Archive of Our Own

It had started out so small.

Back when he was still in contact with Rover, he knew that he wasn’t as important to the man as he’d like to be.

Rover was a busy man, and Luuk just wasn’t enough to take priority over saving the world. He knew that. He’d made peace with it. He wouldn’t dare dream of imagining otherwise.

Yet still, every departure left a small sting of pain in Luuk’s chest.

He ignored it, of course. No man on Solaris could have made Rover stay, after all, and no one could have swayed him from his goals. Luuk was not arrogant enough to think that someone like him could tie down the ever-fleeting Rover.

He cherished the small communications here and there, held them close to his heart. This, he would have to be satisfied with. Even if it felt harder to breathe when the man was away, even if every departure hurt. He would cherish the moments spent together.

But then, one day… The communications stopped.

Rover had left him one final message. About a mission he needed to do, and… how Luuk probably wouldn’t hear from him for a while. How he needed Luuk to erase his presence from Lahai-roi’s records, for good.

“We’ll make a promise, Luuk. Next winter… when daylight touches down again.”  The voice message concluded.

It had all sounded unfortunately like a final goodbye.

And that… that stung. It pulled at something, deep within Luuk’s chest.

But still, he held on to hope. That one day he could see Rover again. That one day he could see those beautifully golden eyes, see the one man who believed in him when no one else had. The one man who meant everything to Luuk, even if the sentiment probably wasn’t shared.

Then came the day that shattered all of Luuk’s fragile hopes for good.

Luuk had been in his office at the infirmary, sorting through files when he heard it.

“…I was hit by a motorbike.”

“It was my fault. I’m so sorry…”

Rover’s voice. Unmistakably, Rover’s voice. Followed by the sound of miss Lynae’s.

Rover was here. He’d come back. And it seemed he was hurt.

Luuk desperately swallowed down the rising emotion in his chest, forcing himself to remain calm and professional. If Rover was back on some mission, he couldn’t have his cover blown so easily. Listening in to the conversation a little more, it sounded like Rover was posing as a student. So, Luuk would play the part and pretend to not know him.

Easy.

Right on schedule, a report from N.A.N.A. popped up on his computer. He easily transferred it to his tablet, before stepping out of his office.

“What’s the situation?” He asked, before feigning surprise with a hum. “The results are out? Let me see…” He said, as he began to read through the file, spinning a pen in his hand as he did so. “A Bloom Bearer of the Black Shores, brought in by recommendation? Quite the…” He paused, peering over the rim of his tablet. “…Interesting entrance.”

Stepping forward, he placed a hand on his chest politely.

“I’m Luuk Herssen, the attending doctor here at the infirmary. Most students call me Dr. Herssen, but… if you prefer Dr. Luuk, or just Luuk, that's fine too.” He said, feigning an introduction as if Rover were any other student.

What hurt, though was… just how convincing the lack of recognition in Rover’s eyes was. Luuk pushed the feeling down, as Rover responded.

“Nice to meet you, Dr. Herssen.” He said, and Luuk swallowed down the tickle in his throat by glancing back to his tablet. That had felt so… real.

“Well, according to the report, your frequency is a bit unstable, but it’s settling down now. Nothing to worry about. As for the frequency loss though… I’m sorry, but I’m not able to track down the exact source. The Research Institute might have a more thorough scan for that.” He recounted.

Looking back up, his eyes met Rover’s just briefly. And like a creeping frost, overtaking his limbs… Luuk could no longer convince himself that Rover was simply putting on an act. His shoulders were lighter, his eyes brighter. Just in a single look, Luuk could tell he carried far less weight than he used to. He looked… younger, even.

And he carried absolutely no recognition of Luuk within him.

Luuk’s chest was starting to hurt very much.

“I will say, charging into a void storm without proper protection was quite risky. It’s important to put your health first over any data or research.” He said, suddenly fighting to suppress a cough.

Alarm shot through him like an icy bolt- The Ichor should have meant that he couldn’t get sick. And this felt like more than just- a tickle in his throat. It hurt. His chest had always hurt since Rover left, but this felt like more, something rapidly shifting, clawing through him. Still- He couldn’t draw attention to it.

“Other than simply advising you to stay safe in the future, it seems there’s not much else I can do for you. I’d first recommend getting that Cassette burned. It’ll make getting around much easier for you.” He said, tucking his tablet under one arm with a strained smile. Maybe the Rover of old could have seen through it, but- He couldn’t anymore. That shot sent a sharp spike of pain through his chest.

“I’m afraid I’m a rather busy man these days. Reckless students getting into too much trouble for their research. So I’ll have to get going.” He said, easily feigning an excuse whilst masterfully hiding how much pain he was in. Rover simply nodded, and Luuk slid away with an easy smile, slinking back to his office like nothing was wrong.

The moment the door was shut, he scrambled to close the blinds, before clapping a gloved hand over his mouth and doubling over as he coughed. Each one ripped through him- And yet he couldn’t stop. It felt like something was lodged in his throat, in his lungs, and he struggled to get it clear.

Finally, after what felt like forever, he finally spat up something soft and velvety, acrid and bitter. With a few more dry coughs, he spat it out into his hand.

Resting in his palm was a single dark petal. Some kind of flower petal, thin and angular. With just the one, there was no telling what kind of flower it was from- But somehow Luuk intrinsically knew.

He was holding the petal of a Blake bloom. Wet with spit, it sat innocently in his palm, before he crushed it in a fist, throwing it in the trash.

Luuk Herssen was a doctor. He knew of all sorts of diseases and maladies that could ever possibly plague the human body.

One such ‘disease’ was a manifestation of the lament on the body- a warping of frequencies bringing bloom to flowers inside one’s lungs, feeding off of lovesickness and pain.

Hanahaki Disease.

Luuk laughed bitterly.

Of course. Of course this trapped love of his would be killing him.

Because that’s how it always ended, didn’t it? Love went unrequited, unfulfilled- and the victim’s lungs became choked with flowers, leaving them to die a slow, bloody, suffocating death.

Rover did not remember him. That last message had been a final goodbye indeed, because Rover had known. He’d known what he was about to do- erase his own memories, start over from scratch and rove the world anew. Because that is undoubtedly what Rover was doing. Luuk knew the man too well to try and pretend otherwise.

Rover did not remember him, and so Luuk was fated to die, choking on the feelings he could never confess. Feelings for a man now long gone.

Of course he was in love. How predictably idiotic of him. How sentimental.

And it would be his end.

A knock on his door drew him out of his thoughts.

“Dr. Herssen, a Synchronist at the Rabelle College has fallen unconscious. Requesting medical assistance.” N.A.N.A.’s voice rang softly through his door. He sighed, swallowing harshly.

“Understood. I’m on my way.”

Luuk sighed.

Time to get back to work.



The coughing didn’t stop.

Of course, Luuk knew it wouldn’t. But foolishly, some part of him had hoped that it would fade away quietly.

Of course, he was not lucky enough for that.

