A Nest Of Bugs

Vocaloid - someday you'll stop holding my hand

Ship: Miku x Flower
TW: a lot of crying

She won't let go of their hand. She's holding on like her life depends on it, tears running like waterfalls down her cheeks as she watches the sun disappear below the horizon.

They stand back to back with her, letting her hold on, their eyes devoid of emotion. Their body feels numb, their mind dull and empty. Feels like they're floating along with a current on the vast expanse of space that Earth is, simply a vessel to waste oxygen.

Miku pulls them forward, wrapping them in a hug and pointing them so they face the sunset. The sky is streaked with red and orange, meeting the moon up above with a brilliant purple, the clouds concealing the stars. To Miku it's one of the most beautiful sunsets she's seen.

To Flower, it's nothing more than a ball of light going to bed.

"You don't think it's pretty at all?" Miku asks, her voice holding a last shred of hope. She waits, watching their expression, watching to see if their lips move. They don't make a sound.

Disappointed, she wipes her eyes and tugs on their sleeve again. "Come on, Flower," she whispers. "It's getting late. You need rest.. it'll make you feel better."

Still gripping their hand, she goes back down the hill, out of the park and to the car parked by the side of the road. Flower sits in the passenger seat and she takes the driver's side, finally letting go of their hand.

They're halfway back to the apartment when Miku breaks out into sobs, her small body shuddering with each gasping breath. Still, Flower doesn't move or say a word. The car pulls into the parking lot of the apartment complex and, trying to hold her breath, Miku leads Flower back up to her unit.

She can't bear to look at them any longer. Leaving them standing by the door, she hides in her room, rocking back and forth on the floor. Sobbing into her hands and trying to make sense of the feelings rattling around in her tin can of a mind.

Hatred burns for Avanna, for Avanna's minions, for whoever else was involved in this plot. Hatred for all those who hurt her beloved Flower. Guilt for not being able to help, for not protecting them. Fear of what happened that she'll never know about. And sadness, misery, at the sight of her dear Flower being turned into nothing but an emotionless husk.

Just thinking those words has her crying harder, unable to think of even a temporary solution. All she could do is try and take care of them. And even then, would they ever realize where they were? She could tell them they were safe for hours, but it wouldn't matter if they couldn't hear her.

And it seems like ages before she's up again, changing into pajamas and making a feeble attempt to brush her hair. She finds Flower just where she left them- standing in front of the door, looking at the floor as if it might tell them what to do.

"Come on, Flower," she whispers, blinking back tears for what felt like the thousandth time that day. "Let's get you to bed, okay? You'll feel better after a little rest.."

She helps them out of their clothes and into a comfortable old shirt and a pair of shorts they left in her apartment months ago, then gently tucks them in to bed. Though they haven't responded much to her all day, as soon as she covers them with the blanket they draw it around their shoulders and curl up, as if trying to hide themself.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, staring at them for a moment before crawling into the blankets on the other side of the bed. She isn't even sure what she's apologizing for. But as the pull of sleep takes her, she wishes with all of her being that they'll wake up tomorrow and be her Flower again.