Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Two people, completely unrelated. Two strangers, knowing nothing of the other. One dying due to eating a questionable amount of prickly pairs, the other dying due to a tragic accident. Two souls, unable to rest, unable to peacefully depart. Two people dragged from the afterlife, forced to fix the mistakes of another in a different universe. How could mere humans hope to achieve that?

Lucio and Furio. Not related in any way, despite the names. So, without further ado, here are their stories. 

Lucio was someone who lacked the ability to form proper connections. He couldn’t make friends, instead choosing seclusion. He separated himself from reality, using his paper and pencil to create worlds that would make him happy. Along with this, he consumed various pieces of media. Ths served as a kind of escape, a way for him to escape the dull life he lived.

With his tools, he could create the perfect dream. Something he could be proud of without feeling ashamed for it.

Some days, he lost motivation. This would turn him on Twitter, where he discovered a popular community about a short YouTube series titled ‘Alien Stage’. After a deep dive and multiple energy drinks due to this internet extravaganza, Lucio found himself extremely intrigued. Soon, this turned into obsession. Overnight, an Alien Stage superfan was born.

This obsession with Alien Stage turned into the need to create. With all the struggles of socializing and the complications it causes, Lucio saw the perfect opportunity  to create a self-insert for the series. Throwing his name and all the traits he wished he had into a mixing pot, the perfect self-insert was made. 

It’s not like he’d ever actually be in Alien Stage, so what’s the harm?

Well, there was harm. A lot of harm.

You see, there’s something about Lucio that only a select few (read: no one) knows about him; He’s very allergic to a certain fruit called ‘Prickly Pears.’

So, on a completely random Tuesday, Lucio decides to spend his well-earned money on trying a new thing! These cute fruits, called Prickly Pears. While he was drawing his self-insert, he snacked on the pears. He tasted a sweet and watery taste, enjoying them so much that he quickly emptied his container.

He looked down, reaching into the empty bowl with a frown. He sighed, getting up to get more. However, he felt an itchy sensation in his throat. He shrugged, chalking it up as his body getting used to the pears. He got more, perching up on the counter as he ate more. 

He felt his throat getting itchier, to the point where he couldn’t breathe. Unsure what to do, panic induced him to freeze up. Lucio was found that very same day, cold and blue. 

Sometimes, you can’t help but wonder how some would let themselves depart in such ways. Of course it isn’t our place to judge, but seriously.

That brings us onto the oh-so-’tragic’ story of our other main character. Furio was someone content with letting himself bleed into the background. He liked to stay simple. He was someone who had nothing but love for the world, even if it seemed like the world didn’t love him back. 

He grew up with the traditional ‘anime boy ’ starter pack. Parents who didn’t really like him, along with the sister who tolerated him. To them, he was someone conveniently there when they needed something done and they needed it quickly. Even when he moved out, he was something convenient with his checks and money. He was pushing 30, still running around for his parents like a child. He only thought it was okay due to the mentality of ‘love needing to be earned’.

Hey, kids. Quick message, but you shouldn’t have to ‘earn’ love from your parents. Carrying on..

Due to this mentality, he didn’t have many relationships. He was too focused on trying to please his parents and creating more music, not building relationships outside of that. Nothing was ever good enough for them. Whatever he did was quickly compared to his sister, and was always insignificant when she was brought up.

He was always fighting a losing battle, letting himself be used in such a manner. His sister would call him at absurd times, telling him to pick up something whenever she felt the fancy.

Over time, he was forced to pick a lot of Alien Stage merch for his sister. He’d listen to her ramble while he stayed up, working on a new song. This led to him having a horrible sleeping schedule.

So, the next time he walked across the street, he wasn’t entirely lucid. He could barely even walk straight with how much sleep he had missed. The last thing he heard were screams as he tried to look around, struggling with the glass from his glasses embedded in his face.

That’s how they both died. Such tragic ends to stories ended short. Those are truly the worst kinds. It’s almost… pitiful.

Lucio could’ve lived a little longer. Surely, if he did, he could’ve become famous for his own creation. If he hadn’t eaten those pears, he could’ve made something. Made friends through that.

And Furio. If he had lived long enough to realize his worth, he could’ve became famous for the music he loved to spread. The joy he brought outside what he could provide for people.

However, this isn’t a story of hope. They died, and that’s that. No more to it, and that’s it.

…

So I lied. They aren’t dead. Despite it all, they don’t get the rest. They aren’t allowed to mourn the future they never got. They are humans.

Mere playthings for the gods.

They were sent to another universe, forced to fix the mistakes of a careless god with no real empathy. They weren’t special at all, picked at random and mercilessly thrown into some unfamiliar setting.

Lucio woke up in a soft bed of grass, realizing with a start that he felt…. smaller. He looked at his hands, letting out a panicked gasp as soon as he realized.

Furio opened his eyes with a start, immediately thrashing around. Everything burned . He barely registered what was happening, only feeling himself being held down with a needle at his neck.

This was now a game with no true winners or losers.

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Lucio stared down at his hands, silently trying to process everything. He felt a tight band around his neck, something akin to a collar.  He looked around, noticing that he was no longer in his kitchen. Instead, he was surrounded by grass. Grass and…what seemed to be children. Colorful children. Oddly colorful children. He gasped, noticing crimson flowers. 

Cameras .

A voice flashed in his head, recalling some of the lore he had read up on. He flinched, wondering if he was just dreaming. This couldn’t be what he thought it was. That isn’t possible. He was sure he died in his kitchen, choking down those damn prickly pears–

It was confirmed when he saw some guy with a head of silver hiding behind a tree not too far away, staring at two girls. Ignoring how creepy that is, Lucio couldn’t help but assume that he was stuck in a dream. Some odd, fucked up dream. He definitely died in that kitchen. 

No, seriously. There’s no way he didn’t. He felt his throat close up. He felt his heart stop . 

So, in all, there’s no reason for him to be here. In Anakt Garden. In Alien Stage. Anakt Garden. In ALIEN STAGE .

That makes no sense. It shouldn’t be possible, at all. This is the type of thing that only happened in his dreams..So this had to be a dream. Yeah. A dream. A dream that Lucio could definitely wake up from. 

At first, he nodded. He was content with waiting for himself to wake up. He sat in the grass, playing with the blades. Waiting . He sat there until the sun set and an alien dragged him back inside. Waiting . He was escorted to an empty room where he sat in the corner. Waiting.

When he woke up, still curled up in that corner, he decided that it was just an oddly persistent dream. That's okay. Lucio deemed himself to be an oddly persistent person. So he decided to play along with the dream for the time being. 

He decided to approach some characters he observed in the background of other rounds, starting with Acorn. Ignoring that ugly cut, he proudly waltzed up to the kid who was biting his finger with an ugly glare. 

“Hello! I'm Lucio!” Lucio held out a hand, grinning at Acorn. The boy with the bowl cut glanced at him, tearing his gaze back over to the girls he was watching just as quickly. He didn’t respond to Lucio, as if waiting for him to leave. Lucio stood there for a short while longer, his hand still extended when the boy finally spat something out. 

“You’re still here?” He demanded, narrowing his eyes at Lucio. Lucio nodded, grinning. “I wanna be friends!” He quickly followed up with, noticing Acorn’s straying attention. Acorn bit his thumb finally pausing to give Lucio a quick examination.

“You’re not my type. Too loud.” He grumbled, looking back at the girls. 

You know. Like a creep.

Lucio finally turned around, finally deciding to look at the girls Acorn was looking at as well. “..Mizi and Sua?” He mumbled, scratching his head. “Oh, aren’t they dating?” Lucio hummed, flinching when Acorn’s head whipped around. 

“No way!” He shook his head vehemently, crossing his arms. “Sua is meant for me! She said she’d give me another chance!” He shouted, alerting half of the garden’s attention towards them.

Lucio shivered, staring at Acorn blankly. “..Dude, she kisses girls. She’s not into you.”

They both went silent, one glaring whilst the other tried not to be too creeped out. Lucio sucked in a breath, realizing that he felt kinda disgusted.

“Even if you did have a chance, and strong even, don’t you think that’s a little..odd?” Lucio mumbled, rubbing his neck. “Don’t you think you’d scare her off? Acting that way?” He continued, shrugging.

Instead of properly answering, Acorn ran off sobbing.

Kids. Right. They’re kids.

Turning around, Lucio felt someone’s eyes on his back. He froze, feeling an intense glare. He turned right back around, whipping his head around. Sua stood closer than she was beforehand, still a ways away from where Lucio sat, but just enough to remove Mizi from his line of sight.

Those eyes felt like fucking daggers , way too scary to be on a kid’s face.

He turned around, quickly following Acorn out of the garden and slipping into his dorm. Yeah, it was totally time for him to wake up.

After that day, he tried plenty of ways to wake up. 

It ranged from small trips to sticking his hand into fires. He hid these injuries, not wanting to see whatever was in charge of the nurse’s ward.

Funnily enough, he also noticed Acorn starting to avoid Sua. Of course he only noticed it because Acorn was avoiding him too, but he was glad to have helped Sua anyways!..

Even if she didn’t know it was him. Quite frankly; he would even say he’s glad. He didn’t want Sua’s attention after finding out how intense she could be.

‘Knowing’ Sua and actually seeing her is very different. It was almost uncanny. It was like all the reading he did on her wasn’t enough, you know? It was something Lucio didn’t want to think about too much. 

This is just a dream. You didn’t sit in your room consuming the suffering of real people for fun. You wouldn’t do that. They aren’t real. This is just a dream. None of these people are real. This is just a lucid dream. None of these events are real. 

He repeated those few phrases in his head, not wanting to wake up to any sort of crisis. This didn’t make him a bad person. In fact, when he woke up, maybe he’d eat mangos. Yeah. Never touch another prickly pear again. Listen to some kpop.

Maybe he wouldn’t touch Alien Stage. After such a dream, it would be clear that he’s been watching too much of it lately. Yes, solid plan.

He finally decided that he knew how to wake up. A tree! If he fell out of a tree, he would be so shocked that he woke up! This truly was genius, and its okay if you don’t understand. He’d gladly explain!..Once he woke up. 

It only took him an hour to climb the tree, as it was abnormally smooth. Once he sat at the top, he saw a kid getting dragged off by aliens in some far corner. Lucio squinted at the scene, moving up a hand to cover his eyes and block the artificial sun.

Some thrashing kid with brown hair. Not too unusual.

Wait– That is unusual. Not many kids get dragged inside during free time like that.

Lucio squinted harder, noticing that the kid had purple in their hair. Odd mix, but the aliens were in the lab with a vision..cooking up something . 

The vision was definitely there. They looked really pretty. Or handsome. Either way, the kid didn’t look like a background character. Not in the way that Acorn did.

Whilst trying to peep the drama that was brewing across the garden, Lucio’s grip on the branch had begun to loosen. Sure, he did plan to fall out of the tree, but–

YEOUCH. 

Lucio fell. Lucio fell hard. He blinked his eyes, seeing like..13 aliens standing over him. He felt himself be lifted up as the world became fuzzy, finally accepting that this might not be a dream.

Chapter Text

When Furio woke up, he shot up. He didn’t even have time to look around before he was forced back onto his back. 

“Get off!” He screamed, kicking and biting at whatever was trying to hold him down. He felt himself getting hit a few times, a scream ripping out of his throat when he felt some kind of slimy tendril grip his head. 

He felt himself be picked up, his head dropped on what felt like a rock repetitively until he felt a needle entering his neck. He tried fighting even more, tears flowing down his face. Furio felt himself getting lightheaded, pausing and blearily looking up to see a group of abominations and cameras all looking down at him.

The smell sickened him. It was a mix of his own blood and whatever that slime was from those things standing over him. He heard speaking, and then he felt his tears being wiped from his face. 

Furio paused, gagging at the feeling and crying more. There were noises all around him, sounding like some messed up form of pity. Maybe even joy. They cooed at him, wiping his tears and helping him to stand up.

