Archive of Our Own ^beta

Excitement burst through his chest, his hands shaking on his newly acquired trident as he bounded toward the ocean. Green jumped over a crack in the earth, his feet barely touching the ground, it was like he was already flying. 

The air tasted like the storm brewing in the distance, which only made his smile grow as the ocean waves came into view. They lapped against the sandy shore, washing the rocks that sat in between the waves. Green shifted his course, running on the balls of his feet to keep his balance on the slippery rocks. He had spent enough time over the last week to know where the rocks dropped off, where the water deepened. 

*

Green considered himself to be a jack of all trades, he enjoyed being able to utilize anything and everything in his surroundings, he had grown accustomed, and in his opinion, proficient, with all of the weapons and tools scattered around their base. He could even go as far as to say he was bored with some of the standard weapons.

So his excitement upon learning about the trident was palpable.

And so was the knowledge that he could fly with it.

Well, basically fly.

Green never found himself wanting to fly, the occasional spin with a fishing pole was plenty, he was comfortable on the ground.

Until Purple, until the fight with King.

He didn’t realize it until after the fight, he had been so pumped with adrenaline that he hadn’t realized how amazing it had been to fly with Purple. He longed to feel the wind batter his clothes, his hair flying astray, the terror and excitement that burst through his chest as the ground got further and further away. How Purple’s hands, once shaking with tremors of grief, held his tightly, securely. The wind whipped his hair back so Green could see how the blazing sunset lit up his face, the new glow in his eyes, the curve of his smile becoming more confident-

He had to experience that again. The flying.

That’s how he ended up prowling along the shore, waiting for his chance to snag one. It couldn’t be that hard.

That had been over four hours ago.

Green planted the tip of his sword into the sandy shore, twisting it from side to side, chewing the inside of his cheek with boredom. He had been fighting drowns for hours and still nothing.

He wasn’t about to quit either. 

He took to dragging his sword and drawing out shapes in the sand to try and satiate his whirling mind.

His head snapped up as the faint sound of gurgling crept up from the water, a rotting hand wrenching itself from waves. The smile spreading across his face ebbed away once he noticed its lack of trident and with a heavy sigh, he pulled himself upright, gripping his sword tightly, and numbly shambled towards the monster.

An arrow shot past him, embedding in the drowns skull with a clean crack. Green glanced behind him, surprised to see Orange and Red on the hill behind him. 

“Beat ya to him.” Orange said lightly, slipping the bow onto his back.

“I thought you were Blue.” Green said, fighting off a frown. Boredom gnawed at his fingertips, aching steadily, being able to forge his weapons was a point of pride for him. He enjoyed gathering the materials, even when it did become tedious, working callouses into his hands. 

“Nah,” Orange shrugged, “But I did snag his weapon for a bit.”

Green glanced back at the shoreline, watching the waves lap against the soft sand, like if he looked long enough and hard enough, a trident would just appear. He wished one would.

“We came to check on you!” Red added as he tipped his head to get a better look into the water. “Any luck?” He asked, Green shook his head without pulling his gaze away from the water. 

“I figured,” Orange said, Green could hear the crunching of grass and sand, the familiar stripes on Orange’s jacket slipping into his peripheral, “They’re like, super rare.”

Green sighed, “I guessed that after an hour or so.”

Orange had been half-listening as he dug into his backpack, “Wait, how long have you been out here?”

Green clicked his tongue, running down the day in his mind, “Man, I don’t know, like 5 hours or something.”

Orange stared blankly at him before shaking his head, “You are so damn stubborn.”

Green shrugged as Orange pulled an iron sword from his backpack.

“Here,” He held out the handle for Green, who took it with a raised eyebrow. It was obviously well-loved, the cloth rewrapped around the hilt was worn and frayed and the edges chipped from use. He stepped back and gave the air a few slices and jabs, it was lighter than he expected.

Why would Orange give him this? It was weaker than his diamond sword and would just make the process take even longer.

His questions froze on the tip of his tongue as the faint purple glow flickering across the weapon caught his eye. He squinted at it, watching the ripples glitter in the sunlight. His gaze shot up to Orange, who was grinning.

“Looting III.” He said proudly, “I got lucky with that enchantment a while ago and decided to hang onto it.” 

Green held it tighter, his excitement bursting back to life like a firework in his chest, sparking along his limbs and electrifying him to his fingertips.

“Chances of getting one are still really low,” Orange warned with a shrug, “But I figured if anyone was lucky enough for it to work, it’d be you.”

“This is perfect.” He said, glancing back at the ocean, the deep blue waves rushing up the surface as if they were just as excited. He didn’t dare look away, in case he missed something.

“Good luck, you’re definitely going to need it.” Orange said, not unkindly as he turned and headed back into the plains.

“I call dibs on borrowing your new trident first!” Red said, grinning as he tailed after Orange.

“Absolutely not!” 

Green dove head first into the water with confidence, he shouldn’t have. A cold shock jolted through him, he was hit with the realization that he didn’t know exactly how to make the trident… do its thing. 

Through blurry eyes, he made sure he was facing out towards the water and not back at the rocks before promptly deciding to wing it. He straightened himself out and turned the trident in his hand. The enchantment flickered for a split second, so quickly he almost missed it, rippling like the waves. Green frowned then quickly twisted the trident again and-

Shot out into the open ocean, water rushing by, kelp bending and billowing in the corners of his eyes. 

