Chapter Text
Shedletsky ran across the map, his legs almost giving out on him. He clutched hard against his bleeding arm as black spots covered his vision from the intense pain and the exhaustion catching up to him.
He hid against a corner, slumping back down onto the wet patch of grass. He then took out his last piece of fried chicken and munched right on it—it was still juicy, and a bit more soggy on the edges. But it's fine! At the end of the day, it's some good fried chicken... and a way to heal.
As he laid back against the cold wall, he looked back up at the timer—15 seconds left. Leaving Noob out to fend for himself shouldn't be too bad!
Shedletsky stepped back out, watching Noob continue to run away from 1x1x1x1. The round was bound to end soon—but he focused on the fact that Noob was running on low health and could die anytime soon.
He sighed, pulling out his sword to jump forward and try to stun the killer, only for him to miss and have Noob get hit by the Mass Infection. He froze on the spot, feeling 1x1x1x1's gaze burn right into his senses.
1:30...
1:29...
1:28...
...Last Man Standing between him and 1x1x1x1—his Creation of Hatred.
Shedletsky ran off to hide somewhere in a nearby corner before 1x1x1x1 could even catch him, panting and out of breath. He's low on stamina, and he's still bleeding out for 2x2's sake! He clutched tightly at his wounded arm, hissing at the intense pain still thrumming through his senses.
"Great," Shedletsky sighed, pulling a hand up to rub against his temples as he looked around potential corners to hide in to kill time—but that would be useless against 1x1x1x1's Unstable Eye.
The round could have ended earlier if it weren't for 1x1x1x1 to land his Mass Infection right at Noob... well, what did he expect? Noob was always bad at rounds, no offense. But it was also partially his fault for being too predictable and missing his slash.
Shedletsky skitters around the map, running off stealthily to behind a wall to hide from the killer running around and looking for him, "Shouldn't be too bad if I just hid around this corner—"
"This is... MASS INFECTION!"
Woah, shit—!
Intense, flickering sparks of glitching patterns spread throughout Shedletsky's vision—sword clattering off to the ground right out of his reach from the intense pain running through his nerves. He tried to get up, reach for it, only to be hit by an Entanglement later on.
Numerous, annoying pop-ups danced across his view as he frantically shook his head to push it away, only to be roughly took down to the ground and a familiar, clawed hand moving up to twist his body up on his back to face him.
1x1x1x1 looked at the avian before him on the floor—bleeding out and all vulnerable. The both of them made eye contact after a while, with 1x1x1x1 roughly pressing his foot against Shedletsky's bleeding chest.
He took out his daemonshanks, facing one of his swords towards Shedletsky's face with a sharp glare if he ever tried to get up, "You, Telamon... do you regret what you've done?"
Shedletsky forced himself to look back up at 1x1x1x1, struggling hard against the foot pressed up against his chest—it was insanely hard to breathe, he could feel himself about to pass out any second now, but this wretched game won't let him—
But was that a look of hesitation in his eyes?
1x1x1x1's grip relaxed on the handle of his daemonshank before tightening again—Shedletsky, or Telamon, is the same person who let 2x2 lock him away in the Banlands for a whole millennia. He never cared for anything, he treated him like a joke with that same gaze, that same, annoying smile—
So, why is he hesitating? He is nothing but his creation, his vessel of hatred, he's nothing but worthless in his creator's gaze.
In the next following rounds, this cycle will repeat all over again, see his face—covered in guilt and regret in himself that sends a thrill up his spine every time he sees that expression. But why does it feel like a chore now? Maybe he should reconsider and give into his inner thoughts, give him a second chance—
No, he shouldn't.
After all, that's what he wished for. Vengeance. To go against him and make him suffer, make him feel the pain that he felt years ago. He pushed him away, neglected him, never considered what he felt.
He doesn't deserve a second chance.
Shedletsky let out a nervous chuckle, that same, damn smile on his face as if to get on his nerves. "1x..." He said, a smug look on his face, "What's with the hold-up? Round's almost over, don't you want to win?"
"If you don't want to win, I can gladly take it up and—" Shedletsky cut himself off when he felt 1x1x1x1 slam his sword deep onto the ground right near his head—dangerously close to his head, even. That thing can slice him open!
1x1x1x1 pressed his foot more firmly to Shedletsky's wounded chest, his crimson glare burning right deep within the older man's senses to silence him. He grit his teeth, "CAN'T YOU STOP MAKING EVERYTHING A JOKE?!" He shouted, then continued with pushing his foot off roughly to replace it with his sword pricking against his chest, "This is why you're always all alone, you treat everything like a joke because of your selfish PRIDE!"
Shedletsky fell silent for a moment, then forced up yet another smile to urge him on further, a hand coming up to grip against the blade, "Then why are you hesitating? If you mean your words, then kill me."
