Work Text:
Rachel is dead.
All the rewind he did. All the chances he created for the greater good.
Warren thought he was really going to save her for Nathan.
But here she is, buried haphazardly under the junkyard ground, her skin cold and glazed over with maggots and caked on dirt.
Warren looks over his shoulder, ready to comfort Nathan if he collapses, but surprisingly, the blond is paralyzed and staring straight at the dead body. He must be in shock, Warren realizes.
“Nathan,” his voice is raspy as he moves to hug the shorter boy.
“Rachel...she's…”
“Yeah…”
Warren wraps his arms around the frail body and gazes out to see his car waiting for them. It can wait. Nathan is Warren's top priority right now.
“Rachel, she...the last time I ever spoke to her, she was crying about how she got in a fight with her parents,” Nathan starts, and Warren rubs Nathan's back to encourage him to continue. “They got angry and grounded her for a month, but she didn't care. She attended the Vortex party anyway.”
Nathan breaks their hug and starts to walk toward the body, and Warren starts to worry if it's a good idea to let Nathan get closer to her while he's still grieving. Warren makes sure to stay by Nathan's side.
“Well, Rachel…” Nathan says, looking down at the girl.
“...Looks like you're grounded after all.”
Warren's eyes couldn't get any larger. “N-Nathan??” Did he just crack a pun at his dead friend??
Nathan looks at Warren and smirks.
Warren pulls a pair of sunglasses and weed from his pockets and the two spend all afternoon cooing, “Oooh sweet buuuuuurn.” and cracking dead Rachel Amber puns.