Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Scott did not get drunk very often. In fact, he valued himself on how he was usually the responsible one at these types of parties, taking care of his friends. Usually. This party, however, was different. It was Lizzie and Joel’s one year anniversary party. They had gotten married a year ago that day, and Scott could remember it like it was yesterday. Or, rather, he could have if he hadn’t just downed his 4th glass of the spiked punch.
The punch had a slightly bitter taste to it, clouded by strawberry and peach flavors. Really, the alcohol was just an aftertaste. It glittered bright pink under the lights in the ballroom, sparkling like crushed stars were dusted in. He could have another. It wouldn’t get that much worse. Scott reached out for another glass and-
“Ha, no. You are not having another glass of that.” His friend Gem snatched the glass out of his hand and dumped the liquid back into the big bowl. Scott pouted.
“Please Gem? It tastes sooo good, and I really like it!” He slurred some of his words, pointing one finger at the sky. Gem gave him a soft smile and chuckled.
“No, Scott, that was your fourth glass. You’re going to have a headache in the morning, best not turn it into a migraine.” Gem grabbed his hand and led him away from the food and drink, out to the gardens. “Here, have some fresh air. It’ll clear your head.”
Scott let himself be dragged outside by Gem, not really caring about how the dirt would stain the bottom of his dress. It wouldn't matter anyway, the cleaners back at Rivendell were experts at cleaning silk. Outside was the royal gardens of Mezalea, full of trees with purple flowers and small bushes. Flowers dotted the clearing, red and blue and yellow. There were already a few people outside, laughing about some joke. Scott wanted to be in on the joke too.
“Katherine, Jimmy, Lizzie, help me wrangle this wreck,” Gem smiled at them, leading Scott over to them. Scott frowned, wondering where the wreck she was talking about was.
“Wow, Scott, I thought you didn’t drink.” Katherine joked. She had on a dress that reached her knees, dyed just the right purple to match her crown. The dress had many layers of tulle, making it fluff out in a way so it looked like the skirt was floating around her knees. Scott thought she looked very pretty.
“I’m not drunk!” Scott proclaimed, almost falling over. Gem caught him, trying to hold in her laugh. Lizzie, on the other hand, burst out into giggles, followed by her friend and brother. She was wearing a dress that looked like it was sewn of waves. Scott looked at Jimmy, who was looking at him fondly, a hand covering his mouth. He had abandoned his usual cod head for a crown of copper, likely crafted by The Copper King for his alliance. He wore a suit that seemed navy, but sparkled bright green in the light.
“What’re you laughing at, pretty boy?” Scott smiles and leans towards Jimmy. He flushes and laughs more, trying to hide it to no avail.
“Scott, are you flirting with my brother at my anniversary party?” Lizzie jokes, steadying him.
“What can I say, I like flirting with hot people.” Scott leans further towards Jimmy, who has a surprised look on his face. He reaches up a hand and taps Jimmy on the nose before giggling, the cod-man turning redder than before.
“You were right Gem, he is wasted.” Jimmy finally chokes out. The entire crowd laughs at how red his face is, and Scott grins like a little kid in a candy store. He wraps his arms around Jimmy’s neck and pulls him away from the others, back inside.
“Come dance with me.” He insists, ignoring how Jimmy is looking at him. Behind him, he can hear something that sounds suspiciously like coins being exchanged, but that doesn’t matter. He spins Jimmy onto the dance floor, dancing to some slow song. His hands stay around his neck, while Jimmy’s hands wrap around his waist. He’s smiling softly down at Scott, and Scott looks questioningly back up at him.
“Whatcha looking at?” Scott inquires. Jimmy smiles wider.
“You.” he responds, tucking a strand of hair behind Scott’s ear. Scott can feel his face heat up, and without thinking he talks.
“I like your hair.” He drags one of his hands through the man's hair, slightly disrupting the crown. Scott leans closer into him, letting their chests touch. “I think you should show your face from behind that mask more, I like it.” Said face turns a bit more red, and he sputters trying to come up with a response.
“I-you like my face?” Jimmy stutters out. He averts his gaze, accidentally looking at Scott’s lips instead.
“Oh yes. It’s very pretty. You should show it off more, at least to me. I’d like to see your face everyday, pretty boy.” Scott giggles at the nickname, letting it slide off his lips. “Pretty, pretty Jimmy.” Jimmy opens his mouth, closes it, then opens it again.
“Says you. Have you ever looked at yourself? I mean.” One of Jimmy’s hands comes up to cup his cheek, and Scott leans into the touch, closing his eyes. “You're gorgeous.”
“I-” but he’s cut off by a voice directed at both of them.
“If you two are going to flirt, at least do it not in the middle of the dance floor.” Joel pipes up from behind them, dancing with Lizzie. Scott looks around. They have, indeed, stopped in the middle of the dance floor, just swaying to the beat of the song. He looks back at Jimmy, and notices how close they are. His breath catches in his throat, and he knows Jimmy can feel it. He lets his arms go from around his neck and grabs one of his hands instead, and this time Jimmy leads them somewhere. Back outside. Scott feels his brain cloud up, focusing on the feeling on the man's hand in his. Jimmy could take him anywhere, and he wouldn’t care, as long as he was there with him.

They spend the rest of the party together, dancing and laughing, drinking more (though Scott had to be dragged away by Gem again) before it’s time to leave. Scott’s brain is filled with euphoria, just happy to be near someone who he loves.
Loves?
The end is approaching, the night coming to an end. Most of the rulers have said goodbye already, leaving only a select few. Scott hugs Jimmy, intending to say goodnight, before he stops him.
“Oh no, you're not flying home alone. Either I’m escorting you, or you're coming to my empire. You're too drunk to fly alone right now.” It was cute how much Jimmy cared about him. Jimmy was cute.
“How about, I'll sleep with you.” Scott laughs loudly as Jimmy slightly opens his mouth, but stops when he hears the answer.
“Ok.” Jimmy is still looking a bit embarrassed, but mostly serious.
“Really?” Scott is taken aback, because this is unusual behavior for the cod-man.
“Really. C’mon, I’ll make sure you get there safely.” He tugs Scott into the sky, somewhat clumsily, and they fly over the ocean. Scott realizes he is still holding Jimmy’s hand, and squeezes tighter. The fly is short, because the Cod Empire is neighbors with the Ocean. When they land, Scott stumbles a bit, almost crashing into a tree.
“See what I meant about not flying alone?” Jimmy teases, pulling Scott up from the ground.
“Not flying alone, not sleeping alone, I’m doing a lot with you tonight.” Scott smiles and stands wobbly.
“Let’s get you some water and then go to bed.” Jimmy says, changing the subject. Scott can tell he is turned as red as the poppies in Rivendell, but he doesn’t mention it. The alcohol seems to be wearing off already, and he can feel a headache coming on. He would regret drinking that much in the morning.
Scott is pulled inside one of the nearby buildings, decidedly Jimmy’s house. It’s quite small, just a single room on the inside for the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Two doors lead off of the main room, one presumably holding a bed.
Jimmy forced a cup of water into Scott’s hands, saying “drink this” before scurrying off to the maybe-bedroom. Scott swallowed the whole glass, glad to have something in his system to calm the cloudy buzzing in his head. Jimmy emerged with a large shirt with holes in the back for his wings, and shorts in his hands.
“Here. I thought you wouldn’t want to sleep in that gown of yours.” He takes the glass out of Scott’s hands, and replaces it with the clothes. “I’ll be in in a few minutes.”
Scott takes the clothes and sneaks into the bedroom, folding his dress and placing it on top of the dresser, before getting under the blankets. He didn’t realize he could be this cold, even in the swamp empires, but it was winter. He cuddled under the blankets, absorbing the warmth from the oversized t-shirt.
Jimmy walked in, wearing a similar set of pajamas. He stands awkwardly in the door, watching Scott. When he realizes he’s there, Scott pushes back the blankets, gesturing for Jimmy to get in the bed.
“Um. Are you sure that you don’t want me to sleep on the couch? If you would be more comfortable with that. Not that I’m uncomfortable, I just want you to-” He is cut off by Scott patting the mattress once more. Jimmy sighs and smiles, climbing under the covers. Scott immediately snuggles up to his chest, positioning his wings so the shields the two of them from the outside world. Jimmy puts his arms around Scott, bringing him closer.
“Mmmm, you're warm.” Scott mumbles, half asleep.
“You're cold.” Jimmy huffs out, half a laugh.
“Icy.” Scott smiles into his chest, wrapping his legs around Jimmy’s.
“Goodnight, Scott.”
“Goodnight love.” Scott kisses his cheek, and is asleep before he can register what he said.

