the pillows squished under his weight, and he settled comfortably into the bed. he moved so his body leaned against hers as he slipped his hand free only to drape his arm around her, pulling her closer.

theo wasn't much of a cuddler, but this felt...strange.

nice, even.

Lulu Flint

☉

she was mostly unmoving in his arms, utterly frozen and tense for a moment before her muscles began to loosen and she nestled into him. relaxing, or an attempt at it.

however, anxiety began to soon disrupt the calmness in her. she felt the heat of tears in her eyes out of nearly nowhere, and was glad to be facing away from him.

it felt a bit like how she’d used to wake up out of dreams.

too close too close too close.

electricity shot up her spine.

he’ll disappear.

THEO BECKETT

☉

in a complete contrast, he felt calm, muscles relaxing as he sunk just a little bit deeper into the softness of the bed. he exhaled, content, and after a while, he tilted his head over to look at her.

he still remained oblivious.

"how are you feeling?"

Lulu Flint

☉

how was she feeling?

fine, she told herself. just be fine.

fine fine fine.

inside was sensory deprivation, besides the buzz that hummed in her body ominously. at the edge of dissociation, her body flushed out in a wave of a gasp that caught, and then wouldn’t stop.

she curled away from him and up into herself like a shaking whirlipede, breath ragged and hyperventilating, and face suddenly wet despite how tightly she squeezed her eyes shut.

THEO BECKETT

☉

perhaps he should've known better.

he slipped his arm out from underneath her before shifting on the bed, moving off of it and onto her side to kneel on the ground beside her. there, he noticed, he saw, and he reached out for her.

"lulu."

Lulu Flint

☉

she hardly felt the mattress move. didn’t notice him get up and move around the bed. when he spoke her name, her breath caught, and her eyes opened.

they opened so wide, and she screamed and scrambled off the other side of the bed onto the floor with a panicked sob, because what she saw hadn’t been theo at all.

"theo!" as though he wasn't right there in the room.

a large shadow shifted over her, though it never materialized.

THEO BECKETT

☉

he ignored the large shadow that now loomed over him, choosing to focus on her instead, on her reaction, because surely it wasn't him she had seen.

"i'm here."

he didn't move just yet.

"lulu?"

Lulu Flint

☉

theo’s voice came from the other side of the bed, and the sounds of her panic softened a little in confusion. ”where’d you go? did you see him?”

the shadow shifted so that its darkness loomed less intimidatingly, maybe so that theo might be more comfortable to near. 

THEO BECKETT

☉

"i didn't go anywhere."

when the shadow loomed a little less, he took a step forward, circling around the bed as he approached. there was a sense of urgency in his steps as though he wasn't afraid of whatever...this was.

"see who?"

Lulu Flint

☉

“oh.”

with his answer, she might’ve realized more accurately what had happened sooner, but for the fact that she’d actually seen rinc’s ghost before—the real one. just not like this; not so bloody and mutilated, and not disappearing in an instant.

when theo got close, the shadow shrank back into the other side of the room again, disappearing into natural darkness.

lulu couldn’t make eye contact with him a first, only hugging legs closer. was this how her mind was going to do it now? now that she couldn’t have nightmares, they would seep into her waking life?

or was it real? it was impossible to know what was anymore in this world.

“i—” she shook her head and buried it deeper in her knees. “i don’t know.”

THEO BECKETT

☉

visions, hallucinations, nightmares.

"it's okay."

he had seen them before, experienced it first-hand with her, so he understood. he could relate. not sleeping had originally sounded appealing to him just because he wouldn't have had to experience nightmares anymore. but now?

did they haunt her while awake?

he sighed, lowering himself to the ground right beside her. his arm curled around her, holding her gently — or at least attempting to.

Lulu Flint

☉

no it’s not.

she’d sought vengeance for him. she’d killed his killer. she’d regretted every day that she hadn’t been there to die instead, but giving freedom to his soul meant handing over her own brother. it just wasn’t doable.

maybe he would linger forever, until she broke. the cracks were only getting bigger.

theo’s arm around her made something in her chest throb painfully, but she leaned into it anyways, though still scared to look up at his face.

”this is so stupid.”

THEO BECKETT

☉

he simply held her close, providing what he could. he felt the shudder in her breath which only made him hold her a little tighter. though he knew he was helpless in the big picture.

she could've meant a whole myriad of things but for his own sake, he decided to ask.

"what is?"

Lulu Flint

☉