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The sounds of the dance club grew more faded and distant as the door shut behind them, leaving them with nothing but the quiet darkness of the void. Though time was a concept that had been long since forgotten by most of the denizens of Everhood, the feeling that was brought up by their circumstance almost made them think of a cool, summer night. The dark sky hanging over them, the street lamps lighting the path back home after a friend burns out at a party; it made them wonder…
“Can they even see out of these things?”
The smaller of the two walking along the dark path spoke up, saying the first words of any of their companions since they had left the club as they tried to look through a black pair of pointed shades, basically just putting them on. Of course, they had a bit of an advantage, as one-third of the party was currently slumped over the shoulder of the other, limp and lifeless.
“I would recommend against messing with their glasses, as it may set them on a warpath of sorts,” The large and horned member of the Zigg Rescue Squad interjected, trying to hold said ghoul over their shoulder steadily. “This has happened many times before, and in my experience it is best to suck it up and cater to them for a little while, otherwise they will be uncooperative. But, by the same token, they also get angry if they feel they are being patronized, or coddled.”
Tuck, the one holding the shades, promptly changes their hold on them at hearing this, pinching the earpieces like toothpicks. “So, you’re saying I need to take care of them, but not do a good job…?”
Rasta Beast exhaled a chuckle, opening the wavy purple door to Midnight Town with a small grin. “There is finesse to it. Truly an art form that requires thorough practice. Are you sure you wish to do this? I am experienced in this exact situation.”
Tuck jerked their head up, having just been trying to focus on the ground in front of them instead of Zigg’s unconscious body, or Zigg’s cool glasses, or Zigg being in their house, or…
“Yea, it’s really alright!” They pipe up. “Zigg is, uhh, a friend of mine. I have it under control.”
Rasta Beast peered towards the street of Midnight Town, leaving Tuck with held breath as they didn’t know if they knew they were lying. “Yes, and that is why you attempted to drag them in a panic when they fell unconscious?”
Tuck’s heart began to pound.
“I am not attempting to interrogate you, my apologies. Zigg is much more...social than I, so it should be expected they have more friends than I know of. It is just admirable, the level of your concern. Tuck, was it?”
“Y...yeah! It’s Tuck. Thanks for your help, it isn’t much farther.” The wind blew against them, letting Tuck feel how much their face was flushed from everything that happened. Or, was it because they were this close to them?
Thoughts like these made the final approach to Tuck’s house more of an arduous journey than a victory lap, reaching out and turning the doorknob. The feel of the brass against their skin really let them know how much their palms were sweating, as the knob almost slipped out of their grip with an inattentive pull. The door opened to Tuck’s home, a rather simple dwelling without much colorful decor, a theme common among most Everhood residents.
“You have a lovely home,” Rasta Beast said as they entered through the door and looked around. “Shall I place them down onto the couch?”
“Oh, thanks! I didn’t know I would be having company, so…” Tuck laughed nervously, looking at the couch in the middle of the room. The house wasn’t messy whatsoever, but they figured it was better to be on the safe side. “U-uh, right. If you don’t mind, could you carry them over here and put them on the bed?”
“Of course. You are quite the gracious host.”
Tuck smiled and gave a nod, leading the way into their bedroom and praying that Rasta Beast would not acknowledge the various posters of highly specific interests. With a grunt, Zigg was finally lifted off of the white shoulder and placed gently onto the bed, still knocked out cold. Rasta Beast stood tall to stretch their back, taking a moment to look around and crack some joints after the lengthy transport. Their eyes stopped on a particular poster, which made them squint to get a better look at it. Tuck took notice and nearly bit through the inside of their cheeks.
“Hm,” The horned beast wondered aloud, staring at a poster of what appeared to be an older man in clown makeup, wearing a sports jersey and doing a martial arts stance. If Tuck had known this was going to happen today, they would have power washed their room into a delightful default aesthetic. After what seemed like an eternity, the beast opened their mouth once again.
“I did not take you for a sports fan.”
“Oh...uh...yep! I love ‘em!”
Rasta Beast couldn’t help but feel like something was off, but they quickly scolded themselves for being so distrusting of someone they hardly even knew. They figured that they were just a bit on edge, after seeing Zigg get themselves into a fight with…
Rasta Beast did not want to entertain that line of thought any longer.
“Did you need anything else?” The voice of Rasta Beast ended the silence of the room, just as it was about to strangle Tuck with the nerves of having two strangers just sort of hanging out in their embarrassing room.
“N-no, thanks! I think I have everything under control here, at least until they wake up. They’ll wake up, right?” Tuck washed their hands in the air.
