Chapter Text
It was a deceivingly quiet night. It was oddly peaceful.
The pouring rainfall from beyond the shut windows pattered against the glass, cascading down the walls and roof. Light thunder rumbled in this distance, sounding similar to a threatening warning, a low creep from beyond.
A gentle, yet present scent of wafting hot cocoa lingered in the air, Sky's mouth watered at the promise of the sweet, creamy drink. His bowl of fruits have been long since finished, and though the house was as warm as it could possibly get, he still felt the slight shivers from within, as though a part of him were missing, empty, and needed to be satiated.
The fireplace crackled and groaned as Warriors tended to it, feeding the greed-stricken and flickering embers fresh pieces of dry wood. He relished the sudden influx of heat against his face, eyes stinging slightly from the rising smoke, his iris' lighting up to a bright, vibrant orange. And his skin greatly warmed, easing the stubborn chill over his cheeks and nose.
"Okay, I think that's it for now." Warriors huffed in satisfaction, shutting the little door that concealed the grateful snaps and hisses in return from the offered wood. Shutting his eyes, he could still see the afterimage of the dancing flames, engraved pleasantly into his eye sight, Warriors hummed happily at the thought of quickly warming up.
He stepped away slowly, conscious over his socked-feet, and lack of friction against he hardwood floor. It was only until he shuffled over the carpet did he finally settle.
Sky patted the couch nearby, shifting a little to the side to offer up some space for Warriors. The man in question reciprocated with a sweet, grateful smile and took place next to the other with no haste.
"All better now?" Sky mumbled, tugging the blanket around his shoulders further over him, trying to block out the cold.
"Yeah. I'll check on it later." Warriors nodded, fishing out the pillow from behind his back, further settling in against those soft cushions. "But for now," He sighed, low and relieved as he slowly kicked his legs up on the coffee table. "We rest."
"You can say that again." Twilight weakly cheered, from where he rested his face on his palm, bored fingers mindlessly playing with his hair.
"It's really quiet down here." Sky vaguely mused out loud, Twilight hummed in an agreement noncommittally.
"Yeah, the others are all up-" Warriors broke into a sudden yawn. "Sorry- All upstairs."
"You reckon?" Twilight said, watching tiredly as Sky shuffled from within his little blanketed cocoon before promptly stilling- Neither of them mentioned the soft, near-silent snores that soon arose.
"Time's been teaching Rulie math." Warriors boredly picked at a hangnail. "Something about a…" He furrowed his eyebrows, staring at his hand. "A quiz or whatever- I don't know."
"What about Legend? Isn't he normally good with these things?"
"In this weather?" Warriors scoffed, hinting at the obvious rainfall. A sudden clap of thunder accentuated his point further. "I'd be surprised he could even walk, let alone focus on teaching."
Twilight winced in sympathy.
"He's probably sleeping, I'm sure Time sent him for a nap."
Vaguely, Twilight could imagine the sweet little image of Legend curled up in a not-so-sparingly amount of blankets tightly tucked around him, fists clenched around the hem of his shirt with faint squeaks in place of snores.
"Yeah, I could see that happening." He replied after a few beats of silence, a light smile on his face if Warriors didn't know better.
Warriors rubbed his eyes insistently, exhaling sharply. Twilight could almost sense the exhaustion coming from the man who's head dared to lean downwards in slumber- Warriors repeatedly reclined himself back up, fighting against the temptation.
"You ain't gonna sleep?" Twilight asked. "You look tired." He later added, seeing the look of confusion Warriors had shot.
"I wish." He sighed. Warriors stretched, limbs trembling and stifling behind a whine before he slumped back, breathing out in relief. "Wind's out with Tetra right now. I need to pick him up in an hour before it gets too late."
Twilight let his eyes slip shut, falling into the desires Warriors had to break out of. His heartbeat slowed, his breathing evened out, and for once, Twilight felt perfectly at peace.
The soft grumbles of thunder from outside rendered muffled and muted against Twilight's head, and the unpredictable crackling of the fire place acted as a constant reminder of warmth, safety, protection.
He allowed himself to drift into a-
"Twi!" The couch cushions dipped from the sudden weight. Jostled out of where he rested, Twilight's eyes flew open, his heart skipping but a few beats as he gasped loudly.
