Work Text:
The sound of stone scraping against metal scratched his skull in ways that he had not felt since he was alive. It was a horrid noise to most, but Abolish preferred a sharper sword than a blunt one. So, his hand scraped the stone against the blade of his sword, the grating and scratching noise filling the room. He had to be prepared. Always, constantly. Anyone could attack at any point, even those he called allies. He needed to be prepared, and so he would be. With a sharpened sword and stronger armour, he was at least somewhat more prepared than before. Fights would not be kept to the arena, and even if they were, the time between each fight would surely get shorter. Early preparation would be his best chance, even if he kept his stronger preparation hidden away from everyone else.
He set the chunk of granite back down onto the surface when he deemed his sword sharp enough, placed with a silent movement, a practised hand. He sheathed the weapon once more, unwilling to share that it was newly sharpened and freshly crafted to his enemies and “allies” alike. This was all a game for the gods, so he needed to keep his cards to himself, even if he had to create allies to not be all against one. His feet carried him towards the door, slipping out and onto the hot magma, which warmed his feet comfortably. Alas, he could not stand outside his door forever.
His plans for today were begrudgingly uninteresting, as he had been (albeit playfully) banned from the mines by his allies, so he could not gather supplies he needed for better gear. As a replacement, he was likely to take a walk around, finding where his “allies” were based and see how they were doing (he would not offer his tools unless dire, though). He knew where Cleo was, and doubted that the satyr would appreciate his company at the moment (as if they ever properly appreciated his company… but panicked creatures do enjoy being isolated, after all). He didn’t truly view anyone else as his ally, but he thought he should check out where Nobody, Drift and Shelby were - and perhaps Nikos too.
Nikos was… an interesting case. After the whole situation with Apo, they seemed to be in the same boat: they wanted that little bird to lose her wings. However, aside from that? Nikos was loud, boisterous, and overly obnoxious with everything he did. Something which was a complete contrast to Abolish. Something he did not know how to live alongside or appreciate. Though… he was strong, and he was useful, so Abolish would keep him around (at least, for now).
Abolish decided on heading towards the bridge. He knew he would not get across it, but it was a direction he had yet to explore in terms of finding his allies. He would simply avoid it, pushing past to elsewhere. He would simply ignore the people on that bri-
“Abolish!” Oh gods. Hephaestus, save him. “Abolish, hey- wait up! I got a message I promised to deliver!”
“What?” He begrudgingly stopped his strides, turning to face the man who pursued him with that stupidly fast flying and the double-jumping madness.
“I- ah- hang on!” Sausage smiled, digging through his pocket for a small scrap of paper, unfolding it. He cleared his throat, smiling. “Nikos wanted me to tell you: ‘I have been looking for you for a while, pretty one, but you keep escaping me! Come, head up towards the mountain and come and find me! If you need help finding me, ask Pearl or the other pretty one-’ meaning Scott, assumedly, ‘-and they can help you out!’ So, yeah!” Hearing the Champion of Hermes mimic Nikos’s accent was almost amusing.
“...Thank you, Sausage.”
“Glad to be of service!”
Abolish found himself sighing, fingers slipping through his hair as he thought. “Hey, Sausage. Do you know where Pearl or Scott are?”
“Scott? No clue. Pearl’s on the bridge! Do you want me to get her?”
He nodded. It was begrudging, but if Nikos wanted to see him so desperately he got the Champion of Hermes to give him a message, it had to be serious. Thus, he would talk to the Champion of Nyx, just to see if she would be any help to him.
“Alrighty! I will go and get her. Stay right there.”
Abolish had half the mind to move just a step, just to see if he would notice. Alas, he didn’t. He found no need to, not really. It was petty to step across, so he didn’t. Instead, he watched the bridge from where he was. He could see Apo giving him a glare from the other side of it, with Owen standing at her side, but he gave them no mind. Apo was rightfully pissed, and he was still irritated with her. It was a smart trick, and he could admire her for that, but he would not, could not like her. Owen seemed fine, although their conversations had been fleeting at best. He watched as Sausage practically skipped over to them, talking rather animatedly and loudly. It was almost freeing to see how glad he was to be serving his god’s purpose and being a messenger, just like his god. Apo seemed to respond almost idly, not really caring. It was then that Pearl appeared behind Sausage, making him jump slightly before giggling and going back to the animated way of talk he had. He was sure that the Champion of Hermes had gestured to him at least ten times in the last two minutes, and he was sure his brain was screaming at him to move and get out of the spotlight.
