The Artsy Pumpkin

Relationship Level 7

Even though he doesn’t forgive Verso, Gustave asks him to stay. Verso’s lies ultimately hadn’t changed the moments they shared and the feelings that had grown even if his secrets damaged their relationship in other ways. Gustave desperately doesn’t want to be alone in his final moments and Verso’s guilt keeps him glued to the other man’s side.

Gustave’s heavy heart pounds in his chest with anticipation. The only warning is the shockwave from the monolith. Afterwards there is a stillness like the world taking its final breath.

There is no chaos, there is no screaming, there are only petals in the wind. Verso pulls Gustave in close trying to keep him in his arms for as long as he can until he inevitably starts to disperse into hundreds of petals. Verso just holds Gustave and closes his eyes focusing on the feeling of the man in his arms not daring to look at him.

“See you…”

Gustave’s voice fades, Verso feels the warmth leave his arms. He pauses and waits…

Holding back tears closing his hands around petals he whispers to himself…

“…. In the next life”.

round

Homecoming

Verso/Gustave - Rated E

9,780 words

After traveling the world to perform, Verso finally returned home to Paris. He was expecting a sweet reunion with Gustave, but his husband had some other plans…

Sooooo, in the land of the future, it is now @walrusface's birthday!! @thunderstyled did me the great honor of collabing with me to put together a little something for you to celebrate! To the surprise of exactly no one, it features Domso. :3c

Mhmh love me some hurt and comfort! Here it is

---

It was worse when the nightmares stopped.

Verso truly believed that when he told Lune, all these months ago - back at camp during their expedition.

It was his family back then. Alicia’s cries. His own cries. Dying in the manor fire.

Then search and rescue. Julie's hurt and hateful stare as he rammed his sword in her chest.

Then - the oppressive void. As life lost all meaning, so did his dreams.

And now… the paintress is gone.

And his nightmares returned.

He dreams of the boy, forever painting. And Maelle at his side. He is trying to run towards them, to get him to stop painting. To free Verso and himself.

But the paint beneath his legs doesn’t get him any closer. And then shadows appear, surrounding him, staring him down.

‘The expeditions… my parent’s sacrifice…thousands of people dying in agony… it would have been for naught.’

‘My husband, you’ll take him from me. You’ll kill us all out of selfishness - you bastard!’

He runs on the spot till his legs give, falling to his knees, their angry screams ringing in his ears. He wants to apologize - to beg for forgiveness. But his throat produces no sound, no matter how hard he tries to cry out for them.

And then Maelle turns to him, her face cracking with dried paint.

‘You will never be him. You’ll never be enough.’

No. Please. Leave this Canvas, don’t die — Verso digs his nails into the ground, mouth wide open but unable to speak.

Her hair turns brittle, her face aging rapidly. Her stare is like Julie’s.

‘I’m dying for a worthless copy.’

“VERSO!”

His eyes fly open, and finally his agony tears out of him with a scream.

He is disoriented. It’s dark. The shadows are gone, Maelle is gone and the child —

With his voice back, Verso keeps crying out in desperation, don’t die - I’m sorry - not for me - I don’t deserve it - leave me behind - I beg you -

“Verso! Take deep breaths, mon cher.”

A hand presses against his naked chest. Warm. Grounding.

Finally Verso’s tear filled eyes focus on brown ones. The moon shining through the window of their bedroom bathes him in a gentle glow.

Gustave.

He presses close, the hand on his chest replaced with his stump so that his hand can brush agaibst his cheek. Impossibly soft and calm. Verso feels his breath fan across his face. Warm.

“There we go - in and out”, Gustave’s deep baritone voice whispers to him.

Verso only now notices that he is shaking as if suffering from high fever. But Gustave’s hold slowly calms the tremors down. Deep breaths.

“You’re here. Safe. In our bed. It was just a bad dream.”

“M-Maelle…”

“Has left the Canvas months ago. Remember?”

Verso inhales sharply. His memories rush back to him.

Maelle did. She left and let them be. She convinced her family.

Verso cries. But they’re not fearful tears anymore. Gustave leans even closer, his lips brushing against his cheeks as he kisses the tears off Verso.

“Mon amour…” Verso whispers as his body melts under the love he has for the man holding him steady.

“I’m sor-”

A finger rushes to Verso’s lips, shushing him.

“Don’t. And no buts. We’ve been through this. You deserve being held through your nightmares. No, I won’t leave this bed.”

As if Gustave’s stern but loving stare left any room for arguments. His eyes soften just a second later though.

“You think you can go back to sleep, or…”

Verso shakes his head in answer. Gustave simply hums in acknowledgement, having expected it.

“Come then.”

Gustave pulls Verso by his hand out of the bed - so used to being woken up by Verso’s or his own nightmares that it has become a habit for them to step outside. On the rooftop, beneath the stars, no dome between them.

I can finally post my Bing Bang piece for Expedition 33! It was a delight to work on this piece, and the fic I illustrated itself is very good. Please check it out, the link is under the cut.

Some Gods are kind. Some Gods are cruel. And some only want to prove that even perfection has a breaking point. But what happens to a God who set out to take, and finds himself wanting to be chosen instead?

Soooooo this is Verso's guardian angel. Is this another AU? YES... Angel!Gustave. Guardian angels are born at the same time as person who they take care of. So little Angel!Gustave grows up with Verso and try to make his life better and help him in need. At some point Gustave thinks Verso hears him because when Gustave tells him "It's okay to not follow your parents dreams Verso, please don't force yourself to do that" Verso says out loud "Thank you my angel you always make everything better." But is impossible to hear or see angels. Only interactions like real interactions are in Verso's dreams. It's not always that Gustave spends time in Verso's dreams now. When they were younger he was playing with Verso there but as they got older Gustave just watched and only intervene when nightmares came to Verso, but Verso noticed him one day with:

"Do I know you?"

"No, I don't think you do"

"Can I sit here?"

"Ummmm...yes?"

And that's how their little dream "dates" start. Gustave hopes other angels won't notice but he can't stop now especially when he sees that smile on Verso that in real life doesn't happen much, only around Alicia, others are those ugly fake smiles Verso puts on. So he continues and listen to Verso when he wants to vent about the pressure from his family or just how his day went. Then the day of the fire comes. Gustave knows and he can't do anything...just watch and whisper nothings to Verso when he dies in agony...but just before that beam is supposed to crush Verso and stop him from escaping, Gustave extend his wings to stop it...it hurts so much... his fethers burn and the smell is so bad but he yells to Verso "Run Verso please just run with Alicia." Verso stares at the beam that should crush and trap him here for a moment and runs. When Gustave knows Verso is safe he disappears ... he's summoned to heaven.

"WHAT DID YOU DO!?" Alan yells at him.

"I couldn't let him die and if he did his family would be in misery"

"I'm sorry Gustave. I really don't want this for you but we have rules, you have to face consequences of your actions. I'm really sorry Gustave ... forgive me my friend."

Happy birthday @walrusface

The person who write peak plot twisting, tear jerking, me jacking fics for verstave. Did you know that liminal inspired my whole immortal AU and kick me down the verstave drawing rabbit hole? Yeh me neither

Verso: Is this paradise?