Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was weird having two strings.

That was specifically the weird part. It wasn't that his strings pointed straight up to the next levels, that was something that happened to people everyday. Those on the Noob level almost always had their soulmates on a higher one, doomed to never meet.

(Those doomed to have their partners fall into the void, string withering to a gray as dark as a wither skeleton’s bones. It unties itself more everyday; the first knot, then the second, then the third, before it finally falls off, leaving a now-bare hand and its owner in agony. One couldn’t even attempt to tie it, as it would unravel even quicker than before. They usually joined their other half of their soul not long after, the soul unwilling to be apart any longer)

Heartbreaking, truly, for all except him of course. Please, it’s him! He could make it to the next level and find his soulmates! It would be the easiest thing on the planet for him, even easier than jumping for the beef.

(He still couldn’t believe he made that jump. Him, who was starving to death almost everyday, making the one block diagonal jump for the beef? Please, he’s brave and bold, but even he wasn’t that much of a fool.)

But having two strings? Both the least of his problems and the absolute top priority. He needed to find his soulmates (and wasn’t that strange? Having two, both still red at that, strings when many others don’t even have their one anymore?) Evbo needed to find them, his very soul demanded it, whispering it frantically in his mind at every jump he did, successful or almost falling to his death.

It wouldn't leave him alone for nothing. Which was good because, although his own ambition was enough to keep him going to become champion (if that was even possible), it was nice to have another reason to keep going, keep fighting to live everyday. He pushed himself harder, completing every jump of the tower with terrifying ease, until the last one.

There he was now, staring at the last jump of the tower, trying to figure out just how to make the jump. It should’ve been simple considering the chat he just had with the Oldman, but it, for some reason, wasn’t. Perhaps it was the starvation finally getting to him, or maybe even the craziness of what had become his life in just a few days time.

“Well,” he sat on the block, “guess I’m screw- wait! That’s right! The barrier block!” And so there goes Noob Evbo, placing down said block, making the jump, and then jumping for joy as he makes it. Of course, him being him, he almost falls backwards, but with the grace of a cat, Evbo catches himself, yelling excitedly.

He was the first Noob to ever rank up! He did it! Proved the guards, his non-existent neighbors, and himself wrong.

Now all he had to do was get his blue boots, get to his new house, and find his soulmates! Speaking of soulmates, he-

He glances down, horror twisting his face. His strings go up another level. Another level that yes, he could easily clear, but who knows how long that would take? It took him months to even get here, and that was only after the Oldman’s help. Is he going to have to wait even longer to meet them? The two he’s fated to be with? The two he might not even get to see within this lifetime?

(What a horrid, horrid thought. He shutters, blinking away any tears that may fill his eyes. He’s stronger than this, he tells himself, hoping this time it’ll continue to be true. Evbo’s made it this far, he’ll get up to Master level in no time at all. A week perhaps, maybe less.

It’s going to be less.)

[]_[]

It wasn’t long until he screwed up.

It’s not his fault he’s a curious guy! He just wanted to know what would happen if he skipped the daily task for once, he didn’t know he’d be sucked into a Parkour Battle with a Master! A Master of all things! Please, hasn’t he dealt with enough in life already?! It was only his second day as a Pro, couldn’t he get some sort of lenience?!

Apparently not, as the Master’s attack dropped him all the way down to 1 heart. It felt as if every bone in his body was broken, searing pain coursing through him as he squints at the course. If he even takes a single step wrong, he’s done for. Gone forever, not even the prison nor the Oldman would save him, not this time.

But he had to do it. He couldn’t just give up now! He was already so much closer to the Master level than he was just a day ago.

(And by that he means he got a long, long night’s sleep with food to stave off starvation for as long as he would want. Listen, it’s not all that much closer, but it’s better than it was a week ago!)

Evbo stands tall through the pain, reaching into his inventory to grab the last few blocks he had remaining. It wouldn’t be enough, he’d die here and no one would ever remember him, not even his soulmates-

“I surrender!”

…What.

“I surrender!” The Master repeats, staring at him wide-eyed, hands held up in the classic surrender pose. The string, purple and tied almost lovingly around her pinky, flashes in his vision quickly before he ignores it. “I give up! I don’t wanna fight anymore!”

“What?” He truly couldn’t believe his ears. Why is she just… giving up? Weren’t Masters supposed to go to the death? “Huh?!”

“Did you not hear me? I give up! Take this stupid totem of undying and scram!” A totem hits him in the face in a blink, the Master disappearing in another.

He picks up the totem, confusion fluttering across his face as he stares long and hard. What was this supposed to do? Undying? Does it give a second life? Why just give up like that? The string appears in his mind and he smiles softly. Perhaps she was forced to do this battle, taken from her level, and was desperate to get back to her soul, even if it meant giving up something that seems as important as this.

(He knew the feeling well. If his soul was an animal, he knew it would be clawing desperately to be reunited with its other two parts. Honestly, the more he climbed the ranks, the less and less whole his soul felt. It was never whole to begin with, but at least it felt like it was his. Now it feels like there’s nothing left in him, a hollow husk. He hates it.)

He stashes the totem in his inventory. Evbo had other things to deal with, like recovering his health. His body was more in pain than his soul could ever be--that’s a lie but shush--and he was desperate to eat anything he possibly could get his hands on. Okay, maybe not anything, there was no way he could go back to raw beef and chicken, but exaggerating is much, much more fun in his mind.

So on he goes, eating the one piece of food in his inventory to regain enough mobility to make jumps to do his daily task. Luckily it was an easy assignment, just having to watch the farm animals parkour to eat. He sunk himself into the corner, tugging mindlessly on the strings connected to both his ring fingers as he grazed- he means, gazed upon the animals jumping. Surprisingly, all of the animals made it across.

“Maybe the rest fell into the void,” he laughs slightly, getting up slowly. “Well, at least I can get more food now.”

So on he goes again, making the trek to the ticket station to grab his food for the day, healing up enough that the only torment he had to suffer through was the pain in his soul. Which was--he wouldn’t say easy enough all things considering, but it was certainly easier than feeling like he broke every bone in his body 5 times over.

And so, as it goes, so does he, returning to his home to sleep the rest of the day and night away.

Well, he would’ve, if he wasn’t so rudely interrupted by someone knocking on his door.

He groans, getting out of bed and walking to the door, opening it with the best, most fierce glare he could muster, and mutters a simple: “what?”

