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"This is nice," Jaden says, absently staring at the sunset before them. His hat has been discarded, messy ponytail resting on his shoulder.
"This is boring," Wemmbu corrects, tail swishing impatiently back and forth like he had somewhere to be.
"Do you have anything better to do?" The pirate shoots back, voice calm, like usual. Like he wouldn't attack Wemmbu if he un-invised in this very second.
"I do, thank you." Wemmbu, in his trimmed diamond armor, scoffs, acting like Jaden can see his annoyance.
"Mh? Like what?"
"I- I dunno.. Anything but watching a sunset with you!" He spattered, flustered at his horrible lie. "There are better ways to spend our time. We could be training right now."
"You don't have to constantly be fighting in some way, my friend. You could just enjoy peacefulness, even if you think it's boring."
Wemmbu sighed at Jaden's persistence, but he understood where he was coming from, kind of. This whole identity had started just so he could stop with the constant fighting and relax.
He didn't know relaxing was so boring.
"..Okay. But only for a little bit, and then I'm going to practice." He gave in, shoulders sagging, like Jaden could see it.
"Good!"
----
"Come on, my mystery, let's drink. Just for tonight, hm?"
Wemmbu grinned, so cheesy he was sure Eggchan would've mocked him for it. Jaden tugged him along to the edge of the boat, pouring him a glass of rum and passing it off. "Ever had rum?" Jaden asked, looking behind him at Wemmbu, who was still invis.
"Nah, never had the time to try it."
"Well, then, cheers to your first sip!"
Their glasses clinked, a melodic sound.
Wemmbu put his lips to the rim and almost immediately recoiled at the taste in surprise. It wasn't horrible, but definitely stronger than he'd expected.
He drank the rest of the glass anyway, declining a second— he knew his limits. Jaden drank three and was barely tipsy, aside from laughing at stuff a little bit more.
Faintly, he wondered why he hadn't looked when Jaden pulled his mask down to drink.
Maybe it was the same as when Jaden turned when Wemmbu's invis ran out. Wemmbu wasn't dumb, he knew Jaden wanted to know who he was. But Jaden didn't trick him, he stayed facing a tree as he repotted, humming to himself, every time. A show of respect that had Wemmbu completely confused. Nobody respected Wemmbu. Not like that.
----
Rain splashed against Wemmbu's elytra, weighing him down ever so slightly as he sped through the sky, the sea just below him.
Jaden knew who he was. Jaden was going to come and kill him now, surely.
He'd have to kill Jaden first.
Not yet.
Hesitance filled him. The bond they'd shared felt real.
Something solid, something that couldn't just shatter.
But even glass couldn't shatter as quick as the look in Jaden's eyes did when he read the death message. Disbelief replacing admiration. Betrayal and distrust swarming in the air like wasps. Jaden hadn't said anything before Wemmbu had ran away. Like he always did, like he always would.
He was too weak to admit that he couldn't kill Jaden.
Not because he physically didn't have the power, no, the guy could go down with a few good mace smashes. But because he didn't want to.
Jaden seemed like such a genuinely good guy, despite their shared past— the one that had swarmed around in Wemmbu's head every day they were together— he was nice. Nice to Wemmbu, of all people. Sure, he didn't know it was Wemmbu, but his point still stood. He had been nice to Wemmbu. The one whose friend he killed, the one who Wemmbu tried to kill.
It felt good. Being able to trust, if only a little, anyone other than Eggchan and Minutetech. It felt good to know that Jaden would splash Invis on him every night before he ran out; he knew that because he'd always wake up just before it was supposed to, and Jaden would walk over and splash him and move on. Something about the barely important action had made him trust that Jaden, just a bit, just for a little, wouldn't try to reveal his identity. Even though every time they talked, he could basically feel the burning curiosity rolling off of the pirate.
It was all broken. Shattered like the fragile glass of a potion, their trust fell. Jaden would hunt him down, and Wemmbu couldn't trust him now. He hoped he wouldn't reveal his identity, he hoped he would kill him in peace. Wemmbu's chest ached. He wanted to trust Jaden so badly. But he couldn't afford it, he couldn't look back and even think for a second that the look in Jaden's eyes wasn't anger.