Alas, he did not move, instead watching the way that the Champion of Nyx walked so steadily alongside the Champion of Hermes, with the Champion of Morpheus’s eyes still locked onto him. He did not care, could not care. He simply needed to find Nikos, to find what that boisterous man could want from him.
“Abolish,” Pearl greeted, keeping a distance from him as she spoke. Or well, trying to as Sausage pushed her closer before slipping off (in case she tried to retaliate). “Sausage mentioned you were looking for me.”
“It was less looking for you, but more wanting knowledge you have.”
“Oh?”
“I’m sure you heard Nik-”
“Nikos is looking for you and wants you to go to his camp, yes. I could’ve heard it from halfway across this place.”
“Would you mind telling me where he’s staying?”
“Why don’t I just show you?”
“Wasn’t sure your allies would be okay with that, everything considered.”
“My allies can cope with me talking to another person outside of our alliance, even if one of them absolutely despises your guts.”
Abolish smiled slightly at that. She had guts, and honour, and he could respect her for that.
Pearl took off walking in a direction, and Abolish followed closely behind, with distance for at least two other champions to walk between them once they eventually fell into step side-by-side. There was a silent, mutual agreement that if either of them tried anything, the other would not hesitate to retaliate. It was pleasant, really. Not having to worry too much about an enemy trying to attack you, and instead simply walking side by side, feeling the subtle breeze against your body, hands resting by your sides rather than clutching your weapons.
They had been walking for what Abolish could assume was about ten minutes in pure silence, until Pearl spoke up again.
“Do you know why Nikos wants to see you?”
“Not particularly,” he answered, fingers running through his hair (that was a habit he needed to stop). “I know he was probably the one to convince my allies to ban me from more mining today, but other than that, no clue.”
“I won’t spoil the surprise, then.”
“You know?”
“Of course I do. He’s my ally, and so he told me when he came over to the bridge looking for you. Apparently, he’s checked your home multiple times and you’ve just not been there. Probably why they banned you from the cave, so you’d actually be there.”
“I don’t stay in one location for too long.”
“That’s obvious enough,” she smiled, looking over to him. “The amount of times people have come to us being like ‘Oh, guys, have you seen Abolish? I need to speak to him, and I have not seen him since like three days ago!’ You’re like a legend at points, as though you barely exist.”
“I’m preparing for the worst.”
“I don’t doubt it, but try to socialise a bit more-”
“-I do my best-”
“-or don’t. It doesn’t matter to me either way. The more isolated you are, the better it is for me.”
“I don’t doubt that.”
Her laughter filled the void of silence, yet Abolish did not feel as threatened as someone like Drift would’ve. He’d fought before, he could fight again. This threat meant nothing to him, not really. He could take them in a fight. He could take her in a fight. She continued laughing as they started walking up the mountainside, before supposedly deciding laughing was taking too much of her breath and abruptly stopping. For someone attempting to be so terrifying, she wasn’t doing that bad of a job, all things considered.
“So… I’m hoping you don’t have any plans for the day?”
“I mean, I was going to be- wait, why?”
“Don’t worry, Champion of Hephaestus. I just know Nikos has plans for you that could take a while.”
“I can’t tell whether that’s you saying he’s going to torture me or he’s going to fuck me.”
“Why not both?”
“...No thanks.”
“I mean, fair enough. I’m sure you’d-”
“Do not finish that sentence.” Her giggles interrupted his words. Despite his hatred for one of her allies, Pearl was not half-bad to hang around. “Besides, I’m sure he’s seeking me out for more important reasons.”
“Uh-huh. Whatever floats your boat.”