“Parkour delivery service! Got anything you need delivered?” It was, surprisingly, his neighbor that spoke.

Evbo, in his uttermost tiredness, shakes his head no and slams the door. Did he feel slightly bad? Of course. Did it matter right now? Absolutely not. Was he going to apologize? …Maybe.

The second he collapsed onto his bed, he was out like a light.

[]__[]

The next day, he tried the course. It was going swimmingly of course. Or, as swimmingly as being a Master for 2 days and being forced to do jumps he’s never even heard of before. So he tries, and tries, and tries, before giving up. Falling gets boring when you do it enough times in a row, the pain in his legs going from blistering to barely even throbbing.

He does his daily task of being a delivery service before going to the training area he discovered on his first day. Maybe he can practice some of the jumps here? Much more preferable to do it 2 meters above ground than 6, or 8, or 12 or- you get the point.

Fortune doesn’t smile down at him this day, as another pro joins him, challenging him to a duel. Evbo misses one too many jumps, getting down to 2 hearts. His mind screams at him, the strings around his fingers tightening enough to cut off blood flow. He couldn’t fail here! He’s Evbo, soulmate to two and future champion! How dare he lose to someone who was doing the easiest jumps known to man!

He sets up his next jump, 2 block 360 into a 1 block 360 jump. Sure, it wasn’t the hardest, but his body was on fire for the 9th time today, and he just wanted to go home and pout.

Somehow, he lands it. Somehow, the other doesn’t.

(He’s only slightly grateful that the string upon the other’s hand was withering away. At least the Pro can join their soul once again.)

Evbo sighs, turning away from the battle and jumping his way back home.

Perhaps he’ll have better fortune tomorrow.

[]___[]

And fortune he does, for he wakes up feeling better than he has in a long time.

He tries the course again, making it to the last jump. His excitement is overshadowed by his shock.

“Oh for fu-”

[]__[]

Did he have to use the totem to get down? Absolutely. Did he also discover he hated what his life has come to? Absolutely. Was he going to keep trying to be able to achieve at least one of his goals? Not even a question.

The next day, he wakes with a brilliant idea. So brilliant, he doesn’t know why he didn’t think of it before! Obviously it’s because he never made it to the impossible jump before, but still, let the man dream! Maybe it was his soulmates bestowing their masterly wisdom down upon him, but he likes to think it was all him.

He does his daily task, grabs his food, and then runs around trying to find out who’s the delivery person for the day, and scares the stars out of them.

His neighbor turns quickly, almost falling off the block he stood upon, holding his hand over his heart.

“Evbo! What the stars?! Couldn’t you say hi like a normal person?”

Said person just grins wide. “I need to have a parkour course made in my house, but it’s a trip to get to, can you do it?”

“‘Course I can! …Uhm, where exactly is it?” And Evbo just grins wider, grabs his neighbor’s hand, and leads the way to the tower. It doesn’t take the two all that long to get there, or much more time to get up to the top to get to what he needs.

(Evbo, he’s discovered, is an insanely quick learner. Whether that be from being cool enough to have two soulmates, he’s just that cool in general, or he’s smarter than he gives himself credit for, but he learns the jumps quicker than he thinks any other Pro has.)

His neighbor looks at the jump before placing down something that “can copy parkour courses like these! Makes it much easier to do for us delivery people!”

The way down was harder. Why? Evbo doesn’t know, but it doesn’t take too much longer until the course is in his house. He tips his neighbor extra well before shouting a loud apology for the last time and slamming the door in his face.

He climbs to the top, staring down the impossible jump with all the focus one could muster, and jumps.

And proceeds to fall. His life flashes again before his eyes. He can feel his soul screaming in agony at never getting to reunite, can see his two strings already starting to lose their color and loosen. He squeezes his eyes tight and prays to the Parkour God before-

He lands harshly on the ground.

Evbo opens his eyes to see the void far, far below him. He laughs, loud and long, turning into sobs as he sits up. Through bleary, wet eyes, he looks at the two strings on his ring fingers, vibrant and tight as ever, and sobs harder.

(He swears he could feel 2 sets of hands on his face, wiping away the tears and rubbing his head and back, hugging him from both sides of his body. He swears he could almost hear whispers of two voices. ‘If it were real,’ he thought, ‘this would be the nicest thing I’d ever felt.)

It takes him far too long to get his bearings, and even longer to realize what exactly just happened.

It doesn’t take him much longer to get to his unsteady feet, climb into bed, and drift into the stars with hands holding his.

[]_[]

The next day (6 days, he repeats, 6 days, one more before the time limit), he gets to the last jump once again. He stares long and hard, eyes threatening to double and blur. He shakes his head, praying to both the Parkour God and his soulmates that he’s right about this, and jumps.

Somehow, it works.

Somehow, he crosses the border between Pro and Master.

Somehow, he earns his gold boots, walks out of the tower, and feels the sun on his skin.

He smiles wide, bringing his hands up to see which direction his strings are pointing in now.

The strings continued to point up.

Evbo considered jumping into the void would be a better option than this.

Chapter Text

Perhaps he was never meant to find his soulmates.

He’s been here for well over a few weeks now, traveling as far in each direction as he possibly could, trying desperately to make the strings move. Nothing. Not even an inch, not even a centimeter, not even whatever is smaller than that.

(He refused to stop. His mind screamed and clawed and whimpered and sobbed. He couldn’t give up, not now. He was close, so close he could taste it, could feel their hands in his everytime he slept, every jump he did.

He couldn’t stop now.)

He watches the other Masters go about their day from the top of his skyscraper, little bugs scurrying this way and that. He spies two get into a battle, pulling off jumps that seemed much too easy for Masters to be doing. Or maybe he was just that good, that jumps like those--2 three wood block jumps into a three chain block jump into an ice block--was simply too easy for him.

Evbo scoffs before stretching like a cat, sighing softly as his body relaxes. Really, being a Master was much easier than it seemed when he was a Pro, and even easier than he thought when he was still a Noob. Was there going to be any jump that could possibly challenge him?

Learning to water bucket was the easiest thing once he got over the fear of falling. (He won’t admit he had- has a fear of falling. It only makes sense after however many near-death experiences he’s had in just the past few weeks.) Not to mention the ice jumps and fences and glass? All too easy. He couldn’t quite get to doing 360’s consistently on them, but he was doing way better than before. What could he say? He’s just that cool.

