blood-sown roses

by snowounce

Summary:

The last thing Chance expected after getting forsaken to a seemingly eternal hell of being slaughtered over and over again was to find his soulmate.

But fate plays fickle games.

 

AKA Paycheck shared pain soulmate au because I need more paycheck content or I will die

Chapter 1: A Live Round

Chance ducked behind a large stone outcrop, panting. 1x’s footsteps faded into silence, probably distracted by one of their teammates. Finally, a stroke of luck. After landing tails ten times in a row, Chance desperately needed his luck to turn around to make it out of this round without losing their damn head. They let out a breath of relief, which suddenly caught in their lungs as a searing pain cut through his side.

Chance lurched up and glanced down at himself, expecting to see a green tinted wound left behind by a surprise ranged attack from 1x. But to his surprise, his suit was merely rumpled from running and his flesh ungrazed. They could have sworn that they had just been hit by a flying blade- he had been struck by one of those cursed daemonshanks earlier that round and the feeling of his very code itself glitching out was something they were never going to forget. But somehow, they were unharmed.

It only took him a moment to realize what the only possibility was. His soulmate. Something that Chance had barely spared a passing thought to after he had been stripped from his normal life. Not only was his soulmate in danger, but they had been attacked by 1x himself.

Chance’s mind raced as he left the cover of the rocks, his eyes scanning the vicinity, looking for his fellow survivors. Could it really be possible that one of them was his soulmate? Unbidden, his thoughts turned to a certain cute pizza boy who he'd been assigned to share a cabin with before this whole thing had started. Chance shook their head, as if trying to banish those thoughts physically. They didn't even know for sure that his soulmate was here with him, and if they were then they were in serious danger. It was not the time to be speculating about who it was.

They started wandering around the map, looking for 1x and the poor soul he was chasing, flipping his coin absentmindedly. Chance suddenly stumbled over himself as he felt a daemonshank tear into his back. His head whipped around, only to find nothing yet again. Damn.

“Chance, you alright?” called Builderman, who had been working on a generator nearby and seemed mostly unscathed, aside from a cut on his leg. So not him. Chance let himself feel relieved for a moment. Not that he had anything against older gentlemen, but the last thing they wanted was to get on Shedletsky’s bad side.

“Nothing to worry about. This place is just getting to my head,” he replied.

Builderman nodded in understanding. “Ye’r not alone in that, kid. This place is doing things to all of us.”

“Speaking of, did you see who 1x is after?” said Chance, jumping at the opportunity to pry some information from the former admin.

“‘Fraid not. I saw one of his slashes coming from that direction recently though,” Builderman said, pointing towards the hill on the other side of the map.

“Great, thanks Builderman! I'm gonna try to help whoever it is he's after.”

“Jus’ be careful, alright? I set a dispenser down upstairs in the house if you get injured.”

Chance nodded, and ran towards the hill with their hand resting on their flintlock. As he approached, he could hear the telltale sounds of a deadly dance- swords slashing through the air, the horrible rattling sound that always preceded 1x’s deadliest attack, and frantic footsteps doing their best to evade the onslaught of blades. From the base of the hill, Chance couldn't see who was being attacked. He crept up cautiously, knowing that if he was spotted before he could shoot his gun it would be criminally easy for 1x to dodge.

Blood was spattered on the path up the hill, painting a gory scene. When he finally got to the crest, he found not two, but three people— 1x, Shedletsky, and Elliot. Shedletsky was trying his best to protect Elliot, who was clutching his side in pain. Chance watched in horror as 1x knocked Shedletsky’s sword to the side and it clattered down the hill, far from its owner's reach.

“Disgusting vermin,” 1x rasped, taking a fistful of Shedletsky’s curly hair, yanking his head up harshly and pointing a daemonshank at his throat. “I shall do the world a favor and annihilate-”

Before 1x could finish his sentence, Chance fired. 1x screamed in outrage while Chance yelled for the two survivors to run. Shedletsky didn't need to be told twice. He gave Chance a grateful glance before he scrambled off. Elliot on the other hand hesitated for a moment, almost as if he wanted to say something, but clearly thought better of it and ran after Shedletsky.

Infuriated, 1x picked his daemonshanks back up and glowered at Chance. “Damn bugs.. always getting in my way. Fine. If you want to die so badly, then I'll grant your wish,” he growled, hatred dripping off each word.

A bead of sweat cropped up on Chance's forehead and he turned tail and started running in the opposite direction that Shedletsky and Elliot had gone, 1x’s pounding footsteps following close behind him. He heard an ominous rattling noise coming from behind him, and leaped to one side as a large slash just barely grazed his arm. Despite the shallow wound, he could already feel the poison kicking in and his senses starting to return nonsense as the glitches corrupted his vision. Fuck, they were in serious trouble. Chance could only evade 1x’s attacks for so long before 1x would crush their skull in his freakishly strong hands and turn his attention back to their friends. He could only hope that either Elliot or Shedletsky had picked up a medkit earlier.

Suddenly, he remembered the dispenser. There was no way he was going to be able to heal much from it, not with how closely 1x was following him, but maybe it would buy him a little bit of time. Chance started dashing towards the house with what little stamina he had left. They ran up the stairs, just narrowly missing being hit by another daemonshank that had been sent flying in their direction.

At the top of the stairs now, Chance stared grimly down at the approaching 1x, his blades dripping with a vivid green liquid. “Say goodbye, wretched gambler,” spoke 1x, approaching Chance like a damned grim reaper and destroying the dispenser in one smooth stroke.

They dared not wait another moment, and quickly leaped down, only to be met with a walking corpse of green and black that took another chunk out of him before he could get away. His vision started to grey out and he panicked, knowing that he was on his last legs. It would only take one strike to kill them now, and as they heard 1x landing on the ground behind them, Chance just about gave up hope.

Before the guillotine fell on their neck, a splotch of red and yellow appeared in their fading vision. Chance quickly shoved the pizza in his mouth and scrambled from the ground, narrowly missing another sword to his side. He spotted Elliot watching him closely from afar, and in their near death delirium, he looked like an angel.

Momentarily distracted, Chance didn't notice when 1x moved until they felt the daemonshank slice across their back diagonally. He did however notice Elliot cry out, although it sounded far away due to the blood rushing in his ears.

A sob cut through the haze of pain. It pierced right through his very heart. “MOVE, YOU IDIOT!” Elliot cried desperately, tears rolling down his face. It jolted Chance out of his stupor and he rolled to the side as two swords flew right past him. He ran for his life, filled with a renewed vigor despite their grievous injuries. 1x brought his corrupted swords down on the spot Chance had just been, narrowly missing him again. They howled in frustration, and tore out their own eye in a gruesome display of power. Dread trickled down Chance's psyche as he realized his fate. There was no way he'd be able to outrun them now. Just as 1x leaped forward with a renewed speed, a daemonshank in each hand pointed right towards his fucking face, everything faded to black.

~❀~

When Chance woke up, they were back in their cabin, laying down in bed. He tried to sit up, but a gentle hand guided him back down. “Don't move, you'll agitate your wounds,” said Elliot, who was sitting in a chair at his bedside. “You were injured pretty badly. Thank goodness the time ran out when it did— it was a miracle that you made it out in one piece.”

The memories started rushing back. The phantom wounds. Elliot's shouts of pain when Chance was hurt. Elliot's heart-wrenching cries as he watched Chance get injured again and again. Elliot, Elliot, Elliot.

“We… we have a lot to talk about, huh?” Chance mumbled groggily.

Elliot chuckled weakly. “Yeah, I guess we do.”

Chance thought about all the different things he could say, but in that moment, all that came out was “I'm sorry.”

Elliot just shook his head. “Don't be. If it weren't for you, Shedletsky and I totally would have died. You gave us time to recover. It was all thanks to you that we all made it out alive.”

“It goes both ways. I would have died too if not for you showing up to save me at the end of the round.”

“Guess we're even then, eh?” Elliot joked.

“Maybe so,” Chance replied.

There was a moment of silence between them as they both considered how to address the elephant in the room. Chance's whole body ached, and he wondered how much of that Elliot could feel. Probably all of it, he thought guilty.

“I-”

“So-”

They both spoke at the same time.

“Er- you go first,” Elliot insisted.

“I, uh- I never thought I'd find my soulmate in a place like this,” Chance finally admitted. Now that the s-word was out, it made it all seem so much more real.

“Me neither. Romance was the last thing on my mind after I got sent here.”

“I'm glad it was you, though.”

Elliot’s cheeks turned pink, and he looked away. It was then that Chance decided on a new goal- make Elliot blush as much as possible. Flustered Elliot was just too cute. He had to see more. Without thinking, he reached out a hand and grazed his fingers against Elliot's cheek. It was soft and warm to the touch, and a tingle went through them upon contact. Immediately, Elliot's cheeks flushed darker, his eyes widening in shock. Chance fed on the sight hungrily.

“You're too cute, Ellie,” Chance said, grinning widely.

“I think I liked you better when you were sleeping,” Elliot replied, still blushing fiercely. “I'm gonna grab something for you to eat and drink. Stay here, unless you want to fall on your face.”

Chance watched him leave, already feeling quite endeared to the young man. An unfamiliar emotion blazed warmly in his chest. If this is what it felt like to be in love, they liked it very much. Even the high of gambling couldn't quite compare. Somehow, it made the pain of his injuries fade into the background and a warm feeling he tentatively identified as happiness or possibly belonging lifted them up.

Before long, Elliot returned with a can of chicken noodle soup.

Chance pouted. “No pizza?”

“You can have some more pizza later,” Elliot sighed. “Just drink the soup. Jeez, am I your soulmate or your mom?”

For some stupid reason, Chance's heart skipped a beat when the word soulmate spilled from Elliot's mouth. A bit embarrassed, he accepted the soup and took a bite. It was lukewarm and not very flavorful, but they couldn't bring themself to care.

“So, what are the others up to?” Chance said between sips of soup.

“Not much,” Elliot shrugged. “You got the worst injuries out of all of us. Everyone else's were minor in comparison- except for mine, I guess. Most were chatting around the fireplace last I checked. I think Dusekkar, Shedletsky, and Builderman were upstairs though.”

“Maybe they were duking it out on the dance pads,” Chance joked.