He did his best to avoid catching sight of Rover, sticking to his duties at the infirmary and retreating home when he was able. Given that his residence was so far from the academy, it was frightfully easy to avoid the freshman student. That, or Rover was so busy with whatever his mission was that he didn’t have time to linger around campus.

He stifled a cough into his sleeve, forced to pause what he was doing.

“That’s the third time today I’ve heard you coughing. Question, are you feeling ill?” N.A.N.A. asked him quietly, out of earshot of the students nearby.

“Ah, yes. I’m quite alright.” He reassured, forcing himself to recover quickly. “Just a tickle in my throat, unfortunately. I must’ve swallowed something wrong.”

N.A.N.A. did not seem convinced, but she graciously dropped the subject.

Luuk swallowed down the petal threatening at his throat.



It was only a couple days later when the subject of his distress returned to the infirmary. Luuk had made the mistake of standing out at the front desk, allowing Rover to directly approach him. The mere sight of the man sent a soft squeeze through Luuk’s chest, but he ignored it.

“Ah, what a rare visitor. I assumed the Voidstorm, those Voidworms, and your admission would have kept you too busy to drop by.” He said, not meeting Rover’s eyes.

“The Fractsidus have contacts inside the Academy. They're planning an attack on the Research Institute.” Rover said, cutting straight to the point.

And ah… Luuk gave a soft smile.

It seemed, even with his memories lost, old habits still died hard. Rover still chose to trust him with a mission.

“That’s… certainly surprising news.” He said nonchalantly. Fractsidus moles weren’t surprising at all, considering the political battleground that was the Startorch ladder. But an attack on the institute… Not to mention that aside from, perhaps old instinct rearing its head, Rover had no reason to come to him about it.

“And what do you need from a school doctor at all? Why come to me?” He asked, finally meeting Rover’s gaze. Those golden eyes were fierce, determined. So reminiscent of past times that it almost hurt.

“Because I'm still new to the Academy. Professor Mornye isn't around, and I have no way to judge if I'm passing the message on to the right person.” Rover explained. Luuk nodded, taking the information in. Still… there was no way that Rover only knew two officials around the school.

“And you trust me?” He asked, swallowing down the tickle in his throat at the thought.

“When we first met, you seemed… disappointed. Like you expected something from me. And you recognized me as a Black Shores Bloom Bearer- that’s not on my records. You know more about me than just what’s on the papers. Besides, Chisa mentioned that I’d left in a hurry, so someone would’ve had to erase my trail.” He reasoned. Luuk allowed himself a soft, bitter smile.

“An interesting theory. But I would ask you this… what do you expect me to do about it?” He countered. He wouldn’t give up the game so early. He wouldn’t let himself do that.

Rover’s brows furrowed, thinking to himself for a moment. Then, he sighed.

“Here’s the situation.” He began, before weaving a tale of all the things he’d been up to the past couple days. Summoned Voidstorms, an attack on the Institute, as well as the potential for more devices lurking around…

“I see…” He hummed. “Pests inside the Academy, then.” It seemed that the Fractsidus were no longer simply attempting to gain political ground. Rather, they’d descended into full on attacks. “This all seems like part of a much bigger plan. Don’t worry, though. I’ll handle things with the Institute. Whatever you discover or what course of action you choose to take, I won’t interfere.” He promised. Rover nodded.

“Thank you, Dr. Herssen.” He said, and Luuk gave somewhat of a bitter smile, as his chest constricted painfully.

“Go do what you must.” He said, and Rover nodded his acknowledgment once more before turning and walking away.

As the man faded from sight, Luuk sighed. The action caught in his throat, forcing him to shove a hand over his mouth as he was sent into a coughing fit.

After what felt like an eternity, he was able to pull his hand away, only to see three black petals lying within.

To have Rover so close yet so out of reach…

He clenched his hand, crushing the petals. He would not let his emotions get the best of him. He would do as Rover asked of him, and nothing more. He would not allow himself to become so- so compromised.

Luuk sighed again, carefully as to not agitate his poor lungs. He leaned back against the counter, staring at the floor. It was a fortunately quiet time of day- most students were in class rather than milling about. There had been no one to witness his little outburst.

Still, if he was going to be a confidant of Rover’s once more, he needed to get a tighter lid on things. He couldn’t go spilling his little secret to anyone who could see- That wouldn’t do.

Still… his heart longed for Rover to know. It was a foolish thought. But part of him had hoped that Rover would have heard, and turned around to come check on him.

But… that was a peace Luuk doubted he could ever have again.

He sighed again.

This seemed like it would be… harder than anticipated. Just the sight of him put a pain in Luuk’s chest… a longing he couldn’t be rid of.

He shook his head. He had work to do.

He couldn’t afford to stay distracted for long.
 

Slipping the petals into a trash can, Luuk pulled up his phone to begin contacting the right people. Seems this day was bound to be a long one.



Luuk was in the infirmary when he heard it. A loud, blaring alarm.

“Attention all faculty and students. Voidstorm activity detected. Seek immediate shelter nearby. Do not leave Academy grounds. The Voidstorm will cover the entire campus in five minutes. Initiate emergency Protocol 5, now.”

His head whipped up from his computer to stare at the speakers in his office ceiling.

A voidstorm? At the Academy?

…Seems Rover had been right. Their targets had switched- now they were targeting the Academy itself. He cursed under his breath, before running out of his office and into the infirmary area.

Emergency Protocol 5 meant take shelter, find the nearest safe house and get to it. The infirmary had its own lockdown procedures, in the event that there were ill students housed within during emergencies.

As he stepped out of his office, another announcement rang over the speakers.

“Attention all faculty and students: Contingency Protocol Three is now in effect! The Void Storm has breached the Academy perimeter. Defensive barrier will fully activate in 100 seconds.”

He flipped open the small casing on the wall, before pressing the button within. Shutters instantly closed over all the windows in sight, being the ones in his office and in the main area. He could hear N.A.N.A. out front directing students into the infirmary for shelter.

“The infirmary is a safe house.” He reassured the students inside. “In emergencies, you will always be safe here. Do not worry. However, in the slight possibility the barrier outside fails, we need to be prepared in here. Those assigned to bedrest, you have no need to get up. Those who aren’t, and wish to help, I ask that you shut down any electronics you see, as we all know those are especially vulnerable to Voidmatter corruption.” He said, the speech well-rehearsed in his mind. A few students nodded, and two of them stood up from where they were seated to run around the infirmary as he’d instructed.

Luuk himself continued out to the front desk, where N.A.N.A. was calling for students to shelter within the infirmary’s lobby.

“There’s more room in the actual treatment area.” He said, adjusting his gloves as he walked up to stand beside N.A.N.A. “You students head inside.” He said, and the students easily acted as instructed.

Luuk could see the barrier at the edges of campus slowly raising over everything, panel by panel. He sincerely hoped it wouldn’t fail, but… if this was targeted, there was a good chance they would have interfered with the campus defense mechanisms as well.

