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Flame never got sick.
Not ever once in his life.
And if he did, he sucked it up and it went away as soon as it came.
But the past three days have been different.
Flame’s not exactly sure as to when exactly he had gotten sick given that started off small and extremely slow.
On Thursday, it rained, down poured actually. And Flame had been agitated that day - for whatever reason (although ever since Lomedy left, he’s been more angry) therefore he decided to go fight people.
And usually he wouldn’t, he’d only fight if it gained him more experience on achieving Combat Grandmaster..That and how he knew Lomedy hated the constant bloodshed.
But with Lomedy not here anymore, what stopped him from taking his anger out?
So he went out that day despite the thundering and pouring rain that screamed for the blaze hybrid to NOT step outside. But he didn't care and now that he’s thinking about it, that’s probably why he got sick.
Actually that’s exactly why he got sick..
And worst of all, he ignored it, he refused to believe that him, the Immortal Demon and Combat Master got fucking sick by a simple fever- So he let two days pass by, coughing and sniffling constantly. Body aches all over and this cold sweat that practically consumed his mind and body because he thought it'd just go away if he ignored it.
And infact did not.
Because now he was here, under bed rest on Skrilley’s terms.
Which he isn’t pleased by one bit.
Skrilley attempts to help Flame, giving him soup and tea, that both are mediocre and compare nothing to Lomedy’s. However despite the shit taste, it does nothing for Flame’s sick body as the fever only worsens as hours go by. He feels ridiculously hot once second but by the next he has cold chills. His brain and vision are both extremely disoriented and he’s in a constant state of nauseous. Sleep is practically non-existent, Flame feeling restless and unable to relax even a little bit.
So when his ragged and uneven breaths wake up Skrilley who slept in the same room as him, wanting to assure full attention- did he make the decision to get more supplies.
The next day rolls around tediously, sunlight gaping through the curtains of the window as Flame whines at the light source.
Skrilley stirs up at the noise, rubbing at his eyes as he huffs before slipping out of bed.
“I’m going to go to the market, maybe I can find you some medicine.”
He explains, sharing a concerned glance to Flame before beginning to leave. Flame lets out a quiet hum and just lays there because what else is he supposed to do?
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Time goes by dreadfully and it’s like been an hour or so since Skrilley has left- He’s not exactly sure because again, he’s disorientated out of his mind. He leans his head back further into the soft pillow, groaning slightly as his back aches immensely. He feels so weak and vulnerable, he never gets sick and here he is, wanting to cry because he feels like shit.
And unfortunately, he only continues to feel like shit especially when he hears a ear-grating and disgusting voice chime through.
“Flamee!!”
The voice shouts and despite his brain practically melting, he can register who the voice belongs to.
Spongs.
Fucking Spongs.
He groans again and now he really wants to cry because Skrilley and Spongs step into the room like it’s nothing.
“I found him at the market and he followed me all the way here..”
The white-haired man murmurs, voice dripping with guilt as he watches Spongs be way too happy and jumpy.
“Wow, Immortal Demon gets defeated by a fever?”
He mocks, chuckling as he leans over Flame, expecting a punch to the face or something violent.
“Shut..up..”
Flame mumbles, more of a whisper if anything as Spongs doubles back.
“Ohh…when you said he was doing bad I didn’t think you meant THAT bad..”
He says, turning to Skrilley who sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Yeah, I know- Do you think you can help me make something-?”
Skrilleys sentence is cut off by a loud whine as Flame turns away, curling into himself.
“Just kill me-”
He exclaims, his throat hoarse and dry as Spongs gasps, putting a hand over his chest.
“Wow, for your correction I’m a great cook!”
“You’re gonna kill me..”
Flame adds, frowning at the thought, god he misses Lomedy, that man knew how to cook a good fucking meal. Because now he’s stuck with two guys who can barely cook.
Spongs yells out some snarky comment only to get lectured by Skrilley who drags him off, muttering apologies out to Flame. He hums in response, huffing as he tries to ignore the pain in his chest that limits his breathing.
He tries to ease down, have his body relax as much as it can with this stupid fever.
.
.
.
However that concept is instantly swept away as he hears a yelp followed by a bunch of pots and pans clattering together and then a crash.
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.
He decides to ignore it, he’s the sick one after all, they’ll figure it out.
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.
“SPONGS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”
On second thought, he’ll get up.
