Caretaker and Whumpee haven’t seen each other in so long. They’re both so hurt, so broken. The pain of everything they’ve been through seems to have poisoned them against one another, and it isn’t by choice. Neither can help it.
Caretaker blames themself for it all. They isolate, trying not to do more damage. But what they end up doing is making Whumpee feel abandoned, even though they’ll admit they can’t bear being touched or even spoken to by Caretaker. They miss them so badly but the trauma has made being together nearly impossible.
There’s no win.
It’s only loss.
So Caretaker decides to leave. It’s the only way at least one of them is bound to heal, and Whumpee deserves a shot at something like happiness. But Whumpee sees them sneaking off and follows them. It’s not immediately clear what’s happening until it suddenly crashes in on them that they’re being abandoned.
“YOU CAN’T JUST LEAVE”
Caretaker stops dead in their tracks and then slowly turns to look at them. Whumpee can’t resist the urge to look away, unable to handle direct eye contact, and it shames them.
“What use is there in staying? You can’t even look at me… it’s time. I’m of no use to you. In fact, I’m making it harder for you.”
“B-but you can’t just leave me! You said- you said you-“
“I said I loved you. And I do. Love… can’t be happy all the time. And it must be selfless, to be real… let me go. It’s all I can give you now.”
Whumpee breaks down, sobbing. Because somewhere inside… they know Caretaker’s right. What’s worse, they never told them they loved them back. They can’t say it; it’s not real to them if they say it.
“What happens to you?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“It matters to me!”
“It shouldn’t… Goodbye.”
Caretaker sighs deeply and turns to go, but Whumpee lunges at them, refusing to just give up. It can’t end like this. Caretaker is the one good thing that they’ve been able to get back to, in their life of pain and struggle and deprivation, Caretaker was the first moment of joy they had.
They won’t give up this easy.
So they grab Caretaker’s arm and turn them around-
Only being this close, seeing their face in stark detail, it triggers something. Violet, lashing terror. Caretaker looks down at them with sad, weary eyes, another refusal on their lips, and Whumpee slashes their nails across their face.
It’s not a shallow, playful scratch. It’s deep, tearing skin and muscle. Across the eye…
Then everything is still for a terrible, silent moment. Caretaker blinks at them with one good eye, stunned and immediately in absolute shock. Blood pours down their face and neck, soaking their clothes. Whumpee gapes in horror, unable to say anything. What have they done?!
Caretaker blinks again and then turns dumbly to walk away but their knees buckle and they collapse, blood loss and shock sapping their strength.
It’s only then that Whumpee finally screams for help. They have to stand there while someone comes to help Caretaker, watching them bleed and stare mutely, see how dead Caretaker looks inside as they’re tended to. Someone helps them too. Cleans the blood off their hand. Murmurs it isn’t their fault.
They don’t pay much attention. It’s very loud and also very quiet in their head. Like standing in a roaring wind that obliterates all sound. They feel sick. Wrong. Cursed. Caretaker loves them so much… and all they do is hurt them. Why can’t they just… be normal?
It dawns on them eventually that someone is holding their hand, a thumb stroking down over each finger to draw circles around their knuckles. Whumpee looks down. Realizes they know that hand. Then they look back up.
Caretaker, half their face bandaged and obscured, gives them a tired little smile that looks like it hurts to wear. “… well… I guess I didn’t leave after all,” they say softly. “You want me to stay… so I shall.”
Whumpee stares at them for a long moment. How can they bear this? To have Whumpee touch them, after… but then Caretaker lifts their hand and presses it to the unhurt side of their face.
There’s a brief moment when Caretaker nearly nestles their cheek into Whumpee’s palm, a desire to seek affection… but they don’t. This isn’t for them. It’s for Whumpee. Instead, they meet Whumpee’s eyes without fear. They trust Whumpee not to hurt them, and even if Whumpee does… it’s alright.
They deserve it.
Still, the lack of true vulnerability isn’t lost on Whumpee. There’s a wrongness to this… but not enough to make them stop it.
“I’m sorry. I was trying… I shouldn’t have done that. You wouldn’t have been in that position had I not. I am so very sorry… will you please forgive me?”
Whumpee’s eyes cloud over with tears. They shake their head and lean over to rest their forehead on the nearest part of Caretaker. No negative reaction. Then they decide that isn’t enough. They crawl into their Caretaker’s lap and Caretaker finally holds Whumpee like they used to.
It’s safe. It’s warm. They can feel and hear Caretaker’s breath and heartbeat.
Which was all Whumpee wanted in the first place. It’s a good step in the right direction. If only Caretaker could understand. Whumpee wants to love them back. They can feel something isn’t quite right… but for now, it’ll have to do.
