Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Slingshot sat up suddenly, clutching his heart- it beat at rapid pace, beneath skin, beneath clothes, there was no sign of stopping and-

There was darkness all around him. Slingshot blinked a few times as even through the dark, he felt the familiar blankets and pillows around him. He felt his heartbeat finally begin to slow as he closed his eyes, better darkness. Pitch black, nothing left to the imagination as he took in shaky breaths.

These shaky breaths became steady ones.

He was fine.

If he wasn’t fine now, he would BE fine.

…

He was fine…

“Morning Sling!-... Geez… What happened to ya?” Shuriken started with a chirp at first, but it didn’t take long for it to fade into concern. He couldn’t help but wince either, as a visibly sleep-deprived Slingshot stepped into view.

Slingshot blinked slowly, his eyes lagged behind each other and his brow was slightly furrowed, like he was facing some sort of headache. Despite all of that-

“I woke up… In the middle of the night…” He muttered, throat raspy with audible exhaustion. There was a lace of irritability brewed in the back of his throat.

Shuriken faltered, nervous, hesitant. “...Again?” He finally managed, though nothing more than a quiet mumble, really… Slingshot narrowed his eyes slightly, and his brows furrowed just that little bit more. “Again…” he confirmed through a mutter- or maybe a growl…

Shuriken couldn’t help but fidget slightly. Nervously. Awkwardly. He, Sling, and Vine had unfortunately all gotten used to these kinds of mornings, but somehow, they never got LESS uncomfortable… For… Pretty much everyone involved. Finally, he managed; “Ah… Okay…”

…

“You want some coffee?”

Slingshot paused, as if having to process the sentence, before letting out a long sigh and holding his head. “Please…” He muttered under his breath, and Shuriken was quick to get going on that. He gave a quick (hopefully comforting) pat on Slingshot’s shoulder as he walked by, but… Slingshot didn’t really react to it.

Either that, or Shuriken missed it…

Shuriken tried his best to focus on getting Slingshot’s coffee ready- and not on the poor guy sitting slumped over the counter… Geez… He was really going through it this morning… Shuriken couldn’t help but glance over, but Slingshot still didn’t seem fazed by it.

He’d been keeping his eyes shut, holding his head the entire time… “Was it… Just insomnia or something?” Shuriken had to ask as he poured some water into the right compartment. Slingshot was silent. This didn’t help Shuriken’s concern. “...Sling?” He checked as he opened a drawer and grabbed a coffee pod.

“Slingshot,” Shuriken cut in a little sharper, looking over at Slingshot suddenly, who jumped a bit, blinking his eyes in some kind of panic. “Wh- Sorry- H-Huh?”
“Dude… You wanna take a nap or something??” Shuriken muttered, furrowing a brow in worsening concern. “Wha- Shuri. I can’t just take a nap, we’ve got work today…” Slingshot almost snapped in response, holding his head- wait… “Uh… No… It’s the weekend…” Shuriken corrected, going back to putting the pod into the machine.

He kept looking back at Slingshot, though. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t waiting for the guy to collapse…

“N-No… It’s… A work day…” Slingshot answered carefully. His voice was cautious, and he looked at Shuriken with narrowed eyes- like he thought Shuriken was pulling his leg or something… Shuriken had to stop what he was doing to look over at Slingshot. “Okay- hold on… What day do you think it is?” Shuriken asked, now leaning back against the counter.

Slingshot raised a brow in confusion. “...Thursday?” But then he broke into a nervous sweat as Shuriken once again failed to hide the worsening worry. “Uh… No… It’s… Saturday…” Shuriken corrected, albeit a little awkwardly. Both seemed kinda… Sheepish…

Slingshot’s tongue was tied. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t even open his mouth to say it, starting to hold his head in disbelief. “S-... Saturday…” He ‘checked’. Shuriken gave a slow nod. “Saturday,” he confirmed. Shuriken then turned back to the machine and shut the lid. Slingshot was still stunned silent.

“Guess you… Lost track?” No response. Shuriken opened a different drawer and pulled out a white mug. He slid it under the machine, hit a button, and went back to leaning against the counter when the churr of the machine began. “I… Guess so…” Slingshot finally answered, before letting out a shaky sigh. He looked genuinely troubled…

Shuriken hated to say it was becoming normal…

The two stood in awkward silence, but eventually, the machine stopped whirring. Shuriken turned his head to look at it as the drizzle of coffee eventually came to a stop. “Anything outside of the usual?” Shuriken wondered as he opened a drawer to grab a spoon. “N-No…” Slingshot stammered, letting out a sigh as he rested his head on folded arms. Shuriken felt a slight stir of anxiety as he heard the response, but tried his best to move on from it.

Just… The way he sounded so tired…

And that there wasn’t much Shuriken felt like he could do… Coffee and prayers, basically… Shuriken let out a sigh of his own as he poured in three spoons of sugar and then poured a regular amount of milk. He took the same spoon he was using and started to stir the added features in with the coffee, and when it was all one color, he passed the mug to Slingshot.

“Th-Thanks…” Slingshot mumbled, taking the mug in his hands. He held it like his hands were cold… “Sure thing, Sling…” Shuriken responded. He walked around the counter and sat down, back in his old seat.

Shuriken perked up when he heard the floorboards creaking. Vine Staff walked in, still looking a bit sleepy as she stretched out her arms behind her. “Hey guys-”

She faltered mid-stretch as she noticed Shuriken’s quick nervous ‘abort’ signal, and Slingshot’s very obvious lack of response. “What’s going on?” She whispered over to Shuriken, walking over to him and leaning over on the counter slightly. “Sling had a rough morning… Again…” Shuriken mumbled, looking over wearily.

