splitting, barely fitting; sew up your skull, take your time, and we’ll be just fine
hiii sorry we kinda dropped this fic for a month by accident sobsob we do love writing this we just set impossible standards title is from Meteor Shower by Cavetown!
relationships; vio + erune, vio + blue, vio + green + zelda
ao3 link; x
“So…you’re alive, that’s a good thing.”Erune forced an awkward smile, stirring her tea with a spoon as Vio scoffed. “Thanks, Erune, I didn’t know that I was alive.”Vio mumbled, then sighed. “I’m sorry, that was rude. It’s just that…well, that’s the first thing anyone has been saying to me for the past month” “That’s okay. It must get frustrating, right?”She smiled a more genuine, friendly smile this time. Vio simply nodded, sipping their own tea. “Thank you for having me over.” “I didn’t want to assume that your dislike of public spaces had changed at all, so…I’d assumed you’d like it more if we just hung out here.” “You are…the first person to take that into consideration. I know the others mean well, but…I don’t think I’m ready for being in public right now. I mean, I don’t even have a hand right now. People are gonna ask.” “I…would ask, but it’s probably a touchy subject.” “I would tell you, but your mother is in the other room and I don’t need another person doing a welfare check on me.”Vio deadpanned, waving Erune’s concern off. “I’ll tell you someday.” “You don’t have to ever tell me if you don’t want to. I am, however, going to ask about that hair. It looks like you haven’t cut it in a while.” “Surprisingly, I have terrible coordination so haven’t been able to. It’s fine, though.” “I could cut it for you.”Erune offered, looking at the other. Vio fell quiet, considering it. Part of them is begging to let her cut it, but… Shadow liked them having longer hair. It’d started growing during their time in the fire temple, and Shadow had loved putting little braids in it if Vio wouldn’t sleep. “You should grow it out,”Shadow had muttered to Vio one night. “Mh, yeah?” “Yeah. You’d look nice with long hair. I could braid it for you, too.” “You’re shockingly good at braids.”Vio stated bluntly, causing Shadow to nod in agreement. “I know! It’s literally something I didn’t even know I could do before.” Vio hummed, and they’d thought about it. “Okay. I’ll grow it out long enough for you to put a longer, full braid in my hair.” And Shadow had smiled—no, he’d beamed at them upon hearing Vio say those words. They thought about that a lot. If Shadow were still here, Vio would probably have a braid in their hair all the time. Shadow loved doing it. Maybe it was because it was something to do, maybe it was his way of showing appreciation, Vio isn’t sure. But Vio does know that it was nice. It was nice to see Shadow so relaxed and calm. He was always gentle, too, never tugging too hard on Vio’s hair even when their hair had knots in it. “Uh—I’ll…keep that offer in mind. I think I’ll just keep it like this for now..” “Okay, whatever makes you happy.”She whistled. “So, how’ve you been adjusting to being back?” “It’s…way more difficult than it seems. I haven’t been around anyone for so long..now Red barely wants to leave my side, and if she isn’t there she gets Blue to stay with me. I love ‘em, really, they’re my friends. But..I like being alone, y’know?” “I get that.”She nodded softly. “Being alone can be nice sometimes.” “I’ve been alone for so long. You’d think I’d hate being alone now.” “Solitude can be nice.” “I know that.”Vio smiled. “I was alone for months…until Green showed up, of course.” “...would you have come back if you weren’t found?” Vio paused, thinking about it for a minute. “No. I wouldn’t have. Didn’t have a rhyme or reason to.” “How come?” “I didn’t miss anyone when I was away,”Vio admitted. “I was too…caught up on the ideal of being alone to really miss anyone. I believed I was better off alone…I still think I’m right.” “What makes you feel like that?”She frowned, concern filling her eyes, and Vio wished they’d kept their mouth shut. “Vio, what makes you think you’re better off alone? Nobody deserves to be alone.” “I do.”Vio hummed out with the confidence of the entire army. “I deserve to be alone. I wasn’t really alone anyways.” “Huh?” “I had my thoughts. And who can really be alone if you have those?” “Vio..”Erune frowned, gently holding Vio’s hand. “That isn’t healthy. None of this is.” “Rune. If you’re gonna give me the same lecture everyone else has, I’m just…going.” “Maybe you should listen.”Erune sighed, watching as Vio got up. “It was nice seeing you.”Was all they said before walking out. Vio walked down the path, staring at the ground. They didn’t…mean to be rude to Erune, but— But she’s wrong! Everyone’s wrong! Vio deserves a helluva lot worse than just ‘being alone’—hell, they deserve death. But Vio hasn’t said that, Vio won’t say that. They can’t stand the others incessantly worrying about them. It’s so…it’s so infuriating! Vio doesn’t need pity. Vio wants to be alone. If Vio’d wanted to come back, they would have! But they didn’t! Vio was perfectly fine in the fire temple. Who cares if Vio hasn’t been eating? Who cares about Vio’s severe lack of sleep? Vio never had to deal with this in the fire temple. Goddesses—the fire temple was Vio’s home! It was theirs and it was Shadow’s. It was theirs. The fire temple was where they’d both lived, was where Vio had made all their best memories. And now? Now Zelda and Green are talking about tearing it down. They talk about it in front of Vio as if they aren’t even there! It’s cruel. They’re both cruel. None of them had even bothered to ask what Vio thinks of their stupid plan. It’s like