Loving Every Bone in Your Body

Chapter 4.5 || The Break Down pt.3

        Bright, obscene sunlight wakes you.

To be fair, you'd been semi-awake for a while now, but a heaviness in your bones had delayed you actually getting up. You didn't want to. The cons of having to face a house of upset skeletons who probably didn't like you sat sourly. It felt like there was a cold weight on your chest, stopping you from moving. The will to start the day had long since been drained from you.

You felt empty.

You turn over, sighing, tucking closer to your heat source. You wondered if Cinna had woken up, as he hadn't been this warm when the two of you had been dozing.

Marsh stares at you.

...You stare back.

Marsh was definitely not Cinna. Cinna had been cuddling with you all throughout the night. You don't remember them switching spots.

"Hey." You greet. Marsh's large red eye light stares before the pupil dilates a few times. He refocuses on you.

"Hey." He rumbles back. You feel his fingers twitch against your side.

For a while you both just look at each other.

You sigh, deciding that it was worth getting up if it made this less awkward. As you move to sit up, Marsh's hand drags you roughly back down.

"Marsh." You hiss. His grin stretches as he repeats your name back in the same tone. "What're you doing?"

"M' on guard duty." He says simply, before pulling you against him and sinking back down into his hoodie.

"What does that mean?" He makes a noise in response. "Where's Cinna?" That question makes him peek back at you.

"Cleanin'." He then looks at you fully. "Told ta watch ya. Easier ta 'member when ya 'ere close."

"Right." Your eyes fall to the front of his coat. You hoped he cleans up next. He smells of old graveyard soil and iron.

"If ya think too hard ya gonna pull somethin'." He mumbles, still staring at you. You feel his fingers bouncing again on your hip.

"Not thinking about much." You insist.

The weird feeling from this morning squirms in your chest and comes out as a sigh. You really didn't want to face anyone.

"Bro says yer lonely." Marsh says slowly, as if testing the waters.

"Yeah probably." You close your eyes. Maybe you could just drift off again. If you slept all day, you wouldn't have to bother with anyone.

Marsh lets you doze back off, keeping you warm and safe until the bedroom door opens.

"...Happy hum?" Cinna says to his brother, stirring you. You sit up to greet the other brother, Marsh letting you move this time. Cinna reaches out his hands to help, but you pause.

Cinna was clean. Sure, his teeth were still stained, but the dirt and red muck had been washed off and the odd black tar that sometimes seeped into his words and between his bones was gone.

"Hungry." He says, and you don't hear the wetness that you're used to.

You slide off the bed, hissing at how cold the floor is. You stretch, humming as your back pops. Marsh makes a noise behind you but pushes at your back before you can look at him.