[A/n: I kept my promise! Btw, this is the extra chapter for 500 collections, but seeing how things are going, i'll reach 600 collections tmrw, so, y'all are set!]
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Asher was very fatigued.
he slowly opened his weary teal eyes. The world around him came into hazy focus, his body heavy with exhaustion. He lay on wet, mushy sand, his fingers instinctively caressing its cool, gritty texture as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. The remnants of yesterday's storm were evident in the damp earth beneath him, the scent of rain still lingering in the air.
Turning his head to the side, Asher's gaze landed on a silver-haired girl sleeping peacefully beside him. She looked as beautiful as ever. Asher eyes involuntarily went to her clothes.
His eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly averted his gaze, feeling a flush of embarrassment creep up his cheeks.
He turned to the other side, seeking a distraction. There, Sunny lay in a deep, yet troubled slumber, his face contorted with discomfort even in sleep. The sight made Asher grimace, the memories of their harrowing ordeal flooding back with unsettling clarity. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⚑𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⚑𝙣𝙚𝙩
With a groan, Asher lifted his head and stared up at the clear blue sky.
The storm had passed.
He took a deep breath before bringing his torso up, the weight of fatigue still pressing down on him. "Huddled together for warmth and slept as though they were dead, too tired to make someone keep watch," he muttered under his breath, reciting the exact words from the novel that seemed eerily similar to his current situation.
Turning back, he saw Cassie gripping Nephis like an oversized teddy bear, while Nephis slept on her side, her hand stretching out in Asher's direction. Sunny, on the other hand, had his right arm beneath his head as a makeshift pillow, his left arm extending toward Asher as well.
Asher blinked, clearing the haziness from his eyes. He noticed Nephis' and Sunny's hands on top of each other, forming a surprisingly large and flat area. This was where Asher had laid his head, using their hands as a pillow. A smile tugged at his lips as he remembered Nephis' concern about him having a concussion and Sunny's 'kind' agreement.
His expression slowly shifted to a frown as he continued to stare at their intertwined hands.
He nodded with a smirk.
Asher realized something.
"My hands are healed," he whispered, staring at his hands in disbelief.
'Of course they are you, Idiot! If Nephis healed Sunny, it's only logical she would heal you as well!'
Asher walked up to the cliff nearby, letting out a tired sigh as he yawned and stretched his arms toward the sky. The morning light cast long shadows over the crimson labyrinth below, the intricate patterns of coral-like formations glowing faintly in the early sun. He felt the cool, damp air on his skin.
Asher turned around, startled, to see Sunny yawning and scratching his disheveled black hair.
"Yes, I am," he said in a deadpan tone, trying to mask his emotions as he continued to stare out at the labyrinth before them.
Sunny simply nodded, his expression mirroring Asher's blank stare. He got up and walked over to join Asher, both of them gazing at the horizon in silence. The sky was a blend of pastel hues, the remnants of the storm clouds still lingering in the distance, casting a moody atmosphere over the scene.
"Nephis will take some time to wake up. She exhausted herself after healing the both of us," Sunny finally broke the silence, his voice carrying a note of concern.
"I see," Asher replied, his voice flat, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
Both boys stood in awkward silence, each aware that the other was trying to start a conversation but struggling to find the words. Sunny, socially inept and severely lacking in communication skills, found it difficult to express himself. Asher, on the other hand, was terrible at handling serious conversations, always preferring to deflect or downplay his emotions.
Eventually, Sunny sighed, breaking the silence. He continued to look at the sun, its light reflecting off his thoughtful expression. "About yesterday," he began hesitantly.
Asher gave him a side glance, waiting for him to continue.
"I-I don't really remember the details well, but you saved both me and Nephis yesterday..."
"Your point?" Asher replied flatly, his eyes reverting to the horizon, not wanting to delve too deeply into the emotions tied to those events.
Sunny turned his face towards Asher, his voice low and a faint blush coloring his cheeks. "T-Thank you."
Asher's face immediately contracted with disgust as he took a few steps to the side, away from Sunny. "Sunny, I'm sorry, but I am not gay."
Sunny's eyes widened in shock before narrowing in fury. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING GAY, YOU BASTARD! I WILL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I AM THE STRAIGHTEST MAN IN THE WORLD. TWO WORLDS EVEN!"
"Uh. Really?" Asher snorted, maintaining a deadpan expression.
"And why the hell are you acting deadpan like Nephis anyway?!" Sunny demanded, pointing his finger at Asher, who responded with a quizzical look. "Eh? I was?"
That was when their eyes met. Nothing really changed—no lightning struck, no profound silence fell—but something fluttered in Asher's stomach. He burst out laughing.
"You look so stupid!"
Sunny expression didn't change for a second, but seeing Asher laugh, Sunny began to chuckle. "You look stupid laughing like that!"
Asher suddenly stopped laughing, looking at Sunny with wide eyes. Sunny couldn't lie!
It was Sunny's turn to laugh as he held his stomach.
Asher couldn't hold back his laughter either.
They collapsed onto the wet sand, the damp grains cool against their skin as they continued to laugh uncontrollably. The remnants of the rain from the previous night had left the sand moist and slightly sticky, clinging to their clothes and skin. The laughter eventually subsided, leaving them breathless and lightheaded.
They began to laugh once more.