Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was supposed to be a normal day. Well as normal as a day on lifesteal could be. But as Clown walked with Minute to get back to the base. They were getting back from a hit that Leo had to sit out of due to getting injured. Clown couldn't help but feel on edge. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched but when he looked, nothing.

Eventually Minute noticed, he stopped walking, took Clown's hand, and asked "are you ok? You seem stressed and you keep looking around."

Clown broke eye contact and looked at the woods behind them. Again nothing. Clown sighed and said "I'm fine but I feel like someone, or something is watching us."

Minute's eyes widened a little and his eyes too darted around. Minute knew Watcher's and Listener's wanted him dead and were constantly hunting him. But he thought he was safe in lifesteal, Xia made sure to listen over the server and would have killed anyone not welcome. The only way a watcher could get on the server was if Xia, his mentor, his mother, was gone.

But that can't happen Minute thought as the world got more farther away Xia is one of the strongest runaways he knew. She was stronger Cube, who was technically a higher Listener then Xia before he ran away. Even though Watcher's are supposed to be stronger than Listener's, Xia could take down Branzy at his peak. So the only way a watcher could get on the server would be that they are stronger that Xia and... That they beat her.

Minute's mind raced to different possibilities, what if Xia's dead, what if a watcher is on the server, what if it's following them, what if-.

A hand ran through Minute's hair snapping him out of his panicked state. Minute didn't know when his knees gave out but apparently Clown caught him. Minute was resting his head on Clown's shoulder. Clown had one of his hands on Minute's waist supporting him, and the other through his hair slowly running it in a calming motion.

Minute's ear stopped ringing and his vision cleared just a bit. He didn't even realize he was panicking so badly to the point of almost having a panic attack.

Minute pulled back and tried to focus his eyes on something but his eyes were still blurred. A soft voice spoke "hey Minute, are you with me love?"

Minute knew that it was Clown's voice, but he couldn't put his face to the voice. So Minute just nodded, not trusting his voice at this minute.

Clown's voice came up again "good, good, can you tell me 3 things you can see?" Oh Clown was trying to use the 3-3-3 rule that's smart.

Minute narrowed his eyes and said "you, the trees and the sky."

"Great, can you tell me 3 sounds you can hear?"

"Your voice, the bird chirping and-" Minute balled his fist into Clown's shirt as the ringing in his ears came back. He mumbled "and the ringing in ear, fuck".

Clown laughed a bit continuing to run his fingers through Minute's hair. "Ok, that last one wasn't really a good thing but we will work with it. Can you move 3 parts of your body for me?"

Minute moved his arms up over his head, rolled his shoulders, and stretched his neck. Clown smiled into Minute's hair but his smile faltered and he asked "do you want to tell me what caused you to panic?"

Minute pulled back, turned around and rested the back of his head on Clown's shoulder. Clown sighed and pushed both of them back so that he is leaning on a tree, then he continued to drag his hand though Minute's hair.

What could Minute do? He didn't want to tell anyone about him being the Void gladiator because that was his private life. Every once in awhile he would make a excuse, leave Lifesteal for the night and fight listener's and Watcher's with Xia. But no one believes that Listener's or Watcher's exist, they are mostly a kids bedtime story to keep kids in check.

But the people who did believe in them are one of three things.

One, they worship them: mainly watcher have cults that devote their whole lives to them. Minute had talked to Ro and he said he was one of these cult leaders when he was younger. But then Parrot and Spoke came along and helped him escape the cult.

Two, hate their guts: most people who believe in Watchers and listeners despise them. People see them as things above gods that rain terror down whenever they feel like it. And while they are right most people in this category also hate runaways. And that causes dispute and could eventually lead to The runaways being hurt or even killed.

Three, neutral: kind of self-explanatory they feel that watchers and listeners do their own thing. And they don't have any opinion on that.

And Minute was scared. Sure he wasn't a Runaway but he was friends with 4 runaways, 3 of them being on lifesteal. And if he told Clown he might try and kill them or hate Minute for helping them.

But then again Clown had been rough on the outside but he was also understanding when outside of fighting. From what Minute learned Clown and Kab were royalty while growing up in the nether. But when he was 13 he and Kab got exiled when they had a fight with their father. Then they grew up with a woman named Luna in the over world who was understanding of what they went through. And Clown got that from her. So maybe Minute could tell him.

Minute sighed and asked "do you know what Watchers and Listeners are?"

Clown thought for a moment then said "I've heard, Branzy mention Watchers before but I haven't heard of Listeners."