So he does, reluctantly and painfully. He shoves the heavy blanket off of him only to be met with freezing cold air, he winces at the sudden temperature shift before deciding to get it over with. He throws one leg off the bed followed by the other as he sits up. The second his body moves, pressure weighs heavily on his head and he feels like his skull is getting crushed. He whines again, blinking a few times as he regains his vision. He then finally manages to stand up, legs trembling. He glimpses over to the comfy bed, silently debating if he should just get back in. Until Spongs yells something and he just groans again. He yanks the blanket off the bed, pulling it over himself as he huddles for warmth. He then shimmy’s his way out of his room and heads to the kitchen.
He can already tell pure chaos is occurring there when he hears the excessive noises only double in intensity the closer he comes. And a part of him wants to just walk away but he also doesn’t want his base being burnt down to the brim so he decides to just go.
His eyes squint at the brighter luminosity in the kitchen as he processes two figures fighting, both being Skrilley and Spongs. Upon stepping through, his footsteps sounding throughout the tiled floor do the two perk up, wide eyed, fists still in the air.
“How hard is it for you to just…make something..”
He grumbles as Spongs scurries off of Skrilley before pointing at the other male.
“He started it!”
“I- Uh, what!?”
Flame rolls his eyes before seating himself ontop of the countertop, he leans his head against the cabinets, humming momentarily.
“I’ll monitor you guys..”
He mutters, it’s more so Spongs then Skrilley since he knows the other can cook…..okay…ish.
His cooking is edible but it’s not amazing like Lomedy's.
Or maybe his cooking is decent but he’s become so accustomed to Lomedy’s cooking that it tastes bad.
He frowns at the thought before sighing, he misses his best friend.
.
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The cooking process is just torture and it’s mainly because the three of them all have different ideas on how to cook which just leads to them bickering. And unfortunately, when the soup is supposedly finished.
It looks grotesque.
Flame’s face scrunches up at the sight and takes the smallest of a sniff that he can given his stuffy nose. And because he is also half tiger as well, that means he has really good scent.
And usually he uses that as an advantage. But right now, he regrets it. He lets out a gag before retching out into the sink, vomiting profusely. Spongs lets out a cry and Skrilley groans as the two try not to get nauseous themselves at the sight. Flame coughs out the last bit of throw up before turning the faucet on and washing the dribble of it off his face.
He watches with mild disgust as the water pushes the throw up down the sink, he hopes it wont clog it or something.
“I’m in no way eating that!”
Spongs exclaims, looking away still.
Skrilley sighs, burying his face into his hands.
“Oh my god dude..I’ll just make you tea Flame.”
He offers, the tigers tail stiffens at the thought and he instantly shakes his head.
“Nope, I’m good.”
He quickly states before hopping off the counter and making his way towards the bedroom once again. He ignores the protests of Skrilley and even Spongs as he shuffles into bed, settling down. The cooking fiasco was crazy enough that it tired him out so easily. He tosses the blanket over his body fully before quickly scumming to sleep.
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He wakes up to an itch in his throat and suddenly he’s coughing intensely, trying to catch his breath and he’s actively choking, gasping for air almost. A sudden gasp is heard from afar and somebody comes over, patting his back, muttering something he cannot hear for the life of him. A glass of water is then shoved into his hands and he eagerly takes a gulp of water. The coldness eases his throat and the itch in his throat begins to disappear. He lets out a heavy huff, rubbing at his chest as he blinks. His eyes then wander to the figure beside him, trying to make out their features within the dark. The moon however gives him the smallest bit of light, reflecting onto the persons skin.
A soft yellow.
His brain slowly, very slowly registers the player before him as he makes eye contact, his eyes still drowsy and bleary beneath the blindfold.
“Spongs..?”
He draws out, tilting his head a tad. The man nods, concern evident on his face.
“Yeah, it’s me. You good?”
He asks, hand still placed on his back, soothing it.
Normally, he would’ve shoved the man off, said something rude.
But he doesn’t, probably because he’s tired.
.
.
Yeah, because he’s tired.
His tongue laps a bit over his lips, feeling the dryness yet the little bit of moisture that lingered from the earlier sip.
"Mhmm..”
Is all he can bring himself to let out, Spongs however doesn’t mind his lack of an answer, simply relieved.
“Geez dude..you scared me. I woke up to your heaving and coughing so I went to go get you water but I didn’t think you’d be fully hacking on me, y’know-?”
He rambles out, running a hand through his curly hair. Flame nods, slouching a bit as drowsiness consumes him once more. Spongs seems to notice, gently nudging the other to the mattress.
“C’mon..go back to bed.”
