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If there was one thing Momomomo hated in particular, was being vulnerable.
He wanted to be the guy people would depend on, not to be the guy that needed someone 24/7 to check on him whenever he had these episodes. While he was very grateful to be alive after the Fidget Spinner Collision incident, he didn't come out without something to remind of it all.
Usually the pain was coming in rounds of three for him — the pesky jolts that would engulf his right leg to the point where crutches were a necessary item for his mobility, the migraines that were a result of the concussion from 2018, and lastly the phantom pain that came from his right arm… or at least the part that remained, given he lost most of it from elbow down. Momomomo managed to endure those whenever they came, even if his teammates were relatively concerned throughout.
Momomo especially likes to berate him whenever he decided to show up for training or for conferences barely hanging by a thread. She's known him better than the rest of the Momos given they grew up in the same neighbourhood and have known each other since they were in diapers, and the act doesn't work on her the same way it worked for the rest of the Momos. He knows she meant well — after all, she particularly took time to assist Momomomo when he first endured the pain post 2017, even in spite of her altitude sickness back in 2018 — but he hated to be reliant on others.
That's the reason why he never gave up on Team Momo, really. He wanted this dream just as much, if not for longer. Being a marble athlete was a one in a lifetime opportunity, and he wouldn't give up on it just because he lost an arm and just so happens to be in pain once in a while. Suggesting him to halt his career over such a tiny thing was, according to him, an insult.
It wouldn't have been the first time he'd argued with the coach or the management on this topic. They did eventually settle down on having Mimo as the leverage in a situation where Momomomo cannot do the team events, but insisted to keep his role in individuals or duo events, which they relunctantly agreed upon.
Now, the pain was usually one at a time, maybe two in a bad day. It wasn't something he couldn't cope with, he'd dilingently take the regimen that was prescribed by the doctors and nothing more than that. During Marble League, he wouldn't even touch those out of fear of getting disqualified for potential doping, which brought on even more arguments with Momomo behind the scenes.
Today, however, he could barely even lift a finger as everything came all at once. The migraines were strong enough to make the man feel like he's about to throw up if he even tries to stand, and the pain in his leg was excruciating. The phantom pain didn't help either on the matter, and with a three for three combo, Momomo warned him that if he even tries to come to training today in this condition, she'll drag him back and lock the door until he's in the right shape to do it.
And as much as he hated being pinned to the bed like a sick child, he also knew Momomo means her every single word, so he had no choice but to abide to it.
Perhaps he used the word "hated" a little too much for his own liking, but he hated being useless. He didn't want to have someone to take care for him when he could manage himself decently well. Momomo did say she'll get someone to check upon him from time to time, even bring him food and water at the side of the bed, and Momomomo didn't know how to flee the room faster.
But all he could do was groan in pain and close his eyes in hopes that it'll subside by the end of the day.
A hesitant knock was heard by the Team Momo athlete, before noticing that the door started to creak slowly. Whoever came in must've been the one Momomo talked to, given the person in cause put the tray down next to him and it smelled so much like warm soup that he wanted to gag. The migraines really gave him no room to tolerate the smell, let alone eat.
Momomomo wouldn't realise who it was until he felt two fingers pressing down on his wrist.
He knew who was in the room with him, given he associated this habit with one single person. As he slowly turned his head around in that direction, he was met with a pair of blue eyes he would recognize anywhere in the wild.
"Ah, don't move this sudden-" The person spoke softly, a hint of worry lingering between words. Momomomo couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the reaction, as weak as he sounded.
"I can move my head perfectly fine, don't worry." Momomomo stated, in spite of his facial expression betraying him.
The person sighed, one that felt more like a habit than out of sheer frustration, before arranging the heavy blanket on top of Momomomo. "What am I going to do with you?"
"You worry more than my own team does, Wispy. It's nothing I haven't endured before."
