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When Grian first brought up the idea of a death game, Scott hadn't thought he was going to say yes. Sure, they appreciated being invited, and they loved playing games with his friends, but this was a death game. A fae inside a game of betrayal was just asking for trouble.
Unfortunately for him, his greatest weakness had been invited too, and begged them to join.
“Come on Scott, it'll be fun!” Jimmy told him excitedly, practically hanging off his arm as they wandered around Jimmy's empire. His golden wings were hidden away by the server code, replaced instead by a fish tail that suited him surprisingly well. Scott had been visiting fWhip to pick up their T-potions - this server was vanilla, other than the lore which always seeped into multiplayer servers, so code potions like Scott’s, which kept their effects between servers and actually rewrote the player’s code rather than just changing the visuals, had to be brought in from offserver. As with all other items, bringing something from offserver meant they had to go through the admin first. Scott and fWhip had been doing this since Scott had first started transitioning, during the second server he’d ever joined fWhip for, so it was routine for them by now. Jimmy had turned up just as they’d been leaving, inviting him to the swamp empire to see the progress of Jimmy’s building. Scott was starting to think this entire thing had just been a ploy to convince them to accept Grian’s invitation.
“I just don't know if it's a good idea,” Scott replied, having to glance away so that they didn't see Jimmy's disappointed face. He knew he'd crumple instantly if he saw Jimmy looking sad. Their snowy owl wings shuffled against their back, a feeling he still wasn't really used to. Server changes to their code were always a bit trippy, especially when he still had the instincts of a fae and just the appearance of a winged elf, and he knew that the other hybrids found the same thing. Saying that, it did bring some entertainment. Mostly when Jimmy's instinct to perch kicked in.
“You don't have to, if you really think it's a bad idea,” Jimmy said quietly. “I just think it would be cool. You could meet some of my other friends! And we could both meet some of Grian's!”
“I'm sure there are chances for me to meet these people without any murder or betrayal,” Scott pointed out. Truly, they did want to play Grian's game, but they knew what they were like. He'd make an alliance, pour his heart and soul into protecting them and helping them thrive, and then he'd inevitably get betrayed and his stupid instincts wouldn't register that it was all a game.
“Yeah, but…” Jimmy trailed off, humming uncomfortably.
“What's this really about, Jimmy?” Scott asked, his voice gentle as he pulled the other man to a stop and made him look him in the eyes.
“I'm excited to be on a server BigB and Martyn again,” Jimmy started. “And to meet Grian's hermit friends. But… I guess I'm just nervous. What if they don't like me? What if we don't get along?” He brought one of his hands up to his mouth, chewing on his nails. It was a habit that he'd had the entire time Scott had known him, and one he still hadn't managed to drop despite his best efforts.
“Jimmy, I can't imagine anyone exists who can resist your golden retriever energy and friendliness. Not to mention that Grian wouldn't be friends with them or introducing you to them unless they were lovely people he thought you would get along with.”
“Well, yeah,” Jimmy shrugged, “but what if. But if you came with me, we could ally! And you could be my moral support!”
Scott rolled their eyes affectionately. “You're ridiculous.”
Years later, and wasn't that a shock, Scott was incredibly thankful for Jimmy’s stubbornness, tenacity and puppy dog eyes. He'd made some amazing friends, and had an absolute blast doing it. There had been a few dodgy moments with Scott's instincts, but pretty much everyone in the game was a hybrid of some kind, so they all understood and helped where they could.
There was just one regret that Scott had.
Jimmy, his close friend, his greatest weakness, still didn't know about Scott's feelings. They'd tried to admit them during Third Life, but Jimmy had just assumed it was a bit and Scott hadn't corrected him. Then he'd tried again during Empires, but lore got in the way and once the server was over they just never talked about it again. Scott had been a coward, scared of rejection and losing his best friend, and instead he had just watched as over the course of Double Life Jimmy got to know and fell in love with Tango. And then watched again as Martyn joined their relationship after Limited Life, presumably after a number of conversations and confessions that Scott was amazed they had time for in the middle of a death game.
Jimmy was happy, and that was the most important thing in Scott's mind. Regardless of the way they felt when they were lying in bed at 3am, kept awake by thoughts they wished would go away. Jimmy might never know how Scott felt, and Scott may never get to find out what little noises Jimmy made while being kissed, but he was happy with his boyfriends, and that was all that Scott had ever wanted for him.
Right now he was sitting in the grass outside the secret keeper, his chin resting on his knee as Martyn chased Jimmy in circles, both of their wings flapping madly as they tried to move faster than the other. Scott wasn't sure what Martyn had done to make Jimmy run away, but it looked like Tango was about to intercept one of them so he might be about to find out.