“Oh… I see…”
Both she and Shuriken glanced over to Slingshot.
But all he did was sit there and look down at his drink.
He didn’t even seem to be there…

Chapter Text

Slingshot felt himself spiraling-

He couldn’t spiral…

Not now…

Not in front of the-

He shook his head, shook himself out of it, let out a held breath. He had to look fine… He knew he’d be it, at the end of the day, he just… Had to do better… Be better… Perform… Function for just… Just five more hours…

The time… It moved slow…

His breathing, it paced quick,

No matter how much he tried to settle his nerves,

To swallow down his anxiety-

His body wanted rest…

He wanted home…

Slingshot’s hands trembled with every action, no matter how much he scolded it in his mind. Every single button press on the register was done with shaky hands. Usually, the customers ignored it- thank god…

Usually the customers were people who knew better than to question or interrogate some random person just trying to do their job… Slingshot still couldn’t help but beat himself up about it though… Gee. Clearly this manager with a horrible sleep schedule and crippling anxiety BECAUSE of it was very capable for the job…

That being said, Slingshot DID pride himself on separating from the manager stereotype. He swore he’d never let himself slack off. Never put overtime on his workers, never leave all the work for one person, that he’d actually take responsibility and be- well, a GOOD manager.

Even if Slingshot didn’t have the best track record of managing himself, he managed the business well. His respect for his workers was what often kept them there, rather than some desire to survive.

A desire to survive… It was what most people hung onto for dear life, because it was the only thing that everyone, no matter their race, gender, or anything really- could relate to…

They all wanted to live…

Slingshot did too- or… He liked to think he did… Though lately he’d have to admit he was struggling to find the balance. Sometimes it felt like he gave up. No matter how much he tried to get a good sleep and doze off at a decent time, he’d still wake up and 2 in the morning.

No matter how much he tried to set times to take a break, it still felt like nothing really changed…

No matter how much he tried to bring a bottle of water everywhere he went, his mind just couldn’t focus on it, too pre-occupied with work performance-

His job was his life…

It… Felt controllable…

Much more than- this…

Slingshot glanced down at his hands, which still still trembled against the counter. He held one up, and the tremble seemed to worsen. He tried to stop it with the other hand, but… Of course that wouldn’t work…

That wasn’t how it worked…

When was the last customer…?

Slingshot could have sworn he had just been serving someone, but suddenly, the production stopped.

He had no more customers-...

Was everyone served? Was he overthinking this?

WHY was he overthinking this??

“Uh… Hey, man… You okay?”
Slingshot looked up suddenly- across the counter… It was…

“Skateboard-?” He asked in confusion. Stupid question, all things considered. Of COURSE it was Skateboard. He was standing RIGHT there-

“Yeah…” He mumbled, leaning on the counter with his elbows now as he looked at Slingshot… Strangely… Slingshot felt himself faltering, nervous, confused. He didn’t know what the look was for and-

“Dude, seriously. Have you been getting sleep?” Skateboard checked, furrowing a brow and gently poking Slingshot in the arm, though quite gently… “Uh-... T-Trying to… S-sorry- Skate, what are you doing here?” Slingshot tried to answer and ask, though his voice stuttered and he had to hold his head as another wave of headache came along. Skateboard’s worry worsened-

Great…
Great act…
This is going ‘swimmingly’...

“I just… Wanted the check up on ya… Shuriken said the insomnia’s been coming back…” Slingshot couldn’t help but tense slightly. Shuriken’s been talking about it… He didn’t KNOW Shuriken’s been talking about it… “W-Worse than insomnia…” Slingshot couldn’t help but stammer, mostly to himself. “Oh geez…” Skateboard whispered, sending Slingshot that oh so familiar look of sympathy…

It made him uncomfortable…

It was… Wrong…

Slingshot was fine…
He didn’t NEED sympathy…
Or… Maybe he just didn’t want it…

There were people with worse out there-
Slingshot was- all things considered, fine…

“Sling-... Hey- seriously, are you listening?-”
Slingshot shook his head as he tried to get his mind back to the present, and when he looked back-... Skateboard looked… Well… It was far more concerned than before. Which meant Slingshot was butchering this. Badly.

“S-Sorry-”

“N-No no, it’s… It’s okay, man…” Skateboard tried to reassure, holding up hands in some kind of peace gesture? “But, like… You SERIOUSLY need a day off, Buddy… You’re looking worse for wear…”

Slingshot and Skateboard both faltered, and Skateboard looked off with a wince as he muttered; “Aaaactually, that might be kind of an understatement…”

“I’m perfectly fine-” Slingshot cut in almost immediately, almost… Indignantly. He couldn’t help but let out a huff at Skateboard’s comment, despite knowing how absolutely right he was. Didn’t change the fact- the facade- The look was everything. It didn’t matter if it was true, he had to be-

“Slingshot, are you serious? Look at yourself…” Skateboard muttered, furrowing a brow in what seemed like a mix of disbelief and frustration. An emotion Slingshot couldn’t help but feel bad for causing, but regardless, he only tensed further, and looked off.

Anywhere but at the eyes. He couldn’t do the eyes right now… “Look, I’m not great, but… I’m fine… I’m functioning-”

“By a damn thread…” Skateboard snarked, rolling his eyes. “Are you really debating this-” Slingshot cut in, but just as fast. “I didn’t think I needed to. I mean, you’ve got SERIOUS eyebags, and don’t think I didn’t notice the trembling…” Skateboard shot back with annoyance.

“Yeah well that’s basically normal by this point,” Slingshot muttered, already beginning to give up on this argument. “That SHOULDN’T be normal, man!” Skateboard pointed out with-... It sounded like… Desperation… A quick glance over, Skateboard looked to genuinely care-...

Geez… Was Slingshot losing brain cells too? Of course Skateboard cared… Friends tend to care about each other… That’s kind of how this went-

“Slingshot… Come on… Be honest with me. When’s the last time you’ve genuinely taken the weekend off to relax a bit?” Skateboard just HAD to ask, looking at Slingshot right in the eyes. Slingshot couldn’t meet his gaze.

“I-... Guess a while…”

Skateboard must have moved his hand to touch Slingshot’s… He must have done that as an attempt to comfort… Regardless of that, it felt like a small spark… Like some kind of quick sting… A shock… Slingshot felt the urge to pull back immediately-

And then… He felt himself untensing…

It was Skateboard… He didn’t mind Skateboard… He never did… Everything made him feel tense today, though… It took a mental effort just to stay somewhat calm… “S-Sorry… Was that too much?” Skateboard asked suddenly, starting to pull his hand back.

