Oneshots From the Megs-Verse

Changing My Major- Ziggs and River

Quick note: This oneshot was requested by 

It had been four years since the birds. Since Ziggs and Emma had had to prove that they were fighting for their lives. Since they'd spent six months in jail for choosing to live. It still haunted Ziggs. Not a night passed where they didn't dream of it. Where they couldn't still hear Ezekiel. They lived in a cottage near the lake. It depended on the day whether they could do people. So they stayed away from the city to give themself the option to be alone if they needed to be- they'd dropped out of school too for that reason. Their policy was you could always knock on their door. They'd turn you away if they needed to. They were getting more and more social every day. It was just... hard to recover. They'd tried therapy, but the therapists kept insisting the birds were a metaphor for something bigger, and... they just weren't. It was fucking frustrating! It was hurting more than helping.

They were by no means okay. They likely never would be again. But were they surviving from day to day? Yeah. Were they starting to find bits and pieces to make them happy? Yeah. Especially in the Hatchetfield teens. They were by no means sober. They had, however, started buying their weed from anywhere but Hatchetfield. Anyways, the whole bird fiasco had delayed the college thing for them, so they were kinda serving as a mentor to the kids in Hatchetfield. Mostly the ones in high school. Figuring out their lives. There had been a point not too long ago when Ziggy had had to do that. They tried to help, but they mostly just listened. It distracted them from their own problems. They were starting to hear talk of a 'Doc Ziggy'. They weren't sure whether to shut that down or not... as long as it was a harmless nickname it was fine, right?

It was one day in August when Ziggs got a knock on their door that they probably would never have expected. When you're Ziggs, you expect a certain caliber of person to associate with you. Listen, Ziggs was the first to admit that they weren't posh. They were living in a solid middle class. They were a bit sketchy. They made bold choices, and sometimes people didn't like that. Actually, as popular as they were, a lot of people didn't like them. Especially in the high society communities where Ziggs was just 'trouble'. So when a member of one of the most respectable families in Hatchetfield showed up on their doorstep... they weren't sure how to react. They hoped that they were coming in peace. If it had been an adult they might have been more cautious, but... it was a kid. A kid couldn't do too much harm, right? They peeked out the door.

"Hey... lemme guess... Jordan?" Ziggs tried.

"River." River blushed. "It's okay. We have the same hair."

"Sorry." Ziggs chuckled. "Y'know, you really oughta, like... dye it or something so people can tell the difference."

"Someone tried to tell my mom that... she got crazy mad." River shuddered.

God, the kid was nervous. Ziggs wasn't sure whether the nerves were their doing, or the Monroes'. To find a Monroe in his neck of the woods was like spotting a unicorn. And the kid wasn't making threats yet, so... maybe it was a good thing? Damn, he seemed sweet too. Like, really sweet. Look at those nervous little eyes... kinda pleading. Fuck it, Ziggs was gonna trust him. They opened the door to their cottage a little, gesturing for the kid to come in. He couldn't have been much older than ten. He was tiny... and, if Ziggs' gaydar was serving them right (and it usually did) this kid was not cishet. Look at all those nerves. Ziggs was getting a more clear idea of why he was there with every moment. The kid didn't seem to be getting the memo that he could come in. Ziggs sighed.

"You can come in, kid. I swear I won't bite." Ziggs teased.

"You sure?" River bit his lip.

"You think I frickin' bite?" Ziggs scoffed, half offended.