The King's throne had been enlarged, enough for Cub and Scar to sprawl over it, gazing out at the throne room before them. Ren wasn't around. Not that it would matter if he was. They knew this was where they rightfully belonged.

"You know what this throne room needs, Scar?" Cub mused.

"Oh, I can think of a few things, Cub. What are you thinking of?" Scar said.

"Cake. There is a serious lack of cake in this throne room," Cub said.

Scar nodded. "You're so right there. We need cake! How can we have a throne room without cake! But, wait. Why would we give him cake?"

"Well, you let me set a trap under one, and, well. There's a large vault under our feet. I'm sure it won't take us long to alleviate him of the tiny crown," Cub said.

"Oh, so we make a feast! Yeah! I'll bring some of my cookies! He'll love it! He won't be able to resist those," Scar said excitedly.

Cub laughed. "Feel free to lace them with something if you want. I mean, we're not trying to kill him, of course. Just, well. Weaken him. You know what I mean."

Scar did know what he meant. "No, I know. Don't worry. And once he gives us the crown, then we will be kings! Co-rulers! Yeah! We'll show them what the ConVex can do with power."

"I mean, we could be kings, but why be kings, when we can be gods? Maybe I'll bring the Pharaoh back, baby. Be the Sun God Himself. And you, Scar, can be my moon. Together, we'll be unstoppable," Cub said, shifting to face him.

"Moon and sun, hey? Yeah! I like that!" Scar said, taking Cub's hands. "And all we gotta do, is get Ren some cookies."

"We'll dethrone him with cake. I'm sure he'll love that," Cub said.

Scar touched his cheek softly and kissed him. Oh, the Vex magic was flowing strongly now. Cub's eyes were glowing, and Scar could taste honey on his lips.

"All hail the Pharaoh!" Scar said.

It was horrible and the only thing making it worse was that he had no one to blame but himself. Even though he wanted to spit all his frustrations into the allay’s face.

Something painful and unwanted twisted in his chest at the thought. At the thought that Scar would meekly take it. Would accept the blame and Cub's anger and try to appease it with calm words and soothing actions.

And Cub hated that he never wanted to see that expression on the other’s face. This pained watery smile of acceptance that he could imagine so clearly on Scar and yet hoped to never witness.

Cub hated and hated and tried to hate but as soon as he summoned the feeling and held onto it, it lost its fangs and shriveled and faded, leaving just a dull ache and blame faced inward and a desire to reach out and hold and seek comfort in the other.

Cub was a vex, for crying out loud. He shouldn't be this- this soft. This hesitating.

He should be vicious and gleeful at another's suffering, and actively contribute to it. He should look out only for himself and his pack. Not be stuck here with some weak faulty allay.

And it was all because-

Cub curled up tighter, shivering in the cold. He had no one to blame but himself. Himself and some old fairy tale. Meant to scare, meant to teach caution. Meant to instill in young vex the sense to stay away from their estranged kin.

How was Cub supposed to have known it was actually true ? It was just an old vex tale!

"Don't take magic of the strayed ones, no matter how dire the situation. Don't share your essence with another, lest you invite the curse of two, the curse of shared pain."

Cub shivered. He remembered the feeling. Being near death, scared, desperate. And he remembered another's essence flowing into him, mingling and merging with his own. Blooming these unwanted feelings, this unwanted connection. But also saving him.

He remembered lying in the grass, unable to move, wracked with pain. The beast that had attacked him leaving him for dead.

He remembered a face. Coloured in apprehension and caution, and yet possessing enough compassion to come closer regardless.

Large soft green eyes looking at him. Similar to his, but lighter, brighter. Kinder.

He didn't remember the first thing Scar said to him. (But knowing Scar now, it must have been something stupid, like asking if he was okay.)

Cub had looked at the allay next to him, at the flush of life on the other's blue cheeks, and thought he wanted some of that life. Cub had thought he didn't want to die.

When he raised his hand Scar had taken it with little hesitation, sitting down next to Cub in the trampled-down grass.

For a magic that was cautioned against, for something that was forbidden, it was startlingly natural and came easy. Cub had pulled at Scar, at his essence, and at the same time offered some of his. A two way exchange, a connection. Scar had gasped, eyes wide. Cub had no idea what allay were told of the curse. If the stories were the same as for vex. He could have refused, he could have torn himself away, left Cub to his fate. But he didn't. Scar tentatively accepted Cub, let Cub's weakened being flow into him, and share some of his own vitality in turn. Their magics mingled, balanced. Some of the other settling in their own chest.

