Creature Comfort
by
Owlcroft
"So where do you want to go, babes? The Yuckon or the Gloomdike? Or," Beetlejuice stopped to think, "we could go to the Hummalayas in Tibag. They're the tallest mountains in the Neitherworld."
Lydia grinned at him. "I just said it would be fun to play in snow, not go mountain-climbing."
Beetlejuice returned her grin. "Sledding downhill at ninety miles an hour? Snowball fights? Building snow ogres? Just pick the place, Lyds, and we're there!"
"Okay, then – the tallest mountains in the Neitherworld! I'd love to get some photos from the top of the very tallest." She extended her arms invitingly. "And how about some warm clothes?"
He obliged, for the both of them, and they went straight to Tibag. While Lydia was exclaiming at the view from the top of Mount Neverest, Beetlejuice examined the area. "There's a legend, you know, of a creature that's supposed to live up here somewhere. They call it a Sasquash because they claim it stomps you flat or squeezes you until you're just a handful of slime. They say it's twenty feet tall and covered in white fur but all they've found is footprints. Nobody's ever seen it, much less gotten a photo." He still looked around carefully.
"I'd love to get that photo, too," said Lydia with shining eyes. "Maybe we'll be lucky and spot it."
"Come on, babes. It's just a story they tell to tourists." Satisfied that there was nothing lurking, he cunningly sneaked behind her and packed a snowball.
ooooo
They spent a happy afternoon in Tibag, pelting each other with snow, yelling and yodelling over each other's echos. Then they spent an hour speeding down the mountain again and again in a two-person bobsled and another hour building snow ogres, trying to outdo each other in making the fiercest, most abhorrent snow figure. As the suns slowly approached the horizon, Lydia was tired but happy and taking a last few photos from the top of the mountain to remember the day.
She didn't notice at first when an enormous white shape appeared from behind a boulder, but when it bellowed in anger, she whirled to face it.
"Lyds, look out!" Beetlejuice yelled. "It's the Sasquash!" He wound up to throw a bolt of juice at it, but the enraged white-furred figure swiftly stretched out one huge paw to grab Lydia and the other to shove Beetlejuice off the edge of the mountain. As it squeezed the small human, she screamed in pain and panic and Beetlejuice clawed his way back up far enough to see her frantically fighting to get free. He yelled her name and extended a hand; a flash of incandescent flame struck the Sasquash right between the eyes. It roared in pain, dropping Lydia, and turned blindly to find its antagonist.
Lydia scrambled through the snow to the panicky ghost who caught her up at once and they flashed to the Roadhouse before the Sasquash knew what had happened.
They both just stood and breathed for a while, clutching each other fiercely.
"I was so afraid," she said finally, trembling. "I couldn't breathe and it was crushing me. I couldn't see you, didn't know what it'd done to you! Beej, I couldn't get loose and I didn't know where you were."
He was still breathing hard and holding her close. "But you're okay, right? You're not hurt? You sure?"
"I think so," She thought about it and added, "My ribs hurt but not that bad." His embrace fell away at once and she winced as she cautiously ran a hand over her side. "Just really sore, that's all. And we were having such a fun day," she said mournfully.
"Should've thought of it. Should've looked around again." Beetlejuice sighed unhappily. "My fault."
"No, it isn't! You'd told me about the Sasquash so maybe we should both have checked again, but it's not your fault." Lydia reached out and took his hand. "Actually," she started slowly, "maybe it's time we stopped doing the dangerous stuff like today and the photos in the Sandworm desert." She felt him flinch at the mention of that day and gripped his hand tighter. "We can still have lots of good times, do all sort of things that might be just as much fun and not, you know, life-threatening."
He nodded. "Kind of . . . think first, you mean?" He frowned then. "You could have been really hurt going down that mountain in a bobsled, you know. I guess we should've thought about that, too, huh?"
"I'm just so used to being safe with you that I don't even think about things like that anymore. But . . ." She sighed briefly, "I think maybe it's time I grew up." She smiled at him ruefully.
Beetlejuice was staring at their clasped hands with a sad expression. "But if you grow up, you might . . . you might grow away," he whispered. "From me."
"Beej, I am growing up and every day I grow closer to you and need you even more."
He managed a shy smile at that. "Then I guess maybe I'm growing up, too."
ooooo
They eventually went to Lydia's room and snuggled against each other all evening, watching a movie but not really seeing it.
"It's late," Lydia finally said reluctantly. "Bedtime."
Beetlejuice looked uncomfortable. "Yeah. Suppose so." He fiddled with the ends of his tie and frowned. "Lyds, would you mind if I slept with you tonight?" He blinked, then took in a quick breath and looked at her wide-eyed and anxious, adding quickly, "I mean, I didn't mean, I mean – just sleep here. You know."
She stared at him and said, "Of course, if you want," then thought about what he'd said and tilted her head at him in question.
He could see she was considering now and said, "I didn't mean sleep together. You know," he said trying not to blush, "just sleep here. Just sleep. I won't make any noise – won't need a blanket or even a pillow. Really." His expression had changed to imploring. "I'll lie right at the foot of the bed, okay? I just . . . I just want to open an eye and see you. Feel the bump of your foot. Hear you breathing. I just need to know if you get scared thinking about what happened or have a bad dream or something." He raised his brows in anxious hope. "And who knows . . . I might have a bad dream, too."
"Well," she still hesitated, then nodded. "I think I do want you here tonight. I think it would be comforting, to know you're here. I am still a little –" She shivered slightly. "But," she raised a finger in admonition, "if you start snoring –" She grinned then and added, "then I'll just have to snore louder than you."
He gave her a small smile in return. "That's a deal."
ooooo
Beetlejuice did snore that night, huddled in a blanket at the foot of the bed, but Lydia actually found it relaxing and easy to sleep through, which bode well for the future. Poor Beej, she thought as she began to fall asleep. Growing up was hard. But he'd figure it out. She'd help him figure it out.