Chapter Text
The Battle of Infurnus was a bloodbath. It was brutal, messy, and full of grief as people fought each other to survive a war that possibly could’ve been avoided if not for one man. A man that was now wanted across both continents. A man with stark black hair and once shining, but now dull, amethyst eyes. A man who, with his unfaltering determination and tilted world views, had single handedly caused hundreds of deaths.
Once the citizens-turned-soldiers had seen Fluixon jump right down into the flowing lava, they had assumed that the war was over and the main adversary had perished in a fiery death. But what the masses hadn't accounted for was the small vial of fire resistance hidden in his sleeve, the messily made escape tunnel hidden deep in the volcano, and the still rampant determination that sung in his heart, driving him to move forward. Forward towards the only person still alive that he knew could forgive him. Hopefully, that is.
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The Battle had been a long one, and Saps had long grown tired of the feeling of dried blood in his wings. The once-soft feathers had been reduced to a scratchy, bloody mess, with tiny bits of lava rock and ash stuck in the now-gray appendages, making for a rather uncomfortable trip back to his home island.
Traveling back to his home island felt weird. He felt as though he needed to watch his back every waking moment, even though all the threats for the time being had disappeared. WIth his name cleared, the party traveling back to Island 1 was quick to congratulate him on the successful battle and many came to apologize for the way he was treated (hunted) during the past few days. Cass, the leader of the Cass Coalition had invited him to stay in her city for the time being, seeing as his home had been ransacked by people believing him to be guilty, leaving only craters where TNT had blown up and graffiti on the walls of what hadn’t been destroyed.
He answered with a grateful, but dull smile, one that didn't reach his eyes, as he politely declined. He claimed that he needed to start working on picking up the place as soon as possible, maybe as a way to start making himself feel at home in the place where betrayal had dug its sharp knife right into his back.
Cass only gave him a sad smile and an understanding nod before telling him to contact her if he needed anything and to have a safe journey back. Saps nodded before trodding off to the docks and starting his slow boat trip back to his small isolated island, his “home”.
The boat ride back didn’t offer any solace from the storm brewing in Saps’ head. The storm filled with thoughts of Flux- Fluixon and their friendship-turned-betrayal. Notions of what could’ve been, what should’ve been boiled in his brain until he finally reached the shoreline of his once beloved island. The place where he allowed calmness to burrow deep in his soul. The place where Fluixon and him had laid all those nights ago, before things became so complicated. The place where his best friend had framed him for murder.
Making his way up the large startcase, now with weeds sprouting among the steps, the view of Saps’ once glorious home came into view and he finally took in the amount of damage that the poor building had gone through. Craters from TNT explosions, cracked walls from heavy items being thrown against them, and colorful, but distasteful graffiti with the words “traitor” and “murderer” among many other rude remarks covering what wasn’t already destroyed.
It was here, in the wreckage of his home, the place that he had built with his once most trusted friend, that Saps finally cracked. With his wings dragging heavily behind him, still filled with the blood and debris from earlier, Saparata let his emotions consume him. He caved in on himself, tears streaming down his cheeks in huge globs, arms clutching his sides in a form of self-soothing. Though it wasn’t as soothing as it was damaging as his fingernails dug into his waist, breaking through skin and leaving harsh, bloody imprints. His breathing quickly picked up, his heart beating in tandem with his shaky inhales.
It wasn't long before black spots began to dance in his vision and he collapsed to the floor, his hands abandoning his sides to instead grip at the rough dirt below him. His tears freely spilled onto the ground, wetting the soil and turning it to mud. It’s hard to know what to do during a panic attack when you’ve never experienced one before. Even through the time he was being chased around the world, he managed to keep his emotions in check long enough to allow himself to keep moving, despite the immense pressure of the hatred from everyone in the universe on his back. But now, it seems to have finally boiled over. Every negative thought, every spat of hatred thrown at him in the past week had hit him full force, and he wasn’t handling it well.