His ties with the Midnight Wisps captain came around the same time as his accident back in 2017. He was the only one that saw Momomomo's body after the crash, as he went on a gurney immediately to the operating room. He was also one of the main reasons why Momomomo is still alive and kicking, given Team Momo's funds were very short at the time and no one could've covered the surgery costs in full, let alone the treatment post-surgery. Wispy paid a good part of it with his own money, a sum he refused to take back from the injured man.
But Wispy also endured the emotional toll far worse than Momomomo's physical fallout. There were days where he'd notice how the guilt was eating Wispy from the inside, where he'd often apologize for his role in the accident and sometimes cry as a result of holding it in for so long. How the accident scarred him to the point where he'd doubt himself greatly on whether he was worth being forgiven, where he hesitated to even ask for something simple like a favor.
Momomomo knew all this and more than just that.
Because, unbeknownst to both Team Momo and the Midnight Wisps, the two started to see each other frequently since that day.
"Your team is worried sick about you." Wispy stated, picking up the spoon with a light amount of soup. "Are you hungry? Momomo got you this soup from the cantina."
"I'm not, it's barely morning anyway."
"Actually, Momomomo… It's afternoon."
The way Wispy mentioned this made Momomomo check his phone with wide eyes. It was around mid-afternoon, which meant that Momomomo may have slept at least several extra hours.
"I…" He stuttered, much to Wispy's slight amusement, "I could've sworn it was 9 in the morning…"
"It was, but I think you lost track of time given you're not well. Can you sit?"
"I can try…" Momomomo used his arm as a leverage to lift up slightly, propping his back on the bed rest. He wasn't sitting straight, rather more inclined, as the pain felt suffocating the more he tried to straighten up.
"Don't force yourself." Wispy softly said. "I think we can work this way too."
With one nod, Wispy sat down next to Momomomo with one hand supporting the spoon and the other below it so it wouldn't stain the sheets.
"Are you going to feed me soup like a child?" Momomomo laughed, before hissing from the jolt that hit his leg. Wispy didn't find that question amusing, as he worn a blank stare throughout.
"…Sorry." He muttered, before opening up to receive the spoon. The warm liquid immediately engulfed his mouth, the broth being a mixture of vegetables and a flavor he couldn't particularly distinguish, before swallowing it down.
Wispy looked attentively by each spoonful, taking note of every flinch and every reaction. While the soup didn't have much else besides the broth, some finely chopped vegetables and noodles, Momomomo's migraines were unpredictable and it was better to stay vigilant. Halfway, Momomomo felt like he was about to throw up if he'd take another spoon, signaling Wispy to stop.
"It's good you ate at least half the bowl." Wispy smiled, helping Momomomo lay down on the bed once more. "I'll put the rest in the fridge."
"Thanks, Wispy." He replied, taking that time to just simply stare at the ceiling. The pain didn't subside in the slightest, but it felt nice to have company.
Normally he'd attempt to deter those who tried to pull such actions, even if he knows that they all mean well. It felt like that little pride was harmed in the process, as if he couldn't do anything without someone's full aid no matter how much he'd try to prove the contrary.
Yet, Wispy felt different over the others.
Perhaps because he understood better than anyone how the Team Momo athlete went through hell and back just to be here.
"Argh!" Momomomo wailed on the spot, his breath getting more erratic due to the pain. His head felt like it was about to burst, and his limbs were heavier, as if someone incapacitated him. Wispy rushed to his side in a second, eyes full of concern as his hand was held tightly into Momomomo's. "Wispy-"
"I'm here, Momomomo, I'm here."
"Wispy, please," Momomomo was scrunching his face as a response to the pain, with his forehead touching the back of Wispy's hand. "Please, I beg you, distract me."
"I'll get Momomo and see if she can get some painkillers."
Momomomo shouted a stern "no" at the suggestion, panic written all over those green eyes.
"Distract you, how?"
"I don't know, anything! Just not pills!"
Wispy removed his hand from Momomomo's grasp, urging him to sit again. While Momomomo was still groaning about the pain that came in succession, this time around he managed to lift up properly into a sitting down position — which felt like progress.