N.A.N.A.’s voice continued to call out to passing students, drawing them into the infirmary one by one. Everyone knew where the designated safe houses were, but most forgot that the infirmary was one of them. Luuk watched with an appraising eye as the barrier continued to rise, bit by bit, and then…

Stopped.

“Warning: Voidmatter barrier not fully activated.”

Luuk cursed, watching as a Voidworm rapidly approached.

“Stay with the students!” He called to N.A.N.A., before running out of the infirmary and towards the front gates. If he had to fight a voidworm off himself, then damnit, he would.

He had just reached an emptier square when he saw it.

A streak of pale grey soaring through the sky. The distinct pattern was reminiscent of… a motorbike. Squinting, he tried to see closer. And just enough, he caught a glimpse of the rider luring the Voidworm away.

Rover.

…Of course.

In the past, Rover might have called on him for aid in times like this. But, of course… Rover didn’t need him anymore, did he?

Perhaps he never did.

Luuk choked on the intensity of the coughs that suddenly shook him, stumbling backwards. He managed to run into an empty classroom nearby, immediately bending over the trash can to cough up a whole flurry of black petals.

It felt like they never ended- scraping up his throat and nearly making him gag on the feeling of them coming up. His lungs burned, both from the vines curling through them and the simple fact that he was unable to get in a full breath before coughing again.

Finally, finally, after what felt like forever, he could breathe again. He roughly spat into the trash can, his mouth tasting rather metallic. When his vision cleared he was met with a few dozen petals resting in the trash, covered in spit and gleaming golden blood.

He huffed a sigh, collapsing back against the wall, relishing in his newfound ability to breathe. It was strained- but he could do so without sending himself into another fit.

A few coughs here and there escaped him, but no more petals came up.

He laid like that for an indeterminate amount of time. It had been so very long since he was ill- thanks to the Ichor- that he was… unused to it. It made him feel rather pathetic.

He knew he should clean up, but… He figured he’d earned at least a moment of rest first. His throat still hurt, his chest still burned. He figured those two sensations were ones he would be becoming very familiar with soon.

That was how N.A.N.A. found him. Leaned against a wall, still holding a trash can under one arm.

“Dr. Herssen!” She called, alarm in her mechanical voice as she rushed to his side. He forced himself to sit up properly as her hands immediately hovered around him, scanning for injuries.

“Dr. Herssen, what hap-” She began, only to pause when she noticed the trash can. He knew it wasn’t a pleasant sight, but N.A.N.A. had never been one to be queasy. She was a robot, he didn’t even think that was in her programming. Still, she was quiet.

Turning back to him, she ran another, deeper scan of his frequencies. He sighed, the motion scratching at his throat and threatening to make him cough again. He swallowed uncomfortably, trying to push the feeling down.

He knew nothing he could say right now would convince N.A.N.A. he was fine. He knew there was nothing he could do to squirrel his way out of this. So, he sat silent and let her work.

Eventually, she sighed, sitting back a little.

“Dr. Herssen, you are a medical doctor. I trust you already know what is wrong.” She said, her tone serious. He nodded, eyes trained on the floor. “How long?” She asked. He laughed bitterly, the sound scratching at his sore throat.

“Only but a few short days.” He said, and she looked between him and the bloody pile of petals in the trash with alarm.

“Are you sure?” She asked hesitantly. “It seems to be progressing rather fast for only a few days.”

Luuk nodded. “I suspect it’s been slumbering within me for… many years now. When you take that into account…” He trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. She was silent for a moment, before motioning to the bucket.

“These flowers…” She asked.

“Blake blooms.” He said, a bitter smile on his face. N.A.N.A.’s eyes narrowed for a moment, before widening in realization.

“The freshman Bloom Bearer?” She asked, confusion in her mechanical tone. Luuk nodded.

“We knew each other many years ago. We were close. …Not especially so, but he trusted me to carry out missions for him, and I… I trusted him with my life.” He said softly.

“This was back when you were working on the… shadier side of things, wasn’t it?” She asked, her nose scrunching almost adorably on the word shady. As if she didn’t want to imagine her boss as an ex-mercenary, though she knew very much that he was.

“Yes. Rover came to Solaris to save it from the Lament a long time ago. He trusted me to help carry out his grand plans.” He said, reminiscing softly. “And then, he… erased his own memories. To start over anew.” He said, his voice almost a whisper.

“He doesn’t remember you.” N.A.N.A. said.

“No. And I doubt he ever will. I’m not sure if he ever felt the same about me, but now…” Luuk trailed off.

“Now you feel as if you truly have no chance at all.” N.A.N.A. finished. Luuk let out a bitter laugh, that quickly descended into coughs. When they didn’t stop, he had to lean over the trash can again, panic spiking in his chest as he once again failed to draw in a full breath before coughs stole it away all over again.

He could feel N.A.N.A.’s gentle metal fingers holding his hair back, out of the way of the bloody petals falling from his lips. He was grateful to her for that. Her other hand rubbed his back soothingly, as she reminded him to breathe.

Eventually, faster than last time, it stopped. He gave a few more dry coughs to dislodge the petal stuck to the back of his throat, before spitting it out into the trash.

There was silence for a moment, as Luuk sluggishly wiped at his mouth with a sleeve.

“It’s truly terrible seeing you like this.” She said softly, voice mournful. He laughed softly, a rough sound that had him choking on a few more stubborn coughs. Dry, thankfully.

“It’s terrible to be experiencing this, trust me.” He rasped.

“How are you feeling?” She asked gently. Luuk paused, genuinely assessing himself for a moment. His chest hurt, and each breath scraped against his throat. But he was…

“Alright. All things considered.”

“That’s good.” She responded, before moving to grab at the trash can. “May I take care of this?” Luuk nodded, and she quickly took it away. He sighed as she took the bag from it, leaving the room to properly dispose of it.

With a bit of effort, he managed to drag himself off of the floor, running a hand through his hair once he was up. Pulling his hand away, he looked at his sleeve. …There was blood on it. Not much, but…

He sighed. He’d have to soak the blood out when he got home.

He was so tired all of a sudden… But, he supposed… choking on flowers for what could have easily been an hour would take a lot out of you.

He shook his head. He needed to get back, check on the students. Make sure everyone was okay. If N.A.N.A. was here, the danger was over.

And yet…

He sighed. He really was progressing fast, wasn’t he? Years of the seed lying in wait within his lungs had truly only exacerbated things. He feared…

He feared he would not live long enough to see Rover’s plans in Lahai-roi reach their end.

Luuk dragged a hand over his face. Now was not the time for catastrophizing.

With slow steps, he walked out of the empty classroom.

By the time he made it back to the infirmary, all of the sheltering students had cleared away, back to gathering in the streets excitedly buzzing about a “Voidworm Rider”. Luuk carefully didn’t think about who that could have been.

When he began assessing a new arrival to the infirmary, he could see N.A.N.A. giving him a disapproving look. But, he shrugged it off. He was a doctor, and he knew his limits. He would continue to do his job until he couldn’t anymore, and that was that.

He was not going to take off work for a silly little cough.