Thank Xelqua, Branzy talks about Watchers that makes Minute's job so much more easy. "Well Watcher's are deities above god's. They're all powerful creatures that watch over every server and toy with players. Listeners are like the Watchers dogs, they listen over servers and relay it to the Watchers."

"You heard about my past about the void empire and me leaving Spoke in the rainforest, right?" Clown mumbled a yes and continued to listen closely.

"Well when I told you that I left her at the part about Xia and what destroyed the void empire. The void empire was destroyed by a watcher, a single watcher wiped out the entire empire. And when the water came face to face with me I-I lost it. I killed it, slit its throat and skinned its wings. When I sent Spoke through that portal to the rainforest I just wandered the Void empire looking at the destruction. Then Xia found me. She gave me an offer. Continue killing the beast that led to the downfall of the void empire, Go with her and living normal life or stay in void empire."

Minute put his head in his hands, he wanted to stop, he wanted to bottle it up like he had been doing. But the words keep falling out of his mouth with no thought about what might happen.

"I became the Void gladiator that day, I have killed 25 Watcher and 11 listeners, and I don't regret it. Watchers and listeners are vile manipulate, toy, and mutate players just for shits. But funny enough I've befriended four of them."

Minute smiled, took a breath and continued "Runaways are a sort of rebellion against what Watchers and listeners stand for. Even though they are watchers and listeners they stray away from their teachings. They help players and usually they are part of servers as players to help the server in the need of attack from them."

"Since I'm friends with Runaways and I am the Void gladiator I'm being constantly hunted by Watchers and Listeners. And I'm supposed to be safe on lifesteal because of Xia. If something happens to Xia then lifesteal isn't safe for me or the others."

Minute took a deep breath and moved his hands to his hair. All the shit he's been through so sounded so fake saying it out loud. He was ready to be yelled at, ready to be exiled and never see lifesteal again, ready for anything.

Clown hooked his arm around Minute's shoulder and pulled him close. He said "well from what you've told me you sound pretty badass. I mean who was the person to come up with 'The Void Gladiator' that's poetry."

Clown wasn't mad, of course he wasn't mad what was Minute thinking.

Minute laughed slightly and he could feel a big weight fall from his shoulder. If he could tell Clown, the deadliest assassin, about the Watcher surely he could tell Leo. Hell maybe they could help him, Leo is an amazing planner and manipulator, and Clown is Clown.

Minute sighed and smiled "thank you" his said as he turned to face Clown. He was beautiful, he didn't know when he took off his mask but he wasn't complaining. His right eye was an ocean blue and his left was a sunset orange, with stripes under each eye corresponding with his eye color.

Clown cupped Minute's face but his eyes shot behind Minute and he stood up. He moved in front of Minute pulling out his scythe. Minute stood up too noticing 2 figures in the shadow, and he pulled out his sword.

One of the figures steeped out the forest with his hands up and it was a Watcher. Minute and Clown shot forward moving together, Clown's scythe met the Watcher's neck only being stopped by its hand. Minute ran to the 2nd figure but it moved out the woods and met Minute half way. The 2nd figure was a listener and held on to Minute's sword.

"Minute!" The watcher called out "please we need your help we're runaways and we just need to see Parrot." Runaways looking for Parrot, that was just a disaster waiting to happen but the Watcher did like familiar.

Minute spoke in a firm voice "transform into your player form, I believe I know you." He pointed to the Watcher and it smiled sweetly.

"Do we really have to transform" the listener said "and in front of him" the listener pointed to Clown.

The watcher sighed and said "well that depends do you want to be with Parrot or dead on the floor in 5 minutes?"

"Fine yep- yep good point transforming now."

A bright light came from the both of them. The listener glowing a green and the Watcher glowing a purple. The listener turned into a man with deep green eyes, brown hair, slightly darker skin, he had a farm like clothes, and a metal arm. The Watcher turned into a man with purple eyes, fluffy brown hair, a Yin Yang sweater, a purple headband, and a scar going down his left cheek.

Minute froze and mumbled a quiet "no way".

"Hey Minute" Wifies said waving at him, Wifies was alive? Wifies was a watcher?

"Yo, I don't know you but I'm DeanTheBean!" The listener, or Dean moved the sword from his chest and smiled.

"No way" Minute said again "you're both supposed to be dead you fell in the void on Unstable. How-" Minute's mind was running, Parrot had been sluggish all day and Spoke told him today was the anniversary of Wifies death. Also maybe a few months ago Parrot was the same because of Dead's death. And their fucking alive?!

