chatime | ✧ — peach iced tea.

Other people might think otherwise, but do their opinions really matter? What matters to me is yours and only yours.

[ the way this is also deeply problematic. he takes thorns' hand and presses it flat to his neck, guiding it to curl around him as though his hand were a collar. ]

Are you the type who'd prefer a bell or a tag?

[ their world continues to become more insular as time goes on. it's difficult to think about the fact that he was the captain of a ship and had to look after dozens of people when right now everything is just elysium. ]

A bell is too noisy.

[ unreal that elysium was pushing thorns to be more social just a few months ago. now, he isn't so sure how he'd feel if things turned out any other way. his hand subconsciously clenches, and forgetting where it is, it evokes a quiet, strained noise.

oopsie. he laughs, a little breathless. ]

… It'd draw too much attention, wouldn't it? A tag it is. You have to remember to walk me, too.

Of course. You need your exercise.

[ remember how they used to get flustered over just kissing? granted, there are still more pure and sweet things that embarrasses them, but it typically just happens when they're caught off guard by the action.

every day the sense of shame worsens. ]

People can't think you're anything but mine.

Ohhhhh. The tattoos were too subtle for you. Gotcha.

[ there is nothing subtle whatsoever about what they're doing every hour and minute of their lives in this timeline, but okay.

every day the delusions also increase. ]

But why are you thinking so much about other people? There shouldn't be any room for that.

[ completely deranged.

unfortunately, thorns just finds this behavior endearing. it is difficult to spot a red flag when you are also waving around the same color. ]

Hm? How much should I be thinking of you, mi amor?

[ it's better than being fully aware of how unhealthy they're being and feeding into it intentionally. elysium really did stoop to new lows to thirst trap him and apparently thorns was all for it.

he slides his hand off of thorns to scoot closer. ]

Every day, every hour, every minute and second of our lives. You gave yourself to me, didn't you? That's what I want. I'll act up otherwise.

[ the way they mourned the sniper guard for like two seconds. okay. taking the breaks and safeguards off of their relationship was a mistake. ]

[ they can still be in mourning without thinking about him. it's fine. they're multilayered like that.

thorns tugs lightly at the chain connecting them. ]

How would you act up?

[ they are mourning something alright and it's most definitely not their comrade ]

I might not be able to do anything to you… but there's plenty I can do to disincentivise others. But you'd feel guilty about that, wouldn't you? Mm. So there's something better than that——myself.

[ he lets himself get tugged, training his eyes directly on thorns'. ]

As you can imagine, being in Special Operations gives you a pretty unique skillset. You have to really understand the people and circumstances you're working with.

[ remember when thorns was willing to drop everything to take elysium to a clinic?

he takes his free hand and

digs his fingers into his wound.

surely there is a threshold of crazy here that thorns is no longer willing to tolerate… so much for a restful and uneventful evening… ]

[ oh.

his hand immediately snaps to grab elysium's, his grip tightening around it to the point it might hurt. ]

You know you're precious to me.

[ it's said almost like a threat. thorns really means it when he says no one is allowed to hurt elysium. ]

[ he is so genuinely happy about this that it borders on delirium. he should not be happy but he is? he only manages to exacerbate the wound half a centimetre deep, but that's all it takes for it to coat his bandage red; this is so blatantly manipulative that he's starting to wonder what he can't get away with.

somehow, this is even more twisted than being able to change past events. ]

I know. That's why you have to keep treating me preciously, mi luz. What am I without you?

[ a guy who is going to spiral down a dark path, apparently—or a darker path, even. ]

Maybe I need to make this permanent...?

[ it's muttered, mostly to himself, and he tugs at the handcuff a little. he watches at the red blooms against the white, and he knows they have bandages packed away in their bags. he makes a note to grab them later. ]

You are my heart. Just know that the blood in my veins cannot flow without you.

