Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

          Most people would consider living out in this particular segment of the country to be dangerous, and to the inexperienced, it was. See, it happened to be considered something of a hotspot. Specifically, one for fae. Supposedly, a portal to the wilds could be found somewhere in the woods. Neither Scott nor Tango had ever gone looking for it. Both were content to stay at their ranch, taking measures to ensure that they wouldn’t be taken. 

          They lined the entrances to their buildings with steel and had fake names that they’d use if ever they came across a rare traveler. That didn’t mean that they never felt the effects of the fae, but they were protected from the worst of it. 

          That isn’t to say that living so close to the fae had no benefits, though. Every once in a while a benevolent presence blessed the crops to grow faster, or protected the livestock from predators. However, these gifts usually only lasted a few days, until the fae grew bored and left. 

          This one had been going far longer, stretching on with no end in sight. The crops were growing faster and healthier than ever before, even more than when they had been under previous gifts. Sunshine-yellow canaries flocked the territory, singing sweetly. A warm, syrupy feeling flowed through the air, blanketing thoughts with a feeling of content. 

          As comforting as it may have felt, the extended gift put Scott on edge. The fae’s fair favor could turn on them at any time. They needed to be prepared for the worst. 

          That’s why Scott was leaving the ranch for the town. If the wilds were going to rain hell on their safe haven, they needed to up their protections. The librarian would have something that’d help. It’d be worth the travel time if he could keep his husband safe.

          Tango saw him off before returning to his work. It took effort to maintain a ranch, after all. Even with extra help. 

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          The storm swept in from the horizon, buffeting winds and heavy sheets of rain, driving Scott to seek shelter from the library when he arrived. 

          “Hey, man!” came a call from the door, friendly bronze eyes framed with cascading brown locks peeking out to greet him. “Can I get your name?” she asked. 

          “You may call me Poppy,” Scott responded, wary. “Where’s the other librarian?”

          “Moon. D’ya mean the redhead?”

          “Yes, is she here?”

          “‘Course, of course. I’ll go get her. Come in, that storm doesn’t look like it’ll let up for a while.”

          She opened the door wider to let Scott in before disappearing up the stairs. Moments later, two sets of footsteps came tromping back down. 

          “Poppy! How’s Torchy doing?”

          “He was fine last I checked.”

          “Buuut?”

          “But we might need more protection. There’s someone that’s been hanging around the past few weeks. I haven’t seen them yet, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

          “You say that, but you’re out here, aren’t you? Something could happen while you’re away.”

          “I know. I just need to get back before it does.” Scott tried not to think about how convenient the storm was. It kind of worked. He had a feeling the librarians weren’t fooled, though. 

          He shivered. It was going to be a long night. 

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          Tango slumped onto the couch. Luckily, he’d caught the storm early enough to take in the laundry they’d hung out to dry. The stormfront caught up while he was herding the animals inside, though. It wasn’t enough to kill him, this time but the burns still hurt. Nothing a quick nap couldn’t fix. He’d be fine. 

          A knock sounded from the front porch. His nap would have to wait. Bundled up in the couch blankets, he approached the front door. 

          Lightning flashed as he opened the door, revealing a tall figure obscured by  a forest green cloak. As his eyes adjusted, though, this person looked more like a wet cat in a soggy blanket. 

          The figure spoke. 

          “Hello, may I come in? I’ve been on the road and don’t want to be out in this storm longer than I have to.” They were avoiding his eyes. 

          “Of course! It’d be rude to leave someone out in weather like this.”

          The figure entered, and Tango noted how they flinched going through the doorway. A fae, then. Or perhaps a witch. 

          “May I have the name of the person kind enough to let me in?”

          Never mind then, definitely a fae. He’d have to be careful. 

          “You may call me Torchy.” 

          “Torchy… a nickname?”

          “Well I can’t just give my name to a total stranger. We’re near the faewild.”

          “Ah! Of course. Unfortunately, I do not have a nickname to give you. Perhaps you could help me?”

          “Hmm… you seem like a Jimmy!”

