Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter 1/1.

* * *

The question that Spoke asked was: “What’s our goal after you kill Lettuce? Like what’s happening after that?” Flame didn’t really pay much attention to what Spoke was asking and scrambles the words out. “Uhm, I’m going to get all the aura. Um, you know, everybody going to pat me on the head and stuff and get..” some laughter came through out those words as he was saying. Truthfully, he wasn’t even sure what he was saying. “Um- the immortal, the immortal demon is back in town, and then Imma slime out Jaden… Kill the-”

“Hold on, hold on” Spoke sounded like he wanted to giggle.

The gathered group continued to discuss about their planning; voices overlapping already …suggestions flying around like arrows in a skirmish. However, Flamefrags was done with this stupid ‘debating’ or ‘discussion’. He wanted to leave already, preferably with Wemmbu—somehow the only person he is willing to team up with and didn’t want to smite on sight.

Almost everyone else in this so-called ‘gathering for discussion’ was an enemy in his own eyes, though perhaps there were some gray areas, and Wemmbu fell somewhere in that zone. He and Wemmbu had a history together that went back since their war between a thousand players by the early days of the LAW.

Back then, they had survived together, fought together, and somehow came out alive—so was it reasonable to team up with him again? To flame, It wasn’t about trust at this point, more about pragmatism. Wemmbu was just an exception and nothing more.

The group’s main discussion had eventually ended as they all went to discuss finding Parrot. Wemmbu was the first to leave with his Elytra as Jumper read out loud of the given coordinates. Just typical Wemmbu as usual.

Flamefrags, of course, did not care. He just followed as the others continued their debates about whatever they were talking about.

* * *

After the fight as they all found Parrot, they all had regrouped back on Spoke’s ‘super secret base’, the LAW was already annoying and a nuisance for Flame enough, but at this point, it is whatever. The four of them piled into Parrot’s happy ghast, which looked oblivious to the tense situation they were all about to plan.

Wemmbu, as usual, didn’t bother with the Ghast as Parrot told him to just take by the elytra, which he did and just left flying with his Elytra at best. The happy ghast had crazy loot, though—Flame wondered how Theo and Parrot got that much loot to this point of time.

* * *

Everything mostly went well—well mostly as they had to fight the LAW itself again, in their full army. But they finally defeated the faction itself. Their enemies scattered while most of the LAW soldiers died within the battlefield, leaving only remnants of their arrogance behind. Then it came with LettuceK, returning back to the lost battlefield voluntarily to surrender himself—and in his own naïve way, wanting to face his accountability. It was a bold action, something they all weren’t used to, it was hard to tell.

To Flame, he doesn’t care. Whether it’s accountability, surrender, moral high ground—nothing matters as long as LettuceK was dead or just out of the way of his life, It was enough to satisfy him, all in the justice to defeat LAW and finally enough to finally clear the path to get his best friend, Lomedy, out of the prison. That boy still believes in the LAW. Pathetic.

‘Lost Cause’
— Quoted by Lomedy To Flamefrags

Flame quickly snapped out of his thoughts as the group began debating and discussing what to do with LettuceK. Let him live? They wondered. Spare him? Perhaps.

Flame didn’t even hesitate to even think, his choice was immediate. The right side, at least, the side where Lettuce would be executed, he didn’t give it a second thought.

A few came by his side—Horace, JumperWho, Jaden… and somewhat predictably, Spoke.

On the other side, which was the left, had a surprising number that chose differently, opting to let Lettuce live instead. Parrot, Theo, Fymada, MinuteTech, Eggchan, and Princezam formed the opposing line.

All that was left was Wemmbu, Flame’s gaze upon him as he watched and waited for Wemmbu’s decision. It would be a tie if Wemmbu chose to execute Lettuce side (right side), Flame hoped for Wemmbu to vote for the right side. Although, it would be a different outcome as Wemmbu chose the left side, letting Lettuce live.

Wemmbu was somewhat unpredictable, but predictable enough and held a reasonable position to let Lettuce be executed, right?

To which, was unexpected from someone like Wemmbu, who had chosen the left side, letting LettuceK live. Perhaps Flame should do better one day; perhaps he doesn’t want to be a Lost Cause anymore.

