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It was done. They had taken the core out. DJ felt...normal. As normal as one could be when their body was exposed to a magical object for months, he supposed.
"Now what...?" he asked, glancing up as Superfish sent Fidget somewhere else with a flick of his hand.
"I leave. I'll wipe your memory, and then I'll be gone," he answered smoothly, looking elsewhere with an expression the human couldn't quite place.
DJ's eyes widened as he gripped the sleeve of Superfish's suit, making the witch jolt in surprise. "Wha— No! Superfish, I don't want you to leave. I don't want to forget. Please, I need you. You don't under—"
"You don't understand, Dhananjay. I can't stay. This isn't up for discussion, okay? You'll forget I ever existed and you can live a normal, happy life." His eyes felt wet as he spoke. He didn't want to leave, truly, but he had to.
DJ watched in dismay as Superfish raised his hand, teal magic flowing from the tips. His mouth hung open as he made eye contact with the witch, feeling tears streaming down his face, a careful, wet reminder of the emotions he wished he would never have had to face.
As everything went dark, he could hear one voice. One beautiful, silky, melodic voice that haunted his dreams, every day of his life, his thoughts when he tried to do anything. One he would never hear again.
"Goodbye, Dhananjay. Live a good life."
In a field of flowers, there would be one who tries to outshine them all. Some flowers were brushed aside, their brethren having only the stems destroyed; they had been deliberately moved to cause minimal damage, a gentle act.
DJ followed the path, taking in a breath as he came to the end of the trail. On a small, humble patio, a man sat with his back to him, his shoulder-length turquoise hair shining like silk in the unfamiliar field's light.
He took a careful step forward, attempting not to be noticed. The man brought a cup to his lips, about to take a sip when he turned his head slightly. His golden eyes were wide with horror as they locked onto DJ, before the man disappeared in a flash of light.
Slowly, the world crumbled around him. The flowers turned a terrible, bloody red, and the ground fell out from beneath his feet, swallowing him whole. He tried to grab onto something, but he froze in pure terror before he could. His hands were drenched in blood, the same hue as his own. Pain shot through his body, shocking him right to his core.
Screaming and buzzing filled the air around him, flashes of red lightning zipping through the air. Then, an uncomfortable silence. The loudness settled into something eerie, and the world felt still. He floated there for a minute, a void of stars and cosmos around him.
He began to fall — shattered glass filled the air around him, visuals of him and the turquoise-haired man glinting off the shards like portals to the universe that was his mind. Adventures, knowledge, love. They rushed past him as his body felt heavy and immobile, like a memory slipping away from the grasp of sanity.
The floor sped towards him, and he could hear the clinking and breaking of glass growing louder as his breathing quickened. It was seconds away, he would hit it any moment now—
He woke with a start, clutching his chest as an attempt to calm his breathing. He glanced over at the clock, sighing with disdain. He would have to leave for school soon, but it felt like something was wrong. The morning light seemed to glint unnaturally on the blinds, making him squint until his eyes adjusted.
He sat for a few minutes, propped up on the bed, just thinking. The last few months had been normal, hadn't they? He shook his head, getting up to change his clothes. Aloo padded into the room, looking around before meowing wistfully. She sniffed at the carpet, glancing at random spots in the room as if someone was supposed to be there.
She mewed in protest as DJ picked her up, now fully dressed and ready for school. "Good morning, baby. Are you hungry?" he cooed, scratching her under her chin. She kept from his arms, eliciting a gentle laugh from her owner. It didn't feel genuine, though — it was a soft reminder of the emptiness in his chest.
She ran back up to his room as he left the house, beginning to walk to school. The walk was uneventful for the most part, aside from the flash of turquoise he saw. A little weird for a plant to be that colour, but perhaps it was just the reflections of light doing their thing.
He was greeted at the school gate. "DJ!" He turned to see Eugene waving enthusiastically at him, the rest of the occult club by his side. He walked over, waving back. "Hey, Eugene." He yawned once he finished speaking, rubbing his eyes.
"Are you okay? You seem tired," Georgie piped in, his voice filled with concern. "Also, have you felt...off? I feel like something's missing — everyone else does, too." The rest of the club nodded, staring at the floor awkwardly.
DJ opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by the sound of the bell. He and his friends rushed into the building, finding their way to the class silently. An air of sorrow seemed to surround them, emotions swirling in their minds.
Throughout the day, his teacher droned on about math and assignments and whatnot, a boring, drawn out talk that had DJ doodling in the margins of his paper. He glanced out the window, and he could've sworn there was a flash of magenta and teal that lasted for a split second.
He really needed sleep, or maybe just a day off. Before he could process what he had seen, the bell rang for dismissal. Finally, this odd, painstakingly empty day was coming to a close.
As he walked home, he couldn't stop thinking: 'What is going on? Why do I feel so weird?' Such thoughts should be saved for later, though. Aloo meowed at him as he walked through the door; had he gotten so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even remember the walk home? All of this was an anomaly.
She looked behind him, sniffed his clothes, and meowed sadly. He scratched her behind the ear, a slight frown on his face. Begrudgingly, he went upstairs, throwing his bag somewhere on the floor just outside his room. His room was a mess — papers scattered everywhere, everything was out of place, and a few clothes were thrown in a pile.
He sighed, dragging his hands down his face. When he picked up the clothes to throw them in the basket — their rightful place — he froze. They smelled different, familiar but so unknown in ways he couldn't even fathom. It was nice, something sweet with a clear jasmine scent. He opted to throw them on the bed instead to investigate later, Aloo curling up on top of the sweater and purring happily.