It was only later that Cub realized this had been their undoing. The curse. Because the bit of Scar's essence flowing through his veins ceaselessly called for the other. Yearned for closeness, companionship, unity. Affection.

And he knew it was the same for Scar, otherwise they would not have been in this situation right now.

The curse had taken frighteningly little time to make itself known. 

After Cub was able to move again he had torn himself away from Scar, putting some distance between himself and a possible enemy. Snarled. It was the first real look he had gotten at Scar, still sitting where Cub had lain, looking at Cub with wide eyes, breath shallow.

Cub could have killed him. Thinking back to it Cub liked to think it wasn't yet because of the curse that he hadn’t, but simply because it would have been dishonest, vile, harming the one who had saved him.

So Cub had fled. Hurried back to his clan, ready to completely forget about all of this, never speak or think of it again.

In the night the pull had started. Something inside Cub telling him a part of him was missing, that he was not where he should be. It left Cub restless and on edge for the following days. Snapping at his comrades, actually getting into a fight when another vex snickered that his head wasn't present, that he was a liability that would hinder the collective.

Once the doctors had examined him, to Cub's horror it had become startlingly clear to his superiors what had happened. They had called him a traitor. Defiled. Attached . Cub had no choice but to leave with the snarls of his former companions at his back.

Despite all his previous accomplishments, and all the favour he used to hold, the clan head had seen him only once, to tell him he could return after he took care of the issue. Cub clenched his jaw at the memory.

He left in the direction the pull drew him in, and little time later he had found Scar in the fields.

Scar who said he had left his clan of his own volition because his heart told him he wanted to be with Cub.

Cub had sneered, had called him stupid. But as soon as Scar had taken his hand and smiled brightly at him, saying he was glad to meet Cub properly, all anger had dissipated against Cub's will, leaving only a feeling of foreign yet calming contentment when he looked into Scar's green eyes.

And it was impossible to get rid of. Once two essences have combined, it was impossible to untangle by normal means.

He could kill Scar. He could- it was what his superiors expected of him. Expected him to return a free vex once again, maybe carrying the allay's wings as a trophy.

But Cub couldn't. Every fiber in his being revolted. And for once it wasn't just the curse forcing him to care for the other, to look out for him. It wouldn't be fair. That Cub killed him after he had saved his life. Tearing him away from his own life. (Though by Scar's talk, he didn't terribly mind being away from his clan, instead enjoying the adventure).

Cub shook his head. He was thinking in circles again.

So instead they were traveling north, to the wellspring of magic. In order to flush the foreign magic in their bodies out. To hopefully return to normal, to get rid of this connection binding them, and these unwanted feelings.

The trip so far had been…

They couldn't simply fly. Loath as Cub was to admit it, even he wouldn't have been able to cover all that distance easily. But they couldn't even fly some of the way because-

Annoyance rose in Cub's chest but settled just as fast into acceptance.

"I- I can't fly very well", Scar had said with an apologetic look. "I can fly! Just not very good. I get tired easily…" he had wrung his hands, shoulders drawn into himself. With some annoyance Cub had thought that even like this Scar was still slightly taller than him.

"But I can walk! I'm a positive champion at walking!" the grin on Scar's face had been bright.

So walking it was.

Traveling by foot, Cub was no stranger to. Neither to sleeping outside, in animal burrows or under roots and rocks. It was unpleasant in the long term, but doable. He was frankly surprised a dainty little allay wasn't complaining about the discomfort.

Instead Scar kept up frequent chatter, asking Cub about himself and about vex. Or talking about his life in the allay clan.

And every night Scar made bedrolls for two.

Gathering materials and foraging for food. He was good at it, Cub had to admit. Scar said these were among his responsibilities back at his clan. He liked giving living spaces a certain something that made them feel like home.

'This wasn't their home', Cub bit his tongue not to say.

Cub hunted and gathered his own food. One time he found purple crystal shards in the ground near a cave entrance. He knew they were favourites of allay. Before he could wonder if it was the same for Scar and before he could think better of it, Cub had brought some back to their current burrow.

Scar's smile had been radiant.

Scar insisted they share. Cub had never tried them before. Sitting next to Scar, they had been sweet and crunchy. It had been good.

Like this the days of their travel passed. 

Today they arrived at a high forest. The large rocks and roots made traversal difficult. How much Cub wished they could just fly. Instead, he gingerly helped Scar climb over every obstacle, holding the allay's hand and slowly pulling him along. Stopping occasionally to rest. Cub wanted his mood to be soured by the procedure, but instead there was just a resigned acceptance. Something inside him, the curse he was sure, wouldn't let him blame Scar or be cross with him. Instead told him to be kind and accommodating. Cub was too tired to fight it. Logically, he also knew that getting angry wouldn't actually change anything or make Scar walk faster. Not without tiring himself out more, forcing them to rest earlier.

