Chapter Text
“That’s for you, my dear.” Azure pressed the stem of the nightshade into Two Time’s palm, his fingers lightly closing theirs, their shaky, bony, and scarred hand clasping it. Two Time’s entire body was littered with scars, and their hands were certainly no exception. Pale white, deep purple, and deep red. The shapes and severeness of the marks varied in size, but the most common shape was a spawn point. Both Two Time and Azure’s lives had been spent in a cult. While Azure believed in the Spawn, Two Time took their beliefs to an extreme. They went as far as harming themself daily, much to Azure’s anguish.
“…Thank you.” Two Time muttered, Azure watching their mouth form the words. When Two Time gazed up, Azure’s expression was nothing but pure admiration for them.
Azure took Two Time’s free hand, his hands warm in comparison to Two Time’s anemic body temperature. Azure slowly brought their hand up to his mouth, thumb caressing the top of their hand, and pressed a feather-light kiss to their hand. Two Time couldn’t help but fluster slightly, a small grin plastering their pale face.
Azure gave them a wide smile, shifting to pull Two Time into an embrace, his hands resting on the bone of their hips.
“You’re shaking, darling.” Azure remarked, and Two Time’s grip tightened on his shoulders, jagged nails digging into the fabric of their cloak. Their chest tightened, the white fabric too snug around their chest. Their clothes were too snug, their hands shook as if they were holding up a temple, their hair was too messy and in their face, and they might just die if they don’t just DO it—
“Nightshade, what’s wrong?” Azure slowly peeled Two Time’s shaky frame from theirs, their shoulders heaving. Thick tears rolled down their face, down the dark circles under their eyes, dripping from their dark eyelashes and falling from their chin to Azure’s lap. Two Time brought their hands from behind Azure, their right hand gripping their dagger. Two Time dropped their head downward, holding the dagger with both hands— one holding the twisting, acute blades, and the other gripping the handle.
“I-I can’t do it… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” They heaved, gripping the dagger so tightly that the blades dug into the pads of their fingers, dark red blood dripping from the miniature cuts. Azure pulled back slightly, his grip on Two Time’s forearm tightening uncomfortably.
“What—huh? Are you okay? Quit that, give it here.” Azure pulled the dagger from their hands, tossing it into the patch of weeds beside them. As he tossed it, the blade sliced the top of a deep purple flower, the petals lulling to the side. Two Time sobbed, bringing their hands up to their face.
“I can’t do it. I can’t hurt you… I— I won’t.” They leaned into Azure, hurrying their face into his shoulder.
“Oh Spawn— don’t cry, nightshade. I don’t— I..” Azure tried to form an answer, so comfort or console, but he couldn’t find an answer within himself. He wasn’t mad, not at all. He was more shocked than anything, and mayhaps a bit fearful.
“I don’t want to kill you. He— he told me I had to, for my second life.” Two Time dug their nails further into the deep grey of his cloak. “Azure— Azure I can’t breathe.” Their chest heaved, catching in their throat. It made a sound that shot wave of protectiveness into Azure’s bones. Two Time sobbed, tears staining their pale cheeks, and reddening the whites of their eyes.
“Oh, my love. Come, come.” Azure pulled Two Time’s hands away from their face, clasping them tightly. “I’m here, sweetheart. Just breathe, it’s.. it’s gonna be okay.” Azure spoke with a slight shake in his voice, as if he didn’t believe his own words.
“I believe I may die. I—I can’t breathe.” Two Time kept heaving, clinging to Azure like he was their lifeline.
“You won’t die— don’t say that. I-it’s just a panic attack, please don’t cry you’re going to break my heart.” Azure spoke too fast, tripping and stumbling over his own words.
“Breathe with me, please..” Azure brought their hands to his chest, allowing them to feel his heartbeat, and the rising and falling of his chest. “I’m here. I’m real, I promise”
Two Time’s glazed eyes flickered down to their hands against Azure’s chest, so quick that if you had blinked you would have missed it. Two Time followed the rising and falling of Azure’s chest, their heart beat gradually slowing to an average pace. Two Time wiped their tears with the back of their hand, placing them back into their lap.
“I’m so sorry. I really am.” Two Time muttered. They felt as if a giant cloud of guilt was suffocating them, curling it’s dark, twisting fingers around their neck and squeezing, leaving a bruise that could never be lifted from their consciousness.
“My love, look at me.” Azure cupped Two Time’s face in his hands, tilting his head upwards to look at him. He ran his thumbs over their skin, running his thumb over a mole on their cheek, and his pinky over another one on their neck. “I’m not mad at you. I could never be mad.”
“Do— do you promise? You… you won’t leave me here, right?” Two Time fumbled their hands to press against Azure’s chest, feeling the warmth and unsteady pulse thumping into the cracks and prints of their palms and the pads of their fingers.
Azure removed his hand from Two Time’s neck, the other still cupping Two Time’s face softly, smearing the dripping tears across their pale cheek. “I’m not gonna leave, and if I do, the Spawn may strike me down.”
Azure grasped Two Time’s left hand, which was still placed firmly against his chest. He pulled their clammy and trembling fingers apart, taking their pointer finger to his chest. He slowly dragged it across his robe, forming a circle with 8 points around it. He let go, letting their hand drop to rest on his thigh.
“Cross my heart…?” Azure glanced at Two Time, their lips pulling into a soft smile.
“And hope to die.”