pullsneedles | (no subject)

He manages a wobbly smile.

"You're here now. That's better'n not at all."

Lucas wipes at his face, but he's run out of steam for crying at the moment. He steps inside his room, admitting Enzo and Minus. He sits down on the floor, the only furniture in his room being a bed and a dresser doubling as a nightstand. His blanket made its way down there courtesy of Autor.

"The whole time it was me an' Claus," he says. "Claus was th' other one pulling th' Needles."

He props his face in his hands.

Enzo nods solemnly; Autor and he kept each other updated throughout Lucas' convalescence. He puts down the larger plate and slides it toward Lucas.

Minus utters a descending chime; it may not understand any of this, but it knows unhappiness when it sees it.

He sniffles a little, that being about all his body can manage.

"It hurts so much, but I don't got anything left t'cry."

"I know, man. You want some water?"

Fluids, remember.

"I should have some," Lucas agrees.

His throat is starting to feel dry. If Enzo hadn't said anything, he'd probably start croaking.

"Could...could you please get it?" he asks, gesturing to the little bathroom.

"Of course." Enzo hurries sinkwards and returns with a glass.

Lucas takes the water and carefully sips. Now that he's had some, his throat doesn't want to continue talking until it's quenched. So for a while, he quietly sits and drinks. He empties the glass before he says another word.

"Everyone's gone," he mumbles just loud enough to be heard. "Everyone an' everything. An' then people started gettin' scared a'me here."

"Scared of you, or scared of the Dragon?"

"The Dragon."

But it's affecting Lucas. Miss Sunshine has trouble being around him because of me. And there was a man who called me Satan. After he did, he wouldn't speak to Lucas again.

Lucas hugs his knees to himself.

"I don't wanna be alone."

"You're not. You won't be," Enzo says firmly. "You've got me and Autor for sure, and when you're ready, you can reboot your world. And whoever's scared can just get used to it."

When Enzo says that, Lucas gasps as he remembers something.

"Enzo, did Miss Dinah get back with you an' Autor?" he asks, frantic. "I haven't seen her yet. Oh god, if she didn't make it back- I couldn't- Please tell me she made it back."

He claps a hand over his mouth, shaking with fear.

"She's fine, she's fine!" Enzo practically yelps in his haste to reassure Lucas. "I mean, I haven't seen her in a while either, but she came back with us, and she was fine last I saw her."

He's still shaking, but he nods to let Enzo know that he heard what was said. His body just hasn't made it to relief yet.

"Good," he says, pushing his hand against his forehead. "Good. After everything she's done, I couldn't- She's family. I love her so."

"I know. I'm sorry she's not here right now, but she's fine."

"Y'don't think she'll be scared, do you?"

"I don't know her as well as you do, but I don't think so."

Nothing will change the fact that Miss Dinah loves you, the Dragon says with confidence. Miss Sunshine still loves you, too, even though she has to adjust to seeing me.

"She did say that," Lucas agrees.

"It's just a big thing to get used to for everyone. Autor and I had time to get used to it before you woke up, plus we were taking care of you and I guess you freak out less about stuff when you have something like that to focus on. And the Dragon helped us with that, so. We've got an advantage there, is my point. Everyone else just needs to catch up to us."

"It ain't fair that all of that should have t'be on you," Lucas says.

And once he's said that, he curls up on himself again.

"Oh no... Boney's gone, too. An' Duster. An' Kumatora."

He sniffs and puts his head on his knees.

"More water?"

Lucas nods against his knees.

Enzo fetches it and puts it next to Lucas' foot.

"Look, fair's got nothing to do with it. We're your friends. And I'm a Guardian, and you're supposed to reboot your world, so that means if I'm taking care of you, I'm protecting a world, which is my job. To mend and defend. So no more 'not fair', okay? You don't need an extra thing to feel bad about."

Lucas looks up from his knees.

"Thank you fer bein' my friend, Enzo," he says. "You're... You're right. I'd say th' same things t'you or Autor or anyone else."

Perhaps not in the same words, but the important thing is he gets the meaning.

"You're welcome. And you gotta take care of yourself too, okay? I'm not telling you not to grieve, but you've got a world to restore. You won't be able to do that if you're a wreck, I bet. It sounds like a big job."

"I know, but then I think about somebody an' I just know I can't see'em anymore... Even if I didn't know'em that well, knowin' they're gone now....."

He makes himself pick up the glass of water and drink some.