He says, taking the cup from his grasp and instead placing it on the night side table. Flame nods yet again, letting his body drop back down to the bed as he shuts his eyes.
.
.
But despite how utterly exhausted he’s been, especially given his lack of sleep these past couple of days, he can’t get himself to go back to bed. As much as he tries, it doesn’t work, he tosses and turns before letting out an exasperated gasp.
“Let me guess..can’t sleep?”
Spongs questions and he lets out a grunt in response.
“Well, I don’t know what to do man. Read you a bedtime story?”
He jokes, Flames scoffs, finding the statement a bit funny despite how sluggish his mind currently is.
Although the idea doesn’t sound bad.
“Sure.”
He hears Spongs let out a strangled noise of some sort from sheer surprise before snorting.
“Are you serious-?”
“Listen..I haven’t been able to- well sleep for days. If you yapping like a chungy helps me sleep then so be it.”
He slurs out, digging his face into his pillows. It was stupid, very stupid, he knows.. But it’s the sleep deprivation catching up to him. He expects Spongs to laugh loudly at him, mock him for being so dumb-
“Well..Me and Wilson sort of split off."
His ears flick at his eyes and he can’t deny the surprise that crosses over his face followed by concern, did him and Wil have a fallout? The two seemed undeniably close.
“But not like we got into a fight or anything-”
Spongs quickly adds, a small sigh of relief escapes Flame’s lips.
“He..well got hired at some place in Red stone city. He originally wasn’t going to take it, y’know because he didn’t want to leave me. Since I like to wander around, jump from place to place- I’m not the type of person to just sit still and live life how it is. So we separated, I wasn’t doing any good keeping him around when he had better opportunities to go to.”
Flame recognizes the self deprecation in Spongs voice as he listens to him talk. He can’t help but relate to what Spongs is saying. It’s how he feels about Lomedy, that he’s just holding him back from doing what he wants to do and that’s what he exactly did.
“But we started making these weekly hangouts, every Sunday we get some food at Merchant city and just talk. We pretty much hangout the whole day but sometimes it’s only for an hour or two. I’m fine with that as long as I get to see him, I don’t really care.”
He finishes off, Flame sneaks a small peek to Spongs and he notices the smile on his lips before it slowly falls flat, staring down at his hands.
“It’s stupid-”
“No...I understand.”
He manages to muster out, Spongs blinks, staring down at Flame. He can’t make out the fighters expression but he knows he’s being genuine.
Flame silently berates himself for saying he connected with the other regarding that but he thankfully doesn’t push more regarding the topic.
“Thanks Flame.”
He mutters, fidgeting with his fingers as he glances up to the window, the moonlight shining down on his face and Flame can make out the freckles scattered out about. It reminds him of Lomedy.
“I remember one time me and Wilson…”
Spongs voice slowly drowns out but Flame continues to listen regardless until a yawn eventually escapes his mouth. It makes Spongs perk up, a small chuckle escaping his lips as he pats Flames leg slightly before getting up, the weight of the mattress returning back to normal.
Flame notices momentarily, mumbling something incomprehensible before slipping back into steady sleep.
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Flame unfortunately wakes up, bright and early to feeling way shittier than he has this entire week. His face feels dry, his eyes puffy, his throat hoarse to the point he can’t talk and dizziness penetrating his mind. Skrilley and Spongs stand right in front of him, both contemplating what to do as he keeps himself seated upright.
“He looks worse.”
“Yeah no shit Skrill, give him some medicine”
Skrilley does exactly that, heading to the kitchen before returning back with a bottle and a spoon. He pops the cap open, pouring a generous amount onto the spoon before lifting it up in front of Flame’s face.
“Open.”
Flame glances down at the medicine, it’s a red velvet sort of color and is concerning ly gooey. He takes one whiff of the liquid before instantly shuffling back, shaking his head aggressively. Skrilley blinks, eying him as his brows furrowed.
“Flame, this’ll help you just for the love of god drink it-”
He demands, shoving the metal utensil against Flame’s lips, he doesn’t pry open. It has to be poison because no way somebody made that to HEAL you, no fucking shot. He crosses his arms stubbornly like some kid and you know what, let him be a kid- at least he won’t die.
“Flame- I swear to fucking god, I will shove this shit in your mouth.”
Spongs grits, snatching the spoon from Skrilley as he grabs Flame’s shoulder to make him sit in place as he attempts to shove the spoon into his mouth. It doesn’t work as instead Flame just kicks Spongs in the stomach, sending him stumbling to the floor as he groans.
