Mom Friend (SHADOWs of GHOST

8-Ball

Warning: Contains a bit of a spoiler for the SHADOWs of GHOST trilogy. AKA referenced character death.

~•~

Sleep was difficult when the thought that you could have prevented something tragic constantly provoked your half-conscious mind.

That thought had been the only one plaguing Journey's head all night. She couldn't sit still or even lay down; she could only pace and wander the outdoor decks of The Fortilla, thinking about all that had gone wrong. They had been set up and torn apart. SHADOW knew exactly what they were doing—it was no fault of her own. But now Cameo...

She looped her apartment room one more time, sighed, and stepped out. Maybe a walk would finally clear her mind a bit.

Only a few steps outside, there was an abrupt shuffle not far away. She looked up to find 8-Ball at the end of the platform, staring back at her like a deer in the headlights. The second thing she noticed about him was that he was not wearing his helmet... second after the fact that there was an indiscernible, unhidden pain in his eyes. It didn't take a single word to know what was on his mind as well.

He hated having his mask off in front of others, especially when his emotions were left unchecked... but with what had happened just earlier that day, there was no bother. How could there be? "8-Ball?" She tenderly asked. "Hard time sleeping...?"

His expression remained unchanged at first, yet his breathing sped up until finally, he withered.

"I should have been there," he said in a shaky exhale. Journey didn't hesitate to fly forth and envelop him in a tight embrace. He buried his head in the crook of her neck and held on for dear life, his body quaking with silent cries as he repeated the words again. "I should have been there and it should have been me."

She couldn't suppress a gasp at that; she grabbed his face and moved it so he looked straight into her eyes. "Hey, don't you dare say that, okay?" She chastised lightly. Her voice broke, but she tried to keep a hold of and steady her own breaths. "Don't you dare say that, Carter. It wasn't your fault, okay? It shouldn't have been you, it shouldn't have been anyone. Okay?"

He mustered a nod and collapsed back into her neck, letting a sob fully escape his mouth. Journey held back an outward cry of her own but let her own tears fall freely. She ran a hand up and down his back, wincing as his body shuddered with each quiet cry.

8-Ball never liked to let his emotions show, especially in such a display. But whether he was finally comfortable enough to do so or he simply couldn't keep up the facade any longer, she would be there for him, always and forever.