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The Fount of Knowledge tugged at the aged silk of the collar chaining their neck as they sat upon the desk they ever-so wished to burn to the ground. This damned desk that he cried at every night for years, the wood stained throughout time itself and darkened in particular spots. They had struck this cursed object so many times and so forcefully that the oak was tainted red in some areas as well.
Exhausted, the Fount of Knowledge stood from his desk, leaning onto his staff and exiting the study. With a dash of magic, they locked the door as it closed behind them, the aged hinges creaking quietly through the Academy hallway.
Holding a palm out before them, the Fount snapped his fingers; a darkened portal of stars appearing in front of him. The Fount stepped in, the portal closing behind them as they continued their journey. Luckily, with the portals, it meant that he would not have to float let alone walk as far.
Sensing a pulse from their Soul Jam, the Fount reopened the portal and stepped into his chambers. The faint scent of a previously lit incense stick floating around the room.
And, much to the Fount's disappointment — no Healer Cookie.
They sighed, taking a few steps to the center back of the room where their bed lay and set down their key staff against the wall. Being too tired to even take off his mantle, the Fount simply sat on the plush mattress before flopping on their side and onto the pillows.
…alone. Again.
They were supposed to be used to this by now. And yet, still, they weren't.
The Fount pulled at his hair, tugging it closer as he lifted a blanket with a dash of magic over themself. Even after all these years, the weighted pressure of the blanket Healer had so ever graciously given them was still there.
He missed Healer's warmth. The Fount always ran cold, shivering even on the warmest summer days of the year. And for a while now, Healer was always there to warm them with his everlasting light.
Tugging the blanket over their neck, the Fount sniffled. When did they seriously start crying…?
Pitiful. Just as the Witches said. They were doomed to fail as much as Sugar or Flour. Maybe even Change or Salt, but they seemed more stable.
They missed their siblings. He hadn't seen or heard of them in almost a century, and it was worrying. Had they already fallen from grace, from the throne that the all-powerful Witches gave them?
Shivering alone in their quarters, the Fount held back another sob as they tugged the blanket closer, forcing his eyes closed as they cried themselves to sleep.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Knock knock.
Weird. Fount always was back by this time of night.
Healer Cookie gently knocked again before deciding to open the door, hinges creaking softly. He closed the door behind him, turning to see a defined lump beneath the covers on Fount's bed.
Tired again. His poor partner. Healer wished his namesake really could mean that he could heal any pain.
Healer approached the beside to where Fount was turned, kneeling down to observe their slumbering face. Sure, his eyesight was progressively failing over the years, but Fount had graciously gifted him a staff to help his vision for one of their anniversaries.
His poor, poor, tired Fount. Even while he slept, Healer could see the tension in their face; even their eyebags began to sink into their once-perfected baby blue dough.
He raised a tanned hand, cupping one of his Fount's cheeks gently before smiling at the enhanced touch of them leaning into his warmth. Healer moved his hand away for a brief moment, walking to the opposite side of the bed before sitting beside Fount.
Fount turned to Healer's side, wrapping their arms around his waist and tugging him closer. Healer chuckled softly, scooting closer to Fount and holding them against his lower torso.
“My Fount?”
“Healer…?”
“I'm here now. I will not leave, I promise.”
“Thank you. I'm.. I'm so, so tired…”
Healer nodded, cupping Fount's chin and tilting it up towards him. “I know, dear. You can rest now. I am here.”
They both sat alone in the dim light of the room, Healer petting and brushing throughout Fount's messied hair with his fingers. Every now and then, Healer could hear their muffled purrs grow slightly louder before quieting down again. Still, they never seemed to fall fully back asleep.
“Fount, dear, are you still awake?” He asked softly, trying to speak quietly in case they were really sleeping.
A groan and a nod of his head is all Healer Cookie received from Fount, who was leaning and nudging his hand as to continue petting their starry locks of hair. “Oh, my dear… come here. It's alright.”
Sighing, Fount pushed themselves up from resting on Healer, instead nuzzling against his chest as he adjusted Fount in his lap.
“My precious Fount, you deserve a break, my love. I wish they understood that,” he sighed. “Minds are a fragile thing,” Healer cooed, brushing through Fount's hair and picking apart knots he came across. Fount held one of his partner's hands, rubbing it softly as if to ask for something.
Healer understood the memo, lifting the hand they were holding to cup Fount's cheek. They immediately leaned into the touch, purring in contentment. He smiled, rubbing their soft dough gently and gaining more louder purrs by the second. “You just wanted my affection, didn't you dear?”
“...mhm. I missed you, a lot.” Fount's voice sounded near the edge of tears, but Healer just wanted to convince himself that they were tears of happiness — not distress. Healer nodded, settling his head atop of theirs as he continued to rub their face.
“That's alright, my bluebird. I missed you, too.”
Fount nuzzled their head deeper into Healer's robes, ear pressed against the center of his chest to hear his heartbeat. They didn't know exactly why, but just hearing the sound of just another living thing brought comfort to them. Birds chirping, a cat purring, trees being blown in the wind… and even heartbeats. Countless nights they'd fall asleep against Healer, head pressed to his chest as he cradled them.
