Don't Leave Me || Princibaldi ✔️

11: Explanations

TW: Slight mention of self-harm

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[Princi's POV]

I twiddled my thumbs nervously as Baldi waited for my explanation. I assumed I was to have a good reason. I did... but how could I delay my confession of love?

Suddenly, though, I noticed his hands. They had a couple of blood-blisters, as well as some peeling skin. I widened my eyes, and instead of explaining myself, I asked him the same thing. "What happened to your hands?"

He met my gaze with a face full of regret. "I-I didn't mean to... it just kind of happened," he mumbled, his eyes filling with tears.

I embraced him again, beginning a whole new round of crying. Finally, I pulled away, sniffling. "I'm sorry, too. I guess I lost myself after you left. You took a part of me with you."

Baldi smiled, and... was I imagining it, or was that a slight bit of pink on his cheeks? "Well," he replied, "since I'm back, you can have your soul back, too." He giggled, wiping away the last of his tears. "You might want to get a tissue... you have black stuff all over your face."

"Oh, no! Ugh, I'm sorry." I got up and ran to the kitchen, grabbing a few tissues and cleaning the black off of my face. "That tends to scare people... you're not scared?"

As I returned to the couch, Baldi shook his head. "No, because I know it's you, and you're not scary. No offence."

"Baldi... I only hurt myself because I was overcome with sadness." I paused, taking a deep breath. "When you left, I became depressed. I didn't want to live anymore, which resulted in me... y'know... cutting myself."

The math teacher blinked, processing all this information. "It's okay, Princi. I did the same. I was so guilty for leaving that I fell into despair and ended up hurting myself." He brought his knees to his chest, letting out a sigh. "I thought you would hate me for what I did..."

"No, I would never hate you," I insisted. "But I thought you hated me. You know, 'cause you hung up on me."

I was hugged by Baldi again, but only briefly. Even so, my cheeks flushed pink. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I was just so tired that day, and I felt guilty, and I thought you hated me, too!" he explained, but it all came out so fast.

I sighed, closing my eyes. I was painfully aware of how red my face was, and I was trying to think up an excuse to get out of there for a few minutes. I opened my mouth to speak, and the first thing that came out was my exact thought. "My face is red," I blurted out.

There was a slight pause, and I saw Baldi studying my face carefully. "Well, I guess I can't deny that," he answered tentatively. "Why's that?"

Oh, boy.

To Be Continued...