"come home" // Corpse Husband

V. 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚢

"Saaage!" Rae sang.

"Heyyy!" She sang back with just as much enthusiasm.

And then came a voice she swore she could've felt in her chest, "Hello."

"Woah." Apparently, Elijah felt the same.

Rae quickly spoke, "Oh, no. Did we catch you two at a wrong time? We can leave if you want—"

"No! No, of course not," said Sage. "Rae, Corpse, this is Elijah. Elijah; my friends Rae and Corpse."

Shoot. She almost bit her tongue realizing Corpse probably considered her no more than a work acquaintance.

Sage wasn't sure why she was so nervous. She had talked and joked around with him quite a few times on stream. But that's it.

"Your name's Corpse?" Elijah's tone was mocking, but Sage knew he meant no disrespect. However, she held her breath hoping he wouldn't find it offensive. For she still knew nothing of the personality behind that guttural voice and black screen.

Fortunately he huffed a short laugh. "Yeah, that's what I go by."

"You've gotta tell me what software you use for that voice because—"

Sage began to interrupt him but was soon cut off herself by Corpse, "My larynx is the software."

Elijah scoffed. "Cap. A nerdy boy like you can't be packing all that."

Sage's eyes almost blew out of their sockets at his unnecessary remark. And, when neither Corpse nor Rae replied, she felt somehow responsible and embarrassed.

The silence got so tough she couldn't control herself from making the first statement to enter her mind, "He is, in fact, packing."

And when the two suddenly burst out laughing, she was glad she did.

"Damn right," Corpse muttered.

"A—anyway, what brings you two here?" She asked; desperate to get back onto a sensible track.

"Uhm, well, I just thought it'd be fun to let you in on something cool and Corpse agreed," Rae responded but Sage could sense that her comfort levels had significantly lowered around Elijah. "I saw you online here so I thought it'd be better than texting."

"That sounds like fun," she had said, feeling surprised.

And at the exact same moment, Corpse spoke too, "I'm not sure anymore, to be honest."

And the awkwardness was back.

Rae spoke after a moment's silence, "Wait, so—"

A chime they were all familiar with cut Rae off. Elijah had left the call.

Sage sighed. "I'm sorry, he's not usually like that." She didn't want her online friends to think badly of her best friend. "I guess he must've been in a bad mood or something."

"Hmmm. I hope you guys sort things out," said Corpse before leaving the call as well.

Sage nearly chewed her entire bottom lip off throughout that wreck of a conversation. "I think he's mad..."

"Nah," said Rae. "Don't get me wrong, that was weird, but Corpse doesn't let "weird" get to him. I'm not sure what changed his mind though... he was pretty excited."

"God, I feel bad."

"I'll talk to him," she assured. "If it makes you feel any better, you can try contacting him personally?"

"It's the least I can do," Sage said with a frown still etched across her face.

And with that, she got his number. She planned to confront Elijah and then text Corpse an apology soon.

Even just seeing his contact in her phone felt daunting.

But destiny was smiling down at her —she hadn't known his contact would soon secure a permanent spot at the top of her recents list.