Green’s hands slipped down the handle, scrambling for keep as the current slowed. The pieces started to fall into place and Green huffed out a laugh, a flurry of bubbles burst from his nose. Little blips of color flittered by, a few blurry fish swam around his trident curiously.

His confidence sparked back to life as Green gripped the trident tightly, twisting it again but keeping his control. He shot out into the ocean again, bending and weaving around the stalks of waving kelp and bustling schools of fish.

His chest burned with excitement, rippling through his fingertips, he was going so fast!

He rushed down towards the ocean floor before twisting around and launching himself straight back up. He burst from the water like a dolphin, the air stung his lungs and he laughed as he hit the water.

He let himself float for just a moment, cackling with his adrenaline, the waves lapped over his ears as he heaved in exhilarated breaths.

This had been so worth the struggle.

Green spent the next couple of hours committing a straight massacre. 

He was soaked to the bone with sand, and kelp, and salty water filled up his shoes. The amount of drowns that had come creeping and shambling out of the depths of the caves was astounding. 

Almost as astounding as the fact that not a single one of them had a trident. 

Green took a deep breath, he knew he had to be careful when he eventually fought the lucky drown, if he wasn’t, the trident could be broken or swept back into the ocean. He could mend a mangled trident, not a shattered one.

He had to take multiple breaks to fix up the sword, the chips along the edges were wearing into cracks, repeatedly woven with green and gold, and the cloth wrapped around the hilt was dirty and wet from the ocean.

Green wrung the water out of the end of his shirt, the sword balanced precariously against his leg, half in the sand. He wasn’t going home until he got that stupid trident, even if it took him all night…and ruined his best pair of shoes.

He sat down to dump some of the extra sand and water out of his shoes- he would never fully accept that he wouldn’t be able to get all the sand out of them- he just needed to try harder. After an exceedingly long time attempt of fighting the sand in his shoes, he jammed them back on with a dejected sigh. 

He chewed the inside of his cheek, mindlessly dragging the tip of the sword through the dirt. 

He was so bored.

If this were any other task, he’d probably be finished already, or at least close to being done. The harsh sun was beating down on his aching body, wearing him down even more. He wanted to be finished, to move on to the next step, he was so sick of leaving things up to what was essentially chance.

He wasn’t going home yet, he had to prove that he could handle a bit of waiting. Prove to whom, he wasn’t sure.

Green was jolted from his thoughts by faint gurgles and groans seeping up through the sand. A rotten hand breached the surface of the water, clawing up onto the shore, growling and snarling, water dripping down blue and bloated skin. 

He rolled his eyes at the weaponless monster and hauled himself to his feet, passing the sword from hand to hand as he approached. The drown clambered onto the shore, stumbling as he lost the current. Green decided to let it come to him, he needed some way to freshen his mind up. He glanced up as the familiar gurgles hit his ears again and nearly fell over trying to crane his neck to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating.

The second drown was clambering out of the water, muscles locking, a trident loosely held in rotting fingers, growling loudly.

Green kicked the other drown to the side and ran at the monster, leaping up and driving his sword into its shoulder. He elbowed it away, ripping the sword out and then slashing it across the chest to finish it off. The drown collapsed unceremoniously in a heap, battered by the deep blue waves as it was pulled back to sea.

Green snatched the trident from the water. It was chipped and part of the staff was close to breaking but he had it in his hands. He leapt to his feet and scrambled out of the water, cheering loudly.

“Yes!” He pumped his fist into the air, “Yes! Yes! Yes! Let’s go!”

He grabbed Orange’s sword from the sand and darted back toward their base, clutching both weapons tightly, completely forgetting about the other drown.

Green felt his heart jump as it started to rain, he basically had launched himself into the storm, droplets adding to the ones clinging to his already wet hair. A smile spread across his face, now it was time to fly.

He took a deep breath before plunging underwater and swimming back to the ocean floor. He used the trident to boost himself but mostly relied on his own skills, he was still getting used to the trident and had plans that didn’t involve a mouthful of sand.

He was able to get his footing against a small dune, pressing the tips of his toes into the sand, bracing his muscles, his hands gripping the trident so tightly they started to ache. He angled himself so he would get to the surface diagonally, he wanted to get the best use of his momentum. The phantom feeling of Purple’s hands over his sparked his excitement even stronger, maybe they could fly together soon. 

Green twisted the trident and at the same time launched himself up. He shot through the water, fish darted away, blurring in with the rest of the blue. He burst from the waves and continued to rise, flying up towards the clouds. 

Green cackled in excitement as the rain battered his face, the crisp and clear air filled his lungs with life, feeding off his vigor. 

His heart was beating in his throat as he rose higher, the ocean spread out all around him and the clouds coming closer and closer. It wasn’t exactly the same as with Purple but it was similar enough that Green thought his face was going to break from how hard he was smiling.

He needed to get better if he ever wanted to do this with Purple.

*

“Yellow!” Green rammed the front door open with his shoulder, his friend was sprawled on the couch, probably dozing in the late afternoon sun, and he immediately jolted up with a yelp.

“What- what is the matter with you?” Yellow gasped, his glasses askew across his nose, and his hand loose grasping at his chest.

“I did it!” Green held up the trident proudly, “I finally got it!”

Yellow’s face split into a smile, “That’s great!” He shifted onto his knees, leaning over the arm of the couch, “It only took you like…” His face dropped as he got a good look at the trident, “Oh that thing is hanging on by a thread.”