Stars, the weirdest thing so far had to have been the chain couch. Well, right before the Master fell straight into the void. Deeply hilarious, and also upsetting. The amount of blocks he could’ve gotten? He would’ve been set for life! Never would’ve had to do another daily task again, but oh well. He’s sure he’ll get other chances to gain a mass amount of blocks.

“Wait,” he pauses midstep, water bucket in hand. “What if that guy was lying about being rich? Oh my stars, he was* lying! That bastard! Never should’ve built him that chain couch.”

Speaking of chains, he should have a rematch with that obsessive shopkeeper. Seriously, who gets possessive over a job like selling houses?! Was there really nothing else the guy had to do? Maybe he can go give him something else to worry ‘bout.

Evbo laughs as he falls, landing the water bucket with an ease he didn’t have until days ago. He starts his walk again, heading further out than he has before.

There was only one more level above this one: Champion. That was the last place they could be, otherwise they’d be dead, and he knows for a fact that they aren’t. The strings on his fingers keep his withering hope alive.

(And stars was his hope withering. The vibrant red, the shade of roses, or perhaps even blood, was his single shining beacon. When he lays awake at night, thinking long and hard, the phantom hands fading into nothingness, does he falter the most. Were they even waiting for him? Did they even want* him? Maybe they had already found each other, giving up hope on ever finding him. He wouldn’t blame them; sure he was great, the best parkourer to ever live in fact! But he wouldn’t blame them if they decided he wasn’t worth it. Evbo thought himself worth it, the universe did too! So why could he not find his soulmates? Hasn’t he waited long enough? He certainly thinks he has.)

So there Evbo goes, clearing the three block jumps easily, stopping every few blocks to check his strings. No change. Zero. Nada. Zilch. Absolutely nothing. They continue to point in the same direction, unmoving in their ways. Up.

(Up. Up. Up. Always Up. Was there any escape? Up? Is that all he had? To continue going Up? Continue climbing and climbing until he can cup the stars softly in his bloodied hands, whisper a wish, and toss it into the night sky? Was the universe playing a cruel, cruel prank upon him? It would only make sense. His soul howls in pain. He ignores it.)

He groans, practically screaming “Why can’t you just change?!”

“...Are you talking to me?”

Evbo whips around, screaming in fear, falling off the block he stood on. Scrambling to catch himself, he grabs onto the edge with a single hand. He looks down quickly, heavily breathing as panic overtakes him. Was this really how he was going to die? Being scared to death? If he wasn’t terrified, he’d laugh so hard tears would form.

His right hand grabs onto the block, but he couldn’t pull himself up. The void, all-consuming, weighed down his legs, 5 cows on each.

Gold boots enter his vision. He’s never been more happy to see a hand with a purple string before. He takes it, the Master barely exerting any effort to get him up. Evbo, patting himself free of non-existent dust, turns to her with a wide smile.

“So! That was fun! Wait- what are you doing all the way out here?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” With a brow raised and a scoff, she jumps to one of the blocks next to them.

“Uh, uhm, Master stuff! Yup! No other reason!”

“And what… stuff would that be?”

“Ahaha yeah it’s like, super important stuff, I’m not allowed to tell anyone! Honestly, me saying that might’ve been too much! Perhaps I should just, go. Yeah, I’ll just go-”

And he’s off. Jumping away from her, and jumping away from all his problems. Unfortunately for him, that doesn’t last long.

“Don’t you wanna be Champion?” She yells out. If Evbo wasn’t in the middle of the jump, he would’ve stopped dead in his tracks. He lands the jump shakily, turning around in shock. “I can help you!”

“...What? Why?”

“Because you were the first to rank up!”

“What- have you been watching me?!”

“Uh… no?” Well, it was more convincing than what Evbo said 2 minutes prior. “Listen, you becoming Champion would benefit us both. You’d find your soulmates-” Damn she really did know a lot. “-and you can help us finish the war.”

…The what now?

“People aren’t supposed to rank up. You, somehow, whether it be the stars or the Parkour God or you’re the luckiest bastard to exist, did it. If you follow me, you’ll have what you want in no time.”

Evbo couldn’t believe it. Him? Actually being the Champion? It was a fool’s dream, even more so than finding his soulmates.

But if what she’s saying is true then that means-

(His soul claws)

He can find his soulmates-

(and screams)

With a wide smile and a laugh, “I’m in.”

(And calms.)

[]_[]

He wakes when the stars are high in the sky. He doesn’t waste a second in getting out of bed, grabbing his water bucket, and kicking it into high gear out of his house. If he ran any faster, he would’ve surely missed the landing, but all’s well that ends well right?

That’s definitely not how the saying works, but Evbo couldn’t care. He was on a mission, one that could bring him so, so much closer than he ever was to finding the two missing halves of his soul. He wasn’t really doing this to help stop the war or whatever the Master said, it was purely selfish reasons. Was being the savior of Parkour Civilization an upside? Of course! He’d be a fool to not admit it, but he was truly only in it for himself.

He travels north, climbing up to the highest parkour highway and braving the jump with no fear.

(How could he be fearful when for once in his existence, his soul was calm?)

Evbo jumps and jumps and jumps, barely even stopping to breathe. It wasn’t long until he spotted what the Master could’ve been talking about. A big cubed building, black glass mosaics running around the empty space of each side. He couldn’t make out what the drawings were, both due to the distance and the dark of the night, but he didn’t care much. He had much, much more important problems.

The jumps to get inside the cube weren’t a problem. Not until the 4 block jump. But that was the easy part! And then came the ice jump. Well, crap.

He looks around, unwilling to just end his one chance here. Unfortunately (Lady Luck seems to really hate him nowadays), there was nothing around but the ice.

Man does he hate his life.

He takes a deep breath, and runs.

(Flying through the air at the fastest speed ever was, somehow, the best feeling in the world. He wishes he could grow wings and feel this forever. Maybe this is how meeting his soulmates would feel. He hopes so. Desperately so.)

Somehow, he makes the jump. How was he going to make it back? That’s for later him to figure out.

He walked in cautiously, seeing nothing. Well, no one. There was certainly nothing to be found. Literally. It was an empty room with a big hole in the floor and an even longer glass pane staircase.

“You gotta be kidding me,” he mumbles, fighting to get up the staircase. Whoever decided to make these better pray to the Parkour God that they never meet Evbo.