Slingshot felt his heart beat a little bit quicker, and before he could really stop himself, he took Skateboard’s hand in his own- “N-No, it’s… It’s okay- S-Sorry… Everything’s making me feel jumpy today…” Slingshot stammered quick and nervous, looking off.

Despite that, he could feel Skateboard’s eyes on him. He could see him soften in the corner of his vision… Slingshot felt a comforting squeeze from the hand he held, and he squeezed it back as his heart finally began to slow down again…

The contact had startled him initially, but now he found himself depending on it… Funny how that worked…

“Hey… You’ve got nothing to apologize for, kay?” When Slingshot looked over, SKateboard looked almost a little… Sheepish. Slingshot was hesitant, but looked back to the counter, giving a short shaky nod. “K-Kay…”

Slingshot heard a sigh nearby, no doubt Skateboard’s slight relief. “H-Hey… Uh… Unrelated, but Boombox and I were thinking of checking out a new arcade that just opened up in Playground-”
“Playground…?” Slingshot suddenly asked, raising a brow at the faction. A slight nervousness… He always felt a bit… Nervous… About that faction… It was one of the rowdier ones, admittedly… “Uh… Y-Yeah, but we can stick together and we’ll be fine- I mean- if you’re even interested,” Skateboard chirped with a sheepish chuckle.

“When were you guys planning on doing this?” Slingshot asked, absent-mindedly rubbing his thumb into Skateboard’s palm. He felt the other inphernal start to relax a bit, thankfully… “Uh… Some time this weekend? We’re pretty flexible…” Skateboard answered squeezing Slingshot’s hand again. Slingshot couldn’t help but smile slightly.

He… Wasn’t used to Skateboard acting so sheepish. It felt unfamiliar, but… It was kind of nice not being the only one who was nervous-

He’s nervous because of you…

He’s nervous FOR you…

Slingshot felt a wave of nervous nausea roll past him again, and he couldn’t help but shiver at the thought… The guilt, it was… Almost immediate. “H-Hey… You don’t have to do it if it makes you uncomfortable, man. It’s just an offer…” Skateboard mumbled, his voice worrisome again…

“S-Sorry… It wasn’t about that, I just-...” Slingshot cut himself off early, sighing. No… It was another held breath… “Maybe you’re right… I FEEL worse for wear…” Slingshot chirped with a weak nervous chuckle, leaning over the counter slightly. He felt Skateboard’s sympathetic gaze again… And once again, he felt his stomach twist in knots…

“It’s… It’s okay, Sling… You don’t have to… Perform for me... Okay?” Slingshot let out a quiet sigh. “Th-thanks…” He stammered. Skateboard nodded. “Of course, man…”

Chapter Text

Slingshot waited…

And waited…

And continued to wait…

He stood alone at that stop…

Waiting for a shuttle that would never arrive…

Waiting… Alone…

He felt himself breaking into a shiver-
It was snowing…

But he felt anxious, too… That had to be part of it, right? He always trembled… He was just better at hiding it some days, and worse on others…

He hated the looks…

The glances…

They made him sicker…

Sick in the stomach…

But then, something felt different-

It was… Sharp…

Not a dull ache…

Not like usual, no, this…

This was painful-

Slingshot fell to his knees, his breath now shallow and shaky as he held his stomach, his breaths had a whimpery lace to them, no matter how much he tried to swallow the noise down… Hurt, hurt, hurt. Oh, how it hurt…

Slingshot sat up suddenly.
He broke into a cold sweat-
Oh.

Now he understood… Another nightmare? But this one… It was so painful. How unusu- still hurts…

Slingshot held his stomach again- actually? It felt closer to his side, like some kind of-... Cramp… That probably wasn’t good- but it went away before… It would go away again…

“Oh, hey Sling,” Shuriken chirped with a small smile and wave. Vine Staff, also waved to him as he walked into the room. There was an interesting look they both had… But one Slingshot was used to by this point. He managed a small wave in return, but he knew how tired he looked…

He felt the sharp pain again, but with a shaky breath, he moved on like nothing happened- Was that a flash of worry in his friends’ expressions?-... Oh who was he kidding… Of course it was…

“Slingshot…” Vine Staff began, quite cautiously… “Are you-”
“Yes…” Slingshot muttered in response, failing to hide his slight annoyance at the familiar script. The script he’d heard about a thousand times. The script he was frankly SICK of… Vine Staff seemed to falter at his response, though, and part of him felt almost immediate remorse.

…

“S-Sorry-”
“It’s okay…” She reassured him with such a soft voice, even a small smile, still that look of pity. She pitied his hostility, but it wasn’t okay- nothing about it was okay… Slingshot was getting worse… He was lashing out-
Lashing out at the people who cared about him most…

“Dude, seriously…” Shuriken cut in- the movement was a blink. Truly, because Slingshot blinked, and suddenly his companions were standing by his side, holding him by the shoulders, looking at him like he just died and got resurrected all wrong- wincing at him like he was some kind of pitiful disaster- that’s exactly what he was…

Wasn’t he…

“S-Sling…?” Vine Staff checked, also looking worried- right, present. Slingshot was supposed to be present… “S-Sorry- s-sorry…” He stammered, holding his head, snapping his eyes shut, trying his very best to at least BREATHE normally… It couldn’t be helped-

“H-Hey, hey, it’s okay… It’s alright… Just try to get your breathing back,” Vine Staff reassured as she squeezed Slingshot’s shoulder, an attempt to bring him back-... He tried to follow her advice, he really did…

But every time he got close to stable, he was-

He was back in that old scene…

Standing on an icy road as snow fell, dampening his clothes- cold, cold cold… He could feel himself starting to tremble again as it came rushing back like an avalanche- a horrible avalanche you could only watch…

Your legs are already frozen stiff, your fate sealed. Too late, nothing to do but stand and watch as you fall apart like the fringes of a weathered cliff-

Suddenly, there was a rush of warmth- comforting warmth, like being wrapped up in a blanket… Slingshot let out a shaky breath, slowly cracking open his eyes, only to be greeted to a comforting hug from his friends…

He needed it… They knew he needed it…

But then- then came the whispers. “Should we call work off?” Shuriken whispered, trying to keep his voice low, but Slingshot’s hearing was better than that… “I dunno… You know how he gets when he starts thinking it’s hand-holding…” Vine Staff… She knew him well- he hated it…

“Y-Yeah, I get that. But when do we draw a line? I mean, the poor guy can’t even go a day without spiraling-” He wasn’t wrong either… Slingshot wished he was, but… Slingshot wasn’t- stupid… Or, he liked to think he wasn’t. And pretending that wasn’t true would be pretty stupid.

