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minute lets out a deep sigh, chuckling to himself as he watches spoke and jepexx argue and bicker amongst themselves.
"minute!" a voice whines, snapping his attention away from the duo and onto the source of the voice.
he blinks, pausing for a moment before looking over and flashing mapicc a casual smile, "yo, what's up?"
mapicc seems unfocused, busy staring at the argument in the distance himself, an amused look on his face. a small grin forms on his face before he turns back to minute, refocusing himself. "oh, uhm-"
minute laughs fondly, tilting his head curiously while leaning back against the crafting table he was seated, "what's up?" he repeats.
"right, uh.. i was gonna ask where the spare gaps are, since some dumbass named jepexx never puts them away.." mapicc snorts, glancing back over at jepexx and spoke.
"what-! i put them away!" jepexx yells back in the distance, his voice strained from being tackled by spoke and actively held down by him.
spoke smirks, looking up at minute and mapicc, "hey, mape! wanna join the fun?" he laughs, waving his hand.
"oh, hell yeah!" mapicc cheers, practically throwing himself onto jepexx, making him let out a loud yelp.
minute rolls his eyes in amusement, yelling out to mapicc through the chaos, "they're in the top left chest, closest to the door!"
he smiles as mapicc flashes him a quick thumbs up, but not before he's wrestled away from minutes view by jepexx.
"hey." a newer, more exhausted sounding voice mumbles. minute blinks and shifts his gaze over, giving a slight nod to chief, "morning."
chief nods back, rubbing his eyes tiredly, "you too. uhm, what's.. going on there?" he asks, pointing to the chaos minute calls him team.
"they're just.. burning some energy?" minute laughs in slight confusion, not even sure himself what to call it.
"ah." he hums, watching for a brief moment before turning back to the hallway he came from, "well, this is too much happening for me. it's nine in the morning. bye."
he nods, feeling the same way, "yeah, i get it. let me know if you need anything, okay? i'll probably be around."
chief nods, fighting a yawn, "mmhm.. yep. thanks minute. i'll see you around." he says with a small smile.
minute watches chief stalk back into the shadows of the hallway, letting out a long sigh as he does.
his head is starting to hurt from all this yelling, and he knows it's only going to get worse if he stays.
there are many things minute doesn't like, and loud, obnoxious yelling in a close proximity is one of them.
the feeling of voices blaring and pounding in his ears are something he most definitely does not enjoy, and he probably should've thought of that before joining what might be the dumbest, most obnoxious team on lifesteal.
"minute!" jepexx yells, waving a hand in the air to get his attention, "help me!" they're ganging up me! do something!"
minute looks up, a small ringing starting in his ears as the shouts only get louder, making him wince. "quiet down, please-"
his voice is completely drowned out by the protests and loud cackling from the trio, and minute just completely gives up.
he's used to it by now, he supposes. minutes first ever team on lifesteal was pretty much the same deal.
arguments with them meant screaming and shouting, which also meant intense overstimulation and unnecessary stress.
he takes a sharp breathe, walking out the empire base silently. acting like a single father of four fucking children was so excruciating sometimes.
minute continues walking, a small wave of relief washing over him as the ringing in his ears begins to fade.
he blinks, a buzzing from his communicator catching his attention. minute raises an eyebrow in confusion, pulling out the communicator to find the source.
he feels a lump form in his throat as he scans the glowing messages on the screen, taunting words staring back.
__________________________
Leow0ok has joined the game.
JustKaboodle : LEOOO
Clownpierce : Hey leo
LeoW0ok : YOO PMC
MrCube6 : LMAO
Princezam : pmcs dead
Leow0ok : PMC...!!