"This may not work, but…" Wispy slowly climbed on the bed, putting the blanket to the side, "I recall this helped one time, may as well be worth a try."
The athlete's eyes widened as he saw Wispy positioning himself on top of him, putting the entire weight over both his legs. For a moment, breathing was nothing but a forced mechanism rather than a normal function, as the proximity between them only narrowed by each little shift that came out from the Midnight Wisps captain.
They've been close, but this felt a bit too close even for the Team Momo athlete, to the point where his heart felt like skipping a beat or two.
Before Momomomo could even ask anything, he felt Wispy's hand tilting his chin just enough for them to maintain eye contact, before feeling a pressure on his sides. The pressure was going in circular motions, Wispy's index fingers pulling up most of the job, as the pinky fingers kept his face at the same level.
"Focus on me, Momomomo." Wispy gently instructed, removing anything from sight. "Not the pain, not the pressure, just me. Alright?"
Truth be told, Momomomo didn't even need to be told twice, given how those blue eyes had him hypnotized. It was a shade of blue he'd rarely met at home, not as dark as how his friends from Team Primary had, but not as light as he'd have expected from the Hazers. It was a shade as electric as those blue streaks that complemented the black hair, and the way they're looking at him with so much attention and care only made him feel weaker.
Wispy was the only guy in Momomomo's life that he genuinely considered to be beautiful.
So beautiful, in fact, that there were moments where he felt the urge to be possessive over him for no reason.
"How does it feel?" Wispy asked, still going on with the same circular motions around the sides. "Too much?"
"No, no, it's good." Momomomo admitted, feeling like his migraine started to get a bit lighter. "I forgot about this."
"Last time I used it on you was a few weeks after you got discharged. Didn't think it would have the same effect as back then." Wispy explained, pressing his weight more on Momomomo's right leg. The Team Momo athlete only shut his eyes for a mere second, but came back to his state quicker than ever.
The pressure on his leg was awful, and yet it felt like a salvation. From what he could recall back then, Wispy's technique was more effective when he was tense, as there's a specific type of migraine that reacts to tension. Meanwhile, the jolts surprisingly toned down whenever Wispy pressed his body weight over the leg. Momomomo couldn't tell if this had any medical causes or if this was by any means effective on a larger scale — but for this one moment alone, it worked.
"You look better already." Wispy pointed out, as his hands glided right onto his shoulders.
"Much better." Momomomo smiled, taking a well earned gulp of fresh air. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
As Wispy shifted between places, he found himself held by an arm. Instinctively, Momomomo pulled closer, drawn by the sudden source of warmth and the scent of fresh rain. Wispy didn't retaliate in this regard, only wrapped the other man into his own arms protectively, like he'd done a million times before.
"Stay."
"I'm not leaving." Wispy affirmed, pressing his face onto Momomomo's head. "Not after I'm making sure that you're okay."
"It still hurts." Momomomo admitted, although his words came out more like a mumble than a clear enunciation.
"I know."
They sat in silence for a while, neither of them wanting to let go of one another. Wispy didn't let go because he knew for a fact that Momomomo needed comfort more than anything else, especially during this time.
Momomomo, however, felt a mixture of feeling drawn to said comfort and the need to cave in.
He'd fallen for the Midnight Wisps captain long time ago, even if he couldn't put a finger to the way he felt at the time. Even prior to the accident, the man caught his eye from the very beginning — but it was afterwards, as time passed by, as he learnt about him as a person and as a marble athlete that solidified his stance on the matter. When others saw him out of pity, Wispy was among the rare few that saw him out of pride.
Momomomo felt like he could be himself around Wispy, in spite of his hinderance.
Because Wispy would still see him the same.
Next thing he knew of, that warmth dissipated.
For a man that grew up in some of the harshest conditions in Om, he felt oddly cold now that Wispy left his side. Fortunately, the pain was rather more bearable than it was at the beginning, however there was no sign of the Midnight Wisps captain.
