Daemons
Chapter 21

Self-Harm Warning

1... 2...

Geno sighed as he looked down at his phone, the ringing being cut short as a sign that the call had been declined. Dream wasn’t one to reject a call, so he was likely in the middle of something and would check the call later. Not wanting his friend to worry about him if he was busy, the frail skeleton brought the phone back up to his head as he heard the faint sound of Dream’s voicemail. “Hey Dream, you must be busy right now... which is why you haven’t shown up to pick me up. Don’t worry about me though! I can get myself home just fine with the bus, so don’t worry about stopping at the hospital when you’re done whatever it is you’re busy with. I’ll... talk to you later I guess, bye!” With that he hung up, turning to look at the automatic doors in front of him. The wheelchair the hospital had lent him was stiff, the wheels taking far more effort to push along and make go. This was going to be a long trip home, especially with how weak he felt from his barely healed injuries.

3... 4...

An empty house wasn’t what the scarfed skeleton was expecting to come home to, having fully expected Cross to be there waiting for him as he often was when it wasn’t a school day. Yet he’d been alone for hours now, his stomach growling at him as he groaned in frustration. It had taken everything he had to get home, practically passing out in his chair once he got the door closed and locked. There was no way he had the strength to even attempt making food, and there was the slight problem that he didn’t really know how to cook anyways. Cross was always the one to do so since he could actually move around the kitchen, whereas Geno’s chair put his chin level with the counter.

Pulling out his phone, he tried one more time to get a hold of his brother, only to frown as he was put to voicemail once again. “Hey Cross... it’s me again. Um, it’s getting late, and I’m getting hungry, so I’m gonna order a pizza. I’ll order one for you two, so come home soon if you want it nice and hot!” He ended the call, his fingers clenching around his phone as he placed an order for two pizzas; one with pretty much everything on it, and one with the healthiest options available. Hopefully Cross would come home soon and they could eat together like they usually did.

5... 6...

It hadn’t been hard to find out how Sci’s trip to the local comic con had gone, not when a video of a robot doing the Fortnite default dance went viral. As funny as he’d found to see his friend making a mockery of whoever was in that suit, Geno couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy and loneliness. It was supposed to be him in that suit, he knew it. Even if he’d never seen the titan before the video, it wasn’t hard to know that his con buddy had built it with him in mind so that they could both enjoy the event together. And yet here he was, seeing the scientist spending time with someone else, having fun and laughing while he was stuck alone at home. “Well... at least he got to go and have fun,” he sighed, tugging at his scarf as he closed out of the video and went back to his work.

7... 8...

Cross’ bizarre absence was really starting to make him appreciate everything his brother helped him with. It was all the simple things that most people took for granted, like being able to cook for oneself, or taking the trash out, or showering. With how shaky his body still was, Geno wasn’t really eager to try and lift himself into the tub, but he’d pushed it about as long as he figured he could. “It’s okay... you’ve got this. Just... focus and breathe,” he muttered to himself, having already struggled to strip away his clothes without the strength to really stand. That was another thing he never realized Cross helped him with so much. His arms rattled about like a baby’s toy the second he tried to push up from his seat, the skeleton grunting as he continued with the practiced movement. Slow and steady, all he needed was enough height to sit on the edge of the tub.

Maybe this was a sign that they needed to get one of those easy access tubs installed? That definitely proved to be the case as his careful efforts failed to keep him from tumbling into the basin, gasping at the shock of pain that radiated up his arm. Already feeling blood beginning to well at the sight of the newly formed crack, it took what little strength he had to reach out and turn the water on. Cold rivulets sprayed against his bones, the chill helping to numb the agony that left him gasping and shuddering. The water carried away the blood, staining it crimson as Geno simply laid there, shaking and desperately wishing someone was here to help him.

9... 10...

As he was mindlessly scrolling through his messages, trying to distract himself from his loneliness with past conversations, Geno’s soul jumped a bit at the sight of message bubbles appearing when he popped onto his message chain with Lust. Lust was texting him! He shouldn’t be so excited to be getting a message, but being alone for even a short timeframe had left him craving interaction. Not wanting to seem as needy as he realistically was, the frail skeleton waited to see what message would come with hope twinkling in his eye.

Yet that hope quickly died as the bubbles stopped and refused to come back, whatever message Lust had been in the process of writing never being sent. Geno waited, and waited, and eventually got tired of waiting. So he sent a simple text, hoping it would spur his friend on to chat with him even a little bit. But he got no response, no matter how many texts he sent. Eventually he did get something several hours later.

Sorry, I’ve got a friend over. Can’t chat right now, but I hope you’re doing well! It was so tempting to send a reply saying that he’d be better if someone would just talk to him...

11... 12...

“Cross, where the hell are you?!” The lonely skeleton screamed into his phone, tugging at his scarf as he struggled to keep from freaking out too much. The last thing he needed was to have an episode when he was all alone. “You’ve been gone almost a week, you haven’t returned any of my messages or calls! This isn’t like you! Please, just talk to me, I need to know if you’re okay! I... I just need to talk to someone... I’ve been all alone this week, and... you know how I get about being alone.”

Tears started to fall from his good eye, yet he stubbornly wiped them away. “I miss you Cross... please, just send me a text or call me so that I know you’re okay.” He ended the call, frowning as he knew that his brother’s voicemail had to be pretty close to full. He just... he needed to know that he wasn’t alone.

