The Monsters Inside and Out (Scott Howl x Depressed Reader)

163. Moving In

You tiredly look out the window as Scott drives you to Hell. Scott leans over and starts rubbing your thigh gently. You look over and ask him, "Yeah?" "Are you okay? You're quiet." You chuckle and place your hand on his, looking back out the window. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired." He asks, "Already?" You silently nod, to which he replies with a simple, "Okay." Scott continues driving for a little while until he finally gets to the LaVeys' house.

You see Damien sitting on the porch, looking down at his phone, and smoking a cigarette. Once Scott pulls up, Damien looks up and sees you. His eyes widen slightly, and he flicks his cigarette off to the side. You get out of the van and walk up to Damien. He stands up, jams his hands in his pockets, and looks down at you, "Hey." You nod your head, "Hey." You look at each other for a few seconds before you get nervous and look away. He says, "I'm really sorry. I know that doesn't really excuse what I did, but like... I'm so sorry." You laugh, "It's alright. You weren't exactly sober, were you?" Damien laughs as well, "No... But still, I landed you in the hospital. I hope you're okay." You smile and hold your arms out. Damien sighs and hugs you. You say, "It's okay. I forgive you." His grip tightens a bit before he pulls away. You're not quite sure, but he seemed to be wiping away a tear.

Damien claps his hands together, "Anyway! Lemme show you your room." He makes a gesture for you to follow him and you do so, Scott not far behind. As Damien leads you through the house, he says, "My dads are out right now, doing whatever the hell they do, so I'm all the help you got." You ask, "What about Brian? He's usually here every night, isn't he?" Damien gives you a dirty look, "I'll have you know that we don't need to be together 24/7, unlike you and that furball behind you." You blush, "And I'll have you know that we can get along just fine apart as well." Damien scoffs, "Tell that to the teeth marks on your neck." You groan and pull your hoodie over the bite mark. Damien laughs and goes down a set of stairs that lead to a hallway. At the end of the hallway are two doors on opposite ends. Once you approach them, the one on the left has a sign that says, "Damien's Room. KEEP OUT!" You chuckle, and then Damien turns to the door on the right. He opens it and turns on a light next to the doorway. Inside, there is a twin-sized bed, a nightstand next to it, a shelf by the back wall, and a desk right behind the door. There is also another door that opens in the direction of Damien's room. Inside is a bathroom, and there's another door on the other side, one that leads to Damien's room. Damien says, "This'll be where you stay. My dads worked all day yesterday to get it cleaned." You take a few steps inside, looking around the whole room. It's pretty bare, but it still looks beautiful to you. You take a seat on the bed, grab the pillow, and give it a tight hug. Damien opens the other door, revealing a bathroom. You toss the pillow to the side and give Damien another hug. He hugs you back, and Scott hugs both of you at once, lifting you both in the air. You laugh and say, "Alright, alright, that's enough! We gotta get moving!" Scott puts you down, and you all head back outside.

You go to the back of Scott's van and gather your things. Damien says, "Damn, what's the rush? It's not like you have a lot of shit to carry." You smile, "I know, it's just that I can't wait to finally move in with you guys. And away from... You know." Damien scoffs and nods his head, and you carry your things down to your new room.

You start packing everything away, putting your video games and school books on the shelf. You put your notebooks and writing utensils on the desk, and you put your clothes away. You go to the bathroom and put away your toothbrush, toothpaste, and showering products where they need to be. You take a step back to admire the bathroom and turn around to admire your bedroom. Scott puts a hand on your shoulder and stands with you. You sigh, "This is great. I just wish I was able to take everything, you know?" Damien asks, "What's stopping you?" You sigh, "I don't want... To have... To see her anymore." Damien scoffs, "So what, that's it? Your mom hurt you for years, and now you just disappear? Cowering in fear behind the people who can shelter you? You really want your helpless body in a hospital bed to be the last thing she sees from you?" You look up at Damien, who stares at you like you're pathetic. You look over at Scott, who just shrugs his shoulders. Damien lightly punches your arm, "You know you don't have to go alone. You've got a phone full of people who can help you." You reach into your pocket and grab your phone, staring at the black screen. You take a deep breath and turn it on, sending a message to the group chat.

The three of you walk out of the room and up the stairs out of the basement. You go outside, where you're suddenly pounced on and scooped up into someone's arms. It's Stan, lifting you and spinning you around. He excitedly exclaims, "There's my new mouth to feed! How are you doing? Do you need help moving in? Are you hungry? Where are you going?" You giggle and answer his questions, "I'm doing good, we've already moved me in, I could eat, and we're going to my house to get the rest of my things." Stan smiles up until the last part. He asks, "Is your mother home?" "We're going to find out. Maybe give her a piece of my mind." Stan turns to face Lucien. He asks, "Dinner can wait, right?" Lucien sighs, "I suppose so." Stan smiles and puts you down, "Well then! We're coming with you, kiddo." He ruffles your hair and you get into Scott's van, while Stan, Lucien, and Damien get in their car.