Chapter Text
Lomedy and Flame has been friends since children. Flame lived in the urban city, while Lomedy stayed in the outskirts of town.
Lomedy live a simple life. When they were young, Flame's parents had abandoned him, leaving him to Lomedy and his grandmother.
She was as sickly and loving woman. She spent her life in a small cottage in a middle of a wheat field. Everywhere around was wheat being planted.
Lomedy often played outside to go pick on some sunflowers and hurdle as much as he can and bring them to Flame. It was a little tradition the two made, and it made them laugh.
As they grew older, Flame got his own apartment within the city nearby Unstable Highschool.
He had found his parents, but considering how long he lived without them, he became independent.
Because of that, his parents never showed their faces and simply funded him large amounts of money each week.
Since Lomedy's home was about a one or two hour drive away from Unstable High, he often took the boarding house beside Flame's apartment.
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Lomedy noticed Flame grow distant the more he hung out with him. When they were kids, Flame would lways have the same carefree energy every time they went out to play.
That kind of Flame slowly died down, as he grew up to be more cruel. He often teased others and would give up things for a title.
Ever since Wemmbu beat him, he was named a loser. That was his defeat. He always despised Wemmbu since that day.
Lomedy was the only one who truly cared for Flame, even after he lost. Lomedy used it as a reason to stop fighting for a title.
For months, Lomedy had been telling him to turn back. To stop going against it and to leave everything behind and start a new life.
Flame simply that thought that was too cowardish.
The more Lomedy scolded and warned him, the farther their relationship drifted.
Flame valued Lomedy still, it's just that he didn't want someone bickering in his ear constantly, telling him what's right and wrong.
The year came round, and Flame became a one man team. He sometimes talked with Lomedy, but once he started talking about combta again, Flame would shut him off and leave.
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Flame sat by Lomedy. Once again, he found himself in that torturous hospital room.
He felt bad for Lomedy. Not being able to go out as much. His view wasn't anything special either—just a few boring trees and the ocean view.
Flame had opened the window to let some air in. Lomedy felt at peace, even in quiet moments like these. Flame could just grumble under his breath.
He stood by Lomedy and stopped by every now and then because he cared. He just didn't want to admit it. Caring was something he found disgusting and vulnerable.
As he was staring outside, Lomedy managed to crochet a little flame plush. It was somehing he did to pass the time.
"Flame, look, it's you." He laughed weakly, extending his arms to show it to him.
He simply laughed, almost a scoff, and looked back outside at the scenery.
"Is this what you have to look at every day?" Flame pointed out, a bit disappointed. Being in a hospital room must feel like jail.
"It doesn't bother me a lot. The sea sounds nice every now and then."
"You don't feel tired of looking out this stupid window?"
"It's not like I can properly see it. The windows are too high up."
At his words, Flame turned to look at him. Silently, he walked over to him and helped him get up.
He couldn't help but feel the slight change of his body. He didn't quite notice—he was awful at noticing little things.
Lomedy became thinner. His body was a sickly pale, and his eyes looked weak despite him getting the proper amount of rest at night.
It bugged him greatly. He ignored the feeling and lifted him slightly, letting him see the sea.
"Can you see?" He asked, adjusting his position a bit more. Lomedy nodded, content and at ease.
The sounds of the waves eased him greatly. It was the only thing he could hear, aside from Flame's voice.
"You know, the ocean becomes my friend when you're not around." He teased, his tone sentimental.
He nudged him gently, bordering on tickling him as he grimaced at his words. "Don't say it like that."
There was nothing wrong with his words. He just hated how it sounded like Flame wasn't going to be there forever.
No matter what, Flame would stay by Lomedy's side. That was what he had promised. There was no doubt to that.
A long, comfortable stretch of silence came between them. Lomedy was admiring the view peacefully while Flame held him.
Lomedy then finished seeing the sea and sat back down, contented. "Is it already summer?" He asked, reaching for the crochet needle.