“What the fuck!?”
“Instinct..”
He rasped out, Spongs let out a cackle, rolling his eyes.
“Instinct my fucking ass!”
He exclaims and Flame just shrugs.
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.
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Multiple and by multiple, Flame means MULTIPLE attempts are made for Flame to drink the medicine. They tried prying Flame’s mouth open, begging, putting it in water and even pinning Flame to the bed which resulted in the Skrilley and Spongs getting hurt and them on the floor, whining. Flame scoffs lightly before hacking up as he digs his face into his mouth.
“See! You’re still doing bad, just take the medicine please man!”
Skrilley pleads, looking up at Flame from the floor. Flame almost feels bad for him, almost. But at the same time, who the fuck tries to pin down the strongest player on Unstable?
He sighs before slumping back into bed, feeling his throat practically burn and ache that it physically hurts to swallow. What did he do to deserve this? Getting amputated would’ve been so much better.
“Can you at least drink the tea?”
Flame lets out a ‘hpmh’ sound which is the equivalent as to saying no. The caretakers sigh, getting themselves up as they share a glance. Flame can hear small whispers being made and he quietly prays it’s not them trying to come up with some new plan.
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Suddenly, he hears the door open with a creak as they shuffle out of the room. He blinks, confused before sighing again as he pulls the covers over him further.
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“I think his farm should be around here.”
Spongs says as the two walk over the hills, desperately trying to find a certain someone.
“Oh yeah, it’s right up ahead.”
Skrilley points out, before them stands a massive farm followed by fields that stretch for what seems like miles. Animals are kept in pens which is surprising given Unstable’s mob cap but they choose not to question. The place is quite well built and Skrilley is very impressed along with Spongs who remembers the farmer having a very small farm- So this was an absolute upgrade, not that he would admit that. The farm is a bit populated, a few people are seen walking around, each person eyeing the duo as they walk.
“Dude, I feel so out of place..”
Skrilley mumbles, rubbing at his arm as he walks, scooting closer to Spongs. The man couldn’t help but feel so uneasy walking around the server now, being isolated in the Mist made him realize just how deprived he is of the actual server.
“It’s all good man, they’re not gonna jump us..I think..”
“Bro..”
“Skrilley? Spongs? Is that really you guys?”
A chirpy voice abruptly calls out, making the two perk up and look behind to see none other than Lomedy, the exact man they were looking for.
“Lomedy, my man!”
Spongs yells, lifting his hand to dap him up which Lomedy does, very weakly but Spongs decides to not make a comment on it.
“Yeah, sorry to barge in but this place is amazing dude, you did great on this”
Skrilley compliments, Lomedy grins widely at the praise, small dimples appearing on his cheeks as he rubs the back of his neck.
“Ah, it’s nothing- Thank you though, it took a lot of time but I managed to get this place looking good!”
He replies, glancing around to admire his work before turning back to the others.
“So what’re you doing here? Where’s Flame?”
He asks, tilting his head as he raises a brow. Skrilley and Spongs make a face, avoiding Lomedy’s eyes that gives the impression that something horrific happened.
“Oh my god- What happened?”
He questions, voice panicked as his eyes go wide, his bunny ears stiffening up.
“Nothing-”
“D-did he die?!”
“No-”
“Did he lose a limb!?”
“What- No!”
“Did he get kidnapped!?!”
“Bro that’s impossible for Flame-”
“You’re right..”
Lomedy mutters, putting a hand on his chin, pondering before gasping loudly.
“Does he have a disease!?”
“Yes..”
Spongs draws out as Skrilley elbows him. Lomedy’s mouth goes agape as he’s put into yet another state of panic.
“What does he have!? Cancer, Leukemia-?”
“A fever.”
“W-what..?
Spongs cackles, burying his face in his hands as he laughs hysterically, wheezing out sentences that are barely audible. Skrilley rolls his eyes, sighing as he steps closer to the farmer.
“Flame’s sick- Like really sick, it’s just a fever but he hasn’t gotten better and has been like this for five days.”
He states, he watches as Lomedy’s face registers his words, nodding along slightly.
“ Oh..that’s weird, he’s never gotten sick ever.”
Skrilley raises a brow, confused.
“What? Seriously??”
Lomedy hums to his words, running a hand through his hair.
“Yeah, like ever in his life. When I got sick one time, he literally thought I was dying because he never really saw people getting sick ever…How did he even get sick?”
The man then asks, gesturing a bit. Skrilley puts a hand on his hip, thinking for a moment before speaking up.