It’s warm in the morning, which is strange for Rivendell. Scott can feel his wings around him, but it shouldn’t be this hot. He slowly opens his eyes to see soft golden hair, and brown, earthy eyes looking at him. He knows where he is. Scott’s in the Cod Empire, in Jimmy’s bed. And he remembers everything.
“Good morning. I hope I didn’t wake you.” Jimmy whispers, and Scott can feel his breath on his face. He giggles a bit and looks back up at Jimmy.
“It’s not often that I have to look up at you.” Scott jokes. Jimmy laughs, a full laugh, that fills the room with the sound. Scott can’t help but join.
“How much do you remember of last night?” Jimmy seems a bit more serious.
“Hmmm, I think I remember most of everything. I remember some of the party, though not all of it, but I think I remember most of what happened after we left.” Jimmy’s arms were still around him, and Scott was not complaining. He hadn’t been held like that in years. “Though my memory goes blank after you come into the room, I'm assuming because I went to sleep. Either that or… I was too exhausted to remember what you did.” He smirked, watching Jimmy’s face flush.
“Scott, it’s too early in the morning for you to be flirting with me. Are you sure you aren’t still drunk?” Jimmy jokes.
“Very. In fact, my headache says that I am very hungover.” He takes one of his hands out from the blankets and feels his head, suddenly very aware of the pounding inside. Jimmy swipes some of his hair off of his forehead, and kisses it. Scott gapes at him.
“Does it feel better yet?” Jimmy asks. Scott is stunned. Did Jimmy actually..? Maybe he wasn’t as oblivious as Scott thought. Jimmy’s face contorts into worry as Scott doesn’t respond.
“Oh no, should I have asked? I’m sorry, Scott, I really should have.” He takes his hands out from around Scott, putting them over his face. Scott gasps softly.
“No, no Jimmy I was just surprised. First of all, keep hugging me, I like feeling warm. Second of all, I don’t feel better yet. I think I need more.” He pouts up as Jimmy, who cups his face and kisses his forehead again, giggling. Scott laughs too, as Jimmy slowly moves down his face with kisses. Eyebrow, nose bridge, tip of his nose, cheek. He stops to look into Scott’s eyes. Scott can feel his heart beating fast.
“Can I…” He trails off and Scott nods quickly, once. Jimmy gets closer. Scott closes his eyes.
“Jimmy, I know you're awake! I’m here to check on you.” A voice comes from outside, knocking on the door.
“Shit. That’s Lizzie. Pretend to be asleep ok? She will either kill me or tease me relentlessly if she finds out about… this.” He hesitates before the last word. Scott nods and closes his eyes again, relaxing onto the bed. The side of the bed that Jimmy was on puffs up as he gets off. Scott can hear him walking around his house, navigating to the door.
Did he like Jimmy? They had almost just kissed. Scott had wanted to kiss him. It seemed like Jimmy had wanted to kiss him back.
“Goodmorning, Liz. You woke me up.” His voice is soft but stern.
“Sorry. I had to come check on you after who you left with last night.” Even with his eyes closed, he can hear Lizzie’s smirk.
What if he and Jimmy did kiss? Would they be courting? That might be nice. I can imagine being with him.
“Shh, Liz, he’s still asleep.”
“Oh? And how would you know? Were you in the bedroom with him?”
“N-no, I slept on the couch, he slept on the bed. I checked on him before you got here.”
“Mhmmm. Yeah, ok. I don’t believe you, but ok. Did you two kiss yet?”
Scott shoots his eyes open at that, before closing them again. What was Lizzie on about? Technically they hadn’t. Yet.
“I-Lizzie, no, what? Is this all you wanted, to interrogate me about Scott?”
“Yes. Yes it was. I have to go now, Gem owes me ten gold. By the way, you have lipstick on your cheek. Looks like Scott’s, strange.”
Was Scott in love with Jimmy? Oh Aeor, Scott was in love with Jimmy.
Scott hears the door close, Jimmy still sputtering. He opens his eyes to see Jimmy in the doorway, completely helpless to what his sister had just said.
“Scott! You didn’t- I- She-” He points to the door, before sitting back in bed.
“Well, it looks like Gem owes her gold hmm? Do you think they were betting on us kissing, or getting together, because only one of those things has happened yet.” Scott lays his head in Jimmy’s lap, fiddling with his hair.
“Yet? Scott, yet? Are you planning some-” He’s cut off by Scott leaning up and connecting their lips. The kiss was short and sweet, but left both men gasping for air. Jimmy had a smile on his face, grinning ear to ear. Scott couldn’t catch his breath.
“Not bad for a fish.” He finally said, cracking a joke.
“Shut up.” Jimmy scoffed.
“Make me.” Scott whispered up to him, sitting up so he sat on Jimmy’s lap.
“Gladly.” This kiss lasted longer. Scott couldn’t help but smile into Jimmy’s lips. The kiss felt like it lasted forever, Scott’s hands in Jimmy’s hair, Jimmy’s hands around his waist. Jimmy pulled him in, deepening the kiss. Scott happily accepted it, pushing forward into Jimmy. For that minute, they couldn’t separate, wanting more. Finally, Scott broke the kiss. He knew Jimmy could go on forever (thanks, gills) but Scott had to breathe. Jimmy looked at him with the most lovestruck expression Scott had ever seen. His mouth was slightly agape, and his eyes flitted between Scott’s eyes and his lips.
“Wow. I am so gay.” Jimmy laughed out, pressing his forehead to Scott’s. Scott breathed out a laugh, still catching his breath.
“I guess Lizzie really earned that ten gold.” Scott huffed, still slightly dazed.
“Hmm. Yeah, I guess she did.” Jimmy kissed Scott’s forehead again. He trailed kisses over his face, cheeks, mouth, neck. Scott blushed fiercely when Jimmy kissed his collarbone.
“Seems like I’m not the only one easily flustered around here, hmm?” Jimmy closed his eyes partly, smirking and, oh Aeor, Scott couldn’t stand him looking at him like that. He buried his head in Jimmy’s shirt and let out a small scream of happiness. He could feel Jimmy’s arms around him again, and Scott looked up again. Jimmy pecked him on the lips and closed his eyes.
“Jimmy, what-”
“Shhh.”
“But-”
“Shhhh, I wanna take a nap with my boyfriend.”
Scotts heart was on fire, in the best way.
“Ok. Goodnight, pretty boy.”
“‘Night, petal.”
Scott didn’t go home until two in the afternoon, and boy, did his council have questions as to why he showed up that late in a t-shirt and shorts, hair unbraided and disheveled. He didn't tell them. Besides, he had a date to plan.

Chapter Text

Scott was scared.
He was scared and alone and, honestly? He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t control his ice powers, no matter how hard he tried. They were slowly freezing his wings, so much so that he couldn’t fly anymore. Not that he would need to, all the way out in the ice spikes. He was sure no one else even knew this existed, nonetheless came to search for him here. It was better for everyone. Scott tried to convince himself of that.

Jimmy was scared.
The ice was slowly spreading over his kingdom, and now Scott was missing. And he couldn’t do anything about it. He was completely helpless to the situation. He wanted to get rid of the ice, and he wanted Scott back. He was scared of how he couldn’t do anything to help.

“I have called this meeting because two points, which Gem has brought to my attention, are connected,” Katherine stood and addressed the meeting hall. She had called an emergency meeting for all 10 other emperors, though none of them knew what it was about. Some looked curiously up at her, while others eyes floated over to Gem. Something in her had changed, she was more closed in. More resourceful with her words, as if everyone brought her closer to death. Not to mention the new white streak in her hair, miraculously turning up since the last meeting. She took a deep breath before speaking and stood.

“As all of you know, Scott is missing. He hasn’t been seen for a week, and I-” Gem’s voice caught in her throat before she continued. “-I think I was the last person to see him before he ran away.”

Everyone at the table snapped to attention when Gem said the words ‘ran away’. Jimmy wondered what that meant for him coming back.

“How do you know he ran away? What if he was kidnapped?” Shrub piped up from her seat.

“Because,” Gem’s voice wobbled. “It was me he ran from.”

It took a while to get the story straight. After Gem admitted that, she had burst into tears and had to be taken outside by her brother, Fwhip. While they waited for them to return, Katherine tried to proceed with the meetings like they normally would. It was actually quite a bit easier without Fwhip and Scott present, who were the most likely to get into fights, especially with Jimmy. None of them had any much to say, other than that the frost was spreading, and after a while they sat in silence, waiting for Katherine to return. When Gem and Fwhip re-entered the room, Gem seemed a lot more tired, and Fwhip a lot more angry. She sat down in her seat, took a breath, and continued as if nothing had happened.

“Scott came to visit the Crystal Cliffs. He came because he thought the spreading frost and his new ice powers were connected. I confirmed this for him, and convinced him to come to the academy with me to study his powers. I just wanted to try to see if he could control them. He had said that he could create ice, but he couldn’t dispel it. I took him to the academy, and urged him to freeze some of the water in the potions room. He succeeded in that, but when I asked him to remove it, he couldn’t. He got angry when I told him to try again, but. Erm,” Gem looked down and started picking at her nails. “He lashed out. He covered the whole room with snow, me along with it. I-I think he froze something inside me,” She pointed to her hair. “And then this appeared. Scott was scared, but before I could say anything, he flew away. I got a report the next day that he was missing,” Gem concluded her speech and sat back down, looking shaken. Sausage put his arm around her while Fwhip stood and placed his hands on the table.

“I think we should leave him wherever he goes. He can’t control these powers, it’ll be safer,” Fwhip stated, eyes flicking to Jimmy. He expected him to respond, and boy, was Jimmy good at meeting expectations. Most of the time. He stood despite Lizzie’s hiss at him to sit down, for void’s sake! And looked Fwhip in the eye.

“Fwhip, you can’t be seriously considering leaving him to fend for himself. He needs help and support, and neither of those come from being alone! Someone has to go on a mission to save him. I would expect you to know that, being in an alliance with him.”

Fwhip laughed, a sharp sound that reminded Jimmy of the salmon he supported. “That ‘alliance’ ended the minute he hurt Gem! I couldn’t care one way or another if he dies out there. He could have killed my sister!” Fwhip snarled. Jimmy saw Gem and Lizzie exchange a look out of the corner of his eye.

“It wasn’t his fault! He couldn’t control it, did you listen to the story at all? He needs help,” Jimmy glared across the table and sat back down. “I don’t care what you say Fwhip, but we are going to get Scott, end of story.”

“Aww, does Jimmy miss his Scott?” Fwhip teases, face never moving from its sullen expression. Jimmy turned beet red and opened his mouth to say something, but Lizzie beat him to it.

“Real mature, Fwhip. Substituting to teasing when your argument doesn’t work anymore. I advise you to sit down before any of the Codfather Alliance thinks about breaking trade routes with you,” Lizzie towers over him, and Fwhip pales. He quickly sits and mumbles to Gem about how she should stop Lizzie, but she just shakes her head. Jimmy quickly added Besides, he’s not mine under his breath before refocusing.

“Well, if that’s settled, I agree that we should create a search mission for Scott. Jimmy,” She turns to him, and he widens his eyes, “How willing are you to go?” She trained her eyes on him. Lizzie stood up again.

“Jimmy isn’t going.”

“Lizzie, you just said that someone should go get him!”

“No, I said I supported the idea. I don’t want you to go, it’s too dangerous,” Lizzie insisted. Jimmy sputtered.

“Lizzie, I need to go. It’s easy for me to leave my empire for an extended time, unlike all of you, and besides, Scott trusts me.”

“Jimmy makes a good point, Lizzie,” Katherine pipes up. “It’s easy for his council to look after the Cod Empire. There are few other people here where that’s the case, and where Scott trusts them,” She glances at Gem. “The next best person to go would be Gem or Shelby, but I don’t think it would be wise for Gem to go, and Shelby…”

“I can’t,” Shelby sighs. “I-I’ve been taking care of the Xornoth Crystal while Scott’s been gone, and I don’t know if any of you are strong enough to fight off the corruption that radiates off of it. Um! No offense to any of you, of course, it's just, I’ve dealt w-with him before, you know?”

Katherine put her hand on Shelby’s shoulder and smiled. “It’s ok, Shrub, we know what you mean.” Since when has Katherine called Shelby Shrub? Jimmy shook the thought from his mind and tried to refocus as Joey stood up. He swore he could hear a synchronized sigh from the whole table.

“Why does she get to protect Xorny and not me?” He demanded, eyes flashing red for a second. Pearl, who was next to him, tried to pull him down, to no avail.

“Joey, sit down. We can talk about this later,” Katherine pinched her nose bridge as Joey flopped back into his seat and grumbled.

“Wait, Gem,” Jimmy addressed her. “Where even is Scott?” Gem looked surprised at the question.

“Oh. I-I didn’t think of that. Obviously not in the area of the Empires, but, other than that, I’m… not sure.” She admitted quietly.

