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Everything felt wrong. The caves were dark and cold, roofs raising high, teasing an escape. Wemmbu's small wings flapped restlessly every time he looked to the sky, knowing how deep underground he was, itching to fly in the daylight again. Without the taste of wet cavern air in his mouth.
The purge was wrong in all kinds of ways.
Especially since Wemmbu was in it. But, in a way, he was glad that Arachnid had forced him to play, because now, at least he could keep his friends safe without having to worry about where they were. Sure, Jaden and Yungy were amazing pvpers, but worry still consumed him whenever he was away from any of them, even sometimes Codmaster. Speaking of being away, his friends would surely come soon.
He stared out at the lake where he stood, not feeling the slightest of waves hit his feet through his platformed boots, letting his thoughts carry him away; most of them being centered around Eggchan.
As soon as a footstep was heard, Wemmbu whipped around, smacking his face with his hair.
Jaden, the pirate leader, and his best friend as of late, stood there.
No surprises, Wemmbu had already known it was him by the way he walked.
Yes, he memorized his friends walking and breathing patterns, sue him.
"Jaden," Wemmbu straightened his earlier relaxed posture. "Where are the others?" Immediately, he began to bristle ever so slightly when he didn't see the rest of them, safe under Jaden's protection.
Not like Yungy was bad, not at all, but Wemmbu likes to play favorites. And if he said Jaden wasn't his favorite, he'd be a liar.
"They're all good. Codmaster wanted to stay back, since we aren't doing anything important." Jaden replied smoothly, effortlessly calming Wemmbu down.
"Wow, okay, I thought hanging out was pretty important to them." Wemmbu scoffed, but let his hand fall away from his mace, Gambit, tentatively. Jaden just smiled, eyes as affectionate as always behind his mask.
Well, not always, but whenever he was with his friends, that semeed to be the case. Which kind of warmed Wemmbu's heart. Jaden didn't act sweet or seem sweet at all, on first impression.
Yet here he was, standing there with his eyes practically glowing, body radiating a, metaphorical, comforting warmth. Wemmbu couldn't help but want to fall into his safe arms and sleep until everything was okay again. He couldn't remember the last time he slept properly, without a nightmare, without waking up from the not properly treated wounds wringing him from the inside out with pain. His reputation was less than a twig snap away from being ruined now, already turning 'soft', according to Arachnid.
Jaden settled down by the lakes shore, making himself comfortable. Wemmbu followed suit, sitting just close enough to feel Jaden's presence next to him; like a reassurance that his friend was safe.
The waves of the lake almost hit the toes of their shoes, just barely missing.
Wemmbu's eyes scanned the horizon uselessly, as if anyone would dare to break right into Arachnids kingdom.
Okay, they totally would, but he really hoped they wouldn't, because he doubted he could even lift Gambit for one killing blow right now.
He missed Egg, a lot. It felt weird without him here, right by the water he knew he'd love to fish at. It felt weird to know he wasn't right next to him, sitting by his right side, like he almost always was.
A weight jolted him out of his thoughts.
Jaden's head had thumped onto his shoulder, his ocean blue eyes still staring out at the murky water like this was a normal hang out that they scheduled every Tuesday evening.
He opened his mouth to say something, but Jaden pushed his head closer and suddenly his mouth was zipped shut like someone superglued it.
Awkwardly, he raised his hand and threaded his fingers in Jaden's hair, his hat sitting off to the side.
Oh, his hair was down. Wemmbu had never seen him with his hair down. It was usually in a pretty braid, or a quickly done ponytail with hair sticking out everywhere. Not down, with his ever-so-slightly past shoulder length hair flowing freely. Unsurprisingly, it was soft, and hardly tangled. Wemmbu wasn't going to question how he maintained this while in the middle of a cave.
He found himself running his fingers through the soft black strands, enjoying the sensation so thoroughly he didn't even notice when he rested his cheek on Jaden's head, or when his friends arms wrapped around his abdomen. Silence was, for once, welcomed.