__________________________
his sighs nervously, hands start to sweat at the sheer thought of his former team. his shaking hands have to close the communicator before he can continue reading the chat.
it's been months upon months since the disbandment of the team, yet it still haunts minute almost every day of his life.
all he had ever wanted was the approval of both clown and leo, yet in the end- all he got was pure betrayal, shattering his heart and stomping it to pieces.
minute pauses, taking a slow, deep breathe to try and shake the unneeded thoughts and feelings out of his mind.
every joke hurts him so much more than it should, and he should honestly let go of the past already.
minute shouldn't care when he even remotely hears the name of his old team, and he shouldn't flinch or clench his jaw when his newer teammates crack a joke about the PMC, yet it bothers him more than he'd ever imagine.
it hurts, but minute can't even do anything to fix it. it's his fault for the lingering pain, anyway. it shouldn't be someone else's problem.
burdening other people is another thing minute despises, so he should probably stop looking so depressed near spawn now that he thinks about it, as to not worry someone.
he sighs once more, shaking his head to himself. if leo and clown knew how often he thought and fantasized about an ending that hadn't ended in his shattered heart, they'd probably tell him to seek mental help.
minute has taught himself to not get attached, but this- this was different. months and months of friendship had gone down the drain for five hundred dollars.
he had seen them as brothers, and now he won't even look at either of them. it's like anything he does with clown or leo hurts him more than it should.
minute runs a hand through his hair nervously, the ringing in his ears starting to rise once more.
he just needs to calm down. that's it, just relax and collect himself so he can go back to being the perfect, put-together leader of the empire.
he settles down under a tree, taking in the warm sunshine that shines down from the gaps in the leaves.
minute closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. his mind still swarms with millions of thoughts, all of them featuring the same two faces he wishes he could just stop thinking about.
his fists clench as he tries again, taking another slow breath in, then out.
he'll let go. he has to. for the sake of both him and the empire. he can't burden his team.
minute blinks, eyes snapping open as he hears a small thud not far from where he's sat.
his head whips around cautiously, scanning the area with narrow eyes. he swore he heard something.
minute's hand grazes the blade tucked under his belt, gripping the handle instinctively.
his breath quickens as he finds nothing, yet the sound of footsteps only increase. they're getting louder, and closer, and-
minute almost screams as he sees nothing but a blur of black and red charging into the air, pouncing in his direction.
clown's lunging in his direction, wind charge and mace in hand. he's going to fucking die.
he raises his shield, squeezing his eyes shut while bracing for the impact of the mace.
the world goes dark for a moment, his vision going black. is he dead?
he hears a low, cold chuckle as he peels one eye open, finding himself sprawled on the grass with spots missing in his vision.
"hey, minute." clown says in amusement, one heel digging into minute as to prevent him from running.
he lets out a low, laboured breath as ringing emits in his ears, his head aching and begging for sweet release.
how is he not dead yet? with his head hurting so much, he might as well be.
"clown-" minute chokes out, forcing himself to sit up and face the person who's caused him all the pain.
clown is quick to readjust his heel, but they both know for a fact minute isn't escaping alive either way.
he tilts his head at minute curiously, a sinister smile on his face, "hm?"
he feels a cold tear run down his cheek as he struggles to find his words, any thought in his mind only worsening the pounding in his head.
"please, clown- don't-" he tries to beg, but his voice is far too shaky to even form words. it hurts so badly that any sort of movement makes his head ache.
clown sighs dismissively, shaking his head, "oh, minute.. you should know better by now."
another tear drips down his face, body inches away from collapsing and giving in to death, "please."
"you know that any ending involving me will only end in heartbreak, minute." he murmurs, unsheathing his diamond sword.
his stomach knots at clowns words, staring down at the shimmering blade in his hands, "i-it doesn't have to be this way-"
"don't make me laugh, minute." he interrupts coldly, "there will never be a world where i don't betray you." clown finishes with a sly smile.
"that's not true." minute laughs through tears, the pounding in his head increasing with every passing second.
clown raises an eyebrow, pressing the tip of the diamond blade to minutes stomach, "and why so?"
his chest is heaving, cold tears running down his face as clown further digs his blade into minute, awaiting a response.
he has no answer, truthfully. clown is right. in every world, every universe, and every realm they're in- clown will always betray him.
there will never be a happy ending if clown is apart of it, and minute just can't bring himself to accept that.
clown tilts his head and repeats his question, but his voice sounds so much more distant now. it's hard to hear through the ringing.
