[ There's no mistake about it. At first, Bum waited, hoping that maybe she'd been dragged off to some of Hell's usual shenanigans, or just mad at him, or visiting Lucifer... but after days pass with no response to his texts and nobody answering the doors, he finally gathers the courage to speak with the reception, which confirms what he suspected but feared: Monika is gone. ]
[ Right as they were finally getting over all the hurdles and having... something in this godforsaken place. He almost dares to call it finding love. They had so much in common, even the way they thought, the way each of them would cling to affection wherever they could find it even if they needed to ignore reality for it. He thought they were two parts of the same... and now she was gone, just like that. ]
[ He hasn't slept properly since, although it might take a moment to realize the ever-present dark circles under his eyes are more prominent than usual. He's almost out of tears at this point, but he's not feeling any lighter. He can't deal with this anymore. He can't be alone. It's just making everything worse. ]
[ And so, despite still feeling bad about dropping in unannounced like this, he's headed for his one remaining friend-but-maybe-more-than-friend, knocking on his door twice and then just standing there, miserable, face red from crying. ]
...can... Can I-- stay here for a little while?
[ He manages to gasp out between sniffles as soon as the door opens. ]
[He waited for the knock so he didn't scare Yoon, but Steve opened the door the moment those knuckles hit it. He was already reaching for the boy, pulling Yoon into his arms and into the room.]
Shhh it's ok. It's ok Yoon. I'm here. Of course you can stay. What happened? Who hurt you?
[ If he were in a better state of mind, he would maybe feel a little shame, or guilt, that Steve's first thought is somebody must have hurt him. As is, though, he just throws himself into the man's arms without a word and holds onto him, as if afraid he's going to disappear, too. ]
[ After a few moments, he finally manages to speak. ]
I... I lost my friend...
[ The friend that he may or may not have mentioned to Steve, actually. He hopes he won't hold it against him, though. He hadn't asked Steve to list all his friends to him after all. ]
You lost someone? What do you mean love? Did someone literally get lost? Or do you mean they went back home?
[Picking Yoon up and carrying him to the bed was just instinct. Steve didn't consider what he was doing, pulling the boy against his chest and holding his tight and close.]
[ He lets Steve gently manhandle him however he wants, as long as they remain touching. It's his last lifeline at the moment. He just wants to never let go. ]
A-and she didn't... really... have a-anything back home to go back to...
[ He cuts himself off with a sob, suddenly feeling a whole new wave of pity for Monika. Just like him, she had declared that Hell was much better than home for her. But he'd learned more. How her "home" was her being trapped in some kind of a computer program that eventually got deleted. There's nothing they could have sent her back to, so... ]
Shhh, it's ok, it's ok. You're right. Not everyone goes home.
[He rocked the boy slowly, lowering his voice to a whisper.]
Yoon, I'm going to tell you a secret, something I've never told anyone else. I know that some people can go to a place that isn't home. Lucifer's promised me I can go somewhere else, when I go. So maybe she got the same promise. Maybe she went some place wonderful.
[ He clings harder, curling up some more now that he doesn't need to pretend to stand anymore. This sounds... wonderful, but he also doesn't know if he believes it. He tries to convince himself that he does. ]
I-I'd like that... she deserves it... [ He thinks so, at least. ] But-- how do we know? What... what if Lucifer is lying?..
[He cuddled Yoon in his lap, just stroking the boy's hair in an effort to offer comfort.]
You could ask Lucifer, but you're right. He could be lying. It wouldn't be the first time. I'm sorry Yoon. I can't promise she went elsewhere, but we can hope so. Isn't that always what we do when someone leaves us? That they've gone to a better place?
I don't know Yoon. I just don't know. I like to believe that there's something after death, and that when people get sent home they go to a good place. But I just don't know.
[Steve held the boy and nuzzled his temple. It was the best he could come up with to do.]
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timeasmymeasure
action; backdated to mid-february
Date: 2023-03-19 12:55 pm (UTC)[ Right as they were finally getting over all the hurdles and having... something in this godforsaken place. He almost dares to call it finding love. They had so much in common, even the way they thought, the way each of them would cling to affection wherever they could find it even if they needed to ignore reality for it. He thought they were two parts of the same... and now she was gone, just like that. ]
[ He hasn't slept properly since, although it might take a moment to realize the ever-present dark circles under his eyes are more prominent than usual. He's almost out of tears at this point, but he's not feeling any lighter. He can't deal with this anymore. He can't be alone. It's just making everything worse. ]
[ And so, despite still feeling bad about dropping in unannounced like this, he's headed for his one remaining friend-but-maybe-more-than-friend, knocking on his door twice and then just standing there, miserable, face red from crying. ]
...can... Can I-- stay here for a little while?
[ He manages to gasp out between sniffles as soon as the door opens. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-19 09:20 pm (UTC)Shhh it's ok. It's ok Yoon. I'm here. Of course you can stay. What happened? Who hurt you?
no subject
Date: 2023-03-19 10:16 pm (UTC)[ After a few moments, he finally manages to speak. ]
I... I lost my friend...
[ The friend that he may or may not have mentioned to Steve, actually. He hopes he won't hold it against him, though. He hadn't asked Steve to list all his friends to him after all. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-19 10:41 pm (UTC)[Picking Yoon up and carrying him to the bed was just instinct. Steve didn't consider what he was doing, pulling the boy against his chest and holding his tight and close.]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-19 10:52 pm (UTC)[ But that answers the questions well enough. ]
[ He lets Steve gently manhandle him however he wants, as long as they remain touching. It's his last lifeline at the moment. He just wants to never let go. ]
A-and she didn't... really... have a-anything back home to go back to...
[ He cuts himself off with a sob, suddenly feeling a whole new wave of pity for Monika. Just like him, she had declared that Hell was much better than home for her. But he'd learned more. How her "home" was her being trapped in some kind of a computer program that eventually got deleted. There's nothing they could have sent her back to, so... ]
[ She's probably -- just -- gone. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-19 11:02 pm (UTC)[He rocked the boy slowly, lowering his voice to a whisper.]
Yoon, I'm going to tell you a secret, something I've never told anyone else. I know that some people can go to a place that isn't home. Lucifer's promised me I can go somewhere else, when I go. So maybe she got the same promise. Maybe she went some place wonderful.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-19 11:39 pm (UTC)[ He clings harder, curling up some more now that he doesn't need to pretend to stand anymore. This sounds... wonderful, but he also doesn't know if he believes it. He tries to convince himself that he does. ]
I-I'd like that... she deserves it... [ He thinks so, at least. ] But-- how do we know? What... what if Lucifer is lying?..
no subject
Date: 2023-03-26 11:53 pm (UTC)You could ask Lucifer, but you're right. He could be lying. It wouldn't be the first time. I'm sorry Yoon. I can't promise she went elsewhere, but we can hope so. Isn't that always what we do when someone leaves us? That they've gone to a better place?
no subject
Date: 2023-03-27 12:20 am (UTC)[ He's not sure if he feels better or worse. It's true, hoping is all they can do. But it feels so... empty right now. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-27 12:31 am (UTC)[Steve held the boy and nuzzled his temple. It was the best he could come up with to do.]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-27 11:22 am (UTC)[ But, well. He did at the very least end up here. So... thinking there was something else after this wasn't all that far fetched at all. ]
I-- I'm going to miss her...