undeserved // final space { garycato ]

Undeserved

so how about that Gary Dies Instead™ AU huh
<-•->
Gone.
Within an instant, the man who helped him get his son back was gone.
Because of him, the man who saved his life was gone.
He could do nothing to stop the man who lost an arm for him from being gone.
Avocato sighed as he started up the recording device.
"Hey, Gary. It's been... Three days. Since you, uh, died. This crew is a lot less optimistic and... functional without you, man. Quinn and I are constantly at each others' throats. HUE hasn't felt right. KVN has been going back and forth between trying to throw a party and getting as close to crying as a floating eyeball robot can. The SAMES haven't been... well... the same, ironically enough."
He took a shaky breath.
"Mooncake hasn't been holding up well. I'm afraid that the slightest thing will send him into an enraged frenzy of destruction. Little Cato feels like somehow this is all his fault, and I..."
The Ventrexian choked back a sob. "I don't know what to do without you, man. Nothing feels right anymore. I got my son back after three years, but at what cost? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I have my son back. I couldn't have asked for anything better. But did you really have to go and die on us? I know it's hopeless to think that you're still alive, but... I just need a sign. Some kind of indication that you can hear me. Knock over a bowl, glitch a computer... anything."
He sat there in silence waiting for something to happen, anything at all.
He closed his eyes and turned off the recorder.
"Dad?"
His eyes flew open to see his son standing in front of him, a concerned look on his face.
Avocato gave him a tired smile. "Hey bud. What's the matter?"
"I think I should be asking you that," the boy said pointedly as he sat next to his father. "...Gary?"
A nod.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, wrapping his arms around Avocato. "You really liked him, didn't you dad?"
Another nod.
".... Did you love him?"
"You know, I... I think I did."
He slowly started petting the child to try and calm his nerves. "He really cared. I know I was the first person he'd seen in five years, but... He was so quick to befriend me. I pointed a gun at him and he played hours of cards with me. I showed up in a group of bounty hunters and he lost an arm for my sake. I almost betrayed him and he hugged me and promised to help me get you back."
"...Sounds like he loved you too."
Avocato let out a heartbroken laugh.
"God, I- I was in denial but honestly I wouldn't be surprised. It just feels undeserved because, well... What did I ever do for him?"
"You were there when he needed a friend," Lil Cato offered with a smile.
"Well, I suppose you have a point, but-"
"You saved him from bleeding out and performed surgery to give him a new arm. You liked him but were - reasonably - supportive of his weird obsession with Quinn."
He gave a chuckle. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Thanks, son."
Not that it matters anymore, he stopped himself from saying, to spare the heart of the child looking up at him hopefully.
It doesn't matter, now that he's-
...
Gone.