The moment Luuk’s hands were finally free, N.A.N.A. called him into his office for a… “discussion.”

Upon entering, he found that the blinds had been lowered, and the inside had been transformed into a mini examination room without his notice. He sighed softly.

“Not going to let me get off easy, are you?” He asked. She crossed her arms pointedly.

“I think you should know better than that, Dr. Herssen.”

With a sigh, he sat down on the cot positioned in the corner of his office. N.A.N.A. brought over a machine, quickly taking his vitals before pressing a few buttons on the attached screen. From the bottom, a little robot detached.

It cheerfully floated up to him, before detaching two more pieces to fly circles around him, scanning his chest thoroughly. Luuk just about held his breath while it worked.

Once it was done, he sighed.

“The New Solar Celebration should be coming up soon.” He said. N.A.N.A. simply hummed, staring at the screen with narrowed eyes. Luuk stifled a cough into his fist. Finally, N.A.N.A. sighed.

“Frankly, Dr. Herssen, your results are alarming.” She began. “The spread of growth indicates illness spanning several months, possibly even years. Far more than what could have been accomplished in less than a week.”

“It’s not unheard of for a Hanahaki patient to remain asymptomatic for some time before the blooms finally sprout.” Luuk said, and somehow… coldly referring to himself as a ‘hanahaki patient’ left a bitter taste in his mouth.

N.A.N.A. sighed.

“While that is true… Surely it wouldn’t be this bad?” She frowned.

“Let me see.” Luuk sighed.

With a few hesitant taps on the screen, a hologram popped up above it.

It was a display of his lungs, three-dimensions put together from the scans the little robot had taken. The outer walls were transparent, and inside… well, inside and out…

His lungs were choked with roots and vines, several flowers in full bloom within. Several vines had just barely pierced the outer walls of his lungs, holding on tight as they strangled him. They were spread so thoroughly within, like his own little inner garden. It was horrifying and beautiful all at the same time.

Luuk himself had only read about Hanahaki in rare disease textbooks; he’d never truly seen it for himself. But from what he’d read- he was appeared to be in late to end stage of the disease.

He likely only had about a month left to live before the flowers choked him completely.

Thinking back on it all, the pain he felt when Rover left him, all the things he thought were just his silly emotions, things he willfully ignored…

They really had been growing inside of him all this time, hadn’t they?

He stared at it all with awe, the roots and vines clawing through his lungs, the four different fully formed blooms and the two little buds. The largest bloom was almost ethereal in its presence, a Blake bloom truly fitting of the Black Shores’ leader.

“They’re beautiful.” He muttered.

“They’re killing you.” N.A.N.A. whispered. If she could cry, he imagined she probably would be. Still, she simply closed the hologram, pushing the machine off to the side.

His mind started running, as he wondered just how he was able to go without symptoms for so long. It was possible that, as the vines pierced his flesh, they plugged any wounds they would have caused. Any oozing blood would have quickly clotted, remaining trapped within his lungs.

Lying dormant for so long, the bulbs would have remained firmly attached to him, unable to shed petals or blooms for him to cough up. And without coughing, he wouldn’t have disturbed the fragile ecosystem within his lungs to rip open the wounds to cause further damage.

He would have remained completely unaware until the moment something triggered the flowers into full bloom, officially launching him towards his death.

“We need to talk about your options.” N.A.N.A. said firmly, drawing him from his thoughts.

Luuk suppressed the urge to sigh.

“You should already know this, but I’ll say it anyways. You have three choices. The first is to confess to- to Rover,” She stuttered, clearly having to remember his name, “-and see if your feelings are reciprocated. If they are, the flowers would retreat, the wounds would heal. You’d officially have a second chance.” She said, before sighing. “The second would be to undergo the surgery, and lose all memories of him. I… wouldn’t suggest that option at this stage, however.” She frowned.

“I imagine it would be quite difficult to remove that much obstruction.” He observed. N.A.N.A. nodded.

“There is the chance that you wouldn’t survive the extent of the damage after such a surgery. Your body could simply… give out. Your lungs could collapse.” She said solemnly. Luuk just nodded.

“The third option is to simply… die. Do nothing, and let the disease take you.”

“That might be my only option at this point.” Luuk muttered softly. “He made his choice a while ago. To forget everyone he knew- to leave us behind for a clean slate. I won’t burden him by dragging myself back into his life. I will respect his choice.” Luuk stated, his voice firm. N.A.N.A. just nodded, clearly not happy with his choice.

“I’m going to contact President Lucilla and have her place you on medical leave.” She said, pulling out a tablet and pulling up Luuk’s file. Luuk startled at that, leaning forward somewhat.

“That’s not- necessary, is it?” He stuttered. N.A.N.A. just glared at him, eyes surprisingly sad.

“Dr. Herssen, you should know as well as I that you don’t have much time left.” She said, before her eyes dropped to the floor. “Please. Take the time for yourself, at the least. I know it may be too much to ask of you to stay at home and rest.” She said. Despite himself, Luuk managed a small, sad laugh.

“You’d be correct there.” He said softly.

“Just take it easy, Dr. Herssen.”

Staring at the floor, he nodded. He could feel the sting in his chest, the pressure he now knew was the feeling of vines pressing against his ribs.

He tried not to sigh.




Luuk sat in his chair, sipping a cup of bitter tea. He was watching the fish swim about in their tank, watching the flames dance in the fireplace.

He tried not to think about what Rover was doing.

Over the past few days, he’d been steadily growing worse. Slowly, at the least. But steadily. He now kept a trash can beside his bed, and another by his favorite chair. He found himself having to dispose of the bags within daily, when they became too soiled with petals and blood.

The tea was apparently supposed to help suppress coughs, as well as soothe a sore throat. A common, run-of-the-mill kind of tea. He’d had to go out and purchase it specifically for this, as he’d not gotten sick since he was a child.

…He tried not to think about what Rover was doing.

He took another sip of his tea, trying not to wince at the taste. He might have brewed it incorrectly. He’d always been more of a coffee person, so long as there was enough cream and sugar to drown out the bitterness.

He bit back a sigh, knowing his fragile lungs wouldn’t appreciate such movement.

Pulling out his phone, he finally decided to distract himself with the news.

Only to find that, front page… the Reactor Drive had fallen from the sky.

A little alarmed, he tabbed into the article. Something with the New Solar Ceremony had gone wrong- and the Reactor Drive had plummeted to the ground. The Institute had been forced to raise Helios early, having acquired the Heliogyre data from the Roya in the nick of time. As the Drive plummeted, Professor Mornye and-

Rover.

-had managed to work together to avoid casualties.

Luuk swallowed roughly. Of course Rover had been in the center of the chaos.

Truly, when was he not?

And once again, Rover showed that he did not need Luuk anymore.

Luuk choked with how fast the coughing came on, having to fumble for his trash can to nearly vomit petals and blood from his lungs. His chest heaved, he couldn’t breathe- He was sure he’d dropped his tea as well, the dark liquid likely spilled across the carpet.