* * *

Flame finally had mended his lost friendship as he made up with Lomedy, they shared laughter and the joy after they mended their friendship. It was a moment of something they forgot they once shared, but now reunited.

Yet, even with remending his friendship with Lomedy, he remained unsure as he was thinking what to do next while he continued his adventure, the words of Lettuce had an influence on him, haunted him even along the way.

“Please, please prove to this world that I was wrong about you, and that you can change. Don't let every horrible thing I have done just to be nothing.”

— Quoted by LettuceK to Flamefrags.

One day he will, or maybe today will be the day.

The atmosphere continued to shift in many different unique ways as the horse moved on, the time moving as usual, the wind itself moving as he kept on riding. Eventually, he arrived at Lomedy's newly repaired farm—the place had now seen better times. He was greeted with a warm and welcoming smile from a person he recognised.

“Flame! Anything you need here?” Lomedy came out, the usual joy of his voice and tone.

“Yeah, um… I was wondering if you got any flowers.” Flame asked as he hops off his horse, walking towards Lomedy. “I think so, there are a few back in my flower field.” Lomedy began to lead where it was, Flame following behind.

The field was full of colours and each scent has its own uniqueness—the colours also vary in many ways. One caught Flame's eye underneath the blindfold though, lavender. The purple hue was just right, the scent was just at the right smell, and it reminded him of someone he thought of, Wemmbu.

“Can I have lavenders?” Flame asked, glancing at Lomedy as he felt nervous.

“I see, who is it for?” He teased, slowly plucking a few lavender and carefully dropping them to the basket he was holding.

“I..” Flame hesitated, a lump forming in his throat. He wasn’t sure if he should say it, wasn’t sure if he could right now, but it's best if he should. “It's for an… old companion,” he admitted, his voice quiet.

Lomedy blinked a few times, processing those words to his mind before bursting into laughter, with genuine giggles and smile on his face. “Oh my god, are you in love??” Lomedy teased again, shaking his head as he held the basket steady.

Flame's face turned slightly red—his face heated as he became embarrassed. “No—I'm not!”

Lomedy only laughed harder, patting his back as they walked back towards Lomedy's house. Inside, Lomedy just wraps the small bouquet of lavender that Flame requested.

“You know…” Lomedy said with a grin. “You should have to admit instead of lying, you are in fact, in love.” The teases continued as Flame remained embarrassed from admitting it. He groaned as he said: “It's…whatever!”

Flame snatched the small bouquet of lavender, slightly clutching it.

After a moment, he turned towards the door and said his goodbyes to Lomedy. Finally heading off to a specific destination, he could think Wemmbu was, although it was a gamble that Wemmbu might be there.

* * *

Wemmbu happens to be alone at the temporary base that his best friend, Eggchan, had made. Eggchan had left out for a bit, gathering materials for what he insisted was for their “base,” which to Wemmbu, he just let him be as it has been a while since they haven't settled down from the now defeated faction.

He had been tasked, specifically told by his best friend, Eggchan—to organize a few things in the storage room they had set up recently. Wemmbu shrugged to himself. He might as well get it done.

Placing a few things back to the chests, the quiet surroundings had ended as he heard a knock from the door. Wemmbu paused for a moment, he had wondered who it was since Eggchan said he would be out for a while.

So who could it be at this time?

Wemmbu slowly walked his way to reach for the door handle, he was cautious about it as he turned the door handle, opening it to see who it was outside of the front door. Someone he didn't expect to come. Wemmbu blinked and froze, the person was none other than his own rival, Flamefrags.

* * *

Flamefrags held out a bouquet of lavender, staring at Wemmbu, who stood there and was not wearing his usual armour. It felt… strange to say at least. He was used to the fact that Wemmbu was in full gear, always ready to strike someone and was cautious. Seeing him relaxed and unarmed—Flame couldn’t quite name what it was to him.

“Uhm, hello bro?” Wemmbu broke the awkward silence between them, his tone was the usual sarcastic and yet casual, but more relaxed.

