“Is there a reason you’re buttering both sides of your toast? Or is that just some weird living thing?”
PJ jumped, nearly dropping his breakfast in the process. He craned his head over his shoulder to look at…well, house guest would be stretching it, and Pj wasn’t sure if the undead boy would appreciate ‘roommate’. Whatever Max was…he was certainly something.
“Mister Max…good morning.” PJ greeted, watching warily as Max descended from the rafters, “I really wish you wouldn’t sneak up on my like that…”
Max rolled his eyes and darted to hover over top of PJ’s counter, his missing lower half leaving a small mist of black spectral energy in its wake, “I’m not doing it on purpose, y’know. I can’t exactly knock on stuff or make any noise. That’s Zoey’s department.”
“Hey!” Max’s younger sister popped her head through the living room wall, pouting, “I heard that!”
“Good.” Max tossed back, floating out of PJ’s way as they boy went back to his toast. Zoey stuck her tongue out at him and vanished back through the wall. Max rolled his eyes, refocusing on the living person in their former kitchen, “So what’s eating you, anyways?” He paused, then added, “And not literally, keeping yesterday in mind.”
Idly, PJ grabbed another piece of bread and eyed his double-buttered toast with resignation to a lost cause. A heavy silence hung in the kitchen of an even more silent, unfamiliar home. PJ still wasn’t used to it. He didn’t think he’d ever be used to it…
“You’re buttering both sides of your untoasted toast.” Max pointed out with mild exasperation, “Seriously dude, what is up with you?”
PJ sighed in a defeated manner and slid to the kitchen floor. He sat with his legs pulled up to his chest. PJ stared up dolefully at where Max floated above him and asked, “Remember last night when I said…when I said I don’t think I’m cut out for this spectral stuff?”
“Yes?” Max floated downwards a bit, sensing the impending serious conversation.
“It’s morning and I still don’t think I can do this.” He admitted quietly, burying his head into his knees, “I-I’m not as strong…as everyone else in the Activity Club. I’m not a fighter, or a hero, or anyone important. I’m not…” PJ sniffled a bit, rubbing at his eyes as the sting of tears became apparent.
Max sighed and floated closer to the pajama clad boy a bit awkwardly. While Max not near as socially inept as the human crying in front of him, being dead had left him a bit…rusty, “Hey, come on now. There’s no reason to put yourself down like that.” he began a bit awkwardly, “I mean, of course you’re not super cool right now.”
“Wow. Thanks Max,that makes me feel so much better.”
“I wasn’t done yet!” Max huffed, flicking PJ in the head, “ALL heroes have to start somewhere! Even if right now you’re small and weak, and your attitude sucks-”
“You’re really bad at this.”
“-one day you’ll come out on top and be as cool as the rest of those kids from your school!” He finished in a flourish, spinning himself around with all the energy he spoke with.
PJ rolled his eyes a bit, but smiled a small, hidden smile, “You really think so?”
“’course I do.” Max said, adjusting the brim of his hat a bit self-consciously, “You’ve got your whooooooole life ahead of you, PJ. Take it from the dead kid. You’ve got a lot of time to become someone amazing.”
PJ couldn’t take it anymore. He jumped up from the floor and wrapped his arms around Max in a crushing hug that would have injured any living human being. The grin on his face was a straight 10/10 on the scale of overwhelming joy.
“Wo-woah! Hey, hey, careful with the physical contact!” Max chastised, trying to detach the hugging monster. When it seemed his efforts were fruitless, Max sighed and gave up, resigning himself to carefully hugging PJ back.
“Thank you, Mister Max…” PJ mumbled, still grinning ear to ear. He sniffled a bit, “Ever since…well, you know. I haven’t had anyone to support me except you and your family. You guys are…” PJ hiccuped, choking a bit on a sob, “You guys are just the bees knees, taking me in like you have. And I’m not even dead! You’re all so supportive. I don’t deserve such kindness…”
“Don’t be dumb, dummy.” Max mumbled with a roll of hiss eyes, “Dumb is Zoey’s job.”
PJ stifled a laugh, pulling back from the hug. He wiped some of the tears from his eyes and smiled brightly at Max, “You’re the best, Max.”
Max looked pointedly not at PJ, absolutely not blushing, “Yeah, well. You’re not that bad yourself. I guess. For a weird living person.” He coughed awkwardly. PJ snickered as he stood back up, brushing his pajama pants off.
Max’s father stuck his head down from the ceiling, “Hey, PJ? You ready for school yet? Your bus is leaving.”
And in that instance, PJ was pale enough that he could have passed for a ghost himself.
(or otherwise known as PJ is alive and Max is the ghost, au)
(guess who accidentally outlined a whole new au in her head writing this)