          A quiet grin spread across the newly named fae’s face as he finally took off his wet cloak. This new name wasn’t as effective as it would’ve been if he’d gotten Torchy’s, but it’d be enough to ground his presence on this land. He could handle the occasional iron. No one was taking him from this new home. 

         “Man, Scott is going to kill me.”

         The words were muffled. Jimmy probably wouldn’t have been able to hear it if he were a mortal, but he wasn’t, and now he knew what to call the other one. This was truly going better than he could’ve hoped. 

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          “Tango, I’m home!” Scott called, shutting the door behind him and setting down the bag of protections he’d brought back from town. It had everything from light charms to the materials and encrypted instructions needed to banish a fae, should one enter their home. 

          “Did you cook something while I was out? It smells really good.” 

          “I appreciate that!” came an unfamiliar voice from the kitchen. Scott’s guard went up instantly. No one else should’ve been there. He needed to be more careful. 

          “Torchy? What’s going on?” He came around a corner to see Tango sitting on a couch, a sheepish expression on his face. Dangit, he always looked so cute when he did that. Walking over to the couch, Scott was able to see into the kitchen. He was greeted by the sight of a tall man with fluffy blonde hair and pointed ears. His eyes were brown and blue, shifting together like they weren’t sure which color to be. 

         “Hello! I’m Jimmy, I’ve already met Tango-” a jolt shuddered down Scott’s spine, how did he get his name? “-but I’d like to do proper introductions.”

         Scott sat down, pressing against Tango, who engulfed him in his cocoon of blankets. 

         “Did you get caught in the rain again?” Scott whispered, snuggling close. 

         Tango opted to stay silent, looking away, for all the good it did. 

         “I worry about you, y’know,” Scott murmured. 

         Tango still didn’t say anything, but he leaned against his partner and they both knew, in this little shell of warmth, that they were safe. 

         The bubble of safety popped at the sound of a body settling in the chair across from them. Right, Jimmy was still here. 

         “Hello! I brought food,” that voice was far too cheery for the situation at hand. Scott grudgingly opened his eyes to look at this man that had invaded his home. He resentfully eyed the plate being held out to him. It looked and smelled wonderful beyond belief. That poison would cost them dearly. 

         “We can’t eat that.” Scott had been taught about the fae all his life. He knew the rules. 

         “But you can! It’s perfectly safe.” 

         “Not if we want to be able to survive on regular food later.” 

         “I could take care of you. I wouldn’t mind.” Jimmy would do the best job! Just wait and see. 

         “That’s enough, Jimmy. We won’t eat it.” Tango was gentle but firm in his refusal. 

         The blond huffed, bringing the plate back to himself. After all the effort he’d put into making them food… he just wanted to be nice! He would’ve liked it if they’d had a reason to keep him around, though. It would suck if they kicked him out just when he was starting to get comfortable. But if they wouldn’t take it, then fine, he’d eat it himself! He’d just be grumpy about it. 

         “So, Jimmy, what do you want?” Scott didn’t want to be in this situation at all, but maybe taking initiative would help somehow. 

         “I just want to stay with my partners, Tango.” Scott felt a rush of indignation at that. Partners? His? How dare this-

         “But I’m-” Scott had never moved so fast before in his life. Tango was startled at having a hand suddenly covering his mouth, not seeing at first what he’d almost done. Jimmy looked rather disappointed. Good. If Scott had his way, Jimmy’s essence would scatter beyond hope of reformation before he got ahold of his and Tango’s names. 

          Jimmy’s eyes were downcast. His posture was oddly hunched, oddly human, for a creature that was supposedly so perfect, so graceful, and so conniving. 

          “I just wanted to stay with you guys…” he whispered, voice clearly on the edge of breaking. 

          Scott closed his eyes with a quiet, weary groan. Even without looking, he knew what Tango looked like, what those warm eyes of his were trying to do. Drooping with sadness, less faked and more exaggerated, wrapped around a little spark-shower of excitement. He wanted to give this being another chance. Ooh, Scott saw that pouty lip already and he hadn’t even opened his eyes yet. He cracked one eye open. Yep, dead on the money. Dangit, Tango was unfairly good at this. If anything, he ought’ve been the fae in this room. He certainly would’ve been good at it. But if that happened he wouldn’t get to live with him, and then where would they be?