Elliot laughed genuinely at that, a bright happy laugh that seemed to lift Chance's own spirits when he heard it. “Pfft, can you imagine those guys trying to dance to some upbeat pop song?”

“Poor Dusekkar probably just had to watch. There's no way he'd be able to step on the arrows with the way he floats.”

“Poor guy,” Elliot snickered. “Bet he’d make a great judge though.”

“Who do you think would win?”

Elliot rubbed his chin, as if he were seriously contemplating the question. “Shedletsky was a great swordsman, so he's got to have some good footwork. I wouldn't want to face him in a dance off, that's for sure.”

“Good point.”

“Speaking of the others, we should probably talk about what we're going to tell them about us,” Elliot said.

Chance chewed on their lip, thinking about his suggestion. Something inside of him protested at the idea of sharing the news about them being soulmates so quickly. Did he really want to share such a vulnerable part of themselves already when it was so new? Hell, they hadn't even kissed yet! Besides, what if the other survivors believed that their soulmate status was a burden and decided to separate them? That was something that Chance could never allow to happen.

“Let's just keep it a secret for now, Ellie. I want to know what it feels like to be soulmates with you before telling everyone about it. We can tell them about it later, after we learn what it means for us,” Chance decided.

A small smile rewarded him. “Okay, that was kinda sweet,” Elliot replied bashfully. “I didn't know you had something like that in you.”

“Don't worry baby, I'll show you just how sweet I can be,” Chance said with a wink.

“Alright, now you're laying it on a bit thickly,” he giggled.

~❀~

As their conversation went on, Chance noticed Elliot's eyes hovering curiously over his head. With a start, they suddenly realized that their sunglasses and headphones were still on. He almost never took them off in the company of others and apprehension welled up inside him at the thought of taking them off in front of Elliot. But he was their soulmate, the one person they were supposed to trust more than any other. Elliot had the other half of their heart beating in his chest. After hesitating for a moment, their hands shook slightly as he raised them to his face.

Elliot's eyes widened as Chance removed their sunglasses and set them on the nightstand, their headphones following soon after. As Chance ran a nervous hand through their hair, Elliot's expression softened into something kind and loving. “I've never seen you without your sunglasses on. You have pretty eyes,” he said with a soft smile.

“Thanks, Ellie,” Chance said as his face heated up rapidly. “You're too damn nice to me.”

At that, Elliot's smile grew wider. “You like it though, don't you? You like it when I compliment you.”

Chance cleared his throat, desperately hoping his face wasn't as red as it felt. “Maybe I do.”

“I'll have to save that information for later. Wouldn't want to overload your cute little head now,” Elliot teased, and Chance wondered how the hell Elliot turned the tables on him so quickly.

Fuck, he loved this man.

“If you're curious as to why I wear 'em all the damn time, it's cause my eyes are sensitive to bright lights and my ears are sensitive to noise. My headphones are especially helpful in my casino and when I'm shootin',” Chance smirked dryly. “Without them I'd be walking around with my hands over my ears and my eyes squinted shut half the time. Besides, what's the point of having a sweet limiteds collection if you don't even wear ‘em?”

Elliot's eyes widened. “Oh, is that why I used to get eye and ear pains sometimes?”

“You felt those too, did ya? I hope it didn't bother you too much,” Chance said, feeling a bit guilty.

Elliot shook his head. “No, the pain didn't bother me much at all. I was just, well- I was worried about you, and wished I knew who you were so I could help.”

Chance's gaze drifted towards the window. They had been chatting for so long that the sky had turned an oily black, and stars shimmered brightly against the dark canvas. There were no clocks in the cabin, but they assumed it was quite late by now. A part of him wanted to stay up all night talking with Elliot. The other, rational part of them realized that being sleep deprived during a round would be a death sentence, for both him and for Elliot.

Elliot followed his gaze, and his eyes widened upon noticing the time. "Oh! I'm sorry, you must be tired. I can take the couch tonight,” he said.

“You know, we can just share the bed. You don't have to sleep on the couch,” Chance offered.

Elliot raised an eyebrow, and Chance chuckled and put his hands up defensively. “Hey, no funny business. I promise.”

Elliot huffed in amusement. “No, it's not that. I just don't want to worsen your injuries accidentally.”

At that, Chance felt himself flush. “Ah, right- I mean, I'm wrapped up pretty well, aren't I? I doubt you'd be able to cause any actual damage.” Besides, even if he does elbow me in the side and reopen my wound it would still be totally worth it, Chance thought selfishly. “And hey, you're still injured too, aren't you? All the more reason why you shouldn't sleep on a couch tonight. ‘Sides, if you get a crick in your neck from sleeping on the couch we're both gonna feel it tomorrow.”

At that, Elliot sighed. “I suppose you’ve got a point there, Chance. Scoot your butt over.”

Chance hastily moved over to make some room, although the sudden movement caused them both to wince from pain.

“Sorry,” Chance apologized.

“Damn, you want me in your bed that badly, huh?” Elliot teased.

Now it was Chance's turn to be flustered. “Come on man, I know you're hurting. Just get in bed already!”

Elliot chuckled, but acquiesced. As the other shuffled into place besides Chance, it felt like their veins had been replaced by live wires. Electricity coursed through every spot of contact. They itched to get closer. Curse these wounds, preventing him from cuddling against Elliot the way he wanted to. Would he even appreciate being cuddled?

While Chance was lost in that train of thought, a warm hand suddenly intertwined with theirs and their brain promptly short-circuited.

“Is… is this okay?” Elliot asked shyly.

“More than okay,” Chance breathed out, squeezing Elliot's hand reassuringly.

Elliot hummed happily. Maybe they wouldn't be able to cuddle comfortably tonight, but this was quite a nice alternative.

Chapter 2: BLANK

Summary:

A second round begins.

Notes:

TRIGGER WARNING FOR SUICDAL THOUGHTS. It's marked by linebreaks(like this: __________________________________________) so skip from the first line to the last one if you don't want to read it. Take care of yourselves fellas

The clock was counting down again, and their respite after the first round was coming to an end. Apprehension bubbled inside of Chance as he wondered what new horrors they'd have to face once the second round started. How many rounds would they have to go through before they could finally get out of this place? Not knowing was killing him.

“Before we go,” Elliot said, then leaned in and pressed a kiss to Chance's cheek, startling them from their train of thought. “Stay safe, okay?”

The kiss sent warmth all throughout his body. When they got back, Chance was going to kiss Elliot silly.

~❀~

To his slight disappointment, he did not spawn at the same place as Elliot. Instead, he was joined by Guest 1337. The two nodded to each other and quickly got to work on a nearby generator.

Only 10 seconds into fixing the generator, Chance felt a blade digging into his neck and he yelped in shock. He broke free of the generator, certain that Jason had snuck up behind them, but the only person he found was a concerned looking Guest 1337. Elliot was in danger. Jason had targeted him first.

“Chance? What's wrong?” Guest 1337 asked.

“Elliot-” they gasped raggedly. “He's- he's hurt.”

A look of understanding washed over Guest 1337. He didn't ask how or why Chance knew, just simply said “Lead the way. I’ll help.”

Relief washed over them. Guest 1337 was a strong fighter, and having him on their side would definitely improve Elliot's chances. His eyes darted around the map, hoping to catch a glimpse of Elliot or Jason. To his dismay, he couldn't see anybody. He cursed all of the walls and trees blocking his sight. Panic welled up inside their chest, threatening to suffocate them.

“I can't- I don't know where-”

“Stay strong,” Guest 1337 said, clasping Chance's shoulder. “Elliot needs you to stay strong. We will find him.”

The two set off straight down the middle of the map. Usually, survivors preferred to stick to the outer edges, but the middle had a better vantage point of the whole map. Before either of them could spot them, Chance gasped raggedly and fell to his knees as the phantom blade of a machete tore through his legs. Guest 1337 helped him back up, a grim expression on his face.

“There's a splash of blood on that wall over there,” Guest said, pointing to one of the small “fortresses” on the map.

Chance swallowed the lump in his throat, and started sprinting over to the fortress. The pain in his legs made him want to collapse, but they pushed through it with gritted teeth. Guest 1337’s footsteps followed closely behind him.

As they approached the fortress, they found a trail of blood that looked like someone limping away. The sense of dread that had been present since Elliot had first gotten injured only grew stronger. He started flipping his coin as they followed the blood trail, preparing for a battle.

Then, he finally spotted Elliot. His soulmate was cornered by Jason, bleeding from multiple injuries. As Jason prepared to strike, Chance raised his gun and fired.

And the gun didn't go off.

Guest 1337 was already charging forwards, but even he couldn't stop Jason’s vicious onslaught. Chance felt the machete tearing into his flesh over and over, and watched helplessly as the teeth of a chainsaw tore into his soulmate's flesh. Jason kicked Elliot to the side, turning his focus to Guest 1337. Guest 1337 blocked his first swing and started leading him on a chase away from Elliot, and Chance finally unfroze and sprinted towards him.

He knelt down at Elliot's side, who blinked up at him weakly. Blood trickled down the side of his mouth, and Chance carefully wiped it away with his thumb. “Elliot,” he said brokenly. “Elliot, don't close your eyes, okay? You'll be fine. I'm gonna find you a medkit and we'll stop the blood, okay?”

Elliot shook his head. “Too late- too late for me. Don't blame yourself, Chance. I- I love you,” he croaked, reaching a trembling, bloodstained hand to caress Chance's cheek weakly, before it fell limply to his side. Despite the immense pain he was in- that they both were in, Elliot's eyes gazed up at Chance fondly as he breathed out for the final time.

When Elliot died, Chance felt like something vital, something precious that had always been a part of him, whether they knew it or not, had suddenly been ripped away from him. The crippling pain faded, but in its absence came a heart-stopping hollowness. Being sliced in half would have been more preferable to this sickening numbness.

He grabbed Elliot's wrist, desperately feeling for a pulse despite a nauseating certainty that he was already gone. There was nothing. Not even a weak, thready heartbeat. Elliot lay, completely motionless on the floor. His soulmate was gone, and it was all Chance's fault. His damned flintlock hadn't gone off when he needed it the most. And because of that, Elliot was dead.

__________________________________________

Hopelessness, grief, and self-hatred washed over him in unrelenting waves. He should just take his own life right now, and maybe then he could rejoin Elliot. He had failed his soulmate, and deserved the ultimate punishment.