13... 14...

“Oh, hey Geno!” Blue’s voice rang through the phone, the one holding it lighting up in a way he hadn’t all week.

“Blue! It’s great to talk to you! How are you doing?” He was sure that his unusual excitement must’ve caught the other off guard, but at this point he didn’t care.

“Um... I’m good, didn’t know that you were out of the hospital yet though.”

“Oh, heh, yeah I’ve been out for about a week now! Finally getting enough strength to move around without this stupid wheelchair!”

There was an instant change in his friend’s voice, one he probably would’ve analyzed if he wasn’t so excited to talk to someone after a week of silence. It lacked his usual cheer, sounding somewhat distracted as he spoke up again. “Oh, good for you. Look, I’m really sorry, but there’s something I need to go take care of. We can talk another time, okay?”

It took everything he had to keep from desperately begging his friend to stay on the line, reluctantly letting him go to take care of whatever was so important to him. At least he got to hear one of his friends’ voices...

15... 16...

This was it, his last chance to try and figure out what was happening with Cross. It was still difficult to walk about the apartment, yet Geno stubbornly hobbled over to his desk once the idea hit him. It would be child’s play for him to track his brother through his phone, immediately getting to work as he started going through back doors to find it. Some were ones put in by the manufacturer for tracking purposes, and some were ones he’d implemented for a safety feature only to forget about until now. After all, the two of them had been together the entire time, so there had been no need for either of them to hunt the other down like this. But now, it would finally get some use.

At least, that was the plan, but Geno’s soul fell the moment his efforts rewarded him with the one result he was afraid of. He wasn’t able to connect, meaning that the device had either been powered off or destroyed. Until Cross turned his phone on, there’d be no way to track his location. And if the monochrome skeleton had a reason to turn it off, he probably wouldn’t turn it on again any time soon. It was hopeless... there was no way to find his brother.

17... 18...

It had been a while since one of his phone calls had actually been answered, but Geno was truly delighted to hear Ink’s voice on the line. “Ink, hi! How are you?”

“Geno? Hi! Um, I’m good, a bit busy at the moment though. I’ve got my boyfriend over.”

“Oh, you do?” Normally, the scarfed skeleton would take this as the very obvious hint that it was to end the call and let his friend get back to what he was doing, but right now he was far too desperate to talk to someone. “What are you two doing?”

“Um... we were just about to watch a movie, we just finished making dinner so we were gonna watch one while we ate.”

There was a note of unsureness to his friend’s voice, though he was quick to brush it off and keep talking. “Well that’s good! It’s important to eat regular meals after all, did you make something good?”

The sigh he received in response caught his attention, glancing at his phone as he dreaded what would be said next. “Geno, I’m really sorry, but I have to go. If you want to chat with someone, why don’t you phone one of the others? Or talk to Cross, he’s usually around!”

His soul constricted a bit at the reminder of his lost brother, his thoughts looping as they tried to think of what happened to him. Before he realized it, Ink was hanging up and all he could manage to say was goodbye before the call was killed. “But I already tried all the others,” he muttered as tears stung the edges of his eye socket, looking down at his call history that proved Ink was the only one to answer today.

19... 20...

“Dammit!” A fist slammed into the desk, the entire arm vibrating from the force of the impact. “Ten days... ten fucking days and I can’t get any of them to talk to me! Cross is gone, Dream’s fucked off somewhere with that daemon of his, and everyone else is too busy rubbing their relationships in my face to even check in on me! Hell, Blue didn’t even really react when he found out I was out of the hospital! I mean, it wasn’t a big deal, I only nearly fucking died!" Geno screamed to the empty room, taking out his frustration on the furniture as he bashed his fist against it repeatedly.

That’s when he felt it, the familiar tension in his soul that signaled he was about to have an episode. It wasn’t surprising considering how he’d let himself get all worked up, but that didn’t calm the rush of panic that seized him as it became harder to breathe. On instinct, he looked around for Cross or CC, wanting their help in calming him down only to remember that they weren’t here. As his breathing became nothing but painful gasps, the frail skeleton struggled to recall whatever his brothers always did to calm him down and snap him out of it. All that did though was remind him how they weren’t here, how he was utterly alone and would have to suffer through this by himself. At this moment, he just wanted someone there to comfort him as his body started to painfully glitch, fighting against the episode with the only means he had at his disposal.

21... 22...

Geno had given up trying to call his friends at this point. None of them had answered him in days, his texts not even being read sometimes until days later. They were all busy living their lives... and had left him behind in the process.

For someone like him with autophobia, the fear of being alone, this was his worst nightmare come true. His anxiety was through the roof, he wasn’t sleeping or eating properly, and he just all around felt horrible. “How to tell if you’re depressed,” he mumbled, staring dully at his computer screen as he read out loud the title of the article he was reading. No wonder Dream had been experiencing such issues within the past while if this was the crap he’d been dealing with daily. How he’d managed to cover it up for so long was beyond him when the complicated mix of emotions felt soul-crushing to the frail skeleton. “Heh... now if only I could get in touch with him to ask him how the hell he managed to cope. I just feel like... like I’m shutting down.”

23... 24...

“Hello again Geno! I think this is the... third or fourth time this week!” The delivery driver greeted as he held out a bag of food for the skeleton to take.