“Right, uh, just take it.” Flamefrags shoved the bouquet of lavender into Wemmbu’s arms, which Wemmbu was caught off guard. It was unusual, strange for Flamefrags to give a gift to his not-so-rival a bouquet of flowers, specifically a bouquet of lavender that was in a colour of purple like Wemmbu himself.
“Woah, thanks bro.” Wemmbu held the bouquet of lavender delicately, smelling the scent, looking at the bouquet he was given, the scent was calming, soothing, and for some reason, perfectly suited to him? He looked down at the flowers—at the careful and deliberate choice of color, he couldn’t help but smile at the gesture.

Flamefrags’s face was heating up, his face became red all of the sudden. This was not how one gave a gift to a rival. No, no, no. This was… different. His hands trembled slightly, and his mind raced full of embarrassment.

Why did I do this? Why lavender? Why Wemmbu?

Wemmbu suppressed a giggle at this moment as his thoughts ran back onto the time when Flame wanted a ‘pat-on-the-head if he killed lettuce’ during the group discussion. It was completely ridiculous and It was some war that Wemmbu would prefer to forgive and forget.

But now, with Flame standing there, he might as well return a ‘gift’ to Flame.

“Hey flame… do you remember you wanted a pat on the head if you killed Lettuce?” Wemmbu asked as his pupils looked at Flame who was still embarrassed at the whole situation.

“Um… yeah, that… it was just something I randomly said without thinking through. I wasn’t serious about that, bro,” Flame replied, voice already filled with embarrassment, shoving the thought aside even as heat climbed his neck. sounding like he had forgotten about that moment but more embarrassed to say it.

“Alright then,” Wemmbu said, his eyes slowly turning to a smile alongside his mouth. “Let’s give you a well-deserved pat on the head.”

Before Flame could protest on this gesture, Wemmbu reached out with a light ruffling on his hair.

Flame froze, caught off guard as he didn't have any words to speak as it got stuck inside his throat, his face burned hotter than ever, he was embarrassed sure—but he was more conflicted with embarrassment, frustration, and something he couldn’t quite name all mixed together. And now… now his own no-so-rival was patting him on the head. How is this even happening bro?? And yet… somehow, it felt right.

“Okay okay! Enough bro—it was some stupid thing, I didn't mean it like literally…” Wemmbu continued to pat and ruffle Flame's hair with ease before removing his hand, letting the pat go.

“Yeah sure bro, you definitely enjoyed that… like a good boy.” Wemmbu teased, laughing at his own words, his own eyes came with mischief.

“Shut up bro!” Flame snapped defensively at it, although the protest sounded less convincing in his own ears. He couldn’t deny the fact that he did enjoy the pat that was given to his own rival. The warmth, the touch—It was all just right.

“Yeah yeah sure bro.” Wemmbu replied as his smile was still there, as if he won their game or whatever it was.

For a moment, the two of them ended up exchanging gifts with each other in some way, the one giving a bouquet of lavender, the other one giving the pat-on-the-head. Ridiculous but, sure enough, Flame slowly reached up and removed his own blindfold, letting Wemmbu see him fully. The moment felt oddly intimate.

Wemmbu saw those heterochromia eyes, catching his attention, a consistent fiery mix of red and orange, the other tinged with yellow, striking, and even ethereal almost, like they held pieces of Flame’s soul that only someone close enough could glimpse, a rare sight.

“Those eyes are…pretty.” Wemmbu admitted in embarrassment as Flame paused for a moment, his voice was quieter than usual.

“Really?” Flame asked, waiting for Wemmbu’s answer, unsure if he would want to hear it though.

“Yeah, they are.” Wemmbu replied back, his own eyes gazing at Flame’s.

Flame’s chest tightened for a moment as warmth spread towards him, slowly reached out to Wemmbu, held his arms, and his gaze looked around Wemmbu’s face—the curve of his lips, the way his hair fell with its curls, the softness in his expression. And finally, the question he had been holding back for so long finally came out:

“May I…um… kiss you?” Flame’s face burned with redness on his cheeks, words catching in his throat as nerves twisted through him, a sense of nervousness.

Wemmbu giggled softly at Flame’s question, which made Flame’s heart skip a beat.

“Yeah, sure.”