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“Dude, what if I died. Fake died.”
Flame looked up from where he was organizing his chests. What is this idiot on about, he thought, facing Wemmbu.
“What.”
Wemmbu leaned against the wall next to him, grinning way too widely, arms crossed as mischief brightened his pretty features. “Like, I fake my death.”
“Why would you do that—”
“For the plot, bro.” His former rival looked excited. He debated arguing against it, but that look in Wemmbu’s eyes made Flame’s chest bloom with warmth. On one hand, he didn’t think it was a great idea, but on the other…
He kind of wanted to see what would happen.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Flame was struggling to keep himself balanced on the small glass hovering just above the void, even more so with the invisibility cloaking him so he couldn’t even see his own feet. The large, white dome encapsulated him and Parrot, the avian pacing on the large platform in the center, waiting impatiently.
This is not what I thought would happen.
Well, he’d done it. Wemmbu had successfully faked his death, rumors going around the whole server that Flame had killed him. For two long, excruciating months, Wemmbu was dead. Not a word from him was heard from anyone, like he just vanished into thin air. He went under a false identity, wearing invis constantly and explored the server like any normal player would, without the threat of someone jumping him for being ‘Wemmbu’.
Flame was honestly shocked that it had gone on for so long. Wemmbu dies out of nowhere, then suddenly there's a random invis player going around in diamond armor? With netherite trims? The server wasn’t new to invisible players, quite the opposite in fact with the whole Invisible Mafia fiasco. People were weary around invis people nowadays, so Wemmbu lasting for so long was a surprise.
Well, until now.
In between him and Parrot, there was a smaller platform with water inside. In it, stood an invisible player with familiar diamond armor and netherite trims.
I told him not to use netherite, Flame thought in exasperation, he drew too much attention to himself. Bro is a walking target.
Parrot was yapping about how he had slowly come to the conclusion that the ‘Invisible Knight’— Flame snorted silently at the stupid name—was Wemmbu. It was very boring, Parrot talked too slow in Flame’s opinion. Just get to the pointtttt. He had half a mind to drop
Instead, he let his thoughts roam as he waited for his cue, to a specific purple demon who, quite literally, changed his life about three months ago. They got together shortly after their ‘the strongest’ fight. Flame remembered the addicting adrenaline rush that always came with fighting Wemmbu. He never felt more alive in his life than he ever did in those moments. Eventually, that final fight made them realize there was something else than just that rush, something else hidden behind their rivalry.
At first, they were both nervous, not knowing how to announce this new, sudden relationship. They had put it off for a couple weeks instead choosing to focus on themselves rather than anyone else. He learned so much about Wemmbu in those weeks. His favorite food was chorus-sandwiches (which made Flame grimace whenever his partner would eat it), he slept in almost until noon when he was comfortable, his long hair had little waves at the ends when he just showered, and…there was plenty more but Flame reminded himself he had to focus on his task at the moment.
Which was balancing on this stupid glass plane.
“...did his job correctly, you should have no more fireworks left. Am I correct in saying that?” Parrot’s voice flooded back in as Flame focused. He sounded a little smug, trying to appear casual. When Wemmbu didn’t answer, he continued. “I do have one question though. Why did you do this? You faked your own death for what?” Now Parrot sounded accusatory, and Flame felt a rush of irritation at him at using that tone with Wemmbu.
“Power? Did you want to, like, get revenge on Flame somehow? Was that your idea?” He saw Wemmbu shift at the mention of his name. Yeah, he thought, revenge. He honestly thought that Parrot was being a little dramatic by revealing Wemmbu to the whole server. The guy didn’t even do anything! And of course the avian had to drag Flame into this mess.
Parrot had shown up at his doorstep two days ago, saying that he knew where Wemmbu was.
“Dude, Wemmbu is dead. I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
Parrot crossed his arms defiantly, wings ruffling in irritation. “Flame. I promise you he's alive. I can prove it to you, I have a plan, you just need to trust me.”