"i'll run back to you every time, clown." minute whispers through ragged, pained breaths and salty tears.
"i know." he responds in a whisper, raising the sword. it shimmers in sunlight, almost looking down mockingly at minute.
he lets out a choked out noise as clowns blade stabs through his stomach in one quick motion, fresh tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.
"..and that's your demise, minute." clown finishes, his own voice faltering in the slightest. perhaps it's a sign that he's just a little sorry.
minute can only watch in excruciating pain as the blood slowly seeps on of him, staining both his chest and the grass in dark red.
tears continue rolling down his cheeks and there's nothing that he can do but continue watching himself die.
his vision starts to blur and the spots in his vision are multiplying, making it practically impossible to both think and see.
this time he really does scream as the world starts to spin, pain erupting from his stomach as clown pulls his sword out.
his blood drips onto the dirt, clown cleaning off the blade as if it's just another normal day.
minute gasps for air, crying and hyperventilating as his own former teammate does nothing but watch him.
he forces himself to look up one last time, ignoring the blossoming pain that comes with doing so.
minutes watering eyes meet clowns cold, distant eyes, hiccuping and sobbing as he tries to search for any sort of regret in clown.
clown blinks, his gaze softening as he looks up at minute, "give up, minute." he whispers, his voice sounding much more pained, yet still so distant.
minutes body trembles as it finally gives in, the pain becoming too much for him to bear.
the world is spinning and it's hard to breathe, or even think anymore. minute, however- doesn't give in just yet, keeping his gaze on clown.
it's funny, dying from the hands of the person you trusted the most. he should be used to it by now.
if minute hadn't died from the stab, he probably would've died from a broken heart sooner.
he lets out a pained noise, his blood staining both his chest and the grass. this is how he's going to die, from the hands of his former teammate.
the last thing he sees before he ultimately dies is clown, the person he would've done anything for.
after that, it all goes dark.
___________________________
minute gasps, sitting up in a white bed with a blanket thrown into the corner.
the first thing he notices immediately is that the pounding in his head hasn't stopped, in fact- it won't stop, and it still hurts like hell.
his breathe quickens, his body screaming in pain. minutes head whips around and just as he reaches for his chest of spare gear-
he realizes that this, this isn't his base. this is the empire base, and he's accidentally set his spawn here.
by now, minute's hyperventilating and starting to cry from the pain all over again. any one of his teammates could walk in at any moment and see him.
he can't be a burden. he can't burden his teammates, no- if they see him like this-
he runs a stressed hand through his hair, immediately pulling away at the spark-like pain that comes from doing so.
fuck, what does he even do? he can't see, he can't think, and he doesn't even have any gear-
everything hurts so much. he's so fucking scared, and lost- and at any second, his team could walk in and find him.
minutes breathing only seems to get faster and faster the longer he looks around, searching for anything that could help him.
it's too blurry to see though, and mixed with tears- he might as well be blind.
minute whimpers, even the smallest hint of movement sending a wave of pain through him.
the pain is immeasurable, and it only worsens up as a hand reaches out of seemingly nowhere, catching him by surprise.
his heartbeat starts to echo in his ears, any other noises drowned out by the sound.
he's convinced he screams though, because the hand pulls away quickly, leaving him shakily clutching his wrist like a wounded animal.
minute's breathing far too quick to be normal, but he has much more concerning things to worry about in the moment.
it feels like the room is closing in on him, and minutes panic only worsens as the face in front of him slowly materializes.
spoke is crouched down in front of him, a panicked look of his own plastered on his face.
"fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck-" minute chokes out, backing away from him in an instant. he can't let spoke see him like this.
the world starts to spin again and minute can hear his heart beating faster and faster, his breathing accelerating with every passing second.
shaking hands push spoke away, trying to erase the sight of his terrified teammates out of his mind.
a cry escapes minute as he squeezes his eyes shut. the pain is blooming and flairing up in his head, making anything he does pure hell.
it hurts so fucking bad. why can't he breathe, or see, or even think-? it's driving him crazy.
he feels like he's dying, and maybe he is- in all honesty. he's shaking and trembling, and his stomach is tying itself into knots all at once.
his hands wrap around himself instinctively, yet he still flinches at the touch of his own cold hands pressing into his skin.
he can't tell whether it's his hands or himself going numb, or maybe it's both. he's not sure though, because the feeling of absolutely vomiting his organs out overweights it all.
he's so horribly overstimulated and minute can't even do anything but sit there, hot tears rolling down his cheeks as a mix of voices pound his ears relentlessly.
it's like he's far, far away- like he's not in his own body, merely watching himself crying and hyperventilating.
minute's completely aware and attentive of what's going on, but he's pretty much just watching himself like a ghost, unable to move or talk.
he knows that spoke, jepexx and chief are screaming and yelling unintelligible things, and he knows that he should respond, or try and breathe-
but those are all things that are easier said than done, and even if minute tries- his body won't move and he stays like a ghost in his own body.
all minute can feel is the overwhelming feelings of everything around him, and it makes him want to rip every body part he physically has out of himself.
his teammates continue to yell senseless things, making it harder and harder for minute to breathe.
it feels like he's suffocating, dying and suffering from hypothermia all at the same time. every sensation sends him over the edge, and it feels like maggots crawling through his skin.
a sudden thought appears in minutes mind, and while it does ground him, it also makes him feel ten times worse.
his skin itches and chills run down his arms, the painfully etched image forming in his vision.
minute peels his eyes open, only to find that his teammates faces have been blurred and replaced by static faces of clown and leo.
he knows this isn't real, and he knows he can't breathe, and that he should breathe, but he can't do anything and it's driving him fucking insane-
he sobs, nails digging into his arms in pure panic. this might possibly be the worst way he's been grounded in his life.
the words are ringing in his mind, in fact- it's the same fucking word over and over.
PMC.
why won't it ever stop? why won't it leave his mind already? why, why, why?
its always the same fucking thing.
why did it have to end like it did? why can't he let go? why can't he just be happy?
he cries out, writhing in pain as a hand reaches out, grazing on the tip of his horns.
no one else but jumper, clown and leo were ever allowed to touch them. he had trusted them, he had fucking trusted them-
minute's squirming and crying, and he can't even think about what he's doing in the moment. it all hurts so bad.
his breathing is erratic, breathes sounding more like a wheezing, dying animal. he's so fucking scared.
he can't think, or breathe, or even see. there's a thousand overlapping voices and faces that are sinisterly smiling, adding to the feeling of panic in his head. it feels like hands are grabbing him left and right, as if it'll help him relax.
he fucking trusted them. he trusted them, he trusted them- he-
minute gasps, panting heavily as he feels his chin press against soft fabric, snapping him back to reality by the slightest.
he's suddenly much more aware of the heat digging into his skin and the chills running down his back, and fuck- his teammates are still here.
new, fresh tears stream down his face as he tries to take deep breathes, still unable to relax at the thoughts of his team seeing him so pathetic.
"it's okay. deep breathes." a voice mumbles, rubbing soothing circles on his back.
he tries, chest heaving as he takes a shaky breathe in. chills still run down his spine, leaving goosebumps on his skin.
he shivers, burying himself into the crook of the neck of whoever's he's leaning on.
he closes his eyes momentarily, focusing on the sound of his slow inhaling and exhaling. breathe, he reminds himself. all he needs to do is breathe.
minute takes his time calming down, his mind eventually dropping the thoughts of season five and the faces of his terrified teammates.
his mind is blissfully empty for once, and it feels so good. the sensations that had been driving him over the edge minutes prior have faded, leaving nothing but a single knot in his stomach.
he's still a little worried, but he lets himself forget and melt into the warmth of the arm he's leaned on.
minute eventually opens his eyes, hesitating before looking around at his surroundings. the world has stopped spinning and his vision has cleared.
his whole team is present, but no one speaks. it's a comforting silence, heavily contrasting the empires usual rowdiness.
jepex and mapicc keep their distance, hesitant to approach him- so they don't. spoke is noticeably closer, seated next to him, but still giving him a fair amount of space.
