Chapter Text
At first, he was fine watching his husband sprint into the billowing smoke. He’d done it dozens of times before, each time just as successful as the last. Even as the building shuddered and broke, he remained calm.
It was agonising, the wait growing longer and longer. CuteGuy began to panic, starting towards the burning rubble. The officers he’d recently protected, who still stood beside him, grabbed at his arms. They held him back, keeping his life a priority. They couldn’t risk two heroes today. He turned to one, begging, “Let me go. I have to find him!”
He shook his head sadly, offering a comforting smile. “I can’t do that, sir.”
He struggled weakly against the officers. In the back of his mind, he knew he could pull away in a heartbeat, but his hero instincts wouldn’t let him harm them. Untamed tears dripped down his cheeks. He didn’t want to cry, not in front of people he was meant to be brave for, but he couldn’t stop.
A girl he didn’t recognise ran from the back of the building, saying her name. She was the one who’d been missing. She’d gotten out through a fire escape in the office next to her own.
He screamed out his fear. His attempt at words was blurred by tears. He couldn’t handle his thoughts.
Next came a lone firefighter. He shook his head sadly and CuteGuy’s nerves overwhelmed him. He gave up, going limp in the officer's hold.
Slowly, unsure, they released him.
He let himself fold over and crumbled onto the hard concrete. His wings drooped, losing all previous life. He sobbed into his folded hands. His body wracked with every heave. He’d lost his love, his light. To a damned fire.
HotGuy was gone and it was his fault. He should have stopped him. HotGuy would have listened if CuteGuy had just told him to stop .
Silence - except for the sound of raging flames, desperate hoses, and broken cries - engulfed the whole scene.
Suddenly, “There! Look! It’s them!” A flicker of hope.
Every pair of eyes watched the collapsed entrance as three figures waded from the smoke.
Two firefighters, barely standing, hoisting a body between them.
They stumbled over the debris. Losing their grip on what was obviously HotGuy. The three of them landed hard on the concrete. Both firefighters groaned and coughed, but nothing from HotGuy.
CuteGuy couldn’t watch as someone bent to feel his husbands pulse.
One of the officers' breath caught in his throat. Then, a hand settled on CuteGuy’s shoulder, just above his wing. “I’m so sorry.”
It was official, then.
“Time of death,” someone announced, “uncertain. Rest in peace, HotGuy.”
. . .
Scar nudged open his apartment door and tossed his keys into the basket on the counter. It was quiet. Scar suspected that, however, seeing as it was nearly one in the morning.
Cub and Mumbo had asked him to stay behind. They’d planned to modify his suit, adding in emergency gear for situations similar to the one two weeks ago.
HotGuy had been grounded from heroics for a month. He was forced into a healing period. Even though the doctors declared him just peachy, all of his higher-ups and all of his friends insisted he take a break. Evidently, CuteGuy went on double patrols and often fell asleep in his hero costume upon arriving home.
The public went insane over the kiss, but the hero duo had yet to make any announcement regarding their personal lives. Hell, they barely even talked about it. With Grian almost never home, what time did they have to talk?
He toed off his shoes, leaving them in a pile by the door, now closed, beside a pair of neatly placed tennis shoes. He smiled softly. Grian would have a fit about that come morning.
He made his way towards their bedroom. He stretched, feeling his back pop.
Maui and Pearl were cuddled together on the couch. He pet them and scanned the room for Jellie. He could hear her distressed meow from the hallway. Grian must have shut the door.
Rounding the corner, he pulled off his shirt and leaned down to pet his kitty. “Did that meanie shut the door on you? Well, we’ll have to tell him how he hurt your feelings when he wakes up.”
She pulled away and scratched at the door. Her meowing only grew more insistent.
Scar frowned. “Jellie, what…?” He could hear the rustling of sheets through the door and pushed it open.
Grian was turned away from the door, clearly having fallen asleep in his costume again. His wings were puffed up behind him.
Scar smiled and watched as Jellie leapt up onto the bed. “Well, would you look at my pretty bird, sleeping all alone.”
He yawned, approaching the bed. Jellie meowed again and pranced a circle on his pillow.