Whipping his head around in frenetic urgency, Twilight swallowed down the instinctive panic and fear rooted in him. "Hi." Wild smiled, incriminating, heedless, and entirely oblivious of what he had just caused Twilight.
He opened his mouth, rage and fury pouring into planned words, and yet… And yet, Twilight simply closed it, exhaling a shuddered, threatening breath, all to which Wild remained completely unaware.
Forcing himself against those irrational, aggravated thoughts, Twilight simply replied back, his voice false calm and, seething and unwavering in an unsteady tone.
He knew better. Twilight knew far better than to snarl at the other. Because Wild too, didn't know any better- Which still didn't explain his, his stupid behavior.
"Oh, hello Wild." Came a little voice from afar, Sky likely.
"I haven't seen you in a while. Everything alright?" Warriors queried.
And Twilight had to stop himself then and there from lashing out. The fact that he seemed to be the only one upset about this entire affair made him boil in anger even more.
There was very little Wild noticed, his ability to red between the lines, or to address any obvious issues were practically nonexistent. Twilight knew better than to blame him for it. Twilight knew better on a lot of things, really- But he chose to not act maturely about it.
With the very little and spotty memory Wild had, it was more than likely for him to struggle with things that he should have known since his early childhood. Normally, it was very small things, such as zipping up his jacket, or remembering to close the stove when he was done using.
But more often than not, Wild also forgot that there were perspectives other than his own, that eye contact and hidden gestures sometimes spoke far louder than words ever could.
There were many occasions to which Wild completely missed the shift in the air, or the change in tone.
And yet, Twilight still chose to blame him.
"I'm okay." Wild replied, swaying a little side to side and rocking the couch from where Twilight had to physically bite his tongue and sit on his hands to just keep still.
"I think I smelled hot chocolate? Are you making something warm?"
"Mhm!" Wild smiled, so innocent and ignorant and Twilight wanted to wipe that expression off his face. "It's with uh- Marshmallows and those stick thingies, what are they called?" He helplessly gestured, voice petering off into mumbled thought.
"Cinnamon sticks?" Warriors tried.
"Yeah! Those. It's with those."
"I made extra, 'cuz I know some of us would want seconds." Wild added, pulling his sleeves over his hands, likely from the lasting chill in his body from the unheated kitchen- There weren't heated floors on those tiles, Warriors internally grimaced in sympathy at the thought.
"Like Twi, and maybe even Legend- If we woke him up." Sky laughed.
"Nah, he'd yell at you to go away 'till Hyrule came in with the exact same mug of hot chocolate." Warriors hummed knowingly.
"And then he says he doesn't play favorites."
"Exactly."
Wild shot his gaze back and forth between the two, occasionally at Twilight who spoke back.
Though he wasn't any younger, or different than the others, Wild still felt small, irrelevant, as though he was watching something he shouldn't, or invading.
Yet, he couldn't help but feed into that gnawing desire of wanting to know, to being included. He wanted to talk about hot chocolate and Legend too- He had plenty of stories to share about that!
"Hey Twi- What're you talking about?" With creased eyebrows, Wild tugged at Twilight's sleeve impatiently, failing to conceal the whine in his voice.
"Twi, Twi." He beckoned. "What are you guys talking about? I wanna know. Hey, Twi-"
"What." Twilight broke into a yell, akin to a overly stretched rubber band, finally snapping apart from the tension.
Wild flinched, bile burning his chest as he scrambled back for mercy, stifling a choking, bit back whimper.
"No no, you wanted my attention, didn't you?" Twilight growled, deceptively sweet, misleadingly concerned and tender- His expression and bared teeth didn't quite match those words, and distantly, Wild's eyes widened as emptiness was all he found in his frenetic search for kindness.
Wild shakes his head, tears clinging to his lashes, mumbling little pleas and apologies, he backs away, frightened when his back hits the armrest, more so when Twilight chases him.
Ignoring the faraway calls and yells, Twilight redirected his focus onto the trembling boy, grabbing his wrist and squeezing tightly, nails pressing red crescents unto his broken skin.
"Well? Out with it then." He snarled, accentuating his point with a sharp jolt to Wild's wrist. "C'mon, tell me. Tell me." Twilight breathed, frantic and maniacal, and Wild couldn't dare ignore the thump against his throat. "Tell me what it is, Wild." He demanded, voice low and Wild preferred if he'd yell, because at least then he could appoint his fear to something. "What was so important that you needed my attention?"
