Healing and Moving Forward
Commission for @upmost-rylan! Have some cute fluff with Billy and Cross!
...
"You're not half bad, smaller me!" The tall man exclaimed, chuckling a bit. He gently pat the shorter man's head, earning a happy beep, "It's been... fun. Take care of yourself... And your girlfriend... okay?"
The shorter nodded, smiling.
The taller stood up, waving a bit and turning around. The shorter watched as the other began to walk away, preparing to go back to his world. When the taller man tried to return through the funhouse mirror, instead of walking back into his world, he ran right into the mirror with a TWUNK! The shorter man gasped, confused. The taller rubbed his head, confused. He blinked and tried to walk through the mirror once more, another loud TWUNK! echoing in the funhouse.
"Hey-"
"Maybe it's because this mirror is broken." The taller said aloud, moving to the mirror right next to him, trying to go through it. However, he once again just ran into it and fell to the floor, hurting his head.
"Hey!" The shorter exclaimed, running over and grabbing his arm, "Don't do that, you're just hurting yourself!"
The taller was silent.
"Listen, we can find another way-"
"Ha... haha..."
The shorter stopped, looking at the taller as he sat up, an annoyed, fake smile on his face, his stature stiff.
"Hahaha! Of course! Why the hell not?!" The taller yelled.
"Hey, we-"
"What else could possibly go wrong?!" The taller yelled, glaring at the mirror, "Everything else has gone to shit, why not continue the trend, right?! Well, throw everything you've got at me! I can take it, I can! Just throw it at me already, I can take it! I can, I-"
The shorter man wrapped his arms around the taller.
"...Why... Why are you hugging me...?"
"Trying to make you feel better."
"...Nothing I do is right. I've lost everything." The taller shook, his shoulders shaking, "I've lost everything and it's my fault... I just want-! Why can't I-?!"
"I'm proud of you."
The taller's eyes widened.
"I don't think you've done anything wrong." The shorter told him, "You did your best and-"
"It wasn't enough-"
"But it was . It was enough. And I'm proud of you."
"...You're... proud of me...?"
"I am."
"...Really?" The taller asked once more, needing it truly confirmed.
The shorter was happy to oblige, hugging him a bit tighter, "Really."
The taller sniffled, tears coming to his eyes as he hugged his shorter self. Tears streamed down his face as the shorter began to hum a song, a slowed down version of a song he knew too well. The first song I sang to her... The taller cried softly, letting the other hug him for what felt like hours.
Eventually, the time came where they pulled away from one another. However, instead of the taller returning to his world, the shorter led him back to his home.
Where, hopefully, he could live a better life than what he had now.
***
When Billy was led away from the funhouse, he never expected a nice and peaceful life. In fact, he was fully expecting Aqua (his shorter other self) to simply abandon him once he realized how... unpleasant he was. However, Aqua never did that, even introducing Billy to his version of Pico and... Cherry, his girlfriend.
She looks so much like her... Was Billy's first thought. He stared at Cherry, thinking about... her. He thought about Rose, his version of his girlfriend, and... he left to be alone, trying not to cry. Aqua had asked if he was okay and...
"It's... hard to look at her." Billy explained, "She... looks so much like her. "
Aqua sat beside Billy, rubbing his arm, "...I'm sorry..."
"No, no, it's... not your fault. I just..."
"Hey." The two turned and Cherry was smiling awkwardly, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard what was going on." She sat in front of Billy, gently holding his hands, "I remind you of someone?"
Billy nodded, tears immediately falling down his cheeks, "I... I know you're not her, b-but I just... she was all I had and I... I just miss her so much... I-I'm... nothing without her and I-"
Aqua and Cherry hugged him tightly.
"That's not true." Cherry cooed.
"Yeah, you have us now." Aqua reassured.
Billy hesitantly hugged them back.
It took awhile for him to truly believe and trust in what Aqua and Cherry had said. He didn't want to believe it at first, he didn't think it was possible for him to be... happy? At least, not again. He lost his girlfriend, who was everything to him. But then he was supposed to move on healthily, but that was the hardest thing in the world. He would randomly cry while staring at Cherry, he would get upset when holding a microphone because he would think about the songs he would sing to Rose, he would get nervous and/or aggressive around other people because he was scared, scared he would somehow hurt them. He felt like a curse for the longest time.