By the time he was done, blood dripped from his open mouth, a soggy petal still stuck to the back of his teeth. His lungs burned, both from the plant matter buried within, scraping its way up his throat, and from the effort of coughing all of that out. His head was spinning, and all he could taste was iron.

Closing his mouth, he worked it for a second, before spitting into the trash can, attempting to rid himself of the petal and the blood coating his mouth.

Flopping backwards in his chair, he leaned his head back and allowed himself to just breathe for a moment. Every breath he took was strained- How long had it truly been since he’d been able to take a full breath? Months, likely. He had just… somehow not noticed, in his quiet life as a school doctor.

He needed to clean his face.

He could rest, for just a moment longer.

Surely that would… be fine.

Finally, he gave the ghost of a sigh. With some effort, he pushed himself out of his chair, moving to his tucked away little bathroom to clean his face. First, he rinsed out his mouth, spitting the gold-tinged water into the sink to watch it swirl down the drain with tired eyes.

As he dragged a warm, wet cloth over his face, he had a thought.

Warren had been discovered to be a mole for the Fractsidus. But what about Anslem? Anslem, who had mysteriously disappeared right when they needed him most. Anslem, who Luuk knew to be rather punctual, rather professional.

The thought stirred something within Luuk. It was just a hunch, but…

Old habits died hard.

And if Luuk only had but a short time left, well…

He might as well chase down a lead while he still could.

His mind made up, Luuk wiped his face dry, hanging the damp, blood-stained towel on the edge of the laundry hamper. With steady steps, he left the bathroom, grabbing another towel on the way out. He made a quick stop to clean up his spilled tea off of the steps leading to the fish tank, before depositing the soiled towel with the other one, placing his teacup in the kitchen to be washed.

With one last glance around, he deemed his house in good enough order to leave for a while. He’d clean up the trash can later.

With a nod to himself, he pulled on his jacket, before heading for the front door.

Seems his evening plans had changed. So long as he avoided his thoughts straying too far, he’d be able to manage his illness long enough to figure out whether or not he was right.

He could do this.



Upon actually reaching the Institute, his search proved even more fruitful than he’d thought it would. Somehow, he’d managed to not run into or think too hard about Rover, dedicating his mind to the task at hand. What he’d discovered was that the Voidmatter spikes around Hyvatia were artificially created. It reminded him far too much of the Voidworm lure that Lynae had hacked into, that the Fractsidus had created.

The cherry on top, was that Anslem had been found unconscious nearby. Luuk wasn’t… one hundred percent sure that Anslem had been replaced, but…

This situation smelled of the Grand Architect. They had to be somewhere nearby.

“Dr. Herssen, I really can’t remember anything…” Anslem trailed off, nerves evident. He seemed lost, confused… And Luuk could empathize. It seemed he was telling the truth.

“Relax. President Lucilla has already cleared you of suspicion.” He lied, and he could see when Anslem’s shoulders dropped with relief. “You could say I’m just here as a bit of… extra protection. Call it a safety measure.”

“… A doctor? You don’t seem like the fighting type.” Anslem frowned. Luuk just shrugged.

“Who said one can’t do both?” He replied. “But I did have one specific question for you. Before you passed out, who did you see?” He asked, carefully ignoring the scratch of his abused throat as his words dragged upon it. He would not devolve into a coughing fit here.

Before Anslem could answer, a cheery researcher passed by, happily informing them maintenance had been completed. His demeanor struck Luuk as odd, but he filed that feeling away for later.

“Who is that…?” Anslem asked, and Luuk narrowed his eyes at the retreating figure. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter.” He muttered, and Luuk refocused. “No one else seems to believe me when I say this, but if you trust me, then… I can tell you that I saw… myself.” He said, clearly disturbed.

Luuk fought not to smile in victory.

Found you.

“I can see where others might brush something like that off. But I believe that nothing is impossible.” He reassured. “Thank you for telling me, Anslem.”

Anslem just nodded, before muttering some excuse and leaving.

Luuk gave a soft sigh, trying to think of his next move. Before he could, his breath caught in his throat, his shattered lungs spasming as he fought down a coughing fit, muffling it with a closed fist.

By some miracle, he managed to swallow down the worst of it.

Just when he thought he was in the clear, a voice sounded behind him.

“My, my. Aren’t you supposed to be on medical leave, Dr. Herssen?” Lucilla asked, and Luuk turned around somewhat nervously. He put on a smile to hide it.

“Just thought I’d get some fresh air, that’s all.” He said, and he could immediately tell that Lucilla didn’t buy it, as she raised a single eyebrow at him.

“At the sight of a major investigation?” She asked. “Sounds more like you wanted a piece of the action. Considering who is suspected to be behind this, I’m not surprised you’re here. Disappointed, maybe, but not surprised.” She sighed. Luuk just laughed a bit awkwardly.

“I guess I just couldn’t stand the same walls of my house any longer. This, at least, gives me something to do.” He shrugged. Lucilla paused for a moment, before she sighed.

“I’m guessing you won’t be convinced to return to your house for rest?” She asked. Luuk carefully didn’t answer, knowing anything he said would be a lie. She sighed again.

“Perhaps you should head up to the surface. See what you can find up there. I know it’s been a while since you visited.” She suggested, and Luuk could tell she was trying to subtly nudge him away from all the chaos.

“Of course, Madam President.” He said graciously. He’d gotten what he needed down here anyways. Lucilla just rolled her eyes.

“No need to be so formal. Go enjoy some snow. …Do I have to make that an order?” She joked. Luuk found himself chuckling softly.

“No. No, I’ll head up for a break. Rest assured.” He promised.

“Good. You shouldn’t have even come all the way out here.” She huffed. Luuk just laughed.

“We both know it was inevitable, Madam President.”

Lucilla just hummed noncommittally.





Rover stared at the core in his hand, as he was about to board the Riseway. He was sitting on a bench, waiting for the train to arrive. But even with all the things about Aemeath…

His mind kept wandering back to Dr. Luuk.

He’d stopped by the infirmary once Professor Mornye had woken up. Only to find that a doctor he didn’t recognize was there, caring for the students in Dr. Luuk’s stead. When he’d asked where Luuk had gone, N.A.N.A. hadn’t given him many details. Just a strange, non-answer that he was simply unavailable.

Then he’d begun to notice the rumors.

“Did you hear? Dr. Herssen is on medical leave. How strange is that?”

“I guess all those years of never getting sick has caught up to him.” 

“I heard that he’s terribly ill. Like, deathly so. Why do you think they replaced him so quickly?”

“Oh, please. All anyone saw was him coughing a bit.”

“Yes, coughing so hard he had to hide in an empty classroom for an hour.” 

Rover had stopped listening after that. He wondered just what was going on-

But he barely knew the man. It wasn’t his place to pry.

Still, it all sat unsettling in his stomach, like a bitter medicine. But rumors were just that: rumors. He was sure that the student body was blowing things out of proportion, as they tended to do.