"Um I'm sorry what the fuck is happening" Clown asked. Oh yeah this Clown wasn't on Unstable guess he has to explain that.

"Well, me, Wifies and Dean were on a server called Unstable Universe. A lot of other people from lifesteal were there but some of them were alternates. Which is basically a different version of you but with all your memories. The is alternate is you, but it has a few different things like, looks, past, and other stuff."

"The lifesteal members that weren't alternates were me, Parrot, Wemmbu, Spoke, Derapchu, Mane, and Flame. These two" he pointed to Wifies and Dean "were some of the people on the server not on lifesteal."

Clown moved his scythe from Wifies neck, eyed him then asked "why do they want to see Parrot then?"

"Well Dean was a friend of Parrot then he died in the void. And Wifies was dating Parrot when he was also killed by the void." Minute paused then asked "how are y'all still alive?"

Dean and Wifies shared a glance then Dean started "well I was a runaway listener all throughout the server. While I was in the Invisible Mafia I hid and told everyone I was a normal human. When I got teleported into the void I transformed into my Listener form and survived. But I sent out a death message so that people would think I was dead."

Wifies picked up where Dean left off "when I fell into the void Dean found me but he couldn't save me unless he turned me. But he was a low level Listener so he couldn't. So he brought me to a runaway Watcher who was a high enough rank and they turned me into a Watcher. Ever since then we have been trying to get on lifesteal because we can't get on Unstable. Then we met Xia and she let us on the server."

Minute let out a sigh of relief that Xia was alive. If Xia believed Wifies and Dean were safe enough to be let on the sever he would stand by her decision.

"Alright let's get you to Parrot then" Dean smiled and practically skipped to follow them. Wifies's eyes held tears but they wouldn't dare fall as he smiled and began to follow Clown and Minute

Chapter Text

Parrot wanted to kill himself. Even though today is that day (Parrot couldn't say Wifies death anniversary without tearing up) Parrot couldn't catch a break. Early in the morning he had a mandatory admin meeting which he mostly slept through.

(He was forever in debt to Spoke for going with him to the meeting. Then getting pissed off and telling everyone to fuck off and to leave Parrot alone. He was also forever in debt to Scott, X, and Grian for letting him go back to lifesteal early after Spoke told them about his situation.)

When Parrot finally got back he was having to run around the server trying to keep his mind busy. He tried so hard to keep up his perfect mask but he just didn't have the energy. People were starting to get worried too.

Branzy had offended to preen his wings and talked to Parrot about mundane things as he did.

Mappic and Poafa had bought Parrot his favorite foods and chocolate.

Planet had accompanied Parrot while he went flying.

While he did appreciate the gestures he really just wanted to cry his heart out. But he couldn't, not in front of his players the people he swore to protect from outside sources. Sure, the lifesteal members killed each other all the time, but something other than each other? Something that could actually kill them for good? Parrot was one of the people standing in-between that, he was the person that stopped that. So he couldn't break, for his players, for his friends, and for his family.

Parrot slumped against a tree and slid down till he was sitting down. He was exhausted, Parrot knew he was at spawn, that he could get jumped, or been seen but he just didn't care. He could feel the eyes of his players both mixed with concern and empathy (surprisingly).

Parrot could hear the whispers of worry but no one stepped up. His players understood better than anyone that time is the best healing method. His players knew Parrot preferred to be alone when he was at his worst.

But they also understood that a problem no matter how big or small if left alone will grow. And no player wants to see their admin spiraling so there has to be a middle.

Parrot could hear footsteps approach him and stop on the left side of him. Another pair of footsteps approach on the right side. They both sink down and lean on the tree trunk, barely grazing Parrot. Parrot's eyes fluttered open and slowly slide between the two on his sides.

On his right Derapchu, smiling with his eyes closed humming a soft tune. On his left Spoke, his eyes fixed on the sky as he smiled. It was weirdly comforting, so he relaxed into the touch and allowed Spoke and Derap to lean fully on his shoulders.

Derapchu's fluffy ears nudge against Parrot's chin making him laugh and push him away. Derap just hooked himself onto Parrot again making him roll his eyes jokingly. Spoke just stayed silent as he leaned himself into Parrot's shoulder.

The 3 of them sat there in comfortable silence, the whispers of worry died down.

Spoke's breath stopped as 2 pairs of foot steps walked towards them and Derapchu seemed to freeze. Spoke raised his head and nudged Parrot making his eyes flutter open.

