Regret (Squip x Jeremy)

17. Little Thing Called Humanity

-Jeremy-

Stairs.

That's what lays behind the door I run to after Michael and Chloe distract Al long enough for me to explore. Nothing but white walls and wood floors. A red plush carpet, modern furniture. All I can see of the kitchen is a chrome refrigerator, but Al waits in that direction.

That's why I open the door in the far corner of the room, thinking it was simply a closet (maybe they locked him up in a closet?). But dark wooden stairs awaited me, each sagging in the middle from years of wear.

Taking a deep breath, I dash down the stairs two at a time, arriving in the darkness. In the center (or what I think is the center) of the room lays a blueish glow, extremely dim but still visible. Two orbs of light, however dull.

"Squip?" I breathe.

I feel along the walls for a light switch, not hearing a response. I feel the switch, and flip on the lights.

His hands are chained above above his bowed head, and I can't help but blush. He is completely naked.

Squip looks up, eyes dull enough for me to see his lashes, the entire orb blue, without pupils or irises. I've never seen his eyes so clearly before. I walk closer to him as he groans, "Jeremy?"

I break into a run and fall to the cement floor next to him, cradling his head.

"Oh Squip, I'm so sorry. I didn't know! I was such an idiot and I acted like such a jerk! I'm so, so sorry!"

He leans his head into my touch, smiling a tiny bit. "As much as I'd love to have a heart to heart right now, I'm a little tied up at the moment, care to help?"

There's the sarcasm I love. I kiss his forehead, looking at the chain. "Have anything sharp?"

"Yes, let me pull out my conveniently placed pocket knife. I'm fucking naked, Jeremy! Where would I hide a knife?"

"I don't know! God I missed your sarcasm," I search my pockets, finding an old Swiss Army knife my dad gave me when I was a kid. Because that what good parents do, give their child a knife.

I honestly didn't know why I kept it, but right now I don't care, working on Squip's bonds. "I missed you," I whisper.

"I missed you too, now hurry up. And you do realize you can't cut a chain with a pocket knife? It's connected to the wall over there," he jerks his head in that direction.

I nod, kissing his forehead before getting up and to the hook in the wall. It looks like a pulley system and I quickly unhook him, hearing the clunk of the chain falling to the ground. I grab the key ring off the hook next to the chain.

I run back to Squip, who holds his handcuffs up for me to see, nodding his head towards the keys. I work on unlocking him and he rubs his cheek against my stomach, humming quietly. Al could be down here any moment, and I still have no clue how to defeat them.

"I know."

"What? " I ask.

"I know how to defeat them, don't worry about that, just get me free."

I nod, unlocking the handcuffs and tossing them to the side. Squip instantly leaped up, stretching his back and limbs, grinning at me. I smirk back and tackle him, my lips finding his immediately. He falls back to the hard ground but doesn't seem uncomfortable, kissing me back furiously. He laughs into my mouth, hands crawling up my back and to my face. He pulls back and nuzzles my face with his nose. "I'm sorry."