Chapter Text
Loop 15
When they are looking for graffiti again Joel brought Etho to the same corner shop to get a drink, Etho gave Joel one arched eyebrow but followed without another word. When Joel noticed Etho reaching for the drink, he swiftly swiped it out of his hand and replaced it.
"Don't get that one. Here, get this instead."
Etho's eyes were a little wide as he stared at the familiar bold letters.
"You remembered."
"Course I did, it's just a loop ago."
One day, it would come back to Joel that to Etho, it had been five years.
"Thank you for remembering."
"It's nothing."
By the checkout, Joel noticed, expected, Etho's gaze at the lottery tickets. So before he could even get a word out, Joel put their drinks aside and pulled a ticket with a dramatic gesture, earning an eyeroll from the other.
Once they've made their purchase, Joel had the foresight to ask for changes and tossed a penny at Etho who caught it at the last second who then proceeded to pretend he was cool. When Etho started scratching, Joel noticed he was not scratching but drawing a- god is he 7?!
Snatching the ticket from him before he could draw the balls and make it a fish before handing it back. Staring at the card, they both started laughing, and for a moment they were 5 years younger, happier.
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Loop 16
Joel noticed how Etho had been giving him a weird look. Maybe Etho noticed how tired Joel looked during their city hunt, not in the way where his eyes droop, but the way his brows seemed to always be frowning, or how each step seemed to drag. By the next corner, Etho forced them to stop.
“Have you just been trying to figure out how to break out of the loop this entire time?”
Joel looked at Etho as if he had grown another head, or became 5, that's more accurate.
“What else was I supposed to do?”
Etho let out a sigh that almost made himself laugh. Some things just never changes.
“You do realise you have all the time in the world, there’s literally no rush or time limit for you to break out. Why don’t you take a break? Is there anything you want to do?”
Joel mind pulled on blanks, at this point…
“...I just want to lay down on the street and get run over.”
Etho snorted, though his brows frowned,
“That seems like an inefficient way to restart the day.”
Now it was Joel's turn to frown,
“What are you talking about?”
“Getting run over isn’t instant death, it would be a painful way to go. And I’m assuming that you restart the day when you die?”
Joel just stared back at Etho, bewildered. After a beat, Etho caught on the confusion and stared back,
“...You haven’t died yet?”
“How would I? I know how everything plays out, I would need to be looking for it to die.”
Etho tilted his head,
“You never accidentally die?”
“I don’t think that one time counts? Pretty sure I just passed out. What? You think I would die that easily?”
Etho shook his head,
“No, not at all.”
“What is with you and death anyway?”
“What do you mean?"
“Why do you keep thinking that someone will die?”
Etho hummed,
“A lot of time loop stories involve someone being dead, so I thought it might be the case here as well.”
“Well stop that, no one is going to die and if the time loop thing really resets everything, then I am basically immortal.”
Joel's smile dropped when he saw the softness in Etho's eyes,
“That sounds exhausting.”
“Huh? Usually people think it’s cool.”
“Am I wrong though? You couldn’t sleep this entire time. The fact that you haven’t snapped is impressive.”
Etho and his damned heart… it will never stop surprising him.
“It’s not like I can do anything about that.”
“I have an idea, let's go.”
They went to a park, normal as any. Etho guided Joel to sit under a tree, he told Joel to close his eyes and rest but not lose consciousness by listening and feeling his surroundings. And listen he did, to cyclists drifting by, teens playing music on loud speaker as they have their picnic, families having barbecue in this nice weather, and dog owners strolling with their pups.
Etho held Joel's hand and squeezed it occasionally and had Joel do the same to make sure he didn't accidentally fall asleep.
An hour in, Joel started to drift, the dark embrace felt more tempting as time passed by. Would it be so bad to let the darkness take him for just a moment? He might waste a day but what’s one more day?
As his heartbeat slowed and his breath became more shallow, he could feel himself fade away until there was a squeeze on his hand. Joel opened his eyes and glimpsed at the pale hand that was holding his own.
A hand that was colder than his own, but he could feel the warmth of his own hand seeping into his, interlocked together to become one, never wanting to let go.
He squeezed his hand back.
They stayed like this for an hour before continuing their search.
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They went back to Martyn's place to look at the completed map, Etho suggested to triangulate all the confirmed graffiti and got a location out of it. They doubted they have found the exact location with how messy the data was but it was worth a shot.
After they presented the information to Martyn, Martyn just stared at the map in disbelieve,
"You have got to be kidding me, it's just a few blocks away! How have I not bump into him during grocery run or something?"
Joel scoffed,
"Do you even go outside?"
"I'll have you know -"
"He probably knew your habits and avoided you."
Martyn took a second to consider Etho's word and sighed, he suggested to look for Ren in that area in the next loop even if they have to knock door to door.
The two of them crashed on Martyn's living room once more and Etho suggested Joel to have a mind rest again. Etho held his hand as Joel let himself hover over his consciousness until midnight struck.
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Loop 17
It was Saturday again at 10:44am. Fatigue still lingers but Joel wasted no time at all and headed straight to the cafe with renewed conviction.
He caught Etho up on everything and went to go get Martyn.
They arrived at the coordinate, it was an apartment complex and they didn't have the exact room number so they knocked door by door.
When they knocked on the 4th door, the door cracked open and the voice that followed cause Martyn to froze in place,
"Hand, is that you?"
Martyn snapped himself out of the daze,
"Yeah-Yes, my king."
Ren opened the door further, he was wearing sunglasses indoor, Joel could see a glint of purple in his eyes and compared to the photo Martyn showed them, his hair was longer which was tied into a ponytail and he had grown out his beard with an immaculately groomed moustache,
"I am honestly conflicted if I should be happy to see you or be fearful that you have found me."
"The answer is fear."
And Martyn punched Ren in the gut.