He began to sort the rubbish, almost done when something caught his eye. An older, crumpled paper sticking out from the neat pile sitting on his desk. He picked it up, examining it. On it was a messily drawn picture of someone, with the text "I'M A WITCH!" The "W" was crossed out, replaced with a "B."
He chuckled. Witches? That was silly — he didn't believe in the supernatural, so why did he make this? He gently smoothed out the creases, putting it on his desk. Not long after, though, he heard a meow from Aloo. She was looking out the window, and he swore he saw that same, strange teal flash, sparkling in the air.
"I think I'm going crazy," he sighed, rubbing his finger over the cat's head. "Do you think I'm crazy, Aloo?" he whispered, pulling her into his lap and stroking her dappled fur. She meowed at him, rubbing her head against his hand. Life was strange, as it always was; but this was empty, an odd, unpredictable feeling that wouldn't go away. Hopefully it will someday, he hoped.
The following weeks moved on normally, or at least as normal as it could with his current situation. The empty, nagging feeling refused to leave, worsening as the days flew by.
DJ stared at the ground as he walked home, freezing in place when he passed one of the restaurants that lined the sidewalk. It was the burger place he and Arun visited occasionally, but this time it felt familiar in that way for different reasons. He remembered how he hadn't eaten much for lunch that day since he was studying for a test.
The bell chimed as he opened the door, his shoes tapping on the floor as he made his way to the register. Once he had placed his order, he waited for the food at a table, standing as the food arrived — he figured he should get home as soon as possible, since he wasn't planning on staying out so long.
He could vaguely hear the clicking of heels on concrete, and registered it far too late. Someone ran right into him, causing both of them to stumble and fall to the ground. His eyes were wide as he frantically apologized. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention to where I was— going..." his voice trailed off as he stared at the person in front of him. Turquoise hair. Golden eyes. Two hues that were awfully familiar to him.
It all came back suddenly. Witches, magic, adventures. Months of fighting, exploring, love, and adventure. The man in front of him stared wide-eyed, his irises flicking back and forth across his face. Then, he speedily pushed himself up.
"Superf—" The witch bolted before he could finish his sentence. DJ followed, chasing him through the town for what felt like forever. They ran through flora, passed by fauna, and were only stopped when DJ grabbed the back of Superfish's shirt, pulling him back and making him collide with his chest.
They both yelped as they fell to the ground, DJ still holding the witch's collar from beneath him. It took a few minutes for their panting to slow, both not moving.
Eventually, they calmed, after which Superfish immediately scrambled back, the only thing stopping him from leaving being the tan boy's grip on his suit sleeve.
"Superfish," DJ started, "why did you run? How did I just...remember all that? I thought you said it would be a full memory wi—"
"Stop talking. Please, DJ. Let me go. Let me leave," he whispered, avoiding eye contact. His voice was shaky, and he tried to get further away. DJ didn't let go, tugging at his sleeve. Superfish jolted, trying to pull his arm away.
"Superfish."
"No."
"Superfish."
"Stop, DJ. Let go."
"Superfish!"
"What?!" he exclaimed, finally bringing himself to meet DJ's gaze. He trembled slightly, his eyes watering, and was leaning away from him — the hand holding his sleeve had moved to hold his whole wrist, keeping him firmly in place.
Superfish gasped quietly as he was pulled into a short-lived, sudden hug, feeling arms wrap around his torso as DJ buried his face into his neck. "I never wanted you to leave," he heard, feeling the warm air on his skin. "I never wanted to leave." The confession was short and simple, but it meant so much.
"Then don't leave again. Stay here. With me. With my friends." His hand gently rubbed Superfish's cheek, which the witch leaned into. He placed his pale, soft hand over DJ's, relishing in the moment's pleasure.
DJ leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Superfish?"
"Hm?"
"I think— no, not think. I love you, Superfish." A blush crept onto said man's face as he looked away, bashful. "Love?" he muttered, mostly to himself. DJ sat patiently, waiting for his answer. "Yes, love. I love you, Fishface." When he didn't get a response, he leaned further towards Superfish, inches apart.
"Say it again."
"I love you, Superfish."
"Mm..." Superfish whimpered as DJ pulled him into a kiss, deepening it at the lack of protest. His hand gripped the turquoise hair, and Superfish hummed happily. Eventually, they pulled apart, panting and flushed. They stared lovingly into each other's eyes, the world fading away in its focus on them.
Superfish was the one to reconnect their lips, and he gasped quietly as DJ traced the seam of his lips with his tongue, inviting him in. The breeze was cold as they kissed, a scenic set in the play of love.
Eventually, they stopped, pulling away one last time — for now, at least. DJ stood, brushing the dirt off his pants. He helped Superfish up, who called over his Vespa to fly them both to DJ's house. This time, when they rode through the air, the witch felt hands on his waist rather than the usual shoulders.
They both settled in the room, Superfish already snuggling under the blankets. He buried his face into a separate pillow, pouting at DJ, beckoning him for attention. He instantly stopped as the tan boy began to take his shirt off, captivated and very obviously staring.
At some point they made eye contact, and the witch was stuck on two focal points — his eyes and his bare chest. Both seemed equally awkward. He huffed, shoving his face into the soft blanket in a failed attempt to conceal his red face.
DJ stepped closer, climbing over Superfish and placing his arms around him to trap him. His legs were between the witch's, and a smug smirk was on his face.
The man below him blushed heavily, moaning softly as DJ peppered him with kisses, softly biting every now and then. He felt shuffling behind him, smiling as he was pulled into a hug from the back. He buried himself further into the blankets, more comfortable than he had ever felt before.
The human nosed Superfish's neck, taking in the sweet scent of jasmine. They stayed like that until they drifted off to sleep, the moonlight illuminating the night sky.