Chapter Text
The moment Clancy saw him, standing on the other side of the clearing, his stomach dropped. He looked to his side, praying that Torch would still be there, but knowing in his heart that he wouldn’t be. The empty space answered his fears.
Clancy steeled himself, trying to breathe deeply and keep himself collected. Emotion flooded him, cycling through shock, confusion, betrayal, and finally landing on anger.
Had it all been fake? Nights spent huddled together against the cold of Voldsoy, or the hours he’d spent crying into Torch’s chest when he felt like he couldn’t keep going. What about when Torch had bandaged his wounds in a cell in Dema? Was that fake too?
Betrayal coursed through his veins as he walked toward Torch on the other side of the clearing. They met in front of the bonfire, staring into each other’s eyes.
“Clancy-“
“Don’t talk to me. Do not talk to me.” Clancy’s voice was harsh even to his own ears.
“You-you…” He tried to unravel his tangled thoughts. “You lied to me. I thought you were there. You let me believe it!”
“I’m sorry, Clancy, I really am. I was Projecting, the whole time, you weren’t-" Torch looked weary, eyes pleading with him.
“Do not tell me I wasn’t alone. You left me there.” He raised his voice in warning, earning a soft sigh from Torch.
“I’m so sorry. But you know how it was, in Dema and on Voldsoy. You were so fragile. I was scared you wouldn’t be able to handle it. I was scared it would break you.” His voice was soft, kind as always. The tone did nothing to soften the anger in Clancy’s chest.
“No, because you wouldn’t want your precious weapon to break, would you?”
“Clancy, please-“
“No! No, you don’t get to plead with me! You thought I would break, and then you wouldn’t get to use me in your fight!” He was shouting now, breathing heavily.
“It’s not like that, Clanc-”
“Shut up! Shut up, shut up! You left me! You lied to me! You’re no better than them!” He screamed, closing the distance between them.
Clancy barely registered the hurt on Torch’s face before he started hitting. His knuckles connected with Torch’s chest as hard as he could. He was weak from the journey, but the raw anger kept him going.
Hot tears rolled down his face as he kept fighting, desperate for some reaction, anything to show that Torch felt what he was feeling. He didn’t know how much time had passed, or how many hits he’d landed on the man he loved.
“Clancy…”
“Shut up!” He screamed, and brought his fist up to Torch’s face, hitting him just below the eye. Torch flinched in pain, but remained steady.
Clancy landed another hit to his nose, something Torch himself had taught him to do. He briefly remembered the nights under the stars when Torch would take his hands, show him how to protect himself. Lot of good that did when he left you to be tortured in Dema.
The memory faded from his mind as he lashed out again.
“Don’t talk to me…” Clancy cried, fists still connecting with Torch’s chest, weaker and weaker as his energy drained from him.
“Don’t…” He sobbed, feeling gentle hands taking his. He tried to fight back, wrench his arms free, but he was far too weak.
Warm arms wrapped around Clancy, pulling him close. As he yelled and thrashed around, they only held him tighter. Torch pressed Clancy to his chest, holding him firmly. A gentle hand began to rub circles into his spine.
“Shh. Breathe, Clancy.” Torch’s voice was weary.
Clancy’s sobs faded, becoming nothing more than shaky breaths and quiet sniffles.
“Ready to go back?”
Clancy nodded against Torch’s chest. Betrayal still coursed through him, but he was tired. He pulled away, just in time to see Torch stumble backwards, his eyes rolling back in his head. Clancy reached out to him and sat him down as gently as he could. Torch slumped forward, as Clancy guided him to the ground, his head falling to the soft earth.
“…Torch?” He asked, to no response.
Clancy shook him gently. Torch looked terrible. His face was pale, a dark bruise forming on his cheekbone. Blood dripped from his nose, and from his split lip. He was breathing shallowly, like he was in pain. You did that. You hurt him.
“Torch? Come on…” Someone else’s hands were around him, pulling him to his feet. An older Bandito faced him, smiling kindly.
“He’ll be alright, love. You did quite the number on him, but this wasn’t because of you.”
Clancy opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he saw two other Banditos lifting Torch’s lifeless body, his head falling to his chest. They began walking back to camp, Torch between them like a doll. Unmoving.
“You don’t need to worry, sweetheart, we’ll fix him up.” Her voice was sweet, kind. Why were all the Banditos so kind to him? He didn’t deserve it.
“I hurt him.” Clancy’s voice was rough from screaming.
“You did, but it wasn’t only your fault. He’s been using his ability far too often, it drains him. I remember there were days when he wouldn’t ever leave his tent, and people would come in to find him passed out on the floor from the effort. The moment he woke up, he went straight back to you.”
Clancy’s heart pounded. Torch’s ability… he’d tried to tell him about it. Clancy hadn’t listened.
“Come back to camp. Torchbearer can tell you all about it when he wakes up. I’m sure he wouldn’t want me telling you, but you need to know.”
Clancy looked down.
“He cares about you more than you know. He just struggles to show it.”
She began walking away. Clancy followed, heart pounding in his ears. Angrily, he scrubbed the tears from his face. None of this made sense, none of it.
Why wouldn’t Torch just tell him?