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Gosh, the pain was absolutely unbearable in every sense of the word. How long had he been down here? Couldn’t have been long, he most likely would’ve been dead if it had been a couple of days, let alone a week. Besides, Yellow knew the others would find him… they had to. He just had to hold out hope.
His head was spinning, the words of the false cowboy in front of him muffled now by the beating Yellow had gotten since being kidnapped, but he was certain they weren’t kind. He hated this. Despite how much he hurt himself in his ‘punishments’, this somehow hurt a lot worse. Did he feel guilty for how he hurt this person he’s never even met before? Maybe… but they were clearly a criminell for doing this to him.
Would that make him a criminell then, for hurting himself? Golly, his head hurt too much to think about that right now.
He felt something now, something that, for once in hours, wasn’t pain. He forced his eyes open, the ache of… well, everything, being too much for him to see the figure properly. Yet, through the blur, he could certainly see the deep…
“B l u e…?” He mumbled, the name weak and slurred on his tongue, the entire weight of his head in the palm of his lover’s hand. This certainly wasn’t real. No way Blue would be in such an awful place as this.
It must be an angel… an angel that just so happened to take the form of the one he loved most.
*Golly*…
But before Yellow could hear the angel speak, an inescapable black swallowed his vision, and he was out cold.
————————————
“Oh my poor dear…”
Blue quickly caught his darling Yellow as he slumped forward, unable to hide his concern for his lover. While rapidly untying him, he pressed a good couple of kisses to the cowboy’s face in sheer relief, despite knowing there was no way Yellow could feel them at the moment.
No matter. When Yellow awoke, Blue would be there, and double his affections of course.
He called out for Flowery to take over, making sure the bouquet’s beloved sheriff was resting as comfortably as he could in the chair without falling.
And with that, he swiftly turned to the flower behind him, the one responsible for all of this. All the rage and unadulterated anger he had built in his chest came forth, and with his wings fluttering violently, he rushed at the person. He landed a swing at the vile thing’s jaw, connecting cleanly and knocking him to the ground, leading to Blue grabbing his legs and dragging him into a darker portion of the cave so none of the younger ones should witness this.
He was a dancer. A professional ballerino with years of grueling training under his belt, even if he was never before in this form. Still, this gave him an unbelievable amount of strength that many of the other flowers often forgot about since Blue never used it other than to pursue his passion. His dream.
But what was his dream without Yellow?
That was his mindset when he pinned the bastard to the floor and began to pummel him.
“You miserable *wretch*,” Blue hissed, feeling how the man struggled beneath him and managed to grab a portion of his dress and tear it in an attempt to break free, he supposed. None of it mattered to Blue.
All that mattered was avenging his sweet Yellow, despite the fact that Yellow was still alive.
…
In truth, he doesn’t remember all of what he did to the kidnapper who wore his lover’s face. He just remembered leaving him in a worse state than his partner had been found in, as he made sure to give the fucker a good few broken bones before joining the others. And if he somehow got up with those injuries, Blue would be quite happy to knock him out just as easily once again.
Flowery silently pointed out some blood on his lip.
Did he end up biting him or did the grey one end up hitting him at some point? To be honest, it didn’t matter, so long as the others don’t see.
So long as Yellow woke up.
None of his wounds were fatal, yet Blue couldn’t help but fear the worst.
Please… *please* wake up.
————————————
…
Uuuuuugh, his head was still killing him. But… everything else seemed a little better. They must’ve healed somethings while he was out.
When he opened his eyes, the first of their little family he saw was siblings looming over him. Was he on the ground…? When did…
“Mmngh… Flowery…? Pink?”
He couldn’t hear them over the ringing in his ears, yet he did know once Flowery had spoke, things got a lot more quiet.
“Heya there Yellow.”
“You had us worried back there, mew…”
What… what happened…? Where were they? Oh, that’s right he uh… was kidnapped.
…
Sweet cheese and crackers!! They still were by the cave were he’d been kept hostage right?! Oh gosh, w-was anyone else hurt?!