Green didn’t let it deter his excitement, “That’s where you come in.”

Yellow narrowed his eyes, staring at him over the rim of his glasses, “What does that mean?”

“You’re smart, you know about lots of things- so I figured you’d know where we could get a mending book!” Green said, his words slipping towards Yellow’s pride, “And maybe get all the levels for it too.” He added quickly.

If his words had any effect, Yellow’s face didn’t betray him.

“You know I hate dealing with levels.” Yellow said flatly.

“Yeah, but you know that if you help me,” Green waved the trident back and forth teasingly, “you’ll be the first person I let borrow it.” He singsonged, “And I already have the channeling book so I just need you to do this one thing!”

Yellow stared at him for what felt like an eternity.

He snatched the trident from Green’s hands, inspecting it closely, “Fine. I’ll figure something out.”

“Yes!” Green bounced on his heels, his excitement ready to burst out of his chest, “Thank you! I knew I could count on you for that-”

“Yeah yeah, you’re welcome, whatever,” Yellow didn’t look up from his inspection, flicking his wrist dismissively, “Get away from me, you smell like rotten fish.”

*

Green wasn’t sure how far he had flown, not that he cared anyway, still riding his high. The light mist of the lower hanging clouds brushed against his face, tickling his nose as he let himself fall. The wind and rain whipped his hair as he twirled to catch himself on the raindrops.

He wanted to get comfortable enough to be able to keep up with Purple. Purple had far much more experience flying than he did, while Purple was much more practical with flying, choosing ways to converse his energy rather than show off with fancy tricks (sometimes), his movements were calculated yet fluid. He was more akin to a dancer, following the breeze.

Albeit, the majority of time Green had seen Purple flying was during battle but even then, his precision was clear as he fell into line, moving with the rest of the gang like a cog in a machine.

The back of his mind didn’t want him to admit that he wanted to impress Purple as well, it didn’t help that Green seemed to have a natural talent for most things yet the second he pulled on a pair of Eltrya it was like watching a turtle struggle to get off its back.

He had always been interested in getting a trident but ‘flight’ was the final pushing point. He had to practice so he could keep up, and maybe also learn a few tricks, which shouldn’t be too hard seeing as he was having the time of his life.

Green flew higher, he had long since lost sight of the shore and the ocean below was barely visible through the foggy clouds.  He didn’t know where he was headed but he didn’t care, his chest bursting with vigor. He let himself fall again, attempting to flip in mid-air.

He vaulted his head forward, pulling his legs up to his chest but lost his balance halfway through and tilted to the side. 

He choked on a gasp as his fingers slipped on the trident’s hold in his shock. He scrambled and jerked it against his chest before twirling himself back higher into the air, adrenaline still coating his tongue.

Green felt his face flush despite himself, part of him happy he was alive and the other part of him thinking about how stupid that probably looked- he was just glad nobody else was around to see it.

He let himself breathe, looking out across the thick clouds brushing across the sky and the grayish-blue mist spread below him. The air was fresh and clean, soothing his heaving chest as the rain pattered his face, clinging to his eyelashes. The muted blues blurred together, a soft gradient filled his vision, strangely beautiful, captivating. It reminded him of Orange’s first few watercolor attempts, wrinkled paper splattered with muddy colors and running paint. 

Orange wasn’t a fan of them but Green managed to snag a few and keep them tucked away in his room, looking at them made his chest ache in a good way that he couldn’t place. Orange’s art did that to him a lot, tapping at his emotions, incessantly tugging them from what mental box he had stuffed them. Orange was critical of his art, despite how flawlessly he seemed to create it but Green could stare at it for hours. He adored the other’s ability to capture the natural beauty of everything around him, it made him more attentive to the things he saw every day.

It made the storms look beautiful.

Green’s height had increased as he flew, lost in thought, he wasn’t sure how far out he was now. One part of him wanted to go higher, to see how far he could go, as the mist thickened into fog. He didn’t notice, as his fingers had gone numb long ago and his adventure-flushed face had gotten used to the cold, but the temperature was starting to drop.

Suddenly, Green started to descend.

He gave a quick flick of his wrist to propel himself back up and his heart dropped in horror as he continued to fall.

He jerked the trident, flicking it wildly in every direction, when he noticed snow mingling in the rain, quickly turning into just snow.  He couldn’t catch himself now.

Panic gripped his chest as he began to fully plummet, wind whipping in his ear, snow battering his skin like frozen needles. He flailed, his numb fingers clinging tightly to his trident, desperately hoping to catch on something- anything. 

I don’t want to die!

Green fell for much longer than he thought he would, still twisting and turning, when trees finally came into view. Green squinted against the wind as he recognized the biome, a taiga.

A dash of hope burst through his chest, maybe he would hit a snow drift, that could break his fall-

A branch cracked square against his chest, buckling and snapping from his weight.

Green choked on a cry as the air was knocked from his lungs, the trident jerking from his fingers. It was like he had been hit with a blast from the staff, no matter how much he gasped, he couldn’t get a breath in.

He hit another branch with the trident, he couldn’t tell if the sickening crack was his trident or his ribs.

The air managed to be knocked out of him again as he hit the ground full force and white-hot agony ripped through him like a fire, his chest heaving, begging, for air that he couldn’t breathe.

Green wasn’t sure when his vision returned as blurred spruce trees came into view and he managed to suck in a feeble, ragged breath.

