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Comfort wasn't easy to find in the Emperor's Coven. Mattholomule knew that by now better than anything else. You had to look out for yourself here, or the weight of the coven itself would come crashing down on you and crush you into nothing more than dust.
Matt had worked under the coven for two years now; he thought this was his purpose. But as he stood atop a turreted wall of the old, golden castle, he found himself thinking. Wondering what it'd be like to have someone else there for him.
He'd never really had that luxury.
His old 'friends' had treated him like dirt, using him as nothing more than a little stooge. Someone to carry books, to supply everyone with stationary until he had none of his own, to be used as a shield or as bait on quests, to be pushed into lockers and trash cans, and to be manipulated into doing everything just to get some form of fulfillment.
If only Bria could see me now.
The boy chuckled quietly to himself, laying his gloved hands on the wall, leaning over on it to support himself. He hissed at the pain in his leg, opting to lean differently until he felt somewhat comfortable enough. That's probably gonna hurt way more in the morning.
Matt had to fight a group of rebels today, and he'd managed to get caught in a snare trap. The fight had taken a lot out of him, but he'd proved to the Emperor that he was useful; that's what counted. He had nothing else worth fighting for here. His father, the one who'd forced him into the coven, didn't care for him at all… Rather his own legacy, and his pride. He didn't want people knowing his son was weak.
Mattholomule lifted his mask slightly and tore the power glyph away from his neck, scrunching it up and discarding it. He didn't exactly like the whole 'fake it 'til you make it' thing he had going on here, but he had been forced to take that path when threatened by his father to get stronger. His dad would only support him so long as he was strong, which Mattholomule… wasn't. It wasn't just him self-deprecating, as he often always did, he was genuinely not strong enough to even be in the emperor's coven. And yet, for some reason he tried to be strong, faking his strength to find acceptance in the only place he had left to find it.
Without that, he'd be left on his own.
Despite being here in the Emperor's Coven, the so-called highest ranking of all witches, he didn't feel at all like he belonged here. It wasn't just the lack of strength he had; everything was hurting him, on both the physical and emotional level. It was too much to bear for a 15 year old. The constant fights and the fears, the worry of being insubstantial. The strain of the coven showed on him physically; his ear was torn, his body was scarred and bruised, his eyes were bloodshot and he had dark circles beneath them.
He never thought about other coven members, but he did come to think one thing often; were they all treated like this? Did they all look like him? Were they all normal witches drafted into something they probably wish they'd never become a part of?
Or did some of the witches like it here, somehow? It's not like he'd go around asking, so he ignored the thoughts and brushed them away.
He sighed.
He missed Hexside, and sometimes he thought about going back. He'd do anything to get out of this coven, as long as he had a safe place to stay… Shelter and meals were all that really mattered at this point. That's what the coven provided, after all.
But Mattholomule wished, he longed for more than that. He wanted some form of family, or friends, he wanted to do something useful; and here, he sure didn't feel like he was.
Matt let out a laboured sigh and turned on his heel, walking back inside of the castle he called home. Was it really home to him? No. But it's better than nothing. He walked the halls of the castle, acting as if his leg was completely fine and walkable. Like there was no injury at all. He couldn't let others know he was injured, what if they assumed he was weak? Kicked him out?
No. He'd pretend he was okay. And then, he'd be okay.
As he entered his quarters, he locked the door and collapsed onto the bed. Now, he was alone, he had privacy… He could finally rest.
He pulled off his mask, staring into the face reflected in the silver. Sleepless, scarred, sour. Is this really all my life is gonna be?
As he moved to get his legs up on the bed, the pain in his injured leg seared. Fucking Titan.
He rolled onto his side, getting in a more comfortable position and opened the drawer beside his bed; he tried grabbing for his scroll, but instead his hand hit a strange cuboid object.
He pulled it out, then the emotions hit him like a train.
It was a… A human thing. A multicoloured cube, with no real known purpose other than presumably a weapon of some sort. He pulled it closer to him and stared at it, his mind filling with memories from a few years ago.
The first glimpse at a real friend he'd ever had. The first time he'd been invited into a friend group that accepted him; someone caring about him, despite him taking over that same person's club by force… The first one who stood up to Bria for him.
The boy he missed more than anything else that he'd pushed to the back of his mind for oh so long, in an effort to forget the boy's sweetness, his kindness, every detail of him that was memorable; he didn't want to think about him. He didn't want to miss him.
But his heart ached for him. He wished he could see him again, to talk to him, to do anything with him!
Mattholomule's lip quivered, and he started to shake. No, not now. Please. I don't want to think about…
"Augustus…" He whispered the boy's name, then pulled the cube to his chest and curled around it, finally letting go of everything he'd been holding in.