Uptop, there lies a strange thing in the center. He steps in and-

Where was this? There was so much… green. Bees flew past him, cows mooing in the distance, the wind tussling his clothes as he whistled by. Tall oak trees surrounded him, daffodils and blue orchids littering the floor. He covers his eyes with his hand, sun blinding him like never before.

Seeing this much nature wasn’t what shocked him. No, what shocked him were his strings. Gold, joining the sun in practically blinding him. They were still tied on his ring fingers, but they were tighter, as if someone else put it on him.

(Was this what it felt like?)

He looked around, spotting two shadowy figures standing a little ways away. Evbo lights up, sure that his smile probably matched the same blinding color of his strings. He waves over to them, sprinting.

But no matter how fast he ran, they seemed to be getting further and further away. Why couldn’t he reach them? What was going on? Why couldn’t he-

He startles back, falling out of the weird contraption and onto the floor. Wiping his hair from his face, he looked at his strings, only to be faced with the vibrant red (the color of blood.)

Footsteps echo through the empty halls. He doesn’t have time to panic about this, he realizes almost a split second too late. But he finds just enough time--perhaps Lady Luck was smiling down upon him--to hide behind a plant. He couldn’t see past it, lest he give himself away.

He stays as still as possible, becoming the plant. If he wasn’t in stealth mode, he would’ve laughed long and hard at that.

When the footsteps stop and a loud noise echoes through the room, Evbo makes a run for it, tossing down his water bucket (landing it perfectly might he add), and bolts it out the cube. The sun greets him like an old friend, blinding him with the enthusiasm of one. He lifts his hands to cover his eyes.

He looked at his hands.

A gasp escapes his mouth.

A string moved.

It moved.

He bolted back inside, up the staircase, and looked around for whoever it could be.

There was nothing there.

(He sobbed in unison with his soul.)

[]__[]

Evbo sleeps the rest of the day away. He couldn’t bear to face the Master he somehow befriended after the soul-shattering (literally) realization of the early morning. Speaking of her… What was her name again?

Why did no one ever tell him their names? Is this just a theme? Was he being rude by not asking? But then again, they never asked either so… oh well! Not his fault!

He’s supposed to meet her again today, figure out a plan of what to do, anything really! He doesn’t waste much time getting out of bed; a distraction would be much needed and most appreciated, thank you very much.

It takes him an awkward amount of time to find her. Usually, people just approach him! It was weird to do the approaching for once, and he guesses the universe agrees with how hard it was to find her. He doesn’t quite know why he looked everywhere but her house, but in his defense, he had a long yesterday!

(It could’ve been worse. Truly, it could’ve been.)

He approaches from the bottom highway first, trying to yell into her house. He was impulsive and slightly foolish at the best of times, but even he knows not to enter a house uninvited. Alas, there was no answer.

“Maybe she’s out right now?” He thinks aloud, looking around. No moment in the house that he could see. Maybe it would be better to try again in an hour.

So there he goes, doing a daily task just to kill some time. He builds some parkour for his neighbors, battles the house seller for the laughs--and wins!--before returning to the Master’s house. He comes in through the roof, travels down a level, and there she was.

Tragedy. Every muscle was wound up tight, hair tousled, her face red with even redder eyes. He approaches slowly, sliding in beside her as she sobs, first silently, then loudly, before going quiet completely. Evbo pats her back, unknowing what could’ve caused this to happ-

Oh.

(This was the worst that could’ve happened.)

There, around her pinky, was a loosening, withering string.

[]___[]

“The Champion wanted me to pass on a message, and to make sure it was, he…” Evbo shushes her, rubbing her back softly.

“Uhm, wow I’m bad at this,” he mumbles. “Take the time you need.”

A stretch of silence. He could only imagine the agony she was in. The pain that shot through him when he found his soulmate was just out of reach must’ve been nothing to what she was feeling.

(Agony. Pure, blazing agony. Her skin on fire, throat tightening, unable to breathe in any air. She was itchy everywhere: her eyes, her throat, ears, face, arms, legs, nails- The tightness around her pinky was loose, too loose, needed her partner to come and retie it, needed her to kiss her string and whisper “I love you” under her breath. But never again. Her soul aches, whining, whimpering, screaming over its lost half.)

“Told me to send you to him, gave me these blocks, and to ensure I would-” she stopped with a long, shaky sigh. “Just gotta… put down these brewing stands, fight you, and bam. There you would go to fight him.”

Evbo pauses. Was it really that easy? The Champion took away someone’s soulmate just to get to him? Really? He didn’t know the Champion was an utter coward. A heartless, soulless being.

“Do it.”

She looks up at him. There’s no shock in her face, no words of argument. Instead, there lays a look of resignation, of a sadness incomprehensible to him. She stands, places down the brewing stands, and stares at him long and hard.

Her eyes were soulless. No life was inside them, a hollowed out husk of a Master who helped him through so much. In her mind, and to everyone else around them, she had nothing else to live for.

(Evbo wonders if that’s what he may have looked like yesterday morning. If only for a moment. Wonders if this is what his soulmates might look like, if he fails.)

He takes a deep breath, nods, and passes out.

(For her, and for himself, he’ll beat the Champion.)

Chapter Text

When Evbo awoke, it was a world of pain. His entire head throbbed, body weak and lethargic, and his brain had no idea where he was. Who knew being knocked out would hurt that much? He certainly didn’t.

It took him, in his mind, much too long to be able to stand. He blinks the black spots from his eyes, opening and closing his fist, taking a few steps forward and back. He very much hopes he never has to experience that again.

There he stood, in a white room lined with chests. Of course, to get to those chests, he had to parkour. Easy jumps, all things considered, but he was already fed up with them. He just wanted to face the Champion already, win in the most epic way possible (this being 360s of course), tell Tabi, and find his soulmates.

But first, he had to get to him.

He spots someone across the way. Squinting, he can’t really make out anything other than a pair of gold boots. He makes his way over, cringing slightly at the stiffness in his legs.

(He’ll be fine! It’ll take only a moment longer for the stiffness to disappear and he can beat the Champion as easy as saying 1 2 3! This doesn’t worry him in the slightest, just a minor drawback, that’s all.)

“Hey,” he rasps, coughing. He didn’t realize how dry his throat was. He tries again, saying “Hey uhm, who are you?”

“I’m here to make sure you’re only taking in 64 blocks.”

It’s not the best, but it wasn’t the greatest. He tries to ask more questions, but the guard doesn’t say anything else, just blankly stares at him.

Well, crap.