He wanted to scream and never stop.

His entire body ached, sending shockwaves down his spine whenever he tried to move. His left arm and leg hurt worse than he had ever felt and the growing chill that spread across his unprotected skin only made his pain flair.

Lingering panic gripped his chest like a vice, he needed to get up, he couldn’t just lay and get buried in the snow.

He shakily craned up his neck, hoping to see a village or a trader or anyone in a better position than himself. He came up short, letting his head fall back against the ground, sapping the last bit of energy he didn’t know he had. He groaned, instantly regretting it made him more acutely aware of the pounding in his head.

Green took a deep breath, he wasn’t going to freeze to death in the snow, he could practically hear Orange shaking his head.

‘You’re so damn stubborn.’

 He screwed his eyes shut and tried to sit up. His vision blurred with black spots along the edge as he cried out, fire bursting in his limbs. His head hit the ground again as he gasped for air, the back of his mind repeating over and over that he was going to die. Everything hurt so badly he couldn’t place what was even wrong.

He peeled his eyes open and through his blurry haze, he could make out the muted teal of his trident’s staff, coated with red, jutting out of his thigh, the other half a match in his upper arm.

Crimson trickled down his skin, which prickled in the cold, dread settling in his stomach. He needed to get home, he didn’t know how to deal with this, he didn’t know where he was- he needed to get the trident out of his skin.

In his haze, in what would’ve been a terrible choice in his usually functional mind, he slung his good arm across his chest, fingers latching loosely onto the handle of the trident embedded in his arm and tugged.

The handle jerked and ripped at his muscles and skin and then snapped, Green’s arm jerked back from the force of it, a fragment of the handle coming with it. A strangled groan escaped his lips as white flashed across his vision, pain shooting through his arm, snaking into his chest, spreading like roots, keeping their fiery hold.

He gasped, his mind whirling in a foggy haze, he didn’t know what to do. His panic making itself known again, settling into his bones, he could barely move, the others didn’t know where he was- he didn’t know where he was.

He shivered against the wind, snow peppering his face, dancing across his vision, he couldn’t tell if his clothes were being soaked from blood or snow- probably both.

Green tried to think, his mind fuzzy and numb and useless, he was tired and everything hurt, every little movement sent shockwaves of pain through his body, and his eyes felt heavy. He knew he couldn’t pass out, he might not wake up.

The whistling wind made the trees shake and sway, the rustling was surprisingly calming, whispering soothing nothings in his ears, cooling the blazing pain enough for him to want to sleep.

“-even was that- oh my god-”

The familiar voice shot up in surprise as Green nearly broke his neck looking to find the source. He knew that voice, the steady tone that seemed to slip from its mask at every instance, and then he could see him. Purple peering through the tree, rushing towards him, his hair tied back into a messy braid, eyes blown wide with worry.

Purple kneeled beside him, his hands shaking above him, “Green! Oh my god- what- what happened? Why are you here?”

Green blinked thickly, “Say all that ‘gain but slower.” His aching head lagging as he tried to process who was in front of him.

“Oh my god, what’s in your leg?” Purple’s hand finally found a resting place on his good arm, squeezing it lightly. Green glanced at his wound to remind himself, “Ah, a trident.”

“What?”

“My trident.” He clarified, clearing his throat, this was not how he imagined his day going, hell this wasn’t how he imagined his next meeting with Purple going, “I think I fell on it.”

“Yeah- yeah I can see that… oh god it’s in your leg as well.”

“Yeah.” Green nodded with a grimace, “It’s not great.”

Purple’s hands started to hover again, “What- what do I do here? How do I help you?”

“I’m not sure.” Green wet his lips, iron tinting his tongue, his normal tactic of muscling through it and hoping it worked out had been ruthlessly tested, and definitely wouldn’t work on the second attempt.

He glanced over and at the sight of Purple, worry and panic swirling in his eyes, evident on his face, he racked his frozen brain for something- anything. Purple’s panic murmurings stayed hidden under his breath and Green fought the grimace off his face as another wave of pain rocked his body. 

None of this was supposed to happen- he didn’t want Purple to see him like this, he didn’t want to make Purple worry like this.

“Okay.” Purple interrupted his thoughts, clapping his hands together, the fear that clouded his eyes moments ago was gone, replaced with sparkling determination, “I, vaguely, know what we need to fix this and I know that it can’t be done here. I don’t have the supplies.”

“Wha’ all do you need?” Green pressed his eyes closed for a moment, hoping to clear the dots spotting his vision.

“Bandages, antiseptic, probably a potion or two to be safe,” Purple listed off on his fingers, “And I have none of those things here.” His voice was too confident for Green to even begin worrying, “But, I figure your place has those things, and probably someone who knows how to use them even better than I do!” He pointed at Green, a hopeful smile dancing on his face, anxiety still tinted around the edges.

Green nodded, regretting it immediately as his vision started to spin and fade again, “Blue. Blue would probably know what to do.” His medical knowledge had grown like his garden, rapid and wild, especially in the last few months. While their skills had improved, they seemed to be more accident-prone than ever. Green managed to hold back a groan, Blue was also probably going to kill him before his wounds did.

“Right!” Purple clapped his hands together, “I just need to get you there.” He rested a hand on his shoulder and Green pretended the only reason it made him warm was because he was freezing and Purple wasn’t. The only reason.

“Do you think you can stand?”

