Chapter Text
He missed this.
The warm sunlight shining through the window. The scent of hot cocoa. The sound of villions running about.
Even if it brought with it mountains of paperwork, he would much prefer that over tip-toeing the line between life and death.
Ver brought his mug up to his lips, savoring the warmth of his drink. A full week is far too long to go without something sweet. Setting the mug back down, the student council president looked back at his laptop. Discord had been extra active since he’d gotten back. Formerly missing livers checking in on each other, giving their own accounts of what happened, and others helping them readjust to streaming life.
Some people returned to streaming fairly quickly— he’s pretty sure he saw Sonny start a zatsu a few hours later. Others decided to take some time to relax before going back to streaming, including himself. He needed it after the bullshit he’d been through. Leaning back on the couch, Ver let out a sigh as he relished in how soft it felt compared to the concrete floors and stiff furniture of the facility. Worldweaver really had no sense of what humans preferred...not that he could blame it, of course. It wasn’t—
Knock knock knock.
Huh?
Ver sat upright. He didn’t remember anyone saying they would be coming by. Standing up from his couch, he stretched for a moment before walking towards his door. Maybe it was just one of the building staff? Sometimes they’d come by to notify him of any upcoming maintenance or window cleaning. Opening the door, he was greeted with a powerful, looming presence. A familiar one.
“Oh! Doppi! I wasn’t expecting you to stop by.” Ver greeted.
“Hey. Can I come in?” Doppio asked, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Yeah, of course. Come on in.”
The enforcer ducked beneath the doorway and stepped inside the penthouse. Villions surrounded him, pawing at his legs and meowing for attention. Doppio chuckled and leaned down to pat one of them.
"Hey there." he greeted, earning a satisfied purr from the little tiger.
“Come on guys, give him some space.”
The villions grumbled and stepped away from him. Doppio looked back up at Ver. The same Ver he was with back in that facility. Same hair, same eyes, same smile. Dressed in a simple white t-shirt and grey sweatpants. How long did it take them to be sent back home, anyway? Seconds? Minutes? Hours? However long it was, he didn’t care. At least they were out of there.
“How have you been, Doppi? Happy to be back in the arcade?” Ver asked.
“Yeah, it’s good to be back. The place was kinda dusty though. And I’ll admit, I..uh...”
Doppio thought for a moment. He had no idea what to say. A million thoughts and a million emotions were running through his mind right now. The man took a closer look at his partner. His black and red hair. His alluring pink eyes. His soft smile. He was still...him.
“Er...Doppi?”
Screw it.
Doppio grabbed Ver’s arm and pulled him closer, wrapping his arms around him. Ver’s eyes widened at the sudden gesture— was this what he came here for? Well, even if it was just for a hug, he was happy to see him outside of that godforsaken place. Ver led him over to the couch, taking a spot on his lap once he had settled down. He reached up and ran his fingers through the taller man’s hair. It was cute to see him lean into his touch.
“It’s over now.” Ver whispered. “We’re both here. Everything’s resolved.”
“Yeah...can’t believe it’s over now, heheh.” Doppio’s chuckle deflated towards the end. He let out a shaky exhale. “Yeah, it’s..actually over. Shit...”
“Hey.”
Ver turned Doppio’s chin to face him. His heart sank at the tears welling up in the 1st year’s eyes. How long had he been holding them back? How long had he been hiding his fears? How long had he been keeping up the happy facade?
Well, he wouldn’t need to for much longer.
Ver wrapped his arms around Doppio, feeling his body shake as the tears started to fall. Quiet sobs filled the penthouse as the enforcer’s grip on him tightened. It was over. They were safe. He didn’t have to worry about the others anymore. He didn’t have to constantly look over his shoulder, or check every corner he turns. He didn’t have to scour through crates for food or other supplies.
“I-I— I’m sorry, I just—” Doppio apologized between sobs. “I didn’t want you guys to be worried about me. I wanted you to be happy, that’s— that’s why I kept saying all that stupid stuff. I-If I didn’t, then...”
“You don’t have to be sorry for anything, Doppi. It’s okay. Deep breaths.”
He could see it now. Doppio was shouldering the responsibility of not just their safety, but their morale too. He was the most physically powerful member of Xsoleil— everyone knew that. He could only imagine the pressure he felt to come up with silly jokes when being faced with halls of ever-changing rooms and monsters who wanted nothing more than to rip them to shreds. Even more so after that whispering one.
“And...and I tried to keep you guys safe, I tried to fight those things off. I had to keep you safe, I had to! If you’d gotten hurt, I-I don’t— shit...I-I couldn’t forgive myself. I couldn’t forgive myself if you’d gotten hurt because of me.”
He knew exactly what he was referring to. Both things, in fact.
“Hey, hey. Look at me.”
Doppio wiped his eyes again and looked at Ver. Shit, he was tearing up, too. The soul prophet gently placed a hand on his cheek, wiping away a tear. The former delinquent placed a hand over his and leaned into his touch— god, he needed this right now.
“You don’t have to worry about monsters or creepy hallways anymore. We’re here now, we’re home. And...I’d be lying if I wasn’t feeling responsible for others’ safety, too.”
Doppio’s eyes widened in surprise. He was? But he seemed so calm. Then again, Ver was pretty good at hiding his own worries, covering them with a sense of calmness. But now he could see it— Ver looked way less tired than he did before.
“I thought if I made even the slightest mistake, we’d end up dead. That’s why I urged you guys to be so careful. Hell, that’s why I kept checking your souls. I wanted to make sure they stayed bright no matter what, even if things kept changing.”
There was nothing but honesty in his voice. Ver was the leader of Xsoleil, after all. He had to make sure they got out of there alive— although he couldn’t deny that he had been slowly starting to lose hope. He tried to distract himself from the very real possibility of their blood on his hands if he made a mistake, but it was always there in the back of his mind. Doppio could see that now.
Without a word, Doppio laid down on the sofa and guided Ver to lay on top of him, wrapping his arms around him. Ver could hear his heartbeat...it was strong, energetic, and it was there. Just like him. He was there. He was alive. Ver snuggled closer to him, keeping his ear on his chest. Despite the strength of his heart, it was oddly calming.
The enforcer ran his fingers through his partner’s hair. It was still so soft despite what happened. His hair, his smile, his loving gaze, everything. It was all the same. Doppio could slowly feel himself coming back to reality. Everything felt so hazy before, like a dream. But he was here now. He had his friends, his family, and his beloved kaichou.
The two men lay there in silence, relishing in each other’s company. They could let their senpais handle explaining what happened— god knows they wouldn’t be able to put any of it into words. For now, they needed to rest and return to reality.
Slowly but surely, their eyelids grew heavy and they slipped into a deep slumber. It was so much better than taking shifts between sleeping and keeping watch. A few villions quietly dragged over a blanket and pulled it over them, taking Ver’s mug and laptop elsewhere.
It’s best if they don’t disturb them for a while. They deserved to rest.