Late at night, Sodo sat on his windowsill, his legs dangling out of the open window, his acoustic guitar resting on his lap as he sang softly to himself and strummed random chords.

"I think of you all of the time, now that you're gone.."

It was true, Sodo couldn't stop thinking of Aether since the quintessence ghoul was put down.

"I've been doin' all kinds of drugs, to get you out of my mind. 'Cause I noticed you don't like me no more, and it breaks my heart.."

It still stung to think that he might not have been enough for Aether.

"So I'll just drift away, and disappear for a while..."

Sodo felt hot tears begin to build in the corners of his eyes, and for once, he let them fall.

He didn't care anymore. 

They took his Aether.

His Aether.

Aether.

But just as Sodo began spiralling, a tiny quintessence ghoul poked his head into Sodo's room.

"Dewy...?" Phantom cooed, his big black eyes starring fearfully up at Sodo as the kit began to creep closer. "Are you okay...?"

"Don't call me that," Sodo snapped, unsurprised when the kit flinched and withdrew at his sharp tone. "It's not my name anymore."

Sodo knew he shouldn't snap at the baby; it wasn't Phantom's fault he got summoned in Aether's absence. But sweet Lucifer did Sodo need someone to hiss at for his missing mate.

"I-I'm sorry- I-" Phantom mewled, slowly retreating again. "I didn't mean-" 

"Phantom?" Rain cooed as he stepped into Sodo's room, immediately scooping the fluffy kit up into his arms. "What are you doing in the grumpy fire ghouls room? You know he's a meany-boss sometimes."

"But I smelt sad-eye-water," Phantom protested, wriggling in Rains hold. "I don't want Dewy's eyes to melt and be leaky."

"Sodo, love." Rain corrected gently. "He doesn't like being called dewdrop anymore."

"Damn fucking right I don't," Sodo snarled, his tail lashing violently against the wall.

"Language," Rain hissed back, shielding Phantom with his body. 

"Sorry dad," Sodo scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Didn't realize you were back with the milk."

Rain sighed and set Phantom down by the door, pressing a kiss to the soft curls on top of his head with the quintessence signature silver streaked hair. "Go find Mountain, okay bud? Ask him to read you a story."

Phantom nodded and scampered off to go find the earth ghoul like an explorer out to find the lost city of Atlantis.

"Sodo," Rain began, closing the door behind Phantom after he was curtain the kit had safely made it to Mountain's room and stepping up behind Sodo, placing a gentle clawed hand on his shoulder. "I know your hurting, we all are, but you can't take it out on the kit. He's had a fucked life like we all had in hell, but luckily for him, he was able to escape it early. Don't make his escape his new hell."

"Its like he's trying to be Aether," Sodo hissed, but he couldn't lie that Rain's presence was curing his loneliness. "I need Aether. Not that twink."

"He's not a twink." Rain snapped back, a low growl rising from deep inside his throat. "And I expect you to treat him with the same respect you do as the rest of the pack. He is our kit now, and I expect you to land a tallon when raising him. Understood?"

Sodo nodded, pushing his guitar off his lap and climbing down from the windowsill. He pushed Rain backwards onto his bed, before curling up against the water ghouls chest and closing his eyes.

He didn't remember allowing himself to start crying.

He didn't remember allowing himself to fall asleep. 

But he did.

And he didn't care.

♤♡◇♧

-Nova