(Re-Write) The Soldier's Superhero

Chapter 9

Warning: homophobic language

You didn't ask what I told you to, moron!

Flippy hummed happily, sorting through the books Splendid gave him to read. They were authors he'd never heard of!

"I forgot. Sorry." He chirped happily, picking out a book about wild herbs in the forest. "But you must have found something helpful considering you didn't come out once."

Flippy felt uncertainty well up as he went downstairs and took a seat in the living room to read. Splendid was home today, making food in the kitchen. The house smelled like spicy chili, which is what was being made, and Flippy felt his stomach growl.

Fuck. I was distracted by the ribs.

Flippy opened the book to start reading, ignoring the rush of several emotions. It's been really calm since that outing. Now, he was coming out of his room more. He was given access to Splendid's library, so it was a treasure trove of non-fiction knowledge that Fliqpy hated himself. His tastes were limited to war and history books.

And he was chatting more and more with Splendid. Once he really opened up about himself, Flippy found himself enamored by Splendid. The other wasn't as one-dimensional as he had originally thought. Splendid was like everyone else. He got happy, got sad, got mad, got frustrated. He wasn't a ball of optimism, pretending that the world was sunshine and rainbows. He was sincere and kind. He gave good advice. He actually listened and made an effort. The warmth he felt when Splendid went out of his way to visit him made him feel lighter than he felt in years.

I'll go back through that pathetic conversation. Maybe there was something...

Flippy smiled, quietly muttering, "I'm sure you can collect more info when I'm talking to him."

The best part of all? His nightmares seemed to stop. Not once has he dreamed of cages, of guns, of decay, of all the bad times he spent during his enlistment of the army. He said nothing to Splendid about it. Definitely not to Fliqpy, but he probably already knew, considering they shared a mind. He had always wondered what Fliqpy did when he was asleep. When he was trapped in their mind. He hummed, feeling curious and letting himself think.

Hey, Fliqpy? Do you ever dream?

The rush of emotions and thoughts abruptly stopped. He heard nothing, aside from Splendid moving around in the kitchen. Flippy looked away from his book. Sometimes Fliqpy got tongue-tied and wouldn't speak. It was unnerving sometimes, but he usually always had a response.

He knew this silence. He knew this mental disconnect.

Sometimes, depending on what Flippy said and how he acted, Fliqpy would shut down.

And then he would get wound up.

It happened once when he tried going to that new burger joint back in town a couple years back. He can't recall what it is they were arguing about. But it was enough that, when he was suddenly full view of Giggles covered in ketchup, Fliqpy went berserk. He still flinches when remembering how he tried making burgers at home afterwards. The reminder of Petunia's screams and the smell of burning flesh turned him off from the food he once loved the most.

It's too calm here these days.

Flippy felt himself go cold at that.

What do you mean?

Fliqpy stayed silent again.

Fliqpy?

"Flippy!" Splendid called out, causing him to flinch in surprise, "Time for lunch!"