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The air bit at Fire Spirit's skin, thoughts running through his head as he tried to focus on the road.
You're going to see Wind Archer.
Something to look forward to.
Do not swerve the motorcycle into anything.
This feeling's been stuck with him for years, lodged into his chest like an unwanted and permanent splinter.
You have something to look forward to.
No one's pushing you into a fight.
Do not try to die.
Red light. He stopped the bike, letting out a short, strangled breath. Everything's fine. He's not in the ring. No one's pulling on his tail, wings, or horns. He's not fighting anyone. He's seeing Wind Archer.
Just think about Windy.
His shoulders shook slightly, only noticing the cold's tingling on his skin when he got out of his head. He never was one for the cold, anyway. Not as a baby dragon, not when Pitaya and Hollyberry went to the Dark Cacao Kingdom for a meeting, taking him to tag along as a guard of sorts, not ever.
Green. He went back to driving, fighting the urge to swerve just a little too far, to accelerate just a little too much.
Wind Archer's waiting.
He can do it another day.
Maybe when the small baggie of coke weighed heavily in his jacket pocket, forcing him down to the ground as his hands trembled, taking yet another shameful, shameful hit of the soft powder, palms sweating from pure, disgusting need.
Maybe when the pill bottle resting on the kitchen counter innocently just called for him a little too loudly, overshadowing any ringing in his ears as he let each capsule dryly scraping down his throat, just for the peace, the euphoria of rest finally laying over him like a warm, smooth blanket.
Maybe when his antidepressants finally ran out, the last pill scraping its way down his throat as he took his last little capsule of normalcy.
By the witches, he's done for.
He'll be done for the moment he doesn't crack a joke on time, the moment the punchline hits a little too close to home, the moment people look at him and see some emotional, pathetic being, instead of the egotistical dragon he was meant to be, made to be.
The road blurred past and under him, the faint screech of his motorcycle's tires and the low hum of his engine being one of the only constants of this god-forsaken drive.
Wind Archer's a constant.
You're acting like this whole ride wasn't just to see them.
Just a couple more kilometers. There are barely any stop signs or traffic lights. The roads are clear.
He swerved a little.
Nothing's even wrong.
Nothing would be wrong if he was just fucking normal for once. Witches.
---
By some miracle, he saw light seeping out of glass doors, said glass doors connecting to a lobby of an apartment complex. Windy's apartment complex. He managed to get here before swerving into a tree off the sidewalk.
He stopped his bike at the outdoor parking just aside the tall building, eyes scanning the vines growing up and over off-white popcorn walls of the exterior while taking off his helmet. With his face free, his hand raised up to his mouth, just for the feeling of teeth biting off already chipped and damaged nails.
Finally.
Walking into the reception, the person at the front desk didn't bother looking at Fire Spirit, not raising their eyes from the desktop in front of them.
Normally, the cocky and egotistical side of him would do something to catch their attention. He's not feeling very egotistical right now. Not with a hangover that could probably put a baby elephant in a damn coma.
He jabbed his thumb into the 'up' button for the elevator, silently praying for the elevator to open with no one inside.
No one.
Yes.
Going into the elevator and feeling the sensation of raising slowly to the 14th floor, something in him felt lighter.
You're gonna see Wind Archer.
He stood dumbly in front of the guardian's door, wondering whether or not he should actually knock on it.
He didn't have to be a disruption.
He didn't have to knock and annoy them.
...
Oh well.
Knocking on the door, he finally heard their voice since almost a week ago. Finally.
"Coming!"
Listening to their footsteps pad towards the door only heightened his excitement.
Maybe he's bordering on obsession.
Oh fucking well.
Wind Archer opened the door, revealing themself in all their winged, disheveled glory.
"Fire Spirit?"
They blinked, surprised at his arrival.
"..Fire Spirit, it's.. two o'clock in the morning, what's wrong?" They continued, softer this time. Gentler.
By the Witches.
Why would they care so much?
"Just...wanted to see you."
His throat felt too tight for air.
"...Is Frost Queen here? I don't wanna accidentally wake her up..." He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. The woman really could be cranky when woken up out of the blue, and he was in no condition to face her wrath.
"She went to go visit Stormbringer."
"Oh, okay then. Seriously, I don't know how you live with her without shitting yourself 24/7..She's like a damn tyrant." He breathed out that last part, letting Wind Archer brush it off. But they heard it. They always hear things he doesn't want them to.
They paused, unsure if Fire Spirit meant to whisper loud enough for them to hear. "I can handle it."
"Yeah, I'm sure you can. You're the big, bad guardian of the forest, after all."
Maybe he sounded a little bitter.
Because they can just handle everything, with the patience and care of a saint no matter how messy the problem is.
Honestly, Fire Spirit'd be way more bitter if they weren't his friend. Call him selfish, but they're just too..
Too..
Whatever.
The creak of a door yanked Fire Spirit out of his train of thought, that and a small, barely there giggle from beside him.
That was horrifyingly out of character for Wind Archer. Wow.
"What?" Fire Spirit looked over at the other, before looking down and realizing the very end of his tail was wrapped around the avian's ankle.
He panicked, pulling his tail away so fast it blurred.
"S-I'm sorry!"
Fuuck, his face is burning the hell up!
Wind Archer's eyes locked onto his, then his (probably) flaming cheeks, and they burst out laughing.
"Hey!"
"Witches, you-hah-your face, Fire Spirit!" They laughed out breathlessly, hands reaching out to clutch Fire Spirit just above the elbow and below the bicep, nesting their nose into the crook of his shoulder as they shook with giggles.
Were they also high or something?
Wind Archer never giggled like that!
...
Well, he'll take his chances. At least he gets to see Wind Archer laugh. It's already a rare enough sight when they laugh. Well. Normally.
Even if it is a little weird.
The two ended up (finally) stepping out of the doorway and actually entering Wind Archer's room, the pale green walls and wood floors being just as welcoming as they usually are.
Wind Archer was never one about decoration. They strived for simplicity and practicality. That was extremely clear in their room.
Too bad Fire Spirit's tendency to flop onto Wind Archer's bed and flipping around it like a beached whale was anything but practical.
Just coming here was way better than rotting on the floor of his room.
"Wiindyyy, come 'nd cuddle meee..." Fire Spirit whined petulantly, holding his arms out to the winged figure.
"I was already planning on it, don't worry."
"Mmh.." Was the last thing Fire Spirit murmured before getting squished by the weight of the guardian laying on his chest, and "Mnph!" was the last sound he let out before Wind Archer's pristine white wings wrapped around him like some version of a weighted blanket.
This was probably why he dozed off so much easier tonight.
Witches, Wind Archer.
The only thing he could think before everything faded to black.