"Did Wispy leave?" Momomomo thought to himself, looking with his eyes over the side where the athlete stood by during that morning. The tray didn't move, the smell of soup still lingered briefly, and looking at the room itself, it didn't show signs of someone that entered or left the premises without his knowledge.
A quiet gasp overtook him as two fingers motioned over the side of his neck, aiming mindlessly for a certain point. Momomomo didn't shift to the touch, as the hand was warm to keep him relaxed for a little bit. It felt like those fingers were trying to find a certain spot, as they moved from one point to another after five seconds or so, before stopping to a singular point right near the middle. The pressure only intensified — it wasn't unbearable by any means, although Momomomo did wonder what was the point with all that — before noticing how the fingers glided lower, a palm pressed where his heartbeat felt stronger.
His head unconsciously tilted to the left, as his green eyes found again the pair that he'd been searching for. Those same electric blue eyes that he'd fallen in love with, ridden with worry and panic, as those pair of hands would cup his face with that same warmth as before.
"Wispy?" Momomomo asked, his voice sounding rather groggy than he'd anticipated it to be.
Wispy didn't say a word, only went from concern to relief in a matter of seconds before bringing him closer into another embrace. The embrace this time wasn't as tender as the previous one they shared, but rather tighter, almost as if Wispy was clinging to the smallest bit of ease he could find while his mind was clouded by worry and fear.
And as usual, Momomomo only hugged back as best as he could, only realising out of shock that his prosthetic was missing from sight and the right arm was his remaining limb covered by the sleeve.
"Hey, I-"
"For the name of marble gods, I still can't get used to this…" Wispy replied, fingers clutching a small part of the t-shirt as he held on close. "Please, just… Don't let go, don't let me go…"
"I won't, Wispy, I won't." Momomomo affirmed, his arm latching onto Wispy's body with the same force and want. "But you need to tell me what happened, I cannot remember anything from the past few moments."
"Your migraines happened."
Momomomo rose an eyebrow curiously at that statement. "How so?"
"I don't know, I just…" Wispy tried to explain, but Momomomo noticed just how his voice started to break midway, which only alarmed him further. "You weren't responsive and I only thought of the worst…"
"Wait," Momomomo interrupted, trying to get another glimpse of Wispy's face. "did I just fall asleep again?"
Wispy only nodded in approval, which made the Team Momo athlete want to facepalm if it wasn't for his missing arm.
It wasn't uncommon for Momomomo to doze off midway into the conversation. It was a side effect that came with the concussion from 2018, something that accentuated greatly with migraines as the doctors tried to explain to him once. Given his body endured a lot of pressure or the pain felt too unbearable, Momomomo often caved to the exhaustion and would fall asleep spontaneously. He was notoriously a heavy sleeper as well, so from the time his eyes close until he jolts up awake, nothing is heard or felt.
He'd often alert Wispy whenever this happened, usually warning him directly or simply tapping a few times, but this time he was far too distracted to remember how to do any of those and just shut down in Wispy's embrace.
Which also explained Wispy's frantic need to find a pressure point on his neck.
He was looking for a pulse.
Momomomo could only mutter curses underneath his breath before trying to comfort Wispy to the best of his abilities. Given his trauma left from the Fidget Spinner Collision, Momomomo's sudden drift to the world of dreams may have panicked Wispy beyond recognition.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that… Last thing I recall was that you were holding onto me and you felt so warm, so safe, and I think that must've triggered it." Momomomo explained, gently trying to pry Wispy's hands off his neck so that they could see each other face to face. All he saw was a teary eyed wisp, with a stray tear which fell over pale cheeks.
"I thought I really lost you this time…"
"Wispy, I've defied death once, and I'm still alive." Momomomo affirmed, his thumb gliding gently over Wispy's face to stop any tear from progressing further. "How could I die in your arms when you already saved me once?"