The momentary string of connection he had was snipped.
Friendship breaking, and a little bit of Wemmbu's hope chipping off with it.
----
Here they were, staring at each other on the ground of Jaden's floating city.
Wemmbu's hand landed on Gambit, gripping the handle so hard his fingers started to turn white.
Jaden's hands stayed at his sides, not holding his sword, his mace, his trident. Like he was approaching a feral cat.
Wemmbu could bite like one. He had before.
"Jaden." He gulped, voice raw and unhidden without the voice changer. He felt exposed.
"You're still my mystery." Jaden replied, in lieu of a greeting.
"What?" Wemmbu blinked, taken aback. Was this a trick to catch him off guard? Because it wasn't working. His fingers tightened on Gambit.
"Even though you aren't invisible anymore, and I know your identity... You're still a mystery. A puzzle I'd like to solve."
The words bounced around Wemmbu's empty head.
"What?" He said again, mind failing him.
Jaden snickered, the sound like honey. Oh, Wemmbu can tell where his siren genes come in.
"You're complicated, Wemmbu. That's what I'm trying to say. Nobody can figure you out, not even yourself. You are still my mystery. Even if I won't solve you, I'll be damned if i don't try."
Wemmbu resisted the urge to say what a third time, staring at Jaden in disbelief.
"Can't you say hi like a normal person?" He said instead, hand starting to hurt.
"That would be boring." Jaden laughed again.
Wemmbu stared at him with wide, catlike eyes, heart feeling a little weak.
Was this what it felt like to be tempted by a siren? His deepest wants, the ones he never told anyone, being spoke out loud? He couldn't even tell himself he wanted to be figured out.
But Jaden was standing there, gaze unwavering, saying he wanted to solve Wemmbu like the dragon was a mere puzzle.
"I don't get it." Wemmbu finally said, swallowing down emotions he couldn't place. Why would Jaden use his powers on him? A lot of reasons, actually; primarily to get his guard down and finally kill him.
"I don't need to be solved. I'm not some riddle you need to answer." He spat, tail lashing.
Jaden still didn't move, making him bristle even more. "So you can take your stupid siren song and try it somewhere else, but I'm not falling for it."
Quiet fell over them for a few tense seconds.
"Siren song? Wemmbu, you think I'm using my song on you?"
He didn't have to look at him to hear the smile and disbelief in his voice.
"I can promise you that I am not. It'd be much more obvious if I were." A step closer. "I'm kind of offended you think so lowly of me. Do you doubt my natural charm?" Jaden giggled at the end, clearly trying to lighten the mood with a joke.
Wemmbu tried to ignore the fact he felt himself softening the more he talked.
"You're trying to kill me." He insisted bluntly.
Something in the air shifted. Jaden looked a little sadder. "You really think I want to kill you? After everything you've done for me? Wemmbu, I owe you so much. I respect you. I'm honorable, I won't just kill you at the slightest mistake, I won't kill you without a proper fight."
"So we're gonna fi-" Wemmbu started to pull out Gambit.
"No. Not what I meant." The pirate interrupted quickly, hands out in front of him like surrender.
Wemmbu hated the way it smoothed his thorns.
"Please, Wemmbu, just trust me, just once. I don't want to kill you, I only want to do you a favor." Jaden begged, eyes sad and pleading. Like he actually cared about Wemmbu.
Wemmbu heaved a long sigh, mostly disappointed in himself for being so weak.
"I'll trust you. Once. Break it and you never get another chance."
Jaden practically lit up in real time, taking a step forward before recoiling back again like he had a second thought about whatever he was going to do.
"I promise I won't break it."
Wemmbu couldn't help but believe him, just a little bit, as he finally released his painful grip on his mace.
Jaden took his hand, just like he used to before he knew who was behind the diamond armor and unknown riches, guiding him through the marketplace and excitedly chattering.
Wemmbu let himself be dragged along, as he has always done when Jaden pulled him around.
Maybe trusting him for a little would be okay.