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Deep within the lonely streets of Robloxia, Shedletsky’s silent footsteps push against the concrete sidewalk below him. All he could see in front of his eyes now were house after house, tree after tree—and, of course, he couldn’t see any lights on inside the houses he passed. The crickets and the birds chirped in a rhythmic harmony, the sound echoing inside his ears. While enjoying the silence that was granted to him, he stuffed his hands deep within the pockets of his striped shorts and carried on with the goal of reaching his own home.
Filled with Christmas decorations, Shedletsky’s house only happened to be a half-an-hour jog away. He could only imagine the comfort he’d feel when he finally stalked inside and plopped on the messy couch that he called his own second bed. It was either that, or he would roam through his fridge until he found something that fit his appetite.
Yet, he couldn’t help himself as he thought he definitely had work to do. It was the holidays, and he didn’t wrap one singular present for his co-workers—or even his own boss. The thought was foolish, and he could have done that simple task much earlier. He huffed to himself as he turned around the block, setting his narrowed eyes to where the next street sign appeared.
A drop of rain suddenly hit Shedletsky on his head without warning, and he had to pause for a moment to make sure he wasn’t just feeling nothing. As the seconds passed, even more droplets of water hit his body as he was stuck looking at the sky. His expression formed into one of mild irritation at the sight of sprinkling forming in the dark clouds looming over him.
“I even checked with Builds today, and he said this rain wouldn’t start until later tonight,” Shedletsky muttered to no one in particular as the wings attached to his head came in to shield his eyes from the incoming onslaught of rain. “‘Least I’m lucky. In this weather, he’d crash the car,” he snorted, a light smirk drawing across his face.
As the rain progressively got worse, Shedletsky almost jumped a few feet into the air when he caught the sound of lightning striking something nearby. A shiver ran down his spine from the loud noise, and his smirk hastily melted into a nervous grimace. Sure, he liked the gentle, repetitive tap of rain occasionally since it calmed his nerves. But it was bad weather like this, especially when he was stuck outside, that he couldn’t seem to handle.
Shedletsky picked up his pace in hopes that he’d reach his house much faster, but he knew very well he wouldn’t. He almost found himself lost as he walked mindlessly—his brain was now a jumble of thoughts that he could hardly understand. The sounds of thunder and lightning triggered something deep within his mind that he wouldn’t ever want to bother digging out. In response to his newfound anxiety, his heartbeat quickened so that it could keep up with his thoughts and his footsteps.
What would he do now? He’s far away from home, and he couldn’t find a place to stop safely for the night. With his unmistakable fear, he definitely thought these roads would flood a bit after not much time. The idea that he wouldn’t make it home at this rate made him more anxious than ever. The wings on either side of his face curled up to shield his eyes further from the water, but it barely helped.
While Shedletsky and the environment around him was getting soaked within the dead of night, one house he saw still happened to be alive, and his pace shortened until he paused underneath a streetlight. His eyes widened at what he thought he would never find—what he hoped he would never find again.
Standing in front of his fear-ridden pupils happened to be the house of his old roomie, his past rival, and most importantly, the retired exploiter—1x1x1x1. He happened to recognize their house after helping them move in. The two never contacted each other after that day and pretty much went their separate ways, so it was a shock to be here now. Inhaling shakily, Shedletsky glanced at the window that showed the dim light of 1x1x1x1's living room. He couldn't see them inside—maybe they were in the kitchen like they usually were back when they lived with him. Making some hot chocolate, leaning against the counter, and enjoying the silence... it was all too familiar.
And when he walked in to say hey, they would straighten up and act like they weren't lost in thought only a moment ago. The memory was so sweet, it almost made his heart melt.
Gently pulling his wings away from his face, Shedletsky made his way out of the pouring rain and stepped underneath 1x1x1x1's front porch—a dark yet cozy place to relax and have a drink or two. After blinking away the fact that he almost let a tear slip out of his eye, he tried his best to straighten out his shirt and look presentable so that he could face the other without looking his worst. Hesitantly, he raised his fist, and he knocked on the door a couple of times.
There was no reply, at least for a few moments. Eventually, Shedletsky heard faint shuffling and light footsteps approaching, so he quickly fixed his posture and slapped a nervous smile onto his face.
He watched with slight fear as the door creaked open just enough to let a person show themselves through the entryway.