He turns around, jumping from chest to chest, trying to figure out just what he wanted to take in with him. It’s the Champion, he’d need to go all out, but half the things in the chest? He very much wasn’t comfortable with using.

Breathing in deep, he makes the jumps to each chest. 32 wooden planks, 4 stairs, fences, chains, ice, trapdoors, pots, and green candles. Yeah he’s, not winning this is he?

(He has confidence. Perhaps too much sometimes. But even he knows when to draw it back. Did he really even have a chance in the first place? Or has he become such a good liar he’s convinced even himself he could? He looks down at his dropped items, hands twitching, legs still stiff no matter what he did.)

The Master gives him back the blocks and opens the door.

Evbo takes a deep breath, and walks forwards.

[]__[]

He comes face to face with a Pro.

He thinks it would’ve been a good idea to jump into the void back when he came into the Master level.

The fight wasn’t difficult. Easy even, but he wastes too many blocks. Granted, it was just 7, but that was 7 too many.

Only the Stars knows how many blocks he’ll need in the fight against the Champion.

[]___[]

He’s panicking.

Evbo wasn’t prepared for Tabi to come out next.

His friend, one of his first true friends, and he has to fight her? How could he? He knew he had to: for him, for her, for all of Parkour Civilization, but he couldn’t do it. How would he know if this fight kills her? He couldn’t have more blood on his hands, especially not her’s.

(When she first walked out, she looked worse than when he left her. Eyes devoid of life, light brown fading into gray. She was missing entire patches of hair, her hands covered in blood, fingers twitching out of control. Her hands. Oh Stars her hands. Her finger.

Her string was gone.)

She hadn’t said anything the entire time. He couldn’t muster up any words to say.

His legs hurt. His soul whimpered at the sight of her.

After hours, or what felt like hours to the injured Masters, Tabi admitted defeat. She looked him dead in the eyes, (‘soulless’ his soul chanted at him. He punches it mentally), smiled, and jumped into the void.

Too many blocks lost. Too many hearts lost. One too many friends lost.

(At least now, she’ll be with her whole soul again.)

[]_____[]

13 wood blocks. A wood stair. 2 fences. An ice block. 3 trapdoors, pots, and candles.

He’s utterly fucked.

The Champion comes from the sky. If Evbo wasn’t two seconds from crying, he’d have thought it was the coolest thing in the world.

They study each other. A knight dressed in gold with bright blue shoes. One of his fingers is missing.

(He doesn’t have a string.)

He watches as Champion builds his attack. He couldn’t help the gasp that left his mouth. A 5 block jump.

Really? Seriously?! All this work for this? A stupid 5 block impossible jump that Champion somehow landed?

….You know what. Screw this.

He jumps across, tackling the other. They go tumbling down to the floor, fists colliding anywhere they could reach. The face, nose, stomach, anywhere and everywhere. Champion had somehow got his legs under Evbo, kicking him off him. Evbo lays there for a moment, winded, before standing. The knight had already stood, blood dripping down his chin, fists bloodied.

Evbo watched as a crooked, bloody smile grew on Champion’s face.

“You lost.”

[]_[]

(Two souls look down at their hands. The red dims. Dimmer. Dimmer. Their souls screeched in unison, clawing desperately at them. Their hearts hurt, pounding against their rib cage. Their skin burned and burned and burned, itching. Their throats tighten, lungs aching as they couldn’t breathe. They reached for each other, holding close as one of their strings withered away, falling to the floor.)

[]_[]

He awakens days later.

(He doesn’t feel all that real.)

Evbo took, in his mind, a little too long getting back up off the floor of the Noob level entry point. His body hurt, like being on one heart in a Parkour Battle. He barely had energy to think, much less stand, but his soul poked him to look at his strings.

(Both still the same rose red as ever. He sobs a sigh of relief.)

He stands slowly, knees threatening to give out the entire way up.

Did he… respawn?

The pain ebbs away with every new step. By the time he reaches the first few blocks of Civilization, he feels like a new person.

(He forgot how much starvation hurts.)

He explores the level, hoping to find anyone he could. There wasn’t anyone. Not a single soul in sight. Did they all fall down? It’d make sense, but really? If he ever becomes Champion, he’ll make sure they can have a chance.

Speaking of a chance, Evbo travels to the tower. He already had a feeling it’d be closed, but he couldn’t help himself but hope.

And… he was right. Because of course he was.

He didn’t really know what to do now. The Old Man had already given him the last ticket and he doubted any of the Noobs had one hidden somewhere.

Evbo looks down to void. He could always just, go back to the prison. Fish is way better than raw chicken, and it’s not like he’d had to face starvation down there like he did here.

“Maybe I was wrong about you.” Evbo screamed.

[]_[]

Somehow, someway, for some reason he’ll never ever understand, the Parkour God themself had come down to him. They didn’t take any of Evbo’s apologies, throwing them away with a wave of their hand. Instead, they gave him diamond boots. Champion boots.

He laughed, loud and wild. He’s glad there’s no one around now, they’d think him insane.

(Somewhere, Champion shivered.)

[]__[]

After finding out he could literally break barrier blocks, he travels back up to the Pro level.

He almost went straight for the tower, but he remembers the person he fought. Perhaps they were still around?

He explored every house with ease, finally stumbling across him. He doesn’t go inside, he’s on a time limit after all, but if he’s still around, then maybe Tabi is…?

He turns and bolts, climbing up the Master tower, confident in where he had to drop. He lands perfectly and continues running, getting his Master boots, switching into them, and continuing to run. He searched through the various houses, trying to remember where her house was. Apparently, as he came to realize, respawn screwed with the randomest of memories.

It took him too long to find her place.

(She wasn’t there.

In the time he was stuck at the Master level, he had a conversation with Tabi about the before times, before Champion took over. She said that respawn was the greatest thing ever--she never had to fear losing her soulmate. She had said that one only stopped respawning if the person themself wished it so.

He didn’t know if the Pro respawned or was simply put back into his house. He didn’t know if Tabi was the same way. Perhaps she had been placed back into her house, looked around at everything she’s gathered over the years, and decided she couldn’t do it anymore.

He didn’t blame her in the slightest.)

He left the house, blinking away the tears.

He goes to his place, laying in bed, thinking. He’s never lost someone like that before-- in his defense, he’s never been close to another person like that, but to find that she is just, gone forever?

They weren’t close, but they were at the very least friends. Friends enough to make her loss hurt. Friends enough that he couldn’t keep the tears in anymore.