He was picked up by some alien, being gently cradled and given something similar to a brick. He looked up, having his hair ruffled by the same tentacle that had just slammed his head on the ground. The sudden change gave him whiplash, especially when he remembered what had happened days – maybe weeks – beforehand.

He remembered the burn. The needle going into his neck. The set. The clothes. The burn –

He remembered being out of it for a few days after that, locked in a dark room. He lost track of time, only being allowed small amounts of food. He only saw the alien, who cooed at him and made him eat out of a fucking bowl like a damned dog .

The alien only let him out once he started to cry and beg for freedom, muttering something about better behavior as they collared him and dragged him out. He let out a whimper, his eyes not yet used to the sun.

His alien guardian – or owner? – pushed him into the garden and left. 

Furio pulled at the collar, his neck uncomfortable due to the tightness. He simply stood in the middle of the garden, surveying slowly.

He noticed two boys near a tree, staring at some girl with short hair. Farther off, he noticed two boys fighting over…flowers. That seemed stupid, but it wasn’t any of his business.

Furio felt something on his arm, glancing down to see what appeared to be a bug. His stomach growled, as he was still hungry despite that brick he had eaten.

That brick was likely the most food he’d had since waking up in..whatever this was.

The bug crawled up his shoulder, about the size of his palm. He grabbed it with his chubby fingers, shoving it into his mouth with a crunch. 

It was oddly tasty. Hm.

The bug was halfway in his mouth when some kid with a bowl cut bumped into his back, the bug to fall out of his mouth. Furio let out a despaired whimper, trying to catch it. 

“I’m sorry!” The kid exclaimed, dropping to his knees and picking it up. He sniffled, giving the bug back to Furio. Furio’s gaze sharpened, realizing that this is one of the kids who were staring across the field at those two girls.

Instead of taking the bug back, Furio hugged his knees, staring at the boy calmly. The boy awkwardly stared back at him, sniffling. 

The boy slowly blinked, crossing his arms with a huff, “My name is Acorn.” He grumbled, crossing his legs to sit comfortably on the grass. Furio blinked, picking up the bug to continue eating it. His eyes wandered over the garden before finally landing back on Acorn, nodding. 

“You look like one. It’s almost cute.” Furio hummed, quietly marveling at how good that bug tasted. “My name is Furio.” 

Acorn blinked dumbly, wondering what that even meant. He turned to take a look, a good look, at Furio before he huffed and left.

Furio just blinked, watching Acorn leave dumbly. He didn’t expect such a random departure.

Over the next few days, he felt eyes on him. Multiple.

He ignored them quite well, chewing on bugs and instead watching the other boy he had seen Acorn with. 

He acted different. More withdrawn than the others, yet also...More. Just in general. 

He watched the boy with wine-colored hair do all kinds of dumb shit. It was kinda entertaining. He recalled watching him stick his hand in the oven during downtime, when the rest of the kids ate. He also remembered watching him throw himself down a hill, telling everyone it was just a trip.

He couldn’t help but find such behavior oddly entertaining.

In fact, he knew he was in for a show when he watched the kid start climbing the highest tree in the garden. His attention was only pulled away by a tap on his shoulder, interrupting his routine of bug and watch-a-boy. 

“What do you want?” He sighed, crunching down the remaining bug with a glare at the kid. It was some random blond, one of the people staring at him. On occasion, he caught a pitying look from this girl with long, pink hair. He ignored it. He’s lived longer than all of these kids, so he doesn’t need anything from them for any reason.

When the kid didn’t answer, Furio looked up, blinking stupidly when he saw that the blond was blushing.

 “You’re..You’re really pretty! I like you!” The kid screeched, scratching his neck. Furio blanked, trying to recall if he had talked to any other kid than Acorn.

No. He hadn’t.

“I’ve never even seen you before. We’ve never talked before.” Furio’s eyebrows furrowed, his eyes widening when the boy grabbed his shoulders with a frenzied look. “That’s because you’re so pretty! You’re the prettiest girl in this garden, you know. If we did talk, I don’t know what I would’ve done..” 

This guy disgusted Furio. He looked..years older than however old Furio felt. .

“I’m a guy.” Furio grumbled, letting a sigh of relief when his shoulders were let go.

That was until he was slapped, his face being forced into the opposite direction with how hard it was.

He brought a hand up to his cheek, tears already welling up in his eyes. 

“You..You deceitful little– You use your looks to your advantage, don’t you! I bet you know exactly what you’re doing! Trying to get the attention of everyone in the school, trying to get with the boys! You know it’s unnatural, yet you still–” 

And Furio pounced.

There was no way that he’d just let some little shit hit him like that and get away with it. 

He was furious. He was still fighting when he was dragged off, forced into the nurse’s room while that blond little shit laughed at him. After getting bit, the nurses just decide to chain him to the bed and leave him there. 

He was finally calming down when that boy with the wine-colored hair was carried in moments later, his head bandaged and his eyes barely focusing on anything. The sight of him pissed Furio off so much that he teared up.

Okay. Maybe it was because that fuckass blond just beat the shit out of his ass, but still.

He was furiously wiping tears from his eyes when the boy sprang up, looking around before his eyes finally settled on Furio.

“Who are you?” He seemed to demand, his eyes narrowed. Furio blinked, taken aback. He sniffled, mumbling out his name while pulling his knees to his chest. “I’m Lucio!..Wait....Bullshit! I watched this series and studied it frame by frame! There is no Furio, nor anyone who looks like you! Who are you and why are you here!?”

That pushed Furio over the edge. He stared at Lucio before sobbing, rubbing his eyes to stop the tears coming while Lucio panicked.

Chapter Text

Lucio stared at the boy, unsure of what to do while he cried. He watched Furio cry until some aliens walked into the room, likely sick of his fussing. Lucio watched as they calmed him down, glaring at him as they left again.

The aliens unchained Furio, letting him go with some warning and turned towards Lucio, starting their examination. When they determined that he was fine, he was let free. Lucio immediately went back to the garden, looking for the mysterious boy whom he had just met.

If what he said was true, then they were in the same situation. That means they could be friends! The bestest of best friends! 

Furio could be his first friend. If he even wanted to be friends, especially considering how they met. Surely Lucio could make it up? He could do better. He could be better. He had a second chance. He had to be better. 

He decided that he would befriend Furio no matter what it took!

…

That was easier said than done. A lot easier said than done. Especially when Furio kept hanging around Sua. Every time he got near, Sua would shoot him that glare, and he’d go running back. Now that he thought about it, Furio and Sua were kinda similar.

It was uncanny, when he sat down and really thought about it, and he could think. Their eyes were very similar and they both had this.. air of fakeness about them. And they both had this dead stare, like they didn’t know joy.

Of course, Sua has her reasons, but it’s not like he knew Furio’s. That is what made him so..intriguing. In a world where he knew everyone, knew their reasons for the way they act, and know who they loved…

Furio was a mystery. Someone that Lucio knew nothing about. It was exciting. It was scary. It was so many things at once, and he desperately wanted to get to know the boy because of it.

It was hard finding Furio alone, because when Furio did see him, he ran off! It’s understandable, but it’s also very hurtful! It wasn’t like he’s scary …just..loud. Special. He’d prove that he’s someone Furio would love to be friends with!

He found the perfect chance when he found Furio under the tree, eating a bug all by himself.

He slowly approached Furio as if he were a stray, sitting down beside him. “Why don’t you ever eat from the cafeteria?” 

Furio looked at Lucio with a start, nearly dropping his food. “..I’m always full.” He looked around, preparing to leave when Lucio let out a loud whine.

“Wait! I’m sorry for earlier, please forgive me and don’t leave!” Lucio grabbed onto Furio’s sleeve, begging loudly.

When Furio turned around to stare at him, Lucio smiled. “Look, I wanna show you something! I swear it’s cool!”

Lucio stood up, making sure Furio was watching, and he started to breakdance.

 And when I tell you that shit was straight fire?

I’m lying.

It was awkward. Furio watched Lucio start spinning around, hooting and hollering like a lunatic. He wanted to leave, really, but it was like watching an accident take place real time. You can’t just look away.

When Lucio was finally done, he hopped up, putting his hands on his hips proudly. “Boom! I told you I’d show you something cool!” He grinned, holding up his hand.

Furio just…stared. He was stewing in secondhand embarrassment, fighting the urge to go off and hide in a corner.

Lucio took that as a ‘Hell yeah, lets be friends!’ and sat down, grabbing a stick and drawing in the dirt. Furio eventually got curious, glancing at whatever Lucio was drawing. At first, he really didn’t want to ask.

…As time carried on, he realized that Lucio was drawing out a story.

“..What are you drawing?” Furio grumbled, picking at the remaining bug remains that rested in his hand. He refused to look too interested in what Lucio was doing, instead feigning nonchalance.

“I was drawing Ivan and Till’s fight. Over there.” Lucio pointed with his stick, filling Furio’s ears with chatter and drama.

“...Who’s Till?” 

Lucio paused, slowly turning his head around. 

“What do you mean, ‘Who’s Till’..Do you even know where we are?” Lucio slowly questioned, his eyebrows shooting up. He couldn’t believe that someone wouldn’t know what Alien Stage is despite being reborn in the world.

In all the transmigration works Lucio read, normally the only people who are big fans of the work get transmigrated into it.

“I just woke up here. I have no idea where ‘here’ is, but I know I don’t belong.” Furio hummed, watching Lucio’s drawings more closely now.

Lucio paused, a frown etched on his face.

“That might be an issue..” He mumbled, simply poking his stick into the dirt. Furio nodded mutely, his gaze traveling up the stick and landing on Lucio’s eyes.

He muttered something about him needing brown contacts, looking back at the ground. He watched as Lucio started drawing out characters in the dirt, dully noting that he was kinda talented.

Lucio began to explain the Alien Stage characters to Furio, drawing out each character neatly and explaining who they are.

“Ah that explains why I always see Ivan provoking Till..” Furio cut in, nodding.

“Mhm,” Lucio hummed, drawing out Mizi and Sua.

And then again.

“I knew she wasn’t straight. There’s no way someone with eyes like that likes men.” Furio whispered to himself, in awe of how well Lucio drew Sua.

“..She’s also scary. Watch out for that.” Lucio nodded, deciding not to comment on Furio’s resemblance to Sua. Lucio glanced back, spotting Acorn hiding behind a tree and staring at them.

‘..Right. Back to his old ways.’ 

“So, what’s the plot?” Furio softly questioned, leaning into Lucio. Lucio glanced back at Furio, silently debating on how to tell the boy that they were all just slaves for the entertainment of aliens who were killed off when they no longer had use.

Lucio opened his mouth, barely even letting out a breath when Acorn appeared in front of them both, crossing his arms. “..Can we be friends?” 

Furio huffed, glancing over at Lucio before looking back up at Acorn, waiting for Lucio’s response. Lucio, who had been staring at Furio, dumbly nodded.

Wasn’t this the same damn kid who said ‘not my type’ when Lucio asked to be his friend? What the hell?

Ignoring Lucio’s internal rage-fest, Acorn sat beside Furio. He turned to look at what Lucio was drawing too, not looking as impressed as Furio did.

“What’s that? A horse?” Acorn pointed at a drawing of Till, looking up at Lucio. Furio just chewed on his thumb, wondering how the hell Acorn saw a horse of all things.

Lucio? Yeah, Lucio had some choice words for Acorn.

The thing is, Lucio knows that Acorn likes Furio. It's not his business, but he doesn't want a creep like Acorn bothering his friend!

Even if Furio didn’t seem to notice. That was worse! Acorn was praying on a clueless victim. The only thing Lucio can do is get closer to Furio than Acorn could ever hope to.

Lucio heard Furio mumble something about a gift before he started screaming at Acorn, only held back by Furio’s clinging to his arm.

Damn, is he cold..

Lucio couldn't hold back a shiver, glancing back at Furio. He looked deep in thought, so Lucio decided not to bother him much.

