Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Aubrey was alone.

So very alone.

For the past year, she had horrendously coped with her grief- none too helped by her mother's transformation from a strong, independent woman to a husk, staring mindlessly at the glowing surface of the cracked television screen- her motivating speeches turned to furious demands for more beer- as the house built up garbage and glass. She never seemed to care anymore- practically a zombie, no words able to pierce the veil of her long since clouded mind.

Aubrey would almost feel bad for her, if she wasn't so terrible.

A shriek escapes her fearful lips as a glass bottle smashes against her leg- shards of alcohol stained junk stabbing into her and drawing blood, as her mother angrily shouted for more- but the girl couldn't take it any longer. Eyes welling up and saline moisture staining her cheeks- she ran- ran as fast as she could. Away from her mother. Away from her home- no, her house- out into the storm raging beyond its decaying walls.

She ran far- no passerby to see her, no friends to comfort her- until her legs were sore and the adrenaline wore off- the freshly drawn blood on her legs taking her down with it. Gravity is a cruel mistress- and she hits the pavement, unable to stop herself.

The world goes dark.

--

Beaten down, battered. Their words still rung in his head.

They all will hate you for what you have done.

The raven-haired boy grits his teeth.

You are not deserving of forgiveness.

Stranded on the floor- nowhere to run.

Just let me take over- I'll end our wretched existence.

Nowhere to hide.

Murderers don't deserve a second chance.

As red hands closed in around him, he shuddered- the world around Omori shattering and crumbling as his own mind follows suit-

His fate sealed since he read those four words.

Omori will not succumb.

...But, a glimmer of something within him. The violin strewn out on the floor next to him- it fills him with an emotion- one long thought foreign to the matrices of his mind.

Hope.

Reaching for his instrument, he shakes and grinds his teeth together- grasping the string-bearing wooden object and struggling to sit up. Staring his captor in their blank, emotionless eyes- the fear begins to leave him, and he raises to his feet- renewed vigor in his muscles, mind racing to catch up.

He readies his violin.

Sunny will not succumb.

--

With a gasp, he awakens on his bed. The pattering of rain outside fills his ears, and his eyes adjust to the ceiling overhead...

He's free. But to say he feels better is... incorrect. His mind stabs at him with ethereal knives- carving into his soul's flesh with biting words, far worse than any frost. It tells him to give in- to surrender.

With a glare at the world, he mentally remarks-

'I won. Leave me alone.'

You didn't really think you'd escape your guilt that easily, now did you? Your eyes are tired, and your body follows suit. All of your friends left you long ago. You are alone. You have no one to turn to. And you will pay for your sins, one day...

The thoughts have no time to consume him as he stands up, grasping his head tightly and letting out a strained whisper- inaudible, much unlike the next thing he does.

He slams himself into the wall.

The sharp pain in his shoulder chases the voices in his mind away, leaving him with only justly earned agony. He runs a hand through his hair- shuddering and leaning against the wall he previously impacted. He may be free... but perhaps not entirely. Not yet.

With a sigh, he opens his door- gazing out into the dimly lit hallway, frowning and slowly pacing towards the bathroom.

--

After cleansing himself of the grime he had accumulated stewing in his room, and soothing the aching pain in his sprained shoulder- he steps out- dressing up in a grey hoodie and sweatpants, and grabbing an umbrella from the closet. He shudders as he approaches the stairs- memories flashing through his mind as he forces his legs down each painful step- making it to the bottom with a relieved gasp. He trudges to the front door- opening it- the cold rain falling down upon his face- clearing his head as he steps out into it.

He owes an apology, to the one who's life he unfairly took away.

Walking out into the downpour, only now do the voices try to return- but he shoves them to the back of his mind- slowly making his way through the storm, towards the resting place of his sister.

...But before he makes it very far, he finds a girl- passed out on the sidewalk. Her pained expression, even at rest, the deep cuts on her leg, and her shuddering body worry him- even moreso as he recognizes the face of the injured girl. Aubrey.

Deciding that apology will have to wait, he carefully lifts the girl into his arms- holding her gently as he manages to carry her back to the tomb he called his home for the past year. He hoped his first aid skills had not left his muscle memory in the time since he last spoke to her...

--

A bright light. That is what she sees first, awakening cold and shivering.

