Work Text:
Player woke up in the same bed they always woke up in. It was nice and cozy under the blankets, with their stuffed teddy in hand. They felt surprisingly refreshed. Maybe they had just napped for a really long time.
They begrudgingly got out of bed, yawning and stretching their arms out. If they had taken a long nap like they thought, it’d probably be best to go and say hi to Cashier. So, they blinked away a bit of their drowsiness and headed out with their teddy in hand.
The night air was as cold as always, causing Player to shiver and hold the stuffed bear closer. Other than that, the night was peaceful. The crickets were chirping and the air smelled like petrichor. It almost felt like a warm hug. They started walking towards the convenience store, smiling to themself as they saw the familiar flickering lights.
As they walked, they thought about how Cashier might react to their sudden appearance. They must have been napping for a pretty long time, so he’d probably be happy to see them again. Or about as happy as he could appear. Maybe they’d get to sit and drink soda and play whatever games he had on his phone, just like old times. Like how things were before their world shattered.
…Player didn’t spend too long dwelling on the possibility that Cashier was still mad at them. Tonight was supposed to be positive! And besides, that had to have happened a while ago considering how long they slept. Putting their worries aside, they reached the store with a pep in their step.
Player opened the door with a smile– the kind where their eyes got so squinty that they were practically closed. The familiar thrums of lo-fi music made them feel like they were being wrapped in a nice blanket. They opened their eyes and looked at the counter.
“Cashier!! ‘M–”
There was no Cashier.
A green visor rested atop the counter. There was dust on the brim.
Player blinked, their smile fading instantly. They looked out the window. It was a silly thought– they knew Cashier wasn’t out there on his break.
They approached the counter with shaky steps, their voice wavering even more as they mumbled his name again. The break timer read a plain and simple ‘INF’. Player’s heart dropped, the three letters being all too familiar.
This… this wasn’t real. It couldn’t have been. They were supposed to have a happy reunion where everything was okay again. Things were supposed to go back to normal.
Player set their teddy on the counter, picking up the visor in its place. The dust had clearly been there for a while. They opened their mouth to speak, but all that came out was a strangled sob as they collapsed onto the tile floor. They cried loudly as they held the visor in their arms, already spiraling back into constantly wondering why they kept screwing everything up. They sat like that for a while, before a thought struck them.
They leaned up and grabbed their teddy with a shaky arm. After situating themself back on the floor, they leaned their back against the counter and set the visor on top of the stuffed bear’s head. They looked into its beady eyes for what seemed like an eternity. And then they started sobbing again.
Player kept their teddy held to their chest with a vice grip, as if holding it tight enough would somehow bring Cashier back. They didn’t want to accept the reality that he was probably gone. They couldn’t. It felt like the wound of what happened however long ago– with the unused endings and the diner and Cashier being mad at them and the fire – had been torn open only to have salt rubbed into the deepest parts.
Eventually, they physically couldn’t cry anymore. They just laid back against the counter and stared into the distance with a vacant expression. Everything felt so hopeless and empty. It hurt.
Player was suddenly hit with the full force of their exhaustion from crying so hard. They just laid down on the floor, teddy in hand as they began to drift off.
Maybe… maybe they’d just wait for him. He had to come back eventually, right?