‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝕲rand 𝕯𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝖂ay.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎♛

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ𝑭𝑶𝑹 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑴𝑶𝑵𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑺 𝑻𝑯𝑨𝑻 𝑰'𝑽𝑬 𝑩𝑬𝑬𝑵. #DRAAGTWT.

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝕲rand 𝕯𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝖂ay.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎♛ @GRANDICTATORWAY]

@ftwzip —You don't need to give me anything. It's okay.

Their other arm surrounds him as they repress the urge to pull him in closer.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝.

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝕲rand 𝕯𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝖂ay.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎♛ @GRANDICTATORWAY]

@ftwzip on the medical field when they hear him apologize. Their fingers stop moving & their gaze shoots up to meet his.

Now it's the inside of their chest that's aching. He looks so defeated over something Gerard doesn't understand — but that he wants to. They start fearing >

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝕲rand 𝕯𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝖂ay.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎♛ @GRANDICTATORWAY]

@ftwzip now moved to caress the hair in his nape with tenderness. Their lips press onto his head. They don't kiss him, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒚𝒆𝒕. But they let him know they're there, 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈.

—Shhh, it's okay, 𝑭𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒆...— they let out the nickname in a soft whisper. >

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝕲rand 𝕯𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝖂ay.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎♛ @GRANDICTATORWAY]

@DraagsSwthrt Oh, Z, yeah... I don't think she is. It isn't for anyone. Thanks for making her company, Lola.

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝕲rand 𝕯𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝖂ay.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎♛ @GRANDICTATORWAY]

@DRAAGPROBLEM There's a bandage still covering the cut on their wrist.

𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒕. They remove that hand, letting their arm fall between their thighs in hopes to hide it away.

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝕲rand 𝕯𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝖂ay.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎♛ @GRANDICTATORWAY]

@DRAAGPROBLEM —But I 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 have you like this. I just... I 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕.

They feel their own lips tremble at their confession. They hate how vulnerable they become around him, how little their own frailty seems to mind when he's the only one who can see it.

—That's why I need >

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝕲rand 𝕯𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝖂ay.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎♛ @GRANDICTATORWAY]

@DRAAGPROBLEM to know what happened, so I can know if there's 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 I can do to prevent this from happening again. I can't protect you from something that I 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰.

Their mind goes back to Veronika, how they rushed to talk to her, and suddenly they become aware again. >

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝕲rand 𝕯𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝖂ay.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎♛ @GRANDICTATORWAY]

@DRAAGPROBLEM —I'm sorry... I... I didn't mean it like that...— their eyes fall momentarily towards his lips. —I know you didn't ask for this. Doubt you ever do.

They close their eyes for an instant, taking a deep breath to pause their frustration 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎.

>

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝕲rand 𝕯𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝖂ay.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎♛ @GRANDICTATORWAY]

@DRAAGPROBLEM eyes again. His fingers run through one strand of hair that covers up his eyes.

𝐇𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. Pain stabs their chest again, but they ignore it. That's not what's most important at the moment. >

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝕲rand 𝕯𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝖂ay.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎♛ @GRANDICTATORWAY]

@DRAAGPROBLEM They regret their words as soon as they see his reaction. Their hand stop the cleaning motions on his lip, putting the tissue on top of his bed for a second.

—𝑩𝒂𝒃𝒚...— They whisper. —Look at me.

Both of their hands go to cup his face, expecting him to stare into their >

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝕲rand 𝕯𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝖂ay.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎♛ @GRANDICTATORWAY]

𝐁𝐞𝐭 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞.

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝕲rand 𝕯𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝖂ay.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎♛ @GRANDICTATORWAY]

They don't their best not to yell in his face when he excuses himself. 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒔 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏?

But the words don't come out. They're too late, for 𝒉𝒊𝒔 cut out >

[The Clerk @ds_672]

He lets him drop the subject for now, far from the first time a parader had done something like that and there were bigger things to deal with right now. Though their reaction is far from what he's come to expect, he can ask about it later, for now the matter is forgotten. -

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎𝕲rand 𝕯𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝖂ay.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎♛ @GRANDICTATORWAY]

Clerk & His Immortality... If he's still around, out of this. Not an easy task, you see...

They let out a quiet, bitter chuckle.

—So... You'll always be needed— they pull out the suture thread, pressing their lips together in a soft smirk. >