But nonetheless Scar was sure to think Cub was unhappy, because he kept apologizing. Cub was so close to telling him to stuff it, but he knew it would be no use.

Then suddenly Cub sensed something, his hackles rising. On instinct he pulled Scar behind him, put himself between Scar and the direction he felt the danger from, readying his weapon.

A beast five times their size emerged from the thicket. A fast one, Cub knew. Its fur grey, body held low to the ground on its four legs. A hunting stance. Cub cursed their luck.

Its green eyes were piercing, slitted pupils trained on them. Trained on something behind Cub-

It recognised the weaker of its prey.

Terror seized Cub's chest, flushing him hot and cold at the same time. He was terrifyingly aware of Scar behind him. Scar, untrained in combat, unable to fly away fast enough.

Cub pulled himself up to his full height, wings flaring to make himself bigger. He screeched viciously, baring his fangs and training his sword on the beast, every muscle taut. Blood was rushing in his ears.

It was a standstill. The only thing in Cub's mind was to protect his bond mate at all cost.

Cub jumped when there was a touch at his arm, making the mistake of taking his eyes off the beast to turn his head to Scar.

Scar had a wide-eyed look of wonder on his face, and like a fool, absolutely no fear. Had he never encountered this type of beast before? Surely Scar had to possess some kind of survival instinct.

To Cub's horror, Scar pushed past him, approaching the beast. Cub hissed at him to get back, trying to grab his arm. Something vicious inside Cub roared at the scene of his bond mate being so close to danger.

But Scar just cooed, speaking to the beast in a melodic tone, half singing and half talking. A magical undercurrent to his voice.

Watching Scar tame the beast had been incredible. 

Cub was left speechless, his breath catching. The beast's large body flopped to the ground, the tension of the hunt leaving it as Scar scratched its ears and chin.

A low purr permeated the air. Its green eyes closed, self-satisfied, as Scar was speaking to it in calm tones.

Cub could do nothing but stare, something unnameable spreading in his chest at the sight.

Minutes must have passed like this, the only sound being Scar's voice weaving a spell around the beast, and Cub's heartbeat in his ears.

The beast rubbed its head against Scar and he laughed. Finally he turned to face Cub, holding out his hand to beckon Cub closer.

Cub met Scar's gaze, not sure what he was looking for. Scar just smiled at him easily. Cub gripped his weapon tighter and slowly stepped foward. Scar took his hand, holding it out for the beast to examine, and Cub instantly tensed. Scar spoke quietly, with that melodic voice of his, that it was okay, that they were all friends. Cub wasn't sure if it was meant for the beast or for him.

The beast sniffed his hand and his body for a terrifyingly long moment, Cub holding his breath. He knew that if the beast decided to attack it would be too close for him to react, too late to protect Scar and himself. Beside him, Scar was a calm presence.

Eventually the beast rubbed its head against his chest the same way it did with Scar, Cub feeling its low purring sound reverberate through his body. Its fur was soft.

"That's it, Jellie, we're all friends here." Scar praised, scratching behind its ear.

"Jellie?" Cub asked, very aware of the beast's cold nose rubbing against his sternum and Scar's warm hand in his. His other hand relaxed the grip on his weapon.

"She looks like a Jellie!" Scar's smile was bright.

Cub just stared. "How did you do this?"

"Oh, us allay can make friends with everyone!" Scar laughed, then grimaced. "Well, nearly everyone. Some monsters are beyond reasoning."

But how? Cub wanted to ask. Is this how you got me as well? he didn't dare think.

Scar turned to him fully. "I was thinking! Since climbing through this jungle takes forever, you think Jellie can give us a ride? This is her turf, she is sure to know the way!"

Cub blinked at Scar, uncomprehending. "What-"

Scar slipped his hand out of Cub's, burying both in the beast’s fur and shaking it. "What do you think, Jellie? You think you can take us further north?"

Cub had no idea how the beast could possibly comprehend what was said to it, but after a moment and more of Scar's ministrations its large body moved.

Cub tensed when it rose upright. It looked at Cub unblinking before its mouth opened in a long yawn. Cub got a good look at its teeth. This was a horrible idea.

Scar took hold of fistfuls of fur and pulled himself up on the beast's back, his wings fluttering. He settled behind its head with a grin, then he held out a hand to Cub expectantly.

