Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A lone Watcher sits on the end ground just a few meters from the group. He doesn’t appear outwardly aggressive, quite the opposite really. He looks dazed and confused, his mind somewhere else entirely.
There’s only one Watcher Grian knew of who would look so outwardly weak, and he was none other than Grian’s first love.
Taurtis… sort of.

Grian stared in shock at the husk of a man. He couldn’t believe it, the Watchers kept him around for so long even after Grian escaped years prior. He was under the impression that they all would’ve just thrown him out for being so useless and no longer a bargaining chip. To see him alive and so peaceful… It made Grian’s throat swell.

“Grian?” Xisuma’s voice rang through his ears, but the avian did not respond.
How could he respond in a moment so unreal as this? He needed to savor the look of Taurtis being alive and, for the most part, safe.

There was shuffling from behind him, it sounded like Mumbo’s suit, but Pearl’s voice interrupted the clothes song.
“Let him have this,” she spoke with such worry that it made Grian hesitate at first; but a moment like this couldn’t be wasted.
In an instant, Grian began rushing forward and crashed against the endstone ground. The hard and rocky texture scraped against his knees, leaving them stinging, but Grian could acknowledge that pain later. For now, all his attention was on the Watcher in front of him.

He looked virtually the same as when Grian last saw him. He had the same dimples, the same tan skin, same messy and overgrown hair. He was Taurtis, albeit a clone of the original, but Grian had accepted him as Taurtis even after the death of the original.
Taurtis stared back at Grian with a confused look. His eyes may be covered, but Grian could almost imagine the memory of his confused expression when Grian explained how he was an avian. Taurtis’ look was the same from then, and Grian’s heart melted.

“Do you remember me?” The brunette reached his hand to hold the Watcher’s. He needed to feel the warmth of him living. He needed to reassure himself that Taurtis was still real.

Taurtis still looked confused, maybe a little more confused than before. The gears were certainly turning in his head, and Grian could only hope and pray that they worked.

It took five minutes of Taurtis silently thinking to himself before he was able to answer.
“No, I’m sorry. You can ask one of my higher-ups if I should though; I’m unfortunately unable to access any memories of you at the moment.”
Taurtis’ voice was robotic and seemingly automated. He wasn’t machinery, but he was acting like it, and that only made Grian’s stomach churn.
He was the only person around to truly remember the original Taurtis. He had not a clue as to what happened to his old friends, so that left him alone to hold onto the remaining memories of who Taurtis once was.
Taurtis was, in a lifetime long ago, such a charismatic and kind boy. He loved the people close to him like he was a dog, and he never gave up hope on one day escaping his situation. It’s such a shame that Grian had to be the one to be his escape and be the one that led him to the fate he has now. If it weren’t for Grian, Taurtis would still be laughing and full of strength. Instead, now, he was a stone husk, the vessel of someone no longer around.
Taurtis was as alive as he was dead.

The lack of recollection from his sweetheart left Grian frowning and slipping away. His hand fell back to his side, and he prepared to stand back up and return to the people he was certain cared about him.
As he stood though, the Watcher beneath him shuddered a little and his head snapped upwards. He locked eye contact with Grian, and there seemed to be something different. There seemed to be acknowledgment brewing.
Suddenly, the Watcher stood up to get a closer look at Grian again. His hands reached forward to grab Grian’s face and pull him close.

The avian tried to remain calm as he watched his sweetheart stare at every little detail on his face. Grian was never one for eye contact, but he allowed it this time, he allowed it just for Taurtis.
After waiting patiently for Taurtis to do, or say, something, the Watcher abruptly began ruffling Grian’s hair. He knew exactly what Taurtis was doing, but to the others watching from afar, it probably seemed strange. Grian knew it wasn’t strange though.
Taurtis’ hand fell idle against Grian’s temple, and that’s when the avian realized that now he knew who he was.

“Grian,” Taurtis spoke.
The avian could nearly sob at the confirmation. His knees felt weak, and if it weren’t for Taurtis literally holding his face up, Grian might’ve fallen back onto the endstone ground.

Grian choked out a laugh as he moved his hand to cup Taurtis’ on his cheek.
“Taurtis,” he heaved, it felt wonderful to finally address him by name.
“Oh, how I’ve missed you.”

“What happened to me? Where are we right now?” Taurtis’ voice wobbled as he spoke. The situation seemed to be setting into the watcher’s head now, and Grian couldn’t blame him at all for becoming so fearful.