Elliot's last words… he had told Chance not to blame themself. But as Chance looked at him, at his corpse, he could do nothing but blame himself. At this point, they would do anything to escape the dreadful hollowness, the wrongness of living when their soulmate was already gone, even turning his gun on himself. He clutched Elliot's body tightly as sobs wracked through him, uncaring about the blood staining his suit or about the noise that he was making.

Maybe if they were lucky, Jason would hear his cries and return to finish him off. Chance wouldn't fight back anymore.

They had no idea how long they sat there like that, cradling Elliot in their arms. It could have been a minute, or a lifetime. All they could focus on was his lifeless body. Nothing else seemed important anymore. Not the killer, not other survivors, not even himself.

Nobody disturbed Chance during his mourning. Jason never returned to finish him off, nor did any survivors come running this way. They didn't give a damn one way or the other. The only thing that mattered was that Elliot was dead, and it was his fault. As the clock finally started to tick down to the last seconds, Chance closed his eyes and hoped that he wouldn't open them again.

__________________________________________

The round had ended, and they were back in the lobby. All of a sudden, the horrible hollow feeling that had been haunting Chance disappeared. He pawed at his chest, feeling confused. If the hollowness was gone, did that mean-

Without hardly a word to the other survivors, Chance dashed out of the main cabin. He threw open the door of his and Elliot's shared cabin and his heart nearly stopped at the sight. Sitting hunched over on the bed, crying, was Elliot.

Upon seeing them, Elliot's face lit up, and Chance had never seen a more beautiful sight than his soulmate's reddened, tear-stained face, beaming like the sun.

“Ellie!” Chance cried, leaping forward and tackling Elliot to the bed in a tight hug. The wave of relief he felt was so strong that it threatened to wash him away. It felt so good, so right to hold Elliot in his arms again. He was warm and bright, full of life- just as he should be.

Elliot squeezed him back just as tightly. “Chance! I've been so worried about you,” he said. “I couldn't feel the bond anymore, it was so awful!”

“You've been worried? Ellie, I thought you were gone for good! I was so fucking scared-” His voice cracked as he began to cry, recalling watching and feeling Elliot dying, then the horrible nothingness that was somehow even worse than the pain, then the grief and self-hatred that threatened to swallow him whole.

“Oh, Chance,” Elliot said softly, “We’re together now, okay? Everything's okay.”

“Don't- Please, you can't leave me again. I can't- I can't stand to be without you,” Chance sobbed.

“I won't,” Elliot said firmly. He took off Chance's fedora and set it on the nightstand before starting to run his hand through Chance's hair soothingly. They melted into their soulmate's gentle touch. “We're gonna stick together from now on, okay? We'll protect each other, and if we go down, then we'll go down together. I won't leave you alone again.”

“But- what if we don't spawn at the same place? Like what happened last round?”

“Then we'll agree on a spot to meet up. I'm guessing that each round, the survivors all spawn on one side of the map, while the killer spawns on the other. If that's the case, it'd probably be safest for us to meet in the middle of the side we spawn on. If not, then we’ll figure something else out, okay?”

“Okay, yeah. That- that sounds like a plan,” Chance said.

Before they could continue their conversation, there was a knock at the door. Chance reluctantly extricated himself from Elliot's grip and opened it, revealing Guest 1337. “Chance, you ran off so suddenly. I wanted to-”

Guest 1337’s jaw dropped when he saw Elliot, who smiled at him weakly. “Elliot!” he said in disbelief. “You're alive? But how?”

Elliot shrugged helplessly. “I don't really know. After I died, I just woke up back here. My injuries were gone, but I couldn't-” his lip started to tremble. “All I could do was wait, and hope that you guys would return soon.”

“Does this mean that death is no longer the end for us?” Guest 1337 pondered, furrowing his eyebrows. “We should inform the others that you're back. Perhaps one of the former admins will have some insight into your… respawn.”

“Before we go,” Chance said, “We'd appreciate it if you could keep our soulmate status a secret for now.”

Guest nodded. “Fine. But if the situation really is as dire as I fear, then the others will find out soon enough.”

The three survivors made their way back to the main cabin. Chance’s hand twitched as they fought down the urge to hold Elliot's hand while they were walking, just to make sure that Elliot stayed close to his side. He wasn't sure how he'd ever be able to let Elliot out of his sight after watching him die in their arms.

They braced themself as Guest opened the door, revealing Elliot to the group of survivors who were currently mourning his death. Just as Chance expected, their reactions were loud. He winced imperceptibly as the group of survivors rushed over to Elliot, exclaiming their relief and barraging him with questions. At least he had his headphones on to block out the worst of the noise. Meanwhile, Elliot seemed to be getting a bit overwhelmed with all of the attention on him. They'd have to act before the other survivors stampeded the poor guy.

“Guys!” Chance said, raising his voice to be heard over the din. “I'm sure Elliot would love to explain what happened if ya gave him an opportunity to.”

Elliot shot Chance a grateful look.

“He's right,” Builderman said gruffly. “Give the man a chance to speak.”

After that, everyone finally quieted down and Elliot started explaining what happened to him, omitting the soulmate-related parts.

Two Time’s face was scrunched up in thought. “Was this the mercy of Spawn in action?” they mused. “But why would Spawn grant another life to a non-believer?”

“I'm afraid it may be worse than that,” Guest 1337 chimed in. “What if whatever brought us here took away our ability to die?”

“B-but wouldn't that be a good thing?” asked Noob hesitantly.

“Well, I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want to be stuck playing these games for the rest of eternity. If even death won't grant us a reprieve, then what hope do we have of escaping?”

The room became more somber after that.

“I guess only time will tell,” said Shedletsky. “At least if that's true, we won't have to worry about losing anyone permanently.”

Some nodded in agreement. After that, the conversation drifted to more mundane topics, and Chance's eyes flitted over to Elliot, who met his gaze. After the traumatic events that happened earlier that day, all they wanted was to spend some time alone with their soulmate. They looked towards the door then back to Elliot, attempting to signal that he wanted to leave together. Elliot nodded, then announced “Chance and I are heading back to our cabin. I've had a long day, and I'd like to get some rest.”

After saying their goodbyes, the two finally started making their way back. This time, Chance worked up the courage to grab Elliot's hand. The way that their hands fit together felt so right that they regretted not doing it sooner. Their eyes darted to Elliot, and something fluttered in their stomach when they noticed that he was already gazing back at them. “Y'know, I never got to say it back during the round.”

“I suppose it wasn't the best timing on my end,” Elliot said sheepishly.

Chance huffed, amused. ”Maybe not. But perhaps you'll let me say it back now, but not with my words,” they said, holding the door of the cabin open for Elliot, who blushed upon hearing Chance's suggestion.

“Without your words, huh? I suppose I wouldn't be opposed,” Elliot admitted shyly.

As soon as Chance closed the door behind them, it felt like something snapped between the two soulmates. Chance pinned Elliot to the wall. His soulmate's eyes smoldered with lust as Chance finally closed the distance between them and kissed him. Their first kiss was soft, questing. Their lips slotted together so perfectly it hurt.

They only broke apart for a moment before their lips met again. Chance acted purely on instinct, deepening the kiss as his desire swelled. Elliot returned it eagerly, and it felt like Chance was melting. As they kissed sloppily, he clumsily shed his suit, tossing it somewhere on the floor without regard. It was expensive, sure, but Chance had other priorities at the moment, like kissing Elliot stupid.

Their other clothes were shed in much of the same fashion— carelessly, on the floor (except for Chance's limiteds, which he set down carefully on the nightstand), until the two of them were in nothing but their boxers.

The feeling of Elliot's bare skin against his own overwhelmed his brain in the best possible way. Elliot's hands burned where they rested on Chance’s back and the feeling of his tongue sliding wetly against theirs sent sparks of pleasure down their spine. Their bodies were pressed so closely against each other that Chance felt like they might never separate, and he'd be happy with that. He could feel the bulge of Elliot's cock rubbing up against his core and a wave of heat washed over him. They had probably soaked through their boxers by this point. Their cunt ached to be filled and fucked till it was overflowing.

When they finally broke apart for air, Elliot's face was flushed and there was a dazed look in his eyes. Chance was sure he was no better. Elliot glanced slyly to the bed, and Chance understood immediately. They backed up until they were standing besides the bed- the cabin was cramped enough that it only took one step. And then, their heart leapt up into their throat. Chance was going to have to take off their boxers in front of someone who probably still assumed that they had a dick.

He tried to calm his racing heart, telling themself that Elliot was kind and understanding, and he wasn't the kind of person to judge. And yet, they still felt apprehensive. With no small amount of nervousness, Chance slowly pulled down their boxers, baring himself fully to his soulmate.

“Fuck,” Elliot said, his voice dripping with desire. “I was wondering why you weren't hard, but this… Can I suck you off?”

“I'm all yours, Ellie,” Chance replied, a mixture of relief, anticipation, and arousal swirling inside him. They sat down on the bed, their legs closed out of embarrassment.

Elliot grinned. Without hesitation, he spread Chance's legs, knelt down, and licked a broad stripe from his hole to his t-dick, then wrapped his mouth around it. A jolt of pleasure shot through them and he moaned at the sensation, bucking into Elliot's warm mouth. Elliot started bobbing his head up and down and Chance tangled their fingers in Elliot's curly blonde hair. The feeling of Elliot's warm mouth and tongue around his cock was a kind of heavenly pleasure that they had never known before.

As Elliot continued sucking them off, a finger prodded gently at Chance's entrance before pushing in. Chance let out a soft, breathy moan as their walls parted around Elliot's finger. The second finger stung slightly upon entering, but the pain quickly melted into pleasure as Elliot hooked his fingers, brushing them right against his g-spot. “F- fuuck-” Chance swore, the combination of pleasure from Elliot's mouth and his fingers frying their brain.

Warmth kept building inside of them, and Chance realized that he was already approaching his climax, and quickly. Each press of Elliot's fingers against their g-spot and each swipe of his tongue against their dick pushed him closer and closer to the edge.

“Ellie- fuck, I'm gonna cum!” Chance cried out. Under Elliot's relentless stimulation, his pleasure quickly mounted to a precipice. His orgasm crashed over him in waves as his cunt spasmed around Elliot's fingers.