However, Billy slowly learned to accept himself.
With learning how to accept himself, it also meant moving on in a healthy way. He would never, will never forget Rose, but that doesn't mean he had to accept living forever in a state of depression and hurt. With Cherry and Aqua's help, the two helped make him a little more presentable, giving him some new clothes that weren't ripped and torn and dirty. They encouraged him to go out, but that was a little harder. The sun was too bright and his hat didn't fully shield him (granted, he did prefer to keep it on backwards, which also didn't have), so he preferred to stay inside.
One day, however, he was walking around with Aqua and Cherry, when his eyes landed on someone. His eyes widened, staring at the imp nearby. The imp had fluffy black hair with pink undertones, two large teal horns sticking up straight on his head. He had a gray beanie to cover most of his hair, stopping at his horns, with long fluffy black ears. He wore a black shirt with a pink and teal jacket hanging off his shoulders, black jeans, and black sneakers with teal laces. Billy stared at the demon, seeing the imp's teal tail started to wag when he picked up a random book.
"Hey, Billy, what do you think of this?"
"Uh, yeah, it's cool..." Billy replied, not looking at what Aqua was trying to show him.
"Billy? You didn't even look!"
The man just stared at the imp.
"Billy! Hey, what're you-" Aqua seemed to turn before he said, "You should talk to him!"
"W-What?!" Billy finally looked down at Aqua, shaking his head, "N-No, no, I shouldn't, I-"
Aqua smirked, "Why not? You scared?"
"...A little, yeah." Billy admitted.
Aqua widened his eyes before he softened a bit, "It's okay, Billy, you don't have to be scared. The worst that could happen is he says no to talking with you!"
Billy shook his head, "I-It's fine-"
He felt someone push him from behind, pushing him towards the imp. He turned to see who pushed him, noticing it was Cherry. Billy tried to catch himself, but stumbled a bit and ended up hitting the imp anyways. The imp yelped as he fell forward, Billy gasping and turning around.
"A-Are you okay?!" Billy asked, offering his hand, "I-I'm sorry!"
The imp faced him and chuckled, taking Billy's hand, allowing the other to pull him up, "Hey, it's okay, accidents happen!" He smiled, "I'm Cross, nice to meetcha!"
"'Cross.'" Billy repeated, almost in awe.
The imp nodded, staring at him for a second, "...And you are?"
"R-Right, I-I'm sorry, I-I'm B-Billy."
"'Billy.'" Cross repeated, chuckling, "Nice to meetcha!"
Billy swallowed softly, "Nice t-to meet you too..."
Cross stared at him and chuckled again, "Can I get your phone number?"
"U-Uh, yeah, s-sure!" Billy took out his phone, reading off his phone number. Cross happily entered it into his phone and, after a second, his phone buzzed with a message popping out.
???: This is Cross, hi! You're tall, I like it!
Billy blushed, looking down at Cross. The imp giggled, his tail wagging teasingly.
"Um, I-I'm here with a couple o-of friends..." Billy pointed to Aqua and Cherry, who were trying to hide behind a couple of people, looking away, "B-But, um, I would love to hang o-out? M-Maybe? S-Sorry, I'm not good at this-"
"You're okay, it's fine, I get it!" Cross reassured, chuckling, "I'm actually here with a friend too!" He pointed behind him and Billy saw a raven haired man who quickly looked away, acting like he wasn't just staring, whistling, "You have fun with your friends, I'll hang out with my friend, and we'll text later, kay?"
Billy nodded.
"See you around, then!" Cross waved as he walked towards his friend.
"See you..." Billy said back, watching him for a second before turning around, going back to Aqua and Cherry. He huffed, glaring at Cherry, "W-Why did you push me?!" He whispered.
"You would've chickened out!" Cherry giggled, "Why did you come back?"
"He was with a friend too and he said we would text later."