“Well, I think Thursday- Or Wednesday, he went out when it was like storming really badly. He came home like absolutely drenched..”
Lomedy’s face only continues to contort further into confusion, his brows furrowing.
“Why would he do that?”
“Beats me..”
Spongs then suddenly comes over to the two before grabbing Lomedy by the shoulder.
“You need to help us Lomedy, please we are begging you.”
Lomedy can’t help but snicker at Spongs statement, finding it a bit amusing seeing the other actually begging for his help for once.
“Okay, okay-”
“No dude, you do not UNDERSTAND. He refuses to take medicine, he won’t eat soup nor drink tea, he barely sleeps and just vomits-”
“Yeah- I don’t know the last time he actually ate at least half of the soup-”
“Wait, wait- He’s not eating, sleeping or anything!?”
Lomedy exclaims, worry cascading over his face. He had thought that Flame was at least doing all of those things and that the recovery process was slow, not that his best friend was acting stubborn-
“Yes! He’s a fucking pain in the ass, he kicked me when I tried giving him medicine”
Spongs say causing Lomedy to wince at the thought knowing very well his kicks are unbearably painful.
“Okay, okay, I now understand the proper extent of the situation. Let me go tell everyone I’ll be gone for a few days and get some things for Flame, you two stay here and when I get back, we’ll all head out”
He states as Skrilley and Spongs nod. Lomedy then quickly departs off, racing to his house. He scavenges through the chest, grabbing a multitude of items that he figured could help before stuffing them into bundles. He wanders around the farm, getting a few extra things and bumping into his fellow farmer friends in which he explains he’ll be gone for a bit. They’re all confused but don’t question too much which he’s grateful for. Most of them his friends he’s met recently, some being new players and some being old players. One thing they all share is that none of them know that Lomedy, the rather innocent, sweet farmer was best friends with the infamous Immortal Demon, Flamefrags. He’s not even sure how they’d react! Especially with his concerningly high kill count.
He shivers at the thought but shakes it off, it’s nothing new, for him at least.
Regardless despite the circumstances, he can’t help but feel sort of excited on seeing the other. It’s been about a month since they’re parting and he’s been meaning to see Flame. But with him having to clean up the entire farm and work for hours on end, it’s left him exhausted to go and travel to see him.
But now he has a chance so that’s okay!
Once he knows he has everything does he head back to the others, waving slightly.
“Ready to go!”
He exclaims, Spongs says something about him being too optimistic which results in him smacking him upside the head.
“What was that for!?”
“For pissing me off”
“I didn’t even do anything!!”
“Yeah but you probably will later..”
“#fairs.”
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When the trio reach the base, Lomedy can’t help but gasp at the sight, seeing their once ruined base in perfect condition and much more improved.
“Holy shit, you guys fixed it!?”
He says, Spongs shrugs whilst Skrilley nods.
“Yeah, we had Law help us fix it up.”
“Yeah, I had them make a room for me”
Spongs says, snickering as Lomedy lightly laughs. He can only imagine how Flame reacted. The three continue to head to the base, taking the flights of stairs before settling on the second floor. Skrilley leads him to Flame’s room and Lomedy gently opens the door, peering through to see if Flame was asleep or not. His best friend was well awake, laying in bed, curled up with several blankets on top of him. His head slightly pokes out along with his tail which idly thumps against the wall. Tissues lay scattered on his bed with a concerningly full trashcan next to him. In addition, the curtains of his window remain close, forcing the room to be extremely dark, multiple things are spread messily across the ground including a small patch of liquid which he presumes is the medicine. He winces slightly, frowning at the sight. If you told Lomedy that Flame was depressed..he would’ve believed it.
“Flame..?”
He quietly calls out, knocking lightly against the door as he steps through.
The man instantly perks up, ears straightening as his tail sways back and forth happily.
“L-Lomedy!?”
He exclaims, voice strained and the force of talking makes him have a cough attack. Lomedy’s eyes soften as he walks closer to Flame, sitting on the bed with him. He rests a hand on his back, gently rubbing it as his cough eases.
“S-sorry..”
“Don’t say sorry Flame, you haven’t been feeling good?”
He asks, Flame nods in response, glancing off momentarily before flickering his gaze back to his friend.
“I’m going to go make you something, okay?”
He says, Flame’s face lights up in an instant that Lomedy can’t help but giggle at.
“Let me guess, they’re not very good cooks..?”
He whispers and the sick man nods aggressively putting his hands up in an ‘X’ formation that Lomedy lets out snort followed by a laugh.