Here was what he knew:

Dr. Luuk seemed like more of a private man. He hid when he was in pain, and always had the same easy smile on his face. Even when, hidden in the little details, he was clearly upset that Rover didn’t remember him. Rover was sure that Luuk had known him before- So even though that must have hurt, Luuk had still acted as though everything was fine. He could have simply been masking that he was ill at all- That didn’t have to mean anything about the severity.

Secondly, was what one of the older students had said. “All anyone saw was him coughing a bit.” The idea that he was deathly ill came out of nowhere- And given how apparently Luuk never got sick, maybe he just wasn’t used to it, and needed time to recover.

Third, for any length of time, Rover knew the infirmary couldn’t be without a doctor. That was why they’d found a temporary replacement.

He let out a deep breath as the train pulled forward.

He was worried about nothing. He had to be.

 

Stepping out of the train, he was met with frigid air, snow falling gently from the sky. It was refreshing, and oh-so beautiful.

“Cold?” Aemeath asked him, leaning forward with a cheeky air.

“Not really. You?” He shrugged.

“Between you and me, ghosts can’t feel the cold.” She whispered, leaning in conspiratorially. Rover cracked a smile at that. “The snow… it’s so beautiful.” She said, echoing his earlier sentiments.

“That it is.” He hummed. Out of the corner of his eye, a flash of golden yellow caught his attention. Glancing over, he realized that it was none other than Luuk, walking through the station.

“Oh! That’s Dr. Luuk!” Aemeath exclaimed. “I heard some of the students talking about a medical leave. What’s he doing here?” She asked.

“I don’t know.” Rover frowned. “Maybe the students were wrong.” He tried.

“Yeah, everyone knows how crazy rumors can get.” She shrugged. “If you’re gonna go say hi, you’ll have to pretend like I’m not here. Otherwise you’ll look crazy, talking to thin air.” She joked.

“Noted.” He said, walking away as she whispered something to the little Soliskin following them.

“Dr. Herssen!” He called, and he swore he could see a flinch be suppressed in real time. Luuk simply turned to him as though nothing had happened, an easy smile on his face. “I haven’t seen you around campus lately.” Rover continued.

“Ah, yes. I’ve been on a bit of a personal leave. Had some things to take care of.” Luuk responded. Rover sighed internally at that in relief. Seems the rumors likely were just rumors.

“It’s good to see you. What are you doing up here?” Rover asked, and out of the corner of his eye he could see Aemeath stepping up to stand beside him.

“Oh, nothing in particular. Just figured some fresh, crisp air might be good for me.” Luuk said, that same soft smile on his face. “Headed up to see the Exostrider?”

Rover nodded. “I’ve got some things to investigate up here. You know the area well?” He asked, and he could almost see Luuk’s smile falter.

“I do. Looking for a guide?”

“That I am. Since you know the area well, mind showing me around?” Rover asked. Luuk gave a soft, barely-there sigh, almost fondly.

“Alright then. Before we set off, allow me to make some adjustments to your bike. There are quite a few waterways along the way, and it may not handle them well as it is.” Luuk offered, and Rover raised an eyebrow.

“You know how to modify bikes?”

“You pick up a few things when you’re up here as often as I am.” Luuk chuckled. Rover simply summoned his bike, and Luuk began to mess with it. He swore he heard him stifle a cough, though he could have been clearing his throat.

“Oh, I used to love riding! My friends even called me the Speed Queen! Though that was usually while they were white-knuckling the seat and screaming.” Aemeath chuckled, while Luuk worked. “Though… are we sure he’s alright?” She asked.

So she noticed, too. Something’s… off, about him. Given how little I know him, it’s hard to tell… But my gut is telling me something’s wrong. He thought to himself. He didn’t respond out loud, but he subtly shook his head while Luuk couldn’t see.

“Listen carefully to his voice next time he speaks. It’s all… scratched up. Like he really is sick.” Aemeath frowned audibly.

“Alright.” Luuk said, before standing up, dusting his hands off. “All finished. Why not give it a go?” He asked, motioning to the bike.

And Aemeath was right. His voice was rough, like he’d been… coughing. It matched what little the students had seen, but… Surely not a little cough could have done any damage to his voice? What if it was something more?

Before Luuk could become concerned with his silence, Rover moved forward, looking over the new devices added.

“Looks pretty nice. Should get us there no problem.” He said in approval. “How about on the way, you can tell me a bit about Lahai-Roi’s history? I’m afraid I don’t know much when it comes to the Exostrider.” He said awkwardly. Luuk’s smile faltered a little, and Rover almost felt bad asking him to speak when his voice was clearly suffering. But the smile returned as quickly as it had faltered, and Luuk nodded.

“Of course. Shall we get going?” He asked.

“He’s hiding something.” Aemeath said.

“I know.” Rover whispered under his breath, moving to follow Luuk onto the bike.

 

Luuk sat collapsed behind the door of an off-shoot room, having closed it behind him. He’d made some excuse about checking the computer systems in here, before slipping away. He hadn’t even made it to a bin of some sort before he had doubled over, coughing up flowers and blood.

They’d made it through the ice tunnels, through most of the ship by now. Luuk had just barely managed to hide how sick he was, how every climb had him muffling his gasps for breath, how his checks on the “server rooms” had just been excuses to hide away coughing up flowers.

He couldn’t do this for much longer. This trip- This trip might genuinely be the death of him.

Rover was so kind and earnest, clearly worried about Luuk after his sudden disappearance. Worried because maybe he had an idea of what was going on. Worried for him. And yet- It still wasn’t quite the same as it used to be. It was and it wasn’t, in all the right ways to make it hurt.

Luuk stared at the spray of gold on the floor in front of him, the fully-grown blooms on the ground, soaked in his blood. Those beautiful flowers were almost mocking him, saying look. Look at what is so close, yet so out of reach.

His throat burned. Every time he returned from a ‘server room’, his voice became rougher and rougher. The concern in Rover’s eyes grew. He couldn’t get away with it for much longer- Soon Rover would come knocking, wanting to know what was wrong.

And Luuk-

He couldn’t tell him. Rover had done so much to leave his past behind. Luuk could not be the one to take that away from him. Even if he didn’t understand, even if it hurt like nothing else- He just couldn’t.

So he swallowed down the pain, the petals, the blood.

He forced himself to stand. He wiped his face clean with a spare strip of bandages, before discarding it, using Spectro to burn away the remains of his little episode.

He took a shallow, steadying breath, and walked back outside.

He would make it to the end of this trip. He had to.

Just before he could return to where he remembered Rover and Nivora had been waiting, he found just Rover waiting for him, a grim look on his face. He was leaned against the wall, arms folded as he stared at the floor.

“Luuk.” He said, his voice quiet. “Can we talk?”

A little surprised, Luuk simply put on a smile. “Of course.” He said, forced to clear his throat after the words. “What’s wrong?”

Rover just sighed after a long moment, clearly searching for his words. Luuk noticed that Nivora was nowhere to be found, likely searching through a databank somewhere back in the main hall. He had come down a series of hallways, trying to hide away as far as he could to avoid discovery.