          Scott shook his head ruefully, and Tango’s eyes brightened as the excitement in them grew. He could tell he had won, that Scott’s resolve had crumbled. Scott didn’t know why he ever doubted. 

          “Fine, you can stay,” Scott drawled. 

          “Really ‽ ” Jimmy’s excitement nearly rivaled Tango’s. 

          “for now.” he finished, tone firm and nearly scolding. Scott’s reprimand did little to dissuade the blond’s excitement. 

Chapter Text

          Adjusting to the new presence was certainly interesting. Seeing him working in the kitchen was unnerving for Scott, ever the pessimist, so Tango was supervising Jimmy to make sure he didn’t try anything again. Tonight, they were making soup. Fairly simple, you just chunk up the ingredients and boil them together. The reasoning had been that with less steps, there would be less chances for Jimmy to slip in magic. That led them to where they were now. 

          “Jimmy, what are you doing?” Tango asked, peering over his shoulder at the boiling pot. 

          “I’m putting in the vegetables,” Jimmy replied nonchalantly, dropping in another carrot. 

          “Whole?” He was baffled as to what would drive anyone to do something like that. 

          “Yeah, was I supposed to cut them?” Jimmy seemed to be trying entirely too hard to look innocent. 

          “Preferably, yes.” Tango huffed a little, somewhere between affectionate and annoyed. 

          “What if I don’t know how?” He tilted his head, blonde mop flopping over one eye, leaving the other to stare into Tango’s soul. 

          “Are you kidding me? You know how, I was watching you while you were cooking last night!” Tango cried in exasperation. 

          “I could’ve forgotten,” he shrugged. 

          “Yeah, but you didn’t.” Tango insisted. 

          “Teach me?” Jimmy pleaded, something careful yet hopeful in his expression. 

          And, well, how could he respond to that except by doing so? Fishing out the carrot, he took Jimmy by the hands and gently guided him, showing how to hold the knife and keep his fingers away from the blade. Fifteen minutes and a few band-aids later, there was a pile of vegetables to dump in the pot and Tango got to work cutting the meat. Jimmy fluttered around, sifting through utensils, picking up one thing or another to inspect it closer, letting out the occasional squeal of excitement. 

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          Jimmy slipped out of the kitchen right around when Tango started cooking the meat, hoping to explore the garden and find something he could work with. He took a minute to just stand there and breathe in the fresh air, watching the sun ease its way westward and listening to his canaries twittering as they scouted the underbrush. 

          It all seemed so quiet and peaceful, and he was smiling as he walked past a line of blue delphiniums. 

          “Jimmy, get out of my garden!” He startled as Scott hollered at him from a window. 

          “Sorry, Scott!” he called back, carefully making his way to the porch. 

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          Inside, Scott was feeling a bit irate at something he didn’t quite understand. Sure, he was mad at Jimmy for trying to get into his garden, a bit worried that he might’ve done something to it. But there was something else, too. He felt… slighted? He knew fae hated it when you tried to brush something aside with a “sorry”, but maybe it was different when they were the ones doing it. Invading their territory was another big no, but that was rules for them, right? Not him. He turned away from the window, feeling nauseated. 

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          Jimmy was a bit disappointed that he hadn’t been able to explore the garden, but he had time. There was a lot he could do even without access to it. It felt a bit strange how Scott knew exactly when he entered, but he had probably been watching from the window. Scott seemed a lot more wary than he would’ve expected, even for someone who knew what he was. Gaining his faith was going to be hard, but Jimmy was attached. He wouldn’t give this up for anything. In the meantime… 

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          Tango had just pulled out the fire from the stove when an energetic presence came bounding into the kitchen, flurrying excitement in its wake. 

