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Saparata padded across the cold marble floor of his vacation home to his linen closet, opening the door with one hand and propping it open with his foot.
He hummed quietly to himself as he set the heap of blankets down on the floor next to him and began folding them and tucking them away into the closet. He had just finished folding the last blanket, a downy white comforter that he always kept as a backup for his bed, when he heard a noise coming from the front of the house.
It sounded like a thud. He froze, straining his ears to catch the faint sound again. His head wings fluttered in agitation.
There it was again! This time accompanied by a sharp ratatatat on his front door.
A visitor? Saps wondered. Who would come all the way out here this late?
He carefully set his final blanket in the closet and then kicked the door shut behind him, paying no mind to the gouges that scored the bottom fourth of the door from months of him abusing it closed with his talons.
“One second!” He called as he hurried over, yanking the door open only to have the breath knocked out of him as surely as if he had been sucker punched in the gut. He stared in shock at the man that stood before him.
“Flux?!” He exclaimed, dumbfounded. “Is- is that you?” His thoughts raced as he tried to piece together what was going on.
“What does it look like?” Fluixon hissed, glaring back at him unsteadily. “What else would I be? Some kind of ghost?” He spat.
Saps hesitated slightly. “Well… I guess,” he replied awkwardly. “Though it does sound kind of stupid when you say it like that…” he muttered, glancing off to the side and rubbing his neck. Then he jolted and his eyes snapped back to the literal DEAD FUGITIVE standing in front of him. “Wait- YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!” He shouted, wings flaring up around him protectively. “You fell into the volcano! How are you even still alive?!”
“I guess I’ve always been… lucky like that.” Flux smiled bitterly, limping away a step and hunching in on himself.
Hold on- limping? Saps ignored him in favor of lunging forward and grabbing the arm he could now see that Flux was cradling to his chest.
“I- forget that. We’ll get to all of that later. Are you hurt?” He asked hurriedly, peering up into the taller man’s dusky purple eyes. Concern bubbled up inside of him and he pushed all other feelings and questions he had into a tiny little box labeled ‘for later’. An interrogation would have to wait.
Flux reared his head back slightly in surprise, eyes wide. “Don’t–” he protested before closing his mouth and trying again. “...I am,” he said quietly, as if afraid of revealing any vulnerability to the open night air. “I-I wouldn’t have come, except Thomas is dead, Infernus is gone, and… I don’t really have anywhere else to go,” he admitted. “I wouldn’t have come for help at all, but my injuries aren’t getting any better and I’m afraid that if I leave them untreated for much longer, I’ll…”
Flux trailed off, ducking his head away in shame and refusing to make eye contact with Saps. Saps inhaled sharply, understanding what Flux was too afraid to put into words.
“How did you even make it here in this state?” He asked incredulously. He sized him up and noted how he favored one leg considerably and that something dark seemed to be oozing through the side of his normally well kept black tunic.
Fluixon opened his mouth to respond but Saps just shook his head dismissively, angry at himself for getting distracted. “Forget that. Just get inside, I need to take care of those wounds,” he ordered briskly.
He then turned around and all but dragged the obnoxiously tall terrorist into his living room. He had to keep a wing wrapped around Flux at all times to support him because his right leg seemed hellbent on giving out on him at every opportunity. Flux’s breathing turned ragged from just the short walk over to the sofa and Saps, for the second time, couldn’t help but wonder how in Ish’s name he managed to drag himself all the way here from Infernus.
Flux basically fell face first onto the sofa, but Saps kindly spared his dignity by neglecting to comment on it loudly and annoyingly. If the way Flux had returned to glaring at him was any indication, he was not doing a very good job of being subtle.
Saps grinned innocently back, reminded of simpler, happier times. “What? I didn’t say anything!” He chirped, his feathers ruffling slightly in amusement.
Flux glared even harder and maneuvered himself into a sitting position with some difficulty. “Fuck you- ow.” He cut himself off with a wince, peering down at his side with poorly concealed panic.
Saps sobered immediately and stood up ramrod straight. Flux’s eyes shot back up and stared at Saps pleadingly. “Please- I know that you have no reason to help me, really, and I’ve done nothing but hurt you recently, but… please don’t let me d-die,” he tripped over the last word, voice desperate. He lurched forward and grabbed his wrist tight enough that it bordered on painful. “Please,” he cried, eyes wild.
Saps gently pried him off of his wrist and Flux let go immediately, yanking his hand back to his lap where he kept them tightly clasped.
