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Since the first day a crack formed in the sky, it grew to be nothing but inconvenience. At first it was the breakage of the fabric of reality, summed up to the ugly view after stopping the end of the world, but it ended up growing to be worse. Black Hole, who spent his whole time trying to close it completely, narrated how a lightning from it struck Four’s clock, changing the temporizer and giving him a disadvantage in TPOT 16.
It was only one at first, but then came another, and another, and another. All of them landed on the ground with great impact. Struck trees, forming fires, nearly hitting an oblivious contestant, these were symptoms of an aching reality that became a routine in Goiky and even beyond the Goiky Canal. So, given the fact the crack has become an issue for the safety of the contestants, Four and X enacted a curfew for a short yet indeterminate time…
Or so they said.
One sunrise stretched to one sunset, then a whole day passed, and the days kept getting crossed from the calendar until they hit a whopping whole week. Not much, the algebraliens reasoned, but it ended up being excessive waiting in comparison to what was promised.
Now finishing the seventh night, Tree observed the night sky from the window of his room. The beams of light from the clouds easily dazzled him, but this is the closest thing he has to nature. Torn away from his world, he let half-lidded eyes wander around what he missed from life. Not whatever living today has become, but actually living; life before that episode. He chose to endure strong by facing directly at the thing that locked him. The thing that taunted him. The thing that took everything from him, it would not be the thing he’d hide from. So, all he did was numbly stare and lose himself with the lightning, as the dark room got lit by the anomalies.
However, loud steps interrupted his observations, joyful yet hurried. Eventually, Marker opened the door and entered mindlessly. Despite him being the only one Tree allowed to enter without knocking, the motion still caught him by surprise and left him disarmed. Too vulnerable, that is.
“What are you doing?” Was all he spit out at the sight of his teammate.
“Guess,” Marker opened, trying to be intriguing.
Closing the door behind him, he gave a twirl to show his purple translucent raincoat and green chunky rain boots.
“Don’t tell me…” Tree sighed, letting the seconds pass until he spoke up again. “The sky's more than clear right now, why are you wearing that?” He inquired.
“A birdie told me there was a high chance of rain later tonight-”
“ I’m not going,” he deadpanned. “I know what you’re tryna do.”
“Come on!”
“Just riddle me this: what are the possibilities that we can actually go out in the rain, with the crack and Four and X’s restrictions, just to have some short fun and then leave like nothing, huh?”
“We’re not going too far,” Marker tried convincing him. “Besides, there’s no way Four or X find us-”
“Actually, about that-”
“But we’ll have fu-un! Don’t you want to have fun?”
“... I do, but-”
“Then what are we waiting for?"
“Well, for starters, I’m tired.”
Marker would have groaned in despair if he wasn’t prepared for that answer. He knew beforehand that Tree would use that as an actual question instead of a clear invitation.
“Then, I don’t have a raincoat.”
“I have two, you can borrow one.”
“Alright. But even if I wanted to-... who told you it was going to rain?”
He cracked a smile. “A birdie”
“Totally helpful,” Tree sniggered with sarcasm.
“Uh-huh. Were you saying?”
“...Oh right. Even if I wanted to, I have to get ready with more time than this.”
Actually, the reason why he asked right now, is to gain time and get to actually spend time together in the rain. Asking him to go when it started to rain would mean he would miss it with Tree’s questioning.
Marker shrugged. “Just take your time, it won’t rain right right now, y’know.”
Tree only chuckled while shaking his head. “I’ll take your word. Mind getting me another raincoat so I can get changed?”
“Sure!”
The capped one practically hopped away, running to his own room. Then, he opened the doors of his wardrobe, searching frantically around hangers and piles of clothes that took up space. After he seeked carefully on the unorganized pile from the bed, he found what he was looking for: a green pilot! As he tidied it, he wondered if Tree had any rain boots and tried to remember any time it rained… only one. And he didn’t wear any boots. Yeah, there’s a high chance he doesn’t have any boots for now, and he doubts the evergreen wants to get any of his other shoes dirty.
He skipped to Tree’s room as fast as possible and when he arrived he knocked the door kicking it slightly; it’s hard to knock the door with everything he carried in his hands
“Come on in.”
Marker followed along, and saw his company ready to enjoy the ーhopefullyー rain.
“Ah, there you are,” Tree said with a tender smile.
“I got everything,” Marker announced happily. He handed him the rain pilot and left the boots on the floor. “I didn’t know if you had rain boots, so you can borrow these extra ones I got.”
“Aww, you didn’t have to. Thanks anyways, I didn’t have any,” Tree chuckled.
After putting the pilot on, he noticed Marker fidgeting excitedly with his fingers. Bright eyes observed Tree closely as sat on the bed and put the boots on as well.
