Archive of Our Own

Nom was ready.

He was ready to die as he stared at the three people who had meant so much to him, whether he’d known them for a couple months or decades. He could feel as the bark that was his skin started to crumble into dust. He was ready to be gone and the world would be better for it.

So, Nom did what any rational person would do when they could feel themselves becoming the literal sand timer to their own demise and closed his eyes. The sunset felt nice on his back, it contrasted well with the background noise of the sobs spilling from his friends family.

It also contrasted with the startled gasp let out by Katie not a moment later and felt out of place when the sensation of his crumbling form paused.

Cautiously, he opened his eyes only to have his view obscured by a floating scroll. Green in nature and levitating in a mist of purples and violets.

The four stood there staring. Of course the Gods could never make anything simple. Even Nom’s rightfully earned death had to be twisted into some form of entertainment for them.

The scroll did not move. It was as if it was waiting for them to acknowledge it as the centre of attention. A little rude if you asked Nom considering it was his death they were here to mourn but when did immortal Gods care for mortal grief?

As though it could read his thoughts the scroll jumped forward, gracefully barrelling towards Scott who grabbed the scroll with alarmed care. The mage read it quickly, eyes scanning over the page.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.

4c leant into his space, alongside Katie, each reading the page with increasing intent the further they read on. If he was being honest, that silent intensity scared Nom more than the actual prospect of his death did. Nom let out a wry chuckle, “Care to clue a dead man in our..?”. None of them spoke.

Katie let out a sob as all three looked up at him in tandem. Okay this was going from scary to creepy levels of concern much faster than Nom could process given the roller coaster of emotions he’d already experienced today thank you very much.

Scott took a breath. He tore his eyes away from Nom back to the page and with a shuddering breath he read;

For once in his twenty-three years of existence, Nom was genuinely at a loss for words.

“There’s spell components over the rest of the page,” Scott muttered out, “We could save you.”.

Nom didn’t need to think about this long.

“No.”. Eyes snapped to him, whether due to the nature of his statement or the startling calmness he managed to push through his tone, he supposed a mix of the two. “We cannot risk it. ‘Entwinning two souls’, what the fuck does that even mean? I’ve accepted that I'm a walking dead man. I accepted that the moment I ate the resin. None of you will be risking yourselves for me again.” He knows his composure slipped towards the end into a desperate plea but he couldn’t care. He needed the three of them, needed all of those from blue and red, to live without further hindrance. Especially not from him.

“Nom-”, both Katie and 4c started as they lurched forward towards him, fresh tears starting. Scott remained, reading the scroll again. Once, twice, thrice.

“Nom,” he turned down to his sister clinging to his arm, her words punctuated with hiccups and sobs “don’t… don’t make me... b-bury my brother… Please. It’s not necessary!”. 4c nodded quickly in agreement at his other side.

“I will not put you all in more danger for me.” He hoped his tone was commanding and kind but he knew it was still desperate. So he grabbed the two by the arms and leaned down to them, “Go. Live good lives for me. We’ll see each other again when the time’s right, I’m sure.”

Katie looked as though she was going to protest heavily once again. He’d expect nothing less, she never quite liked to listen to him anyway. Though he can probably only blame himself for that huh.

Any persuasions from either her or the slime was cut off by a pulse in the air. The feeling of mana being drawn from the surroundings. Nom snapped his eyes towards the only person capable of such a power in their little group. His eyes met the peridot of another's.

Scroll hovering at his side, Scott had his wand drawn, carving a ruin in the air with the same purples of the scrolls magic. Something was being spoken in the unfamiliar tongue of the mages. Scott’s eyes did not leave his for a second. A sad half smile on his face.

“Scott-”

“I’m sorry Nom.” He whispered, final, as the ruin pushed forward, enveloping Nom in purple haze. He could only be grateful both Katie and 4c had taken the initiative to step back pre-emptively as a sharp ache cut across his body.