Chapter Text

Furio never meant to befriend that boy. He had tried to avoid him at first, truly. He walked away when that Lucio guy approached him and he made sure to stay around people it looked like he feared. That was clearly not enough to drive him away. In fact, it looked like it did nothing but cause that Lucio guy to follow him from a distance. 

He was loud. Too loud. But he was warm, so that made up for it in a way. Lucio was also knowledgeable, so he helped Furio get used to this new world. He knew how to act around the aliens and exactly how to get what he wanted. He knew when to speak up, and when to take the beatings with a smile.

Furio suddenly became the perfect pet, modeling in magazines and even meeting Ivan. Granted, they just stared at each other and posed.

He found that sometimes, his owner just hit him to see his tears. That was okay. It wasn’t that bad. Even if it landed him in the nurse's wing often. It was less he got to see Lucio.

Until he found out.

Suddenly, Lucio was visiting him every time he got injured, talking about some random topic and tracing shapes into the bed to give him ‘visuals’. Furio found it…entertaining. He'd never tell Lucio that, but he enjoyed watching his finger paint pictures for his eyes.

It made him feel special in a way no one else had.

Furio especially loved it when Lucio would drag him out of the nurse's wing, demanding that they play some game together. Furio was content just sitting under a tree and watching Lucio dance because that was his idea of having fun.

Then, while being paraded around by his alien, he saw something. A sketchbook that came with pencils of different shapes and sizes.

Furio isn't really an art nerd, but he did think of someone who would like that gift a lot. He could finally pay Lucio back for being his…. companion?  

Well. Lucio was likely expecting something for  being his friend. No one ever approached Furio without wanting something in return. 

The difference is, Furio actually wanted Lucio to…stay. He didn't want Lucio to receive what he wanted and leave. He hoped that Lucio would want more from Furio. He wanted to keep Lucio. 

…

However,

He didn't want to trap Lucio, so he'd get the damn book. He just hoped that he decided to stay after.

That brings him to now, laying in a bed made of flowers while the aliens repositioned him. He tried not to react, never having liked the feeling of those appendages on his bare skin. 

He closed his eyes, feeling a veil fall on his face. 

Ah. Right. 

This shoot was supposed to be wedding themed. Something Furio would've normally objected to, but he needed to do this to earn that sketchbook. He would get that book, so he'd endure whatever he had to for it.

He felt someone settling down beside him, their hand on his chest. He couldn't help but sigh, hating these intimate touches from people he didn't know. 

He opened his eyes, face to face with crimson pupils and a snaggle tooth. 

The guy looked familiar…. Ivan ..?

Furio blinked, watching Ivan smile down at him. He couldn't help but scoff, mumbling a quiet, “You're so fake.”

He watched Ivan blink dumbly, letting his face fall into the usual smile he used for the cameras as the lights began to flash. They were both repositioned multiple times, with Furio avoiding Ivan's eyes.

He couldn't stand the fakeness of his gaze nor his smile. It unsettled him. It was mostly because it wasn’t the ‘fakeness’ that he saw for survival, but a ‘fake’ used to fit in.

He felt Ivan's eyes on his face, never leaving. As soon as he was allowed to leave, he rushed back to his owner, feeling the collar and leash being strapped around his neck.

One of those tentacles pulled at his hair, telling him that he did a good job.

It hurt, but he could survive it. Especially when his alien never failed to ruffle his hair afterwards with a simple “Love you.” 

He liked the feeling of love. Even if pain came with it. It was good to be loved. He was okay being thrown around, because it meant that he was loved.

I guess. His parents never really spared him the time.

He let his owner lead him away and he pulled for its attention when they passed the sketchbook.  He pointed at it, silently begging with his eyes. 

After a moment of silence, his owner bought him the sketchbook, shoving it in his arms along with the pencils. Furio smiled, feeling his alien grab his chin.  

The aliens cooed at him, letting him go after a while. 

As soon as he was allowed to go back to his room, he hid the gifts under his bed. He would find the perfect time to give the gifts to Lucio so that it wouldn't feel too rushed.

The next day, he looked for Lucio, just to find him under the tree. Their tree. Acorn was there too, and they seemed to be arguing. Furio noticed Acorn hanging around both of them more often, always arguing with Lucio. Sometimes, it was annoying how loud they got while Furio tried to read, but it was nice. The noise reminded him that he wasn’t alone.

Furio waited for Lucio to finish with Acorn, chewing on his sleeve.

“You're so weird!” He heard Lucio shout before he turned around, spotting him. “Furio, you should stop hanging out with Acorn! He's so weird!”

Acorn quickly started sputtering, moving to refute Lucio's claim. He wasn't even surprised when Furio grabbed Lucio’s arm, barely sparing Acorn a glance. 

“Follow me.” He muttered, briefly glancing back at Acorn and not giving Lucio much of a choice. Acorn ran to catch up, nearly falling down the hill in his hurry. Lucio stuck out his tongue at Acorn, turning to face the back of Furio’s head. “Where are we going?” Lucio questioned softly, causing Furio to pause. 

The tips of his ears turned red and he refused to answer, simply turning back to make sure Acorn was following as well.

When they finally reached Furio’s room, both Lucio and Acorn straightened up. They had never been to each other's rooms before, and to be invited to Furio’s room was…an honor? A surprise?

Furio opened the door, presenting a normal room. There was a dresser in the corner full of clothes and a few magazines in the corner. At a brief glance, they looked normal.

Wait….why was Lucio on the cover of all of–

Furio cleared his throat, letting go of Lucio and pointing at his bed.

“I found something in the garden a few days ago. I thought you'd like it, because..you know…you draw all the time. I dug it up.” 

Lucio stared at the bed, slowly walking over to the bed and looking under it. He snatched the sketchbook from under the bed, letting out a loud squeal. “I saw this while I was with my alien! It was really expensive and– wait.. what do you mean you just dug it up?!” Lucio shouted, bewildered. 

Something was off. There was no way that someone had just thrown a book of such quality away..and still wrapped ??

He opened his mouth to confront Furio, blinking when he saw the tip of his ears turn red. Instead of saying anything, he just hugged Furio.

He hugged tightly, sticking his tongue out at Acorn. 

Lucio 1 – Acorn 0

While Lucio and Acorn started another argument behind his back, Furio couldn't help but melt into the hug.

Lucio was so warm . It was such a contrast to the cold that Furio always had buried beneath his skin. He gripped the back of Lucio's shirt, reaching a startling realization. 

This? This was a warmth that he wanted to keep.

Chapter Text

Lucio noticed something. Something about Acorn. Something about Acorn that he really didn't like. Acorn was around Furio a lot . And Furio was okay with it.

That's fine.

But it made Lucio a little jealous. Why did he have to fight for Furio’s friendship while Acorn simply got it ? It felt very unfair…even though he knew why. That mattered not!

What really mattered was the damn gifts. He notices Acorn glancing at him whenever he'd catch Furio wearing a hair clip or bracelet. He was sending a mental message and Lucio understood.

Lucio 1 – Acorn 1.

It made Lucio want to throw his lunch in that bowl cut's face. It's annoying, fighting for Furio’s attention so often. However, it did feel really good when Furio laid in his lap and allowed him to play in his hair while he read.

Lucio hummed, ignoring the seething Acorn that sat beside him. 

Lucio 2 – Acorn 1

Sometimes, Furio would braid flowers into Lucio’s hair while he and Acorn bickered. It became their norm after a while. Acorn’s hair was too short for it, so he swore to grow it out so that Furio would braid his hair too.

Furio made up for this by making Acorn flower crowns, which he was very smug about. Acorn got to keep his gift longer, and he learned how to make flower crowns to impress Furio further. After a while, Acorn started painting the flowers after Furio complained about them not matching his ‘aesthetic’.

… Whatever that meant.

Anyways, Lucio wasn’t always fighting with Acorn. He had his own things to do.

Where Furio was sold off as some ‘model’ and ‘ obedient’ pet, Lucio was rebellious. He hated the aliens, refusing to take care of his more ‘marketable’ features in his own way of rebellion.

Whenever he didn’t listen, he was held down and drugged so heavily that he couldn't tell red from green.

However, without fail, he always felt fingers going through his hair when the aliens finally let him go. He heard two voices chattering away,one occasionally singing soft songs to him. Sometimes,the air had a heavy silence and he woke up to his wounds treated.

However, he was always left a note. Sometimes it was just a sloppily drawn acorn and bow. Sometimes it was just the bow.

However, there were always messages written in flowy writing. Sometimes it was, ‘Be careful. –F’ . Sometimes it was ‘Listen more, idiot. – F+A’ . 

And accompanying the note was always food. Two portions, likely one issued to him and Furio’s. Furio never ate his lunches. It brought a smile to his face, even if he knew that Furio wouldn't acknowledge it the next day.

Lucio was very grateful for his friend, so that's exactly why he was so cautious around Acorn! He couldn't let that bowl cut guy harass and target his only friend!

So, today, he had a plan. His plans are always genius, so it would definitely work. Would he tell you the plan, dear viewer?

No.

Anywho, Lucio was simply so excited when his alien summoned him when he was watching Furio fiddle with an instrument he's never seen before. He stood up with a sigh, pointedly ignoring Furio’s vaguely disappointed expression.

Lucio waved at Furio, pushed forward by the aliens. He hissed at them, walking faster  just so they couldn't touch him more. It was a while before his alien finally arrived,  immediately throwing him into a dressing room. Lucio tried to sit as products and brushes made their way through his hair. He really did.

But it wasn’t his fault! They were so rough . Of course he fought back!

He bit and kicked, screaming loudly. He felt his legs being pulled and held down, so he began flailing his arms. He refused to make this easy, even when he was picked up. 

His mouth was covered by his collar, the band snapping shut and glowing a bright red. 

He hated the aliens. He hated how they operated, how powerful they were. He hated how they always found a way to show just how much more powerful they were than humans.

It was one thing he missed from his past life. The freedom he had. Now he's stuck. A pet. His hands and legs were bound. He continued to struggle, ignoring the various items that were being waved in his face.

They always tried to do this. Offer him meaningless items in exchange for his compliance. It was disgusting. 

He let out a muffled hiss when one of the stylists attempted to drug him, just barely missing his wrist when he started flailing again.

He was not going down easily. He refused to be a toy for them–

And he was out.

When Lucio came to, it was to hands in his hair. Cold hands in his hair. Drawing shapes in his scalp. It was quiet, save for the sound of humming and the occasional turn of a page.

Lucio let out a groan to let Furio know that he was up. Furio placed the book down, letting his eyes roam over Lucio’s face. Waiting.

“..What's the book about?" Lucio rasped, his words coming out slower than he intended. Furio shrugged, letting the words marinate before he let out a dry laugh, “I was waiting for you to wake up.” 

Furio practically whispered the words into the dark, tense. It made Lucio think, trying to rush his brain into motion.

Lucio let out a half-hearted humming noise, his eyes unable to focus in the dark room. 

It's darker than usual. Furio doesn’t like the dark.

Lucio, on pure reflex, tried to sit up and flip the light switch. He let out a yelp when he was immediately pushed back down, Furio’s book thrown down and forgotten.

Furio was breathing heavily, as if the movement pained him. He was afraid of the dark, yes, but he was also afraid of being too weak in front of Lucio.

“..Furio?” Lucio mumbled, reaching up. He felt something wet land on his forehead. 

Was that…?

Lucio’s hand finally made it to Furio’s face, now aware of the near silent sniffles that escaped the other boy. He blinked, wiping the tears with his thumb in a silent manner of asking, ‘What's wrong?’

Furio nearly let out a sob at the gentle treatment, feeling undeserving and craving more at the same time.

“..you were hurt badly today. Acorn could barely carry you back and he had to run back for supplies a lot.” Furio finally admitted, leaning into the warmth that was in Lucio’s palm.

Sometimes, Lucio couldn't tell if it was because of how young their bodies were, or if Furio was just that sensitive. Hell, it could be a consequence of their new world. 