Geno offered a weak smile, trying to hide the fact that he hadn’t slept the night before by faking cheer. “Yeah, kind of hard to cook when the counters are all above my head,” he joked as he set the bag of food in his lap, adjusting his wheelchair slightly as he did so.

“Yeah, guess that makes sense. I’ve got an aunt who’s disabled and she usually has a carer cook for her. I’m surprised that you don’t have one.”

“I uh... I did. He just... hasn’t come home recently,” the smaller mumbled, going to pay only to stop at the tip option. “Oh, think you could do me a favor? I’d happily tip you extra if you’d take some of my trash out for me. Don’t trust myself to not fall down the stairs if I tried to get to the back myself, and the back of the building isn’t wheelchair friendly.” He’d found that out the hard way, having already tried to take some of it to the dumpster himself only to get stuck and spend half an hour trying to get back inside.

“Oh, sure thing! You don’t have to tip extra though, you already give crazy good tips as it is!”

The scarfed one simply shrugged, his smile a bit more genuine as he added on extra to his usual tip anyways before getting out of the kind man’s way so he could retrieve the trash bags. “I like to think of it as thanking you for giving me someone to talk to.”

25... 26...

“I still don’t see what’s so appealing about this,” Geno mumbled to himself as he found himself chatting to some random stranger online. It was only through text, and he had absolutely no idea who they were outside of the few pointless details he’d gleaned from their conversation, but it was better than the crushing loneliness he was subjected to. There was the slight problem though of his trust issues, which were slowly becoming more apparent to the person he was chatting with. The skeleton wouldn’t offer anything substantial in terms of responses to direct questions, and he’d already grown bored of entertaining the children he seemed to constantly be paired with.

This resulted in him clearly not being the most exciting person to talk to as yet another person ended the chat. “Huh... that one got bored of me even faster than the last,” he sighed, trying to decide whether to connect with someone else or not. “S’not like I got anything better to do,” Geno muttered, continuing on with the cycle that did little to ease the darkness that seemed to practically choke him.

27... 28...

Two weeks... Geno hadn’t eaten a homecooked meal in two weeks. He was so sick and tired of takeout, even if it was the only real interaction he seemed to get anymore. Desperate for something simple and homemade, the frail skeleton hobbled into the kitchen with his cane, deciding that a sandwich was something even he could make. It was either that or he was certain that he probably wouldn’t eat today, which he knew was extremely bad for his health considering the usual high caloric intake he used to supplement his soul’s weakened magic output.

Grabbing a few ingredients from the fridge, or at least the ones that hadn’t started to rot, he leaned his body against the counter and set to work. What should’ve been a stupidly simple task however was quickly ruined by his shaky hands, the knife he’d been using to cut the meat slipping and grazing bone instead. On instinct he recoiled, pulling his hand back to see the angry red mark that was already dripping with blood. It hurt... yet at the same time, it seemed to distract him from the pain he’d been experiencing beforehand.

A few memories flitted through his mind as he stared at the blood dripping onto the counter, a memory of an old pain and a promise. Yet the numbness that washed over him also washed those memory fragments away, leaving him staring blankly at the knife splattered with his own blood. He... should do something about that. That thought echoed in his mind as he grabbed the handle of the blade once again.

29... 30...

Several guides on how to combat depression had said that leaving the house regularly was good for a person’s mental health and could improve their mood. So that’s why Geno decided to go out for a quick grocery trip on his own. Cross normally did this and many similar errands, or at the very least would accompany the smaller on such trips, so it was a bit of a new experience to do it completely by himself.

Of course, there were no shortage of stares, and even a few people that were kind enough to approach him and ask if he was okay. The skeleton would mutely nod or offer quiet and short responses, most getting the hint and letting him carry on as he picked up fresh bread, bandages, and a few other easy things.

Only one wouldn’t take the hint that he wanted to be left alone, trying to ‘help’ as they reached out to grab his arm as if to stop him. The chair-bound monster flinched the second they made contact with his arm, ripping his arm back and knocking his basket off his lap in the process. Apparently, the look he gave them was enough to send them scurrying off in fear, the skeleton grumbling to himself as he adjusted his sleeve before just leaving with the bandages that had managed to be knocked onto his lap instead of the ground. It was the one thing he really needed anyways.

31... 32...

Fuck Cross.

Fuck his friends.

Fuck everything.

Geno was surviving without them, so why did he rely on them so much? If he never let anyone in, then he’d never have to worry about being hurt or betrayed or any of that crap.

He’d manage his condition and his fears, one way or another.

“33... 34...”

Geno looked down at his bloody arms, sporting a total of 34 cuts across both limbs. One per arm per day he’d been alone up to this point, a running tally of all the time he’d spent without his friends when he needed their help. His dull eye light glanced away as he reached for the nearby bandages, blood dripping onto the tile floor and landing next to similar drops that had faded to a ruddy brown. Those drops were there from the day before... or maybe the one before that. Ever since he’d started up harming himself, he couldn’t be asked to clean the floors or the counters of the blood he spilled everywhere, figuring that it would serve as a reminder alongside the constant sting and ache running through his bones. He was alive, and the physical pain he endured with each cut of the knife proved it.