“Shouldn’t we wait until it rains, though?” He inquired.
“Alright, fine. I know exactly how I want to w-”
“And no cuddling, or else I won’t want to go out when it rains,” Tree warned.
Now, Marker groaned. “Sounds like you’re asking for too much,” he complained. “Not even a teeny, tiny, cuddly, lovey-dovey small hug?” He insisted, gesturing something really small with his hand.
“No, Marker, not even a teeny tiny- uh, lovely-... whatever.”
“Now that’s not very nice of you,” he scoffed playfully, crossing his arms. “If that’s how you want it to be, you’ll have to give me something in exchange.”
“As if taking me out was little,” Tree claimed.
“What would you do if someone made you starve for a whole week?” Marker cornered. “I couldn’t eat or be outside for a whole week! Maybe that can get you to understand why I want to go out so badly.”
“For starters, everyone, and I mean everyone, offered you plenty of things to eat the whole week. Dirt does not by all means count as food for you, and you should be used to that by now. Secondly- A- Are you even listening?”
Only after some seconds of remaining blank and silent, he nodded.
“Alright. As I was saying, secondly-”
“Shh, listen!”
“What?”
“It’s raining, let’s go!”
Before Tree could protest, Marker dragged him by the arm and both practically ran downstairs to the main entrance of the hotel. The latter was excited to spend this time with him and finally be outside after a whole week. Tree, on the other hand, couldn’t remember a time where the anticipation struck him more than now, doing everything he could think of as enjoyment at once. Breaking the rules, being together and loving each other.
Both closed the door behind, and the first seconds of being outside already bubbled of joy inside them. The shrill and hypnotic fall of rain covered the two, but not getting wet. The soft, almost muddy ground below them; the expanded view of the landscape, this time without any window frame… Once the realization hit them, they celebrated.
“We’re out! We’re out!” Both chanted, jumping and clinging onto each other.
Tree extended both arms, getting the best of the night. Marker, on the other hand, jumped on every water puddle he could find. The fear of being caught remained nagging, but they didn’t bother and kept enjoying their little whim. At some point, Tree saw him and began doing the same, letting the splashes come along with the already flooding water. Lightnings of different intensities flowed through the clouds as well, filling them with wonder. Eventually, Marker skipped back to the evergreen and planted a kiss on his cheek.
“This is so much fun!” he beamed.
“I guess it is,” Tree agreed. “But I’m gonna faint if you keep doing that,” he huffed.
“Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” he excused himself before holding Tree by the face and peppering him with quick, abundant kisses across the face. He knew Tree loved touch, and he found endearment in the latter’s flusteredness.
“Shameless you…” he stuttered once Marker stopped.
“You would have done the same thing,” Marker opposed with laughter.
After that, he only leaned away to go jump on the huge puddles that formed fast and covered the yellow grasslands. Tree took the raincoat off and let himself feel the rain blessing him. The cold made him shiver, but he couldn’t be happier. Usually, Marker would go back with his company to check on him, and this time concern washed over him, as he found him arms crossed and shivering.
“What’s wrong? You’re shaking!”
“It’s fine, don’t worry.” The other smiled weakly.
He frowned at his excuse and briefly took his hand, but took it away in surprise. “Wait, how did I not notice, you’re cold!” He exclaimed.
“Yeah, but don’t worry about that, I’m- I’m having my fun here.”
“Mhhhh. It looks like you could do some warm hugs to me,” Marker diagnosed.
“M-maybe, maybe not, who knows.”
“Well, I know, and you’re getting them right now!”
Without further ado, he clutched him by the waist and both whirled smoothly, Marker on earth and Tree on air.
“Woah!”
Both laughed loudly once Tree landed, his grip still strong ーor as strong as he couldー on the capped one; everything spun and he he almost fell many times.
“SIlly Marker, take this off already, it doesn’t feel like I’m hugging you!” Tree guffawed, grasping onto the coat.
Marker laughed along. “If you insist,” he conceded, not avoiding a teasing attitude.
Pouring rain made the pilot stick to his body, but that didn’t stop him from taking the pilot off. Once he did, Tree pouncing onto him caught him by surprise and made both fall on the wet grass. With their sight blurred by the falling drops and only illuminated by the moon, being careful was mandatory. Marker got up with ease, while Tree had some struggle to get up without slipping.
“Need help?”
“Yes, please.”
He extended his hand to the one in the ground, and he got up steadily.
Marker grinned. “There we go.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a sweetheart?” Tree suddenly complimented, thumbing the hand that helped him get up.
“Aww, you’re gonna make me blush!”
“But I’m serious! Look at you, you’re kind and sweet,” he praised, squeezing Marker’s chubby cheeks together and causing his lips to pucker up.
