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Bad opened his eyes. He'd accidentally dozed off a bit while sitting on the hill.
Who could blame him? It was so peaceful up here. The wind blew past gently, and the vines were spreading so quickly. Definitely a good sight.
Plus, it was quiet. Maybe less good. Now he was alone with his thoughts.
He thought about the Egg, obviously. How much good it would do by spreading and how good it would be to get everyone to love it.
It was good, right..?
No, that's silly. Of course it's good! The Egg is wonderful.
He thought of everyone else. Why didn't they like it? They were all just a bit worried, he thought, but they would surely come around.
He thought of his (former?) friends. They thought he was crazy. He was too far gone, in their book. Too far gone for them to trust him again.
He thought... of his conversation with Quackity. He really was worried about Bad, which was definitely sweet - he kind of just thought Quackity liked to swear at him.
But the amount he distrusted the Egg was too much for him. Bad didn't like the Egg for a bit, sure, but he came around! They would all come around someday.
He sighed, curling up and resting his head on his knees. His wings moved to wrap around him like a blanket. He really wished someone would be here to share the quiet moment with him. His friends being here would be nice, but...
Bad looked up at the clear blue sky. His chest ached. He missed seeing that same color all around him all the time.
He missed Skeppy. It's not like it was a secret. They loved each other so much it would be weird if he didn't.
And maybe, maybe it was a tiny bit unfair that he let this happen just to have Skeppy back, to just be together again, and now he couldn't even have that.
But the Egg always promised he'd have Skeppy back, just as long as it stayed fed. So he promised back that he would keep feeding it.
Bad blinked hard, willing away the oncoming tears. It didn't work as well as he thought, and he buried his head in his arms.
-----
Bad opened his eyes, squinting up at the big quartz building, the sun glinting off the smooth stone. He hadn't been back to the mansion in a while.
The thought hadn't really occurred to him, he was so busy with the Egg and all that he kind of stayed near it most of the time.
He was also sort of avoiding it because, well. He didn't know how easy it would be to see Skeppy's old things.
But no matter! Nostalgia was nice sometimes. And maybe it would be good for him.
Except, the second he walked in, he was hit with a wave of emotion.
It looked... so lived in. Not quite messy, although it kind of was, but like he could turn the corner and see their old selves laughing over dinner, or telling stories, or just sitting in silence together after a long day.
If he thought back far enough, he could almost imagine them when they had just started out here. New to loving each other, new to resting and living just to live, no dangerous plots looming over them.
It seemed like a lifetime ago. Maybe it was.
Bad shook himself out of it. Focus.
He pushed forward. There was probably dust everywhere. Besides, even if no one lived here anymore, there might be things he forgot to take with him.
He'd go through. Just once. Just in case.
Wandering around and taking a good look at the place, it was so... so quiet. Much more than he was used to. He and Skeppy were always talking, or there was music playing. Sure, they had quiet moments, but this was different. This was a much more empty kind of quiet.
It hurt. It ached, deep inside of him.
He missed living here. He really missed being, just being able to exist with someone all the time. Sure, Ant followed him around now, but that was different. It was just for a cause, for the Egg. Not for him.
Bad got an idea. It was likely a horrible one, considering he was already so close to tears, but it was an idea anyway. He ran upstairs, straight to-
Skeppy's room.
His room was always so messy, even when he wasn't there to mess it up. Meaning, all his old stuff was everywhere. Meaning... well.
Normally, Bad would feel like a huge creep for even considering this. But he was desperate now.
He grabbed one of the blue hoodies that were strewn everywhere. He held it close to his chest, like if he held it tight enough, the wearer would return to him.
He sank to the floor, still holding onto it like a lifeline. All the while being so surrounded by Skeppy. And yet, still not having Skeppy himself.
Bad choked out a sob, burying his face deeper into the blue cloth.
-----
Bad opened his eyes. He was greeted with the sight of the Egg, surrounded by dim lights and so many blood-red vines that made his nose burn.