Scar sighed. “Jellie, I love you, but I have to sleep there.” He reached to move her, eliciting a threatening hiss. “Oh, geez, Jellie. What is your-” a faint whine stopped him in his tracks. He glanced at the sleeping form of his husband. “Gri-”
“Please,” the dirty blonde whimpered. “Please, please, please.”
“Birdy,” Scar purred, sitting on the bed at his feet, wary of his wings.
Grian’s breaths wavered and his wings twitched. “Please come home.”
“Who, Gri? I’m home,” he tried.
He let out a weak sob, flinching in his sleep. “Scar, please, come home.”
“Woah, Gri, Grian, I’m home. I’m okay.” He moved around the mattress, crouching in front of the avian. “Baby, wake up.” He shook the other's shoulder gently.
“Scar!” Grian called desperately, tears seeping from his closed eyes. “Scar, please! I can’t-”
“Grian!” Scar petted his face, urging him to calm.
“Scar, I can’t lose you! Please!”
Scar reached up, hating to come to this last resort, and gave a gentle tug to one of Grian’s feathers.
His eyes shot open. His breathing was erratic. “Scar?”
“Yes, Gri. It’s Scar. I’m home.”
His dark eyes widened and a hand covered his mouth. “Scar?” He sobbed.
Scar nodded and offered his husband a hug.
Grian leaned forwards, accepting, before bolting across the room to the connected bathroom, leaving Scar to trail cluelessly behind.
Scar watched as Grian heaved dryly into the toilet. “Oh, hunny,” he gasped. He made his way over the cool tile and sat behind his partner. He stretched his legs around the blonde and rubbed a soothing hand over the space between his wings.
Grian coughed. “Sca-ar,” he tried.
“No, no. Save your breath, baby bird,” he whispered.
Grian leaned back into his hero’s chest, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologise,” Scar hugged around his chest. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”
“I-I keep-,” he swallowed heavily, “I’ve been having nightmares, Scar. Since that day. Sometimes, you barely make it. Usually, you’re permanently hospitalised, comatose. But, but-” he gasped, retching into the toilet.
“Grian, buddy,” Scar sniffled, feeling heavy emotions for his love, “Hunny…”
“No, I- You-,” Grian tried. His wings stiffened behind him as memories crashed through his head. “You died, Scar. And they wouldn’t even let me see you. They just… announce you dead and move on. Or- or- Sometimes all they can find are your glasses or an arrow and- and there’s no hope.” His body shuddered as tears spilled over again and he curled into himself, pulling his knees up to his chest and burying his face in them. “And, realistically, I know they’re just nightmare’s, but Scar-” his voice cracked “Scar what if- what if I had lost you?”
Scar wasn’t sure how to respond. His mouth opened and closed.
“Sorry. You don’t, uhh, have to say anything. It’s stupid, I know, but-”
“No! No, no, no,” Scar stroked Grian’s feathers. “It’s not stupid, birdy. It is okay to be afraid. It is okay to worry. You have no reason to apologise. To me, or to anyone.”
Grian sighed, relaxing back into Scar’s loving arms. “Thanks, Scar.”
“Of course,” he mumbled, pressing a kiss to the back of Grian’s neck. “Why don’t we head to bed? I’ll get you some water and we can sleep. Together. I will hold you all night. And you’re taking off tomorrow.”
Grian tried to argue.
“No! I am calling Pearl. She’ll get it organised once I explain. You first, okay? If I can go a whole month without HotGuy, surely you can go one day without CuteGuy.”
Grian giggled softly. “Fine, but just one day.”
“Mmmm, three?”
“ One , Scar.”
“Two-and-a-half?”
Grian deflated, giving in. Fine . You get seventy-two hours, starting now.”
“Works for me,” Scar celebrated, scooping Grian into his arms and standing up.
Grian squealed, wings fluttering behind them. “Scar-!”
“You’re on break.”
Grian gave an annoyed stare.
Scar huffed, setting him on the bed and giving his best pout. “Just let me baby you, please?”
Grian rolled his eyes lovingly. “Alright, seventy- one hours.”
“Seventy-one hours and… a kiss? For being the best husband ever?”
“And a kiss….” Grian smiled, accepting Scars lips over his.