However, it didn't matter much. Well, something did. Acorn. If Acorn was in his room, even to carry him there, he might have seen his stash.

Shaking his head, Lucio brought his other hand to Furio’s other cheek, wiping his tears there too. “It wasn’t that bad.”

Lucio wasn’t lying ; it was just that he couldn't remember much. He could feel the disappointment radiating off of Furio, not even needing to see his expression. 

“ ‘That bad’, huh…”  Furio mumbled to himself, shaking his head. He gently takes Lucio’s head out of his lap, laying it on the floor gently. 

He helped Lucio stand up and walk over to his bed, then turning to leave.

When Lucio slipped under his thin blanket, he opened his mouth. “Aren't you cold? He questioned. 

The room was actually really warm.

However, he also knows how cold Furio runs. When Furio nodded, Lucio lifted his blanket. 

Without question, Furio climbed into the bed, immediately clinging onto Lucio.

Whilst Furio chased warmth, Lucio chased the answer to a simple question. 

Chapter Text

It has almost been a year since Furio died. It has almost been a few – no, more than a few – months since he had met Lucio and Acorn. He barely even kept track of most days anymore. 

He was forgetting his old life. Sometimes, they blended together. He'd see his sister in front of him, begging for her hair to be braided. He'd be snapped back into focus by a quick flash of a camera or a harsh slap.

He didn't want to. He was scared of forgetting.  

He first realized that he was when he spoke to Ivan after the shoot, finding the boy provoking Till once again.

He just wanted to catch bugs, not get involved in..whatever this was. He tried walking around them. He really did. However, the back of his shirt was grabbed by someone. Ivan .

His heart dropped when he looked around, not seeing Acorn nor Lucio near. Nowhere to hide .

Furio stood still as Ivan tugged at his shirt again, drawing out a confused sound from Till.

“Ivan, let him go!” Till demanded, flipping a page in his sketchbook. It reminded Furio of Lucio. 

Ivan refused to let him go, forcing Furio to turn around. They locked eyes, Ivan searching while Furio looked for ways to escape.  He just wanted to be let go.

When Ivan continued to hold him, Furio watched as Till yanked him back. Ivan's eyes widened and he let out a breathless gasp as he hit the ground, staring up at Till. Till was already ready to rant, ignoring the way that Furio awkwardly lingered behind them.

“.. You can’t just grab people like that, you loser–”

He heard Till point out, shaking a fist. Furio just stood there awkwardly, watching Ivan and Till interact. It felt real. Too real. Uncomfortable real.  

It hurt to think that his sister had watched their suffering and enjoyed it, even if they were just fiction to her.

Furio brought his sleeve up to his mouth, biting it as he watched. He felt Ivan's eyes on him again, narrowed and suspicious. 

Furio quickly walked away, not wanting to be involved in whatever they had going on anymore. It was none of his business.

Furio spent the entire time looking for Lucio, only stopping when he was called in for class. 

In class, he was placed in the front. Behind him sat Lucio, Acorn, and Mizi. At the back sat Durian, Marty, and Till.

Of course, Ivan and Sua were at the front, leaving him the the end of their table so that he was not bothered by Ivan. Having done this all before, he was considered smart. 

However, he didn't put in enough effort to be on Sua or Ivan's level, thus putting him behind them. It wasn't like he didn't know the material, but he didn’t exactly care about learning it all a second time.

He'd rather read his books in peace. Think about his friends. Wait until the clock made that sound, the sound meaning that class was over and choir was starting. 

As always, when the bell rang, he was the first out of his seat, wanting to grab an instrument. After his first few days in the ‘new world’, he realized that the instruments were taken quickly and that he'd be forced to sing if he didn't play.

He loved to sing, don't get him wrong, but he didn't want to forget how to play the instruments. He often picked handheld instruments so he could sing while he played. It was therapeutic. It was like all of his issues disappeared while he let the music float around, simply enjoying it all with people he could almost call…. friends.

Almost.

Today, he picked a keyboard, rushing outside so he could save a place for him, Acorn, and Lucio. He pressed some keys, listening closely when the others began singing a familiar melody.

Weige.

Furio couldn't help but smile, tilting his head so that no one could see. Lucio sat down beside Furio who leaned against him, both of them singing happily. He felt Acorn at his side, singing loudly with exaggerated gestures. 

When the song was over, they were instructed to put their instruments up and play until it was time for the next class.

Furio got a warm feeling in his chest. The first time in a while. He was actually happy , surrounded by people and laughing with them. It was joy . He couldn't help but let out a laugh, smiling brightly at Lucio.

Lucio grabbed Furio’s hand, causing the smile to drop. It was replaced with a look of confusion, and it earned him a glare from Acorn. “Come on!”

Furio didn’t have much time to think before Lucio dragged him away, causing him to yelp. He tried to keep up, trying to process it until Lucio sent him a grin.

….He can do whatever. For now.

Furio relaxed, bumping into Lucio when he suddenly paused. He was dragged into a room, being shushed when aliens passed. 

“Shhh..” Lucio held a hand over Furio’s mouth, tilting his head. They heard a gasp from across the room, both turning their heads to see a girl strapped to a table, bloody with tears streaming down her face.

Furio quickly covered Lucio’s eyes, a reflex he had gotten growing up.

His sister hated blood.

His eyes were stuck on the girl who was reaching out to him, mumbling his name. 

“Furio..furio…” she began to cry harder, trying to sit up. “furio..I don't want to die..please..”

Furio froze, his body tense. 

“How does she know your name? Who is she? Furio?” Lucio questioned, very lost. He tried to pry Furio’s hand off of his face, only successfully pulling it off when Furio walked over to the bed.

“Big brother..Furio..I dont want to die....” She made a clumsy attempt at grabbing his hand, weakly squeezing when he grabbed hers.

Furio’s face fell, horror overtaking it.

“They didn't want to clean out your apartment. They sold your things. They cut you out of the pictures.” She continued, her grip getting weaker, “I..you left me alone.”

Furio squeezed her hand, silently tears rushing down his own face. “Amari. How did you get here? Amari?”

He whispered to her, getting closer. He could feel her warmth fading, and he looked around for a way to save her. Any way to save her.

Despite how she treated him, it was better than his parents. He needed her. He missed her so much and it would be so unfair if she–

“You're in a coma. In our world. You..they want you gone.” She cried harder, fear in her eyes.

“You..you should know something. About alien stage.” she mumbled, her voice quiet.

Furio shook his head, not caring about the stage.

Fuck it all. The stage. The aliens.

“What happened to you? Stop, dont talk about the stage. If we get the nurses, they'll help. Lucio–” Furio was cut off by Amari's glare, having forgotten her hatred for being interrupted. 

Amari opened her mouth as Lucio looked on in horror. 

“The stage is–” she started, gasping for breath. Her heart monitor began beating erratically, throwing Furio into a panic.

“No, I just got you. Don't leave me. Please, Amari. Don't go. Don't leave me alone.” Furio begged, horrified. He could feel her blood on his hands, climbing into the bed with her.

She weakly hugged him, still gasping. “You still are so fragile.” She muttered, her monitor going silent.

Furio clutched her medical gown, silent tears rushing down his face.  Lucio stood awkwardly at the door, not having any idea what to do.

“Furio….she's..”

Furio wasn’t listening. He was angry. He was sad. He was about to throw up . 

He wanted to say this. He truly did.

His mouth wouldn't open. 

Lucio walked over, flinching at the smell of iron and the blood that bled into Furio’s clothes. 

“..it's like some shitty novel. She was introduced and now she's just..gone.”

Furio finally mumbled, shaking. He couldn't let go. Not yet. She wasn’t cold yet. Surely…

Lucio shook his head, opening his mouth. “Yeah, well–”

Aliens burst into the room, barely looking at them before grabbing them both. 

Lucio gasped, being dragged due to his refusal to walk. He only stopped when he looked back and noticed Furio staring at his hands. Silent.

It was a depressing sight. Lucio felt bad. If he hadn't tried to show Furio his gift, he wouldn't have seen her. He wouldn't have even known.

In some twisted way, it was his fault. 

Now, Furio sat at the tree beside Lucio, covered in his sister's blood.

It snowed.

She loved the snow.

Lucio hid under the leaves, disgusted. 

Furio just sobbed, letting the snow cover him.

Chapter Text

When the aliens found them out, Furio was sobbing and pulling his hair, Lucio's arms wrapped around him loosely. Lucio whispered reassuring words into Furio's ears, those words going unheard. 

Furio didn't know what to do. Even as his head was shoved onto the hard floors. Even as he was chained up in that damned room , beaten and bloody. 

He didn't know what to do. He didn’t have the motivation to do anything but cry. He would get up in the morning knowing that he'd actually never see his sister again. He felt horrible. 

As he curled up against that cold wall, he shivered. When he woke up, it would be his birthday. His birthday. He's such a failure. Everything is unfair. 

Why was he still alive? What was the point of fighting anymore? 

Furio let out a quiet sob, curling in on himself. He didn't want to wake up tomorrow. He felt sick. He couldn’t stand the thought. His sister was gone, permanently, and Lucio had seen him weak.

What if Lucio left, too? What if Acorn followed? Why couldn't Furio keep a good thing?

These thoughts plagued his mind, even as he closed his eyes for rest.

When he opened his eyes, he looked down at his wrist. That chain was still wrapped around it, colder than he was comfortable with. He let out a dry laugh, hugging his knees.

He was going to spend his birthday in the dark. Alone.

Furio stared at the ground, exhausted. He didn't know what to do anymore. He thought about what his sister said about the stage, pausing.

‘What about the stage..?’

He couldn't help but pause, thinking about it. He had really wanted to go on the stage. It would be perfect for him to go up and sing, sharing his music.

….He wants to sing with Lucio.

Most of the other kids, except Mizi, avoided mentions of the stage. Some seemed excited, while others were strangely withdrawn. At first, he didn't care enough to ask why.

Now he was curious. 

…Does it even matter any more?

Why was he thinking about the stage when his sister was dead? When her blood was on his hands? What is wrong with him? 

Why is he so…?

He felt hands pulling at his hair as he gasped, suddenly unable to breathe. He could feel the blood on his hands. It was too warm. It wasn't good. He wanted the hands to leave . Let go—

He moved one of his hands to cover his mouth, feeling bile rising in his throat. He couldn't look down. He knows that the blood was still on his hands. He could feel it,flaky and dry. He couldn't breathe. He needs help. Why can't he breathe?

Furio let out a strangled gasp when he felt two hands grab his, two worried eyes boring into his. Those sky blue irises focused on his.

“Furio..” Luco muttered, moving aside so that Acorn could sit near as well. Furio could barely focus on the other, still grasping. His hands itched.

He wanted to hurt . He needed pain. He just couldn't get it. Not with Lucio holding his hands like this.

“Furio,breathe. Come on.” Lucio softly encouraged, letting go of one hand to wipe the tears still flowing down Furio's face. “In, and out. You try.”

Furio was trying. He truly was. Every breath came out shaky and uncertain, as if he was just learning how to breathe.

He felt his other hand being let go, placed on a chest. He looked up to see Acorn, making a show of breathing and making sure he could see.

It felt like forever. It felt like time was too short. He eventually did begin breathing properly, leaning on the wall. He couldn't help but feel exhausted. He has just woken up and he was another year older, but he didn't feel happy about it at all. His sister should've been with him, celebrating as well.

Furio hugged curled in on himself, silently wondering how Acorn and Lucio found him. He didn't want to ask. He didn't have the energy to do much but stare at them.

Acorn glanced at Lucio, pushing over a small cake with a single candle stick out.

 …

It was three pieces of cake thrown together with purple frosting, the candle shining brightly in the dark. 

“Happy birthday!” Both Acorn and Lucio said in unison, turning to glare at the other. They started arguing, getting louder than they should've been.

Furio was… touched. He liked that they both cared enough to do this for him. At the same time he was disgusted. They were wasting the effort for someone who hasn't earned it. Doesn't deserve it.