chief is the arm he's leaned on, and it's surprisingly not as solid as minute would've expected. he doesn't mind it too much, honestly.
he takes one last sharp, deep breathe before rasping out in a whisper, "thank-" minute pauses, clearing his throat, "thank you.."
chief smiles reassuringly, silently nodding. spoke does the same, hiding a worried look of his own with a small, hopeful grin.
minute frowns, unsure of what to do in the moment. it's hella awkward, but he feels a sense of slight relief wash over himself as spoke shifts closer to him.
spoke's brows scrunch up in concern, reaching out a warm hand to wipe his tears. since when was he crying?
minute blinks in surprise, his own hand running over where spokes hand has just been like a ghost.
"sorry, uhm-" spoke says awkwardly, avoiding minute's wide-eyed stare carefully.
minute's gaze on spoke softens, shifting up from chief's shoulder to face spoke, "don't.. don't apologize." he whispers.
he sighs, his voice brimmed with guilt, "no, no- i'm sorry. i kept yelling this morning, and-"
spoke stops, a small squeak escaping from him as minute rushes forward, pulling him into a tight hug before he can react.
"d-don't say that.. it wasn't your fault." minute stutters out, resting his chin on spokes head comfortably.
"minute.." spoke chokes out softly, his own eyes tearing up with emotion as he accepts the hug.
chief lets out a long, relieved breathe behind him, hesitating before joining the group hug.
he sighs contently, a wave of exhaustion hitting him like a truck as minute suddenly realizes how utterly tired he is.
minute feels his eyes flutter closed in his teammates arms, savouring the warmth that emits from both chief and spoke. maybe he can rest now, even for a little.
"go to sleep minute." spoke murmurs, almost as if he's reading his mind. minute doesn't contest the idea, though. he wouldn't mind.
minute mumbles something inaudible in response, his own words too muffled to hear as his mind goes fuzzy, prioritizing rest over comprehension.
"we'll be by your side waiting, i promise." spoke adds softly, chief humming in agreement.
minute shrugs, but he knows for a fact that he's falling asleep whether he likes it or not. he's already getting drowsy.
he winces suddenly, the sound of loud footsteps piercing his ears. they're getting closer, and- they remind his of clowns shoes.
"hey. rest, okay? it's good for you." a new voice, barely recognizable as mappic's says. why is mapicc only approaching him now?
minute pauses, considering mapicc's statement before nodding, slurring his words tiredly as he does, "kay.. i'll.."
he's cut off by a yawn, mind drifting in and out of consciousness as he practically goes limp in his teammates arms.
minute feels the overwhelming exhaustion take over, and so for what might be the first time in his life-
he gives in.
___________________________
...
"minute!"
..who's calling him? he knows that voice, but he can't see, or hear properly. what's going on?
he blinks, eyes opening in an instant. the salty ocean water immediately fills his eyes, making him hiss in pain, even underwater.
the water around him is a deep, dark blue. where is he-? how did he end up far too deep in the ocean for his liking? how-
"minute!"
that voice. who's voice.. is that? it's too muffled from the water for him to hear properly.
his chest is tightening at record speed, so without another thought, minute swims up from the dark waters, his lungs starting to run out of air.
he pants loudly, head splashing above water. where is he? minute looks around, but he still doesn't seem to recognize where the hell he is.
minute's neutral expression shifts into a thin frown of confusion. it's nothing but a small, grassy island with a blooming cherry blossom tree in the middle.
well- there's also the sun, but when hasn't there been? it's at a perfect spot right now in the sky, perfectly centred- which is causing a glorious golden hour.
he coughs out the salty water, shaking the water out his hair momentarily before approaching the tree with slight caution.
then, in an instant- a gust of wind blows through his hair, almost knocking him off his feet. minute shields his face instinctively, head turning away from the wind.
the wind subsides rather quickly, leaving minute looking around in confusion. he takes a step closer to the tree, and-
he sees it. clown and leo, nestled under the tree with leo comfortably leaning on clowns shoulder, giggling and whispering to him.
minutes feet move him closer to the tree before he can even protest, and suddenly he finds himself right in front of clown and leo, who both look up at him with warm, matching smiles.