The game was over, another one passed in a blur of fun and murder. They were now just hanging around on the pretty much decimated server, all of them wanting to spend some time together before Grian closed Secret Life and they all went back to their home servers, or wherever they had been when they accepted the invitation Grian had sent.
“Scott! Save me!” Jimmy shrieked, flapping his wings a couple of times to propel him into Scott. They just about managed to wrap their arms around the avian and counterbalance them before they both went tumbling into one of the wither holes that still littered the server. He pushed at Jimmy's wings, getting golden feathers out of his face.
“Oof, careful,” Scott wheezed, the wind having been knocked out of him by Jimmy's collision. Thankfully Jimmy's hollow bones meant he was light and it wasn't difficult for Scott to get comfortable with Jimmy in his arms.
“Sorry, sorry.” Jimmy sent him an apologetic smile, the one which they both knew would instantly make Scott forgive him. “You'll protect me from Martyn, right?”
The other avian was standing just on the other side of a wither hole, his arms crossed and his eyes sparkling. He still had that stupid dog ears headband on his head that he and Jimmy had made to match their team name, though it was somewhat wonky from the movement of his little head wings and all the running around they'd been doing.
“What's he doing?” Scott asked. Martyn looked the picture of innocence, practically an angel if not for the lack of halo and the tawny wings, and while Scott knew him well enough to know that it very much wasn't true, they still couldn't tell what it was that Martyn was up to.
“Blowing raspberries!” Jimmy told him gravely, like it was truly a horrendous crime.
“Oh how could he!” Scott played along. “I don't know how you'll ever manage to forgive him for this.” He turned to Martyn, fixing him with his most disappointed look. “Terrorising your own boyfriend, Littlewood. How could you?”
“How could I not?” Martyn replied without any remorse. “I just love the sounds he makes.” His eyes twinkled while he said it, his wings ruffling proudly, making it abundantly clear that he knew exactly what he'd just said and he'd very much done it on purpose.
Jimmy squeaked at the words, turning bright red for a moment before the little wings on his head swept forward and hid his face from view.
“You would,” Scott told Martyn with a roll of his eyes, glancing down at Jimmy and trying not to stare. He felt himself freezing, a strange feeling building in his chest, like his heart was melting and breaking all at once. Jimmy used to react to their words like that, back on Third Life and the first Empires. It had been Scott's favourite thing, seeing how red they could turn the avian with as few words as possible. By the time they reached the second Empires Jimmy seemed to have become immune to Scott's flirting, waving his words away or playfully yelling at him instead of blushing.
Scott hadn't realised how much he missed it.
“Just look at him,” Scott distantly heard Martyn coo, a twitter of laughter floating throughout his words.
“Isn't he adorable,” Tango agreed, his voice equally teasing. Scott looked across, seeing that despite the playfulness of their words, both Martyn and Tango meant it. Their eyes were soft as they looked at Jimmy, so full of love that Scott felt like he could choke on it. They may wish that they'd found the confidence to tell Jimmy that they weren't just playing around when they were married in Third Life, or in empires, but they couldn't regret this. He couldn't be upset about the fact that Jimmy was surrounded by so much love. He had friends who would follow him to the ends of the earth and boyfriends who appreciated him for everything he was and everything he wasn't. And Scott got to be a part of that. Scott got to hold Jimmy in their arms, share his laughter and his tears, his pride and his disappointment.
“Scott?”
Scott didn't know how long he'd been zoned out for, but Jimmy had emerged from his wings and was looking at Scott with something that was almost concern, making Scott feel like this probably wasn't the first time his name had been said.
“Sorry, just tired,” Scott assured him. “It's been a busy few weeks.”
“You can say that again,” Tango agreed. “You lasted longer than the rest of us too, no wonder you're exhausted.”
“Sorry for bringing this chaos over here,” Jimmy apologised. “You probably wanted to have a bit of peace and quiet, not deal with our screaming.” He started shifting, like he was going to move away, but Scott hadn't been lying about being tired and they were just tired enough to ignore the part of their brain warning them that it was a bad idea and pull Jimmy closer to them.
“It's fine, I enjoy spending time with you guys. You're entertaining.”
“For better and for poorer, right?” Tango laughed, his tail waving behind his head. “In sickness and in health. There's probably something about tiredness and chaos in there somewhere.”
“Yeah!” Jimmy agreed with a massive smile. “You signed up for this when you married me!”
