𝕺𝖇𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖎𝖆𝖓 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕾𝖒𝖔𝖐𝖊

IV

Dew curled up in Swiss' arms, taking a deep sigh as he gets lost in thought. Swiss comfortingly rubbed Dew's hair, wrapping his tail around the smaller ghouls leg. There's one specific memory trapped in Dew's head, when he was transformed from a water ghoul to a fire ghoul, where he got all his burn marks, where his tail got removed, where the webs between his fingers and feet were burnt and cut up, his worst moment while being a ghoul. It was terrifying, painful, he was burnt to a crisp, yet Aether was with him the entire time.

"Aether it hurts so bad." Dew cried, even his tears burning his face. One of his eyes was severely burned, so damaged he couldn't even open it anymore. All Aether could do was use his quintessence magic to the best of his abilities, but Dew held so much pain it was almost impossible to take away, holding him with sweet cold hands sizzling against blazing and injured skin.

"I know, Dewdrop. I wish I could help you, but you're doing so good. It'll all go away soon. All this pain will be gone soon." The quintessence ghoul reassured, kissing gently between his horns. Dew grimaced, blinking away wretched tear after wretched tear. "You're still so beautiful, Dewdrop. Nothing will change you, nothing. Not even this."

Swiss let out a little gasp as he felt warm wetness seep through his shirt and onto his chest, cuddling Dew closer and pressing a sweet kiss between his horns, making Dew think about Aether even more. The fire ghoul clutched tightly onto the fabric of the back of Swiss' shirt. Swiss shushed and cooed gently and a little desperately at him, mumbling sweet things like "you're okay" or "it'll all get better soon". Dew just nodded but Swiss' words basically went in one ear and slipped out the other, he's never had such doubt in a ghoul until now, especially a ghoul like Swiss. He didn't feel like it'd get better anytime soon, not until Aether was right back at his side. Aether was his 'better', was his 'okay', and if Aether wasn't there than there was no better or okay, there was just 'mhm' or a nod.

"I love you firecracker, don't give up on me yet, okay? I need you to hang on, you need yourself to hang on, I promise." Swiss whispered. Another promise. Dew felt as if there were so many promises he had to hang onto, promise after promise, the word barely even sounded like one anymore. He was trying his best to hang onto them, all of them, all the dumb promises like the word just spilled over and spewed out of peoples mouths like it held zero meaning. Promises were important, a promise meant you mean it, that you weren't ever going to give in, that you were strong, that you weren't cowardice. But 'I promise' were words that were just used to be used, that's what it felt like at least, just dumb words that were losing their heartfelt meaning. Their importance. Their meaning that made people hang on.

Dew simply just nodded and sighed. He was hiding his thoughts with nods and sighs and okay's and mhm's, yet there was so much more behind those little noises and motions, a whole lot more. He didn't want to worry anyone though, his thoughts felt so weird that he should just hide them away, just shut them up and push them away and cover them up with little responses that he felt were normal enough. He couldn't help but think that.. the only person he could tell his thoughts to was Phantom. He would never catch himself ever doing that though, he was repulsed merely by the thought of thinking of talking to him, especially about his thoughts. But, Phantom seemed so curious though, he seemed like he also had as many thoughts and opinions as Dew. Maybe they weren't the same, but as long as they both thought as much as the other, they could talk to each other about the others thoughts.

He couldn't believe he was even thinking about this, talking to Phantom, it sent bone-chilling shivers up him. He wanted to try it, but he was so disgusted and so angered that he doubted he ever would. He wanted to rip Phantom to shreds, but the puny quintessence ghoul reminded him so much of Aether he couldn't help but want to try. Aether was curious, and he always had his own thoughts and always voiced his opinion, nor was he scared to.

Maybe he would, he would think about it.

He wiped his tears and shut his eyes, curling up and taking some deep breaths. He couldn't be bothered to think so deeply anymore, he just wanted to bask in the warmth of Swiss' embrace and relax merely to his touch.