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Scott takes one glance at the sky and runs into Jimmy’s house. The hobbit-hole, while cute on the outside (thanks to Scott, of course) still isn’t much to ogle at from the inside. A bare room, filled with only the essentials of a furnace, crafting table, and bed. He does suppose Jimmy spends the most time at Scott’s house anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. But god , he does wish Jimmy would make an effort. Interior decorating is important!
“Jimmy,” Scott hisses, shaking the avian awake as his own snakes twist and cycle with excitement. “Jimmy, wake up.”
“Huh?” Jimmy’s eyes open blearily, and he turns to face Scott from where he’d been laying on his stomach. He looks like a grumpy cat. “Scott, ‘m- ‘m sleepin’-”
“You won’t want to be once I show you this ,” Scott assures him, cyan eyes sparkling. “C’mon, Jimmy. It’s pretty incredible.”
Grumbling, Jimmy manages to pull himself out of bed. He only gets tangled in his blankets once and lets out an undignified squawk as he falls to the ground, useless wings dragging into the sheets like a dead weight, which doesn’t help. Scott helps Jimmy untangle himself without a fuss. Then, with no more distractions, he grabs Jimmy’s hand and runs outside, eager to show off his discovery to the avian.
As soon as Jimmy leaves his hillside home, his eyes widen and his face goes slack. Scott grins widely, not letting go of Jimmy’s hand as the two of them stand there, staring upwards.
Because the sky is alive.
It dances with colors, pinks and greens and blues, rippling across it like a massive curtain. They dip and dive and pirouette, fading in and out of visibility against the velvet darkness of the clear midnight sky. Stars twinkle within the fabric, sequins stitched into a cosmic ball gown, glittering along with the writhing lights.
A soft gasp escapes from Jimmy’s mouth at the sight, and his face glows in the strange light. Scott can’t help but think that he’s even prettier than normal, bathed in bright, unnatural colors. What he wouldn’t give… well. That’s a thought for another time. Right now, Scott just wants to enjoy this moment with his friend.
The two of them move further into the clearing. Jimmy is practically bouncing, and honestly, Scott is feeling pretty excited himself. Because how often do you get to see something like this? Probably not very often, because neither of them had even known that this could happen. But then again… neither of them knew much of anything, really. The silent hands made sure of that.
“It’s beautiful ,” Jimmy says, hushed and almost worshipful, echoing Scott’s sentiments perfectly.
Scott nods in response. “It is,” he agrees simply, squeezing Jimmy’s hand with his own.
“Do you- I can’t remember what these are,” Jimmy admits quietly, the slightest brush of melancholy coloring his words. That’s not a surprise, not after everything. Scott has long since come to the terms that he can’t remember anything from whatever might have come before- the only hint he has is a deep, instinctual feeling that he knew Jimmy. A connection of sorts. A bond. The avian is just too familiar, and it’s painful, the way that whenever Scott tries to think about it, the questions are stolen from his mind by unseen forces.
“Me neither,” Scott admits. “But what else is new, you know?”
Jimmy lets out a tired chuckle. They’ve been stuck here for a little less than a week now, and already, people have died. They’ve died, and then come back to life. Scott has no idea how that’s possible- there’s a feeling he has, an instinct, that people shouldn’t be able to come back from death. It’s a permanent thing, not something to be played with, and yet…
And yet, Scar came back from the dead, and is up there, alive as any of them, up there on the desert mountain with Grian.
Scott just wants himself and Jimmy to stay safe. He just wants the two of them to be okay more than anything, even if he knows that it’s probably in vain.
“Scott?” Jimmy speaks his name quietly, like it’s something to be treasured.
“Hm?” Scott responds, tearing his attention away from the gorgeous lights and the frantic thoughts that echo across his mind.
“Do you think- do you think we’ll ever get out of here?” The question is quiet, almost as if Jimmy is embarrassed to speak it.
“I don’t know,” Scott admits. “I don’t think anyone knows, poppy.”
The nickname rolls off of his tongue, a gentle reminder of the red flower tucked against his cyan snakes. Jimmy had proposed with that flower- or, maybe not proposed. Maybe it was just a bit that got out of hand. But Scott can’t help but feel like there’s something more to him and Jimmy’s relationship, something as-to-yet unexplored and left stagnant.
Jimmy’s face pinks at the nickname, although that could just be the light of the sky.
He’s gorgeous.
Before Scott can think better of it, he leans in and kisses Jimmy square on the mouth. It’s quick, quiet, searching- a test of sorts. Scott shouldn’t. He knows he shouldn’t- but in that moment, he just can’t help himself. Jimmy lets out a surprised little squeak, and Scott moves back immediately, eyes going wide.
“Sorry, I should’ve asked-”
He’s cut off as Jimmy’s hand comes up to cup Scott’s face. This time, it’s the avian who initiates the kiss. Soft and slow, awash in the gorgeous lights of the sky, the two of them stand there. Scott hums. And at that moment, it doesn’t seem so imperative to find out where he was before this.
Because Scott can’t think of anywhere he’d rather be right now than here, under these beautiful lights in Jimmy’s arms. No- not beautiful lights.
“Northern lights.” Scott smiles as he pulls away, tracing a hand down Jimmy’s back. “I just remembered. They’re called the northern lights.”
Jimmy tears up, and Scott wraps an arm around him, allowing the avian to lean into his chest. The two of them stay there, looking up at the northern lights , for a very long time.