Chapter Text
This can’t be happening.
That was all Azure could think as they stared at their lover, their partner, their best friend, staring at him while holding a dagger. What they wanted to do to him was quite clear.
He just wanted to reconnect, to become close again like before, but somehow it all made sense. The avoiding, the excuses, the anxiety, all for this…and what for, for him to become a sacrifice? He had to do something, he-
Azure jumped back as he felt a sharp pain in his side. Looking down, blood was absorbing into his clothes, and Two Time was in front of him, looking manic.
“Azure…don’t…make this harder….” They muttered shakily, the tip of their dagger dripping crimson blood.
It was painfully obvious that they were in some sort of psychotic episode. They…they wouldn’t normally do this, right? He always knew they had mental issues, but if he knew it ran this deep…no time to have regrets now, not when you’re still in danger.
Just as Two Time was about to strike again, Azure lunged forward, lifting his leg and slamming his knee into their chest, not enough to seriously hurt them but enough to get the job done. They fell back onto the grass, coughing and gasping, the air seemingly knocked out of them.
Azure felt bad as he saw his nightshade on the ground, stunned and coughing, all because of him. But what was he to do in the situation? And he didn’t hurt them that bad…right?
Spotting the sharp dagger glinting in the moonlight, he picked it up, and with all his force he threw it far away from the both of them. No way Two Time was going to get anywhere near that thing after what happened, what could have happened.
He gently reached down and grabbed their wrists, carefully lifting the small cultist up and embracing them, holding their hands behind their back just in case they tried anything. He held them close, burying his head into their hair.
Two Time had gotten their breath back by now, and was sobbing into their chest, tears sinking into his scarf.
“I’m…I’m…s-sorry…Azure…” They cried, trembling as they realized what they almost did.
“Shh…it’s…it’s okay…I’m fine..I forgive you…” He muttered, leaning into them. “It’s okay, I love you…”
Azure felt them shake in their grasp. It was clear they weren’t mentally stable, but he could already figure that out by how they tried to stab them. He slowly let go of their wrists, instead just wrapping his arms around them a tightly and pulling them closer to him.
He knew he was definitely going to have to talk about this with Two Time later, it couldn’t go undiscussed, but now was definitely not the time. He had to get them home, then he could start planning the future.
“C’mon. Let’s go home.” He groaned, picking them up and carrying them bridal style. They didn’t struggle. They were also surprisingly light, though they always were short and didn’t eat as much as they should.
Azure could see them stare creepily at the dagger, still lying there in the grass about a foot away from them.
“My dagger…” They muttered, looking longingly at the sharp blade.
Azure shook his head. “No. You are not getting that back.” He said sternly yet lovingly. He did not know what Two Time would do with the dagger, but he had some guesses, and he knew that they definitely could not be trusted with sharp objects, not right now, not ever.
Two Time looked like a sad puppy. Their hair was messy, though it always kind of was, and their eyes were still filled with tears. Overall, they did not look okay. Luckily, they didn’t argue about the dagger, seemingly just accepting it. Azure would probably have to come back for it later though. He can’t just leave a knife in a field, in case someone steps on it or something.
For now he can just leave it there. He has to go home. He walked through the forest with Two Time in his arms, following the makeshift path that he knew by heart. In just a few minutes of awkward silence, he was already home. Luckily the nightshade field wasn’t too far away anyways.
His house was a small brick cottage. It wasn’t anything fancy but it served its purpose, and it had enough room for both Two Time and Azure. He opened the door, closing it behind him as he stepped it, careful not to drop his partner.
He walked into the living room and gently placed them on the couch. He caressed their cheek with a finger. They appeared to be asleep, probably falling into slumber during the walk home.
He grabbed an old blanket resting on the arm of the couch, and put it over them, tucking it around Two Time’s shoulders. He softly patted them on the head, then stood up and headed to the bathroom where the medicine cabinet was kept. He needed to deal with the cut on his side. It didn’t feel too deep, but it definitely wasn’t just a little nick either.
Sighing, he carefully took his shirt off. It had a tear in it from where Two Time slashed him, but he could probably sew it. The thing was worn down anyways from his chores and garden work. Azure slowly inspected the wound, wincing slightly as his fingers pressed against the edge of the inflicted area. It was about as long as his pointer finger, and thankfully wasn’t horrifically deep, but wasn’t just a cat scratch, having dug into the tip of the dermis layer.
Turning on the water from the faucet and letting it get to a lukewarm temperature, Azure look a clean cloth and dampened it, then rubbed a bit of mild antibacterial soap he had lying around in the cabinet. He gingerly patted it around the area of the wound, not wanting to scrub and risk irritating or worsening the injury.
After around a minute of cleaning the outer surface of the cut, he rinsed off the cloth with more water and put it to the side. Reaching back into the medicine cabinet, he grabbed some basic ointment and put some on his finger and rubbed it into the wound as carefully as he could manage, flinching every so second.
Once he had finished that, he wiped the slightly bloody finger on his scarf. It’s fine, he could wash it later. He grabbed the black colored bandages from the medicine cabinet. He didn’t even know why he got them in that color, but Two Time liked the black ones for some reason, so that what he has.
Azure wrapped the bandages around his waist, covering the injury. After some wrap arounds, he tore off the end and tied it off, tucking in the tip.
The botanist sighed once again, putting the supplies away before turning off the lights. He returned to the living room, glancing at his partner before going to their bedroom where they slept. He didn’t want to sleep with Two Time right now, not after happened. He just needed time. They could discuss what happened tomorrow.
Curling up into his blankets, he shifted onto the side his cut wasn’t on. He felt restless, but also so tired at the same time. After what felt like hours of racing thoughts, Azure finally drifted off into the cold yet peaceful abyss of sleep.
Then they both DIED!!
^ *they did not die* -Summer