Chapter Text
Fire,
Smoke,
Screams,
And warm hands.
That's all twotime could see and feel.
The light of burning buildings and- dear Spawn don't let those be people....
The smoke stinging their eyes, the hands that pulled them forward, the hot, smoke-filled air stuffing their lungs.
They doubted how much oxygen they were actually breathing, feeling their own chest rise and fall uncontrollably, their balance non-existent and head light. Their legs burned, but it was hard to be sure if it was from the fire or from running.
Not that they wanted to look back, see more people, more ruin, more of those they cared for being forsaken.
Spawn, our savior-
"twotime! Please, come on, we're almost there!"
azure.
twotime's grip tightened around azure as they stumbled forward, finally recognizing who they were with. That they were safe.
It didn't take long for new lights to join in with that of the flames consuming their life in what they could only see as retribution. But for what? Retribution would need a cause. amarah had warned them punishment was to come, but why to all? Why when twotime sinned did everyone have to pay?
Was amarah there praying among the flames? The very one who had taught them the truth, the way, the light? The one who had kept them pure and righteous and worthy of the Spawn's blessing...
Did they suffer for twotime's sake? Unlikely. The Spawn knew, of course, their suffering would pain twotime more than any suffering of their own.
It was only once the artificial light blinded them, did they notice they were no longer standing, no longer running. The light of Spawn? Of grace? No.
Lights of a... Car. A truck?
It was small and tight, and a loud cry had overcome the crackling of fire and the screams their mind had already begun to forcefully forget.
Two figures blocked out some light, allowing them to blink slightly to see again. One was familiar, achingly so, the other not as much.
They're ashamed to admit their terror, but it had been a clear and obvious fact. The desperate attempts to move when something strange was placed over their mouth and nose, their whispers of prayers and moves to run like cornered prey.
It should have scared them more than it did, when azure's hands pinned him down.
But those hands had never harmed.
Those eyes had never had a trace of hate.
That soul never carried dirt the way theirs did.
Such a strange thing. That this was all caused by something they only ever called love in their own head.
Before their vision went black is when the flames snuck into the ambulance, consuming and clawing at everything like the forever hungry pit of hell.
Smoke filled their lungs despite seeing none, cancerous and cannibalistic in the way it spread through them. Through alveoli and veins and nerves and thoughts and cells.
It was sure now, everything was gone, this was the end of time, as they watched azure fall to fate that they would give anything to reverse.
They needed air. To scream, to pray, to beg, to call out and bring azure back to them.
Do not leave me like this. Not in the rage of flames and hated by all that I ever knew.
___
It was the sudden clap of thunder that brought them back to clarity, the thudding of rain on the roof washing away the smoke from their mind, the oxygen from their sudden gasp telling them they were alive.
The arms wrapped around their their torso reminding them they were safe.
They turned their head, Azure sleeping peacefully beside them, deep in sleep and unaware of the sudden adrenaline burning through their partner.
Cute was all Twotime's tired brain could think of in terms of description of the sight.
There was no fire here.
There was no retribution.
Not as Twotime crawled further into Azure's embrace and fell asleep to the rhythm of rain outside their four walls of safety.