“It’s okay, I’ll feed you good”
He reassures, resting his hand ontop of Flame’s head, patting it gently. He hears the soft vibrations emit from the hybrid, his ears flicking and twitching slightly as he purrs. He smiles softly at the sight, staying there for a bit before getting up.
“I’ll be back, don’t worry Flame.”
Lomedy turns back, heading out the room to see Skrilley and Spongs..playing rock, paper, scissors..for whatever reason.
“Is he okay?”
Skrilley asks, glancing over to Lomedy which makes Spongs take his distraction as an advantage as he slams his fist on the others hand causing him to yelp.
“What the fuck-!”
“Volcano beats paper!”
Spongs exclaim, looking victorious as he looks off into the distance. Skrilley has a blank expression on his face before sighing and turning back to Lomedy.
“He’s okay, definitely sick but I’ll make him soup.”
He says, heading to the kitchen or at least to where he remembers it used to be. Skrilley and Spongs follow shortly after, silently watching as Lomedy takes out one of his bundles, dropping the various vegetables as he begins to prep for the base of the soup. He washes each veggie individually, casting them off to the side before setting a pot on the stove.
“Do you need any help?”
Skrilley offers, he blinks before nodding, gesturing the man to assist him. He steps closer, grabbing a knife of his own as Lomedy hands him a few items to cut. The process is slow but relaxing for Lomedy, he never minds cooking and especially taking his time as he always wants the food to come out tasting good. He hums quietly, occasionally pointing things out to Skrilley to help him out which the man is grateful for. Spongs on the hand wanders around the kitchen, sitting ontop of the counter for one minute before leaning his head over Lomedy’s shoulder.
“You’re a good cook..”
He murmurs, Lomedy stops humming, glancing over to Spongs before smiling.
“Thank you, it’s one of my favorite hobbies. I used to be decent at it and it felt more like a chore to cook a decent meal.”
He pauses for a moment before clearing his throat and continuing.
“But when I met Flame, I realized that he would legit only eat golden apples and carrots, sometimes steak.”
“Seriously?”
Skrilley questions, seemingly surprised. It does make sense now that he’s thinking about it but he never thought it was a long term eating choice.
“Yeah and so one day I cooked him a nice meal and he loved it so much- So after that, I started experimenting, learning new recipes so I can make Flame something he enjoys.”
He explains, shrugging slightly as he chuckles to himself. He sort of misses the past days when the two lived together back at his original farm and when everything was still peaceful.
“Psh, that’ll get you on a cooking show.”
Spongs jokes, forcing a snort out of Skrilley.
“Dude when we cooked, Flame literally was like..Gordon Ramsey or some shit.”
Lomedy doubles back, raising a brow at Skrilley as he snickers.
“What??”
“I’m so deadass, he wouldn’t stop complaining how stupid we were at cooking along with how much he missed you because you’d cook an amazing meal.”
Skrilley remarks, a grin on his face as he lightly rolls his eyes. Lomedy stares at him, lips agape before a laugh escaped.
“Seriously??”
“Dude he was literally glazing you on your professional cooking.”
Spongs adds and eventually the three of them are laughing together, Lomedy feels genuinely shocked at the statement- Had his cooking really impacted Flame that much? He can’t help when his smile widens at the thought, he knows Flame doesn’t exactly like giving compliments so hearing that he praised him about his cooking to the other two was endearing to him.
Lomedy pours the last bit of soup into the final bowl before sighing out of relief.
“Thanks for helping me! I would’ve definitely taken longer without you guys”
He says, handing each of them their own bowls. He lets them sit in the kitchen alone to eat, bringing his and Flame’s bowls to his room. He kicks the door open lightly with his foot, making his presence known.
“Got you some soup, hopefully you eat more than a half.”
He says, chuckling. Flame sits up, clearly eager to eat as he puts his hands out. Lomedy puts the bowl into his hands along with the spoon.
“Careful it’s hot.”
He warns which is sort of stupid given that he’s also a blaze hybrid but whatever. He plops himself down on the bed next to him, blowing gently at the soup as he begins to take minuscule sips. His gaze momentarily falls to Flame who literally chows down on the soup, engulfing it like it’s the only thing keeping him alive. Lomedy almost chokes on his soup, trying to bite back any laughter.
“Dude chill-!”
Flame eyes him for a mere second before continuing to drink the soup, not even with the spoon but by simply using the bowl. It doesn’t take long before he lets out a relieved sigh, placing the bowl on the nightstand, clearly content. Lomedy rolls his eyes, continuing to have his soup without rushing until he’s done too which he then stacks his bowl onto the Flame’s.