“I do!” Shelby shot up, standing on her chair to be of equal height to the other rulers. “Well, not exactly, but close enough,” She smiled proudly. “When he visited to give me the crystal, he mentioned going north. I’ve been up that way before settling here, and there’s a massive snow biome. I bet he went there.”

“Perfect,” Katherine turned to Jimmy, and he could feel Lizzie’s hand holding his. “Jimmy, do you accept this quest to find Scott?” She asked it like she already knew the answer. Jimmy puffed up his chest, sitting straight, and nodded. “Thank you. Meeting adjourned.”

It was cold in the house he had built. Scott has given up on lighting the fireplace, his ice puts it out everytime. Now he sat in front of an empty fireplace, in a frozen house. Snowflakes floated through the room, and most of it was covered in a layer of light-blue frost. It was cold all around, but wasn’t he used to that by now? He was always cold, inside and out. The ice flowed through his veins, out his fingers, blowing out with each breath he took. He could feel frost on his eyelashes and hair. The tip of his nose had turned blue, along with the tips of his fingers.

He couldn’t go back. It was too dangerous to see the other emperors, his people, his friends. He knew he couldn’t control himself. He would end up hurting them all, bringing upon the eternal winter that was foretold. When he read that prophecy for the first time, he assumed it was about Xornoth. How stupid. He had fire powers, not ice. Then he had made that stupid deal with Lizzie…

The ice would stop spreading if he was far away, Scott thought. No need for me to be nearby if it’s just making things worse. He could feel his eyes start to prickle. Even if he never saw his friends again, it would be worth it to protect them. He needed to protect them. Then a thought struck Scott.

Would his friends want to see him again?

They probably wouldn’t. Why would they, when he had set a winter of ice upon them, then ran away from it all to leave them to the consequences? Scott curled in on himself on the couch, resting his head on one of the arms, knees up near his chest. They didn’t care about him, and he deserved that. They deserved better than him. He had just betrayed them, almost killing Gem. She probably hated him the most. And Jimmy…

Scott felt the tears start to run down his cheeks, and he let out a sob. The thought of never seeing Jimmy again was too much. Never going back to their cave, never holding his hand, never teasing him at meetings again. Jimmy probably hated him too. He didn’t deserve him. Scott looked at the poppy he had in a pot by the window, a reminder of the gift he had given him. It hurt him.

So he cried. The only sound to be heard through the small cottage was his sniffles and sobs. The tears froze on his cheeks, so every so often he had to pry them off. Some of them were sharp, and they cut his fingers. He didn’t mind, the blood was a nice change of color to the blues surrounding him. Eventually he just kept the icy tears in his palm, willing them to shred it apart. If he was going to be in that house for the rest of his life, he would at least want to feel something. Pain felt like something. And he fell asleep like that, cut hands, frozen tears, slumped across the couch.

Jimmy’s cod head was not doing well against the snowstorm. It was supposed to keep him breathing above water for a few days, but due to the snow coming in instead of just air, he had to stop every few hours to take long chugs of half frozen water. He had better find Scott soon, because he was running out.

The snow biome seemed to go on forever. He had been flying over it for at least the last six hours, and he hadn’t seen anything that looked like a house, cave, or tent. He was beginning to worry.

What if Scott had died out here alone, and the snow had covered up the body? What if they never found him? Jimmy’s mind started to race. He flew faster, attempting to cover more ground before nightfall. If he couldn’t find him, what would happen? How would they get rid of the winter back in the empires? The snow was spreading. Could they do it without Scott? Could… Jimmy do it without Scott? Could he just get over his death and keep living?

Jimmy kept his tears in as he flew, quieting his mind to look for any light. After a minute, he saw something. Spruce wood in the coming darkness, just discernible against the snow. Jimmy flew down to examine the cabin. His heart leapt into his throat as he realized this could be where Scott was. It jutted out of the side of a hill, created of spruce planks and logs. A spruce door sat in the dead middle, and no windows were visible. Above the door hung a lantern, out and covered in a layer of frost. It made him shiver. The cold metal swung in the wind, creaking against its hook. It was the only sound around, other than the wind. It seemed to be pushing Jimmy towards the house.

He swallowed. This was silly. Scott would never attack him, right? A sudden realization shot through Jimmy, enough to make him suck in his breath. What if he had been corrupted like Xornoth? What if he was dangerous, and that's why he had run away?

Jimmy shook his head. Too many What If’s were running through his mind, giving him more anxiety that it was worth. Just one Knock on the door. Just one.

Knock Knock.

The sudden noise woke Scott, who groaned and sat up. His face felt colder than normal, and as he reached up to feel it, a burning pain went through his hand. He looked down and saw dried blood covering it. His fingers had cuts around the nail and at the tips, and it looked like someone had taken a knife to his palm a couple of times. Small, sharp ice drops piled in the middle, and fell to the floor when his hand moved. A second knock, knock came from the door, and Scott stiffened. No one could see him like this, but did he have any other choice? He stood off the couch, stretching his wings, and started to walk to the door.

“Scott?” A soft voice came from outside. He froze again. He recognized that voice. It couldn’t be though. Why would he track Scott down?

“Scott, I think I can hear you. Could you open the door so I can come in?” The voice was so soft, almost pleading. Scott didn’t take a second thought before he opened the door, coming face to face with the very person he feared it was.

“Jimmy,” He breathed.

The other man took off his cod head and grinned. “Me,” he looked at Scott like they had been apart for years, and were only now reuniting, instead of a week. “Um. Can I come in? It’s kinda cold out here,” He laughed, and Scott moved out of the way. He was vaguely aware of the look of surprise on his face, but he was mostly fixated on Jimmy. Finally he found his words.

“You can, although I don’t think it’s much better here. I have blankets, though.”

“Thanks.”

They worked in silence, Jimmy shedding his wings, boots and bulky coat to reveal a brown sweater underneath. Scott made his way to the living room and grabbed a few extra blankets for Jimmy. He was still slightly stunned, but not so much that he couldn't get out a “Do you want some tea?”

“I would love some,” Jimmy smiled warmly at him. Scott would melt if he could. He made tea for them both before returning to the living room and handing a mug to Jimmy, who had settled under 3 blankets, one around his shoulders and two over his legs. He muttered a thanks before looking up to take the tea and gasping.

“Scott, what happened to your hand?” Jimmy put down his mug on the coffee table and instead held Scott’s hand in both of his own. He studied the cuts, mouth still open before looking up at Scott, who looked away guiltily.

“Scott,” Jimmy’s voice was quiet. “Did you do this to yourself?” Scott put down his tea next to Jimmy’s, still avoiding his gaze. “Scott.” Jimmy said his name again, and oh, how Scott hated it. He hated how it was so full of concern and genuine care. He hated how it was soft, but he could still hear it in the absence of anything and everything else. He hated how it felt like someone cared about him for the first time ever. No one else would have noticed.

“C’mon,” Jimmy mumbled, pulling Scott to the bathroom. The door was open, and Jimmy told him to sit on the toilet. Scott mumbled in acknowledgement, and sat. He still avoided his eyes. Jimmy looked under the cabinet, rummaging before he found a First Aid kit. He pulled out some of the wipes, some kind of gel, and gauze.

He kneeled in front of Scott and took his hand. “This might hurt a bit,” he said, and Scott bit his lip against the gel being applied to his skin. Jimmy wrapped his hand in the gauze, but didn’t put his hand down. “Look at me.”

So Scott did. He immediately regretted it. Jimmy’s eyes were glassy, and he held his hand in between both of his. He looked like he was genuinely concerned about him. Scott didn’t know what to say, so he just looked. His wings bristled, and Jimmy shot a nervous look at them.

“What’s going on?” And that’s when Scott cried for the second time that day.

He felt warm arms around him, rubbing his back between his wings. He hunched into the provided shoulder, wetting it with his tears. His hands had found their way to the others back, and he took handfuls of the fabric, trying to use it to group himself. Someone was saying something to him, but he couldn’t hear it over the screaming in his brain. He pushed himself deeper into the person's grasp, finding something, anything to focus on instead of himself. Arms held him tighter, and then he felt himself being lifted. Scott didn’t care, he clung to the shirt in front of him, crying into it. He was set down on something soft, the person disappearing for a moment only to return seconds later. Scott clung to it like he would lose the world if he didnt, and finally the voice got through to him.

“Take a deep breath, there you go, perfect. Just like that. Open your eyes, Scott.” He did as the voice said, breathing slower and slower, his breath hitching from the sobs. He slowly opened his eyes and looked towards the voice. Jimmy was holding him, arms wrapped around his waist, and Scott was squished into his chest. He pulled up his knees so he was sitting in Jimmy’s lap, curled up against him. His wings settled around the both of them, and Jimmy adjusted his arms to accommodate them. Scott placed his head at Jimmy’s collarbone, and Jimmy put his chin on top of it. He could hear Jimmy’s heart, and it comforted him. He relaxed just a bit.

“Scott, can you look at me again?” Jimmy asked, and Scott shook his head. Jimmy sighed and kept talking anyway.

“Scott, I came out here to find you. Gem told us what happened, and I volunteered to find you. I don’t know why exactly you ran away, or why you felt the need to, but we miss you. I miss you. I want you to come home.” Scott shuddered.

“I can’t,” He sighed,

“Why not?”

“I just can’t!” Scott shrunk inwards on himself more. He could feel ice shooting out of his fingers.

“We want to help you-”

“No! No, you don’t. All you want is for the ice in your empires to go away! Well, I don’t know how to get rid of it! Is that what you want to hear? That I'm just a selfish, broken, cruel person who can’t undo what he’s done?” He was standing. When had that happened? “I’m pathetic, Jimmy. I won’t be going home. You can stay the night on the couch, but I expect you to leave in the morning.” And with that, Scott stalked off to his room.

Jimmy stayed in the living room, feeling the cold of the house settle into his bones. He shook his head, shaking off the layer of frost. He picked up the warm tea, now cold, and brought it to his lips. The tea was floral, some kind of flower. Maybe chamomile. What had he done wrong? At least Scott was alive, but he seemed like he didn’t want to be. Or, at least, like he wanted to be alone for the rest of his life. Which Jimmy would not stand for. With a start, Jimmy realized what was wrong with Scott.

Scott blamed himself for all of this. Jimmy slapped his forehead in realization. He had done the same when Xornoth came back. This was just another of the things he couldn’t control, so he blamed himself for being out of control. Jimmy had spent enough time with the man to know how to deal with this, so he decided to talk to him in the morning. It was dark, and he was tired from searching all day.

When Jimmy woke up on the couch, he knew where he was. It was soft under him, compared to the bedroll he had slept on the past two nights. Around him there were noises, a difference to the silence of the previous evening. Someone was humming softly, walking around. The pat pat of socks on the floor was slow, pausing every few steps. The breathy humming created a tune Jimmy could swear he had heard before.

