It felt like being ripped apart and torn to shreds and like his core was being torn out of him and god it hurt and he couldn't breath and it felt worse than dying and why did it hurt so badly he was so tired of hurting. Liz was doing her best to comfort him, though it felt like she couldn't do anything. There was no fixing whatever this was.

::

A month later, and... The pain was gone. It still hurt - it always hurt, constantly, ever since forming - but it hurt far less than it did. Getting to his feet for the first time in what felt like ages (days? weeks?) Randy floated into the air, hardly focusing as he followed...

He didn't know. He just… needed to get to where he was going- Andrew. He needed- Where was Andrew. That feeling in his chest brought him to a large white building with two lions in front of it. It was obviously a lair, although why he was here, he didn't know.

A library, though... Andrew would have loved that one- If he was ever subjected to this hell, his lair definitely would have been a library. Randy had no doubt of it- ...A new lair. So, a new ghost? Well, it would be a good chance to get intel, and see who it was. Maybe greet them? God knew this place was terrifying when first seeing it. When Randy set foot in front of the door, he glanced at the lions again and… hadn't they been facing forward?

Hm… maybe they acted as the lair's defense? "Ah, yeah, hi, lair? Just wanted to say hi. Don't mean any harm." He… was not used to talking with lairs that wasn't Liz, he would be honest. A curious humming in his head before the doors were opening grandly. If he didn't know better, he'd day it was Andrew's levels of dramatics.

Wait- He… he had just heard a lair that wasn't his own- He was pretty sure that wasn't supposed to be possible- Okay, right. Just. Introduce self, say hi, then get the fuck out of there before bullshit could follow him like always. "Hello? Friendly neighborhood ghost here to welcome you to hell!" A pause. "Mostly joking, but, yeah."

There was no response, only silence and more humming. As though the ghost hadn't even formed yet, or just wasn't there. Frowning, Randy furrowed his brows. Was… it possible for a lair to completely form before it's owner? Maybe the ghost was still just out of it- Randy knew he sure as hell was. "Ah… Hello? Am I going to be killed if I go any- Aha, right, can't be killed. Fuck it, nothing to lose." Randy didn't have to explore much before he saw a body floating closer to the ground, as though he were just… asleep.

Alright, so just sleeping. That was fair. "So, ah, sorry to wake you, but you might kind of want to be awake for this explanation." Purple coat, huh? Really, this place was just so Andrew. There was no response- Maybe the ghost was still forming? He looked formed. Certainly slept like the dead.

"Alright, extreme measures it is." Let's see, giant library… good bet on obsession being something to deal with books. "Wake up or I knock over every bookshelf here. And there's a lot of them."

"Randall I'm going to stab you." There was a deathly silence that fell over them, Randy slowly falling down to rest on the ground, everything about him completely still and broken and no- NO. It wasn't- It wasn't ever supposed- Andy was never- He was- Nonononononononono. Andrew seemed to pause a bit, himself. "Wait… Randy?" He looked over and... Really now.

"You weren't… supposed to die… You weren't supposed to end up here- You're not supposed to be here." Randy was shaking and looking like that broken teenager that had tried to shoot himself all over again, tears already streaming down his face. "Oh, Andy..."

"I… really remember what happened. A fire, I think? I didn't feel in danger. I felt… safe." Andrew was slowly standing and looking over himself. "I'm..."

"Dead? Yeah, yeah it-" Randy didn't even last a moment before before he was tackling Andrew and clinging to him tightly, still crying. "You can stab me in a few minutes, just let me hug you for a bit."

"...I died." He seemed to be taking it remarkably well, at least. Maybe a little shocked. There was a soft humming in his head, that of gentle violin notes that soothed him from his shock and nudged him into realizing all of what was going on. And also reminding him that there was a sobbing ghost clinging to him. Andrew slowly started to rub at Randy's back. "It's okay, Randy. I'm fine."

"No, no, it's fine, it's fine, I just cry a lot more often. It just- Don't worry about it- I just need a minute here." Randy slowly calmed down - the rubbing at his back was actually… a lot more effective than he would have thought. "I just… didn't think I'd ever see you here." ...Holy fuck was he purring? What the fuck.

Andrew smiled, hugging Randy tightly. "I'm glad. I get to see you, again, now."

"That's cheating," Randy grumbled, hugging Andrew just as tightly and automatically going to rub at the tips of his ears, far too used to the action after soothing nightmares for so many months (years?). "'M sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for, grand frere." Yup, guilt. Right there- So much guilt.

"I… have a lot to apologize for." Shaking his head, and deciding to think on it later, Randy pushed himself up, sitting on top of Andrew and putting on his best goofy little grin. "So, welcome to the Ghost Zone. You now have super awesome powers that including flying, going through stuff, and becoming invisible."

"Well then please, begin teaching."

::

He didn't see Andrew very often after that. He went enough to make sure Andrew was alright, and comfortable, and getting settled, but little by little he started distancing himself-

He didn't want to. God he didn't want to. He wanted nothing more than to curl up with Andrew and protect him and keep him safe and maybe explain to him everything he had kept hidden and- Obsessions. Obsessions were all-consuming, and dangerous, and Andrew was his. If he let his obsession control him, Andrew could get… very hurt...

First it was days. He'd return to Liz for just a couple days before seeing Andrew again. Then weeks. Enough time to do some jobs. Then months, when he was certain that Andrew would be fine on his own. He almost didn't notice when a year had passed.

::

A mate. Andrew had a mate. A person that was his soulmate and destined for him and who he could spend his 'life' with- To say Randy was jealous would have been an understatement. To say he was pissed would have been putting it mildly. And as 'big brother' it was entirely within his right to go check this punk out and show him exactly who he was dealing with it.

::

Oh no he was cute. Andrew's 'mate' was absolutely adorable and precious and he looked so small and cute and tiny and Randy just wanted to wrap him up in a bubble shield and keep him locked away with Andrew and spoil him and keep him safe and-

Fuck. The kid was still half-human. He shouldn't even have a mate. And those two were mated. He couldn't be anything more than… a big brother. Which... Which was fine. That was how it was supposed to be, after all.

Besides, as 'big brother' he could keep them safe, and protected, and be the one they looked up to so they could break- God knew they needed to just sit down and cry sometimes, with the shit they went through. So… while it wasn't what he wanted - not even close - he… he would stay in that role. Just to help them, to protect them, to give them the kind of lives they deserved instead of what they had been forced to take.

::

::

(NOT FTB OR GUARDIAN COMPLIANT)

"...Hey, Randy?"

"Hm?"

"I hate you."

A quiet chuckle, Randy sitting himself down in his mate's lap and kissing him sweetly. "I'm in love with you too, mon douce." Danny huffed, crossing his arms and turning away from him.

"I mean it, this time." Randy gave a quiet hum, kissing at Danny's cheek and gently rubbing a hand down his spine.

"Emotion core. I can tell that you're full of warm, sappy, happy feelings." Before he could be anymore doting, there was a pillow hitting the back of his head.

"Randall Nicholas Beaumont why the fuck would you end the book there." Before Andrew could hit him with the pillow again, Randy was easily pinning him with a grin.

"Well, you two know the story from there, yeah?"

"Yeah," Danny said with a smile. "Guess we do. That was written really well."

"Well, I do have two wonderful sources of inspiration," Randy grinned, still keeping Andrew pinned as he kissed the tip of the man's nose. "And a great teacher who inspires me with his own works."

"No! I'm not going to let you get out of this one- You need to end that book properly!" Randy hummed consideringly, finally giving a nod.

"Alright. I think I have just the way to end it, too..."