Should he do something with her stuff? Write about her? He wasn’t much of a writer, never really tried, but he could try for her. He wished he was able to learn more, know all her experiences than the few she told, was closer.

(He thought that, if it were possible, he’d have another string, purple and vibrant, on his index finger.)

[]___[]

He figures the next best place would be that weird cube place. He starts towards the correct path, but stops. He looks at his hand, something urging him to do so.

(One of his strings pointed straight. Not up. Straight.)

He never ran as fast as he did before. He flung himself from the tower with no fear and no bucket. Who needs a water bucket to get anywhere when he has health that can regenerate without food? He certainly doesn’t need one.

The jumps leading in were easier than ever. The glass stairs kept kicking his ass, but the chance of being able to finally find one of his soulmates kept him going.

And there. Right there, standing only 20 feet away from him, was one of them.

A man, who was only slightly taller than him thank you very much, with gills on his neck and fish fins on his head, wearing a white robe and adorned in gold jewelry, stood right there.

The string that connects them both turns gold. Evbo could almost cry.

He rushes forward, jumping into the other's arms. They fall to the floor in a tangle of limbs, tears spilling as Evbo wraps himself around the other like a sloth in a tree. They stay there for forever, at least Evbo hopes it’s for forever.

“Where have you been all this time huh?” The other whispers, tucking Evbo’s hair behind his ear.

(He’s the happiest he’s ever been.)

Chapter Text

The phrase “a lot” would be an absolutely horrid understatement. Was there something more than a lot? Because that’s what he just explained in the most vivid of details to his soulmate.

(Seawatt. Sea-watt. He rolled the name on his tongue, chewed it up before swallowing it. Fitting perfectly in his mouth, sounding like it belonged there. And, he muses, it definitely did. Why would his soulmate’s name not belong marvelously? Stars, even the smell of sea air accompanied the words. What more could he ever want?)

So, there they were, sitting on the floor of Seawatt’s lab—because apparently, that’s what it was!—holding each other as close as they possibly could. Evbo’s face was buried in Seawatt’s neck, who was combing through Evbo’s hair, unknotting it. He didn’t realize how bad his hair had gotten recently, but it was oh so lovely having it taken care of by someone else for a change.

A silence had befallen them, as comfortable as could be.

He wanted to cry; loud sobs would fill the air, the murmured comforting words joining. But he couldn't. Yes, he found him. He found one! He was going to take every possible, fleeting moment to enjoy this, because he didn't have much time left. Stars, was he even going to be able to find their third in time? He was already so short on it, there was no plausible way unless they just appeared by the stairs somehow! But that wasn't going to happen.

(His still red string still pointed up. Up, up up. He's going to cut off his finger one day, to finally stop being taunted by the stars. He's found one, that's all he needs, right? But oh, how much that hurts to think. His soul whimpered, hiding away, going quiet. Was this what Champion felt before? Were these his same thoughts before he did it? He shudders at the thought. He hated how he even thought it was an option to cut his own string.)

He doesn't dare try to bring their third up. He's too scared to come to terms that he'll never meet him, never be able to hug them and kiss them and annoy them to the Void and back. But in the end, it wasn’t even his choice in the first place.

“So our third,” Seawatt mumbles, pulling Evbo closer. “Got into a uh… accident?”

“An… accident?”

“Well, more of a kidnapping?”

Evbo stares blankly at the fish-man. “You've got to be joking.”

“Nope.”

“And you didn't think to start with that?!”

“You were happy! I didn't want to ruin it by dropping that on you!”

“If we weren’t fated, I’d push you into the Void right now.”

Evbo resists the urge to scream. He collapses against the merman, leaning all his weight against the other. The other huffs.

“How long?”

“A few hours before you came along,” A pause. “Did… did you really die?”

Evbo looks away, nodding. It was quiet for a few moments.

“So… forgetting that! We gotta save them!”

“How?! It’s not like there’s anything you can do! Even with the champion boots- how did you even get those?- he’s undefeatable!”

He knows Seawatt is lying. The Old Man told him that there was a way, he just needed to seek out the right person for the answers. But why? What’s the point in lying to him? (His soul whines. He pats it, willing away the hurt that claws up his throat.)

“Are you sure? There’s not even a super secret, incredibly, lost fact that could help beat him?”

“Absolutely none.”

“Okay then, I’m leaving!” Evbo removes himself from Seawatt’s grasp and stands, making his way towards the doors.

“Huh- what?!” Seawatt scrambles after him, grabbing his arm a few steps before the stairs. He tightens his grip the longer they stand there.

“You obviously don’t trust me, so why should I trust you?”

(The words burned, boiling and melted his vocal cords. The golden string tightened on his finger, cutting off blood flow. And wow, that hurt more than he thought. Was it trying to cut off his finger for the words he said? Was this punishment?)

“Wait wait wait! I did lie! I was told to by Champion! I-” the panic in his voice drips away, leaving only resignation. “You can build a better attack at any time. You don't have to make the same course.”

And Evbo releases the tension in his body and melts into Seawatt's grip. He turns, smiling softly as he brings a hand to cradle the other's face.

“Thank you.”

[]_[]_[]

He makes his way back to the tower.

He doesn't have any plan on how to actually get to Champion, nor what he'll do to battle him.

Evbo stumbles, catching himself. He wasn't used to the diamond boots yet. And wasn't that worrisome? He had the biggest battle of his life only a few hours? minutknowAhead of him, and he doesn't even know how to get there.

Does he go the same way Tabi originally did? But he wouldn't be able to find someone else to do it, and he didn't dare ask Seawatt to. If his string tried to rip itself off his finger by the mere mention of them not trusting each other, he doesn't want to know what would happen if something more… severe happens.

Here he was, standing at the entrance of the tower. It glows in the sun's light, with bits and pieces of the walls sparkling a little too much. And was that humming? He looks to the side, squinting at the brightness. Those, what are those? Rods? Sticking out from the side of the tower? He's never seen those in all his time in the Master level.

(“Only the Champion knows the way up,” Tabi once said, pointing at the grand entrance. “Obviously, it's why no one else has ever challenged our resident Evil Champion.”)

Evbo moves closer, touching one of the rods. It was cold, as if touched by the Void itself and brought way up here. The humming grows louder, echoing in his skull. Hypnotizing almost; he could sit here forever, listening.

But he couldn’t. He had a mission to do:

Save his soulmate
Beat the Champion into the ground
Enjoy life with said previous soulmates.