Scott felt his breath catch in his chest. Jimmy always seemed to do his best to ignore the time they'd been married, it was strange to see him so happy about it being brought up. Maybe it was different when it was his boyfriend, his soulmate, bringing it up, rather than Scott himself or one of their other friends.
They tried to keep their smile on their face, even as Jimmy started telling Tango about the life long consequences of giving people flowers, and the ‘alliance’ date Scott had taken him on.
“Oh,” Martyn said, quietly enough that Scott only heard him because of his superior fae hearing. When Scott glanced over they saw the avian looking directly at them, realisation blooming in his eyes as he looked between Scott and Jimmy, who was still sitting in their lap.
“Hmm?” Tango hummed as he looked up, a multitude of emotions that Scott couldn't begin to identify flashing over his face before he too let out a quiet, “ooooh.”
“What is it?” Jimmy asked, noticing that his boyfriend wasn't paying full attention to his story anymore. “Why're you looking at us like that?” He leant back, his wings pressing warmly against Scott's arm as he twisted so that he could look up at the fae. “Do you have any idea what's going on?”
“No,” Scott sighed, something that was mostly true. They squinted at the other two, their stomach sinking. He could argue with himself that Tango didn't know him well enough to actually know everything, but Martyn definitely did, and he didn't look like he was planning to keep his mouth closed.
“Jimmy you're an idiot,” Martyn sighed, hissing between his teeth. “I really shouldn't be surprised about this.”
“I thought I was oblivious,” Tango agreed, his flairs burning brighter for a moment before settling down again.
“Right, so it's insult Jimmy day today?” Jimmy frowned. “What did I do? Will someone just tell me already? You all know I hate being left in the dark.” His wings ruffled. He meant it metaphorically, of course, but Scott knew that he did actually have a fear of the dark too. Living with Tango must be great for him, having a walking, talking, nightlight there with him.
Martyn looked up at Scott, the look in his eyes damning and showing no mercy. “I'm sorry mate, but it's been years.”
“Don't you dare,” Scott threatened, their hair starting to defy gravity as their magic sparked. He was sure that Jimmy would be able to feel it tingling through the places they were touching, but he didn't move away, simply looking at Scott with concern and care.
“Fine,” Martyn smirked, turning his attention away from Scott and towards Jimmy. “Jimmy, you know how when we got together you told me that for now you were just going to date me and Tango, and you weren't looking for someone new unless-”
“Martyn,” Jimmy squeaked, trying to cut Martyn off.
“Unless it was Scott,” Martyn continued undeterred. “Well buddy, you should have probably mentioned that to Scott.”
Jimmy buried his face in his hands, his head wings covering the rest of his face as they swung forward. He was trembling, Scott noted distantly. “Dude! Not cool!” He cried, sounding like he was about to get started on one of his rants.
“Wait, what?” Scott murmured. They didn't mean to say it out loud, but by the way the three blonds turned their attention to them, they supposed they had. That had not been what he expected Martyn to say.
“It's true,” Tango told him, grabbing Martyn's hand and pulling the avian to his feet. “I think that's enough meddling from this one though. We'll leave you to sort out… whatever you want to sort out.” With that they left, with only a couple of backwards glances. Scott watched as they joined Grian where he was teasing Mumbo, Tango visibly telling Martyn off the entire way. From the way that Martyn kept his head held high, Scott didn't think he regretted it even slightly.
“We could forget this ever happened?” Jimmy offered hesitantly, biting his nails - that were already bitten short. He was suddenly sounding very shy for someone who was still sat in Scott's lap.
“You want to date me?” Scott still wasn't completely sure that they were processing things properly. Was he awake right now? Was this all a vivid hallucination or really realistic dream?
“I don't want to make things weird.” His words were underlaid with twitters, the uncontrolled bird vocalisations telling Scott more about how Jimmy was feeling than anything else.
“But it's true?” Scott checked. “You told your boyfriends that you want to date me.”
“I've told them more than just that,” Jimmy said, a pout audible in his voice even as his face was still covered. “They're very patient, regardless of how many times I come back to our server and tell them all about how amazing and hot and smart you are.” His body jerked at the end of his sentence, and Scott winced when they realised that their magic must have just zapped the avian in response to their surprise from the words. “I'm sorry.”
“Don't be- why would you- Jimmy! I like you too,” Scott spluttered.
“You do?! You never said anything!” Jimmy's head wings peeled back and his hands dropped, revealing his handsome face. His eyes were flashing with hope, though the glare he sent Scott was accusatory.
“You didn't either,” Scott pointed out. “And you're the one who has two boyfriends.”
