i (don't) wanna ruin our friendship
Relationship: Aether/Dewdrop
Tags: Feelings Realization, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unrequited Love, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Crack, Misunderstandings, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Crack Treated Seriously, Romantic Soulmates, Canon Compliant, Singing, Dewdrop Needs a Hug, Soft Dewdrop, Hurt Dewdrop, Water Ghoul Dewdrop, Love Confessions, Purring Ghouls, Monstrous Ghouls, Found Family, Not Beta Read, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Matchmaking, First Kiss, Banter
Summary: After his element change, Dewdrop thought he couldn't love and be loved, considering himself too fucked up for that kind of stuff. Yet, the only constant in all he’d been through was Aether. Aether, who he considered his best friend, who never left his side once.
What could that possibly mean?
There was a party going at the Abbey that night. Not for any special reason whatsoever, the Ghouls just wanted to have some fun after they got back from the last part of the European leg of the current tour: a few members had left, being sent to other abbeys, while new additions had arrived, so the old guard thought it would've been good to spend some time together without the stress of touring and rituals. At least for a few weeks before packing up and flying to America for the Ultimate Tour Named Death.
That was the reason why Dewdrop found himself leaning against a wall in the Ghouls’ quarters as he casually drank his blond beer, cold gulp after cold gulp. As much as he liked to cause havoc and have people’s attention all on himself on stage, he wasn't in the mood for that at the moment. In fact, his gaze had been following Aether for a while, now, as the quintessence ghoul was busy chatting amicably with Swiss and Cirrus just a couple of meters away from where he stood.
He emitted a deep sigh, his eyes dropping briefly down to the gold liquid still foaming in his mug.
His mind had been to all sorts of places lately during the A Pale Tour Named Death. Stuff.. happened some months before it kicked in and, even though more than a year passed since then, the fire ghoul still had to adjust to his new, foreign situation. And that wasn't easy, not for someone like him. Not after what he'd been through..
“Hey, firefly, are you alright?”
That voice immediately made his attention snap back to the present. Wait. When did Aether appear in front of him? How long had he been dissociating?
Despite his inner stupor, Dewdrop just shrugged his shoulders in reply, before taking a long sip.
The quintessence ghoul slided next to him, then nudged him playfully. “Don't lock me out.” he asked him, a hint of a gentle smile showing on his face, that couldn't quite hide the real worry that veiled his periwinkle hues.
Dewdrop tensed at those words, before grimacing. “Sorry, I was just..” he threw a quick glance at his side, where Aether waited patiently for him to continue. “Thinking.” he conceded at last, the grimace only deepening, then he scoffed, a puff of smoke slipping from his nostrils, not a good sign whenever that happened.
Aether only nodded, humming in understanding, and silence followed. “You're gonna heat it up if you keep doing that.” he teased him after a drawn out, poignant pause and suddenly the fire ghoul realized the glass was scolding hot under his fingers, smoke was swirling from the clawed tips. “You like the taste of piss, Dewy?” his friend’s amused chuckle should've made his blood boil further, yet his chest only felt tighter upon hearing it.
“Fuck off.” Dewdrop growled under his breath as he willed his body temperature to cool down. “That's Swiss, not me. Go ask him.” he spat then, rolling his sharp eyes.