“What are you even saying bro—”
“Do you want a fight or not?”
Flame almost said no, claiming he doesn’t fight Wemmbu like that anymore. Then—he remembers. They’re trying to stay low and keep their relationship between themselves for now. He realizes that denying Parrot will make him look suspicious.
“Fine, show me your stupid plan.”
Parrot might be smart, but he doesn’t know everything. He doesn’t know that it was Flame who helped Wemmbu pick the armor trims, Flame who helped Wemmbu with the voice changer, Flame who Wemmbu went to to rest and restock. It was Flame who worried about the amount of invis potions he was consuming only to be waved off. He remembers one time when Wemmbu, taking a day off, was peering into the empty room at the back of their base. He had asked him jokingly if he could build a room. Flame just glared at him, no real malice behind it, and dragged the demon to his—their bedroom instead. Wemmbu never asked about it again.
“So what makes you so confident I won’t just kill you now.” Flame cringed at the voice changer. Sensing his cue, he straightened himself up.
“I mean you’re technically right.” Parrot admits, shrugging casually, “If I… didn’t bring a little friend. Flame, you wanna come on out?”
He gulps down the milk bucket as Wemmbu whips his head around, body going stiff at his sudden appearance. Flame quickly equipped his armor and pearled to the spot in front of Wemmbu.
“Hello there, bro.”
Well, this wasn’t supposed to happen.
He was so stupid for draining all his resources fighting Theo. For falling into this stupid trap with Parrot’s long, boring monologue about how right he was and how weak Wemmbu is right now.
How underprepared he is.
Shit, he panicked, shit, shit.
He was so screwed.
It’s even more of a surprise when Flame suddenly appears behind him—floating?
“Hey, Wemmbu!” He says cheerfully.
He sees Flame pearl in front of him, saying something but Wemmbu’s caught off guard for a moment. “Wait, how were you standing on here—I just got completely distracted. Ohhh, theres glass—” He then registers fully that Flame is standing in front of him.
Oh. Jeez, did Parrot actually hire this guy?
“Yeah—who cares. Get on this platform right now before I kill you. I’ll just throw you in the void.” His boyfriend was grinning like an idiot, reminding Wemmbu of when they would practice fight outside their base in the mesa.
He elbows Flame aside, windbursting off the small platform with a grin of his own and tries to fly away. Maybe he could salvage this.
Or not.
He misses a wind burst and it goes flying to the quartz wall—wait, that's not quartz. Is that snow?!
Fucking lava starts pouring from the ceiling seconds later.
Okay, what the actual hell? Wemmbu tried to escape on the other platforms, but was forced to land on the center one instead as the lava got closer.
“So uh, I think your identity just got leaked,” Parrot was smirking smugly, “because by throwing a windcharge through the powdered snow and into the lava, you were the one who blew up the TNT and then also killed two dogs.” His voice faded out into a small chuckle. “Which showed up in chat, Wemmbu.” He held up his communicator, and distantly, Wemmbu could see a new alert pop up.
Wolf was blown up by Wemmbu.
Flame starts approaching him, steps light as he stops right in front of his partner. They stood closely, Wemmbu could smell the familiar soap they both used that reminded him of home.
Wemmbu signs in defeat, his invis potion shuddering as the effects dim. Then—blink out.
Flame stares at him, eyes unreadable behind his blindfold.
“You’re stupid.”
His voice is low, the playful tone faint as he continues to stare at him, unmoving.
“Bro,” Wemmbu leans closer, “how was I supposed to know that Parrot was gonna trap me?” His mouth is centimeters away from Flame’s when he remembers something. Oh, right. Parrot’s still here. Oh, this is their first time being in public together.
Well.
Parrot is standing on the other side of the platform, smugness fading to confusion. “What the hell are you guys—”
Redirecting, he leans into Flames ear, whispering quickly, “Fight me.”