“Shuri… I understand your concern, but I don’t think he would just let us call off work for that…” Vine Staff mumbled in a weary tone. Slingshot felt… Something… Stirring in him again. He was usually the reason for Vine Staff’s weariness. He was usually the reason for…

Everything…

Those two felt…

And yet, he just couldn’t-... He couldn’t get his life together-

Back in the snow… He stood there, alone- but at least when he stood alone, there was nobody to hurt… Nobody who pitied. Nobody who he could burden…

He felt a tremble coming back again. He felt himself going limp. Numb… “H-Hey… Hey… It’s okay…” He heard Vine Staff comfort him again, hugging him tight… Shuriken did, too. It was… A nice pressure comfort…

“Sling, you sure you wanna head out with Skate today? You’re… Really not lookin great…” Shuriken couldn’t help but- wait-
“...What?” Slingshot muttered in honest confusion. He furrowed a brow, looking off as he tried to remember what Shuriken could have been referring to.

“You know… The uh… You, Skateboard, Boombox, checking out that new arcade? In… Playground?” Shuriken attempted, breaking into a slightly nervous sweat, paired with a shaky grin. Even Vine Staff fell quiet, her doubts were obvious. And Slingshot? He recalled the event immediately. The moment Shuriken mentioned the arcade, it all clicked. And clicked for the worst…

“I- uh… Y-Yeah-” Slingshot lied. He lied through his teeth. It was so obvious. Shuriken faltered, almost seeming to look at Slingshot in disbelief- it was almost funny.

Almost.

“Riiiiight… You’ll uh… Be fine?” Shuriken checked again, gently nudging Slingshot with his elbow. There was a lump beginning to form in Slingshot’s throat, but he swallowed it down. “Y-Yeah. I’ll be fine… J-Just need coffee…”
“O’course…” Shuriken muttered, looking off with a slight… Annoyance? Slingshot WAS starting to use coffee as a crutch, but he really didn’t think it was… That… Obvious…

“We should get ready for work…” Vine Staff gently prodded, causing the other two to get moving.

Slingshot stood at the counter, letting out a sigh at no customers. They usually made a nice distraction…

At one point, he crossed his arms on the counter and put his head down. It wasn’t like there were any customers to take in his sorry state, anyway…

No… Bad idea…

He was already starting to feel the heaviness again… The heaviness in his eyes, his lungs- he could rest all he wanted, but sleep? Anything unconscious, really… He wouldn’t be able to control it-

Slingshot tried to push himself up- and he did, but why did it take so much effort? He felt his arms trembling as he did so… He leaned on the counter, on his elbows, an improvement, but he still felt dizzy- he looked dizzy.

Staring at the counter so intently, taking in every detail, secretly praying he wouldn’t fall over-

Collapse- he felt like he was gonna collapse-

“Shit- you okay?” Someone- from the other side of the counter, rushed over to him- wait, a customer? Oh god this was so unprofessional, the manager can’t even sit up straight in front of a- Skateboard?

“Hey, hey man. It’s okay, it’s just me,” He chirped with that familiar sheepish grin- oh, that grin… How Slingshot missed that silly sheepish friend of his… His face felt all funny… He must have been smiling, considering Skateboard’s soft snicker. It probably WAS a bit amusing,

Watching someone try so desperately to keep a straight face, to absolutely no avail. “Missed you too, man…” He chirped, pulling Slingshot into a more casual hug. The counter made it a bit tricky, but Slingshot appreciated it nonetheless. He still felt… A little dizzy… But definitely more stable with Skateboard holding onto him.

But then something made Slingshot’s throat choke up-
“Where’s Boombox?-”
“I told him to wait outside.”

Relief was immediate. Slingshot couldn’t help but sigh in it. Skateboard snickered again, Slingshot should have found that worthy of an indignant huff, or some silly revenge plot, but he almost didn’t care. RELIEVED, that Boombox wouldn’t have to see his unfortunate state…

“Yeahhhh… I figured you’d prefer that,” Skateboard chirped with that sheepish grin again. “Anyway, you want a few more minutes, or-”
“N-Nah, I’m okay,” Slingshot quickly cut in, waving his hands back and forth in some kind of fretful sheepishness. This made Skateboard raise a brow, though. “You sure?” Slingshot faltered, but only for a moment. He then nodded, as he walked out from the other side of the counter. Skateboard seemed to hesitate…

But then, he just walked up beside Slingshot…

Not making a fuss…

It was… Kinda nice…

He hesitated further, then timidly held his hand on Slingshot’s shoulder. He cared so much about NOT making Slingshot uncomfortable. It was… Really sweet… Regardless, though… Slingshot leaned into him a bit. It seemed to help, with Skateboard visibly relaxing as he held Slingshot in more of a side hug now.

Skateboard smiled. Slingshot had just noticed it… Slingshot’s face felt… Funny… Again. This time though, he just tried to let it happen. It felt less weird when he did that… A soft smile back. It felt… Natural…

“Hey, Boombox,” Slingshot chirped as the two left Thieves Rest. “Hiya, Slingshot! Been a while, huh?” Boombox chirped back, cheerful as ever. Slingshot always found himself appreciating that. The guy was practically the inphernal equivalent of a ray of sunshine…

And his cheerfulness was often infectious. Wonderful. It’d help with the anxiety… Slingshot already felt himself beginning to relax, his heart beginning to calm, as the three of them began to make their way to the lift that carried inphernals to Playground.

