Linked AU One-Shots

15. Anyone -- Anyone but Wars

Prompt: Cuddle

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

"Don't you see?" Legend screamed as he clutched Wars' tunic even tighter, holding him so that he couldn't dare run away. Holding him so that he could feel every ounce of Legend's rage without knocking him senseless. He hated how tears streamed down his face– how dare they do that without his permission? He shook Wars again for good measure, because his wide open eyes were not enough of a reaction for him. "Marin isn't real! She's from a dream! When she– she–" went through the portal. Went back home. Back to where she belonged. No longer in the war. He wanted to say. Legend found that the tears were too much, they were tightening his throat and preventing him from speaking anymore. He let out a sob as he let go of Warriors with one hand, trying to make hand gestures to try and finish his train of thought. But it wasn't just his choked cries preventing him from speaking; he had lost the will to speak. His roaring anger had been snuffed out, having burned too bright, leaving him with nothing but sorrow and pain and bitter suffering. Suffering that he had bottled up years ago, never once was so weak to mourn a fake girl. One that didn't matter, one that made no sense to cry over because it wasn't like he had lost her – he couldn't lose someone who wasn't real in the first place.

Legend felt his legs grow weak, and they gave way underneath him. He fell to his knees, but that hardly registered in his mind as he covered his face with his hands to try and hide the fact that he wasn't just crying, but sobbing his heart out. Him, the cool, unemotional if not angry Veteran. He would never... Especially not in front of Warriors, of all people. He wanted to kick himself for being so weak, for being so shattered by something so simple, but he had no energy left to do anything but cry like a stupid baby.

Warriors was being awfully quiet. He probably walked away, Legend had figured from the small part of his brain wasn't reliving every little tune, conversation, touch and kiss that he had ever shared with Marin out on that island. Probably for the best; he would likely have done the same if the roles were reversed and he made the Captain cry at one little comment that wasn't even an insult.

But just as he thought that, he felt someone slink their arm around his trembling frame and bring him against their chest. "I'm.... really sorry Legend." Wars whispered in his ear. "I... didn't know. If I would have..." He trailed off in a way that Legend could practically hear the way he bit his lip to stop himself from talking.

"I... know..." Legend heard his voice reply without his consent, raspy from crying out. His chest was already feeling lighter, the tsunami of grief settling into more of a ride on the rapids. The rush of sudden emotions had really waned on his energy, and it nearly left him feeling dizzy and tired. Before he realized it, he had rested his head against War's chest, even going so far to adjust his position to be closer to him, to let Wars more comfortably hug him.

Wars didn't reply, not verbally, at least. The truth was, he didn't need to because there were no words left that needed to be said. Instead, he held Legend close, waiting patiently for the rapids to turn into a simple, babbling brook. For Legend's tears to slow to a stop and for his eyes to close. Neither of them knew how much time had passed before the Veteran was whisked away into slumber, but even so, Wars continued to hold him close. He would remain there the entire time that he slept, refusing to leave him alone like all those years he surely bottled all of these emotions up, keeping them all to himself. So there Wars sat, his chest being used as a pillow, his arm supporting Legend's back and his lap being used as a seat.

Of course, if any of the others would ask where they were later, this never happened. That went without saying.