“We’re somewhere very far from home. I can explain everything once we get out of here and somewhere safe,” the avian turned his head back to look at the group a fair distance away.
Scar’s eyes immediately locked with Grian’s, and he could tell his soulmate was holding himself back from urging everyone to run while they all could.
“X, Mumbo, can you get that portal opening up, please?” He finally shouted.
Mumbo gave him a thumbs up and began fumbling for his communicator.

“I’m so confused right now. Please catch me up, Grian?” Taurtis’ voice began shifting to sounding a little more distressed. Grian couldn’t blame him, he’s been practically asleep, maybe dead, for the past ten years.

“I’ll catch you up once we’re in a safe place,” Grian’s arms moved downwards, wrapping themselves around Taurtis’ neck. A hug should ground him a bit!
“For now, please just try and stay calm. We’ll be okay soon, everything will be perfect soon.”

Taurtis nods as he buries his face in Grian’s shoulder. His whole body is shaking in fear as his lack of knowledge is setting in, and all Grian can do is reassure him things will be okay. Grian’s going to protect him, he’s never going to let go of him ever again.
“Can you at least tell me who you’re all with? I don’t know if I trust strangers right now,” Taurtis sighs, a laugh following close behind.

“You remember my sister Pearl right?” The avian gently sways Taurtis back and forth, still trying to calm him down and keep him from freaking out.

“Vaguely… I know she’s your sister, that’s about it.”

“What about BigB?”

“Mm…” Taurtis hums, “can’t remember much about him.”

There was a small frown on Grian’s face as Taurtis admitted that. Taurtis knew BigB, they were once friends, but now Taurtis couldn't even recall someone he should remember.
Grian let out a sigh. He was trying his best to remain relaxed, the last thing he wanted to do was startle and worry Taurtis even more; but by the sounds of Mumbo and Xisuma’s hushed and panicked voices, he may have to start worrying.
Maybe, to distract himself, he could focus on talking about his recent lovers.

“That one in the suit you see over there,” Grian began, “that’s Mumbo. He and I have been together for about eight years now if I recall correctly?”
Grian could feel Taurtis’ body start to physically calm down as he listened to Grian, it put the avian more at ease to know he wasn’t freaking out too badly.
“The one with the brown mullet and scars on his face; you’ll never believe it, but his name is Scar,” Grian snickered, primarily to himself, “I started dating him around seven years ago, I think? He’s been with Mumbo a lot longer than he’s known me, though.”

“I’m glad you were able to move on and find people who love you,” Taurtis spoke. His tone was genuine and sweet, but it stung Grian’s heart to hear him talk in such a way. Taurtis will always, and forever, be his first love; his first genuine love. Sure, maybe Taurtis couldn’t bring himself to reciprocate the feelings when the two were in high school, but they were just kids, there shouldn’t have been any rush. They may have spent countless, upon countless, nights just holding each other ‘platonically’, but those nights were special to Grian, and he will always cherish those memories.

“Don’t say things like that, you big idiot,” Grian squeezed his arms a bit, which were still wrapped around Taurtis’ neck, “If you’re implying you think I’ve lost my love for you, I haven’t, but I did have to share some with my current partners.”

“I wasn’t implying that,” Taurtis gave the verbal equivalent to rolling his eyes, which could best be described as a ‘sassy remark’

“You were! I haven’t forgotten how you sound when you put yourself down!”

“Uhm— yeah, you have!” Taurtis laughed, clearly finding his attempt at persuasion quite hilarious.

Grian shook his head against Taurtis’ and let out little laughs of his own. Oh, how he’s missed being able to talk to his childhood lover. They always worked so well off of each other; and Taurtis always knew just how to make his heart flutter into the sky, albeit he would always be doing it without that intention, but it still caused several excited stomachaches.

“Alright— There we go! We’ve gotten it!” Xisuma shouted gleefully, “Grian, let’s get going before we get captured!!”

After what felt like ages, Grian’s arms finally dropped, and his hand found its way onto grasping Taurtis’.
“The shock of the portal may be a bit much, especially because you still seem a bit woozy, but I’ll hold your hand the whole time. We’re gonna get you somewhere safe, Taurtis,” Grian couldn’t help the massive smile present on his face. Finally, he could rest easy at night knowing that Taurtis wasn’t being harmed anymore.

“Griaan!” Scar called out to the avian, “C'mon, you slowpoke!” He chuckled, very clearly messing with his lover, while also still trying to get him moving forward.

With Taurtis in hand, Grian took a step forward, and almost as soon as he touched the end stone, a watcher symbol appeared beneath it.