[ his hand moves to touch the spot over his wound. his fingertips come back tinted red. ]

[ as with each time thorns has tugged on the chain, elysium complies pliantly. there is no reason for him to act up again after he's proven his point, so!

all that meets thorns is a smile as he licks his fingers clean, closing his mouth around each individual digit to make sure nothing is left behind. ( francy voice ) they're fine. ]

That's already been my case for a long, long time. I won't let anything happen to you.

[ everything is fine as long as they are alive and together.

he thinks briefly to how whoever is out there was probably watching the fight between elysium and the rookie, since they would need to keep an eye on their goods. if anything, if thorns hadn't shown up right when he did, they might have tried to take elysium out by surprise—it's easier to take someone out when they're distracted by their weapon being embedded in another person.

he probably should have surveyed the immediate area, but it hadn't even crossed his mind when normally it would have. ]

Is that a promise?

[ yeah, honestly. elysium has managed to thoroughly convince himself that this is the best thing that has ever happened to them and it'd taken him too long to realise what was important all along: them, and being together.

he's going to make this work no matter what it takes. ]

It is. [ he hooks their pinkies together, crosses his heart and hopes to die if he doesn't. they have a lot to live for, now. each other. ] I'm not letting you leave my sight.

I'd be mad if you said anything else.

[ someone please knock them out.

he goes quiet for a moment, before adding, ]

They likely know your face, right?

[ nothing like segueing into a normal conversation after having the most insane exchange of their lives. his expression turns more serious. ]

If you're wondering if they realised it was me specifically who took out their scouts, I don't think so. But they should know both of ours now regardless.

[ … ]

What are you thinking about?

[ if thorns is thinking about going out on the field elysium will kill him ]

[ it does seem like leaping from an extreme to another, but this is just what their lives are like now, being able to discuss the most deeply codependent things and then switching to discussing the weather. ]

Just wondering how annoying leaving will be.

[ in the chance that they get followed. ]

Did you want to leave after the others get here?

[ he will, in the end, defer to thorns' judgement. despite what the physician said, he thinks he can still swing his sword around well enough?

the situation can either get better or worse, and there are less ideal places to be stranded in than higashi. but with that said, even the circumstances alone are enough to make him feel stir crazy. ]

We can see what they'll need of us, at least.

[ they are going to have to give them all the information that they know, at least, so if they want to be responsible adults they can't run off the second they appear.

but they'd likely need to question elysium specifically, considering he's the one who had to deal with. even besides the baggage of killing another operator, they'd want as much information on how the sniperguard was acting. ]

[ the real answer is that he most likely didn't have to do what he did, but the moment he thought about thorns having to potentially do it in his stead he acted first. thorns is faster, stronger. he had to do it before he'd found them and he barely made it in time.

thorns would continue to live with himself, but if that's one less weight he could save him from, why wouldn't he? ]

… Alright. After that… we'll keep our promises to each other.

[ it hits him suddenly and all at once how tired he is. now that he's once again settled and secured, he finds his eyelids drooping into a close. more importantly, him and thorns are bound closer than ever. technically, thorns could disperse the handcuffs at any given time, but the feel of it against his wrist is somehow… comforting?

it's a physical representation of their bond. he dozes off… the way he's still bleeding and now they're stuck to each other have fun with that thorns ]

[ OKAY.

he realizes this is problematic as soon as elysium falls asleep because thorns does not want to jostle him too much and wake him. eventually he just settles for ripping part of his shirt to at least cover the part of elysium's wound that he aggravated.

it's far from perfect, but it'll do until later. for now he just settles and watches him snooze. heart eyes. ]

[ heart eyes when elysium is getting exponentially more toxic okay he sees you.

elysium's pager goes off. the fact that he doesn't stir after the first ring probably speaks levels… what does thorns do. ]

[ hmm...

he reaches over to grab it, mostly to shut it off so it won't wake elysium. anything good? ]

[ they really want elysium to pick up this call… they ring again right after. ]

You don't have to pick it up…

[ holds thorns closer as if he's the one they're trying to reach. okay. if everyone involves play dead surely they will get the hint (there is an organisation actively killing and kidnapping rhodes operators) ]

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