"Oh, you got his phone number?" Aqua smiled, the taller blushing, "Congrats, dude! That's a huge step!"
For the next couple of days, Billy continued texting with Cross, the two getting to know one another. Cross was an imp hybrid, though he wasn't sure what he was mixed with, seeing as his father was very secretive. However, the imp didn't seem to mind not knowing everything, explaining he was just happy to have fun and get to know people on Earth rather than being stuck inside all day with his dad. Billy was a bit more hesitant to share his background, seeing as it wasn't exactly the brightest, but he did explain he had become a pretty popular rapper but quit after something tragic happened (he didn't elaborate). Cross was really impressed, asking Billy if one day he could sing for him, whenever he was comfortable. Billy said he would do so, whenever he felt like singing again. The imp was happy with that.
The two continued talking happily through text, getting to know one another. Billy learned Cross was a "go with the flow" kind of guy, he learned that Cross liked to stay home but didn't mind going out occasionally, as long as he was with friends. He learned that Cross loved to draw and spray paint, usually spray painting with a friend of his (the one he caught a glimpse of when they first met), he loved eating fast food and sweet things, everything he learned about Cross, he found out through text.
But he wanted to get to know Cross more.
The only way to do that was in person.
So, with anxiety pooling in Billy's stomach, with butterflies not just in his stomach but also in his chest and throat, and with Aqua and Cherry cheering him on, he sent a simple text.
Billy: Hey, we've been talking through text for a long time and I was wondering if you wanted to hang out? Together? In person?
Billy immediately shut his phone off and pushed the phone at Aqua, grabbing the pillow and screaming into it.
"Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad! You did great!" Cherry teased.
Billy just screamed into the pillow again.
"Oh, he texted back!" Aqua exclaimed.
"DON'T ANSWER! DON'T READ!" Billy yelled, "D-DON'T READ! A-Actually-!" He took a deep breath, "R-Read it to me!"
Aqua unlocked Billy's phone, clicking on the message from Cross. He read it out loud, "'That sounds like a blast, I'd love to! I've been wanting to hang out in person for awhile too!'" The alternate version of him smiled brightly, "See, Billy?! This is great!"
Cherry hugged Billy, "Congratulations!"
Billy hesitantly took his phone, rereading the text for himself. He blinked, staring at it, both scared, nervous, in disbelief, but also... happy. He smiled a bit.
Billy: How about we meet at the nearby diner for lunch and go from there? I'm not sure what else we could do, it's been awhile since I've done this.
Cross: I get that, don't worry! Let's grab some lunch and then we can go to your place and watch some movies or something!
Billy: I live with a couple of roomies.
Cross: Then my place?
Billy: Sounds good to me.
Cross: Can't wait to see you, then~
Billy smiled more, Cherry and Aqua congratulating and encouraging him, teasing they'd have to get him bathed and well dressed for the date.
"I-It's not a date, j-just hanging out-"
"Oh, hush, you want it to be a date!" Aqua teased as Cherry gushed, smiling and swaying her head back and forth excitedly.
"Shut up." Billy hissed, blushing darkly.
That night, Cherry made sure to give Billy the best spa-like bubble bath she could, using some epsom salt to relax the man's body, using her best shampoo and conditioner to truly wash and take care of his hair. Billy let the woman do so, enjoying the spa treatment. Once she finished with his hair, Cherry turned around, covering her eyes as Billy washed his body (more out of courtesy, seeing as Cherry knew somewhat of what Billy's body looked like, seeing as he was just an alternate version of Aqua). Once he finished, he laid back in the bubbles, Cherry washing his face like it was filled with dirt.
"O-Ow!" Billy groaned, "C-Cher!"
Cherry rinsed his face before looking over him, smiling, "Perfect! Helped clean your face up!"
Billy blushed and looked away.
"Okay, get yourself dried off and dressed! Tomorrow, I am getting you hooked up! I'm gonna make you look beautiful!"
***
Billy wore a simple white shirt under a black vest, hugging himself with a red jacket, ripped jeans, and red shoes. He waited anxiously, playing with the strings of the jacket as he swayed back and forth, waiting for Cross to show up. After a few minutes, Cross walked over, Billy's eyes widening as he saw the other.
