Work Text:
He didn’t know who kneeled first, but he didn’t care either way.
Buddy shivered into Chase’s embrace and clung to him as if he were capsizing into monstrous waves, and the blonde boy was a piece of driftwood. Buddy felt his heart pounding against his chest, darkness fading in and out with each beat. He tightened his grip.
“Everything’s okay now.”
Chase’s words were secondary to the sound of his voice. Each murmur was soft and smooth, passing through his lips with careful comfort. And yet, his tone was affirmative, each word inflicted with clear certainty.
“It’s all good now.”
As Buddy’s heart slowed, he felt Chase’s heart beat against his chest. Buddy’s hand trembled over Chase’s shoulder, his thumb brushing his bottom lip. His eyes stung, a tear threatening to roll down his cheek. Cold sweat ran down his forehead, but it began to dry in the crypt’s chilling air.
The stone floor was no longer blurred by darkness, but he couldn’t pull his eyes away from it. The world still felt unsteady. He wasn’t used to the light yet.
Vaguely, Buddy felt Chase’s hand twitch against his back. Still, the warmth of his palm remained, and Chase’s arms stayed wrapped around Buddy.
Buddy’s fingers tingled, raw from his desperate scratching against the coffin. His shoulders still shook. The stinging in his eyes intensified, forcing him to screw them shut and banish all of his tears.
With the loss of light, Buddy became more aware of Chase’s presence. Chase’s chin on Buddy’s shoulder. Chase’s legs hovering over his own. As he inhaled deeply, he realized Chase’s hair smelled of flowers. The floral scent pierced, no, bloomed around Buddy, surrounding him completely. Even within the darkness and oppressive castle, Chase’s presence radiated pure life.
Like a flower growing between frigid thorns.
“I’ll come get you. Okay? It’s all good.”
Buddy swallowed. He let Chase’s words sink in and soothe the rest of his nerves. Most of them anyway. As he regained his senses, he realized he did not want to overstay his welcome.
His sweating had died down, his breath had steadied, but his heart continued to beat oddly. It felt like it was being squeezed. A soft grasp stunned it, halting the occasional beat.
Chase’s arms fell away, and Buddy finally opened his eyes. He stared up at the blonde boy, his eyes trapped on Chase’s gentle smile. Slowly, he noticed his soft gaze, his outstretched arms, his inviting hands.
A promise of a walk outside almost went unnoticed as Chase’s figure was haloed by the marble wings of an angel statue. Against Chase, the wings no longer appeared white and withered. Chase made them shiny and golden.
“C’mon, we’ll go together, okay?”
The invisible fist continued to squeeze Buddy’s heart. And as long as Chase was there, it would never release its grasp.