Then she sees where she is. A familiar couch, wrapped crudely in a blanket. Confusion bubbles up within her... Sunny's house?

She lacks the mind to wonder, breaking down again into tears, grasping the blanket tightly as she rememebers what had just happened to her. Her own mother...

No. That... thing, wasn't her mother. It had killed and replaced her- with a husk of a woman, if you could even call her that. Another familiar emotion surges through her veins- anger, and desperation- but get cut off at the source before she can react.

She feels a familiar gaze upon her- turning as her eyes widen...

"...you're awake..."

Chapter Text

"You forgot about me just like the rest of them!"

"You left HER behind, just like they did!"

Heated words were thrown by the girl- untruths she didn't truly mean, but sunk into the boy like piercing needles-

I told you, I was right. They will never accept you again.

Their face remaining stoic as insults and questions they can't answer are hurled at them- beating them down as they stared blankly towards her.

"You- how could you..."

Aubrey stands, approaching the raven-haired boy. They brace for impact... only to feel soft yet damp clothes wrap around them, and a mop of messy hair in their face.

"...how could you leave me..."

...Sunny freezes, the room filled with silence. Slowly, their arms gently wrap around the now sobbing Aubrey, who's clinging to them like their lives would end if they ever let go.

"i m-missed you... so much..."

Sunny's heart feels pangs of guilt and sadness- as tears threaten to rip from their own stoic eyes, their underused voice softly whispering into the hair of the girl clutching them tightly-

"...i'm so sorry..."

The two simply stood there, in eachother's shaking embrace.

--

Many words were shared between the two- mixing into a storm of emotion- Aubrey wailing over her 'home' life- her mother's decent into depravity, her father leaving, along with everyone else... while Sunny, shedding few tears- confessed to his crime- the guilt in his chest heavy as he spoke of the one who he took from them...

After a while, their tears had ran out- Aubrey's cheeks stained, their eyes dry and aching. Sunny slowly pulled away from the hug- as the two processed everything that had just happened. Neither could be mad at the other, but neither knew what to do now, staring tiredly into eachother's eyes.

Aubrey shakily grabs back hold of Sunny's arm, to their mild surprise- a twinge of scarlet dancing across her cheeks as she hung her head low.

"I... I'm sorry. I blew up at you and I- I didn't know-"

Sunny simply shakily pats her on the head- as her eyes threaten to let forth their own rain once more...

It's okay. It's all going to be... okay.

With a shiver, she slowly stands upright- still clutching onto his arm for support as her tear-burnt face stares up at the boy who saved her from the rain. Her friend. Her closest comfort...

As the heat of the situation dies down, she realizes what she's doing- backing off as heat rises to her face- turning her head away from Sunny. She realizes that she has nowhere to go- she can't go back to her home...

Unbeknownst to her, she had said that out loud, and Sunny looked down at the floor, before looking back to her-

"...you could... stay here...?"

She turns to him in shock as he speaks, his soft, gentle voice raw from disuse- this likely being the first time he's used it to this extent in a full year...

"N-No, I couldn't... ask that of you. I-"

Sunny simply grabs hold of her hand, lifting it up and holding it between them. He nods wordlessly, but his message is conveyed regardless. She turns her head again, pulling her hand away and shoving it into her jacket's pocket. She spots him gesturing for her to follow in her peripheral vision, slowly trotting after the boy as he walks upstairs.

...Oh. Right. As they reach Sunny's room, the boy remembers- Mari's bed isn't in there anymore...

Meaning, she'll have to-

A light pink dusting breaks upon his cheeks- as he turns to a confused and somewhat flustered Aubrey-

He gestures to the bed, to which she then understands.

"I-I-"

Sunny interrupts her, offering to sleep on the couch instead, but- as he moves to leave, she grabs hold of his arm, her face held down as to not betray its red glow-

"...you can stay... please..."

There were many things he was expecting, and that was not one of them. Seems to be a trend, tonight... She quietly drags him towards the bed, lying down on its soft covers, and pulling Sunny onto it with her. The two face away from each other, one too embarrassed to turn, and the other too confused... as sleep overtakes them both.

The night is cold... but perhaps now, it doesn't bite as much.

--

Sunny is the first to wake- overjoyed at one thing.