“So… Wait… Why’s Playground a sky island again?” Slingshot couldn’t help but ask offhandedly as the three walked through Crossroads. “I heard from somewhere that Windforce was the cause of it,” Skateboard recalled. Boombox nodded. “Yeah, she always favored Playground the most. Lifted our region up as a ‘gift’? I guess it DOES help keep bad people out… But…”

“Also keeps good people out, too… Or, at least, it makes it a lot harder,” Skateboard muttered, furrowing a brow in clear annoyance. “Hm… I bet it’d impact the culture, too…” Slingshot wondered, partly to himself as they walked. Skateboard nodded, though. He seemed to grow a little nervous there. “Uh, huh… With very few outsiders, even I have to admit it. Playground’s got some pretty bad faction favoritism…”

Boombox also nodded, looking just as weary as Skateboard. “Yup… Them and Blackrock… Neither of them like the other factions, and they both tend to attack those outsiders on sight…” Skateboard couldn’t help but scoff. “Blackrock’s still the WORST, though…”

“Hard to disagree…” Boombox stammered with a nervous grin. Slingshot let out a huff, feeling a smile coming on. Eventually though, the three made it to their destination. The line was short, and it didn’t take long for the trio to reach one of the lifts, stepping inside and sitting down.

Boombox waved his hand dismissively, pulling out some coins and sliding them into the slot to pay for the ride. “Thanks, Boom,” Skateboard chirped. Slingshot nodded. “Yeah, thanks for the ride.” Boombox, in his typical cheery fashion, gave a friendly grin and a thumbs up. “Sure thing!”

The three sat quietly in that ride for the first few minutes. It was hard to keep the conversation going, admittedly. It had been a while, and… Despite the fact that there was never any actual conflict between the friends, it still felt… Awkward…

Slingshot felt himself glancing out the window, beginning to fidget… Nervous… But just as suddenly, there was a soft touch. A soft touch, a firm squeeze against his wrist. It wasn’t too tight, though. Just, a comforting weight…

Slingshot glanced over, subtly, only his eyes moved, down at his hand. Around the wrist held Skateboard’s. He was subtle, too. A glance over at Boombox, and he didn’t even seem to notice. He just looked out the window, also quiet, yet much more peaceful and Slingshot or Skateboard…

Slingshot pulled his hand back a bit- Skateboard immediately let go, almost seeming nervous- awkward? But Slingshot was quick to shut that down, taking Skateboard’s hand in his and holding it. He gave it a familiar squeeze, he hoped it was comforting? Slingshot was kind of new to this thing… But…

Skateboard did soften. Yes… Soft… He seemed ‘softly’ relieved. He had been keeping it quiet and subtle, and he still was. It was nice… There wasn’t a need to bring attention to any of it. They could-... Get through this…

Right?

Slingshot tried to shake away the doubt, holding Skateboard’s hand in his, they shared a quiet comfort. A comfort that came from the mutual respect of the two, and… The silence didn’t feel as awkward.

And then came the destination. Slingshot gave Skateboard’s hand a last squeeze, before letting go. Slingshot felt… That presence again. Sure enough, when he turned, Skateboard was looking at him again. He smiled. He looked appreciative… Huh… Regardless, Slingshot managed a sheepish smile back, silent acknowledgement.

But of course, they couldn’t sit around all day. Boombox stood up, then Skateboard, and then Slingshot. They all stepped outside of the lift, and with that, they began to follow Boombox. “So, where’d you see this place again?” Skateboard wondered as the three walked.

“Oh, yeah, Hover and I were just walking around. He had an unexpected day off, and neither of us had plans. Didn’t actually go in, cause I wanted to go there with you guys first. Us and arcades, kind of our thing, you know… Heh,” Boombox mumbled all of this, very offhandedly, and going down all sorts of side tangents along the way.

But it was kind of charming. And him waiting for the two? That was… Really sweet. “You didn’t have to do that, Boom…” Skateboard responded, echoing Slingshot’s sentiments. “Well, yeah… But come on, you guys are like, the gang. Of course I’d wait,” Boombox chirped, sheepish. He rubbed the back of his head as he said this.

The three stopped before the Arcade, and already, the exterior was… Amazing? It felt like a love letter to all things retro. It had the funky colors, patterns, everything- that was one of the things Slingshot DID like about Playground. It was always about color.

LOTS of color.

“Wow, is it pretty…” Skateboard churred with a satisfied hum, holding his hands on his hips. “I know, right? Stellar!” Boombox agreed, nodding with starry eyes. “Whaddya think, Sling?” Skateboard asked, nudging Slingshot in the arm ever so gently. It pulled him out of his thoughts, blinking and shaking his head, before registering.

“It’s… Really nice…” He mumbled, a bit sheepish, but… Looking up at the place- it was probably pretty obvious he was a fan. He could hear what SOUNDED like an amused sort of huff beside him, but he ignored it, focused on other things. “Well, we should check out the inside,” Boombox chirped, pointing over at the building entrance with his thumb. “Sure! I’m good with whatever,” Skateboard offered with a shrug. Slingshot nodded, following along.

The trio entered the arcade, and… Right off the bat, it was just as gorgeous inside as it was on the outside. It had the necessary arcade carpet, of course, but the walls were covered in retro deco, and it was cluttering in the best way possible. Overwhelming, as a compliment. Chaotic, but wonderfully so-

Oh…

AND there was a crowd…

A bad crowd…

“Yikes… Looks like everybody had the same idea…” Skateboard muttered with a wince. Boombox nodded, suddenly stepping over to the side to get out of the way of a random walker. They didn’t even say anything. “Yeahhh… Guess it DID just open…” Slingshot… Said nothing…

His mind was a little bit… Preoccupied…

‘Don’t get overwhelmed.’
‘Don’t get overwhelmed.’
‘Don’t get overwhelmed.’

“Sling? You good?”

Slingshot looked over suddenly, a bit wide-eyed, but trying really hard to at least LOOK like he wasn’t on the verge of a panic- he dug his shoe into the floor, a small (hopefully subtle) movement. “Y-Yeah?”