The first cut had been an accident, a slip of his shaky hands while trying the seemingly simple task of making something to eat. Yet it had sparked an addiction the skeleton long thought was buried and gone; one he’d even promised would never return. But what was the point of upholding that promise if Cross had already gone back on his promise to always be there for him? There was little he could do by himself with his weak body and unstable health, especially in terms of coping with his anxiety and depression, but cutting was the one thing that made him feel like he had even a small semblance of power and control over his life. Sure, he knew it wasn’t healthy, but neither was having constant panic attacks or depression so strong that he couldn’t be asked to eat anything. In his mind, this was the lesser of two evils, and he was more than careful to never do more than he could handle.

With bandages carefully wrapped around the radius and ulna of both arms, the scarfed one was free to think now that the physical pain chased away the haze that plagued his mind previously. Relaxing back in his wheelchair, he pulled up one of the many depression sites that he’d been visiting frequently in a vain attempt to get a handle on his own emotions. Ignoring all the parts about seeking medical help, he went back to the home care options that he could manage. Food was one of the big things, yet he hadn’t actually bought groceries recently. The skeleton had tried, yet some person had grabbed his freshly cut arm and caused him to freak out, leaving with only the bandages he used almost immediately when at home to patch up the freshly opened cuts. So, unless he ordered something in, which he was absolutely sick of doing, he’d have to go out and get some stuff. At least leaving the house was one of the recommended items as well, though hopefully this attempt would end up better than the last.

The apartment he lived in had been selected for many reasons, and one of the bigger ones had been how close to a large shopping center it was. It was a short walk, or ride in this case, for him to get there, which was good considering how the crappy wheelchair he was still stuck using was still far stiffer than his old one had been. As he wheeled himself over towards the shopping center, one of the buildings caught his eye as he passed it on the way to get groceries. It was the bookstore, one of the only shops nearby that he often spent a lot of time in. When all else failed, the frail skeleton always found relief in the fictional worlds of his books, finding himself able to escape into wonderous fantasy lands or amazing sci-fi landscapes. With how his mood was, escaping into a new story didn’t sound like such a bad idea.

So, he rolled himself through the familiar doors of the bookstore, one of the staff even waving to him as he entered since he was such a common presence there. The skeleton knew every inch of the store, where the best sellers and employee favorites would be, the sections to avoid when wanting to be alone, and even where some of the more obscure or rare titles could be found. Sci knew his way around the comic shop, and it was the same for Geno and this place.

While the idea to come inside had been a spur of the moment decision, there was a particular book that the scarfed skeleton found himself hunting for. It was one of the rarities this store could have on the right occasion, a book he’d been searching for over a long period of time. It was the third book in a trilogy that, in his mind, crossed the best elements of sci-fi and fantasy. The Titan trilogy was his favorite series of books, yet the final story, Titan Fading, had eluded him for years. Online retailers were always out of stock, second-hand shops never had any of the popular trilogy, and even big-name stores like the one he was in struggled to keep any of the three volumes in stock. There was even a sequel trilogy coming out that he would love to get his hands on, but first he had to read the third installment.

Despite its popularity, any copies of the Titan trilogy were always squirreled away on the shelves towards the back of the store, far away from the newer releases that they had plenty of. And its location never seemed to stay the same either, jumping between the sci-fi and fantasy sections due to its cross-genre nature. Honestly, the disabled skeleton theorized that it was the staff’s attempts to actually keep the volumes in stock for more than a week at a time, since they were almost always on backorder according to one girl he’d asked. That same girl though had been kind enough to show him the most common hiding spots, sympathizing with the bookworm’s attempts to complete the trilogy. Since sci-fi was closer to the entrance, he checked that spot first, only to come up empty-handed. His hope fading, Geno wheeled himself over to fantasy to see if he had any better luck.

When he started searching though, he was surprised to see that they had all three volumes in stock at that moment, having likely just got a shipment in. There were a few copies of the first and second volumes, but only one left of the third... and it was out of his reach. “The one day I don’t think to bring my cane,” the skeleton grumbled, finding that no amount of stretching from his seated position would allow him to reach his new book. While standing up in his chair with nothing to support himself was risky, he figured that the risk was worth it as he locked his wheels and braced himself against the bookshelf.

Just as his fingers brushed the spine, he found them connecting with another set of bones like his own, the other phalanges grabbing hold of the book just as Geno was about to claim it. “H-Hey! That’s mine!” He shouted, turning to glare at whoever dared to take his precious book only to find himself staring into the empty abyss of another skeleton’s sockets.

Void of any eye lights, the stranger was staring back, a look of utter surprise on his face as his mouth fell open a bit. But before Geno could say anything, their dumbfounded expression was replaced with a cocky grin, the much taller skeleton plucking the book in question from the shelf before shifting to lean on it. “My, my, my~ I know I prayed to God today to send me an angel in my time of need, but I didn’t think he’d actually send me one~ Happy to be wrong though, what’s your name?”

Was... was this guy hitting on him? A bright red creeped along his cheekbones as he processed the words and tone used, spluttering a bit in the face of his bold advances. “Like hell I’m telling some creep my name! Just give me my damn book so that I can go home!” Fuck getting groceries, all he wanted right now was to get away from this guy and binge read that book.

“What, this thing?” The taller asked, regarding the book in his grasp. “Last I checked, all books on these shelves were for sale, and your name’s not anywhere on here... unless this is your name?” He asked, gesturing to the author’s name on the cover. Geno of course denied that, prompting a chuckle from the stranger. “Not surprising, I’m sure your name’s way prettier than that. The name’s Reaper by the way, now will you tell me yours?”