They'd slept dreamlessly. Their mind finally put to rest, their energy restored, if slightly. But, as they go to move, they feel something wrapped around their stomach- turning in confusion and worry, they find Aubrey- shuddering in her sleep, her arms tightly gripping onto him, using him like a plushie.

He, oddly, seemed to not mind this. His face lightly dusted with pink, he turns around fully- shifting carefully as not to wake her. She seemed troubled... so, he did what his mind first thought of- returning the hug, silently. His chin rested on her head as her shuddering ceased. She seemed to calm- the storm raging in her mind reduced to a trickle as she mumbled sleepy nothings in her rest-

...

The voice was silent. OMORI was silent.

A small smile threatened to show on his face, as he drifted back to comforted sleep- now holding Aubrey in return, gently and softly.

Chapter Text

Light streams in through the window- the sun having risen a few hours before, marking the start of a new day. As rays of sunshine pour in through the billowing blinds- two sleeping friends begin to stir...

Sunny yawns- awakening first again- looking down at Aubrey, pink dusting his cheeks as he remembers their position. However, the minor embarrassment turns to worry, as he lifts one hand up to feel her forehead... he frowns. Her head is warm- she must've gotten a fever from her time out in the rain, yesterday. Carefully, he extracts himself from her embrace- a pang of cold hitting his heart and tugging the sides of his mouth downwards into a frown. He's touch starved... but he'd best make sure she's alright instead of selfishly indulging his desires.

This is all selfish.

Dismissing the voice, he slowly makes his way out the door- stumbling a bit but catching himself on the wall. He needs to get her something so she isn't in pain when she wakes up. Carefully and painstakingly making his way down the stairs, he checks the cabinets- finding a bottle of Tylenol pills- and grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. He then grabs a hand towel, dampening it before beginning to make his way back up the stairs.

As he moves, however, his heart seems heavy- he can't exactly tell why, but... he feels lonelier now than he has in the entire time he's been locked up alone in his room- despite the fact that he has someone here, just a few rooms away. Sighing, he quickly makes his way back up the stairs- slowly opening the door to his room, and peeking inside.

--

Aubrey had woken up in a cold sweat- her head twirling and her throat hoarse. Great. She was alone, and she felt like shit.

Wait. She was-

The girl remembers the previous night. Ah, right... she was in Sunny's home. Where... exactly was he, though? She could have sworn he was in bed next to her- the thought causing heat to rise to her face- and for some reason had the odd feeling that her arms were a lot emptier than they had been a few moments ago.

She felt cold, and lonely, and terrible in general. Not a great start to the morning, for sure. She was almost tempted to call out for Sunny- only to notice the door shifting open, and the aforementioned boy peeking in, a worried look painted on his face. Her head was too laden with sickness for her to think straight or consider the consequences of her actions, so she made grabby hands at Sunny from her position splayed out on the bed, not processing fully what was going on. She heard him sigh, and watched as he paced over, placing a damp towel over her forehead and gently lifting her up into a sitting position. Dumping two pills from a bottle into his hand, he held them out to her, along with a water.

...She shakily took the medicine from him, along with the water- downing both pills and shuddering. He let go of her back, letting her fall back down onto the soft comforter. He then knelt down next to the bed, gently holding her hand as she shook and mumbled in pain...

Eventually, the medicine took effect- and, combined with the damp towel on her head to cool her down, she passed back out, into a restless sleep.

--

Darkness. A light. Where was she?

She saw a door slightly ajar, but couldn't summon the strength to move to it. She just lay there, helplessly- shivering and cold.

--

With a gasp, Aubrey awoke- the sun now high in the sky, and an odd warmth in her hand. She felt- well, still not great, but significantly less terrible... though her memory seemed to be failing her on what had happened this morning. Turning her head and letting the towel drop off of it, she looked down at her hand to find the source of the warmth-

Sunny was gently holding onto it, spaced out while kneeling next to the bed. Her face erupts in scarlet, unable to pull her hand away, for whatever reason... She simply nudges his arm and faces away from him- snapping him out of his spaced-out trance. He removes his hand from hers, and for a moment, her mind presents her with a most unexpected thought.

I wish he didn't let go.