There was silence…

“Y-Yeah…”

Even Boombox looked a little nervous, but Skateboard let out a quiet nervous sigh, before switching up immediately. “Well, alright. How we doing this?” Slingshot felt an immediate rush of relief, and even more so when Boombox seemed to pick up on the energy and also move on. “Well, we could look around together, or we could branch off in our own directions…”

Skateboard nodded, putting a hand on his chin, thinking. “There’s a lot of stuff to look at- but… I dunno… Could get lost pretty easily with this crowd…” Boombox pulled out his phone, turning it on and looking at it. “Well, we’ve all got our phones, right? Why don’t we just split up for a little bit and then meet up after a coupla minutes?”

Skateboard raised a brow at the idea, but then something made him falter… Nervous again… “I-... I dunno…” Slingshot walked up closer to the two, partially to get out of another person’s way, and partially for his own security- “I mean, Boombox’s plan makes sense-”

‘You can handle alone time. Don’t be a baby about it…’

“I’m fine with whatever,” Boombox confessed with a shrug. “Sling- are you sure…?” Skateboard had to ask, still nervous- oh. Oh… It was about… Him… Slingshot felt that familiar gut wrench again… He ignored it.

“Yeah, I mean. Then everyone can kinda do their own thing. Not have to worry about different interests,” Slingshot chirped with a sheepish grin- sheepish, because sheepish was better than nervous…

“That’s… True…” Skateboard mumbled, genuinely failing to hide his hesitance. He was so good about subtly, about keeping Slingshot’s… Issues… Under the rug- why was this different? Slingshot felt a brow furrowing… “I mean, what’s there to be worried about?” Boombox mumbled, seeming to pick up on Skateboard’s nervousness.

He froze, his eyes moving up and tracking Slingshot. Skateboard furrowed a brow in turn… Serious…

“Nothing… I guess…”

They all walked off in their own directions- kinda.

Slingshot walked over in one direction. Skateboard and Boombox were- sort of… Going on their own? Though Boombox was starting to feel like there was something else going on. Despite the plan of splitting up, Skateboard walked quite close to his route-

Until suddenly walking up to him and pulling him by the wrist-
“Woah- Skate- What’s-”
“Listen…” Skateboard started, cautious, but… Nervous?

Boombox quieted down, waiting for Skateboard to continue, and after a second or two, Skateboard let go of his wrist. “I-... I’m sorry for the pulling- I… Wasn’t gonna get into it, but I really dunno about-... Geez…” Skateboard starting holding his head by the end, seeming… Stressed out about something. “Hey, Skate. Come on. Just tell me what’s wrong. You know I’m all ears,” Boombox tried his best to reassure. Skateboard seemed to hesitate, but he definitely heard Boombox.

He let out a careful sigh, easing the nerves, so it looked. “Slingshot… He’s been… Going through a lot these past days…” Skateboard began, looking off at the crowd. “Did something happen?” Boombox couldn’t help but ask. Skateboard was… Oddly silent. Eventually; “I don’t think anyone’s fully sure… Shuriken and Vine Staff started telling me about how Slingshot’s been struggling for sleep, but no matter how many times they’ve talked to him, they can never get a straight answer on what it’s about…”

“Gosh…” Boombox also looked to the crowd, feeling a slow-growing guilt starting to build up. Somehow, he’d never noticed that from Slingshot- “And, like, I think he’s getting super depressed, too… I don’t know what’s going on, but he just really lacks confidence nowadays, you know?” Skateboard continued, speaking quickly as his nervousness began to come back…

“And- And now with this I just- I dunno… I don’t want him to get hurt or-”
“Skate.”
Skateboard fell silent at Boombox’s call, but it didn’t stop the anxiety. It was… Foreign… The way his hands trembled a bit… His expression, a broken nervous mess. “You gotta give him a chance…” Boombox added, though with a gentle tone. “I don’t know the whole situation, but… Slingshot seemed pretty sure of himself back there…”

“Besides.” Boombox pulled his phone out again and held it up with a reassuring smile. “As long as we all got our phones on us, we should be fine. Right?” Skateboard hesitated, though then pulled out his own phone, glancing at it nervously, before nodding, and putting it back.

“Right…”

Boombox let out a quiet sigh, and pulled Skateboard into a side hug, taking him by surprise and causing him to let out a sheepish snicker. “Hey, I was gonna look around and see if they got some of the classics. You wanna come along?” Boombox offered, giving Skateboard’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Y-Yeah, actually. That sounds really fun. Thanks, man,” Skateboard chirped with a soft smile.

Boombox couldn’t help but soften in response, nodding, before beginning to walk. Skateboard was walking right with him. The two were silent- until;
“Thanks, by the way. For uh… The reassurance…”
“Sure thing, Skate…”

Slingshot was walking around for a little bit- but at one point, he began to linger. Leaning against one of the walls of the gift shop, standing near some claw machines, Slingshot stood… Nervous… He fidgeted with his hands as he was already beginning to break into a nervous frantic sweat.

On one hand, being alone meant he could afford to look like he was spiraling, without setting off someone’s alarm bells. He didn’t have to waste the energy trying to look ‘okay’. On the other hand- holy shit, he was alone, in a giant arcade, with SOOOOOO many people-

Too many people-

Seriously, WHY were there SO MANY PEOPLE?!

Slingshot’s eyes darted around, quick, panicked, taking in the surroundings- what was this? What was so great about-... Slingshot’s eyes focused on… Some sign… With purple and yellow wording- honestly the color clash was kind of abysmal. Everyone knows yellow and white are too closely colored to stand out well-

Oh. Flipside…

Some kind of event? That would explain the crowd being THIS bad. It was… It was hectic, even for a new opening…

Did…
Did Skateboard and Boombox know about this?

It didn’t seem like they did. Neither mentioned it-

Well, this was… Just a good excuse to get back into the swing of things. Slingshot wasn’t ALWAYS a mess- maybe he just…. Had to get used to it?

Slingshot tried to shake himself out of these thoughts as he pulled out his phone. As long as he had that with him, he was okay. He was safe… He could just… Text…

Skateboard already knew Slingshot’s problems. He wouldn’t even have to get Boombox involved- it was perfect. Slingshot took in a deep breath, before looking forward again.

‘Okay Slingshot. You’re at an arcade. What do you like to do at arcades?’-...