“If you think that’s all you need to do to get a name out of me, then you’re an idiot,” the scarfed one growled in return, trying to scoot his chair forward to get closer to the book only to remember that he’d locked the wheels to keep from falling. “Look, if you’re gonna keep being annoying, you can at least give me that. I doubt you even could comprehend what you’re even holding.”

The smirk on the guy’s annoying face only grew, his eyes closing as he held the book up. “Alright, you’re cute, but don’t think I’m giving up this work of art just because you asked so nicely.” Sarcasm mingled with his words, prompting another growl from the smaller skeleton as he kept going. “The Titan trilogy is a modern masterpiece, seamlessly creating a marvelous world full of such adventure and excitement! I mean, where else can a giant woman become a savior of a whole planet? Woefully unprepared for her new futuristic environment, her simple lifestyle and fierce determination become the backbone from which she carves out a new life for herself on a foreign and hostile world. Some kings see her as a threat, some a freak to be kept as an oddity or pet, while one kingdom truly wishes to help the young girl find her place. A titan of myth, all but forgotten to a world of science, and only she has the might and cunning to unite kingdoms against their own destructive ways.”

That was an extremely poetic synopsis of the book series for sure, a tale of the titular titan serving as a mediator and protector of nature on a planet consumed by feudal wars and a gluttonous need to build more. To come up with such a summary on the spot without even glancing at the book meant only one thing. “You’ve read it,” was all he could say, now realizing that he was someone else interested in the series.

“Of course I have! Any lover of science fiction would adore the futuristic society with all the classic staples like laser guns and hover cars. And at the same time, fantasy lovers will enjoy the feudal political system, the fantasy-inspired races that mimic elves and dwarves, and of course the protagonist is a giant on top of that. It’s a beautiful cross-genre story that is not only unique but entertaining and beautiful to read! Besides, why would I be looking for this elusive treasure had I not read the other two volumes?”

“S-Sorry,” Geno muttered into his scarf, turning his gaze away from the taller. “I-I thought from how you were acting earlier that you just grabbed it to get my attention.”

The other skeleton, Reaper, chuckled a bit as he shook his head. “Afraid not sweetheart, though that is a pleasant bonus~” A sigh escaped the shorter of the two, his hands shifting to unlock his wheelchair as he scooted back in his seat and started turning around. “Wait, where ya going?”

“Home. You got the only copy of the book, and that was the only thing I wanted. So, I’m going home.” So much for trying to alleviate some of his depression. Right now, all he wanted to do was curl up into a ball and berate himself for being an ass to someone who didn’t deserve it. He didn’t even think he deserved the book after how he’d snapped at a total stranger... who had admittedly annoyed him with those initial flirts, but that still wasn’t an excuse for how he acted.

As Geno started to wheel himself towards the exit, he could hear the other’s footsteps followed shortly by his voice. “H-Hey! Wait up! Don’t go yet!” There was a weird desperation to his voice, as if he was truly terrified of the smaller skeleton leaving, yet that didn’t make any sense. They’d just met and were complete strangers to each other, the only thing in common being their love of the same book series. Reaper came across as nothing but some cocky, flirty asshole, and while he was kind of hot, Geno couldn’t find any reason to really be interested in the guy. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself, even if part of him yearned to stay for some reason.

Completely ignoring that part of himself, the scarfed skeleton continued towards the exit with every intent on going home and hiding from the world again. That was until a set of bony fingers clamped around his arm in an attempt to stop him, the pressure instantly sending bolts of agony through his bones from the fresh cuts along them. “Let go of me!” He yelled, pain lacing his voice as he ripped his arm free, now cradling it to his chest as he spun to glare at the audacious skeleton.

The hooded skeleton had a look of absolute shock on his face, hand still outstretched for a moment before it recoiled as if burned. “O-Oh god, I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t mean to hurt you, honest!” A growl escaped the smaller of the two when Reaper took a step forward, the hostile display causing him to stop and raise his hands in a placating gesture. “Please believe me, it was never my intention to hurt you. I just... didn’t want you to go yet...”

“Yeah, well if you think I’m staying now, then you’re a bigger idiot than I thought!”

Reaper winced at his harsh words, though he didn’t make any move to deny them. “You’re right, I fucked up. Can I at least have a chance to make it up to you? I could... I dunno...” Just as he trailed off to think of something, Geno’s nonexistent stomach growled as a reminder that he still had yet to eat anything today, the scarfed skeleton cursing the traitorous sound as the taller perked up. “You sound hungry, maybe I could take you out for lunch? Wherever you want, my treat!”

While getting delivery was getting frustratingly old, actually going somewhere for food didn’t seem like too bad of an idea... though he’d be stuck with the poetic jerk in front of him. “Save your breath, like I’d go anywhere with you.”

Once more he tried to turn around and head out the door, only managing to get the wheelchair positioned despite his aching arm when Reaper called out to him again. His tone was far more desperate, losing the confidence that he’d radiated at the start of their interaction. “O-Okay, I’ll buy you the book!” Now that made Geno pause, turning in his chair to look over his shoulder at the other skeleton. The book they’d both been here for was held out in his outstretched hands, a pleading expression on the face behind it.

“You’d... be willing to part with the only copy of Titan Fading in the store? I know how rare that book is, it would probably take you months to find another one.”

“Yeah, well... I need to make this right, and if this is what it takes, then that’s what I’ll do. Please, let me buy this for you, as apology for my brutish actions.”