This was mad. This was absolute madness. This was-

Cub took Scar's hand.

The feeling of thick fur underneath his hands and body was familiar and yet foreign as he settled behind Scar. Beast's pelts were a rare commodity. It would take a handful of vex to take one down, and then splitting the spoils was always a chore, every vex wanting the largest share for themselves.

"Well then, Jellie. Off we go!" Scar called cheerfully, shaking Cub out of his thoughts.

Luckily the beast didn't immediately spring into action as Cub had feared. Instead, it gracefully rose to its feet with the unfamiliar load on its back and started walking leisurely.

It went at a good pace for a while, Cub strung tight like a bow, clutching the beast’s fur to keep upright.

It was when the beast readied for a jump to a nearby rock that Cub felt his center of gravity shift backwards and panic rose in his chest. He threw his arms around Scar, desperate to hold on.

After the jump, the beast kept a fast pace and took several more leaps, Cub screwing his eyes shut and keeping his forehead pressed against Scar's back.

It was only Scar's bright laugh that made him open his eyes.

The view had been spectacular, the jungle rushing past them, other beasts unable to give chase. Scar had done this. Scar, in his arms, warm and solid and brave and strong. Different to how Cub had initially thought.

He had always thought allay were dull and uninteresting. Weak. He had thought Scar was the same. Weak. Unable to fly. Always eager to please. Always cheerful. His-

Cub screwed his eyes shut again. Scar wasn't his bond mate. It was just the curse making him think like this.

Cub came back to himself in the burrow, the day's events dissolving before his mind's eye as he clutched his claws into his arms. He was a fool, letting the curse get to him like this.

True to Scar's word, the beast had taken them much farther than they would have been able to by themselves. Scar bid it farewell, thanking it with a bright voice, the beast rubbing its face against him one last time.

Scar had turned to Cub, and slowly Cub had dared to scratch behind its ear as well. Scar's grin had been wide.

Eventually, they had found a place for the night, and after getting it ready and eating the food they carried on them, Cub was left to his own thoughts, traitorous as they were.

On the beast - Jellie. Scar had called it Jellie. Riding on Jellie, Scar in his arms had been so warm and solid. Holding him had felt so right. Being so close had felt good, Cub yearned for it again.

Cub was a fool. He never should have agreed to going with Scar's idea. Knowing the feeling of the allay in his arms now, how could Cub live without it in the future?

He felt cold.

Lost in his thoughts, Cub didn't notice the movement on the other side of the burrow until it was too late. Too close.

If it was anyone else Cub would have been reaching for his weapon.

"Are you still awake?" Scar's voice was little more than a whisper in the silence of the night. Cub didn't answer.

Scar waited for a reaction and when he received none, he exhaled a quiet breath. "Perhaps it is better this way. Like this, you won't hate me until the morning."

Cub's breath caught in his chest. Was Scar planning to run away?

"I'm sorry, I just-" Scar's voice trembled. "Please let me have this."

Cub held his breath. He had no idea how to confront Scar if the other planned to abandon him and their goal. He had never considered the possibility.

But instead of leaving, there was a tentative soft touch at his shoulder, a loose arm wrapping around his middle and a sudden familiar warmth at his back.

Scar settled behind him, laying his thin wings over the both of them. They were so very fragile, it felt so intimate. Trusting.

Cub felt the briefest touch of lips on his shoulder and something inside him shattered, a broken whimper escaping him. The arms around him tightened, but Scar didn't say a word.

And it was better like this, Cub had no idea how to acknowledge the feelings soaring in his chest. It was easier to squeeze his eyes shut and pretend he wasn't to blame for this, that it wasn't his doing.

He relaxed into Scar's touch.

They stayed like this until the morning when light started to stream into the burrow.

When he awoke Cub felt more at peace than he had in a long time, like a hole in his chest had been filled.

They didn't speak of it. They packed their meager belongings and headed back out into the woods.

Come the next night, Scar no longer made two bedrolls.

Fighting the curse was impossible.

.

this is definitely the biggest thing to come out of me for this cubscar week haha. this au is pretty recent and came to me when thinking back to a book series I read as a child, das wolkenvolk by kai meyer, and how there was a plot point where the protagonist and a villain had feelings of love forced onto them through a magical bond. and then of course I put convex into it and chewed @kieiswrite ear off over it and together it developed into something wonderful :D

and this was the cubscar week. i didnt fill all prompts but it was a lot of fun! it was so good to see so many new convex works <3

The game had barely started, yet Double Life was already draining. This whole soulmate thing was messing with Scar - he was already bonded, he didn't need anyone else. Cub was waiting for him back on Hermitcraft and Scar was once again stuck in a game.

