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Life in Jabberwock is as peaceful as it can be. Blue skies, blue water, blue blood spewing out of the monster's severed neck—
"Komaeda, do something!"
Ah, yes. Nothing can be much better than this!
…Except maybe not getting shoved around by his partner. It will certainly make the entire thing much better.
"What was that for? You know I bruise easily, Hinata-kun," Komaeda Nagito huffs as he turns away from the dying monster before them. "You could have just called me."
He can tell he hit a nerve when he spots red slowly taking over his companion's face. So cute!
"I did call you multiple times, you asshole!" Hinata Hajime rages, pointing at the slowly disappearing carcass of their most recent hunt. "You could have helped deal with that, but you're all the way here looking pretty!"
"Aww, you think I'm pretty?" The prince bats his eyelashes, prompting rage to take over the protagonist as he stomps back to deal with the mess they made.
He has only known the winter prince for a few weeks, but he is more than ready to throw him back into the castle he picked him up in. Honestly. His company isn't bad half the time, but sometimes... Hinata can't help but sigh as memories visit him while he collects their loot.
Meeting Komaeda had been a happenstance, as most of his adventures are. He heard people talking about the gates of Winterfell opening up for its decennial ball. It piqued his curiosity, sure, but more so because of the possible networking he could do while having fun. How is he supposed to know that attending means solving a curse surrounding the entire castle and saving the prince trapped inside of it all?
He doesn't even know what prompted him to go through all of those trials just to save Komaeda too. Sure, it feels bad to know that someone is already doomed to die, but—
"What are you doing?"
"Gah...!"
All he hears is laughter as Hinata tries his best to calm his heart after the scare. It's beating fast due to shock— not because Komaeda looks good from this angle. The sun makes his hair glow like a halo, but that impish smile on his face ruins the immersion of seeing an angel. "S-stop doing that! God , you'll be the death of me."
He knows he made a mistake the moment the prince steps closer to him, leaning down to prove just how much better he is than Hinata. "Oh, really? Why is your face all red then?"
"Fuck off," he grunts, pushing himself up while pushing a few monokuma coins into his royal princely chest. "Next time, you're on damage dealer duties."
Komaeda simply hums as he counts his reward. "Are you sure that's wise? You know I'm just a fragile little waif who can barely lift a weapon." He even finishes his statement with a convincing frown. Too bad Hinata is busy holding back his laughter at that blatant lie.
The prince may look like a porcelain doll, but he certainly isn't one. Hinata underestimated him once, and that nearly cost him his life. He won't be doing that again anytime soon. No, thank you. What Komaeda lacks in raw strength, he makes up for with his tremendous mana and crazy analytical skills. It doesn't help that their fight happened within Winterfell Castle—the prince's cage for nearly half of his life. He has home-field advantage, and he really used it to his own benefit. Truly, if he wasn't fighting for his life then, he would have been swooning at the sheer power oozing from him.
Which is ironic given how childish Komaeda looks now with that pout on his face.
"Right. Whatever you say, Your Highness," Hinata snorts as he ruffles Komaeda's fluffy white hair, much to his chagrin.
Still, perhaps it is a testament to their bond that the prince no longer shies away from his touch. He used to be so touch-averse when they started traveling together, until Hinata nearly fell down a ravine. Needless to say, the experience brought them closer together. Komaeda said it made them even after that Winter Ball fiasco, but Hinata can tell that something changed in the prince the moment he pulled him into his arms and out of harm's way.
If he ends up staring as the prince puts his hair back to its prior disorganized mess, well. No one is watching them right now. Hinata can remain purposely oblivious to how domestic that little gesture was. And while Komaeda is busy with that, he takes out their quest list to cross out the recently deceased monster's name. "This guardian makes us what? Three fragments out of five?"
"Out of six," the prince cheerily pipes up once he is satisfied with how he looks. "Three more, and we should be able to summon Monomi for your wish!"
Hinata nods. Personally, he didn't really think the legend of Monomi was real until Komaeda told him about it. It was so dumb, but the prince has a silver tongue. Hinata won't be surprised if he tells him the most ludicrous lie in existence, and he will still believe him. Maybe that's the reason he is off adventuring the world right now, chasing after a mythical beast that can fulfill your heart's desire.
Ugh, it's so cheesy, but fuck it. Komaeda looked so enthralled while telling him about the legend. How was he supposed to say no to that face? To be blunt, the only reason he hasn't walked away now and left the prince to chase off his fantasy of meeting Monomi is Komaeda's starry gaze. It looms over him, luring him in every single time he tries to turn away. How could he say no to that?
