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Beetlejuice was just about fed up.
The entire day, all he had been was ignored. Every time he tried to talk to you? Ignored. He would walk into the same room as you? You left. He would start to talk to himself, not even talking to you, and you would put on your headphones at what sounded like full volume. As an all-knowing demon, it’s hard to get ticked off by things given he knows why they’re happening—but this? This was something he could’ve never expected, so out of the blue and so suddenly.
As dinner time rolled around, she walked into the kitchen with the intent of making dinner. Headphones on, phone in hand, not even acknowledging Beetlejuice’s presence.
“Hello?” He scoffed, raising his arms in frustration. When there was, expectedly, no response, Beej decided he’d had enough. Rising from where he resided, he stormed over to you and ripped your headphones off your head, slamming them to the ground with a loud whack.
You spun around, clearly upset by this.
“What the hell?” You scoffed, throwing your hands up in disbelief. This only fed Beej’s rage.
“Oh, no. Don’t ‘what the hell’ me. What the fuck are ya’ doing?” He snapped, his voice rough and uncharacteristically emotional. You looked around, your mouth hanging open as if someone would come to your defense. When no one responded, Beej took it upon himself to explain.
“All day. All goddamn day, you’ve done nothing but ignore me. You’ve treated me like a pile of dog shit! You’ve avoided me all damn night, and I don’t know why!” Beetlejuice raged, stepping closer. “And, and if it’s something I did, then just tell me!” His voice softened slightly, becoming a plea. “’Cause truth is, babes, I can’t stand the thought that I hurt you. Is that what ya’ wanted? I. Care. About. You.”
Silence fell between you both. He could feel the tension hanging in the air like a thick fog. “But I guess ya’ don’t,” Beetlejuice snarled, his voice cracking with emotion.
You stood there, frozen, mouth open as if trying to speak but nothing came out. The silence lingered longer than Beej would’ve liked. With a sharp breath, he turned, prepared to leave. He didn’t want to deal with this anymore, with the pain, with the confusion.
But then, he heard you speak.
“Beetlejuice, wait.”
His body went still. He froze, his back to you, his voice gruff when it came out.
“What?” He growled, his words sharper than he intended.
You hesitated, your voice breaking as you began to tremble. “I— I can’t,” you whispered, the words barely coming out. You weren’t ready to face this. You weren’t ready to say it.
He spun around, his eyes narrowing. “You can’t what?” He snapped. “You can’t talk to me? You can’t be around me? You can’t stand me anymore? Are you too good for me now, is that it?” Anger bubbled in every word.
“No, fuck this!” Your voice cracked as you shouted, the frustration and hurt too much to keep in. “I love you Beetlejuice, okay? Can’t you see?” Tears began to stream down your face, falling freely as you stumbled over your words. “I always have, always. Even the nights you hate me, even the days you don’t want to see me, I’ve loved you through them all.”
You sobbed harder, unable to keep the weight of it inside anymore. “But I can’t. God, fuck, do I wish I could. I can’t because you won’t love me! You can’t! We just don’t work, but fuck, I love you, Beetlejuice. I love you, I love you, I love you!”
Beetlejuice stood there, frozen. His mind was spinning, and if he had a working heart, it would be pounding against his ribs. His eyes widened as her words hit him like a freight train. He hadn’t even realized… he hadn’t even seen what was happening. He had been so caught up in his own frustrations, his own need for attention that he hadn’t known—couldn’t have known—the silent war you were fighting inside yourself. And now, hearing this… hearing that—it was all too much to process.
Her confession echoed in his mind, louder than the pulse in his head. The words… they hurt, but not in the way he expected. It wasn’t because you didn’t love him—it was because everything you said, he felt it too.
For a long moment, he couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. His body felt like it was on fire, every single feeling battling for dominance inside of him.
Your sobs rang in his ears, pulling him from his thoughts. Slowly, Beej turned back to you. His fingers trembled as he wiped the tears from your face, as if he was afraid you might shatter in his hands. He stared at you, unsure what to say, unsure what to do.
“I—I didn’t know,” he said softly, his voice unsteady. “I didn’t know… what you were goin’ through, what I was doin’ to you.” He exhaled slowly, reaching out to pull you into him. His arms wrapped around you tightly as if he was scared you’d vanish. “I don’t—know what the hell I’m doin’ half the time, but…” His voice softened, and he leaned in, his forehead resting against yours. “But I love you too.”
For a moment, you didn’t believe it. The words sounded too surreal, too perfect, too right. You searched his eyes, his face, looking for any sign that this wasn’t just another cruel joke, but his eyes were softer now—vulnerable in a way you had never seen before.
And then, before you could say anything else, Beetlejuice leaned in, closing the distance between you both. His lips brushed yours, slowly at first, testing. And when you kissed him back, he deepened it, capturing you in a kiss that was both urgent and tender.
The kiss tasted like a confession—like everything unsaid finally being poured out, like everything both of you had buried deep inside, letting it surface in that one moment. The softness of it, the way his hands cupped your face, the way his lips moved against yours—it was all too much, but it was right.
When you finally pulled away, breathless, dazed, and trembling, Beej rested his forehead against yours, still holding you close. His hands brushed through your hair, soft and reassuring.
“Don’t ever think you’re not enough,” he whispered, his voice gentle, almost as if he were trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince you. “I—I’m not perfect, but I’ll do my best. I’ll love you the way you deserve.”
And in that moment, with everything finally laid bare, you knew, for the first time, that everything would be okay. That, no matter the chaos, the two of you had found something real.