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Time passed extremely slowly when Lomedy was not around. Just a few days had passed since Flame returned from the mist, and everything was different.
The usual light and carefree atmosphere was gone and replaced with something a lot heavier and quieter.
The demon had changed, and finally learned how to enter "the zone” properly but at the same time he felt like he was the same and instead all the things around him were moving at a fast pace while he was left stuck in the past, still grieving his best friend.
He cursed at the one who caused all of this, who made him lose his best friend.
It didn't matter though. Flame had killed them, he got revenge, they got what was coming for them. But it didn't make him feel any better, whilst fighting mistrul and flow in the mist all he could think about was the human that had stayed by his side all this time. The one person who actually saw him for who he was and not just a weapon, not just as a mean of getting power…
But as a person.
As someone who was worth staying for. Even after everything, even after every argument.
The two best friends had accumulated a lot of history in the time they spent together. The nether demon had finally understood what the human had tried to explain to him all those months ago. He remembered everything the other told him, mostly. His memories got more obscured and harder to remember as he got more emotional. The flames that had always accompanied him were now twisting and turning inside of him begging to be let out, begging for the panther to do something. A clear indication of this was how the ends of his locs sparked every once in a while.
But
He didn't. He was aching for a fight, his body and muscles screamed for him to move to kill, to fight, to destroy. That's what he usually did, but not this time.
Because as much as he wanted to make the world hurt, to destroy anything in his path, Lomedy wouldn't want that, besides he had made a promise to the human and Flame didn't break promises.
What he did instead was based on taking care of Lomedy's farm and his own dog, ashen. Both were the only things that managed to ground him and helped him stay afloat without an anchor.
Sometimes he went to the market and bought some blocks for decoration, some loot for him to hoard and some goodies for him to enjoy alone now that there wasn't anyone to share it with.
Eating the snacks that both of them enjoyed alone, in silence always managed to make him feel under the weather, to think back at all that happened that dreadful two weeks, but he wouldn't do anything to change it. He basked in the comfort of his routines, mindless tasks one after another that he could do almost mechanically at this point from the familiarity of them all and it would help him get his mind off him.
And so there he was organizing the things he had last gotten delivered at his base. Flame was hunched over a generic purple shulker organizing the things inside of it when Notskrilley, the polar bear hybrid he had helped get away back when he killed both leaders of the mist, had come to his base looking for him extremely enthusiastic.
A heavy, soul crushing sigh escaped the immortal demon before he could stop it, he was already done with the conversation and it hadn't even started. His silence was taken as an invitation for the other to start speaking.
“Listen Flame!” The other began, his tone of voice was painfully optimistic and familiar. "I got good news! Like you are going to love what I'm going to tell you.”
The panther raised an eyebrow as his tail curled in curiosity but otherwise stayed silent not having the energy necessary for any of this. The other kept talking but he wasn't really paying attention until the other called for another person and familiar footsteps climbed the stairs to the floor they were in.
The netherborn demon stilled, frozen in place as his, supposed to be dead, best friend emerged from the stairs.
In that moment Flame's world reduced to just them as Skrilley left, mumbling something about giving them some much needed space. He couldn't get himself to care when his best friend was standing right in front of him again.
He was grateful his signature blindfold was covering his eyes because he would definitely tear up if this was real, if Lomedy was somehow standing in front of him again…
Just a second later, the human’s soft smile faltered making the netherborn demon’s heart clench and twist at the thought that he was the reason that Lomedy stopped smiling.
“Flame…” The human murmured intuitively. The soft sound reached his ears and made the panther stumble in his standing position at the familiarity.
A matching murmur, this time of disbelief, escaped Flame as he rushed forwards and basically tackled the other and effectively locking him in a warm embrace. In turn, Lomedy made a sound as the air escaped him but he couldn't bring himself to care when his best friend was alive.
The panther hybrid buried his head on the human’s shoulder, a million thoughts ran in his mind. There were hundreds of things he wanted to tell Lomedy from their time apart, maybe give the other a piece of his mind for leaving Flame alone all this time. But despite all the things he wanted to say but couldn't bring himself too, one thing escaped him before he could put as much as a little thought into it.
“I mourned you.” The netherborn said softly, voice full of emotion. The arms that were carefully wrapping his best friend in an embrace tightened, his tail swayed gently when he felt Lomedy get even closer in return. “I really thought you were dead bro.” His voice cracked slightly at the end.
One of Lomedy's hands came up to rest on top of Flame’s head pressing even closer and keeping him close and offering some much needed comfort. “I'm sorry Flame,” He spoke, voice full of regret.
“If only I had found my way back earlier you wouldn't have had to go through this.” As soon as Lomedy started speaking Flame’s knees almost buckled, he just hugged the human tighter as if the other could keep him afloat.
Safe to say, Lomedy felt incredibly guilty even if the situation was not entirely his fault. If he had managed to find his way back earlier then he could have possibly stopped Flame from running himself ragged. You just had to take one look at the demon to see the dark bags under his eyes, the rosy flush on his cheeks probably caused by the constant crying. But the thing that spooked him the most was how after a short while the other sniffled and he started to feel a wet patch on his shirt just on his shoulder-
“I'm glad you are here now.” Flame’s voice cut throughout the silence and interrupted the human’s mental spiral. “Im so glad you are okay.”
“I'm happy to see you mostly okay too Flame…
But I'm sure we both would enjoy it more if we were sitting on your couch.”
.
.
.
And so they shifted to the couch. Still in each other's embrace but this time sitting side by side, so close that Lomedy could basically hear Flame’s heartbeat. You see, as soon as they got close to the worn-down couch Lomedy pushed his best friend onto the couch and he was dragged down too immediately after. One of his arms was curled around the netherborn and the other arm rested on Flame’s head again gently petting his best friend, just like he craved during the entire LAW arc. In turn, the panther’s tail swayed from side to side comfortably and a soft almost inaudible purr took over the room.
The two of them snuggled in silence, believing that it could speak more than whatever words they had on their minds at the moment. Nevertheless the human still pulled away and gathered the demon’s head in his hands with the most care had ever received.
“Im so happy to be reunited with you again Flame.”