Chapter Text
wind archer was taking a break from work. unusual of him, especially when it was a week's long. millennial tree was very much capable of doing wind archer and his own duties together. when needed. wind archer really couldn't keep this up much longer.
wind archer was in a deep pit--mentally, of course--and it was getting increasingly harder to get out.
everyday was difficult. it was hard to get up, hard to eat, hard to do anything but lie in bed and sleep.
wind archer's feelings were pushing his heart up his throat everyday. he barely talked to anyone, but when he could, he rambled on and on, his heart spilling.
it was only to his pet cat.
he really had only called two people out of the god knows how many he had saved in his contacts. his dad--millennial tree--and fire spirit.
fire spirit.
that stupid... stupid flame was the entire cause of this. what made wind archer feel so useless, so hopeless, so pathetic.
and he wasn't even aware if it.
by the time it had been the 9th day of his absence in the forest, he really had to get his shit together. he forced himself out of bed. really, really forced himself. he got ready, although half-assed and messily, refusing to wear his normal outfit. he wore some old clothes, too large for him, but they were comfortable, and that was about all he needed.
he was so tired, despite his constant resting. he had to cover his dark circles with some random concealer he was gifted as a joke. it was stormbringer, she said that he should 'cover those eye-bags' or something rude like that.
he couldn't blame her, they weren't that close, what else should she have done for his birthday? at least she even remembered, or cared to do anything.
wind archer felt the awful cold bite his skin (it was 70 fahrenheit). he just got too used to his warm blankets. he walked to the millennial tree's main home: a very large, gutted out tree, left only with its outer shell, acting almost as a tree house.
wind archer barely greeted anyone he passed, the only person he spoke much of anything to was millennial tree once he arrived.
wind archer had no time to make coffee, or make himself look nice. he hoped he didn't run into fire spirit.
"wind archer, we need to talk."
and his blood just about ran cold.
millennial tree sat wind archer down. wind archer's mind raced with fear and panic on what millennial tree needed to talk to him about.
wind archer sat, looking a nervous. "what is the issue...?"
"you are not in trouble."
"i--- what? i never said I was!" how did he just--... know?!
"i know what has been troubling you, wind archer. you really need to not let it bother you"
"nothing is bothering me, I don't know what you mean."
millennial tree sighed. he knew wind archer denied every feeling he ever had, always the same answer of "nothing's wrong".
"you are free from your duties today. why don't you go find your friends? i'm very sure they miss you."
maybe it was about time to tell wind archer that he knew everything.
"...fine." Wind archer really didn't want to.
Millennial tree nodded. Wind archer left.
Wind archer's pajamas were fine. They looked normal enough. It really was just a white graphic tee, probably from an old friend, and pajama pants. The pants went long past his ankles, his shoes stepping on part of the fabric.
Wind archer left the treehouse thing millennial tree lived in, beginning to walk the forest. He hoped he found fire spirit.
after what felt like hours of just walking and walking and walking his ears felt like they were ringing. The forest was so quiet, it was obnoxiously loud. Not even the breeze he usually conjured, even in some of his darkest moments, he managed a breeze.
today there was none. There barely had been for the past week, but now it was just... gone. Like a flatline after having so much hope.
he was starting to bet hungry. Really hungry. He hadn't had a real meal in four days. He found some berries, a familiar kind. Safe. He sat down next to the bush, beginning to eat. He felt a little guilty.
He was enjoying each berry, one by one, savoring each taste. He found himself more fulfilled and full when he did that. He began to feel a warmth creeping up to his back, tickling the back of his neck. It was undeniable, that wasn't any fire, it was the one and only created of such.
fire spirit.
wind archer turned, looking almost distressed as he scooted away from the berry bush. Him and fire spirit met each other's gazes, but only for about half a second before fire spirit practically jumped onto wind archer.
"GOD windy, where the hell were you for a week?!"
fire spirit's words were completely unregistered as fire spirit kept his face so close to wind archer's. Wind archer's heart seemed to swell every time fire spirit was close, and it hurt worse every time.
".....uh-- home...?"
"why haven't you been doing your job? I mean, no offense, but that's like-- super weird of you..."
"...i had a lot of mandatory break built up. Millennial tree made me take it," he lied. It was a good lie, he'd been in that situation before many times. Usually around the holidays. Which was now, it was 100% believable. Usually fire spirit nit-picked wind archer's response to anything, ever fully believing him, but today he just... dropped it. Weird.
"Oh... okay! Just one question though--why didn't you let me visit...? If it was vacation time why couldn't you?"
And there it went. Fire spirit always asked questions. too many questions.
"Well-- i was also kinda sick... and not feeling good. I just needed some time to myself."
ew. He hated how stupid he sounded. It wasn't better with his pajamas. He felt like a little kid trying to be sentimental.
wind archer stayed sat on the grass. he saw fire spirit's expression, skepticism. he clutched his sides, holding his stomach, like he may throw up from nerves.
"...kay."
jesus, wind archer was tired. he let a moment pass before standing up. he felt stiff, like he needed to stretch, but he felt embarrassed. every little thing he did infront of fire spirit felt so embarrassing, overthinking always ate at at his mind. usually it made their conversations awkward. it was fine when fire spirit did something embarrassing, he usually found it cute.
wind archer wanted to gag at that thought.
fire spirit wasn't cute! he was an annoyance, a danger to his sacred forest. wind archer couldn't count the amount of trees that had been burned by fire spirit. but a part of him didnt care.
"i'll be going now."
"right. yeah... see you, wind archer."
wind archer hated that. whenever fire spirit used his real name and not some nickname, he felt the urge to vomit. it was such an important part of their friendship.
friendship.
just as wind archer began walking, he felt himself being stopped by warm arms wrapped around him.
holy shit.
his heart may have either shattered or grown 5 times in size. it hurt. it hurt so, so bad. he didn't know if he wanted to cry of throw up. instead he began... coughing? coughing. loud, raspy, painful to even hear.
his heart was beating fast and loud, all from the pain, the suddenness of it, the random embrace...
at some point in this fit he fell to the floor, fire spirit's arms still around his waist.
"windy! wind archer, are you okay?"
he heard fire spirit's questions, pleas, he could hear the worry and fear in it. he shook his head violently when he was asked if he needed help. he didn't. he would never need help.
he thought he might pass out before he finally coughed up a long, thick branch. it was almost spiky, but really it was just rough. it had a couple flowers on its branches, the color that seemed to be a nice lavender stained red from blood.
blood.
wind archer's vision was incredibly hazy. he felt himself being held in fire spirit's arms, only making his red face, originally from pain, worse from the embarrassing attraction he felt.
he shivered on the ground. the last thing he throught: pathetic. a pathetic outcome of a pathetic life. killed by your love? how stupid.
his vision slowly went from hazy to black.