“oh, boy, it’s you that i lie with as the atom bomb locks in.”
(slimeknight angst that gets vaguely suggestive. something short and kind of sweet? and also just poorly written i think)
“you’re staying?”
it was a rhetorical question, in all honesty.
a pointless one he knew the answer to.
“yes.” avery stood across from him, firm, unwavering.
“you aren’t going to leave?” he inched closer.
he felt like an animal. cold, calculating, cornering it’s prey to go in for the kill.
“no.” avery swallowed this time, brows furrowing in concentration.
he was perfect.
that’s all derek could think about; how perfect avery was.
the way he held himself, the way he spoke so stubbornly, so sure in his ways.
the way he powered through until the end in spite of his struggles.
he was strong.
avery was so much stronger than he gave himself credit.
derek wished he had the time to show him.
his next line caught on the tip of his tongue.
he knew it. oh, of course, he knew it.
“avery, what’s in your inventory?” and then he was meant to knock the slime off the ledge as he went to check.
so why couldn’t he get the words out?
why, instead of doing as he had carefully planned, was he striding forward and fisting his hands into avery’s shirt?
why was he tugging him forward, angling his head, struggling with his stupid helmet in the way, to plant a kiss to avery’s lips?
and why did something deep and awful and truly beautiful bloom in him all at once from this simple action?
a million timelines danced in his head in that very moment.
all of the possibilities of what could have been.
at least, between him and avery.
friends; they walk as a pair, fishing rods in hand, avery cracks a joke that makes him keel over with laughter.
lovers; their hands feel so much warmer when interlaced, they share their own home. a quaint cottage they had built for themselves.
and then there was this timeline.
the one that didn’t make it.
in every. single. timeline.
they were together.
every single one, but this one.
so, forgive him for savoring this while he can. forgive him for indulging.
forgive him for pulling away from avery, wiping his mouth, tears pricking his eyes just to—
a startling flash of green is all he has time to register before avery is kissing him again, fervently.
the way a starved man scarfs down food.
the way a drowning man grips a lifesaver with all his might.
derek tensed, looking down at the other, eyes lidded. he was never good with this stuff.
sure, he technically had the knowledge of what to do now, but that didn’t make it easy to follow through with the actions.
he was stiff as he wrapped his arms around avery’s shoulders, mouth slack and gaping, the poor slime had nothing to work with here.
but he managed.
avery was brilliant and far more experienced than he looked, he had a rhythm to all of this.
one he, very helpfully, tapped on derek’s back so he could follow along.
the knight did nearly choke when he felt a slimy tongue slither into his mouth, just exploring.
almost casually.
christ.
“wait, aver—” a deft swipe of the slime’s tongue left him groaning. embarrassingly enough.
but avery did listen, eventually, pulling back and leaving a thin trail of slime-saliva connecting them.
no, derek wasn’t staring at it. why would he?
“mm?” avery hummed, staring at him curiously.
“can we, uh— sit down? this would be easier on the floor, no?” it made sense.
objectively, it was easier to go through with stuff like this on an even surface.
without gravity and the complete difference in height and stuff like that getting in the way..
but it was also closer to the edge of this— platform. avery was so close to it.
one wrong move and there he went. derek just had to keep him preoccupied.
what did it matter if he continued to indulge a bit? it surely worked as a distraction.
he going to die soon regardless.
good luck to avery if he wished to hunt him down and scold his ghost, but something told him he wouldn’t.
mad at derek or not.
the pair dropped to their knees as avery resumed, what was essentially, tongue-fucking his mouth.
but this time?
derek tried his best to reciprocate.
keyword; tried.
it was sloppy and wet and loud because, god, he really didn’t know how to get these movements right, but—
but it was also avery.
he was doing this with avery and that was all that mattered in the end. he whimpered, pitifully, when avery pulled back again.
he reached for the slime like he was his savior.
like he was his god.
he wanted to stay like this.
in this moment, wrapped up in avery, avery, avery.
recreating a timeline where they both live and thrive and love.
but he couldn’t.
and he knew that.
“i’m sorry, avery.” barely above a whisper, hardly audible in this void.
he’d nearly forgotten about the eyes until he looked up at avery’s face.
until he saw them looming behind the slime.
right.
he was doing all of this to keep avery safe.
don’t be selfish, derek, he will die if you don’t do this. you have to do this.
he may hate you temporarily, for the lies, the deciet, but at least he will live.
at least he will remember you.
at least, at least, at least, his brain repeated like a mantra.
“what are you talking about?” avery was quiet, too, cautious.
and then he was falling.
he had sat too close to the edge.
he had made it too easy for derek.
“until next time, avery.” the knight whispered as his friend fell and fell and fell.
“i love you” caught in his throat before he could say it. he didn’t want to say it.
he knew avery. but avery did not know him.
and now? he never would.