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A hotel is not normally a place people would call a sight for sore eyes. But for Parker, it was their safe haven.
They often shared hotel rooms with Kyoko. To save on funds they both rationalized. That excuse quickly fell apart when they both fell in love.
“….theres just one bed…” Kyoko muttered, putting her suitcase down. “I don’t think they should sleep on the floor again. Their poor back was aching for days…” she sighs, putting a gift bag onto the bed. Something she got for them. It wasn’t anything special, just a few charms and items that Parker mentioned they enjoyed.
Kyoko sat on the bed, feeling the cushiness of the mattress and duvet. She could almost imagine them walking in and tackling her, the room would be filled with giggles and laughter. “Hm~” she mused, laying down, “who knew the heights would make good beds?” She giggles to herself.
Out of boredom, she explored the room a bit more, examining the medieval aesthetic of the place.
A small bookshelf by the bed caught her attention. She knelt down and looked at the spines of the books, reading their titles. “Admins and Roblox: a definitive history…. John Doe: the myth or truth…. 1x1x1x1x: a fall from greatness.” She stood up, making a mental note to read those later when she was done looking around.
Opening the curtains, she opened the door to a small balcony that looked over the arena. It would’ve been a good view to watch… had it not been so far from the arena.
Her curiosity got cut short as she heard the door opening.
“Parker!” She smiled, whipping around to greet them….
But they didn’t seem in the mood.
Kyoko shut the door and the curtains before walking over to Parker. “Hey, what’s wrong? You look… pale.”
“…I just… it’s nothing. I’m being dramatic.” They mumbled, their voice hoarse.
“None of that!” She retorts, “we made a promise!! Open up or you will feel my wrath…. In a racing game. I’d never hurt you.”
“…” they nodded, “I don’t feel like talking right now.”
“…that’s okay!” She smiled gently, “here, how about you take a nap, I’ll see about getting us some food.”
“No…you don’t have to….” They hugged themself, “I just…. Could we just cuddle?”
“Of course” she nodded, moving her things off the bed and taking off her shoes before laying down.
Parker soon followed suit, taking off their blue hoodie. Once they laid down, they curled up at kyokos side, letting her pet them.
She kissed their forehead, running her hands gently over Parker’s feathers, being careful not to scruff them too much.
Parker nestled their face in the crook of her neck, their eyes pricking with tears as their breath hitched.
“…..my starlight?” She whispered
“…I’ll be okay….my heart. I have to be.”
“Who told you that?”
Parker couldn’t answer. A soft sob came out of them.
“…it’s okay.” Kyoko sighs, “let it out…”
“….im sorry.” They sniffled. “I just— I have….i…snff— euhh… I have…” they broke down into incoherent sobs, which did nothing to explain why they were so….upset.
Kyoko didn’t pry though. She steadied herself, letting her be their rock. “It’s okay….youre okay…. You don’t have to talk right now.”
“But… but I *do* want to tell you everything— I just—“
Kyoko brushed their out of their face, “it’s clearly painful for you… let’s do this when you feel better. Would a bath help?”
“…a bath?” They blinked, tears rolling down their face
“Mhm! You can take one alone or—“
“I’d…rather not be alone right now. I don’t think I’d be kind to myself right now.”
“Hm… I see.” She nodded thoughtfully.
“…can you be in the bath with me?”
“HUH?” She backed up, looking at them with eyes as wide as dinner plates.
“Sorry. That was super forward.” They covered their face with one of their head wings. They desperately needed preening.
“No! No! It’s okay! I was just caught off guard” she reassured them. “Here, I’ll start running the water, and while we wait, I can help you preen.”
“You’d do that for me?” They stopped hiding their face, looking up at her.
“Of course I would. It would be a shame not to practice my preening skills! After all… *someone* let it spill that we get marrieeeed~” she teased, which warranted a giggle from Parker
“You got me there….” They got up with her, shuffling to the bathroom. They sat on the floor as she turned on some warm water.
