crack_van | Emergency Exorcism, by whitedatura

Fandom: WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE
Pairing: Cecil/Carlos
Length: 2,564 words
Author on LJ:

whitedatura
Author Website: on Tumblr; works on AO3
Warnings: “a small exorcism, not a break up fic, grape jelly as a writing implement, Typical Night Vale Weirdness, Night Vale humor”
Notes: spoilers for “One Year Later” (ep. 25) and “A Blinking Light up on the Mountain” (ep. 31)
Why this must be read:

I imagine everyone here has done it at least once: there’s somebody you should talk to, and you mean to, you really do, but you’ve been busy at your job, plus you’re embarrassed about how the last date went, and the next thing you know half a month has passed and you’re certain the relationship is doomed. That’s the situation Carlos finds himself in, with the added complication that in Night Vale, being eaten up with guilt is more than a metaphor.

He owed Cecil an explanation. He knew he did. This wasn't middle school, when suddenly ignoring a person was an acceptable way of initiating a breakup, even if it was for Cecil's benefit.

"Finally," the scrubby bush to the left of the lab's door said as he stepped out.

"Bring him flowers," said the one to the right. "He likes wolfsbane."

"I'm not –" Carlos began, but gave up quickly. He rubbed at the ache in his sternum and started walking.

The pain got worse as he neared Cecil's apartment building, tiny pinpricks of heat in his ribs and a squeezing around his heart, but he kept going.

Somehow he was in front of Cecil's door. He wasn't sure if he'd walked there or been teleported the last block, or if he still needed to knock.

The door swung open. "Carlos?"

"Cecil," he managed to gasp before he blacked out.

“Emergency Exorcism” on AO3