Suddenly, out of his own control, Wild was pinned against the cushions. He writhed, valiantly and frantically searching for an escape. Twilight didn't let him, pressing the boy further against the couch. It was when the defeated realization hit him, did Wild finally settle, forcing himself still lest Twilight hurt him anymore. Maybe if he cooperated, this could all go by faster.
Wild shook his head again, swallowing guilt and bile. Distantly, through blurred vision, he could make out of those shifting, moving shapes; Sky and Warriors, who were both up on their feet and furious, likely at Wild.
Yet, when Twilight spelled it out like that, when he put Wild's mistake to words, when he put it that way, Wild didn't want his attention anymore. He can't bring himself to say it though, to vocalize anything really. Wild was far too afraid to find out what a little, mumbled never mind would get him from Twilight.
Expecting an answer, waiting impatiently, Twilight reached forward to grab Wild's hair, and before his hand got very far, Wild's shut his eyes, wincing and shivering.
Akin to a mantra, to a desperate prayer, Wild's mind races with the only thoughts of don't cry, don't cry, don't you dare cry-
Helplessly, Wild succumbs to the clawing, thrashing sob, wrenching itself out of his throat.
Sky gasps audibly, and Warriors barks an expletive, and Wild can't think of anything besides his own begs and pleas for mercy, a mercy that he was never going to receive.
A sudden hand latched onto Twilight's shoulder stops both Wild's heaving, Twilight's vice-like grip, and for just a split second, a split second was all it took. Because the moment the two froze, that instant hand pulled Twilight off his unfortunate captive.
"Are you out of you mind?!" Warriors yelled, pushing Twilight off when he fought to not stumble over.
Wild, whose hands gripped the couch with all this life's strength, and violently trembling, shaking life a leaf, stared defensively at the immediate shift of target.
This was all his fault. This was all completely, utterly, undoubtedly Wild's fault. He caused this. He was the one who made Warriors angry, who caused him to yell and shout. He was the one who made Twilight angry, who caused him to hit and fight.
And now, he had caused them both to fight, to hate each other. It was all because him. Wild was the reason why this had happened, why everything had taken such a violent turn. It was all Wild's fault, his fault only.
Because if he wasn't so pathetic, and demanding and annoying, then Twilight wouldn't have to have hurt Wild, and Warriors wouldn't need to shout at and reprimand him either.
And when Warriors was done, finally done yelling at Twilight, Twilight was most likely going to yell at Wild too and hit him. Because Wild wasn't going to be left off so easily because of this, because Wild too, deserved to be punished.
He feared for that moment.
Wild couldn't stop shaking, he couldn't stop trembling and crying and sobbing. He just couldn't stop. No matter how he tried to silence himself, to remain as still and catatonic and elsewhere, he just couldn't help himself. Wild couldn't help the slow trickle of tears, of how his face and eyes stung, and how his wrist burned.
He couldn't do anything about that.
Without much focus, without much attention, Wild distantly realizes that those gentle, careful hands on him belonged to Sky, and the faint mumbling next to his ear were the man's comforting nonsense, trying to beckon Wild back.
And against his paralyzing fear, Wild listened. He flickered eyes away from the fight, for just the mere seconds he had to stare at Sky dead in the eyes, his frantic, horror-stricken meeting Sky's soothing, reassuring.
Pressing himself bodily against Wild, trying to physically offer up all his body heat and sympathy, Sky brought Wild into an embrace, his firm hug tearing Wild away from those afraid trembles.
"You're okay, you're safe. You're with me." Sky repeated, and Wild brought his hands to Sky's forearm, holding it secure and flush against his chest. Those sweet words, that comforting incoherence, Wild clutched on to those words with pure belief, with valiance, with desperation. Because Sky never lied, and even if he couldn't bare to watch Warriors and Twilight, let alone think of them, at least Wild could hold onto those truths.
He needed to take Wild elsewhere, aware from where he would be actively scared and in danger, and in front of it all. He needed to be far away from it all, Sky needed to bring Wild to safety, because any longer Wild watched, it would be increasingly worse and worse for his current, fragile state.
