(Drake)
Drake's eyes slowly opened. When they moved around, he noticed that he was in a hospital room. Looking down, Drake saw that he had a breathing tube and that he was laid back in a bed for once. Also, Drake mentally sighed as he felt his body's usual aches and protests. There were two differences, though. One, Drake felt more of them than usual, much to his indifference. The other was a weird, kind of wet sensation in his belly. Also, for some reason, Drake could now see colors everywhere, even though no one was speaking. Moving his hands up, Drake noticed that he had needles attached to them. Uncaring, he slowly tore off the sticky pads holding the needles in place and promptly removed them. As a result, blood trickled out from the punctured veins, but Drake, of course, couldn't care less. After that, Drake reached up for the breathing tube. Slowly, he yanked the thing out. Drake flinched and gripped his chest as the thing painfully came out. After tossing the breathing tube aside, Drake stayed there for a bit, coughing up some blood and breathing hard. For some reason, the blood was... black? After a bit, w/ some great effort, Drake forced himself out of bed. When he was up, Drake nearly fell over! His legs felt weak, and his torso felt like it was one fire!
"What going on? Why world look different?" Drake heard Chompy say from below.
Confused, Drake looked down and almost fell over completely. Chompy was literally just a face on his belly, which now somehow looked fatter than before!
"Huh, so that's what you are," Drake noted.
He then clamped his hands over his mouth. He sounded a lot like his dad now! Chompy looked up.
"Oh, hello, big man."
Drake got a weird expression at that. Of all the things he'd been called, that, oddly enough, had never explicitly been one of them.
"Just... call me Drake," Drake said.
Drake also noticed that, for some reason, he was actually speaking more quickly compared to before. He then looked around for his clothes. He spotted them folded up on a chair. Removing the tight hospital gown, Drake tried to change into his usual clothing. Unfortunately, though, he seemed to have hit a growth spurt. As such, the shirt and pants tore as Drake forced them on. As for the hoodie, Drake looked down at the thing unhappily. The hoodie had simply been a cover so that Natas could hide most of Drake's most glaring wounds. Speaking of which, when Drake looked at his treetrunk arms, he dully noticed that the various cuts had reopened. This time, though, the blood was strangely black. Rather than putting the stupid hoodie back on, Drake simply tossed it aside like trash/himself.
Let's go, Alter said beside him.
Drake nodded. He then began to stagger his way out of the room. As he walked through the hospital, some doctors and nurses, horrified, tried to get Drake to go back to his room. Others just backed off. For the ones who got in the way, Drake used his new power to gently shove them aside. As for the patients and visitors, they all simply stepped in fear. Drake ignored this, as per usual, and Chompy waved his tongue and said hello. After a bit, Drake finally staggered out through the entrance. Despite his torso issues, weak legs, and color vision, Drake forced himself on. As w/ the hospital, most ran and back off, and for the bold ones, Drake psychically pushed them aside gently. After a while, Drake came across something horrible in a store window. He saw a monster w/ too-small clothing. It had a drooping, four-point fluffy head, dark cuts all over its arms, a big, faced belly, and a crazy-looking face w/ four sharp teeth protruding from the jagged lips. When Drake moved, the monster moved. Immediately, Drake realized that this was a mirror. Suddenly, Drake began to... crack up? He lowly snickered at first before busting out laughing while pointing at himself. It was a broken, deep, rumbling dirge that sounded so unnatural. Tears also flowed down.
"Oh my God, what are you?!" Drake barked out, "You look so terrible. Are you MEANT to look like that? Wow, if I was you, I'd kill myself! Why do you even exist?! Your mom should've aborted you early in development! Oh, what's that? You say people love you? What bullshit! Who could ever even LIKE you, you sad, fat, stupid, ugly, pathetic piece of garbage!"
Alter and Chompy simply gaped at this display. For Chompy, he'd never been exposed to something like this before and didn't know what to say. For Alter, while he knew Drake hated himself, dear Lord was this a whole new level! Passerby would see this display and either shake their heads or look in either pity and/or horror.
"Drake scary...," said Chompy fearfully.
Alter quickly phased in front of Drake.
Drake, please... let's go. Andrew is waiting, and... you're scaring us..., Alter said in an uncertain tone.
Drake shook himself.
"Oh, sorry. I haven't seen myself in so long. I guess I got a little carried away."
Drake then proceeded forward again, w/ Alter and Chompy still worrying. Due to Drake not having been in this part of the city before, though, he ended up blundering around the place, searching for Andrew's apartment. As such, Drake began to tear up.