Wh-where… was…
“Blue. Wh-where’s Blue?!” Yellow cried, bolting upright in a panic before hissing and resting his palm against his forehead. No. Nonono he- he can’t just sit here if Blue got hurt because of him!
“Woah woah, easy there bud,” Flowery replied, a free hand pressed against his younger brother’s back in support, “he’s alright, see? He’s right there.”
Gazing past his brother and sister, there was his beloved Blue, looking as gorgeous as always, waving slightly at him with a small smile, seemingly keeping his distance until their others had tended to him.
Almost immediately Yellow relaxed and leaned back into his brother’s grasp, feeling as he helped him get settled sitting upright.
“How are you feeling little bro?”
“M’alright now, thanks to y’all! How’re-…“ the sheriff suddenly cut himself off as he looked over at Orange, who hadn’t said anything or moved an inch since he woke up. His expression softened almost instantly.
“Oh sweetpea, hey, c’mere-“
Before he could even finish, the mouse had rushed at him and leapt against his chest, clinging and curling into him. Of course, the impact didn’t knock him back, but still, it left him in a state of slight shock.
“D-don’t EVER do that again y-you CHIBI!” the little girl choked out, nuzzling her snout against his sap coated flannel in attempt to hide her tears. Clearly, however, the fact she was clinging to her brother’s *bloodied shirt* did NOT make her feel any better.
Yellow’s hand slid under her paws, supported his little sister in the palm of his hand. The thumb of his free hand moved to comfortingly stroke the fur between her ears with a gentle smile on his face.
“I’ll try not t’ sis. Cowboy’s honor.”
He then looked over at Pink, who was… in a similar state, hands clenching her skirt, trembling with a wobbly lip and teary eyes.
“You too Pink, come on now,” Yellow adds softly, outstretching his arm to his other sister, who happily returns the embrace, head resting on his shoulder.
Now, at this point, he couldn’t just leave Flowery out of the sibling cuddle pile. He knew from the look on his brother’s face, he was upset to some degree. He was keeping things together as he always had, of course, and no one had seemed to notice yet. But still, Yellow opens his arm for him, allowing for Pink to keep Orange supported upright.
After only a moment, Flowery had obliged.
————————————
It took a good long while for the family to calm down, and even longer to finally let go of their beloved cowboy. Green and Seth were next, expressing briefer, calmer words of relief in his return with the older of the two giving Yellow something to munch on in hopes to regain some of his strength, which he gratefully accepted.
Aqua was the only one who hadn’t said anything, but that was to be expected since she had no idea what was going on. It was probably for the better.
Flowery had decided unanimously that they should stay here for the night and hold camp to try and preserve a happier memory instead of the horror of Yellow’s disappearance. It was well into the night now, and it would be too grueling of a trip for all of them to take. It was a mentally exhausting day for all, and on top of that, an even more physically exhausting day for Yellow.
Flowery had taken Pink and Seth with him to gather supplies and sleeping bags, while Green took their role in settling Orange and Aqua down for bed. They were already drifting off by the time they left.
————————————
And then… it was finally Blue’s turn to speak with the cowboy.
He sat down in front of Yellow with the same grace he always held, his smile still quite solemn and concerned for the other.
“Hello, my dear.”
“Howdy there, B-… oh Blue, yer purdy dress!” he couldn’t help but cry, gingerly picking up a portion of the battered skirt with an expression of pure despair. “My stars, it’s all torn up! Oh, I’m mighty sorry Blue! I’d done messed up our date a-an’ I done messed up yer *dress*-!”
“Oh, hush now,” Blue soothed, resting a hand on his arm, rubbing along the mustard flannel with only affection in mind. “None of that matters now. This was not your responsibility to carry nor your fault in the slightest. All of which you speak on can be mended, but the loss of you, my dear, would forever alter me for the worst.”
