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Wemmbu laughed at how pitful Flame looked like. Covered in bruises, blood and mud, crawling towards him to continue their "sparring" session.
Flame however, was quietly memorizing how addictive Wemmbu's voice sounded like, how pretty it sounded.
Even if it was because of his pure stupidity.
He's beautiful, Flame inwardly thought.
Even if he's a homicidal maniac who's awfully pretty in battle while covered in blood.
He's borderline sociopathic too, Flame absently thought.
"Aww. Is Flam truly going to lose to someone like me?" Wemmbu cooed, walking over to him and putting his index and middle finger under Flame's chin, forcing him to look directly at Wemmbu.
"Agh—f-fuck you." Flame groaned, trying to get up, but failing almost immediately while blood dripped down his forehead.
"Well?" Wemmbu raised his eyebrow, as if asking Flame for something, he bended down to be on Flame's level. "Are you getting up bro?"
Fuck. Flame was practically doomed.
•
Flame watched in quiet despair as Manepear and Wemmbu laughed happily while reciting their vows at the altar.
He knew himself that he should've been faster. Should've held out his hand way before Manepear. Should've stopped the stupid rivalry.
He could've been the one on that altar. With Wemmbu.
He should've been walking down with Wemmbu.
Not watching from the sidelines.
Not watching helplessly.
The awful taste of bitterness started to envelope his tongue.
But he held his feelings too close to his chest, and now he was regretting it.
Everyone else had a happy smile for the newlyweds, all seeing how perfect they were together.
Happy how Manepear annd Wemmbu found their happy ending together.
He felt his heart ache painfully thinking about it.
It should've been him.
Flame felt bile rise in his throat, nausea starting to painfully overtake his senses. Flames started flickering at his ankles, slightly burning the itchy black tuxedo he needed to wear.
Everything felt too loud and uncomfortable, overwhelming him. The organ music, the soft laughs the audience would give when Wemmbu or Mane would playfully take a jab during their vows, It all felt dizzying. He started spiraling, his breath turning into quiet, heavy pants and his eyesight turning drowsy.
God, the sight in front of him truly made him sick to the core.
•
"Bro! Shut up!" Flame screeched at his brother, throwing a fit while flinging a pillow around at Manepear who was giggling manically. "You! FlameFrags? Having a fat fucking crush on Wemmbu? Your own rival?" Mane judged heavily, he didn't think that Flame would be this stupid.
He didn't teach Flame to be this stupid, but here we are.
"Bro I told you shut up! You're basically shouting it for the entire neighborhood to hear like bro!" Flame screeched even louder, face red as a tomato as he smothered the pillow in his older brother's face.
"Blagh— Oh you little fucking shit—" Manepear grabbed his own pillow, wrestling down Flame to smother him in return.
Laugher ensured, with Flame tackling Manepear down again with the use of multiple pillows.
•
He felt himself drowning in pure undulated anger towards how everything had to happen.
He was now watching Wemmbu and Manepear dance in the middle of the reception floor, seemly forgetting the world around them both.
The pure happiness in their faces. The true meaning of love written across their actions, to their words.
The music was starting to sound more and more awfully uncomfortable.
It pained him to watch further. They had everything that he'd ever dreamed of.
Manepear had everything that Flame ever wanted and dreamed to have with Wemmbu.
They had true love, true devotion, full mutual trust that made their relationship special.
Why couldn't Flame have that too?
He tore his eyes away, looking towards his best friend instead, Lomedy was eating the strawberry cupcakes hungrily.
Flame would be lying to himself if he said that a smile didn't pull on his cheeks lightly.
•
Wemmbu looked towards Manepear in interest, not actually doing anything to contribute towards his and Flame's plan to take down the law.
Flame shook him, trying to get him to do his part of the plan. Flame was also trying to bury the burning jealousy and a quiet blind anger in his chest.
It felt weird in his chest, thinking cruel things toward his brother and mentor was awful, even downright disgusting.
It was probably nothing, people look at people with interest that wasn't romantic.
That's normal, right? That's supposed to be normal, right?
