Author's Note: Here we go, fam! A short and sweet intro to my new Supernatural fic. Fret not, I'm considering somehow combining this with the current Supernatural fic. Time will tell, though, but I'm hoping for semi-smooth sailing on this. Anyway, enjoy!
To avoid any hassle or being called out, this will serve as a disclaimer for the whole story. I do not own any of the show's characters/storylines. Any original characters/deviations from the storylines are, obvs, my own invention from my brain juices. I do not accept/gain any monetary compensation for any of this, as it is purely for my own amusement (and, hopefully, yours).
"I really hate it when you do this," Roy muttered while he flipped through the stack of newspapers. He didn't bother reading any of the headlines or looking at the pictures. It was habit that had him turning the pages. "It's worrying and honestly, kind of scary as shit."
Brushing back their dark hair, Lux looked up at their friend. "What are you talking about, Roy?" they asked with their brows drawn together. "I am literally just sitting here."
Roy rolled his eyes and pushed the papers aside. "Exactly. Usually you do it for a couple of hours then you're over it. But, it's been days now. Are we not going to talk about what happened?" he asked, leaning towards Lux. "Three days, Lux. I can't say I've seen you eat or sleep during that time. All you've done is shift through the newspapers, through websites. Hell, I don't even know what we're looking for, if I'm being honest."
"I told you, we're looking for anything out of the ordinary," Lux replied. "Claims of hallucinations, of strange or unexplainable deaths, people claiming supernatural hi-jinks. Things of that sort."
"Why, though?" Roy pressed and when Lux didn't reply, he reached over and yanked the laptop from their grasp. "Her funeral is tomorrow, Lux. I had to make the preparations on my own. Did you even notice that I was gone? Are you planning on staying here, just shifting through all this garbage?"
Blinking, Lux frowned and made a grab for it only for Roy to hold it out of reach. It wasn't hard seeing how he was at least a foot taller than his friend. "Stop fucking around," Lux sighed with exasperation.
"Look, I get it. We all grieve differently, and your way of grieving is… burying yourself in supernatural conspiracies, I suppose," he said, sounding unsure now. He shook his head and returned his gaze to Lux again. "Anyway, the point is, you need to talk about it. If not to me, then to a professional. Your job benefits must include therapy with your bereavement time, right?"
Lux's brown eyes bore into Roy's blue ones and he tried very hard not to flinch away. There were very few instances when Lux displayed this level of calm self-control, and it was usually never a good thing when they were. In fact, Roy had been around on one instance where Lux was this measured and the person their attention had been directed to landed himself in the hospital when they kept pushing. "Listen very carefully," Lux spoke. The quietness of their voice only served to heighten Roy's nerves. "I do not need bereavement time. I do not need therapy. What I need, is to find what did this."
"It was an accidental fire, Lux," Roy spoke gently now, as if trying to convince a frightened animal it was safe. "Electrical short. That's what the cops said, isn't it?"
"It wasn't an accident," Lux hissed and the fire in their eyes made Roy startle back. Those flames were a little too close to madness. "I know what people say, what they think. But I know what I saw, Roy, and it wasn't an accident."
After a breath, Roy shook his head and stood, throwing the laptop on the couch. "I'm done, Lux. I'm only enabling this delusion – " Lux scoffed at the term as they grabbed the laptop again and their friend only sighed. "Lux, we've been friends for what, almost a decade? We've shared everything with each other. Everything," he emphasized. "You've had my back, even during times you probably shouldn't have. And I've had yours, every time. This, though," he trailed off, rubbing at his mouth.
When he didn't get a response "Emma was my sister, you know. Before she was your girlfriend. Losing her," his voice choked out and he rubbed at his mouth again. "You're not the only one that's hurting, Lux."
The words caused Lux to pause and their expression fell just for a second before reverting back to the stoic look Roy was used to. "I know. And I'm going to find the truth, Roy," they said in a low voice. "I'm going to get whatever hurt Emma. I owe her that much. And you."
Roy closed his eyes before looking around to grab his things, shaking his head again. "No. Whatever this is, it isn't about me or Emma. Neither of us asked for this," he said. "Remember that."
Lux didn't look back up from the laptop screen, even after the sound of a door slamming shut. Their eyes widened not even a moment later, though, and they hooked up the laptop to the printer quickly, waiting impatiently for the pages to come out of the machine. "Finally," they whispered picking up the first sheet as it slid out and letting their eyes take in the article. "Finally, a start."