          “Hey Tango! Lookit what I found!” Jimmy was practically bouncing on his toes, holding out a dark stone with shimmering veins of smoky quartz, smooth holes and grooves worn through its surface. It glinted in the fading light, drawing Tango towards it. He felt himself reach out, stopping short and pulling back when he noticed, then taking another step back for good measure. 

          Jimmy noticed. 

          “You can have it if you want,” he offered. “I got it for you.”

          Tango relaxed slightly at that, coming closer to get a better look at the rock. 

          “What is it?” he asked, flames brightening with intrigue. 

          “This is a hag stone,” Jimmy explained. “It’s a talisman used for protection.” He held it out to Tango, who took it with both hands, cautiously at first before holding it to his chest with a look of slightly confused gratitude. 

          “Thanks, Jimmy. This is really nice.” Jimmy grinned at his response. 

          “Yes, that was very nice of you,” Scott said, looming up from behind Tango. “In exchange, here’s some soup.” He held a bowl out to Jimmy, gaze filled with warning and accusation, though simultaneously accompanied by an offer to keep things civil for the sake of Tango, who stood obliviously between the two of them. Jimmy accepted it, holding the bowl close. 

          “Let’s go eat in the dining room,” Tango suggested, placing the stone on the shelf before turning to lead the group through the kitchen to the other side. He seated Scott and Jimmy before heading back to grab two more bowls of soup. When he re-entered the room, Jimmy caught his gaze with a look of panicky confusion. Fire dimming with unease, he looked to see Scott, sitting quietly, perfect posture and eyes like a barren winter sky. 

          “Why isn’t he responding, Tango?” Jimmy whispered, glancing back at Scott. “I swear I didn’t do anything, we just sat down and he hasn’t moved since. It’s freaking me out.”

          “He just gets like this sometimes,” Tango sighed, setting down the bowls before going to kneel at Scott's side. “We don’t know why, but it’s like he shuts down. It happens often enough that I know how to get him out.” Shifting his attention back to his partner, Tango took one of Scott’s hands in his. Pressing it to his forehead, he exhaled, sending warmth between them. He then looked up to meet his partner’s eyes, watching as they slowly came back to life. 

          “Hey buddy, you with me?” Tango murmured, rubbing circles in Scott’s hand, waiting for a response. 

          “Yeah, I’m alright…” he suddenly became more aware of his surroundings, specifically of one Jimmy, who had been watching their exchange intently. He turned back, closing his eyes as he flushed with embarrassment. “...did he see it?” Scott groaned, despite knowing the answer. 

          “He saw,” Tango confirmed gently. He rose, hugging Scott before moving to sit in his own chair, not knowing what else to say. They all sat there together, eating their soup in an awkward silence. Scott pushed chunks of soft vegetables around with his spoon, occasionally sipping at the broth, but his stomach was too queasy to handle much more than that. A shame, really, when Tango’s soup tasted as good as it did. 

Chapter Text

          Jimmy was out. With how he’d acted during the first week, Scott had figured he’d never leave, but as it happened, he did have some sort of job. He hadn’t left them alone, there were more canaries around than ever, but he had gone off to the forest, saying he’d be back soon. 

          Scott had thought he’d be more excited about that. At first, he had been, sighing with relief after he’d closed the door behind the fae. Now he was slower, more exhausted. He would’ve forgotten to close the door if Tango hadn’t caught him when he was leaving. He leaned on Clover and tried to pretend like he wasn’t falling asleep on his feet. She guided him over to Tango’s “milkificator” as he’d called it. Normally, she would be more skittish around it, it was automatic and not every cow would understand such a thing. Scott was just there for moral support most days, only manually milking them when he needed to think. Today, he was the one who needed support, and by Bessie would she give it. Nervous as she was, she walked up to the machine, patient as Scott tried, hands shaking, to hook her up to it, and nosing him to rest when he finished. Scott leaned against her, stubbornly upright and barely awake as he waited for her to let him know she was done. 

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          He nearly fell over when, minutes later, she bumped him with her flank. He startled awake, scrambling to unhook her from the contraption. Clover waited until he put everything away, then pushed him into the soft hay of the barn. She hardly gave it any effort and yet his knees buckled as he collapsed to the ground. Kneeling, she lay her head on Scott’s chest and listened as his weak protests gave way to sleep. 

