#mr gap

“Me. Find. You.” He grinned at her, then faltered when he saw her face. “You. Sad?”

“Oh I….yes.” She nodded, suddenly too tired to lie. “I. Sad. Yes.” The truth made her vision blur again, and she doubled over with a hand on her mouth to mute her sob. She pressed the other into her stomach, as if that alone would keep the threads of her being together.

Mr. Gap stared at her while she cried, a confused look on his face as his lips curved downward. After a moment, he suddenly disappeared, falling back into shadow.

His sudden exit cast another wave of pain over Adami. She squeezed her eyes shut as more tears leaked out, feeling terribly alone. Her sobs echoed off the stone walls around her, taunting her with her weakness. She bit her lip so hard it began to bleed, trying desperately to stifle her misery.

A hand came up and brushed her hair.

She flinched away, wide eyed as she turned towards the source. Mr. Gap blinked back at her, looking even more confused. “Me. Help. Not?” He looked at his hand, then back at her. “You. Not. Like?”

He was…comforting her? The shock of the interaction put a pause on her tears. She looked at Mr. Gap’s hand, then his face. Then back again.

Finally, she creeped back towards him, resting her forehead against his hand. “I…You. Help. Yes.” She closed her eyes, feeling his stiff hand against her hair. For a moment, she thought he’d change his mind.

Then he began patting her head, the same way Mr. Crawling would do. “There. There. You. Me. Safe.” He spoke with a rare gentleness. It felt like a soothing balm over a burn, a needle closing up her ripped open soul.

She let out a shaky sob as she looked up at him, smiling the best she could. “Me. Thank. You.”

Mr. Gap grinned, delighted. He pet her head more, so excited he messed up her bangs. The gesture was so much like a child she laughed despite herself. The sound made Mr. Gap pause, eyes lighting up.

“Laugh. You. Laugh!” He giggled before fading out again. Adami blinked at his second disappearance, tilting her head at the crack in the wall.

“Oh? Where did you- EHHEE?” She squeaked and shot up when two hands suddenly grabbed her sides from behind. His ability to travel from gap to gap was kinda scary. She couldn’t turn around to see him, suddenly caught up in a fit of laughter. “Mihihihister Gahahhahap!”

“Ha! You. Laugh! Laugh! Laugh!” He cheered, delighted by her reaction. His fingers worked quickly over her torso, scribbling up her ribs and back down to her hips, repeating the process over and over. Adami tried squirming away, but no matter how far to the left or right she went, he found her. “Me. Got. You!”

“Mihiihiihster Gahahhaap! Ehahahhha, wahahhhait pleahahhahse! It tihihihihickles!” She cried, shrieking when he wiggled his fingers into her neck. She bent over when his other hand scribbled into her belly. Then both grabbed her waist again and made her shoot back up, starting all over. “Cohohoohme ohohoohn! Ehahahhahahhaa!”

He dragged it out a little longer, tickling her until her tears were from mirth and her smile was near permanent. Finally when she began to cough was when he stopped, his hands retreating. She fell forward, laying on her side as she gasped for air. The world was spinning, and she could barely catch her breath, but her chest felt lighter. Her head didn’t ache nearly as bad, and everything seemed a little less…helpless.

When she looked up, Mr. Gap had moved to the gap closest to her. “You. Happy?”

“Yes.” She nodded, and he beamed. His hand reached out and petted her head again with the same energy as before, ruffling her bangs and making her laugh again. She reached up, squeezing his hand within her own and making him pause. “Thank. You.” She leaned up and kissed his knuckles.

Her lips barely brushed against his skin before he shot his hand back, making her blink in surprise. She just barely saw him before he disappeared, his face noticeably red.

Huh. So they could blush. She grinned, her heart softening at his adorable reaction.

Maybe things will be okay, afterall.

Game: Homicipher

Progress pics:

The second pic is such a “trust the process” moment