>>5423923To be honest, you begin while Mitzi continues to seek refuge in your shoulder, you took your family for granted for… well, a <span class="mu-i">long</span> time. Like, your mom and dad are always joking around and playing stupid pranks on you, but… but they really care about you, you know?
You feel Mitzi shiver in your arms.
The same thing happened with Sue, you continue in a quiet voice as you caress the back of her towel-covered head, you just assumed he’d be around forever–always there to give you the answer to all of your questions, to back you up when someone tried to mess with you… you never expected <span class="mu-i">YOU</span> were the one who’d drive him off…
Your friend’s tears don’t stop, but they don’t get any worse. Feeling the weight lift from your chest (the intangible weight, at least) as your words exit your mouth, you feel yourself continuing as you keep Mitzi in your tender embrace.
You got a message from your brother right before Boris tried to kill you, you explain, reliving the confrontation knowing full-well it happened only about a week ago. Maybe, you stammer as you hear his words fresh in your ears, m-maybe he saved you back there… you really don’t know…
With everything that happened, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to believe that Ly and the rest of your skeleton friends rushed to your aid in your darkest hour, but a part of you is certain that Sue played a part as well… like the match that sets off a bottle rocket.
And now, you huff as you feel uncertainty well up inside you, now he wants to meet up again, but something inside of you is… is terrified, you know? You get a loud sniff from your friend in response–at least she’s listening, right? You’re terrified, you repeat, that you’ll just mess things up again… because now that you’ve been so close to death, well…
You pause to swallow the lump welling up in your throat.
… you really, <span class="mu-i">really</span> can’t bear to lose anyone again.
Hugging Mitzi closer, you lean in close to her towel-covered head and whisper into her ear: you never want to lose her again either… and you’ll go to Hell and back before you forget who she is again.
Feeling Mitzi’s hot, staccato breath against your shoulder, you use your last remaining awake arm to gently rub her back.
As far as you’re concerned, you whisper, she’s your sister. And you’ll be her family if that’s what it takes.
For a brief moment, Mitzi’s sobbing stops as her body freezes up underneath the towel. A quiet question escapes from her still-sobbing mouth.
That’s right, you nod, you’ll, like, adopt her if you need to!
You’re rewarded by a single, choked laugh before she resumes quietly sobbing against your shoulder.
“<span class="mu-r">Alright, I’ll chalk that up as a small win!</span>”
>CONTD. 