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          Tango was trying not to get worried. Surely Scott was fine, he’d been out longer than this before. Clover was probably out there making sure he got enough sleep. Wouldn’t’ve been the first time. Yeah, that was it, Scott was just paying off another sleep debt from all the stressful nights Jimmy gave him. Never mind that he’d already been sleeping more than enough since Jimmy left. Tango found himself by the bookshelf, tapping against the stone Jimmy had given them. What had he called it, a rock of protection? Not that Tango believed in stuff like that, but his shoulders untensed a bit at the sight of it. Maybe a bit of luck wouldn’t hurt. 

          He held the rock closer, decision set in his mind. He’d take the rock to Scott, then leave it where he could easily find it if he wasn’t awake. Maybe it’d cheer him up a bit when he awoke. As he stepped out into the last rays of the dying sun, however, he heard a frantic lowing in the near distance. The barn wasn’t as close as most of the other structures because some of the ranch’s residents got spooked by things that went on around the house. However, it was still close enough to walk to, and that was plenty close to hear Clover. Tango sped up, clutching the stone tighter as he approached the barn. 

          Clover was waiting for him when he opened the doors, ears flicking and tail lashing as she snorted, tugging him over to where Scott was half-hidden in a bed of hay. He was curled in on himself, twitching and kicking out with desperate whines spilling from his lips. Clover moved to stand vigilant by Scott, her head turning between him and Tango, begging him to approach. He did, reaching out to maybe turn him over, only to jerk his hand back at the unexpected amount of heat he was giving off. 

          Tango, being Netherborn, had a high heat tolerance. This made it hard for him to tell when one of their animals was sick, which was a reason why Scott was the main caretaker. Although he could still carry him like this, it was worrying. He gently placed the stone on Scott’s chest before scooping him up in his arms. It shouldn’t have been as easy as it was. “Clover, look after the barn while we’re gone,” he called back to her, rushing out the door and hurriedly kicking it closed behind them. 

Chapter Text

          When Jimmy got back from the Faewild, he was expecting a lot of things. Bright sunshine and wild canaries patrolling the borders. That ghostly figure lingering by the treeline, waiting for nightfall. A lone cow, grazing peacefully in the pasture. The ranch, safe and untouched. He was also afraid. Of mortals, keeping him away. The ranchers being gone, or worse, hating him. The Council, following him out. He remembered what had happened to the last people like him. Something he hadn’t considered was exactly what greeted him as he lifted the door knocker, wincing at the iron’s touch. 

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          Tango honestly looked worse for wear, leaning against the door like he hadn’t slept in days. His fire was sputtering, cyan flames flickering among the orange. Tired ruby eyes clocked the figure in front of him, focus sharpening ever so slightly. He opened the door wider to let Jimmy through. As soon as the threshold was crossed, he shuffled away, leaving the fae to close the door behind himself. 

          “Tango, what happened while I was gone?” He moved closer, unsettled by the silence that seemed to smother everything within reach. 

          “Scott got sick. He hasn’t been up in a while, but I haven’t been able to go to town for medicine since we ran out. I couldn't leave him on his own in case something happened.” 

          Something like me? Jimmy thought, leaving the words unspoken. “I could watch him!” he said instead. Tango blinked back slowly, uncomprehending. “I mean I could watch him while you go out,” he continued. “So you could get the medicine. Right now, though, you need sleep.” At that, Tango collapsed, exhaustion finally catching up to drag him down. Jimmy rushed forwards to catch him, knocked off balance by the sudden weight before straightening with Tango cradled in his arms. 

          He trod gently down the hall, shifting his hold to open the door of a room that felt empty. He was pretty sure it was Tango’s, though it looked as though no one had been there in a while. Slipping in, he set Tango on the bed, piling blankets around him in a sort of nest-shape. He cooed as the man snuggled deeper, once-tense posture now loose in the grasp of sleep.

