I wrote a little soft Clockers family one-shot!
I've had an idea in my brain for a few days now (ever since watching Cleo's Limited Life earlier this week), and I had to get it out. It started as an image, but then I decided to write a little one-shot as well.
Ao3 Link
[fanart below after the one-shot]
There was Only One Bed (but not really) - Clockers Edition
They were standing in a field of flowers, surrounded by people without faces.
Friends.
Allies.
Soulmates.
They were smiling.
Crying.
They were laughing.
Screaming.
They were dancing.
Running.
They were living.
Dying.
“Cleo,” someone calls.
They turn, searching.
“Cleo,” someone calls again.
The people are fading.
“Mom!” someone yells.
— — — — —
Cleo startles awake and cracks open their eyes. There’s a grey ceiling above her, one made of stone. There’s darkness around them, moonlight streams in through the windows above.
“Mom?” a quiet voice whispers.
Their eyes turn to the man beside them, standing in his orange pajamas, holding a pillow to his chest. His green eyes are tired, there’s dark circles under them, his hair is a mess.
“Scar?” they ask quietly, voice rough with sleep. They sit up a bit, dislodging the hand on their shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
Scar looks away, a light pink dusting his cheeks. “I uh…can I…?” he struggles with his words and his shoulders droop.
The zombie sits up more, reaches out a hand to her ally, rests it on his arm. “Scar, is everything okay?” they ask gently.
He shakes his head in response.
A moment ticks by. Then two.
“Can I…” he starts again. He swallows. “Can I sleep with you, Mom?”
Mom.
They’re only a couple sessions into the Games but that word, that name, title, is growing on them. The two of them - Cleo and Scar - are about the same age, and yet he calls them ‘Mom’. It was weird at first, should still be weird, but they’re getting used to it.
“Sure thing,” they say and shift over in the bed, making room for their friend.
Scar gives a grateful smile, sets his pillow next to their’s, and slides under the covers next to them. He doesn’t say anything, only lays on his side, stiff.
They lay down again too, on their back like they were before, and hold out an arm. “Do you want to cuddle?”
His eyes search their’s for a moment, looking for something, then he gives a small nod and scoots closer to them. He stiffens more at their arms wrapping around him, pulling him to their side, then he starts to relax.
The two of them lie in silence for awhile, the only sounds around them being the crickets outside and Bdubs’ snoring from across the room. It’s nice. Scar is warm against them, like a heater, and it feels good.
“You’re cold,” his voice is quieter than before, barely a whisper.
“Sorry, I can put a blanket between us if you’d like?”
He shakes his head and curls up more into their side. “It’s good. I like it. Like the cold side of a pillow.”
They chuckle, and start playing with his hair. “Do you wanna tell me why you’re awake in the middle of the night?”
There’s no answer, not immediately, and for a moment, they think he’s fallen asleep, but then he sighs softly, his breath tickling their skin. “I had a bad dream,” he replies. “Not a nightmare or anything, just…bad.”
They’ve been there. They have bad dreams too, ever since the first Game, and it’s never fun. But, they’re used to it now.
“Do you want to talk about it?” they ask.
“Not really much to talk about,” he says.
They think he might just leave it at that, saying nothing more, just wanting to go to sleep. But, he surprises them.
“It’s the same one I have most nights - I’m in an endless desert and I’m alone. There’s voices talking to me and I try to follow them, but I can’t find them.” He wraps his arm around them, squeezing them close. “I run, trying to find them, and when I think I’m getting close, the desert sinks below my feet and I fall into the Void.
“Then I wake up.” Scar shakes his head. “I hate that dream. Every time I have it, it makes me feel like I’m alone. Like I have no friends or allies. Even in 3rd Life and Double Life, with Grian, I felt alone.”
“Well, you’re not alone now, Scar,” they say. “You’ve got me and Bdubs here. We’re your allies, and your family.”
They feel a small smile against their skin. “Thanks, Mom.”
Cleo chuckles, “No problem.”
“Would you two keep it down?!” a rough, irritated voice calls from the other side of the room, startling them both.
The two of them look over to find Bdubs awake and glaring at them from the comforts of his own bed.
“Sorry, Bdubs,” they both say.
Bdubs glares for a moment longer, eyes narrowed, studying them, then he sits up, eyes wide again. “Hey! You two’re cuddling without me!” he yells, accusatory.
“You’re more than welcome to join us,” Cleo says. “Right, Scar?”
The man nods, smiling wide, “Yeah, com’on, Dubs, join us! The more the merrier!”
Bdubs doesn’t hesitate to get out bed and join them in Cleo’s. He drops next to the zombie on the opposite side of Scar, and curls into their side, draping an arm over their stomach and a leg over their’s. “How dare you try to steal Mom away.”
Scar gasps, almost too dramatically. “I would never!” he exclaims. “I had a bad dream and Mom was kind enough to let me sleep with them.”
“Yeah well, two can play at that game. I’m sleeping with Mom too!”
Cleo sighs and pulls the two men - boys, more like - against their side. “All right, you two, settle down and go to sleep. I’m too tired to listen to you argue.”
“Sorry, Mom,” they say in unison.
“And for the record, you’re both more than welcome to sleep with me.”
They can feel the smiles from both men against their skin now. “Thanks,” Scar says while Bdubs says, “Thanks, Cleo.” The two of them settle down, relaxing into the zombie’s arms.
Within seconds, Bdubs is already fast asleep again, snoring quietly.
Scar yawns and in a very sleepy, on the edge of passing out, voice, says, “Thank you for not letting me be alone.”
Cleo smiles softly and presses a kiss into his hair, “You’re welcome, Scar,” they reply, their own voice barely a whisper.
The man smiles. Soon, he too, is fast asleep.
The zombie stays awake awhile longer, holding their boys, their family, close to them, and listening to their soft breaths of slumber. They play with Scar’s hair and stroke Bdubs’ arm.
It’s nice, peaceful, and when they finally do drift back to sleep, they have nothing but good dreams of dancing in flower fields with their boys.
[Image ID: a lineart drawing of zombie cleo, goodtimeswithscar, and bdoubleo100 cuddled close to each other and sleeping]