Elliot pulled away, but not before giving one last kiss to Chance’s clit, which made them squeak embarrassingly in overstimulation. He raised his slick-covered fingers to his mouth and licked off Chance's slick from his fingers sensually. “You taste good, Chance,” Elliot said, and Chance flushed red.

“Shit, Ellie,” Chance panted, “Where the hell did you learn to do all of that?”

“Oh, I just wanted to be prepared, so I did some research a couple years ago,” Elliot admitted, seeming somewhat embarrassed by the fact.

“Well, you've thoroughly impressed me, so consider it a success,” Chance remarked. “My legs feel like jelly.”

“Oh yeah? We haven't even gotten to the main course yet,” Elliot said as his lips curved up in a smirk.

Suddenly, Chance was struck by need as their eyes drifted to Elliot's hard cock, still covered by his damned boxers. If they didn't come off soon, he was going to rip them to shreds. Elliot noticed his gaze and pressed on Chance's chest, practically pinning them to the bed. Their heart skipped a beat at the sight of Elliot towering over them.

“Take them off, baby,” Elliot said softly.

Chance rested his hands against Elliot’s waist, relishing in the way that Elliot’s eyes fluttered shut momentarily at the contact. They hooked their thumbs around the fabric and slowly pushed it down, anticipation stirring in their gut. When Elliot’s cock was finally revealed, their cunt throbbed in arousal. They didn’t have the faintest idea how the entire thing was going to fit inside of them, but damn, he really wanted to try.

Elliot grabbed Chance's hand, then lined himself up with his other hand. He looked to Chance, scanning his face for any sign of apprehension.

“Tell me if it hurts, okay?”

“I'm not gonna break, Ellie,” Chance said, squeezing his hand reassuringly. “‘Sides, I don't mind a bit of pain,” he remarked with a cocky grin.

Elliot laughed softly. “Is that so? I wanted to be gentle cause it's our first time and all, but if you want me to be rough, I suppose I could do that too.”

There was a dark look in Elliot's eyes that made more arousal pool inside of them. Suddenly, he felt like he may have bitten off more than he could chew. The head of Elliot's cock brushed against their folds, and Chance held their breath in anticipation.

They were so wet that Elliot hilted himself in one smooth thrust, and Chance let out a strangled moan. His back arched off the bed from the overwhelming sensations. Elliot's cock felt impossibly big inside him, stretching him out so well his eyes rolled up into his head. Pain and pleasure in equal amounts rocketed through their nerves. They couldn't tell if they wanted Elliot to pause or to beg him to fuck them harder.

“You alright, Chance?” Elliot asked. He seemed concerned, but Chance could tell that he was secretly a bit pleased with their reaction to his cock. “I can let you get used to my size first, if you want.”

“Fuck me,” Chance demanded.

The corner of Elliot’s mouth lifted up. “I don’t know, I’m not sure if you could handle it.”

“I can totally handle it!” Chance insisted. “Fuck me like you mean it, Ellie.”

Elliot raised an eyebrow. “Well, if you insist,” he said with a smirk. He withdrew his hips until only the tip was inside of them, then slammed back in, wrenching a cry of pleasure from Chance's lips. He set a bruising pace, determined to fuck Chance's brains out. “Fuck, Chance, you feel so good around my cock, so fucking tight,” he groaned.

All Chance could do was moan and cry from the unrelenting pleasure. They could barely string two words together at this point. It hurt, but it felt so fucking good that he didn't give a damn. All he could focus on was the feeling of Elliot fucking relentlessly into his cunt and the little pleasured whines and whimpers that fell from Elliot's mouth like a symphony, all for Chance.

Their climax approached rapidly as heat kept building inside of them, swirling like an inferno. With the way that Elliot’s thrusts started stuttering, they could tell that he was close too. Chance tightened his grip on Elliot's hand.

“Are you close?” Elliot asked, panting. Chance nodded vigorously, not trusting themselves to say anything coherent. “I'm close too, baby. Let's cum together.”

“Please- fuck!” Chance cried. He needed Elliot's cum inside of him, filling him up. They were probably going to die if he pulled out. Their legs hooked around Elliot's body, forbidding him from pulling out more than an inch or two.

Elliot's eyes widened for a second, before lidding with lust. He hilted himself completely and the head of his cock kissed Chance's cervix. His cock pulsed inside of them as his thick cum flooded Chance's pussy and Chance cried out in ecstasy as they came, their cunt clenching around Elliot's cock, milking it for every last drop.

Bliss washed over the two soulmates as they climaxed in unison. It must have been the closest thing to heaven in this damned place. They stayed in that position for a moment— Elliot buried so deeply inside of Chance that the two may as well have been one and the same. Their eyes met, and a single message was conveyed through their glances. I love you.

Chance whimpered as Elliot pulled out, his cum starting to drip slowly from his cunt. They felt a strange sense of loss from the sensation. “I'll be right back,” Elliot promised, before leaving Chance alone on the bed. He returned shortly after with some tissues, and dutifully cleaned up the cum dripping from Chance’s well-fucked cunt. They shivered in overstimulation at the sensation of the soft tissue brushing against their folds.

When he finally finished cleaning them, Elliot laid down beside them and pulled up the blankets to cover the two of them. Chance immediately latched onto Elliot like an octopus, wrapping his arms around his soulmate and holding him tightly. Finally, they could cuddle Elliot in peace.

Elliot hugged Chance back in return. Their limbs tangled together until Chance could hardly tell where he ended and Elliot began. “Chance,” Elliot sighed happily. “I could lay here with you forever.”

Chance smiled, but it was bittersweet. “When we get outta here someday, I promise that I'll set aside some time and we can spend the whole day in bed,” they said, their words somewhat muffled by Elliot's shoulder, which their face was pressed against.

“A whole day in bed, hmm?” Elliot mused. “Yes, I think I'd like that. When we get out…” Elliot paused for a moment, thinking. “I’d like for you to meet my little sister. She's a bit shy, but I think you two would get along.”

“When we get out, I wanna introduce you to my parents. They'll be so happy to know that I found my soulmate, and that he turned out to be so sweet and kind. They've been… worried about my relationships.” A lump suddenly formed in Chance's throat as memories of a time before resurfaced in his mind. A crown that was colder than ice, a patient smile that had turned so quickly into a malicious sneer, and a sword darker than the deepest night. Their parents had tried to warn them, but Chance disregarded their warnings, blinded by the happiness of finally having a close friend. He should have listened.

Elliot, sensing their distress, pressed a kiss to their hair and began to comb his fingers through it again. The soothing sensation of Elliot's fingers carding through his hair and brushing against their scalp grounded them. Chance was overcome by a wave of adoration for their soulmate. What could he have possibly done to deserve someone like Elliot, who held them so tenderly, as if they were something truly precious, right after fucking him so hard he could barely think?

They pressed chaste kisses to the underside of Elliot's jaw, trying to express their affection for him. Elliot’s hand halted for a moment as he giggled at the ticklish sensation. “Keep going,” Chance complained.

“Yes, your majesty,” Elliot said playfully and resumed stroking Chance's hair.

As Chance basked in Elliot’s affections, he wondered if perhaps getting murdered by the one person he had called a friend and subsequently being stuck in purgatory wasn't so bad if it meant that he got to meet Elliot. When they were a kid, they were surrounded by people telling them that meeting one’s soulmate was the greatest joy in life- that Chance would never feel complete before meeting them. Before meeting Elliot, he both doubted that one person would ever be able to have such an effect on them, and yearned for his soulmate desperately. Chance longed for someone who would understand them inside and out, who would see all of their worst features and love him anyways.

Elliot was unlike anyone they had ever met before. He was like the balm to their lonely, fractured heart. After spending so many years not understanding why it was so difficult for him to form close connections with others, to have one just fall into his lap without effort seemed too good to be true. And yet, Elliot's hands still caressed his hair tenderly, as if Chance was everything to him. Elliot loved him like it was easier than breathing, and in return, Chance would give him the entire world.

When tomorrow came, and another round began, Elliot and Chance would once again be forced to fight for their lives. But tonight, it was just the two of them. They fell asleep like that, tangled in each other, their hearts beating in sync and dreaming of the future.

Notes:

Chance got keyhole surgery cause he's a lucky mf btw that's why Elliot didn’t notice any scars when they were fucking

Chapter 3: A Shortened Firing Pin

When Chance spawned into the third round, he was peeved to see that once again, he didn't spawn next to Elliot. This time, they spawned alone near a run down house. Chance decided to wait at the entrance of the house for Elliot, and grinned as they landed heads thrice in a row. It seemed that Lady Luck was on his side this round.

A familiar voice called his name, and he immediately perked up. Elliot was making his way over from the other side of the house.

“Ellie!” They called back, tucking their coin away. Elliot practically leaped into Chance's arms, nearly knocking them over. Chance laughed as he picked Elliot up and twirled him around before setting him back down on his feet. “You miss me that much? It’s only been a minute.”

Elliot huffed. “Just- worried about you, okay? Let’s stick together from now on.”

Chance ruffled his hair affectionately. “That’s the plan, Ellie. Have you seen the killer yet?”

Elliot shook his head. “It’s John Doe this round, right? I spawned with Noob and Two Time. Those guys are the only ones I’ve seen this round. I think they both headed that way,” he said, pointing to a structure made of wooden beams in the distance.

Before Chance could respond, a wall of black spikes suddenly shot from the ground, heading straight for the wooden structure. They whistled. “That’s a crazy ability to have, damn.”

“We should go help them,” Elliot said anxiously. “Two people got impaled by the spikes, I can see it.”

Chance’s hand drifted towards their flintlock. “I’ll be right behind you.”

The pair ran towards the scuffle. As they approached, Chance spotted Noob cowering behind the structure while John Doe, nearly unrecognizable from the corruption, chased Two Time out of the entrance, who was running as fast as they could with a gaping puncture wound on their thigh and blood trickling from their temple.

Elliot tossed a pizza to Two Time, who caught it in their hand and stuffed it into their mouth. Instantly, their wounds healed and a crazed spark entered their eyes. A newfound surge of energy filled Two Time and they sprinted away into a cave, rambling manically about Spawn.

John Doe turned to Elliot and Chance, malice radiating off his corrupted form. “Well, shit,” Chance said intelligently.