          Leaning in, Jimmy thought of some of the mothers he’d seen in villages, kissing their young good-night. When he tried to imagine it with Tango, though, the action didn’t feel right. He settled instead for ruffling his hair before walking out the door, easing it shut behind himself. 

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          With Tango settled, Jimmy moved on to Scott’s room. Crossing the threshold, he was hit with a wave of vertigo, feeling almost as dizzy as when he first left the Faewild. He crouched, steadying himself much like he had that day, one hand to the wall as he tried to remain upright. Deep breaths left him feeling short on air, head fluttering like a flock of canaries beating against a net of fine wires. So slowly, his vision returned, blurring back in from the white static. Carefully, he unfolded, and slowly pulled back up, leaning on a set of drawers for support. 

          The room before him was in disarray, blankets strewn everywhere and scraps of paper covered in odd writings fluttering in the eddies of a night breeze. Despite everything else around him, Jimmy was drawn to the figure that lay on the bed in the corner. The covers had been cast aside, any heat too much for Scott to handle. Ink-stained fingertips clutched a pillow, practically crushing it, and his ears were hidden behind messy teal locks. 

          “Hey, Scott, how ya been?” Jimmy murmured, reaching out to brush the hair away from the man’s face. He immediately jerked back, a starburst of pain scorching his hand white for a brief moment. Cautiously, he extended his reach again, this time not making contact. His hand felt heavy in the heat, hard to keep up. The figure beneath shifted, so he pulled away to avoid further accidents. Scott let out a low whine, trying to follow but ultimately unable to move so far. Instead he shivered, digging into the mattress that had somehow not yet caught fire. 

          Jimmy was at a loss of what to do. He couldn’t touch Scott like this, at least not safely, and he couldn’t really do much when he was asleep. The best he could manage would be to take over Tango’s duties and hope Scott would wake up soon. …Man he was so tired. He didn’t remember it taking this much energy to be here before. Falling into an armchair, he gazed at the being next to him, whose eyes twitched for a brief moment before settling back into an uneasy rest, breath deeper but not yet consistent. It was not long before he followed. 

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          The next morning, Jimmy was rudely awoken by an overly bright stage whisper. 

          “Jimmy!” The voice hissed excitedly. “Hey, Jimmy!” It continued to shake him, moving with him when he tried to curl up to escape it. He groaned, mushing his face into the back of the armchair, neck smarting with the pains of a poor sleeping position. Whoever it was would not stop poking him, never letting him a moment closer to the rest he so desperately craved. Might as well face them. 

          “ There you are!” Deep amaranth eyes gleamed inches from his own, a vibrant life force in stark contrast with the half-dormant mess that he was. As much as he would’ve liked to try again for the realm of sleep, Jimmy knew that Tango had a reason for waking him up. 

          “Wha’ do ya want,” he yawned, shifting to a sitting position, pulling a blanket tight around his shoulders. 

          “I want to make sure you’re prepared to take care of Scott,” Tango replied, folding discarded bedding with a neat efficiency, “and that you won’t steal him while I’m out.”

          “W’dn’ do tha,” Jimmy mumbled, pushing himself up to follow Tango out of the room, blanket dragging on the floor behind. 

Chapter Text

“Just keep it hot enough that the thermostat doesn’t get lower than here,” he said, indicating a mark numbered 93° on the device. “Alternate adding water and broth, however often you need to to keep it from getting too dry. Jerky is in the yellow bucket in the pantry, potatoes are in the barrels under the onions and garlic down in the root cellar.”

“Where’s the root cellar?”

“Out in the garden. Follow me.” Tango took Jimmy’s hand, leading him out the door. They skirted past the actual garden, around a corner to something that could’ve been mistaken for a simple bin of gardening tools. Tango lifted the lid, revealing a ladder going down into a dim room. 

“Think you can find everything from here?” he asked, looking to the fae beside him. Said fae shook himself from his stupor, looking to Tango with a faint wonder in his eyes. 

“Wha-Where can I find the water and broth?” he asked, eyes glancing briefly back into the root cellar. 

“We’ve got some jars of broth in the pantry-glass, not clay-and a water pump by the garden shed. You remember where the pitchers are?”