Keeping his eyes glued to the ground, to where his feet moved on their own and without his control, Wild allowed himself to get guided elsewhere by Sky, likely somewhere away from the fight- Somewhere that where he deemed safe. And Wild wanted to be there more than anything else. Because where there was safety, there wasn't guilt, and none of this would be Wild's fault.
Pressing Wild against a wall, conscious to not pin him against anything - probably for the next while at least, as he saw just how Twilight held Wild down so easily - he sat both himself and Wild down on the floor, against the found for him feel and stabilize himself on, and back flush to the wall for him to press against and lean on.
Wild's shaking hands remained tightly clenched over the material of Sky's sweater, fists closed and trembling, and Sky took note of that, sitting close-enough for Wild's sake, and resting his fingers gently over the back of his wrist, careful and considerate enough to be not even a whisper of what Twilight had done. He stared for too long at the red marks against his pale skin, flushed an angry, vibrant red on his thin wrist.
Just the thought of Twilight's violating and cruel touch was enough to send him into pure fury.
But right now, Wild needed comfort, and more than anything, needed tenderness. More frustration and seething was the last thing he needed to witness, especially in his brittle state, plausibly blaming the world's woes on himself.
Besides, Warriors could deal with the worst of this all- He intimidated Twilight much more, thanks to their old, messy and fragile relationship. Sky's seldom, yet downright horrifying rage wouldn't even stand a chance against Warriors' chilling glare.
"You were panicking earlier Wild." Sky noted to keep a gentle, little smile on as he heartbrokenly wiped those falling tears from his brother's face. Still fear-stricken, he leaned to the touch, slow and careful he was, as though expecting Sky to change mannerisms, and anticipating to be hurt. Something in Sky shifted so, so woundly in him. "Let me check in with you now." He hummed, gently beckoning Wild's attention.
With a small, barely coherent redirect of his attention, with foggy, tear-blurred eyes, Wild submitted brokenly.
And when it finally settled within Sky, he nearly threw up then and there.
Wild wasn't being cooperative out of his own will. He was frightened into in submission.
"There we are." Sky still smiled, because that was all Wild had to believe in these trying times. "Are you okay? Did you remember something?"
Did you get a Memory again? Did Twilight set off one of them? Were you forced to?
Wild whimpered, weakly pushing himself away from the tempting comfort. Sky lets him.
"I need to be there." He mumbled vainly, tongue feeling too heavy and useless in his mouth. "I need to be the one in trouble. It was my fault. Twi doesn't deserve to get yelled at. It was my fault." Wild repeated, again and again. Sky couldn't help but balk in a perpetual cycle helpless guilt, similar to Wild's cries and pleas. "I was being annoying. Wars should be hurting me, not him."
Just as he forced himself up, and Sky realized the true motive behind his actions, Sky leaped from behind, grasping Wild's hand before he could go anywhere. Not on his watch, not under his care.
"No. No Wild, no." Sky breathed, begged even. And Wild had to swallow back those believing, scared thoughts.
"I- I can't. I can't do this, Sky." He tugged for his hand back. "I need to go out there. I-I need to tell him, they shouldn't be fighting because of me. It's better if they're mad at me." That's how it should be, that's how the world should work, going unsaid. Sky heard it clearer than any of Wild's cries.
"No." Was all Sky could say. "You're not-" He breathed sharply, and Hylia help him, Wild looked convinced that this was all his fault. Just what was Twilight telling him? Making him do and believe. "None of this is your fault, please. Just… Just stay here, Wild. You're not going anywhere."
Wild, who looked sick and upset and panicked simply froze. His eyes were widened with horrified frenzy.
Sky's grip loosened from his arm, and slowly, he stood up, resting his hand on Wild's back, who if Sky had to guess, was at an internal fight with himself, unsure of whose morals to follow, and whose to break.
"They can handle themselves. It's not right for you to go back out there. Now come on, let's calm down, shall we?"
Neither of them said anything else when Wild dove in Sky's open arms, pressing his tear-dampened face against the other's chest. Certainly, nothing was else was mentioned when Sky tightened his embrace around the other, cradling Wild's head gently.
Internally Sky begged, as though if his thoughts were loud enough, then maybe they could hear him.
Warriors, please, don't spare him any of your mercy.
Wild began to silently weep, voice muffled against Sky's sweater.
None of it.