(They/Them)

---

"Ugh" Perona hovered along the edge of the room in a seemingly endless loop, an aggressive loop.

"Would you stop pacing around my room all ghost like and let me sleep in peace." Zoro grumbled wanting the chilly draft of her moody presence to be gone so he could be released of his unwilling consciousness. 

"I hate their style! It's so so so... uncute!"

"Y/n? Again? What did they do this time?" If talking about it got her out of his room, then so be it.

"They said I look like an ancient mummy!" Her screech cause both him and the bats napping outside to flinch.

"Now that you mention it the heaps of uneven lace do make you look like a mummy. I'm surprised I didn't notice it first." He said after tiredly pausing to take in her appearance.

"You're not supposed to take their side!" Perona grew red in the face and floated off in the direction of the woods.

"Finally." The tired moss took advantage of her absence and proceeded to pass out.

---

Her translucent form had grumpily wandered into the thin part of the woods.

Dead leaves scuttled across the dry ground in an almost lively manner. The temperature began to drop and the sun eagerly joined. 

Shadows grew longer and longer until they entangled and mixed into an inky mangled mess.

The decrepit owl's hoot echoed from above.

Were those footsteps?

She froze.

The grass rustled.

A long deceased pinecone crunched underfoot nearby.

Thud.

A bunny hopped out of a bush to her left and she relaxed.

Thank god it was just a lil rabbit.

Perona decided that she had enough wandering about and it would be best to go back.

She turned around began to make her way back.

Wait.

Is that... a hand?

The heart she currently lacked increased it's pace drastically all the way back in her bedroom.

Her eyes grew in size upon realizing how familiar the body attached to said hand was.

"Y/N!" She screamed and shot up from her bed].

"I have to go back!" She quickly grabbed her fuzzy bat jacket and rushed out.

---

The glow of the flashlight grazed her "enemy's" body and she dropped to her knees.

"Are they?" She gently poked a finger to their neck and waited. "No. There's a pulse."

A small groan escaped from their throat and they rolled over.

"Y/N!" Her excited scream startled Y/n awake.

"Ugh. Perona?" Their weak half-lidded eyes observed her.

"What happened?"

"I think I slipped and rolled down the hill." They tried to get up, but their sore limbs failed.

"Don't. Just lean on me ok?" She said and wrapped their arm around her neck.

"Ok." Not that they had another choice. 

---

The two stumbled across the stone castle floor.

"I think I can walk the rest of the way." Y/n tried to move independently.

"No not that way you'll bleed on my Meow Meow Kitty rug." She pulled them back onto her.

"Fine." Y/n begrudgingly followed.

"This way." Perona lead them toward the bathroom. "Sit down." She pointed to the edge of the bathtub.

 As asked of them they sat down and looked about.

It was clearly her bathroom. The creepy décor made that obvious, not that they minded it.

In truth Y/n was never bothered by Perona's style. Not even once. They just liked to tease her.

Call them a sadist, but Perona's "suffering" was incredibly  enjoyable. It was more frustration  than suffering. Did she really want their approval that badly? So much that it was frustrating every time is was within reach and suddenly pulled away. 

Her adorable expressions only added fuel to fire that-

"Ow!" They cringed and were snapped out of their thoughts by a sharp sting.

"Hold still. I can't disinfect all these uncute cuts if you keep moving." She whined and grabbed their hand to finish treatment of the small scrapes that covered their arm.

"Alright. Alright." They relented and held still for most of the time Perona spent tending to their wounds.

"Finally. Was that so hard? God, I hate you." She huffed and turned to put away the med kit.

Y/n carefully stood up and stepped forward to slide a hand into her hair.

"You're so cute when you lie." They whispered as their other arm slipped around her and gripped a heart shaped hair brush, effectively pinning her to the sink from behind.

"What are you doing?! And I don't lie!" Perona's cherry face could be seen from the mirror.

That's a new expression. I'd like to see that one more often~

"That in itself is a lie, my dear." They lifted the hairbrush in front of Perona's face. "And since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you I was just getting your hairbrush. You messed up your hair and got some dirt in it while helping me." They spoke calmly, yet their eyes gave away the amusement they felt within.

"Oh, Thank you." She'd relaxed albeit it a bit embarrassed. "...When have I lied?"

Her eyes met theirs in the reflection.

"Well there's when we first met. You said you'd tear my heart out. That scared the fuck out of me. If you wanted it that badly you could've just asked. And then there's the one you just told." Y/n's hand and the brush glided skillfully through the pink locks at a pleasant pace.

"I- I don't know what you're talking about." Her eyes broke from theirs in the mirror.

The brushing halted for a moment.

"We both know damn well that you don't hate me. If that were true then I wouldn't be here and we wouldn't be in this position." They brought a large strand of her pink hair to their lips.

"I- uh- um."

"You can keep lying if you want, but I don't hate you either." Y/n set the brush down and gently wrapped their arms around her.

She slowly turned around in their arms and leaned closer.

"I love you." It was quiet, but sounded so incredibly loud for Y/n.

"Love you too~" They happily rested their forehead against hers and smiled. "Now, may I kiss you, love?"

"Ugh, f-fine."