"Careful now. Don’t hurt yourself by thinking too much," a teasing voice says against his ear. It completely breaks him out of his thoughts and earns the culprit a crude gesture as he stomps off ahead. "Ahaha, Hinata-kun is always so fun to tease…"
Komaeda watches him go with a fond smile. The situation may be different now, but Hajime remains as he is, doesn’t he? The thought comes unbidden and slowly sours his mood. It's funny how quickly things turn bittersweet at a moment’s notice. Then again, he supposes it is up to him to remember where Hinata cannot.
He just hopes it won’t take too long now.
As fun as it is to roam around this made-up world as adventurers, he would really like to go back and be with his husband now. Well, that is not entirely true. He would have enjoyed exploring this world if the circumstances had been different. He doubts Hajime would approve of it, given how workaholic he became after the simulation, but…
"Nagito-san please hurry! Hajime is…!"
Life in Jabberwock is as peaceful as it can be. Blue skies, blue water, blue paint that he drops as soon as he hears that call—
Running has never been something he has enjoyed. In fact, he hates it with his entire being, just like every other form of physical exercise. Hajime tried to instill in him why it was a good idea for him to run, but he was just not having it. Honestly. He really regrets that decision now. Maybe if he listened to him, he wouldn’t be panting this much. Maybe if he listened then, he would be faster. And if he had been faster, then maybe things would have been different.
Except it never was.
No matter how many times he runs the events through his mind…
"H-Hajime is in stable condition,"
"B-but, it’s unclear w-when or, or, if, Hajime will wake up."
"The s-scans show little, little to no activity in the brain, I’m s-sorry, Nagito-san!"
…the ending remains the same as it was when it first occurred.
Life in Jabberwock is as peaceful as it can be. Except it’s not anymore. The blue skies are gone, and the blue waters are tainted. The only thing left of him now are the blue tears he sheds beside his sleeping husband. Mikan may have found the cause of his comatose state, but what good will that do when he remains asleep like this.
Days turn to weeks, and weeks turn to months. All Nagito can do is wait for a miracle to occur.
And if that miracle comes in the form of an endless dream…
The prince laughs as Hinata huffs at his late arrival. "Ah, sorry… Were you waiting long?"
"Does it really matter to you if I was?" The protagonist kicks a pebble as he answers before turning away. "Knowing you, you’ll just take your time even more to spite me."
"Such low opinions of me, Hinata-kun… I couldn’t possibly spite you," he scoffs, placing a hand on his chest as if promising solemnly. Too bad his companion isn’t having it with how he snorts at his display. Komaeda expects him to ditch him again, like earlier. Imagine his surprise when Hinata takes his hand and drags him along.
Really, he looks so dashing with the sun shining on him. If he can keep this image alive for a while longer, can he bring it back home? Nagito isn’t so sure about that, but listening to him berate him like this…
"Don’t look at me like that. I'm only doing this because you’ll just end up in a daze again if I leave. Then, who fucking knows when we’ll get to the next guardian!"
…Maybe it isn’t so bad to enjoy what precious moments they have left before the inevitable end.
—
"What other choice do we have? It’s either this or lose him forever, Nagito-san…"
Life in Jabberwock is as peaceful as it can be. Blue skies, blue water, blue code blinding him as they seal him away—
Things were never supposed to be like this. Hajime’s little adventure game was only supposed to be used for leisure and relaxation. It was never meant to be used as another cartridge for the Neo World Program. He made it with love and with the hope that it would keep everyone together. How were they all to know that it would be used to bring him back the way he did with them?
"Remember, Nagito-san.."
"Six fragments… for six memories…" he mumbles like a mantra. His memory may be fickle, but he swears to remember this until he dies. "Six fragments… for six memories…"
It was nothing more than a theory, but it was the best they had. When every avenue had already been explored to no avail, they had no choice but to cling to the small glimpse of hope in this risky venture. He has to get Hajime back.
And if that means being transported to a game his husband created out of love…
"Upload successful!"
"We just have to wait now, right?"
"Don’t lower your guards. We have to monitor them for the entire duration of the procedure."
"Aye, aye captain! Ibuki is all set to stand guard 24/7!"
"They will be fine, r-right? …W-we checked everything but, um…"
"Nagito-san, Hajime-san… please come back soon…!"
…would it really be so bad?