Mono + Six Afterstory || Little Nightmares II

Thirteen

Six went off with Veronica after a while of everyone getting used to each other, and in the meantime Mono caught up with Perry, whom he hadn't seen in...what seemed like forever. They were also both equally jealous.
Once Veronica and Six had spoken about the things they'd been through, they sat down somewhere in the dark halls and huddled up next to one another. Veronica quickly noticed Six's dapper mood when she was frowning, making the silence between them after so much talking very unbearable. "Six, what's the matter? Did I say something wrong? You can talk to me, y'know." The long-haired girl put a hand on Six's back, furrowing her brows to accentuate her concern.

In response to how overbearing Veronica was being, Six tensed up, but upon seeing her kind face, she felt bad for not being transparent with her. She took a deep breath and decided to speak. "That kid I'm with, Mono... I'd left the campfire earlier to blow off some steam, and I overheard him talking about me, because I actually never went far away... He mentioned having feelings for me, like love. And I don't know what to do. I don't know if I feel the same...I'm not even sure what love feels like, so I can't even say." Although her explanation was long, she felt better to get it off her chest. She didn't want to feel this guilty around Mono anymore...it was slowly eating away at her.

     "Oh, um... It's hard to explain what love feels like, but you just kinda know when you feel it. Like, well... Pretty was crushing on me pretty hard for the longest time, and one day she just kissed me and we told each other how we felt. It was suuuuper sweet!" Veronica replied with a long explanation, referencing her own love life to reassure Six. "Don't worry. When the time is right, you'll know how you feel."

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     Meanwhile, Mono sat by the fire with the other kids and Perry, his arms wrapped around his legs securely. He was thinking about Six again; well, to be fair, she's all he ever thought about. He was anxious about their relationship now that she had someone new...someone to replace him. He didn't want to be alone again.

     Though he was pouting and killing himself by stressing so much, eventually, Perry, who was also frowning, suddenly spoke to him. "I'm sorry. For everything. The bullying...name-calling, and just...never giving you a chance." She flinched when Mono stared at her, examining his disheartened expression as he turned to face her completely.

     "It's okay. I forgive you. Thanks for apologizing." Mono forced a small smile, having noticed Perry's disappointment. She was very clearly being genuine, at least...he believed so. "I try to forget most of it, anyway... Too many bad memories."

     "Your...father." Perry indulged the boy, sighing through her nostrils and patting him on the back to cheer him up. "I know it must be hard for you. You never even would have come to that school if it weren't for him being so sick." Although she was trying to be understanding, Mono didn't really feel like responding to her, because the subject made him both extremely uncomfortable and angry. He just remained quiet, and he was sure that's the last they would say to each other...but a few minutes later, Perry spoke again. "Are you jealous, too?"

Mono blinked in shock, examining the silver-haired girl's gloomy expression. When they made eye contact, he sighed and nodded ashamedly. "How'd you know?" He asked curiously, completely unaware that he had been sulking the entire time Six was gone.

Pericia smiled and giggled to herself, admiring the boy's clueless nature. "It's written all over your face. You keep staring at the hole in the wall like you're waiting for her to come back. Like a dog waiting for its owner or something." She teased him and punched his shoulder playfully, but he definitely didn't seem to like her comparison.

"I-I am not like a dog... I'm just worried about Six. She was so hungry earlier, but she's okay all of a sudden, and it just...scares me a little." He explained his behavior, a little offended by Perry's misunderstanding but not getting upset; he was actually quite comforted by her hand on his shoulder...probably because he felt nervous without Six around.
Thankfully, only a short moment later, in walked Six looking as intimidating as ever. It didn't take her long at all to put her attention on Perry, glaring at her hand on Mono threateningly. She didn't even have to say anything—Perry removed her hand and scooted away slowly. "Hey, Six, you two all caught up?" Mono stood up to feel more confident, but he wasn't expecting her to approach him with a sheepish demeanor...he just ended up feeling even less confident. "Um...is everything okay?"

     Six reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him along to the hole in the wall and away from the group. "We have to go. You trust me, right?" She kept pulling him, and though he felt bad about leaving the others, he couldn't argue with Six; he did trust her, so why would he not follow? "It's not anything bad—I just..." She paused, waiting until they were up the small stairs and alone, free from judgement. She turned around to face Mono and fiddled with her fingers. "I feel like I need to do something. There's someone waiting for me." She admitted determinedly, clenching her fists to ease her anxiety.

Before they could get any farther, and before Mono could really react to Six's confusing attitude, suddenly Ray emerged from the hideout area with worried eyes. "Wait, you shouldn't go. It's far too dangerous. The Lady watching over the Maw is omnipresent during the day; she has minions everywhere—" he intelligently warned the two, causing Mono to blink in shock and glance at Six with ucertainty lacing his expression. "Stay until night, at least... Then, only Roger will be a problem."

"Who is Roger?" Six indulged the boy in orange, seemingly uncomfortable after witnessing Ray's overwhelming fear.

"He's like the caretaker of the orphaned children here. We're hiding because he's not really all that great. That's why RK was in such a hurry to get back earlier." He explained the danger thoroughly, sighing since Six still seemed determined to leave. "He's not so tough to deal with... He's blind, so if you're extremely quiet, he won't know you're there. But he's still really smart. So, just be careful."

     Mono frowned just thinking about leaving these kind kids, but before he could say anything, Eliza emerged as well, looking discouraged even without her face being seen. "I...guess this is goodbye, then. But, hopefully not for good, right? You'll come back when you're done, won't you?" She sniffled, dabbing her bandages as they soaked with her tears. She moved without thinking and hugged Mono and Six, saying a small prayer in her head for them. "You two are good people... Keep it that way, okay? Don't let the world beat you down, even when it all feels hopeless." When she pulled away, she was surprised because Six, who normally was very good about hiding her emotions, was fighting tears as well (she wasn't too good at it).

     "God...stop saying these things... We'll come back. Don't act like this is the end." Six demanded selfishly, wiping her eyes as she trembled from the amount of pressure she felt. When Mono put a hand on her shoulder, she felt a bit better.

     "Six is right. We won't leave this place without you guys. We'll be back for sure. So don't...be sad, okay?" After reassuring them, Mono was taken aback by Ray's change in demeanor, his sudden inability to hide his own sadness. He was much like Six, in a way. They were all the same, just big crybabies, weren't they? "This isn't a goodbye. It's a see-you-later! Don't worry!" Mono cheerfully remarked, grabbing Six's hand and leading her away from the two emotional children. They had to keep their promise now, and return here safely, or else Mono would regret it for the rest of his life.

( A/N: yes, I am aware this is very short. I'm sorry! I haven't felt well, and I got the first dose of the vaccine today, so my arm is seriously freakin hurting LOL. I'll be fine, but I really wanted to post a short update so you guys aren't waiting forever. D: Hope this satiates u guys for a little while longer. )