“Are you kidding me,” Jimmy groaned, one of his hands tangling in Scott's overshirt. “I've liked you since Third Life! I thought that you were just joking so I never said anything.”
“Great Ender Dragon,” Scott laughed, burying his face in Jimmy's shoulder. “I thought that you were just joking too! Are you telling me that if we hadn't been idiots we could have been together all this time?”
“Nether, now I have to thank Martyn instead of yelling at him,” Jimmy complained, though it wasn't very convincing when his smile was wide enough that it probably hurt and his wings came around to tightly wrap Scott in his feathers, something he had only seen Jimmy do with Tango and Martyn previously.
“His ego is going to double in size,” Scott agreed, feeling a little worn out from the rollercoaster of emotions they had just been on, and from the game which they had only just finished. He really should have been more exhausted, the secret tasks, the running around, the sacrifices, it had really taken it out of him and Scott had been half expecting to fall asleep where he was sitting before Grian sent them all home. It seemed that the adrenaline and excitement had pushed all that exhaustion to the side, but they were sure it was going to hit soon. They were going to sleep for an entire week once they were back home.
“You stopped reacting to my flirts,” Scott murmured after a moment, the thought coming back to his mind and refusing to leave until it was spoken. If Jimmy really had liked him all this time, why had he stopped reacting? Why was he more receptive to Sausage’s flirts than his? “I thought that meant- well, I thought it was just proof that you weren't interested.”
“I’d accepted that they were just jokes,” Jimmy replied equally quietly, his eyes flicking down to stare at the floor and his fingers tangling together. “It… hurt, I guess, that you were just joking around when my feelings were real.” His face twisted as he said the words, the disconnect between what he'd thought for so long and what he now knew was true hitting him.
“I missed it,” Scott admitted, feeling a little shy when dark brown eyes turned to him, locking him in place under the familiar gaze. “Being able to make you blush. You're so beautiful when you're embarrassed,” they grinned when Jimmy's face turned a light pink, not quite enough for him to hide himself with his head wings, but enough that anyone who knew him would be able to notice. “You're gorgeous always, but I like being able to fluster you.”
“Well it won't be difficult, now I know you're not joking,” Jimmy pointed out, chewing on his lip. “How am I supposed to not blush when a pretty man compliments me?”
Scott beamed in response, hesitantly reaching out and weaving their fingers together. They'd held hands quite a lot back in Third Life, but it had been different then. Playful. They'd use their linked hands to pull each other around or present a united front. Right now it was just them, already connected through seating position and sweeping wings, and yet still they held hands, desperate for another point of contact.
“What would you do if I kissed you right now?” Jimmy asked, his eyes half lidded and his thumb gently stroking the back of Scott's hand.
“Would you like to find out?” Scott’s tongue came out to lick his bottom lip, watching as Jimmy's eyes helplessly tracked the motion.
Jimmy moved slowly, cupping Scott's cheek and then leaning in, leaving an inch of space between their lips - giving Scott a moment to change his mind - before he closed the space between them. This wasn't the first time they had kissed, but just like the hand holding, this was the first time it had meant something real. This was the first time it was more than a quick peck, the first time that Scott allowed their hands to wander into Jimmy's wings and hear the quiet sigh of pleasure he let out in response. They pulled back after a moment, their foreheads resting together as they got their breaths back.
“Your lips are so cold.” Was the first thing Jimmy said afterwards. “I never noticed before. I like it.” He giggled quietly, his hand slipping down to rest on the nape of Scott's neck.
“Must be different to what you're used to,” Scott considered, pressing another kiss to the corner of Jimmy's mouth, just because they could. He'd never kissed Tango personally, but he'd heard that the blazeborn’s lips were hotter than most people's, just like the rest of him. He wondered whether he'd get a chance to feel it for himself now.
“Yeah, I wonder if you and Tango would just cancel out,” Jimmy hummed. He glanced up, gaze drifting around spawn until he spotted where Tango was still standing near Grian. He waved violently, almost hitting Scott in the face, until Tango noticed and started coming back, dragging Martyn along with him.
“I guess that depends on whether Tango would let me kiss him,” Scott said, surprising themself with how much they wanted that. Tango was hot, in all senses of the word, but they'd only really gotten to know him as Jimmy's boyfriend. He'd not allowed himself to consider any attraction when he'd given up on getting anywhere with Jimmy.
Martyn was a completely different matter. While they had never been together or anything, they had kissed before and they both knew there was attraction there, they just hadn't done anything about it. Maybe now, with both Tango and Jimmy's blessings, they would.