"Andrew... Andrew... Andrew... Andrew...," Drake repeated softly.
He kept repeating this mantra as he searched for his denied love. Alter and Chompy helped Drake try to navigate the place, but they couldn't help but worry about Drake's madness. After a long while, though, Drake finally found himself in a much more recognizable part of the city. Smiling brokenly, Drake staggeringly made his way past the Still Fountain (basically Still Pool at this point). Drake went back the way he'd gone every time he left Andrew's home. After another torturous while, Drake finally saw the telltale apartment. Crying even harder and smiling even more brokenly, Drake slowly made his way inside.
I'm coming, Andrew... Please, let me see you one last time... After that, I'll make your life better by leaving forever... Drake thought twistedly.
After making his way to Andrew's floor, he made his way to the door. Drake paused. After a bit, he slowly raised his fist and knocked unsurely.
"Coming," Andrew's voice sounded from the other side.
Drake cried even harder, and his corrupted SOUL beat alongside his heart. Oh, it had been so long he'd heard that voice! After a bit, Andrew finally opened the door. When he saw Drake, at first, Andrew was taken aback w/ a shocked expression. Andrew then began to look the individual over in confusion. After a bit, recognition shone on Andrew's face once he recognized Drake's face as well as Chompy and Alter. Tears flowed down his face, and his mouth broke open into a big, gap-toothed grin while his eyes remained sad.
"DRAKE!" Andrew shouted happily while tackling the big lug.
"Heh..., I wanted to see you one last time...," Drake replied.
Andrew pulled back w/ a surprised expression.
"You sound so... different," Andrew said, "Also, what do you mean by 'one last time?"
Drake gave a sad smile.
"I wanted to see you one more time... before I finally left your life for good..."
As Drake turned to leave for the last time, much to his siblings' protest, Andrew immediately grabbed his thick right wrist.
"Drake,... no. Please..., I've missed you so much these last couple of weeks. I... I can't keep going w/o you...," Andrew said w/ a shadow over his eyes.
Drake turned his head back w/ a sad expression.
"But... I'm only a burden to you and your family...," Drake replied quietly.
Andrew shook his head.
"No. I want you in my life again," Andrew said shakily, "Ever since you've been gone, I've been so miserable w/o you. Please, Drake, don't go. I love you so much..."
Drake turned back to Andrew at this. He was looking up at Drake pleadingly, tears streaming down his face. That look made his corrupted heart ache.
Drake, stay w/ him, Alter whispered.
But... you know it's best if I just leave, Drake thought.
Alter angrily huffed at that.
Open your eyes, Drake! Alter angrily whispered, Look at him, listen to his words! He clearly has it pretty bad for you! If you leave him now, Andrew will most likely keep being miserable. Plus, considering what you were doing earlier, you clearly have it bad for him too!
Drake pursed his serrated lips.
Drake and Andrew need each other, Chompy sent as a thought.
Drake stood there unsurely for a bit.
I... don't... know... Drake thought slowly.
Alter groaned.
C'mon, Drake. It's not like you have anything to lose. Plus, it's not like Natas is here anymore to hold you prisoner.
Drake looked at Andrew again. After a bit, he finally let out a heavy sigh.
"Ok," Drake finally said.
Andrew's expression quickly changed to one of pure joy, and he then tackled Drake in a big hug. Chompy, enjoying this, gave Andrew some small licks.
"I love you so much, you big lug," Andrew said while nuzzling into Drake.
Drake, not used to this, awkwardly wrapped his treetrunk arms around Andrew as gently as he could.
"I... love... you too...," Drake said slowly, awkwardly blushing.
Alter sighed in relief.
It's about fucking time...
After a bit of staying like that, the two lovers disentangled.
"Let's head in," Andrew said quietly.
Andrew then led the way to his home w/ Drake slowly following behind. Andrew paused at the door.
"Before we go in, we have a new person living here. I think you'll like him," Andrew explained.
Drake, confused, followed Andrew inside. The living room and kitchen hadn't really changed since Drake had last been there. The only thing was that there was a small, little one on the couch. He looked kind of like a baby version of Andrew, except the baby had a spiky "ponytail" and blank, grey eyes. The three Nightshades looked at the baby curiously. The baby mirrored the sentiment.
"Who that?" Chompy asked.
The baby giggled at Chompy's words. Andrew gave a small smile.
"That's my baby sibling, Buckley," Andrew explained.