"AUGUSTUS…!" He yelled the name as if a miracle would happen and just bring him there. But it never did.
So Mattholomule laid there, and cried.
=
Mattholomule had cried himself to sleep, he'd apparently been that exhausted. As he opened his eyes, he noticed a small, round ball beside him; he poked it, and it moved, lifting its little head and staring at Matt with green, beady eyes.
"Bartholomule! I'm sorry, I got emotional and fell asleep again, didn't I?"
The rat palisman nodded and nudged his hand with a squeak. The witch opened his hand, letting the small creature nuzzle into it.
He'd kept the palisman from his school years. He'd managed to get away with hiding it for a long time now; he called it luck that he hadn't been caught and sent to the conformatorium, or punished in some… Somehow worse way.
It was his partner, his only ally under this castle roof, and the only living thing he'd ever show his emotions to. He had to keep putting on a brave face, otherwise something bad would happen, but this little palisman allowed him to put down his walls and talk.
The rat squeaked and tapped the boy's nose.
"Hm? Do you… want something?"
The palisman used its tail to point at the cuboid. Oh.
"Hm… You wanna know why it upsets me, huh?"
The creature nodded and curled up, getting comfortable and letting the witch pet it.
"Alright, well… It belonged to someone, someone… Special to me, I guess." He sighed, staring at it. "He was the first person to ever be kind to me, without putting on some act. He was there when I was on my own. He stood up for me, stuck by me. He was… So cool." He let out a quiet chuckle, "He was a strong witch. Stronger than me. I never wanted to admit it, because his track was illusions… I always thought construction witches were the strongest, and illusionists the weakest. But it's like we both went completely against that." He frowned. "I know the Emperor's Coven is the best you can be, but…" He looked back at the palisman. "I-I… I miss him. I miss school. I miss my old life, but I can't just leave!" He'd started tearing up again talking about the other witch. The palisman squeaked and came close to his face, gently nuzzling his cheek.
The boy exhaled and looked at the strange box again. "Would you take me to Bonesburrow to see him, Bart?"
The palisman looked at him for a while, seemingly contemplating the idea. Then, it squeaked and spun around excitedly, wagging its tail like a puppy. "I guess that's a definite yes." He chuckled and sat up, immediately remembering why he'd been laying down in the first place as his leg suddenly ached again.
"FUCK! Titan, damn it, my leg…" The palisman instantly ran to find its staff, bringing it back to Mattholomule in its mouth and dropping it by his side. "Oh? Aw, Bartholomule… Thank you." He took the stick and used it to support himself, grabbing a satchel and a few items before heading to the window. He swung it open and gestured to the palisman to hop on. It did so, turning into its staff form with eyes glowing, ready to fly.
Mattholomule scooped up his mask and put it over his face, nodding at the rat.
"Alright. I hope he likes drop-ins."
=
The boy landed in a forest, just outside of Bonesburrow. It wouldn't be much of a walk from here, plus he had his palisman; he'd be okay.
As he entered the town, he looked around for any people; it was dead. Silent, too, most people presumably had gone to sleep. He walked along the cobbled road, keeping his wits about him the whole time; he didn't need someone spotting a rather small Emperor's Coven guard using a palisman as a walking stick in the dead of night.
He had to avoid a couple of witches walking the streets, hiding in the shadows and alleys, before finally reaching the house he was looking for. I hope this is the right one.
He went around to the back of the home and grabbed a small stone from nearby, throwing it at the bedroom window. No response.
He tried again; nothing.
And once again- fuck! The stone went flying past the head of the witchling, now staring out of the open window. He looked annoyed, tired, and a little concerned.
"Um… Hello? Can I help you?!" His voice was laced with venom, and it stung Mattholomule to his core. He didn't want to do it this way, but he didn't have much of a choice. He couldn't go knocking this late, and what would his father think?
Plus, he kinda liked being a little more sneaky about this.
He drew a circle below him and the ground rose, putting him up closer to the window so he could speak. The fellow witchling stared at him, looking a little panicked, and who could blame him? He was facing a coven guard!
"I'm sorry for waking you, and scaring you, I don't mean any harm, I promise-!" He held up his hands defensively.
He could see Augustus had grown. He was much taller than him by the looks of things, and had a slightly deeper voice than before. He was wearing some hooded, purple human clothing and shorts, and his hair was a little messy. He looked like he'd been trying, but failing, to sleep before Mattholomule had showed up. Despite that, he looked gorgeous.
What. No no, what the heck? Gorgeous?! A blush involuntarily grew on his face, still hidden by the mask.
Gus shook his head.
"Yeah, sure, creepy guy who just threw rocks at my window. Who are you, and what the heck are you doing here?!"