“Wow... you’re really serious, aren’t you?” Geno paused a moment to consider the offer, sighing as he turned his chair around once more and regarded the taller with a cool look. “The book and food.”

It only took him a second to piece together what the frail skeleton’s demands were, a fervent nod being offered in response. “O-Of course! If that’s what it takes for you to forgive me, then consider it done!” With that, Reaper ran off to the cashier, the book in hand and a huge grin on his face. Within a few minutes he was back, promptly handing the bag over to the smaller. “As promised, one copy of Titan Fading for the lovely skeleton with impeccable tastes in literature~”

A groan left his mouth instantly, though he didn’t hesitate to take the bag offered to him. “Don’t make me regret agreeing to sit through a meal with you.” After a moment though, Geno felt his sour disposition fade a bit as he looked at the book bag in his lap. “B-But thanks... f-for the book. That was... really nice of you.”

“Pfft, it was nothing! Now, let’s get you somewhere to eat!” Reaper didn’t even waste a beat as he went to push the wheelchair, only stopping after a flurried string of protest came from the flustered skeleton sitting in it. “Sorry, but if your arm is in as much pain as it seems to be, then you probably shouldn’t be pushing yourself around. Just consider this another portion of my apology I guess!” A glance over Geno’s shoulder revealed that the taller skeleton had the biggest grin on his face, as if he was the happiest guy on the planet right now. The moment Reaper’s gaze shifted down to meet his own though, the smaller quickly spun around, hiding his bright red cheeks in the fabric of his scarf.

With nothing really in mind, he let Reaper wander aimlessly in a random direction while the smaller struggled to keep his focus on food. Eventually he recognized one of the places they were approaching, figuring that it was as good of a place as anything. At the very least, it was in an area he knew and was close to his home if things got weird or creepy. “We can eat here,” he announced, gesturing to the small café hidden among the many brand-name stores in the shopping center.

“Here? Really?” the taller asked, regarding the location in surprise.

“What? They have really good tea.”

“Oh, I meant no slight against your choice. More that I was surprised my angel didn’t attempt to take advantage of my offer. To be completely honest, with how grumpy you were earlier, I was expecting you to pick some fancy high-class restaurant because I was paying.”

“I’m not that much of an asshole,” Geno retorted, rolling his eye as the two of them entered the small location. Honestly, the frail skeleton quite liked the cozy vibe the place had, as well as the fact that he didn’t have any issues getting around with his wheelchair. “Besides, most of those fancy places use foods that’re way too weird for me. Just give me something like a burger and I’m happy.”

Reaper chuckled as they approached a table, scooting one of the chairs out of the way before carefully maneuvering the wheelchair into its place. “Well, that shouldn’t be too hard to manage at least.” Before long a server came up to them, providing them with their menus as well as taking drink requests. Geno ordered his favorite, a mix of a fruity herbal and green tea that he got almost every time he came here. And his companion was quick to order a coffee, absolutely no hesitation from him at all.

Their drinks were dropped off and their orders taken, a look of surprise on Reaper’s face for a moment as the smaller placed his admittedly large order before it faded back to its usual smirk. “So, I can tell that you have great tastes when it comes to literature, though I question what exactly those tastes are.”

With his time spent reading, it was easy for the scarfed skeleton to decipher what Reaper’s overly complex speech meant. That didn’t mean that he wanted to answer his question though. It took a bit of prodding from the taller to convince him to engage the other in conversation, his point about how utterly boring the silence would be winning him over. Besides, it was... kind of nice to talk to someone that wasn’t a delivery driver or some person over the internet. “I... guess I’ve always kind of liked adventure stories. Fantasy, science fiction, even some mystery novels. Reading has always been a way for me to escape reality when it becomes too dull or depressive, allowing me to live the life of someone else in a completely different world.”

“Wow, not the reason that I was expecting, but I guess it does make perfect sense. Reading is a wonderful way to escape life’s woes, though emotional investment with certain characters in a story can cause similar strains to those experienced in real life. Still though, I can appreciate your interest in such stories, they certainly have a way of spicing up an otherwise mundane life. As for me... well, as much as I love a well-written story of almost any genre, my guilty pleasure comes in the form of romance novels.”

“Romance? Don’t most of those books have the dumbest plots ever?”

“Hence why I call them a guilty pleasure,” Reaper laughed before his expression became far more wistful. “It’s the concept of true love that gets me. The thought that there could be someone out there, someone that’s just perfect for you in every way you could think of, it’s a beautiful thought to me. Imagine having someone by your side whenever you need them, someone that helps you in your darkest moments while making the brightest ones shine brighter. Sure, some friends can do that, but there’s a difference when it comes to a lover and the extents that connection can go to. Sorry for rambling, but finding that special someone is something I often dream about. How about yourself? Do you believe in soulmates?”

The question served to snap Geno out of a daze, shaking his head slightly to refocus on the conversation. It wasn’t that he’d been ignoring him, quite the opposite actually. Reaper had a... very unique way with words, though it was surprisingly beautiful to hear him talk about a topic so passionately. None of his friends could ever captivate his attention so wholly to have him zone out like that, confusing him slightly as he turned his focus to the question. “Um... I-I guess so, yeah,” he mumbled, knowing from his knowledge of daemons that soulmates did in fact exist. He’d witnessed that love first-hand before, knowing it to be absolute and infallible. Yet the average person didn’t know of daemons, so the smaller kept his agreeance vague so as to not draw any suspicion. While Reaper seemed like a regular guy, there was never any telling if he was someone dangerous in disguise.