He sat up from the couch, turning to rest his head in his arms on the arm of the couch. The kitchen sat directly adjacent to the living room, the source of the humming. He watched Scott as he walked around the kitchen, preparing breakfast. Jimmy noticed two plates on the counter, and his smile softened. Scott turned towards him and his expression hardened.

“Good Morning,” He said stiffly, taking the two plates in his hands and walking towards the couch. The elf had his hair in a braid, and he tilted his head so it lay over his shoulder as he walked. He wore a off-white blouse and faded blue pants, the same as he had the day before. Jimmy briefly wondered if he had slept in the clothes.

They ate breakfast on the couch in silence. Scott had stopped humming, simply looking down as he ate. He sat far away from Jimmy. Finally, Jimmy broke the silence.

“Scott, You’re going to have to talk to me before I leave.” He got a hum in response. “And if you aren’t going to start this conversation, I will.” This time, he said nothing in return, which Jimmy took as a response to keep talking.

“None of this is your fault. I know you think it is, but it isn't. I know you didn’t want to freeze Gem, I know you don’t want to isolate yourself, and I know that this eternal winter stuff is not something that you are continuously doing. You just need practice and training, something that we can give you if you come back to Rivendell. Don’t give me this ‘I’m not worth it’ shit, because you are. At least to me, if not almost every other ruler.” Jimmy finished his speech, and waited with baited breath for Scott to respond. He had stopped eating and was looking at his toast instead. Finally, he looked up at Jimmy, a smile being suppressed.

“You-you think I’m worth all of this?” Scott asked.

“Cod, Scott, yes. There are people who love you, you know.” He blushed. “I mean- like, platonic love, of course. I- yeah, that's what I meant. Anyway, Scott, we miss you. Come back with me, please.” He leaned closer to the elf, only slightly.

Scott seemed to be going over his options. “But… but what if I hurt anyone else?” He said, like the words would break something Jimmy couldn’t see.

“Then I won’t love you any less.” Scott looked like he was waiting for Jimmy to defend himself. “I’m too focused on convincing you to defend that one,” Jimmy said, slumping back.

“I’m telling Lizzie you said that.”

“I could leave you out here.”

“No, you wouldn’t.”

“You know me so well. But seriously, if you tell Lizzie I’m cutting off your slime trade.” Jimmy laughed. Scott did too.

“I don’t know, that might be worth it to see how she acts at the next meeting we both attend.”

“There’s the Scott I know.” Scott looked at Jimmy, and then he nodded.

“Ok, I’ll come back.” Jimmy smiled, and hugged Scott.

“Thank Cod, I was worried I would have to sleep on the couch again.”

“Nah, you could have slept in my bed with me.” Scott whispered and smirked.

“You’re horrid. Ready to go?”

Scott looked around. He had nothing of value he had brought with him, the only real thing he would need would be his coat and wings. “I’m ready.”

“Jimmy!” He groaned when he heard Lizzie’s voice. Had Scott really told her? “Jimmy, I heard you said something special to someone!” She sang as she entered his house. He turned away from the slime he was packing and frowned.

“I can’t believe I trusted him to not tell you.” He deadpanned. Lizzie rushed over and pulled him to the chairs in the middle of the room.

“Tell. Me. Everything.” She gasped as they sat down. “Did you mean it? Did he say it back? Are you two courting? When’s the wedding?” Jimmy blushed furiously.

“Calm down Liz, it didn't mean anything.” She smirked.

“Sure, Jim, Sure. Did you at least mean it?” She pried, and Jimmy sighed. He muttered something. “What? I couldn’t hear you.”

“Yeah, I did.” He looked at her, and she squealed. This next House Blossom meeting was going to be unbearable.

Chapter Text

>LDShadowLady fell out of the world

The notification popped up on Jimmy’s com. He didn’t notice it at first, instead joking with Pearl and Gem in their cherry grove. But when more and more notifications started sounding, he looked down at the small electric pad he carried around. Jimmy’s face paled.

“Did something happen, Jimmy?” Gem asked, concern creeping into her voice.

“Lizzie’s dead,” He stammered, meeting her eyes. Gem’s mouth dropped open. They all stayed silent for a moment.

“But, she was on her last life! So she’s… out,” Pearl gasped, before walking over to Jimmy, who still felt confused and a little overwhelmed. “Jimmy, do you know what that means? You’re not the first dead. The curse is broken,” She shook the avian by his shoulders, snapping out of his trance.

“I’m not the first out… Oh my void I’m not first!” Jimmy clapped his hands over his mouth. He was always first out. What has changed this time? Nothing he had done, anyway. In every game before then he had always been the first to die, the curse pulling him back into the watchers slumber before he could even think of winning. But this time… maybe he had a chance. He had to tell people, he had to celebrate. He had to find…

“Gem, do you know where Scott is?” Jimmy turned to her, a smile slowly spreading across his face.

“I’m not sure, last I saw of him was this morning,” She shrugged, and made her way towards him. “I’m proud of you, Jim.”

Jimmy felt proud of himself. He never thought this would be something that could happen, no matter how many painful deaths he had experienced. He thought back to the first time he had died-died, shot by Skizz. How he had felt it was unfair, why it had to be him that had been killed, before the Watchers talked some sense into him. They had said someone needed to be the first to die, and they had chosen him. Jimmy had been… confused to say the least. And upset. How could they just let him leave behind Scott and Grian and Scar like that?

They had rewarded him with wings for his sacrifice, and said as long as the wings stayed, he would be the warning, the canary for the other players. He had accepted them with pride, knowing he would play a larger part in the games after all. Had the Watchers changed their minds about him? Maybe that was a good thing, he rationalized.

“I have to find Scott. I-I gotta, he’s going to be so happy-” He was cut off by the door to one of the cherry cottages being pushed open.

“I heard my name?” Scott waltzed out of his house jovially. Jimmy ran towards him, crushing the smaller man in a hug.

“Petal! Petal, I’m not dead! I’m not the first!” Jimmy squeezed Scott tightly. Scott squeezed right back, wrapping his hands around the other’s neck. He put his hands around Scott’s waist. As Jimmy pulled back, Scott looked at him like the world around them wasn’t there.

“That’s amazing, flower. I’m so proud of you,” He smiled, closing his eyes halfway. “We should celebrate.”

“How?” Jimmy leaned closer. His nose brushed Scott’s and they both blushed slightly.

“We have this whole cherry grove, and I have the perfect picnic blanket.”

“Mr. Scott Smajor, are you asking me on a date?”

“Maybe I am. Would you say yes?” Scott grinned. He already knew the answer, but Jimmy still gave him one.

“Well I wouldn’t refuse that to my husband, would I?” They had married in the first game that took place, and even though they hadn’t allied since then, they both kept their wedding rings on and referred to the other as their husband. No one questioned it, not even Gem when she had first arrived. It was assumed someone had told her about it.

“Get a room!” Pearl yelled out from behind them, Gem snickering at her side. It pulled both of them out of their trance, Jimmy blushing and Scott glaring.

“That’s right Pearl, you wouldn’t know anything about my affection,” Scott shot back, though the third game had turned into a joke for both of them. Pearl grinned sinisterly.

“Be careful, I might kill you.”

“Oh, be real. I could easily best you.”

“Wanna bet?” Scott and Pearl took out their swords, grinning. Jimmy put his hand over Scott’s who seemed to snap out of his tunnel vision.

“Oh, I would, but I have to take my gorgeous husband on a date,” Scott ran his hand along Jimmy’s jaw, making his shiver. Jimmy turned even deeper red.

“Ok, well, I better not hear anything from that house of yours,” Gem cracked up as she and Pearl walked away, leaving the husbands to their date. Both were left with their mouths hanging open at the last comment, but quickly got over it.

“I’ll run inside to get the stuff, will you find a nice spot out back, flower?” Scott started walking towards his door. Jimmy nodded.

The cherry grove that Gem and the Scott’s lived in was beautiful. Pink petals floated through the air, dancing around the trunks of the trees. Sunlight was straining to get through the leaves, tinting most of the light pink. Small patches of daisies and poppies were littered around the forest, hidden by long grasses. It was beautiful all around. Jimmy found a nice spot on the base of a tree, and laid down in the grass, waiting for his lover.

He thought back to their valley they had settled in right after getting married. It had more flowers than this one, but the vibes were there. He remembered the way that he had first given a flower to Scott saying, I have professed my love! then blushing and stuttering as Scott had called it cute. He had tried to backpettle, saying he meant only for flowers, but Scott had put a hand to his mouth and shushed him. He had whispered, No, for me in Jimmy’s ear, and then proclaimed them husbands. Jimmy had had no problem with this. In fact, he was ecstatic about it, as they lived their peaceful lives in hobbit holes. All around the arena, everyone had started to call them the flower husbands, and so they adopted it as their official title. And now, it didn’t matter how much later, they were still just as in love as that first day.

Scott came walking up with a gold and blue picnic blanket around one arm and a small basket in the other. “Get up, I have to put the blanket down.”

Jimmy obliged. “Anything for you, petal.”

Scott raised an eyebrow. “Anything? I might have to take you up on that offer.” Jimmy blushed and looked away, not knowing how to respond. Scott lay down the blanket, smoothing the sides out on the grass. They sat, Scott leaning against the tall tree and Jimmy next to him, head on shoulder. It was quiet, peaceful. Jimmy hummed a tune long forgotten to them both, and Scott melted into him, setting his head on the other’s. They stayed like that for a while, at least until Scott’s stomach grumbled.

“Flower, do you want anything?” He asked, taking a sandwich out of the basket.

“I’ll have one of those sandwiches, if you have any more.”

“Of course I do.”

Scott handed him another sandwich, and Jimmy sunk his teeth in. It was delicious. As he munched happily, Scott laughed at him.

“Flower, you look like you haven’t eaten in a week!” Jimmy smiled, taking another large bite. Scott looked at him, and Jimmy knew that look. He was forming a plan.

“What are you planning?” Jimmy asked, pointing a finger at the other. It came out like wa a oo paang? But Scott understood him nonetheless.

“Planning! I’m offended, I have never caused trouble before!” Scott put his hand to his chest, in mock horror. Jimmy laughed, at least as much as you can with your mouth full, and swallowed. “You have something on your face.”

“Oh? Where?” Jimmy said, rubbing his cheek. Scott leaned closer.

“Right…” Scott held out the ‘i’ in right, before pecking him on the lips and pulling away. “There!” Jimmy stared at him.

“I- you- me- I-”

“Close your mouth dear, it’s rude to stare,” Scott teased. Jimmy clamped his mouth shut, watching the way Scott rocked back and forth on while sitting down, softly smiling at him. Jimmy couldn’t resist the smile, so instead of trying, he just went with it.