“..You're wasting your time, and for what?” He mumbled, silencing them both.

Both of the other boys turned to face Furio. Acorn looked mildly confused while Lucio looked.. hurt.

“You're both pathetic. Disgusting. Wasting your time on someone who barely even cares for you both.”

‘Wait. No. Stop. That’s not what I—’

“You do know that you're below me, right? You want something, don't you? You just want to use me for some kind of relevance.”

‘I don't want to say this. Why can't I stop?’

“You know that you'll never have worth on your own so you crawl to me like two fucking ants–”

Furio let out a gasp, his head snapping to the side. He glanced back, spotting Acorn standing. Furious. 

Lucio was staring at Acorn, his hand over his mouth. “..oh, that's not..”

The room was silent for a moment, Furio panting with his hand on his cheek.

He was happy. He got what he wanted.

Right?

Why did it feel like he's lying to himself?

Furio cradled his cheek, turning back to look at Acorn. He could see Acorn staring at his hand, confusion lacing his features. 

Furio felt horrible. He felt giddy. He felt filthy.

Furio blinked when he saw Lucio stand up, slapping Acorn with a surprising amount of force.

He saw the tears in Lucio’s eyes, the confusion on his face as well. 

It disgusted him. It made him feel regret. He hated Lucio.

Does he even know how he feels right now?

“..How does it feel? It hurts, right? Don't do that again, okay?” Lucio stated, his voice low and hurt.

Furio looked between them both, his mouth opening before he could stop it.

“Get out. Get out! I hate you both!” He screamed, hiding covering his face.

The room went silent and Furio felt regret bubbling up in overwhelming amounts. He looked up to see Acorn already across the room, mumbling.

Lucio was still there, looking at Furio with disappointment.

Those eyes . It hurt. He missed the joy in Lucio’s eyes. He didn't like when those warm pools of blue got colder. It wasn't a look that belonged on him, so it was something Furio always wanted to avoid. 

Worst of all? Furio still felt cold.

Out of reflex, he reached out for Lucio’s hand, only to find that Lucio was backing away. 

“Wait–” Furi desperately gasped, trying to stand and stop Lucio from leaving. The chain stopped him from getting far, and Furio shrank back at the disgust in Lucio’s eyes.

It made him shiver.

..he was still so cold.

The candle flickered, the flame doing nothing to soothe Furio. Lucio stared back, waiting for something. Anything.

Furio wanted to apologize. He truly did. He was trying.

But there was something in his throat. Blocking it. He couldn't. 

He just reached out for Lucio again, tears streaming down his face so quietly that he didn't even notice them. He noticed Lucio hesitating, a spark of hope igniting.

“Lucio, please–” Furio wanted to say that. He wanted to beg. His mouth just refused to open. The only sound that left him was a weak whimper.

Lucio turned around, leaving the room.

Leaving Furio.

It hurt. He hated being alone.

He looked down at the candle. 

It suddenly looked so lonely. Melting. Sitting there.

Chapter Text

Lucio didn't want to believe that Furio meant that. He didn't want to assume, either.

He was mad at himself. Why? Because, what Furio said might have been right.

It was pathetic of him to think that he could finally have a friend. It was stupid. It was a harsh truth that made him wonder if he was simply lying to himself the entire time. There was a reason as to why he didn't have friends in his first life, even if he wanted to pretend there wasn't. 

He could tell that Acorn didn't want to be around him much, but he did still stick around. It was almost peaceful, if Lucio kept his head down. He could ignore Acorn’s stare.

He could ignore Furio’s avoidance. Maybe, he could even ignore how sad he looked. 

Maybe that was just his ego.

He tried to attend class. And he tried to ignore how Furio sat in the front, rarely looking up. 

He tried to ignore Furio .

He didn’t realize just how hard that actually was. Furio became such an important part of his day that each day felt weird without him. 

The spot on his back where Furio always took naps? Cold. His hands, which Furio always held? Empty. The sketchbook that Furio gifted him? It was hard to look at.

It was hard. Furio avoided him for a month . Maybe if Lucio was better, it wouldn't affect him.

But he's not better. He wanted Furio back. It wasn't fair. Why did he have to be stuck with Acorn and his fearful glances? The empty spaces? The lack of those hands in his hair?

The stars in Furio’s eyes – no, literal stars– when he looked up at Lucio. The way he would effortlessly cut in when Lucio had trouble denying a request. The gifts Furio would work so hard to get him, just to lie and say that he found them somewhere.

It only hurt more when he went to his room on his birthday, preparing for bed, and found more gifts.

Furio didn't want to talk to him. That was..okay.

That was until they did a joint interview. 

Lucio had rarely seen the aliens’ prized ‘doll’, so when he saw Furio in that chair, he was confused.

Where was the Furio who hated the color red? The color he was forced to wear now? Where was the Furio who was always complaining about being cold?

It made Lucio very uncomfortable as he watched Furio’s alien collar him, harshly throwing him around and then caressing him after. 

He didn't like it. He didn't like how Furio just took it, either.

It wasn't something he was used to seeing. He knows that Furio always fought back in the garden when provoked, so seeing Furio so docile wasn't a sight he thought he'd see.

He didn't like it. Why did he seem so…. dull. Lifeless.

Lucio was too busy watching Furio to misbehave, causing whispers on his side of the room.

 Things like,

  “He doesn’t usually sit this still.”

“What changed?”

“He hasn't fought at all..”

He could ignore those, too. Lucio thought that Furio was treated..well.. normally by his alien. Furio didn't allow Lucio to see him if he was hurt.

Lucio knows that Furio thinks he's easy to fool. He's not. He knows that he's scared of the dark. He knows that his body can't handle too much food. He knows that his head is sensitive.

Only now is he realizing that all of those may be because of that alien. It angered him, but it also made him…sad.

Did Furio not trust him enough to confide in him? Why would he hide that?

Lucio watched as Furio’s alien pulled him into place, kissing (?) his cheek and slithering away. That was a bit unsettling. 

Bright lights flashed and the camera started rolling, questions were being asked.

Lucio didn't make a sound. Not many questions were directed towards him, and he did not want to answer the ones that were. Stupid things were asked anyways  so why waste the time?

“Are you two a duo? Perhaps, io²?”

“What made you two so close?”

“Do you ever argue?”

Furio was answering all the questions, not sparing Lucio a simple glance. That hurt. Bad.

It made Lucio want to curl up and cry.

However, something that the interviewer said made Lucio sit up, suddenly attentive. 

“Why has someone like you been spotted around someone like him?”

It was unclear who the question was towards, and the grin on their face had shown that it was intentional. Lucio heard an audible gasp leave Furio, his mouth hanging open.

It would've been funny if the circumstances were different.

Lucio sat up, blinking. “We're friends,” he mumbled, looking hesitantly at Furio, “and he has a good personality. He's interesting.”

The room went quiet, and it was clear that nobody expected Lucio to answer with that. He looked up to see Furio looking down, his hands in his lap. 

It was obvious that he was trying to hide. Lucio just wanted to understand him. Why couldn't he just let him–?

“Are you sure? Dolls don't have any real personality to speak of!” The interviewer cut through the silence, laughing awkwardly. 

Lucio bristled, preparing to jump to Furio’s defense when the interviewer quickly said goodbye and the cameras shut down.

Furio looked up at Lucio, actually looking , and nodded. Lucio didn't understand, but he smiled back.

Maybe, Furio wouldn't ignore him again..

Lucio was happy. He was happy until he saw Furio on the floor, coughing and protecting his stomach whilst his alien screamed at him about some ‘script’.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please don't leave me–” Furio begged, weakly holding on to the end of his owner's coat. He didn't let go, even as the alien spat in his face, still hitting him.

Lucio wanted to scream. He wanted to fuck that alien up, to be honest.

Kinda unrealistic. Lucio thinking he could beat any alien is on brand though..

He tried to walk over to Furio, to stop him from being collared and beaten like a stray mutt, but he was held back. His fight was branded off as some tantrum and he felt the familiar thrum of that drug being put in his system. 

Lucio remembered shooting out some very colorful words before he went out.

When he woke up, his first thought was to panic because he had a twisted feeling in his gut. What if Furio wasn't there again? What if–

His thoughts were silenced when he saw the door to his room opening, Furio walked in with two trays of food, not yet noticing that Lucio was awake.

He was trembling. Struggling to walk. 

“The things I do for you..” He mumbled, walking over and placing the trays down. He put his hands on Lucio’s cheeks, noticing he was awake. 

Furio smiled at him, making Lucio shiver. He shook his head and sat up, pinching Furio’s cheeks. “Stop. That's not your smile. I want your smile.” He huffed, blinking back tears.

He was so happy. He was overwhelming happy. He hadn't seen Furio like this in a long time. He was also sad. He could tell that Furio was hurting and the first thing he tried to do was smile for Lucio. It made his heart hurt.

“Please..just talk to me.” Lucio begged, fighting the urge to shake the other. He watched as Furio’s eyes widened, then softened.

“Not..not now. I can't. Not now.” He mumbled, his words a tad bit muffled. He moved his hands to be over Lucio’s. He undid the grip that Lucio had on his face, leaving behind a gentle hold.

“..Why can't you? Do you not trust me? Am I not good enough?” Lucio questioned, his eyes examining Furio. Checking for more injuries. “You're hurt and you're hiding from me. Why won't you just talk? Please? We could escape. I don't want to see you hurt anymore.” He continued,an almost crazed glint in his eye.

Furio gulped, shaking his head. “We can't. ”

He sounded desperate, his hands now squeezing Lucio’s. 

Lucio wanted to protest. He wanted to scream, to call Furio selfish. He wanted to ask Furio why he'd let himself be hurt so much.

One look into Furio's eyes silenced him. If this is the life Furio wants, so be it.

Chapter Text

Despite all that could be said, Furio was scared.

He was scared of leaving what had become normal for him. 

Furio made up with Acorn, giving him hair products to help him grow out his hair and offering to let him slap him again. Furio knew Acorn wanted to do it. Hell, he wanted Acorn to do it.

However, Acorn just cast a suspicious glance behind him and refused.

(Lucio would never allow that to happen.)

Furio also tried to get Lucio to take better care of his hair, offering to wash it and try new styles. Lucio refused, and it did make Furio a little sad. But it's his hair, and he's used to it.

It has been a few years since they both transmigrated, and nothing much has changed. 

Furio was almost.. happy with the way things are. He liked being able to rely on someone, someone who would wait for him.

He loved Lucio, his closest companion. They were even nicknamed io2.

It was something almost everyone knew. 

“The sky is blue, and io2 are together once again.”

It was a simple truth, written across the skies. Acorn often tagged along, them all together being called the ‘Dirt trio’.

Yeah, remember when Lucio fell out of that tree? Well, we have the bug eater, tree boy, and Acorn. All are connected to dirt in some way.

They were all inseparable, and then they hit the age of fourteen. 

All the kids were lined up to get their tattoos, some trembling with fear when they learned where they'd have to get them. 

Furio watched, his head resting on Lucio’s arm. He was chewing on his sleeve, looking at the children who were in front of him and whispering. He watched as the line dwindled down, and he could see the beds inside of the room being filled.

When it was his turn, he didn't let go of Lucio’s arm. Almost as if he was afraid to let go of Lucio.

Lucio just looked at his arm, moving in front of Furio as a protective gesture. “He's not–” Lucio was surprised, feeling two arms wrapping around him.

“I'm not scared.” He mumbled, shaking his head where it was shoved into Lucio’s shoulder, “I just don't want to see you hurt.”

Lucio paused, looking at Furio and blinking dumbly. Furio wore such an honest and open expression that it made Lucio hesitate.

Two years ago? An expression like this from Furio would've been unheard of. He kept walls up that prevented it. Now, it still wasn't common. He just used it when he wanted to stop Lucio from doing something that would get him in trouble.

Furio quickly let go of the other when he saw the look in Lucio’s eyes, watching him be taken to an operating table. He saw Lucio flipped onto his back, unable to see more when he was taken off to his own.

