(Archived) Poth Short Stories and One-Shots

Sentiments like Raindrops - Chapter 2 (End)

I'm posting this a bit late since I was invited last minute to go shopping, but better late than never~

Chapter Warning: Swearing

***

Lotus jolted awake at the sound of a crash, a brief flash of forest green filling his vision before everything went dark once more. His soul was thrumming in his chest as he processed the loud noise and willed himself to calm down when nothing happened.

Propping himself up on his left elbow, he turned and let his vision adjust enough to make out the vague outline of the living room. He could hear the rain hammering rapidly on the roof and windows as another flash lit up the room, proving the storm outside was still going strong.

Lotus shifted into a sitting position, only to feel something soft slip down his right arm. Reaching for the object, he felt cotton under his fingers. At some point, he had acquired a blanket. Suppositions to its origins brought thoughts of Rurik, the memories of their fight earlier, and feelings of regret with it.

The small skeleton drew his legs close to his chest and rested his forehead against his knees, as if the action could drive away the negative emotions smoldering in his soul.

Rurik was only angry because he thought something had happened and felt helpless to do anything. The outburst earlier was likely a roundabout attempt at expressing worry for Lotus' wellbeing.

On the other hand, Lotus was upset that Rurik had rushed into a storm that had racked up a considerable death count for his sake. He knew his sour attitude was the result of pent up nerves from numerous close calls and guilt for making his partner worry, but he had been too tired to deal with it properly at the time.

Clenching the blanket draped around him in his fists, the smaller hissed, "I just keep screwing up... what the hell's wrong with me?" His only answer was a loud peal of the thunder outside that made him flinch and the hunger pangs within himself.

For now, the only problem he could resolve was the demand of his body. It was way too late for dinner and still too early for breakfast, but he could at least get some water, maybe a pudding cup, to sate himself. Throwing the blanket off his legs and suppressing a shiver as the cool night air hit him, Lotus swung his feet over the edge of the couch and onto the floor.

"Urmph!"

A loud grunt from under him had the small skeleton gasping as he jerked his feet back up onto the couch. A dark figure slowly rose from the floor in front of him. Before he could summon his magic to fend them off, a timely flash of lightning lit up the figure haphazardly covered in a blanket as they grumbled, "Dammit Lotus, a little warning before you step on me next time."

"Rurik?" Lotus breathed, his body uncoiling itself gradually from its defensive ball, "It's the middle of the night, what the hell are you doing on the floor?"

The silhouette drooped a bit and Lotus could hear the hesitance in Rurik's voice, "Well, you said you were too tired to climb the stairs, but I didn't want to leave you down here without a blanket since you said you were cold. So I went upstairs to get a blanket, but you'd already fallen asleep by the time I came back down. Because of that, I couldn't try to talk to you without waking you up again."

There was a long pause where nothing was said.

"That explains the blanket," Lotus commented, plucking at the cotton material beside him, "but that still doesn't tell me what you were doing on the floor."

The smaller watched Rurik shift, "I know you're mad at me, but it was still storming outside. I remembered you hate loud noises... and..."

"... and?" Lotus prompted.