He leaned forward, arms around Scott’s neck, and kissed him. Scott immediately kissed back, his hands in Jimmy’s hair. They scooted closer to each other, searching for every piece of contact they could get. Jimmy pushed against Scott’s lips, perfect as they were. He pulled him closer, or at least attempted too, because the two went stumbling to the ground instead, breaking apart as they giggled. Scott’s nose wrinkled when he laughed, and he couldn’t help but admire it. He wanted to kiss his nose, his cheeks, his forehead. In other words, Jimmy was hopelessly and irrevocably in love.

Scott was looking back at him. Jimmy could feel his cheeks heat up, but he kept staring. Who was going to stop him, cause Scott sure wasn’t. The canary reached over and cupped the musician's cheek, slowly trailing his fingers down to his chin.

“Thank you. For… for all of this. For staying with me.”

“Love, I would give up the sun, the moon and the stars if it meant I could stay with you,” Scott grabbed his hands and looked into his eyes. “I will never leave you, even if it meant that the whole world would crumble between my fingers. You are my everything, and nothing is more important than that.”

Jimmy could feel his heart racing at the declaration of love that his husband had laid upon him. “I wish I could marry you again,” he blurted out. Scott just laughed.

“Me too, flower, me too. But y’know, we can’t do that again. Although, if you wanted to kiss me again, I wouldn’t object,” His lips wore the ghost of a smirk, but the look in his eyes showed genuine love and compassion. Jimmy chuckled.

“If you insist, loverboy.”

“Shut up.” Scott had fallen right into his trap. As quickly as he could, he placed his hands down on either side of Scott’s head, hands softly brushing the hair that fanned out beneath him. He pushed himself up so that he was leaning over Scott’s face, knees straddling his hips.

“Make me,” Jimmy breathed out. Scott’s face turned a shade of pink that could only be achieved by cherry petals and apparently him. Jimmy was pleasantly surprised that he could bring this reaction out of his lover. He liked having the high ground for once. Scott evidently liked it too, because he just kept staring. All Jimmy could do was stare right back, neither of them making a move. Then, almost faster than Jimmy was expecting, Scott shot up and slowly kissed his lips, dragging him back to the ground.

They had made out before, it was true, but this time it felt different. The lingering kisses, burning bright until both of them were the same shade of the poppies that coated the valley. They giggled and smiled and stared at each other with lovesick eyes, and this was where they were happiest. Away from swords coated in layers of crimson, away from explosions and away from the constant fear that was brought from seeing someone die before your eyes. Now it was just them, sitting next to each other, occasionally placing kisses on the others hair or on their cheek.

“Petal, I have to confess something,” Scott whispered. The canary turned towards him, raising an eyebrow in question. Scott took a deep breath, shifting a bit. “I was the one who killed Lizzie.”

Jimmy couldn't comprehend what he had just heard. It was so strange to hear that, someone confessing to murder in these types of games. Normally, they would flaunt this win, taking praise from the other players, not whispering it to their lover on dates that weren't supposed to happen. This wasn’t right, Jimmy decided. Scott must be lying.

“What?” Was really all he could get out, hoping for an explanation. Scott looked at him, and his yellow eyes conveyed a sense of guilt. Like he hadn’t meant to.

“Joel sent her to kill me. It must have been his task or something, I’m going to guess it later. Anyway, she brought me to the end. She was hoping she could push me off the island, but her plan backfired. I cornered her against the edge, I didn’t actually want her to die-” Scott was tearing up, and Jimmy reached up to wipe away his tears, “-but she looked at an enderman and it attacked her. I wanted to help, I really did, but it was too late.” He was full of crying now. “I just wanted to protect you. I didn’t want you to die first again.”

Jimmy took the other in his arms, pulling him towards his chest. “Shhh, it's ok. I don’t blame you, and I’m sure Lizzie won’t either. It was an honest mistake, really. Petal, honey, look at me.” Scott looked into his eyes, yellow on red. “This wasn't your fault, you are not to blame. You understand me?” He nodded faintly, and buried his face in the other's chest again.

“I just want you to live,” he said sorrowfully. Jimmy knew that was the truth. His death’s were always his own fault, away from Scott. It was hard for him to stop them unless they hid together forever. But in the end, none of them could live forever. Both of them knew this.

“I want to live too, but that isn’t possible. We just have to be happy while we can.” His heart rate sped up as Scott nuzzled further into his chest, tears slowing down. They stayed like that, hearts racing, shirts wet from tears, golden wings wrapped around both of them. Eventually, Jimmy’s wings got so puffed up that he had to contract them.

A sound rattled the valley. Both coms buzzed at the same time. Both of them sat up silently, dreading what they had just heard.

>Grian had made the advancement [Withering Heights]

“Shit,” Scott muttered, examining his com. “Why the fuck would he do that?”

>Scar: HElp

>Scar: Afer mee

Scott sighed. “Wanna go help Scar? It’ll be up here soon anyway, if Grian and Joel know what they're doing.” Jimmy nodded.

>SolidarityGaming was slain by Wither

“Fuck! My husband is dead!” Scott exclaimed, the very killer trailing behind him. He managed to avoid it long enough for the others to kill it, no matter how much Joel insisted on trying to team up with the Wither. He was pretty beaten after, but that didn’t matter. He trailed to the spot his husband had died in, his body still there. After your third death, your body wouldn’t disappear. Scott knelt down, slowly taking off the sweater that hung off the once breathing man's frame, and put it on his instead. It was still warm, and smelled like death and molten lava. The bottom was stained with blood, and there were rips in the left sleeve. It was perfect, just like Jimmy.

Scott leaned down and kissed his forehead, slowly. When he pulled away, he ran his fingers through the blood stained hair, trying to make it look nice before he was laid to rest. Tears filled his eyes, but he refused to let the others see him cry. He had cried over his husband enough in the past, much to his dismay. It wasn’t a good idea to get attached, but here he was, connected at the hip with him. The sweater dampened.

“Scott, it’ll be ok. You knew it would happen,” Gem reassured from behind him, patting his back. Scott nodded, reality setting in. Jimmy was dead. It was ok, he would see him again. Soon.

Scott nodded again, wiping away his tears with the sweater sleeve. It was slightly too big for him.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll see him again.” I love you, my sunflower.

And it was almost like he heard a golden voice whispering back: I love you too, darling.

Chapter Text

Jimmy had never been skating before. He came from the swamp, where it was warm all year round. In the summer, it stayed in the eighties and dropped to the sixties in winter. He had only seen real snow a few times, the first when he was 9. He and Lizzie had visited Rivendell for a business meeting. He had snuck outside to feel the fine white powder that coated the ground. He learned two things that day. Number one, snow was very cold. Number two, don’t eat snow that isn’t white.

Now, being led through the forest by a pretty elf to a frozen lake, he didn’t know how to admit it. When he had been asked to go skating, he really couldn’t have said no if he wanted to. The elf had given him those eyes, like him saying yes would solve every problem in the world. Jimmy really needed to learn to say no sometimes. Or at least admit when he couldn’t do something, but to make his boyfriend happy? He didn’t think it was a skill possible.

They walked through a break in the trees, towards a small pond that sat in the middle of a clearing. Snow coated the ground, not so much that they had to trudge, but enough that grass wasn’t visible. There was a small cabin set up near the edge of the lake, or what Jimmy assumed was the edge of the lake. The ice had snow dusting the edges, so you could never really see the ground. The cabin was created of spruce, just like the trees surrounding it, and was a simple A-frame. The roof kept going until it touched the ground, shingles only slightly darker than the wood. Cream colored trim adorned the windows and edge of the roof. The door was expertly made, with subtle flowers carved into the edges. Jimmy turned to his boyfriend with shining eyes.

“Did you… make this for us?” He asked, holding the elves' hands in his own. He laughed, smiling fondly at Jimmy. The hybrid's heart swelled with the sound, soft like snow falling, sharp like ice.

“Who else would I have made it for, darling?” The elf asks, still smiling. Jimmy laughs before replying.

“I don’t know, you and Sausage have been getting close lately,” Jimmy smirked. In truth, he knew that his boyfriend would never think of cheating on him. Neither would he.

He and Scott had met when they were children. They were both crowned princes of their kingdoms, and that meant they were both forced into meetings and galas. It really wasn’t all that bad, considering that they only had to do anything important about every six months. This ball was being held in the House Blossom castle, a diplomatic dance held by King Blossom. It was supposed to be a dance to bring together every kingdom, and it did achieve that to some extent. Most of the rulers were nice, civil, and they danced. True, some stayed away from each other, but the goal was peace, not love. They just needed to stop a war.

Jimmy had been talking to his sister when the elven boy came up to him. He couldn’t remember now what he had been wearing, but it had taken his breath away. The elf had bowed, taken his hand, kissed the top, and asked him to dance. Jimmy was smitten from the moment they had done their first turn, whisked away across the floor. It was scary how fast he had fallen for the boy, making conversation and blushing when he was teased. He had told him that his name was Scott, and he was the crown prince of Rivendell. Jimmy was embarrassed to admit he was the prince of the Cod Empire, usually being a place that was looked down upon. Upon admitting it, Scott had looked at him with his icy eyes, warmed under the candle light, and said words that had taken Jimmy’s heart away. Doesn’t make you any less pretty, my darling.

That night, before his departure, Scott had snuck Jimmy out of a back door and kissed him in the garden. Jimmy had been awestruck, it was an amazement to him to be loved by anyone other than his sister and parents. How he could be deserving of all this, this wonderful boy that stood in front of him and looked at him like he was the stars in the sky. He had asked when he could see Scott again, and Scott had simply replied with another kiss and a mutter in his ear to send a letter. He left Jimmy there, giddy and lovestruck. Lizzie had questioned him all the way home about why in the world he was so happy, but he didn’t say. He was sixteen that day.

They had exchanged letters for a few months before they saw each other again. The letters sent by the elf were like poetry, professing how much he wanted to see the other again. Jimmy dreamed of them more than once, of dates they could go on, of just spending time together. He thought of cold lips and cold hands, of the way Scott world cup his face in anticipation. Jimmy thought of how he would hold him close, arms around his waist, hands in his soft cyan hair.

When they met again, it was to form an alliance between the Cod Empire and Rivendell. Something about how Rivendell needed more alliances, being weary of a threat approaching. It had turned out to be a false alarm, but the alliance had never been broken off. While the adults had been talking, Jimmy had been tasked with showing Scott around the empire. Up until they left the meeting room, Scott had been cold, keeping up a strong barrier from everyone. But as soon as they had left the meeting room, he had turned to Jimmy, eyes sparkling, and grinned. Jimmy had melted, pulling him to the back of the water tower, assuring nobody would find them there. Behind it, they had made flower crowns for each other, made of the orchids growing all around the swamp, stopping every once in a while to kiss the other softly on the lips or the cheek. Jimmy had placed the crown on Scott’s head, saying something cheesy like king of my heart. Scott had grinned, blushing softly, before placing his crown on Jimmy’s head. Jimmy pushed forward, until their foreheads met, smiling as Scott sucked in a breath. Jimmy pecked him on the nose, slowly, once, twice, before Scott had pulled him into the ground and full on made out with him.