The allay pressed against Scar's hand, leaning into the touch as he scratched its chin. This felt so familiar yet so different.

"Do you know Cub?" Scar asked the fairy, knowing full well that if allays were anything like vexes, it wouldn't understand him. He also knew that even if it did understand him, there was no way it would know Cub. That was fine, Scar just wanted to mindlessly talk. "He's an allay too, like you."

There was no reaction from the allay, just like he had expected, but the melodic purring sound it made as he continued the petting still felt comforting - it reminded him of Jellie. After Last Life, it was nice to just have someone who would listen, even if that someone didn't understand a word.

"He's my soulmate," Scar continued. He had a good vantage point here, a wooded mountaintop, granting him a clear view of most of the server with the trees still somewhat covering him from others' curious gazes. "I miss him a lot."

Scar knew the allay didn't know what he was saying, yet he could almost swear it knew something was wrong. Maybe it could sense he was sad? He should ask Cub if that was something allays did, once he would get back home.

"He's not quite like you. He's not as touchy, though he likes touch - he just doesn't seek it out much. I always tell him he can if he feels like it, but he rarely does. It's okay though, I think I’m clingy enough for the both of us."

"Cub is very mischievous, sometimes even a little evil! People sometimes say he's more vex than I am, but that's not true!" Scar flashed the allay a smile, that despite being in his human form, was just a bit too sharp to seem fully human.

The allay whirred and Scar kept rambling. "He's very kind and caring too, and polite! He always helps me with things." Scar could see people running around in the valley, probably looking for their soulmates. His temporary soulmate was probably somewhere down there too.

"Cub would never leave me."

-

"Jellie," Cub sighed as the cat pushed against his legs, meowing loudly. She seemed annoyed and Cub didn’t know what to do. "You've already been outside, we played with your toys, and I've given you food. I don't know what more you could want."

It was a bit stressful, taking care of an animal. Cub liked cats, Jellie especially had a special place in his heart, and he technically knew how to take care of one, but he had already used all the tricks up his sleeve and Jellie still wasn't content.

Gently he picked her up, holding her carefully against his chest. Jellie immediately nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck, just like her owner sometimes would when they cuddled. It was incredibly endearing.

"You miss him too, don't you?" Cub asked as he scratched the behind of Jellie's ears, listening to her whining change into purring. No wonder she had been restless. "It's okay, Scar will be back soon."

Scar always came back from the games, this wasn't the first time he, alongside many other hermits, had suddenly disappeared. They always came back sooner or later. How the games had treated them was a whole other thing.

"He'll be back before you know it," Cub mumbled, more to comfort himself than Jellie.

Cub had seen the aftermath of Last Life, how badly it had messed Scar up. He hoped this game would be easier on him, though with the nature of this whole thing, it didn't seem very likely. As grateful as Cub was for managing to avoid upsetting whatever higher power it was that chose the players for the games, he still wished he could be there for Scar.

"He's strong, he will manage just fine," Cub continued as he made his way to their shared bedroom. Scar was strong, one of the strongest people Cub had ever met, even though he tended to downplay his achievements.

Setting Jellie down on the bed, Cub grabbed a few blankets before sitting down and pulling them over himself. Jellie jumped across the mattress, up to where Cub was sitting and curled up on his lap, rubbing her head against the blankets that must smell like Scar.

“Bats can bite,” warned Cub.

Scar was already reaching out his hand. He wasn’t even listening. His eyes were gleaming with excitement and wonder. “Here, little batty-batty. Here, let me just—oh. Oh no, Cub, look! It’s hurt! There’s—” He swallowed. “Cub, there’s blood.”

The creature was trying to stand. Scar was right: There was dried blood on the grass. “Its wing is torn,” said Cub. He leaned closer, trying to keep the branches of the thick shrubbery out of both his and Scar’s face.

“We got to help it! Right?”

Cub thought about it, while the creature struggled to its feet. Its wings twitched and its bony little body trembled. It kept silent. It had been making noise earlier, though. They had been led to its hiding place by a high-pitched, fragmented cry. “We can’t take it home,” he said, slow. They were not supposed to be in the forest at all, they would get in trouble; and he was not sure if moving a wounded animal was a good idea.

Scar twisted to look at him. “But we can’t just leave it, we got to do something! At least let’s give it food so that it can get stronger. It can have my chocolate! And, and, you can fix the wing, like you fixed my arm.”