“Now we wait…” she sat behind them, watching them take off their shirt. She began brushing her hands through their feathers, getting the loosest ones out first. “…Parker when was the last time you got preened?”
“…” they paused, taking off their fingerless gloves, moving their hair out of the way, “I can’t remember. Sorry…for letting it get bad.”
“No. Don’t apologize for anything like that. Stuff like that happened to me when I was younger. Calypso took me to a professional barber to fix my matted hair.”
“…wha kind of style did you get?”
“I got braids. Calypso said it’s good to have a protective style when you’re traveling”
“…she’s smart.” Parker remarked, taking deep breaths when her hands passed over two small scars on their back.
“…yeah…. She taught me everything I know about adventuring.” She smiled, reminiscing.
“…” Parker’s head lowered, their mind drifting off into fogginess again.
Kyoko noticed their drowsiness, laying her sweater down on the floor as a pillow for them to use while she preened their back.
“…mrrrrr” a trill came from them.
“…heh! That’s new!”
“Gh—“ they covered their face with their headwings, embarrassed
“Aww don’t be embarrassed…. It was cute! Promise” she giggles
“Eughh….” They groaned before they made another cooing noise
“You sound just like a pigeon!” She plucked out long damaged tail feathers they had, “I thought you were a hawk?”
“I am…. Just….im….also half pigeon avian.”
“….that’s explains your siblings appearance.”
“You didn’t question it?”
“Nope. Just thought they dyed their feathers or something, heh!”
Parker shrugged, it was fair to assume something like that. They felt giddy, almost lucky they met Kyoko. She wasn’t as judgemental as they thought she’d be, given the time they were currently in.
Kyoko flipped them over onto their back as she began preening their chest.
Parker closed their eyes, keeping their breathing steady and their mind only on Kyoko. It was better than trying to empty their mind. As something would always manage to fit into it.
“You look relaxed” Kyoko comments
“Hm? Mm…yeah… you make it hard to stay awake, you know?” They tried to smile.
Once all Parker’s feathers were sorted out, the bathtub had filled up a good amount. Kyoko helped them up.
She turned around undressing herself. Parker turned to do the same thing, their cheeks flushed.
“….you can look you know.” Kyoko smirked, getting into the water.
“I knew that.” They huffed, their feathers prickling out as they got into the warm water.
Kyoko leaned forward, “would it be okay to wash your hair?”
“…yeah. I kind of need it.”
She nodded, getting their hair wet first before massaging their head with shampoo.
A sigh escaped them— the good kind that was letting go of all the stress and pain the day had brought them. “…mm. You’re good at this…” their eyes fluttered shut, having been so relaxed. They rationalized it internally as just being safe as to not get soap in their eyes, but the simple truth was Kyoko made it easy to relax.
“Thanks… I hope I’m not doing too much”
“Are you kidding? Babes, I’m in heaven right now… the only thing we’re missing is like…” they blanked for a moment before their train of thought came back “rose petals and chocolates.”
“Hehe! That’s super romantic….”
“They don’t call me the monarch or romance for nothin!”
“….do people actually call you that?” She asked, pausing her movements.
“…no.” They laughed softly, small chirps escaping their giggles
“Oh, so you’re just being silly huh?”
“Hehe! Yep! Don’t kiss my neck yet you’ll get a mouthful of soap” they looked back at her, watching her freeze with her lips puckered out.
They leaned in and gave her a peck on the mouth, watching her face darken with a blush.
“You’re cheating! That’s cheating” she pouts before falling into a fit of giggling
“Didn’t I say that when you did something similar to me at the beach? Right before I left for the desert?”
“You deserved it.” She smiles, rinsing out their hair.
“I deserve kisses?” They asked with their usual smirk, though the question was very real. Their self esteem had tanked considerably every time they met.
“…” she paused, making eye contact with them. “Of course you do.” You deserve cuddles, kisses, you deserve affection. You deserve *love*…… it hurts me to see you think otherwise.”