When they had gotten back, both sets of parents were confused as to why their children wore flower crowns in hair that had obviously been rustled with, upsetting Scott’s braid so much that he had to take it out. Jimmy made up a (bad) excuse that he had gotten his hair stuck in a tree while they explored the garden, but their parents bought it. His sister on the other hand, didn’t. That night, she had approached him and straight out asked if he and Scott were courting. Jimmy had sputtered at the question, trying to come up with a lie, failing miserably under her gaze. He gave in and admitted that maybe he and Scott had kissed once or twice or a few dozen times. Lizzie squealed and asked to know everything. Jimmy had told her it all, save for bits and pieces, such as the few hickeys that sat under the neckline of his collar (and that Scott had matching ones). Lizzie had eventually managed to pry even that out of him, though he assured her that it hadn’t gone farther than that. She had said she was happy for him, patted him on the back, and indulged him in her love life with her fiance, Joel.

When he and Scott were eighteen, they told the world about their courting. The world being their parents. They had kept it a secret for two years, scared of the implications of two crown prince's courting. Secret meet ups in the night and sneaking off during alliance meetings all lead up to that moment, and it couldn’t have gone smoother. Jimmy’s parents accepted him whole-heartedly, and Scott’s parents had said they already knew. How comforting that was, neither of them knew. They started to meet up for real, picnics in valleys and date in restaurants in town, attending festivals together and stargazing in the moonlight.

Now they were both twenty-three, raised to kings of their respective kingdoms. They saw each other less, busy with paperwork and ruling. Every once in a while, at least once a week, they would meet up for a few hours and catch up, unusually ending it with an impromptu make out session, before parting ways. Even more rarely, one would stay the night at the other's house, but Jimmy would not go into detail about that. This time, it was something special. Scott had told him that they were both to take a few days off of their duties and he would show Jimmy a surprise that included skating. Jimmy had questioned why a surprise, especially this close to Winter Solstice, would take a few days, but Scott had just laughed and told him to meet him at a pair of seemingly random coordinates on Winter’s Eve.

Now he knew what the surprise was. Scott had built him a cabin, and they would be spending the holiday together in it. He had left all the decorations in boxes, excited to decorate with his boyfriend instead of for him. Jimmy was honored by this fact. He had also brought Scott a few gifts, thinking he wouldn’t see him the next day, so he would show him then instead. Now, obviously, he will save it for tomorrow.

“Petal, your cheeks are freezing,” Scott said, cupping them as they walked inside the small cabin. Jimmy giggled. “Are you sure cod-hybrids are immune to the cold?”

“Very, I never said we didn’t get cold, only that we never got hypothermia. I’m actually freezing right now,” Jimmy laughed. He could feel the house warming him up already. Scott’s nose was still red, so he leaned up just a bit to kiss it. Scott smiled.

“We haven’t even executed my plan yet! Wait here,” Scott hurried off to the corner of the cabin, picking up a large box and opening it. He pulled out two pairs of ice skates, one light blue with golden accents, and one light green with brown accents. Jimmy raised his eyebrows, surprised that they matched each other so perfectly. Scott held out the green skates, and he took them in his hand. They matched his jacket, hat and scarf almost perfectly. Scott grinned at him, ear to ear.

“Flower, this is so sweet. But um. I don’t know how to skate," he admitted quietly, blushing. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. Scott kept smiling, toning it down to a soft smile instead of a grin.

“I know that, I’m going to teach you,” He said matter-of-factly, and Jimmy couldn’t help relaxing. He knew he wasn’t ruining everything, that Scott knew that about him. They both walked back outside, taking off their boots they sat in the snow and putting on the skates instead. Jimmy struggled with it slightly, but it was easy with the elfs help.

They got out on the ice, Jimmy’s hands in Scott’s. He helped him learn how to move and maneuver with the skates, eventually letting go to see how he could do on his own. Jimmy fell flat on his face. It didn’t stop him from trying, though, and soon he was stumbling over the ice without falling. Scott glides around him, smirking at his boyfriend's obvious struggle.

“Showoff,” Jimmy mutters, steadying his feet once more.

“What, no thank you for teaching you how to skate? I’m hurt,” Scott put a hand to his chest in mock horror, earning a snort from Jimmy. He tries to glide like him, but ends up going too far and running into a snowbank. He wipes the snow from his face, only to see that Scott has laughed so hard he fell down himself. Jimmy glowers as he makes his way towards him, scooting along on the ice. Scott meets him halfway, taking his hand to help him up.

“Petal, your hands are freezing. Do you want to go inside for hot chocolate?” Scott remarked, holding one of Jimmy’s hands in both of his own. He isn’t sure if the red in his cheeks is from the cold or from Scott.

“Yeah. Yeah, that sounds nice,” Jimmy decides, taking small steps towards where their boots are. After they both make their way inside, shedding winter clothes and dawning sweaters instead, Jimmy sits on the couch while Scott makes their drinks. He looks around the inside of the cabin, content with the small details put into it. The main room is a living room and kitchen, the floor turning from wood to tile as you make your way between rooms. The living room was comfortable, containing a Winter tree in the corner, with a single couch and table in the center. It was small and comfortable. The kitchen had a furnace and fridge, cabinets adorning the walls. There was a table with two chairs in the corner, set with a vase of poppies in the middle. On either side of the living room, a door was present. Jimmy assumed they led to the bedroom and bathroom.

“Here you are, petal,” Scott chirped as he set down his hot chocolate on the coffee table in front of Jimmy. He smiled and picked it up, breathing in the warm scent. He took a small sip, reveling in the warmth that coursed through him. He took another, longer sip, leaning into the couch as exhaustion took over. He could feel Scott next to him, taking smaller sips and giggling at how Jimmy was calmed by the simple drink.

“This is amazing. I wish we could stay like this forever,” Jimmy remarked. He felt so comfortable, so calm next to the elf, in the small house in the woods. It was very much like a home he wished for but couldn’t have.

“We can come here every winter, if you want,” Scott suggested, wiping chocolate away from his lip. Jimmy hummed at the idea, leaning his head on the other’s shoulder.

“That sounds nice,” He sighed. He felt Scott put his head on top, leaning comfortably against each other. He wanted to freeze that moment forever, staying as they were. Eventually, Scott spoke up.

“So, my family has a tradition-well used to have a tradition- where we would each open up one present on Winter’s Eve, but since I don’t have anyone I live with anymore,” He cleared his throat, “Would you do it with me?”

Jimmy looked up and smiled. “Of course! I think I only have a few, hold on, I brought them in my bag.” He stood and shuffled off to the bag that sat in the corner, rummaging through it until he found the gift he had been looking for. It was a smallish box, wrapped in blue paper with a darker blue bow. It was not very tall, barely thicker than three of his fingers, but it was wide. Jimmy rushed back over, seeing an even smaller box that had seemingly appeared in Scott’s lap. He held it nervously, fiddling with the edge of the ribbon that it was wrapped in.

“Who’s going first?” Jimmy asked. Scott gestured to him, and Jimmy held out his present enthusiastically. Scott set down his and gingerly picked up the small box. He took off the ribbon with ease, tearing the paper off much less gingerly. Inside the small rectangular box sat a set of earrings with a matching necklace. The earrings were shaped like red ice crystals, matching ones glittering on the necklace. Gold adorned them, and the chair on the necklace matched. The centerpiece of the necklace was a small red flower, carved from the same gem. Scott gasped.

“Petal, this is beautiful! Where did you get this?” His eyes were shining with tears. Jimmy knew what gifting jewelry meant in Rivendell. If you had some from whoever you were courting, it meant you were in the final stages. It was kind of like signifying to the other that a proposal was coming soon.

“I commissioned someone from the Crystal Cliffs,” Jimmy responded, glowing with his reaction. He had spent a long time settling on what was going into the necklace and earrings. Scott picked up the necklace and clipped it around his neck, careful so as not to handle it too hard. He also took out the current studs in his ears and replaced them.

“Thank you. I love them,” Scott looked down at him, a soft expression on his face.

“I love you,” Jimmy leaned up, pecking his lips. Scott blushed deeper than Jimmy had ever seen before.

“I suppose my gift goes very well with this one,” Scott handed Jimmy the small box, not trying to hide how nervous he was. Jimmy took off the bow and paper, met with a small black box with a hinge on one side. He gaped at it. Was this…

Scott took the box from his hands and got down on one knee in front of the coffee table. He cleared his throat. Jimmy still sat there, mouth slightly open.

“Jimmy Solidarity-Shadow, these years courting you have been the best years I’ve ever experienced. Ever since our first kiss that night at the ball, I’ve thought about doing this someday. Getting down on one knee, and offering you this ring,” He opened the box, and it finally sunk in what was happening to Jimmy. “I love you so much, and want to spend the rest of my life by your side, protecting you, keeping you company, loving you. So, um, will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

Jimmy knew exactly what he wanted to say, but it got stuck in his throat. He was so shocked, so amazed, that Scott had just proposed to him. Inside the small black box in his hands, there were two rings. Engagement rings. Finally, the words erupted from him.

“Yes, yes, oh my void, Scott, yes!” He could feel himself tearing up. Scott slowly took one of the rings from the box and pushed it onto his finger, grinning like an idiot. The ring was simple, a gold band with a small green gem embedded into it. It was perfect. The one that found its way onto Scott’s finger was the same, save for the gem color being blue.

Jimmy pulled the elf to his feet and kissed him, savoring the way he tasted like chocolate, the way he could feel the ring in his finger when he brushed then through the others hair, the way Scott’s ring slightly pressed into his back. It was wonderful, all of it.

Eventually they broke away, gasping for air, smiling like the idiots they were. Scott pulled Jimmy back in, not for a kiss, but to push their foreheads together, just like they had done that day behind the water tower so long ago. Jimmy kissed Scott’s nose, once, twice. They were so happy together, so in love. Scott took Jimmy’s hand, their rings clinking together, and pulled him towards one of the doors that went off of the living room. Scott’s hands were still cold.

“Don’t you think it’s time for a celebration?” Scott prompted, smirking.

“Petal, did you do all of this just to seduce me?” Jimmy kept his feet firmly where they were, leaning towards the other until their faces were inches apart. Scott let out a weak laugh.

“Maybe I did, but would you really be mad about that?” Scott teased.

“No, I don't think I would. Let’s go,” Jimmy followed him. Scott closed the door behind them.