Saps braced his arms on either side of his former best friend and firmly said, “No. I’m not just going to abandon you like that, Flux. I wouldn’t do that. I said I was going to help you, and I will.
He stared at Flux for a long, tense second, only pulling back once he got a small, uncertain nod in response. He backed up and sped over to his bathroom to forage for the materials he needed.
“Now where is it, I know I have it in here somewhere,” he muttered under his breath, wings tense and quivering with stress.
After a few minutes, he emerged looking like he’d just gotten back from robbing a pharmacy. He dumped bandages, a bowl of warm water, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, and a few rags on the coffee table next to Flux.
The man’s eyes were slightly puffy, like he was holding back tears, and they tracked Saps as he jumped up again and ran into the kitchen where he grabbed nearly half a stack of golden apples and a mortar and pestle. He quickly returned and got to work.
Flux tried to sit as still as possible as the avian kneeled in front of him and carefully peeled his torn overcoat off of him. He did the same for the tunic and then grabbed a pair of shears and began hacking away at the dark haired man’s trousers. Fluixon let out a cry of dismay as his careful handiwork was mauled by his so-called best friend. Who really betrayed who in this relationship? He despaired melodramatically.
Saps playfully whacked him in the leg with the shears and then panicked when he saw Flux gasp in pain. “Shi- I am so sorry, Flux!” He gaped in horror. “Are you okay?”
Flux grimaced and gingerly reached down to feel his shin. “I’m fine, but please don’t do that again, okay?”
Saps nodded, admonished, and quickly finished off Flux’s pants.
Once he was done he leaned back and carefully inspected all of the burns that ravaged his legs and torso.
“Alright,” he sighed, settling back on his heels. “Your wounds are a little infected but it should be fine as long as I treat it properly. This is going to hurt, but I promise it’s necessary.” He met Flux’s eyes and smiled softly. “I’m glad you came to me when you did. I’m glad you trusted me to help, even after… everything.”
Flux cleared his throat and faced away for a moment before turning back to Saps. “Yeah,” he said uncharacteristically softly. “I’m glad I decided to come here too.” Saps smiled slightly, feeling warm for the first time since he’d been forced to go on the run. He ducked his head bashfully and grabbed his bottle of hydrogen peroxide. “Oh,” he uttered, almost an afterthought. “Sorry in advance for this.” He grimaced guiltily.
Flux frowned. “For whAT HOLY FUCK YOU MOTHERFUCKING PIECE OF SHIT I’M GONNA KILL Y–” he shrieked before his eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out.
“The great and mighty Fluixon.” Saps mused dryly. “Taken down by a bird with a spray bottle.”
____________________________
Flux was awake again, propped up against the sofa with a look in his eyes that said he was plotting serious revenge.
It wasn’t as intimidating as it should be, probably because he happened to be covered in bandages, swaddled in a blanket, and sipping on a hot mug of too-sweet golden apple tea.
“I actually hate you,” he growled, voice hoarse from screaming.
Saps grinned back at him teasingly from where he was standing behind his kitchen counter, cleaning up the mess he’d made. “Nah, you looove me,” he retorted cheekily.
Flux’s perpetual scowl deepened and he brought his mug up to hide the darkening blush blooming on his cheeks. “You wish,” he muttered.
Now that he had a moment to slow down and breath after the panic of ‘ohmygodmydeadbestfriendwho’sapparentlynotdeadbutmightdierightnowifIdon’tdosomething’ had faded from the forefront of his mind, Saps found himself reeling at the situation at hand. Holy shit. Holy shit. Fluixon was ALIVE.
And he was curled up on Saps’ sofa, swaddled in blankets like a fledgling who had overestimated their ability to fly more than 3 feet off the ground and fell in an icy river, having to be fished out (no he wasn’t talking from experience, shut up. He was a superb flyer at the ripe age of 9 years old).
The point was, this whole situation was insane. Was he supposed to just– let him go? Release him back into the wild with a broken leg, free to potentially wreak havoc across Pandora yet again? But he couldn’t just… keep him, either. Or turn him in to the authorities for that matter. He didn’t have the strength to hurt him again, not after the battle of Infernus, not after knowing what life was like with Flux ‘dead’. Saps continued staring at Flux, grinding his teeth together in frustration at the impossible problem.
Flux had picked up on Saps’ intense calculations and was beginning to shift around a bit uncomfortably, eyes darting nervously to the nearest window and the hush of night outside like he was considering making a run for it. Yeah, right. With whose legs, asshole? Not yours, that’s for sure.