As John Doe started rushing towards them, Chance raised his flintlock and a gunshot echoed through the map as his bullet hit its target. Elliot grabbed Chance's hand and the pair of soulmates then utilized the few precious seconds that Chance’s lucky shot brought them to sprint back to the house. Well, more like Elliot sprinted and dragged Chance along with him. Who knew pizza delivery boys could be so fast?

Inside the house now, Elliot leaned against Chance's shoulder as the pair caught their breath. John Doe lumbered towards them, his footsteps thudding heavily against the ground. Chance's eyes darted around the house, spotting two exits on either side. “Let's split up and meet up out front,” Chance whispered to Elliot urgently.

Elliot nodded, a grim look of determination on his face. As soon as John Doe got close, the two of them turned on their feet and bolted in opposite directions, Elliot heading towards the opening at the front of the house and Chance heading towards the opening in the side. John Doe growled in frustration, and started following Elliot.

Chance gritted his teeth, and started flipping his coin as he ran towards the front of the house. Tails, heads, tails. A blinding pain ripped through their back, and they grabbed the flintlock, preparing to shoot as soon as John Doe rounded the corner. Ideally, Chance would flip a couple more heads before shooting, but Elliot was already injured and they didn't have the time to spare.

Elliot darted out from the side of the house, and Chance's finger rested on the trigger. As soon as John Doe appeared, he squeezed the trigger and fired. Bullseye.

“Nice one!” Elliot called as he ran towards Chance, his voice ragged with strain.

Chance smirked, feeling quite triumphant. They liked being Elliot’s protector. They liked feeling helpful, wanted, needed. Their moment of pride was brief, as the stun wore off and an enraged John Doe resumed chase.

The pair of soulmates ran for the caves on the other side of the map as John Doe chased them down. Chance's lungs burned as they ran, and they could tell that Elliot was growing tired too. John Doe was gaining on them rapidly. Fear prickled down Chance's spine as they realized what would happen a moment before it did. Blood roared in his ears as he gritted his teeth, and pushed Elliot ahead of him. Chance purposefully slowed down and allowed themself to be struck by John Doe, taking the blow in Elliot’s place. John Doe’s claws tore into his back and his vision momentarily went white with pain. The intense pain sent a rush of adrenaline through Chance as they sprinted ahead, catching up to Elliot. The two now sported matching gashes on their backs.

They ran past a small pond and into the stone cavern. Out of the corner of his eye, Chance spotted a blur of yellow and brown as they ran past. Shedletsky.

Relief and gratitude filled them as Chance heard the telltale sound of the former admin’s Linked Sword hitting its mark. The sword was such an awesome limited gear— if Chance didn't prefer guns, he definitely would want one of those for himself. Then, Chance berated himself for getting distracted during a deadly chase. Elliot grabbed their hand, tugging them forwards.

The two ducked behind a bend in the cave. Chance carefully peeked out into the rest of the map, and noticed that John Doe had switched targets to Shedletsky. They breathed a sigh of relief. “He's going after Shedletsky now,” Chance said. “Think you could spare me a slice of pizza?”

Elliot smiled slightly. “I suppose you did a half decent job at protecting me,” he teased as he handed Chance a pizza.

“Half-decent?! I did a great job,” Chance protested.

“Just eat the pizza,” Elliot said, rolling his eyes affectionately.

Chance took a bite. Somehow, Elliot's pizzas were always hot and fresh, no matter how long the rounds had been going on for. Now that he wasn't actively being chased by the killer, he could finally savor each delicious, cheesy bite. As they ate, they could feel the wound on their back slowly closing back up. At least, now Chance only felt the pain of one back injury instead of two at once.

“Fuck, Ellie, you're a godsend,” Chance said appreciatively.

“Tell me something I don't know,” Elliot said with a smirk, leaning against the cavern walls on his shoulder. Chance wanted so badly to kiss that stupid smirk right off of Elliot's face. He probably would have, if Two Time didn’t suddenly appear from the shadows and scare the shit out of them.

“Oh, it's you two. Thank the Spawn. Pizza guy, may I have a slice of pizza?”

“Ah, I'm sorry, I just gave a slice to Chance. I should have a new one ready soon!” Elliot apologized sheepishly.

Two Time tilted their head in a bird-like manner. “Ah, I see,” they said, their creepy smile never faltering. “I'll leave you two to it, then. Perhaps you can give me a slice later.” They left without another word.

Elliot turned to Chance, a slightly puzzled expression on his face. Chance just shrugged. Far be it from him to decipher the whims of that strange cultist.

“Let's wait here for a bit,” Chance suggested, as they pulled their coin from their pocket and tossed it in the air. He caught it, and smirked when it came up heads.

Elliot nodded in agreement. “Sure. I'm still waiting for my pizza cooldown to end, so it's not like I'll be much help right now either.”

The two shared a (relatively) peaceful moment as they both recharged. Then, Elliot shot up. “Someone's hurt,” he said, his voice filled with tension.

“You got another pizza yet?” Chance asked.

Elliot chewed on his lip anxiously. “Not yet, but I have to do something!”

“Lead me to them. I've got a bullet with the killer's name on it,” Chance said cockily.

“I saw the highlight thingy this way,” Elliot said as the two headed back out into the map.

The rest of the round passed by in a blur. Elliot wasn't injured again, and that was the most important thing to Chance. However, this round was not without its casualties- Shedletsky and Guest 1337 were both killed by John Doe, only to reappear in the lobby unscathed after the round ended.

Shedletsky rubbed his arm, looking bothered. “At least the respawn worked, I guess.”

Builderman raised an eyebrow at him. “What was that at the end, John? Not the smartest move I’ve seen from ya’.”

“Okay, David,” Shedletsky spat, his face flushed with embarrassment. “You never had an off day before? I ran outta chicken, what do you expect me to do?”

“Maybe if ya’ didn’t eat so much damn fried chicken, you’d actually be able t’outrun the killer.”

Chance and Elliot turned to look at each other slowly, both in disbelief at what they were hearing. Two of Robloxia’s greatest admins, squabbling like an old married couple.

“Should I step in?” Elliot muttered to Chance.

Chance shook his head. “Nah, let them get their steam out. It’s healthy.”

“Well, maybe if you didn’t let John Doe get corrupted, I wouldn’t have to outrun him in the first place!”

Builderman stared at Shedletsky blankly for a moment before his face scrunched up in anger. He huffed and turned to leave, his arms crossed in frustration.

Shedletsky growled in annoyance. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Builderman didn’t answer, opening the door of the cabin and stepping through it without a word. Shedletsky snorted indignantly before stomping after Builderman. It was silent as the other survivors watched the two ex-admins leave.

“Maybe if they were followers of the Spawn, they’d get along better,” Two Time said, their voice cutting through the awkward tension.

Dusekkar twirled his staff before whacking Two Time over the head.

~❀~

Elliot and Chance sat together in front of the fireplace as the other survivors scattered around the cabin. Builderman and Shedlesky eventually returned to the cabin together, both looking worse for wear with dirt and grass stains on their clothes. Builderman trailed behind Shedletsky slightly. He stared at the back of Shedletsky’s head for a short moment, an unreadable expression on his face before it disappeared. The two walked up to the second story of the cabin before settling next to each other near the railing and striking up a hushed conversation.

Chance’s gaze flitted from Shedletsky and Builderman back to his soulmate. “Do ya think whatever the hell sent us here did it on purpose? Putting a pair of soulmates in this purgatory?” Chance asked.

“Maybe, we feel twice as much pain, after all. Or maybe it was just a coincidence. Either way… I'm glad that I met you. Even if it was in a place like this.”

Warmth bubbled up inside of Chance’s chest. “I'm glad I met you too, Ellie. You're the one light in this hopeless hellhole.”

The flickering light of the fire danced across Elliot’s face, which softened at Chance’s words. Chance's heart ached as they gazed at him. Elliot was so beautiful that it was unfair. A stray strand of blonde hair fell over his eyes, and Chance had to stop himself from reaching out and tucking it behind his ear. He'd do it without a second thought if it was just the two of them, but the other survivors in the cabin still didn't know that they were bonded. Perhaps they should tell them soon- if only so that Chance could touch Elliot freely.

“...Think we should tell the others?” Chance asked, wanting to hear Elliot's opinion.

Elliot hummed contemplatively. “I think Guest was right when he said that the others will figure it out eventually— especially if we keep sticking together. It'd be better if we tell them ourselves,” Elliot replied.

“Then it's decided,” Chance said. “Thanks, Ellie. Whenever we all get together next, we can tell ‘em.”

Elliot smiled at Chance warmly. “Yeah, next time.” He paused for a moment, looking back to the fireplace. “Is it… weird that I kinda want them to know?”

Chance raised their eyebrows. “Oh?” he prompted.

“I dunno, I guess I kinda just want them all to know that you're mine,” Elliot admitted, his cheeks pink with embarrassment.

Chance felt his own face heating up as well. “Nah, that's not weird at all. I like hearing you say stuff like that.”

“You like it when I call you mine?” Elliot said, smiling slyly, his face still tinted pink. He leaned in closely, until Chance could feel his warm breath on the side of his cheek. “Why don't we get out of here and I'll claim you as mine for everyone to see?”

Chance's breath caught in their throat as arousal began to pool inside of them. “Fuck, Ellie. You don't have to ask me twice.”

Elliot grinned, then headed for the door. He didn't look back, already knowing that Chance would be following right behind him.

~❀~

“They're definitely fucking.” Shedletsky remarked as he watched Chance and Elliot leave from the railing.

Builderman snorted, but didn't refute his claim. “Least the two of them are happy.”

Shedletsky leaned towards Builderman, a shit-eating grin on his face and his eyebrows raised suggestively. “Hey, I know what could make the two of us happy.”

Builderman rolled his eyes and pushed Shedletsky’s face away with a rough palm. “Don't ya even think about it, Shed.”

Chapter 4: Detonation

Notes:

Sorry for the delay! I hope the length of this one makes up for it.

Dozens of rounds pass. They were grueling and bloody, but Elliot’s constant presence by Chance’s side made them bearable. Last round, Chance had gotten critically injured but just managed to escape after C00lkidd became distracted by one of 007n7’s clones. He and Elliot hid in a ball pit as Elliot patched Chance up with a steady hand.