Chapter Text

Jimmy’s head felt fuzzy. He reached up a hand to feel his forehead, only to fall to the ground. Sand gritted against his exposed hands and knees, finding small cuts and scratches to worm themselves into. His chest was in pain, but he could only feel part of it. It felt like clouds had fallen over him, creating a blanket between him and the world around him.

Someone yelled his name, and there were hands on his chest, pulling off his sweater to survey the damage. He felt another stab of pain in the same area, pulling out whatever had hurt him. His vision cleared from pure white to only white around the edges. Arrows shot through small holes in the walls, two men standing and shooting back. One was shorter with honey-blond hair and wore a red sweater, and the other was taller, brunette, and didn’t have a shirt on. Just like me, Jimmy thought. He chuckled slightly at that.

“Now’s not the time to be laughing,” A hurried voice from above him sighed, sounding strained. He looked up slightly to see a man with cyan hair wrapping his chest in bandages. His hair was pulled back into a small ponytail, exposing only some of his face. In the back of his mind, he knew it was too late for that, but didn’t say so. The man had tears in his eyes, and a few escaped onto the bandages. He was mumbling something under his breath.

Jimmy reached up to cup his face, distracting him from his wrapping. “Petal, it’s ok. We knew this would happen.” He got a clearer view of the person then. His eyes were blue, like the sky before a snowstorm. They had eyebags under them, signifying nights without sleep. He had flowers woven into his hair, almost like a flower crown. His lips were turned into a soft smile, but the alert nature of his eyes and eyebrows did not convey the same emotion. Jimmy slowly brushed a piece of hair that escaped his ponytail behind his ear. The man hummed softly and put his hand over Jimmy’s.

“I just-I didn’t want you to be the first,” He choked out, tears starting to stream down his flushed cheeks. Jimmy whipped them away. His vision was starting to blur again.

“Well, someone had to be, right?” Jimmy offered a smile, and the other did not return. He frowned. The other man leaned down, pressing his forehead to Jimmy’s.

“I love you, sunflower. Hopefully, we’ll meet again in the next life. Remember me,” He sobbed, tears now falling on Jimmy’s face. He didn’t mind, and instead pressed a soft kiss to the other’s cheek.

“Remember you,” He echoed, and let himself slip into the blank white, clearing his mind. As his hearing faded, he heard a soft humming, the song lulling him to sleep. Remember me.

The Codfather awoke with a start. He was covered in sweat, and felt a slight stabbing pain in his chest. Looking down, he saw nothing, and the pain subsided almost immediately. It burned in the same place it had in the dream he had just had.

The dream. He had dreamt that he had died, and it had felt so real. Too real, but none of that had ever happened in this life. The blue haired man had seemed familiar, too familiar. He couldn’t quite place his finger on it, but he knew him from somewhere. It was all so close, yet so far from his mind that he couldn't even remember the figures in the background. Had the taller one been wearing no shirt, or a long purple cloak? Was the smaller one shooting a bow or looking through a spyglass? It was all so blurry, finicky in his mind. Jimmy glanced out the window. The sun had barely risen, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep after that.

The Codfather got out of his bed, putting on his mask. It covered his face, strapping on behind his head. He had enough hair to cover the strap, but they still dug against his ear fins.

That was another weird thing about the dream. He hadn’t had his fin ears or cod tail. He vaguely remembered the feeling of soft feathers around his ears and when the man had pulled his sweater off, he had had to avoid golden wings. Why would he be an avian instead of a cod hybrid? It just didn’t make any sense.

He pulled on his clothing, much less extravagant than the other emperors. While they wore elaborate robes and dresses and embroidered pants, he wore a simple sleeveless turtleneck shirt (great for swimming) and brown pants that puffed out a bit at the bottom. Most days he went shoeless, unless he had a meeting to attend to with another emperor.

Speaking of which, he had to remember that there was a House Blossom meeting that afternoon. Him and Lizzie always arrived together, and she was on time to pick him up every week. Despite the constant reminder of when to leave, he needed to remind himself to get ready beforehand as well. It took about a half an hour every week to change into something more presentable, but still obviously cod. Most of the clothes were uncomfortable for his tail or the fins on his arm, but he only had to wear them for a few hours.

The sun was high in the sky when Lizzie descended on the edge of the dock that Jimmy was sat upon. He looked up, grinning at his sister.

“What’s up, fish face?”

“Nothing, damaged egg, how about you?” Despite both being grown adults who ruled empires, they cracked into giggles. It was nice to have someone around him who wasn’t serious all the time. Lizzie offered a hand and he took it, taking off into the air with a blast of a rocket.

They flew swiftly through the clouds in the direction of the flower forest that housed Katherine’s empire. Being high in the air was never his thing, he always missed the way that the waves lapped at his back as he swam. One time, Pearl had told him to think of flying as just swimming in the air, but it just wasn’t the same in his mind.

The clouds around him made him think of the way he had died in his dream last night. It had been so fast, almost like flying through a cloud. He had to talk to someone about it.

“Lizzie?” He yelled above the air shooting past his ears.

“Yeah?” She screamed back. It was difficult to hear her, and he assumed the same was true with him.

“I’ll tell you when Joel and Pix are around!” He shouted, and saw her nod. That left him alone with his thoughts for the rest of the flight. His mind drifted, not for the first time, to the cyan haired man who had tried to save him. They had obviously been in some kind of relationship, or were on the brink of one, with the way they acted towards each other. He couldn’t remember what he had looked like other than his hair color, which was annoying. Jimmy wrinkled his nose slightly, grasping for some description. None came. Maybe, if he could remember, he could track the other down.

They landed (somewhat gracefully, at least for Jimmy’s standards) in front of Katherine’s meeting hall. They walk in at the same time, surprised to see they aren’t last. Around the table sits Pearl, Katherine, Joel, Sausage and Fwhip. Lizzie takes a seat next to Joel, and Jimmy sits down on her other side. The seat next to him is empty.

More and more people start filtering into the meeting room, conversation with their allies. No one day next to Jimmy, not until the final person entered. Scott of Rivendell sauntered in, glittering in gold and clothed in whites. Jimmy sucked in a breath and averted his eyes. Scott was stunning, and Jimmy couldn’t keep looking without flushing. As the sovereign sat next to him, he felt a small nudge on his shoulder. He looked over to see Scott looking back at his eyes. His eyes were a nice blue, like the sky before a snowstorm. Where had Jimmy heard that before?

“Hey,” Scott muttered. The jewelry that hung from his golden horns clinked a bit as he angled his head. “You look nice today.”

Jimmy doesn't process this for a second. Did the Sovereign of Rivendell just give him, Jimmy if the Cod Empire, a compliment? Things between them had changed since Scott took them on their alliance date a few weeks ago, but he didn’t know they had changed so fast. What had been insults and glares had slowly shifted into compliments and smiles.

“Pick up your jaw, dear, it's almost on the floor,” Scott snickered. Jimmy slapped his mouth shut, earning a giggle. Scott had just called him dear, he had just-

“You- you too. I mean, you look nice too,” Jimmy whispered out. A single cyan hair had fallen out of its braid, and Jimmy had to hold himself back from reaching up and pushing it back into place. Instead, he smiled, and the elf smiled back.

“Hello, Welcome to the weekly House Blossom meeting. There are a few things on the agenda today, but first is the reports-” Jimmy spaced out after that, using his many years of experience in not listening to keep up an expression that said he was. They made their way around the circle, Jimmy almost missing his turn. He only saved some face because Lizzie and Scott elbowed him at the same time.

Once that part of the meeting was over, Katherine went off on some tangent about how they needed to keep the crystal that contained Xornoth safe. Jimmy knew this was important, so he half listened instead of completely zoning out. From where he was on the table, he could get away with looking at the elf to his left instead of Katherine everyonce in a while. He was so put together, nodding and chiming in when needed. The Codfather was jealous of how serious he could be.

Scott looked over and caught Jimmy’s eye near the end of the meeting. He quirked his head and smiled, as if to ask ‘why are you looking at me?’. Jimmy could feel his face heat up and looked back at Katherine. He could feel Scott snickering next to him. Across the table, he saw Fwhip and Sausage whispering. Based on how many glances he was stealing at them, the conversation was based on the cod and the elf. Scott didn't seem to mind, his eyes back on the faery as she wrapped up the meeting.

“And, I think that's it! Thank you all for attending, same time next week!” She cheered. Everyone stood up, collecting their wings (if they were detachable) from the racks in the corner. Jimmy somehow managed to corner Lizzie, Joel and Pix to ask about the dream.

“Ok, guys. So last night, I had this really weird dream that I was shot in the chest by an arrow, and I fell into the sand. I think I was in a sandstone hut, and there were a few other people. When I was shot, one started helping me, but it was already too late and I was dying. So then he said to remember him and the dream ended. Also I wasn’t a fish hybrid, I was an avian. What does any of that mean?” He said it all in one breath. Lizzie put her hand on his shoulder and patted it a few times.

“I think it means you had a nightmare. That, or you're going crazy,” She reassured, but Jimmy knew that wasn’t correct. Luckily for him, Pix was on the same track.

“I don’t think it does. I'm sensing, based on how you described it, that it really happened. I'm assuming a past life, or something similar to that,” Pix said, tapping his chin. Jimmy gaped.

“Well, if it was a past life, does that mean that the people in my dream were reborn too? Because I've never heard anyone talking about anything like that.”

“I'm not sure,” Joel butted in, “But with the way Smajor is standing behind you looking like he just saw a ghost, I think he’s got to know something.”

Jimmy turned to see that, indeed, Scott was standing behind him, mouth slightly open, staring. Jimmy opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Scott turned abruptly. He strolled out of the building, face still paler than Jimmy knew it could go.

“I-I'll talk to him tomorrow,” Jimmy whispered. Something had twisted inside him to see Scott like that, something he recognized. He needed to talk to him, but not today. Not now.

Jimmy silently picked up his elytra and flew home. His mind was riddled with questions, most of them starting with the word why. Why, why, why. Why did he suddenly dream about his past life? Why was Scott scared to know that he had a dream? Why did he die? He tried to distract himself for the rest of the day, planting crops in the fields with the farmers and doing paperwork for his council. He even went as far as to attempt to organize his storage system, emphasis on attempt. Once the sun had set, he was exhausted. The dream still drifted across his mind, but not as frequently. To Jimmy, that was an accomplishment.

Once he had changed into his sleeping clothes and climbed into bed, he was to tired to even think straight. Jimmy closed his eyes, and fell into another strange place.

He was waiting. He had cleaned the flower valley up, placing flowers in places they weren't before. The wall was restored from when someone burned it, built just the way his husband had shown him. The inside of both of their houses had been expanded and decorated with care. The pufferish of peace was safe in its item frame, the cows returned to their pen. It was perfect, and now all he had to do was wait.

