Tear In My Heart (COMPLETE)

Chapter Five

You Fell Asleep In My Car,
I Drove the Whole Time
But That's Ok, I'll Just AvoidT
he Holes So You'll Sleep Fine

Three years.

Tim honestly thought he would have been dead right now, shot or stabbed and left to die somewhere, if not left to rot in prison or mental asylum for the rest of his days. Before this -- or, at least, most of this -- he might have preferred it. He would have at least been guaranteed three meals a day, a roof over his head and a room somewhat to himself. But, now -- well, he couldn't really say he would've changed this for that. Especially with a sleeping Brian, whose back was pressed firmly against his side as he slept, facing the door with Tim lying on his back and arm curled around him as tightly as possible. And, naturally, the much taller Brian was attempting to use as much of Tim as a pillow as possible and almost awkwardly as possible; head torn between laying on his bicep and shoulder with his arms tightly latching upon Tim's lower arm and firmly preventing him from escaping.

God, why was he so adorable when he slept?

Tim shifted as slowly as he could, until his front was gently pressed against the other's back. Brian shifted in sleep, muttering something as his head gently slipped from the other's shoulder and onto the pillow below. Tim was just glad he didn't wake up; though he couldn't say he was wholly glad of Brian grabbing onto the arm that curled around his chest, body backing up firmly against the other. He might have been risking a bathroom trip later else he woke up Brian - but for him, Tim couldn't really say he minded at this point.

So long as Brian was there, everything was going to be alright.

***

When they were called, there was no shouting, no banging of doors or windows or feet pounding against old, decaying wood that belonged to the rickety floors, no voices screeching and groaning in their minds and calling out to them. Instead, there was static and silence.

Tim's head lifted from his pillow, body tensing as the sound filled every crevice of his mind. Brian's brow furrowed as he looked up from his book to the door, before sighing and moving from Tim's grasp and off the bed. Tim followed suit quickly, grabbing his mask off of the bedside table as Brian pulled his own mask over his head and exited the door with Tim -- Masky close behind.

The house was eerily quiet as they tramped through the hall and down the stairs. If not asleep, then the residents that frequented here were likely out doing god knows what. And Masky was sure that if they were anything like him, then he didn't want to know (especially with Laughing Jack and Eyeless Jack; he had read up enough on the two to know he definitely did not want to know). Downstairs was in a similar state, except --

Hoody reached out an arm to stop Masky in his tracks as they entered the living room. Masky opened his mouth to complain, however snapped his lips shut as Hoody gestured to a figure sitting in the far corner; arms wrapped around their legs and face hidden in their knees as they sat, back heaving as if having trouble breathing -- or an anxiety attack, which seemed to be quite common among some of the residents here. They weren't wearing any clothes that made them easily identifiable as to who it might be. The grey and blue striped jacket they wore was in tatters, alongside the jeans and sneakers they wore. Only a few here wore jackets constantly, and even Masky made those identifying features for those who did (Jeff and Hoody especially, considering they rarely took theirs off).

"The hell're you?" Masky all but spat, earning the figure's attention quickly.

Eyes widened through oranges goggles instantly stared up at him as the figure -- a young man, if not a boy by either of their standards, Masky quickly deduced -- with their mouth covered by a face mask that was otherwise black besides the opened smile seemingly sketched onto it. The teenager quickly tried to huddle further into the corner he was sitting in, looking in between the two wearily as Hoody turned his head to Masky to give him a stern look. Masky opened his mouth to speak once more, to demand a response from this stranger --