The thought came as a surprise to the rest of her mind as a whole- and she looked down at her hands, wondering where that had come from. Just yesterday, she was convinced he had forgotten her and moved on, and now she was...

Just how touch starved was she?

Too much for her liking. With an exasperated sigh, she waits for the heat to mostly leave her face, before turning back around- where Sunny is sat, looking at her expectantly. He really spent all morning looking after her, huh...

She slowly sits up, letting out a yawn, and sliding off the bed. Sunny stands up after her, and the two exchange a glance- no words brought between them, but a million questions thrown both ways regardless. They both avert their eyes after a moment too long of eye contact...

"T-Thanks for looking after me, Sunny..."

Sunny seems surprised at her thanks- but nods stoically to hide it- gently patting her on the shoulder. She sighs- before coming to a slightly worrying realization-

"I-I... uh... need to shower... but I didn't bring any clothes..."

Ah. That would be an issue. Sunny ponders this for a moment... he can't let her go back to her old house- it wouldn't be safe... He comes to an impasse. Though, one idea does come to mind. He carefully paces over to his dresser, rooting through it- finding a soft t-shirt and some comfortable sweatpants- and shoving them into Aubrey's arms.

"Oh- I... alright..."

Aubrey nervously takes the clothes from Sunny- making her way to the bathroom. But, with each step further from Sunny she takes, her heart grows a little heavier, and a cold feeling runs up her spine. Trying to shake it off, she enters the bathroom, and cleans herself off- the hot water not helping the chills in her veins. She then puts on the clothes Sunny had lent her- they're a tad too big for her, but... wearing them feels oddly nice. That cold feeling retreats a little, and she finds herself hugging her arms close to herself- slowly stepping out of the bathroom afterwards.

She makes her way back to Sunny's room, where she finds him doodling in a sketchbook that he quickly hides away upon spotting her. If she didn't know any better, she'd have thought she saw a light pink on his cheeks when he saw her wearing his t-shirt-

On Sunny's side of things, seeing Aubrey wearing a baggy t-shirt with messy hair was a bit too high on the cute scale for him.

Aubrey looks off to the side, as Sunny stands up and walks out the door towards the bathroom himself- he has to shower too, after all- and once he locks the bathroom door behind him, she's again left to her own thoughts. Though guilt threatens to bubble up in her chest, she gently closes his room's door, and walks over to where Sunny had stashed the sketchbook- contemplating whether to look inside...

This could be a very bad idea.

Chapter Text

Her mind tells her not to do what she's thinking of- her heart worries over her actions- and she herself doesn't want to invade Sunny's privacy.

So why is she standing in the corner of the room, holding Sunny's personal sketchbook, which he evidently didn't want her to see? She... can't answer that question- but it's too late to back down now- her curiosity eating at her like a plague.

With a sigh, Aubrey apprehensively opens the book- only to find... chaos.

Randomly strewn out sketches of horrific, lovecraftian beasts- of something that had a creepy, ever present eye- of a younger version of Sunny, wielding a knife. She flips through the pages- each one containing ever more frantic and insane drawings- causing her stomach to churn and her lips to tighten into a thin line...

What had compelled Sunny, her stoic and collected childhood friend, to create things so... frightening? Her mind realizes that... well, being locked in his home for a year, alone, desperately trying to avoid what happened... he must've been going mad. Worrying for his mental health, she absentmindedly flips through the pages, until she comes across...

A normal drawing. Unfinished, but still impressive- on the most recently used page... a drawing of... her? The sketch, while incomplete, clearly depicted her smiling at the camera- a look of carefree jubilation on her face, as if unburdened by all that had occurred since that fateful day...

A minor heat rises to her face as she realizes that this must've been what Sunny was drawing when she had walked in on him earlier- drawing... her. She feels oddly flattered by such a revelation, closing the sketchbook and hugging it close, while looking off into nothing, her mind collecting yet another confusing train of thought to follow. She replaces the sketchbook where she had found it, pacing over to the bed and taking a seat on the comforter. Too much to think about, and no time to actually do so...

With a sigh, she stares at the ground- her mind racing in the background as she spaces out- only to be near immediately ripped from her thoughts as the door swings open.

Sunny enters- his expression once again blank as he waves to her silently.

"Oh- hi, Sunny. I..."

