Dreaming and Dreading letting go.

18. Pancakes and Revelations

Arien awoke as the run rose. Today felt different. It felt cleaner. Clearer even. He sighed and sat up with a groan. Aaron got up with a hop, bouncing happily out of his room to greet Arien,
"You wanna go get breakfast?" He asked happily. Arien blinked. Surprised at the sudden inquiry,
"Uh...what...?"
"A new iPop opened on Main and 2nd! You wanna go with me?!" Aaron asked again,
"Ipop? Like...shitty pancake restaurant, iPop..?" Arien asked and Aaron frowned,
"Don't call it shitty! You've never had it before!"
Arien smiled slightly, teasing Aaron. It was kinda funny sometimes,
"heh..yeah yeah... but do we really have the money for it?" Arien finally asked,
"Er..." Aaron paused, "if I skip breakfast this week?"
"Then no,"
"Aaaaahhh come on!! I don't mind not eating when I get up!!" Aaron tried to convince,
"I mind it!! You're the only compass I have here!!"
"So whattt?" Aaron laughed, "7 breakfasts off won't kill me,"
"Still a no,"
"Pleeeeeaseee Arieeee? I'll have brunch, how about that? I slam lunch and breakfast together- then it's not that bad. Plllleaaaaasee?" Aaron begged,
"Fine. As long as you're not starving yourself though," Arien finally sighed and Aaron bounced up,
"WOOHOO!!! I-POP BAAAABY!" he cheered going back into his room to properly dress himself. Arien scoffed and went to dress himself. He looked outside and snow met him falling from the sky again. Arien slid on his shoes before knocking and opening Aaron's door without much thought,
Arien waited outside making a popping sound with his mouth out of boredom. Aaron came out with his own hoodie and passed Arien a gray one. He threw the hoodie over his head and the two went on their way.

Walking inside the restaurant the two boys shook off the snow from their hoodies, and their attention was quickly caught by a claw machine. Aaron and Arien pressed their faces against the glass together, looking at all the possible prizes. Funny to think that they had any extra funds to spend on this, but someone was looking out for them because when checking the coin slots they found themselves just enough for one go at it,
"You can do that?" Arien had asked and Aaron laughed,
"They're the ones who left it in the return," he said, shrugging and putting the coins they'd found into the machine. Arien blinked,
"Hey! I wasn't ready!" he complained,
"Well get ready!" Aaron laughed, he squinted at all the different plushies behind the glass.
Arien pressed his face up against the glass and watched as the claw moved over a purple bunny. It lowered and grabbed the little guy's head. Before dragging it into the air before abandoning it into the glass shoot,
"AHA! HELL YES!" Aaron celebrated as he took the bunny out of the shoot, he turned him and turned him side to side at Arien,"What should we name our son?"Aaron asked laughing,
"Son??" Arien blinked in confusion,
"I mean," Aaron covered the bunny's ears, "adoptive but..." he whispered. Arien laughed,
"I don't know...I'm not good with names-"
"Mmmhmmm...not surprised, you did name that cat of yours coupon,"
"IT'S NOT A BAD NAME," Arien defended in a whisper yell,
"Then you aaare good with names then?" Aaron asked as he went up to the front so the two could be seated,
"Oh shut up..." Arien laughed, as he followed to have them seated,
"Well if you have no ideas, I say we name him Gilbert," Aaron proposed, as he sat down he handed the bunny over the table to Arien who laughed as he revived him.
"That's a weird name for our son,"
"Oh so you admit he's our son now?" Aaron laughed. Arien laughed as well, he sighed and closed his eyes. This was nice, it was peaceful, he hadn't even needed his headphones yet, but they sat around his neck just in case,

