Degrees of Lewdity Stories

Eden Angst

TW: Implied character death, Depression, Implied ED

The hunter awoke with a deep grumble, hands quickly covering his eyes to cover the bright light coming through the window. Once he'd finally adjusted to the light he stretched out his arms, hissing at the loud click his left arm made. Mornings were the worst... but they were always better when he was waking up next to her. With a small smile on his face he turned to face the girl in the other side of the bed, but- ...she wasn't there.

His smile dropped almost immediately at the realisation, and he instead chose to turn onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. She hadn't been home for a while... he was beginning to get worried. Part of him blamed himself for allowing her access to the town for such long periods of time... but he could understand that she had school, and friends in that school, and things to do with those friends. Even so, it stung every time he woke up without her by his side. There was still an indent in her pillow from the last time she'd come home; he couldn't bring himself to touch the last place she'd been in their cabin. When he agreed to let her leave, he'd hoped that she would at least come home every few days... but she tended to disappear for the full week at a time. This time was different though. She'd been gone for three full weeks... not a mention of her anywhere.

When he'd gone to town for supplies, like she normally did, he noticed some missing posters plastered across town. Posters with that unmistakeable smile on them... Her smile, that was arguably what he craved the most. Not only was her body warm to the touch, but every negative emotion he seemed to carry throughout the day always managed to disappear the second he saw that gorgeous smile. What if he never saw her smile again? What would he possibly do with his life?

That is what left him laid in bed, a pillow clutched to his chest as he stared up at the ceiling above. He wasn't tired, in fact he couldn't remember the last time he was tired enough to fall asleep. It was approaching the four week mark soon, and he'd stopped sleeping more than a few hours a night when the three week mark was met. Sleeping was a hell in itself.  Every time he drifted off into sleep, his dreams were plagued by scenarios of what might have happened to her. Was she still alive? That thought always gave him hope... but hope was soon extinguished the second he remembered everything else that was out to get her in this wretched town. Getting up in the morning got harder with each day she wasn't by his side, the only thing keeping him going being the fact that he needed to eat. If he stopped eating, he wouldn't be around for when she came back to him... back into his arms. He'd finally be able to sleep again, finally able to grasp her again. Maybe this time he'd never let go.

It felt as if he'd been laid in that same bed in the same room in the same home for a decade. She'd comeback to him eventually, right? At least that's what he kept telling himself... and so he'd stockpile food for her. In the pantry was piles upon piles of meat, what would normally be her portion and also most of his. He didn't feel like eating anymore... not without her around. But he had to keep going in case she came home, so he managed to keep himself going. And yet...

She never came home.