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"This is silly."
"Let him be Flux, it's not like there's anything to do around here." Thomas shrugs, his breath tickles Saps' ear, almost eliciting a giggle out of him.
"Thomas! You're distracting me!" Saps pushes his face away, but Thomas only tightens his hold on Saps' waist from behind.
Beside them, Flux, leaning on Thomas, blows his hair up, completely consumed by boredom.
Under the bright Luminarian sun, the three of them sits under a tiny awning made out of leaves. Saps, who bought a bracelet kit from days prior, is beading matching bracelets for the three of them to wear.
"White, orange, and purple beads? Isn't that a little basic?" Flux stares at the half-made string of colors in Saps' hands. "At least, put some letters in, will you?"
"I'm too broke for that." Saps says as he beads in another orange bead. "It costs like twenty more dollars to get a letter kit."
Even if Saps couldn't see Flux's expression right now, he could hear it clearly with his voice.
"It's just twenty dollars! Why are you such a cheapskate?" Flux sounds appalled. Thomas only giggles at their antics.
"Sorry, not everyone has hundreds lying around." Saps rolls his eyes, placing another purple bead. He sneaks in a glance at Flux, wanting to know how he'll react this time.
"You could've just asked, you know that?" Flux crosses his arms, clearly annoyed. Saps couldn't help but chuckle with how adorable his boyfriend is.
Saps only shrugs, going back to work. Thomas continues to sniff Saps' hair, kissing the top of his head, almost in worship.
Seriously, it is really hard to focus with these two around.
Mustering all his brain power to fight against these lovely distractions, Saps finishes the first bracelet by tying the string together, forming a circle.
"What do we think?" Saps asks, turning to face the both of them.
"It's horrible. Don't tell me that one's for me." Flux's unamused stare and deadpan voice greets him immediately.
"Aw, you love it. You can have this one then!" Saps giggles as he watches Flux become more unenthused and annoyed.
Flux lets him put it in his wrist anyway, and if you're looking hard enough, you could see the side of his lip twitching in joy.
When he kills Flux in the Colosseum, he holds him close and cradles his corpse. His warmth slowly fades in Saps' arms, who couldn't help but cry it all out, not minding the audience no longer.
His love, his shining star, gone with the light.
Flux died smiling, his last words an apology that Saps cannot accept.
Saps maps out his face one last time, his gentle lips, his long lashes that used to flutter in delight when he was given affection, his dark hair, clinging to his forehead with the sweat made from his last fight.
Saps doesn't know how long he stays there, holding Flux's body, mourning someone who wanted him dead. He vaguely remembers someone trying to pry the cold corpse away from him, Saps too weak from crying to fight back. His following days were spent in a dazed state, as half of his heart vanished that day, and soon, the other will too.
There is only one thing that Saps remembered, not the dull amethyst that stared back at him, lifeless, not the color of his skin fading away to a paler blue.
It was the fact that Flux wasn't wearing his bracelet.
When the day of Thomas' execution arrived, Saps only felt numb. It was barely days since Flux died, and there is nothing that could prepare him for yet another death.
Thomas stands, with pride, below a guillotine destined to kill him.
"…Was it worth it?" Saps couldn't hide the tremble in his voice, couldn't hide the hurt in his eyes and the pain in his chest that blossomed the day they betrayed him.
Thomas' brown hair blows with the wind, its usual shine gone still containing the soot from that forsaken volcano.
He looks beautiful.
Saps couldn't help his thoughts. Because, despite everything, he never stopped loving them. His love only morphed into an ugly, disgusting form of pain, but never forgot its roots of comfort.
Instead of a response, Thomas digs into his pocket, gently takes Saps' palm out, and places two bracelets in his grasp. One that he owns, and the other from Flux. The white beads faded with use.
Thomas' eyes crinkle and slowly let go, pushing Saps' hands away.
Saps could only look at him helplessly, he wants to reach out, grab his hand and run away with him. Maybe then, he could still save someone he loves. Maybe then, he could still pretend like he could still be happy. He clutches both of the bracelets with both of his hands, holding it close to his lips, fighting back a sob.
Thomas looks in peace. He has fully accepted his fate, closing his eyes, smiling.
Saps wears the two bracelets, joining the one he made for himself. The sign of their forever love, one that will last beyond the grave.
The bracelets clack together as Saps pulls the switch himself, just like he dealt the last blow for the other one. The blade drops down, taking his life in one go.
"See you." The wind says, it was a soft, one last pour of love.
Saps has never been thankful for the tears that blurred the sight of his death.