As if on cue, Buckley shakily stood up on the couch and gave a little bow. Drake gave a ghost of a smile, and Alter "looked" at Buckley funny. Chompy gave a little blep. After that, Andrew led Drake to the couch. After Drake gingerly lowered himself onto it, Buckley quickly crawled over to Drake and immediately snuggled up beside him, much to Drake's unsureness. Drake then noticed brown on the table and blanched. It was his diary.
"How... how did you get that?" Drake asked.
Andrew cast his gaze down.
"I might've gotten curious and went to your house," Andrew said softly.
"Did you... read it?"
Andrew slowly nodded. Drake simply gave a sad look.
"So, I guess you know the truth now..."
Andrew sat beside Drake and put an arm around him.
"Yeah... I'm sorry you had to live like that," Andrew said.
Drake shook his head.
"Doesn't matter at this point."
Andrew pursed his stitched lips.
"I just have two questions, though. First, why did you keep writing 'Dirty Mother Killer?"
Drake cringed and heavily sighed.
"My mother died giving birth to me. I haven't let myself live it down ever since," Drake said.
Andrew looked at Drake sympathetically.
"That wasn't your fault. I'm sorry that that happened, but there wasn't anything you could've done."
"I know, but it doesn't make me any less guilty for causing it," Drake responded.

(Andrew)
Andrew chose to drop the subject since he knew he wouldn't get anywhere.

(Drake)
"Ok, next question. How come you mentioned that the world felt alien and different compared to before?" Andrew asked.
Drake and Alter shared a look.
Drake and I... we aren't from this time period... Alter explained.
Andrew gave a bewildered look at that.
"Le what?" Andrew asked.
Drake heavily sighed again.
"We don't know what caused it. One day, we were in that house while Natas was out. For some reason, Alter and I got wrapped in dark chains during the afternoon and disappeared."
We don't remember anything that happened on the other side. When we came back, the two of us were in a much older version of Natas' house. As for the city, it was completely unrecognizable!
"When we found out what the year was, we'd learned that over 100 years had passed. And even after about two years in this new place, we still don't understand this place..."
Andrew stayed silent w/ big eyes. Chompy simply did another blep. As for Buckley, he hugged Drake's torso as best he could.
"What... what year were you born in?" Andrew asked.
Drake got lost in thought for a bit.
"1907, I think."
Andrew gaped for a bit. After a bit, he closed his mouth and got up.
"I'll go make us some lunch," He said w/ a smile.
Drake pursed his serrated lips. Before moving away, Andrew moved in and popped a kiss on Drake's, much to the latter's flusterment.








...





(Drake and Andrew)
The rest of the day was pretty mellow and pleasant. Most of the time, Drake and Andrew cuddled up on the couch, watching TV w/ Buckley being close, but not too close. For lunch and dinner, Drake still sat on the floor, much to Andrew's disappointment. He still smooshed his face into the food, but rather than eat it all, Drake would eat half while giving the rest to Chompy. As for Grey and Cedric, when they came home from a date and saw Drake, while both were initially shocked, they chose to leave Drake and Andrew be. Eventually, the end of the day came. After Andrew and Drake had each showered, Cedric gave them a warning.
"Since we don't have a bed for Drake, you two share the bed. Now, I don't want ANYTHING to go on underneath those sheets, you got that?" Cedric warned sternly.
The two lovers nodded.
"Good," Cedric replied before going to his and Grey's room.
Drake and Andrew then made their way into Andrew's room. Drake immediately went next to Andrew's bed and sat down. Andrew rolled his eyes.
"Get in the bed, will ya?" Andrew asked.
"But you won't fit," Drake pointed out, "I'm too big."
Andrew went over to him.
"I'll sleep on top of you, then. Now c'mon."
Drake, unsure about this, did so. True to his word, Drake's body completely covered the full bed. Andrew, smiling, turned off the lights and climbed up on top. After snuggling up, he felt Drake's torn clothes.
"We're going to have to get you some clothes this weekend," Andrew said.
"You... really don't have to go through the trouble..." Drake said softly.
Andrew tutted and stuffed his face into Drake's chest.
"None of that now. Goodnight."
G'night, said Alter while vanishing into Drake.
"Good night," Chompy said in a bit of a muffled voice, not minding Andrew being on top.
Drake hesitated before heavily sighing.
"Goodnight, Andrew."
Andrew, smiling, closed his eyes, slowly drifting off to Drake's wheezy breaths. Drake laid there, staring up at the ceiling.
So this is it, he thought.
He looked down at Andrew's smallish form, buried in his fur. Drake mustered a broken smile. He then slowly and awkwardly hugged Andrew gently as he slowly drifted off, silently hoping that he didn't bring Andrew any more misery...