Archive of Our Own ^beta

Jason's heart pounded in his chest as he ran for his life, the Killer hot on his tail. His ragged boots slammed onto the stone floor of the Brandonworks Castle. Blood trickled from all the wounds the Killer had already given him. A projectile shot out from the Killer's hand, nicking him in the leg. He fell to the ground, and wished that it would swallow him up so he wouldn't have to experience the pain of dying again. It had already happened a more than a hundred times, but he never grew numb to it. No matter how many times he was stabbed, bruised, shot, every wound still felt as real and horrifyingly vivid as the first time he died in that lake. He braced for the impact of the final blow.

He felt a sword thud into his back. But there was no pain, just a strange warmth pulsating from the Daemonshank. Its chains rattled as he was pulled towards 1x1x1x1.

"Voorhees, get up!"

They grabbed his wrist and pulled him to his feet. 1x panted as the two of them continued running, only stopping once they reached a dead end at the edge of the castle battlements.

"Shit, you're too slow.." They hissed, voice glitching as they whispered curses under their breath. "Hold on tight!" With their grip still iron-clad on his wrist, they leaped off the castle, silver wings unfurling to pull the two of them high into the sky.

Jason expected their gliding to be at least a little graceful, but in truth it was quite clumsy, partly because they were weighed down by carrying him. Their hand felt pleasantly warm around his wrist. 1x landed behind a small wall carefully, making sure he had two feet on the ground before tucking their wings behind their back again. They peeked out to check if the Killer was still chasing them - thankfully it was still glancing around atop the castle in confusion.

"That was close." Jason signed. "Thank you."

Their eyes narrowed. "Too close." 

They scoffed. "Stop behaving like a reckless fool. It makes you look pathetic." They held up his own wrist in front of his face for emphasis, eyes widening by a fraction when they realised they were still holding onto it. They let go and turned away suddenly in a futile attempt to hide their flushed face. 

His hockey mask hid him rolling his eyes. He nodded and signed again when they turned back. "If it'll make you stop nagging, I'll be more careful next time."

1x1x1x1 snickered. "Then, I praise you for being oh so very obedient." They paused for a moment as they gripped the Daemonshank's hilt. The sword was still embedded in his back. "Er. I'm going to need this back."

"It might.. sting. Think you can take it?"

He flashed them a lazy thumbs-up. 

"Ok.. Just to make sure you're prepared, I'll pull out on the count of three." 1x did a good job at hiding the wavering in their glitchy voice.

"1.." The feathers on their wings shivered.

"2.." Their hand grew clammy with sweat, nearly sliding off of the hilt.

"3!" The sword slid out with a wet squelch.

Their gaze flicked to Jason nervously, half-expecting to see him keeled over in a pool of his own blood after getting stabbed to death by his own teammate. Strangely, he was fine. They were not. Suddenly becoming acutely aware of their quickened breathing and the peculiar warmth in their cheeks, they froze.

Silence curdled between the two survivors.

"1x, are you alright?"

"What?" They snapped.

He shrugged. "You just started.. staring. At me."

1x1x1x1 cackled. "Why would I ever want to stare at you?" They stabbed their Daemonshank into the ground violently. "Cease your insolent blabbering- signing- nonsense, and heal up."

The Daemonshank emanated a faint green glow. The white hot fire coursing through Jason's nerves dulled to a bearable buzzing. Leaking cuts on his hands sealed up. He raised them to start signing again, pausing to consider 1x's reaction to his question. 

"Any way I can thank you for this?"

"...Thank me for what?"

"No duh, airhead. For saving me."

They scoffed again, but there was no heat in it this time. "It's my job, idiot. I'm a Support. There's no need to grovel at my feet for giving you the slightest bit of attention."

And that's the response he got for being grateful. "Would you like me to? Grody fantasies, bird." That's the response they got for being an asshole.

"I told you to Shut. Up."

"Not saying you wouldn't like it."