“Healer?” Fount croaked, tilting his head to meet their partner's gaze.
Healer Cookie pulled away, searching Fount's eyes before responding, “What is it, dear?”
“...can we cuddle how I like it? Please?” They quietly pleaded, and much to their surprise, Healer smiled before nuzzling Fount's nose.
He chuckled, “Of course, love.”
Fount was quick to lift themself from off Healer, letting him adjust himself before they were allowed to sit on his lap again. They sat on Healer's lap with their back turned to him, intertwining legs with his partner.
Cuddling with Healer Cookie like this made Fount feel better about being in love with him like this. Just letting him embrace themself like this, fully vulnerable and trusting Healer. If the Witches tried to separate them, he wouldn't let it happen.
While Fount was in thought, his partner was resting his head on their shoulder; tracing a finger along Fount's ink-stained fingertips and sharpened nails from years of neglect. Healer had tried cutting them once, but they were far too thick for any ordinary nailcutters now. Luckily they could file them down, but Healer Cookie still felt horrible for seeing days when Fount was whining in pain from the ingrown parts.
Seeing Fount in pain brought him down overall, actually. Sure, he couldn't heal mental problems, but the least he could do was to help ease the pain — just a little.
Fount snapped back into reality, turning his head to see Healer resting his head on their shoulder. “Comfortable back there..?”
Healer nodded, nuzzling into the crook of Fount's neck. “Of course, dear.”
“I appreciate this… I haven't exactly been sleeping well lately,” Fount admitted, leaning back against their partner
“Why's that?”
“I'm just tired. It's like, my mind is tired — but it just won't stop thinking. It's telling me things I try not to believe, but I do, Healer.”
“My beautiful Fount, don't let those voices tell you what you do and don't deserve,” Healer Cookie reassured, taking a strand of hair out of Fount's sideparts by his cheek. “You deserve my love. You deserve the Witches to love you — even if they don't agree with it — you are their creation, after all. You deserve to be called everything sweet and beautiful, my bluebird. You're so worthy, I wish you truly knew that. And I mean it, I really do.”
They sniffled, leaning against Healer's head on his shoulder still. “You don't mean that.”
“I do,” Healer repeated. “I do. Because the one mistake you can make in this world is to not tell someone they are loved.”
Fount turned out of their original position before tightly embracing Healer, sniffling again. “...when you say it that way, I know you're not lying. That's just like you.”
“Mhm. So, you know I'm being truthful, bluebird.”
“I love you, Healer..” Fount looked up at him, tightening their grip around Healer Cookie's torso.
“I love you, too, dear. May I help you at least get yourself ready for bed properly?” He tilted Fount's head up, gently tugging on his faded golden, silk collar. “Your mantle is all wrinkled. I can iron that for you tomorrow morning.” They nodded, sitting up and turning back around to let Healer take it off of him. Unclipping the mantle from Fount's black robes, Healer Cookie set it on the nightstand to be ironed later.
“Here, how about this, go clean yourself up and I'll get you some nice, comfy robes to sleep. How does that sound?”
“Sure.”
Fount got up from sitting on their partner's lap, making their way to the edge of the bed. Standing up slowly, he leaned on the edge of the bed for support as he hobbled to the bathroom.
Being baked with milk — a little too much, for that matter — made sitting for too long a concern for Fount. It often clumped in his dough, making it harder to stand on such frail limbs, meaning that his staff was a key part in assisting their mobility. After a while, Fount forgot how long they sat each night in their study, and the milk in their dough began to seep down into their legs so much so that it was hard for Fount to walk much anymore.
Seeing that Fount managed to make his way to the bathroom without falling, Healer got up and headed over to the walk-in closet. He'd already been with Fount for a while now, so it was no surprise that he actually had a lot of his spare robes here at Fount's place. Healer found a nice nightgown made out of cream sheep wool, grabbing it and heading over to the bathroom door before knocking.
“Fount, dear, I brought you a nightgown. May I enter?”
A bit of shuffling was heard behind the door before Fount responded, “Yes, sunflower, I'm just about done.”
Healer entered the bathroom, seeing that Fount was just about drying himself up. He set down the new nightgown on the counter and took Fount's older robes — again, to be washed. These poor things were tattered and very much needed a proper wash to be beautiful again.
“I'll be right outside, okay?” Healer turned to his lover, cupping their cheek as they nodded. He exited the bathroom, Fount coming out soon after and joining him on the bed.
“Feel refreshed now?”
“A bit better. Good idea, sunflower.”
“I have a few of those,” Healer chuckled, leaning back against the headboard and pillows before Fount joined him, head resting against his chest as if it belonged there. Which, it did, in a sense.
Fount purred as Healer began running a hand through their hair again, slowly braiding it so as to not messy it again in the morning. He must've brushed it after his shower. “Glad to know that it helped though, bluebird.”
They nodded, eventually falling limp in Healer's arms, finally asleep. Healer smiled, grabbing a spare ribbon from the nightstand and tying it at the end of Fount's braid.
Even braided, his starry hair looked so stunning. So beautiful, as they would always be.
“I'll always fall in love with you, over and over again, my little Fount. I promise.”