Killer Queen

8

I blinked at my phone screen, reading Corpse's name ID over and over again, while my phone buzzed along the ring tune, finally picking up after a few rings woe me up from my trance.

"Hello?" my voice come out weak and raspy.

"Hello." voice spoke from the other hand, his tone as deep as I'd remember, but there was a new quietness to it.

"Hi." I repeated myself, feeling foolish immediately after. "I mean... what's up."

Something in my clumsiness had earned a chuckle from him. My shoulders relaxed at the sound and my lips curled. 

"Are you making fun of me?" I asked almost whispering. 

"No way." Corpse denied, although his grin was audible "I would never, Mia."

"So..." I trailed of " Why did you call?"

"I just wanted to hear your voice." he blatantly stated.

 "Did something happened?" My question felt invasive, although I felt the need to ask.

"I liked your picture." Corpse evaded my question " You smile when you sleep."

The simple comment cause the temperature of my cheeks to rise. Corpse was good at deflecting unwanted attentions. 

I could have pressed the question. From what I could gather from our text conversations, Corpse lived alone, which made me worry. I related to it.

Being alone in America for the past 4 years, with friends that felt fake unauthentic most days, made me understand. If something had happened, there wasn't a crying shoulder or a helping hand, so I decided to do my part and be a voice he can listen to.

"Do I?" I laughed lightly "I had never noticed."

"Yeah, it was pretty cute."

He threw the word cute like it meant nothing.

"It's weird." I pointed after pausing for a few seconds " Hearing you without the others talking in the background."

"Is it a bad thing?" Something about his question told me that there was a real insecurity behind it.

"No." I immediately corrected " It's actually nice."

"I could say the same thing." 

We stood in silence for mere seconds as I thought of what to say, although he spoke first.

"I think I got recognized today." Corpse confessed with a sigh. "And I've been really nervous and anxious since then. That's why I called."

"Oh..." was the only thing I managed to say while I processed the information.

It took every inch of my will strength not to look him up before, however I had ended up doing it anyway after the streams, which meant I was aware of how delicate his privacy was to him.

"I shouldn't have called. It was stupid." he blurted out, the frustration being obviously present in his voice.

"No, Corpse." I pipped in "No... I get it. Tell me about it."

There was another sigh from the other end of the line, leading me to believe he was about to hang up. To me relief, Corpse carried on speaking, relieving the anxious weight on my stomach.

"I went to get groceries, which I never do, I always have them delivered, and even so, when I go out I never speak because of my fucking voice..." he rambled "But I was so distracted that when the guy on check out spoke to me, I just fucking answered him."

"What did he say?" 

"He just looked into my eyes and fucking straight up asked me if it was me. I mean, I had my mask, but still. He looked right into my eyes." Corpse huffed form his end. Describing the situation was getting him angrier at himself. "I denied it, of course. But I'm sure he didn't believe me."

"I mean, I don't see wh-"

"What if he followed me home." Corpse cut me off. He was spiraling. "Is he going to fucking leak my address?"

"Corpse." I called out to him.

"Everyone's going to figure it out." he carried one, ignoring me. 

"Corpse, shut the fuck up." I snapped. "That doesn't even make any sense. He's a fucking cashier living his 9 to 5. He just hears you reply to him, for a short second, in a voice he though he'd recognize. You think he got up to follow you? Risking his probably much needed poorly paid job?"

Corpse's end was silent. The urgency in my chest dissipated, giving place to the guilt I felt for blowing a fuse on him. 

"Your Italian accent shows when you're mad." he commented.

"I'm not mad." I clarified, my voice sounding quieter than before. " I just wanted to make you stop spiraling." 

"I think it worked." Fragility and vulnerability transpired as he spoke.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you tough."

"It's fine." Corpse scoffed." It's actually pretty funny."

"Funny?" I struggled not to laugh along.

"Yeah. I mean, you're pretty harmless looking." he continued to mock me and I wasn't able to maintain my composure anymore. 

"I might hand up." I threatened. 

"I'm sorry, Mia." Corpse apologized, however his laughs didn't die down.

"You're about to see the full Italian accent." 

"Do it." he defied me.

Before I knew it we'd been back and forth, laughing along and playfully mocking at each other for almost an hour. I'd say I was successful to distract Corpse. 

"I wanna call you again." he said at one point.

"We're still talking now." I fought against my sleepiness, in a half asleep state.

"Another day, Mia." Corpse corrected, his smile concealed on his words.

"Call me whenever you want. I want you to."  the raspy words came out as I started to succumb to my tiredness and my comfortable bedsheets, my last words being lost between a sleep talking dream and reality.  "I'm yours."

AN: Aaaw I couldn't help it cut it there. How are ya'll doing? Tell me what you think!

I just didn't resist to have Mia to say something sweet in her sleep ehehe the feeeeels

Thanks for the support!