When he laid down, he didn't  expect it to hurt so much. He could feel the laser burning into his skin. His neck felt like it was on fire, and he could smell it embedding the letters into his right side.

It was close to his ear, so he could also hear the low hum and buzz as it moved. He felt so much pain that he couldn't even fight it, instead laying on the table with tears in his eyes that were left unable to leave.

He felt a sudden cold wind on his body. In his pain, he didn’t notice the aliens undressing him and throwing a plain sheet over his body. As he was wheeled off, he noticed the colors blending together. 

His mind was stuck on the pain in his neck, an odd thrum going through his body. His neck felt an odd mix of cold and hot, making it very uncomfortable. 

When he was pushed into place, he forced his head to move, looking for Lucio due to instinct. 

There.

He was quickly found, as he was laying on his stomach right next to him.

He looked hurt. Lucio is in pain.

Furio was barely conscious, but he knew that he didn't like even the thought of his companion being in pain. He felt himself reaching out, holding a trembling hand over the other’s back, right where the name was imprinted on his skin. 

He felt himself losing consciousness, not seeing Lucio pick up his head just enough to catch a glimpse of him.

After they got their names tattooed into their skin, the children had to wear bandages on varying places of their bodies. Acorn’s was around his arm, right above his elbow. He seemed interested in everyone else's bandages, even going as far as to poking some people. 

He was often swatted away, even returning to their tree with bruises and scratches. Furio didn’t care, but he avoided moving his neck too much. It still hurt.

Lucio seemed very upset because he couldn't dance as much. Despite this, multiple people would stumble up to him and ask him to teach them new things. Lucio would always comply and end up hurting himself.

Furio always noticed a little twitch in his brow when he wanted to say no. It was like a routine. The three go outside, someone comes up to ask Lucio for something, and he freezes. He glances down at Furio, his eyebrows twitch, and he always sighs before giving in.

Furio would always just stare up, watching from afar until Lucio would stumble back. He'd wrap his arms around Furio while Furio pretended to hate it, complaining endlessly. 

Today, though, when Marty came over asking Lucio for help with the physical exams, Furio had enough. As soon as Lucio's eyes left Furio’s face, Furio grabbed his hand.

“Lucio, I'm cold.” He stated decisively, glaring at Marty. “I'm really cold. Please don't leave.” When Furio noticed Lucio’s hesitation, he stood up and tilted his head. It brought pain, and the pain caused him to tear up.

“You're going to leave me?” Furio mumbled, standing. 

Damn. This shit hurts.

Furio knows that what he's doing it wrong on many levels, but he didn't want Lucio leaving and getting hurt in the process. 

Why can't you just..say no?

Marty glared at Furio, crossing his arms. “It won't take long. You're so clingy.” He then kicked dirt at Furio, huffing.

Furio blinked, trying not to hit the kid. “You– He's busy . And I clearly care about him way more than you do, seeing as you're just trying to injure him!” Marty started sputtering, getting ready to yell at Furio.

“Hey, hey. I'm..I'm busy.” Lucio mumbled, stepping in front of Furio with a subtle glare at Marty. It looked like his usual apologetic look, but Furio could see how it was sharper.

Marty blinked, deflating quickly. “..Alright. next time.” He frowned, turning on his heel and dragging himself away from the duo.

Lucio quickly sat Furio down, taking time to brush all the dirt away from the other’s cheeks. “Why did you do that? You're probably in pain..” Lucio mumbled, his hand briefly hovering over Furio’s neck.

Furio just shrugged, picking the up the bug he had been chewing on and continuing his meal.

“I was cold.” He mumbled, repeating his earlier words. Lucio paused, clearly thinking something over when a stupid – in Furio’s humble opinion– grin overtook his face.

He wrapped his arms around the colder boy, shaking him slightly. “That means you do like my hugs!”

Chapter Text

“...That's pathetic. ”’

Lucio was appalled when he heard Furio utter those words, not pausing his work in digging a hole to help the other find more bugs.

At this point, Furio was becoming a danger to the bugs. They immediately fled whenever they caught a glimpse of the purple he always wore.

Furio was flipping through Lucio’s sketchbook, admiring the pictures that were drawn as Lucio told stories about Alien Stage . He traced a finger along the lines, pausing at a page with a diagram. 

“I should get you better pens, these ones were obviously shoddy…” He whispered to himself, barely glancing up at Lucio. “Anyways, you're saying most of their problems would've been solved if they had just said ‘I'm scared to die’ to each other?” 

Lucio began to sputter, shaking his head. “I did not say that! It's more complicated than that, and you know–”

Furio cleanly cut Lucio off, taking the bug that was being squeezed to death in his grip and shoving it into his mouth. After swallowing, he blinked up at Lucio. “Why not push them to escape, then?” 

The world seemed to pause around them.

Furio hadn't brought up escaping in years . Lucio sat up a bit straighter, a shine in his eyes that wasn't there previously. He thought that this meant‐

“So you will escape with me?” He grabbed both of Furio’s hands, hope building in his chest. Surely, Furio wouldn't refuse again if he was saying that they should convince hlthe others to escape?

At those words, Furio shivered. He couldn't leave. Not when he was wanted. Loved . He was useful here. “..No. I can't. That's..” Furio hugged his knees, forgetting the sketchbook, “I just can't. You..you should.”

Furio forced himself to look away, not wanting to have to face whatever emotion Lucio was likely feeling. He loved his friend, truly, but there were times when he saw that disgust.

There were times when Furio looked at Lucio and all he could see was his retreating back.

He also noticed that both Acorn and Lucio were tense around him, always waiting for something. If he didn't acknowledge it, it wouldn't have to be addressed.

If he pretended that nothing was wrong, then nothing could be wrong and–

He didn't realize he was hyperventilating until Lucio was crouched down in front of him, grabbing his hands and squeezing them. They sat in silence, Lucio pulling Furio down so that they both rested in the grass.

Furio let out a random noise, pulling Lucio closer so that he could hide his face in the other’s torso.

Lucio took it all in stride, his arms helping Furio hide from the rest of the world. “What if that messes up the story, though? Surely we'll face some consequences if we completely change the story..” He murmured, his eyes wary.

He didn't want either of them to be hurt, despite the lack of the usual system that the other transmigrated characters from novels had.

Furio gave Lucio a headbutt without too much force. He stayed silent, trying to find words to say that wouldn't offend the other. 

While it went unsaid, Lucio heard what Furio was thinking. ‘You should just leave me.’  

When Furio finally settled on something to say, he hummed. “You'll never know if you don't try, Lu.” Now, Furio was tracing shapes onto Lucio’s shirt. 

Lucio bit his lip, his hold on the other getting tighter. He didn't want to leave it all up to chance. In fact..

If it came down to it, he wouldn't save the others at all if Furio was at risk.

Lucio paused, the thought taking him by surprise. He did agree with it, but he just…He didn't want to think about it right now. Instead he gave Furio a soft kiss on the crown of his head, one barely there.

“Stop blowing on me!” Furio complained, pushing at Lucio’s chest.

Lucio just grinned, holding Furio until the weak pushes ceased and Furio’s breathing slowed.  He truly wanted to protect these little moments.

Lucio was alone. Furio was off with Ivan and Sua, all three doing an interview for some pet propaganda project. Mizi was playing with flowers, twisting them together with a big smile.

Lucio had thought about what Furio said. He was always attentive when Furio spoke. That's why he sat down next to Mizi.

When Mizi saw him, she perked up. She waved, opening her mouth. It was likely to form some enthusiastic greeting, which is likely why her face fell when Lucio spoke over her.

“She rehearses her death every night.”

Mizi dropped her crown, barely even half finished. That didn't matter. Lucio watched the flowers fall and all of her progress go undone. 

Did it really matter? It showed how fickle and temporary human lives were– 

Wow, he sounds like Furio.

When Mizi spoke, her voice was just barely a whisper. ” Hah… Who are you talking about?” She laughed, her nervousness visible. Lucio frowned, his eyes forming a slow trail up to Mizi's face.

“This feigned ignorance. It's useful for survival, but does she know it hurts the others around her?”

Lucio recalled Furio’s words, choosing his own carefully. If he did this right, then…

“Sua. She practices her death every night. She rehearses her smile.” Lucio made sure that his gaze burned into hers while he uttered those words, allowing no doubt to be had.

Mizi's entire face simply dropped, at a loss of words. She sputtered, tears springing up in her eyes. Lucio could see her trying to pick her mask back up, gathering the pieces. “No. No, there's no need for her to practice that . There's no reason that she'd..”

Lucio grabbed Mizi's wrist, his voice oddly calm. “You know that the loser dies on the stage. She will die. You know that she will and you can't have a tie–” Lucio paused, noticing Mizi's tears.

She had nothing to cling on to. Lucio did feel bad. He did regret leaving her bare, her eyes hollow with tears flowing down her cheeks. She stood up, her hand coming up to harm Lucio.

“If it was Furio, you would do the same! You're a hypocrite!” Mizi shouted, jumping at him and pulling his hair. Lucio let out a scream, trying to fight her off. 

“You'd want to keep him ignorant, too! You're just as bad!” She stood over Lucio, tears rushing down her face. Lucio wanted to scream back. To refute, to defend himself. However, he couldn't. 

He was keeping Furio ignorant.

He remembered how he felt that day, all those years ago. When he was sure that Furio’s sister would tell him the secret of the stage. He remembered some sick part of him hoping that she died before the words left her lips.

He knows how much her death affected Furio. How much it still does. But Furio looked so excited when the idea of performing came up. His eyes lit up when Lucio spilled the bit of information, and Lucio felt sick to his stomach when he realized that Furio genuinely didn't know that those who lost on that stage lost more than the competition. 

He felt sick. He was no better than Mizi. He was no better than any of those characters that Furio loved to criticize. 

“If they had told the truth–”

“If they had just talked ..”

He was horrible, listening to Furio utter those words and still keeping him blind. But the worst part? He couldn't find it in himself to regret it. Furio wouldn't understand– didn't understand.

Lucio was pulled back into reality by Mizi apologizing,  tears streaming down her face. She was clutching his shirt, regretting every hit she had landed on him. Mizi dropped him, turning to leave. Likely to go find Sua.

“Wait, wait! You can escape!” Lucio groaned, forcing himself up so that he could speak before she left. “I'll draw the map for you. You two could join the rebellion. Avoid death.”

Mizi turned back, her eyes wide. “No. No, that's..that's not true..” She was shaking her head, but she wasn't leaving. Lucio counted that as a win.

“You can leave. I swear. Take your friends. Strength in numbers.” Lucio stood up on shaky legs, a hand on his cheek. “You don't have to die on the stage as an entertainment source for those things. Think about it.” He was pleading. He desperately wanted her to agree, and he knew that she was the best to ask first.

He knew that if she agreed, the other four would follow.

Mizi hesitantly nodded, mumbling something as she left. As soon as she got far enough, she dashed. Lucio watched her retreating back, his kind replayed her words.

“You'd keep him ignorant too…”

Lucio felt a ball of guilt in his chest, realizing something. It sent a cold rush over his body, all of the warmth that Furio loved gone.

If Furio had criticized and looked down on those four for keeping such big secrets, how would he look at Lucio?

How would he feel when Lucio would eventually have to tell him that not everyone lived after leaving the stage?

What then?

Lucio decided not to dwell on it. He would just have to push that conversation far, far into the future.

Chapter Text

Acorn was always left out. The afterthought. 

Everyone assumed he was dense. That he was chasing after Furio senselessly.

He's not.

At first, he only liked Furio because of how similar he was to Sua, and also due to the fact that he was pretty enough to be a girl until you were around him too long. He and Sua both had that dead stare, along with the smart way of speaking and the soft voice.

After, though, when he actually grew to know Furio…he saw that he actually liked the other. He liked his bouts of silence and thoughtful responses. He liked how the delicate boy who looked so harmless could get scrappy. He liked how Furio had such bright eyes.

