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“So, why are you with TIES, then?”
Bdubs looked at Etho, as the pair quietly stole some of the unchecked seeds from the Bread Bridge. No one was around, and the thing had spanned so far there was no chance anyone would hear them out here.
“What do you mean?” Etho glanced over at Bdubs. “I mean, I'm with them but..”
“You are- you are with them.” Bdubs chuckled. “Tango, Skizz, Impulse...”
“Yeah, yeah- they're a good team. BEST was nice, Impulse has been good too, so...”
Bdubs huffed, annoyed by Etho's apparent obliviousness. “Yeah but-”
“What, are you jealous?” Etho said as he grinned under his mask.
“No-” Bdubs started quickly, “No I am not. I- I killed all of them before, remember?”
Etho paused for a moment, the thought not having crossed his mind like that. “Oh.”
“Yeah!” A laugh trailed from Bdubs as he more quickly moved to pull wheat from the dirt around them. “I thought-- I just wonderin', cuz you teamed up with them... I never killed you.”
While Etho had admittedly not thought about the fact all of TIES had been killed by Bdubs, he couldn't deny there was a pull there. They all had talked behind Bdubs' back. Etho hadn't been killed by him, but.. well, there was Double Life. Maybe not killed, but there was tension from that. There was jealousy shown. He'd enjoyed his time with Joel but Bdubs' bursting with infatuation for Impulse was hard for him to watch. Where was their playful back and forth? Why couldn't they be together despite their soulbonds? Why didn't Bdubs give that to him?
“Uhh... yeah, you didn't.” Etho spoke quietly, choosing to steal from a different side of the bridge. “But I- I... guess they were just nice, you know? They-”
“What, and I couldn't be nice?” Bdubs butted in, “You're- it's about all that talkin' you did with 'em. You know I'm not gonna drop that. They certainly weren't nice to me!”
An ache settled in Etho's chest. He did feel bad about that. “I know, I know-- I guess I just...” Etho sighed, stopping for a moment. “Bdubs, you know how Double Life went.”
Etho had to glance over at Bdubs as he stayed silent for a few moments too long.
“...Yeah.” He could hear Bdubs, faintly a few blocks away.
Etho stood up straight to face Bdubs fully. “We didn't.... we didn't get any time to.. to talk about um, Last Life.” He was trying so hard to keep his voice steady. “I- You just went off with Impulse and I didn't really talk to you at all, you know.”
He kept going, not giving Bdubs a chance to interrupt. “You died in Last Life- I barely got to see you after that. And then you run off with Impulse, like the happiest couple on the server.”
Bdubs turned to look at him, a mix of anger and upset clear on his face. “I- I didn't abandon you. I- you can't tell me that, I died for you!” His voice was quickly rising, “Do you want me to kill you? Do- D'you need me to kill you and really make it even? Huh? Cuz it sure sounds like you feel as if you've been hurt as bad as the rest of TIES.”
Etho's brows creased, looking down at Bdubs as he took some steps closer. He tried to ignore his heart beat, picking up as he heard the genuine hurt in Bdubs' voice.
“Come on, Etho..” Bdubs' voice wavered for a moment. “You.. you know that's not how it is. I- I know you aren't like them.”
Etho looked away, giving a sigh. “I... I donno. I can't- I think I just... need some time this season, to just.. team up without you.”
It wasn't what Bdubs' wanted to hear, but he couldn't bring himself to fight it.
“Fine.”
“You... got a nice thing going- with Cleo and Scar.” Etho added as he watched Bdubs start to head down the other side of the bridge. “I think... it's good you know- find a little family. Right?”
For a moment, Bdubs softened. “Yeah. Yeah, it's nice.”