“There. All better,” Elliot said as he finished wrapping the gauze around Chance's stomach.

Chance shook their head. “Nuh uh, I'm still missing something,” they said, pointing to their lips.

Elliot rolled his eyes, but couldn't suppress a smile. He cupped Chance's cheeks and kissed him gently. “There. Happy now, you big baby?”

Chance had a stupid grin on his face. “Very.”

If Chance had known that that round was the last round they'd ever be in together, then perhaps he would have clung on to Elliot just a little bit tighter.

After the round ended, the two headed for the docks. It was a tranquil night. The light of the moon shimmered against the glassy smooth surface of the ocean. Elliot took off his shoes and socks, and Chance followed in his stead. They sat at the edge of the dock, their feet dangling in the water. They leaned into each other, and Elliot rested his head on Chance’s shoulder. Chance rested his head against Elliot’s and placed his hand on Elliot's leg. Their bodies slotted together in a way that pleased Chance's hindbrain greatly.

There was still something inside of them that desired more. Their hand drifted slowly from Elliot's leg until it was palming his crotch.

Elliot's breath hitched. “You're insatiable,” he said shakily.

Chance smirked as Elliot’s cock started to harden underneath their palm. “All for you, Ellie. I can't stop thinking about your cock, it's driving me crazy.”

“We’re outside,” Elliot protested weakly. “Anybody could walk by and see us!”

“They're probably all asleep or playing card games in the cabin. We can have some fun,” Chance said as they unbuckled Elliot's belt and pulled it free deftly.

More half-hearted protests fell from Elliot's lips, but from the way that he bucked up into their touch, Chance could tell that he didn't mean them. He unzipped Elliot’s pants and pulled down his boxers enough to free his cock. Precum beaded at the tip, and Chance’s mouth started salivating just looking at it. They gave in to their desires and leaned down to lick Elliot's cock, savoring the taste of his arousal.

Elliot whimpered as his cock was enveloped by Chance's warm, wet mouth.

He loved the feeling of Elliot's cock stretching out his mouth. He loved how hot and heavy it was on his tongue and the pleasant burn in his jaw as he pleasured his soulmate. He loved feeling Elliot's cock throbbing in his mouth, loved tracing the veins with his tongue, loved hearing his moans and gasps, loved Elliot.

Elliot tangled his hand in Chance's hair. Elliot's cock hit the back of Chance’s throat and he gagged around it, tears starting to bead in his eyes. They pushed through the discomfort and took Elliot deeper into his throat until his nose bumped into the soft skin of Elliot’s thighs. Arousal pulsed in between their legs and their hand slid under their boxers. Chance's fingers rubbed feverish circles around his enlarged clit as they deepthroated Elliot's cock.

Elliot's grip tightened in Chance's hair as he moaned raggedly. The pleasant burn in their scalp made Chance moan around Elliot's cock. They humped their hand desperately, chasing their own high as they pleasured their soulmate.

“Chance–!” Elliot whined breathlessly, his hips moving in small, aborted thrusts like he was trying to stop himself from fucking Chance's mouth. It was cute that Elliot went to such efforts not to hurt Chance, even when lost in pleasure.

As he sucked Elliot's cock, Chance gradually approached his own climax. He moaned around Elliot's cock, tears beading in his eyes and falling down his cheeks. Not long after, Elliot whimpered, and his grip on Chance's hair tightened. “Chance, I'm gonna- mmph!” His cock pulsed in Chance’s mouth as he came, pumping his seed down Chance’s throat. Chance did their best to swallow as much of Elliot's cum as he could. It'd be such a shame to waste a drop. The hot, bitter liquid poured down their throat, collecting inside of Chance right where it belonged. His throat pulsated as he swallowed around Elliot's cock.

After they pulled off, Chance licked their lips, collecting the last droplets of cum that had spilled. Elliot's face was flushed red and beads of sweat trailed down his jawline. Chance was quite satisfied with the state that they had brought Elliot to. He truly looked beautiful like this. Chance leaned in and kissed him, their lips meeting in a way that was familiar to them now, but still just as sweet.

“See, not so bad, huh?” Chance asked when they finally parted, his lips pulled up in a teasing smirk.

Elliot huffed. “Just be glad no one saw us,” he said as he zipped his pants back up and fed his belt through the loops.

Chance wrapped his arm around Elliot's waist as the two headed back to their own cabin. As they walked, Elliot pressed a quick kiss to their cheek. The easy affection that they shared made Chance stupidly happy. Even in this hellish purgatory, Chance felt happier than they had in a long, long time.

~✿~

The doorbell rang as a customer entered the pizzeria. Elliot blinked, feeling strangely disoriented. As the customer walked up to him, looking at the menu, Elliot plastered on his best customer service smile, muscle memory taking over. “Welcome to Builder Brother’s Pizza! What would you like to order?”

The customer started rattling off their order. Elliot punched in the correct pizzas with a mechanical efficiency that came from years of working at his dad’s restaurant. He had done this thousands of times, so why did he feel so uneasy now? He tried to backtrack in his mind, but where memories should have been, there was nothing. A sense of wrongness permeated through his being. Something was missing, even aside from the absent memories. Something important.

What was happening? How had Elliot ended up here? Why did he feel so… empty? A flurry of questions filled Elliot’s mind, none of which he could even take a guess at answering. He continued taking the next customer’s orders on autopilot, their faces blurring together. Elliot wasn’t sure how long he had been working in that trance, for the sun never seemed to set in the sky.

Another customer walked in. He wore simple black headphones, nothing special, but for some reason, Elliot’s eyes fixated on them. “Cool headphones. Are they limiteds?” he asked.

“Thanks!” The customer replied, seeming to gloss over Elliot's last question entirely. “Can I get a pepperoni pizza and a Fizzly, please?”

Elliot's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Two strange things had just happened in rapid succession— One: Why did Elliot think that those headphones were limiteds for a moment? They were just plain black headphones, nothing special about them. Besides, Elliot never really had an interest in limiteds anyways- did he?

Two: Why did the customer seem to completely disregard his question about limiteds? It was as if he didn't even hear it.

The second oddity could be written off as a fluke, but the first… maybe it had something to do with the missing memories from right before he was taken here- or maybe, he was missing more memories than he thought. Perhaps he had once known someone who liked limiteds.

Elliot's chest started to ache, the sensation that something was missing intensifying. It was almost as if someone had taken away a vital organ, then tried to erase all of his memories of ever having that organ. Even if his mind didn't remember, his body still mourned its absence dearly. Elliot was almost certain now that it was a person that he couldn't remember. Someone dear to him. Perhaps they wore limiteds.

The next customers in line were a couple. They ordered a cheese pizza to share, their hands intertwined the whole time. They had an ease about them that implied a deep familiarity with each other that could only come from years and years of knowing each other or… being soulmates.

Elliot watched as a coworker brought out their pizza. One picked up a slice of pizza and brought it to her lover’s mouth, giggling as he took a messy bite, sauce dripping onto his chin. Elliot had looked at someone like that before… hadn't he? Surrounded by customers and coworkers, Elliot was stricken by a sense of gut-wrenching loneliness.

Someone had taken half of Elliot's heart and left, and Elliot didn't even remember their name.

~❀~

As soon as Chance spawned in the new round, he knew instantly that something was wrong. Elliot wasn't here. It had only been a couple seconds and Chance hadn't felt any pain through their soulmate bond, so Elliot couldn't possibly have been killed already, but the gaping maw inside of them screamed otherwise.

This had never happened before. Chance had never spawned in a round without Elliot- on different sides of the map sure, but never without him entirely. Chance's breathing started picking up. No, this must be a bug. Elliot was probably around here somewhere, and there was probably just some kind of bug that closed their soulmate bond temporarily. As soon as they found Elliot again, everything would be fine.

Their hands crept underneath the sleeves of their suit and they spread their fingers wide, absorbing as much skin contact as they could. If he closed his eyes, he could almost believe that Elliot was the one who was touching him. Everything would be fine. Chance had to believe that.

With a shaky hand, Chance pulled out his coin from his pocket and started flipping. Tails, tails, tails. Not a good omen for the rest of the round. Chance cursed and shoved the coin back into their pocket as they started looking for their missing soulmate.

Up on the castle, they found Taph, a new survivor who had joined them recently, Builderman, and Guest 1337. Taph and Builderman seemed to be working on fortifying the castle with tripwires and sentries. Guest was keeping watch while the other two survivors worked. He waved to Chance as they approached.

“Have any of you guys seen Elliot?” he asked as soon as he was within hearing distance of everyone else.

Taph looked up from his tripwires, and shook his head.

“No, haven’t seen hide nor hair of that boy since th’ round started,” replied Builderman.

Guest frowned. “Me neither. Is something wrong, Chance?”

Chance’s usual cocky smirk faltered. “I can’t feel our bond. I didn’t feel him die either, but- it only ever feels like this when he’s dead and I’m still in the round or vice versa. But I didn’t feel him die, so it just doesn’t make any sense. I spawned, and our bond was just gone.”

Worry lines appeared on Builderman’s face. “We’ll keep an eye out fer Elliot fer ya’, Chance. I'm sure he'll turn up somewhere,” he reassured.

Chance nodded, but they still felt extremely uneasy. A foreboding sense of dread crept up their spine.

~✿~

Elliot kept glancing back at the windows, but the skies refused to change color despite being sure that hours had passed. When he went to check the time in the kitchen, he found that the clock was frozen at 1pm. What the hell was happening? Elliot squeezed his eyes shut and pinched himself, hoping against hope that this was all just a nightmare. But when he opened his eyes, he was still stuck in the damn pizzeria.

The pit inside of him only seemed to grow and grow. His heart ached for someone he couldn't even remember. His eyes searched for them in every customer that walked in. Occasionally, someone would walk in with a characteristic that made his heart pang- a woman with long gray hair that spilled like curtains down her back, a man wearing a dark pork pie hat, a stranger wearing a crisp black jacket over a white shirt. Somehow, Elliot could tell that they were all slightly off. They all danced around the person who he wanted to see the most.

How long would he be stuck here, taking orders without break and yearning over an empty void? Elliot gritted his teeth. He was just going to have to leave and try to find this missing person himself. He was sure his father wouldn't mind. Elliot's usually stellar track record would surely make up for it.