“You said you were taking some personal time off, right?” Rover asked, pulling Luuk out of his musings. Luuk nodded, and Rover continued. “There had been rumors circling around campus that it was a medical leave. And I figured it was just students exaggerating and spreading gossip, but…” He trailed off, before looking up at Luuk with concerned eyes. “You really are sick, aren’t you?” He asked softly.

Luuk’s eyes widened as dread pierced through his heart. “I…” He began, before trailing off. “Maybe. But it’s nothing to worry about.” He tried. “Trust me, I’m a doctor. I know my limits.”

Rover didn’t look convinced, only staring at him with sad eyes.

“Luuk. Be real with me.” He said, and the false smile faded from Luuk’s face. “Your voice is shot, likely from coughing. There’s-” He cut himself off, suddenly choked, before he reached out towards Luuk’s collar. “There’s blood on your shirt. Because somehow I know yours is gold.” He said, and Luuk nearly choked as he pulled his hand away.

“And you’re so pale. You look like death, Luuk. So just- please be honest with me.” He spoke, his voice thick with emotion. And Luuk just- couldn’t take that.

“I… am sick.” Luuk confirmed. “I came up here because I…” He trailed off, unable to meet Rover’s eyes.

“…I wanted to see the snow one last time.” He said, voice near a whisper. He could hear Rover’s breath catch.

“It’s that bad?” He asked. Luuk could only nod. “The rumors had said so, but-” He cut himself off, and Luuk gave a bitter laugh.

“That part likely was just speculation. I made sure to keep everything under wraps.”

“Still… they don’t even know they’re right.” Rover muttered. Luuk just sighed, shaking his head.

“It’s alright. I’ve made my peace with it.” He said, attempting to move past Rover to walk back to the main area. Rover’s hand caught his wrist, and he had to stifle a sudden cough.

“Luuk.” He said, his voice practically begging. “There has to be something you can do.”

Luuk’s mind went back to the talk of surgery, of forgetting. That his body may not survive. He shook his head.

“I’m afraid there’s not.” He said, before his scratchy throat ripped another small cough out of him. “No choices I’m willing to make.” He muttered, once he’d recovered. Rover went silent at that, and Luuk got the distinct feeling he’d said something wrong.

A moment passed, before Rover spoke.

“It’s Hanahaki, isn’t it?” He said softly.

“I- What makes you say that?” Luuk said as he turned around sharply, feeling rather like he’d been caught.

“Your voice is destroyed… like you’ve been coughing up more than just blood. And the mention of choices you’re ‘willing’ to make… You don’t want to forget whoever it is, do you? And you don’t think that they…” He trailed off, his voice sad. And once again, Rover was so close yet so out of reach. So unaware it was him that Luuk had fallen for.

Luuk shook his head. “Like I said. I’ve made my peace with it.”

“There has to be something you can do.” Rover pressed, still holding on to Luuk’s wrist with a desperate grip, his face twisted with pain. “I know what you said, but- Is confessing really not an option?”

Luuk sighed, the action pulling at his chest.

“The person I love is already long gone.” He said softly, turning away again. He couldn’t bear to look Rover in the eyes right then, scared of what he’d see. Rover’s hand disappeared from his wrist, and Luuk closed his eyes as pain snaked through his chest.

“When we met, back at the infirmary… you seemed surprised that I didn’t recognize you. You seemed… hurt.” Rover said, and Luuk’s eyes squeezed further shut as his chest constricted, his breath stuttering.

“It’s me, isn’t it? The me from the past.” Rover said quietly, his voice mournful from behind Luuk. With a short, steadying breath, Luuk opened his eyes again to stare at the floor.

“Like I said. The person I love is long gone.” He rasped.

“But I’m right here!” Rover suddenly shouted, and Luuk flinched at the hurt in his tone, squeezing his eyes shut as if he could block it all out.

“Look at me, Luuk.” Rover said, his voice choked with emotion. “I’m right here. Please- You don’t have to keep- torturing yourself like this.” He begged. Luuk’s face twisted with pain as emotions and flowers alike swelled within his chest. He swallowed roughly.

“…And what else would you have me do?” Luuk asked softly, after a long moment. Rover stayed quiet, a shaky breath escaping him like he was trying not to cry. Luuk stifled a cough into his hand at the idea of being the one to hurt him, the one to make him feel like that-

As he forced himself to recover, Rover began to speak again.

“The more I get to know you…” He began softly, “The more it feels like falling back into old habits. It’s… familiar. Welcome.” He said, and Luuk’s chest stuttered once more. Finally, he turned around to look back at Rover. There were tears in those gorgeous golden eyes, as Rover stood there looking rather helpless.

“I don’t know how I truly felt about you before, but… something tells me I cared about you. Far more than just a friend.” Rover said, and now it was Luuk’s turn to tear up. He didn’t want to hear this, didn’t want to- to drag Rover back into a past he’d left behind. Rover stepped forwards, coming closer and gently taking hold of one of Luuk’s hands.

“I may not remember our past. But that doesn’t have to mean anything. You’re incredible, Luuk- Something inside of me still feels so drawn to you even after losing all of my memories. I feel like I’ve found something I’ve been missing this whole time. And just the idea of losing you to something like this is-” He cut himself off, voice choked and unable to continue as tears slipped down his face.

With his free hand, Rover carefully cradled the back of Luuk’s neck, pulling him in to rest their foreheads together. Luuk’s eyes squeezed shut as a breathless sob escaped him, selfishly relishing in the contact, the proximity. His legs threatened to give out beneath him, and Rover carefully guided them both to the floor, staying ever-so-close all the while.

“Maybe I already do love you.” Rover whispered, his voice wet. Luuk raised his free hand to desperately grasp at Rover’s arm, the hand still resting at the back of Luuk’s neck.

“I can’t bear the thought of watching you waste away like this. So will you give me a chance? Please?” Rover begged. And Luuk couldn’t stop the tears from flowing, slipping down his face as he silently cried.

Rover just held him closer, squeezing his hand reassuringly and pressing their foreheads together in comfort. Luuk just sobbed, relief and mourning all wrapped up together.

They stayed like that for a while, silent comfort and proximity, relishing in each others’ presence as they both cried.

“It’s okay,” Rover murmured over and over again, even as a few stray tears slipped down his own face. “I’m here.”

And somewhere along the way, something in Luuk’s chest began to loosen.

Finally, Luuk’s tears began to slow, and he slipped his head into the crook of Rover’s shoulder. Rover’s hands easily moved to embrace him, to hold him close.

“Tell me about the past.” Rover asked, his voice reverent. “Tell me about us. About you. I want to hear it all.”

Luuk shifted somewhat, as he gave a wet laugh.

“Our past is- Nothing special, really. I’m just the idiot who fell in love.” He said. And oh, how freeing it was to say it out loud, to lift the weight from his shoulders.

“Then maybe we’re both idiots.” Rover responded, still holding him close. Still, the mirth faded from Luuk’s face as guilt swirled within him.