“Yes.” He made no effort to move, in his mind he was standing perfectly stable on both feet but his body stayed uselessly laid on the frozen ground.

“Right.” Purple said flatly, he shifted on his knees, inspecting Green’s rather weird impalement, “From what I can tell they aren’t embedded in the ground either so that's one less thing to worry about.”

“We’ll take it slow.” He slipped a hand under Green’s shoulders, “I’m gonna help you sit up, you ready?” Purple’s voice was soft and it made something in Green’s chest tighten but he managed a nod anyway, bracing himself and clenching his jaw.

With a firm, grounding grip behind his shoulders, and slight help with his good arm, the trees started to turn upright, slow and steady. He braced himself against Purple more than he meant to.

A wave of nausea swept over him so strongly that Green had to physically fight back a gag, his stomach and chest burning as black danced around the edges of his vision.

“Are you okay? You good?” Purple’s arm was still braced around him, his other hand pressed onto Green’s chest to keep him from tipping forward.

Green swallowed back his nausea, “Yeah, I’m good.” He replied thickly, pain ripped up his arm and he bit his tongue, pouring his energy and focus into not moving his leg in hopes that it wouldn’t hurt nearly as bad if he did.

“Okay, I’m going to let you get your bearings for a second, I need to do something, I’ll be right back, I promise.” Purple said, slowly pulling his hand away from Green’s shoulder, leaving Green missing his warmth. Purple lingered for a moment and Green gave him a shaky thumbs up with his good arm.

A nervous smile spread across Purple’s face as he bounced up, “Okay, I’ll be right back.” He darted back into the trees, Green couldn’t tell if his movements seemed stilted or if the throbbing pain in his head was affecting him in more ways than one.

Green chewed on his lip, sudden anger starting to boil in his chest, this whole thing was a disaster. He didn’t want Purple to see him like this, stranded and hurt and getting blood on the other’s gloves. Purple was kind, very kind, and gentle with him, it made his chest twist with embarrassment, he should've been able to handle this. He could handle anything.

Green glanced at his wounds, at the stupid trident lodged in his limbs, at the blood oozing down his arm, staining the snow. He sucked in a deep breath, anxiety suddenly prickling his stomach, he could handle this, he was always able to handle it.

He pinched the edge of the broken staff in his arm, shorter than before, and yanked-

Fire shot through his arm, electrifying his chest, burning his vision white. Green didn’t know if he screamed, when his vision faded back in he was hunched over on himself, chest heaving.

“What did you do?!” 

Green glanced up, Purple was rushing towards him, a pair of ice skates now dangling from his waist. He knelt next to him, a hand on his shoulder, the other hovering and shaking frantically, unsure where to go.

“Why did you do that?” Purple cried, “You’re never supposed to remove the weapon from a wound! Oh my god, your arm!”

Green looked at the hole in his arm, now gushing blood, spreading across the snow and his thin shirt, his anger gone as quickly as it had appeared, “Oh.”

“Yeah, ‘Oh’.” Purple hissed, yanking his scarf off, “Can’t believe you don’t know that!”

Green had been staring at his arm, watching the blood in some sort of trance but Purple managed to pull him out of it. Green turned to look at him, his brain lagging, he had lost the energy to retort back.

“Is that common knowledge?” He asked, words slurring together and Purple paused, looking at him, his eyes a mixture of worry and confusion.

“Is it not?” He asked, genuineness flickering in his voice before he shook his head, “I don’t care, come here!”

He put a hand on Green’s chest and guided him back upright before slinging his scarf around Green’s arm, he wrapped it around multiple times before pulling the ends tight and tying it.

“It’s tight.” Green commented, attempting to fight off a grimace.

“It needs to be.” Purple shot back, “That red stuff- that blood- needs to stay on the inside of your body, which is why I didn’t pull that piece out.”

“Oh.” Green could feel his brain slowly clicking the puzzle pieces together, “It was a cork.”

“No-” Purple paused, “No you’re right, it was basically a cork.”

He could feel hot blood bubbling up, seeping through the scarf.

“Alright, you ready?” 

“Ready for what?” Green immediately felt stupid as he looked up at Purple, who fluttered the wings of his elytra, warming them up and sending the falling snow astray.

He grabbed Purple’s outstretched hand with both of his, trying not to strain his injured arm. Green pushed off with his good leg as Purple slowly pulled him up.

He wobbled as his knees buckled, pain shooting up his leg, hot dizziness creeping up the back of his neck, seeping around his eyes. He stumbled into Purple, who immediately steadied him against his side.

“Are you with me?” Purple asked, one of his wings stretching out across Green’s back.

Green nodded, exhaling sharply as he tried to get his legs fully under him, “Alright,” He forced out clearing his throat, “How are we doing this?”

“What?”

“How are we doing the whole flying thing?” Green asked, waving his hand in a circular motion, “Like we did last time?”

Purple stared at him, “You cannot be serious.”

“What?”

“I’m not dangling you in the air, you’re injured!” 

“I’ll be fine!” Green said quickly, “I’m not worried!”

“I’m worried!” Purple pinched the bridge of his nose, “Out of the question, not happening.”

Green sighed irritably, he told himself that he had gotten used to the cold and yet he  was having trouble still not feeling said cold, “Then how are we gonna do this?”

Purple hummed, “I could, like, carry carry you.”

Green was glad his face was already red from the wind, “No.”

Purple made a face, “We don’t really have another option.”