Still, Scott’s eyes never left his, even when he could see a pained flinch across the mage's face. He could only imagine that the elf could feel the same thing he was. The ache climbed up across his limbs like vines, sinking into his bones and choking at his heart. Forcing air out of his lungs and pushing a deep pressure into his temples.

It was only as he spoke Scott’s name aloud did he truly feel the black consuming his vision as his legs swayed under the pain.

Through half lidded eyes and what he’d argue as the worst headache he’d ever had, did he watch as the ground grew closer to him and how the mage mimicked his collapse.

He did not welcome the darkness. Not because Nom worried for himself. He feared that once again someone he cared for was going out on a limb for him only to get it violently hacked off by his own misfortune.

For the luckiest man Blue had ever seen, he sure had a poor track record.

.o0O0o.oOo.o0O0o.oOo.o0O0o.

Light.

It was the first thing to cut through the foggy darkness of his mind in… however long it had been. Nom was never one for time-management if the countless hours lost to farkle were anything to say.

Pain.

That was the next thing he felt, but far more unpleasant in comparison. His body felt weighted down by rocks. Or the weight of his bad decisions. Who could really tell at this point anyway.

Voices?

Was that what he experienced next? Muffled and indistinguishable from one another but they were there. Damn this better not be a trick from his dying brain. They had to be real.

He had to reach them.

Nom focused what little strength he had to fluttering his eyes open. Which was a mistake of the highest degree. Fuck. Who made this shit so bright? Let a dead man rest!

His groan of pain must have done something, no matter how quiet it was, because the voices stopped, replaced with the shuffling of feet and the dip of what he could only assume was a mattress.

“Nom?” a slightly more distinguishable voice, 4c if he had to hazard a guess by the cold, jellied feeling now lightly grasping at his shoulder.

He groaned again, with slightly more fervour this time. Goddamn he hurt man! But he was able to flicker his eyes open for slightly longer this time. Five vague shapes surrounded him before he had to close his eyes again.

That lasted all of, maybe five seconds before several weights crashed, as gently as they could in their relief, atop him. “Mae! Katie! Be careful on the poor boy” Graecie chastised, although it lacked the usual bite.

Nom let out a pained chuckle at the whine both girls let out. Although all that caused was spasming coughs to rattle through his chest. He was hoisted into a sitting position before the worst of it. Mae and Katie having crawled to sit next to him alongside 4c on the bed. Fuck he really needed a glass of water.

And one was provided. Thank you to whoever pressed the glass against his lips and coaxed the cooling water past his lips into his aching throat until the glass emptied. He swallowed shakily, taking deep breaths before even attempting to speak, let alone move.

Eventually, the ever persistent pain dulled enough he could open his eyes and blink away most of the blur. Huh. Must not have his glasses on. Although, he could still discern who was around him. A blue blob of 4c, a dark green haze of Mae partially blocked the pink of Graecie and whites of… Cam? That was his name right?

And Katie. Who had returned to curl against him and the pillows being propped against his back.

“You scared the shit out of us mate.” 4c#s voice was clearer now, even as he whispered, likely afraid loud noises would shatter Nom’s current fragility. He tried to not let that bug him right now. More important things than his ego and insecurity to deal with.

“Don’t you ever make such a stupid decision again. Do you hear me Nominal?”, his sister poked into his side to punctuate the question, causing him to hiss at the pain in his ribs. “Sorry..”.

Nom just chuckled as much as he could and pulled her blurry form closer. “I make no promises.” he whispered teasingly.

“Nom.”, Graecie this time, “Look at me, in the eyes”

“...I can’t see mate..” he grumbled back, turning in the vague direction of her. He heard a shuffle as glasses were grabbed from somewhere and placed back on his face. Finally some clarity! To which he did look Graecie in the eyes. Just this once he could listen. He supposed.

“What you did was… reckless…”. She stated. She was probably right but he couldn’t quite remember much after the battle. Nom’s eyes scrunched as he tried to recall.
His goodbye to Mae.