“Watch out!” Taurtis snatched onto Grian’s arm and pulled him back with the kind of force that sent them both stumbling to the ground.

“They’ve found us this quickly!?” Grian heaved out. This is when he was going to let himself start freaking out.

Xisuma seemed to catch onto the direness of the situation, and without much thinking, Grian watched as his admin pummeled all his friends into the portal.
“Grian, we need to go now!”

The avian and his high school sweetheart scrambled to their feet, and Grian rushed forward as soon as he could. Taurtis wasn’t all the way standing, he was tripping all over himself and losing balance every few seconds.
More watcher symbols appeared around the three, they seemed to be larger though. Grian was all too aware of the kinds of symbols they were. They were portals, ones that allowed fully professional Watchers to appear out of.

“Portals closing, who’s going first?!” Xisuma rushed out his words.

“You go first, then I’ll go second and bring Taurtis behind me third.”

The voidwalker gave Grian a hesitant look at first, but after the swarm of Watchers started becoming ever more apparent, Xisuma gave a single nod and hopped into his portal.

The avian gave his overhand a tug, indicating they needed to follow, but the other didn’t budge.
“Taurtis?”

“Grian, I can’t leave.”

“What do you mean?” Grian looked around confused, Taurtis wasn’t being held back by anything, this didn’t make sense.

“They’re just going to come after you in order to bring me back. I know too much, they can’t risk having me out in the world.”

“Taurtis, what’re you implying…”
Grian stared at his lover, as all he was given in return was a soft smile and an empty hand.

“I’m sorry I never said I loved you back in high school. It was kind of stupid of me to be hung up over Salex for so long,” Taurtis pitifully laughed while placing his hands on Grian’s shoulders.
“You deserve to be happy, you deserve to live the life we always talked about having. Keep my name known when you talk about high school, got it?”

“Taurtis, I’m not leaving without you!?” Grian’s chest felt tight; he felt himself collapsing and suffocating in his own body. Was Taurtis going to stay here, potentially forever? Would Grian ever see him again? He worked so hard, so very hard, to see him again and be able to hold him; but now he was losing all that work like this? It’s cruel, this is a sick punishment.

“Tell your friends it was nice to meet them, and I hope you’re able to move on from me. I love you, Grian,” Taurtis stifled another laugh before pushing Grian back first into the portal.

The avian's life flashed before his eyes as he watched his first love be taken away from him once again, just like that. This was Evo all over again, and only he was to blame for it.

Chapter Text

A grassy terrain was the first sensation Grian felt as he hit the ground. He was back home, back where he belonged with the people who loved him, Hermitcraft. Except, something was missing inside him again. He wanted to bring Taurtis with him, he wanted to free Taurtis from all the pain the other was subjected to over the years. It was childish to think such a goal could be achieved so easily. It was childish and pathetic. Attempts were not always successful, that’s why they’re attempts, not successes.
Grian was stupid for even trying.

“He— it didn’t. I tried so…” words tried their hardest to form the avian's mouth, but there was absolutely nothing comprehensible.

“Grian…” Pearl’s voice was the first to be heard clearly. Her voice wobbled, but it held much more stability compared to Grian’s.

“What just— what just happened??” Mumbo chimed in, his voice a lot more confused and worried compared to Pearl’s.

It took him a moment, but Grian was able to turn his torso around, now being able to see the looks on his loved one’s faces as they all stared at him. He clutched the grass tightly in reaction to the way they all had their attention locked onto him. If it wasn’t for what just occurred, he would be feeling sick to his stomach.

“He’s…” Grian began trying to speak, his words cut off by a cry swelling in his throat, “I just lost him… again,” admitting the truth sent Grian’s body into shock. He felt his shoulder tense and jolted forward, his wings unfolded and began creating a sort of shield around him. He hated being seen like this, but everything felt so miserable now. He couldn’t help reacting this way in front of others.

Pearl seemingly recognized his body patterns, and she immediately sprung into action. Her footsteps were quick on the grass, and she was even faster when it came to falling to Grian’s level.
Her arms wrapped tightly around his shaking body, and she pulled him as close as possible; a protective hug that aided in shielding him from embarrassment.
“I’m so sorry, G; I’m so sorry,” she muttered.

Grian could only grasp her hoodie tightly as everything came flooding out. He was weak and completely vulnerable in front of the people he tried so hard to be strong in front of. He just lost Taurtis for a second time though, so maybe he deserves to be a little vulnerable.