Work Text:
Nero felt his body start to go numb. His wounds no longer stung with sharp pain. Everything just felt vaguely warm and cool all at once.
The Great Catastrophe was bound to take some wizards, just as it has before. Nero scoffs painfully. He can’t quite say if he expected that he would be one of the casualties, but he accepted that it wasn’t outside of the realm of possibility. Another part of him just wanted to scream about how unfair it all was. He wanted a peaceful life away from danger, even if it meant hiding the fact he was a wizard for the rest of his life. Even if it meant he would’ve died alone after many long centuries.
Well here he was now, lying alone in a field, with his blood pooling all around him. His cutlery laid down in the grass next to him, bloodstained and completely useless now. The moon was shining brightly and ominously in the sky, as though mocking him for even daring to believe that his wish for a carefree life was possible. It had managed to force him out of hiding against his will after all, perhaps just waiting all this time to finally claim him as its prey.
“Nero!!!” Nero’s face twitched. He’d recognize that voice anywhere, even as it was getting harder to hear the sounds around him. Once upon a time, Nero fearfully watched the owner of that voice dance with death, over and over again. And once upon a time, Nero would always be by his side, healing him and watching over him, protecting him, over and over again. That man had taken him in and protected him many times too, over and over again. Until it all came to an end, and Nero thought he would never see him again.
He groaned as he felt his body being lifted slightly off the ground. A pair of strong arms hooked under his back and around his waist. He opened his heavy lids to catch sight of familiar black-and-white locks and ruby eyes.
“Nero! No, Nero…” Had Nero ever heard him sound this desperate before? This broken and… sad?
Nero tried to focus on the one holding him so dearly. For a man so rough around the edges, the tenderness was the last thing Nero expected. Perhaps Nero could never escape from his past after all. But perhaps, he never hated the one holding him. In all those years alone, he’d missed him more than he would’ve liked to admit.
As his vision started blurring around the edges and the sounds of battle blended together with the lone voice above him, Nero’s mind began drifting.
He was in his restaurant in Eastern Country, cooking for and serving customers happily as though he’d never been summoned to fight the Great Catastrophe. He smiled and made some small talk. But something was different: several customers asked him to show how he cooked with magic, wanting to know the secret behind the heavenly taste of his food. And Nero obliged, but only for the finishing touches. The full process of cooking with his magic was his own private, intimate ritual. Perhaps some would also murmur with admiration that this chef was one of the former Sage’s Wizards.
As the customers complimented him and consumed their food in awe, Nero gave a sideways glance at a figure hiding in the shadows, taking a break after waiting tables and chasing out a rowdy bunch of customers. The figure gave Nero a huge grin and Nero returned it with his own small, proud smile.
Then later that night once Nero closed up shop, he went upstairs to his bedroom. But now though, there was always someone waiting for him.
He fell into Brad’s arms, holding him close as they tumbled into bed together, exhausted after a long day’s work. They cuddled together under the covers, savoring each other, just happy to be together. And Nero would fall asleep completely relaxed, knowing that the one most dear to him would be by his side the next morning. And every morning after that.
Perhaps this routine may bore Brad. Nero wouldn’t be surprised if he was already fed up. Brad had always felt more at home seeking danger. But they were both working to meet each other in the middle, unlike before. Maybe Nero would occasionally accompany Brad to Northern Country to blow off some steam after some particularly stressful and busy weeks, just as long as he knew they would return home together, safe and sound. A mix of their past and future.
Nero would invite Heathcliff, Shino, and Faust for special feasts, whether it was for their birthdays or another sort of annual reunion. A time for them to remember what they’d been through and a time to celebrate what was to come. Maybe Shino would finally be taller, Heathcliff bolder, and Faust content within the company of friends. Maybe Faust would continue rekindling his bond with Lennox and the shepherd would come to Eastern Country too. At one point, Nero may have protested being with so many wizards at once, let alone being the one to invite them, but these were his dearest friends.
Nero and Brad would travel to visit the other wizards when they could too. They would have some drinks and nice strolls or refreshing flights with them. Nero would take care to bring the finest wine and sangria, prepare some food as gifts for everyone, and make sweets for Riquet, Mitile, and Owen. And he and Brad would get to see how much the younger wizards had grown. If Riquet wished for it, Nero would’ve taken him in and he’s certain Brad would’ve been happy to have him around too. But he would also be proud to see Riquet grow into his own within Central Country, with Arthur, Cain, and Oz there to support him.
Then Brad and Nero would fly home, but not before saying farewell and letting all the wizards know that they would always be welcome at their restaurant. And above them, the moon would be small, shining from far away, reminding them of what they had overcome together.
“Nero, stay with me!” The fantasy shattered all at once. Even without death looming so close, Nero figured that that dream was too beautiful, too saccharine. He thought he learned to stop yearning for something so fanciful and wonderful.
“Brad…” Nero barely choked out. He struggled to raise his bloodied and shaking arm to touch Bradley’s cheek. Bradley leaned down to try to allow Nero to reach him more easily.
“Brad, dammit. Not too close.” Bradley pulled back immediately, looking more apologetic and vulnerable than Nero had ever seen him since they reunited.
“… I’m sorry.” Bradley turned away, which only made Nero grab his face and turn it back to look at him again.
“No, just… let me see you… before I go.”
“Nero, stop that,” Bradley spat out and started chanting his spell desperately to cast healing magic on Nero’s wounds. But it was all for naught. Each wound Bradley closed only opened up again seconds later, with more blood leaving Nero with each attempt.
“Brad, just leave it, I’m done for.”
“Don’t say that! The Sage and the other wizards are not far! I’m going to get you outta here so we can get help. Just like old times, yeah?” Bradley tried to exude an air of confidence but the crack in his voice betrayed his fear to Nero.
“When everyone else is struggling to fight the The Great Catastrophe too? You can’t leave them behind. Not something I’d expect of a brave former bandit gang leader.” Nero paused, struggling to breathe in some lost air.
“Besides, I never wanted to go back to that old life,” Nero said matter-of-factly. He coughed, then continued. He felt Brad’s arms pull him a little closer. “But somehow… I still wanted to be with you. Even if I had to wait the rest of my life before we changed into better people.”
“Nero…” A look of pained guilt crossed Brad’s features.
“I saw… a future after The Great Catastrophe.” Nero coughed. “W-we ran my restaurant together. Settled down in Eastern Country, t-traveled to the north for old times’ sake...”
Nero grimaced as a sudden stinging pain wracked his body. “Always made sure to see… everyone else too, whether at our restaurant or at their homes.”
“You dream of the craziest things.” Bradley gave out a choked laugh, trying to hold back tears.
“Look who’s talking…” Nero tried to wipe away Bradley’s stray tears with trembling fingers. His own vision started getting blurrier and he couldn’t tell if it was because of his own tears or his time coming soon.
“I’m scared, Brad…” Nero couldn’t comprehend how Brad willingly approached death so many times. But maybe, he had just put on a strong face for Nero. Not that Nero will ever know.
“Nero, I… I’ll stay with you, okay? Just keep your eyes on me.” And so Nero tilted his head so his fading view could be filled with Brad.
“That’s… all I could ask for…” Nero made a valiant effort to turn his lips up into a smile. “Thank you… Brad…”
The last thing he saw was Brad’s tear-stained grin.