[TW] Pyrophobia

Chapter Nine | "Duet"

DUH

"Sebastian's okay?" Doc asked, turning to face Duh entirely, now looking serious but also looking hopeful. There almost seemed to be a glimmer of hope in his eye, despite all the pain that Duh could see shining through.

"Yes." Duh nodded. "Yesterday, before the attack... I bumped into him at the school. He's staff there, too, apparently."

"I-I'd love to go!" Doc immediately insisted. "But my eye..." His voice fell quiet as he lowered his head.

"Sebastian knows... some of it. I'll explain the rest when we get there. If we go." Duh sighed. "Do you want to?"

"Yeah. But... let's wait for those cookies to be done first."

"Are you sure you're stable enough to?" Duh questioned, a sigh slipping out with worry. "I just want to make sure you don't get hurt again, after all, you did get blinded."

Doc seemed like he wanted to say something, but he held it back, instead looking skyward as if searching for an answer. "I... just want to make sure there's some other familiar faces, too. Not just ourselves."

Duh looked down at him and he narrowed his eyes in concern, but what was the point? He knew Doc would be persistent, and he, too, wanted to see the two of them. He let out another sigh, this time slightly shakier than the last, and rested his palm against Doc's cheek. "Just... please, be careful. You know how risky the world can be."

"I'll be okay," Doc told him, "you know I will. After all, I'll be with you. And after yesterday's display... I'm sure you can protect me." Doc smiled gently at him as he held his hand against Duh's own in return, a reassuring smile he always gave him a solid confirmation that maybe things wouldn't turn out so bad after all. His voice had a slight hint of tease to it, one that implied he wasn't necessarily joking but also, he didn't quite mean it too literally, either. He knew Duh was always insecure about things, just as much as Duh knew the same for himself. They both looked out for each other, almost a bit excessively if you will. But only Doc was the one that was able to get them both to feel at least a little reassured, at least a little.

Duh could only smile back. Things have... been tough. Doc's been hiding things. Duh knew he has. The thing in the drawer, it's been on Duh's mind every night. But right now, that wasn't important. Right now, he realized, after what Henry had said and after Doc had gotten injured, that Lulu and Doc were more important than whatever was in the drawer. Lulu's mentality has been decreasing, she's been scared, terrified. Henry's been doing his best to protect her from that, even if it meant standing up against Duh, and honestly, he didn't get him in trouble for that. He couldn't help but admire him for it. And Doc was probably only trying to make things better for the two of them, he always had been since the start. Perhaps he could figure that out in his own time what said item was, and perhaps he could find a way to ask Doc eventually. But right now, all I'm doing is creating a scene by trying to investigate. All I need is to just give them space and relax. And in the end, everything will be okay.

—

After the cookies had been baked, Duh had called Lulu downstairs and gave two of them to her. She had only eaten one, however, deciding to save the other one for after dinner. Duh and Doc decided to leave after that.

"Are you... really... sure about all of this?" Duh asked again, beginning to start the car as Doc rested in the passenger's seat, his head slightly tilted against the window, looking outside.

"...Yeah." Doc's reflection showed a small smile. "I'm sure."

Duh glanced at him and sighed. He saw his icy blue gaze, gentle and soft. He was sad that now he could only see one of those eyes... but how come the other eye could open? Was he... able to see through it? And what did he mean?

As Duh pressed the keys into the ignition, his mind replayed the recent conversation the two of them had, just before Lulu came down for the cookies, right after Doc got out of bed. What did he mean? Ghosts are everywhere. What did he mean when he said that?

"Doc?"

"Yes?" Doc didn't look away from the window, although his hand slightly twitched.

Duh let out a sigh. "What's... wrong?"

Doc seemed to stare out at the open for a moment. As Duh spoke, he began to tremble. Was it something he said? Duh wanted to get close, but he couldn't move, he was frozen again. Damn it, Duh, help him! His mind seemed to race... when he started to hear small sobs.

"I-I don't get it." Doc seemed to finally break down. He looked down from the window but not quite at Duh, instead still staring at the car door. "I'm supposed to be tough; I'm supposed to be- b-brave. I w-was supposed to help you, I-I told myself I was. A-And then, I just, I-I... I proved myself to be... fragile! I'm weak, I'm useless, I'm a fucking burden, aren't I?!"

Duh flinched, startled by his sudden breakdown. "Doc... no, no, that's not true... you don't have to protect me from anything."

"But what if I do?!" Doc looked up from Duh, tears in his eyes as they trickled down his face. "W-What if something happens to you again, a-and I'm not there to protect you? What i-if I lose you? You said it yourself... I-I..."

"Doc, calm down. Please..." Duh forced himself to lean forward, grabbing Doc and pulling him into a gentle hug, kissing him on the forehead as he did so. "Hey, hey, it's okay... you'll never be a burden to me, okay? I don't know what's going on, either. But I was scared back then, you were too. I'm still scared, I'm still worried. We both are... Scope's still out there, isn't she? But... I can tell that's not the only thing on your mind. Please, tell me."

"...I don't deserve you." Doc choked a sob.

"...We both deserve each other and nobody else." Duh reassured him. "Talk to me, love."

Doc breathed shakily but slowly began to talk. "I-It's... It's Thomas. Or... RED. I didn't know, he— I didn't know they were the same person. I... they're not in the spiritual realm, Duh."

A shiver ran down Duh's spine. "...What?"

"Th-They're not!" Doc whimpered, slightly gripping onto Duh's shoulder's harder as he spoke. "He's not in there, I-I was able to speak to ghosts for some reason. I—" Doc paused to take another shaky breath before continuing, "I saw Walton and Justin. Th-They told me.... that they di-didn't see him. I-I got scared. I... What if he's still out there? What if that's why the Spreading's still there?!"

"Calm down, Doc, calm down..." Duh tried to comfort him, but a lingering feeling began to settle upon him... what if Doc was right? If he was able to somehow see ghosts, and RED wasn't with the other ghosts after he was killed... had he somehow really not been killed? How? They shot the television, hadn't they?

"I just don't want you to die." Doc whispered, his voice muffled by Duh's jacket.

"I will never leave you, Doc." Duh promised. "I swear on the ends of the Earth, no matter what happens to me."

"You promise...?"

"I promise." Duh kissed him again on the cheek, wiping away his tears as he did so. "Now, come on. Let's go say hi to Sebastian and Lorelei... they've been waiting for a long time."