even the strongest fire can burn out

—commission for @aulilyu!

—note: tunacan fanfic for one of my favourite clowns! i kind of got carried away with writing this but i hope you like it ^__^ tysm for trusting me with this <3

Grim arched his back as he let out a groan, trying to cure his boredom by walking around the library – it was hardly a fitting place to relieve boredom especially when paper full of words, words, and more words were more often a trigger for falling asleep than keeping someone entertained. NRC’s library barely contained any entertaining books. Most of them were research literature and textbooks used for studying. It was expected from a prestigious school like Night Raven.

But, if there was one thing the library was good for, it was the hushed gossip that could easily be overheard by others because of the dead silent atmosphere it gave. So when Grim caught Yuulis’ name being mentioned behind a nearby shelf, he had little choice but to follow his growing curiosity – curiosity killing the cat meant nothing to him, he wasn’t a cat after all, or so he liked to claim.

Two voices – seemingly older than both Yuulis and he. One opened their mouth, a gruff voice coming out, “That kid, the Ramshackle prefect, they’re too full of themselves. they think they’re so great, but in reality, all they do is halve the headmaster’s paperwork. If I were Crewel or Trein, I’d kick them out of the class for sure.”

Grim froze, his hands forming fists as his nails dug into his skin – anger bubbling inside the pits of his stomach as he continued to listen in to their conversation. The other person replied, “right? Where have you ever heard of a case like that? They’re bound to tarnish our school’s prestige at this rate.”

It took Grim everything in him to stop himself from barging into the middle of their conversation and throwing a few punches here and there. But rationality pulled him back to reality when he realized that by doing that, he’d just be making things worse for the both of them – and he’s already had enough of the badmouthing from the students, what more when he found out that faculty also thought the same as them?

He felt terrible now. It was like the whole world was against them – being a special case meant that you were an outcast, and being an outcast meant that people will talk about you – good and bad. He decided to go out for fresh air to keep his mind out of the unpleasant chatter he subjected himself to. Ignorance was truly bliss in this case.

He found himself wandering into the botanical garden after recalling that Yuulis would be there after Professor Crewel gave them the task of looking after the plants that needed special attention during the summer in preparation for the next semester’s classes. Sure enough, he found them there in a lab coat covered in dirt and leaves as they dug up a fiery red plant and placed it in a cart.

Grim walked over casually – his ears perking up upon seeing the unusual plant. Though he’s had enough of curiosity for a while, especially when looking at Yuulis was enough for the conversation he eavesdropped on to remain fresh in his memory. He decided to give them a nudge with his foot, “Minioooon, let’s get some snacks or something from Heartslabyul or Octavinelle – Riddle was called to the faculty today so it would be easier to sneak in than usual!”

Yuulis glanced back at him, letting out a small sigh while they dusted the dirt off their gloves, “if you’re so bored, maybe you would be interested in helping me out instead – err, wait, I take that back. You can go on ahead without me. I’m busy doing tasks.”

“Haah!? What’s that supposed to mean!?” Grim stomped his foot against the ground, pouting at the prefect before declaring, “the Great Grim can take care of those stupid plants no problemo!”

“Wait– Grim, no!” Before Yuulis could stop Grim from touching the plant’s bud bare-handed, he leapt towards it and grabbed it in a manner that could be potentially disastrous for everyone. Once Grim wrapped his hand around the red bud, he let out a shriek that could shatter glass in a matter of seconds – Yuulis could only shake their head as they covered their ears.

“What the hell was that…!? Why was it so hot!?” Grim cried out, clutching his hand close to himself before Yuulis bent down to wrap a cold cloth over his burn.

“Igni Fatuus or simply a flaming flower. Its bud is extremely hot and should be handled with care, though once it blooms the heat transfers to the petals which set it aflame – earning it the title of the flaming flower. It requires experienced hands to grow it in a controlled climate or else everything might burn up if left to the wrong hands.”

“Why is there such a dangerous plant here in the botanical garden!?”

“The fire on its petals dies down when the plant itself suffocates and there are multiple remedies that include this plant as one of the key ingredients – so people often keep them inside a box until it dies and dries out. Its own fire kills itself. Ironic, isn’t it?”

Grim scurried about outside of Ramshackle, the light and haste footsteps managed to reach those who were inside the building thanks to the thin walls of the rickety building. The ghosts who nested in the dorm peeked through the window curiously, eyes darting to wherever little Grim went next with his hands full.

“Curious, curious – what is that little cat up to?”

“Didn’t both of you just finish up slaving away in the garden?”

