going... and I was able to meet you too.”

In his mind, there were far more positives to his secret power than there were drawbacks. He could handle the pain, having done so for years now. With his doctor supplementing his reserves through those pills, he was able to power his weakened body through DT, and it gave his magic a significant power boost as well. Reaper seemed far more hesitant about accepting the benefits though, his gaze conflicted as he remained silent for a moment. “I... if you say that it’s a good thing, then I’ll believe you, but I’m also not gonna stop worrying, okay?” The glitch giggled, unsurprised by his reactions as he agreed. Apparently, his reaction had an effect on the taller, a wave of blue crossing his cheeks before he snuggled him closer. “God, you’re just too cute, but should I be worried about this too? You weren’t so... open and trusting of me before.”

“That was before I knew that there was no way of getting rid of you,” he chuckled, leaning more into his soulmate’s hold. “Now it’s clear that no amount of aggression or snapping is gonna convince you to leave me alone, so I might as well just accept that fact and move on with my life.”

“Aw, come on, just admit that you like me too!”

“You’re a good pillow, I’ll give you that.” While he derived most of his strength from DT, the pain from glitching like earlier had a way of sapping away at his energy. That, combined with his injuries, was leaving him kind of tired, and it was surprisingly comfy to just lean against Reaper’s warm chest the way that he was. But that answer clearly wasn’t what the other wanted, a childish whine escaping him as his wings ruffled in complaint. “Okay fine, you big baby. I do enjoy your company, are you happy now?”

Those wings wrapped around him in response, a content hum leaving Reaper as they shifted to lean back on the bed. It allowed him to glance up and see the daemon’s face, revealing a wide smile plastered to his face. Geno never thought that would be all it would take to make him so happy, but he wasn’t complaining as they got comfy all cuddled up together. “I’ll admit, while it was kinda cute seeing you try so hard to push me away, I like this side of you even more~” Reaper’s voice was a deep rumble, reverberating from his ribcage to the smaller’s skull resting against it. It was calming, though it didn’t stop him from blushing at the words spoken to him.

“Oh shut up,” he mumbled, snuggling closer as his soulmate let out a chuckle. A moment of peaceful silence reigned between the two, Geno’s mind quiet and empty of all the panic and trauma that had drove him to such a poor state of mental health before. Between that and the hand that came to pet at his skull, it was so easy for him to just relax and enjoy all the attention. It was... nice, and made even better once his glitches settled down and he was left with just the static cloud covering his melted socket to hint at his true nature.

Despite his peace of mind though, one thing continued to linger in his thoughts, bugging him and disturbing this nice moment. “Hey Reaper?” A hum was all he got in response, but it was enough to know that the raven was listening. “Remember when you promised to go looking for my brother?” Another hum was offered as affirmation, though this one had a slight bit of hesitance to it, as if something was bothering him about the subject. Regardless, the frail skeleton pressed on, needing to make his request so that he could let his worries float away for once and enjoy this moment. “When you replace him, can you make it damn clear that I’m pissed at him? Like, I honestly don’t want to see him right now I’m so mad. He better hope whatever he was doing for three weeks was worth leaving me on my own, because I just... I can’t deal with him right now. I want to know that he’s okay, but it’s his turn to be ghosted.”

“You sure that’s what you want, sweetheart?” Reaper asked, the smaller nodding against his chest. If he saw Cross right now, one of two things would happen. Either he’d let his anger consume him and end up triggering his condition, or Cross would be pissed to replace out what he’d done to end up back in the hospital and freak at him... which would probably trigger his condition. Both of them needed time to calm down before they talked to each other, otherwise tempers would just be too high and it would make things worse. The hooded skeleton seemed to accept his certainty even without a verbal explanation, offering a nod of his own. “Alright, if you’re sure, then I’ll make sure he stays away from you until you’re ready to talk to him. I just worry because I know how dependent on him your health leaves you.”

“Well... I’ve got you now, don’t I?”

Another chuckle rumbled through his chest, the taller’s head dipping down to nuzzle against him. “That you do, my little swan. I’ll never leave your side unless you want me to, and I’ll take care of you to the best of my ability. That I swear upon my very soul.”

“Good,” was all Geno said, replaceing his energy waning as he snuggled closer.

“You know that I’ll have to leave the bed so that some nurse doesn’t freak out when they come to check on ya, right?” The glitch did not like that, whining in displeasure as he pointedly snuggled closer. Despite his words, the hand petting him never ceased, nor did the wings so snugly wrapped around him pull away. “Okay, you win. I’ll stay until you’re asleep, deal?” Already drifting off, the smaller didn’t even bother responding, simply grabbing hold of Reaper’s hoodie in a feeble attempt to keep him in place longer. A soft kiss was placed against his skull, causing it to heat up even if he knew that he enjoyed having so much affection like this. “Sweet dreams, Gen. I’ll be here when you wake up.”