“Onyx, I can…” Shedletsky began, raising one of his hands automatically to make a hand gesture—something he usually did when he spoke. He trailed off shortly after and closed his hand when he caught a good look at the other.
Shedletsky could only react for a split moment, though. His roomie leaned against the doorway, their hands now in their sweatpants since their torso could keep the door open. Flowing over their dark grey tank top was their black, curly hair that seemed soft at a first glance. Of course, they still happened to wear their green domino crown that Shedletsky saw them wear almost all the time.
1x1x1x1’s unreadable expression focused on the other standing outside, their uneasy, tired gaze narrowing as they took in Shedletsky’s presence. They shifted in place in an attempt to look more composed. “John Shedletsky,” their cold voice rasped, gaze flickering up and down. “What is it this time?”
The words were stuck on Shedletsky’s tongue as he pondered what to tell the other. He reached an arm over his back and scratched his neck before finally blurting something out. “You wouldn’t… happen to have a spot for me in your place, would ya?” he asked casually, putting up the normal front he almost always used—even when he was in trouble.
Although it sounded ridiculous, Shedletsky had to admit that he was getting much more nervous every second that he watched 1x1x1x1 only stand there in silence. The wings on his head began to twitch as he waited.
“Buddy?” Shedletsky muttered, desperately searching for an answer. “Are you—”
“I’m not your ‘buddy,’” 1x1x1x1 snapped, a snarl making its way onto their face and their body tensing up. Letting Shedletsky meet their irritated glare, they pushed themselves off of the doorway and stepped back inside before they slammed the door right in the man’s face.
Shedletsky’s eyes widened in light shock at the noise of the door being thrown shut, and he stepped away to avoid being in range if the hacker decides to come back out and smack the hell out of him for even asking such a thing. He let out a wince, his gaze flickering to the wooden floors of the porch and staring at the tiniest puddles of rain.
The wings on his head fluttered as he dropped his arms to his sides. “I’d say that was the most dumb thing I’ve ever tried to do,” he quietly mumbled to himself. Turning away from the door, he made the first step off of the porch.
…More light footsteps were nearing the door—again. He paused without hesitation and snapped his head toward the door just as it swung back open.
Luckily, the door was nowhere close to hitting his face—but a small white towel definitely hit him square in the nose.
“You’re incredibly lucky I’m feeling nice enough today to even have opened this front door,” 1x1x1x1 spoke, their arms crossed as they watched Shedletsky catch the towel within his hand before it fell to the ground. “I don’t know what the hell you’re doing on my porch, and I’m not gonna sit here and let you talk your way through an explanation if there is one. Get inside before you catch a cold, I mean it,” they finished, reaching out to push open their door and shuffling aside.
“This really is out of character for you, you know,” Shedletsky commented, a soft look on his face as he nodded at their order. Rubbing his face gently with the towel, he turned around fully and made his way inside, stopping at the small mat beside the open door. He slipped off his sandals, set them to the side of the rug, and stepped on the floor with his socks still on.
“And I hate it,” they huffed in reply. 1x1x1x1 reached over and shut the door after the admin walked inside. Their eyes flickered to the floor, and their gaze filled with disgust as they saw the water drip from Shedletsky’s form. They turned and stormed off toward the hallway—they were absolutely getting another towel before a bigger mess formed in their house.
Meanwhile, Shedletsky's expression softened as he glanced into the other rooms. To the right of the foyer was the living room, and he could see the TV hooked above the glowing fireplace. He could hear the crackling of wood from where he was standing, which was oddly soothing despite the muffled thunder outside. His head turned sharply toward a window the moment he heard lightning from nearby. It reminded him of that strange fear, and he couldn't help but shudder.
He was thrown back to reality when 1x1x1x1 held out a towel, their expression still annoyed as ever. With a soft "thank you," he ruffled his curls with the towel and even dried the small wings that were fluttering to try to expel the rain themselves. It didn't stop from a little more rain hitting the hardwood floors, though.
"Use the towel and dry the floor. I'm not cleaning up after you," 1x1x1x1 muttered sharply. After watching Shedletsky follow the order, they added—albeit more quietly, "Look, I... I might have some spare sweats, but this is only so you don't ruin my damn house for the second time."
Shedletsky winced, the wings on his head closing up and hiding in his hair. "I know I dropped that vase, and I'm still sorry about that, you know. I got you that new one for your birthday."
