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The steady rhythm of boots crunching against snow echo throughout the forest. A faint scent of alcohol tailing its footsteps. Hollowed wisps of snow and wind from the storm provided layers of caked snow beneath their feet, its stray snowflakes settling comfortably in the two men’s hair.
“Remind me to never let you have your way with drinks.” Wifies teased, a playful smile tugging on his lips.
Parrot could only groan in response, his flushed face only blooming more in colour from frustration. With knitted brows, the avian mustered up his energy to somehow respond with an equally witty response. “Don’t act like your tolerance is any better, bro. There's a reason both of us are barely able to walk right now.” Parrot complained, further emphasizing his point by accidentally bumping into Wifies, making the other man stumble on his own feet.
Wifies beamed, giggles spilling out of him on instinct. It was like second nature for Parrot to make him laugh. “Hey, I'm not the one literally leaning on me for support”. Supporting his claim, Wifies slowly reeled towards his right, forcing Parrot to follow like a moth to a flame. Slender arms gripped onto Wifies for support, paranoid that said man would actually consider letting Parrot fall face first into the snow.
“Okay, okay! Fine, I got it, just—don't you dare let go.” Parrot whined, his feathers puffing out like they would make his threat more intimidating.
That got a soft chuckle out of Wifies, his laughter sounding more prominent in the quiet forest they were in. What used to be a relatively calm storm they were traversing had now grown colder—harsher and unforgiving within the span of a few minutes. The vast expanse of the sky looked like it was a black canvas littered with speckles of white paint as more and more snow started to fall. Wifies brought his hands to his face, puffing out warm breath to keep his hands warm.
“...”
“What?” Wifies asked absentmindedly, sensing the other man’s stare. Parrot stayed quiet simply observing the other man as cold winds blew past them.
“Do you think we wore enough layers for this?” Parrot finally spoke up, his eyes solely focused on Wifies. The other had dawned a look of concern on his face from the question. “Why? Are you cold? Do you need my scarf—or maybe my jacket?” Wifies inquired.
Parrot shook his head, instead gesturing towards Wifies hands. “You just look cold.”
“Oh! Nah, it's fine. Only a few more miles till we reach home, right?” Wifies tried to brush it off, hiding his hands inside his pockets to put the thought aside. Parrot was obviously not buying it. Abruptly putting a stop to his trail, he graciously slid off his gloves and grabbed both of the man's hands. His fingers had turned a light pink, their fingertips beginning to shake from the freezing temperature.
With an annoyed huff, Parrot quickly slotted the pair of gloves onto each hand. Its oversized structure provided a good use for fitting Wifies’s larger hands. Wifies chuckled at the gesture.
More and more snow began to brush past, its snowy tempest fighting against the two of them. Parrot started to shiver from its assault, his feathers gradually collecting frost at their tips as his shoulders tensed. Trembling fingers impatiently tugged on Wifies’s jacket, his sharp talons threatening to tear through its fabric.
“C'mon, let's hurry back already! I swear—my beak’s about to freeze off or something, dude.” Parrot quickly looked away from Wifies, with newfound determination to make it back to their home. Left with only one option, Wifies stared at Parrot’s back as the avian led the way. The other man's wings would twitch ever so slightly from the weather, its loose feathers close to being blown from the wind. He somehow didn't notice how his hands had gripped like a vice onto Wifies’s arm as he strung him along. A smile unconsciously tugged on Wifies's lips.
He felt its warmth travel throughout his body.
Trudging through knee high snow was certainly one of Parrot’s least favourite activities. Snow blowing into his face, ice traveling down his boots—making each step audible with a gross squish. To add salt to the wound, his head was practically spinning from the alcohol, his hands and feet also felt like they were losing circulation from the cold. Parrot was by no means pleased.
Wifies of course, immediately took notice of Parrot’s discomfort. Trekking through snow wasn't exactly his favorite either, so if taking a break would help Parrot feel better—then he was all for it!
He peered his head to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of Parrot's face.
