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Fluxion had escaped death more times than he could count. He should've been dead when Cass came for him in Luminara or at the Infernus castle. He hadn’t expected to use the escape tunnel, but he did. It was by pure grit and pride alone he remained standing.
He was fleeing with Thomas when he received a message from the one person that he betrayed, for the person that wanted him dead the most, and the person that he once loved and deep down he still did.
I’ll be there.
Those three words were all he replied, and he wished that he could say something, but he knew what this meant. His death.
He might be a political mastermind, manipulator, but fighting was not one of his strengths. That is the one thing that Saps always had over him, and that didn’t bother him, but now? Now he knew what their difference in skills meant.
He could’ve ignored the message, fled back to his base and think of a new plan, but no. He had gone too far, he had wanted the island to be untied, he really did, but his plans, everything, backfired on him. If only Saps had died as he was supposed to in his trial, but even then he would’ve been left with the guilt. Even if his plans had succeeded, there would be one person missing from the world and it would've been his fault that Saps wasn’t in it. He could live with the guilt of assassinating the Island 2 leaders, but not with the guilt of knowing what he had done to his best friend.
Which is why he stood here now, Westhelm’s infamous colosseum, his resting place.
“Do you have an anvil?” He asked Thomas, who no matter what always stood beside him. He too knew the outcome of this match, what would happen to him once he was gone.
Thomas simply nodded, placing down an anvil. Flux took his time sharpening his sword, he would probably land a couple hits on the other man, but nothing death threatening.
“You know once I’m gone-”
“I know Flux, I know. Don’t worry I’ll accompany you in the deepest parts of the nether.”
Flux smirked, even through highs and lows, Thomas was always there, and both of them knew where their lives would end sooner rather than later.
It didn’t take long for Saps to arrive, dressed in his white coat, now partly blood soaked. But the most striking feature wasn’t the coat or the dripping blood from his sword, but rather something he didn’t have on. His veil.
Flux had seen his face plenty of times, had committed the curve of his neck to memory, his light gray eyes etched onto his soul. And his lips, he had forgotten how much he craved to kiss them, even if he knew that Saps hated him. But no matter how many times he saw him, he was always as equally as mesmerizing.
“Wow, you actually showed up.” Saps' voice echoed through the colosseum and god was it beautiful.
“Can’t say no to a friend, can I?”
“Let’s make this a fair fight, okay?” Saps said, even if he knew he was better than him. Even if he knew that there would only be one outcome to this fight.
Flux had finally left his position near the anvil and approached the edge of the railing. "I am truly sorry for everything that happened to you. It was never my intention to make you suffer so much, but only if you had died when you were supposed to.”
Saps chuckled drily, “Let’s finish this.”
That was all Flux needed to jump into the pit, immediately shooting an arrow at him. As expected Saps dodged it, almost immediately closing the distance between them. Quickly he drew his sword, just in time to deflect his attack. Hit after hit and finally Saps landed a hit on him, on his left arm.
Pain erupted from his shoulder, but Flux continued, evading and landing a handful of hits, but they were nothing but grazes.
“It didn’t have to end this way.” Saps said after barely missing his neck.
“That’s where you’re wrong. This is the only way. I can only die by your hand, Saps.” Flux tried his best to sound cunning, but the blood loss was getting to him.
Saps didn’t say anything, only kept coming at him. At some point he had switched to his axe, it was still clean. No blood but Flux’s covered the weapon, and for some reason that was gratifying, that only his blood would cover the weapon which kills him.
Saps flung his axe to Flux’s stomach, he wasn’t quick to react and he felt it passing through his organs and the blood coming out. So this was it? This is what death felt like?
However the only thing that Flux could focus on was his friend, the love of his life standing above him. He looked beautiful, with the blood adorning his white hair and face. The warm sunset made him glow, like never before. It was like an angel of death had descended upon him.
“Have I ever told you how angelic you look?” Flux coughed, staggering forward. He felt a hand on his waist, Saps held him as best as he could, blood covering both of them, but in that moment Saps did not care.
“No, you have not.” Saps gave him a sad smile and Flux smiled back. Oh those lips, if only he had ever said anything to his best friend then perhaps he wouldn’t be at death’s door. Perhaps it wouldn’t be the love of his life who had to drive an axe through him.
Then he felt it, his body losing function, but in that moment there was only one thing that he could think about. Even as his body wanted to fall into the ground Flux used all his remaining strength to look up at Saps, and caress his cheek.
“I should’ve said so earlier.” And with the last of what he could muster, he leaned into Saps, kissing him as he should’ve done a long time ago. His lips were everything and more than he could ever dream of, not even death would take this moment away from him.
It didn’t matter that Saps did not kiss back, he knew that he was nothing but a traitor, and that they were always nothing but friends. He felt as Saps held him tightly, coiling his arms around him, his body against his dying one. Leaning into him but not kissing him back. Fuck as long as he could hold onto Saps a little while longer he didn’t care, because his lips were everything that he had wanted. Even if all he could taste was metal and salt, it was Saps’ lips and no matter the amount of blood between them, it was everything Flux could’ve wished for.
It was odd, his greatest enemy and his greatest love. Even then as long as he was granting him this last wish, this last action of betrayal to their friendship and everything that they were, he would be happy.
It might’ve been that death was already coming for him, but in his last breath and his last living moments, Saps kissed him back. It didn’t matter that he would spend an eternity in hell, because this one second was his heaven. And that was enough.