"For some money, everyone could do it…"
"I'll repeat it again since it feels like I wasn't heard enough." He continued, causing Wispy to remain just as attentive as before, "Everyone can donate money, but they didn't do a fraction of what you did post-2017. We promised we'd be each other's support to overcome this day, haven't we? Just you and me, no one else involved, not even our teammates? Wispy, you were there for me in ways no one else was before, you literally saved me from sinking lower than I already was at my lowest. I could never forgive myself if I left you with that burden to carry, you know?"
"I-"
"You could've left me here fast asleep and go your way, as what Momomo told you to do, you did. But you stayed, watched over me as best as you could, even in your state of panic. Just the fact that you stayed with me at my lowest of points, you have no clue how happy that made me."
The last statement made Wispy smile a little, as Momomomo could only look in awe at the sight.
"I couldn't abandon you like that…"
"I know, Wispy. I know, my love."
It felt like time stopped in its place as Wispy tried to process what he had just heard and Momomomo's blissfully unaware state did not help. No one was saying anything, and everything else was expressed solely on body language.
"My… love?" Wispy repeated, clear enough for Momomomo to hear, as the moment repeated over and over again in his head.
"I… um…" The sudden realisation at the accidental confession made Momomomo stumble upon his own words, which amused Wispy for a brief moment. "That must've slipped, my bad."
"Don't worry." Wispy added, hands now cupping Momomomo's face endearingly. "Is this how you felt about me?"
"I can explain-"
"Momomomo?"
"…Yes?"
"Just answer my question with yes or no. Is this how you felt about me?"
"I-" Momomomo felt cornered for no reason, mostly out of his volition rather than being coerced into it. He'd have gone in denial in an instant, putting just as much ardour as during the times he'd been advised to retire due to his critical injuries.
But at the same time, there was no one in sight but him and Wispy, both laid down in the same bed Momomomo spent the day groaning in pain. Wispy brought with him a sense of calmness that Momomomo never felt before, not even in his most meditative state. There were times where he even counted down the days prior to their hidden meetings, mostly to talk about a thing or two and provide each other support after the events from 2017.
Selfishly, he wanted to be the one to provide the happy ending Wispy had always desired. So the answer being a clear "yes" coming out of his mouth was inevitable — he was never this sincere with anyone else but this guy.
He did want to explain how and why, in hopes that the blunt confession didn't deter Wispy away.
But words were cut short as he felt something soft pressing on his lips for a few seconds, a sensation he did not expect to feel so strongly. The kiss was brief, feathery, almost as if it wasn't even there, which left the athlete speechless.
"Wispy?" Momomomo asked, looking in a state of shock, "Did you just…?"
"The feeling is mutual." Wispy said, "Unless I may have—?"
"No, no, no!" Momomomo answered defensively, pulling Wispy closer. "I didn't know, I just… I didn't expect you to say you feel the same."
"I didn't expect you to say it either…"
The two laughed at the sheer absurdity of waiting it until one had to crack, with Momomomo noticing that Wispy's hand was looking for his to hold, only to find nothing in sight. At the sudden realisation, the Team Momo athlete became tense, laying his left hand on top.
"I..." Momomomo spoke up quietly, "don't have my prosthetic on. Forgot to mention that, Momomo took it off from me so I could rest."
Wispy only replied with a simple "oh" before uncovering the blanket to reveal his stump, cautiously tucked near Momomomo. At that gesture, Momomomo stood there quiet, his gaze looking attentively at each move.
"Listen, if it's too much, I can always cover it up with the blanket…"
Momomomo never went without his prosthetic arm in front of anyone but those he knew he could trust — which, in essence, was Team Momo and Prim with Mary. He did trust Wispy with his whole heart and soul, yet the fear of triggering his trauma due to that sight made him reticent about showing up in front of Wispy without it. The nightmares always shown up Momomomo's right arm as being mangled as Wispy often described it, since he did watch the athlete being taken on a gurney from his vehicle.
