Chapter Text
Sunny kept his eyes tightly shut, refusing to open them. He knew nothing could come out of it if he did.
He knew where he was. The sterile air and buzzing lights above him were more than enough signs. Part of him wished to be ignorant. To be fearful of the unknown once again. But he couldn't. He knew very well what awaited him once he acknowledged where he was .
How many times have they played this game? He wondered how long he'd have to wait until Omori or one of the others came for him.
Sunny clenched his hands on his lap and took a shaky breath through his nose before releasing it through his mouth. He couldn't hide forever. He knew this. He knew Omori did too. That didn't stop either of them from hiding again and again.
"Sunny,"
The boy gritted his teeth and hunched over slightly. He wanted to hide a little longer. Maybe if he kept his eyes closed long enough, the others would have found him by then.
"Open your eyes, son,"
His heart thudded harshly in his chest, threatening to break free from his ribs. He couldn't do this. He didn't want to. Not again.
Please. Not again.
"Open your eyes,"
Don't make me remember that stuff again. I'm begging you.
"Sunny, that's an order."
Sunny snapped up straight, eyes wide and fearful as he stared at the man before him. He shivered under his cold stare, wishing nothing more than for the floor to open up and drag him under. As long as he was far away from this monster, he didn't care where he was.
It's not real.
"With a mind as special as yours, it might as well be," The doctor replied as if Sunny had spoken aloud to him. The child tensed, feeling as if a bucket of ice had been dumped on him. He'd gotten away from that place with his friends. They'd planned it out for months. He was sure of it. Omori had told him the plan so many times during the agonizing wait.
"What have I told you about listening to those voices in your head?" The man sighed like a disappointed parent, but the sound felt equivalent to a gun's safety coming off. Sunny shook his head wildly, hands coming up to clutch at his hair and pulling.
Omori wasn't just a voice in his head. Neither were his friends. They were as real as he was. Right?
"You're getting confused again."
Sunny curled into himself, tears welling up in his eyes. He refused to believe it. Omori had always been there for him. Ever since-
Sunny paused, staring at his lap with wide eyes. Since what? What happened? Why couldn't he remember? Memories fell like sand through his fingers. He couldn't latch onto any before it faded.
A sudden weight on his head caused his racing thoughts to grind to a halt, startling him. He blinked in surprise, mind blissfully silent for a moment. The weight moved, and he raised his head in time to watch the doctor let his hand fall to his side once more.
"Your mind is easily influenced by your imagination. It gets very loud sometimes, doesn't it?" The older male asked in faux sympathy. Sunny couldn't help but nod. His thoughts did tend to overwhelm him more often than not . "We can fix that. You'll be strong enough to get past it one day," He reassured in a sickeningly sweet voice. Sunny watched warily as the man extended a hand to him. "I can make you stronger," He said, waiting for Sunny to take his hand like a hunter watching a deer trot towards his trap. The child trembled in his seat. He didn't know what to do. Without his consent, his arm moved to reach out to the man's hand.
Sunny began to cry silently as his body moved against his will. His tears spilled over his reddened cheeks. The doctor was right. He was weak. The only way for him to become a being of worth was to be strong. The thought made Sunny's tears fall faster.
Just before his fingers touched the man's palm, a slicing noise rang loud throughout the room.
Sunny found he was able to move again and wasted no time in shoving himself away from the doctor. He stumbled over the chair he was sitting in and fell to the floor. He covered his head with his arms, freely sobbing now. He heard footsteps approach him, but when he realized they weren't as heavy as an adult's, he slowly looked up.
Omori was crouched in front of him with his arms crossed over his knees and a knife dangling from one hand. Sunny didn't question why he found it reassuring to see blood dripping from the blade. The slowly fading body of the slain nightmare behind Omori brought him more comfort than such a sight should. Omori gazed at him with a look of indifference, but Sunny knew better. He could see the worry hidden deep in Omori's obsidian gaze and felt like he didn't deserve to be looked at in such a way. He was too selfish to deny himself such comfort as this . He moved forward, pulling Omori into his arms like a child holds a teddy bear in the dark of night. Sunny curled around the smaller body, and Omori let him, sitting silently in Sunny's hold.
They stayed that way until the room faded to white and a soft purring broke through the silence. Both boys looked down at Mewo as the kitty mewed at them, oblivious to the tears still leaking down Sunny's face. Omori reached for Mewo underneath Sunny's arm and patted her head. Sunny heaved a sigh and rested his chin on the top of Omori's head as the smaller boy continued to make Mewo purr.
Eventually, Sunny drifted off, leaning heavily on Omori. The child moved the other to lie on the carpet. Mewo curled into Sunny's side, and Omori nodded in satisfaction at the cat before turning to look behind him.
Black mist was seeping from the broken shards on the ground, but Omori didn't shy away from grabbing them. Once he had all the pieces, he curled his hands around them tightly, the mist being suck into the gaps between his fingers.