“Y'know, we can take a quick break over here. There's a bunch of rocks that could shield us from the storm.” Wifies offered, a gentle smile on his face.
Parrot’s footsteps slowed to a stop. Twisting his head around, he studied Wifies’s face as he finished talking—Parrot’s own face being laced with fatigue. Using his unoccupied hand, Parrot gently rubbed at his eyes with a sigh. “Do you need one?” He questioned. This brought a soft chuckle from Wifies as he lazily shook his head. “No, but you seem like you do. I haven't seen your hands shake this much before. It wouldn't hurt to stop for a while, right?”
The other man furrowed his eyebrows in thought. He slowly let go of Wifies’s arm—his talons dragging off of his fingers. After a minute, he hesitantly shook his head as he turned away from Wifies again. Letting his silence speak for itself, Parrot sluggishly began walking towards their path home again, not bothering to wait for Wifies’s response. To say the least, Wifies was not satisfied with Parrot’s answer. A frown had dawned his face as he puffed his cheeks in a light sulk.
Wifies quickly jogged up to Parrot, his shoes getting caught in the snow as he attempted to walk beside him. “C’mon, what's the rush? Just let me take care of you.” Wifies tried to convince him, his tone bordering on a whine. His arms wrapped around Parrot, gently trying to coax him back into his arms. This only made Parrot groan in discomfort, desperately trying to pry him off. He squirmed as he tried to not let Wifies get to him. ‘Does this guy seriously not see the snowstorm we're traveling in, for crying out loud?’ Parrot thought.
Of course, Wifies noticed Parrot’s resolve melting—so he kept pushing further with a grin on his face. “Please, Parrot. It won't take that long, promise!” Following this, Wifies persistently tugged Parrot towards one of the boulders within their vicinity.
After some trial and error, he managed to successfully drag Parrot away. Wifies sat them both down in the snow, huddling closely with him. Although the avian was grumbling complaints under his breath, he still snuggled into Wifies’s touch. They fell into a comfortable silence, warming up with each other's presence. Parrot nuzzled his face into Wifies’s sweater, his ears picking up on the sound of Wifies’s heartbeat. It wasn't something he'd ever heard from another person—it sounded like something more mechanical than a living organism. Oddly enough, hearing it beating comforted Parrot, like it was some sort of indication he hadn't failed Wifies yet. Not like the others.
He wasn't sure why it made him think like that, but he let himself feed into it either way. He could let himself have something nice for once, right? If Wifies ever found out, he could simply pretend that he didn't know what he was talking about. It would be easy to lie to him. It'd be easy to run, and leave Wifies in the dark.
Parrot could easily abandon him. But the same couldn't be said for Wifies.
Parrot’s grip instinctively tightened on Wifies’s frame, his veins flexing from his grasp. Wifies hummed from the sensation, his face scrunching in light discomfort. “Parrot..? Are you doing okay?” Wifies asked, his voice laced with concern as he eyed the other.
Parrot kept his gaze downcast, guilt rendering his thoughts useless to reassure the other man. “Don't worry about it.” He muttered. This only urged Wifies to question him more, worry present on his face. “I'm not going anywhere, Parrot. You can tell me if something’s wrong.” Wifies tried to reassure him. This only made Parrot chuckle bitterly, his hands dragging down towards Wifies’s hands. “You've made that clear enough. Honestly, why do you even bother staying?” He answered solemnly. Wifies tilted his head, waiting for an explanation.
Wifies’s confusion only made Parrot’s stomach twist, his teeth bit the inside of his cheeks from his own inner turmoil.
“Wifies, you've seen what’s happened to everyone around us– around me. And yet, you still stay! I just don't understand,” Parrot raised his voice, bringing his eyes to Wifies’s level, his expression full of dread. “You’ll just die like them too.”
“...Is that what you're waiting for?”
Parrot froze in place, his hands hovering over Wifies's very own. What should've been silence between them had felt more overwhelming than it was supposed to be. “What..?” Parrot muttered. His response only stirred Wifies further, his thinly concealed frustration threatening to surface. “Do you really think our friendship is that shallow?” Wifies frowned. He gradually guided Parrot’s hands between them both, gently cradling Parrot’s fingers in his own hands. “I only joined this server for you, Parrot. Everything I've ever said or done was for us. Do you really think I'd let myself die that easily?” Wifies replied, his voice sounding dejected.