Flame nodded, his gaze never leaving the sea. "It sucks. We're still called to report to school."
"Thats not a yes, bro."
He rolled his eyes. "Bro, I'm just saying bro! Like, that's obviously a yes."
He almost wanted to call Lomedy lucky because he got to skip all of it. He looked at the empty hospital room and immediately shut his mouth.
Suddenly, Flame's voice went a little lower. Perhaps more vulnerable now. He didn't dare look at Lomedy. His peaceful expression contradicted what he knew was going to happen.
The thought made him feel uneasy. Extremely uneasy.
"Once you're out of the hospital, what do you want to do?"
It was a stupid question. Both of them knew Lomedy wasn't leaving the hospital soon.
Lomedy shook his head and laughed. Even then he did think about it every now and then.
"I.. Want to go back into the field. Play tag, collect sunflowers."
As much as Flame wanted to say they could just do it now, it was an hour drive away. Knowing Lomedy, he wouldn't last that long without an IV.
He continued. "I want to visit my grandmother as well. How is she? Did you visit her?"
"No." He answered almost immediately. His words had a certain tone, as if everything he listed down was nothing but a thought.
"Once you get out, lets just go back to the field."
"I don't have a problem with that, either. Hows you and Wemmbu?"
Lomedy's words bore many questions that Flame wanted to ask. He laughed at the sudden switch, the gears in his head turning.
"Holy switch up bro." He laughed, running a hand through his hair. His voice became one of his cool, nonchalant ones.
"Uhm, I guess we're fine. I'm still pretty bitter about the whole losing thing, but we're making up to it."
"I'm not really chasing to be the strongest in school any more. Someone beat me to it, I don't see why I should fight it."
At his words, Lomedy looked almost shocked. Those words were something he wanted to hear for a long time, and here he was, saying it so casually.
He was silent for a long time before he weakly smiled. It looked tired, but the smile was genuine enough to reach his eyes.
"So youdidlisten. I knew you always cared." He teased. Flame grimaced.
"Eugh, no, don't get me wrong. I just feel that it's useless.
"So, you still listened?"
"Eugh.." He expressed in disgust again. It made Lomedy laugh heartily.
He wiped the non-existent tears at the corner of his eyes, chuckling in decrescendo.
"You're a handful, Flame." He joked, his words full of affection.
Flame could only scoff and look away, silently listening to Lomedy's laughs die down as he finally composed himself.
At the awkward silence, Flame then stood up and reached for his bag. He pulled a hair pin out and turned to Lomedy.
"I got this hair clip from Mane. I figured it fit you, so I brought it along."
He then went to Lomedy and gave it to him, letting the pin drop to the palm of his hands.
It looked like those wings from the Greek gods. The ones they would have around their head, colored golden.
He clipped it around his hair on each side. It was a pair, one for the left and one for the right. He touched it, unable to look for a mirror.
"Flame, is it alright?"
The man nodded and sat back down. He looked at Lomedy's journal at the side, curious.
"You've been writing?"
"It's to pass time." He responded quickly, teaching for his journal. He opened it and skimmed through the pages, happily showing Flame.
"This was when they had to take me for blood testing. Until now, they said they couldn't find a cure."
"And.. This one is when I managed to try walking by myself. You weren't around at this time."
He showed him a few pages and closed his book, placing it on his lap.
Seeing he had nothing else to do, Flame couldn't help but see his pitiful state. Perhaps the silence highlighted his frail body even more.
His yellow cardigan, his messy hair, his weak and skinny body. He looked so sickly, but his voice was so happy and content whenever Flame was around.
"Just take care of yourself, bro." He dismissed, turning away.
***
Students were no longer obilgated to attend classes. The classes were just there for extra curricular activities. Some students would only be obligated to attend if asked by a teacher or taking classes.
Flame took some training. He wanted to learn a few combat moves and become better in his own way.
