(Palette)

My eyes fluttered open sleepily, and were drawn naturally to the slight skeleton in my arms. I smiled softly before remembering that the skeleton sleeping in my arms was not my boyfriend. My smiled faded when I remembered exactly what happened last night.

Gods, Goth, I'm so sorry...I thought morosely, looking down at the skeleton I cuddled. He had a soft smile on his face as he slept, muttering softly. He looked so peaceful and content, the most relaxed I've seen him since he arrived. Well, at least someone's happy.

My heart darkened slightly. I had cheated on my boyfriend... with his counterpart. Even though I promised not to hurt him, and always be by his side, I failed him. I got him lost, frightened, replaced, and now I'm an adulterer.

I perked suddenly, adulterer? But that's only if we're... I sighed heavily. Well, I love him that much. We basically are that close.

The skeleton known as Ghost stirred, blinking up at me. He yawned widely, "Something wrong, Palette?" he asked tiredly.

"It's nothing, Ghost," I said, pushing my worries aside.

He pouted at me, not buying it, "Palette, you're lying."

"It really is nothing, Ghost," I said, "Did you sleep well?"

He sat up, glaring at me slightly, "Palette, what's wrong?"

I wanted to protest, but his white eye light glittered dangerously and the words died in my mouth. I sighed, looking down, "I feel like I've cheated on Goth."

Ghost rolled his eyes, "There you go again, being a softie! Don't feel this bad, Palette. It was my fault anyway. I just know how to get you where I want you."

"You took advantage of me?" I asked, confused.

"Sadly, yes. Last night was like having sex with Rurik for the first time again," a smile flickered on his face, "You don't know all my soft spots like he does. It was nice."

"Well, now I feel dirty, used, and like a cheater, thanks for making me feel sooo much better," I rolled my eyes.

"Thank the gods you can be sarcastic," Ghost said, sounding relieved, "I was worried that part of you died or something."

"Are you being serious?" I was a little angry.

"Yes, I am!" Ghost said roughly, "I'm sorry for making you do me last night but I needed it, Palette! I miss Rurik so much...seeing you angry, it brought me into heat with how much I miss his touch...I needed him, I needed you, I just needed help," he looked to be on the verge of tears, "So I'm sorry, okay? Don't you think I feel a bit bad about essentially cheating on Rurik? Don't you realize how afraid I am of the consequences?"

"...Consequences?"

"Yes, the consequences," a small tear fell from his eye socket as he leaned back and hugged himself, bringing up his knees, "Rurik has claimed me as his own. I've belonged to him for almost five years. To come here and see you, another version of him, pining after someone else, it stung a bit. Then to see you so furious and fearful about hurting him, hurting me...it brought back every memory I have of Rurik protecting me, proving to me he loved me, making me his."

"If he finds out I did this...I don't know what he'll do to me..."

(Goth)

I woke up to Rurik's absence. I felt mildly annoyed that he wasn't next to me, then berated myself for being annoyed. Sighing, I tried to push myself up only to find my hand tied to the bedpost. Again. Yay. Also, I felt too sore to move around much, so even though I only had one arm tied, I could barely do anything to untie it.

A note was laying on my chest, so I shifted around and picked it up, reading it.

Sorry I'm not there to see your beautiful face this morning. I had some business to take care of and you would be too vulnerable with how weak you were last night, I blushed, I'll be back soon. Don't leave the house.

Love, Rurik

P.S. sorry about tying you up but you were sleepwalking and I didn't know what else to do. You can undo the knot with ease, just pull the long string.

P.P.S. I left some breakfast for you near the fire. It might be cold when you wake up.

"You know, Rurik," I said to thin air, "For a snarky asshole, you really do care."

Sighing again, I looked up at the rope on my wrist. Sure enough, a long string dangled from it. With a grunt of effort, I grabbed it with my other hand and pulled it loose. It came undone and my hand fell down.

Still tired and sore, I tried sitting up gently as my body protested. My legs and core were particularly sore, but gods had last night felt amazing. Too amazing.

As I leaned back on the headboard, my mind drifted off to thoughts of Palette. What will he think of me now? Maybe this Raven was right...Maybe I am nothing but a whore... I sighed, choking a little as tears began to fall, Nothing but a filthy whore... I looked down at my still naked body, seeing the remnants of Rurik's red seed still stuck to my legs. The tears fell harder as I thought of how much I begged for it, wanted it, needed it.

I tried to convince myself it was survival, but it wasn't. It hadn't been survival. It had been a choice. My hand caressed my belly as I held back a sob.

I curled over myself, hugging my belly tightly as I fell onto the bed.