She's cut off from her still forming sentence as her stomach grumbles loudly- a furious pink erupting on her cheeks out of embarrassment- not helped as she hears a quiet, but audible chuckle from the raven haired boy standing in the doorway.

He gestures for her to follow- which she quickly does, unable to look at him directly as he leads her down the stairs and into the kitchen. She guesses that she wouldn't exactly mind... eating something...

However, that plan doesn't go quite as well as he hopes- Sunny opening the fridge to find... a whole load of not much. A frown tugging at his face, he looks at what he does have- thankfully spotting a carton of eggs, pulling it from the cold clutches of the fridge and placing it on the counter. There was a 70% chance they were still fresh enough to be edible, so with that he closed the fridge door and pulled out a frying pan. He failed to notice Aubrey silently staring over his shoulder, watching everything he did- a nervous expression on her face and her hands held behind her back.

--

Thankfully, the eggs were in fact not yet spoiled... but he'd have to go and get groceries at some point soon. He and Aubrey sat at the table, side by side- eating Sunny-side up eggs and quietly conversing. The pun was not lost on Aubrey, who was the first to point it out, much to Sunny's chagrin.

However, far more on Aubrey's mind than the eggs, was Sunny himself. He'd been stuck in her head since their reunion yesterday, and she couldn't pinpoint why- all she knew was... she didn't want to be left alone again. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed spending time with her best friend- the comforting knowledge that as she spoke of everything and anything on her mind, Sunny diligently listened- that he was there for her. It tickled her brain in a weird, unfamiliar way- and only made her less willing to separate from him again. At some point as they sat and spoke, he had taken hold of her hand- softly rubbing circles into her palm with his thumb as she vented her frustrations and spoke of all that had happened in the past year...

For Sunny, the feeling of being someone Aubrey could rely on again was... nice. It was not something he had experienced in a very long time- back when they used to sit on the swings, where she would rant to him about her daily misfortunes or talk cheerfully about something good that had happened, and he would listen intently- always there to lend her a hand. He felt... helpful, almost. It threatened to bring a smile to his face as he absently comforted his distressed friend as he listened to all she had to say.

They both could get used to this.

Chapter Text

After a good while of talking, and Aubrey leaning on Sunny (emotionally AND literally)- the two step away from the table- her a little less burdened, and both a tad happier. Sunny still clutches onto her hand- which she seems not to have noticed, or is trying to ignore...

After a few moments, Sunny would get his answer- as Aubrey glances down to their interlaced fingers- letting out an adorable 'eep', before pulling her hand away. He's oddly disappointed by the new lack of physical contact, but doesn't let it show.

Aubrey feels similarly- but is too bull-headed to admit as such, and simply turns away, her mind betraying her once again...

The two share a moment of silence, before Sunny taps her on the shoulder- causing her to jolt and turn to him a tad too quickly. He points to the fridge, then to the front door. After a second of decoding what he meant...

"A-Ah, yeah, buying groceries would be smart- you don't have much-"

Sunny nods affirmatively- quickly darting upstairs to grab something, leaving Aubrey to momentarily stew in her thoughts. For example- why does she already feel so cold? He'd only been gone for a minute before returning, and yet her heart yearned as if she hadn't seen him in years all over again. Once he returns down the stairs, she quickly grabs hold of his arm- much to his confusion, though he never asks her to elaborate. He holds up a stack of bills- totaling maybe at most 50 dollars. Hopefully, that'll be plenty for the essentials. The two begin to head for the front door- opening it and stepping outside into the brisk air awaiting them. Sunny stumbles a bit due to walking with Aubrey clinging to his arm, but- well, to be completely honest, she doesn't look willing to let go.

This is going to be a long walk.

--

Thankfully, the rain had ceased- leaving puddles in it's wake which Sunny expertly maneuvered around.

Except the one that he didn't, but Aubrey's giggles made up for that one.

As the two walked, Sunny's mind finally took it's own chance to catch up with the situation at hand- and, unfortunately, as did the voice that plagued the deep recesses of his psyche.

You're an idiot if you really believe she enjoys spending this time with you. You're just the only one she has left to turn to.

You don't deserve to feel special, or relied on. You deserve to rot.