The talk with Graecie.

The cliff and a final send off.

The scroll…

Scott!

He opened his eyes and leant forward as much as he could. “Where’s Scott?”, he all but glared at Graecie, “Is he okay?”.

The silence that followed was as deafening as you’d imagine.

4c spoke up, eventually, “He’s… alive…”

Nom felt himself relax slightly despite the frustrated pain through his voice “What the fuck does that mean?”.

Another beat of silence. Then another. Fine! No one wants to tell him what’s going on he’ll see for himself.

With great difficulty, Nom swung his legs over the side of the bed. Did it cause a sharp pain to go through his skull and just about every muscle in his body? Yes. But stubbornness was his fatal flaw for a reason he supposed. So he closed his eyes and made an attempt to stand.

“Nom… where do you think you’re going?” Katie asked, still clutched to his arm, practically enforcing bedrest onto him.

“To find Scott.” He winced as he once again tried to stand, until a hand pressed against his chest, gently forcing him back down.

“That… might not be the best idea right now Nom…” came 4c’s reply.

Nom’s head snapped round to face the three behind him. Cam had notably left. Smart man, Nom could feel his own temper beginning to surface and he knew it was never a pretty sight when it did.

Although, was it his temper or strong concern? A gut wrenching concern.

“Why not?”, it came out more harsh than he wanted but he couldn’t really care, “the man just risked his life for me. And I can’t know where or how he is!”

More silence. Gods Nom hated silence. It left him with just his own mind and that was currently a storm of guilt and worry.

“Just take a minute you rotten boy. You almost died, Nom! You can’t go running around yet”, Katie stood up and in front of him as he turned back to face her. She grabbed his shoulders with a sad smile. “Scott’s fine. Much better than you are right now, okay?” She squeezed his shoulders. “You need to rest.”

As always, Katie both comforted and infuriated Nom. He couldn’t be sure Scott was okay until he saw Scott was okay. And he needed Scott to be okay. They needed to understand that. Surely they should understand that Scott needed to be okay. For the sake of Nom’s dwindling sanity if nothing else.

He would’ve protested more had hands from behind not pulled him back onto the bed, quickly succeeded by 4c, Mae and Katie clambering to bury him alive in themselves. He looked at Graecie, he could only hope his face expressed the emotion he wanted it to.

Please.

She chuckled at him, although it lacked any humour. Her face fell flat, lips curling in the way they did when she was thinking of how to deliver bad news.

“Graecie-”

She did an about turn and headed to the other side of the room. It was now Nom recognised he was in a spare room of the castle that was being used as some kind of makeshift medical room.

Graecie herself had moved over to a corner where a mirror stood, picked it up and was now dragging it back over to him. He once again strained to sit up, less from the pain and more so because of the three bodies still crowding him into the bed. Mae shifted slightly to allow him to sit up before settling back in his lap. He supposed the three probably hadn’t been getting much sleep since he fell unconscious. They could do with resting more than he could.

The mirror wasn’t facing him yet, purposefully angled away from him. But slowly, silently, it was turned towards him.

He looked quite similar to how he had when the creaking first started showing in him. His eyes remained amber but were once again aligned on his face. Thick, grey streaks were tasselled in his hair, matching the ashen tones of the shadows on his skin.

Nom had looked worse. He knew that. Nothing could compare to how he looked with his fellow Blue kingdom knights splattered across him. Still, the sight wasn’t pretty. Not ugly either. Just different. His new normal. He’d been so preoccupied in confusion when he re-awoke he hadn’t noticed the lack of bark itchily crushing his skin until now. It was a much needed comfort to once again be more flesh than flora.

He sat, studying his newfound features until Graecie broke it with a low chuckle, “I don’t think you’ll be moving for a while Nom”. Startling, he looked away from the mirror down to the three unconscious forms surrounding him. “Rest with them, I’ll go check on Scott for you.” she stated as she turned for the door.