“Yes, they will be fine. At worst, I predict they will be overstimulated and grouchy when they wake up. This is nothing to worry about, I assure you.” They gave Tuck a pat on the back with their large, white hand, feeling it take up most of their surface area.
“Right, yeah. Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it, Arby!” Tuck smiled with glee, trying to shoo them out of their room while making it look more like shepherding.
“Hah. That is a nickname I have not heard yet. ‘R. B.’ That is very clever.”
“Ehh…” Tuck kept walking towards the front door, keeping their confused look for only the door to see. “Yeah, sure! I’m glad someone thinks so,” They continued, at this point just trying to get Rasta Beast out of their house before they started shedding everywhere. Tuck had had their fair share of social gathering for the next eternity, that much was clear. “Okayyyy, byeeee!” Tuck gestured towards the door, opening it.
“Goodbye, Tuck. It was a pleasure to meet you. I wish you luck, and that Zigg is not too harsh on you,” Rasta Beast bowed, before walking out of the doorway, and out towards the street.
Then, finally, Tuck closed the door.
“Now what?” Tuck thought to themselves. They were finally alone with Zigg, but now the reality of the situation was beginning to set in. There is someone who doesn’t even know them passed out in their bed right now, and nobody is responsible but them. The thought bounced around in their head as they stood in the living room, as if they were unable to process it.
Zigg was in their house right now.
Not just that, but they were in their bed. In their room. With nobody else.
What were they going to say to them when they woke up? What should they do to actually help them?
“I didn’t think this far ahead…” Tuck muttered to themselves, putting their hands up into their hair and pacing about. “Okay, think. What are you supposed to do when someone is sick? It’s the same sort of deal, right…?”
Tuck snapped themselves out of their pacing to walk over to the kitchen, reaching into a cabinet and getting a glass. “This helps out with everything, so why not…” They turned on the sink and filled up the glass with water, holding their breath and heading back towards the bedroom. Trying to make as little noise as possible, Tuck slowly turned the knob and opened the door a crack, only to see Zigg in the same position they were left in, letting Tuck breathe with relief that they weren’t awake just yet. They weren’t quite ready for a conversation with them, so they figured they would try a grenade-like approach to care: leaving the things next to them and then running away and hiding.
But something stopped them from doing so as they placed the glass of water down on the nightstand beside the bed, making their feet stick to the floor. It was strange to see Zigg like this, they thought, without their shades and signature look of being perpetually pissed off. Their breathing was slow and relaxed, and all one could really hear in the room. Unless you were Tuck, because the beat of their heart was loud enough to fill their head. They knew it was weird to watch someone sleep like this, but they couldn’t stop themselves from taking what they saw and running with it.
“They look comfortable, but sleeping with a piercing in can’t feel good…” Tuck thought to themselves. “And those fancy clothes, I wonder what they wear when they are at home relaxing. Do they relax? I hope so. They deserve it. If I could, I’d make them be as comfortable and relaxed as possible...” Tuck began to daydream, only pulled out of their fantasies by movement on the bed.
Zigg began to shift, and while only slightly, it made Tuck’s body go into fight or flight mode. As their brain seemed to hone in on the movement, they wasted no time in speed walking for the door, attempting to yank the door open and shut while stopping it just before hitting the wall and frame. Once they were out, they ran on tip toes to the living room, just sort of sitting down on the couch.
“What am I supposed to do, leave? I live here!” Tuck whispered to themselves, beginning to enter a panic. They felt as if someone was going to walk inside at any second in a place they weren’t supposed to be, but that place was his house, and that person wasn’t going to walk in for who knows how long.
“Come on, Tuck, just relax. This is your home, Maybe they’ll be grateful!” Tuck tried to reassure themselves, sitting back on the couch and shutting their eyes. Their thoughts began to wander as they took deep breaths, knowing that a lack of composure would surely lead to disaster with Zigg.
Inhale.
“It’s all going to be alright.”
Exhale.
“You finally did it. It may not be how you thought it would, but you’re finally gonna talk to them.”
Inhale.
“I’m sure they’ll just want to leave, but that’s just how they are, right? Maybe if I acknowledge that and just let them go, they’ll appreciate it.”
Exhale.
“But...would they ever come back?”
SMASH!
“WHAT THE HELL IS…”
A loud sound of something breaking with a loud voice to pair suddenly shrieked out from the bedroom. Their peaceful sleeping beauty was awake. Tuck was ripped from their meditative state and jumped up to their feet, taking a few steps towards the room before stopping to think, trying to come up with what they would say/do. They had already prepared a glass of water for them, what else could they do?
