We Taught Ourselves to Smile

Part 4

Ghoul

Poison had been gone eight hours. They were only supposed to be gone two, at a maximum. Ghoul was trying to play it off like he didn't care, but he was sick to his stomach, pacing the room he shared with Poison. The album they had been playing earlier must've been looped, because in that moment, a familiar riff filled the air, and Ghoul found himself singing along in an effort to distract himself.

"So make the best of this test and don't ask why; It's not a question but a lesson learned in time; There's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right; I hope you have the time of your life." The lyrics were comforting, and Ghoul grabbed his guitar, affectionately named Pansy, and plucked out the basics of the song. He had never really tried to learn it, but he could tell what key it was in, so he settled for strumming quarter notes.

As the song ended, the sound of an engine pulling up to the front of the diner could be heard, and Ghoul nearly dropped Pansy in an effort to get to the door as fast as he could.

Poison stumbled through the door, their face a thousand different shades of purple, holding tape in one hand and their stomach in the other. Ghoul rushed to their side, managing to catch them just before they started to fall. He walked them over to what used to be a booth that now resembled a bench. Once he was sure they would stay on the bench, he went into the kitchen to get some water. When he got back, Poison was laying down in the booth, eyes staring into nothingness as Ghoul gently cleaned the sand out of the cuts in their face.

"You promised," he whispered, breaking the tentative silence between them as he pulled their hair out of their face.

"I, what?" They sat up and finally focussed their eyes, and the golden flecks in their irises glowed as they caught the light of some candles Ghoul had found. It took Ghoul's breath away. Even when they had been beaten to a pulp and were half conscious they were gorgeous.

"That day, when I was crying over the book. You promised you would never leave me. You fucking promised." His voice was shaking again, but Poison could go to hell if they thought Ghoul wasn't going to try to apologize after he thought he had lost them. "Did you mean it?" Poison was starting to tear up now, though that may have just been the alcohol Ghoul was using to clean his cuts.

"Every word. I meant every. Single. Fucking. Word. That was the day I decided I was going to- to propose. And I was thinking about this while I drove back, but I was so close to not coming back. And I realized you mean more to me than some stupid drawings. They're just lines on paper. They're not worth losing you over. I want this to end. These past two days have been hell on everyone. I miss you. I don't ever want to fight like this again. So can we go back? To the way we were before?" They were actually crying now, the kind where tears rolled down your face whether you liked it or not, and Ghoul wiped them away with the cleaner of his hands. "Only- only if you want to, of course, I don't want to force you into anything you're not tota-" Ghoul pressed his lips to Poison's, careful to avoid the more sensitive of their bruises.

"You're such an idiot," he mumbled into their mouth, "Of course I want us back to the way it was, I love you, and I won't leave you, I promise." Poison wrapped their arms around him, and Ghoul just completely melted, threading his arms around their neck. They pulled him into their lap, pressing a kiss to his temple. "I missed you so much," he nearly sobbed into their hair. He dug his face into their neck, kissing it softly.

"I missed you too. I was going crazy not being able to hold you." Poison ran their hand through Ghoul's hair, occasionally stopping just to kiss the top of his head. "This whole time, you've been so fucking sad, and I've just wanted to wrap you in blankets and tell you it's all going to be okay." Ghoul brought their lips together again, savoring the smell and taste of them with every heartbeat. Poison broke the kiss with a yawn, and Ghoul pulled the two of them up.