“And what are you?”
“Well, what do you think I am?” He asked, anticipation filling him.
“I think you’re kind too, and really smart!”
“You think so?”
Marker proceeded to squeeze Tree’s face as well and held back a snicker. “You’re as cool as I am,” he assured with bright endearment.
Both went on holding each other, maybe in a childish way. Marker took both arms to hug his skinny body, and they would have continued having fun if it wasn’t for overhearing loud noises from the hotel that sounded like Four. A knot formed on the stomach and any peck of happiness drowned.
They entered as fast as they could while giggling from nervousness at their antics. Hurriedly, they searched for a place to get drier in the slightest and found what they needed inside Robot Flower’s Stuff For Yourself. Those algebraliens would never find them once they hid below the desk. The adrenaline kept them thinking and laughing as they huddled up to not be seen, at least temporarily.
“Thanks, by the way,” Tree gratified once he managed to calm down.
“What for?”
“For taking me out of there. I guess I needed that.”
Shivering from the cold water, Marker gave him a side hug, and Tree hugged back. It ended up with Tree being held by Marker, though. The closeness comforted him, the light touches lulled him; being soaked wasn’t an obstacle for cuddling anymore. As they got warm together and occasionally gave each other gentle kisses, Tree could have sworn all the affection started getting him drowsy.
“We could easily fall asleep here,” Tree chuckled, worn out.
“Maybe we should go home.”
Tree groaned. “No way, I’m not going.”
“We can continue when we get there! Also, I’m cold and both need a warm shower.”
Tree grumbled something under his breath. “Fine. Let’s go.”
After going upstairs and getting to their apartment, Marker hurried to his own room and got some clothes for himself. From Tree’s room, he heard the hair dryer getting turned on and making a shrill rushing noise. He hopped to the source of the noise and saw his best friend spreading the hot air through his hair and clothes.
“Want a towel?” Marker asked.
Tree flinched to the sudden voice talking to him, but shook his head negatively. “I just want to warm myself a little, y’know.”
“Oh, okay then. Can I use the hair dryer after you’re done?”
“Sure.”
He kept doing the chore, calm and content, until Marker took it away from him and did the chore himself instead. Shocked but still amused, Tree let himself enjoy the hot air that made the cold smoothly vanish, allowing the other to kindly comb his hair. Only their occasional chatter and the hair dryer broke the silence from the apartment, while the muffled outside hushed them. Everything from here comforted both, and none wanted it to end.
“We did it, we went out and came back like nothing!” Marker started a short talk.
Both high-fived and laughed at the success of their plan.
“This owes some cuddling before getting ready and going to sleep, don’t you think?” Tree proposed.
“Yay!”
‧₊˚ ☾. ⋅
Breakfast is one of the few only chances Death P.A.C.T. Yet Again had to spend time together, so it meant a lot to them and everyone tried to always be there. Sitting on the counter, Black Hole awaited for the scrambled eggs Fanny was preparing for the four. As they chatted lightly, they heard movement from Tree’s room.
“Morning,” Marker greeted, sounding strangely nasal.
Tree only waved his hand to the other teammates and both sat on the table limply. Fanny stared daggers at them, disgusted by the view of her sick teammates. It wasn’t really difficult for her to tell; Tree had already gotten sick before so she already had something as a reference, and Marker’s energy got drained away, as if he had been outside and hadn’t slept for a whole day, which isn’t likely in him. Also, he sounded like he caught a cold.
“I hate my teammates getting sick!” She called out.
“Yeah, what did you guys even do? You didn’t even go outside,” Black Hole lamented once he took notice of their condition.
“Uhmm, about that-”
A strained cough from Tree interrupted the capped one.
“Yeah, maybe we shouldn’t talk about it.”
“Not what I meant,” Tree choked, his voice strained.
“What did you guys do?” Black Hole demanded, now sounding more stern.
“Nothin’ y’u sh’ul’d wor’y ‘bout,” Tree blurted out before letting his head fall on the table with a sudden thud.
“It’s not that hard of a question,” Fanny scoffed in disbelief. “Did you guys go outside or not?!”
Marker nudged Tree repeatedly. “Uhhm, y’know, we can- we can talk about that later since we have tons of time, eh- thanks for the breakfast. I- we really liked it, and- and-”
“We gotta do some things,” Tree contended, holding Marker by the arm as both got up. “Thanksforeverything-bye!”
As they hastened to leave the table and locked themselves into the room they had come from, Black Hole and Fanny shared confused glances. She rolled her eyes and gave her scrambled eggs a big munch.
“We’re gonna ask them later, right?”
Fanny nodded. “I hate those guys.”