After quickly resigning that they had wasted their coup de grace of hospitality, they decided to simply steel the worst and see what happens. But before they could even reach the door, it swung open. Holding the knob was the gangly blue ghoul, with their other hand being on their head as they swayed back and forth like a thin tree in the wind. They appeared to be in a bit of a daze, but relatively calm given the situation.
“They’re so calm, and quiet…” Tuck thought to themselves, not moving. They began to feel hope rise through their chest, and it turned into confidence in their mouth for them to speak.
“Um, how are you feeling?”
As if they had been electrocuted, Zigg immediately startled and jerked back with a yell, stumbling back and dizzily falling onto the ground.
“Oh! Are you-”
“What the hell did I tell you people about coming into my house?!” Zigg yelled. “This is private property, and me gassing myself out isn’t an invitation for you to stay here and get your filthy hoodlum SCUM on all of my…” Zigg winced and held his head once again, quickly slipping on his shades. Tuck gritted their teeth as they watched them fall, unable to get the words out before their guest started talking again.
“Wait, this isn’t my floor.” Zigg’s hand raised from the carpet, and they seemed to actually look at their surroundings, looking disgusted by the carpet. “And that poster of Boinks the Infinity Clown isn’t even signed! What, did those jerks throw me in the trash?”
Tuck, just glad they didn’t hurt themselves further, took a step into the room, glancing around to see what broke so they didn’t have to talk. This imaginary rule however was thrown out of the window when Zigg began to snap their fingers.
“Hey, flower shirt! I’m TALKING to you, are you deaf?”
“Huh? O-Oh, sorry, um, h...hello!”
Zigg waited on the ground for a moment, looking at Tuck expectantly. After a few seconds, their frown grew and their hand turned up flat towards the ceiling as their head shook.
“And…? Continue?!”
“Right! This is my house, um, me and Rasta Beast took you here because you kinda...passed out. At the club.”
Zigg furrowed their brow. “Passed out? I don’t remember-” Something in their brain seemed to connect, and they looked livid. “Red! That riff raff barged into MY VIP room, spilled MY 2,000,000 Schmuck drink, then had the nerve to not die!” They began to get back up as they growled, but they couldn’t seem to stay up with the way their head was spinning.
Seeing this, Tuck rushed over to them, not touching them but giving them nearby hovering hands of “trying to help”. They held onto the bed, and turned their head to look at them, glancing up from the hands to the face that had them.
“What are you doing?” Zigg asked, with the inflection of someone walking in on a roommate elbow deep in their wallet.
“I-I was just helping you. Er, uh, I guess, trying to? Sorry, I…”
Zigg rolled their eyes, letting go of the bed and holding a hand out. “Well, then quit hoverhanding me, and help me up!”
“Right! Sorry!” Tuck quickly reached out and grabbed their hand, not thinking about it until it was too late.
They were holding Zigg’s hand. It was sort of cold, and their fingers felt long and winding against their skin, but at the same time soft. It wasn’t exactly like they imagined, but nevertheless, this was much better. This was real. It was real, and they hoped it would last forever.
“Are you going to pull me up or just stare at me? Come on!” Zigg barked, pulling Tuck back into reality.
“I just didn’t know if you were ready, my bad!” Tuck bumbled, pulling the lanky ghoul up to their feet. This didn’t last for long, however, as Zigg let go of their hand and sat down onto the bed immediately after.
“Ugh…” They groaned, rubbing their head and hunching over with their elbow holding them up on their thigh. “What’s your name?”
Tuck was caught off guard by this, realizing that they had never told them. “I-It’s Tuck. You must be...Zigg?” They added, pretending they weren’t sure of it. They knew just about everything you could know about someone by watching them walk by, into the VIP room.
“Yes. Well, “Tuck”, seeing as this isn’t actually my house,” They looked up, and turned their head towards the wall, where there was a large stain of liquid. “I guess I have to say sorry for throwing your glass at the wall. Even if it was full of...whatever that was,” Zigg grumbled, their lowered eyelids showing something almost like embarrassment.
“You mean water?”
“Water?! You gave me water?” Zigg said, taken aback. “I guess you don’t know me, because anyone who does knows better than to give me that!”
Tuck felt the heat in the room rising, fearing they had blown their chance. “Why can’t you have water? And, uh, why did you drink something that you didn’t know…?”
“It’s free!” Zigg spat out, like it was a bad piece of fruit. “Why would I ever want to drink something that even the dirt can access? What, am I not good enough for real drinks? I always drink when I wake up! It’s the first thing I do in the morning, and making it is the last thing I do before bed. It’s called self care, and being proactive!” They continued.