And without the prosthetic on, Momomomo also felt unusually vulnerable and insecure around Wispy.
Which surprised him even more as he felt a pair of fingers lifting up the sleeve just enough for bare skin to show, before kissing the stump just below the shoulder.
"It's okay." Wispy said, covering it up again with the sleeve, "It's new to see you without it, but it's still you."
A smile crossed over the Team Momo athlete's face at the sight, as feeling accepted by Wispy even in this state felt like a boulder was lifted off his shoulders. "I would've done it earlier but I didn't want to bring back those memories, you know?"
Wispy smiled before leaving another peck on the lips. "So considerate."
And another.
"So sincere."
And one more.
"So gentle."
And a last one, leaving Momomomo in a slight haze as he processed everything that happened.
"But you don't have to be so cautious over me for everything. You've had it worse than me, and yet refuse to allow anyone to protect you the same way you do to me."
"Because I can handle it." Momomomo replied.
"Then let me pay the favor at least."
"Wispy," He continued, turning his gaze again to the Midnight Wisps captain, "you don't have to. I assure you that I don't need any protection, nor do I need a favor paid back."
"And you know that I don't like it when you're doing this."
"Today was different."
"Yeah, I thought you almost died for a few hours or so."
He remained silent as Wispy pressed another kiss, this time on the forehead.
"Let me at least be there for you when you can't do it anymore, just like today. If not as a friend, at least as a lover. Please."
Momomomo was stunned at hearing the word "lover" come out from Wispy's mouth. Just the way the word rolled on his tongue mesmerized the athlete, it felt so natural and heartfelt. Perhaps it was an illusion, perhaps he was in disbelief to know that his feelings were reciprocrated in spite of being in the absolute worst spot possible, and yet he wanted to cling on that moment so badly.
"Okay." Momomomo said quietly, pledging defeat for once. "With one condition."
"Which is?" Wispy asked, waiting for an answer.
"If you'll allow me to be your Prince Charming."
Wispy stopped for a moment, as silence started to prevail over the room once again. Momomomo felt like he ruined the moment for a small bit, before hearing the Midnight Wisps captain laugh hysterically, a laugh so loud that only the blankets and Momomomo himself would tone it down.
"What? I'm very serious about this request, Wispy!" Momomomo felt the urge to play along, knowing that Wispy felt rather caught by the sheer delivery of that line. "What's with that reaction coming from you?"
"I know, I know, I'm sorry," Wispy locked their gazes in an instant, getting as close as one could be, "it's just that I didn't expect you out of all people to use fairytale motifs like that."
"Well, you didn't answer my question either."
"Was it ever a question to begin with?" Wispy asked, smiling. "I thought you already were."
Momomomo looked surprised to hear that.
"I… was? But I don't think I saved you the way a Prince Charming would."
"I disagree here. You did save me countless times, you just didn't notice." Wispy explained, "You said earlier that I saved you when you were at your lowest and you were happy to know I didn't leave. Meanwhile, you saved me from myself, from my own nightmares and my heavy thoughts, even if it was a tough task. And even when you didn't succeed, you stayed, comforting me as best as you could."
"I didn't want you to suffer from something you had no control of…"
"And I'm still learning to accept that, even if the effect is for better or for worse." He continued, laying his palm over Momomomo's cheek. "But your presence made it bearable. And your words should matter the most, it's just that I have a hard time accepting that you never blamed me for your accident."
"Because you know very well I could never blame you."
"…Yeah. I guess we did save each other after all." Wispy finished, before finding himself surrounded by an elated Momomomo, still scrunching his face from time to time.
"Hurts?"
"Yeah, a bit." Momomomo responded, stealing another brief kiss. "But I can take it."
"You know, my offering is still available."
"As if I would dare to chase you away."
Wispy laughed before muttering a small "fair enough", as their lips collided once more. For once, it felt nice to have someone that stayed through thick and thin for that happily ever after.