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The tavern's buzzing with music and laughter. Parrot is throwing a celebration for finally defeating Saparata and gaining his kingdom back- good for him, i guess. Looking around the tavern, i can see everyone just enjoying their time together, spending time peacefully after the civil war.
Jumper, Fymada, and Reina are hanging out in a corner. Yungy and Theo are in a arm wrestling competition with Horace as the judge, while Mapicc and Jaden watch, betting on who will lose. Egg, Lomedy, Codmaster, and Spongs- wait, Spongs? What is he doing here? Whatever. Honestly, it’s weird seeing some people hanging out with each other. Because who could guess Yungy and Theo will be in an arm wrestling competition half-drunk.
I took a sip of my tea, looking back at Spoke. He's telling something about defeating Jamato and escaping Purgatory, or something like that. Wemmbu and Parrot seems like they're paying attention- that’s rare coming from Wemmbu, but i couldn’t care less. All i'm paying attention right now is the man sitting beside me.
The advantage of using a blindfold is that people can't see where you're looking, and you can stare wherever you want without people realizing. And that's what i'm doing right now: admiring the him,
Wemmbu.
Gosh, how beautiful he is. His shoulder length purple hair- those strands he took care of so much- must be so smooth to touch. His purplish skin looks so pretty under the warm tavern light. His captivating eyes, golden colored with splash of emerald green surrounding the pupil. Those eyes, which could radiate danger and killing intent from miles away, now radiate such warmth and peacefulness.
Wemmbu looks so soft and domestic like this. Sitting calmly in this tavern, without his armor- only using a simple, loose white shirt and black pants, with minimal jewlery. It is very different compared to his usual glamorous outfit. His hair tied in a low bun, with some strands falling out- makes him more beautiful than he already is.
I can stare at him for a million years if he allows it. But i will never admit it straight to his face.
“Flame?”
“Huh- what?” I snap my head towards Parrot. Dude- you interrupted my Wemmbu-admiring session.
“Are you okay? You weren’t responding us when we talked to you” Parrot asked with a concerned look on his face
“Yeah, I’m okay bro. What did you want to talk about?”
“We were just asking about your condition right now, man. I heard Lomedy left you” Spoke says as he took a sip from his glass.
“He didn’t leave. You say it like we had this massive fight and he left me alone bro- We just realize we want to walk on our own separate paths now”
“So the immortal demon is lonely again now” Wemmbu chukled.
Oh, how I love his voice.
“I’m not lonely bro” I snapped my head back at Wemmbu.
He looks so gorgeous with that teasing smile.
“We wa we wa, whatever you say bro”
“I still want that duel, btw”
“Yea yeah, Flamm. We’ll do that later, you’re ruining the moment here” Wemmbu says in such playful tone. Oh, how I want to hear him speak more to me in that tone.
The other continues their chatting, and I continue to admire Wemmbu. The music in the background really supports this staring session –wait, music? Since when does music start playing?
--Third person POV—
Flame turned his head to looked around the tavern, trying to find the source of the music. Then he saw a band playing music in the middle of theroom; they’re playing a romantic song. A weird choice of music, Flame thinks.
Suddenly, he heard people cheering. When he look at the source of voice, he sees Horace holding his hand out to Fymada, seemingly asking her for a dance. Fymada accept, and so they danced. The other seemed to be excited for them. But all that Flame could think of is what if it were him and Wemmbu in their place.
Flame hand on Wemmbu’s waist. Their hand intertwine as they move their bodies, following the rhythm of the music. Dancing like there’s only them in this world, dancing in such lovely way.
Then the music stops. Fymada and Horace leave the center of the tavern. Flame’s thinking of asking Wemmbu for a dance, to finally stop being a coward and make a move on the person he has been in love with for such long time. Then the music starts playing again. But Flame doesn’t move.
Flame’s heart is screaming at him to stand up and ask Wemmbu for a dance before anyone can. Then, he sees Jaden walking toward their table, extending his hand out in front of Wemmbu.
“May i?” The pirate asks.
The pirate is asking Wemmbu for a dance infront of everyone- asking Wemmbu, HIS Wemmbu. Inside, Flame’s heart is screaming. Screaming at Jaden to go away, screaming himself to stop staying still and move, and screaming to Wemmbu to say no and decline.
“Of course” Wemmbu stands up and accept Jaden’s hand.
They both walked to the middle of tavern together, hand in hand. Smiling so happily like the world is theirs. Flame’s grip on his glass tighten. He wants to scream and shout, to take Wemmbu back from that damn pirate. But he can’t.