Jaden had balled some of the fabric of Wemmbu's shirt into his fists loosely, face now buried into his shoulder, his own rising and falling with a slow rhythm. One Wemmbu had never seen from him.
He and Eggchan had fallen asleep, or just relaxed near each other, countless times. But he'd never really seen Jaden so calm. He, also, has never been worried about him suffocating into his shoulder. But with the multiple layers of fabric and the stifling cave air, he couldn't help but nudge Jaden's chin upward.
"Don't suffocate yourself, dude." Was all he said, a teasing smile hiding the flood of emotions he was feeling in the moment. Sue him if he'd never been super soft like this with anyone but Eggchan; and that was only occasionally.
Jaden just took off his mask without a second thought.
Yeah, okay, Wemmbu had seen him without it a couple times, in the dark when he was still just the Invisible Knight. But he'd never seen up close, in the dull light of torches not yet blown out.
He'd never noticed the jagged scar that ran from the edge of his nose to the bottom of his chin that ran through the edge of his lip, because it was on his left side, and he always slept on his left side.
His eyes seemed even more vibrantly blue with it off, radiating that tenderness that was always there.
And then he was tugged backwards.
By Jaden.
A somehow impossibly cuddly guy, despite his cold looks.
He just barely reacted by putting his arm behind his head before it hit the gravelly ground. Oh, yuck, there goes any semblance of cleanliness his hair had left. It's not like he had much time to wash it anymore. When he did have downtime, he came to the lake.
Jadens head was on his chest now, the weight pleasantly welcomed. It was almost a relaxing sensation, even as Jaden put a bit more of his weight against him every few seconds until he was just ragdolled almost on top of Wemmbu.
Wemmbu did not know what to do in this situation.
Well, that's a lie. He did know what to do, he had experience from the very rare cold winter nights him and Eggchan just snuggled for warmth.
But it was never really a casual thing they just did.
Yet here he was, being laid on like his friend was his own personal weighted blanket, on a random evening where they had nothing better to do.
Jaden's leg was tossed across Wemmbu's own, his arm keeping him down (as if the guy would dare move).
Worst of all, the pirate wasn't even sleepy, it seemed. He was just.. like this. Wemmbu wasn't sure how to handle that. He'd never had a friend who was ultra touchy, unless you count Flame jumping on his back every time they saw each other outside of battle conditions and knocking him to the ground as a cuddly thing.
This was not how he expected to spend his afternoon. Weighed down by a pirate who he could easily shove off, yet chose not to.
It'd stay between him and Jaden if he chose to wrap his arms around him and squeeze him closer, burying his face into his hair.
Much unlike Jaden, cuddling made him sleepy. Very sleepy, with their shared body heat and the weight of his friend on top of him, it made for perfect sleeping conditions, disregarding the fact they were on the beach and gravel and dirt was getting tangled in his hair like how his fingers were in Jaden's.
A yawn escaped him, the scent of saltwater and coconut that somehow never faded away entering his nostrils and mouth. He tried to ignore the fact he felt Jaden laughing against him.
"Shut up," He grumbled, voice lacking his usual malice. His eyelids really, really wanted to droop right now.
If his tail wrapped around Jaden's shin as he drifted off, preventing him from leaving, then that was a secret between them.
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Jaden heard the footsteps approaching and didn't fight it. He kept his head right where it was, entire body still aside from the occasional twitch. He was still awake, but the sleeping Wemmbu beneath him was quickly proving that theory wrong.
So, of course Yungy and Codmaster had decided to come now. When they were having their own time.
Yungy scrambled to a halt, kicking up some dust from the gravel as he saw the sight beholding him.
Jaden just looked up at him and gave a brisk nod.
Codmaster started giggling, to which Wemmbus tail tip flicked in annoyance, tightening against Jaden's shin.
Jaden held a finger to his mouth, pointing at his friend beneath him.
None of them have ever seen anyone turn so red until Wemmbu woke up to the flash of a camera, Yungy's, and Jaden allowing this.