“...Graecie.”

She stopped and turned her head towards him, “I’ll let you know how he is, don’t worry. Just rest Nominal”

At the sound of the door closing, Nom finally let the pain exhaustion in his bones take him back to unconsciousness.

.o0O0o.oOo.o0O0o.oOo.o0O0o.

It had been two days since he’d first woken up. The first time he’d been alone since then. There’d always been a presence in the room with him, whether it be playing farkle with 4c or ragebaiting Mae. Cam kept entering occasionally to check on his condition, providing healing potions and spells. It was calm. Domestic. Something he hadn’t had in a very long time.

He still hadn’t seen Scott. The others kept claiming he was fine but then dodged the questions about letting Nom see him. It was like they were hiding something.

So, in pure Nominal Gravy fashion, the minute he was left unsupervised he ignored the orders of the healer mage and made an effort to get out of bed. His head swayed and his limbs protested alongside a creak in his chest.

He pushed through it. He had too.

He took a step towards the door, and another, using the bed as support and eyes on the floorboards. The dull ache in his body screamed back to life as he pushed himself far further than a man who’d been dead seventy-two hours earlier should.

But fuck Nom was nothing if not stubborn. So he continued until he made it to the end of the bed. Now, to walk the rest of the room with no support.

Clearly Nom had been so wrapped up in the pain of walking and desperation to see his favourite mage he hadn’t noticed the sound of the door opening or the flush of flowered scents that now breezed into the room.

“Aren’t you meant to be resting?”

Nom stopped, his aches being pushed to the far back of his mind. That soft voice, the kind undertone of teasing enforced by such a distinct accent. His head snapped up and he couldn’t help the gasp that left him.

Nom finally understood why they’d been hesitant to let him see Scott.

His blonde hair now held streaks of vibrant orange, shrouded in eyeblossoms where there used to be lilies. One of his eyes still held their peridot colour but the other, usually blurred by Scott’s fringe, was a smoky quartz. His light but sunkissed skin held the same ashy undertones of Nom’s.

Fuck.

Nom couldn’t help but stare at the elf.

He caused this. He hurt his the mage. The life that usually fed Scott as he fed it with his magic was corrupted. Dying. Because of Nom.

He couldn’t breathe as his eyes sank back to the floor in guilt. He’d had panic attacks before, of course. PTSD was an occupational hazard and a bitch, creeping up on him in his most vulnerable hours of the night. Vaguely he was aware that was what was happening. It felt far more warranted this time. He’d hurt Scott. Corrupted him. The brightest person he’d ever met, and the one who’d been most loyal to him despite knowing him for such a short time.

Fuck! Not Scott. Please… Not Scott.

He recognised soft, slow footsteps alongside the clack of a staff hitting the floor heading towards him, but he couldn’t ground himself. Not even as callused hands cupped his jaw and pulled him close to their chest.

Nom wasn’t crying. He knew that. He hadn’t cried since Katie left. But this was as close as he was going to get. Sharp intakes of breath and shaking violently.

“Nom-”

“I’m sorry.” Nom huffed out between breaths. “Fuck Scott I’m so sorry!”

Hands once again reached down to cup his face, tilting him up to meet peridot eyes and silver eyes. A soft smile greeted him. “You have nothing to be sorry for,” each word was accompanied by the brush of thumbs across his cheeks, “I made my decision knowing well that it may have an adverse affect on me. I did this Nom.”

“But you wouldn’t of had to if I-” He was cut off by Scott pushing their foreheads together.

“Hush… None of that now. You cannot change the past.”

“But-”

“Nope.” Scott nuzzled his forehead against Nom’s. “Now, let’s get you back into bed.”

At that, Nom groaned, pulling his head back and standing up a little bit straighter, although that still left him an inch shorter than the mage. Damn those elf genes!

“Get into bed Nom.” Scott chuckled at him as he let out another groan.