It’s been so long since Slingshot was at an arcade…

With Thieves Rest booming, there wasn’t much time for arcades…

…

So what was the big deal? Now was the chance…

Slingshot pushed off from the wall and began to walk-
Sudden sharp pain… Sharp, knife-slice pain… In his side, again… Slingshot couldn’t help but stop and hold himself. It was… Abrupt… A stop so sharp, his friends would have surely noticed-

‘Well they aren’t here… Isn’t that just lovely?’

Yes…

Yes it was…

Slingshot took in a cautious breath, before taking a step- it hurt. It hurt so bad… But he tried his best to keep walking despite the agony- pain, pain, pain-

And then it became dull. A dull pain was better than a sharp one, and eventually, Slingshot was okay-

…

…Okay?

The definition was starting to get fuzzy-

“OH MI GOSH- IS THAT FLIPSIDE?!”

Slingshot took in a sharp breath, his eyes widening and pupils constricting as a swarm of inphernals rushed forward. Slingshot quickly rushed forward, just barely dodging the crowd, and whipping around as he rushed, pressing his back to the wall closest to him-

Raw fear…

That’s what it was-

His heart beat still quickened, but it did so as he realized how… How silly… It was…

Silly… To be afraid of ordinary people-
Were they really ordinary? More like die-hard fans of a pop idol group to the point that they MUST call out and start a commotion at the rare chance of-

Stop…
Slingshot snapped his eyes shut, took a deep breath, and then opened them again. He felt… Slightly calmer? Not much, but it was progress, even if little.

Slingshot pulled out his phone. So what if he was a wuss. He knew this was his line. He needed to meet up now. It was early, and Slingshot knew Skateboard would know immediately, but at this point, he was going into survival mode. He pulled out his phone, and texted a quick ‘wya’.

Silence… Static began to grow in Slingshot’s mind. The thoughts began to wander back to the land of fear. ‘What if their phones died?’ ‘I should have asked them what their batteries were-’ ‘Am I stupid? Did that even send-’ ‘It had to have- right? Right?!’-

“Racing games”
“U ok?”
Relief- but only at the response. It only SLIGHTLY dampened the anxiety- someone had their phone alive, there was still hope- Was he okay? God no he wasn’t-

Slingshot forced himself to take another breath, though. A nice, deep, hopefully somewhat calm one. There was no reason to let Skateboard know COMPLETELY how much of a wreck he was right now. Slingshot could be calm.

Slingshot thought for a moment, before beginning to type-
Someone bumped into him.

He jumped- he fumbled, he didn’t expect it- he was as far as he could be from the swarm, how did he-
His phone-
It clacked against the ground, Slingshot’s breath got caught in his throat, he choked, as he was about to grab it- someone almost pushed him over, another person, the swarm… Their foot kicked his phone deeper into the thick of the swarm-

Slingshot turned around. The person kept running, seeming completely oblivious to Slingshot’s existence-

He was alone-

Crack…

Slingshot turned around again-
He knew.
He knew what that sound meant.

“Uhhh… Slingshot just stopped typing…” Skateboard muttered, a slight bit of that familiar worry seeping in again. Skateboard was good at keeping his head, he and Boombox both knew that, but… This whole Slingshot thing had him tense… For-... Understandable reasons…

Nonetheless,
“Maybe he’s just thinking it over. You know how he is. Gotta rewrite a text five times till it’s perfect,” Boombox chirped with a slight chuckle. Skateboard faltered, before sighing. “R-Right. Yeah. You’re probably right…”
He looked up at Boombox, who was eying a few of the games down the aisle, before feeling Skateboard’s look and turning. Skateboard smiled slightly, looking… Relieved? Aw… Poor guy- “Th-Thanks, Boom…”

Boombox let out a soft chuckle, before nodding. “Sure thing, man. Just remember, it’s not always the worst outcome.” Skateboard nodded. “Yeah. Real words, man,” Skateboard chirped, also chuckling as the two walked.

Five minutes go by-

“S-So you know how uh… You said ‘it’s not always the worst outcome’?” Skateboard checked with- a NERVOUS smile… Boombox faltered, also beginning to feel nervous as he nodded. “I think this might be the worst outcome-” Skateboard continued, breaking into a very nervous sweat. Boombox hesitated, stopping to think…

“Skateboard?”
“Yeah?”
…
“Call him.”

Slingshot swallowed, but it didn’t rid his throat of the lump that began to form. His phone… Screen black, cracked. Slingshot was already beginning to spiral, his heartbeat racing, his hands clamming up, his body breaking into horrible uncontrollable tremors, fear.

Fear flooded through his systems- he tried to shake himself out of it. It hardly worked. He leaned back slightly, reaching his leg forward, his foot, trying to reach the phone- there- he dragged his phone closer to where he was- and he had it. He bent down to grab it fast, before pressing so hard against the wall it was starting to hurt-

The moment he got it, he tapped on the screen so profusely, unabashedly frantic because he did not have TIME to be bashful about it. Nothing worked. He pressed down on the power button so many times the button left an imprint on his finger- hurt- more hurt.

Dull hurt, not enough to really notice in the fear of the moment, but the red mark looked ugly-

He was stuck- he was lost- he was alone.

“This service is not available.”
“Shit. Shit shit shit- Boombox, we gotta-”
“Breathe.”
Skateboard faltered, eyes wide. He felt… Frustrated. Confused. What the hell did Boombox mean by-
“If you’re an anxious mess, you won’t think straight… And also that would be really bad. For many other reasons…” Boombox tried to reason, breaking into a slightly nervous sweat. Skateboard almost wanted to argue, but he thought for two more seconds before it clicked.

He let out a shaky breath.

“His phone is off… What do we do?”

“We DON’T split up…” Boombox muttered, pulling Skateboard close and eying the crowd cautiously. “Wh- Wouldn’t that make it go faster?” Skateboard guessed, still a bit confused. “Maybe, but also faster to lose each other, too… Who knows what happened to Slingshot’s phone. But if that happened to yours too…”

“Cut off…” Skateboard realized, and Boombox nodded. “Okay, so… That still leaves the question of what we SHOULD do…” Skateboard pointed out. Boombox furrowed a brow, looking around again.