"Same goes for you." They grumbled, fiddling with the zipper on their mouth.

Jason let out a string of "Ki"s and "Ma"s that could be interpreted as snickering. 1x1x1x1's prickliness could be entertaining at times. "Ok, eager beaver. Just take a rain check."

1x was too irritated (and flustered) to bother asking what the hell a rain check was.

The two of them sat in uneventful silence for the rest of the round.

---

The only sound in the room was the fireplace of the survivors' cabin crackling. Jason sank into the ratty couch. His gaze scanned tiredly across the room - ghostly shadows obscured most of it. It fell on the only other figure in the room, who was glowing faintly in the corner. 1x1x1x1 sat by a window perched on a stool, silver wings and hair illuminated by both the moonlight and the dim orange firelight. 

They looked almost ethereal, if not for the state of their wings. The wings that had saved him. Now that they were beautifully lit, he observed them more closely. Round by round, they grew more and more matted. Each feather was crooked and bent out of place. It looked rather uncomfortable. Sometimes Jason caught 1x scratching at them as if they were itchy, or as if they wanted to claw them off.

Despite his exhaustion, he mustered the energy to get off the couch and walk towards them. Hesitantly, he placed his hand on one of the wings. 1x flinched and whirled around to face him not a second later.

"Tch. Your mother never taught you to keep your hands to yourself?" It came out sounding more defensive than they wanted it to. After all, they didn't want anyone acknowledging the fiddly feathered limbs attached to their spine. And especially not Jason.

Jason just stood there. Awkwardly. Trying to find the right words, that didn't sound like "Your wings look like a total mess."

"What do you want, anyways?"

"Just thought you needed some help with these." He reached out to caress touch their wing again. "They're kind of.." His hands floated in empty space, at a loss for words again. Especially when not pissing off 1x anymore was crucial if he wanted to help them so badly.

They looked at their own wings now, raising an eyebrow like they had just seen them for the first time. Their gaze slid over the crooked and mangled barbs just like Jason's had, only theirs was filled with something like boredom mixed with contempt.

They looked back at Jason. Still standing there. Still reaching out despite their- well, everything.

"If you insist." They said in a cool and level tone as they turned to face the window again, because the blush on their cheeks was betraying them.

Carefully, Jason set to work. He tried his best to be gentle as he smoothed the barbs back into place, and untangled the knotted feathers. They felt warm and alive under his fingers. Even in their disheveled state, they were quite the sight to behold. Moonlight glinted off the feathers like they were platinum. 1x hissed as he lightly tugged at a particularly stubborn knot. His hands flew off their wings.

"No, no. You can.." They audibly swallowed.

"You may continue. I can. Handle it. Yeah."

He nodded slowly, and continued as asked. Knots came undone with near surgical precision. Jason was astounded at the state of some of the deeper feathers. They were dry and brittle, nearly getting plucked out at the slightest touch. He tapped 1x's shoulder to get them to look at him.

"I don't wanna be rude.. but how did they get like this?"

They looked at the ground. "I suppose.. because I never cared for them."

"Why?"

"They seem like." They gesticulated confusingly, as their tone grew more harsh. As if scathing insults might free them of their gross hereditary wings. "Weird flesh things. Useless reminders of..." He suddenly grabbed their wrists, and set them down on the stool.

"For the record, I think. Your wings look pretty. Really unique."

"..Really?" Their voice was uncharacteristically soft, glitching softened to a murmur.

"Really." He nodded with a "Ki".

They were met with silence again, filled with unspoken words and warmth that wasn't just from the fire crackling.

"Do they feel better now?"

They nodded quietly as they stared into the middle distance. Jason was thankful for his hockey mask hiding his own flustered expression, which mirrored 1x's.

"How sappy.." They remarked as he trudged towards the cabin door.

"Wait." 1x1x1x1 called. "Jason?"

He turned to face them as he was halfway out the door.

"...Thank you."

"...Ki."