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Drip
Drip
Drip.
Red droplets splattered on the ground like rain. But only if rain sounded heavy and unnatural. It didn’t sound like rain. But that was the only thing they could think of it being like.
Two Time watched with a hazy vision as the blood from their arm trickled onto the tiles of the bathroom.
They remember where they were now.
Eyes gazed over at their bloodied dagger. The edges of the blade soaked with familiar crimson, thick liquid.
They let out a small breath, their eyes slowly gathering towards the ajar door.
Two Time’s blood ran cold at the rare sighting of their partners soft purplish blue eyes, usually covered by his beloved hat. Except now, they were studying the wounds drawn upon their arms.
Silently, Azure entered the bathroom.
Silently, Azure helped them stand up to sit down on the closed lid of the toilet.
Silently, Azure grabbed the first aid kid from the cabinet above the sink.
And silently, he cleansed and wrapped their self inflicted injuries with tender care and with little to no emotion left in his eyes.
In fact, Azure didn’t gaze once at them.
Perhaps it was disappointment.
They did promise them they’d stop doing this. They sweared last time, they’d stop. That they’d tell him what was wrong no matter what. And despite all that. This occurred.
And now thanks to them Azure is visibly upset. With them? Most likely.
"Two Time…"
They flinched at their voice involuntarily.
Maybe it was the fact that Azure rarely ever used their name, he only used nicknames such as “Timey”, or “Sweetie”.
Or maybe it was the sheer amount of sorrow evident in his tone that made them flinch.
They didn’t want azure to be sad..
“I….”
They hesitated, eyes darting up to look into his furrowed, distraught ones.
“I-..I’m not mad..if ..that’s what you think.."
Azure answered despite no question leading up to it had been asked.
Azure followed them, cautiously.
Since, Two Time had gotten up abruptly and moved back to the bedroom, back facing Azure. They paused at his words, then,
"Then ..what are yyou?"
They sniffed, lip wobbling, remorse eating away at their heart.
"Time..”
There was that tone again.
Too soft, too sweet.
Sad for them,
Not sad at them.
That’s what they didn’t understand.
..
Two Time swallowed the bile forming in their throat.
An awful, dreadful silence filled the air as Azure’s eyes burned into their back. Then,
"..i-imm.ssorry..”
They shakily whimpered out, a distressed whine pushing out their throat unhelpfully. Their limbs trembled, eyes burning with unshed tears, as they tried their best to not let any stray.
"…."
"It’s..fine..just please.. timey, don’t do it again.. I-I’m..just so wworried… I don’t want you to hurt yyourself again.. if.. if you ever feel the need to..to ddo..that.. again..pplease …ppplease.just.. ttell me o-okay? And-and we’ll get th-through it ttogether..k-kay?"
Azure stuttered out, breaths shaking, but Two Time could tell he was trying his hardest to keep it all in. All the sadness all the despair. All the rage. The anger. They promised him. They promised Azure they wouldn’t do this again. And they still did it.
Swallowing their anxiousness, they slowly turned around to face the gaze of their worried-sick partner.
Tears that weren’t meant to be shown started running down their cheeks as they whimpered, shoulders curling in on themselves.
They couldn’t bare to see his expression.
They couldn’t bare to see how much hurt they caused them.
"Oh..Time.."
Azure whispered sweetly, trembling hands reaching up to cup their wet face.
They could tell he wanted to cry too.
"Oh sweetie..it’s okay..I’m not m-mad at you..please ddon’t cry.. I love yyou, ‘kay?”
That only made their tears worse. The guilt of betraying azure’s trust in them, hurt them like a dagger in their chest. Why did they have to do this? Why couldn’t they just talk to him?
Sobs wracked out of them louder, causing them to reach their arms to cover their face, shoving Azure away from them. Body tingling in sensitivity, it felt like static, the uncomfortable kind.
They always found Azure’s voice to be sweet and soothing, but right now it burned their ears and hurt their tingly skin.
It sounded grating. It sounded awful. Forced. Horrible. Too impossibly loud.
They didn’t mean it in a mean way, it’s just Azure wasn’t helping. And they had no idea how to tell him that other than whining louder. But unfortunately for Azure, that meant they wanted him more, even though really they wanted him less.
Their partner shuffled closer to them, trying to grip and take away the hands that now started grabbing and pulling at their hair. Only for them to hit their hands away, harshly.
“Timey please, don’t tug your hair.. b-baby please.. it’s okay.."
Azure’s voice broke as he watched them continue to hurt themselves.
And, after a few more failed attempts, Azure gave up, finally registering that maybe Two Time didn’t want his touch right now. That maybe things were too overwhelming and too loud. So, he sat down, slowly. Hesitantly on the bed. As if waiting for a sign that they wanted him again.
And yet none came.
They kept tugging their hair, eventually kneeling down and sitting down, rocking back and forth, pressing themselves against the closet wall. Sobs passed from their lips frantically as they tried to calm down.
They didn’t register Azure getting up to turn the lights off, nor the fact Azure walked over to them to give them a blanket. The nice weighted one they liked. It was cold. Soothing for their boiling hot skin. And eventually, after a while the racing thoughts and the tears stopped.
But their heart burned with guilt still. A new guilt too, they hit Azure. They didn’t mean to. They feel sorry. But they can’t speak though. Words have just completely crawled out their throat and denied them access. And not to mention their throat stung from the pure sobbing.
Instead they whined. A small pathetic noise honestly. But it had raw emotion in it. Everything they were feeling right at this moment. They feel stupid.
They didn’t want Azure, now they do.
They want Azure to hold them.
They need it.
So, desperately they did what they only could do, crawl over to his legs, nudging their face against them, like a needy cat.
Azure, rightfully paused once more. He wasn’t quite sure what Two Time wanted anymore. They didn’t want to get it wrong. He didn’t want to irritate them more than he has.
But after a few minutes of Two Time pressing themselves against him, they got off the bed and sat beside them. And instantly they crawled onto him, arms wrapping around his waist. Their damp face pressed against where Azure’s shoulder and neck met.
"Do you feel better now, sweetie?"
The botanist whispered into their dark unkempt hair, pressing a soft kiss into their head.
They only let out a small weak noise in reply, although their tail wagged lazily.
Okay but content for now.
Azure hummed, threading their fingers through their hair, braiding it lightly.
And another peck was pressed against their forehead.
"I-.., I overcrowded you there.. I misread what you wanted, Two, and I’m sorry for that, do you forgive me, hm?"
They lifted their head up, different colored eyes staring up at him for a moment, before nodding and curling up into his chest.
They made a noise akin to purring or something. Azure wasn’t really sure what it was, it was some mix of purrs and humming. Whatever it was, it was cute.
A soft smirk played upon their face as they continued braiding their hair.
“Comfy?”
..
“…mmhm..”
“That’s good..”
Azure murmured out, listening to their soft breaths and emotional exhaustion.
“I’m still not mad, by the way..”
He paused then added,
"Maybe a little but. Please talk to me, Times..no matter what hour, no matter what day.. please. You matter so much tto me..”
Two Time just nodded, eyes dreary, as they realised how this always ended, so they muttered a soft, blank,
“I love you, Azu..”
Azure just smiled,
"love you too,"
"Even if you sacrificed me like a worthless thing. I’m always here for you, Two.”
“Even if I’m not real,”
“Forever and ever.”
they closed their eyes one last time, leaning into the silence that will only embrace them for all eternity.