“How mad do you think Slingshot would be if we got help from the staff?” Boombox wondered a bit sheepishly. Skateboard let out a nervous chuckle. “Pretty mad.” Boombox sighed a bit tiredly. “How bad do you think this situation might be?” Skateboard now paused, thinking, before wincing with a nervous grin. “Pretty bad…” He sort of echoed, but with much more exasperation.

Boombox looked over again, sympathetic, but pulling Skateboard gently by the wrist as they approached one of the guards to ask for help.

Slingshot slid down-
His (sort of) steady breathing, gone.
His (sort of) steady composure, gone.
His (barely strung) sanity, gone.

He was in too deep-
Stuck. He was stuck as he slowly sank to the bottom of the sea… Dark… Terrifying… Filled with who knows what-

He began to panic, it was too fast, everything was too fast, too loud, not enough air- it was too much but not enough and he couldn’t stop shivering- oh for the love of god would you just STOP SHIVERING-
It was pathetic, it was stupid, it was akin to a child throwing a tantrum, minus all the anger, only all the remorse, the angst, the tragedy, all of the worst things but anger wasn’t anger, it was self hatred, it was a sappy form of frustration, exasperated frustration in himself for being such a damn baby, all the while he was panicking and people- too many people-

The pain in his side came back, sharper than every- he wanted to cry- was he crying? Somehow it didn’t feel like it was enough- it didn’t feel like anything- just his eyes flooding without his permission- he wasn’t crying- he was just- falling apart… Falling apart at the seams with-

No one there to stop it…

Was that good?

Part of him felt like this was what he wanted. To have this happen when his friends WEREN’T there…

But part of him- despite hating the pity… Did like having someone to hug. Someone to get comforted by, someone to tell him that everything would be okay, as long as he could put in the tiniest effort of recovery-

He could tell himself that-

He… Could have… Told himself that…

Maybe it was a skill he has yet to master…

Strangely enough, he felt his heart beat beginning to slow- but his chest… It hurt so bad… Felt like an ache in his lungs- because of his breathing…

He had stopped breathing-

It felt… Difficult…

Like learning to swim, all over again…

He couldn’t get himself to do it-
He couldn’t breathe…

“We found him- he’s in Quadrant 6!” Came a voice from one of the staff members’ walkie talkies who stood nearby. “Quadrant 6?” Skateboard echoed, a bit quieter, looking around. “Go straight in that direction. It’s that corner over there,” instructed the security guy.

Skateboard and Boombox both nodded, firm and serious as the two began to rush over as quickly as they could. The security guard left behind perked as the radio cut in again. “Make sure they get here fast. That guy ain’t lookin so good…” That made the man feel a wave of dread.

He raised the radio to his mouth as he spoke.
“Trust me. They’re a hurryin…”

Skateboard and Boombox struggled at first, now standing in the quadrant supposedly, as the two walked around, trying to find their friend. “He’ll probably be trying to stay far from the crowd. As far as possible,” Skateboard guessed as the two looked around frantically. “Soooo… Walls?” Boombox commented.

Skateboard nodded. The two quickly rushed over, walking down the back wall until- there…

Slingshot held himself, shaking, nails digging into his sleeves as he cried, looking down with watery eyes, visibly spiralling… The two worried friends walked over, and as they got closer to Slingshot and further from the crowd, there was a mumbling they began to hear-

Mumbles of failing reassurances-
“They didn’t leave you-”
“Th-they wouldn’t l-leave you-”
“Th-they-...” His eyes snapped shut as tears continued to flow. He looked so-... So scared…
“They wouldn’t do that…” He whispered to himself, a desperate plea to convince his mind-

But his mind was already convinced, and not of the truth.

Skateboard sat down next to him, Boombox on his other side, both nervous- not knowing what to say- “He isn’t breathing-...” Boombox realized, a whisper-

Slingshot didn’t hear it.

“I-... I don’t wanna startle him more- but-” Skateboard faltered, both were unsure what to do- this was a new experience- Slingshot… He didn’t HEAR them… He wasn’t- He wasn’t THERE- But seeing him break down like this, crying, hurting so so bad… It was… So bad…

Boombox reached a hesitant hand. It hovered over Slingshot’s shoulder- he didn’t know. Neither of them knew… This wasn’t… Neither of them knew what they were doing here, and-

Boombox placed his hand on Slingshot’s shoulder, gentle, slow- that didn’t change the fact that Slingshot jumped immediately, eyes widening in panic, causing Boombox to also jump in slight worry, pulling his hand back and immediately rushing into stammered apologies.

Skateboard broke into a nervous panicked sweat, his heart beating as Slingshot held himself tighter, looking between the two- he-... Was registering?

Slowly but surely… The grip on his sleeves loosened, as he looked between a very concerned Boombox and Skateboard, registering… He was registering them… Registering what was happening-

“He’s still not breathing-” Boombox realized in a whisper. “S-Sling, w-would contact upset you?” Skateboard stammered, offering his hands up in a sort of surrender- peace. Peace offering-

Slingshot faltered, before opening his mouth to speak-

He broke into a coughing fit…

He forgot how much swallowing air could dry up your throat… “D-Don’t waste your breath- just… Just nod or shake your head, okay?” Boombox cut in, worriedly. Slingshot took in a careful shaky breath, trying to recover- it felt like if he breathed in too fast, he’d break into a coughing fit all over again…

Nervously, shakily, he shook his head. He couldn’t-... He couldn’t afford to guard himself anymore… Even Slingshot knew when he couldn’t… Handle it… Anymore…

Boombox and Skateboard exchanged glances, it was… Hard to read… Slingshot was already feeling his vision darken, the static was growing louder- he shut his eyes as a throb in his head began. A painful throb…

Suddenly, he felt a warmth- he knew what it was. He hugged them back as relief already began to seep in… Slingshot felt his breathing begin to slow down and steady. His heartbeat calmed, his eyes were still snapped shut, but he hugged his friends tightly, and they hugged him back-

Everything was gonna be okay…

He could tell…