Scar had so much faith in him always. He thought Cub was able to do anything. After Scar had fallen from the tree, when Cub had tried to pull his shoulder back in place, he hadn’t even cried much. He had been sure it would be fine. Cub had been so scared, but he had pretended to be brave. For Scar.

“Yeah.” Cub nodded. “Yeah, I could try. We can put a bandage on it. But animals can't have chocolate, Scar. It will make them sick.”

Scar took that in a stride. “Apple, then.” The creature was leaning its strangely human-like face towards his fingers now. It swayed from side to side as Scar carefully scratched from under its chin.

“Yeah, apple is good.”

When Scar stepped back to rummage through his backpack, Cub crouched closer to get a better look at the creature’s injury. The wing was hanging in a weird angle. The creature followed his every move, eyes unblinking. It hissed and flinched back when he reached for the broken wing. “I’m helping,” Cub assured. "I'm helping. It’s okay." It seemed to understand, since when he tried again it kept in place and let him touch. It didn’t even struggle much when he pulled the bones how he imagined a wing should be.

He wrapped the wing in a makeshift bandage. Scar cut bite-sized pieces of an apple with a pocket knife and offered one to the creature. It showed its teeth, needle-sharp, and then bit down so quickly Scar startled back.

“Whoa.” He was still looking awed. “You know what I think, Cub? 

"What?"

"I think it’s not a bat.”

Cub agreed, in secret, but he did not want to say it, because what else could it be? “Bats do eat fruit,” he pointed out. Maybe bats could stand up too. He was pretty sure bats had small eyes, though, not huge, hazy ones. He was pretty sure a bat from the forest would not let two boys this close and allow them to mishandle its wing without trying to flee. Not even if one of them was Scar.

“I think,” said Scar, “I think that it’s a fairy.”

Cub bit his lip. Fairies didn’t exist. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I don’t know. Could be.”

Scar fed the creature another piece of fruit, and then another, and—

“Ow!” He had cut himself. A bead of bright-red blood bloomed at the tip of his thumb.

The creature’s eyes lit up. Its wings flared. It jumped.

Scar cried out as the little fairy-bat grabbed his hand and dragged his thumb like a dumpy candy stick to its (wide, wide, way too wide) mouth.

They both watched, transfixed, as the creature’s eyes took a darker shade, and it began to suck.

“A—ah—ow. Oww.” Scar's lips trembled, but he sounded more confused than hurt. “Cub.”

Cub had no idea what to do. “Do you want me to,” he asked, “Should I…”

“No, no, don’t hurt it!” Scar was shaking, his voice broke, but he did his very best to stay still. “Ah! No! It’s, it’s just hungry, right? Little batty. It’s a meat-eater. We can—” He swallowed, and looked down at the creature. “We can bring you meat, okay? We’ll bring you food.”

Strange enough, Scar’s pleading voice had the desired effect. The creature tilted its head and drew back until Scar's thumb slipped out of its mouth. It still didn’t blink.

Scar didn’t try to pull his hand away yet. “Is that okay? Do you want food, batty-bat?”

It hissed. It let go of Scar and dropped back to ground.

“We’ll bring you food,” said Scar. “It’s a deal then! Me and Cub will take care of you.”

He pulled off his shirt and made a little nest out of it under the bushes. Cub cut the rest of the apple. They did not have any kind of a bowl to give it water, but it looked livelier now that it had drunk Scar’s blood. Cub believed that if it kept hidden, it would survive the night.

He had an unpleasant feeling in his stomach, like he had eaten something rotten, but he pushed it down. They were doing a good thing.

First siphoning off from Scar's smelter. Then when he got caught, filling all systems with magenta terracotta. Scar loved it, it kept him on his toes.

But his favorite were the shared meals, especially breakfast. Being able to spend more time with Cub was wonderful. Starting the day together before going off to their respective projects. His theme park, and the monstrosity Cub was building out in the desert. Scar couldn't wait. 

And breakfast was a constant wonderful game in its own right. Scar, the head elf and chef of the cookie empire. Cub, co-founder and advocate for GigaPies. The eternal (new-found) rivalry of who had the superior sweet delight.

(Excluding cake, of course.)

Every day the table between them was stacked with glorious foods. Not just cookies and pies, but also cut fruit, honeyed bread, jam, and yogurts. A feast every day. 

And every day they tried to convince the other to give in to their sweet temptations. 

In-between talking about projects or plans, banter was filled with playful words and silly little teases. Needling each other up over everything and nothing at all, before lapsing into comfortable silence and enjoying each other’s company.