His face returns to it's stoic deadpan as they close in on Othermart- the cool breeze blowing past nipping at Sunny's lungs as he took a sharp inhale- desperate to cleanse his mind of these thoughts. Not right now. He had things to do, for the first time in years.

You tell yourself that. Keep thinking you're important.

It will be to your own detriment when you finally realize that I am right.

Internally scowling, Sunny ignores the voice. Not. Now. Please...

You aren't combating my words. Because they are truthful-

I sure wish you knew when to shut your mouth, Omori.

The voice goes quiet. An exasperated sigh pushes its way past Sunny's lips, catching the attention of the girl still holding onto his arm-

"Sunny...? Are you alright? Not... that I'm worried, or anything, but-"

Sunny nods, giving Aubrey some internal relief. She mutters something he can't hear, before quickly changing the topic-

"Look- we're uh... almost there!"

Sunny follows her pointing hand- concluding that she is in fact, correct- the two now standing a few feet away from the supermarket's entrance.

--

Unfortunately, neither could decide what exactly constituted food- though to be fair, the frugal and smart decisions of things to get were likely not things the two of them would ever willingly eat...

Sunny, now having one arm laden with a clingy Aubrey, and the other holding white plastic bags with a modest amount of food- ranging from cereal to eggs to milk- begins the trek back home. He really couldn't be thankful enough with the universe that they hadn't encountered anyone on the way her-

Ah. Speak of the devil...

A shorthaired girl spots them from across the street- and the devious look on her face told Sunny that she wasn't some innocent passerby. She begins to cross- as he tries to plan a route of escape. Maybe, if he just walked fast enough...

No. Carrying this much and dragging Aubrey along was not gonna make speed an option.

While he's pondering on how to best avoid social contact, it catches up with him regardless- startling both him and Aubrey as the punk girl speaks up-

"Hey, you-"

The two turn around, Aubrey quickly separating from Sunny and standing upright-

"You two shouldn't be walking on our turf."

What?

Sunny goes to reply, but can't get the words to leave his throat. So Aubrey does instead.

"...Kim. What do you want with us-"

"Oh, Aubrey. I didn't even notice you- hanging out with wimps, now? I thought you'd have come running to us by now, but I guess you found someone else to hang off of-"

A scowl grows on Aubrey's face-

"I already told you, I don't want anything to do with your... gang. I'm not into that crime stuff-"

Crime? Gangs? Now Sunny was even more confused.

"And I told you that you just didn't realize it yet. Come on- I'll give you a free pass for intruding on our territory if you come with us instead-"

Sunny shakes his head.

"...she's with... me."

The delinquent scoffs, turning to Sunny-

"Am I supposed to be intimidated?"

Sunny might not exactly be the strongest... or most athletic... or a lot of things- but he did have a height advantage on Kim- and a mean evil glare- which he employs to great effect here.

"...maybe."

"What a joke. You probably couldn't lift a pillow with those arms- you think you're going to scare me off with them? Funny, almost. Now, if I were you, I'd open those bags and hand something over to repay us for encroaching on our la-"

...

Sunny makes a split second decision. Something he tends to avoid doing, especially after... well, the last time he did such.

In one swift motion, he abruptly lifts Aubrey up into his arms (earning a squeak from her)- his muscles straining to lift both her and the grocery bags on his shoulder-

"...No, I don't plan to intimidate you with them. But I am going... to run away with them."

He 180's on his heel- before beginning to sprint in the opposite direction.

"Hey, get back- you can't just- ah, whatever... What a weirdo."

Kim doesn't bother giving chase, just shrugging and walking off.

Chapter Text

The door to Sunny's home residence swings open- a winded Sunny stumbling inside, closing it behind him with a foot and trying to regain his breath-

Meanwhile, Aubrey is looking a lot less aubergine and a lot more like a tomato right now- her brain not having fully processed what the hell had just happened, just full of thoughts that she desperately tried to fight off-

Sunny's kinda-

His arms feel kinda-

I-

Shaking her head rapidly, she covers her face with her hands- causing Sunny to look down at her-

Ah right. He was still carrying her...

His muscles thank whatever god must exist as he lets her down- prompting her to quickly sprint upstairs. That... might not have been his best decision. Not like he makes very many good ones.

Look what you've done now. Your only friend, and you've gone and made her uncomfortable.

