Brook X GN Reader || I'm The Grim Reaper

Chapter 78

The cracking sounds of Hell filled the air as you and Brook pulled Scarlet out of the Ninth Circle, helping her land on her feet as she looked at you and Brook with wide eyes. She didn't last very, and after a few seconds, she collapsed on the floor. On her hands and knees, she started huffing, staring at the floor. You and Brook watched her, and you didn't know how to react to this situation with how you got here.

Brook grabbed your hand, pulling you to sit down next to him, in front of Scarlet. He left one of his knees up and rested his hand on it, glancing away from you and Scarlet as she dealt with whatever she was thinking. You crossed your legs, letting your knee hit Brook's. The touch grounded you.

She let out a few hysteric laughs, then paused. She brushed her hand over the floor, eyes widening again at the texture that was real.

She looks up at you and Brook, glancing between both of you with tears already leaving her eyes. It was a high-tension situation, and you and Brook just avoided her eyes as she stared at both of you. You could see Brook narrow his eyes, trying so hard not to break the silence or look at her. He squirmed.

Eventually, you sigh and roll your eyes, sitting up and looking back at Scarlet. Brook glances at you, then to Scarlet, not entirely facing her.

"Stop. Please." Her voice is rough and it cracks halfway through each word.

Brook turns toward her. "Huh?" "Scarlet?" You squint at her. She doesn't move.

"Please. Just stop it." You glance at Brook, and you both watch her. You swallow. Brook furrows his brow, the way he does when he's concentrated. "You can't do this to me. Seeing this... Color... Feeling... the dirt..." Her eyes filled with tears again. "Just turn it off..." She nearly whispers, staring at both of you like she wants to drink in the sight. She doesn't even blink.

After a few seconds, she looks down, rubbing her face with one of her sleeves. "Please... Turn off my mind, please." Your heart clenched, and you move forward and reach out a tentative hand, hovering but not touching. "Scarlet... You're out." Brook says sternly. "We can go back to the waking world."

"I don't believe you. I'm not going to let you hurt me." Your eyes sting and pool with your own tears that you blink away. Brook looks close to it, but determined. "We're not going to hurt you." You mutter, flinching back when she yells. "You're lying! Just like all my other memories, you're going to make me relive something horrible! I won't let you win!" She doesn't look up, and you and Brook share startled gazes.

Brook lowers his head, and without thinking you wrap your arms around Scarlet and pull her into a tight hug. Now you're crying, too, and she tenses in your arms.

"We're right here. We're right here." You mumbled, hugging her tighter. Brook sighs.

"Your memories, huh?" He leans back with his hands, looking around. You watch him, because he really is beautiful, even under these circumstances. You always thought he was pretty.

"Brook isn't the name I had when I was alive. It was Alexander Chykov. Of course, after I became a reaper, I stopped using it. Intentionally. I wanted to leave behind my life. I picked Brook when I was walking to Hell because I would follow the streams, and they kept me from getting lost. And also because someone important to me when I was alive said that I looked like that name fit me. No one alive besides Deer knows my old name. So please, keep it a secret."

Both of you wait for a response, and Scarlet is still tense in your arms. Her shoulders sag just a little bit, and Brook leans forward. His hair covers the side of his face as he watches you both. He groans and looks down again.

"I don't know why I'm a rabbit. I like to think I'm a rabbit because that same person said I would be a rabbit if I was an animal. I also don't know why I'm pink. But it's been that way so long I can't imagine myself any other way." He runs a hand through his hair on the side of his face, closing his eyes. "I like to eat sometimes, even though we don't need to. Sweet things only. The cakes with that thick chocolate mousse inside are my favorite. I like hot chocolate with marshmallows, but only when a certain person makes it for me. I keep my blog updated because I forget things easily. I've been doing it more often recently, because... I've been making some good memories, I guess." You smile.

Scarlet shifts, and both you and Brook watch her with all of your attention. She looks at your hands, and you start speaking, too.

"My name when I was alive was Y/N Wennish. Mine and Brook's family did a lot of business together, so we were friends when we were kids, and when we were teenagers we got into a romantic relationship with one another. I became a sinner because... Uhm, I killed some of his servants, then my parents, then myself. They weren't good people, and I was sent to the 6th circle. I became a reaper sometime later because Brook was, and Satan wanted to fuck with both of us. It worked for nearly a century, but we made up. I like to eat anything that gets put in front of me because I don't know when it'll be my last time to eat and Satan will get bored of me, or to just enjoy the flavor. I'm the person who makes the best hot chocolates Brook likes. Green was always my favorite color because I saw it the most as a child growing up in isolation. Brook likes pink because when he saw it as a kid it was vibrant and rare. Now he can see it every day."

Brook throws you a questioning look, and you can tell he wants to know how you knew that when he didn't. You keep going.

"Rabbits are my favorite animal. They were before I died, and we would feed and shelter them when we were kids playing outside." You paused, choking up a little. "We never really had a mother figure, but we had this woman named Vanessa. I miss her a lot." You swallowed, fisting your hands into Scarlet's clothes. "Uh, our falling out was because I killed his sister. He was mad that I didn't tell him."

"If it is you guys... Why would you save me?" She doesn't look up, and you make eye contact with Brook. "Well, I messed up. And I wanted to fix it. That's all." He looked down, keeping his head up. "I wanted to. To save you, I mean. We don't know each other very well, but I care about you. Chase cares about you."

Scarlet finally looks up to look at Brook, shocked again.

"There's a question I don't know the answer to." She starts. She's relaxed in your arms now, and you don't know if you should let go yet or not. "But, I have a vague idea. So, if you can give me an answer that feels right... Then I'll know."

Before you knew it, she was crying again. "B-Brook, Deer... How long was I in there?" She started sobbing, and you hugged her tighter. She finally returned it, clinging to you like you'd disappear if she let go. You let yourself cry a little into her shoulder as she sobbed into your chest.

"You were in there for 25 years." Brook says gently, cautiously.

"Like a punch in the face." - Graveweaver

Words: 1301