While the answer was vague, it seemed to be enough for the other skeleton as his grin only widened. Before he could ramble on again, their ordered meals started to show up, effectively pausing their conversation. The waitress’ tray was piled with various plates of food, one of them going to Reaper while the rest all ended up on Geno’s end of the table. The look of shock on his companion’s face at the sheer amount of food was quite entertaining, the frail skeleton smirking as he pulled a burger close to him. “What’s with the look?” He innocently asked, snickering to himself as Reaper tried and struggled to form a response.

“You seriously ordered all of that?! That’s enough to feed half of my brothers! Are you really gonna eat all that? Or did you order leftovers since I’m paying?”

“Hate to break it to ya, but this is actually me taking it easy since it’s not my money I’m spending,” he admitted, taking a bite of the delicious burger and feeling his stomach calm down as he finally provided it with nourishment. “Normally I get another dish or two, depending on how hungry I am. My doctor says that since I have no issues with weight gain, I should eat all the high-carb foods I can to make up for my soul’s low magic output.” The moments the words left his mouth though he paused, wondering what in the world possessed him to reveal something so personal. Only his friends knew of his weak soul, and only Cross knew the true extent. To mention such a detail to a stranger? One he still wasn’t sure if it was safe to trust? Why did he do that?

Putting his guard back up after realizing it unknowingly had slipped, the scarfed skeleton started stuffing his face with the burger while coming to terms with his frustrating slip-up. Looking across the table, the taller still seemed shocked by his claims, but a hint of worry was now present in his gaze. “Wow, I’m... sorry to hear that. Is that why you’re in a wheelchair? I know for a fact you aren’t paralyzed since I saw you practically scaling the bookshelves earlier.”

Having already shared way more on the subject than he intended to, the smaller offered a mute nod to the question since he couldn’t really come up with anything better. What surprised him though, was the instant acceptance he received, no annoying pity or empty words of condolences. In fact, Reaper just left the issue alone altogether. “Makes sense, I guess. Can tell this isn’t your favorite topic, so why don’t we just skip on past this and I start asking some questions you might actually want to answer?”

That was exactly what happened. The taller of the two started breaking out random questions to generate small talk, the topics clearly selected with care to avoid touching on something sensitive that might stall the conversation. And as much as Geno didn’t want to encourage the flirty bastard, he had to admit that the conversation was nice. Before he knew it, he was asking questions back, genuinely surprised by some of the answers he got.

“You’re never gonna believe me if I tell you the truth,” the hooded skeleton warned when asked what he collected other than books. When pressed by his far more stubborn companion though, he was quick to give in. “Alright, alright... jewelry.”

“Jewelry? Why? Are you queer or something?”

“Would there be a problem if I was?”

“N-No! What makes you feel happy o-or in tune with yourself is n-none of my business... you j-just don’t seem the type to me is all...” Geno trailed off, face burning in embarrassment and shame for his potentially offensive comment.

Yet all Reaper did was laugh, waving off his attempts at explaining himself. “It’s alright sweetheart, I could tell you were just curious and genuinely surprised. Not queer, though I know for a fact that I could rock women’s clothes if need be. Nope, I just like shiny things like gemstones and such, so jewelry naturally catches my eye. Not quite as much as you do though~”

“And there you go ruining a nice conversation with your stupid flirting,” the scarfed skeleton groaned, drinking the rest of his tea as he realized that he’d finally managed to work through the many dishes that he’d ordered. Truth be told, he already felt a lot better physically from the food, the change of atmosphere, and the fresh air. His body finally had some energy, and he actually felt somewhat motivated for the first time in over a week. Guess getting out of the house really did help him out a lot, even if that meant putting up with the wannabe emo death lord in front of him.

Reaper let out a playful whine, pouting a bit before snickering at himself. “God, you really are a prickly little pear, aren’t you? I like that~” Another groan followed, with more laughter at the smaller’s flustered reaction. “Okay, okay, I’ll knock it off. Now I did say that I’d pay, and I know I’ve kept you here for a while, but can I ask one more question?” One more question probably wouldn’t hurt, especially with how respectful the previous bout of questions had been, so Geno offered another nod. “Think I could actually get your name this time?”

For a moment, there was silence as the scarfed one processed the simple question. “I... never gave you my name?” It sounded so dumb coming out of his mouth, but he was honestly surprised that they’d been talking this long and he’d never once said it. Certainly, he mentioned it back when asked at the bookstore, right?

But that was proven false by Reaper with a shake of his head. “Afraid not. Though that’s probably poor timing on my part when I last asked as you were about ready to throw a book at my head.”

“You totally would’ve deserved a book to the head, you stupid, flirty bastard,” the smaller grumbled into his scarf, earning a hearty laugh from his companion. “M-My name’s Geno.”

“Geno...” Reaper mused, pondering the word with a smile on his face. “A beautiful name for a beautiful soul~” Before the flustered skeleton could snap at him again for his flirty comments, the taller got to his feet with his hand reaching for his pocket. “And as promised, allow me to pay for your meal. I’ll be right back!” With that, he ran off to the counter to clear their tab, leaving Geno alone for only a few minutes before coming back and helping him maneuver his wheelchair away from the table.