Abolish sighed at that. Whatever Nikos had planned, it was surely about to be something. Yet, as Pearl gestured him over to a spot, he found himself almost impressed. She pushed him forward, allowing him to have a proper look at the area. Nikos’s camp was slightly below where they were, but the area they were standing was… almost ethereal. There was a blanket, red and white, sitting against the soft grass, a small basket laying on top of it. There were posts around, with lanterns hanging from them, likely for when it got dark. Cushions and blankets adorned the area, with both his usual colours (of red, black and gold) along with Nikos’s (of yellow, black and blue) intertwining at every little convenience. The view from here was spectacular, allowing for them to see what felt like the entire world beneath him. The obnoxious man Abolish was here for was pacing back and forth nearer the edge, eyes scanning the surroundings as though awaiting his appearance. His hair was thrown up into some form of messy bun, and his clothes looked far newer. Had he spent time crafting new clothes to wear, just so he looked more presentable? What were his intentions here? Regardless, the flowers that sat around the blanket swayed in the breeze, and the clouds seemed to part on command, allowing the sun to break through into the sky.
Upon seeing all of this, two thoughts immediately flooded his mind:
1. Nikos could not have done this alone.
2. All of the champions had to be in on this and wanted him to take a break (even if begrudgingly from some parties).
A third tried to creep its way to intertwine with the other thoughts, but it was one he almost immediately shut down.
When he turned back around, Pearl was nowhere to be seen. He guessed he was doing this, then. Abolish took a step forward, clearing his throat slightly. He watched as the Champion of Zeus jumped slightly, before tugging at his clothes to feel more presentable. He then turned to Abolish, a smile on his face.
“Pretty one! You made it!”
“Somehow, yeah.”
“Come sit, come sit.” He grinned, sitting basically in the middle of the blanket, thus requiring Abolish to be close to him no matter where he sat. The gladiator sighed, sitting on the corner of the blanket closest to him, watching as the Champion of Zeus’s smile somehow got even wider. It looked almost as though it hurt to be smiling that much. “So, you’ve been working really hard. And we all thought you need a break-”
The Champion of Hephaestus sighed, moving to get up, “I really don’t. I appreciate the sen-”
“Abolish.” Nikos sounded pissed, with a hint of almost upset. “Stay for just a bit longer. I want to- I got food.”
“...What food?”
“Bread, meat, the usual. The pretty one even made soup for us.”
“The… pretty one?”
“The blue one!”
“Scott, got it.”
“Yes! Well, I have soup, and I have food, and I decorated this place for us.”
Abolish found himself sighing, leaning back on his arms. “Fine. I’ll stay. None of the others are-”
“We’re going to be left alone, don’t worry!”
“...That feels as though it should be concerning.”
“Don’t worry, pretty one. We’ll be alright.”
Abolish (begrudgingly) relaxed back on his arms, watching as Nikos moved towards the basket. He tugged out a couple bowls, along with a ceramic flask which he was sure Scott had made (because as much as he loved liked Nikos, that man was too heavy handed to make anything as fragile as a ceramic flask). He poured the somewhat lukewarm soup into the bowls, along with a small roll of bread he seemed to have made. Abolish found himself muttering a small “thank you” under his breath, before dipping the bread into the soup and taking a bite. He had to admit, this was rather good. The soup seemed to just be a mix of the vegetables and some of the meat (chicken, he thinks) that they found around here, but he couldn’t find it in himself to complain. Hot food was better than cold food. Any food was better than none.
He found himself enjoying the food and the sunlight, finally oblivious to his surroundings for once. Or, well, as oblivious as he could be as a seasoned gladiator. Alas, he did noticed as Nikos shifted slightly closer, and as Nikos dug through the bag for more bread when Abolish finished his roll. It was a sweet gesture, but Abolish’s mind was running through what the ulterior motives could be behind this. Was Nikos feeding him before killing him? Was his fears going to come to fruition and everyone using this to have him in one place and attack him?
Well, he thought that.
Until Nikos’s hand laid atop his own, thumb tracing the back of it gently.
What.
His body instinctively tensed up, eyes darting over to the Champion of Zeus. Nikos looked almost guilty, his eyes filled with worry and he pulled away. Something with Abolish’s brain panicked, grabbing Nikos’s hand back. He didn’t know what he was doing, but he grabbed it, calloused hands intertwining. Abolish refused to look at Nikos, however. Nikos’s hands were cold, the calloused and scarred skin pressed against his own, and yet the touch was soft, oddly so.