Yuulis could only sigh as they closed the book in their hand. Their muscles are somewhat sore after a day of doing odd jobs around the school – “I’ll clean up after his mess tomorrow, I’m beat.” The two ghosts circled Yuulis, their gazes demanding answers until the third ghost came in and snickered to himself.

“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about anything, prefect.” Nosy as the ghosts were, the two immediately floated over towards the new arrival. Muttering to each other like housewives who got their hands on the juiciest gossip in town – Yuulis can’t help but overhear fragments of their conversation as they went on. “That little racoon… job as boss…”

It was hardly proper to eavesdrop on someone’s conversation, even if they were ghosts – Yuulis could only raise an inquisitive eyebrow, putting aside the suspicious feeling clawing on the pit of their stomach. “Suspicious…” they could only mutter as they glanced at the window where they watched Grim from.

Night fell and it was hardly the proper time for someone to barge into someone’s room whilst dragging them outside – but ’outsiders’ were a little strange in Night Raven College. Grim had little to no regard for whether or not Yuulis was preparing to go to bed early and dragged them out to the back of Ramshackle’s building. Where there laid a picnic blanket and a grill, something you’d see on special gatherings and occasions.

Vegetables lay on the small table beside the grill. It felt a bit strange to Yuulis especially when they think about how much Grim likes tuna – but there wasn’t a single piece of fish, much less meat. Grim grabbed a knife, his bandaged fingers wrapping themselves around the handle as he started chopping the vegetables one by one albeit a bit clumsily. “Sit down, sit down! The chef isn’t going to be done any time soon, you’ll get sore just standing like that.”

“Oh! Ah, y-yes. You’re right.” Grim snapped them out of their trance, unable to believe that Grim was indeed chopping vegetables without making a complete mess. His actions were messy yet endearing – as if watching a child do something for the very first time.

“When~ all the veggies are fried~ add water and then simmer~ over medium heat.” Grim hummed rhythmically as if he came up with an easy nursery rhyme to remember the steps to cooking a delicious meal – Yuulis could only muster a grin as they relished in the way Grim’s tail waved back and forth along with the beat. “Once the squash is cooked thoroughly~ add coconut milk~ and the rest of the veggies into the mix.”

“… Stir this in… and done!” Grim put a portion of his cooking into a plate – his measly attempt of making a fancy plating making it all the more adorable when it spills. He presented the dish in front of Yuulis who was waiting eagerly. “Behold! The great magician Grim’s summer vegetable curry!”

“Oh, how nice.”

“Is that all you have to say about it!?”

“Let me taste it first and then we’ll see.” Yuulis scooped a spoonful of curry – making sure to get enough of the broth and the vegetables into the spoon before putting it inside their mouth and swallowing. “Impressive, you actually managed to make it taste good!”

“Nyohoho… Who do you think you’re talking to? Of course, it’s only natural for someone as amazing as me!”

“Where did you manage to get the ingredients for this, though? You didn’t steal them, did you?”

“Well–! I got caught smuggling these veggies by the cafeteria ghosts, but they were nice enough to let me go and teach me how to make this curry. So… technically it wasn’t stealing?”

“Grim.”

“Relax~! The rest I dug up myself from the botanical garden, it’s no biggie.”

“Grim!”

“Ah-! No, wait! Don’t pull on my ears like that–I’m soooooosorry!”

The fire coming from the grill flickered until it eventually burned out and disappeared, the smoke it released into the cool night gradually disappearing. Yuulis sat on the picnic blanket alongside Grim – a half-eaten piece of grilled vegetable laid beside them on a clean plate.

Silence took over the atmosphere as Grim fiddled with his fingers awkwardly while Yuulis looked towards the sky – their golden eyes making out an expression that no one can really put a finger on. Grim followed their gaze as he stared at the sky, some stars shying behind the clouds as the moon shined brightly upon them. He sighed dreamily, “the stars look really beautiful tonight, don'tcha think so?

"There.” Yuulis points towards the sky, “those stars there are Deneb, Altair and Vega; they make up the summer triangle.”

“Huh, really?” Grim crossed his arms.

“Right next to it is Pegasus, and above it is Cassiopeia.”

“That really bright star is Spica. that means Virgo is somewhere nearby” Yuulis trailed off. “It’s a little hard to make out, but right over there is…”

Grim stared at the Ramshackle prefect, his mind wandering to the times he’s spent together with them – from the very first time they met, the time they got chased by a dwarf gnome along with Ace and Deuce, the first Halloween they spent together, and everything else that came along after it that lead them to where they are right now. It was peculiar how Grim felt like his whole life only started upon meeting them. It was as if it was a strange play of Fate that made him feel like his current world revolves around them.

His ears twitched – since when did this happen?