“Well, guess it’s time for me to go home,” the smaller muttered, moving his hands on the rims of his wheels only to feel that something immediately fought against the slightest of movements. “You can let go now.”

Instead of doing as he was told, Reaper instead laughed and started pushing the second Geno let go, much to the fury of the skeleton in the chair. “See, I would do that, but your arm’s still sore, isn’t it?” Silence greeted his query as the arm in question was brought close to the smaller’s chest, his cheeks burning from the shame of not even being able to move himself right now. “It’s not something to be upset about, not your fault that I hurt you. But since it is my fault, allow me to ensure your safe arrival at your home!”

“Oh, piss off! You’re just some creep that wants to see where I live!”

“Do you really think so lowly of me?”

“If the shoe fits, asshole.”

Reaper let out an overly dramatic sigh, launching into an equally dramatic spiel that the scarfed skeleton only understood due to his knowledge of literature. “Oh, woe is me! My beautiful swan refuses to allow me to gaze upon his beauty any longer. What cruel machination of the gods is thus, to tease me with such forbidden fruit that begs to be eaten?”

“S-Stop saying that you perv!” Geno instantly shouted, squirming and throwing a fit about the last part of his words that were suggestive at best. “Seriously, what will it take to shut you up?”

“If you let me take you home, then I’ll be quiet as a mouse!” The hooded one insisted, though he clearly caught onto his discomfort at the idea. “Okay, I get that some stranger knowing exactly where you live is unsettling... how about this then? Do you live in an apartment?” After deeming that detail safe enough to divulge and nodding, the taller perked up and continued with his idea. “Okay, so why don’t I just take you to the front door of the building then? I won’t have a clue which apartment is yours, and I’m sure someone as cautious as you are is staying at a place that probably wouldn’t let me just waltz in to go looking for you... not that I ever would do that of course, I’d only come if I had your permission. But does that make you feel less uneasy?”

It actually did, which surprised him quite a bit. There wasn’t really anything he could say in opposition to the other when he made such a reasonable suggestion, causing him to sigh and agree. “Okay, you can take me to the doors, but that’s it. Any further and I’ll start screaming.”

“You got it, sweetheart!” With his permission, Reaper started pushing him along the sidewalk, following the directions given to him with nothing but a quiet hum. The lack of conversation was nice after all the chatting they’d done, and the humming assured the frail skeleton that he wasn’t alone, successfully keeping his phobia at bay. Honestly, having such a long stint of social interaction with the taller would probably spare him from feeling lonely for a bit, at least long enough for him to hopefully lose himself in his new book.

The fact that he lived so close to the shopping center made for short travel, Reaper audibly surprised. “Huh, and here I was hoping to spend more time with ya, wasn’t expecting the place to be so close.”

“No sense in me picking somewhere that’s too far away from amenities considering that I’m not exactly that mobile.”

“Fair point. Ah well, a deal’s a deal!” Reaper instantly let go of the handles once they were positioned in front of the building’s entrance, coming around to the front of the chair in order to face Geno. “Thank you for a lovely time today, you certainly made a dull day far brighter.”

The wink at the end of his words left the smaller flustered, face heating up as he pulled his scarf up around his face. “S-Shut up... I-I only went with you b-because you were paying me back for my arm...”

“Oh, my dear, sweet Geno, your arm was merely an unfortunately convenient excuse. Had I not so clumsily hurt you, I certainly would’ve found a much more favorable alternative in order to spend some time in the presence of your beauty~ Hopefully by fate’s wishes, I’ll be able to see my beautiful swan again some day~” Reaper offered a bow before he departed, leaving the scarfed skeleton in an extremely flustered and embarrassed state. Never had anyone ever talked to him like that, especially not with the confidence and swagger that Reaper practically radiated.

Not wanting to focus on the flirty bastard anymore than he had to, Geno turned his focus back to getting home, wincing slightly at the pain his one arm radiated from the movement. Before long, he was back in his apartment, his first priority being changing the now soiled bandages on the arm Reaper had grabbed. It was obvious where he’d grabbed him, the fresh cuts ripped wide open and soaking a portion of the bandages. After taking care to clean them and carefully wrapping them in fresh dressings, the skeleton was free to turn his focus to more positive tasks.

Absolutely sick of his chair, Geno switched over to his cane as he headed back out to the front room. There sat the bag from the bookstore, containing the rare find that Reaper had bought him. As he pulled it out so that he could immediately enjoy it, he caught sight of the receipt poking out from the front cover, the back side towards him. While this normally wouldn’t have gotten his attention, the fact that the normally blank face of the receipt had writing on it caught his interest.

Slipping it from the book, the scarfed skeleton knew that he shouldn’t have been surprised by what he found. There was Reaper’s name, written in a beautiful cursive, right next to a phone number undoubtedly belonged to the cocky idiot. But what really drew his focus was the short message written below it. Feel free to call or text me any time! You looked kind of lonely, so hopefully my offer gives you the company you need~ <3

“That bastard,” Geno grumbled through a smile, sighing as he pulled his phone out and added the contact after a bit of hesitation. “Can’t believe that he was able to read me that easily. Either he’s as good at that as I am, or I’m not as good at hiding my emotions as I thought.” Either way, he had a pretty strong feeling that Reaper would end up being the only thing at his disposal to keep his phobia at bay. And... it was fun talking to him. The constant compliments were also a nice plus that would hopefully make dealing

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