#yes thats always sunny title card fonts shhhhhhhh

[miel-miette]

Note: Dalila Voss belongs to @gaysparkler and Prim Song belongs to @rennybu​

The room is cold but no draft entered the insulated room. Windows lined one whole wall, and not even the artificial sunlight could warm her skin.

People had gathered around the bedside, all familiar faces, in an unfamiliar environment. Unsteady sobs are heard in between the low sounds of a monitor, her heart monitor. 

She couldn’t see any of them, not sure if she wanted to. Her breathing grew slower, barely noticeable, but her grip on Dalila was still true. 

A soft melody was heard coming from beside her. Dalila was singing an old lullaby. Her mind stirred, recalling her dad once sang the same song to her. He would sing to her underneath the brambles of the tree of their backyard as birds sang their own tune, or when she couldn’t sleep at night. She remembered the vague sensation of her head in his lap as the warmth of Mindoir’s sun kissed her skin, how his fingers brushed through her hair gently and lulled her to sleep. 

Ah… Hoshiko realized, she was singing her to sleep...

It was a broken melody from Dalila, hitched sobs interwoven with her song, but she persevered. Dalila squeezed her friend’s hand tighter, her forehead pressed against the back of Hoshiko’s hand. The lyrics were whispered softly into the room, but hardly audible past the bedside where Dalila sat faithfully by.

“And if the sky falls, mark my words,” she drew out, “We'll catch mockingbirds...”

The song faded, and Dalila couldn’t stifle her wail as the heart monitor slowed further.

“Please stay awake. One more song, just-” Dalila choked on her own words. “None of the others are as good as you, please don't go,” she begged furiously. 

Dalila closed her eyes, willing away the incessant beeping and the people in the room. Tears cascaded down her cheeks and onto the bed sheets. Hoshiko’s hand was caught in between hers in a prayer’s clasp. Her fingers were firm against Dalila’s forehead. 

”Who will play with me..?" 

From behind, Frieder put a hand on her back, trying to soothe her. He couldn’t see her face, but the pitter patter of tears hitting the bed was unmistakable. He gripped her shoulder firmly, a lump in his throat.

“Dalila,” approached Frieder gently. She remained still in her seat. 

“No,” she whimpered. Frieder’s heart broke for her.

“Dalila-”

“No!”

“Dalila, she-”

“No! No! NO!” she screeched, her skin crackling with biotic energy, causing Frieder to flinch back.

“Dalila, she’s dead!” cried Frieder, “She has been for over a minute…”

Dalila froze, her brain and implant burning, the ringing in the room clear now. Her heart stopped.

“You have to let go, Dalila,” pleaded Frieder. Dalila held onto Hoshiko tighter and shook her head.

“No! I won’t leave her alone! She’ll be so scared if I leave her alone! Her dad won’t even come see her!” Dalila whipped her head around to look at Frieder, her eyes drowning in tears. “Frieder, please! She needs me!”

Frieder looked at his sister, his heart bleeding for Dalila. He looked to the others for assistance, feeling helpless in the eyes of his sister. 

Prim nodded meaningfully at Frieder and approached Dalila. He kneeled down so he was eye level with her, hoping to not agitate her further.

“Mr. Prim, please don’t make me leave her,” begged Dalila. Prim gave her a forlorn smile.

“Dalila, I know you want the best for Hoshiko, we all do,” began Prim, trying to keep his voice even and gentle despite the hoarse quality to it. “And Hoshiko won’t be alone, I promise. Her mom and aunt are waiting for her.”

“They can wait longer!” reasoned Dalila. Prim’s smile faltered. He stared into her eyes, and confirmed with a heavy heart the truth.

“You love her, don’t you?” asked Prim. Dalila’s posture slackened, taken aback by his question. She had even set down Hoshiko’s hand, Prim noted.

A second passed and a minute flew by. Love? Of course she loved her, they’re friends! Why would he ask her that? Unless…

Dalila looked to where their hands met, her hand on top of Hoshiko’s, and then at her. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought Hoshiko was asleep. Her face was serene, not even the baby hair on her head disturbed her. Dalila’s gaze focused a second longer on how her eyelashes kissed her cheekbones, and Dalila’s lips prickled momentarily and then her lips pursed tight. But she was far too pale to be asleep...

An ache gnawed at her heart and festered like an infected wound. She did… She did love her…

She looked back at Prim, her eyes a new sense of helpless cried in them. She nodded her head resolutely.

“I never…” Her hand slipped from Hoshiko’s, and Dalila slowly rose from her seat, her back aching along with her joints. Static had filled her legs when she put weight on them. 

How long had she been hunched over sitting like that?

Dalila took a small, hesitant step towards Prim. She held his gaze.

“I never even got to…” Dalila bit her lip hard, stifling the sounds bubbling within her. Her eyes welled with tears again. Prim opened his arms for her and Dalila quickly jumped into them. She clung onto him and bawled her eyes out into the fabric of his shirt, her wails filling the room alongside the monitor’s droning.

Prim petted her head gently, letting her breathing even out before he jerked his head for Frieder to come over. Prim gingerly handed her off to her brother for him to soothe. Frieder mouthed his thanks to the man.

Frieder hugged his sister tight, his cheek nuzzling into the crown of her head. He rubbed circles onto her back, letting her cry her heart out.

“I’m sorry you had to find out like this,” said Frieder. Dalila sobbed harder into Frieder’s chest, not even looking when the doctors came in to turn off that blasted monitor and finally, whisk Hoshiko away. She only managed to catch a glimpse of Hoshiko’s blanketed body pass through the doorway before she hid her eyes away again.