I hope you're happy with yourself. You should've just taken my offer.

...Sunny frowns, placing the bags of food on the table and unloading them- some into the cabinets, others into the fridge- and some microwave food into the freezer.

He... can't bring himself to walk upstairs, right now... so he opts to take a seat on the couch, slumping on the cushions and staring off into space...

--

Aubrey found her face well acquainted with a pillow.

Sunny's pillo-

GAH-

In frustration, she lets out a muffled scream into the fluffy surface of the pillow clutched in her arms- her face burning more from her mind's traitorous thoughts than any hint of the fever remaining within her.

The day was only halfway through, and she was already breaking down like an old car in the middle of the desert- her psyche filled with thoughts she REALLY wasn't up to thinking right now... It must just be that it's the first real social contact she's had in forever, right? But that doesn't feel quite correct...

She'd felt like this before, once- a long time ago. She can't remember exactly when- she can't focus on much of anything, right now. All she can think is.. is... No. She needed to re-rail her rapidly spiraling train of thought- before she started thinking things she REALLY didn't want to. Like how comfortable Sunny's arms w- Stop- or how his admittedly weak defense of her was- NO!

A muffled groan escapes her, as her mind takes the wheel, driving her burning face further into the pillow...

--

Sunny's mind meticulously hovers over each event today- and with each realization, came just more confusion. Why had he acted like that...? Why was Aubrey so clingy, but so jumpy? Maybe she was touch starved too, but had trouble admitting it.

He wasn't sure how he felt about being her hugbox, but he supposes it's better than stewing alone, in his room.

She was only holding onto you because she needed to. Now you've gone and set her off. At least you'll get to be alone again, soon- look on the bright side.

The door is always open.

Sunny's lips purse in frustration as his head hits the couch cushion- the parasite in his brain taking advantage of his vulnerable state, and using it to it's advantage...

That knife on the kitchen counter- it looks... enticing. He fights off the urge to reach for it- remaining splayed out on the couch- observing each nook, cranny, and fine detail of the roof over his head.

It would be so easy, now. You have nothing to lose, and sins to atone for. No one will miss you.

No one will care. No one should, for a murderer like you.

Sunny's expression deadens, his eyes glazing over as time loses its impact on him-

Give in. You will eventually- there's no use in delaying the inevitable, dreamer.

No reply.

I know you can hear me. I know you realize that I am right- as always. I know that blade looks ever so enticing, to your tired, weary eyes...

It could be over so quickly. You wouldn't even feel it.

No reply.

Don't ignore me, dreamer. We both know you want to.

To feel the slick edge that knife cutting into you- to repay even partially for what you've done-

...No reply.

Dreamer.

No reply.

Sunny.

No reply.

SUNNY.

No reply.

...If you want to be stubborn, I'll just convince you later. I have all the time in the world.

No reply.

The voice finally leaves him alone, to stew in his thoughts as he sits up against the back of the couch. He... Needs to apologize. But, as his mind begins to drift away- he may perhaps need to save that for tomorrow...

Sleep hits him hard, like a baseball bat to the skull.

--

...As the day drags on, the sun begins to set- and Aubrey's furious pillow-screaming has been reduced to quiet whimpers.

She... should probably go apologize to Sunny. He likely thinks she's mad at him- is she? She can't even tell anymore... But- either way- she... just got him back. She didn't want to lose him all over again...

Lose him? Pull yourself together girl- what do you mean by that...?

Shaking her thoughts off, she stumbles to stand- her face still twinged with crimson as she slowly opens the door and makes her way downstairs-

Peering into the living room, she sees Sunny, passed out on the couch. Oh... she... missed her chance...

She frowns as she paces across the room- carefully and quietly, as not to wake him up. She spots his distressed expression in his slumber- looking guiltily down at the floor before quietly taking a seat next to him on the couch.

"...I'm- I'm sorry, Sunny..."

She knows he can't hear, but she'll... tell him later. She just leans back on the couch- staring at the blank TV as her mind follows suit.

Chapter Text

The white void expands out in all directions- empty, and painfully silent. Welcome to White Space- you've been living here for as long as you can remember.

Sunny's mouth curls into a frown, as he gazes upon the barren space within the deep recesses of his psyche- He thought he had left this place behind.