“I'm leaving,” he told his coworker. His coworker didn't seem to acknowledge his words, but Elliot had no patience to stay a moment longer. He left his post behind the cash register, and walked through the glass doors without looking back.

~❀~

As Chance left the encampment created by the other survivors, their head swiveled around, looking for any hint of his soulmate. At this point, he'd even welcome finding a strand of curly blonde hair, because at least that would mean Elliot had been here at some point. They checked all the generators on the map, peeked behind walls, searched through Brandon's World, and asked any survivors he encountered whether they had spotted Elliot.

All of their attempts were fruitless. No one had seen Elliot. Eventually, Chance’s luck ran out and they walked right into Jason. It was over in a flash. As his head was severed from his body, Chance welcomed the brief moment of peace before his awareness returned.

Part of him wanted to be killed so he could hopefully find Elliot in the lobby. Yet, when he spawned in the cabin, he was completely alone, the open wound left by the missing bond feeling deeper than ever.

Their breaths came quicker and quicker, their chest tightening painfully and eyes stinging with tears. Where was Elliot? Where could he have possibly gone? They needed Elliot with them now, needed his soothing voice, needed his warm and gentle kisses, needed his hands running through their hair. Elliot's absence was agonizing.

No, no. Perhaps Elliot was somewhere else in the lobby. They’d scour every inch of this damn lobby if it meant finding his soulmate.

~✿~

A cool breeze hit Elliot’s face as he exited the pizzeria. His eyes scanned the horizon. The sight of the ocean stirred something inside of him. He walked over to the edge of the parking lot, staring out into the waves. A memory buried within the depths of his subconscious started to wiggle free. Only flashes came back— the feeling of his feet submerged in water, a warm presence by his side, a mouth on his cock. His face flushed red at the memory. Ah, so this person was definitely his lover then, most likely his soulmate. After all, he couldn't imagine having sex with anyone else. At some point, Elliot had met his soulmate, fucked their mouth, and then promptly forgotten all about them.

What could have possibly happened to cause Elliot to forget their soulmate? If he had gotten a head injury, then he should have woken up in a hospital, not at work. A head injury didn’t explain all the other weird stuff going on either. There must be something else going on. It seemed almost like he was stuck in some sort of limbo.

But how could he escape limbo? It seemed almost contradictory. Not to mention, it was odd that most of his memories were intact, but all memories of his soulmate and how he'd gotten here in the first place were completely gone. If he'd been trapped here by a sentient being, it was logical to assume that it most likely erased his memories of his soulmate on purpose, seeing as almost everything else was still intact. But why would it do that? Elliot chewed on his lip, deep in thought. For now, he would continue to explore, and hopefully stumble across more clues as to his missing soulmate along the way.

He walked through the streets of the neighborhood he used to frequent. With the amount of times he'd delivered pizzas to houses in this neighborhood, Elliot knew the road like the back of his hand. He scanned the rows of houses, not even sure what exactly he was looking for. Eventually, he reached the edge of the neighborhood, bordering the woods. He stepped into the trees, and froze in place.

The forest didn't continue like he expected. Instead, it looked blurry and indistinct, trees and grass blending into each other like he was viewing them from behind cloudy glass. The scene was completely undetailed and hazy, like the vaguest impression of a forest.

Elliot cautiously stepped back out of the forest. It looked perfectly fine from outside, but as soon as he reentered the forest, everything became foggy and formless again.

He chewed on his lips as his mind whirred, trying to come up with any explanation for it.
Perhaps… the neighborhood was conjured from Elliot's memory. Although he was quite familiar with the neighborhood itself, he very rarely entered the forest, so it would make sense that everything but the trees bordering the neighborhood were featureless. If that was the case, then he probably wasn't in the neighborhood physically.

Was he trapped in his mind? If that was the case, then how the hell was he supposed to escape? Perhaps some sort of shock would be enough to wake himself up. Elliot held out his hand in front of him, staring at it for a moment before slapping his own face. His first attempt was a pathetic excuse for a slap. His second attempt stung, but still wasn't nearly enough.

Elliot frowned. This wasn't working, and he wasn't really eager to injure himself more. But he couldn't think of another option besides waiting and hoping that eventually he'd escape someday. That wasn't an option— he had left someone behind, and Elliot couldn't keep them waiting.

A previous train of thought reentered Elliot's mind. What if it was a limbo? What if he wasn't trapped inside of his mind, but a limbo created from his memories? Like someone reaching into Elliot's brain and picking out his memories of the pizzeria, and using that to build a sort of prison for Elliot. That would explain why the sun never set, and why he couldn't remember his soulmate. Perhaps whatever it was that sent him here also put a block on his memories or removed them.

Again, he ran into the same question. How could Elliot escape a limbo? Maybe it was time to start brainstorming. He'd welcome any ideas this time, no matter how far-fetched— if any of them had the tiniest chance at success, Elliot would take them.

His first thought was to run as far as he could away from the pizzeria. He looked down the street leading out of the neighborhood, wondering if he'd be able to escape if he simply ran far enough. Well, he supposed it was worth a shot. Elliot glanced back towards the pizzeria. Maybe he should have chosen to ride his moped after all.

Elliot ran down the street, his footsteps echoing in the still neighborhood. As he ran, the surroundings slowly started to become less and less detailed until everything blurred into formless blobs, just like the forest. Elliot kept running through the blurry houses, until even the blurs dissolved into a featureless white void. A sense of uneasiness filled him, but he kept running through the nothingness, desperate to escape.

SPLAT.

Pain exploded across his face as Elliot ran right into a wall. He fell on his ass hard, groaning in pain. Shit, he didn't see that wall there. It was just as white and empty as everything else. Blood trickled down sluggishly from the impact wound on his forehead. Blearily, he looked up at the invisible wall in front of him.

Elliot gingerly placed his palm on the wall. It felt solid and unnaturally smooth under his touch. His hand glided along the blank surface with hardly any friction. He stood up unsteadily, and tried to kick the hard surface, to no luck. All that accomplished was a sore toe. The wall seemed impenetrable. Maybe if he brought a sharp object or crashed a car into it it might break, but deep down, Elliot doubted that either of those would work. So, his first plan was probably a bust.

In that moment, Elliot found himself wishing that his soulmate- whoever they were- was here with him, here to help him brainstorm ways to escape, here to keep him company, here to keep him sane.

As Elliot walked back to the pizzeria, wincing occasionally in pain, his mind wandered back to the odd behavior of the customer with headphones. Why did he respond to Elliot's compliment but not to his question about if they were limited? Of course, there was a possibility that he simply didn't hear Elliot's question or wasn't really paying attention.

Or, possibly, if Elliot's previous theory about this place being constructed out of his memories was correct, perhaps he simply did not have any memories of ever asking customers if their accessories were limiteds. Perhaps the world around him would only respond according to previous interactions in his memories, and doing anything out of the ordinary would be ignored.

As Elliot opened the door to the pizzeria, he decided to test that theory. He walked into the kitchen, watching as one of his coworkers put a fresh pizza in the oven. Elliot pulled open the oven, took out the still raw pizza and dropped it on the floor. The chef just started rolling the dough for another pizza, not even blinking an eye at the pizza on the floor.

A couple cockroaches scuttled out from nooks and crannies to feast on the floor pizza. Elliot’s stomach turned at the sight. Grimacing in disgust, he picked up the now cockroach infested pizza, put it on a plate, cut the dough into slices, and handed it over to a group of customers waiting for their order. None of them reacted to the raw dough or the cockroaches still crawling around on it. They all dug into the pizza like it was a normal pepperoni pizza. One of them bit off the back leg of a cockroach and just kept chewing. Another didn't even blink when a cockroach scuttled over her hand.

The whole scene made Elliot want to hurl. At least it seemed to prove his theory, although he'd need to test it a few more times to be certain. For now, he averted his gaze in disgust. Elliot had seen enough.

~❀~

Elliot was nowhere to be found in the lobby. At this point, Chance had spiraled into a full blown panic attack. He had ended up curled in on himself in their bed, the one that they had shared countless times before. It just seemed cold and empty now. Their breath came in short and fast bursts, their chest aching from the strain of it. His hands wouldn't stop shaking as searing tears streamed down his face. He needed Elliot to be here with him desperately, more than he needed air.

The door opened, and Chance's heart leaped in their chest. But instead of the person who they'd sacrifice their limbs to see, it was Guest 1337. Fuck, they didn't want anyone else to see them like this.

“You couldn't find him?” Guest asked, his eyebrows pinched up in concern. Chance let out a hiccuping sob in reply.

“He’s gone. I still can’t feel him. I searched the entire damn lobby and the map but- but- I couldn’t even find a trace of him! It’s like he just-” Chance’s vision started going blurry, his shallow breaths becoming shorter and shorter. At this point, he was gasping audibly as he struggled to get enough air. It felt like he couldn’t breathe.

Guest knelt down in front of him. “Breathe in for four, hold for seven, out for eight.”

Chance took a shaky breath, slower than before. They counted to seven in their head before breathing out. Guest nodded approvingly. “There you go. Nice work, keep at it, Chance.”

They did as they were told. Slowly, their breaths came easier and the panic ebbed slightly. He was still extremely stressed about Elliot being gone, but it seemed a little less overwhelming now. If before he was sinking to the bottom of the ocean, desperate breaths only filling his lungs with saltwater, now he was fighting to keep his head above the surface of the water. They still felt like they were drowning, but at least oxygen was entering their lungs. “Thanks,” he muttered gratefully.

“Don’t mention it. We will all do our best to find him, Chance. If he’s out here somewhere, we’ll find him. Maybe Elliot got stuck in a different map by accident and we’ll stumble across him soon,” he suggested.

“I really hope so. I- I don’t know if I can keep doing this without him, Guest,” he confessed, his voice cracking. “What am I supposed to do without Elliot?”

Guest's eyes softened with sympathy. “You keep moving forward, because there is nothing else that you can do. Everything will work itself out, you’ll see,” he said, patting Chance’s shoulder. “Sleep well, Chance. I’ll inform the others, and we’ll all look for him tomorrow.”

Several more rounds passed. Chance and the other survivors scoured every inch of the maps for any traces of Elliot, but no one could find anything. Not a scrap of red fabric, the crust of a pizza, or his red visor. There was nothing to prove that Elliot ever existed.