"hey," clown nods, patting the spot to him right, "come on, sit down with us. where have you been?" he chuckles lightly.
minute hesitates, an uneasy feeling in his heart. he knows this can't be real, but his mind seems to be fooling him in more ways than one, "around."
he bites his lip, contemplating for a moment before giving in, settling down beside clown.
"at least you're here now." clown responds, putting a gloved hand on minutes shoulder reassuringly.
minute hums in agreement, turning his head away from clown and leo, instead looking up at the rising sun with a soft smile spreading on his face.
as he said, it's golden hour, painting a perfect image. the soft breeze makes cherry blossom petals drift down slowly, and the gentle splashing of the ocean only adds to the beauty of it all.
minute sighs contently, eyes drifting shut as his head leans back against the tree comfortably. this, this is nice.
..but this also isn't real, as much as he wishes it is.
he tries to sit up, to open his eyes in an instant, and to savour the moment between his former teammates that he knows will never be real.
minute has to let go. he's been stuck hurting for so long. this isn't healthy, especially if he's dreaming about it.
he's aware of all this, yet he still persists, trying to peel his eyes open to just get one last look at the perfect picture.
it's too late, though. minute is aware. his eyes have glued themselves shut and before he knows it-
he wakes up, the sweet, sweet memory he wishes could've been- fades. it fades because it had never been real, and minute knows it.
minute's hands are trembling as he grips the bedsheets, realizing he's no longer out in the open, on a white bed that he had accidentally set his spawn on.
he's now in a black, canopy bed with a lantern lit on a wooden desk beside him, emitting a cozy light in the otherwise dark room.
there's no more ringing, or aching in his head. everything is blissfully quiet.
minute takes a deep breathe, unclenching his hands from the bed. it's not real, and it was never real, he reminds himself.
he won't give in to the temptation of a happy ending that he knows will never be real.
minute nods to himself and looks up, noticing mapicc guarding the door with his sword tucked under his belt. mapicc has never been the best with emotions, minute knows- but at least he still cares.
"mapicc." minute rasps, gaining his attention. mapicc sprints over, slight concern etched on his face.
"what? do you need something?" mapicc asks worriedly, still keeping a careful eye on the door as he talks.
minute pauses before nodding, a small smile tugging at his lips, "yeah. come here." he says, shifting over to make room on the bed.
mapicc's concern morphs into confusion, "wha-? i'm not fucking getting in a bed with you, dumbass! that's weird!"
he laughs wholeheartedly, "you're not- that's not what i even said- sitting next to me isn't weird!" he protests.
mapicc huffs in frustration, looking between minute and the door before sitting down on the bed next to minute.
minute beams happily, further moving over to make even more room for mapicc. (he might as well have the whole bed at this point..)
"you're such a fucking bitch, you know that right?" mapicc grumbles, pulling out his communicator momentarily before tucking it away.
his face falls noticeably, making mapicc groan audibly, "dude, you know i'm joking! cut it out! i'm-" he grits his teeth, stopping himself.
"i'm- i'm.. glad.. you're okay." mapicc finishes slowly, crossing his arms stubbornly. it's like being emotional will kill him.
minute grins, patting his head lightly, "that wasn't so hard, was it?" he asks with a smug laugh, causing mapicc to elbow him.
"shut up." he decides on simply, looking up as the door swings open. spoke, chief, and jepex rush inside, ready to tackle minute into a billion hugs.
"hey gu-" minute starts, but spoke pulls him into a quick hug before he can even finish.
chief joins, jepex and mapicc hesitating before doing the same. this is nice, having his whole team caring.
minute smiles, melting into the warm embrace of his teammates. even if they seem like they don't care, minute knows they do.
"i'm glad you're okay." he hears someone whisper in his ear, and he can only nod in response. he doesn't even know what do say, seemingly at a loss for words seeing his team so gentle.
he feels his chest lighten in relief, and only then does he realize-
maybe minute doesn't have to struggle alone anymore. maybe asking for help is easier than he thinks.