He spent lots of time with the Egg when he wasn't out trying to get others to do the same. The Egg listened to him, and he always listened back.
(He didn't really want this. He didn't want to be controlled by the Egg. But what choice did he have? His friends had given up on him. The only thing he had now was a faraway promise of Skeppy.)
The Egg's voice reverberated in Bad's mind. It asked a question.
Bad answered, "No- no, I'm not sad. Not cause of you, I just..."
...
"Yeah, I miss him a lot. A lot more, lately, hah. But I'm still working to get people to see how good you are."
...
"Really? You'll show me again?"
...
"...yeah. Yes, that would be nice."
Bad sat down next to the Egg. He rested a hand on its shell, closed his eyes, and let the world fade away as it showed him...
--
Bad opened his eyes.
He took in a deep breath, staring up at the sky and then down to the rolling green grass. The air was fresh and clean on the hill he resided on, and the breeze was cool.
The area was quiet, save for some cows mooing in the distance and the bees buzzing away. And the footsteps that sounded like they were coming closer.
Wait.
Bad turned to look at the newcomer. He barely had time to start smiling before he was tackle-hugged into the soft grass.
"Skeppy!"
Skeppy laughed in response from his new place on the ground, next to Bad. They held each other as close as they could.
"Bad!"
"Skeppy, I missed you so much."
Skeppy laughed again, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Bad, you saw me, like, yesterday."
Bad sighed, resting his head on the other's. "I know, but I can still miss you."
Yesterday? He hadn't done this in weeks.
"It's okay. I missed you too."
They lay there in silence for a while, letting the world go by for a moment. They just enjoyed the warmth on their faces. The way their bodies were intertwined, it was hard to tell where one started and the other ended.
"Skeppy?"
"Hm?"
"Do you want to move?"
"No. Do you?"
"Not really."
"Then don't." Skeppy pulled back a bit to look up at Bad. "Why did you ask?"
"I was worried you were getting uncomfortable. I don't mind, though." Bad smiled down at him. "I'm happy as long as I'm with you."
"Aww, that's so gross and sappy."
"Hey, I was trying to be honest!"
"Honest that you want to f-"
"Hey!"
The shouting match went on for a few minutes before turning into laughter and then dying back down again.
Bad looked Skeppy over. He was covered in his signature shade of sky, looking as serene as ever in the light of the setting sun. His cheeks were still flushed blue from laughing. The rays hit his skin in a way that made him glow.
Not his usual diamond glow, it was more... golden. It didn't matter which, anyway - Skeppy was more precious to him than any ore. Than anything. Bad rested a hand lightly on his cheek, watching him smile and lean into the touch.
Something deep inside him wished more than anything that this would last forever. Everything else reminded him that it couldn't.
An echo from far, far away told him that it could.
He would have to go, soon.
"...I do love you."
"Huh?"
"From earlier? I do love you."
"Aww. I love you too."
Bad smiled, softly, leaning in to press his forehead against Skeppy's. "Good."
There was a pause. A hesitance.
"Bad..? You have to go, don't you?"
"...yeah."
Bad felt his hand being held tight. "I don't want you to."
He held on tighter. "I don't want to. But... I have to. Then I can really see you. We can really be together, like this. For as long as we want."
Skeppy leaned in. Bad could feel soft breaths against his face. "We can see each other soon... right?"
"As soon as I can. I promise."
Bad closed his eyes, closing the last bit of distance between them. The kiss was soft, warm like the sun they were catching the last few rays of. It was just like what Bad said - a promise.
It promised, I'll see you someday soon. It promised, I'll kiss you for real when I do.
It promised, we won't ever have to be apart again.
--
Bad opened his eyes. He was still leaning against the Egg. The room was dark as night, and so, so cold.
He pressed his eyes shut and cried, curling up tight because there was no one there for him to curl up with.