Chapter Text
Peach Blossom works diligently the next few days. He applies the balm under his eye every morning and night and trying to ignore the slight ache as the last petals fall from the blossom.
The work distracts him from the blossom, running herbs and medicine through the medical wing and practicing his technique for making certain medicines.
The blossom gives way one night, roots pulling painfully at his skin as the woody stem breaks away from his eye.
He lays curled into himself as the empty stem rips away from his eye socket, the muscle burning with pain as the century old plant finally uproots itself from his skull.
The stem tumbles down to his pillow, leaving him trying to gasp through the pain as he blinks away tears. He eventually gathers the strength to push himself up and look at the dead plant.
The woody stem is completely dry besides his tears on the thin bark, the roots curled into a cage-like structure around a small ball. The ball looks almost like a marble, foggy white and completely smooth.
Peach Blossom stares down at the stem, swallowing down the memory of when the flower first took root within his eye. The memory comes boiling back up, emotion crowding his throat until tears bloom in his eyes once more.
It takes a while before he gets up the next morning, straightening his appearance as best as he can before heading to the pharmacy. He stares at the empty eye socket in the mirror, the eyelids closed enough that the red interior isn't completely visible.
He arrives much later than he's supposed to. Salted Choco notices the missing bloom immediately, asking him hesitantly about it. He answers quietly, clenching a fist to stop himself from prodding up at the empty space.
Salted Choco looks at him worriedly, pulling him into a brief hug.
Dark Toffee looks over at Peach Blossom, expression concerned, but they don't ask anything about it.
Peach Blossom focuses on work over anything else, dedicating himself from his first waking moment to when he lays down to sleep. The pain of his eye subsides as the days go on, the swelling going down until it simply feels strange.
He gets a lot of work done in the following weeks, to the point another doctor stops him during one of his deliveries.
"I've noticed you've been doing a lot of deliveries around the wing, and it looks like you can carry a lot more than the rest of us."
Peach Blossom shrugs. "Well, I carried lots of harvests for a long time back where I came from."
"Well, if the other pharmacists agree, would you be willing to carry some of the linens and bandages to the laundry room on certain days? We usually have others come get them, but we've fallen behind recently."
Peach Blossom nods, giving the doctor a small smile. "Of course, I'd be happy to help."
He adds laundry runs to his schedule every few days, carrying two baskets down the palace hallways and leaving them in the same laundry room he was brought to when he first arrived. He meets Sesame Bun in the room occasionally, chatting with her and offering help with the laundry, which she immediately firmly declines.
He still offers every time he sees her, however, until she eventually accepts his help with washing some of the linens. She directs him on how to soak the cloth with lye and ash, slowly scrubbing until the cloth is white and clean, rinsing under cold water.
He ends up helping every few runs now, talking with Sesame Bun about events around the palace. She stops him one evening before he leaves for the medical wing.
"I remembered you left some clothing here when you first showed up. I managed to fix it up with some free time." Peach Blossom watches Sesame Bun dig some brightly colored fabric out from one of the cabinets, handing him the neatly folded bundle.
Peach Blossom looks down at the hanfu in his arms, the small rips neatly patched and the fabric clean of its past stains. "…Thank you."
Sesame Bun nods. "Of course. I thought you'd like to have it back."
Peach Blossom clutches the clothes to his chest, smiling softly. "Thank you, Sesame Bun. May… may I ask for a hug?"
Sesame Bun pauses for a moment, nodding. "Very well."
The hug is brief, but a large comfort against the past days strain. Sesame Bun pats Peach Blossom's arm when he pulls away, sending him back to the medical wing with the clean linens.
Peach Blossom continues his work and schedule, the conversations and business keeping him somewhat distracted from his current state.
In the quiet of night however, with no distraction from his own mortality, the grief crashes back down on him like a rising tide. The dead root remains atop the small desk, a silent, taunting reminder of his lost immortality, his own weakness away from the pagoda.
It's a similar silent night when he ends up restless, pushing himself up from his bedding and carefully opening the door. The hall is silent, dimly lit with only a few low lanterns in the night.
Peach Blossom slowly walks out of the medical wing, exploring the palace in a way he was previously unable to. The long, winding halls take him past new areas, each deadly silent besides the soft sound of wind past the walls and flames flickering inside their lanterns.