While hearing this, brought some ease to the taller of the two, Yellow, even in his hazy state, noticed the faintest trembling in his partner’s figure. Furrowing his brow slightly, he forced himself upright fully, tugging at Blue’s arm until he was safely in his hold once again.
“Now, while I always ‘ppreciate yer purdy an’ fancy words Blue, y’know you don’t hafta be like that ‘round me ‘less ya wanna…”
… damn it. Of course Yellow noticed. He always did…
Blue sighs as his ever so delicate mask cracked, tilting his face to his lover’s chest and holding him close.
“I’m just so glad you’re safe,” he whispered shakily.
…
“Yeah… me too.”
The cowboy pulled them back down with him whispering sweet nothings to his beloved Blue as they waited for the others to come back.
————————————
The two of them remained intertwined even when the others returned with the sleeping bags. Flowery had somehow managed to get one less than necessary and claimed that Blue and Yellow ‘wouldn’t mind sharing.’
Blue knew that he knew exactly what he was doing. Not that it mattered, there was no way in heaven or hell Blue was going to let go of Yellow tonight.
The campfire they had built was flickering out and everyone was asleep apart from the couple.
…
“Out of all of us, I would’ve thought you’d be asleep now, my love,” Blue commented in a hushed whisper, peaking an eye open to peer up at Yellow, his palm resting on the bare chest of the man he loved. “You are safe, I hope you know. I won’t let harm befall upon you.”
The other hummed in acknowledgment, nodding with his eyes not leaving the sky above them.
“I know Blue, dontchu worry. I just-… I can’t stop thinkin’ ‘bout wut all the criminell said.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Sum’in ‘bout me not bein’ the origi-nal an’ how I deserve all that he was doin’ t’ me.”
Blue’s hands clenched imperceptible at this, while Yellow’s fidgeted weakly in his lap. The latter was about to open his mouth before Yellow continued, turning his gaze away off to the side.
“And I jus’ can’t help thinkin’ he’s right, y’know? If he was the origi-nal, then that’d make me a fraud, right? A-an’ wudn’ that explain why I’m so darn rough on maself? If I wasn’ meant t’ be here, an’ he was, then…”
He stops, letting out a heavy sigh and shaking his head only for a moment.
“I dunno. It’s all mighty confusin’ an troublin’, if I’m bein’ honest.”
The ballerino hugged the sheriff closer, feeling him exhale yet again and turn to face him, only for him to nestle into Blue’s bonnet. He smooths his palm down the other’s spine, constructing how to phrase his words in a way that would be the most affective and calming his partner.
“Oh, my beloved Yellow, I’m terribly sorry for what that… foul excuse of a flower said to you. You did nothing to lead to such a terrible consequence. Like you said, he is a ‘criminell’. Try not to dwell on his words any longer, for they are just as corrupt as he is.”
Yellow, in hearing this, relaxed at his words and physical affections, as he always seemed to do.
“Yer right as always Bluebell. Thank you.”
“Of course, daffodil,” Blue replied. “Besides, by the slim chance he was truthful in his origin, merely because he was here first does not make him the better of the two. For he was clearly not just in his actions and, you, my dearest, are the best JUSTICE I’ve ever known.”
A faint marigold coated a bashful cowboy’s cheeks, his tail wagging uncontrollably.
“Golly… how can I ever thank ya’ fer savin’ me…?”
Blue hums playfully, before pulling away just enough so his nose pressed against Yellow’s
“I think a kiss or too would be a fair enough reward, don’t you think?”
“Oh, that’s nowhere near enough!” Yellow exclaimed as he, in a burst of energy, pulled the dancer in as close as he could and coated his face in swift pecks.
Blue burst out laughing at the absolute absurdity of the sheriff’s silly actions and the tickling sensation that came with it.
“Would you two please be quiet?!” Seth suddenly hissed, “I’m tryin to sleep over here!”
“Oop- sorry ‘bout that Seth!”
…
“Goodnight Blue… I love ya.”
“And I love you, my dear. Shall someone ever take you away from me, I will always find you.”