"I… Um…"
The palisman disconnected and sat on the boy's shoulder, gently nudging his mask. The witch was nervous to remove it, wondering what Augustus would even think of him. "I'll tell you, but, can you promise you won't freak out, or something?"
The Illusionist stared at him with a raised eyebrow, a palisman of his own crawling up onto his shoulder and giving its very own condescending glare.
The witch didn't reply. Why isn't he saying anything?! He just stared, face changing as he seemed to figure something out.
"I recognise your voice. Is this a prank? How did you get the uniform? Nobody pranks Gus and gets away with it! Show your face you-" He slapped the mask away from the boy's face, and found himself staring.
Mattholomule stared back at him, frozen.
"...Mattholomule…?"
Matt swallowed.
"Augustus."
"You're… You're here… But, how did… Why…" Gus had question after question, unable to form the right words. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Augustus…" He repeated the name, a smile slowly beginning to spread on his face. "Augustus!" He laughed and pulled him forward into a hug, feeling tears prick at his eyes again. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't know how else to approach you, I just… I uh…" He pushed the witch away, folding his arms and clearing his throat as a small blush crossed his cheeks. "I was wondering how you were doing with your loser illusions. Because I'm already doing so much better than you in life and all." He smirked. Gus frowned at him, shaking his head.
"Don't lie to me. You just held me and started crying."
Mattholomule's eyes widened. "What, no! No I didn't!" He wiped frantically at his eyes. "Don't be so stupid, Augustus, I don't cry."
Gus sighed and moved aside.
"Come in, it's cold out… We can talk in here."
The witch slipped into the room, trying to ignore the pain in his leg and sitting on the end of the bed. The palisman ran off to sleep with Gus' palisman, now laying curled up on a blanket at his desk.
"So, you're back. But why? And be honest this time." The witch stared at him earnestly, worried. The look tugged at Mattholomule's heart. How could he not be honest to that face?
"You… Promise you won't laugh at me?"
"Of course not!" Gus' expression changed to one of shock. "I'd never laugh at you. This is serious! I mean, you're in the Emperor's Coven, you look like you haven't slept in weeks, and… If you came here, I can only assume you're not doing well. I wanna know what's going on." The witch gave him a stern look. He was serious. After all this time, he still cared?
That… Felt good.
"Okay… I miss my old life." He laid back on the bed, giving himself room to rest his leg. "I miss going to school, even though I'd always get hurt and get in fights. I miss the HAS, even if you kept stealing the attention anyways. I miss going to the graveyard, I…" He paused. "I miss you, Augustus."
Gus frowned and slouched down to lay on his side, beside Mattholomule, exhaling heavily.
"I missed you too. More than I thought I would. All these years I've been scared… Scared you'd get hurt, or you'd fall into the same mindset as the rest of the coven."
Matt turned to face him, wincing at the pain of doing so.
"I'm sorry I never contacted you. That I never visited. I… I was…" He looked away from Gus. "Scared."
"Why scared…?"
"You remember my dad, right?"
That was all it took for Gus to stare in devastation. He pulled Matt into a hug, not as willing to let go this time.
The other witch wrapped his own arms around Gus, feeling comfortable enough to allow himself to relax. Augustus cared about him a great deal, and he wasn't going to judge him for any of this. That made him happy.
"Matty, stay with me."
The sudden question surprised the witchling. Stay? With him?
"What do you mean?"
"Stay here. Come back to Hexside. I don't know, hang out with me and the others?"
"But my dad-"
"He doesn't matter!" Gus pulled out of the hug and held Matt firmly by the shoulders. "He doesn't know what's best for you, he never did. All these years you told me how much he hurt you, you can't carry on doing things for his sake! And to me, it doesn't look like you want the life you have."
"Augustus…" Matt stared at him for a little while. He noticed the blush growing on Gus' face as he stared. He glanced at the boy's lips, butterflies building in his stomach. No, what? What are you doing? Why are you looking at those! Stop it!
"Uhm, yeah. You're right." He cleared his throat, "So, I can stay here?"
"Sure! I can talk to my dad in the morning about it. But he wouldn't mind! And you can sleep in my room, if you want-?"
Mattholomule stared at the illusionist witch, his cheeks were heating up a little once again but he ignored it. Stupid feelings, how are those even still here?! It's been two years!
"I… I'd love that, Augustus."
"You can call me Gus. You know that, right?"
"...Gus." He smiled at the witch and sat up. "Hey, do you have any spare clothes actually? I don't think sleeping in this is gonna exactly be comfortable."
"Oh! I have some human clothes you might wanna try! They're too small for me."
The illusionist got up and crept over to the closet, pulling out a shirt and some kind of baggy pants that looked similar to what he was wearing, but more comfortable and a completely different material.
