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

Chapter 84

TW: Greif and death of an animal.

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You grin at the thought of another week at Alex's house instead of with your Father.

Staying for several days at a time had become common ever since Alex's father passed, and you wanted to spend the holiday with him.

The large mansion he lived in was freezing, and you had already pulled a sweater over your clothes as you walked from room to room to pass the time. You still had a few hours until Alex got back from his lessons, and when he did he was yours for a full week. The thought made you grin wider as you walked down a long hallway, passing large windows and squinting at the brightness from the white snow. You pass the greenhouse and catch a glimpse of a large tree on a hill across a field, the one you and Alex always hang out at when you go outside.

The leaves had fallen a few weeks ago and now it was covered in a thick layer of snow. You hum to yourself, looking at the snow in the distance. There weren't any footprints from people and animals alike, which is definitely odd. Lucy lives there and you feed her lettuce all the time, and last winter she left her safe haven of the warm tree to collect fur from different animals (most had died from the cold already, or were hibernating) to make the inside warmer for her and her babies.

Before you really think about it, you're pulling on another jumper and making your way outside. You stop at the greenhouse and grab some lettuce. It's cold in your hands as you walk to the tree, happy to find the small blanket you and Alex pinned to the entrance when it first started to get cold a few weeks ago.

You savored the sound of the freshly fallen snow compacting beneath your feet, crunching better than the leaves did during Autumn as you approached the tree. Even with the extra layers you had around you, you could still pull back the blanket and squeeze into the small space, forgetting to pull your legs in or move the blanket back in place when you catch sight of Lucy.

You watch as she breathes slowly, laying on her side with her eyes closed. You set the lettuce down and slowly reach out to pet her nose, heart already dropping. Her ear twitches and she opens her eyes, blinks at you, and closes them again. Something's wrong.

You lean against the inside of the tree and take off one of your sweaters, then slowly put your hands under and around her to pick her up and bundle her inside the sweater. She doesn't make a fuss like she normally would, and you can already feel your eyes stinging.

You cradle her in your arms as you lean back again. You can still feel her breathing, but now it feels more like she's wheezing. It's too cold for her in here, but you know if you leave her small sanctuary it'll be colder and she'll be stressed. She's never been inside.

Her nose and ear twitch as your stroke her head.

It doesn't take long for her breathing to stop completely, no matter how tightly you hold her to your chest and cover her to try to warm her. It was like she was waiting for you, and you finally allow the tears in your eyes to spill over your cheeks at the thought that she was, and that you could comfort her during her passing.

You were loud, you knew. You and Alex had been caring for this bunny ever since she was born and you were just children, and she waited for you.

You don't know how long you stayed in the small area inside the tree, legs being covered with snow as you cried into the bunny's fur in your arms.

You only looked up when you heard crunching under someone's feet as they approached, which turned out to be Alex. The sun was almost fully set and it was dark besides the white of the snow around you.

He seemed to know what was going on immediately, his frown being replaced with a sad and sympathetic look. He didn't say anything, and you moved to the side to let him squeeze in next to you. He looked at Lucy in your arms, his own eyes glossing over but the tears never falling.

"She waited for me," You choke out, the last word coming out as a sob that makes Alex immediately wrap an arm around your shoulder and pull you into him. You cried more, probably louder than before, but you didn't care. He held you the entire time, whispering words you couldn't hear into your ear and rubbing your head, moving tears out of your face so you can see and don't freeze. Your fingers are numb, and your face is freezing from crying in the cold.

You don't bother to protest when Alex says that you both need to go inside, it's too cold to stay out and it's getting late. It'll get colder. "We can bury her tomorrow if you want." He murmurs, your face in his hands as you look down at her. You nod twice, slowly, and he smiles small. "Okay. Let's go inside and get some sleep, okay, love?"

You swallow and follow him out, refusing to leave her there. You take her inside with you, glancing back at the tree a few times as you both walk inside. He doesn't try to take her from you, just holds your hand and guides you back inside in the dark.

That night you had adamantly decided you hated winter. You didn't know it would be one of your lasts while alive, but winter was awful if it took away one of the things that were most important to you. Winter sucks.

[In the meantime, Scarlet and Chase went to Judah to get all of the information on Case X.]