He wipes his mouth slightly before looking to Flame who is loudly purring.
“Dang, I didn’t think you’d like the soup that much..”
He says, scratching behind Flame’s ears causing him to sink further into relaxation.
“Mm..only good thing I’ve had..”
He manages to make out, sighing softly.
The two sit like that for awhile, the food slowly beginning to digest before distant footsteps make their way towards the room. Both him and Flame’s ears perk up, turning to the door as Lomedy withdraws his hand back.
Skrilley comes in, waving slightly as he shuts the door.
“Spongs washing the dishes, thought I’d come see how you guys were doing.”
He says, sitting alongside Lomedy.
“Going good, Flame licked the whole bowl clean practically.”
He says, chuckling as Skrilley’s eyes go wide.
“Dude are you serious!? This guy wouldn’t even touch my food half the time.”
He exclaims, crossing his arms.
“It was terrible..”
Lomedy gasps lightly at Flames words before punching him slightly in the arm.
“Hey, be nice!”
He demands, Flame groans, rolling his eyes.
“It was okay..ish.”
He says, it’s not much better but it’s enough for Lomedy.
“Thank you by the way.”
Skrilley suddenly says, making Lomedy raise a brow.
“Thank you for what?”
He asks, confused.
“Thank you for letting me help out”
He adds, giving Lomedy a warm-like smile which the farmer returns,
“Of course! If you want, I can teach you some recipes while I’m here!”
He offers and Skrilley’s eyes light up at the thought.
“Seriously? That’d be great- I only know how to cook very few things because of the Mist, we didn’t have much resources to make proper meals.”
Lomedy hums to his words, simply patting his back as he rambles about the numerous of foods he can teach Skrilley. Flame watches quietly, not talking much as his throat was still sore but he also didn’t know what more he could add to the conversation.
His mouth does water at the thought of eating Lomedy’s cooking again- It’s been exactly one month, three days and fourteen hours since he last saw his best friend.
…
Not that he was counting or anything.
The next four days fly by surprisingly quick for Flame, getting more and more better as the hours went by before he was practically fully recovered at this point. Skrilley and Spongs learned a lot about caring for a sick person and also that Flame was seriously soft as fuck for Lomedy, throwing out a few comments here and there regarding it.
He was so much soft to Lomedy that he reluctantly took the medicine when the bunny-hybrid muttered out a ‘please’ that he felt too guilty on saying no. He remembers Spongs laughing absurdly loud before Flame found an object to chuck at him in retaliation.
The nights weren’t amazing though, even when he started getting better, he couldn’t help but feel antsy and paranoid the whole time- And the chills weren’t helping a bit. But Lomedy made it more bearable, he’d sit next to his bed, playing with his hair and scratching his ears as he quietly rambled about the shenanigans at the farm.
He was relieved to know that Lomedy was doing well and wasn’t experience much issues aside from a few animals running off and him having to go retreat them with the help of Ashen who he had given to Lomedy. His best friend declined the offer, numerous times but when Ashen simply followed Lomedy on the way to his farm did he give up. Flame knew Ashen would keep Lomedy safe plus he wanted his dog to retire in away. That wolf had been by his side for years on end, always in every fight that Flame was in and he felt bad, he wanted the guy to relax and not have to worry about the constant bloodshed. And especially since he was out often and no longer brought the dog for safety concerns did he fully commit to giving the animal to Lomedy.
And hearing Lomedy talk about how his job was to herd the animals made him laugh, he knows that he would be well fed and loved there and he preferred that for him.
The fifth day rolls around and Flame sits on the kitchen counter, watching Lomedy cook breakfast. The farmer makes several notes on how unsafe it is to sit there while he was cooking but Flame ignores.
“Ooo, it smells good in here!”
Spongs coos, sitting next to Flame on the counter who shoves him off the second he attempts to hop on.
“Asshole-”
He grumbles, sticking a tongue at the fighter who scoffs.
“You need any help Lomedy?”
Skrilley says, quickly coming over to assist the man.
“Yeah, do you mind just making some scrambled eggs?”
He nods, opening the fridge and taking out the egg carton along with a bowl from one of the cabinets.
Flame finds it a little touching and sweet watching Skrilley learn from Lomedy who just yaps the whole time while he’s cooking, explaining every little thing and Skrill listens eagerly. He secretly hopes that when Lomedy leaves, Skrilley can cook a good meal, nothing compared to Lomedy but a good meal nonetheless.