Cub was leaning his chin on one hand, a satisfied half smile on his lips. He was watching Scar eat, Scar exaggeratedly savoring every bite. It was all part of the game. Scar knew Cub well enough that some devious plan must be brewing in that pretty head of his.

And sure enough, after a moment Cub slowly and purposefully moved his free hand to take a cookie off Scars plate and inspect it closely from all angles.

Scar watched him with curiosity, he knew their pretend feud wouldn't end so easily. They were both not the kind to give in without a fight.

"They do look good, gotta admit, gotta admit." Cub met Scar's eyes. "Compliments to the chef. What'd you call these, an Elven Kiss? Well," his smile grew sharper, more mischievous. He held the cookie out to Scar. "There might be one way to convince me to try one of these."

Scar matched Cub’s grin in kind, his eyes gleaming. This was not a challenge he would back down from. But he didn't take the cookie, oh no, two could play this game. Instead he deliberately leaned over the table.

Scar opened his mouth to eat the cookie out of Cubs hand, keeping eye contact, licking some frosting off Cubs fingers. Cub's eyes were intense and focused on Scar’s every move.

Scar braced one hand on the table to lean over Cub and kiss him. Cub gave a deep appreciating hum, clearly savoring it, licking into Scar's mouth to chase the taste.

"Mhmh, yes, very sweet." Cub said as Scar leaned back after what felt like an eternity and yet not long enough. "But I think I'll stick with pies." The look on his face was full of mirth and mischievousness.

Scar chuckled, something pleasant spreading in his gut at the taste of his favourite treat. This wasn't over yet. 

Looking Cub in the eyes he licked his lips. "In that case, maybe I should try it as well?"

"Sure, man. I can't speak for the skills of the cook, but it is the superior food around here."

With bated breath Scar watched him raise his fork and pick up a small slice of pie.

But instead of bringing it to his own lips to then let Scar have a sweet taste, like Scar had hoped, Cub held the pie out in front of him with a self-satisfied grin on his lips. Clearly he believed he had won the little game they were playing. "I knew you would come around."

"Oh, you trickster." 

Scar remembered hearing about the discovery when he was younger - it had sounded so mysterious and magical to him back then, something so sought after that people had almost given up the search countless times, finally uncovered. This would go down in history, people had said.

For a while, it had been glorious. The area had been turned into a tourist attraction, a completely new city built from scratch. It was nothing the world had seen before - most places were built on top of centuries and centuries of history - but this was all new. New buildings, new tech, a new area many had believed didn't exist at all.

The Edge had its time. People from all around traveled to see it, and the city thrived. From what Scar had heard, it had been like a city-sized entertainment district. Everything relied on tourism - there was no base society here. It was away from everything, which was why it had been so hard to find in the first place, no one lived here before the artificial city was created.

Eventually the hype wore off, like it always did, with everything. Scar didn't know when it happened - it was a well-kept secret, to not let people know this massive and incredibly expensive project had died down.

Scar had never seen the Edge in its glory, nor did the remains of it do the past justice. 

Things had changed greatly since those golden days. What was once probably considered one of the wonders of the world was now a mere junkyard, a dirty skeleton of what it used to be. 

The job recruitment had been one big lie. Physical work, they had said, at the wonderful Edge. He supposed half of it was true, but the other half was so far from the truth it should cancel the small truth out, in Scar's opinion. 

Conveniently it had been left out that the whole place was basically crumbling down and being used as a trash can for probably the same corporations that had built it in the first place.

You will be offered housing and all the basic things needed for life, they had said, which had probably drawn in most of the people here. What they were actually offered was the bare minimum with no way out - this land belonged to no one, there was no real law here. Trapped at the edge of the world, how dramatic did that sound?

The building Scar and many others lived in was almost shaped like a circle. Whenever he called it one, Cub would correct him and say it had ten sides and that it was called deca-something-Scar-never-remembered, but it was almost like a circle anyway. It was easier to explain that way. 

Each floor was like a circle with a hole in it. There were many floors, Scar didn't exactly know how many, but they formed a tower that was essentially hollow in the middle. Each floor had tens of small living quarters in two rings, inner and outer, windows either facing the outside world or the other apartments.

He didn't know which was better - only having other windows as a view or the dying and trashed city.

Scar's apartment was in the inner ring, and so was Cub's, but Scar didn't really go to his anymore. The sun didn't rise high enough anymore to let in any light to the apartment deep down in the hollow. Some said the sky was coming down, some said the sun was getting as tired as they were. Whatever the actual reason was didn’t really matter - either way, it was depressing.