He doesn’t need to be told twice, Parrot gets cut off by the sudden sound of swords clashing violently.
They try to hide their smiles, they really do, but the familiar rush of excitement that always comes with fighting Flame makes his lips extend. Flame is better at hiding his emotions, most of it is hidden behind the blindfold, but Wemmbu can guess that they are bright.
Switching to his mace, Wemmbu windbursts into the air and brings [Gambit] down, Flame blocking the hit with a shield and twisting to slash his sword through the air in a satisfying whoosh. They fight in a rhythm, mace coming down to be blocked, stepping away from each other to get space, only to come right back together in a loud clang of weapons. Eventually, Wemmbu—totally by accident— releases a wind charge at Parrot, knocking him off the platform.
He’ll have a stasis. Probably.
When the death message doesn’t appear, Wemmbu relaxes and starts chuckling quietly to himself. He feels an odd sense of relief at his false identity being ruined. Two long months of always checking his invisibility time, of traveling around the server and joining multiple groups, adventure after adventure. Now, all he wanted to do was go home to Flame and sleep in their bed forever and never wake up. And shower too.
“Bro, did you just kill Parrot?” Flame is laughing, standing a few feet away as he lowers his sword and shield. They were finally alone.
Wemmbu laughs too and drops his mace, leaving it behind him as he closes the space between them quickly and crashes their mouths together.
The kiss sends electricity running up Wemmbu’s spine, clutching Flame’s shirt as he brings him closer. His lips are warm, and god he tastes so good. Flame smiles at the contact, leaning down to deepen the kiss as his hands grip his waist. This wasn’t a gentle or soft kiss, they were starving for each other, not wasting any time as they clutched each other desperately trying to get more.
Wemmbu’s mind was whirring, lost in the head of the moment as he anchored himself against Flame’s chest. His long fingers thread through his locs as he tilts his head to deepen the kiss, opening his mouth to allow his tongue in. Flame consumed all his thoughts at once, and they broke apart for a moment, foreheads pressed together and gasping for breath. The only clear thought he had right now was,
This is home.
What the fuck?
Parrot was so unbelievably confused.
It took him two weeks to finally catch the Invisible Knight. Two weeks of planning and building and fighting. He put so much time into this, impersonating the invisible player to lure him to the trap. He had done it, Wemmbu’s name appeared in chat and his identity was gone forever.
Instead of satisfaction, all he felt was a fog of uncertainty settled around him.
Theo stood at the top of the ender pearl stasis chamber, looking down at him with wide eyes, sunglasses lifted and resting on his head. “Dude! How did it go?”
How did it go?
He had asked Flame to come because he thought that he wanted a rematch against Wemmbu, who beat him in their last fight. Parrot imagined that the moment he told Flame Wemmbu was alive, there would’ve been no doubt and just immediate conformity.
Parrot was known to be quite observant, being the smartest one on the server after all.
He remembers Flame hesitating when he asked him to join in on trapping Wemmbu, the way he hesitated a moment too long before agreeing. He recalls that when Flame revealed himself in that dome, Wemmbu didn’t look afraid, and when the two rivals fought they did so with barely concealed smiles. There was a moment between the two of them when the dome went silent except for the flow of lava, the rivals standing too far for Parrot to hear them but could see their mouths moving quietly, hands roaming. Parrot didn’t know if Wemmbu knocked him off the edge on purpose or not, out of spite or…was there another reason?
“Earth to Parrot?”
He snapped out of it, ruffling his wings to wake himself up. Turning to Theo, “Yeah, yeah it went good. It was Wemmbu after all.”
If Theo caught the absence of excitement in his tone, he either didn’t catch it or just ignored it. “That's great! I knew it was him, those netherite trims were way too obvious. Y’know he…”
Theo continues to talk as they make their way back to Capital City, Parrot adding in his own comments once in a while. But his focus wasn’t fully on the conversation.
Something was up between Flame and Wemmbu, and he was going to be the one to find out.