Partners In Crime (Ticciwork fanfic) [DISCONTINUED]

PINC XMAS SPECIAL

A little late but. Before Christmas.

Context: Jasmine, the Ghost Speaker they found to try and fix things, has died because Me-Of-The-Past was just really into killing characters that only got 10 seconds of page-time. Everyone's sad about it and everyone is high-key angry at Slender because it was high-key his fault.

Thus the following events ensue.

:)

~~

Clockwork couldn't sleep.

How many other times had she been unable to sleep? She couldn't recall. Perhaps she should start writing tally marks on the ceiling every time she found herself staring at it to keep track.

This time was different, though. Before, the sadness felt like a gaping hole eating away at her insides, turning her hollow and apathetic. Now, it weighed on her like a cinder block. It pressed on her lungs, her heart, her throat, made her eyes burn with the threat of tears. It was squeezing some kind of hard stone up the back her mouth - it throbbed there, behind her tongue. She would not cry, though. Too heavy to cry.

She sat up. She wondered how many others were not sleeping tonight. Jeff surely wasn't. Masky probably wasn't either. The only time she'd ever heard of that man sleeping was when he slipped into a coma for three days after he was swiss-cheesed with bullets.

Jasmine, electric blue eyes wide, darkness swelling around her gut. She fell to the ground in slow motion. Why didn't I catch her?

Clockwork swung her legs out of her bed and left her room. She didn't bother closing the door quietly behind her. Anyone who was awake wouldn't care.

Down the hall, to the room around the corner. She leaned her forehead against the wood and took a deep breath. Surely he was also awake. She raised her fist and tapped out a weak pattern on the door.

She heard him moving inside, then the doorknob rattling. She straightened when he opened the door.

Toby looked at her, the door open about a quarter of the way. His expression was shady, his eyes searching. She wondered what she looked like to him. Perhaps her hair was a mess. Actually, it probably was.

Finally, he sighed and came through the door, put his arms around her and hugged her tighter than he'd ever done before. Clockwork hugged him back, hiding her face in his shoulder. The pulsing pain behind her tongue was stronger, now. It took physical effort to hold it back.

He didn't smell like smoke. He wasn't wearing that gross jacket he was always wearing that always smelt like smoke.

"Can't sleep?" He asked her, his voice a whisper. She only nodded. To speak would allow her to fall apart.

It was nice to just hug him. It was nice to hug someone.

"I miss her," She said finally. It surprised her to say that. Jasmine had never been her favorite but she had been so young and so kind, and she hadn't deserved it. She hadn't deserved any of it. If Slenderman knew how to read anything - if he weren't the monster he was - then Clockwork wouldn't have to fight back tears. She wouldn't have to miss her.

"So do I."

Clockwork took a deep, shaky breath. Her eyes were wet, but something about breathing slow lessened the pain in her throat. Toby did not let go.

"Can I stay with you a little while?" Clockwork asked weakly.

"Mm-hm."

She couldn't see his face. She wondered if he were crying, too.