“Where did you learn the names of those stars, minion?” Grim asked after a moment of complete silence upon realizing they stopped talking a few moments ago. Yuulis could only sigh. Followed by a few short seconds of deafening silence accompanied by the crickets near the forest. Melancholy – their expression spoke volumes.

“… It’s what we call them back in my world.” Grim felt his ear twitch a little upon hearing those words fall from their lips. His lips were slightly agape at the mention of their world when they never really talked about or mentioned it before. It was an undeniable sign of trust between the two – a silent pact between the two halves. Yuulis looked down, and they sigh, “now that I look at them closer, they look a little different from the ones back at home. It seems not even our stars are the same, how pitiful.”

“Sometimes I still can’t believe that I’m in a different world,” Yuulis fiddled with their fingers – unable to look at Grim in the eye just yet as they glanced up to the sky once more, “the more I find little things like these that seem impossible, the more I feel lost… and the more I feel like I don’t belong here. I’m an anomaly in Twisted Wonderland, aren’t I?”

Grim’s ears drooped down, the fire flickering out slightly, the feeling of frustration and sadness finally making itself known. For once, he couldn’t bring himself to speak as he stopped eating his food –his mind wandering to the conversation he heard in the library earlier. He clenched his fist.

“Grim,” Yuulis called out his name and Grim’s tail drooped down completely as if it lost its life. “Compared to the hell I lived through I had back then, being here feels like a dream come true. But… someday, I’ll be gone. And when that time comes, nothing good will ever happen in my life again, and…”

“…You won’t be in it too.” Yuulis’ voice cracked ever so slightly – something that couldn’t be heard but felt instead. And Grim felt like the words lodged in his throat were thorns pricking him endlessly as he struggled to get them out. Yuulis rubbed their eyes like getting the dust out, and they finally managed to smile, “when that happens, you have to promise me you’ll be the greatest magician in the world, ‘kay?”

'Stop talking,’ he wanted to shout out. The fire in his ears fully went out and the atmosphere was dead silent as he felt the hole in his chest get bigger with every passing second with Yuulis staying silent. Tears pricked the corner of his eyes, trying to pull himself together as he finally managed to get words out. “Who… who says I’ll be gone?”

“Huh…?”

“Partners are supposed to stick together, right, Yuu? What kind of partner would I be if I just left my minion on my own?” He tried mustering out a laugh, his confident mask crumbling when he barely managed to hold in his sniffles. “If you choose to stay, then stay by my side 'til death parts us… But if you choose to go back,” he took their hands with his, his eyes pearly from the tears he was trying to hold back desperately. “I’m fine with leaving behind everything to follow you.”

Yuulis could barely hold in their shock, their mouth wide open as they tried to piece the jumbled pieces together. They looked at him sternly yet pleading, “Grim you… You shouldn’t leave your home… I’m not worth sacrificing your dreams for.”

He finally let out a small laugh for the first time tonight. “Who do you think you’re talking to?” Grim smiles, “when I’m with you, I feel like I can accomplish anything and so much more. That just means I’ll have to find a way to achieve that dream by your side.”

He paused, tightening his hold around their hand, a fond smile taking over his expression. “Home is when we’re together – where I can feel the warmth of your hands against mine… Just like this.”

'My home is with you,’ he wanted to say.

“That’s why,” he smiled cheekily, “you don’t have to feel alone anymore, okay? The great magician Grim will dispel all your troubles!”

Yuulis could barely let a word out. Their lips were parted from each other yet not a single coherent word could come out of their mouth. As if they were afraid that one more word from them would cause the already fragile Grim to break even further – his heart would shatter into a million pieces. Instead, they laughed. Laughed as they wrapped their arms around Grim as if they wanted to joke about anything and everything like it was any other day.

But laughs turn into silent sobs that they couldn’t hold back any longer – the warm droplets rolling down their cheeks as they hugged Grim even tighter, drowning in his embrace as they dug their face into his chest. 'Don’t leave me,’ they wanted to plea no matter how pathetic it might sound. It was a childish wish yet, to them, it was of importance that no one could really comprehend. For what right does anyone have to gauge someone’s endless loneliness?

Grim could only stay silent as he shed a few tears himself, telling himself he can’t break down right now or else they might feel worse. So he bit his lip, trying to comfort the downhearted prefect… his partner. He could only wish selfishly from the bottom of his heart that the time they have to go back to their world may never come – he was pretty sure of himself that they felt the same way. But what did Fate think of the two anomalies? That was the question that scared them to no end.

They sat there, embracing each other under the moonlit night with only the stars and the moon as their witnesses.

And on that night, for the very first time, Grim was the one to tuck them into bed. All while sending prayers to whoever listened up above:

“… Don’t take them away from me just yet.”