He stops in front of a large window, pointed towards the outside scenery. He realizes it's the first glimpse outside he's seen since arriving, a nearly endless expanse of snow illuminated by the moon.
The window is set deep enough into the wall that it almost acts as a bench, letting him sit on the ledge and curl his legs up next to him. He stares out at the scenery, counting some of small trees dotting the ground further away from the palace.
He's pulled out of his thoughts when the silence is broken, footsteps nearing before halting next to the window. Peach Blossom turns to face the person, freezing in place.
Dark Cacao looks back at him, expression unreadable as he stares at the other man.
"… Gardenkeeper." Dark Cacao stands in front of the window, posture noble even in the dead of night. Peach Blossom can't help but question if he's the same man he found on the mountain, or the same who looked upon him kneeling in the throne room. The low light paints his face in gentle shadows, eyes softer than Peach Blossom has ever witnessed. His head almost seems bare without the crown sitting atop it.
"… Your Majesty. I apologize, I should not have disturbed you —"
Dark Cacao puts up a hand to stop Peach Blossom, making him pause before he slips off the window to stand. "It is alright. The halls are freely open to any who visit or reside in the palace."
Peach Blossom pauses for a moment, moving his legs back onto the window ledge. "Thank you, my king."
Dark Cacao nods, going silent for a long moment. "… I have not seen you much, recently. I hope that the time has been treating you well."
Peach Blossom nods, turning to look back out of the window. "It has, and I'm very glad for it. I just… couldn't sleep tonight. I did not know anyone would be out this late."
Dark Cacao nods slowly. "Few are. I simply wanted to walk for some air."
Peach Blossom glances back towards the man, gaze turning back to the window. There's a long moment before either speaks again.
"You should rest more, tonight. I'm sure lack of sleep is not beffiting to new mortals." Dark Cacao's voice is firmer than a moment ago, making Peach Blossom startle back to attention.
He forces his eyes to the window, words bitter as they bubble past his tongue. "And is it beffiting to that of a king?"
Dark Cacao goes silent. Peach Blossom is thrown off by his own words, swallowing thickly as his gaze drifts down to his hands.
"I'm… I'm sorry. I should not have said that. I… I haven't been thinking clearly. Things have been different since I left the pagoda. I haven't felt any of this since…" Peach Blossom trails off, hand drifting up to feel the missing petals beneath his eye. "I apologize. I should not take it out on you, or anyone."
"Your eye." Dark Cacao's voice is quiet, barely loud enough for Peach Blossom to hear.
Peach Blossom tries to turn his face away, fingers curling against his cheek. "Not a pretty sight, I know."
"… May I see?" Dark Cacao asks the question hesitantly, hand already raised to reach for Peach Blossom.
Peach Blossom hesitates, nodding slowly and turning to face Dark Cacao.
Dark Cacao's hand moves slowly, skin warm as it cups Peach Blossom's cheek. He almost flinches away from the feeling, fighting not to melt into the touch. Dark Cacao's hands are rough with callouses, yet he holds Peach Blossom ever-so-gently, softly brushing his thumb bellow his eye.
"It's started to heal over now. Quite ugly, I'm sure." Peach Blossom smiles sadly, looking down at his hands to avoid making eye contact with Dark Cacao.
Dark Cacao breathes out, his voice a low murmur. "… You're as beautiful as the day I first saw you on the mountain."
Peach Blossom's breath hitches, gaze flitting up to meet Dark Cacao's. "I…"
Before Peach Blossom can stutter out a response, Dark Cacao pulls his hand away, turning in the hopes that the other man doesn't see his face darken. He clears his throat, voice firm once again. "You should head back and rest. At least for the night."
Peach Blossom nods, moving to get down off the window ledge. "Of course, my king. I… I wish you a good night."
Dark Cacao silently extends a hand to Peach Blossom, wordlessly helping him down from the ledge. Peach Blossom can't help but feel that the king holds onto his hand for a moment longer than necessary. "Good night, Peach Blossom. I hope that we may see more of each other."
Dark Cacao turns away, striding down the hallway and leaving Peach Blossom in the puddle of moonlight cast by the window.
Peach Blossom folds his hands together, painfully aware of the warmth cast across his face as he hurries back to the medical wing.