Mattholomule stood, immediately regretting it. He'd once again forgotten about his leg; he stumbled, supporting himself on the bedframe before he had the chance to fall to the floor. Gus spun around and gasped, rushing over to him.
"Matty! Are you okay?!"
"I'm… No. I'm not fine." He sat himself back down on the bed. "I injured my leg in a fight today, it got caught in a snare."
"Why didn't you tell me! I can help, you know that, don't you?"
"I don't wanna be a burden." He rubbed his arm sheepishly, nerves creeping into him.
"You're not a burden, Matty… I'm here for you, and I'm here to take care of you." He dropped the human clothes beside Mattholomule and started towards the bedroom door. "Put those on, carefully. I'll go get something that might help, okay?"
"Okay…"
Mattholomule watched the witchling leave the room, then looked to the desk his palisman had settled at.
"You got comfortable quickly, huh?" He chuckled to himself, then noticed something just behind the rat and the chameleon that caught his attention. The old, fake human items he'd crafted to try and take over the HAS two years ago.
He kept them? And he had them this whole time?
He smiled genuinely, his heart full. "Oh, Gus…" He looked at the human clothing beside him and got to work on changing, trying to be as careful as he could getting his leg through the pants.
The clothing was… Incredibly comfortable.
By then, Gus had re-entered the room, holding a roll of bandages, and he sat at the end of the bed.
"Alright, put your leg over here- It's not much, but this will help. Leftover healing coven bandages, from when I broke my arm a few months ago!"
"Oh… Did it hurt?" What a stupid question.
"Uh… Yeah. A lot. But I'm all good now!" He took the bandages and unravelled them, pulling up the leg of Mattholomule's new human clothes to start carefully wrapping the bandages around the boy's leg. Something about this domestic moment made Matt's mind wander again; he wanted more of this. More of Gus being there for him, and he wanted to be there for Gus. Friends.
But then, he felt like that was wrong. Friends? He knew for a fact he had a crush on this boy, that apparently hadn't fizzled out like he'd hoped. But could he admit it to him? Was this even the right time?
He was broken from his thoughts when he heard Gus speak again.
"There you go! All bandaged up." He gestured with a thumbs up and a grin, Mattholomule's response being only a "Yeah."
"You okay?" He shuffled over beside Mattholomule, putting a hand on his shoulder. He noticed the witch tense up and turn red at the touch, and figured it out by himself.
"Is the bandage working?"
"Uhh, yeah, sorry. I'm just thinking a lot. I mean… Staying here is nice, but it has consequences. They'll come looking for me-"
"They won't find you." Gus moved his hand to instead hold onto Mattholomule's hand. "I'll make sure of that. Promise."
Matt turned and stared at him, glancing at the hand and back at Gus.
They started staring again. They were both aware of it now; they both had a scarlet blush across their faces, eyes filled with longing, now fully aware of what this all meant.
"I like you." Gus blurted it out before he could stop himself, earning himself an even redder face.
"Oh. You do?" Mattholomule's lips quirked into a small smile. "Me too."
Without much hesitation, Gus leaned forward and kissed him. Matt returned it until he felt Gus pulling away a little, and again, he stared.
"Um… Sorry that was…"
"Nice, actually." Mattholomule blushed and looked away from him shyly. "This whole thing was super sweet. I'm… I'm really happy, Gus."
"Then why don't you smile a little more?" The two giggled and once again laid down on the bed. It had just enough room for the two of them, but they had to stay close together… They didn't have a problem with that.
Mattholomule shuffled closer to Gus, wrapping his arm around the illusionist to pull him close.
"Oh- Aww, Matty, you want a cuddle?"
"Don't talk to me like I'm a baby!" He huffed. "But yes. Please do that."
Gus chuckled and curled around the witch, the two fitting together perfectly and comfortably.
"Don't get used to me being like this, all soft and sappy."
"But it's cute!"
"Shut up…! I just felt like I could be vulnerable around you. Because you wouldn't hurt me. And I… I really appreciate you for caring."
Gus smiled and kissed the boy's forehead.
"I appreciate you coming back. I missed you so so much, I'm so glad to see you again, and the fact I could finally tell you how I felt- and you feel the same! This is all so much, and it's so… Amazing!" He laughed and nestled his head into Mattholomule's hair. "I love you, jerk."
Matt's heart skipped a beat as the words hit his eardrums, the reality starting to settle in.
"I love you too… Twerp."
"Sweet dreams." The boy yawned and closed his eyes. Mattholomule couldn't help but smile at him as he closed his own eyes.
"Same to you, Goops."
He felt a quiet giggle, and then nothing. He'd fallen asleep almost instantly, knocked out by how sleep deprived he'd been.
And finally, Mattholomule could get a good, long rest.