Chapter Text
“It hurts to see you like this dop.” Skizz kneels down beside his friend.
The two of them sit side by side underneath a cherry tree, resting on the soft grass, silhouetted by the vibrant colors of the setting sun. It draws their eyes, the sky on fire with hues of a golden orange, clouds sprayed lightly with tints of lilac and pearlescent pink. It has been almost a week since that boiled, painstaking day.
Skizz studied his best friend's posture, expression for a few seconds. Arms crossed loosely over his knees. Leaning slightly forward with a faint sense of worry, muscles ever so tense. Skizz could always read people so easily, but the worries on his buddies mind couldn’t break from their mental cage. He learns to not leave his eyes lingering.
The elegant golden light bathes their outlines, casting elongated shadows across the ground behind them. In front lies a valley, beauty untouched, peppered with trees and a shimmering lake reflecting the sky's fiery palette. The moment feels soothing, as if time paused, leaving the two figures absorbed in nature.
It cuts Skizz’s heart, deep and twisted, to break the tranquil silence but they needed to talk. “I love you bud, but… what’s on your mind?” He searches for those brown eyes reflecting the golden sunset.
“I- can’t talk about it.” He sighs heavily, the same dark chocolate eyes prying away from his friend. “Not tonight.”
“Then, when you're ready I’ll be here. You’re never alone.”
“It’s…” He starts. Skizz remains quiet to let him continue, beginning to play with the imp’s hair as a calming matter for both of them. “I hurt everyone yesterday. Mostly Bdubs, he’ll probably never forgive me.” He turns away from the sun, the light, from Skizz’s bold blue eyes that never fail to get him to speak his mind.
“Bdubs may be a little gremlin at times but he will forgive you for something that wasn’t your fault.”
“He doesn't forget though.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
They fall back into silence, falling down the waterfalls of never ending worries, hand in hand with one another like always. Skizz knows Impulse would follow him around the world without question, as would himself to Impulse, without hesitation. They became inseparable the moment they were in the presence of each other, bound by life and death themselves.
“I’m sorry, but it is-”
“Nonsense. You were manipulated, forced, guilted into obeying. He’s gone now, we’re all safe.” Their gazes connect, lingering for a precious moment, longer than needed but just as much, as an unspoken understanding passes between them. Skizz reassures that out loud. “You’re going to be okay.”
And, as always, that was enough for him, it eternally is.
Skizz watches as those heavy brown eyes begin to water up, his lip begins to tremble as hands shake. And as always, Skizz offers that relaxing embrace. Impulse leans heavily against his suit, arms wrapped around and up, gripping the fabric just below his wings opening. His body shakes slightly compared to Skizz’s sturdy posture, who just holds him, slowly rubbing circles around the shorter’s back.
"I- I... I don't know w- w- why I'm crying." Impulse’s voice shakes. It always is terrible to hear his buddy waver, the strong persona shattering within his hold.
"It's okay, nothing wrong with that." Gently circling his back, his wings involenturing circle them into a safe cocoon.
"I'm not w- weak," He gasps damply into the suit, shaking with every word. "I've h- had worse." Impulse physically pushes himself back, looking up into his sky blue eyes, darkening with the sun that's finishing its cycle.
"I know.” Skizz presses their foreheads together, a shared act of grounding. “Crying doesn’t make you weak bud."
Impulse breaths deeply in sync with Skizz, his mouth agape, trying to calm down- forcing the emotion back into the fragile glass bottle. Tears kept streaming down his face regardless. Skizz just holds him closer.
“You’re hurting and that's alright. You can let it out, I'll take care of you, I'm here for you now and forever. Just take your time Dipple-Dop. No one's judgin’ you."
And no one was, for they sat alone on that hill as the stars rose above them. Always forever bonded by that invisible, peculiar connection between angel and demon, good and bad, life and death.
_________________________
Once everyone was settled nicely at the tavern Scott organised for them to relax, fix code and catch up. Tango wandered quickly outside. It had been a week since they ‘escaped’ fully. That week was spent recovering, since Tango had become sick but recovered quick enough to walk around by himself.
He sits down, by the allium flower bed, on a modded swinging bench under the shade. The sun wasn’t feeling that heating as it sets beyond the horizon.
Tango sighs heavily as he leans back, taking in the view, only to be unsurprisingly interrupted.
“Zedaph thought I’d find you out here.”
“Hi xB.”
“Can I sit here?” Tango pats the remaining spot beside him. The brown haired man makes himself comfortable, also watching the orange glowing sky. “Keralis had suggested for me to chat with you.”
“… oh.”
“What’s on your mind?”
“Is Keralis ok too?”
