They realize - Outsders SMP - Reunion Arc - Completed

~13~ Small details

Note to self;

Keeping this in because I was gonna summarize the plot for the chapter so I wouldn't forget, when came time to write it, and I forgot to do that and forgot the plot. Yayyy. So September 24th, exactly 10 days later, I come in to see note to self; nothing. Why am I like this. (Luckily I did end up remembering so its all good)

Also this chapter has got some foreshadowing that I essentially gave away already... something adds up

Date written-10/3/23
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Note: the events of this chapter take place BEFORE  A small talk. The reason for the release order will make sense next chapter, I promise.

Apo woke up slightly disoriented. It looked like it was around midnight. He smelled grass and water, had he fallen asleep while fishing in the jungle part of the maze again? Pushing themself up, they poked their palm on a hook and winced.

"Careful there buddy, I think you've hurt yourself enough for a while"

Apo turned around to see Red, then remembered where he was.

"Shit- how long was I out? Where are Rasbi and Krow?" He went to stand up, then grimaced, clutching his midsection and trying again, moving as little as possible. Red frowned.

"Why do you need to know where they are? I've got no clue. Besides, Krow visited Owen already. It dosent want to kill him." Red sat down on a nearby tree stump and took a sip of beer, looking at his freind with slight concern.

"Where the fuck do you keep getting beer? And I already told you, I don't want... him getting hurt." Apo had managed to get up now and packed away their fishing rod. "I hate him for what he did, but I don't think he deserves to be hurt," Apo sighed, before noticing something.

"How do you know Krow visited Owen? Did it tell you? And how do you know it doesn't want to kill him?" They sounded upset, and Red hesitated.

"Goddammit Apo, why do you care? He tried to kill you for fucks sake, and you're still hurt! I know you think he's redeemable but if you saw the way he talked to it-"

Red stopped.

Apo froze in shock.

"You were there," he whispered.

"Look Apo-" Red put down his beer and sat up. "-you're my freind. Probably my only freind, since I consider Soup more of an ally. And I care about you, but I have no allegiance at all to Owen. You were his freind. You see the good in him. I don't ."

Apo clenched his fists. "I know he's an asshole Red! He tried to KILL me. He's killed probably thousands of demons, including Rasbi's sister, and hates me. What you refuse to understand is I've been in his shoes in so many ways. I understand his thought process, I know why he's so full of hatred. Most importantly, I don't want to hate him. If I do, I'll just be his counterpart. Hating humans for killing demons."

Red's heart hurt, and not from the alcohol poisoning. Apo seemed just as steadfast in his stance as Owen. He wanted to admit what Krow was, to tell the truth, but couldn't bring himself to. He also guessed it wouldn't help his case to side with a cannibal.

"I was in jail, I had people yelling at me for deaths I didn't mean to cause, I was stuck in a tiny space for months, I know what it's like. It sucks. It is so terrible, I wouldn't wish what I went through on my worst enemy. And at the moment, that's who he is."

Red was worried for Apo. They were hurting and clearly didn't need more on their plate, so he just nodded.

"It's honestly really... I don't know... noble? Of you to not want to stoop to his level, but there's a difference between hating Owen and hating the entire human race."

Apo relaxed a bit, and folded their arms, head lowering. In a voice barely audible to Red, he muttered: "Not for me."

Red finally understood something he'd been missing.

"Not for him, either."

Apo nodded slightly. Looking up, he made eye contact with Red. "What did it say?"

Red shook his head. "Nothing you can handle right now."

Apo's arms dropped to their side. "Do you still have any beer?"

Red smiled slightly. "Thought you would never ask"

As Apo took a small sip, Red presented an idea he'd had for a little while. "I can't tell you what Krow said, but I have a proposition. If I took up as warden for Owen, and made sure he didn't get hurt, would that help ease your conscious?"

Apo put down the beer, still almost full, and looked at Red in near-awe. "Really?"

"Yeah. Anything for you, bud."

Apo thought for a moment, then nodded. "I trust you."

Red smiled. "Allright then. First thing tomorrow, I'm going to have a talk with Guts, but for now we should probably sleep."

Apo laughed. "Yeah, probably."

"Night"

"Night."

♤
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Red talked to Guts, and they agreed that having a demon gaurd Owen probably wasn't the best idea. Red took over as Gaurd.

When he walked into the prison area for the first time since with Krow, Owen was asleep, but not on the bed. He was slumped against the wall, and looked more like he had passed out than fallen asleep.

Red put his chair down and sat, watching him. He saw a metallic glint out of the corner of his eye, but assumed it was the lava.

Owen's things were in a chest by the ladder, and he had a full flask of water on the bed. He looked like he had lost weight, and Red guessed that was from stress.

Red pulled out another beer and took a sip. Raising his bottle, he made a small toast to himself.

"For Apo. And for anyone else left that still cares about Owen."