He hoped it was platonic, he doubt Manepear would try and get with a guy he knew Flame liked. As he swallowed the burning feeling in his throat, Wemmbu starting rambling. "Bro, your brother looks really cool, are you sure you're not adopted? He looks too good to be your brother." Wemmbu finished, not realizing the pit that was starting to grow in Flame's stomach.
Too good to be your brother. That could mean a hundred things, too many things.
One, Wemmbu was starting to idolize his own older brother.
Ew.
Two, Wemmbu thought that Flame was inferior compared to Manepear, therefore— ...
Oh.
Well.
Three, Wemmbu was growing some sort of feeling towards Manepear.
None of the options felt that realistic, so he ignored it.
•
Thinking back on it, he heavily regretted ignoring the signs.
As they giggled together happily, feeding each other pieces of their bittersweet chocolate cake.
What an ironic flavor to have on your wedding day.
The newly married couple looked amazing together, holding each other close and snug, almost cute to watch. Manepear looked overjoyed to even look in Wemmbu's direction, while Wemmbu looked flustered even making eye contact with his new husband.
Wemmbu whispered in Manepear's ear, cackling manically at probably a inside joke they had together. Manepear in return flicked Wemmbu's ear, causing a quick joke fight before stopping almost immediately and choking on their cake.
They were in love. True love. They were head over heels for each other, loving each other like they could never be apart.
Like loving husbands.
Husbands.
What a strange thing to say.
It felt awful, spite and bitterness starting to fill his mind, saying cruel things about Manepear.
You are supposed to be with him, not Manepear.
You were supposed to hold him in your arms, not Manepear.
You were supposed to have him, not Manepear.
You are supposed to be the one to be able to love him, not Manepear.
Continuously, his mind said cruel and harsh things about his own older brother.
The older brother who comforted him. The older brother who raised him. The older brother that betrayed him, just so he could have Wemmbu.
Maybe his mind was correct.
Maybe Manepear was the problem after all.
•
Flame visibly deflated at the sight he saw right before his eyes.
Mane was comforting Wemmbu, holding him in his arms, whispering kind and soothing words in his ear.
Flame watched as Wemmbu rubbed his wet eyes, nodding and sniffling. Just before he was going to leave, he heard a bit of their conversation.
"Wemmbu, he doesn't deserve you bro. Find someone better, someone who could care about you more." Mane murmured in his ear, trying to calm him down.
"I-I can't! I t-thought," Wemmbu sneezed, tear streaks now obvious on his pretty face. "I thought h-he'd like me back! I m-mean, he a-always flirted with me and-and," Wemmbu burst into tears, getting closer to Mane.
"Shh—calm down bro." Manepear rubbed his back soothingly, hoping he was doing something. Wemmbu sniffed abit, trying to calm himself down, to no avail. "M-Manepear, you'd n-never do that t-to me right?",He hiccuped. "You'll never b-betray like he did?".
" Never Wemm, you deserve better than that." Manepear mumbled, pulling him closer for a hug.
It was fine right? The sight he saw is just platonic friendship?
Right! It's definitely platonic, it's normal for friends to comfort each other in times of need.
Mane and Wemmbu were nothing more than friends!
He continued repeating those words as he walked quietly into his room, immediately zoning out as he flopped into his bed, his blindfold halfway down his face.
It's normal. It's normal.
It's definitely normal for friends to comfort each other like that.
Yeah. Friends.
Flame's heart pricked painfully. He wasn't used to the bitter ache of jealousy.
He ignored it.
He curled into himself, ignoring the tears falling down his face and the fact his eyes were turning puffy and red.
What a painful double-sided sword was forced ignorance.
•
Ten years later, Flame continued learning that jealousy becomes more and more sour and harsh as the years go on and on.
He watched from a distance, watching Manepear train his son how to hold a spear, fondness obvious in his eyes.
Wemmbu came out of their base, holding a pitcher filled to the brim with ice cold lemonade and a few ceramic cups.
Manepear went over to his husband, kissing him on the forehead happily.
Wemmbu didn't like that apparently, cheekily running away and giving a cup to his son, winking mischievously before being tackled into the ground.
Flame looked way, sneer obvious on his face as he fixed his longblack coat.
It seemed like it was truly over. Maybe it was his fault.
•
"Manepear." Flame said coldly. "Why did you confess to Wemmbu?" He said quietly, anger starting to boil over fast.