After the maps started repeating, Chance’s hope of ever finding Elliot again slowly trickled away, taking everything with it. They became nothing but a shell of their former self. When killers found him during the rounds, Chance didn't try to fight back or run anymore. There just wasn't a point. Even the agonizing pain of death hardly seemed to matter now. At some point, he had even started to welcome the pain, because it was the only thing that seemed to cut through the static numbness that had swallowed them whole.

During the intermissions, Chance stayed cooped up in their cabin and hardly ever made an effort to interact with the others. They spent all day in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling or asleep. Sometimes in their dreams they'd see Elliot, and everything would feel right again, just for a moment, before he was cruelly ripped from their grasp. Chance saw Elliot die a thousand different ways in his dreams, but even so, he still slept because watching him die was somehow better than the sickening anxiety of not knowing.

Sometimes the others would come to the cabin to check on them or bring them food or water. Guest 1337 and Shedletsky mostly, but everyone had paid them a visit eventually, even the reclusive 007n7. Chance theorized that it was because Guest and Shedletsky both left someone at home when they had gotten forsaken. Sometimes they'd give him advice on how to cope with the empty space left behind by a missing soulmate. But at least for them, they knew that their soulmate was probably still safe at home, waiting for their return. Chance didn't have that knowledge. He didn't know anything.

The days blurred together. They had no idea how many rounds it had been since Elliot disappeared without a word. Twenty? A hundred? A thousand? It all meant nothing to them anymore. Without Elliot, everything seemed to lose its color. For once, the “immortality” bestowed upon them after they died seemed like a curse. How long would he have to go through this horrible cycle without his soulmate? An eternity without Elliot seemed unbearable.

Chance shut his eyes, desperately wishing that something would change.

~✿~

Elliot stared at the customer across the counter, a piping hot slice of pizza in his hand. Apprehension filled him. Was he really gonna do this?

As soon as the customer started ordering, Elliot slapped him across the face with the pizza. Hot cheese and sauce splattered across his face, but he didn't even stutter and continued ordering as usual. After he finished ordering, he went to sit down at a table and started staring at his phone through pizza grease-smeared glasses.

Yep, that's definitely not normal.

Elliot frowned. Nothing he does even matters, because everyone just acts normal no matter what. He could probably bring a gun to work and customers would still be happily ordering their pizzas as if nothing was wrong.

Elliot glared down at the cash register. Would anyone even care if he stole all the money from the register? Would it even matter if he took a note from 007n7’s book and burned down the whole pizzeria? Would anything he does matter?

He pulled open the cash register and stuffed all of the bills into his pockets. The coins followed suit, clinking into his pockets until the register was completely empty. The other cashier didn’t turn away from the customer he was serving, giving no indication that he heard or saw Elliot stealing all the money from his register.

Something ugly started to well up inside of him. In a fit of frustration, he pushed the register off of the counter, watching as it crashed to the floor in a horrible cacophony. Nobody cared. Nobody fucking cared.

He turned to his coworker, his hands twitching, and tackled him to the ground. His coworker’s head hit the ground with a loud smack and he just gazed up at Elliot, uncomprehendingly. Without even thinking about it, Elliot’s hands wrapped around his coworker’s throat. Would it even matter if Elliot killed him?

His fingers tightened around his coworker’s throat. He could feel his pulse growing thready under his palms. He didn’t struggle under Elliot’s grip, even as his eyes bulged and his face turned red from the lack of oxygen. A minute later, he was unconscious.

Horror filled Elliot as he realized what he had done. He stood up shakily, his eyes fixed on the unconscious cashier. He had just strangled someone to unconsciousness, possibly even killed them. The bruise marks in the shape of his fingers on his coworker’s neck made Elliot's stomach turn violently.

What have I done?

Elliot stumbled back into the kitchen, his mind feeling fractured and the hole in his chest from his absent soulmate aching more than ever. It felt like an infected wound, spreading throughout his being and sapping away at his heart and his sanity. Paired with the guilt that was eating him alive, Elliot felt like he was unraveling quickly, his marbles scattering across the kitchen tiles. His hands shook, the feeling of a life fading underneath them sticking to him like a second skin.

The chef was saucing up another pizza, oblivious to Elliot's torment and the unconscious, possibly dead cashier just a room away from him. Elliot's heart throbbed painfully. He wished desperately that someone, anyone would see him, but everyone here seemed to look right through him. He wished that his soulmate was here to support him, even if he didn't remember them anymore. But Elliot was alone. Surrounded by customers and coworkers, Elliot had never felt so isolated.

Eventually, he found himself staring at a pizza cutter laying on a table innocuously, stained with marinara. Elliot picked it up, his heart pounding in his ears as he stared at the sharp instrument. His fingers trembled as he wiped off traces of sauce from the silver blade with the hem of his shirt.

If nothing else he did mattered, then would this?

~❀~

Chance woke with a start. The sharp edge of some sort of bladed weapon was digging into the flesh of his neck. When Chance’s eyes flew open, they were confused to see no one above them. When their hands touched their throat gingerly, their neck was completely unblemished. His first thought was Jason's machete, but Jason slashed and hacked with a cruel efficiency. The wielder of this weapon was hesitant, almost scared.

Without warning, the weapon started sawing through his flesh, tearing skin and veins. Despite being decapitated dozens if not hundreds of times by the killers, this felt different. An indescribable pain seared through them for one blinding moment, fracturing all of his half-formed thoughts into splinters.

An agonized scream was wrenched from Chance's lips, his hands clutching his neck like that would stop the pain. They wished that whatever the hell was causing it would just get it over with already. The blade dug in torturously slowly, as if the wielder wasn't even sure if they wanted to be doing this.

And then, as suddenly as it began, the pain stopped. And in its wake, Chance noticed a new sensation. Like a missing cog that had finally been put back in place, something familiar slotted back into Chance’s heart. Chance bolted out of bed and straight to the main cabin, their limbs filled with a kind of energy that they hadn't felt in a long time. Anticipation filled him as a shaky hand pulled open the door.

And there, in the center of the main cabin, surrounded by the other survivors, was the very person who had been haunting his mind for eons.

Elliot.

Chance stumbled forwards, his limbs moving of their own accord. His soulmate looked horribly shaken, his hands clutching his throat like he was afraid his head would fall right off if he wasn't holding it on. Chance's heart raced in their chest and all they could hear was their blood rushing in their ears.

And then, Elliot's eyes finally landed on Chance. All of the other survivors seemed to fade into the background as they stared at each other, and for a moment, Chance felt his heart stop beating. Tears glimmered in his beloved’s eyes, and Chance was struck by an urge to wipe them away.

Elliot lunged forwards and they collided like two orbiting stars. Their reunion burned brightly— embracing like the other would disappear if their grip faltered for even a moment. Elliot sobbed into Chance's suit, his hands bunching up the dark fabric. A few relieved tears fell from Chance’s own eyes as they held their soulmate for the first time in what felt like years. The ice that had formed around Chance's heart during Elliot's absence thawed in the warmth of his presence.

“I'm here now, Ellie,” he said softly, moving his hand to touch Elliot's nape.

They both pulled back slightly, just enough to gaze at each other. Elliot's eyes were red from crying, tear streaks darkened his yellow cheeks, and his blonde hair had fallen out of its usual ponytail. Despite this, he had never looked more beautiful to Chance than he did at this moment. He cupped his beloved's cheek with an aching tenderness.

Elliot's eyes flitted from Chance's sunglasses, to their nose, to their hair, like he was trying to commit all of their features to memory. Eventually, his eyes fixed on Chance's lips in a wordless request, and Chance needed no other invitation.

When they kissed, it felt like the final vestiges of frost melted away. Chance kissed Elliot like he was starving, and in a way, he was. Elliot kissed back just as fiercely. His soft lips that Chance had missed so dearly tasted like salt and solace. Passion and desperation slowly mellowed out into something softer and sweeter as the two soulmates savored their reunion.

They were forced to split apart when all of a sudden, a horrible, screeching staticky noise filled the air and blood red light seeped through the windows eerily. “Chance?” Elliot said, his voice shaking with fear. He tightened his grip on Chance’s shoulders, terrified of being separated again.

Something pulsed in Chance’s ears— and reality shattered around them. He tried to hold on to Elliot, to anything, but their hands fell through his soulmate’s body like he had turned into smoke.

“Wait!” Chance choked out desperately, but the word dissolved in their throat.

And then, he was falling. His atoms were torn apart and reassembled, then torn apart again. Chance wanted to scream in agony, but no sound escaped them. There was no sense of direction, only the sensation of violent motion.

Chance hit the ground with a jolt that knocked all of the air out of his lungs. Hot asphalt burned through his suit and scraped against his skin, and a metallic taste filled his mouth. His head spun dizzyingly, pain pulsing at his temples. They laid on the ground for a moment, trying to catch their breath. Then, nausea welled up inside of them and they shot up like a bullet, instantly regretting it when their headache intensified.

He vomited all over the asphalt, his sides heaving and straining. Chance panted as he wiped off bile from the corner of his mouth. And then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw it. His casino loomed nearby, dim in the afternoon sun. Cars were scattered across the asphalt field.

Their blood ran cold as Chance realized where exactly they had been sent. Of course, they had to have been sent to the place where they had been just before getting forsaken– the parking lot, where he'd been walking iTrapped back to his car after winning several rounds of Russian Roulette in a row. They had been so happy then, buzzing from the elation of a winning gamble.

Phantom sensations began to wrack their body. A blade pierced through his stomach, but it was nothing compared to the betrayal that radiated outwards from his heart like cracks in a glass vase, seconds from shattering beyond repair.
The visage of his closest friend's face, once cold but beautiful, now twisted in disgust and hatred, haunted Chance’s mind.

Chance blinked hard as an icy wave of emotion overcame him. He needed to see Elliot’s warm, adoring smile again. His heart ached to be comforted in a way that only his soulmate could do. They pushed themself up from the asphalt, wincing as the rough grains dug into their palms. A cursory scan around revealed that Elliot was nowhere to be seen. “Shit,” he cursed. Chance couldn’t believe that they had gotten separated again, just when they had finally reunited.

The only thing keeping them somewhat sane was that he could still feel their bond nestled warmly in his chest. Elliot was around here somewhere, they just had to find him. Everything would be okay once he found him.

But… where had Elliot been sent to?