"Hey!" Cross smiled, waving at him.
Cross wore a simple black shirt with a magenta outline of a cat, black jeans, black and magenta shoes, and his white and magenta hoodie.
"H-Hi." Billy responded.
The imp giggled, "You look nice!"
"Y-You do too."
The imp stared at him before chuckling, "Are you nervous?"
The other nodded, blushing a bit, "T-That obvious?"
"A little~! But it's okay, I don't mind!" Cross took Billy's hand, "Come on, let's go in!"
Billy nodded, smiling a bit. They went into the diner, sitting in a booth, across from one another. They've already talked so much through text, that they didn't truly need small talk. They skipped right into talking about themselves, comparing their likes and interests, overall having a great time talking and laughing. Cross was an artist, taking out his iPad and showing off his pieces. Billy was amazed and told him how awesome they were.
They got their food, beginning to eat, still talking and having a nice time.
"Do you mind if I ask?" Cross hummed, "You said you haven't done this in awhile, why not?"
Billy widened his eyes before looking down, "It's, um... kinda depressing. I-I don't want to bring down the mood."
"I mean, I'm curious, but if you're not comfortable, you don't have to say."
"...I, uh, had a girlfriend. Awhile ago." Cross hummed to let Billy know he was listening, "She... died really tragically and I... this is the first time I've been on another date." Billy then blushed, "I-I mean, h-hang out and-"
"It's a date."
The taller looked at the imp, eyes wide.
Cross chuckled, "It's a date! I mean, I want it to be one, do you?'
"Y-Yes!" He nodded.
Cross chuckled again before hesitating, "Thank you for being honest with you. But, um, I'm not, like, just-"
"No, you're not a rebound. I promise. I've been healthily moving on for months, almost a year." Billy smiled, "I wouldn't have asked you out if I wasn't in a healthy place. Trust me, when I was still grieving, dating was the last thing on my mind."
Cross smiled, "Well, good. N-Not good about the grieving, I-I just meant-"
"I get it." Billy laughed, "Don't worry."
The two looked at each other just smiled. They finished their food and paid before Cross wrapped himself around Billy's arm, Cross leading them to his place. Once they got to his home, they went to the kitchen, Cross explaining he wanted to have ice cream as they watched movies. Cross got out the ice cream, sprinkles, whip cream, handing Billy a bowl and spoon. Cross scooped his own ice cream before handing it to Billy, who got a bit as well. Cross put a bit of whip cream on his bowl and a small shake of sprinkles.
"Want some sprinkles and whip cream?" Cross asked.
"I'll have whip cream." Billy nodded, taking the can.
Cross put the sprinkles and ice cream away and turned, seeing Billy shaking and struggling with the can.
"You got it?" Cross asked, chuckling a bit.
"No?"
The imp stepped forward, "Here, let me-"
In the blink of an eye, Billy turned and placed a small dollop of whip cream on Cross's nose. He then grabbed the imp's chin and licked it off his nose, making Cross blush darkly.
Billy smirked and winked, "I figured it out.
Cross blushed darkly as the other put some whip cream on his ice cream. The imp giggled before leading Billy to his bedroom. Billy watched as Cross sat down on his bed, getting himself comfortable. Cross looked at him, confused.
"You coming?" Cross pat the seat beside him.
"Just waiting for you to get comfortable." Billy reassured, sitting beside him.
The imp smiled, and leaned against Billy's shoulder as he turned on a random movie. Cross was immediately entranced as the two sat in a comfortable silence, Billy taking a bit to get into the movie. He finished his ice cream first and put the bowl and spoon to the side before looking down at Cross. The other was silent, staring at the movie, tail flicking a bit.
...He really is adorable. Billy thought. He hesitantly wrapped his arm around Cross, pulling the imp closer to him. Cross nuzzled closer into Billy, the man holding him close as they cuddled.
I think... I'm falling in love. Billy thought, the two continuing to cuddle and hold one another, happy in one another's arms.
10 notes
·
View notes