“Interesting question to avoid yours.” Tango barks a dry laugh. xB continues regardless. “But I don't know, I did suggest joining us. He knows we’re here. Now, we talk about you- if you want it.”
Tango glances away. Does he want to talk? Talk about what- how nothing went to plan- how it’s his fault he got sick from coding because it’s simply not made for ‘people like him’.
“I get it.” He breaks out of his thoughts suddenly, listening to xB’s soothing voice. “Everyone processes through dramatic events differently and that’s completely natural. Though… I can assure you that nothing that happened that day went as expected.”
“It’s not about that- I just- I feel like…” He hesitates, long enough that it feels more awkward than it was before. Of course he would stuff something so simple up too. “I-feel-like-a-burden-and-don’t-know-what-to-do-about-this-stupid-emotion!” He scrambles to say, burying his embarrassed face into those very stuffed-up hands.
“Why is that?”
Tango is taken back, physically and mentally, at that question. Questioning xB’s face as he keeps it clear of emotions, but still humane.
“Because I helped with code? It made me sick- then I couldn’t do anything to help!”
“You feel bad over something you couldn’t control? Over being unable to help?” xB fully focuses on the blaze, placing a hand on his shoulder carefully. Those fully understanding cool blue eyes showing a considerate concern looking deep into his own blood red vision. “You’re not alone.”
Not too long later Keralis had indeed joined them. The three hermits sat amongst the flowers and stars conversing about that day, discovering how they react and process about it and enjoying the experience of the present, moving on from the past.
…
Tango later had found Grian talking to Jimmy, whose feathers seemed to be ruffled up. He was concerned about something and G probably was trying to calm him down. Tango came to the conclusion that they also were processing things differently, so he decided to help.
“Heya Jim and G!” He bounces over, butting into the now lost conversation. “Whatcha doing?” He rocks on his heels, hands in pockets to contain his posture.
“Trying to calm Tim.”
“Oh Tango!” His feathers settling for a second before puffing back up. “I was trying to get Scott to take a break from coding but he’s super stubborn sometimes!”
“From coding?”
“He’s helping X-eye-zooma to get the server back up to date.” Grian informs him.
“And he refuses to take a break! Both of them!” Jimmy wanders in circles impatiently. “Those silly admins not letting anyone take care of them! They’re worse than fWhip!”
Tango very much disliked how stressed Jimmy was getting by the second. Couldn’t Scott see how this scenario was making their ranchers this distressed. He couldn’t take it!
“Um- Tango?” Grian asks, wings beginning to fluff too, pointing at Tango’s hair- it must be flaming. “You may need to calm down-”
“SCOTT SMAJOR!” Tango screams as he busts into the room behind the avians, who both squark in shock, reeling back. Jimmy runs after Tango, trying to pull his shoulder back but being shoved gently aside.
Scott’s and Xisuma’s heads snap up from their seats, both eyes widening at the flaming blaze-borne speeding across the room. His tail was flickering very agitated side to side as his hair remains ablaze in control.
He stands extremely close to Scott, basically at just above eye height as Tango is the shorter of the two. “You need a break.”
His glare stares death before switching to puppy eyes at Scott, begging for him to talk a break. Scott glances behind at Jimmy who's attempting to copy the cute eyes. Scott then flicks an offended look to Grian and X only gaining a shrug back. He sighs heavily in defeat. “Fine.” The two ranchers bounce happily at their completed mission, like two energetic puppies gaining their first toy. “But why were you so raged up blazey?”
Tango flashes a light red at the nickname, “you needed a break, plus Jimmy was getting really stressed over you not having a break.”
Scott stands and walks over to Jimmy with a very sorry expression. “Oh, I’m sorry for stressing you out flower.” He cradles Jimmy's face who turns bright pink.
“It’s- it’s fine!” He squeaks, hiding his face in Tango’s chest. The two just laugh at the cute flustered avian.
Grian calls out that he’s taking X for a break too, leaving the three alone.
It doesn’t take long before Scott is scooping up Tango in a bridal carry over to the large couch. Tango sequels and flails dramatically like dying, but cannot escape Scott’s determined hold as Jimmy follows full of giggles.
He plops Tango down before climbing beside him as Jimmy just flops onto their laps, quickly cuddling up close for heat and comfort. The trio get themselves comfortable as a movie begins to play, becoming background noise.
Later they would finish the code. Later they would say ‘see you later’ rather than a goodbye for when the hermits are ready to return to their world. A safe and secure world without danger from intruders that X and Scott himself had worked so hard to secure once again. Later they would then see each other on the Empire’s side.
But that was all for later, for now Scott presses a gentle kiss to both of his sleepy rancher’s foreheads, wishing them good night before settling in for a good long sleep.