Parrot was met by 2 people, the first one was Minute which wasn't unusual. The 2nd person was the odd one out he had deep emerald eyes, brown fluffy hair, slightly darker skin, he had his same farm like clothes, and a metal arm. But this time he had a green halo around him head.

Parrot shot up his legs felt weak but I didn't matter he just stared. His wings cupped Spoke and Derapchu like a protective bubble, he couldn't tell if this was real.

"Dean? Is i-" Parrot felt a new rush of tears this couldn't be real. He had seen the death message this couldn't-.

"Hey Parrot, it's really me" Dean smiled with a warmth that was contagious. Parrot couldn't think, couldn't breathe, the only thing he could do was run at Dean and hook his arms around him. A fresh wave of tears fell from Parrot's face as Dean slowly wrapped himself into Parrot's arms.

Minute was standing beside Dean and when Spoke and Derapchu started asking questions he answered. "Me and Clown found them both while in the woods around spawn. Apparently Dean is a listener and was able to survive in the void."

Parrot looked at the shorter man with tears in his eyes and Dean gave him a shy nod. He confirmed it and that sent shivers down Parrot's skin. Dean, the sweet person that he had helped leave the Mafia, the person who died trying to help him. Was now a listener, a godly figure that is supposed to be the most dangerous thing in the worlds.

But Dean, holding onto Parrot like his life depended on it, crying out of both happiness and shame for what he was. Was anything but dangerous.

Parrot knew Dean when he first met him, he was funny, caring, protective, and had a strong moral compass. And in front of him right now, was Dean. It didn't matter what happened to him, it was still Dean and Dean was here.

Parrot slowly curled himself into Dean's shoulder, his wings acted like a shield but not a cage. Keeping Dean protected, but not trapped like if Parrot let go Dean would disappear. 

Dean laughed slightly and leaned into Parrot's shoulder. 

Parrot pulled away from Dean, but he still kept his hand on Dean's shoulder, he wiped tears from his eyes and smiled at Dean. Dean smiled back but his eyes strayed behind Parrot and he smiled brighter. 

Dean stepped away from Parrot and stood beside Minute. Derapchu and Spoke stood with their mouths wide open because of shock. Parrot didn't know what they were so shocked about, sure it could be Dean but Parrot had a feeling it was something else. Before Parrot could think or say a word a voice all too familiar called out. 

"Hey pretty bird."

That voice, that soft, angelic voice, he knew that voice so well. Parrot knew that stupid nickname that that voice gave to him when they first started dating. Parrot knew the softness in that voice that was only reserved for late nights, sappy mornings, and their weakest moments. Another wave of tears fell over him as his body locked up. But either way Parrot slowly turned to face that voice.

Parrot's eyes met Wifies.

Nothing mattered. 

Nothing.

Wifies, his Wifies, was alive.

Wifies looked almost the same as the day Parrot last saw him. He had darker eye bags, a new scar on his cheek, he was a bit taller but still shorter than Parrot. But the most different thing was that Wifies had wings. Wings of deep purple that represented midnight, they were folded neatly close to him.

Parrot practically shot forward and almost knocked over Wifies. 

Parrot warped his arms around Wifies waist and he nuzzled his head into Wifies shoulder. Parrot's cyan wings curled around Wifies almost as a bubble. Wifies ran his fingers through his hair with one hand and slid his other hand under Parrot's shirt and drew circles into his side. Both of them were a tear full mess.

But it didn't matter. Parrot didn't care if his players saw him crying like a mess. Cuz Wifies and Dean were here, safe, and alive. His best friend and his boyfriend were alive and no fate was going to take this moment away from him.

Parrot connected his forehead to Wifies's, so many emotions flashed in his mind as he saw Wifies looking back at him just as teary as he was. Parrot moved his right hand to Wifies's face to cup it and crashed his lips with Wifies's. 

Parrot felt pure desperation, Parrot needed this, and he needed Wifies. No fate, god, or higher power, could tear them apart.

"WHAT THE- WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN" Dean screamed out. Parrot broke the kiss and started giggling and Wifies wiped Parrot's tears out of his eyes. 

Dean started yelling out random bullshit, Spoke and Derapchu tried to calm Dean down. Minute was laughing while leaning on Clown's shoulder while Leo (who showed up after hearing about the commotion) was getting a full debrief by Clown and Leo was also laughing his ass off. 

But nothing else mattered as Parrot nuzzled into Wifies's neck and peppered small kisses around his collar bone. Wifies threaded his fingers through Parrot's hair as he mumbled soft words. Nothing mattered except them.