  .. H̶e̶ l̶i̶k̶e̶d̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ F̶u̶r̶i̶o̶ r̶e̶l̶i̶e̶d̶ o̶n̶ h̶i̶m̶.

There were a lot of things he liked about Furio, which is also why he knows about what Furio likes as well. 

He likes savory foods but can't quite stomach them. He hates salty foods. 

He likes to sing and write songs. He hates loud noises. He likes looking feminine at times, even though it confuses others.He doesn’t like wearing his glasses. 

He likes reading.He doesn't like dark places. 

He likes giving others gifts. He doesn't like schoolwork despite having the potential to be at the top of their class.

He likes Lucio.

Everyone knew it, yet they always talked to Acorn like he didn't. It would be okay, except…It didn't look like Furio nor Lucio knew. That means Acorn had some chance.

If he could just take it , then he could have the prize.

That argument years ago? He liked the look on Furio’s face after he had slapped him. 

It made Acorn feel disgusting. It was a filthy feeling. 

Seeing Furio with tears in his eyes, his cheek red as he stared up at Acorn ..

It made him feel like he was in control. It was like..he was a pawn for the aliens, sure, but he was in control of someone else.

He knew that Lucio hated him for days after he hit Furio, blaming Acorn for hitting him in the first place. However, that behavior ceased when Furio begged for forgiveness. 

It quietly made Acorn wonder what the hell Furio was sorry for, but it's not something he would argue on. He didn't like arguing with Furio, that was only reserved for Lucio. And Till. And maybe Mizi, but he found Mizi's presence somewhat enjoyable. 

The hardest thing to do was get Furio alone without Lucio. When this ‘Dirt trio’ bullshit started, that was harder than ever. Wherever Furio was? Lucio was trailing after, not too far. 

It was always

“Furio, Lucio, and the third one.”

He was sick of that. Not anymore. As soon as he could find Furio? 

He'd make his move. 

It was early. Very early. Maybe 3am. Perfect timing.

Furio was under their shared tree, barely awake. He barely noticed Acorn standing over him.

Acorn read books with scenarios that went exactly like this.

Furio perked up when he noticed Acorn, waving slowly. “Good morning.” He mumbled, standing up. He watched Acorn stand in front of the tree awkwardly, his hand twitching.

“..Are you okay? We can wait for Lucio together.” Furio blinked, holding out his hand. He was surprised when his hand was yanked and he felt lips on his.

Acorn kissed Furio. He kissed Furio hard . The other didn't know what to do, his eyes widened with shock. He didn't even kiss back, motionless.

Both of them fell back, breaking their kiss as Furio’s head hit the ground. “Acorn, stop, please–” Furio begged, his arms outstretched and his eyes wide with fear.

Acorn simply pushed him down, easily overpowering the boy who survived on eating bugs daily. He kissed Furio again, more force driving him forward. 

He felt Furio’s tears, only backing away then. When he looked down, he saw Furio’s eyes avoiding his. He could see Furio thinking. He opened his mouth to defend himself, only to be cut off by Furio.

“This is…this is what I get for what I said all those years ago, right? I deserve this, right?” Furio was mumbling to himself, laying in the grass while Acorn was on all fours above him. 

If Furio was trying to justify it, then that means…

Acorn nodded, his eyes only slightly manic. Furio pushed him off, sitting up and closer to the tree. He didn't look too good…

Acorn laid on the grass beside Furio, studying his expressions. His eyes were distant, not fully focusing on anything. Acorn glanced at Furio’s collar, greeted by a bright red glow.

“Furio!!” Lucio hugged Furio, who still wasn't responding. It was like he shut down. Lucio looked at Furio, his brows bunched up in confusion. “Furio? Hellooo?” He poked at Furio's head, noticing his collar.

Lucio looked over at Acorn as if he had just noticed him there, his face darkening. Lucio hugged Furio closer, taking note of how the other gripped his shirt.

“What did you do?” Lucio questioned Acorn, ignoring how the grip on his shirt tightened. They both sat in silence, challenging the other.

Furio couldn't take it. He didn't want his first – and only – two friends arguing like this because of him. He let out a wet whimper, shaking his head. “Acorn didn't do anything. He didn’t. Don't get mad at him.”

Furio refused to look up, not ready to meet Acorn’s eyes. He wasn't even ready to meet Lucio’s. He just shivered, wiping his mouth while he prepared a lie.

“I was just hungry. I haven't eaten yet. And the blond kid who keeps staring at Mizi is pissing me off.”

He wasn't lying. He hadn't eaten yet. And the kid was staring at him. In disgust. Yeah, he had likely seen what had just went down.

Lucio let out a hum, grabbing Furio’s wrist. “..Right. Anywho, I have to tell you something! Acorn, shoo.” Lucio stuck his tongue out at the grumbling Acorn, flipping him off as soon as his back was turned.  Furio let out an offended sound, allowing Lucio to crouch down beside him.

“I talked to Mizi about escaping.” Lucio stated, proud. He almost sounded like he was waiting for praise, only to be shot down by Furio simply nodding.

“I could talk to Till. You mentioned that he had the chance and escaped for Mizi?” Furio questioned, composing himself. He looked up, seeing that Lucio had already caught a few bugs for him to snack on.

..That's why he took so long to come.

Furio gratefully smacked on the insects, listening to Lucio’s plan.

“... If i can convince Mizi that escaping will be the best plan, everyone else important will naturally follow her. We could collaborate with Ivan and get a map drawn out!” Lucio was just repeating what Furio had said earlier, but it did make him look smarter. 

Lucio nodded to himself, continuing without much prompting, “Then our final goal would be–” Lucio paused, suddenly unsure. 

Furio tilted his head, his mouth falling into an ‘oh’ when he realized what would come next.

“You should just leave without me.” Furio mumbled, blinking. It shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but it seemed to anger Lucio.

“How could you say that? How could I leave you?” Lucio demanded, shaking Furio. He was only slightly offended. Did Furio really think he was that shallow?

It didn't matter. If Furio truly did , then he had plenty of time to fix that.

Chapter Text

He no longer felt safe being alone with Acorn. He still wanted to be friends with the other, but he couldn’t help the shiver that went down his spine whenever Lucio was away. He didn’t like how Acorn looked at him after the kiss, like a cat that had figured out how to trick its owner into giving it cream. 

Furio took to using others as a buffer, relying on the assumption that Acorn wouldn’t repeat the act with others around. He discovered that there were many other kids, split into classes. He used ‘making friends’ as a way to avoid Acorn, feeling guilt when Acorn nodded with a disappointed frown. 

Furio also made sure to cut back on the romance books. They made his chest twist. He didn’t like how Acorn would gaze at the book with some silent confusion.

Lucio started to notice that something was off with both of them, always complaining about the tension that made itself at home underneath their tree. 

“You’re both so quiet now! What happened to your reading and stuff?” Lucio whined, his head buried down so that he could draw on Furio’s arm. 

Swirls, stars, hearts..

Furio simply shrugged while Acorn huffed, “Nothing happened! It’s  just…” Acorn paused, glancing at Furio. Furio looked away, busying his own eyes with the words he was pretending to read.

“We’re growing.” Acorn finished vaguely, an unseen guilt in his eyes. That pushed Lucio to think that something was actually wrong, and that it was Acorn’s fault. 

Of course it was Acorn’s fault. In Lucio’s eyes, Furio could do no wrong!

Lucio let out a huff, his focus wavering. He messed up a line on Furio’s arm, sighing and drawing something else in place of the cat he was originally drawing.

The tension was back. Lucio wracked through his brain, trying to figure out something to say in order to break it. He suddenly recalled something, humming. "Well, my alien adopted another human. She’s in segment B.” 

At those words, both Acorn and Furio looked up at Lucio. Furio had a face of confusion while Acorn wore that same stupid expression that he always had.

This feels like biased narration–

Furio scrunched his nose, using his free hand to play with his hair. “Is that allowed? She’s joining late and we’ve all already been here for years, getting an education and..” Lucio shrugged, unfamiliar with the rules himself.

Furio let out an exasperated –yet fond– sigh, holding back from lecturing Lucio. 

It wasn't unusual for Furio to lay into Lucio for not knowing the rules, but it didn’t feel like the time. Furio loved to preach, “Obedience equates to safety.”

A line that Lucio didn't quite agree with.

Acorn spoke up, trying to remind the duo that he was still there. “Yeah. A student can join the garden whenever, as long as they have the talent and knowledge to make up for time missed.”

Two pairs of eyes turned onto him, one with not-so silent hatred, and the other a feigned nonchalance. 

Maybe it's rude to treat him this way.

Furio couldn't hold back his sigh, a quiet, burning guilt making a home in his chest. It wasn't fair to treat Acorn that way. He likely didn't know what he did was wrong.

No. It wasn't wrong. He deserved it. 

Furio could tell that he was getting too deep in his head because Lucio pulled him into a hug, dropping the acrylic markers that Furio had recently gifted him.

Another gift that was simply ‘found’ in the dirt, despite being in pristine condition. 

Sometimes it did make Lucio feel guilty. But also, did Furio think he was stupid?

Furio was held in an awkward position, his arm outstretched so that the paint on it could dry.

This didn't deter Lucio. In fact, Lucio was nuzzling Furio and glaring at Acorn. Furio leaned into it, nearly returning the gesture. 

Acorn glared at them, grumbling something about PDA.

Furio let out a satisfied hum, his mind focused on Lucio’s warmth. In fact, he was so distracted that when a girl was standing over him, he barely noticed. 

Lucio looked up, his brows shooting up. “Mei!”

The movement disturbed Furio. He looked up to see Acorn sitting beside Lucio, staring up at the girl with furrowed brows.

She had a head of pink hair, only a tad darker than Mizi's. It was shorter, and more curly and thrown out. She had green eyes, a shade close to sage. Her eyes were dark— As in; they did not reflect light.

She ignored Lucio’s presence, crouching down to poking Furio. “Lucio, who is this? He's a bit..”

She trailed off, recognition lighting her eyes up. “I knew he was cute! Furio! I see you all the time in Lucio’s magazines and–”

Lucio quickly dropped Furio, jumping onto Mei and laughing awkwardly. “Mei…”

Furio rubbed his head, sighing. His next word came at the exact same time, “Mei…”

His tone was withdrawn, as if he aged over fifty years in under one minute.

“Furio! We worked together during that one shoot, right?” Mei chirped, pushing Lucio off. Her face quickly fell, and she lost all emotion in her face. 

After staring at Furio, she smiled sharply. “You said I was too fake. You acted as if you were above me.” 

Furio narrowed his eyes, not remembering their interaction at all. 

“You're such a hypocrite!” She laughed, her cheery facade back in its place.

Acorn and Lucio looked between Mei and Furio, taking note of Furio’s tense expression and Mei's quick change.

“And which of us do they call a porcelain doll?” Furio grumbled, crossing his arms. 

“And you're called some emotionless puppet!” She hissed back, wagging her finger around. 

“Oh, so now I'm gonna–” Furio stood up, pouncing on Mei. He felt two arms wrapping around his middle, holding him as he struggled. He was hissing, almost like a cat.

Lucio chuckled awkwardly, holding Furio back. “Wow, I can feel your ribs!” He said, cheery. He did send Mei a glare, ignoring her confusion and setting Furio down. “Make sure you’re eating, okay?”

Mei stuck her tongue out at Furio, shaking her fist. 

She didn't want to admit that she was confused due to the sudden hostility from Lucio, having looked up to him as if he were a brother.

It was easier to just blame Furio, someone who was new and unknown.

Mei felt tears springing up as she glared at Furio, seeing how he was treated with such warmth that he seemed to take for granted.

She felt a burning envy, her resentment for Furio growing for seemingly no reason at all. 

She didn't know much about him outside of their first conversation, but she decides not to like him anyways. What was there to like about a boy who seemed to barely even like himself?

As she silently seethed, she felt two eyes boring into the back of her neck. She whirled around, finding no one there.