they’re still not even here… Vio didn’t become an idiot while they were gone—of course they didn’t, that wouldn’t make sense. So why is it that everyone is treating them in the way you would treat a newborn baby? Vio’s not fragile, Vio won’t break or scream or cry at everything. Vio’s an 18 year old who is as in control of their emotions as a ruler is in control of their kingdom. Vio hates being treated this way. It’s unfair! Just because they’re impulsive it doesn’t mean they’re an idiot. They’re—they’re still smart…right? Even smart people can make mistakes. But…they don’t want to make a mistake right now. They have to tell Zelda and Green that they can’t tear down the fire temple—they can’t. It’s not right. If—no, when Shadow gets back, they don’t really expect him to live with them, do they? He’d want to go home, to the fire temple. The fire temple is his home. Vio can’t let them take more from Shadow than they already had. Spinning on their heel, Vio began to walk towards the castle. They can’t let the fire temple be torn down—they can’t. “Green!”Vio breathed out once they’d spotted Green a little bit away, standing and talking to a seemingly agitated Blue. “Vio—weren’t you with Erune today?” “I was but then I got mad and left. Listen—I need to talk to you and Zelda, like, yesterday.” “Is it…important?” “Yeah. I think it is.” Green shrugged and nodded. “I’ll…go get her. Wait here.” Vio nodded in response, watching Green walk off. “You seem annoyed, Blue. What’s up?” “Green’s acting like he knows everything. Mind knockin’ him down a peg somehow?” “Of course, it’s what I’m best at. What’s he thinking he knows now?” Blue paused, then sighed. “He thinks that destroying the fire temple will ‘fix’ you.” “What?”Vio’s mouth feels dry. “But…I don’t need fixing..?” “I know, I know. You need healing and help, not ‘fixing’. But Green thinks that the fire temple existing is why you’re so…”Blue blinked, gesturing up and down Vio’s body with a vague noise. “You just gestured to all of me.” “That’s the point.”Blue snorted. “Anyways. I know he means well but he’s doing a fuckin awful job. Even I’m not being that bad and I suck at this.” “No you don’t.”Vio hummed. “What I’m about to do will knock him down anyways.” “You’re not gunna tell me, are you?” “You’ll…find out when Green gets mad at me.” “Vio. Flower. Don’t do anything that you know will make people mad.” “I have to! I can’t let them do this, berry..I can’t. I won’t let it happen, not without fighting it.” “...flower, be careful. Don’t give Green a reason to mark you as insane.” “Why?” Blue fell quiet. Vio’s curious, though. “Why, Blue?” “You’ve been gone for months, and returned with a hand missing. Green could put you in a cell for reason of insanity, Vi.” “They still do that..?” “Unfortunately. Zel’s tryna change it but her pops won’t fucking budge.” “...oh.”Vio mumbled, backing up. “I don’t wanna be in a cell.” Maybe they shouldn’t. …fuck that. “But I have to do this, Blue.”Vio crossed their arms. “What are you even wanting to do, Vi?” “I can’t—” “Vi!” The two turned, looking to see Green waving Vio over, standing next to Zelda. “...gotta go. See ya, Blue.” “Be careful, Vio.” “I will be.”Vio shot Blue a gentle smile before walking over to Green and Zelda. “Hey.” “You needed to talk?”Zelda hummed, linking one of her arms with one of Green’s and her other arm with one of Vio’s. “...yes. It’s important to me.” “What’s it ‘bout?” They gulped at Green’s question, biting their lip. Would…Shadow appreciate this? Would Shadow want Vio to save the fire temple for him..? They don’t know. “The fire temple.”Vio sighed softly, looking down. “I can’t let it be destroyed.” “...Vio—” “Blue told me what you think, Green.”They stated bluntly. “But you need to hear me out. When Shadow comes back—do you think he’ll just want to live with us here? Do you really think that? Listen. I know him. When he comes back—he’ll want familiarity. He’ll want to be home. The fire temple is our—”Vio took a breath. Not ‘our’ home. It’s Shadow’s. “—his home.”They’d finished. “Oh, Vio…he’s…isn’t he?—”Zelda held her breath, looking at Vio with concern. Vio scoffed mentally. They don’t need concern. Not about this. “He’ll come back.” Vio knows he will. He has to. He wouldn’t willingly stay away. “He hated being alone, and there’s nothing lonelier than death.” “You sound so sure.” “Because I am.”They huffed out. “Shadow will come back one day. I’ll do everything I can to help him, too. So—please. You can’t tear it down.” Green let out a sigh. “Violet, we care about you enough to know that the fire temple staying up isn’t healthy for your mental state. I mean—you think he’ll come back.” “He will. Don’t you fucking dare try to tell me that you care.”Vio tugged their arm out of Zelda’s, turning to glare at Green. “Don’t you dare tell me that you care when you talk about tearing the fire temple down in front of me. I lived there for months, do you really think there wasn’t a reason for it?” “...Vio. It’s—the fire temple is dangerous, we don’t want any travellers getting curious–” “Then I’ll help make it safer, Zel! Just—please. Either you keep it up willingly, or I make sure you can’t tear it down. And I don’t want to have to do that.” “Is that a threat?”Green frowned. Vio whistled, and shook their head, then bit their lip and looked at Green in the eyes. They see the fear and caution in Green’s eyes and—oh, they haven’t felt a rush like this in so long, they missed feeling this way. The feeling brings back good memories.. “It can be a threat if you want it to be. Just...think about what I’ve said.”And with that, they turned and walked away, heading home.