They almost turned away if she wasn’t quick to pull them towards her again, “don’t hide from me…. Please.” She sighs, looking up at their face, watching their eyes tear up., “why are you crying?”
“I just— I’m— fuck.” They sniffled, stumbling over themself, “I’m a horrible, *horrible* person, Kyoko. I’ve killed, I’ve hurt, I’ve….”
“You saved people. You saved Jim, griefer, and calypso… and you even promised to help me reunite with her! that’s not anything a bad person would’ve done….”
“….but….the king… captain trotter…”
“Look at me.” She took a deep breath, “you can’t save everyone. It’s not your fault. It was never your fault.” She watches the darkness spread on Parker’s body, “I love you. And you are not a bad person.”
“…kyo—“ they choked before breaking down completely, sobbing into their hands as she brought them into a hug. The water was warm, and so was she. They felt at home with her, this felt right…..
She ran her hands over their feathers and through their hair one more time, making sure they felt okay. “You’re not a bad person.” She repeated, “you didn’t have any control over the people who died….”
“…I could’ve…. I should’ve…”
“Shhh….” She held their face again, rubbing their eyes and wiping their tears, “it’s not your fault.”
No words came from Parker again, lest they wanted to spiral more. Silently, they helped Kyoko wash her hair until they stopped shaking.
“….youre really pretty.” They mumbled
“Where did that come from?” She dips her head in the water, looking up at her avian partner as they rinsed her hair.
“Nowhere. You’re just pretty. And kind, funny, adventurous…” they smiled, “and understanding.”
“Hehe~ so are you!”
—————————
Once they got out and dried off, Parker immediately flopped over on the bed, suddenly tired. They situated themself under the duvet and patted the spot next to them.
“I’m coming, I’m coming….” Kyoko sighs, putting on her bonnet. She slips under the covers, being met with a very warm and happy parker “I would’ve thought you’d put yourself on the floor… where’s your chivalry?” She teased
“Oh…ahah… uhm….” They hid their face with the wings on their head, “I knew you weren’t gonna let me, if that makes sense.”
She moved their little wings out of their face gently, listening
“You’ve always been adamant about my comfort… I think it’s high time I take you up on that.” They smiled lovingly at her.
The way they wanted to tell her everything about the future— about *their* future how they’d travel together and learn more about each other in the smallest and simplest ways…. They couldn’t. They couldn’t tell her that they were married. They couldn’t tell her she was going to be happy.
“I’m glad” she whispered, pulling them from their thoughts, “hehe! You’ve got it all over your face— you wanna tell me something, right?”
“Well… not now.”
“why not?” She asked, brushing their hair from their face.
“It’s useless information right now. But it’ll be helpful in the future. I’ll spill then.”
“You’re no fun” she pouts “kidding! But I have to know…. Is everything going to be okay? Am i going to be okay…? Is…she….”
“Your sister is okay. And she’s going to be.” They leaned closer to her, “and everything will be okay. The future is *very* bright.”
“How can you say that so confidently?”
“Because…” they nearly let it slip. That vital piece of information that would change everything if she knew. “Because you are a ray of sunshine, you’ll make the future as bright as I can see it being.”
Kyoko burst out in a fit of giggles, pressing her face into their neck, “ehehehe!! You’re so cheesy!!!”
“Mmm… cheese…” they burst out into laughter with her. God they would kill to stay like this with her…
“Ah…” Kyoko smiled, her laughter finally dying down. She pulled back to look at them. “So… what do you want to do tomorrow?”
They froze, they didnt want to think about tomorrow,the future,the heights….. they don’t want anything to do with it. “I…I’m not sure. Can we just stay together though? No matter what happens?”
“Mhm!” She wraps her arms around them, “of course!!”
“Thank you…”
“It’s my pleasure… goodnight moonlight….” She closed her eyes, her sleepiness catching up to her.
“…goodnight love.” They whispered, looking at her as if memorizing every detail.
Whatever came tomorrow, they could face it with her.