“Yeah. I think I’ll be fine, are you ready for the trip?”

“Mm-hm! I’ll be off then,” he shouldered his pack, pushing open the door. The sky was clear, open to the abyss, and a little dirt road trailed off over the rolling hills. Jimmy watched as Tango’s figure retreated farther and farther into the horizon, on course for civilization, for help that hopefully wouldn’t be needed.

Tango walked through the town, lighting up the street with a gentle amber glow. It was peaceful, friendly faces passing as he walked towards the library, the building’s familiar wooden beams and cozy door welcoming. He ducked inside to the chimes of a little bell, announcing his arrival to the person manning the counter. She set aside her tinkering to greet him, cat-blue eyes examining. 

“Hello,” she warbled cheerily, “what can I get for you?”

“I need a refill of medicine. Have you seen Gem recently? She knows better than I do what we normally get.”

“We?” she asked, while flipping through a notebook and gathering various herbs and bottles. 

“Me and my- um…” he trailed off, unsure. 

“Partner?” she supplied. 

“I think so.”

After a moment more of shuffling around, Moon seemed to remember something. “Did you… bring back the old jars?”

“Oh yeah, hold on.” Tango took off his satchel and rummaged through it, pulling out various containers and setting them on the counter. Moon gathered them up and set them in a basin to wash. 

“We don’t have all this stuff on hand,” she remarked, studying the notebook once more. “Would you be willing to wait while I prepare them?”

He nodded, wandering away from the counter to admire the library side of the shop. It had a comfy-looking armchair tucked under a window, but he elected instead to stand, gazing in awe at the shelves that lined the walls, filled with knick-knacks, gadgets, and books. He glowed brighter out of excitement, swaying side to side as he tried to look at everything all at once. 

Moon watched Tango warily, tracking the flames and embers that trailed after his form, thankfully vanishing before they could touch anything. 

“Torchy, can you please wait outside ? Your fire is making me nervous for the books.”

“Oh. Alright, I’ll just sit out there until you’re ready, then.” he stumbled a bit, trying to compress himself inward. “Sorry. For the trouble.” he twitched, hitting the doorframe on his way out. 

“Thanks,” Pearl called after him. She wouldn’t normally do such a thing, repaying even an accidentally formed debt so easily, but something told her to let it go. 

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Outside, Tango slumped onto a metal bench, feeling like he was choking. Guilt weighed heavily on his gut, a feeling not helped by the way the bench warmed at his touch. It was stupid, really. After all these years he ought to have known how dangerous his fire was. Of course it wouldn’t be safe for him around so many precious books, much less an apothecary. He’d just… never given it much thought. It never came up before. Stupid, really, for him to assume he could just be places like everyone else. 

All he wanted was to curl up in a ball until the medicine for Scott came out and he could leave. Never bother anyone again. Honestly, why’d they put up with him in the first place? But he’s in public. This wasn’t some safe couch at home that had miraculously never burned to ash. There was no one to wrap blankets around him, no one to snuggle with, gods you idiot how have you not seen him burned yet. Selfish. Maybe it’s better that the judging stares of strangers could keep him upright out here. If he let himself get comfy he’d probably find a way to ruin this bench, as well. 

He tried humming a song to pass the time, giving up quickly when it caught on the lump in his throat. Instead, he allowed himself to slouch, head halfway to his knees and hands bunching up the fabric covering his legs as he listened to the footsteps tapping along the cobbled streets. Busy people passed by, conversations flowing as he tried hard not to listen in. They meant nothing to him but he still felt bad whenever he caught the little snippets. He’d rather be left in the dark, but he couldn’t even have that literally, cursed flames lighting up what would otherwise have been a dim and quiet little nook. 

“Torchy?” Moon called, startling him into being a bit more awake. Street lamps had been lit, and the sky was dark enough that a few stars were starting to peek out. “Your order is ready.”

Tango followed her back into the shop, allowing for his satchel to be packed with the medicines. He paid for them, then left, trying to ignore the stare that followed him to the tavern.