“Of course we do!” Green tried to stand up straighter, making the pain in his leg flair, “There is always another option!”

“Except when there’s not!” Purple shot back, “I’m not dangling you like last time, you can’t be on my back because of my wings, this is the only option!”

“What about the rockets you use to help you fly?” Green said desperately, he was grasping at straws.

“One boost lasts for a while, I’ll probably only need one when lifting off.”

Green’s face burned, he dashed all hopes of their next time flying together being a fun, bonding experience. He wished he had paid attention to the sky, he wished he hadn’t crashed, he wished Purple didn’t see him like this.

Finally, once he couldn’t stand the pain in his leg, he nodded stiffly, “Okay.”

Purple sagged in relief, “Thank you.” He eyed Green up and down, lingering on his wounds, “You ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”

Purple nodded, bracing one arm across Green’s shoulder and leaning down to slip his other hand under Green’s knees before hoisting him off the ground. There was immediate relief once the pressure was off his leg but Green held himself as still as possible, hoping that it would make him easier to carry, he wrapped his good arm around Purple’s shoulders.

“Man, you’re strong.” Green mumbled, forcing down any other thoughts he had and just trying to focus on getting home.

“What? You forgot?” Purple grinned, his smile soft and bright, and despite himself,  it managed to make Green smile too.

Purple shifted, Green could feel his wings shaking and fluttering as Purple crouched down before shooting off. 

They burst from the trees and towards the sky, faster than Green had gone with his trident, the wind whipping around them. Green tightened his hold on Purple’s shirt.

The trees were still visible beneath them, staying closer to the ground as the snow flitted around them.

“Do you know where you’re going?” Green asked loudly over the wind.

Purple nodded, “Yeah, I know the way around this area! Your place isn’t too far off!”

The snow started to fade into sprinkles as the taiga mingled with oak and birch, replaced with the gentle pattering of rain. Green had long since given up on trying to keep the weather off his face, and tried to take in everything, it all looked so different from up high.

His eyes could follow the bends of a river and watch it branch off into lakes, he could see the tops of the trees, bustling with life and dancing in the wind. He could see the full gradient of the sky, different from the sky over the ocean, the blues were more vibrant, swirling together with the clouds.

A soreness settled in his neck and Green finally let himself rest his head against Purple’s shoulder, hoping for some kind of relief.

“What were you doing out there?” He asked, his voice mingling with the wind.

“Me? Oh, I was…practicing.” Purple shifted his jaw, tightening his hold.

“For?”

“Um, King wants to go ice skating.” Purple said sheepishly, “And I haven’t done it in years and I- I wanted to practice.”

Green nodded with a hum, mind flickering back to the ice skating strapped to his waist, “I didn’t know you were into ice skating.”

“Yeah, it’s a lot of fun.” Purple glanced down at him, “We should do it sometime after you’ve recovered.”

“Are you sure you aren’t gonna need to practice beforehand?” Green teased weakly, hoping his words came across well, that they didn’t lose the mood.

“Oh shut up! I’m just a bit rusty!”

“Uh huh, I bet.” 

“And I, maybe, also wanted to be able to show off, just a little bit.” Purple admitted meekly, “Just in front of King.”

Green laughed, “You? A show-off ? Never!”

“Well- you’re one to talk!” Purple shot back.

“Hey, this conversation isn’t about me!” Green said, “It’s about you and all your perfectionism.”

“That isn’t perfectionism!”

“Then what is it?”

After a moment Purple sputtered, “I can’t remember the word but it’s not perfectionism. That word doesn’t even work there!”

“You’re just mad that I’m right.”

“I can drop you, you know.” Purple narrowed his eyes playfully, guilt flashed across his face and he forced his gaze away from Green, looking straight ahead, beating his wings harder.

Green felt his chest clench, words caught in his throat, he wanted to reassure him, to chase away that guilt. He had forgiven Purple a long time ago but he hadn’t thought about Purple forgiving himself. Green chewed the inside of his cheek, the pain radiating from his body becoming more evident without the warmth of their banter to hide it away.

“Yeah,” Green drawled lightly, “But you wouldn’t cause we’re, like, best friends.”

Purple nodded, still avoiding his gaze, swallowing thickly, “Of course.”

The silence after felt deafening.

“You believe that right?” Green asked after a few agonizing moments, “Cause I do. I trust you, a hundred percent.”

Finally, Purple’s face softened, “Thank you.”

The house started to come into view, through the mist and pattering rain. Purple started to descend, not fast enough to feel like falling but enough that if Green closed his eyes it made his heart beat faster.

“Go towards Red’s little balcony.” Green said, pointing with a tilt of his head, “Easier to land.”

“Got it.” Purple adjusted his flight trajectory, wings bending to the wind as he tried to keep more upright, turning his feet to balance on the railing before stepping onto the balcony, boots tapping against the wood. 

Green heard vague scrambling from Red’s room before the door burst open, Red stumbling to keep upright.

“What-” He stopped and stared for a moment, “What are you doing?”

“I have a piece of trident in my leg.” Green said as Red frowned.

“No shit, I see it.” He said flatly, “You look bad.”

“Sweet as ever Red.” Purple said he crouched slightly to let Green get his legs on the ground, still letting the other use him as a brace. Green stood shakily on one leg, leaning heavily against Purple.

“Grab Blue for me, will you?” He said, lazily pointing at the door. He held his breath as his vision started to flicker on him again, “I think he’d know what to do.”

