Stranded in Paradise; Welcome Home [An II Au]

Long Day

The commotion outside didn't phase Paper in the slightest. Nothing phased him in the slightest. Everything just...continued to stay silent. He lied in his bed, staring daggers at the bed across from him, divided by a nightstand which held a photograph of him and Paper on the boat together back in Season 1. He didn't even bother to go down to the office to finish his work anymore. He just let the other hotel residents handle it in his absence. Dried tears scarred his cheeks, continuing to fall every minute or so as Paper was reminded of the time he spent with OJ. It burned into his mind and hurt him to a good degree. Maybe he was better off not knowing about any of it. Maybe he just...should've never mentioned OJ in the first place when Fan came to talk to him. Because now he was spiraling further into his mental break, and he had no idea what else to do except lie down and just...

Just cry.

...

"Paper, sweetie?"

Paper listened to Tea Kettle's voice as she came up behind the doorframe, looking in at the looseleaf paper as he lay quietly alone, in the dark. "Paper, you wanna come down and have breakfast with us? I know you're feelin' sad, but...nothin' a bit of grub can't fix, right?" The motherly figure tried to smile a bit. No words came out of Paper's mouth for a bit.

"...Good..." His voice was dry from the endless crying he had done the night before.

"Hm?"

"I'm...good..."

"...I'll fix ya up somethin' while I'm down there. That okay with you, honey?"

"..That's okay...thank...thank you..."

"Mama's gotcha, kiddo! You just lay down and don't worry bout a thing, okay? You deserve a bit of a break."

"...Thank you..."

Tea Kettle smiled and softly closed the door behind her, leaving Paper in the dark.

...

...

"Paper?"

Paper jolted upwards upon hearing OJ's voice.

Only to be put off by Fan in the doorway, his shadow casting over his bed. "You...doing okay?" He asked in his meek, nerdy voice. Paper just sat there, eyes plastered on the Chinese hand fan as he tried to muster up words. Sentences. Anything. Literally...anything.

Say something...

Something...

Please.

...

...

...

All Paper could say was "...Why?"

Fan seemed to realize what he was asking. "I...I couldn't keep it a secret forever, Paper...I had to tell you...especially...because I was hurting too..."

"Over...OJ...?"

"I-I know we barely talked before but...on that island, I-...I changed. Something in me...my feelings were...changed. And it's just been hurting me every day for the past few weeks because I..."

Paper slowly leaned up from the bed as Fan tried to word his next sentence together.

"I fell in love with him..."

"...What?"

"I admit it...I wanted to forget it after he died, but it just burned into my skull how much he suddenly meant to me and you and everyone else in Hotel OJ! I knew you are him were together and yet I...I confessed to him anyway! And now...and now...I can't move on...I'm sorry, Paper...I'm sorry I had to fall in love with him...I'm...sorry for telling you anything. I'm sorry...for everything."

It was quiet between the two for a moment.

Fan sighed and began turning his back to leave, wiping tears from his eyes as he did so.

Until.

"...I don't blame you...OJ was a great person..."

Fan turned around with a small smile on his face.

"Haha...He...was something, alright..."

...

...

Silver Spoon peeked behind the doorway to the inside of the dining hall, noticing a few eyes staring on him from the events of last night. One of them was Lightbulb, sitting at her usual table, tapping her fork against her table as she gazed into Silver Spoon's eyes, coldly. Nearly everyone was there besides Paper, Fan, and Soap, who had taken Pickle's place for today in taking care of Mephone. Silver Spoon let out a loud sigh and approached the table the broken lightbulb sat at, barely making eye contact with anyone. Test Tube sat at the ready, preparing to take action if Silver were to take anything too far. Lightbulb stared daggers at him, and he stared back.

It was quiet.

Just...utter silence between them.

"I believe I owe you an apology."

Test Tube seemed to calm down a little.

Lightbulb's eyebrows raised a bit.

"I believe I owe you...the slimy one, the smart one, and the robot an apology. All of you..."

Goo and Bot seemed to be more attentive when Silver said their names.

"...I must admit, my...handling of the situation between you and me was not...right. Especially considering I was...not in the right headspace to be carrying around such a weapon like a simple kitchen knife. But...I suppose I must also apologize for..."

"...Painty." Lightbulb said with her now slightly rasped voice.

"I..."

Silver suddenly dropped onto his feet and bowed his head, almost as if he was begging for some sort of forgiveness.

"It was of pure accidence...! Blueberry had taken everything from me, and I couldn't forgive him for what he had done to Candle! Whenever I closed my eyes, I saw him...mocking me, treating me like dirt! And I...I broke...please, please just believe me when I say it was accidental...please...I beg of you to just give me...some sort of forgiveness...for everyone I've hurt...and the actions I have done...I truly, truly apologize..."

...

Lightbulb just got up. "I'm not hungry anymore." She said, and began to leave the dining hall, passing Silver by. Goo slithered up next to Silver Spoon as he got up from the ground, looking down at the blue blob. "...I believe I owe you an apology as well...for my negligence towards you...while what you did was not right, I...can't blame you for wanting to stop the conflict. And that's...okay."

"...Thank you, Silver...!" Goo smiled and pressed his slimy body against Silver's, almost like a hug. Silver just pat him on his squishy head, then looked up at Test Tube.

The beaker just let out a breath, and then let her voice come out.

"Just give her some time."