He had been waiting for a few weeks. A few weeks since he died and woke up in a deserted replica of the world he used to live in. No one else had arrived since, but he knew some had died. His com was still connected to the previous world, and it had started buzzing more frequently. That’s how he knew his husband was in his last life, his red life. Jimmy hoped that he would arrive soon, but also that he would never arrive. He wanted to be with him, but it would also mean that he was dead.

It hurt to die. It had hurt more than his first two deaths, more than being blown up, more than being burnt alive. Having to leave the world meant that he had to go back to them, stay in the void until they decided what to do with him. They had decided quickly, taking pity on the pain being in a place with no air brought him. He didn’t want his husband to have to deal with that, he would rather have him safe.

But he also wanted to be with him. He wanted to live in the flower valley together, he wanted to make flower crowns, he wanted to not be scared and be happy instead. He currently held a poppy, a gift for him when he arrived. It was an ironic flower to be theirs; one of few flowers that didn’t have a romantic feeling. Instead, it meant peace and death. Jimmy assumed it was appropriate for the situation they were in, anyway.

“I’m confused,” a voice from nearby piped up. Jimmy shook himself out of his thoughts. That voice came from across the pond. He looked up and found himself staring into the face of someone with blue eyes and blue hair. He wasn’t looking back, instead looking at the house that belonged to him. His husband wandered around the pond, taking in his surroundings as he went. Finally, he made it to the other side and stopped. Jimmy slowly walked up to him, holding the poppy.

“Welcome home,” He said. His husband's eyes filled with tears, happy tears this time, and he smiled.

“It’s… home?” He asked, uncertainty painting his voice. Jimmy just smiled, tucking the poppy behind his ear.

“Home,” and he was enveloped in a hug. It was the kind of hug that crushed your ribs and knocked the air out of you. He wouldn’t have had it any other way, wrapping his arms around the other in an equally spellbinding hug. They stayed there like that, before the blue haired man pulled away.

“I love you, Jimmy,” He cooed, and Jimmy didn’t think he would ever hear those words. He choked for a second, before taking a breath.

“I love you too, Scott.”

The sun was already up when the Codfather woke up. Unlike the previous day, he woke up slowly, sleepily rubbing his eyes and sitting up. He stretched his back, picking a shirt and pants from his dresser and walking to the bathroom to brush his teeth. It was a normal day, just like any other. He had a few meetings today with his council and some representatives, and a shit ton of paperwork. And of course, he had to talk to Scott-

Scott. Jimmy hurriedly spit in the sink, turning it on and dousing his face. It couldn’t be real, he couldn’t have known the elf in his past life. Dream him kept referring to the damn elf as his husband for goodness sake-

It must have been something else. That dream wasn’t a memory, it was just an amalgamation of his thoughts from the day prior. He had been thinking of Scott, so it was Scott that appeared in his memory instead of whoever it really was. That had to be an accurate explanation, it had to be.

But would being married to Scott be so bad, Jimmy rationalized. He had hated Jimmy for the first few months after they met, but had warmed up recently, especially considering that Jimmy had rescued him from a death dungeon. Really, would it be so bad to tell Scott that he had been married to him in a past life? By the look he was given yesterday when talking about it, maybe he knew something, anything, about what was going on.

He knew it was a bad idea, but he really couldn’t stop himself as he equipped his elytra and took off in the direction of Rivendell. He started to connect the dots on his flight. Scott had blue hair and eyes, just like the person in his dreams. His hair even looks similar, although Scott from this life always had his hair in a braid, not cut short. He had even let Jimmy braid it once, when they both arrived early at a House Blossom meeting. It hadn’t taken a long time, he was used to braiding hair because of how much he did Lizzie’s. Focus!

Scott had called him sunflower in the dream. Jimmy remembered a few times Scott had slipped up and called him that in this life. He was always so embarrassed after. Jimmy had called him petal in the dream, but had never done that before. Maybe it was because he didn’t remember until now? That would make sense, but how would Scott remember?

What if Scott remembered, but didn’t want to? What if he was ashamed of the memories they held, and that’s why he had hated Jimmy for the first few months? He had avoided him for months after the first House Blossom meeting, insisting on seats completely across the table or refusing to talk to him. Maybe Scott still hated him, but was hiding it for the benefit of other empires.

Jimmy was so distracted by his thoughts that he didn’t notice he was almost to Rivendell castle. He landed, and hesitated before he knocked. Scott didn’t want to see him. But Jimmy wanted to see Scott. He knocked, once, twice, before a servant opened the door. Xey raised an eyebrow, looking Jimmy up and down before asking “What do you need, Codfather?”

“I-I’m here to see Sovereign Smajor,” Jimmy hoped he sounded confident. The servant raised xer other eyebrows, contorting xer face into surprise.

“He told us to tell you that he’s in ‘the cave’, wherever that is. I’m assuming you know,” xey simply say before closing the door. Jimmy stands there gaping. Scott had been expecting him. What’s worse, he was waiting for him in their cave, the cave that Scott had dug out specifically in the side of a mountain for their alliance. Jimmy started along the side of the mountain, finding the entrance easy enough. He slipped into the cave to a sight he thought he wouldn’t ever see.

Scott lay on the ground, clothes smudged with dirt. His outfit was much simpler than normal, just a silk shirt and brown pants that hung at his ankles. There was no jewelry donning his ears or horns. His shoes were flat, in comparison to his usual heeled boots, and his hair wasn’t put up in his usual braid, rather it sprayed out below him. It looked like a sheet of ice surrounding his head. When it wasn’t in a braid, it was actually very long, reaching down to the elf’s mid-back. Jimmy took one look at his face and knew he had been there for hours, maybe overnight.

“Hey,” He said softly, in an attempt not to scare the elf. It didn’t work. He jerked back from the sudden noise, hands out, preparing to summon ice from his fingers. When he saw who it was, though, he put down his hands and lay down again. His head was turned to Jimmy now instead of the ceiling.

“Hi. I think I know why you’re here,” Scott whispered, closing his eyes. His hands sat on his stomach, fingers knotted together.

“Um, yeah. I figured it out this morning. About a half hour ago,” Jimmy replied. It was then that he realized he had never actually changed out of his pajamas, and his clothes for the day were still in his bathroom. That must have been why the servant had given him such a strange look. He flushed a little, sitting down on the soft grass.

The only sound for a moment was the flowing water of the nearby pond, and the soft flutter of bird wings outside the opening. After a moment, Jimmy shifted, laying down next to Scott on the ground. One of his hands went to fiddle with a strand of hair, and Scott didn’t pull away, so he kept going.

“Remember me,” He repeated the last word human Scott had said to him in that life.

“Remember you,” Scott whispered. His words choked, and he obviously wanted to say something, but all that came out were small sobs. Jimmy pulled him into his arms, rubbing small circles into his back and whispering in his ear that it’s going to be alright. Scott buries his head in Jimmy’s shoulder, letting out more choked sobs. The cod could feel the tears soaking through his shirt, but he didn’t mind. He softly kissed the top of the other's head, feeling the way it shakes with sobs. His whole body was shaking.

He kept going as the elf calmed down, eventually turning into breaths that were punctuated by sharper ones every once in a while. His head lifted from his shoulder to look up at thim, but the arms around the cod never moved. Neither did the arms protecting the elf.

“How much do you know?” He asked, still obviously on the verge of tears.

“Not much. I’ve only had two dreams, one where I died in a desert and another where we met in an afterlife together. I-I only put it together when I said your name in the second dream.”

“When you said you loved me.”

“Uh, yeah. When that,” Jimmy flushed, trying to keep his face neutral. Scott remembered too.

“It’s ok if you don’t feel the same anymore, I completely-”

“No! I mean, no, no I still,” he cleared his throat, “I still like you like that, I guess I’m just… confused. I have a lot of questions,” Jimmy sighed, leaning his head down a bit.

“I have answers, if you want them,” Scott offered.

“Where were we?”

It took a while to actually get him to understand. Scott explained that they had been in a realm called Third Life, a place where they had three lives. After you died a third time, you experienced perma-death. In third life, Scott and Jimmy had teamed up and declared themselves platonic husbands (although they quickly got rid of the ‘platonic’ part of that title. Jimmy didn't remember that part, and Scott wouldn't go into detail). They had teamed up with another duo, Grian and Scar, to take down a red king, named Ren. Jimmy listened to the explanation with open ears. Scott quieted down when he got to Jimmy’s desert death.

“We were defending the desert from the red army, and one of them shot your chest. I told Grian to cover for me while I tried to heal you but… you know how that went. After, I went crazy, going around and killing to avenge you. Eventually, Ren killed me, and we met in the afterlife. I don't think that afterlife was actually real, I think the people-things- who put us in the game put that memory in our heads so we had something to grasp onto in this life,” Scott finished. Jimmy fell quiet, thinking.

“I have a few more questions, but if your theory is true, does that mean that I never told you I love you?” Jimmy asked absentmindedly. He realized what he had said, and looked down at the elf to see his reactions.

“Now that I think about it, I don't think so. I remember that being the first time, but obviously it never happened,” Scott hummed thoughtfully, face slightly pink. “I really wish that was real.”

“Wait. Hold on a minute. I thought you hated me when we met. What happened to that?”

Scott chuckled. “That was me jumping to conclusions. When we first met, I thought you were choosing not to remember or recognize me. Over time, though, I realized you actually didn't remember. I tried to do things to jog your memory because… well I missed you honestly. I missed this.” He gestured to the air around them, and to the way they were still hugging each other on the ground. Jimmy opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, thinking.

“You missed me? You've been making fun of me for months! I see you every week!”

Scott actually laughed then, it bubbled out of his mouth like he had been holding it in for too long. “Jimmy, sunflower, that was flirting. It's nice to see your thick skull carried over into the next life.”

Jimmy’s jaw dropped. “THAT'S flirting? I thought- you were- well,” he trailed off, pursing his lips. Eventually, he settled on just saying, “What.”

“That's what flirting with me is like Jimmy. When you didn't realize that, I knew you didn't remember. I teased you quite a lot last time.” Scott chuckled again. Jimmy flushed a deep red, breathing eye contact. This was a lot to take in.

“Why do you remember… this? Remember it all?” He asked, the words barely above a breath. The elf sighs. They were separated again, laying next to each other rather than with each other.

“They… the world builders don't have as much effect on me. Not like they do on all the others. I don't think Joel remembers because he was one of the first reds to go crazy and submit to the curse pressed upon him. When I, on the other hand, went red,I wanted something out of it. But I didn't submit to the curse, instead I was crazy because I had lost everything. The other reds had something to fight for. I was different.”

“Wow,” Jimmy whispered. In the cave, it felt strange to talk above a whisper. “You're amazing. I remember that you're amazing.” He reached down and squeezed the elf's hand. He earned a squeeze back.

“Hey Sunflower?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Scott.” And although it wasn't like the afterlife they remembered, it was enough for both of them, because they remembered.