Sanscest One-shots (Fluff/Smut) :::Requests:::CLOSED

:::DestructiveDeath::: A Hand Hold Away - Reapember 8: Grief (Hurt/Comfort)

A/N: I'm finally gonna switch out using ErrorDeath with DestructiveDeath, might go back and fix the old fics that still label the ship as ErrorDeath.

Also, holy shit this is really late, but a lovely combinations of finals, con, and the holiday season made the last few weeks hectic. I'll be posting day 9 right after this as well.

No drawing for the next three Reapember posts probably 'cause I don't really have the energy for it.

***

A sense of dread struck the god with the white void around him, devoid of any other lives other than the captive souls strung up above him.

He often frequented the empty space in anticipation of seeing the destroyer; Despite Error denying ever enjoying the company, Reaper knew he appreciated it without the need to say it. Unfortunately, Reaper's insistence to see Error stemmed from the loss he experienced with them once before: When Error was still 'Geno'. With only a red scarf left in his beloved's place in the save screen, Reaper believed Geno was gone, and the pain of it all nearly destroyed him: Ironic for a god of death to be so distraught by the death of a mortal.

It had taken the god a long time to finally accept that 'Geno' was gone, until he found him again: a glitch, an outcode, and nearly a god in his own right. It was almost more than Reaper could process, his beloved Geno was now the destroyer of worlds. Worst of all, he had no memory of his previous life.

Error had initially tried to take the god's soul along with the others in the universe they met in, but Reaper made sure to put up a decent fight. It was in that moment that Reaper was about to reap the outcode that he saw it: the shard that was unmistakingly that of Geno's soul... or was anyway. It was distorted and glitched, but it was Geno's.

After a while, the destroyer not only gave up on trying to steal Reaper's soul for his collection but eventually gave up on fending him off entirely whenever the god saw it fit to come and visit him. Sure, Error was grumpy when Reaper hovered around to pester him but he couldn't bring himself to push him away anymore. With all the insistence that they used to have a life together, flashes of memories inevitably crept in, they hardly meant anything to Error but they still helped make him more comfortable around the cloaked skeleton. Soon enough, it was a routine for the god to visit him in his part of the anti-void, and on better days he may even allow Reaper within a foot or two of him.

Unfortunately, Error had found himself occupied elsewhere in the multiverse when Reaper visited, which was a rare and unfortunate coincidence. After everything the god had gone through with 'Geno', the sight of an empty void that the other would otherwise reside in sent a visceral feeling through him. While he reasonably understood that Error was likely just busy and would come back soon, his soul unconsciously pounded with anxiety. He hated how uncontrollable that feeling was. It was unnecessary and illogical to worry like he did but that dread and terror shook him to his core.

Reaper was simply frozen in place as he stared at the empty bean bag surrounded by scraps of blue string, hoping Error would show up, but it was completely still. He felt something warm roll down his cheeks, quickly realizing that his vision was going blurry with tears pooling in the corners of his sockets. He was crying? Why? What good would that do? Error was fine, he'll be back, he always does. This won't be like last time, it can't be. He heard his own thoughts berating him for being so pathetic, crying over nothing. Absolutely nothing. Some god he was, in all his years he's never felt so pitiful. He fell to his knees, slumping in on himself with hot tears dripping off his chin.

He needed to calm down, what would Error think of him in such a sad state — what would Geno think?

Did it matter? He was gone. Geno doesn't exist anymore, Error made that glaringly obvious. Reaper's constant reminders of Geno were no more than a nuisance, a headache, a painful reminder of something Error didn't want to be reminded of.

By all accounts, Geno is dead. He's grieved enough over him. So why does he continue to put himself through this, clinging onto Geno's memory through Error.

He needed to stop. He needed to calm down. Everything is fine.

So why does it feel like hell right now? Why can't he convince himself that Error's fine, Geno's fine, he'll be back and everything Will. Be. Fine.

...

A fizzle of glitched magic broke apart a chunk of space, allowing for the dark boned skeleton to step through. He was grumbling about some annoyance he had just dealt with, probably something to do with Ink being... well Ink. Regardless, Error was about ready to just kick back and relax but a dark mass not a few yards away from his beanbag immediately caught his eye. He scoffed once he knew who it was, but held back his annoyed comment when he noticed how dejected the god appeared, skull tucked away in his large hood but he could have sworn he saw droplets of pale blue magic falling onto his lap. Error remained silent as he walked up to Reaper, hesitantly kneeling down to be more eye level with him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Reaper flinched once he heard another voice, his head tilting up enough to see Error's face focused on him. Tears seemed to continue spilling from his eyes: after a while he just gave up trying to stop them. He spared a gentle smile, feeling a bit of him calm down once he saw the destroyer.

"Hi angel, I was waiting for you..." Reaper chuckled sheepishly, which seemed to concern Error. Normally Error wouldn't care to give an abomination the time of day, but Reaper was different: Annoying sure, but his soul always felt warm and calm beside the god. It could have something to do with his previous code having been closely intertwined with Reaper's and his soul still has a hint of those memories left but Error digressed. He watched the god pitifully crying, although his expression seemed numbly calm, with the rest of his body language not even remotely showing how much emotional pain he was in.

"What... happened?" Error couldn't help but wonder and worry. His soul pulled at him to comfort the god, hold him in his arms and tell him everything will be okay. Had he done that before? Had 'Geno' done that before?

"I guess I just missed you, angel... I'm kinda pathetic right now huh..." Reaper's voice quivered, it hurt Error to hear, and that pull had only gotten stronger. He knew he'd probably send himself spiraling into a crash if he pulled the other into his arms, but he was growing more and more tempted to just give in and try it. Instead, Error brought a hand up and with extreme caution placed it onto one of Reaper's that laid on his lap: Error held his breath as he saw Reaper go still as well.

Reaper studied the delicate multicolored phalanges that almost hovered over his hand, not bothering to look up at Error quite yet. He carefully curled his own fingers around Error's offered hand, seeing it flinch but not pull away, a soft smile tugging at Reaper's mouth. Seeing as there was no immediate opposition, the god lifted the hand up so the back of the palm pressed lightly against his forehead, relishing in the feeling of Error's touch. Reaper closed his eyes with a tired sigh, seemingly content in remaining motionless.

Error watched the god in silence, wondering how long his hand would be held hostage. Nonetheless he remained patient, feeling this need to be as comforting to the other as possible, even in this little way. He didn't mind all that much but he kinda hoped to have his hands available to him so he could bide his time while Reaper 'recovered'.

After a while, Reaper's hood shifted as he glanced up ever so slightly, muttering a soft 'thank you' with an equally soft smile, seeming a little less broken than it was before. It eased the glitched skeleton to see, although he wouldn't admit that. Then again, he wouldn't ever admit that he even allowed the god to do this to him, but it only ever had to be this: A quiet private affair between friends? Partners? Error wasn't even sure anymore, and in a way he was content on not knowing. For now anyway.

There the two stayed for minutes or even hours, content in each other's company, with just the most minimal touch being enough to settle both their minds and souls. It was a quiet comfort the two will continue to indulge in, and who knows if it becomes something more, but for now that's all they needed.