“We don’t have to hold hands if you don’t want to, pretty one.” Nikos spoke quietly, eyes clearly trained onto Abolish’s figure. The Champion of Hephaestus did not respond. “I won’t let go unless you want me to, but I need you to tell me what you want, pretty one.”
“...I’ve never had this before.”
“What?”
“It’s… new. It’s weird. I don’t- It’s nice, and it feels vulnerable.”
“It’s alright. Do you want me to let go?”
“No.” He answered almost too quickly for his liking. “Don’t let go.”
“I won’t.”
Nikos kept to his word. He let go ever so slightly, but still kept a point of contact. He shifted their hands, laying Abolish’s hand on his thigh, before tracing over each and every part of the skin with his thumb, gently, carefully. (Abolish didn’t understand why he felt so warm and why this felt so nice and right, but he didn’t want it to stop.) He then moved to trace further down, moving from his palm, to his wrist, and the start of his forearm. The feeling of fingers against his skin was nice, far too nice. He wasn’t supposed to indulge in these niceties, not in a death game like this one. He was going to lose him soon enough, so he should not get attached. Yet, he felt a hand land into his hair and he practically melted, head instinctively falling and landing on Nikos’s shoulder. He heard a small chuckle from the Champion of Zeus, and he let out a small noise (it was something like a whine, but he would deny it until the end of their world).
“I’m sorry,” he muttered through giggles, “just never thought I’d see you so vulnerable and relaxed. It’s nice.”
“Shut up.” Abolish muttered back, face buried in his shoulder. “Just- I’ve not had the luxury of any of this before.”
“Hm?”
“Touch. Nobody’s really… I never really got to experience touch. I was a soldier, not something soft. I didn’t deserve it.”
Nikos hummed slightly, almost instinctively tugging him closer. “You do deserve it, pretty one. You deserve the world of touch, and I will give it to you.”
“I don’t-”
“Shush. Shut up, pretty one. You do deserve the touch. You don’t have to be someone big and strong and emotionless constantly.”
“I- getting attached is only going to get me hurt.”
“I know, but you cannot deprive yourself of those luxuries, not now.”
Abolish didn’t respond, burying his face further into Nikos’s shoulder.
For once, the Champion of Zeus was silent, hands still partially intertwined. Abolish felt Nikos’s other hand move within his hair, practically scratching against his scalp. He didn’t hate it. His body went practically limp at that touch, skin touching Nikos’s more than he had ever known before. It was nice, and he hated how nice he felt. He didn’t hear laughter this time, just a hum of acceptance before he was practically manhandled. He was gently picked up and placed into the other’s lap, face still buried in his neck, hands still touching. Or well, their hands remained touching until Nikos moved it, placing it against his cheek instead. He almost immediately leant into the touch, eyes shutting naturally for once. It felt weird to not be so on guard, but Abolish couldn’t find it within himself to hate it. Even if this went against everything he knew.
After a moment, Nikos tilted Abolish’s head up to look at him, calloused skin brushing against his cheek.
“You’re really touch-starved, huh, pretty one.”
“Touch… starved?”
“Not getting touched for a period of time. Any touch, in fact. Hugs, holding hands, little bits of affection like that.”
Abolish didn’t respond, eyes finding more interest in the carpet than in Nikos’s eyes.
“It’s alright if you are. I’m not about to be one to judge!”
“Shut up.”
“If I shut up, you wouldn’t know where to find me at any point!”
“Your lightning and the horn I gave you?” Abolish smiled slightly. Admittedly, he did find it difficult to be cocky with his face pressed into Nikos’s hand and… well, sitting on his lap.
“True, true, but neither of them are as nice as my voice and my dashing personality.”
“Obnoxious voice and dramatic personality, more like.”
The gasp Nikos let out almost made Abolish giggle. “Obnoxious? Dramatic? Really? I’m just being friendly and helpful.”
“Sure you are.”
He smiled as Nikos flicked him on the forehead, before being tugged closer, heat rising to his cheeks. “Not so cocky now, are we, pretty one?”
