Steve Saga Short Stories ♡

It's Late

*Republished (From December 13, 2022)

Authors note** "Insomiac (Dark x Reverse)" rewritten. I remembered this one being a nonsensible trainwreck but my goodness it's worse than I remember. Anyway, enjoy the rewritten version. Lotta angst and not really a happy ending - Dark/Reverse

1214 words

...

Dark stood on the balcony, looking into the sky. It was twelve at night and he just couldn't sleep. He hadn't been able to sleep for days now, only power napping whenever he could throughout the day. The naps probably didn't help him fix his sleep schedule, but he needed some sort of sleep to functionally do his job. Recently, they had been laying low, plotting their next big attack on the town. Dark not only had to record each and every one of their meetings but also was a vital contributor to the plans. He never complained as it didn't start to become a problem till he started getting nightly insomnia.

He sighed into the darkness, pondering the latest progress of the plans. It was just like every other plan that had failed, so what could they change to make it different? Dark's train of thought of abrupted by a light knock on the door. His senses were always sharp since his creator loved to sneak up on him and test him. He answered the door to see one of their newer recruits.

"Reverse?" He asked, staring down at the most colorful addition to the crew thus far. He was the twin of Rainbow, and he looked exactly like him besides his color being... well reversed. Recently he looked even more like his counterpart since he had started working on his part of the plan, although it was still on the table. The thing was he had spent most of his life doing the complete opposite. His hair was awkwardly growing out from an undercut and now had wispy bangs. It was disturbing how much he looked like Rainbow, even more so when he dressed like him. Typically Reverse wouldn't be caught dead in Rainbow's bright colors and pastels. It was all part of their "pre-plan" Reverse was to distract from what they were going to be working on. The thing was they didn't have an actual plan yet.

"Surprised you're awake" Reverse said "I... wasn't expecting you to answer"

Dark hesitated, with a weary smile "Then why'd you bother knocking?"

"Important business, Nightmare wanted me to give you this" He handed him a file with a good amount of papers in it. He held it awkwardly, not wanting papers to fall out. Dark took them and peaked at the papers.

"Yep, he said he'd get these to me" He recounted

"He said there were also some things for you to revise for him in there"

Dark rolled his eyes at Nightmare's extra work "Of course. Well if that'll be all" He started closing the door on him. Reverse stuck his boot the stop it.

"A-actually" He cracked to door open again "Could I talk to you? Privately?"

He raised an eyebrow "What for"

"Um" Reverse look down to the hall at Shadow, who was staring them down, intently listening. "It's a personal thing...?"

He let Reverse in, who took a look around. Dark had barely anything in his room beside the furniture. His room held a consistent theme of dark greys, black, and dark oak woods. He had a bed, which was just a mattress on the floor with an uncased pillow for some unknown reason. His dresser top was empty except for a stack of papers and a jewelry box. A desk was tucked in the corner, askew papers laying on it being the messiest part of the room, and a dozen pens in a coffee cup. On the windowsill next to the desk, sat an assortment of small potted plants, glowing happily against the rest of the room. Dark closed the door and stood in front of it, crossing his arm as best he could with the folder.

"Well?" he asked

Reverse felt butterflies flutter inside of him. He had been building up the courage to tell Dark the truth, to get it out, for what might have been months. Now there he stood, in his room, waiting for his own mouth to move.

"I... I've been thinking about you... a lot." He started. It was increasingly harder to look at Dark, to how he might react to each letter of every word. He continued, just looking at a cactus instead of the needles his eyes were piercing through him.

"And I feel that... uh" He tried to think of another thing to say but his mind seemed to fail him. "Uh"

"Reverse stop betting around the bush and just tell me." Dark snapped

"I... I'm in love with you..." He jumbled out, clasping his hands in front of him, tightly fidgeting with his fingers. Dark did not move. His expression did not change, if anything his mouth twitched.

"No you don't," He said sternly "you're just confused."

"Wha..." Reverse said, dazed

"You don't love me" Dark laughed "How could you ever?"

"I don't understand what you mean..." Reverse said, now feeling less blushful and more insulted if anything.

"I don't see any reason you'd love me" Dark said "I've ignored you since you've gotten here"

"Well-"

"I've pushed you away and belittled you"

"It's not-"

"I've deliberately given you harder and harder work"

"I-"

"How could you love me, after how horribly I've treated you"

"You don't get it!" Reverse yelled followed by a heavy sigh "I- I don't know why I love you. But you clearly don't see what I see in you."

Dark walked further into his room and placed the file on the desk. He slid into the chair and opened the folder. It seemed to be just a stack of nonsense, small hand-written scribble filling page after page.

"Dark?"

As he bit onto a pen, Dark's eyes watered "Go"

Reverse only came closer as small tears rolled down the face of the stern and hard Dark. He pushed back the papers to avoid smearing the ink, and in the place, rested his face into his arms. Reverse couldn't help but feel confused. He gingerly started rubbing unwanted circles on his back. Dark seemed to twitch every time Reverse made a loop.

"Just leave"

"Dark, I'm not going to just leave you here to cry," he said softly "I'm sorry if I... upset you?"

"This is what I mean." Dark wept " I was just a complete ass you, why are you still here?!"

"Why were you an ass to me?" he countered

Dark did not respond for a while, clicking his pen. When he finally said something, it once again wasn't an answer. "Why does it matter?'

"'Cause you seem aware that you do it and frustrated by it. If you could figure out why you could maybe... avoid it?"

"I'm an awful person to be with, you know," He said, lifting his head "I don't know why you bother"

"I'm not all that better myself. Kinda the point around here, ain't it?"

"I'm a workaholic, an alcoholic, I don't know how to show affection of any kind." He rambled on but not looking at Reverse, "If can't ever read a room, I don't bother. I'm self-absorbed, I yell a lot, I'm horribly petty-"

"Are you done yet?"

"No... only a few reasons to walk out the door and forget this"

"You never gave me an answer. Do. you. love. me. back?"

Dark looked down at the papers, fresh and unwanted tears starting to well. "Yes... yes I do"