Saparata exhaled a long suffering sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, praying to Ish for patience and maybe for some help figuring out what to do next, too. “Alright. I don’t have time or materials to make you a bed right now, so you’ll have to sleep with me for the time being.”
Flux jerked his head back to face him so fast that for a moment Saps was worried that he would have to deal with whiplash on top of all of his other (numerous) injuries. It would have been comical if it hadn’t been for that fact that it was Flux, the man who had framed him for 6 counts of murder and not apologized even once.
“What?!” He hissed incredulously. “I can just leave. I’ll get out of your hair and you’ll never have to see me again,” he wheedled.
Saps snorted. “Yeah, no. You’re not going anywhere in that condition, and I don’t want to have to deal with the mess when you inevitably fall down the stairs and some wild animal comes to eat you. I don’t like it either, but we’ll just have to suck it up together.” He cocked his eyebrow condescendingly. “Unless, of course, you prefer I finish you off here and now?” He continued, “You know I’ve always been the better fighter, even when you’re at your peak physical condition.”
He tried to ignore the twinge of guilt he felt at the hurt that flashed in Flux’s eyes for a split second. But Flux just scowled and shook his head at him, bangs falling into his mesmerizing purple eyes.
“Fine. But I want the left side of the bed,” he asserted stubbornly, just to claw back some control.
Despite himself, Saparata felt his lips twitch up into an involuntary smile before he tamped it back down. This was the Flux he was used to, his friend who helped him build his home and complained about every stray grain of sand that got in his boots. But then again, he was talking to the same Flux who had betrayed his trust to build a trap in his roof, killing 6 world leaders and painting him as the villain of island two. He felt the smile melt off his face and replaced it with a flatter, more closed off one.
“Yeah, whatever,” he agreed in a monotone voice. “That’s fine by me.” He nodded at the mug Flux still held cradled in his hands. “You done with that?”
Flux tipped the final dregs back and then held it out to him like a prince expecting to be waited on, smacking his lips sassily. Saps huffed a laugh at his friend’s (???) antics, his usual smile creeping back onto his face.
“You’re ridiculous,” he said, unable to keep the fondness out of his voice. He was sure that the expression on his face was no less incriminating.
He placed the mug by the sink (he had managed to convince Ish to hook plumbing up to his house. He didn’t know how that worked this far from civilization, and quite frankly, he didn’t want to know.) and then walked back to Flux, extricating him from the cocoon he’d managed to weave around himself.
Saps placed an arm behind the injured man’s shoulders and hauled him up to standing, flapping his wings a bit to propel them both up. He grunted with the effort and poked Flux in the side until he grudgingly slung an arm over Saparata’s shoulders. Honestly; you’d think he was allergic to vulnerability.
Together, they staggered over to Saps’ bedroom and managed to make it inside with only a minimal amount of cursing and near falls.
Saps, who was already ready for bed before Flux knocked on his door and flipped his world on its head, began to move towards the bed but Flux stopped, refusing to budge even when Saps tugged on his arm (gently. He didn’t feel like having to patch him up for a second time that night). Saps turned to face him in exasperation, pulling away from him and propping his hands up on his hips, shifting his weight onto his right leg.
“Oh, come on. You can’t seriously be having second thoughts. There’s no other option, and before you even ask, I am not going to sleep on the floor so your highness can be a bit more comfortable.” He bowed dramatically, carefully filing away how Fluixon twitched slightly when he called him your highness. Interesting…
Flux rolled his eyes at him and scoffed, as if Saps was being the unreasonable one here.
This guy, Saparata thought wonderingly. It’s a miracle he didn’t get assassinated earlier with how he acts.
“It’s not the bed, you bird brained idiot,” he retorted scathingly. “Though it is quite pathetic for someone of your standing.” He eyed the tiny mattress with disdain.
Ok, rude.
“I…” here he faltered for a second, eyes jumping away for a second before refocusing on the avian in front of him. “I didn’t bring any sleep clothes. Obviously. And I don’t want to sleep in these,” he gestured emphatically at his bloodsoaked clothes, “For reasons which should be obvious to you.” His voice wavered at the end and Saps could tell that Flux was desperately trying to keep up his arrogant persona as a shield.
Saps felt himself soften slightly, feeling for the man. He’d fallen from Presidency all the way to Public Enemy #1 in less than a week, and was now an injured fugitive on the run from all nations of both islands. Saps could empathize with his plight, having been through it just a few weeks before. Of course, it was Flux who caused that, but ehhh, semantics.
