Flesh & Bone (OMORI AU)

Chapter 23: Nightmares

Sorry it took so long to get this out! I've been busy but now that I'm on winter break I have more time to write! Look forward to more frequent updates!

Sunny woke up in the middle of the night with a mild headache, sighing. Not only was he dealing with the pain in his head, but he didn't have a very pleasant dream. He looked at the uneaten pizza on his table, choosing to just drink some of his water. Despite being there for a few hours, it was still relatively cold. But then he realized how cold his room was. It was Autumn, sure, but since when was it this cold?

The raven haired boy slipped out of bed, carrying his glass and plate downstairs. As he got closer to the living room, the air had become so cold that he could see his own breath. Once he entered the room, his teeth started chattering slightly. He stared at the futon, which had been made, yet Mari wasn't there. He turned to go to the kitchen, when he heard someone sobbing. Mari. He stood by the door frame, Mari crying over the counter. She looked at Sunny, her eyes glowing a soft white. She must have been the reason the house was so cold.

"S-Sunny what are you doing up...?"

"What are you doing up?"

"That's not important right now-."

"You're crying, its cold and your eyes are weird. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Sunny. Go back to sleep."

"But I'm concerned about you-."

"Sunny." Mari frowned. The room became colder. "Go."

"What is wrong with you-."

"Wanna know what's wrong with me? Fine. I realized that either I live the rest of my life as some spirit with stupid powers triggered by emotions, or I go back to my grave and never see anyone again. I cant live like this, but I don't want to leave you."

"Mari-."

"Go to sleep... You're probably hungover."

"No, I'm okay-."

"Sunny." Mari glared. He hadn't seen her this upset since the day of the recital. "Bed. Now."

"Im not five you cant just tell me what to do-."

"GO. TO. SLEEP."

Mari called out, Sunny being blown slightly by a gust of wind. He looked at Mari with a hurt expression. Once she realized what she had done she gasped, her eyes slowly turning dark like before. The room slowly warmed up sightly.

"Sunny I'm sorry I didn't mean to-."

"It's okay..." Sunny walked over to his sister and embraced her. "We can figure it out."

Mari pulled Sunny closer, holding back more of her tears. All she wanted was to be there for her friends. Her boyfriend. Her little brother. But she couldn't help but feel like she was making things worse. Maybe Francine was right; she is too dangerous.

"Is everything alright? I heard yelling..." Ayaka rubbed one of her eyes, looking at her children in confusion. Mari was surprised she even came out of her room to check on them. She was making good progress.

"Everything is okay, I just got a little upset." Mari tried her best to smile. It was pretty convincing.

"Okay.. just keep it down... okay?"

"Got it." Mari said as Sunny nodded. Their mother then left as quickly as she had came, mumbling about how cold it was as she walked away.

Sunny broke away from the hug with a frown. Mari sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"You still look pretty cool with that streak though!" I

"Oh... thanks.." Sunny blushed faintly.

"You should really go to bed though."

"I have a headache... and I had a bad dream."

"Let me get you something for that headache and then we can talk about it if you want, okay?" Mari smiled warmly.

Sunny nodded, leaning against the fridge as Mari found the painkillers. She opened the bottle, realizing there was only one tablet left. She looked Sunny, before looking into the bottle, taking it out.

"I haven't done it in a while."

"Done what in a while?"

"Use those..."

"For pain or for...?"

"Both. I don't want to get into it right now."

Mari nodded as she hesitantly handed Sunny the tablet and a glass of water. His hands shook slightly as he held the glass, but this was normal for him, considering he was fairly malnourished and anemic. He handed Mari the empty glass when he finished, wiping a bit of water off his lips with his sleeve. Mari threw out the medication bottle and put the glass in the sink. Once she turned to Sunny she saw that he was already making his way to the living room.

Mari followed, and sat beside Sunny. The couch was turned into a futon like it was every night. Sunny sighed, crossing his legs and holding onto his feet with his back arched slightly.

"You... and the others... you abandoned me. And Om- um, someone tried to hurt me and remind me of the past. I killed myself with a knife... stabbing my stomach.."

"I want you to know that what you did wont change how we feel about you. People make mistakes. Yes, I died, but I'm here now, aren't I?" Mari smiled.

"No. What if you have to go back? Like you said..."

"If or when that happens, I will always love you.. and be there for you. Even if I'm not around you." Mari pulled her brother close into a side hug, which he returned, tears falling down his cheek as he silently sobbed.

After a few minutes of silence, Sunny spoke once more. "Mari... I have a question..."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Can.. I sleep with you tonight? Like when we were little..."

"Aren't you a little old for that?" Mari teased.

"Yeah but... I want to have more memories with you if you leave us again... you being here comforts me.."

"Okay, sure. But only for tonight unless I say otherwise." Mari chuckled as she laid on her side. "The futon should be soft enough for you. I know how you're a picky sleeper."

Sunny hummed as he laid beside Mari, yawning softly. Mari looked at him and smiled. It was still sort of odd seeing her brother almost grown up. While he hadn't gotten much taller and his basic features were mostly the same, she still couldn't help but feel proud. That Sunny had made it through his depression.

Once he closed his eye, Mari got comfortable. She then noticed something that she hadn't before. Sunny had his hands by his face, and one of his sleeves was rolled down. She saw various scars of different shapes and sizes lining his pale skin, some thin and surface leveled while others were deep and almost gaping. Mari frowned.

He went through so much... I wish I could have been there for him...

Mari gently planted a kiss on Sunny's forehead. "おやすみ, 弟さん..."

Sunny scooted closer to Mari, leaning against her slightly. "Good night..."

And in a matter of minutes, he was asleep. He was a quiet sleeper. All that could be heard was his shallow breathing. Just like Mari remembered so fondly in the past. Wrapping an arm around Sunny, resting her chin gently on his head. She felt her body grow warmer in this tender moment. She started to feel more human. More alive. Mari wondered what exactly it meant, but decided not to think too hard on it. She then heard a small murrping noise, feeling Mewo crawl beside her. With her other hand she pet the cat, smiling tiredly. After a while she too fell asleep, listening to Mewo's soft purring by her ear.

She loved Sunny dearly. She couldn't leave him again. Mari vowed to protect him the best she could. Having ghost powers made doing that easier even if it was scary.

She wouldn't let Francine take her away from him, no matter what it could take.