NEXTDOOR → STALKER!SHAWN

[9] finale.

Warnings: Cursing, some violent details (?)

The bell above the door rang out loudly, catching some people's attention as Y/N walked in. The strong smell of coffee grounds and wood instantly hit her, her head bobbing around in hopes of spotting who she'd come to see. Finally, after much time spent awkwardly standing in the doorway, she saw him sitting at one of the booths in the far corner.

She wanted to move, to run towards him, but her feet felt glued to the ground. She idly fiddled with her fingers, unsure of how to go about this. Part of her considered bailing- Running out of the cafe and never speaking to him again. She knew that'd be wrong, but as she felt the bile rising in her throat and the tears welling in her eyes, she wasn't sure if she was as ready as she initially thought she was.

However, before Y/N even got the chance to turn around, he was calling out her name.

Her body tensed up at Sinqua's greeting, a tiny gasp leaving her lips. Now, she really had no choice. In less than 30 seconds, she was sat in the seat across from her friend, both wasting no time examining the other.

It'd been three months since the incident, and in that time, the two had ceased all contact. Both wanted nothing more than to forget it ever happened, but it soon became apparent that they'd never recover if they never talked about it. Therapists and doctors just didn't understand the way each other did.

Sinqua looked amazing, considering he'd gotten the most of the torture at Shawn's mercy. He was still marked three months later, of course, with permanent damage that would never go away- Scars on his face and body and a slight limp in his left leg- but even through all of this, as he looked at the woman in front of him, all he could do was smile.

"You look great, Y/N." Sinqua started, smile never faltering.

Y/N let out a dry chuckle and shook her head, her eyes stinging with the onslaught of tears. "So do you. I'm so sorry I didn't visit you in the hospital, I-"

The man's smile grew impossibly larger as he reached out to grab her hand, the touch silently telling her to stop rambling. "It's alright. I didn't visit you after I got out. We both just needed time."

Y/N's lips pressed into a thin line and she sniffed, her gaze shifting to her lap. Once again, she wanted to speak, but the words wouldn't rise from her throat. She had so much she wanted to tell him in their months of silence, but now that he was here, she had no idea what to say. She didn't even realize she had allowed a tear to slip down her cheek until Sinqua was crawling into the seat next to her, pulling her into his chest.

"I'm so sorry," Y/N sobbed, gladly accepting his embrace. "I thought I was ready, but it's still so hard."

"Trust me, I know." Sinqua murmured, grin finally falling as he recounted the exact moment he pulled the trigger. He'd relived that scene in his nightmares time and time again, seeing the smoke from the gun and hearing the deafening shot. Sometimes, it was different. Sometimes it was images of Shawn lifting a blade to his skin, the light above casting a dark, sadistic shadow onto his face. Other times it was the sounds of Y/N's screams as he sat in the darkness, yearning to know what was going on behind the wall.

These thoughts plagued him, but he would never admit this. Even through all of the torture and mental trauma he'd endured, he chose to put on a strong front, acting as if it didn't bother him. The world didn't need to know that he woke up in cold sweats every other night, nor did Y/N.

She'd willed her tears to stop nearly ten minutes later, wiping the residue away with the back of her sleeve. Sinqua finally let go of her and leaned on his elbow, looking down at her with concern.