And now all he had to do to start those goals was… to climb.

Sometimes he hated that parkour was the only way to do stuff. Why couldn’t he have a ramp? Or a proper staircase? At least rods were better than glass pane stairs. When he becomes Champion, he’s making sure those don’t exist anymore.

He makes the first jump. And the second, and the third, and so on and so forth. It was easier than he originally thought it would be- similar to chains but slightly more slippery.

The climb was, by far, the calmest he’s ever had. Repetition? In his parkour? Count him in.

He reaches the top out of breath and sweating. Who knew having to climb up so far would make him so breathless? Evbo huffs, stretching his shoulders as he begins to walk forward, straight to where the Champion’s throne was.

(Straight to where the red string points.)

It was surprisingly tall. White, almost blinding, and practically screaming “I’m better than all of you!” The stairs changed midway up, almost as if Champion wanted to really, really look down upon any who made it up this face. ‘Wow, I’m sure glad I’m not an egotistical bastard!’ He snorted. He knows he could be bad, but he certainly couldn’t be that bad!

(Gold began to mix with red.)

The closer he walked, the taller it got. Seriously, what was this dude’s problem? It could, quite literally, touch the stars at this point. There was no way he was going to climb all that. Maybe that’s why everyone else gave up or failed? Didn’t want to deal with the bullcrap of stairs.

“Evbo! Good to see you alive again! I should’ve known the Old Man would step in.”

Said person startles, turning to his left, to the edge of the tower. He’s going to ignore the mention of a certain elder- he has more important things to worry about right now, thank you very much.

Across from him stood the knight, standing as tall and proud as his throne. “I was surprised to hear you came back. I really thought I finished you off for good.”

“Yeah well, it takes a lot worse things to kill me! Like stairs. Seriously, what’s with all the stairs?”

“I’m glad. Otherwise this would’ve been for nothing.”

What was this ‘this’ he was talking about? Surely it couldn’t be that important-

Oh.

Oh.

There, hidden behind the body of Champion, was someone he never thought he’d meet. Their black ears flickered in irritation and catching on the gems of their skewed crown. Their tail was frozen solid in annoyance and fear, and Evbo swears he could even hear a growling sound.

Evbo may be oblivious sometimes, but he spots it easily just this once. Even without the string, fully gold and tightening with every one of his exhales, he’d know.

This was his soulmate. The one captured to get to him.

(He was starting to get real sick of people being used against him.)

It takes him a second too long to realize Champion had moved closer to the other. It takes him a second longer to realize just where his soulmate was standing.

Over the edge, legs chained together and too far to jump back to safety without the risk of falling to their death. How could he save him? Was it even possible? Evbo couldn’t see a way out of this. He didn’t have blocks, and although he had every bit of faith in his soulmate’s ability to parkour, he definitely didn’t have any now. He glances at Champion, and he doesn’t need to see the man’s face to know he’s smirking.

“Will you still challenge me, Evbo? Even with the fate of your soulmate’s life?”

(Evbo’s going to wipe that stupid smirk off his face.)

__[][][]__

There they stood in their assigned squares, blocks in hand. Him, equipped with 32 wooden planks, 16 fences, and 8 pots and 8 candles. And Champion, equipped with who knows what. Evbo couldn’t stop himself from glaring at the knight.

They start with the same stupid 5-block jump that wasn’t even a true 5-blocks. He rolled his eyes, keeping his retorts inside him. He had to figure out what jump could counter a regular 4-block. The answer? Not many.

But somehow, probably from him being that cool, he figured out that a 3-block 360 into 3-block fence jump would work. And man, it was startlingly easy to do. Was it the boots? Or has he truly just become that good?

“What?” Champion murmured, watching his course disappear into thin air. Evbo wants to smile at the man’s confusion, but he holds it back as he spots what they hold in their hand next.

Barrier blocks.

What was he supposed to do with that? He doesn’t have those! He can’t even see the course Champion builds.

(Somewhere in his mind, he wanted to just give up, admit defeat, and walk away from all this. Maybe Champion would release his soulmate, and the three of them could go screw off to the edge of Civilization and never be in Champion’s way ever again. Or maybe Champion would just kill all three of them.

But then he looks towards his chained soulmate, who was looking at him with eyes filled with something he couldn’t quite place. But he knows one thing: he can’t give up this easily, this close.)

Sure, he doesn’t know what Champion built, but he can one-up what seemed like a basic jump. 180 vertical flower pot jump into a backwards 360 candle jump is what he lands on. How his brain comes up with this stuff, he’ll never know.

The invisible blocks disappear. Or, he assumes they do, considering neither take damage.

Champion is frustrated. He could practically see the smoke coming out of his ears, breathing increasing exponentially. Evbo barely had time to take in this change and laugh before a neo jump appeared. No, not just one. Two. In a row. How was he going to counter this?!

And honestly, he still doesn’t know. Using the rest of his blocks, he created… something. Candles and pots on top of fences, jumping from one side of a block to another- no really, what was this? Evbo may be brilliant, but he had no idea how to describe what he just made.

But it doesn’t matter anyway, because Champion decides to go all in.

A neo jump on the side of the tower, over the Void.

He was screwed.

(He looked over at his soulmate. Their ears were flattened on their head, tail wrapped around one of their legs as they held their string close to their chest. Evbo knew that look- one of fear. Not of death, no, but losing the one thing they cared about most.

He swears to himself he couldn’t ever be the reason for that look to cross their face again.)

“No backing out now Evbo!”

Evbo jumps to the beginning platform of the neo.

(His soul digs its claws into his limbs.)

“Either you fall, or we both fall!”

(He glances at his soulmate one last time.)

He steadies himself, breathing in deep.

(He remembers how it felt to be held in Seawatt’s arms.)

He runs. He jumps.

(“For Tabi, and for himself, he’ll beat the Champion.”)

He lands.

Champion doesn’t.

He wants to cry in relief, turning to where his soulmate was being held. He starts to run, before stumbling to a stop.

Was? But, that didn’t make sense. They should still be there on the block, body relaxing at the sight of Evbo winning.

There was no one there.

Evbo bolts to the edge. He couldn’t lose someone he just gained, his number one, the tip top of his priorities. He just found them! He’s spent so long searching, there’s no way he can just lose them now-

He skids to his knees, leaning over the edge. And there! Just a few feet down, his soulmate hung by their claws stuck in the wall. Tears fill his eyes as he reaches down, extending his arm as far as he possibly could.