She really did like Lucio. He was like a brother to her, warm and easy to throw work that she didn’t want to do on. She recalled how everyone spoke warmly about him, raving about his kindness.

This means she also heard about how most refused to approach Lucio due to the ‘cold presence’ that could always be felt behind him.

Mei looked back and saw Furio holding onto Lucio’s hand. It was a disgusting display.

She had heard about the occasions in which someone had wanted Lucio, only to get ignored with two words from Furio.

“I'm cold.”

It was almost like Lucio was kept on a leash. A tight leash. 

Mei shook her head, not wanting to think about them anymore. 

Furio is cold. That is undeniable. What he wasn’t? Scary. People gave too much power to someone who looked like he could barely even catch a beetle.

Mei decided that is was truly time to end that train of thought.  She decided to look for the person she had caught staring at her, knowing she wasn’t crazy.

After that, she'd sit down and ponder what made Lucio fall for that guy with the personality of a brick.

And then she'd wonder why Acorn was so quiet. Background-y.

Chapter Text

Lucio sat in silence, something unusual from him. He was alone, staring at the gifts piled up in his corner with an overwhelming guilt.

Did he ever stop to think about how hard Furio must have worked for those?

The pencils, the pens, the fancy paper..among other things.

Why did Furio think he was stupid? Why did he always lie about where he got the presents? It wouldn't be hard to tell him the truth, right?

Lucio hugged his pillow, realizing just how hypocritical he sounded.

No. It's different. It's definitely different.

Lucio stared up at the ceiling, taking note of the stars in the dark.

“Here. So the dark doesn't get overwhelming.” Furio had muttered, having been found bothering Sua with Ivan. The longer Furio hung around the two, the more similarities that could be found. 

They all shared this cold exterior, and it was harder to get around them.

Lucio hugged his pillow, yet another gift from Furio.

Damn. Everything is a gift from Furio.

He realized bitterly, sighing.

Furio gave him everything that was currently in his room. It was endearing, even though it was also upsetting.

Lucio knows that Furio gives him so much so that they'd stay friends, but Lucio would stay his friend either way! It was almost insulting, and it felt like he was being accused of being so materialistic. 

Lucio quietly wondered what Furio would be doing at the moment as he stood up. He didn't need lights with the glowing stars on his ceiling, so he opened a drawer.

It was full of magazines, all with Furio on the cover. Sometimes Lucio was almost ashamed of how much space Furio seemed to take up in his mind, but he also felt very smug when he thought about it longer. 

He knows that many would kill to be in his spot, so he should treasure it. 

Furio was growing in popularity. Many wanted to be around him, but he was also pretty rude. Although unintentional, he was very unwelcoming and cold. This led to a lot of people not trying to befriend him.

And Furio isn't one to reach out, either. 

After knowing the boy, he realized that it was due to a lack of trying, but rather not truly knowing how. It's been years and Lucio could tell that Furio truly didn't know how these friendships were supposed to go. 

He did still try to ‘pay’ Lucio and Acorn for being his friends.

Lucio grabbed his favorite one, letting out a satisfied hum when he saw both him and Furio on the cover. It was from before the aliens had dubbed them “Io²”, thus when they were being put against each other.

It was his favorite because Furio looked beautiful in the white outfit he had been put in, surrounded by flowers colored a cruel red.

There were many times when Furio’s alien had tried to dye or pin back the strands of hair that were colored purple, and some where it even tried to cut them out.

Hearing Furio groan about the reaction was always funny. It gave Lucio a small win whenever Furio’s alien suffered. 

Speaking of….

At the thought of Furio’s alien, all anger he could hold towards the smaller boy was boxed up and forgotten. 

He wondered what Furio was doing right now.

Likely sleeping, but a visit wouldn't hurt much…Right?

With that, he put the magazine back in its place, humming a tune to himself. He had no idea what time it was, and he knew that Furio’s sleeping schedule hasn’t ever been ideal but….

A teeny tiny visit wouldn't hurt!

With this thought, he looked out into the hallway, trying to maintain an air of stealth despite knowing that cameras littered the halls.

He used the walls to guide him in the dark, silently wondering what he'd do if Furio wasn't in his dorm.

Lucio was well aware that Furio didn't like him seeing what he looked like, chained in that small, cramped room that was only used for punishments. 

If he was there, then…

Well, Furio needed someone to undo his chains.

It sounded like Lucio was in luck when he finally arrived to Furio’s room, hearing sounds that implied Furio was inside and wide awake.

Lucio slowly pushed the door open with a jolly grin, blinking when he saw the mess that greeted him.

Furio stood in the middle of the room, a bruise blooming on his cheek. Around him were tattered pages and ripped up clothes, scissors in his hand showing what he used to aid him in making such chaos.

Blood coated his hands, standing his shirt that was once pure white. He hacked at his hair messily, tears flowing down his face. 

He positioned the scissors over his neck, preparing the dig the blades into his tattoo to force it out some way. He was a mess, beautiful yet chaotic.

A side of him that he'd rather die than let anyone see.

Everything he wasn’t supposed to be.

Lucio quickly ran over to Furio, snatching the scissors out of his hands. 

Furio tried to push him away, leading to Lucio pining the struggling boy onto the floor in an attempt not to hurt him.

“Furio– Are you okay?” Lucio pleaded, his voice desperate. He wanted Furio to be okay. He didn't know what to do when Furio got like this.

Furio didn't get like this around him. It was always something avoided. 

A Furio that wasn't calm was something Lucio hadn't seen in a long time, one locked away and kept behind many walls.

Furio jolted, forcing Lucio’s focus back on him.

 “Give me the scissors – Please—” Furio begged, his hand outstretched. He was grabbing for the scissors, cursing his waning strength for not being about to grab them. “Please, Lucio. You don't understand–”

Lucio couldn't help but agree.

He didn't understand. Furio seemed so eager to destroy in the face of his own pain, bordering on self destruction. 

To let him do that?

It would go against everything Lucio promised himself. He would not let Furio get hurt, even by himself.

Furio took Lucio’s silence as some kind of judgement. While the other was distracted, Furio pushed him off, a sob in his throat. 

Instead of reaching for the scissors, Furio slapped Lucio.

Lucio watched Furio with a hurt expression, opening his mouth when he felt Furio weakly punching his torso.

“I hate you. I hate you. I hate you..” Furio cried, his eyes unfocused. He kept weakly hitting Lucio, even when he was pulled into a hug.

When his hits proved to be ineffective, he bit the other. Hard.

Lucio tensed, his arms around Furio hugging him tighter. 

He felt like Furio needed this, despite how much it hurt him. It was better that it was Lucio getting hurt instead of Furio hurting himself.

Lucio quietly shushed Furio, feeling his tears and teeth on his skin.

They stayed there. Lucio rocked Furio back and forward until he just slumped into Lucio’s arms, letting out a weary sigh. Lucio let the silence simmer, silently debating on asking what happened or just letting Furio sleep. He didn't know what could happen for Furio to display such a reaction.

He didn't know if this was frequent.

He wanted to know if these breakdowns were frequent. If they were, did Furio not trust him enough to let him see all of him?

He wanted all of Furio. He looked down, noticing Furio still mumbling about how much he ‘hated’ him. 

Even a mess, with tears and snot streaming down his face. Even with the  choppy and uneven cuts in his hair, with the purple that Lucio knew Furio loved barely there.

He wanted all of Furio, and he wouldn't dare take any less.

“I fucking hate you.” Furio mumbled, not making any moves to hurt Lucio. He was panting heavily, hiding his face in Lucio’s neck.

Lucio decided not to take the words to heart, especially when he felt Furio’s tears coming back.

What followed was nails digging into his back, making Lucio flinch. He waited, wanting Furio to get all of his thoughts out before he said anything.

“I fucking hate you. But….fuck, you're so good at being perfect.” He paused, gasping, “I hate how you make me feel. I hate you. I hate you so much. I hate how you make me feel like more than I should be. I hate you.”

Furio was babbling nonsense. Lucio let out a low hiss, opening his mouth to refute Furio.

Refute what? He didn't even know.

“No. No. You're so stupid. Another thing I hate about you. All I do is hurt you. I hold you back, and you still stay. You're hurting yourself. I should just..” Furio let out a crazed laugh, his nails digging in even more, “Maybe I should just kill myself. That'll stop you from tethering yourself to me, right? You'd be so much better off if I–”

Furio was jerked back, landing on his back. Lucio was over him on all fours, and it brought a pain to his chest. It reminded him of Acorn and he closed his eyes.

He was only brought a bit of relief by the fact that it was Lucio, and he braced himself—

Furio felt tears hitting his face, mixing with his own. He opened his eyes, staring into Lucio’s. 

Those bright eyes, usually ones that carried such warmth, stared down at him with a mixture of anger and hurt. Furio hated it. He loved it.

Fuck. He doesn't know.

“Don't say that…please, don't say that.” Lucio begged, desperation overshadowing anything else he could have felt in that moment. 

Furio felt Lucio slip a gentle hand over his mouth, silencing anything Furio could've said. 

He felt tears dripping onto his face, only pulling him deeper into the deep pull that Lucio’s eyes had suddenly gained.

“You're my only friend. Please. Don't repeat those words. I don't know what's wrong. I just…please. Please don't repeat those words.” Lucio asked —no, begged— Furio not to repeat himself. Not to dare speak of such a vile thing.

Despite having Furio under him, breathing and warm, Lucio felt as if Furio had gone cold. No, he didn’t want to even think of such a possibility. 

Lucio didn't realize that Furio had reached up, wiping his tears just as he did for him.

Lucio awkwardly moved his hand off of Furio’s mouth, standing up and pulling Furio up with him. Furio just let him, too exhausted to fight it.

Lucio retraced his steps, now pulling Furio along. When he passed his room, he could feel Furio stumble.

He probably expected that to be their destination. Lucio continued pulling Furio along the halls, silent so that no one else would wake.

Lucio ended up pulling Furio outside, sitting under their tree and spreading his arms out in a silent invitation. Furio laid down, letting Lucio wrap his arms around him and warm him up. They laid in silence, neither of them wanting to acknowledge what had just happened. It was hard not to, though.

Furio lifted a hand, dully noting how cold the back of his neck felt. He tried to find any remaining purple, disappointed when he couldn't.

He was exhausted. He didn't want to talk at all.

However, Lucio's presence had this weird effect. Whenever the other was around, his chest felt warmer. His lips….looser.

“It said I was being corrupted.” Furio mumbled, being mindful of the scratches on Lucio’s back. He squeezed the other's shirt, silently apologizing for the scratches and tears gathering in his eyes.

“My..alien…no, my father…he said that being around certain people was going to ruin me. He said that I'm nothing beyond a pretty face without him. I didn't want to be pretty anymore. He said..—” Furio was beginning to hyperventilate, his eyes unfocused.

He was nothing without his alien. He was just meat, waiting to die.

Lucio could feel nothing but guilt in the moment. He was aware of Furio’s problem. How it made him uncomfortable when others had mistaken him for a girl. He had just heard Furio say that he no longer wanted to be pretty.

Despite all of that, he still looked at Furio. He couldn’t help but think that Furio was truly the most beautiful sight that he's ever seen.

He grabbed Furio’s cheeks, backing away just to look in his eyes. “No, no. Don't say that,” he paused, worrying at his lip, “To me, you're everything. You're so much more than your face. You're Furio. The one who loves reading sad romances. The Furio who clowned me for falling out of a tree. The Furio who is always there to mediate when me and that damned nut fight,” Lucio stated, his tone righteous.

 He barely paused for a breath, listening closely to Furio’s every breath. He noticed the slight hitch, and how those eyes got brighter and more focused.

“You're not the Furio that those aliens like to parade around. The one who hangs on those strings. You're my star. My everything.”

Furio was hiccuping now, having no more tears to cry.

“You're my closest friend, Furio. Never forget it.”

Furio let out a broken breath, clinging on to Lucio until they fell asleep under that tree.

Fuck. Lucio.

I hate you. You're too perfect.