“Jeez, I didn’t know. I just didn’t think to bust out the cocktails for the guy who can’t even stand up.” Tuck looked at the glass that littered the carpet.
“Yeah, whatever. Now you do know.”
Zigg put their face into their hands, rubbing it before sighing and pulling out an incredibly shiny, ludicrously expensive looking pocket watch. “And I need to be at Green’s later, that’s just great. My suit is all wrinkled because of that brute’s carelessness, my head is killing me, and I don’t even know where I am.”
Tuck looked back at the blonde ghoul, puckering their lips in thought.
“Hey, I live right next to Green, don’t worry!” They tried to smile without looking nervous. “Why don’t you just lay down and relax until then. I can try to find you a drink that you don’t hate, even!”
Zigg’s face pulled to the side with skepticism, considering their options.
“Hm. Fine. What do I owe you?” They asked rather formally, scooting back to sit on the bed more comfortably.
“Owe me? You don’t have to do anything like that!” Tuck tilted their head. “I really don’t mind.”
Zigg’s face twisted in offense. “What, do I look like a charity case? I’m not gonna shack up in some stranger’s room, break their things, and drink their drinks. For free, I mean.” Zigg looked down and brushed off their suit. “I’ll consider us even for wrinkling my suit, since it’s probably worth more than that glass, or anything you own for that matter. But I stay at hotels, not shelters, so name your price.”
“Well…” Tuck thought, an idea popping into their head. “M-Maybe you could take whatever money you’d give me, and...maybe get me into the VIP room?”
“The VIP room? Like a card and everything?” Zigg lowered their shades, looking surprised. “Yeah, sure, whatever.”
“Really?!”
“Yes. I’m getting tired of all the usual punks in there anyways. They don’t know how to live.” Zigg laid back onto the bed, getting more comfortable. “But, there’s one condition.”
“Oh, what is it?” Tuck tried to contain their excitement, holding their hands behind their back.
“A night at the motel ain't worth a VIP ticket. Not even close.” Zigg took off their shades, wiping the lenses of some fingerprints with their sleeve. “But a few drinks, that might get you a bit closer.” They slipped their shades back on, giving a flash of a grin.
“Drinks?” Tuck’s heart sank. “Uh, I don’t really have much, except some soda. I was saving it for when my stomach gets upset, but uh...I don’t think that can happen anymore.”
Zigg sat up so fast that they forgot the state they were in and nearly fell forward. “You have SODA? I didn’t know they even made that anymore. And it’s aged?”
“Er...yes?”
Zigg smiled and began to laugh, the almost maniacal nature of it making Tuck feel very confused. But they didn’t even know Zigg could laugh, so they figured anything was possible now.
“Is that alright?”
“Alright?! This is the treasure trove, Tuck. Hell, if you told me that you had that, I’d be sweeping the glass up myself. It makes me want to reconsider our deal.”
Tuck smiled, not really sure of what was going on anymore. “H-How so?”
“How about this. You give me what you have, and I’ll give you my VIP card,” Zigg lounged, blissfully unaware that their card had been promptly looted from them at the club.
Tuck’s smile shattered on the inside, their gaze staying stone at the complete evasion of what they actually wanted. “Uh, actually…”
“What? Don’t tell me you’re gonna hoard it now that you know it’s valuable!” Zigg furrowed their brow.
“It’s not that, it’s just…” Tuck looked up at the ceiling, feeling their face flush. “I only wanted to go there because of you.”
Zigg’s ear twitched at the mumbled confession, raising an eyebrow as they tried to process what that meant.
“What, like you wanna be like me?”
“With you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I only want to go there if I can do it with you.”
The room hung in silence, and for a place where time didn’t really exist, the concept of minutes became all too real, as they felt as if each one brushed against their skin. But in reality, it was less than a quarter of one.
“I see,” Zigg finally said. “I think I understand.”
“You do?”
“Yeah. That gives me a better idea, too.” Zigg put their arms behind their head, laying back once again. “How about I buy the bottle, but you keep it here.”
Tuck blinked in confusion. “Why would you do that?”
Zigg huffed a laugh through their nose, smirking.
“Because then, whenever I want to have a drink of it, I can just come here and do it. Makes it more of an occasion, don’t you think?”
Tuck was frozen, their face feeling like it was on fire.
“O-oh, sure! I mean, yes! I’d like that.”
“Great. I’ll get you a pass, too. I’ll let you know next time I plan on going out. After all, I gotta show you my favorite drinks for when I come over.”
If Tuck could die, they would have on the spot.