[PRP] A Friend Indeed (Galeotto)

[Bittiface]

"Yeah.." He murmured, staring at the screen with melancholy. The both of them looked so carefree, bare of scars.

"I didn't know what I had back then." Back then he'd still been hung up on Eva. He never should have pursued such a one sided puppy love, when Nevada had been interested in him from the very start. They could have been together so much longer. Maybe she wouldn't have died.

kuroopu

 

[kuropeco]

"But you had something," Gale said forcefully, wanting him to understand without being condescending or patronizing. "Even if it was short, right? You had something. You loved her," he added quietly. "And she loved you."

He hated that he sounded so terribly unhelpful; this was Otto, one of his oldest acquaintances, and in spite of their somewhat tenuous history, it was still Otto, and Gale still cared.

"You had something," Gale repeated gently.

bittiface

 

[Bittiface]

Otto took in an unsteady breath. He'd loved her so much, and he'd had someone who loved him just as much. He really did have something, even if they didn't truly have it all until the very end.

He breathed out again, still shaky. His heart hurt, even after days had passed. It hurt to breathe.

"I really miss her." He couldn't believe she was gone. Every morning he woke up, he expected her to be there. But his arms were always empty.

He snapped his phone shut with another painful huff.

kuroopu

 

[kuropeco]

His shoulders slumped a little, Gale's expression softening.

"I know," he said quietly. "I know."

The pain of losing Leslie had not yet dissipated, and that had been a long time ago. But he gave Otto a small reassuring smile and said, "I can't say that it gets easier, but it does get easier to bear."

Bittiface

 

[Bittiface]

"M'guessin' you've lost someone?" Otto mumbled, stuffing the phone into his pocket. "I've lost a few, but this one hurts the most."

kuroopu

 

[kuropeco]

He smiled a little, the corners of his lips quirking upwards just slightly.

"My twin sister," said Gale, idly twisting Jinhai's ring. "She was here, for a little bit. She woke up for a few hours, but then..."

He trailed off, shaking his head.

Bittiface

 

[Bittiface]

"You had a twin? God, two Gales. I can barely stand one." A terrible joke. Dark and tasteless considering she was dead. But it wasn't as if he didn't know the pain. Far from it.

"Only a few hours?" Otto furrowed his brow, wondering if maybe her body just hadn't been strong enough to support Fear. "That's sad. I'm sorry, man."

kuroopu

 

[kuropeco]

He didn't mind the joke, even in its tastelessness, because it was a small bit of Otto that was normal, that was somehow familiar. Gale cracked a small smile.

"You should be so lucky to have two of me," he said lightly. "But yes, she was awake only for a few hours, and I thought perhaps we would have a chance to be together again."

He shrugged his shoulders. "But it wasn't meant to be. Sadly you still have me to deal with, though," Gale added, with a nudge to Otto's shoulder.

Bittiface

 

[Bittiface]

"I think I'll manage." Otto grumbled back. Gale was a consistency that seemed to remain fairly common. Always around. Alive. He'd toned down the pompous attitude to some degree, or maybe Otto wasn't feeling irritated by every little thing nowadays.

Otto leaned back. He felt tired. Listless. He didn't feel like drinking anymore. At least not for the rest of that day. He didn't feel like doing anything.

kuroopu

 

[kuropeco]

He knew the time to leave when he saw it. Gale pushed himself to his feet and reached out, hesitating a moment before he pat Otto on the shoulder, giving it a little squeeze.

"Hang in there," he said bracingly, and gave the other hunter a small nod, making his way to the door. Just before he reached it, however, he stopped and turned around, some of his hair falling into his face.

"Hey, Otto," said Gale quietly. "Lemme know if you need anything, okay? Or just someone to...listen."

Bittiface

 

[Bittiface]

Otto turned, leaning an arm across the back of the couch as Gale called back to him. "Thanks.. I will.." Otto nodded. Gale was a good friend.

Sadly, it was unlikely he'd ever admit it aloud to the boy, despite his experience with unspoken words to lost loved ones.

kuroopu

fouof <3