Jaden put his hand on Wemmbu’s waist and Wemmbu on the taller man’s shoulder. Their other hand intertwine. So, they started dancing. They look so perfect together, dancing under the soft, warm light of the tavern accompanied by the gentle music in the background.
How happy they look. There is such adoration and love in their eyes when they look at eachother. Such softness in their movement. They look so peaceful like this, like they aren’t two of the most dangerous players in the server.
Oh, how bright Wemmbu’s smile is. Oh, how beautiful he looks now. Oh, how mad Flame is at himself to not do anything, because he isn’t the one Wemmbu’s dancing with- because he isn’t the reason why Wemmbu’s smiling so beautifully.
But what can he do? Nothing. Because they are just rivals, just friends. Wemmbu wasn’t Flame’s since the start, and now, never will be. Maybe if Flame wasn’t such a coward, if he wasn’t so egoistic, if he wasn’t so dumb. He would be the on dancing with Wemmbu right now. But no, it is Jaden. Because, of course, it’s him.
Jaden, who saved Wemmbu from the Law even after Wemmbu lied to him about him being the Invisible Knight. Jaden, who provided safety and shelter when Wemmbu needed it the most after escaping Law. Jaden who stayed by Wemmbu’s side when Egg got captured and he has to joined a civilization. Jaden who’s always there to rescue and protect Wemmbu anytime Wemmbu needs it.
Of course it’s Jaden whom Wemmbu is dancing with right now.
And Flame can’t do anything about it, because he realizes it is his fault everything turned out this way. It is his fault he got the bad ending.
Jaden raises the hand he has intertwined with Wemmbu’s up high, and Wemmbu twirled, making his puffy sleeve flare and some hair strands fall loose from his hair tie. Jaden pulls Wemmbu close by his hand, bringing Wemmbu right against him. His other hand found its place on Wemmbu’s waist, both supporting and hugging him, immediately Jaden moves his other hand down to lift the shorter man’s chin up and kissed him.
Wemmbu is startled by the sudden pull, but when Jaden kisses him, he melts right away, bringing his hands up to hook them behind Jaden’s neck. Jaden moves the hand lifting Wemmbu’s chin to Wemmbu’s cheek, gently caressing it.
Their kiss is soft and fragile, slow and heavy with pure love. It feels like a prayer against each other's lips. They are letting go the long held longing for each other, admitting to the whole world that they are in love and together. Showing how a monster can love so innocently.
Flame’s heart shatters completely when the pair kisses. Everyone is visibly happy about the couple, cheering and smilling. He knows one day this will happened; he saw it coming from long time ago, from the moment he realized he had fucked up. But still, it hurts. Dear Mojang, it hurts so, so bad. Seeing the person you love the most kissing the person he loves the most.
His grip on his glass tightens even more, the glass was on the verge of breaking. Then suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder.
“Flame?”
It’s Lomedy.
“You good bro?” The farmer asks.
“Yeah bro, just a little tired. I think I’m going home now” Flame stands up from his seat.
“Oh- okay”
“You’re going now Flame?” Parrot looks up at Flame, and that’s when he realizes that there’s something wrong. The Blaze looks… stiff.
“Yeah, just a little tired”
Parrot noticed a hint of sadness beneath Flame’s flat tone.
“You’re going now Flame? I thought you wanted a duel?” It’s Wemmbu, with Jaden beside him. The pirate was holding Wemmbu by his waist.
Flame tries to control himself, to not lose his temper and get mad. Self-control is his specialty after all. And who is he to get mad anyway?
“We can do it another day, bro. I’m tired right now”
Before Wemmbu can say anything, Flame has already walked past him, heading outside the tavern. Walking through the door and dissapering.
Walking back to his base, he gets lost deep in his thoughts. He knows he has to move on, to accept it, to be happy for Wemmbu. But that is a problem for his future self. Because right now, his heart broken, and all he can do is cry.
His blindfold is now in his hand, and he’s gripping on them like a lifeline. He cries silently. He hasn’t never cried since he was still a kid, back when he was still livingunder Manepear’s roof. But here he is, crying his broken heart out, because that’s all he can do right now.
All he can do after getting his heart torn into 24 pieces, after seeing how in love Wemmbu looks kissing another man, after seeing how happy the demon looks beside another man.
He cursees himself for all the stuff he did- his dumbness, his ego, his cowardness, every mistake he has made. He curses himself because while he’s crying like a stupid loser right now, Wemmbu’s probably laughing happily and beautifully beside Jaden.