Work Text:
Lilac
it's been 56 years since that day in camp when wyn decided to take all the monster-human couples to the caen an sin.
i'm not sure why i'm recalling that day now in my final moments, perhaps it's the fact that there was a chance for me to live, a chance to experience happiness even in the lonely wastes.
that day never came.
now i lay here, my skin wrinkled, bones weak, hair grey and voice raspy; surrounded by all my friends, looking exactly the same as they did 56 years ago.
the beeping of the heart rate monitor is comforting even as i can see my heart rate line slowing little by little.
rig tries to blink away the moisture in his eyes but i see it. i give me a gentle smile. i've started handing those out quite frequently in my end days.
ghost doesn't seem to be faring any better as i see his lower lip wobble. all the monsters and their mates have some form of a sad expression on their face.
however, i don't think i feel sad. a little regretful maybe at not getting to live my life with my friends, but mostly, i just feel... content. serene perhaps. i've always known this is how it was gonna end so i made peace with it long ago.
"how... how are you feeling lilac?" ghost asked tentatively as he inched closer to me with aury still petting his hair.
i clear my throat but my voice still comes out gravely. "not too bad, a little scrathy throat but nothing else." i give him a reassuring smile but it doesn't seem to help.
i turn my head the other direction when rig speaks. "i'm gonna miss you so fucking bad lilac." he doesn't stop the tears now as they flow freely. i give him a grin. "i'm gonna miss you too rig. come here." i open my arms big as rig shoots into them with no further calling.
"can i..." ghost asks and i give him a smile as i nod and open my arms wider as they both hug me around the waist.
aury's sorrowful eyes look even more mournful now as he comes over and gently starts petting my hair.
gloam comes over to rig's side and grasps my shulder giving it a few squeezes.
hunter sits on the edge of my bed with charlie as they both my calves and start tapping their palsm over it.
edin lowers head cheek to my head and starts frantically rubbing over my head in a weird cat-like gesture as i feel a few tear drops.
moth and wyn simply grip the bed frame.
usually i would snap away from this amount of contact but i know they need this more than i do probably. i let myself feel a little bad over my fate as my eyes glaze over but no tears fall down.
the beeping of the monitor speeds up, but nobody pulls away. i look over and see my heart rate line significantly slower than a few seconds ago and feel a serene smile tug up my lips.
it's time.
i feel my hands go limp where they were wrapped around ghost and rig and my eyelids droop. rig and ghost hug me even tighter if that was possible. "lilac don't go." ghost whispers as rig tackles on, "please." with sorrow etched in their voices.
i gather up my remaining strength as i pat their heads and give them a final hug before speaking, "i have to." i say as they both gaze up at me with red eyes full of tears. i give them a gentle smile as i gaze up at all the monsters and humans who have helped make the wastes bearable over these past years giving each of them a small grin.
"goodbye." i say with a sigh as my eyes shut on their own.
"bye lilac." i hear them all whisper back before i succumb to the darkness.