Den of Ghouls | Ghost Band One Shots

💜 Part of the pack [Copia & his ghouls]

CW/TW:
• self doubt

Always remember: Communication is key and only consent is sexy. Stay safe🫶🏻

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This chapter is incredibly important to me, because I read a few fics on here where people still treat Phantom as a temporary replacement for Aether.

Aether is not coming back, we have to face it.
I miss him too, but Phantom is doing a fantastic job and deserves the same love we give to all the ghouls.

Anyway, enjoy and lmk what you think🫶🏻
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Phantom PoV
No one had told him that life in the ministry would be as hard as it was down in hell, that he would be suffering the way he did.
No one had told him that he would only be seen as a temporary replacement for one of the most loved ghouls.
No one had told him that the feeling of not being enough would eat him alive.

With his eyes red from crying and still full of tears and his head throbbing he padded from his room over to the kitchen.
It was more quiet than usual and he was thankful for that. Actually he wanted to get a snack, his breakdowns made him hungry all the time but at the door to the living room he stopped and peeked inside.
His Papa sat on the couch, watching a movie.
Phantom didn't want to interrupt him by clattering around in the kitchen so he turned on his heel and was ready to sneak back to his room.
"Phantom? Why don't you come in?"

His breath hitched. Doubting he turned around again, fiddling with the cord of the black hoodie he was wearing.
Then he squared his shoulders and marched through the door. "Yes Papa?"
First he had thought Copia was alone in the room, but as he stood there he saw a lot of eyes in all colors of the rainbow looking up to him.
The other ghouls laid sprawled out on the floor and in the dim light he couldn't even make out where one ended and the other began.
Dumbfounded he just stared at that weird ghoul-carpet on the floor.
Following his gaze Copia snickered. "It's called a 'cuddle-pile' or so I've learned. Do you want to join?"

Completely unsure of what was expected from him he gave a small sound of denial. "We kept a spot for you." Said the ghoul-carpet, pardon, the cuddle-pile with Swiss's voice.
His heart beat faster as he stepped closer. "You did?" There was no way in hell the other ghouls hadn't heard his voice crack.
The cuddle-pile hummed soothingly and Swiss lifted one of his arms, revealing a free spot.
When he was still hesitating he felt his Papa petting his back. "You don't have to. You can just sit on the couch with me if you want."
He didn't want to. He wanted to be a part of something, even if it was just that weird pile of limbs on the floor.
So he got down on his knees and crawled into the space Swiss showed him.

The warmth in there was incredible and he could smell them all. The deep, earthy scent of Mountain, Rain who smelled like petrichor, Sodo's smoky scent, both Cumulus and Cirrus smelling like fresh air, one like cold winter days the other like breezy summer nights and Swiss who smelled just like caramel to him.
A violent shudder ran through his body as he rested his head on Cumulus's stomach. He felt the warm presence of Sodo, curling up in his back, his hands softly massaging Phantom's aching shoulder muscles. Swiss held his legs and the hands of the multi ghoul rested on the knee he had bruised during band practice today.
Only with all his self-restraint he could hold back the groan that desperately wanted to break free.

But when Cirrus started to gently rake her hand through his hair the tears returned to his eyes, quickly rolling down his cheeks.
He tried to conceal his sobs with coughing but he couldn't fool the ghouls around him. Like they were one single body they all quirked up. "Phantom? Where does it hurt?" That was Cumulus using her Mama Bear voice, ready to attack and protect and soothe any kind of wound he might have. The only difficulty was that his whole heart was an open wound.
He could only point to his chest, as he was bawling his eyes out.
Someone gave him a tissue and he used it to press it over his eyes. Why couldn't he keep it together for once?

"Sorry! Sorry to be such a burden to you all..." Phantom hiccuped.
Suddenly his hands were pulled away from his face. Copia had crouched down before them, taking his hands and squeezing them in a reassuring manner. The look in his two-colored eyes seemed to mirror the pain in Phantom's soul. "Do you really think you're a burden to us?"
Phantom had to avert his gaze. He couldn't bare it to look into Copia's eyes, telling him that he felt like he didn't belong with them.

"Phantom, my little ghoul... Look at me." His warm hand directed his chin back up to meet his eyes. "I need you to always remember one thing: You are a part of my pack now. It's the same principle as in the cuddle-pile. There was a vacant spot in there before you came and filled it up. Without you, there would be an empty space we all would feel."
Another wave of heavy sobs came over him as he heard his Papa's words. "It's just that I will never be able to fill Aether's space, no matter how hard I try."
Copia made a sad noise with a distressed look on his face. "But Phantom, none of us expects you to. You know, sometimes just being here is enough. You are enough."

His fellow ghouls around him started to move restlessly, as if they could feel his pain. As Copia moved back to the couch, not without petting his head again, the other ghouls swarmed him, each one of them trying to touch Phantom in an attempt to soothe him.
But his tears didn't want to stop falling until he felt completely exhausted. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw someone getting up and realized it was Mountain who returned shortly after with a bottle of water and a pack of salty crackers.
After handing him both and ruffling his hair, his deep green eyes dark with pity, he got back into the pile.
They let him eat and drink, only sometimes interrupted by another sob, before Cumulus pulled his head back into her lap, massaging his scalp and purring softly.
The others mirrored her. Phantom felt his muscles relax for the first time since his summoning and a huge yawn split his face. The vibration slowly lulled him into sleep.

No PoV
"Poor thing. He's completely exhausted." Cumulus said, still playing with the curls on the young quintessence ghoul's head.
A heavy sigh left Copia's lips as he pressed his fingers against his temples. "Yes, poor thing indeed. Trying to fill Aether's footsteps is an enormous task for such a young ghoul. I should've seen that he is struggling."
"It's not your fault." As always when someone spoke of Aether Sodo looked like he wanted to cry. Swiss wrapped an arm around his shoulders and nuzzled his hair, trying to comfort the fire ghoul.
"Sodo is right," Rain chimed in quietly, "we all should've noticed. But now that the damage is done we will do everything we can to make him feel safe with us."
The other ghouls murmured their agreement to the water ghoul's words.
Copia smiled fondly in the dim light of the TV. "I'm so proud of you all."