He stopped chasing what he couldn't achieve and settled for something better. Though, once classes were no longer mandatory, he made good use of his time to visit Lomedy.
Time to time, Flame would visit Lomedy. Simply to chitchat with him for a while about the most useless things.
One time, he decided to bring him a sunflower. H found it lying around the campus, so why not bring it?
"Loms, " he called out, the door behind him shutting with a click in the silent room, aside from the buzzing of the air conditioner.
Once Flame pushed aside the curtains, Flame looked oddly.. Tired?
He was snuggled under a mountain of blankets. The blanket cabinet nearby was empty, instead on top of the man hidden under neath.
He called out again. "Loms?"
As he neared, Lomedy was shivering and shaking. It concerned and tugged on Flame's chest weirdly.
"Loms," he called our agin, his voice raising a bit as he shook him. He pried the blankets off him and set it aside, trying to get a clearer look.
Lomedy was just cold. His skin was a biting freeze. It was unusual, considering the hot weather. The air conditioning wasn't even that hot.
"Bro, what are you doing?" He asked, hoping he'd reply.
"Dude, I'm just cold. Put back the blankets." He shook out, his voice weak and hoarse, yet keeping that playful, nonchalant tinge.
"Bro you're like, stuck under a boulder of blankets!" He laughed.
He turned to lay on his back, smiling so he wouldn't concern Flame. "I'm just tryna sleep bro!"
Flame sat on the edge of the bed, laughing. "Why are you even— gosh, why are you even under so many blankets?"
Lomedy sat up, staring at him. "I have an appointment today. You said Mane's coming. Where he at?"
Flame looked at the door and shrugged. "Didn't see, didn't come. Plus, an appointment? The hell you on this time, bro?"
"It's just some medicine. I don't know either. Go ask the doctors or something." He laughed.
Flame then remembered the sunflower he held. He then gave it to Lomedy.
"Uhh, I saw a sunflower around the campus. Dont know why it's there, but I brought it to yo"
When he saw the sunflower, his mind couldn't help but wander off back to the fields. He could almost imagine himself hurdling a bunch of them and proudly showing them to Flame.
He took it, his eyes full of gratitude and nostalgia. "Seriously? Thanks, bro. I mean it. like.. Oh my gosh." He said, his voice full of disbelief.
He held the sunflower close to his chest and looked up, smiling.
"Thanks, dude." He said, his voice genuine. Flame just brushed it off, murming an incoherent word and looked around.
The silence stretched between them. Outside was gloomy yet peaceful in a way. It was a bit cloudy, but a hint of orange peeked through the gap of the clouds.
The sea sounded like a calm noise to soothe the nerves. Despite how many months he's been here, he'll never get tired of the noise. After all, it's been his closest friend.
"Hey, it's almost autumn, right?" He asked.
"Yeah, no way Sherlock, it's already summer." Flame retorted.
He looked out into the sky. The orange had a hint of yellow from as much as he could see.
Honestly, he spoke. "I want to go to the field before winter arrives." He requested.
....
A long silence was cast upon them. To Lomedy, his words was just a small favor; a dream of a request. To Flame, it meant the world.
He couldn't promise that, but he would at least try. To bring Lomedy out was risky. But then again, he was also getting sick of the same room everyday.
He could only think about what Lomedy could feel at being in the room everyday from morning to midnight.
"Why not now?" He asked.
The thought was almost tempting. Lomedy wanted to agree, but he had an appointment.
"Let's schedule it tomorrow. We have enough time, Flame."
He wasn't lying. It was still a long way to go before winter, but Flame felt like time was too fast.
"Then we'll go tomorrow, bro." He said plainly.. Though, beneath those words was a hint of worry.
What if time didn't give them an exception? If Lomedy couldn't make it, what then?
"Don't worry too much." He said, already seemingly to read his mind.
"I'm sure I'll make it before winter."