"WELCOME TO IPOP~"a Familiar voice rang out, Arien froze...No.
He- He turned in the direction of such a voice. No, THAT CROOKED SMILE.
Arien held tight to Aaron and his new found child, reflecting back into the booth,
"PAHAHAA!" It laughed, "WHAT COULD I GET YOU?~"
Ariens chest hurt as he started to breath faster,
"Fuck- what- you- I- you're not-" Arien stammered,
"HEHE, OH COME ON," The Clown smiled. Arien's eyes darted to Aaron for reassurance, anything. Please Aaron. Aaron was just as terrified,
"A-Aaron-" Arien stretched out his hand to grab onto him at the restaurant. Aaron- No, The world, Started to turn to dust. The Clown laughed loudly, and it echoed. The table in front of them crumbled, and Aaron collapsed into Arien arms. They were on the ground now, grabbing and grasping at each other's existence
"Aaron I-" Arien choked,
"Arien..." Aaron uttered as he was slowly gazing out of reality.
"A-Aaron please don't leave.."
"Hey it's not your fault..."Aaron reassured, Ariens head was pounding as Aaron faded in his lap, he grabbed his headphones for any sort of reassurance. But all that echoed in the cherished gift he'd gotten from Aaron was the horrible laugh of that-
"Arie listen to me," Aaron said gasping,
"Are you- you're messing with me- you're apart of-" Arien panicked,
"Arien... I love you okay? I know...a... I know I'm not real... I- I know now at least but- I'm not- I'm not a part of, whatever the hell this is, okay Arie? I love you and- you're going to be okay, you're going to be okay, okay?" Aaron cried as he dusted away. Arien pushed his forehead up against Aarons,
"Aaron..." he cried as Aaron slipped through his fingers, "Please don't leave me like Ahiko...or Kadin, I need you right now..."
"Oh Arie, I wish I could be with you... i don't have much time left and i know this isn't enough, it never will be but- i- i'm sorry, i'm sorry i have to leave you, but i've listened to you and i hear you talk and...i know you're strong okay? So just stay strong for me...i know you can," Aarons sunshiney face sobbed, and Arien nodded as he closed his eyes against Aarons forehead,
"Can you talk to me until you're gone..?" Arien asked pathetically and Aaron laughed but smiled,
"Arien...oh Arien..." Aarons hand caressed Ariens face as it finally faded away, " A dream boy, arguably the boy of my dreams," Aaron rambled and Arien listened, As Aarons blonde hair and warm skin floated away into the wind. His last words were a whisper as his lips turned to ash in the air,
"You'll be okay...dream boy..."
"BORINNNGG!!" The Clown groaned out finally. It leaned down to look at Arien. He just sat looking at the floor, and his hands where Aaron laid just a few moments ago. The Clown turned it head down to look at Arien,
"HELLOOO???"
"Why can't I just die...?" Arien whispered to himself, hugging his arms to his chest, giggled. It giggled in a way that didnt even resemble a human,,
"OOH~ WHY CAN'T YOU HUH?!~"
"I..."
"YOU?! YOU WHAT?! YOU CAN'T HOLD ONTO A SINGLE FRIENDSHIP THAT'S WHAT!~" It jeered as it laughed hysterically, "YOU'LL BE FRIENDS FOREVER WON'T YOU?! OH WAIT! YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVED SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!~ HAHAH!!!" It laughed wildly,
"I'm-.. I'M NOT- I-" Arien muttered, "I HOPE YOU DIE! I GET IT OKAY?!" Arien shouted,
"OH?! WHAT??~ YOU GOING TO AVENGE A DREAM DREAMER? HAHAHA!! DREAM DREAMER!!"
"SHUT UP!! FUCKING SHUT UP!! I CANT!! I CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE!!" Arien was delirious as he yelled,
"AHAH! I'M GOING TO GO CRAZY! I'M GOING TO..." Arien trailed off as he could hear the sickening crackle of the clowns grin cutting deeper up its face as it smiled,
"END UP LIKE ME?~" It said so simply. Arien stopped,
"I-.."
"OH COME ON~~ MAYBE IF YOU WERE!~ I MEAN YOU ALREADY ARE..." The clown teased as it floated up above Arien. It taunted him from up there,
"I'M NOTHING LIKE YOU!" Arien screamed,
"YOU ADMITTED IT YOURSELF!! YOU WON'T CHANGE! YOU'LL END UP RIGHT HERE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT!"
"I- IM CHANGING!" Arien combatted,
"WERE YOU?~" It asked cheekily. Arien paused, he'd never forget this, he couldn't. How was he supposed to? He took a breath. Somehow in this all he took a breath.
"I can..." Arien sighed quietly, remembering Aaron in his arms,
"CAN YOU REALLY?!~ come on..." the clown morphed into a silhouette of Ahiko, mimicking the boys voice, "Even after 10 months...you still can't stop thinking about me~"
"Oh Stop..." Arien condescended,
"Why should I?~ you couldn't even stop thinking about me here!"
"So what?" Arien pointed out, "he was my first friend that i've- ever had...you dont forget someone like that,"
"You resent me don't you?" fake Ahiko asked,
"I'm allowed to, he left me," Arien said, rubbing his thumb into his palm. The figure looked surprised,
"Pah! Are you kidding!? It was your fault!"
"He didn't tell me what the problem was,"
"It was obvious!"
"It's not always obvious to everyone, and- everyone is used to different things. Sometimes the best thing is to find a compromise," Arien said as his hands touched his neck where his headphones once sat. The fakers face reflected in confusion,
"What the hell are yapping about??" It complained. Arien stood up,
"I've lived through this, and i'm not going to let it get in the way anymore," Arien said firmly as the kid melted back into the towering monster,
"PFF ANOTHER EMPTY PROMISE?"
"No, I'll prove it"
"OH YEAH HUH? HOW!?" It said trying to provoke Arien. Arien stood up, grabbing his glaive. He spun it around his arms,
"Because, I'm going to kill you. If it's the last thing I do." Arien said simply, deadpan, staring at the clown, who just laughed,
"You think this is funny," Arien huffed, "What's funny...is that that's the last time I'll ever let you hurt me."
"PAHAH!! SURE! IMAGINE!!" The CLown grinned as Arien swung his glaive at him. He just laughed and dodged easily,
"I'm not going to hurt others anymore!" Arien said loud as he swiped again and missed,
"WE BOTH KNOW THAT'S A LIE! LOOK AT YOU NOW!!"
"I'm Going to move on. I'M GOING TO CHANGE!" He said as he slashed with everything in him.
Then he woke up, panting. He didn't waste time today. He got up and rushed to the bathroom, he got dressed and walked out into the hallway, he looked down intently, glaring at the darkness that taunted him.
He started walking. He wasn't scared anymore. He'd never forget the breakfast that was stolen from him.