If only I could remove my very existence right here and now. I wish I could just drop dead, every second of my life. Why was I born when I'm a useless piece of shit?  And to think people say I'm an amazing human being. I am barely half the person they are. They suffered so much more and yet here I am whining like a fucking baby. Why can't I just kill myself? I just wanna disappear from the face of the Earth. Isn't that too much to ask for? I'm useless, they know it. But I feel like they just pretend to not know about it.

I could find a rope from the storage room, dad always keeps a lot. Hope he wouldn't mind me borrowing one. I'll sneak out tonight, no one has to know what I'm going to do. I-

"Aurora, your hand..."

I blinked, finally snapping out of my train of thoughts. I looked down at my hand. It had a cut, fairly large but not that deep, but blood was slowly oozing out from it. My other hand was holding a box cutter. I look up and saw the horrified look on her face, which was perfectly masked like the diamond she is. She led me to a corner of the room, the others were too busy having fun to notice me.

I winced slightly as my cousin took my hand in hers, gently pressing pressure on the cut with a handkerchief. The others didn't seem to notice, only she did. "Hold the handkerchief in place, I'll get the first aid kit," she told me. She quietly exited the room like the sneaky snake she is. I hadn't even realized I was crying until I felt a rough, but familiar hand wiping away my tears. I look up and saw my best friend, looking at me with a worried expression. 

I tried to smile, but I knew he hadn't bought it, so I quickly dropped it. Of course he would know, he somehow knew almost everything about me that I didn't even know about myself. I wouldn't even be surprised if he somehow knew about the inner conflicts I had over the past few days. I never told him anything, because I didn't need to. He knew me and how I was by simply just looking at me. "You know my dms are always open if you want to talk," he murmured, "I don't want you to suffer alone Rory."

I hadn't heard that nickname in a long time. But something about it again made something in my break as the walls I had built up, crumbled. He held me tight, never speaking a word, but sending a steady force of comfort to me. I didn't hear Rhea enter the room or whatnot, but I did feel when she gently grabbed my injured hand and began to attend to it. 

Few hours later, everyone else started to leave. No one had noticed the incident that happen earlier. Once everyone had left, "Now, do you wanna talk?" Rhea asked. I shook my head, I don't want them to worry that much. "Are you uncomfortable talking to us?" Grim, my best friend, asked. I shook my head as more tears fell down my face. 

"It's not the fact I don't want to talk. I really do... but I don't wanna be a burden. I don't wanna be a fucking baby who apparently needs attention 24/7. I'm just a piece of shit," I said, as my vision started getting blurry. I was suddenly in between them both, held in a firm but comforting embrace. I didn't hold back, I let all my pent up emotions finally breathe as I cried in their arms for God knows how long.

When I finally calmed down to continue talking, I did so. I whispered, "I just feel like everyone would be better without me. Maybe I was a mistake honestly." Rhea flicked my forehead gently because of that, I flinched from the sudden act. "Aurora you wanna know what we think?" she asked, "We think you're existence was the best thing that happened to us." I looked at Grim, silently asking for confirmation. Grim looked pained, even though he tried to mask it, he genuinely seemed like he, himself was on the verge of tears.

Grim, finally getting the strength to talk, said, "Aurora, I won't repeat myself. You are an amazing human being. You have made my and so many others lives' much brighter and happier." He added, "And don't even think about saying otherwise," when he noticed I was about to speak in protest. I quickly went silent at that. Part of me felt so happy and loved, but another part of me is telling me they are lying. That they don't care about me.

I felt two sets of hands grabbing each of mine, and I see Grim and Rhea's safe eyes. "We don't know what is going on through your mind, Rory," Rhea began. Grim continued, "But that doesn't mean we don't want to help you. Neither of us want to lose you." He choked out the last part as though it was something disgusting. And that made me snort. They looked at me confused, but I just shook my head. "It's just kinda funny hearing you say the last part like you just said that like you declared Fiera or Pyre to be a saint." I explained, laughing soon afterwards at the disgusted look on Grim's face.

He quickly said, "Okay, look-, Fiera isn't that BAD. She has a temper, sure, but at least she can control it somehow. But Pyre? He can go fuck himself with that short temper of his." He looked at me deadpanned when I laughed harder than earlier. Even Rhea let out a quiet giggle before regaining composure, shaking her head amused.

When I finally calmed down, I noticed they both were looking at me, a fond smile on their faces. "What?" I asked. Rhea chuckled and answered, "Nothing, it just feels good to see you smiling and laughing again." In the moment, somehow, I felt a deeper connection of love and trust with the both of them. "You both will stay?" I asked, fearing, yet expecting a negative reply. Instead, I was answered with hugs and words of affirmation.

It felt warm, like fire during a winter night. "We'll be with you, forever and always." Grim said, smiling. I quietly asked, "Even if I need words of affirmation almost everyday...?" They both nodded, with Rhea saying, "Even if you need words of affirmation almost everyday. As long as it makes you feel loved and comfortable, it's fine by me." Grim chipped in and said, "Same here."

I smiled, a genuine one. Not one of the forced ones I usually do, but a pure smile. "Thank you", I said. "No need to thank us. You are our world, Aurora. We would do anything for you," Grim replied. Rhea nodded and said, "Yup, 

because you are important & enough."

I haven't written anything in so long, gosh I forgot how good it felt when I write out of genuine emotions and not out of obligation.

Word Count: 1166