He trusted Mane.
Why?
"You knew. You knew that I loved him. And yet you do this to me." Flame growled, getting closer and closer to Manepear.
"Don't make me fucking laugh Flame. You had no shitty guts to even look in his direction." Manepear said viciously, starting to look more and more like a predator.
"Oh now I'm the fucking issue? I'm the one who needs to get out of the fucking way of your love story? He sighed sharply. "I was supposed to be with HIM. I was supposed to have him. But no, you had to be a fucking asshole and do this." Flame snapped.
Manepear started to circle Flame, the sneer on his face becoming more and more prominent. "I'm no longer obligated to even follow your interests. And besides, we all know that he fucking despises you." Manepear said coldly.
Flame growled as he pulled out his sword, running towards Manepear with inhumane anger.
Manepear parried easily with his spear, much more experienced in combat compared to his brother.
They exchange a few blows, sparks crackling loudly from the heated battle, the ground began to melt from the heat as Flame started getting pushed back.
Manepear took the chance and stabbed into Flame's left arm, straight through with his spear. "Fuck!" Flame hissed loudly, backing off while trying to put pressure onto the wound to stop the bleeding, his mind starting to spiral.
"Hah—" He panted, trying to keep standing. He was getting rusty at this. Manepear took out his sword, getting closer and closer.
Flame chugged a regeneration potion, healing him as he took out the spear from his arm and threw it somewhere. "How persistent do you have to be Flame? We could finish this easily, I don't want to fight you." Manepear said quietly, his scowl awfully obvious.
Well, if he was telling the truth, then Flame couldn't tell at all based from his angry tone and body language.
He raised his sword, calloused hands starting to get scraped, not ready to surrender that easily.
He charged ahead, using his pure instincts and gut to keep himself alive, adrenaline pumping into his veins.
By the end of it all, Flame was left kneeling, bloodied and bruised.
Manepear left him there, spear stuck straight through his adomen as if it was worthless now. How unfortunate.
•
FlameFrags, seemingly disappeared from the server maybe around thirty something years ago.
Too bad he's immortal. He's still twenty years old.
Forever twenty.
Flame observed Manepear and Wemmbu dance in the rain together, seemingly unaware of their surroundings.
Just like all those years before on their wedding day, same look in their eyes and everything.
They grown, both grew out of their pvp primes, choosing instead a calm, peaceful retirement from fighting.
They had graying hair, slight wrinkles, but they were as lovely as they were three decades ago.
Who the hell was he kidding. They weren't really lovely in Flame's eyes.
Flame's eyes softened as he watched Manepear spin Wemmbu around, eyes soft and vulnerable. Wemmbu, held Manepear close, not willing to let him go. Wemmbu said something inaudible to Mane, making him cackle with excitement. Wemmbu pulled him into a kiss, long and passionately.
.They were the splitting image of love itself, devotion and tenderness stitched into their very beings.
Passion and happiness were etched permanently into their lives, all because they were in each other's arms.
They lived in pure bliss and freedom.
He did not.
—————
It has been nearly forty, maybe even fifty years since Flame disappeared from the face of Unstable.
Even after all of the issues Flame had with both Mane and Wemmbu, he still had some decency towards the dead.
He held white lillies in his hands, and two daisy flower crowns. He sat cross-legged at their graves, both beside each other , so they weren't alone, even in death.
He put the flower crowns on top of the gravestones, layering it on top of the rest of the wilting daisy flower crowns.
Gosh, how sappy were they? Flame can't be bothered enough to remember.
He started talking, about how mundane his life was now, how boring everything was now.
Everything looked grey and sad, nothing like the chaotic mess Unstable used to be. Nothing like the wars and nukes he was used to. Nothing felt normal now.
Now that they were all dead.
He talked about how Parrot passed away peacefully in his sleep, just after crowning the new king of Unstable after fifty years just a few hours beforehand.
He talked about Jaden died fighting for the honor of the great sea, his funeral held a few days ago.
He talked about Eggchan, who quietly dissolved into dust when he knew it was his time.
He adjusted his coat, uncomfortable chills starting to go down his spine, his tail starting to curl unaturally.
He left the flowers he usually brought, and then left once he realized it was dawn.