“You tried so hard to leave your past behind. To leave- me behind.” He whispered. “How could I take that away from you?”

“This is my choice, Luuk.” Rover said firmly, leaning his head to the side to press softly against Luuk’s. “Please. Allow me to be the one to make it. You’ve done nothing wrong.” He said, his voice gentle. Luuk couldn’t help but curl in closer, seeking out more of Rover’s warmth.

“… Okay.” He said, finally.

He had always acted at Rover’s request in the past. … So what was one more time? This choice, at least, he would allow to be taken from his hands.

After a long moment of silence, Luuk’s tears finally dried. Rover pressed a kiss into Luuk’s hair, gentle and loving. The act almost made tears spring right back into Luuk’s eyes. He felt he didn’t deserve it. After all, if he couldn’t be good enough for Rover to stay in the past… how could he be good enough now?

But he didn’t dwell on the thought. Selfishly, he didn’t want to ruin the moment.

“How are you feeling?” Rover asked, his voice a little nervous. Luuk chanced a deep breath- and found it much easier than it had been just over an hour ago. It was still concerningly wet; bubbling with blood leftover from the wounds torn into his lungs. But the flowers themselves had dissipated. Vanished much like a Tacet Discord upon death. He suspected that the wounds had been healed as well, for the most part. He wasn’t drowning, choking on his own blood, at the very least. Despite how much his chest still ached. But, overall, he was…

“…Better.” Luuk finally replied, his voice still destroyed. “They’re… gone.”

Rover blew out a short breath, a bone-deep relief in the sound. He pulled Luuk closer, holding him tight as if he could keep him there forever.

“That’s… that’s good.” Rover murmured.

Finally, he let go, pulling back to look Luuk in the eyes. In a world full of monochrome, Luuk didn’t think he’d ever get tired of those beautiful golden eyes.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” Rover said finally.

Luuk just nodded. His throat still hurt, his chest still hurt… and all the effort and emotion of the day had him thoroughly wrung out. They still had to go back to where Nivora was and continue through the station, but Luuk just… wanted to lie down and rest for a while.

“It’ll take a while for rescue to find us. We can always come back and explore more later. It’s been sitting for this long- I doubt a day or two more would hurt.” Rover noted, as observant as ever. “You should get some rest. Your mind and body both have been through a lot today.” He suggested, worry sparkling in his eyes as he looked at Luuk.

Luuk dragged a hand over his face, trying to force himself awake.

“I’m alright.” He tried, before Rover spoke up again.

“I know, but… please?” He asked. “It would put my mind at ease.” He added. And well… Luuk couldn’t argue with that, now could he?

With a sigh, Luuk nodded tiredly. “Alright. You win.” He said.

“Thank you, Luuk.” Rover smiled. And Luuk knew he would do anything for that smile. “There should be bunks where the staff slept somewhere around here. Not sure if that would be included in a visitor’s tour, but… we can always try.” He offered.

Standing up, he offered a hand to Luuk.

The blonde easily took up, pulling himself up off of the floor with Rover’s help.

Their hands remained clasped together, even as they walked back towards the main area. The contact put a warm feeling right in Luuk’s chest, and suddenly he never wanted to let go.

“When this is all over…” Rover suddenly said, his voice quiet as they walked through the hall. “Would you like to come on my travels with me?” He asked.

And well… Luuk didn’t care about anything else in that moment.

“Of course. Wherever you go, I would happily follow.” He said, and he meant every word.

Rover shifted, taking hold of Luuk’s collar before suddenly Luuk was being pulled down.

All at once, there were lips on his own, and Rover was kissing him. Rover’s hand briefly shifted to Luuk’s chest, so he could push him backwards. Once he had Luuk where he wanted, his hand moved back upwards to cradle Luuk’s face.

Luuk couldn’t help but return the desperate kisses, filled with emotion and longing. Suddenly, he’d forgotten how tired he was in favor of Rover’s lips on his own.

Backed up against the wall, his fingers intertwined with Rover’s, Luuk felt like there was nothing else he needed in the world at that moment.

Luuk’s hand came to rest on Rover’s hip, as Rover pulled him in ever closer. There was a hunger in him, like he just couldn’t get enough. Luuk easily responded in kind, kissing back in a way he hadn’t done in quite a long time.

Luuk was sure his mouth still tasted of blood. But if Rover didn’t care, then neither did he.

Rover tilted his head, deepening the kiss in a maddening way. Luuk suppressed a groan at the action, shifting his hand from Rover’s hip to pull him even closer.

Finally, Rover pulled away, his breathing heavy. Luuk’s chest hurt with how hard he was breathing, but the sensation was nothing new. No, he wanted more.

“Come on.” Rover said, a little breathless. “Lets get back to the others.” Rover said, nodding towards the doorway just around the corner.

“You…” Luuk began, still catching his breath. “Are terrible.” He said, though he was smiling.

Rover hummed, a smile on his face. “But you love me, don’t you?”

Luuk hummed, leaning in for just one more short kiss.

“Very much so.” He said, once he’d pulled away.

Rover hummed.. “I love you too. I know that now.” He said, and something warm swelled in Luuk’s chest.
 
 “Will you stay with me while I sleep?” Luuk asked, feeling the exhaustion creep up on him once more.
 
 “Of course.” Rover replied easily. 
 
 Luuk’s breath caught on his next inhale, and he found himself in a coughing fit once more. Rover cursed, before moving to hold him up as he doubled over, hacking up clotted blood like it was mucus.
 
 Finally, he gave one more heaving cough, before the last of it was expelled from his lungs. 
 
 He stared at his glove with mild disgust, before burning most of the blood away with Spectro just like he’d done earlier. The stain remained, but he could wash that out. At least, this way, it was… mostly dried.
 
 “You okay?” Rover asked, concern in those beautiful eyes. Luuk nodded.
 
 “I think… that was the last of it.” He rasped. 
 
 Rover leaned down, pressing his ear to Luuk’s chest to listen to his breathing. After a moment, his shoulders sagged with relief, and he stood back up.
 
 “All clear.” He said. Luuk nodded.
 
 “That’s a relief.” He said, before the last of the adrenaline faded away and he once again could feel the tiredness dragging him down.
 
 “Come on. Let’s go get some rest.” Rover offered, slipping his hand back into Luuk’s and pulling him forwards.
 
 Luuk followed him through the station, back to the main hall where the situation was explained to Nivora (and… someone else? Perhaps there was someone Luuk couldn’t see. He wouldn’t put it past Rover’s exceptional abilities.), where they sifted through station maps to find the bunk areas.
 
 Once it was found, all three of them left. Nivora had promised to keep watch for Tacet Discords, while Rover and Luuk rested. Luuk had attempted to protest, but… Rover had simply squeezed his hand, silently telling him it would be fine.
 
 Before he knew it, he was curled up in a station cot, with Rover by his side. A blanket had been draped over them both, and Luuk’s eyes were slowly drifting shut.
 
 He felt one last kiss be pressed to his lips, and then he finally fell asleep.