AU One-Shots

Keep True

Written by Frost
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His eyes seemed to force themselves open. Surrounded by the same species, yet only few of them were just like him. Just waking up and already pondering strange and unorthodox ideas. No matter. He continued on with his immediate post-slumber thoughts.

These people...they were the ones. The ones who really made himself, himself. He couldn't possibly handle himself in a real social situation. Not without time. Not without time spent with them, like he'd done with these ones. Even so, he didn't feel worthy in their presence.

Why couldn't he trust anyone? Even ones he knew significantly more than the others, like the girl with brown hair, and eyes of the same shade, and a personality shining through more than any other person he'd met. Someone he was so joyous to call his girlfriend. And the other. The boy with unnaturally curly hair and a defining beard, making him noticeable from even a mile away. One of his best friends. Even them he couldn't fully trust, yet he couldn't ever say why. He didn't want to blame past experiences for his distrust, but rather general disappointment in his fellow species. A saddening mindset, yet one absolutely set in stone.

Even aside from them, he couldn't trust many others. A boy slightly younger than him, even with his enjoyable and pleasant conversations with him, he felt out of place around him. Like he was inferior. And another. A boy who seemed to almost diminish the gap between genders, something he'd never thought could be a possibility. And he thought him crazy, and couldn't trust him either. Moreso, a girl. One that gave off a vibe that showed an ideal of,"Keep chill, and never be too serious," one that made him question possibilities even more. More than that, another girl. Even with their many shared interests, and their exchange in jokes and dialogue that no one else could even try to begin to understand, he'd thought her some type of fraud. Like she wasn't what she said, like all the others he'd ever encountered. It wasn't fair to them. To any of them.

He hadn't even sat up before he closed his eyes again. A swarm of voices begun to fill his head, full of each of the lies he'd been told, all the people he'd encountered, who meant nothing but sorrow for him in the end. He'd wondered how he'd gotten to this point.

His eyes popped open again. Now, his bed was surrounded with silhouettes of all the people he'd met as of late. All the people he'd but blame onto for no reason. The blame placed on them without reason. And he was the person who cast it upon them.

He simply stood up in front of them. They encircled him, but he wasn't afraid.

"It's fine. I'll take my leave now."

He went to the door, and opened it to find a pretty forest. But he knew the forest was an unforgiving and dangerous place. But he wasn't afraid. He was ready, in fact. He was prepared for this moment the second he'd arrived in the presence of all these people. He was expecting this.

When he stepped outside, it instantly felt as if cold air had slapped him in the face. It was unforgiving, and a horrible feeling. But he'd gained a resistance to it, for it wasn't the first time he'd come into contact with it.

But, something new had happened. Something he was never met with before. A hand on his shoulder, stopping him from continuing. He looked behind him, only to find a pitch black, genderless, figure.

"What do you what?" He heaved a sigh. It was pointless, he knew. He'd heard it before, but nothing had ever pointed to sincerity. Even though, this figure didn't deserve instant hatred.

"Stop." The figure spoke, a voice like a combination of all the people he'd met in this new chapter of his life.

The wind rustled and blew loudly at it's voice. His hair had not been affected, as it usually was almost improperly placed the way it was forever. He'd always thought it some silent symbolism.

"Please. Do not leave so soon as to give up on them. On us. We know not of what you've encountered, but do not place judgement on them. You must believe, in yourself most of all."

With such simple words, it'd be thought impossible to give them a chance, given regular circumstances. But, he'd never actually heard the words at all, come from anyone. What sounded so simple to one was a thousand words to him. A flurry of emotion packed into what would be the words that gave him hope.

He slammed the door shut.

...

Pitch black. No sound. No light. Nothing at all.

...

His eyes opened once more.

"It's...it's fine! I...I don't think that anymore! Please, give me another...!"

A finger was over his lips. Straight up in his bed, and there sat everyone, his girlfriend silencing him.

"Silly! We'd never think of you that way. We never did, and we never will."

He'd always told himself to suppress emotion, and that it was an annoyance of mind, only serving to distract and disorient you when you needed logic more than anything. But here, his mind failed him in the area he'd never thought.

He collapsed into her arms, and began sobbing. Everyone watched him, yet there was no judgement being thrusted upon him. No beaming shame emitting from him to the others.

Through a face full of tears, he choked out words than he'd hope to rival the simplicity of the words that had once saved him.

"Thank you."