bursts into tears

[oversea]

Comments

[transmit]

[ i just wanna say i get so emotional opening up tags and not having to wait a whole minute for them to load now

truly why did we do that to ourselves ]

One of the things I inadvertently tested was the trajectory of my Oripathy when left alone. A lot of the times, I had to go off to ensure no one would get in my way.

[ just how many cycles had to have happened for him to realise that? ]

… At the year mark. [ he tucks his head into thorns, kissing the underside of his jaw. ] That's when I'd have to buy myself time again.

[oversea]

[ it's still a topic that they skirt around instead of openly discussing. they may occasionally allude to it now and then, but the moment always passes and they move onto something else. but knowing that elysium has gone through so many loops without him and suffered is not something that is easy to get over.

if thorns wasn't being so careful of elysium's injury, he would be gripping onto him tightly right now. instead, he just clutches onto his clothes to try not to disturb the wound area. ]

... Any reaction I'd have to this you'd call an overreaction.

[transmit]

[ he kisses thorns again, angling for more of his attention to ease the tension. it's true——thorns should relax. a novel idea, he knows.

this is what happens when you're just a little good at memorisation and solving simple puzzles. at the end of the day, he's no genius. ]

You owe me a wedding and a honeymoon. [ a small reminder. ]

[oversea]

You will have it.

[ a year, which they no longer have because of all the time they spent in the village. he wonders when elysium was originally planning on bringing this up, if he ever was going to.

it does, unfortunately, make the idea of reaching out to rhodes look a lot better. but thorns is aware that their little adventure will be over once that happens; elysium would definitely be whisked away to medical and stuck there for who knows how long. ]

I need you to not get hurt again.

[transmit]

[ his fingers curl into thorns' front, forehead moving to rest against his shoulder. with the reminder of how many lives he's lived comes the reminder of how many deaths thorns has gone through. ]

I won't. Not if you're the one with me.

[ is this how he stops thorns from getting into other people's business? maybe. ]

[oversea]

... Okay.

[ it is a difficult urge to try to resist, the one that pulls at you to try to help people even when it's inconvenient and puts you at risk. thorns is okay with endangering himself, but he cannot do the same to elysium.

he kisses the side of his head. ]

We do need to get you treatment though.

[ it does not have to be with rhodes, at least. although the main downside to that is the high expense that going elsewhere will have. ]

[transmit]

I told you that I'm used to it. We don't.

[ treatment that will put them away from each other? that defeats the point. ]

Wasn't this supposed to be our journey together?

[oversea]

Remember that I can check your health to see if you're keeping things from me.

[ it is something he never did before with the corazonix because he respected elysium's privacy, but it is getting to the point where that is no longer the case. elysium... should have no privacy?

and at that moment, docybara waddles over and collapses next to them to nap. he is done frolicking and must rest now. ]

[transmit]

[ help. from elysium's perspective he's already told thorns everything he needs to know. his health is deteriorating and it's more painful than he expresses, but that's not anything thorns needs to understand explicitly.

at least, that's what he once thought. they've bared each other's souls to each other and they've claimed to be each other's lives. it always feels like they're missing one last step.

…

he leans away from thorns briefly to touch his forehead to docybara's side. ]

Sorry for abandoning you earlier.

[ he gives a grunt, but he's content after getting to play in water. his heart is truly magnanimous… ]

[oversea]

[ their child is so simple... it must be nice to live that way.

thorns watches the exchange, his heart warmed at the sight. they have come such a long way from elysium trying to get rid of the doctor, but this really did just teach thorns that they need a second animal for when they can't pay attention to their son.

the idea of even planning for that gives him hope. okay. they can make things work. ]

Get some rest. We can start moving again in a few hours.

[ admittedly, trying to move as quickly as possible while carrying a grown man did tire thorns out, but he cannot admit that. ]

[transmit]

[ if thorns stopped overthinking, they both could be living lives like docybara?

when you're worn down to the bone and all you really want is to stop struggling and carve out whatever peaceful life you can with your fiancé. he attempts to drag thorns to lean into him. ]

Let me keep the first watch. I got to rest earlier.

[oversea]

[ he obviously wants to argue, but he eventually just sighs and lays down. ]

... Wake me. I mean it.

[ elysium needs to rest more than he does. ]

[transmit]

Sleep enough to get a cycle in.

[ his fingers slip into thorns' hair, tracing slow, soothing circles over his scalp. docybara immediately protests the unequal distribution of affection, so elysium reaches over and gives him a firm, placating ruffle too.

why is everyone so spoiled. ]

I promise.

[oversea]

... I love you.

[ he feels like he hasn't been saying that often enough, when in reality they both say it an absurd amount. but he thinks that elysium needs to always know that he is loved. more than anyone else has ever been loved before.

but he will make an attempt to nap. ]

[transmit]

I love you too.

[ he will cling onto thorns for however long he feels is appropriate to express his feelings. 'never' isn't a viable option, but it never feels like it's enough anyway.

a minute is a fair place to settle before he places a hand over thorns' eyes to block out the dying sun. ]

[oversea]

[




he is actually tired so he does fall asleep. ]

[transmit]

[ his two babies…

he spends the next few hours in excruciating pain but it's nothing that's particularly new. the awkward part is not being able to shift around with thorns' weight onto top of him, but it's fine. he's gone through a lot worse.

he starts singing softly, if only to distract himself and pass time. ]

[oversea]

[ eventually, he ends up stirring on his own...

he immediately starts to feel around for elysium without opening his eyes. some habits die hard. ]

[transmit]

[ oh…

he leans down to press a soft kiss to thorns' forehead, then settles his arm comfortably across his front.

softly, ]

You still have another half hour before I was going to wake you.

[oversea]

That's half an hour too long...

[ he yawns, finally opening his eyes to look at him. ]

You sleep.

[transmit]

No it isn't. I'm timing everything properly.

[ he greets thorns the same way he always does, with a kiss. ]

If this means we have an extra half hour, am I allowed to do whatever I want with it?

[oversea]

... Sure.

[ the way he cannot predict what elysium will suggest for the half hour. ]

[transmit]

[ the way he should be super predictable by now.




he intends to spend the entirety of the time flirting. ]

[oversea]

[ MAYBE HE WANTS TO BE EMO WHO KNOWS

however, ]

Sleep first.

[transmit]

[ HE DOESN'T HAVE TIME TO BE EMO!!! ]

Fifteen now, fifteen later.

[ why do they have to negotiate ]