“Yeah,” Red stared at the blood dripping onto the balcony floor, “I got it.”

Red took approximately five steps inside, threw his bedroom door open, and yelled, “Blue! I need you! Green decided to go get himself impaled and now he’s bleeding everywhere!” 

A faint chorus of three other voices shouted back, all a mixture of exclamations and worried shouts. A few minutes later, all three of the other residents came barreling into Red’s room, talking and moving a mile a minute. A mixture of anxiety and warmth crept into his chest, tendrils twisting and curling around his ribs, he was so glad to be home.

They all managed to squeeze through the door to the balcony at the same time, bursting out in a tangle of limbs. Blue’s eyes narrowed as he took stock of Green’s injury, “Oh my god, how did you even manage this? You were in water!”

Green shrugged, “I’ll tell you about it later, I’m sure you have more to yell about anyways.”

“I’m not yelling.”

“You’re getting there.”

“No, I’m not.” He looked at Orange for backup. Orange pursed his lips, avoiding his gaze, “You’re getting there.”

Blue made a face like he was going to argue but stopped when Yellow rested a hand on his shoulder, “It’s not worth it.” 

He sighed and motioned to Orange, “Orange could you help me get him downstairs?”

“Of course, I got you.” Orange stepped closer with a friendly nod to Purple before easing his arm between them, taking Purple’s place as Green’s brace, Blue coming up on the other side. Green shifted his shoulders, trying to move his legs without bumping the precarious limb.

“Are you ready?” Orange asked and Green nodded, pouring all his focus and last bits of energy into not falling.

Together they hobbled towards the door.

“Hey, Purple.” Yellow gave him a little wave.

“Hey.”

“Sorry about them, I’m sure they would’ve said ‘hi’ if they weren’t preoccupied with all of,” He waved his hand at the little pool of blood, “that.”

Purple scratched at his neck, his laugh squeaking out more awkwardly than he would’ve liked, “Yeah no, I completely understand, it’s okay!”

Red had trailed after the others and Yellow nodded towards the door, “You know you’re more than welcome to come in, right? It’s been a while since we’ve seen you.”

Purple shrugged, “That’s okay, I do need to get going…I have, uh, something else I need to do.” He shifted back on his heels, “But- thank you- thank you for the invite, I just need to do… Something else.”

Purple was grateful for that wind that burned his face red, helping hide his own nerves. He wasn’t sure how comfortable he was around the others yet. He had apologized, multiple times, and they had all fought alongside each other but he still couldn’t shake the nearly overwhelming guilt that threatened to knock him down every time he looked at them.

He cared for them, he knew he did, he could feel it, it was almost as natural as breathing but he wasn’t sure how they could feel that way for him.

Time.

He just needed a bit more time.

Yellow only shrugged, if he was off put by Purple’s excuse he didn’t show it, “Alright, that’s fine.” A soft smile crossed his face, “Thanks for getting him back here.”

Purple tried not to show his relief, “It’s no problem.”

“You’re a good friend.”

Purple felt his chest twist and he shifted his wings, shuffling towards the baloney, “Thank- thank you. You are- you’re a good friend too… bye.” He waved over his shoulder before vaulting off the railing, the wind sliding under his wings.

He didn’t notice Yellow waving after him, watching him go until he disappeared into the clouds.

After a very long, and bloody, process of Blue poking and prodding and shoving various potions in his hands, Green was settled on the couch and given a moment to breathe. There was more blood and towels and pulling things out of his leg involved in the process- but Green tried to ignore that the best he could, Blue was quick, and the potion he had been given beforehand helped muddle his memory of their fun little home surgery.

Orange came into the room, carefully navigating around the shoes and other things scattered across the floor. He settled a bowl of something steaming on the table, wiggling it between the trinkets and displaced first aid kit supplies and towels.

“Figured you were hungry.” He said lightly, Green couldn’t tell if it was the potions or if his brain was still thawing but Orange’s tone felt…. off.

Green eyed the bowl then Orange, “I didn’t lose your looting sword.” He thought back to the loaned sword, currently lying under his bed.

“I wasn’t gonna ask about that!” Orange cried as Green laid his head back on the couch.

“Yeah, but you were thinking about it, I could see it in your eyes, I could feel it.” Green drawled, “It’s obvious.”

“You’re reading into it.” Orange deadpanned, he glanced at the table before gathering the trash into the bucket they used for the towels. 

“Oh gross.” He picked Purple’s bloodied scarf from the edge of the bucket between two fingers, “I’m gonna toss this out.” 

Green sat up, “But that’s Purple’s.”

Orange grimaced, his eyes slowly shifting between Green and the scarf, “Is he...gonna want it back?”

“Probably not.” Green flopped back down which made his head spin, “But now he doesn’t have a scarf.”

“We could get him another one.” Orange said, “But I think this is pretty well spent.”

Green chewed his lip, “Well, let me ask him at least,” He looked around the room, “Wait, where is he?”

He ran through his thoughts again, realizing he hadn’t seen Purple since he got in the house.

“He left,” Yellow said casually, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. He scooped the few empty potion bottles up, no doubt gathering them for Blue.

“He left?” Green echoed and Yellow nodded.

“Yeah, like half an hour ago. He said he had something else to do.”

“Oh.” Disappoint lingered on his tongue.

I didn’t get to thank him.