“But it’s so boringggg. I’ve been stuck in this room for dayssss Scott. This is the most I’ve sat still in years!”

“Because you almost died, Nom.” Scott retorted quietly. As light as he tried to make it, Nom heard the sadness in the others' voices. He didn’t want Scott to be sad. As much as he claimed Nom was not at fault for his newfound appearance, Nom still felt responsible.

That being said he didn’t think he could really handle any more time in that bed, constantly being fussed over, with the pitying glances and over caution. He’s almost died more times than he can count, he stared death in the face and came out on top whilst he watched his fellow man crumple to the floor. He was not fragile and he hated being treated like it.

“Stay with me…” The words tumbled out before he could stop it, “Let me keep you safe here?”.

Scott smiled down at him and Nom realised two things. Firstly, he was close enough to count the freckles dotted across Scott’s cheeks. And secondly, that he’d do it all again if it meant he got to see those freckles and that smiles so brightly.

“Always.”

Nom took careful steps back, out of Scott’s grasp as the mage grabbed his staff which Nom realised as they both carefully hobbled up to the head of the bed Scott was using as a walking stick.

Nom slowly climbed across the bed to avoid aggravating the pain more, offering Scott a hand onto the mattress which was definitely too small to hold two men of their sizes but fuck it.

Scott leant his staff against the wall before joining Nom in the bed, curling up against the knight’s side under one of his arms. It wasn’t often Nom got physical contact without the barrier of armour in the way, so he sunk into the contact, looking down at the half-elf as he looked up at him.

They lay in silence for a bit, and for once Nom didn’t mind. The silence was comforting instead of deafening. His thoughts weren’t a trainwreck of anger and bad decisions. They were of Scott. Just Scott.

“You’re not wearing your cape.” Nom enquired as he let his fingers card through the mage’s hair softly.

“Neither are you.”

“Touche”

Scott chuckled into his side, “It’s pronounced ‘touché’”

“Mmmm nahhhh.” The only response he got from that was a roll of the eyes and a light hit to the chest before the two returned to silence once again. Which Nom of course had to break again.

“Scott.”

“Yeah Nom?”

“What are we?”

Nom missed the blush that covered the blonde’s cheeks all the way up to his pointed ears, “What do you mean?”

“Like physically. Are we creakings or something else entirely?” The questions caused the mage to look away with a pause, “Scott?”

“According to the scroll…the part in the spell at least… you’re still part creaking...” there was a pause, ”I however… am now a functional replacement as your creaking heart”

Nom’s breath hitched, “What do you mean by that?”. That painful concern was crawling back into his lungs and throat.

“I think… I’ve taken the job of… your lifeforce?” Scott’s face scrunched in thought. It was adorable . “I think, so long as I’m alive… you can’t die… or really be injured in any way I suppose.” He got quiet towards the end of the sentence, staring at Nom’s chest, likely lost in thought.

There was only one thought going through Nom’s mind now. It had been bouncing around since he noticed Scott performing the spell.

“Why?”

“Hmm?” Scott’s head slowly drifted back to face Nom’s, “What do you mean why?” he said, genuine confusion in his voice and across his face.

“Why would you turn yourself into… this,” Nom’s hair stopped carding through blonde curls to stroke across the eyeblossoms, “for me?”

A teasing lilt came through Scott’s next words, as well as such a bright smile that it actually took Nom wholly off guard far more than any ambush or training session ever had. “You, Nominal gravy, are one of the most oblivious men I have ever met” he spoke quietly. It was at this point Nom finally noticed the blush dusting the elf’s skin, which only incited his own, also apparently unnoticed blush to creep further down his neck, onto his shoulders.

Nom must have let out a very confused huff because Scott continued his thoughts, “What’s the point of sailing around and exploring the world as you wished for me if you’re not in it?”

Nom knew he was a brave man in battle. That should have meant that realising his feelings for the very pretty mage would not be that scary.