(What should he do? He doesn’t know how long they can hold on, and he doesn’t even know how to use the command blocks! Stars, he can’t even say why the other fell! Unless… unless Champion rigged the block to disappear from under them if he so happened to lose.)

“C’mon c’mon just grab my hand please I beg you-”

(He can’t lose that smile- it was precious, too lovely to have taken away so soon.)

“Evbo,” they start, their deep voice mixing with the sound of purring. “It’s okay.”

And they let go.

Chapter Text

Well, okay, what else was he supposed to do?

His soulmate just fell from his fingers, literally. Any sane person would watch them fall through teary eyes, screaming their name and yelling bloody murder even after they’ve hit the ground. Evbo is not any sane person.

Please, he’s already lost one person close to him, he’s not about to lose another. Plus, he’s been threatening to do this for weeks now - it’s about time to follow through with it.

He moves to his feet, wipes the tears from his eyes, breathes, and jumps.

(Was there a different way? Probably, possibly, who knows! Maybe Seawatt would've had a different idea- safer, more likely to succeed. He'd only know him for a few hours, but Evbo can almost see how good the other is at making plans. But in that moment, watching his soulmate let go of their own violation, there was no other way. No other choice. None at all.)

So there he was, falling to his death, his soulmate way, way too far away from him. Well, at least if they both die, they go out together? Seawatt could just… always jump into the Void after. Or maybe he’s one of those rare few that can live without their soulmate, but Evbo highly doubts that.

From their few conversations, he seems the type to need people. Don’t get him wrong, Evbo is too, but Seawatt is just-

As strong as Seawatt may act, he couldn’t handle being alone any longer.

Evbo knows that as well as he knows that he just keeps barely missing his soulmate. He’s so close to them, just missing by a hair, wishing that they would just open their eyes and realize he’s right there, they just have to reach out and-

He grabs them.

By some absolute miracle, he grabs them.

Pulls them as close to himself as possible as they hurl to the ground. He can just barely hear a purr in his ears despite the air whipping around them and the static in his head. Can’t stop the smile on his face as he hugs them tighter, closing his eyes.

He doesn’t want to see them hit the ground.

Evbo rather not have to see just how many seconds he has left in his life.

He holds his breath. Their tail curls around his legs, their claws digging into his back to keep them close despite gravity trying to tear them apart.

He thinks he says something, but it’s lost to the wind, lost to their purrs, lost to the knowledge that he’s about to die-

Fuck.

At least he’ll be with his soulmate.

(It feels like a longer fall than it is. How long have they been here in their free-fall? Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Is the ground even near them, or is it still hundreds of blocks away? Are they even still falling? How do either of them know that these won’t be their final thought, that they will never open their eyes again after this one moment?

Are they already dead?)

“Both of you are the dumbest people ever.”

His clothes feel wet, muscles stiff and refusing to move. He blinks open his eyes, expecting the harsh sun to beat down on his face, but all he sees is the scowling face of his soulmate. He sits up slowly, pushing his soulmate - both of them - off him, hearing Seawatt’s groan and their chuckle.

“We're not that bad,” he mumbles when the words finally process in his mind, a stupid smile forming on his face. “Could’ve been worse.”

“You jumped off a building.”

Evbo stands with the help of Seawatt, pointing at their other soulmate still laying on the floor. “They started it!”

“Did not.” They say, a smile flickering across their face, “You let go.”

Evbo sputters, waving his arms around in the air before dropping them in defeat. “You're impossible.”

“That's more your speed, Evbo.”

“Yeahh you're right, I am pretty great!”

“Not great enough to decide against jumping off a building.”

“Seawatt I will jump into the Void right now-”

“Okay okay I'll drop it! …For now.”

Evbo groans, his frown turning to a smile at the sound of his soulmates’ laughs. He helps their other soulmate up, completely unprepared for when two sets of arms wrap around him.

Unprepared, but that doesn’t stop him from hugging them back, burying his face in their chests - and he hates that they’re both taller than him - but he finds he doesn’t care at this moment. Because he finally has them in his arms, something he’s been craving for so damn long. But he has them now.

He has them, and he never wants to let go of them again.

(Stars, how did he go so long without this? 5 years and… how many weeks has it been since he's started this journey? He doesn't know, and frankly, he doesn't care.)

“Where have you guys been all my life?”

“Waiting for you, duh.”

“Careful there Seawatt, he might throw us all into the Void.”

Evbo laughs and nods, but makes no move to actually do so. “I will. Mark my words I will.”

“I’m marking them.”

“And throwing the mark into the Void instead.”

“I hate you guys.”

“Nah, you love us,” Seawatt chuckles, patting Evbo on the back before breaking away from the hug.

“I wish I didn’t.”

“If you didn’t, then you wouldn’t have jumped after me.”

“...I hate that you’re right.”

The three laugh, something warm bubbling in Evbo’s chest at it. They just… they fit. They all fit so well together. Everyone has always been “they’re the puzzle pieces missing in your heart” and yeah, he believed them. He knew it to be true when he found Seawatt, and he knew it to be true when he saw his other one, but he…

It was hard to realize that he actually had it until right now. Standing together, smiling, existing in each other’s space. He glances at the strings, golden instead of red, the sign he’s met them. He has them. They’re not pointing up, or down, or pulled taut to the point it hurts.

They’re slack. Droopy. Knotted three times to ensure it won’t fall off, to show him that he has them.

He has them.

Stars, he has them.

“Evbo?”

“Huh?”

“You zoned out there for a moment,” a hand joins with his. “You alright?”

“Oh! Yeah! Perfectly fine! Just… thinking on us.”

“Aww, he’s only had us for a day and he’s getting sappy on us.”

“Shut it Seawatt! I can still push you!”

“If you getting like this, I highly doubt it!”

Evbo goes quiet, pouting. A smile breaks that, though, when they pull him back into another hug. One he only breaks when he remembers how wet his clothes still are, when the adrenaline in his body finally, finally fizzles out, leaving him slumping into their arms exhausted.

“Hey, how do you feel about going home?” Seawatt asks softly. Evbo blinks at him, finally seeing the eyebags under his eyes, the weary look in them, a few new wrinkles that surely weren’t there before.

“I think,” his soulmate pauses, curling his hand into Seawatt’s. “It’d be a great idea.”

“I agree.”

Evbo’s never had a home before.

(But he’s finally found it.)