"Yeah, yeah, you did. It's... not a bad looking one." 1x1x1x1's eyes flickered off into the distance before they caught themselves and raised their hand. "Hand me your shirt. I'll wash it so you can have it in the morning when you leave.”
Shedletsky blinked once. Twice. He was only expecting the rain for only one more hour, none more. “Whaddya mean, ‘the morning?’” he blurted out before he could think again.
“The rain’s going to be pouring all night. I’m not happy about it either, the way they changed the forecast last minute. Bunch of assholes who work on that weather channel, I’ll tell you that much,” 1x1x1x1 grumbled.
“The shirt?”
“Oh, right, sorry.” With a small grunt, Shedletsky reached up for the back of his shirt and tried his best to pull it off like he normally did. He realized quickly that it was sticking to his body due to the rain, so now he had to take his time in giving 1x1x1x1 the fabric.
“Showoff,” they scoffed as they left yet again with his shirt in tow.
Shedletsky shivered and folded the two towels he held, placing them by the coat hanger as he waited for his old roomie to return for the hundredth time. He took off his socks as well—while definitely wondering why he didn’t do that when he removed his sandals—and set them near the shoes.
He couldn’t help himself from looking over to the living room again, so he went over to the large doorway to glance inside.
The TV was on with a film paused, and it was something he definitely hadn’t seen despite how much he loved watching movies on his days off, especially when he got to watch them with 1x1x1x1.
Even when they might’ve had bad arguments earlier in the day like they used to, they still got together some nights to watch films and laugh the tension away. Memories flashed through Shedletsky’s eyes as he looked around the cozy room. In fact, he could definitely fall asleep on that couch right about now—
“...John. What the hell is that?” 1x1x1x1 muttered quietly, no sign of irritation found just yet. It seems like they came back with the sweatpants they mentioned earlier.
He could feel their eyes glaring a hole in the back of his head, which made his breath hitch. The small, tattered wings on his back twitched with anticipation as he turned his head. “What’s wrong?” he mumbled, genuinely curious.
“Your back is torn to shreds,” they replied bluntly. “What happened to you?”
Shedletsky stepped back as if he were trying to avoid 1x1x1x1’s gaze, and they went closer in return, setting the sweats they had on a nearby table.
“I.. err, it’s nothing, really. Old scratches from swordfighting—you know me. The Heights is my second home,” he finally replied, his confidence visibly wavering.
1x1x1x1 took their final steps and grabbed Shedletsky’s arm, pulling him around and staring down at his back. Their eyes narrowed in clear suspicion. “No kind of sword could make these many marks so close to your wings,” they mumbled. Their grip tightened on his shoulders, feeling his body shiver. “This was on purpose.”
Shedletsky tensed.
No matter how much he could try to deny it, to excuse himself, to change the conversation, he knew damn well that they were right.
He let out a deep, shuddering breath, his shoulders falling as his gaze rested on the floor. “Always straight to the point, ain’tcha?” He stuffed his hands right into his pockets, fighting the urge to sway or fidget as 1x1x1x1 moved back.
His heart was pounding. His expectations were ruined completely.
He never thought he’d get caught that easily.
“The bathroom’s down the hall, first door on your left,” 1x1x1x1 said, eerily calm. “Join me in the living room when you’re done changing, won’t you?”
“...Yeah, bud. Sure.”
Shedletsky noticed that they didn’t even bother to correct him before walking right past. He swallowed deeply, picking up the sweatpants and heading down the hall.
The bathroom door clicked shut as he went inside and stood in front of the mirror, his mirrored fearful gaze showing how pathetic he truly felt. He drew his hands down his face, swallowed back a sudden tear or two, and changed into the sweats.
Shedletsky stuffed his hands into the pockets as he took his time in going to the living room, his gaze fixed on the floor. He made sure to drop his shorts in the washroom too so that they could be dried.
When he walked in, his eyes widened slightly as he saw 1x1x1x1 bringing two cups of hot cocoa and beckoning him over. He ended up on the couch next to them after the mugs were placed on the coffee table, and silence settled in the room for a few moments.
Shedletsky couldn’t handle it. “I—”
“Talk,” 1x1x1x1 demanded as they now glared deeply into his eyes. “I don’t want to hear another excuse, I want to hear the truth.”
“Okay, okay. It’s a bit of a story,” he added in a last-ditch attempt.
“I have all night,” they replied coolly.
Shedletsky sighed. “It started when I was… you know, him. When you left for good. I went berserk, I couldn’t help it.”
