I wake up kicking and screaming. Vinny rushes over to me and grabs my wrists. "Y/n," he says calmly. "Calm down. It's just a nightmare."
"Jeff ... he disintegrated!"
Vinny nods solemnly. "I know. But he ... he died saving us. That's what we have to think about. Not that it's our fault, but that it was his choice to make."
"But he still died!" I exclaim.
Vinny wraps me in a big bear hug. I bury my face against his chest and let the tears fall. I shake all over as he holds me in silence, gently rocking back and forth.
Finally, I break away.
"Where is Habit?"
"Right here."
I look at the doorway and see him. He wears his usual Hawaiian shirt over a black tee and his fedora is speckled with blood, as is he. It reminds me of the Severance video where he was talking to Noah and was covered in blood. But now he looks different, different from before.
"Habit?" I whisper.
"They did something to you," he says. "They took you from me and tortured you. I am so, so sorry ..."
I get up and walk over to him. I don't think he said those words before he met me. Have I truly changed him? Or is this all just a ruse?
"Shh," I say, hugging him and not caring how much blood gets on me. "It's okay. I'm here, I'm back, I'm fine."
"They took you two to get to me," he says. "It's my fault."
"No it's not. It is not your fault at all."
"Well," he whispers, pressing himself against me. "I still have to make it up to you."
In the heat of the moment, you'd think I'd say something sexy or whatever. But that's not me. That's not what comes out of my mouth.
"I hope this is just my present and not Vinny's too."
He laughs and Vinny actually laughs too. It's like music to my ears. I smile widely at them and Habit extends a hand to me.
"You can take a break for the meantime, Vin," he says.
Then we're gone.