“Oh don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll see him again soon.” Yellow hadn’t said anything out of the ordinary but Green knew him well enough that he could hear his stupid smirk even with his back turned. Green felt his face heat up.

“Shut up.”

Orange glanced between them, “I’m gonna get rid of this then.” He said slowly, slipping out of the room.

Yellow turned and Green saw his stupid smirk.

“What? I didn’t say anything wrong.” He grinned at him like a menace before darting up the stairs, bottles clinking in his arms as he did.

Green sighed, leaning back onto the couch and pulling the bowl into his lap. It was some kind of stew and just holding it was starting to warm him up. He stirred it lazily, between the fall, the potions, his conversation with Purple, and Yellow saying stupid things, his brain didn’t feel completely connected like part of it was still frozen in the taiga.

Still, he racked his mind for something, a reason to see him again, but like, immediately. Or something to give him, something to make up for Green using up his time.

Slices of carrots and potatoes swam in the warm broth as he thought, absentmindedly taking a few bites. The stew was rich and instantly made him realize his hunger. He finished it quickly, and then the idea struck him. He shoved the bowl onto the coffee table and sat up fully, clearing his throat. 

“Red! C’mere!” He yelled, “I need to do this before I forget! Oh, and bring your embroidery stuff!”

Purple kicked at the earth, hands jammed in his pockets to hide them from the cold, eyes shifting constantly. Green had nearly made his communicator vibrate off his desk with frantic messages about meeting him. Something something, very important, and he had to have it before he went skating.

Of course, this was on the day he was supposed to go. So Purple stood in the mingled part of the taiga and oak forests, flicking pebbles out of the course dirt with the tip of his shoe, trying to push down the anxiety pulsing in his fingertips.

“Purple!” A familiar yell and the clatter of hooves pulled him from his thoughts as he glanced up to see Green riding on a rust-colored horse. 

Purple smiled and waved as Green slowed down in front of him, taking a second to try and fix his tousled hair. After a moment he gave up, leaning forward and almost sliding off the horse, he smiled, “Hello!”

“Hi,” Purple took a step closer and the horse eyed him lazily, “What prompted this little rendezvous?”

“I have a very important gift for you!” Green explained, his voice glittering with mock boisterousness. 

“Oh, how exciting.” Purple tried to mimic his energy, giving a sly smile.

“And,” His face softened as he pulled a small package from one of the saddlebags- maybe it was a mule- a gift wrapped in tissue paper and tied with multicolored strings, “I wanted to thank you, properly, for helping me.”

Purple picked at his cuticle, not shifting his gaze from Green, “Oh, it-it was no big deal or anything.”

“You looked after me when I got hurt and then got me home, that’s a big deal, at least to me.” He held the gift out and Purple took it gently, like it would crumble into dust and blow away in the breeze if he held it too tightly, “So thank you.”

“It was the least I could do.” Purple looked down at the package, running his thumb over the soft paper, a snicker from Green made him glance up.

Green’s soft gaze was tinted with gold and unmistakable fondness so clear it made Purple’s face burn.

“You can’t ever take a compliment, can you?” He teased, and Purple managed to laugh, “You’d think with your ego-”

“Hey!” Purple felt the heat reaching his ears, “You’re one to talk!” He grabbed Green hand, “You think you know me so well? Put your money where your mouth is!”

Green cackled but pulled his hand away, “I will take you up on that as soon as I can fully stand again.”

Purple stopped.

“You’re having trouble standing?”

“Yeah,” Green said casually, rolling his shoulders, “Still recovering and whatnot.”

Purple stared at him, he could feel the thoughts tumbling in his head, beating against his skull but only managed to pick out and voice a few, “What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you here- Why aren’t you resting? Why are you riding a horse!”

“I needed to give you your gift!” Green said like that explained anything.

“This is not a necessity-”

“Yes it is-”

“You should be resting!”

“I was bored,” Green drawled out, “I’ve been bored for days, and I wanted to see you.” 

“Besides,” Green eyed him up and down, “You actually might need it later today.”

Purple narrowed his eyes, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t be like that, you’ll know when you open it.” Green stretched his arms then sighed, “Well, I do need to get home before the others notice I’m gone.”

“You snuck out?”

“Obviously.” Green rolled his eyes affectionately, “They wouldn’t have let me leave, I can barely walk!”

“Oh my god.” Purple barely resisted the urge to slap his forehead, “You need to go home.”

“Yeah! If they notice then I’m screwed!” Green grabbed the reins on his horse, “But seriously, thank you, for helping me. I can’t wait to go ice skating with you once my leg heals up.”

Purple smiled as Green turned the horse and started off, he watched them go until they were a speck in the distance before looking back at his gift.

He carefully untangled the string and pulled open the wrapping, pulling out a loved gray scarf that smelled faintly of Green and mostly like the back of a closet. He smiled, running his fingers down the length of it, he froze when he got to the end of the scarf.

Along the two shorter sides, in careful colorful stitching, were little beetles and butterflies, embroidered along the edge, all in patterns and motions that made them look like they were dancing, and in the center, a pair of white feathery wings.

Purple gently rubbed his thumb against the stitches, careful not to snag them, his chest tightening with a familiar longing. He didn’t know how Green always made him feel seen.

He stuffed the wrapping in his pocket and wrapped the scarf snuggly around his neck. He fidgeted with the end, still rubbing his fingers along the designs as he walked to the frozen lake, ice skates clicking against his waist.

He couldn’t wait to see Green again.