“Every night, I would be stuck mourning you.” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat in an attempt to cover his emotion. “I would regret everything I said and haven’t said to you.”
1x1x1x1 stared blankly at Shedletsky as they caught a tear coming down his cheek. Their expression subtly softened, their wide frown shifting into a small one.
The wings attached to Shedletsky’s head fluttered in protest to his own tears, ready to cover his face if needed. With a choked sob, he continued. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I should have treated you plenty better than I did. I didn’t, and I beat myself up for it,” he muttered.
“It got worse some nights. The only thing I’m able to recall is me trying to claw at my wings when the weather got bad. I couldn’t ever reach them properly,” Shedletsky whispered as he rubbed his eyes, unable to regain his composure now.
1x1x1x1 lifted their head slightly and narrowed their eyes in recognition. So that’s why he kept jumping at the lightning out there. They decided then and there that they wouldn’t just let him sit there and cry.
They shifted over and took hold of Shedletsky’s head with both hands, forcefully closing his wings and bringing him forward to their shoulder. Once they had him close, they settled their arms right below the wings on his back and fell still.
Shedletsky’s breath hitched, his fingers now tightly clutching 1x1x1x1’s own shirt as he leaned against them. He felt their hands rubbing his back, trying to soothe him.
“Stop crying, it makes you look way too pathetic,” came their voice.
Shedletsky huffed in amusement as he sniffled, pressing his cheek against them for comfort.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” 1x1x1x1 added soon after. “It happened, none of us can change what we did.”
1x1x1x1 used their hand to take Shedletsky’s cheek, pulling him back so they could look him in the eye.
“Though, if I could… I would’ve said and done a lot of things differently too.”
Shedletsky couldn’t help himself as he smiled through his crying, feeling their hand wiping his face from tears.
“Onyx, I…”
Apparently, 1x1x1x1 already figured out what he was trying to say before it came out. “I missed you, you big idiot. A lot.”
They stayed tangled in each other’s arms for quite a while after 1x1x1x1’s confession, not bothering to listen to the loud storm roaring outside. Everything felt at peace after their “rivalry” was seemingly resolved with a late night visit. Even though one couldn’t admit it, neither wanted to pull away and leave this moment in the dust.
However, 1x1x1x1 peeled themselves away and lifted the mug of hot cocoa they made for Shedletsky, bringing it over for him to drink. “Here. Don’t burn your tongue off.”
As Shedletsky carefully sipped from the mug, 1x1x1x1 pulled a blanket hung over their couch around the both of them, pressing themselves against his side. They allowed him to rest his head against their shoulder.
“Thank you, Onyx. I don’t know how to repay you.”
“Just be here, Shed. That’s all I need.”
Shedletsky felt his face heat up a little, and he found himself smiling again as he heard the nickname. His usual snark was rising back strongly. “I tore through your walls that fast, huh? I didn’t think you had it in you.”
1x1x1x1’s arm went around Shedletsky’s back and held his side firmly underneath the blanket, their other hand grabbing the TV remote.
“Shut your mouth and help me pick a movie,” they snapped, half-heartedly.
“Asking for help? Now I’m really impress—”
“You’re pushing your luck.”
1x1x1x1 tried to hide their smile as Shedletsky chuckled, but it was no use. “Idiot…”
“I love you too, roomie,” Shedletsky replied shamelessly.
An awkward pause filled the room as he came to terms with what came out of his mouth. The utter stupidity of the situation was appalling. “...As a brother. You know what I mean—” he began to stammer.
“Lying through your teeth isn’t getting you anywhere with me,” 1x1x1x1 said, setting the remote aside to move Shedletsky’s head toward theirs again. This time, they leaned forward, shut their eyes, and pressed a kiss to his lips.
Shedletsky’s back wings fluttered in shock, yet they still remained closed as did 1x1x1x1’s eyes. He allowed himself to relax and reciprocate the clumsy kiss, moving his mouth gently against theirs. His hands lowered the mug of hot chocolate to his lap, keeping his grip firm so that he didn’t spill it.
1x1x1x1 pulled away, a soft smile playing on their lips as they looked at Shedletsky’s embarrassed face. “You’re so easy.”
He scoffed and rolled his eyes playfully. “Okay, you got me…”
“And for the record, I hate you a little less,” they added.
Shedletsky smirked in return. “Yeah, right.”