Unfortunately for him, that was not the case as a splutter of half-started words exited his mouth and the blush encased him, likely counteracting all of the newfound ashiness in his skin.

When he was finally able to force a coherent sentence out of his mouth, it was far less articulate than he would have liked, “What the fuck happened to the shy mage I knew?” he all but chuckled out, to which Scott joined him with a shrug.

“I just sort of realised if I didn’t tell you your feelings, you certainly weren’t figuring them out yourself. Especially after all the talks we had about you not focusing on yourself.”

Nom let out an indignant huff, “I would’ve noticed… eventually…”.

“Yes, well we didn’t exactly have time for ‘eventually’ did we?” Scott said gently, before his face fell. Very quietly, so much so Nom was sure he wasn’t meant to hear it “I didn’t think we’d ever even have this after the resin…”

Nom didn’t know what to say to that. Especially not with the memory of how he’d practically begged the three people closest to him to let him die. Believe him, he’d been given a lecture from practically every member of Blue, alongside his siblings and a surprisingly annoyed Solunian Princess in the past two days.

He leant down towards the half-elf, practically curling into himself to do (boy his spine was not enjoying this) and pressed himself to the curls before muttering out “I know… I’m sorry”.

It made Nom feel all the worse when Scott’s only response was to curl further into him, fingers gripping his tunic. He pulled the half-elf up to be practically on top of him, which was a bad decision in both their current states but the mountain of pillows he’d propped himself against made it easier.

“At least you really don’t have to worry about that any more.”, Scott’s face turned up to look at him with a soft grace only he could perfect. Before once again twisting back into teasing the knight.

“Yeah, ‘cause I’m never letting you out of my sights again”

No retorted in his usual overdramatics “Oh woah is me! To be constantly accompanied by my pretty mage, what am I to do?”

Scott giggled maniacally, “Wow so you think I’m pretty huh?”. Ah. Fuck. That was meant to be an inside thought. Welp. Time to run away from your problems. The flush that returned to Nom’s face he desperately tried to hide by turning his head towards the ceiling.

Y’know he should really commend Mae and 4c for their ceiling craftsmanship sometime. This is a lovely ceiling.

“Nom~. Look at me please.” Gods it was unfair to make a voice that sweet! Did Nom really have the option to not look? No, no he didn’t. So, his head slowly moved back to face the mage, expecting to be teased or smiled at so heartfully.

What he was not expecting was to be met with lips on his. Albeit only for a couple seconds but still!

“You’re not so bad looking yourself.” And there was the expected teasing. Damn Scott had really grown into himself since joining Blue. The growth in confidence definitely was not fucking with Nom’s head. Nuh uh. No sir.

“Now”, came the familiar accent, equally as flirtily, “are you going to properly ask me out, or do I have to do that too?”. Nom’s heart leapt to his throat as he stared into mismatched eyes.

Damn, this must come under cruel and unusual punishments, right? Expecting Nom to form coherent sentences whilst flirting so openly.

>It took several deep breaths and having to tear his eyes away from Scott's eyes before he could speak again. “Would you, Scott Springwell, like to start a courtship with me?”

“I think that sounds lovely Nominal.”

.o0O0o.oOo.o0O0o.oOo.o0O0o.

Bonus:

Since their conversation hours prior, Nom had been thinking, which was a dangerous thing for him to do, especially at three in the morning when he most definitely should have been resting given his still injured body.

“Hey Scott?”

“Yes Nom?”

“If you’re now my creaking heart, does that not make me effectively immortal”

It was dark, with only the light of a crescent moon lighting the room, and yet still Nom could see the absolute glare Scott was giving him. “Whatever you are thinking. Stop. It.”

“But like, hypothetically-”

“No.”

“But Scott, you encouraged me to follow my heart~”

“Well, I’m your heart now and I say that if you do any more stupid things I’m gonna bubble you. Understand?”

“Whatever you say My Heart!”