Maybe that was wishful thinking.

A shiver runs down his spine, as he hears soft footsteps behind him- spinning around to face a shorter, younger, and deadpan version of himself. Omori. He supposes that he shouldn't be surprised- after the familiar voice in his mind had taunted him before he fell asleep, a meeting with its owner was inevitable.

I've been waiting for you, dreamer. I'm saddened- I would have thought that you'd get the picture, by now.

The first person you interact with in forever, and you've already gone and estranged yourself from them again. You shouldn't be surprised though- you don't deserve to have friends anymore. Not after what you've done.

You should just end this, before you hurt anyone else again.

...Sunny gives no verbal reply, just staring at Omori with tired eyes and a blank expression.

I'm right, you know. I'm only an extension of yourself, after all- If no part of you believed me, I'd not still be around, dreamer. However... at the end of the day, it's your choice.

Sunny blinks a few times, out of confusion-

Your guilt is justified, and you don't deserve a second chance. But that's just what the side of your mind that believes I'm a real person thinks. Maybe you do deserve a second chance. Maybe not. At the end of the day, I've seen that I can't convince you, one way or the other- and I'm just you. You need to decide for yourself how you'll take things forwards, from now on.

...But, if you ever decide you want to take the easy way out- I will be waiting.

The raven-haired boy nods to their younger counterpart, before quietly turning away.

Then- I'll be seeing you, dreamer.

With that, Omori vanishes- leaving Sunny alone to his personal thoughts. Taking a seat on the endless white floor- crossing his legs and resting his head in his hands- he thinks. There's a lot to think about, after all- there always is. He still needs to tell... the others... and he needs to apologize. For being a terrible friend, leaving them behind- for taking Mari away from them...

But also- Aubrey. He's had an... interesting past few days with her, that's for sure. He's not quite sure what's been going on between them- just that, well... she must've had a rough time, alone. Not that he can blame her... but for her to be acting this- weird- she must've been starved for human connection even more than him. Which he guesses makes sense, since he was lost in his world of dreams for the time he was gone, and didn't really worry about that too much. Aubrey... didn't have anyone for the longest time- definitely not her parents, anyways. He wonders what had happened to the friend group then, after the incident...

There was definitely some catching up to do. But that... might need to wait. With a sigh, he laments how complicated things had just gotten...

--

With a jolt, Sunny awakens- his eyes snapping open and quickly adjusting to the dim light in the room. Something feels heavy on his shoulder- and, as he turns his head to look, he finds the source. Aubrey, spaced out and lost in thought, had drifted to the side and was now leaning against him. She didn't seem to realize that he had woken up, yet...

Convinced that she had done this unconsciously, or by accident- Sunny tapped her on the shoulder with his other hand. Groggily, she snaps out of her thoughts, slowly looking over to Sunny. Her expression shifts from a tired, neutral one to that of surprise as she quickly sits up straight-

"Oh you're- awake-"

Sunny nods in response, as she turns her head away-

"...How long have you...?"

She peeks over at him to see him shaking his head. Not very long. A sigh of relief almost escapes her, before the two both look down towards the floor...

"...I'm sorry."

Aubrey snaps up to look at Sunny in confusion-

"What are you... sorry for?"

"...I made things awkward, before."

"N-No- it's fine- you don't need to... apologize for that."

Sunny frowns, unable to grasp the concept that Aubrey wasn't mad at him over it- while she just sighs and kicks her legs back and forth-

"I d-didn't mind it- It's just... warn me, next time you do something like that, alright?"

...Next time? Both of them were equally confounded by her statement-

"Not tha-"

"Alright."

Sunny nods affirmatively to Aubrey- who smiles gently in response. With the tension in the air slightly dissipated, the two stop talking- and just sit there for a bit, enjoying the quiet company of each other. Eventually, fatigue overtakes Aubrey- and she drifts to sleep on the couch. Sunny, being the master of oversleeping, was probably not far behind, but... a selfish thought overtakes his mind. A different voice, in some unrecognized part of his brain- one he fails to resist. It tells him to...

He gently places an arm around Aubrey's shoulders- letting her rest her head on his shoulder. A small smile grows on his face, before he promptly falls back into a dreamless sleep.