Shakespeare one shots

Sibling bonding

I've been sitting on this idea for a while now, and I don't think it will work in any of my other books.

My ship from the previous one shot is still standing. Hamratio lives.

Warning: suicide, self-hate, and general sadness. If any of those topics make you uncomfortable, proceed (or don't) with caution.

♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤

~ Laertes PoV ~

I dialed Ophelia's number, hearing it ring a few times before it went to voicemail. I cursed under my breath and tried again.

After a few minutes of this, I decided I should probably go check on her. I bid goodbye to Hamlet and Horatio, who barely looked up from the video game they were playing.

I quickly drove to my sister's apartment, using my key to get in. I wandered around until I spotted a letter on the kitchen table. Curiosity was one of my worst traits. I picked it up.

Dear brother,

I'm very sorry. After father died I know I've been... off. I also know that you thought I stopped cutting. I wish I could tell you I did. It hurt so much to lie to you.

I just can't anymore. It hurts to smile at you, it hurts to laugh at our friend's dumb jokes, it hurts to pretend I'm okay. Everything hurts.

I hope I don't make you too sad. Don't cry too much, please? I'm not worth your tears. Keep our crazy friends close for me, don't let them cry too much either. I'm not really something to be dwelled on.

I love you.

Yours with rue, cyclamen, sweet peas, stock, cypress, and gladiolus; Ophelia.

I dropped the letter in shock as her words clicked in my head. I rushed to her room, yanking the door open to see my sister standing on a chair with a rope around her neck.

Noticing me, she quickly kicked the chair over and let herelf be strangled. I did the first thing I could think of, ducking between her legs and putting her up on my shoulders so she could breathe.

"No!" she choked out. I could tell she was crying. "No, just let me die!"

I gritted my teeth, also crying now. "I can't just let you die, Ophelia! I care about you! So do Hamlet, Horatio, Osric, Marcellus, Rosencrantz, Guidenstern, and everyone else!" She ignored me, lunging around in an attempt to get me out from under her.

"No... just let me die..." she mumbled, her energy draining.

"I can't do that. I need to get you down from there. Father would have wanted you to stay alive."

At that, she quieted and stopped struggling. I shifted her weight and used my temporarily free hand to call Hamlet's cell.

~ Horatio PoV ~

I groaned softly as Hamlet kissed my neck. He hovered around, placing heavy kisses as he went, hunting for the best spot to bite a dark bruise. We had abandoned Mario Kart because we both sucked at Rainbow Road.

Just then, his phone buzzed in his back pocket. He grumbled in annoyance, pulling away from me and answering the call. His expression immediately switched from mildly annoyed to blatantly horrified.

"W-what?" he breathed, shocked. "Oh my God, okay, give us like five minutes." He hung up, turning back to me. "Ophelia tried to hang herself."

"Wait, what?" I asked. "I thought she was getting better!"

Hamlet nodded grimly, hopping off my lap and grabbing his car keys. "I though so, too."

We drove to Ophelia's place in silence, the air between us humming with worry. Not just for her, but for Laertes as well. He was really shaken up whenever she admitted to cutting, and you could see it on him. His movements were slower, his laugh was faker, and his eyes just looked sad.

We bolted to her room, gasping at the sight in front of us. There stood Laertes, a sobbing mess, with his sister on his shoulders. She was crying too.

Without a word, I pushed Laertes out from underneath his sister and took his position. Hamlet grabbed the chair and stood on it, untying the rope from the ceiling. I lowered Ophelia slowly to the floor and let her slide off my back when we reached the carpet.

Laertes wrapped her in a hug from behind, crying into her shoulder and mumbling incoherent phrases. I placed a hand on her cheek as I felt my eyes begin to water.

Hamlet sat beside me, taking her hand gently and rubbing small circles on her palm with his thumb to calm her down.

"Why?" I pleaded. She hung her head.

"I... I don't know. I w-was alone, I hadn't taken my meds, and m-my mind just went down a dark hole. I-I guess I thought that no one would care if I was gone," she said through her sobs.

"Don't you ever tell yourself that no one cares about you. Even if you think that you don't matter to hundreds of people, you'd better believe you're worth the world to at least three."

She looked up into my eyes. "But... why do you care? I'm not special, I'm just a suicidal girl with a dead father," she said. Hamlet answered her.

"Why do we care? Good Lord, Ophelia, we care because you're amazing! You're funny, smart, caring, sweet, sassy, witty, and an overall wonderful person. Who's the only one who can make Osric laugh so hard he can't breathe? Who's the only one who can get Ros and Guil to shut up and listen? Who's the only one who can keep Laertes from killing anyone who disagrees with him? Who's the only one who can calm me down after an argument with Horatio?" He pulled her hand up under his chin. "You."

He scooted to her side, wrapping an arm around her waist as I did the same. We sat like that for a long time, just holding the shaking girl and making sure she knew she was loved.

Because I'll be damned if any of us knew what to do without her.

♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤

It's not as sad as it could have been. I know Hamlet taunted her in the play, but for the sake of the plot I ask that you forget their past disagreements along with the fact that it was actually Hamlet who killed Polonius.

On an entirely different note: don't commit suicide. I know a lot of people struggle with this and too many succeed, but please don't do it. You are a human being, and that alone makes your life worth something. You matter. You matter to your friends, your family, your teachers, your schoolmates, your coworkers, and that stranger who smiled at you earlier today. You are a beautiful person, and don't you ever forget it.

If anyone needs to talk, feel free to PM me. I will respond and try my best to help. Please take care of yourself and stay safe.

I love you, my faeries. May you always remember how amazing you are.