“Okay. You can just borrow some of mine for the night. You’ve got a point, I don’t want that crusty shit in my nice, clean bed,” he joked to break the tension.
Flux gave a curt nod before limping to Saps’ closet and opening the door. He surveyed the space like a king looking out over his treasury and nodded again, decisively. “Right. Just give me a minute.”
Saps gave him a goofy thumbs up and grinned lopsidedly, before flopping onto the bed and burrowing under the covers, wriggling his wings around and getting feathers everywhere.
Whatever, it wasn’t like Flux would mind. They had been friends for long enough before the betrayal that the dark haired human was perfectly accustomed to all of the generally unseen consequences of having a giant pair of wings attached to your back. In fact, if Saparata thought about it for more than a few seconds, he had always seemed strangely familiar with and unsurprised by his weirder avian habits and traits. Saps wondered if perhaps he had met another avian in the past, despite them being a relatively rare species.
After another minute, Flux reemerged from the depths of Saps’ tiny closet, wearing what looked like his softest pair of shorts and an oversized shirt which Saps used to use to conceal his wings, though he hadn’t had to do that for years since Pandora was generally pretty tolerant of hybrids.
Saps couldn’t help himself. He trailed his eyes up and down his body, reveling in the sight of long legs which were almost always covered, greedily drinking in the sliver of skin that was revealed when Flux yawned, carefully lifting his arms above his head, careful to avoid moving any bandages or pulling on his burns. Saps tore his eyes away and forced himself to make eye contact with Flux before gesturing impatiently to the space on the bed next to him, desperately trying to ignore the pleased part of his hindbrain that screamed and cried and threw up over the sight of the dark-haired man in his clothes.
Flux's eyebrows rose and he crossed his arms as he truly took in the bed for the first time. He stared incredulously at the sliver of empty space left on the bed.
“There is not enough room for both of us,” he stated obviously, as if Saps wasn’t already aware.
Saps hummed, completely nonplussed. “If you’d like to sleep on the floor instead, then by all means, go ahead.”
Flux shot him a withering look and crossed over to the bed and sat down gingerly, sinking into the sheets slightly. “Of course not. I’m injured after all,” he replied breezily.
He pressed down on the springy mattress dubiously and eyeballed the nonexistent space between them. “Maybe you really should sleep on the floors. Then we wouldn’t have this problem at all–”
Saps cut him off with fond exasperation. “Oh, shut up, would you? You’re always complaining,” he grumbled. Then he reached up and wrapped his arm around Fluixon’s waist, dragging him unceremoniously under the covers and pulling him flush against his side, ignoring Flux’s squeak of surprise.
“Wha- what are you doing, you fool?!” Fluixon tried to object, but the tremor in his voice and the way he immediately began to relax against him gave him away.
“Shh,” Saparata murmured. “Calm down. We’re conserving space, and you know you’ll get cold otherwise.”
Flux opened his mouth to be contrary, but before he could even begin to object, Saps unfurled a wing and wrapped it around Flux, tugging him even closer. Flux’s face scrunched up like a grumpy little purse dog, though he was having a harder time pretending to be mad about the whole situation with Saps’ warm, fluffy wings wrapped around him. The last bit of tension melted out of him and he dropped his head down, nuzzling into the soft fabric of Saps’ night shirt.
“Whatever…” he muttered sulkily, voice muffled by the mouthful of shirt he was complaining through.
Saps stroked a hand down the idiot’s back soothingly and laced the fingers of his other hand into the man’s silky black hair. If it were possible for Fluixon to start purring, he probably would have by now. He let out a pleased sigh that spoke of many lonely, restless nights and snuggled impossibly closer to the white haired former-fugitive.
“…y’know… I don’t think I ever told you, but… I’m sorry, for everything I put you through,” he slurred, his words quiet and nearly inaudible as sleep pulled him under.
Saps crooned softly and ran his fingers through his Flux’s feather soft hair, preening him. “I know, Flux,” he said finally. “I know.”
His eyelids drooped and eventually he stopped fighting it, letting them fall shut and drifting to sleep with his former enemy draped over him, face burrowed in the crook of his neck.
Their heartbeats synchronized into one unfaltering drumbeat and for the first time since the betrayal, Saps didn’t dream of blood and dripstone. He dreamt of black hair and purple eyes and a crooked, mischievous mouth telling him “I love you”.