Just as he was about to pass out from the lack of air, he felt a hand on his back, softly petting between his dull and messy wings. A calming voice sounded from somewhere behind him, a voice he distantly recognized, but was too panicked to fully understand. The hand on his back didn’t still, it just continued to rub circles into the ash-ridden skin below his neck while the same voice kept talking. It was getting easier to understand words now, and Saps recognized phrases such as “it’s okay” and “breathe” being spoken into his ear.
After what seemed like an eternity, his short and jittery breaths had changed into something more slow and controlled, though tremors still wracked his being. Even though he had calmed down, the presence next to him hadn’t moved. Wait. Who the fuck was next to him?! Saps whipped his head up to see a pair of dull amethyst eyes meet his. He immediately flung himself backward, tugged himself to his feet, and pulled out his sword, pointing it shakily at the unwelcome guest. Fluixon raised his hands in a mock surrender, a bored expression covering his face (though Saps could see the concern lacing his brow).
“Wow, not even a hello? I thought we were friends, Saps.” Fluixon remarks, pushing the shaky blade away with the tip of his finger.
“You- you are not my f-friend, Fluixon. And don’t. Don’t call me that.” Saparata spits, still feeling the effects of his panic attack from moments ago.
Black spots once again try to take over his vision and he falters, stumbling slightly.
“You’re not meant to be here.. You’re supposed to be dead!” the avian shouts, tears brimming in his eyes and wings flaring out in agitation and another emotion that he dare not name.
“And yet, here I am.” replies the ravenette.
“No. Nononono. This can’t be happening. You. You jumped into lava. Everyone was celebrating. Everyone thinks you’re dead! And I just stood there! I was supposed to be rejoicing along with everyone else, but I couldn't. You wanna know why?! Despite all the heartache and pain you and your stupid idiotic friends brought upon the world, deep down, I still care about you! Believe me, I know, it’s shocking, isn't it?” Saparata chuckled wetly, “caring about someone who hurt you so deeply, you must think I’m so stupid, but I can’t help it.” He paused for a moment before continuing softly. “It was supposed to be us, Flux. It was supposed to be us against the world. Do you remember that night, all those moons ago, when you preened my wings? You asked me a question. A simple one, really. But I had refused to answer because I was scared that it would make things awkward between us.” he smiled sadly.” You asked if wing preening meant something special to avians, and to answer your question, yes. It does. It’s normally meant as a bonding activity for avians who choose to spend their lives together. A bonding activity for mates.” Quiet tears began to rain down Saps’ cheeks again as he continued. “Then the next day, I woke up to an empty home, and a few hours later, I had been betrayed. Do you know how much that hurt? Do you even know what that did to me? To my heart?” Saps' voice cracked as he spoke the last words, and before he knew it, Flux surged forward, wrapping Saps into a warm embrace. Everything else he had planned to say died on his tongue as amethyst eyed man began to chant apologies into his hair.
It was like every dam immediately broke in the winged man’s heart and he finally allowed his sobs to break through and let his arms wrap around the man hugging him.
“I-I m-missed y-you so m-much Flux..” he cried, hugging the taller man tighter.
“I know, Birdie, I know.. I'm so sorry. I never should’ve done what I did. I regret it from the moment it happened.” he whispered, grip never faltering. “I promise I will never hurt you like that again.” The pair sinks to the floor, still holding each other like if they let go, they would never get the chance to hold each other again.
“I promise that no one. No one will ever hurt you again as long as I live.” And with that final statement, Flux pulls away slightly only to lightly grab Saps’ chin and guide their lips together in a searing kiss. Saps all but melts into the intimate exchange, tasting the sweat and ash still on Flux’s lips, knowing that his lips probably taste the same.
It was there, under the warm blanket of the high sun, and the humid atmosphere that was the jungle, the two men let themselves succumb to the moment, kissing until they both ran out of air, only pulling away to take in greedy gulps of oxygen before resting their foreheads against each other, breathing deeply.
Later, after a much needed moment of rest, the men would stand up and work together to restore the ruined building, much like when they first built it all those months ago. And after hours of hard work, they retired to a tent they had set up nearby where they fell asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms. Of course they had things to talk about the next morning, but that could wait. So once again, they lay, side by side, falling asleep to the calming sounds of the waves on the shore, and the crickets chirping into the darkness.