Hocus Pocus (rewritten)

Cha. 7. Chaser To Chasing.

"CHASE?!"
"Y-*hic* Y/n?!"

You recoil and the ego covers his face. "Nononono. Ah...*hic* not Chase- I'm uh- *hic* Jack! j-just Jack" he sobs through his hands.

Pause.

"Chase?" You gingerly try to move his trembling hands away from his face. He swats you away, clearly not wanting you to, but too weak to emphasis it.

"Not Ch-Chase" He repeats, keeping closely huddled to himself. He slowly peeks through his hands to see if your still there. You are.

Chase's drunken gaze semi-locks with yours, realising he's been figured out. He shakily sighs, drifting his eyes away in shame. "Yes... I-It's me" he admits, hands dragging and dropping from his drained face.

You stand passively for a moment to digest the sight. deja vu.

You notice Chase's hat still abandoned in a puddle. Carefully, you pick up the muddy hat and brush it off in the silence that's had between you and Chase.

The lad unexpectedly flinches when you place his signature cap back onto his head. Before he attempts to blindly swat you away again. Almost as though he's trying to defend himself without hurting the opposition. It's like a trigger-reaction for him.

You step back with your hand up in surrender. "I'm not going to hurt you, I'm sorry! I just put your hat back on. I didn't mean to startle you." You attempt to soothe, but it came out a panicked and apologetic splutter of word vomit.

Chase hesitantly opens his peepers; a hot stream of tears runs down his cheeks, glazing his face among the raindrops.

He gazes down at you hazed, before looking up at his cap- letting a weak and barely noticeable smile waver onto his face.

You smile back, a half sigh of relief leaving your lips; forming a noticeable cloud of condensation.

Chase's smile suddenly disappears clean off his face, before breaking down into tears again.
"Nononono! It's okay! It's okay!" you babble, trying to get him to stop by giving him more space.
It doesn't work.

'Shitshitshit! Nononono!'

In a state of panic and having no alternative plan, you hug him... You wrapped your arm around the cold, drenched and shivering ego and squeezed the vulnerable dad into a -probably awkward- one armed hug.

He's so cold, it's like hugging a block of ice.

The rain hasn't stopped either, but it's basically become white noise now.

Chase seems confused.
But hugs back regardless.

You do what Jasper normally does when you get anxiety attacks; you start to slowly rub circles into Chase's back, in an attempt to stop him sobbing.

He flinches at the movement. "You're alright." You ensure, continuing to massage little circles.

"You're going to be alright."

Chase tightens his grip "I... I didn't want to die... I didn't want to" Chase cries softly into your shoulder. "I don't want to go" he weeps, his hot tears bleeding into your shoulder.
You feel your heart break, quickly obtaining a mother's instinct over the crumbling ego in your hold.

After a bit, Chase releases his death grip.

He looks... pale.

He's going to get really sick if he stays out here.

...

You tug him gently by the sleeve "...C'mon, let's get you out of the rain big guy" you mutter calmly, gesturing him to follow you.