“Did you talk?” Martyn asked, his gaze roaming over the way their bodies were still pressed together and Jimmy's wings were wrapped around them. “Scrap that, I think I can see the answer. Any room for me in there?”
Jimmy chirped happily, his wings opening to make space for Martyn to sit down next to them. Martyn didn't hesitate, wrapping an arm around Jimmy and pressing his shoulder into Scott's side. His tawny wings stayed tucked close into his back so that Jimmy's wings could fit over them.
“Come on Tango,” Jimmy prompted when Tango still stood next to them. Scott waved his hand towards their other side, grinning even wider than before when Tango took up the unspoken offer and tucked himself in just like Martyn had. Once they were all situated Jimmy wrapped his wings back around them, a feathery shield between them and the rest of the world. Scott felt their shoulders drop, their eyes closing as emotions ran through them. This was belonging. This was all he wanted. His instincts, which hated betrayal and he'd been ignoring all game, were singing with joy now.
“You're welcome, by the way,” Martyn told them smugly. Both Jimmy and Scott wacked him in response, Scott with his hand and Jimmy with a wing, but they couldn't really argue. It wasn't like either of them were planning to admit their feelings any time soon, so they really couldn't have got here without his meddling.
“I'm just saying!” Martyn laughed.
“You did get it all sorted, then?” Tango said with a soft smile, just the hint of a fang peeking out. “Talked about your feelings, kissed the pining away?” The words were teasing, though he was not wrong. That was pretty much exactly what they had done.
“Yes to both,” Jimmy told him, his feathers fluffing up proudly.
“And now it's our turn?” Martyn asked, leaning closer. “Or is your side of things closed?”
“Scott can do whatever they want,” Jimmy shrugged, leaning his head on Scott's shoulder for a moment. “I don't care who they're kissing so long as they're also kissing me.”
“What do you say then, Flipper?” Martyn asked, bringing back the infuriating nickname he'd come up with during Limited Life.
“I hate you,” Scott told him, resting a hand on Martyn's shoulder as he leaned in to kiss him, the angle only slightly weird due to Jimmy still being sat in Scott's lap. Martyn's lips weren't as dry as Jimmy's, and he wasn't as hesitant, pressing insistently against Scott's lips, his hand tangling in Scott's hair and adjusting him to get the angle right. It wasn't a long kiss, but Scott's lips still tingled when they pulled apart, pleased to see everyone smiling when he opened his eyes again. Jimmy and Tango had clearly kissed as well while Scott and Martyn were distracted, Tango's flames were blazing steadily with contentment, his tail wrapped around Jimmy's upper arm and his hand gently stroking along Jimmy's closest wing.
“Yeah?” Martyn asked, the word gentle, a check in. Making sure Scott was okay with both what they had just done, and what Tango and Jimmy had just done. His head wings fluttered, the avian clearly happy with the kiss, but waiting patiently for Scott's response.
“Yeah,” Scott replied. They hadn't been this certain of anything in a long while. “How about you, Tango? Do you want a kiss?”
“A kiss from a very pretty man? I would never say no to that.” Tango shuffled slightly closer, a smile on his lips as Scott closed the gap between them. His lips were warm, more so than Scott had been expecting, though he imagined that was more due to the temperature difference between them than the actual heat of his lips. It felt like sitting in front of the fire on a cold day, like safety and appreciation. Even though the kiss remained relatively chaste, Scott could feel the sharpness of Tango's teeth, sending a thrill down their spine.
“Oooh, frosty,” Tango teased when they pulled apart.
“I don't know, I thought it was pretty hot,” Scott replied, humming happily when Tango pressed another warm kiss to their cheek.
“It definitely was from where I'm sitting,” Jimmy breathed, looking at them with almost unbearable fondness.
“I’ll second that,” Martyn whistled. “Damn!”
“Shut up,” Tango rolled his eyes, his hair flickering brighter for a couple of seconds while he held eye contact with Martyn before settling back.
“I don't know how I'm going to survive, surrounded at all times by pretty men that I'm allowed to kiss,” Jimmy complained, waving his arms around in the air pointedly. “How am I going to get anything done?”
“You're an idiot,” Scott told him, pressing a kiss to his jaw. Martyn and Tango followed their lead, both also kissing Jimmy on the jaw and leaving the avian looking startled.
“Yeah, but you all love me,” Jimmy pointed out once he was able to get his thoughts back under control.
“Yeah,” Scott sighed, looking at his new boyfriends , within a circle of golden wings he never thought he'd be lucky enough to be a part of. “Yeah, we do.”