"What have I done? What have I done to us, Palette?" I whimpered, feeling a gentle pulse from the life inside me. I let out a sob, hugging myself even closer, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." I began to rock, trying sooth myself as tears fell freely.

I muttered 'I'm sorry' over and over to myself, rocking back and forth as misery consumed me.

Lost as I was in grief, I didn't notice the sound of a door or the soft tread of heavy boots. I just sobbed into the bed, hugging the baby of the boy I loved, the boy I just cheated on... A hand lightly touched my shoulder and I whipped around, glaring at Rurik.

"Don't touch me!" I sobbed at him, scrambling away weakly. He got on the bed, crawling towards me. "Don't..." I tried again weakly. He embraced me tightly and I gripped onto him for dear life, sobbing into his shoulder.

"It's okay, Goth," he whispered softly, stroking the back of my skull, "Just calm down..."

"Rurik, what have I done?" I sobbed into his shoulder, gripping the back of his shirt in my fists, "Palette...He'll...He'll..." I couldn't get the words, shaking my head.

"He'll love you no matter what," Rurik whispered, "He can hate me forever, but he'll never stop loving you. Not for this, not for anything."

"But I...I chose to...to do that...I chose that...how can he forgive me?"

"The same way he forgave you for attempting suicide," Rurik whispered. I froze, sitting back up and staring at him. He smiled softly, wiping a tear away from my face, "Thought I didn't know?"

"I never told you..." my hand trailed up to my carvings at the memory, then gripped onto my locket.

"Please," he chuckled stiffly, "Cupcake tried it, once. We were in a bad stretch. It was right after he ran away from home. He almost succeeded in hanging himself. I found him and cut him down, holding him close. I made him promise to never do it again, just as I promised to never leave him alone."

'Never do it again'... "Those were Palette's exact words," I said softly.

"You seem to have forgotten that we're basically the same person," Rurik said. He nodded at my chest, "You might've been vague about how those came about, but it didn't take me long to figure it out."

I went silent, absently rubbing the locket in my hands.

"So, how did you attempt it?" he asked. I glanced up at him.

"I jumped off a cliff," I told him and he reared back.

"How are you alive?!"

I shrugged, "My friend's brother put an invisible net in the gorge I jumped into. It was a magical capture net for people who fell or jumped."

Rurik just stared at me, his jaw hanging open. "That is some heavy, heavy luck..."

(Palette)

Ghost just sat apart from me, crying tears of anger and fear.

"I'm-"

"Don't you dare apologize, Palette!" he snapped at me.

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" I snapped back, "Let you sit here and wallow in misery or try to comfort you? I can't just sit here and watch you cry!"

He huffed, hugging himself, "Look, I don't want your sympathy."

"If you don't want my sympathy, then tell me what you do want. Tell me what Rurik would do if he saw you like this," Ghost looked at me then, the tears pausing.

"H-he would..." he paused, thinking, "he'd tell me to get a grip on myself, and quit being such a wimp."

"Is that what Rurik would tell you, or what you wished he'd tell you?" I prompted. Ghost glanced at me, stiffening.

"I'm sure that's not what he'd do," I continued, "If he loves you as much as I love my Goth, then he'd comfort you. He might snap at you when he's angry or if you do something against his wishes, but I don't think he'd tell you that while you're crying."

Ghost stayed silent, staring at the wall.

"And you call me a bad liar," I chuckled a bit, "Look if you want to talk I'm here. For now, I'll go make us some breakfast and you can think over what I said."

I got up and whipped up some simple food. I really was a bad cook and was running out of pre-made stuff. I'll have to ask Raven to get some more from Dad... The thought of talking to Raven after yesterday made me shudder. As if I didn't already have problems with him...

I turned around to find Ghost sitting at the table, tracing a knot in the wood with his fingers. I sat down across from him, sliding a plate over to him before eating.

He didn't look up, but he mindlessly took his fork and started eating. We ate in a stiff silence for a while. I finished, setting my fork on my plate with a small clink. He finished some time ago, and I never noticed him slide his plate.

"There's something I have to tell you," Ghost said quietly. I looked over at him. He remained still, staring at the table.

"What is it?"

He looked up at me, apprehensive. "It's about Rurik..."

"What about him?" I leaned forward. Ghost looked back at the table, distant. "This wouldn't have anything to do with your mutterings yesterday, would it?"

His head whipped up, "Wh-what are you talking about?!"

"Yesterday, you kinda went off the edge and started freaking out about Rurik and how he takes what he wants," I informed him. His eyes went wide, but he nodded.

"If he wanted to, he'd take Goth," Ghost said finally.

We went silent, then I nodded my head, "Sounds like something I'd do," I said, "Especially if he were as decadent as you two~" I winked at him and he gaped at me.

Then he smiled, "I'm bringing your edge back."