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“I’m scared, Rocket.” Sword folded his wings tightly behind his back. Ever since he’d gotten back from Lost Temple, something was wrong. He was quiet, reserved, looking over his shoulder. It had gotten better over the past few months, but it was still noticeable.
“It’s okay, Sword.” Rocket took his fiance’s hands in his own. He noted how the cold ring contrasted his warm skin. He couldn’t wait for the day they would actually be married. The thought made him smile softly. “Hey, remember what I always told you, yeah?”
Sword smiled back at him. “I’m safe, I know.” His smile faltered slightly. “I just feel like something bad is going to happen.”
He thought for a moment, standing and making his way over to the small hall closet. Off the top shelf he grabbed a number of blankets. “Here.” He brought them over to the couch, setting them in Sword’s lap. “Why don’t you go ahead and make yourself a nest, maybe we can put on a movie or something until you’re ready to go to bed, okay?”
“Oh! Can we watch that romance movie I like?”
Rocket gave him a kiss on the forehead, gently running his fingers through his hair. “Sure thing, dear. You want me to make you that hot chocolate?”
His wings fluffed up at the affection and he started blushing. “Yeah. Yeah that sounds nice.”
“Alright.” He left the room after giving him another quick kiss.
As Rocket stood in the kitchen waiting for the water to heat up, he heard the sounds of his fiance in the living room, arranging the blankets he’d brought into a nest and setting up the movie for the night. He almost couldn’t believe it. Here he was, standing in their apartment’s little kitchen, making hot chocolate for their movie night.
It had been a couple months since he moved out from his dad’s place and he hasn’t ever felt better. He still worked at the shop, and obviously still talked with his dad.
His gaze drifted to the ring on his hand. In three days he would be marrying his best friend. The idea almost made him tear up. He still remembered the day he proposed like it hadn’t been over three months. A small laugh left his lips at the memory of Coil trying desperately to get Sword to stop ranting and just turn around where Rocket was waiting on his knee. They had been dating officially for over half a year, but knew each other better than anyone else before they put the label on it. They’d practically grown up together.
The sound of the kettle screeching cut through Rocket’s thoughts. He quickly removed the kettle from the heat and went rummaging through the cabinets for the mugs and hot chocolate mix. For some reason he would never truly understand, Sword loved the cheap mixes over actually good tasting hot chocolate, and over time Rocket had given up trying to fight him on it.
Once the mugs were prepared he made his way back to the living room where Sword was putting the final pillows into the large nest of blankets he’s constructed on the floor. He passed one of the mugs to him, noting the way his feathers seemed to fluff up.
“You even remembered which mug I liked.” He took a sip from it. Closing his eyes and sighing in content.
“Of course I did. I’m your fiance, it’s my job.”
“Husband, in three days.”
Rocket’s tail started wagging at that. He liked remembering it himself, but hearing Sword say it was better somehow. “Come on, let’s get this movie started.”
A quiet yawn broke through the silence. The movie was long past over, and Rocket was simply enjoying the comfort of being in Sword’s presence.
“Are you tired?” His voice barely came out a whisper.
Sword hummed in response.
“Here, how about I go make the bed and you can put the mugs away in the sink. We can clean up the blankets tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay.” Sword rubbed his eyes and started standing up.
Rocket also stood, stretching, before making his way to the bedroom. He was meticulously straightening out the blankets and making sure the sheet was even. All the various plushies the two had collected sat on the bed, taking up more room than they really should. Rocket couldn’t stop the smile that creeped onto his face at the sheer amount of sharks Sword had brought home for him.
He laid down on the bed, curling his tail around himself. Sword would be in bed soon. He slowly drifted off to sleep.
He wasn’t sure when he woke up, but the first thing Rocket noticed was that it was cold. Too cold. He shivered and pulled the blanket up to his shoulders. He was used to Sword stealing them from him by now, he always preferred to be warmer. He should’ve felt something off when he was met with no resistance. Confused, wiping the sleep from his eyes, he sat up.
That’s when he noticed the empty spot on the bed next to him. “Sword?” He called out quietly, moving the blanket off of himself.
“Maybe he had just decided to sleep out in the nest.” he mumbled to himself, getting out of bed.
The lights were off in the apartment, but Rocket could tell there was something wrong. He tasted something in the air, an almost metallic scent that filled him with fear.
Blood.
He flicked on the light, scanning over the living room. There wasn’t anything out of place. In fact, nothing seemed to have even been touched. And Sword wasn’t there.
“Hey, Sword?” Rocket’s voice shook as he made his way over to the kitchen. The smell only got stronger. He turned the corner.
Silver beams of moonlight reflected off the shining pool gathered on the tile floor. A deep red stained the off-white. Rocket screamed. There wasn’t anything else he could do. He rushed to Sword’s side but it was far too late. He felt sick.
He felt tears burn in his eyes. Who would’ve done this? Sword hadn’t done anything wrong. That’s when he noticed it.
Sword’s horns had been ripped from his head. Not cut. Rocket let out a wail as sobs wracked his body. Something in him broke that night as he held his fiance’s body in his arms. He would never truly shake that sight. Every time he closed his eyes he would see the body of his love.
“I’m so sorry, Sword.”