They had always been told to be back in their own quarters before dark, but no one ever seemed to check. So instead of going back to his own place, Scar was currently in the elevator with a group of other workers, heading up to the higher levels.

It had been a long day, repetitive tasks over and over again, like every day. Lately, he had spent a lot of time stripping valuable metals from old cables, salvaging what could be reused before the junk would get thrown over the edge of the world. It made his hands hurt, the strands of metal poking through his gloves.

His knuckles stung as he knocked on the worn-down door, doing the typical little melody he always did so Cub would know it was him. 

Scar had been lucky to meet Cub - it wasn’t easy to get to know people properly here. People had identification numbers instead of names, chatting during work time wasn’t allowed. After work, most people were too drained to talk anyway.

He had never been particularly good at remembering numbers, barely being able to remember his own. When he couldn’t remember Cub’s number, the other had simply laughed and told Scar his name. Scar had smiled, telling Cub his own name.

A bond had been created. He still didn’t remember Cub’s number.

Sometimes Scar wondered how Cub had ended up here - he was a smart man, way too smart for a place like this. He didn’t seem like he would be after a better chance at life like many others had been. Cub was good at hiding it, but Scar knew how much he hated everything here.

Scar had mixed feelings about all this. At the same time he regretted it, but then again, back when everything had happened, it had been the best shot he had. As much as life here sucked, the lie had been so well crafted Scar couldn’t bring himself to hate himself for falling for it. If he wasn’t here, he could be dead.

“Welcome back,” Cub greeted as the door opened with a creak. He looked more tired every day, the shadows under his eyes growing deeper, the yellowish light making him look even worse. 

Scar basically lived in Cub’s apartment at this point. They were only allowed one key to the apartments, so Scar couldn’t just come and go, but he couldn’t even remember the last night he had spent in his own quarters. They used to spend time at Scar’s too, but then daylight was gone and Cub’s place seemed like the better option.

‘Apartment’ was a generous term for the small room they were provided. They were lucky to have their own bathrooms and small kitchens with the most basic appliances needed for cooking simple meals. 

There was a small table with two chairs near the window, looking over the rows and rows of windows to other apartments. Cub had decorated the dirty walls with articles he had cut out from newspapers and magazines. There were books on the shelves and a small bed tucked into the corner. It was meant for one person only, but they made it work.

It was nice having someone to hold. Cub's hands on Scar's skin, Scar's hands on his, lips against lips. It helped with loneliness.

There were feelings too, they didn't talk about them much, but that didn’t mean they didn’t matter. Little 'I love you's had easily made their way into Scar's routine and Cub had eventually started saying them back. Little sweet moments made their otherwise boring and limited life just a bit more bearable.

Knowing that after a long day, Scar could go home to Cub’s place and fall into his arms made the endless work shifts more tolerable. As much as Scar knew Cub hated being here, he hoped his presence helped Cub too.

On the table by the window was a small cake. Scar blinked a few times, almost like he didn’t believe his eyes. Cub didn’t bake, which meant he must have bought it. “What’s with the cake?” Scar asked, curious. Cub didn’t spend his credits on things like this.

It must have been expensive too - everything that wasn’t strictly necessary was considered a luxury and the prices certainly made sure such things stayed a rare treat. 

Technically they did get paid, realistically the currency was barely worth anything. It could be used to buy basic necessities, but only here. It couldn’t be used to get a ticket off this place, nor would anyone trade it for real money. No one with actual money would do anything with these credits.

“It’s your birthday,” Cub replied. His voice lacked emotion, but Scar knew it wasn’t because of him - Cub was simply exhausted. 

It took a second for the words to register. Scar almost opened his mouth to say ‘no it isn’t, I haven’t even told you my birthday’ before taking a look at the calendar on the wall. Cub crossed off the days on it almost religiously, like he was waiting for something big to happen.

Cub was right, it was his birthday. “How did you know?” 

“The last four digits of everyone’s identification number are their birthday,” Cub answered, and suddenly Scar felt bad. He had never realized that, but now that he thought about it, it made a lot of sense.

Ever since Cub had told Scar his name, Scar had stopped trying to remember his number. Now he wished he would at least have tried to memorize the last digits.

“I didn’t know that,” Scar said almost apologetically. Sharing names had felt like a rebellious step towards freedom, but now he felt like he had messed up. 

He knew Cub already knew this meant Scar didn’t know his birthday - Cub was smart like that, he put things together in ways Scar didn’t even realize to think of. It felt impolite to ask at this point. Had Cub’s birthday already passed?