Chris ignored the banging on his apartment door. He tipped the bottle back, letting the booze burn down his throat. He ran the BSAA patch through his fingers, knowing he’d have to surrender it tomorrow. He’d asked to be the one to hand it to Piers’ family. With no body, it was all he could give them.
“Chris!”
He tightened his grip on the bottle and set the patch down gently so he wouldn’t damage it. He felt his anger rising, and it was the one thing he would not risk ruining if it got the better of him.
He waited tensely, but the pounding mercifully stopped. The clock on the wall ticked away first seconds, then minutes, but the pounding and the yelling did not return.
He resumed his drinking.
“Jesus, Chris.”
He spun around in his chair, nearly toppling it over and just barely managing to catch the edge of the table to right himself. He narrowed his eyes.
“How?” he demanded.
Claire crossed her arms. “You need a better lock, bro.”
“Leave me alone,” he growled.
“No.” She strode over and plucked the bottle from his hand, capping it firmly. “You’re done.”
“Claire!” he snapped.
She reached out and he protectively snatched up the patch in his hands, leaning back from her. But she just placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it.
“I won’t touch it,” she said, nodding to his cupped hands. “Chris, I heard everything that happened. I am so sorry. He sounded like a good man.”
“Good kid,” he said, eyes shooting to the bottle. “He was just a damn kid, Claire.”
“A man,” she corrected. “A young one, yes, but old enough to know the risks. You can’t blame yourself every time a mission goes wrong. It’s killing you. It…It almost took you away from me.”
Her voice was so sad on that, it caused Chris to drop his head. He’d been so consumed by what he’d gone through the past few years, that he hadn’t even considered what he’d been putting his own little sister through. They were all they had. He’d always tried to be a good brother to her, but it’d become just another thing he’d failed miserably at.
“Stop,” she said, putting her fingers under his chin and tilting his head up so he was looking at her. “Chris, most people would’ve broke after going through everything you’ve been through. But you’re still here. It’s okay to hurt, Chris. But please let me help.”
She put her arms around him and he hugged her back tightly. He hadn’t even realized just how much having his sister here would help.
“I let him die,” he whispered.
“No,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder and keeping her arms around him. “He made a sacrifice. Don’t you dare dishonor it by making it sound like anything less.”
Chris closed his eyes and just clung to Claire. God knew she’d seen her fair share of loss. He knew the survivor’s guilt must get to her too. He’d never understand how she was always so strong in the face of it all. He’d tried his damndest to do the same, but here he was deep in the bottle while she pulled him back out of it.
“I can go to the services tomorrow, if you want,” she said.
“I…Yea, I’d like that,” he said, looking at the patch as Claire finally released him and stepped back.
Claire sat in the chair across from him. “Tell me about him.”
The pain welled up at his memories of losing Piers. But Claire was right and Piers hadn’t died carelessly or foolishly. He’d made a deliberate, brave sacrifice. Whether or not Chris felt worthy of it, he had to stop dishonoring it.
He was grateful Claire had come, even if some angry part of him wanted to be alone. Knowing it would hurt but free part of him, he took a deep breath and began to tell her about Piers.
[ID: On a deep purple background orange words write, “When I wake up in a good mood for no reason, is that you? When I feel a pulse move through me like an electrical fire, is that you? I would like to think we can share these mode of biology the same way we share pixels on the screen. I would like to think regardless of the ether between us, together we can experience, even if in a semi-spectral sort of way, what it means to be human.”
“Boss?” their henchman called from across the other Villain’s base they were raiding “We found something!”
Villain wondered if it was the power core that other Villain had stolen from them last month....But when they entered the little cell, and their eyes adjusted to the dark, what they saw made them gasp.
Chained in the corner barely more than scarred and bruised skin and jaggedly broken bones was hero covered in blood and dirt, their eyes were only half-lidded, when Villain came closer recognition flickered in their dull pain-glazed eyes, they shuddered.
“Hero? My god, what have they done to you?” Villain couched over them, taking a long look at their injuries, they had to close their eyes for a moment to regain their composure, it was bad--worse.
Hero was dying, they didn’t have much time.
Villain ordered their chains removed, got them brought up into the night air, they set them on the soft grass, they weren’t going to die in a cell,“I’m sorry it’s not light out,” they cleared their throat,”is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?”
Hero’s lips moved like they were trying to say something, “S-stay W-wi m-me? I-I don’ wanna d-die a-al-alone,” they ask in barely more than a whisper.
“I’m not going anywhere hero,” Villain assures them gently, “anything else?”
“It’s alright,” Villain pulled them gently into their lap, stoking their filthy hair out of their eyes, hero leaned into the warmth and comfort, shuddering as they began to get weaker.
“M’sorry,” hero whimpered, Villain wasn’t sure what they were sorry about, but they continued to comb their fingers through hero’s hair hoping it was soothing them.
“Me, too,” Villain stated gently.
They stayed like that with hero curled in their lap until hero was gone.
He scraped through the snow, uncovering her the best he could, reaching out to rub at her arms in a desperate attempt to warm her up.
“Luce? Lucy, come on, talk to me, say something?”
Her face was only a shade darker than the snow, her eyelashes casting dark shadows across her pale skin as she blinked slowly.
“Hey,” He forced past the lump in his throat, blinking back the tears that threatened to freeze on his cheeks, “Hey come on, it’s gonna be okay Luce. Just stay with me, yeah?”
Hazel eyes locked on his blue, a soft smile and the slightest shake of her head, “This isn’t how it ends Jeff.”
He bolted up in bed, chest heaving with broken sobs as he doubled forward grasping at his hair and pulling hard enough simply to feel something other than the pain in his heart.
There had been no pleading for her not to leave him. By the time he had found her she was already gone, leaving him and their boys to a life he wasn’t sure he was ready to face.
What he wouldn’t give to hear her once more, to have the chance to beg her to stay.
“But you do Jeff, you have me in your dreams.”
He awoke facing the ceiling of his room, the bed cold and empty around him.
Based off of @majinmochi‘s idea/commentary [ x ]. Though I changed a few things.
Vegeta (Robert): He’s pretty rough and it’s hard to get to know him since he doesn’t speak much but he has a soft center. Not the best dad either and he still has a way to go but he’s getting there.
Piccolo (Damien): He seems unapproachable but is an adorable dork. He’s a pretty caring dad and cool dude. Also: “Damien because Piccolo is sweetest dad and because technically speaking Piccolo isn’t cis (he’s physically genderless but presents as male).”
Gohan (Craig): Loving/caring father and an overall really awesome guy. Also a dork.
Goku (Craig/Joseph): A lot of girls have the hots for him. Likes working out and is a good bro.
Krillin (Mat): Has self doubt sometimes but we all know he’s great. He’s sweet, friendly and an amazing dad. Loves his daughter very much.
No. 17 (Hugo): As of DBS, he’s grown a lot, personality wise. He’s humble, a gentleman even? Calm? (I don’t want to spoil DDADDS so I’ll leave it at that.)
Ox King (Brian): The bear. I didn’t pick him just for being a big guy though. Like Brian, he’s sweet and loves and cares for his daughter. Is also supportive and proud of her. Not to mention he’s a pretty friendly guy.