1x1x1x1 snapped at those exact words and pushed his arm up with an intent to stab Shedletsky dead for good just like usual, but before he could even do so, his arm froze on the spot. He looked back at Shedletsky's taunting gaze, and the blade still pressing up against his bleeding chest—
Why can't he do it? What's wrong with him?
Shedletsky held in a deep breath and pressed his eyes shut—expecting an agonizing pain crashing through him before waking back up in the cabin yet again—but he'd need more time to recover from this exact round, anyway.
...But the final blow never came.
Shedletsky exhaled the breath he was holding in and he looked back up with 1x1x1x1 with a confused look—not taunting—but a genuine, suspicious look on his face. He huffed out a laugh, "Come on, do I really have to teach you on how to defeat someone? My offer's still up if you're interested!"
Hold on, was he crying?
Shedletsky has never seen 1x1x1x1 cry before—at least not in a long time since then. As far as he knows 1x1x1x1, he knows he's been suppressing these feelings for a while. After all, they're creator and creation, they're pieces of one another.
1x1x1x1 let his swords go and clatter right down to the ground, leaning over to cry right in Shedletsky's chest and wrap his arms tightly around him, sobbing heavily to soak through his ruined shirt. "I-I don't know what's wrong with me—" 1x1x1x1 choked out through sobs, holding himself tightly Shedletsky as if to seek for comfort.
Shedletsky flinched at the sudden, familiar action, but it wasn't unwelcome. He wrapped his arms and wings around 1x1x1x1 to help make him feel more safer in his embrace, "Take your time, 1x1x1x1. Got something on your mind?"
How long has his beloved creation been hurting for?
1x1x1x1 melted into the embrace, speaking out in a shaky voice despite of the risk of being tossed away and hurt again like before, "I-I hate you... I hate that you make me feel this way—I hate how I miss you, I hate how I'm starting to love you again!"
Shedletsky's eyes widened at the statement, a giddy feeling bubbling up in his heart enough to make him almost scream. He looked at him, failing to bite back a giddy smile, "Really? You love me?"
1x1x1x1 blushed in embarrassment and buried his face in Shedletsky's chest to hide his expression with a muffled retort, "You know what I mean, you dumb chicken... I don't know if I hate you or I love you now, and—" 1x1x1x1 groaned, pulling his face in his own hands from the embarrassment crashing through him. "Just shut up! This is none of your business—"
"It is my business, you're my creation." Shedletsky cut in, a taunting look on his face as he pulled 1x1x1x1's hands away to take a good look on his beautiful, flushed face. "Can we call this progress?"
1x1x1x1 glared at him, but he eventually softens and he leans down to press a soft kiss to Shedletsky's lips—sending poison streaming through the other's veins, but it isn't something to complain about right now, nonetheless. "...It still means I hate you."
Shedletsky could feel his health depleting at the poison through his senses, but it only sends a sweet thrill up in his chest at the thought of reaching this far with his creation. His beloved creation. He said with a giddy smile, "I see no difference!"
1x1x1x1 sighed and he fell silent to prevent Shedletsky from trying to taunt him again once more, pressing more kisses to his face and wounds over his body—unaware of the poison he's sending through his creator's body from those intentionally affectionate pecks.
He's earned it. Finally earned the love he's been craving for so long.
"...You're warm." 1x1x1x1 mumbled against Shedletsky's chest, almost in an exhausted tone from crying and arguing with him earlier during the round. "It's annoying."
Shedletsky rolled his eyes and laughed, wings fluttering gently against 1x1x1x1's chest with that same—now genuine—smile on his face. "And you're cold. Well, you're always cold, aren't you?"
"..."
"Tough crowd. Just stay like this, I'll warm you up properly."
Feels... familiar, huh?
...
"Creator—" 1x1x1x1 gasped out, arms held tightly around himself in an attempt to try and warm himself up from the freezing cold. "—it's cold..."
"1x?" Telamon turned to 1x1x1x1, wrapping his arms around the shorter person before him with a small, reassuring smile on his face. "There, there. You always get cold easily, huh?"
"...I hate the cold." 1x1x1x1 murmured more to himself than to Telamon, making the taller man chuckle in response. He felt his large wings wrap around them both in a warm cocoon—he still feels slightly cold, but it will suffice, nonetheless.
Telamon hummed, patting 1x1x1x1's back and running a hand through his hair, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head. "Of course you do. Do not worry, Telamon is here."
"You'll always stay with me when I'm cold, right?" 1x1x1x1 said, looking up with that innocent, sweet look on his face that makes Telamon melt at the sight of his creation like this.
Telamon sighed, pressing more kisses on 1x1x1x1's face and head out of the sweetness bubbling up in his chest, "Of course, dear creation. Telamon will never leave you."
...
"...I'm still glad he remembers." 1x1x1x1 thought to himself before the round ticked down to an end. The Spectre may erase the memories of what happened during the round, but the feeling—this feeling—won't ever fade.
"I hope this happens again, Shedletsky. I want to see you again."