What Is Going On? [Paperhat Soulmate AU]

black hats don't cry

((Author's Note- Sorry guys, as the end of year approaches my mental health has been declining and I went to sleep before I could upload the chapter last night. I'll try to double upload tomorrow to make up for it.))

It was usual for Flug to go days upon end without leaving the lab. It was usual for Black Hat to be so caught up with works that all he does all day is pace around his room, wringing his arms as he works nonstop to stop declining sales.

What was not normal was for Flug to just lock himself in hid lab and sit, spacing out at some random object or tinkering at some machine he'd already perfected. Black Hat hasn't been seen in days, and when Dementia pressed herself up against the door of his office to see if he was in there, she could hear soft, hallow sounding thumps of, she could only assume, him hitting his head on the desk. Every now and again he would murmur something like "Stupid." or "Idiot" under his breath.

The short explanation was, Dementia was tired, concerned, and tired of being concerned. She was currently laying in what Black Hat had titled "Break Room" but was actually more like a living room, pushing around a couple pieces of magnetized metal she had found laying on the floor near Flug's feet a couple days ago. She sighed, almost pushing them into the fireplace as she pondered what she should do.

Before she had a chance to scheme properly, she was made aware to someone's presence in the room with her by a sharp heel in the arc of her back. Letting out a sharp yelp and trying to flatten herself to the floor and away from the foot, with minimum success, she glanced back to see her boss looming over her looking like he just died and was brought back to life. Hopping to her feet, Dementia worried silently about what Black Hat wanted.

"Meet me in my office in ten minutes." Black Hat said, his eyes cold to anyone who didn't know him. But Dementia, regardless of what anyone, including Black Hat said, knew him. She could see the way his dull eyes glimmered with a tormented panic. He swiveled on his feet, almost jogging towards the door. Stopping in the frame, Black Hat turned back to Dementia and opened his mouth like he wanted to say something. Turning up his chin to her, he closed his mouth, apparently deciding against it. And then he walked away.

Letting out a sigh of relief, she leaned her bodyweight onto he arms, which she lay on the table, allowing her to hide her head. Something must have happened between him and Flug. Maybe he told Flug he was his soulmate, Dementia thought, hopefully and foolishly. She knew he would never do it on his own. Her elbows buckled beneath her, the stress of the last few weeks catching up to her.

Regardless of what she told Flug and 5.0.5., she still loved Black Hat. Watching him find his soulmate and destroy himself hurt. She (no matter how much she loathed to say, nay, even think it) loved everyone in the house so dearly, not the shallow infatuation everyone thought she held towards Black Hat. She was concerned not only for Black Hat, but Flug too. The scientist who kept everyone's lives afloat, the business running, and people happy worked himself to the bone. He rarely slept unless he passed out of exhaustion, didn't eat in front of anyone, save for Black Hat once. She fell to the floor, feeling just so... Weak.

An unusual emotion for her, she assumed with a twinge of amusement sparking in her stomach. She knew she had to see Black Hat soon, though, so she picked herself off of the ground and marched towards his office, not letting the tears that so desperately wanted to stream out.

Opening his door, feeling more drained than she thought she ever could, Dementia called out to Black Hat in the dark room.

"Black Hat?" she said, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dark. When her eyes had adjusted, she saw Black Hat, head in his arms, looking silently at the wall ahead of him. Dementia walks over towards him and waves her hand in front of his face... No response.

Dementia sits down in a chair in front of him and starts tracing patterns in the wood, waiting for him to notice her. It takes him about three minutes to notice she's there, she knows because his eyes widen for a split second and then refocus on her. When he still doesn't talk, she yields.

"What did you call me here for, Black Hat?" Dementia asks, leaning back nonchalantly in her chair as if he hadn't just not noticed her sitting there for minutes. And she doesn't know, but she would like to think Black Hat was grateful about that.

"Dementia," Black Hat says, his eyes narrowing in contempt. At what, she's not quite sure. "As you have become aware of, our scientist is my s-... Well, you know."

"He... Also now knows." Black Hat says, shocking Dementia nearly out of her chair. "I was humming a song his mother sang to him when he was a child and he... Recognized it. I didn't plan it. I had a plan and everything, I was gonna try for him. I was going to try to "court" him as best as a monster like me could!" Black Hat near screams all of the emotions he had locked inside of him about his soulmate leaking out between his sharp teeth, acidic saliva slipping out of his mouth and his eyes getting glazed over with an green looking tint.

Wait, Dementia reeled back as a stapler was flung at the wall behind her. Was he going to cry?

"But... He ran away. I should have known he would." Black Hat near sniffled, holding his head in his hands and slouching. "So my question is, what do I do now Dementia?"

Scared because her stoic boss was falling apart in front of her, Dementia stiffened when a question was unexpectedly flung at her. Glancing around the room, thinking quickly about which route would turn out best for everyone, she shrugs and says what she thought.

"Maybe try to... Apologize? And try and make it up to him." that certainly got Black Hat's attention, he was now peeking out between his fingers at her. Dementia had to hold back a wince when she looked at him. Yep, definitely crying. Trying to ignore the sharp pain in her chest, Dementia continues.

"You know how much his soulmate meant to him, even if he didn't think they existed. I think he's just mad because you didn't tell him right away and sweep him off his feet to go on a honeymoon." Dementia finishes, and for once, Black Hat actually looks determined.

"Thank you for your input." Black Hat says, stoic mask back in place, and immediately leaves the room to probably go find Flug. And through the aching pain and sorrow clogging her lungs and the tears obscuring her eyesight, she thought that perhaps, for once, everyone could be alright. Including her.

((Author's Note- Don't forget to Kudo and Comment! Also, just because this chapter ended well doesn't mean I don't entirely plan to make Shit go downhill fast next chapter.))