With no sign of response from Parrot, Wifies let out a long sigh before slowly taking his gloves off. “I'm not as fragile as you think,” After successfully removing one of his gloves, he picked up one of Parrot's hands and started sliding it over his fingers. “I’d be the last person to ever think of leaving you.” Wifies smiled, his usually pale cheeks had bloomed a light pink from the cold weather—his eyes shined with something Parrot just couldn't put his finger on.
His face practically blinded Parrot from its radiance. Caught off guard, the avian couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter, his uncovered hand flying up and gripping Wifies’s shoulder to ground himself, his grip scrunching up the fabric beneath it.
Although he wasn't expecting Parrot to laugh, Wifies followed suit anyway. His expression brightened as his giggles mixed along with Parrot’s. “Alright- alright, that was probably a little cheesy, huh?” Wifies joked, rubbing the back of his neck. Parrot could only continue to chuckle, his face was red all over. “Wifies, what did you even mean by that, dude?” Parrot teased, his voice bordering on a light wheeze as his lungs begged for air.
Wifies bashfully turned his head away, suddenly stumbling over his own words. “I meant that.. you're an important friend to me, Parrot. My best friend on this entire server.” He admitted.
His words had briefly struck Parrot speechless, before he quickly snapped out of his thoughts. Parrot’s lips slowly curled into a small smile as he gazed down at Wifies’s hands—his eyes filled with a sort of fondness he didn't know was possible.
“Your hands are shaking again.” Parrot pointed out as his voice grew quiet.
Wifies blinked, before looking down to confirm Parrot's observation. His hands had indeed begun to tremble from the freezing temperature. “Oh dang, I didn't even notice. Uhm, It's okay though, I'll just–” Before Wifies could finish his sentence, The other man interrupted him.
“Wifies.” Parrot started. Wifies’s head shot up to look him in the eye, and answered a small “yes?” as he patiently waited for Parrot to continue. The avian smiled wider at this, but his smile didn't exactly reach his eyes. Parrot stayed silent for a while, as if pondering a difficult decision. Snowflakes danced around them as they settled on his shoulders.
In the end, Parrot reluctantly decided to speak—his face falling into a hollowed out expression, his lips pressed into a thin line. “If we're really best friends, then don't move.” He instructed, his voice sounding deeper than it was supposed to. Wifies’s shoulders tensed as he froze in place—despite the cold weather, a small drop of sweat had fallen from his neck. Parrot kept staring at him, fully expecting him to obey.
After a drawn out silence, Wifies hesitantly nodded his head. He straightened up his back and stayed perfectly still as told, worry etched into his features. Just like Parrot wanted.
Even though Wifies’s anxiety was palpable, Parrot chose to ignore it. He easily slid off the glove Wifies had graciously given him, returning it to its previous owner. Following this, Parrot cautiously slipped off his scarf—his eyes scanning for any resistance from Wifies. When Parrot deemed Wifies's obedience satisfactory, he gently wrapped his scarf around the other's neck. His own neck was now completely exposed to the cold air around them. Parrot’s only source of warmth now was his sweater, jacket, and his own body heat.
Wifies stared at him with sealed lips, his fingers twitching with the urge to bundle Parrot back up again. “Parrot, you’ll freeze if you keep this up.” He said, barely restraining himself from going against Parrot’s wishes. The other only gave his concern a small hum of acknowledgement.
Parrot leisurely rested his back against the boulder, his wings twitching from time to time due to its cold surface.
He breathed a long sigh, the cold air making his breaths come out in small clouds. Parrot slowly reached forward, guiding his hand towards Wifies's pocket and started to rummage through it. In the blink of an eye, Parrot had gone back to sitting perfectly still in his original position. The only difference was the blinding shimmer of gold trims surrounding an object that Wifies was very familiar with. Its glass was all fogged up now. Parrot started to slowly trace his talons along its engravings, appreciating its details and memories they both made with it.
