january 6th thing bc

Tw: death, guilt, self hatred

Something was wrong. It's dark out, he was supposed to be asleep a few hours ago but he'd been waiting for his father to return. He's ready to get up when the door creaks, his father poking his head in.

"Hey, kid, why are you still up? You're supposed to be asleep-"

"Can you stay with me?" He can see his father's outline from the light behind him, "please? I'm scared."

His father shakes his head, stepping in, "I'm supposed to see Juan today, remember?"

"Please-" His eyes well with tears, something bad was going to happen, he knew it, "please just stay in tonight and go another time or something- please-" he's pulling on the sleeves of his father's shirt, hoping he'll say yes.

"I can't," his father sighs, "but I'll be fine, I'll be back before you know it." He can hear the smile on his father's face, but it's wrong, he was wrong. He had to stay home, where it was safe.

"Please- please stay." Florida sobs, moving closer, "please don't leave me-"

"I'll be back soon, I promise."

"You're leaving?" Something was wrong, something was going to happen. "Wh- I- I mean can't you stay? Can't you- I don't know, do it digitally? Or something? Wh-why do you have to go?"

DC shakes his head, "It'll be fine, Dia, I'll be back before you know it."

He didn't sleep that night, sitting in the kitchen long after his father had left. He wasn't coming back.

Florida's expression darkens, "no. You're not leaving." He grabs DC's keys and phone and runs to his room.

He can hear DC groan from the living room, "Dia I don't have time for this, give me my stuff-"

"No!" That was louder than it needed to be but he couldn't handle it, he couldn't lose DC too, "I'm not letting you! What if something happens? What if you don't come back?"

"Dia, it'll be fine, I'll be back before you know it." There it was again.

"No, you won't." He doesn't care that the others are probably looking at them weirdly or are probably going to mock him for this later, he wasn't going to lose DC too.

DC groans again, "Dia, you do this everytime."

"This time is different!" He hoped he was wrong.

"No, it isn't." He can hear DC walking away and for a moment he thinks he's won, only a moment. He realizes DC's probably going for his key and panics, hurrying to hide the phone and keys. "I'm not losing you too." He says, knowing only he heard it.

The lock clicks a few minutes later, a tired looking DC walking in and scanning the room.

"Either give them back now or I leave without them." and Florida breaks, finally crying and shaking his head, "Dia, now."

He didn't want DC to leave but it'd be worse if he left without his keys and phone.

"Please? Please stay?" DC shakes his head again, checking his phone and cursing under his breath, "please? for me?" He doubts that'll work, but it couldn't hurt to try.

DC shakes his head again, "I'll be back soon and safe." He shoots Florida a glare on the last word before he walks out, pulling the door closed behind him.

Florida breaks down when DC's out of hearing range, shaking with sobs and silent pleas for DC to return.

Edit: added and fixed wording