“Since you’re not sick anymore, does that mean I can bother you?”
Spongs asks, leaning on Flame’s legs like it’s a chair.
“Do you want me to cough on you?”
“Ew- Please don’t.”
Flame snorts before lifting his legs up, picking up Spongs by his armpits who squeals.
“How are you doing that- You’re literally sitting!!”
Spongs wiggles his way out, rambling about how scary and terrifying that was but Flame knows he’s being extra dramatic.
A few minutes go by and breakfast is eventually served as the four all sit together, eating their meals. It’s mostly quiet, occasional sounds being heard from the birds chirping outside, the utensils hitting the plate or one of them talking. Regardless, it’[s peaceful and comforting and Flame sort of likes this.
Not that he’d admit it but he likes the domestic-ness, he likes that for the past couple days he’s been at home, occasionally going out but not actually fighting or training or anything of that sorts.
For once, he doesn’t mind sitting still and taking everything in.
Maybe because he has Lomedy by his side once again.
And maybe because he has two extra friends with him.
He enjoys sharing this tranquility with them, not having to care or have any sort of violence or fighting idea up in his head. So he takes it in as much as he can, he eats slow, not rushed bnot just because he wants to savor the food. But because he wants to savor this moment with his friends.
The sun slowly begins to set at around six and only then does Lomedy begin making the move to leave despite Flame’s wishes.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better Flame and I’m glad I got to spend some time with you and the others, I had fun”
Lomedy says, packing some things into his inventory. Flame’s eyes lay fixated on him, watching each movement and he can’t help but frown as he gets closer and closer to leaving.
“Am I gonna see you again?”
He asks, almost afraid in a way.
His tone makes Lomedy stop mid movement, eyes trailing over to his best friend who just looks like a sad kitten. He blinks before chuckling quietly, coming closer as he pulls the taller man into a hug. Flame freezes up, only for a moment before settling down. He returns the hug, wrapping his arms around Lomedy as he digs his face into the crook of his neck.
“Of course you’re gonna see me Flame..I don’t know when but-”
“Can we make a schedule..?”
Flame cuts off Lomedy, voice trembling slightly. Lomedy pauses, a bit confused at his question.
“What do you mean?”
Lomedy notices Flame doubling back, beginning to pull away because he regrets what he said and he sours at it.
“Flame, just tell me.”
He stated placidly, grasp tightening forcing Flame back into his embrace once again. He hates when Flame does this, when he takes but what he says because Lomedy didn’t hear or didn’t understand because he’s embarrassed.
Flame takes a steady breath, leaning into his friends touch as he speaks up once more.
“Can..Can we have scheduled hangouts? So that we can see each other more often..?”
He asks, his tone hesitant but a bit more confident this time. Lomedy doesn’t reply instantly, thinking over the question in his head.
“Or we don’t have to-”
“No, no, I like that idea. What day would you wanna do?”
Lomedy feels Flame’s figure soften at his words and he smiles at the action.
“Whatever works for you..”
He murmurs
“Hm..Tuesdays work for me, you wanna do Tuesdays?”
He offers, Flame eagerly nods.
“Your base or mine?”
“We can do my base, I wanna show you all the progress I made! Plus, you can see Ashen”
Flame smiles, chuckling lightly before saying ‘okay’
.
.
.
.
“I missed you Loms.”
“I missed you too Flame.”
.
.
They stay like that, in each others holds for a few minutes. To the outside eye, it’s probably awkward looking. But to them? It’s everything, Lomedy knew he missed the other a lot, he just underestimated it severely. And Flame knew he missed Lomedy but he didn’t know how to express that.
Lomedy can hear the faint purring from Flame and he giggles at it, still finding it funny when he hears the tiger-hybrid purr from time to time.
“As much as I love you dude, I better be going.”
“Yeah you’re right.”
Flame reluctantly lets go, staring down at bunny-hybrid who simply grins at him.
“I’ll see you next Tuesday, bye Flame!”
He chirps, waving as he turns away before heading off and down the stairs.
“Bye Loms.”
He says, not as loud as Lomedy’s goodbye but enough that the other could hear.
He sighs quietly but not in a disappointed way but instead in a relieved way.
He half expected him to be filled with such emptiness upon Lomedy leaving but instead he feels content.
Because this time, he knows he’ll see him.
And it’s not a question like before, it’s a statement.
.
.
“Aw friendship is so cute!!”
“Shut up Spongs.”