Abolish sighed, attempting to look away. His attempt was met by Nikos’s hand tightening its grip, before pulling him even closer. It wasn’t long before he felt lips against his own, and Abolish found himself tensing up, before relaxing into the touch. It was nicer than anything else he had experienced, even if it was something he should not be having. This went against the idea of not getting attached, but he was struggling to find it in himself to care, not when he could feel Nikos’s lips against his own, a hand tangled in his hair and scratching against his scalp. If Elysium truly existed, it had to be here. If it was a person, it had to be Nikos. This was better than anything he had ever experienced in life and in death, and he couldn’t find himself wanting to move from this position.
Alas, Nikos eventually pulled back, and Abolish finally felt the way his lungs were burning and craving oxygen. Despite wanting to chase the touch, he didn’t, knowing it would be smarter to let his lungs gain the air they need rather than dying from suffocation or too much carbon dioxide in his system. Nikos’s eyes were soft, his cheeks flushed and his hands shaking slightly.
“Are you okay?” Abolish found himself muttering on instinct.
“Are you?”
“Yeah… Yeah, that was nice. Thank you.”
“Of course, pretty one.”
“Are you okay?”
“Of course. I wanted to make sure I didn’t overstep.”
“I- No. You didn’t.” Abolish spoke, looking him in the eyes. The eye contact was comfortable rather than threatening, and no words were spoken before their lips made contact once more. It was thrilling, yet gentle, and he begrudgingly found a stupid amount of comfort in being held and taken care of by Nikos with this stupid picnic. It was a feeling he would continue to chase, because it was comfortable.
One of Nikos’s hands rested in his hair, while the other held him tight around the waist. Admittedly, he wasn’t entirely sure where to place his hands, so he interlocked his fingers behind Nikos’s neck, arms resting against his collarbone (for once, he wasn’t trying to suffocate, but rather hold). Nikos kissed him softer and far more gently than Abolish expected from a boisterous man like him, but he found himself uncaring of the uniqueness of the situation.
He was quickly caught off guard by the Champion of Zeus pulling away, only to kiss across his face, before falling to kiss his jawline before moving to his neck (he ignored how instinctive it was to tilt his head back to give him more access). It was soft, simple, and yet it was sweet in its own sense. He seemed to care about all of him, and not just the shell of a being he showed to this world. His hands instinctively untied the bun Nikos had his hair in, just to give him something to mess around with, something to hold. The other seemed to chuckle at the action, yet did not stop him nor stop what he himself was doing.
They stayed like this for a bit, Nikos practically worshipping every part of him while Abolish played with his hair and melted into the sensation. It was something he was growing to enjoy, especially as Nikos’s body was warmer than before - likely due to sharing body heat between them, but whatever - so the touches and kisses were far less jarring (and totally not because he was getting used to the vulnerability of being allowed touch).
“So, pretty one,” Nikos eventually broke the silence, arms wrapped around Abolish’s waist. “You enjoying yourself?”
“Begrudgingly, I have to say yes,” he sighed, smiling slightly, “because if I lie and say no, you’re going to say something about me should have said something sooner.”
“That I would!”
“So, yes, Nikos Legundo, I did enjoy this.”
“I’m glad.” He sounded so genuine, a smile on his face that was softer than most. One of his calloused hands moved to cup his cheek, and he melted into the touch, their eyes meeting once more. “I know you’re not big on attachments, pretty one, but I think you’d ought to know this. I love you, Abolish.”
“I-” Abolish paused slightly. His cheeks heated up, but his body tensed. His brain was at war from those three little words that came out of the blue. He thought this was normal. This was love? What about not being attached?
“You don’t have to say anything back-” Nikos started, before Abolish placed a hand over his mouth.
“I- I didn’t know this was what love felt like,” he muttered softly, “but if it is, I love you too, Nikos.”
“Would you… like to maybe be my boyfriend?”
“Labels will get us killed out here.”
“Between us?”
“I’ll be your boyfriend between us.”
“Alright, pretty one.”
So much for not getting attached, Abolish.
…
He didn’t seem to mind this attachment that much, though.