“You're right, Wifies. You wouldn't think of abandoning me unless it was a last resort,” He started, eyebrows furrowed. “That's why I'll do it first.” Parrot firmly spoke.
Wifies shook in place, his eyes frantically searching Parrot’s face in case he was thinking of doing anything stupid. Sweat was furiously dripping down his body now. He was only met with another smile from Parrot, a real one this time.
The avian had closed his eyes, his expression soft as if being lulled from a melody. “It won't happen now, obviously.” Parrot calmly reassured his best friend. He brought the spyglass closer to himself, comfortably setting it on his lap. “But I'll stop at nothing to make sure I'm the one who dies first. If you're really certain about staying, then you won't have to leave if I die first. It's better this way. Can you do that for me– for us, Wifies?” Parrot smiled, his eyes opening in search of an answer in Wifies's eyes.
“Would you let me die while saving the server like I'm supposed to?”
Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Parrot—Wifies's brain was still processing whatever the hell Parrot had just told him. His own inner turmoil rendering his thoughts to mush. Wifies's lungs were losing air—his insides felt like they were shriveling inside of him as his chest constrained in on himself so tightly, he wasn't sure if it was from the cold anymore. With trembling fingers, one of his hands blindly searched the space between them, desperate to be met with snow so he could somehow gaslight himself into thinking he was hallucinating. His other hand had shot up to his scarf that Parrot had given him—stretching its fibers between his fingers for warmth.
As if feeling some sort of pity or remorse for his own actions, Parrot scooted closer towards him. His trembling hands caught Wifies’s fingers in his grasp. “I'm sorry for forcing this on you.” Parrot whispered.
The avian carefully sat on his knees, his free arm flying up and curling protectively over Wifies in a firm hug. The spyglass rolled off of his lap, plopping into the snow with a soft crunch. He nuzzled his face into Wifies's hair for warmth, his fingers lingering on Wifies's shoulder. “But just like how you're willing to hurt yourself for me, I'm just as prepared to let myself die if it'll keep you safe.” He muttered, his voice sounding muffled from Wifies's position. Wifies could only sit there and take it. His trembling hands worsened even through their gloves. He brought his hand up and desperately clawed at Parrot’s sweater—struggling to let its warmth comfort him like it usually did when Parrot hugged him.
Why did he have to taint his thoughts like this?
Slow, quiet tears cascaded down his face in long streams, his face becoming all wet and freezing. He'd regret it later, but he'll just blame it on the alcohol. Parrot wouldn't blame him for that—he doesn't get to. Not when he runs away all the same. ‘...Has Parrot always wanted to die this badly?’ Wifies couldn't help but think.
Even in such suffocating tension, they both fell into a relatively comfortable silence. Maybe too silent for him. Parrot gazed down at Wifies, worried that he'd somehow fainted. “Wifies..?” He softly called for him, fingers guiding up towards Wifies's face to check his temperature.
Parrot almost jumped out of his skin when Wifies's gloved hand shot up and caught his own midway. He thumped his forehead against Parrot’s chest similar to a petulant child as he gripped his hand. Exhausted, Wifies mustered up as much energy as he could to speak. “I hate when you're like this. When you run away.” He bit his lip, fighting back the urge to raise his voice. “You're stronger than you think, Parrot. You'd move on without me.” Wifies stated matter of factly. Parrot grimaced, unsure if he could deny that.
“..How could you be so sure?” Parrot questioned with a raised brow. Wifies huffed in response, as if the answer was already obvious. In the end, he lazily shrugged his shoulders—holding Parrot tighter as he nuzzled into his sweater. “I'd make sure of it.”
The other man could only roll his eyes at Wifies’s attempt at sounding threatening. It was hard to be intimidated by a man who was literally clinging to him like a puppy. He brought his hand up to Wifies's hair, softly ruffling it.
“Whatever you say, dude.” Parrot muttered, closing his eyes as he let himself rest.